Nick
A central leader of the Shining Force and the prince of Cypress, whose campaign forms the narrative focus of the game.
Documented for this version
D-pad | Move the cursor or selected unit. |
|---|---|
A | Confirm a selection or open the command menu. |
B | Cancel a selection or return to the previous menu. |
Button functions can vary slightly by menu context and regional documentation.
How it plays
The player commands a force from an overhead, tile-based battlefield. Each unit moves across terrain, attacks enemies, casts spells, uses items, or supports allies during its turn.
Story battles are connected by exploration and interludes in which the player can talk to characters, manage equipment, promote experienced units, and recruit new members. The campaign is divided into two books with separate battle sequences and progression.
Plan your run
Build a balanced force instead of relying only on the strongest physical attackers. Keep healers and ranged units protected behind sturdier characters, and use terrain to limit enemy access.
Promote experienced units when they reach the appropriate level, but continue gaining experience across the roster so that replacements are not severely underpowered. Save before major battles and inspect enemy movement ranges before ending a turn.
Meet the cast
A central leader of the Shining Force and the prince of Cypress, whose campaign forms the narrative focus of the game.
A powerful spellcaster associated with the Shining Force and one of the campaign’s important magical characters.
Before you begin
Use the headquarters and town menus to check equipment, recruitable allies, and promotions between battles.
Distribute finishing attacks when practical so weaker units can gain experience safely.
Keep multiple save files before promotions and difficult story battles.
Shining Force CD is a tactical role-playing game developed by Sonic! Software Planning and published by Sega for the Sega CD/Mega-CD. It combines two previously separate Shining Force Gaiden scenarios into a single enhanced package, adding CD-quality presentation and a new connecting context. Players lead a small fantasy army through story battles against rival kingdoms and supernatural threats. Combat is turn-based and takes place on grid-based maps, while towns provide dialogue, recruitment, equipment, and preparation. The game was well regarded for bringing the series’ accessible strategy combat and generous character roster to Sega’s CD hardware, although its compilation-like structure and limited availability made it less widely known than the mainline Genesis games.
Catalog entry maintained by EmuGamers Editorial Team
Community discussion
What are players saying? 0