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Golden Sun
Developer(s)	Camelot Software Planning
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)
Engine
Latest version	{{{version}}}
Release date(s)	August 1, 2001 November 11, 2001 February 22, 2002
Genre	RPG
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance
Media	Cartridge
System requirements
Input

Golden Sun (or 黄金の太陽/Ougon no Taiyou in Japan) is the first part of an RPG-series by Camelot Software Planning for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. Unlike the North American localization, the Japanese release of the game has a subtitle (as did its sequel worldwide): 開かれし封印/Hirakareshi Fuuin (commonly translated as "The Broken Seal" by the games' fanbase). It was released in 2001, with a sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, in 2003.

Contents 1 Story 2 Gameplay 2.1 Conversations 2.2 Djinn 2.2.1 Effect on Characters 2.2.2 Djinn in Combat 2.3 Psynergy 2.4 The Elements 3 Characters 4 Packaging artwork 5 External links

Story

Golden Sun has a traditional save-the-world storyline that some consider to be rather cliché, but the game also goes deep into mythology and some philosophy, with many outside references along the storyline.

The game begins on a stormy night in the village of Vale, situated next to Mt. Aleph, which houses the Elemental Stars. These gems are the essence and quintessence of each element. However, the antagonists, Saturos and Menardi of the northern fire clan, tried to steal the Stars without success. In the process, they triggered a giant storm, which threatens the village.

The player assumes the role of the protagonist Isaac (however, the player can name Isaac whatever he or she wishes) from the beginning. His best friend Garet joins early on. We are also introduced to Jenna, and her brother Felix, who is carried away by the river along with Isaac's father and Jenna and Felix's parents; they are all assumed dead.

Three years later, Isaac and Garet, Felix's sister, Jenna, and the scholar Kraden decide to explore the Sol Sanctum after overhearing a conversation between Saturos and Menardi. It is they who discover the Elemental Stars. However, Saturos and Menardi follow them into the Sanctum, kidnap Jenna and Kraden, and steal three of the four Stars. In the process, another antagonist, Alex, is introduced. It is revealed that Felix did not die in the tragic storm but was instead saved by Saturos and Menardi. As the chamber starts to collapse, the antagonists flee with their captives. Isaac and Garet are left with the Mars star. The Wise One, guardian of the Elemental Stars, saves Isaac and Garet from the collapsing Sanctum, telling them to recover the Stars. If they are used to light the four elemental lighthouses, the power of Alchemy, sealed away many years previously, will be set loose upon the world, leading ultimately to war and its destruction.

Isaac and Garet set out on a quest to prevent that from happening. They band together with a Jupiter Adept, Ivan. Together the three travel to the Mercury Lighthouse, where they find a Mercury Adept, Mia. However, the four are too late to stop the lighthouse from being lit, even though they manage to defeat Saturos.

The protagonists continue to pursue their foes throughout the continent of Angara, eventually ending up at the Venus Lighthouse. They learn that a girl named Sheba has been kidnapped by their foes. Isaac and his party pursues them up the Venus Lighthouse, and at last defeat Saturos and Menardi at its top, but are again too late to prevent the beacon from being lit. In the earthquake that follows, Sheba falls off the Lighthouse into the sea and Felix jumps after her to save her. Isaac's party leaves the Lighthouse to search for Jenna, but they find no no sign of her, and eventually decide to set sail from Lalivero, in search of the other continents.

Afterwards, it is revealed that Jenna, Alex and Kraden are on Idejima, a peninsula which broke off the mainland during the eathquake, and is now drifting out to sea. Felix and Sheba wash up on its shore, safe and alive.

The game is left open-ended and is continued by its 2nd part: Golden Sun: The Lost Age.

Gameplay

Golden Sun contains many common aspects of role-playing games. The player controls a party of up to four people who each have their own abilities and carry separate items. The members of the player's party earn experience points from combat, and level up after earning a certain number of points. Most combat occurs through random encounters. Combat is turn based, and during combat the player controls the actions of each member of his or her party.

Conversations

Golden Sun contains large amounts of dialogue to advance the story. Sometimes the main player character (Issac) is allowed to interact with the dialogue by providing a response to questions (always either "yes" or "no"). Often the questions asked give the illusion that the player is affecting the story with his or her decisions. In reality, in these situations the dialogue choices only serve to give the player a false sense of freedom, as in most cases both responses will lead to the same end result. This is accomplished through several means: sometimes another party member will simply disagree and override the player, sometimes a character will state he or she thinks the player is lying and ignore the player's response, and in one instance the question is simply repeated until the player gives the desired response.

Djinn

The Djinn (singular Djinni) are creatures of magic found throughout the world. Each Djinni is associated with one of the four elements in the game. Djinn are a major part of Golden Sun and help separate it from other RPGs. Djinn are attached to characters and have extensive influence on character development and play a vital role in combat. Each Djinni has its own power depending on which one of the elemental Djinni you find. The elements are: Venus (Earth), Mars (Fire), Mercury (Water), and Jupiter (Wind).

Effect on Characters

Equipping a Djinni to a character immediately affects that character's statistics, Psynergy (magic techniques), and class. Some of the character's stats will be increased, while others will be decreased. The character will gain access to a new set of Psynergy techniques and may forget old ones. The character's class type will also change. Each of the four types of Djinn will react with a given character in a certain way (a character has a unique set of Psynergy techniques for each type of Djinn). A character may be equipped with multiple Djinn.

Djinn can be traded among characters to experiment with different effects, allowing the player to customize each character to a degree.

Djinn in Combat

In combat, a Set Djinni can be "Unleashed" to activate special abilities. Each Djinni has its own power when Unleashed, some which function as attacks and others which serve to help the player's party in some way (for example, by boosting attack or defense). After being Unleashed, a Djinni is switched to Standby mode.

One or more Djinn in Standby mode can be used to perform a Summon. A Summon is a special attack which is usually more powerful than normal attacks. One or more Djinn of the same type can be used to Summon; a Summon's power is directly related to the number of Djinn it requires. After executing a Summon, a Djinni must rest for one turn before returning to the Set position. If multiple Djinn were used in a Summon, each Djinni will return to the Set position one turn at a time in the order they were Unleashed.

Psynergy

The form of magic found in Golden Sun is primarily referred to as Psynergy, although it is known by different names in different towns throughout the game. Some Psynergy powers are used as attacks, while others are used to boost the party's stats temporarily. Still others are used outside of combat to interact with the environment; for example, to lift a rock or reveal a hidden cave. Psynergy attacks are often more powerful than normal attacks, and some affect multiple enemies.

Using Psynergy costs Psynergy Points, or PP. In many areas of the game, Psynergy recharges as the player walks around, in order to prevent the player from becoming trapped with no Psynergy.

Different Psynergy powers are associated with the game's four elements.

The Elements

The elements in the games are identical to the four Greek classical elements (fire, water, wind and earth). However, like the five Chinese classical elements (fire, water, earth, metal, and wood), they are named after major planets. Due to this mix of influences, a planet may not necessarily represent the same element in the games as it does in Chinese Taoism.

Comparison

	Jupiter	Mars	Mercury	Saturn	Venus
Golden Sun	Wind	Fire	Water	N/A	Earth
Chinese Taoism	Wood	Fire	Water	Earth	Metal

Characters

Main article: List of characters in Golden Sun

Packaging artwork

Ougon no Taiyou: Hirakareshi Fuuin Japan, 2001

Golden Sun North America, 2001

Golden Sun Europe, 2002

External links

• The Official Nintendo Golden Sun Site
• Golden Sun Syndicate
• The Golden Sun Realm
• The Official Camelot Golden Sun Site
• Golden Sun FAQs at GameFAQs
• Golden Sun Fan Fiction Archive
• Golden Sun forum at Gametalk

Golden Sun series
Golden Sun | Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Characters
List of characters in Golden Sun

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