When reflecting on RPGs played in the past, not only the story, but even the time spent in that world can vividly come back to life. ”Aretha COLLECTION 1993-1995” is a work that evokes such nostalgic memories once again. It contains 3 works released in the Super Famicom era—”Aretha ARETHA the SUPER FAMICOM”, ”Aretha II ~Ariel's Mysterious Journey~”, and ”Rejoice ~Beyond the Aretha Kingdom~”—to be enjoyed all together, becoming a long-awaited reunion for those who know the series, and a luxurious single title for those touching it for the first time to relish the charm of masterpiece RPGs all at once. Rather than ending as a mere porting, the fact that playability has also been thoroughly considered makes one feel the value unique to this collection.

While each included work has a different story, they are naturally connected through the world view centered around the Aretha Kingdom. In the first ”Aretha ARETHA the SUPER FAMICOM”, the appearance of Ariel, a girl holding one of the three rings, setting off on a journey without even knowing her own fate is depicted. In the following ”Aretha II ~Ariel's Mysterious Journey~”, while Ariel, who became king, works hard on reconstruction, a development where she steps out on an adventure again triggered by a new incident awaits. And in ”Rejoice ~Beyond the Aretha Kingdom~”, the story unfolds from a slightly different perspective than before, depicting how mischievous children's slight caprice develops into a major incident. While each possesses independent fun, it is structured so that you can feel the expansion of the world and the depth of the story more strongly by playing through the entire series.

In RPGs, not only in battle and training, but individuality of each work also appears in the system. In this series, a ”Consultation System” where allies talk about walkthrough hints and situations is prepared, incorporating ideas so that not only can you rely on it when in trouble, but you can even enjoy the relationships between characters. In addition, the point that playfulness unique to back then is packed, such as a hidden element where levels can be raised to the maximum at once, is also impressive. Rather than simply to lower the difficulty, there is room for players themselves to find free ways of playing, and having different discoveries no matter how many times you play feels like a charm typical of the Aretha series.

In this collection, while cherishing the atmosphere of the original works, convenient features matching modern playstyles have been added. Thanks to the ”Fixed-Point Load” feature where you can resume immediately from your favorite scene, being able to feel free to advance the adventure even on busy days is a very welcome aspect. Furthermore, a gallery mode where you can enjoy setting documents and promotional videos from back then is also included, allowing you to thoroughly relish not just playing the game, but even the background of how the work was born. The point that it has become content giving nostalgia to long-time fans and the joy of knowing history to new players is a delightful point.

”Aretha COLLECTION 1993-1995” is not simply a work that merely collected old games. Not only can you enjoy the 3 works representing the series in a comfortable environment, but with materials and convenient features added, it is finished so that you can even discover new charms while cherishing memories of back then. The excitement of adventure typical of classic RPGs, unique characters, and memorable stories do not fade even as years pass. It is a work that makes one want to recommend with confidence not only to people thinking ”Maybe I will return once more to that world I played in the past”, but also to people who say ”I want to experience retro RPGs precisely now”. Once you start playing, the adventure in the Aretha Kingdom will surely be engraved in your heart again as a special memory.