Please note that the screenshots are lower quality than their appearance in the actual games.

If you’re just now learning about the Golden Sun series, you’re in for a real treat when the first two games become available on the Nintendo Switch Online service for those subscribed to the Expansion Pack tier on January 17th. Golden Sun has remained one of my favorite series of all time – possibly only second to the Trails series.

Released on the Game Boy Advance in 2001, Golden Sun is a turn-based JRPG that tells the story of Isaac, a young man with elemental powers known as Psynergy. He lives in a village of Psynergy users – or Adepts – who guard the secrets of Sol Sanctum on Mt. Aleph. Isaac and his hotheaded best friend Garet must leave their isolated village to track down the intruders who took their friend and oddball mentor as hostages in order to get their hands on important artifacts from Sol Sanctum. If they fail to return the artifacts to their rightful place, the world may end.

The first game ended with a somewhat literal cliffhanger (sorry, Sheba!). Then the lengthier sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, came out in 2003 to resolve the storyline from the first game. TLA begins just as Golden Sun ends, but from the perspective of Felix as the main protagonist this time. In 2010, I was happily surprised by the release of Golden Sun: Dark Dawn on Nintendo DS, which occurs 30 years after TLA and has you control Isaac’s son Matthew.

Dark Dawn received mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it. Sadly, it ended on a cliffhanger like the first game, and fans have been looking for closure ever since. The Game Boy Advance games were available on the Wii U Virtual Console, and Isaac even made appearances as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008, Wii) and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018, Nintendo Switch).

It’s been about 14 years since Dark Dawn, and the Golden Sun community remains hopeful for a fourth game – possibly even the first three coming to Switch in a collection. In the meantime, fans have produced a bunch of fantastic content and commiserated with each other over the lack of news. (Check out r/GoldenSun on Reddit.) Finally getting the first two games on Switch – even on NSO – gives us a modicum of hope that more is coming.

I still have the cartridges and game consoles for all 3 Golden Sun games, and I’ve beaten the first one enough times that I can 100% it without a guide now. It’s my go-to comfort series. You may wonder why it’s remained so popular all these years later. I can’t speak for everyone else, but these are some of the reasons why I love Golden Sun so much:

Silent Yet Friendly

No matter who the main protagonist is in your party, they’re always silent. Don’t worry though – they still manage to inject some personality into them. Every once in a while someone will ask you a yes/no question, and answering one way may result in a humorous response. Try answering “no” to an important question in Vale in the first game. 😉

They animated the character sprites for when they shake their heads “yes” or “no,” and little emoticon bubbles appear when characters feel particularly emotional about something. It’s probably not very impressive now, but I remember appreciating the way they used physical gestures, sound effects, and emotions to show us the characters’ reactions.

“Mind Over Matter”

The people – or even the animals – you speak with on your journey naturally aren’t going to trust you with their innermost thoughts. That’s where the Mind Read Psynergy comes in handy. Jupiter Adepts such as Ivan, Sheba, and Sveta can use this technique in some form or another.

Using Mind Read on unsuspecting life forms is probably not the most ethical thing to do, but in the Golden Sun universe it’s often how you learn more about the characters, locations, and events that occur. You might even acquire clues that direct you to secret dungeons or items. (Not to mention some fun gossip.) When you return to a town after time has passed, you’ll get new conversations and thoughts to read.

In addition to the Mind Read Psynergy, the (apparently nosy) Jupiter Adepts also have the capacity to learn Reveal, which allows you to view hidden things such as invisible steps, secret entrances, and more. Casting Reveal in towns shows you which barrels and boxes contain hidden items. All of this Wind Psynergy sure makes life easier for the player – and it really fleshes out the world of Weyard.

Let’s Get (Meta)Physical

Wind Psynergy isn’t the only useful type, of course, and there are a variety of abilities that can be used in and/or out of battle. The Water Psynergy Frost can be used to freeze puddles of water into pillars of ice that allow you to jump across them. But it’s also an effective ability against enemies who are weak to water. I loved using different Psynergy abilities to solve puzzles on the map or to annihilate my enemies – and I quite liked the neat animations. They added new Psynergy skills in each subsequent game.

Cuddly Critters

Your party members can learn new Psynergy from special objects or by leveling up. But adorable elemental creatures called djinn increase your stats, can change your class, and increase your pool of abilities. They can be found in specific hidden locations on the World Map, in dungeons, or in towns. There are only 28 djinn in the first game, but you can obtain up to 72 in The Lost Age and Dark Dawn.

Depending on the djinni, you may have to defeat them in battle to get them to join you. Others may decide to give you a break and come quietly as a reward for the work you put in to find them. All of them possess a unique battle skill, whether it’s an attack, (de)buff, or healing ability. When you use djinn abilities, they go into “standby” mode to be used in summons.

Stunning Summons

The djinn on standby are pooled together from all of your party members. Regardless of your djinn setups, if 3 Mars djinn have been used you can summon Tiamat, a fierce dragon inspired by actual mythology! Summons are extremely powerful tools in battle, and I’ve always responded well to the summon designs and animations. They really piqued my interest in mythology as a kid.

The elemental alignment for each summon was much simpler in the original game, as there were only 16 single-element summons. They decided to shake things up in the next games by adding 13 new summons that require two types of djinn, and you also learn some of them from special tablets hidden around the world. You don’t have to go find them, but why miss out on such beauty and strength?

Secrets With A Lot Of “Sol” ☀️

There’s a pretty decent amount of side content in the Golden Sun series, and the rewards are definitely worth your while. You can get your hands on some of the best equipment in these secret locations, as well as new djinn and summons. Some of the strongest bosses await you in these dungeons.

Starting with The Lost Age, you gain access to a ship that makes the world of Weyard your metaphorical oyster, allowing you to access many out-of-the-way locations. Solve riddles and puzzles to unlock more and more secrets – one secret dungeon in Golden Sun can be accessed two different ways!

I’ve seen a few complaints about the amount of dialogue in the games (to each their own, I suppose). Personally, I love the characters and the storylines, and Dark Dawn added a neat encyclopedia feature that helps you keep track of key terms. You can even find some collectible books that tell the story of the first two games!

They continue to build on the lore of Weyard with each game. You might run into minor NPCs that you’ve met before in previous games. Some reunions occur as part of the main plot, but a few characters will only reappear if you’ve met the conditions. In the first entry, if you complete several optional side quests it can affect events in The Lost Age.

Helping others as Isaac triggers these reunions when you play as Felix. Players could transfer their clear data from Golden Sun to Golden Sun: The Lost Age by using a Game Link Cable or a password. There are 3 levels of passwords: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Gold passwords transfer the most benefits, and you can even use other people’s passwords to get better results. It’s a lengthy process of entering 260 characters, but it’s worth it to transfer some items that aren’t even available in The Lost Age.

It’s just a great feeling to see the continuity between games, visiting new locations but also returning to some old ones. When I played The Lost Age for the first time I was shocked by the appearance of a character in Lemuria after I’d met some of their relatives in the first game. It was really unexpected but cool.

Motoi Sakuraba’s Masterpieces 🎶

I liked the writing and art style for the series, and I absolutely adore the music. The great Motoi Sakuraba composed the soundtracks for the series – just listen to the tracks in Nintendo’s NSO announcement above! ⬆️ These songs complement the moods and environments so well for me, and they’ve been stuck in my head for decades now. I get chills listening to them, and can’t wait to hear them again tomorrow.

Hopes For The Future: Let The Sun Rise Once More

It’s hard to put my love for Golden Sun into words, but everything listed above contributes to my appreciation of the series. I’m desperate for more content – both in terms of the games but also for merchandise. I’ll tide myself over with the NSO versions for now, but a definitive collection and fourth game would make me so incredibly happy.

I’d love an Anime adaptation of the games; there’s already a manga out there that has sadly remained (officially) untranslated. When Isaac was included in SSB I was kind of hoping they’d make an Amiibo version just to give us something. I’d buy Figuarts, Nendoroids, plushies, dolls – you name it. (There are some fantastic fan creations out there.) I’m skeptical yet somehow continue to hope that Golden Sun’s arrival on Switch is a sign that Camelot recognizes our hunger for more.

If you haven’t played these games before, I hope you give them a chance. And if you’re a returning player, welcome back to Weyard and enjoy! I know I sure will.