Series Aretha Publisher Yanoman Mode Single-player video game | Initial release date 16 November 1990 | |
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Director(s) Mitsuru TakahashiTakehisa Abe Producer(s) Seiichi YanoKazutoyo IshiiYasuyuki Wakamiya Release date(s) Game BoyJP: 1990Super FamicomJP: November 23, 1993 Similar Yanoman games, Other games | ||
Aretha (アレサ, "Aretha") is a role-playing video game developed by Japan Art Media (JAM) and published by Yanoman Corporation to an exclusively Japanese market. It was originally released for the Game Boy in 1990 and later ported to the Super Famicom (SNES) as Aretha the Super Famicom in 1993. Aretha was the first title in the game series of the same name.
Contents
Gameplay
An all-directional random encounter turn-based battle screen is used that allows enemies to attack from the rear, the side, and the front.
Plot
Aretha tells the story of Ariel; the granddaughter of a wise old grandmother who has been turned a ten-year-old and was given a simple task: to go through the forest to Nineveh, the nearby town, and to meet a certain person while visiting the town. Eventually, Ariel uses this quest to hone her magic skills to fight the ultimate battle against evil.
Reception
The Super Famicom (SNES) version of the game has been the console's top-ten list bestseller in early 1994.
Legacy
Aretha was followed by two sequels, Aretha II: Ariel Fushigi na Tabi (ARETHA II ~アリエル不思議な旅~) and Aretha III, and a standalone side-story game Rejoice: Aretha Ōkoku no Kanata (リジョイス 〜アレサ王国の彼方〜). They were released for the same platforms between 1991-1995.
