ウォズ超魔法大陸WOZZ (Chou Mahou Tairiku Wozz, The Magical Land of Wozz)
Super Famicom
RED Entertainment / Bullet Proof Software
Release: Aug 4, 1995
English translation by TransCorp: http://transcorp.parodius.com/projects/wozz/
So. There was once a Super Famicom RPG released in 1995. Have you heard this one before?
They're a dime a dozen, and yet each time I discover a new SFC RPG that's been translated, I feel that kind of happiness that can only originate from the mid-nineties. Especially when they're amusing and quirky like this one, and the nice presentation does not hurt at all.
The basic story is that this magical land that exists parallel to "our world" (I use the term loosely) is in peril so a wizard attempts to summon a legendary hero from Earth to defeat the evil badguy. Since apparently he can only be defeated by modern technology, which they don't have in WOZZLAND. Unfortunately the old coot summons three punk kids instead, so they kind of have to help him with all this or they're stuck here.
Yeah I don't think this old guy who summoned you really knows what he's doing...
Our heroes are Leona, a Japanese girl smartypants who's skilled with technology. She uses a bazooka in battle and can synthesize items using materials. Then there's Shot (yes, that's his name), an American archery pro who's kind of a dick. He's the physical attacker type. Finally, we have Chun, a Chinese boy gifted with psychic powers in the real world, which translates to him being good with magic in Wozzlandia. He's basically a huge scaredycat and wuss, struggling to even keep up with the party as they walk through dungeons.
The problem with being named "Shot" and being an archer: you're redundant!
You get to choose one of the three to be your "main character", although all three form the main party. The story seems to have certain spots that change slightly depending on your choice. For example, the team gets separated during one dungeon, and I was alone as my main for a while before rejoining the others.
Say it with me, "Wozzuka!"
You apparently acquire multiple vehicles, robots, and other such amazing things as the game progresses. As stated above, Leona can synth items if you snag the right materials. These neat aspects plus the fact that the game doesn't really seem to require much grinding makes it feel really fresh in comparison to many other SFC RPGs. The abundant humor in the script definitely helps this feeling, as well!
The map sprites are small (slightly bigger than FFV's) but well-done and expressive, and there are some impressive graphical touches on the world map itself. Battles are done in a sort of isometric perspective and the battle sprites of the main party and the monsters are quite nice.
Some pretty graphics on the world map. Look at that water!
Wozz's music is pretty good as well, the map music is soothing and the battle music is motivating, what more do you really need? Standard lovely SNES-era music. There doesn't seem to be an official soundtrack to the game that I've found, so those .spc files are your best bet.
When you use the Quake spell in battle, it causes the battlefield to shift all unevenly! Badass.
In short, Wozz is a great pick if you're up for a 16-bit RPG. It's got charm, it's got style, and it's unique enough to leave a lasting impression. As always, I have totally NOT uploaded a fully-patched rom for your convenience. Nope. No way.
I'd like to give props to TransCorp again, not only for the translation work, but because their page has translations from the original manual as well as a scanlated introductory manga to the game! Really stellar work.
