The site actually turned 20 on August 10th, but it wouldn’t be TSS if we were on time ;)
Things have changed a lot since those early days. But even though the Shining Force front is quiet (come on Sega, re-release SF3 already) there are still new shining-style projects being developed.
TSS would not be what it is today without everyone that has visited us over the years. Whether you downloaded a demo, created your own, or just sent us an email calling us shit, we are eternally thankful for you.
Finally I’d like to thank Devlyn for giving life to the site all those years ago. And thank you to some of our original contributors: Edgemaster, Elvenfyre, and Newts. You all helped turn this place into something special.
Stay safe, drink applesap, and keep on Shining. Here’s to another 20 years!
War of Velana is a project we first talked about back in October. Since then there have been some exciting updates, including a demo release!
There are new NPC’s, new maps, and new Chapters in development. Here’s a peek at some of the updated sprite artwork:
Speaking of those animations, with the new character art, there are a lot of sprite design changes that are taking place to have the characters look a lot closer to their official designs. Here are some before and after comparisons of the main cast.
The maps are also looking great:
If you want to keep up with development, updates are posted on the War of Velana Devblog.
But enough talk, go grab the demo and leave some feedback!
Aura4 got in touch to let me know about the release of his new Shining Force fan game, Mega Force 2!
Mega Force 2 is the sequel to Mega Force, which was released back in 2016. Just like its predecessor, Mega Force 2 features a complete cast of playable characters and a tonne of battles.
You start with a single character, but as the game progresses you’ll pick up some useful allies.
Not all of these characters are popular with the dungeon’s inhabitants though…
If you’re a fan of Shining-style battles this is definitely worth a play. Be sure to use your spells in the early battles as they can be very tough, and don’t be afraid to use egress if needed. Some of the later fights require a little bit of planning to make sure enemies are lured into range, which adds an extra layer of challenge to the experience.
War of Velana is a new 16-bit RPG in development. From the homepage:
In many ways, War of Velana is a spiritual successor to the Shining Force series on the Sega Genesis. Elements of those games are the core, and combine with some design ideas from Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics to create a new tactical experience. In War of Velana, your characters have static classes and gain a variety of skills and equipment upgrades as you progress through the game. In between combat, you’ll be able to explore and interact with the world around you.
The game has been in development for four years and has a great look to it:
There are more screenshots in the latest devblog, including some really impressive atmospheric animations. Check it out!
Shining Pod is a new monthly podcast that covers the entire Shining series! There are 5 episodes to listen to so far, and they cover the early Shining Force games as well as fan games like Ballad of Thuriana and War of Velana.
