Black Onyx, The (Japan) (GBC)

The Black Onyx on GBC is a classic and pioneering role-playing game (RPG) in the first-person dungeon crawler genre. Players begin their adventure by creating their main character. You can choose from various races such as human, elf, dwarf, hobbit, orc, and giant, each possessing unique attributes. Following that, you select an alignment (Good, Evil, Neutral) and allocate points into core stats like Strength, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck.

A distinctive feature of The Black Onyx is the ability to form an adventuring party of up to six members. Each party member will have their own roles and skills, contributing to strategic diversity. The primary gameplay revolves around exploring intricate and labyrinthine dungeons from a first-person perspective. Players will often need to manually map out or memorize their paths to avoid getting lost in these challenging environments.

Upon encountering monsters, the game transitions into a turn-based combat mode. Here, strategy is key: you must wisely utilize weapons, armor, and magic spells to defeat your foes. Managing the hit points (HP) and magic points (MP) of each party member is crucial. Beyond combat, players will visit towns to purchase new equipment, heal at inns, and even resurrect fallen comrades.

The ultimate objective in The Black Onyx is to locate the legendary Black Onyx. This quest requires players to delve deeper into increasingly dangerous dungeons, facing progressively difficult challenges. The game is not merely an entertainment experience but also a significant part of Japanese RPG history, laying the groundwork for many renowned titles that followed.