Torneko: The Last Hope

For those of you who have never played Fatal Labyrinth, Chocobo's Dungeon, or even Azure Dreams, the game works like this, it's a semi-overhead view of a field and everyone in it gets their turn when you take yours. So, if you don't move or attack, chances are no one else does either, unless you are sleeping or have some other status ailment. You have to actually get close to your enemy to attack unless you have arrows or magic. You level up as in any traditional RPG but the levels do not carry over each time you enter a dungeon. This may make it sound difficult, but each of the entry floors are rather easy and get more difficult as you progress throughout that dungeon. In later dungeons after the practice ones, there are invisible traps laid out on the floor that you can find by waving your weapon over them, or by means of a certain scroll. There are stores within the dungeon randomly placed wherein a Gargoyle guard watches over. There are several ways to steal from the store, however, which the game even goes over if you speak to the right person in town. Also, if you die in a dungeon before you complete it or find alternate means of leaving (having a priest teleport you, outside scroll, etc.) you lose all items and gold you had on you in the dungeon. Finally, As time passes you gain regain lost hp, but if you spend too much time on one floor (2,000 turns) a gale force blows you out as if you had died.

All in all, a typical turn based random/mysterious dungeon game, but a good one in my opinion. If you liked Chocobo's Dungeon 2, you will probably like this game. Also, it's nice to fight some of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Warrior monsters, though they appear pre-rendered 2-d. The level-up music is nostalgic to me, also.


The reviews did this game justice!!!   April 7, 2002
 6 out of 12 found this review helpful

I had already bought this game and THEN read the reviews before I opened it. Since I have two younger children, haven't been playing the "newer" console games that long and can put up with some less than perfect graphics -I thought that we would like this even though the reviews said it was bad. The pictures on the front of the game and the description make it sound like any normal battle the little monster game with a little storyline. They showed cute little characters in the movie part that introduced the plot. Even when the game began, the characters looked similiar to Fisher Price Little People toys.
and then.... it began. This has to be the most annoying attempt at a game that I have ever seen. If any of you remember the game DigDug, that is what this reminds me of. Your adventures all look the same - like a green rat maze that creates itself as you go along. They do give you a map on the screen so you'll find your way but its not like you're gonna get to go anywhere outside of the little rat trap. I'm thinking that dig dug had the right idea, if I had a tire pump and a little energy I would attach it to this game and blow it up.
Please read these reviews, take them seriously, this is horrible!!!


*stunned silence*   January 23, 2002
 2 out of 10 found this review helpful

I wouldn't give this game a second glance if it had a sign saying it was cased along with $1,000,000. Garbage.


Amazing!   September 8, 2001
 1 out of 5 found this review helpful

Torneko: The Last Hope is amazing. This game's great graphics, wonderful music, driving plot, and fun engine make this game a sure bet. In case you didn't know, Torneko was the merchant in Dragon Warrior IV, and this game expands greatly on him and his whole style of play.