Famicom Fridays: Grand Master
The Famicom is home to countless RPGs and action-adventures that never made it overseas, and today we’re diving into one of those obscurities: Grand Master, developed and published by Varie in 1991. With its bold anime cover art promising knights, dragons, and high fantasy heroics, you’d expect an epic quest straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon. But what you actually get is something a little different—and that’s what makes it worth a closer look.
A Strategy Twist on Fantasy Adventure
At first glance, Grand Master looks like it’s going to be your standard JRPG affair: swords, shields, a blonde princess, and a fearsome dragon to slay. Instead, it plays more like a strategy board game with RPG elements. You move across grid-based maps, recruit allies, and face off against enemy forces in tactical battles. The pacing is slower than action RPGs of the era, but it rewards careful planning and resource management.
Story and Setting
The narrative sticks close to fantasy staples: a dark force threatens the land, a courageous knight rises to challenge it, and along the way, you’ll encounter dragons, magic, and allies who bring their own strengths to the battlefield. While the plot won’t win awards for originality, the anime-inspired character art and colorful spritework keep it engaging.
Gameplay Quirks
What stands out in Grand Master is its mix of RPG stat-building and tactical combat. Instead of swinging a sword in real time, you’re plotting your movements, setting up attacks, and deciding when to defend or press forward. It borrows ideas from titles like Fire Emblem and Famicom Wars, though it never quite reaches their polish. Still, for players who enjoy strategy with a fantasy flavor, this one scratches the itch.
A Hidden Varie Relic
Varie isn’t the most well-known Famicom publisher, but they carved out a niche with experimental and offbeat titles. Grand Master is a perfect example: not a blockbuster, not even particularly well-remembered, but it’s an interesting blend of genres that shows the kind of risks developers were willing to take at the tail end of the Famicom’s life cycle.
Why It’s Worth Revisiting
For import fans and retro collectors, Grand Master is more than just another forgotten Famicom RPG. It’s a snapshot of how Japanese developers were experimenting with hybrid genres long before tactical RPGs became mainstream. And with its charming presentation and strategic depth, it’s a solid reminder that even the lesser-known Famicom titles have something unique to offer.
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