Arc the Lad Collection (PlayStation)

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Arc Arena is a monster battling game in which you use your captured monsters from Arc II (via an imported save file) to battle against other creatures in tournament play. The game supports either one or two players, and you can unlock new battle modes and grab a few nifty items by racking up victories. You can also trade monsters with a friend, if you'd like. Arc Arena serves as a nice little extra to Arc II and as an amusing diversion for those who just can't get enough of battling monsters and winning fabulous prizes.

Graphically, the older games in this collection suffer noticeably, especially Arc I with its blocky sprites, washed-out colors, and boring-looking environments. Arc II is a good bit cleaner and brighter; its sprites are more vibrantly colored and better detailed down to the swishing scarves some characters sport. The dungeons remain largely monotonous, but outdoor battlegrounds see a bit of improvement--the tall grass of a plain will sway in the breeze, for example. Arc III is easily the best looking of all the games in the collection, and that's fitting, given that this game came out a good three years after Arc II. The characters have all lost their superdeformed chub and are both well modeled and well animated. Dungeons and outdoor areas have some natural character to them in the form of things like debris, fallen logs, and trees, which serve to blend as part of the whole rather than sticking out like they're obviously part of a tileset.

Characters have voice in battle, and it's all in the original Japanese, so if you can't understand what it is that they're saying, the emotion generally still comes through. The musical score evolves according to the games' ages. Arc I has a small number of highly repetitive tunes that get really old, really fast; Arc II recycles some of the same music while adding new tunes and themes that manage to be catchy; and Arc III has a good variety of sound, though sometimes, during character conversations, tunes will change several times. It's obvious that the music is meant to evoke certain emotions at certain key points, but the transition can be jarring, particularly if you're reading quickly and cycling through dialogue at a good clip. Despite this, however, the game still sounds quite good.

All of this is wrapped up in a package that's worthy of being named a true collector's edition. The manual for the games is hardbound and high-quality, clocking in at around 150 pages; the games ship with a special "making of" disc; and then there's the omake or "extras" box. The omake box contains 22 miniature character standees, four analog thumb button covers (three of them featuring main characters from the games), and an Arc the Lad memory card holder. That's all on top of the four games already included--Working Designs certainly doesn't stint on the crazy extras.

The Arc the Lad Collection is ultimately an interesting, varied, and rewarding experience that has a tendency to sometimes get bogged down. Those who aren't bothered by a "level or else" series of games and who are willing to give these titles the time they require will feel a definite sense of accomplishment, but those who prefer a more straightforward experience are advised to admire the collection's handsome box from afar.

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