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Romancing SaGa 3

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Romancing SaGa 3
A video game cover showing an ornate orange-colored scene with two human faces opposite each other surrounded by exotic flowers; the logo sits in the space between the two.
Super Famicom cover art by Tomomi Kobayashi
DeveloperSquare[a]
PublishersSquare (1995)
Square Enix
DirectorAkitoshi Kawazu
ProducerMichio Okamiya
DesignersAkitoshi Kawazu
Kyoji Koizumi
ArtistTomomi Kobayashi
WriterAkitoshi Kawazu
ComposerKenji Ito
SeriesSaGa
PlatformsSuper Famicom, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Windows, Xbox One
ReleaseSuper Famicom
  • JP: November 11, 1995
Android, iOS, Switch, PS4, PS Vita, Windows, Xbox One
  • WW: November 11, 2019
GenreRole-playing
ModeSingle-player

Romancing SaGa 3[b] is a 1995 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Famicom (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) as a Japanese exclusive. A remaster was released worldwide in 2019 by Square Enix for mobile platforms, consoles and Windows. The sixth entry in the SaGa series, it follows eight characters who are drawn into the search for the Child of Destiny, a figure who could bring either salvation or ruin to the world. Gameplay has the chosen character exploring the world, completing a variety of quests and with some characters engaging in campaign-specific mini-games. The turn-based combat carries over established SaGa mechanics including usage-based statistic growth and learning new moves based on a character's weapons and combat actions.

Production began in 1993 shortly after the completion of Romancing SaGa 2. series creator Akitoshi Kawazu returned as director, writer and co-designer. Other returning staff included battle designer Kyoji Koizumi, character designer Tomomi Kobayashi, and composer Kenji Ito. Kawazu returned to the world structure of the original Romancing SaGa, and took in staff suggestions when creating its character-specific mini-games. The remaster began development during 2017, with the goal being to replicate the original game on modern hardware. Due to loss of the original assets, parts of the game had to be reconstructed.

Romancing SaGa 3 sold over one million copies in Japan, and saw generally positive reviews. Journalists mainly praised its open-ended gameplay design, music and graphics. Criticism focused on its storyline, and a lack of explanation of its mechanics. The remaster was further praised for its faithful graphical upgrade. The staff began developing a fourth Romancing SaGa, but it was moved to the PlayStation and renamed SaGa Frontier (1997). The setting of Romancing SaGa 3 was later used for the initial storylines of Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe (2018).

Gameplay

[edit]
A color image showing a five-person party facing a bird-like enemy creature, with the screenshot displaying the game's menu as a move is chosen for the party.
A battle in the 2019 remaster of Romancing SaGa 3 against an early-game boss.

Romancing SaGa 3 is a role-playing video game in which the player takes control of one of eight playable characters with dedicated opening campaigns. Additional characters, including the other potential protagonists, can be found and recruited to the party throughout the game.[2][3] After the initial storyline, the game follows a version of the recurring "Free Scenario System", giving the player complete freedom to complete both main objectives and side quests in any order.[4][5] How the player chooses to complete a quest influences the character's "Karma", which can open or lock potential quests.[5] The player unlocks new locations by talking to non-playable characters, or travelling there either with vehicles or by opening a quest. While in towns, the player can rest at inns and shop using the in-game currency for weapons and equipment.[3] Party members can be recruited across the game, while some will force their way into the party.[6]

While exploring dungeon environments beyond towns, enemies are represented using sprites, with the party engaging in battle when they touch an enemy.[3][7] Battles use a turn-based combat system, with a party of up to five characters arranged in a Formation, with different Formations providing different boosts to the party such as speed and attack power.[7][5] The player selects the party's actions and then the turn plays out, with the party and allies performing actions including attacking, healing, and defending.[3] Each character has an initial preferred weapon, but can be equipped with any weapon by the player, with certain attack abilities locked to weapon types.[3][6]

As with other SaGa titles, there is no experience point system, with characters instead raising their health or stat attributes at the end of a battle. What stats are raised is determined by actions taken in battle, and a character's innate attributes.[6][5] Depending on actions taken in battle and a character's weapon proficiency, new abilities can also be unlocked through the "Glimmer" system. Characters have a limit of eight skill slots, with the player needing to replace skills when slots are full and a new skill is Glimmered, but once a skill is mastered through repeated use it can be taught to any of the characters.[6][7]

Each party member has health (HP) which regenerates after a successful battle, SP and MP to use for physical and magical abilities respectively, and Life Points (LP) which has a limit for each character.[3][8] When knocked out in battle, a character loses one LP, and if attacked while unconscious they continue to lose LP. If most characters lose all LP they are subject to permanent death, with the main character's death or a party defeat resulting in a game over.[3] These different health and magic metres are restored by resting in towns at an inn or using items.[8]

There are additional modes and minigames available, some dependant on the selected playable character.[7][8] "Commander Mode" has the player character controlling the rest of the party from the reserve slot, issuing general commands that they act upon.[7] While playing as Mikhail, the player must manage a nation and participate in a war minigame, which has two sides fighting each other with command-based attack or defence actions with strength determined by a Morale meter. In Thomas's route, the player can engage in a trading system, completing merchandise deals to earn in-game currency.[3] The 2019 remaster includes a New Game Plus option, allowing the player to start a new playthrough using data from another save file, and an autosave after each combat encounter.[9]

Synopsis

[edit]

In the game's backstory, an event called the Rise of Morastrum occurs once every three centuries; a solar eclipse occurs, with every newborn of that year except one destined to die; this survivor is called the Child of Destiny and receives great power. 600 years prior, the Child of Destiny became an evil ruler called the Archfiend, while 300 years prior the Child of Destiny was a hero called the Matriarch who toppled the Archfiend. Prior to the game's opening, the Rise of Morastrum occurs again, and people begin seeking the Child of Destiny to discover their eventual fate.[10][11] The eight main characters, all known or acquainted with each other, set out on their own quests and end up involved in the hunt for the Child of Destiny.[1] The eight are Julian Nohl, a reckless and just swordsman; the tomboyish Ellen Carson; Sarah Carson, Ellen's shy younger sister; Thomas Bent, a fledgling businessman; Mikhail Ausbach von Loanne, the current Marquis of Loanne; Monika Ausbach, Mikhail's sister; Katarina Lauran, Monika's attendant and guardian of a relic of the Matriarch; and Khalid, a wandering mercenary exiled from his homeland.[11]

During their journey, the chosen protagonist learns that the Rise of Morastrum is tied to a realm called the Abyss and its ruling Four Sinistrals, which creates the heralding eclipse to manifest their power through the Child of Destiny. The Matriarch's birth and rise to heroism prompted the Sinistrals' fall, but with the latest Rise of Morastrum the Abyss Gates linking their realm to the world open again. It is also revealed that this time, two Children of Destiny have been born; Sarah and a man referred to as the "Young Boy". The chosen protagonist and their party close the Abyss Gates and defeat the Sinistral clones sent through to wreak havoc in the world. Depending on the chosen character, one of the Children will attempt to sacrifice themselves to the Abyss to maintain peace until the next Rise of Morastrum, but the party and the other Child follow through a surviving Abyss Gate. In the Abyss, Sarah and the Young Boy combine their powers, awakening Oblivion, a being embodying the Abyss's power. Oblivion's death decimates reality, but Sarah and the Young Boy use their power to restore the world.

Development

[edit]

Early work on Romancing SaGa 3 began at series developer and publisher Square in December 1993 shortly after the release of Romancing SaGa 2, with full production beginning in the summer of 1994. Series creator Akitoshi Kawazu returned as director, designer and writer.[12] Other returning staff included Kyoji Koizumi as battle designer,[13][14] and sound designer Minoru Akao.[15] The game was produced by Michio Okamiya, who was chosen by Kawazu after previously working in the company's advertising division.[16] Kawazu described production as "troublesome".[13]

While Kawazu wanted to return to the narrative and gameplay style of the original Romancing SaGa, he was unsure how to do it while innovating on the design. An early suggestion was to make the game a direct sequel to Romancing SaGa, but Kawazu wanted it to be an entirely original work.[13] With this game, Kawazu became "more proactive" in designing side quests that players could enjoy and get lost in.[17] Kawazu gathered ideas from the development team, which led to the character-specific mechanics such as Mikhail's war campaign and Thomas's trading mini-games. They were originally grander than the final versions, with Kawazu intending players to clear the whole game using these character-specific mechanics. Ultimately the battle system was the strongest element out of the implemented mechanics, so it became the dominant gameplay feature.[13] Kawazu never intended players to play through the game as all the characters, so there were no completion bonuses.[9]

The scenario was designed to combine the freedom of choice of earlier titles with the overarching narrative, with all the protagonists being part of a shared world and crossing paths during the adventure.[1][17] The original story began with the concept that humans worldwide have superstitions regarding eclipses. Kawazu built on that the premise that there is something to fear, and that eclipses meant death to many people, so any survivors would be special.[18] When writing the story, Kawazu decided that the heroic Matriarch should be a woman as traditionally the demonic antagonists of games at the time were male. This naturally led into the plot twist of there being two Children of Destiny, a man and a woman. Kawazu did not communicate this clearly to the development team, so when graphic designer Hiroshi Takai created the opening cinematic, he wrote the Matriarch as a "Hero King". A feature Kawazu had to drop was the characters realistically changing clothes during their adventure, which would have been prohibitively complicated.[13]

The characters were designed by returning artist Tomomi Kobayashi. She wanted to achieve a "classic [and] cool" look for her characters, aiming for an elegant style.[19] One of the designs she remembered as a challenge were the non-human characters such as a lobster and a snowman. Speaking of the snowman specifically, Kawasu originally wanted a European stereotypical snowman, which she created after an early draft design based on the Michelin Man was rejected.[20] Kobayashi's favorite characters to design were Leonid and Mikhail.[19] Kazuyuki Ikumori returned as graphical designer, with Romancing SaGa 3 being his last work on the SaGa series.[15][21] Kazuko Shibuya returned to as sprite artist for the game after being abscent for Romancing SaGa 2 due to her work on the Final Fantasy series. She was invited onto the project by Kawazu after finishing her work on Final Fantasy VI (1994), and later felt "lucky" to have worked on Square's last two major Super Famicom releases.[22]

Music

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Kenji Ito returned from previous games as both composer and arranger.[23] He later described the work schedule as "crazy", with him collapsing once he had finished his work.[24] Rather than approach the game with a specific theme in mind, Ito allowed his music to evolve; while the opening theme evoked dread, he also wanted the score to represent hope. As Kobayashi's art was complete by the time Ito began work, he used them as inspiration for each character's theme.[19] He later described the track "Four Demon Lords Battle" as a turning point in his music, as he refrained from using a guitar sound for the music.[25] His favourite piece from the score was the character Robin's theme, which was written to parody an unspecified anime opening theme.[26]

Two music albums were published by NTT Publishing; a soundtrack album in November 1995,[27] and an arrangement album in January 1996.[28] A remastered album was released in 2014 by Square Enix, with Ito handling the arrangement.[29] Several of the game's music tracks were featured in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (2014) as downloadable content.[30]

Release

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Romancing SaGa 3 was released on November 11, 1995.[10] It was the last game in the SaGa series developed for the Super Famicom (Super Nintendo Entertainment System).[31] A notable part of the game's promotion was a live action television commercial directed by Yoshihiko Dai, who worked on multiple commercials for both Square and Enix during the 1990s.[32] Filming for the commercial took place over two weeks in the United Kingdom.[33] Dai chose this as the setting to convey the European medieval atmosphere common to Japanese RPGs at the time.[32] Three guidebooks were published by NTT Publishing between December 1995 and March 1996.[34][35][36] The game received Virtual Console re-releases on the Wii in 2010, and the Wii U in 2014. Both versions are now unavailable due to the shutdown of the Virtual Console platform.[10] The Super Famicom version of Romancing SaGa 3 went unreleased outside Japan, due to a combination of its potentially off-putting complexity and the amount of text needing translation.[17]

Remaster

[edit]

Kawazu and series co-producer Masanori Ichikawa both wanted to bring earlier SaGa titles to modern platforms, with discussions for a Romancing SaGa 3 remaster during 2016 and 2017 alongside the release of Romancing SaGa 2 on modern platforms.[9] By 2017, Kawazu and Ichikawa were getting into contact with the original programmers, and recovering the game's source code. Kawazu noted that while the Romancing SaGa 2 remaster was based on a mobile port, Romancing SaGa 3 needed developing from scratch.[37] The team added in new content including the New Game Plus and Adventure Log features, a new dungeon, and some new story events created by Kawazu. This new content was made optional so players could have a gameplay experience closer to the original.[9] The remaster was developed by ArtePiazza, who had also worked on the Romancing SaGa 2 remaster and remakes of the Dragon Quest series.[1]

While a popular title, Romancing SaGa 3 had never seen any releases after its Super Famicom version, which was part of the reason the team chose to remaster it for worldwide release.[38] The design goal was to present the game as it would have been on the Super Famicom, adjusted to work in widescreen and with modern high-definition monitors.[9] The backgrounds were redrawn, while the characters and bosses remained as pixel designs, although the bosses were given extra movement. Compared to the Romancing SaGa 2 remaster, the team were missing a lot of original assets, so they needed to rebuild parts of the game, comparing their reconstructed elements to the original game so they could remain as faithful as possible.[1] Kawazu described porting over the war and trading mini-games as "a real challenge".[39] While orchestrating or re-recording the soundtrack was considered, it was instead decided to reproduce the original soundtrack in high quality.[9]

The remaster was announced in March 2017,[40] with Kawazu and Ichikawa noting that full production had not begun.[37] A Western release for both Romancing SaGa 3 and SaGa: Scarlet Grace was announced in June 2019 at E3. Ichikawa said that positive feedback from the Western release of the Romancing SaGa 2 remaster prompted them to localize the next two SaGa projects.[41] It launched worldwide on November 11 that year for Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Windows and Xbox One.[42] The various versions had different platform-specific features, with the PlayStation versions featuring cross-save functions, the mobile versions supporting cloud saves, and the Xbox version compatible with the platform's Play Anywhere feature.[43]

Reception

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The Super Famicom original sold 1.3 million units in Japan by 2002, making it the second best-selling Romancing Saga title and at that time third best-selling entry in the SaGa franchise.[49] The remaster's Windows version was among the best-selling new releases of its release month on Steam.[50][c] According to review aggregate website Metacritic, the game saw generally positive reviews, with the PS4 version scoring 74 points out of 100 and the Switch version scoring 73.[44]

Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu praised the gameplay variety through the different characters and customization options,[45][52] while Jordan Rudek enjoyed both the core combat system and finding the hidden mechanics despite a need to grind and some lack of explanation relating to side quest triggers.[8] Shaun Musgrave of Touch Arcade similarly enjoyed the opaque game design, calling its gameplay the main appeal.[48] RPG Site's Chao Min Wu described the combat as the game's "most interesting [and] unique" feature, citing the need for in-depth knowledge to survive more difficult encounters.[5] RPGFan's Jonathan Logan positively noted the amount of replay value due to the number of characters and New Game Plus feature, but found the combat system and exploration frustrating due to the limitations and randomness of its move and stat mechanics.[6] RPGamer's Pascal Tekaia, while noting an unpleasant difficulty spike during the late game section, enjoyed the combat and its layered character growth systems.[7] Mitch Vogel, writing for Nintendo Life, felt the combat was good but criticised the game as punishing plyers for lack of mechanical knowledge it had not communicated.[47] Chris Shive of Hardcore Gamer noted the varied combat options given to the player, but felt several of the mechanics had aged poorly compared to later RPG titles.[46]

A lack of explanation for its different mechanics was a recurring criticism,[6][8][47] though when mentioned the New Game Plus and Adventure Log features in the remaster were praised.[7][46][48] The difficulty divided opinion, with some critics finding it very difficult,[5][47][48] and others noting that it was easier than other SaGa titles.[8][52] Both Tekaia and Logan disliked that some characters forced their way into the party, disrupting established combat dynamics.[6][7]

While having no specific comments, both Shive and Tekaia praised the translation of the game's sprite work into high definition.[7][46] Logan described the remaster's updated graphics as "easily the best part of the game", praising both their quality and faithful rendition in HD.[6] Vogel singled out the character sprites for praise, positively noting the work done to keep them faithful to the game's time period.[47] Wu, who had played the original release, felt that the graphical upgrade was good and significantly higher quality than then-recent modern releases of early Final Fantasy titles.[5] Musgrave also noted the high definition upgrade as better than then-recent Final Fantasy ports, leaving much of the original sprite work intact.[48] Reactions to the music were positive,[8][48][46] with Tekaia and Logan calling it one of the best of its era.[7][6] When mentioned, the localization was seen as unremarkable.[7][48]

Musgrave enjoyed both the initial premise, and the variations provided by the different potential lead characters.[48] Logan positively noted the premise, but the lack of character development or interesting story events left him disappointed.[6] Shive described the story as interesting, but let down by the lack of information given to the player.[46] Rudek compared the multiple character choice to Dragon Age Origins and enjoyed searching for side quests, but called the NPC writing "fairly plain".[8] One reviewer for Famitsu felt abrupt beginnings and endings of narrative sections and high use of proper nouns made the story difficult to follow.[52] Vogel disliked the lack of direction in the narrative, and similar to Famitsu felt the abrupt nature of story sequences made finding the next objective difficult.[47] Wu described the story as "very minimalistic" and not the main draw for potential players,[5] and Tekaia described the characters as lacking any real development.[7]

Legacy

[edit]

A fourth Romancing SaGa title began development for the Super Famicom in 1995 after Romancing SaGa 3 released.[53][54] During this period, Square broke from Nintendo hardware to develop for Sony Computer Entertainment's new and more powerful PlayStation console.[55] The game switched to the PlayStation, and consequently Kawazu renamed the project SaGa Frontier.[53] Releasing in 1997 in Japan and 1998 in North America,[31][56] SaGa Frontier carried over multiple staff from Romancing SaGa 3 including Kawazu, Kobayashi, Koizumi, Shibuya, and Ito.[22][57]

In 2016, Square Enix approached mobile game developer Atatsuki Games to develop a new Romancing SaGa mobile title, which would use the world of Romancing SaGa 3 for its initial setting and carry over several combat mechanics.[58][59] The game, Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe, was released in Japan in 2019;[60] Ichikawa described it as "both a sequel and a spin-off" to the Romancing SaGa games.[59] A global version of Re;univerSe was available from 2020 to 2024.[61][62]

Stage play

[edit]

A stage play based on Romancing SaGa 3 was announced in December 2016. Titled Romancing SaGa The Stage: The Day Loanne Burn, the story focused on the tragic backstory of Khalid. The play was performed by the 30-DELUX theatre trope in different Japanese cities between April and May 2017.[37][63] The story was written by Kawazu, with the script handled by Moku Tochibori, and the play directed by Junji Shimizu, who also portrayed Khalid. Kawazu decided to create a SaGa stage play in 2012, when considering what to do for the series following its 25th Anniversary celebrations. Due to being busy with game production and not finding a theatre group willing to perform it, the project stalled until Tochibori proposed the concept to Shimizu. Khalid was chosen as the focus for audience appeal, and to portray elements of his backstory not shown in-game.[37] Ito also returned to provide new and arranged music, including the vocal theme "Child of Destiny" which tied into the storyline.[64]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Remaster developed by ArtePiazza.[1]
  2. ↑ Romanshingu Sa Ga Surī (Japanese: ロマンシング サ・ガ3)
  3. ↑ Based on total revenue for the first two weeks on sale.[51]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Interview: On revitalising Square Enix's classic SaGa series". Digitally Downloaded. 2019-11-01. Archived from the original on 2019-12-04. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  2. ↑ Osagawara, Nob (December 1995). "Future Fantasies". GamePro. No. 77. IDG. p. 136.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ロマンシング サ・ガ 3 取扱説明書 [Romancing SaGa 3 Instruction Booklet]. Square. November 11, 1995.
  4. ↑ 『ロマンシング サガ3』スーパーファミコン版の発売から30周年を迎える。記念イラストを『サガ』シリーズ公式Xが公開。『ロマサガ3』関連楽曲を集めたライブ配信が11月11日12時から12日21時まで実施 [This marks the 30th anniversary of the Super Famicom release of "Romancing SaGa 3". The official "SaGa" series X account has released commemorative artwork. A live stream featuring music from *Romancing SaGa 3* will be held from 12:00 PM on November 11 until 9:00 PM on November 12.]. DenFaminicoGamer (in Japanese). 2025-11-11. Archived from the original on 2025-12-07. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Wu, Chao Min (2019-11-24). "Romancing SaGa 3 Review". RPG Site. Archived from the original on 2026-03-16. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Logan, Jonathan (December 6, 2019). "Romancing SaGa 3 Review (2019)". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2026-01-23. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Tekaia, Pascal (February 25, 2020). "Romancing SaGa 3 Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2025-09-17. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rudek, Jordan (November 20, 2019). "Romancing SaGa 3 (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 2026-06-19. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 「ロマンシング サガ３」開発者インタビュー。24年を経てHDリマスターされた本作は，遊びやすくしながらも，当時の体験を尊重したものに [An interview with the developers of "Romancing SaGa 3." This HD remaster, released 24 years later, is designed to be easy to play while respecting the original experience.]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 2019-11-06. Archived from the original on 2022-11-01. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  10. 1 2 3 ロマンシング サ・ガ3 [Romancing SaGa 3]. Square Enix (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2019-04-17. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  11. 1 2 "Romancing SaGa 3". Square Enix. Archived from the original on 2019-11-19. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  12. ↑ ロマンシング サ・ガ3 限界攻略(Vジャンプ緊急増刊) [Romancing SaGa 3: Limit-Breaking Strategy Guide (V-Jump Emergency Special Issue)] (in Japanese). V Jump Books. 1995. p. 164.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 新作『SAGA2015（仮称）』発表記念。河津秋敏氏が振り返る『サガ』シリーズ25年の思い出 [Commemorating the announcement of the new title "SAGA2015" (tentative): Akitoshi Kawazu looks back on 25 years of the "SaGa" series.]. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). 2015-01-22. Archived from the original on 2018-07-21. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
  14. ↑ なにが、人を「ロマンシング」させるのか？『ロマサガ2』当時の企画書とキャラ設定画から迫る、河津秋敏がRPGに生み出した「ロマン」の正体とは【ゲームの企画書】 [What is it that makes people feel that sense of "Romancing"? Exploring the true nature of the "romance" Akitoshi Kawazu brought to RPGs—revealed through the original "Romancing SaGa 2" planning documents and character design sketches. [Game Planning Documents]]. DenFaminicoGamer (in Japanese). 2025-03-14. Archived from the original on 2026-06-24. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  15. 1 2 ゲーム映像付きサウンドトラック『Romancing SaGa 3 Original Soundtrack Revival Disc』本日発売！ [The "Romancing SaGa 3 Original Soundtrack Revival Disc"—a soundtrack featuring in-game footage—is released today!] (in Japanese). Square Enix. 2020-04-01. Archived from the original on 2026-06-27. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  16. ↑ 独立から4年――ブラウニーズが“新たなレジェンド”を生む。スマホ向けRPG「EGGLIA ～赤いぼうしの伝説～」開発者インタビュー [Four years after going independent, Brownies is creating a "new legend." An interview with the developers of the smartphone RPG *EGGLIA: Legend of the Red Hat*.]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 2017-03-22. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  17. 1 2 3 Lane, Gavin (2019-11-09). "Feature: SaGa Series Director On Romancing SaGa 3, The Super Famicom JRPG Heading Westwards After 24 Years". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  18. ↑ Oxford, Nadia (December 4, 2019). "Catching Up With Kawazu: The Legendary RPG Developer Talks SaGa and Why We Shouldn't Call Everything an RPG". US Gamer. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  19. 1 2 3 Fuller, Alex (November 25, 2019). "Square Enix Interviews SaGa's Tomomi Kobayashi, Kenji Ito". RPGamer. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  20. ↑ “ロマンシング佐賀3”原画展やグッズの見どころを聞く！ 河津秋敏氏、小林智美氏、市川雅統氏インタビュー [Getting the Lowdown on the Highlights of the "Romancing SaGa 3" Original Art Exhibition and Merchandise: An Interview with Akitoshi Kawazu, Tomomi Kobayashi, and Masanori Ichikawa]. Famitsu (in Japanese). 2016-08-12. Archived from the original on 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  21. ↑ 僕の仕事はみなさんにソフトを手にしてもらうキッカケづくり。だからこそ、クオリティにこだわるんです。 生守 一行 [My job is to create the opportunity for people to get their hands on the software. That is precisely why I am so particular about quality. — Kazuyuki Mamori] (in Japanese). PlayStation. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2007-11-18. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  22. 1 2 「最近目指しているのは，洗練された美しいドット絵，ですね」――FF誕生以前から，アルバム「FINAL FANTASY TRIBUTE ～THANKS～」までを，スクウェア・エニックスのデザイナー・渋谷員子氏に振り返ってもらった ["What I’ve been aiming for lately is refined, beautiful pixel art." — We asked Square Enix designer Kazuko Shibuya to look back on her career, spanning from the time before "Final Fantasy" was born all the way to the "FINAL FANTASY TRIBUTE ~THANKS~" album.]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 2013-03-16. Archived from the original on 2015-06-29. Retrieved 2013-03-21. Translation Archived 2016-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ "Discography". Kenji Ito Official English Website. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  24. ↑ “イトケン”こと伊藤賢治氏と“ヒャダイン”こと前山田健一氏が初遭遇。音楽的ルーツからゲーム音楽について思うこと，そしてプロ論に至るまで語り合ってもらった [Kenji Ito—affectionately known as "Itoken"—and Kenichi Maeyamada—aka "Hyadain"—meet for the first time. We asked them to discuss everything from their musical roots and thoughts on game music to their philosophies on professionalism.]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 2011-08-20. Archived from the original on 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  25. ↑ 〈SaGa〉〈聖剣伝説〉〈パズドラ〉などの音楽手掛けるイトケンこと伊藤賢治が語る、その音楽遍歴とゲーム音楽へ至る歩み [Kenji Ito—known as "ItoKen"—discusses his musical journey and the path that led him to compose for games like "SaGa", "Mana" (Seiken Densetsu), and "Puzzle & Dragons".]. Mikiki (in Japanese). 2015-11-18. Archived from the original on 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  26. ↑ 伊藤賢治インタビュー [Interview with Kenji Ito]. The Super Famicom. No. 19. SoftBank Group. 1996-01-05. p. 140.
  27. ↑ ロマンシング　サ・ガ３　オリジナル・サウンド・ヴァージョン [Romancing SaGa 3 Original Sound Version] (in Japanese). NTT Publishing. Archived from the original on 1998-02-08. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  28. ↑ ロマンシング　サ・ガ３　「ウィンディ・テイル」 [Romancing SaGa 3 "Windy Tale"] (in Japanese). NTT Publishing. Archived from the original on 1998-02-08. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  29. ↑ Romancing SaGa 3 Original Soundtrack -Remaster- (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  30. ↑ Schulenberg, Thomas (2014-10-05). "Curtain Call DLC covers Final Fantasy Fables, Romancing Saga, more". Engadget. AOL. Archived from the original on 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  31. 1 2 "The History of SaGa". Retro Gamer. No. 180. Imagine Publishing. 2018-04-19. pp. 80–85. ISSN 1742-3155.
  32. 1 2 映画『Present For You』監督　臺 佳彦さん [Yoshihiko Dai, Director of the film *Present For You*]. Creative Village (in Japanese). 2015-02-02. Archived from the original on 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  33. ↑ ロマンシング サ・ガ3 [Romancing SaGa 3]. Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). No. 272. Tokuma Shoten. September 8, 1995.
  34. ↑ ロマンシング サ・ガ３ 冒険ガイドブック [Romancing SaGa 3 Adventure Guidebook]. NTT Publishing (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 1998-02-08. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  35. ↑ ロマンシング サ・ガ３ 基礎知識編 [Romancing SaGa 3: Basics Guide]. NTT Publishing (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 1998-02-08. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  36. ↑ ロマンシング サ・ガ３ 完全攻略編 [Romancing SaGa 3: Complete Strategy Guide]. NTT Publishing (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 1998-02-08. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  37. 1 2 3 4 初めて明かされる「ロマサガ3」のエピソードも。舞台「ロマンシング サガ THE STAGE ～ロアーヌが燃える日～」主要スタッフインタビュー [Featuring previously unrevealed "Romancing SaGa 3" story details: An interview with key staff from the stage production "Romancing SaGa THE STAGE: The Day Loanne Burns".]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 2017-04-06. Archived from the original on 2025-12-16. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  38. ↑ Barder, Ollie (2019-11-24). "Akitoshi Kawazu And Masanori Ichikawa On Bringing 'Romancing SaGa 3' Westward". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  39. ↑ 『ロマサガ3』リマスター版に新主人公はいるの？ “A NEW HERO”の真相を河津氏と市川氏に直撃【E3 2019】 [Does the "Romancing SaGa 3" remaster feature a new protagonist? We ask Mr. Kawazu and Mr. Ichikawa the truth behind "A NEW HERO" [E3 2019]]. Famitsu (in Japanese). 2019-06-14. Archived from the original on 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  40. ↑ 「ロマンシング サ・ガ 3」が，PlayStation Vitaとスマートフォンでリマスター化決定。グラフィックス周りが一新される ["Romancing SaGa 3" is confirmed for a remaster on PlayStation Vita and smartphones, featuring completely revamped graphics.]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 2017-03-28. Archived from the original on 2026-03-07. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  41. ↑ Vitale, Adam (2019-06-14). "SaGa Series Interview at E3 2019: We chat with Akitoshi Kawazu and other SaGa leads about Scarlet Grace, localization, and more". RPG Site. Archived from the original on 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  42. ↑ Vitale, Adam; Stenbuck, Kite (2019-06-11). "Romancing SaGa 3 remaster launches on November 11, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions launches on December 3". RPG Site. Archived from the original on 2025-12-10. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  43. ↑ Wong, Alistair (2019-11-09). "Square Enix Details Romancing SaGa 3 HD Remaster Platform Differences". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2019-11-10. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  44. 1 2 3 "Romancing SaGa 3 (Remaster)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2026-01-05. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  45. 1 2 Noda, Sawadi; Pinnu, Mizu; Nagano, Isabella; Ninja Masuda (November 10, 1995). クロスレビュー - ロマンシング サ・ガ3 [Cross Review - Romancing SaGa 3]. Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 311. ASCII Corporation. p. 32.
  46. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shive, Chris (November 26, 2019). "Review: Romancing SaGa 3". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  47. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vogel, Mitch (2019-11-21). "Romancing SaGa 3 Review". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2025-11-11. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  48. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Musgrave, Shaun (2019-12-06). "'Romancing SaGa 3' Review – A Treat From the Past That Will Kick Your… Butt". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  49. ↑ アンリミテッド:サガ [Unlimited: SaGa]. Dorimaga (in Japanese). No. 19. SoftBank Creative. 2002-10-25. pp. 46–47.
  50. ↑ "Best of 2019: New Releases". Steam. Valve. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  51. ↑ "A Look Back - The Best of 2019". Steam. Valve. 2019-12-26. Retrieved 2019-12-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  52. 1 2 3 ロマンシング サ・ガ3 [Romancing SaGa 3]. Archived from the original on 2014-12-29.
  53. 1 2 サガ フロンティア [SaGa Frontier]. Game Walker (in Japanese). No. September 1996. Kadokawa Shoten. 1996. pp. 38–39.
  54. ↑ Studio Bentstuff (1997). サガフロンティア 裏解体真書 [SaGa Frontier: The Unofficial Disassembly Manual] (in Japanese). ASCII. p. 278. ISBN 4-89366-895-1.
  55. ↑ Leone, Matt (January 9, 2017). "Final Fantasy 7: An oral history". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  56. ↑ "Rascal, Saga Frontier and Broken Sword Ship". PSX Nation. March 24, 1998. Archived from the original on May 6, 1998. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  57. ↑ Studio Bentstuff (1997). サガフロンティア 裏解体真書 [SaGa Frontier: The Unofficial Disassembly Manual] (in Japanese). ASCII. pp. 262–265. ISBN 4-89366-895-1.
  58. ↑ 【インタビュー】スクエニ×アカツキの強力タッグによって誕生した『ロマサガRS』…そのヒットの秘密に迫る！（前編） [[Interview] "Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe": Born from the powerful partnership between Square Enix and Akatsuki—Uncovering the secrets behind its success! (Part 1)]. GameBiz.jp (in Japanese). 2019-02-25. Archived from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  59. 1 2 河津氏らが語る新しい『サガ』の形――『ロマンシング サガ リ・ユニバース』開発者インタビュー [Mr. Kawazu and others discuss the new form of "SaGa" — An interview with the developers of "Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe"]. Famitsu (in Japanese). 2018-12-27. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  60. ↑ Romano, Sal (November 30, 2018). "Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe launches December 6 in Japan". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2025-04-20. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  61. ↑ Lada, Jenni (2020-06-23). "Romancing SaGa Re Universe Release Date Is June 24, 2020". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  62. ↑ "End of Service Announcement". Square Enix. 2024-11-25. Archived from the original on 2025-08-10. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  63. ↑ 「サガ」シリーズ初の舞台「ロマンシング サガ THE STAGE ～ロアーヌが燃える日～」、全国4都市で上演決定 ["Romancing SaGa THE STAGE: The Day Loanne Burns"—the first-ever stage adaptation of the "SaGa" series—confirmed for performances in four cities across Japan.]. Game Watch Impress (in Japanese). December 1, 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  64. ↑ 舞台『ロマンシング サガ THE STAGE』に伊藤賢治氏が参加決定、1月28日よりチケットの一般発売がスタート [Kenji Ito Confirmed to Participate in the Stage Production "Romancing SaGa THE STAGE"; General Ticket Sales Begin January 28]. Famitsu (in Japanese). 2017-01-27. Archived from the original on 2017-11-24. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
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