This thread makes my day. Shining Force is by far my favorite "classic console" rpg series. And I really like seeing so much love for it here. I played and loved all the ones up until the GBA Shining games started coming out and they lost track of what a Shining game should be like. Its really amusing that one of the first communities I joined online was a Shining community, and they actually banned talk of Final Fantasy on there, and hate everything Final Fantasy. So its pretty ironic to me, that a Final Fantasy site has so many people who love Shining. That sad community wound up hating everyone and everything though, which is why I wandered away, and made my way here. Yay my history.... Anyway. SFCD has to be my favorite. They brought two of the GameGear games to console and added a bonus story at the end. Enhanced graphics and CD quality music put me in Shining ecstasy

As for a little bit more Shining history for anyone interested. Shining in the Darkness was made by a couple of people who had a little difference of opinion on where the series should have gone afterwards. And they split up. I forget the details. But Shining Force isn't the only sequel. I think the game was called Landstalker? It could be considered a spiritual sequel as well. It was one of the first "Alundra" style games (or a Zelda for Genesis). It had that weird isometric angle and cartoony style with action/adventure platforming and stuff with its RPG elements. Amusing visuals, characters, and story. A lot of things SF is known for as well