Forces of darkness are pursuing the lost art of Alchemy and it's up to you and your companions to twart their evil intents! Things start going awry when a group of kids and the professor Kraden enter the Sol Sanctum, a temple off-limits to regular villagers. Upon entering, they discover a hidden sanctum that houses the four Elemental Stars - the very source to Alchemy.

As they gather these for further research, thieves appear stealing all, but one of them alongside kidnapping your friend Jenna before escaping. With most of the stars in hand, they plan on lighting the four lighthouses, unleashing Alchemy upon the world. Barely escaping yourself, the village healer and chief puts you and your friend Garet on an impossible mission: Recover the stones and save the world before it's too late!

One of the standout features of Golden Sun is the use of a 2.5D battle scenes with detailed animations that are smooth and satisfying.

The gameplay itself is solid, with a well-balanced difficulty curve and a variety of challenging puzzles to solve. The combat system is turn-based and allows for a high level of strategy, as players can choose which spells and abilities to use in each encounter.

Thankfully you don't have to be a RPG enthusiast to get enjoyment of this, however you must like turn-based battles and a bit of grinding. While the story may feel a bit slow, the payoff is worth it for the time invested. As portable RPGs go, this one should be on your shortlist. The intricate story, solid gameplay, and beautiful graphics amounts to satisfying adventure that fits right into your pocket.