SideQuest Studios may be an unknown quantity to most gamers, but for the hardcore PlayStation Network audience, the small German developer has made a name for itself. Its two previous games -- side-scrolling shooters known as Soldner X and Soldner X-2 – were popular forays into a retro genre. For its third outing, SideQuest decided to throw a curveball in the form of an equally retro RPG called Rainbow Moon

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Rainbow Moon may have a deceptive name suggesting that it’s more of an ‘80s cartoon than a hardcore role playing experience, but rest assured that it’s very much the latter. Taking inspiration from a variety of games from the past, Rainbow Moon combines obsessive grinding and equipment and character upgrading with strategy-based battling. While it doesn’t quite soar to the heights occupied by the best RPGs ever created, it’s still a worthwhile purchase for those looking to dump scores of hours into something that we don’t see too much of today: a bona fide, well-executed RPG that feels like it could have been made years ago. Better yet, the PS3 and Vita versions talk to each other via Cross-Save, so you can play on the comfort of your couch, then on the go, and then back on the couch again at your leisure. (Sorry, Platinum Hunters: Rainbow Moon’s two iterations share the same Trophy list, and, like Dragon’s Crown , you’ll have to buy them separately.)The plot of Rainbow Moon is simple and, like many older RPGs, mostly comes off as background noise. The protagonist, Baldren, finds himself stranded on a mystical satellite aptly known as Rainbow Moon. The same dimensional rip that deposited him there also brought a plethora of monsters to the once serene moon, and it’s up to him, along with the various characters that join him on his adventure, to rid the moon of its unwelcome new inhabitants before getting back home. Don’t expect a story in the vein of Final Fantasy VI or Wild Arms here; Rainbow Moon emphasizes mechanics and gameplay far more than plot. Mountains of roughly-translated (yet strangely endearing) text and an almost complete lack of character development affirm this fact, though it’s not terribly injurious to the more dated feel Rainbow Moon strives for.From the second the adventure begins, it’s nearly impossible to ignore Rainbow Moon’s crisp graphics and vivid colors. Sure, the character designs leave something to be desired, but the archetypal enemies you fight might as well have been lifted straight out of Dragon Warrior on your NES. Battle a poison-hurling scorpion here, a laser-firing mech there, or a fast-moving zombie in another locale; the variety of foes is fairly vast. Rainbow Moon also benefits from a strong soundtrack with some truly catchy tunes and a limited voice track that gives virtually all characters you speak with quirky “hello” and “goodbye” sound bytes that put a smile on my face time and time again with their ridiculousness.But let’s get down to the nitty-gritty: gameplay and, more specifically, combat. As you explore, you’ll run into enemies both directly (like in Chrono Trigger) and via random battles (like in Final Fantasy IV). Regardless of how an enemy party is engaged, things typically play out the same way. Your party – which can consist of up to three characters at a time – will be pitted against a hostile crew that may only contain a single enemy, 20 enemies, or anywhere in between. Even if the way you initially get launched into battle proves conventional, the actual fights themselves are anything but, and I liked that there are multiple ways to become entangled in a melee.Don’t assume you’re going to get a deep combat experience like Final Fantasy Tactics here, but you’ll still get something very much inspired by strategy-RPGs. Turn-based combat plays out on a grid, forcing you to think more tactically than many other standard turn-based JRPGs that encourage flagrant button-mashing. Characters have a selection of skills at their disposal, varying speeds at which they move, and even a certain amount of moves they get to execute each turn. Enemy and character strengths and weaknesses also play a huge part in combat. Fighting is only marginally deep once you master the ins and outs of combat, but remains exceptionally satisfying as you grind for experience, cash, and loot.Outside of battle, Rainbow Moon assaults you with all manner of options, upgrades, equipment and more, providing an addictive series of in-game systems that keeps you coming back for more. Its two currency types – Rainbow Coins and Rainbow Pearls – serve dueling purposes that make your party stronger in different ways. Coins purchase items, weapons, armor, skill scrolls and more, while Pearls upgrade specific character traits ranging from strength and defense to speed and luck. Purchased equipment can be further upgraded by using items found during and after battle. These items provide varying types of permanent statistical boosts to your gear that can make a strong character setup even stronger. There’s a ton of very welcome depth to be found here. Indeed, this kind of minutiae is the stuff JRPG fans cut their teeth on long ago, and cleanses the palate of JRPGs that stress accessibility over depth.All of these features mix seamlessly with a fairly straight-forward questing and side-questing system that’s shallow on story but still fun to work your way through as you strive to complete everything before you. The main quest often sends you from character to character for brief conversations, an occasional fetch quest, or a foray into a deadly dungeon. Side quests have you doing all kinds of activities, from retrieving lost items to killing devious enemies. While Rainbow Moon sustains itself on JRPG conventions – including a length that could stretch to a hundred hours or more -- the charm of the environments you explore and the steady ramp-up in difficulty makes going through the motions a pleasure. This is especially true because it all takes place on a vast map that’s rife with geographic diversity and plenty of territory to cover, presented non-linearly while promoting open-ended exploration.