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Vantage Master | |
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Developer(s) | Nihon Falcom |
Publisher(s) | Nihon Falcom |
Platform(s) | Windows, PlayStation Portable |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Tactical RPG |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Vantage Master [1] is a 1997 tactical role-playing game by Nihon Falcom. The game was never released outside of Asia. A sequel, Vantage Master V2, was released in 1998, featuring new maps and adjusted character balance but an unchanged overall game design. The English version of V2 was made available as a free download as of 2002 under the title Vantage Master Online. Another sequel, VM Japan, was released in 2002. [2]
The player takes on the role of a summoner (known as Natial master or just master). A master can summon spirits known as Natials. All masters and Natials have maximum HP of 10. The object of the game is to reduce the opposing master's HP to 0. The game is played on a hex grid map with different types of terrains which affect the gameplay.[ citation needed ]
In scenario mode, the player must play through 30 stages, divided into 6 phases each containing 4 to 7 stages, against opposing masters. In expert mode, both the player and the enemy are equipped with all Natials and magics available in the game, but the map design is generally disadvantageous for the player. Expert Mode consists of 8 stages. Free Battle allows the player to configure all settings including masters, stats, Natials, magics and the map. Human vs Human, Human vs CPU and CPU vs CPU are also available. Secret characters are available in this mode. There are a total of 27 masters in Vantage Master, of which 18 can be accessed normally. There are 24 Natials that can be summoned, each of which belongs to one of four attributes: Earth, Water, Fire and Heavens. Each attribute has dominance and a weakness over one another in the following way: Earth beats Water, Water beats Fire, Fire beats Heavens, Heavens beats Earth. A Natial can also be day type or night type, becoming stronger in bright or dark places, respectively. Summoning and maintaining a Natial requires usage of MP. Each attribute has its own "style". For example, Earth units tend to have poor magic resistance with decent attack. They can move very well on land, while some are able to enter a watery terrain, albeit with penalized movement distance.[ citation needed ]
Falcom announced the development of Vantage Master Portable for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2007, [3] which was released on April 24, 2008. It features new characters from the Trails series of games and a multiplayer mode using the PSP's wireless capabilities. The interface is changed slightly for the PSP, and there is no mouse functionality in the PC port. Otherwise, the game is essentially a complete 3D clone of the original Vantage Master with remastered music and gameplay.[ citation needed ]
A sequel, VM Japan, subtitled Vantage Master – Mystic Far East, was released in 2002 for the PC and later for the Playstation 2; it changed the setting to feudal Japan and featured different Natials, more differences between masters, a deeper story mode, and improved graphics. [4] [5]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III includes a mini-game known as Vantage Masters, based on upon the systems of the game. [6] The game's sequel, Trails of Cold Steel IV , features an updated version of it. [7] The game returns once again in The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie , which serves as finale to the arcs seen in both Trails of Cold Steel and The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure games. [8]
Brandish is an action role-playing game by Nihon Falcom. Originally released in 1991 for the NEC PC-9801 and FM Towns, it was later ported to the Super NES and PC Engine CD-ROM² in the mid 1990s, including an expanded re-release titled Brandish Renewal. The game was the first in the Brandish series and was followed by three sequels. A remake, Brandish: The Dark Revenant, was released for the PlayStation Portable in Japan in 2009 and worldwide in 2015.
The Legend of Heroes, known in Japan as Eiyū Densetsu, is a series of role-playing video games developed by Nihon Falcom. First starting as a part of the Dragon Slayer series in the late 1980s, the series evolved into its own decade-spanning, interconnected series with seventeen entries, including several subseries. All games in the franchise released since 2004 are part of the Trails subseries, known as Kiseki in Japan. The newest entry, The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki, is scheduled to be released on September 26, 2024.
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The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero, known as Zero no Kiseki in Japan, is a 2010 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series. It takes place in Crossbell, a city-state located between two great powers fighting for control over it, and follows Lloyd Bannings and his colleagues Elie MacDowell, Randy Orlando, and Tio Plato. The four form the Special Support Section, a newly formed department of the Crossbell police. The game and its 2011 sequel, Trails to Azure, form the Crossbell arc of the series.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is a 2013 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series. It was initially released in Japan for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita before being localized in English by Xseed Games in 2015.
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The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC is a 2006 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series, and serves as a direct sequel to The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. It was first released in Japan for Windows in 2006 before releasing for the PlayStation Portable the following year.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd is a 2007 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series, and is the final entry of the Trails in the Sky trilogy arc.
Trails, known as Kiseki (軌跡) in Japan, is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Nihon Falcom. It is a part of their larger The Legend of Heroes franchise and began with the release of Trails in the Sky in 2004. Trails features a large cast of characters and consists of interconnected story arcs set in different nations on the continent of Zemuria: Liberl, Crossbell, Erebonia, and Calvard. The series primarily features turn-based combat, with a few spin-offs and more recent entries featuring other styles of gameplay.
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Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a 2010 crossover fighting game by Nihon Falcom. Similar to the concept of Super Smash Bros. and Dissidia Final Fantasy, the game involves players choosing a character and participating in up to four-player fights against other characters sourced from Falcom's Ys and Trails role-playing game series. It was released only in Japan for the PlayStation Portable on July 29.
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The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is a 2017 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series, and serves as a direct sequel to The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II.
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