Namco's famous "Tales of" series returns to its Nintendo console roots with the latest incarnation for GameCube. Fans of the series will be pleased to learn that the game is certainly worthy of its name, successfully revamping the series in full 3D. Newcomers will appreciate the fact that the first original traditional RPG for the GameCube is one of the most polished titles on any platform released this year.

Before delving into the innards of Symphonia, it should be noted that the game has extensive Japanese, both in voice acting and text. Unless you have a very good understanding of the language, it is highly recommended to wait until the domestic release, which is projected to be sometime during spring 2004. If you're a Japanese pro, you can import it from Video Game Depot.

The premise of the game follows the adventures of Lloyd Irving and his faithful friends Collet Brunel and Genius Sage throughout the world. Collet is said to be descended from the legendary Goddess who sealed The Great Big Evil away thousands of years ago. You can guess what's going to happen, right? Bingo, The Great Big Evil is back (or rather, slowly appearing again) and it is up to Collet to save humanity once again with her newfound powers, once she passes the right of Ascension. Of course, it's not going to be nearly that easy...

Tales games have little in common with the average turn-based role playing fare. Traditionally, the battle system plays somewhat like a simplified fighter. The player controls the lead character in real time, using the control stick and the A and B buttons to attack. Party members are controlled by the CPU and can be programmed to obey certain commands. While this may sound slightly confusing, it is actually quite intuitive once battle begins. Enemies and characters move freely and attack each other. While certain teammates are considered mages, they play similar in that they rely on their special moves to damage enemies instead of pure physical attack, (thus having more Technique Points than weapon masters). Enemies also have access to many of the spells and special moves your party is capable of using, and they will abuse them in effort to wipe out your little band of adventurers.

The CPU may be controlling your teammates, but it is still possible to call upon them for help. By accessing the menu during battle (the Y button), gameplay freezes and a variety of commands become available: Spell, Item, Equipment, Tactics, and Flee. Selecting a character will display all known Special Moves and once you’ve selected one, the character will cast the spell (or enact the special move) as quickly as possible. Outside of battle, you may assign two CPU characters' moves to the C-stick's up and down. Players may also map special moves to the B button and directional movements (i.e. press and hold the control stick up, down, left, or right and then hit B), so it is simple to combo attacks together, completely disabling a foe. Yet fighting doesn't merely dissolve into mashing buttons as quickly as possible. By using certain attacks and linking them with normal physical blows, you can find devastatingly intricate combos. In fact, Symphonia grades players on how well they battle, and depending how high the grade, there may be bonuses awarded. As always, the best part to any Tales game is the fact that up to four players can join in on the fun by merely plugging in controllers. There's nothing quite like getting your friends together to have a serious beat down on The Bad Dudes.

It isn't merely the battle system that differentiates Tales from other RPGS. One of the hallmarks of the series is its cooking mode. Players collect ingredients and then can make dishes which can be used to heal HP while walking. There is even a dedicated side quest (of sorts) in which you search for the Wonder Chef (complete with giant fork in hand), and see what he'll come up with next. Symphonia also has optional side scenes (called skits) that the player can summon up at certain times by pressing the Z button. The characters will talk, bicker, and joke amongst each other about current events. In what seems to be homage to Star Ocean (another popular Japanese RPG), Symphonia boasts a Friendship System of sorts which measures how much characters like each other. As the main character, Lloyd, you are often given a list of answers while in conversation with party members, which will either endear you to them or cause them to hate your guts. If you build a relationship with your friends, you'll be able to unleash incredibly powerful Team Combo attacks upon your hapless foe.

Symphonia is also significant as it is the first Tales to break the 2D barrier. Using cel-shaded 3D characters upon beautiful polygonal backgrounds, the title is definitely a treat on the eyes. Many of the backgrounds, while fully 3D, almost appear to be a painted 2D background. The models are stunning, putting Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen to utter shame. The only complaint I have thus far is that some of the basic NPC animations seem a bit sloppy compared to the models. Fans will be thrilled to learn that battles work perfectly with the move to 3D, with characters using Perspective Planes to maintain the frantic 2D fighting that fans adore. By holding the R trigger, you can select an enemy to lock onto and run along an invisible corridor so that it retains the feel of previous games.

Tales of Symphonia is no "throw-away" or "dumbed down" title that uses the franchise's fame to sell it. Not only is it the real thing, but Namco has refined the series’ strengths and done what many thought was impossible: have the battle system in full 3D. From Motoi Sakuraba's awesome soundtrack to the ever-present Tales charm, Symphonia is what RPG fans have been waiting for.

It’s well worth the wait.