Update: January 19, 2007
«©NCSX» Sometime in the near future, ancient ruins are discovered in Tokyo. Despite taking place in a modern city, there are magic users afoot known as "Variants" who utilize a magic known as "Matrix." Enter a 17 year-old Variant-in-training named Kaito Amane who was orphaned when he was a child. He would have lost his life too if it weren't for a creature named Suihi who saved him and his sister from certain death. Since he was young, Kaito has been raised by his sister Tatsuki Amane who is 22 years old. As the story begins, Kaito meets a comrade named Shizui who gifts him with a weapon known as a Matrix Gear which is what Variants use in battle. Soon afterwards, Kaito and Shizui are exploring the ancient ruins and find a wounded person on the floor. Two demons appear and subsequently attack. Despite the odds, Kaito uses the Matrix Gear to defeat the demons but four enemy reinforcements arrive. Things are looking bleak but Kaito is emboldened when Tatsuki and a fellow Variant named Raika Kiriyama appear to help beat the demons away. Played in standard strategy-rpg fashion, DSS plays like many other similar games where movement, attacks, magic use, and item use are entirely controlled through a simple menu system. View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.
NCS Game Notes
In the intro to the game, a Japanese gal provides a voice over while a tattered book is shown on screen. She sets up the background story of Dragon Shadow Spell while the camera moves across dark clouds until a sparkling city may be seen below. An airship floats above the city and the scene shifts to a lad named Kaito who's walking and eating something. He turns around and feeds some of the food to a dragon-like creature named Suihi who's perched on his shoulder. The scene shifts to images and animations of the other characters in the game as they engage in mundane situations, running action, and somber reflection. » On the title screen, press START and the following selections drop: NEW GAME..... Begin a new adventure
CONTINUE...... Resume a game from memory card save data
OPTION.......... Set Message Speed, BGM Volume, Voice Volume, SE Volume, Sound Mode, and Vibration » Press start and the whine of an engine may be heard as the camera checks out a stormy sky high above with driving rain, dark clouds, and lightning. An airship courses through the cloud cover and a lightning bolt strikes the ship but it continues through the clouds until it breaks through the clouds. A brightly lit city may be seen below. The airship changes course and heads towards the city. The words Dragon Shadowspell appear. » First chapter: Variant
A city street at night and a park may be seen. Kaito appears with goggles atop his red hair. His dragon friend Suihi appears and they have a conversation. Sirens sound in the background and they're startled so they vamoose. In the next scene, a guy with orange hair and glasses and a feathery mess on his shoulders named Onihara interacts with Kaito. A gunshot is heard and Kaito runs away from Onihara. The next scene takes place in a Variant facility of some sort and a lad named Shizui is accepting orders from an unseen male director. » Next scene, Kaito and Suihi are in another part of town commiserating when someone yells out "Kaitou!". Suihi disappears and Shizui enters. Shizui opens a case that looks like it holds a violin but something sinister is shown on top of the opened case. It's a black barbed sword known as a Matrix Gear which looks gnarly. Shizui gives Kaitou the sword and it glows and makes a growling sound. Kaito makes a pained sound and seemingly gargles and screams. A single heartbeat may be heard followed by blackness. » In the next scene, a gal named Tatsuki appears in the park from earlier and is joined by a guy named Raika with purple hair and a weird jacket that might have been designed by Gaultier. Tatsuki is Kaito's older sister and she goes looking for him. » As the intro continues, two purple colored demon-creatures are standing near a fallen body. Kaitou and Shizui run up and confront the two creatures. A battle starts and the text "Spread of Demons" kicks off the battle. » The control menu on the left side of the screen translates as follows: 1) Entry (Choose characters will fight in battle)
2) Order of Battle
3) Battlefield Info
4) Save Game
5) Load Game
6) Option
7) Start Battle » Once you start the Battle, you can use the D-pad or L-Analog to move the cursor and highlight Kaito. Once highlighted, press the "O-button" to select him. Another menu will appear. Select the top option to move Kaitou the on the highlighted squares that show his range of movement. Mosey on next to a demon and attack. After defeating the two dragons, text appears which reads, "Fortune favors the bold." A screen follows which shows the experience earned and the spoils of war. Kaitou will also level up from Level 2 to Level 3 after the firste battle and his HP increases from 198 to 214 among other attribute improvements. When in battle, the menu options are: 1) Move
2) Attack
3) Use Magic
4) Use Item
5) View Stats
6) Party Mode
7) End Turn » After the battle, four more dragons rush into view but by this time, Tatsuki and Raika join the battle and fight alongside Kaito. One of the dragons has in excess of 600HP while the other three are a little under 200HP. After the battle, Kaitou levels up again with HP ramping to 230. Shizui didn't help with the battle but he's the first one to talk to Kaitou. » All of the dialogue in the game is accompanied by speech. » In the Now Loading screen, Suihi runs like the wind on the lower right corner of the screen. » Standard tactical warfare conventions apply where attacking an enemy from the side or from behind will cause more damage than if you attack from the front. » Battles are tied together by conversation sequences between the party members and new characters that they meet along their travels. » The third battle takes place deeper in the ruins and is titled "Little Creature." The party battles spirited rocks and wispy flames. The flames can multiply by splitting themselves up but we only watched this happen once. After the battle, the crew meet a masked man named Painkiller. After some drama and theatrics, the fourth battle pits the party against Uranos the Alchemist and his crew. Jan Code: 4571218880013 This document is ©NCSX 2007. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.
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