For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to qwert_vs_qwerty's Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand (GBA) maps.
It is the Age Of Darkness. Energy known as "Dark Matter" is corrupting the world and destroying life. Undead creatures and dark beings called "Immortals" threaten to bring the human race to extinction. But, even in these dark times, there is a ray of hope. You play as a boy named Django, a descendant of legendary vampire hunters, and wielder of the Gun Del Sol, a weapon powered by sunlight. Go charge up your solar battery and show those Immortals that the power of the sun is in your hand!
Yes, you should go outside to play. That seems to be the message of legendary game designer Hideo Kojima (of Metal Gear fame). Especially now that it's summer! This game's cartridge has a photometric light sensor, so when exposed to actual, out-of-game sunlight, you charge your in-game solar battery so that you can combat the forces of darkness. The sensor is a bright idea (pun intended), as the game spawned two GBA sequels (though the third game is exclusive to Japan). The series also includes a DS game, Lunar Knights, in which a light sensor was not possible to include on the DS card itself, but sun-based gameplay is optional through the use of the DS's GBA slot with any of the previous games' cartridges.
As for the original GBA game, qwert_vs_qwerty has mapped out all of its areas so you can find your way around quickly. They are pretty handy to make the most of your daytime hours, especially if you don't have much time to get outside while the sun is up. Whether you're blazing your way through Dark Castle or Firetop Mountain, or navigating the many, many roads, qwert_vs_qwerty is your guide as they are all laid out here!
So to recognize the effort put into mapping this brilliant game, qwert_vs_qwerty's Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand (GBA) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for July 2024.
