It’s Been Over 15 Years Since We Got a New Entry in This JRPG Series, But I Refuse to Admit That It’s Dead

Like any gamer, there are specific standout games that are cemented in my brain as some of the most influential in my life. As a kid, I was introduced to gaming by my cousin through Nintendo 64 classics like Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64. I was only six at the time, but I immediately fell in love with gaming. Naturally, this inspired me to ask for a Game Boy Advance for Christmas that year. My parents delivered, and I got to have my very first gaming device. That wasn’t all, though. To make that Christmas even more special, my grandmother got me my first three games: Jurassic Park 3: The DNA Factor, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, and Golden Sun. The third on the list was one of my introductions to JRPG games, and I still consider it a defining moment for me.

Golden Sun has never been a bestseller, but it has definitely achieved cult classic status. Granted, Golden Sun‘s sales weren’t terrible. The first game was successful enough that it spawned a sequel, and then that paved the way for a third game. Of course, I played all of them. The first one still remains my favorite in the series, but Golden Sun: The Lost Age and Golden Sun: Dark Dawn rounded out a wonderfully unique JRPG franchise. It’s now been 15 years since the third game was released for the Nintendo DS, and I’m still holding out hope that it will make a comeback.

15 Years Later and a Fourth Golden Sun Game is Still Nowhere in Sight

Golden Sun (2001)
Golden Sun: The Lost Age (2002)
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (2010)

The wait between The Lost Age and Dark Dawn was significant enough, but 15 years for no fourth chapter to come to fruition still stings. Dark Dawn‘s low sales and lower reviews than its predecessors are the main reasons why a new Golden Sun game hasn’t seen the light of day yet, but it’s also not like the feedback was dire, either. Dark Dawn has a 79 on Metacritic. Sure, that isn’t as impressive as Golden Sun‘s score of 91 and The Lost Age‘s 86, but it definitely isn’t a bad average. I’m not going to pretend that Dark Dawn met my expectations, but a low point in a franchise shouldn’t keep it from continuing. Ultimately, the sales are the main culprit. Nintendo’s sales reports for Dark Dawn are a little murky, but it’s at least known that the game sold under a million units. Those numbers definitely aren’t good, and it’s the nail in the Golden Sun coffin that will likely keep it dormant.

Dark Dawn Left the Door Wide Open For One More Game

Another detail that makes Dark Dawn such a frustrating entry is that it ends on a massive cliffhanger. I’m not going to spoil anything, because I want newcomers to experience it for themselves, but there was more to explore. The good news is that Golden Sun and The Lost Age are solid as a duo. Dark Dawn takes place 30 years after the first two games, so it has its own identity. However, knowing that developer Camelot Software Planning was planting the seeds for a longer story still pains me.

At This Point, I’ll Even Take a Golden Sun Remake

A Golden Sun remake is far from my dream scenario. However, I’ll take anything at this point. After Dark Dawn, Camelot Software Planning has been solely focused on Mario sports games. Since 2012, the developer has made seven games, and they have all been sports games starring the Nintendo mascot. So, it looks unlikely that the developer will return to Golden Sun any time soon.

It’s possible that Camelot Software Planning could take charge of a Golden Sun remake, but there hasn’t been any sign from Nintendo that this will ever happen. If the stars align and luck shines its light on Golden Sun, though, a different studio could always be in charge of a remake. The Super Mario RPG remake was a strong reimagining of one of the best JRPGs ever made, and the right team could give Golden Sun the same treatment. A 3D remake would be controversial, though. It doesn’t have to be 3D, but that would be the most likely approach, since it would make Golden Sun more appealing to younger generations. Golden Sun‘s visuals are one of its most charming features, so a remake would have to really handle a game like this with a deep level of care.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Golden Sun Perfected So Many of the Features That Define a Strong JRPG

Music
World-building
Story
Visuals
Exploration

Beyond the obvious things that make Golden Sun so great, the Djinn and Psynergy systems made the franchise something truly special. Golden Sun‘s Djinn system gave it some fantastic Pokemon-like elements, while Psynergy makes combat and puzzle-solving a more layered experience than these features usually are.

The music is still a must-listen game score, crafting cinematic moments with its limited pixel graphics gave it a charming and eye-catching art style, and it’s still a JRPG with great lore. Even with so many new additions to the genre, Golden Sun still stands out as a franchise that deserves a new breath of life.

The Golden Sun series’ musical score was composed by Motoi Sakuraba. He has a long history of scoring games, with some of his most notable being Dark Souls and Star Ocean.

It may not have reached the huge heights that JRPGs like Final Fantasy managed to, but its legacy speaks for itself. To this day, the series is still talked about on Reddit and across other social media platforms and forums. The sales may have failed to meet Nintendo’s standards, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop hoping for a fourth chapter. I’m fully aware that it’s a pipe dream at this point, but it helped show me the joy of JRPGs, and I’ll never forget that. So, I’m still going to be crossing my fingers that Golden Sun rises from the ashes.