Summon Night: Swordcraft Story
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story is an action RPG developed by Flight-Plan and published by Banpresto for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. As the first spin-off in the Summon Night series, it follows the child of a legendary Craftknight who must ascend the labyrinthine tower of Wystern, forging magical weapons and battling alongside a chosen Guardian Beast to win the city's championship tournament and uncover a sinister conspiracy. The game blends top-down dungeon exploration, side-view real-time combat, and a deep weapon-crafting system across a narrative shaped by bonding with your partner.
Game Controls
About This Retro Game
Released in Japan on April 25, 2003, and localized in North America by Atlus in 2006, Swordcraft Story is the first handheld spin-off of the Summon Night tactical RPG series. It abandons the grid-based strategy of its predecessors in favor of fast-paced action combat where players chain attacks, guard, and unleash special skills in real-time. The game features a day-by-day structure: mornings are spent crafting weapons and talking to townsfolk, afternoons involve exploring the tower dungeon, and evenings allow for deepening relationships with your Guardian Beast.
At the heart of the game is the weapon-crafting system. Players take raw materials obtained from dungeon enemies and environments to the forge, where they craft swords, axes, spears, drills, and knuckles—each weapon type possessing unique attack patterns, speeds, and breakable durability. Weapons can be dismantled back into materials to create stronger ones, encouraging constant experimentation. The protagonist can equip up to three weapons and switch between them mid-combo for devastating chain attacks.
The narrative unfolds in the city of Wystern, a hub of artisans and magic governed by a theocratic order. The protagonist—Pratty or Cleru, depending on your choice—enters a tournament to become the next Craftknight, only to discover a deeper threat lurking beneath the tournament's surface. The Guardian Beast, chosen from four partners (a demon, spirit, mechanical construct, or beast), is the emotional core of the story, with dialogue and endings changing dramatically based on which partner you pick and the strength of your bond. A sequel, Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2, was released in 2004, continuing the series' handheld action-RPG legacy.
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