Swordcraft Story is not all flash but it has this weird thing in it which makes it interesting
Okay so you can choose to be a boy or a girl then follow in you dad's footstep and becom a craftlord. These people, well the main person and "craftknights" are very serious with weapons. Hell, the guy gos, "you thought of your weapon as a tool, but its an extension of yourself." Something like that anyway, but they are very serious with weapons, they use their own because thats what a true craftknight does, they don't buy or take one from someone else. So, you have entered a tournament to becom the best. You have to go in places with monsters, beat them, or just find Chests to find various thing you can change to material that you use to make your weapon. You can also get material by sacrificing your weapon. Each weapon you make needs certain requirements, so if your low on that material you go and find an item to make that material. When you have the requirements you make a wepon... no its not like "Make any sword here!" You get Techniques from your master, which gives you the requirements to fulfill.
Confusing?
Yeah, same here. Play it to find out more and to experience it.
Anyway, I mentioned battling right? You go around, get into a random battle and enter a side-scrolling screen, and see your HP and your weapon's "HP". Yes your sword can break! You can move side to side in the real time battle, you can jump, use your weapon, guard, switch weapons you equipped, and see what your Guardian Beast can doo (more on that later). You you scroll upto the enemy and slah, slash, SLASH. Then you can run away, to dodge its counter, or stand and block it like a man then go back and attack. Its pretty good. After you get enough experience you level up and your Guardian Beast levels up at his own rate too.
Early in the game you get a Guardian Beast (there are different ones and you get one by answering questions, the way you answer them determines on the one you get) which you use to boost your attacks, do his own attacks, heal, yeah, yeah, like "Summons" or "Aeons" in the Final Fantasy series... wait... no not quite... lets say I have an "Iron Sabre", I equip my Beast's Magic and in battle use it, there is one that can power up my sword and use elemental attacks, like fire. If you get the game you will understand it more, and like the MegaMan Battle Network games you can talk to you Beast as you would to Megaman by pressing SELECT.
The graphics aren't that great for GBA standards, music is horrible. Thats all you need to know, you can just turn off the music, cause while the graphics are bearable, I hated the sound. All you need to know.
With all the weapons you can make, all the time you need to look for the items, all the things distracting you from your tournament and leading you to do something else, leveling up so no one stands a chance. This game will last for a long while in my thinkings... I like played for erm... 4+ straight :P I still understand though! I don't know why you will need to come back so maybe not that much replayability....
Overall great game might delight some people whiule others can hate it so. You might want to try it before getting it though...