Grandia: Parallel Trippers
A handheld spin-off of the original Grandia.
Grandia: Parallel Trippers is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts for the Game Boy Color as part of their Grandia series. Published by Hudson Soft and released exclusively in Japan in December 2000, it is a spin-off of the first Grandia title featuring characters, music, and a similar battle system. The game is notable for being the series' first handheld entry, presented with entirely two-dimensional graphics and a first-person combat system using Synthesis Cards.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Game Arts
- Publisher
- Hudson Soft
- Composer
- Noriyuki Iwadare
- Series
- Grandia
- Released
- December 22, 2000 (JP)
- Genre
- Role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Game Boy Color
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Grandia: Parallel Trippers is a traditional role-playing video game presented with two-dimensional graphics and character sprites from an overhead perspective. Players guide the main character Yuuhi through environments containing non-player characters, enemy monsters, traps, and puzzles. Obstacles such as ledges and pits can be overcome by jumping, while barricades and walls may be crossed using switches found in the area. The character Pinky, a rotund flying creature with large ears, can manipulate objects from a distance. Treasure chests with healing herbs and equipment are scattered throughout, along with hidden items found by searching certain objects. Enemies are visible on the map screen and are engaged only upon contact. Combat retains the Initiative Point Gauge from the original Grandia to determine action order, but characters and enemies are fixed in position viewed from a first-person perspective. As a character's turn approaches, an icon moves along the IP Gauge at a speed determined by that character's speed rating. When the icon reaches the end, the player selects an action from Synthesis Cards, which can be used for attacks or magic, and may be combined for additional effects. Defeating enemies earns experience points toward leveling up, and data on monsters, actions, and characters is collected in a database accessible from the title screen.
Development
Hudson Soft and Game Arts teamed up to bring the Grandia series to the Game Boy Color for the first time, announcing the handheld title in July 2000. Game Arts president Hirokazu Miyazki said the goal was to create a Grandia that could be played anywhere, designed to appeal equally to newcomers and longtime fans. Hudson Soft was specifically picked as publisher because of their handheld expertise and strong marketing push for Japanese audiences. The game debuted at the Nintendo Space World expo in August 2000, then appeared at the Tokyo Game Show that September, where its release date was finalized. After launch, Hudson Soft ran the Grandia Nippo website, offering fan art, interviews, and special downloads to keep interest high. The soundtrack uses downsampled versions of Noriyuki Iwadare’s original Grandia compositions.
Reception
Japanese response to Grandia: Parallel Trippers was mild; Weekly Famitsu granted the game a 24 out of 40 score. In a hands-on preview, IGN found it to be a very generic role-playing title, remarking that while it did not look or play poorly, there was nothing differentiating it from other big-headed, overhead 2D RPGs on the Game Boy Color. IGN also felt the game was too loosely associated with the original, noting it was really only Grandia in characters, since it did not look like the Grandia played on 32-bit consoles.
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