I still remember when I was in high school, what I looked forward to most every day was that after the evening study hall, I would secretly stuff the GBA into my schoolbag and huddle under the quilt to play "The Legend of Zelda" or "Fire Emblem." The small screen, the yellowing backlight, and the "squeaking" sound when the cassette is being read are all elements of youth that can never be returned to. Later, with the PSP, I was finally able to play "Monster Hunter" with a more gorgeous graphics. I played monsters online with my brothers until three in the morning, and went to class the next day with dark circles under my eyes. Now think about it, what we chased in those years was not games, but pure happiness and companionship.
I was wandering around the app store two days ago and saw this mobile game "Prophecy World", which actually gave me the illusion of traveling back in time. Officially, it is said to be a 2.5D game exclusively authorized by the PC game Prophecy OL. To be honest, I played Prophecy OL on PC back then. At that time, Internet cafes were full of button wizards and idle scripts. Instead, I preferred to play the real-time combat of "Phantasy Star" on a handheld console. But the "Rage Transformation" and "Dual Skills" systems of this mobile game remind me of the card combination gameplay of "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories" on the GBA. Although one is an action RPG and the other is a card strategy, the feeling of "freely matching skills to create combos" brings youth back!
What surprises me the most is its "ten thousand people serving the same server" and "conquering cities and territories". When I used to play "Final Fantasy Tactics" on a handheld console, what I enjoyed most was the fun of arranging troops and strategizing. The siege battle of "Prophecy World", although it is on the mobile screen, reminds me of the rhythm of "beating the drums and commanding the army" when I played "Pa Ta Bang" on the PSP - it is the kind of experience where "one person can feel the blood of the legion". And it supports 4.0 system to run smoothly. Compared with the poor frame rate and disk reading speed of handheld consoles back then, this optimization is really touching.
Of course, when I say this, I don't mean to ask you to give up your handheld console and play mobile games. I just feel that if I could go back in time and combine the classic gameplay on GBA/PSP with current mobile game technology and social functions, it would probably be the feeling that "Prophecy World" gives me. It doesn't have the awkwardness of a touch screen, retains the shadow of PC games, and incorporates some of the "pick up and play at any time" convenience of the handheld era. If you also miss the days of playing games on a handheld console, you might as well try this game. Maybe you can find the joy of teasing GBA cheats in the "dual skills". 🕹️✨