Shining Soul

Shining Soul is an action RPG released for the GBA in 2002 by Sega in collaboration with Grasshopper Manufacture and Nextech, serving as a spin-off of the Shining series. Players choose from four classes—Warrior, Wizard, Dragonute, or Seeker—and explore dungeons from a top-down perspective, hacking through enemies, collecting gear, and freely distributing stat points. The fast, simple combat draws frequent comparisons to Diablo in handheld form. The story follows heroes rising to stop the resurrection of the Dark Dragon, and up to four players can team up via local link cables. Satisfying hack-and-slash action, randomized loot drops, and light character building make Shining Soul a hidden gem among GBA action RPGs.