Originally released as a Sega Saturn title in 1997, Princess Crown is a true gem of an Action-RPG and thanks to our friends over at ATLUS you can now take it with you wherever you go. As Princess Gradriel, a 13 year old Princess Knight, you head out on a medieval style quest to rid your homeland of underworld demons. Through excellent storytelling, engaging combat, and some of the most beautiful 2D graphics ever seen, Princess Crown truly sets itself apart from the rest of the pack.

The first thing you’ll notice about Princess Crown is that the graphics are true art. From the design, to the coloring, and the animation, the characters and environments have to be some of the best, if not the best, 2D graphics every created for a video game. Everything feels like they belong together in a visual sense and every scene you stroll in to is brimming with vibrant life. The motion of the characters and distant backgrounds give the sense that everything is truly alive and really add an extra boost to the game overall. You’ll definitely be smiling the entire way through the game due in large part to the visual 2D pleasures that Princess Crown offers.

The second thing you’ll notice is that this game is heavy on dialogue so if you don’t like playing by way of FAQ this may be a deal breaker. The upside is that there is a complete dialogue translation made by IGN’s own Anoop that is both exhaustive and very entertaining in its own right. The story, as translated by Anoop, is quite long and very involving. It amounts to a mini-novel that includes many interesting twists and lots of great dialogue. The story alone is what often makes or breaks an RPG for some and in that respect Princess Crown does not disappoint. Progressing to the next bit of dialogue is really what kept me playing all the way through to the end.

Once you get past these two initial shocks you’ll realize that the entire game is actually a side-scroller. Moving between towns, houses, and battles is all done in a 2D side-scrolling world. When outside a town you’ll be in the wild and susceptible to enemy attacks. When an attack happens the scroll area is limited and you are forced to fight the current foe to the death. Your pet fairy will bring your sword to you and the combat will begin. The combat is a mixture of 2D fighter with hack ‘n slash. The D-Pad lets you jump, walk, dash, and block while the other buttons allow attacks and inventory access. The combat is so complex that it truly could be the base for a standalone 2D fighter. While you can button mash your way through early battles, bosses and later regular enemy battles require some fighting know how which can only come from experience and maybe reading a few tips from the available FAQ.