Fight, Magic, Items

Moher traces the history of Japanese role-playing games, from the developers who built the genre to the titles that reshaped it and the stories that reached far beyond gaming. Known for memorable characters, sweeping plots, and a long run of classic releases, the genre grew out of early Western RPGs and adopted new technology and visual styles that changed what games could offer. The book also follows how these games competed for success in North America as well as Japan.

The story begins with the origins of two classic Nintendo releases, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and continues from there through the people behind them. Readers meet the small teams and tight deadlines that laid the groundwork for both franchises, Reiko Kodama's Phantasy Star, which stretched the conventions of storytelling and genre, and the unlikely partnership of Horii and Sakaguchi on Chrono Trigger. The book also covers Kingdom Hearts, which combines classic Disney characters with the style of Final Fantasy.

Drawing on firsthand interviews and behind-the-scenes material, the book examines how these games were developed, received, and influenced later work. It charts the genre's evolution and explains why it still holds players' attention decades after its earliest releases.