Sailor Moon: Another Story

Sailor Moon: Another Story (often abrieviated to "SMAS") was an RPG video game released on Super Famicom. It borrows primarily from the storyline of the manga, but also incorporates many details from the anime. SMAS takes place directly after Sailor Moon S ends.

Influence

The story is a cross-continuity blending of both the anime and manga and new elements. The anime could be considered the "main" visual influence, as the character sprites (including Rei's Grandfather and Yuuichirou) are based on the anime, and the vocal samples for attacks are taken from the anime, but plot elements from the manga are also present (for example, the Shitennou are loyal to Prince Endymion without Queen Beryl's mind control). The Senshi attacks are taken from both sources. Certain attacks are also altered: Sailor Pluto's "Time Stop" and Sailor Saturn's "Death Reborn Revolution" attacks are significantly weaker in the game and also do not curtail the user's life.

Gameplay

The gameplay is a turn-based RPG battle system. A party may consist of up to five members and battles are fought with the Senshi are on the right side, the non-animated monsters are on the left, and a character HUD is at the bottom. Battles are fought at random by walking around the world map, of whom only one member will be shown. The story is fairly linear in comparison to other RPGs.

Deviating from the turn-based formula, in addition to rows various formations are available and characters can be moved around. The formations act as a modifier on a character's innate abilities. Characters with high defense and stronger attacks are best placed in the front of a formation so their attacks will do more damage, while those with weaker attacks and lower defense are best placed in the back so they will take less damage. However, certain Senshi's abilities, such as Sailor Saturn's "Death Reborn Revolution" are most effective when she is at the center of a formation. Formations also come with their own unique group attack.

Each Senshi has a basic physical attack as well as a selection of special moves, all earned as experience and levels rise. Rather than an MP meter, each senshi has an EP gauge, which can be raised to a maximum of 12. Special attacks may take anywhere from 1 to 6 EP each. Most EP moves are character-specific attacks from either the anime or manga, with Sailor Moon given a basic healing ability. EP is refilled after each battle and can also be refilled in battle with special items.

Combination attacks are also available, called Link Techs, formed by pairing Senshi in the game's menu and setting up those attacks. Combination attacks can involve 2, 3, or 5 Senshi. Combination attacks are only available if all members are in a party at the same time.

Items range from basic healing items, EP refilling items, and special attribute boosters which will work during battle. These include boosting attack, defense, or other attributes. While the game does not rely on equippable weapons like many RPGs, many accessories can be equipped which will raise attack, defense, or other attributes. Some items are character-specific.

Enemies can inflict status ailments in addition to damage, such as poison, sleep, and confusion. Once a character's HP drops to zero, they remain unconscious for the rest of the battle unless revived by a special item. Any character who is unconscious when a battle ends will not gain EXP. If the entire party is knocked out, the game ends. After a battle, any unconscious character will be revived with an HP of 1 and will need healing before the next battle. EXP distribution is determined at the end of each battle by the number of active characters in a team: one active member will gain all EXP, while a team of five will evenly distribute EXP gain. Monsters also give up yen (the in-game currency) and the occasional item when defeated.

The world map that depicts locations from the anime is generally a condensed map that does not use the actual city layout as a basis, likely to simplify walking around. For example, Azabu-Juuban features Usagi's house, the Hikawa Shrine, Osa-P, Game Center Crown within short walking distance, and Mugen Gakuen accessible by bus (which comes whenever the player stands beside a bus stop).

The game can only be saved at Luna P spheres scattered throughout the game. In addition to the main story, there is also a side quest to obtain puzzle pieces. There are 180 pieces in total, and most pieces are gained as award items in random battles, though the rest must be found in treasure chests and such. These pieces must be obtained when the chance arises, as they will not appear again later. Obtaining all 180 pieces not only completes the team picture, but will also allow access to the "Imperial Gift" item in Crystal Tokyo near the end of the game. The puzzle completion is an optional quest, however.

Plot Summary

In the future Crystal Tokyo, a small band of discontent citizens have come together to form an evil team of Sailor Senshi called the Oppositio Senshi, who feel that the Sailor Senshi and the Silver Crystal are the source of all of Earth's past battles. Together with a mysterious woman named Apsu, they desire to twist time and change the destiny of the Earth.

In the present day, the Sailor Senshi are enjoying peace now that the Death Busters have been defeated. However, strange things begin happening in the city. Previously defeated Daimons and Youma appear throughout the city. A visit by Ryo Urawa reveals a cryptic statement that the past and future are being replaced. The strangeness doesn't end there - Hotaru grows from a baby into a child in a matter of minutes, Rei sees strange apparations in the fire, and then the four Inner Senshi, including Chibiusa go missing.

Sailor Moon meets up with Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn to go look for the missing Senshi. They are told to go Juuban High School and rescue Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus, who were trapped in illusions. On the roof, they find Chibiusa being held captive by Sin, the leader of the Oppositio Senshi. Sin demands that Sailor Moon gives her the Silver Crystal, but Sailor Moon refuses and the Oppositio Senshi unleash a devastating attack. Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Saturn manage to block the attack, but are left injured.

After taking Mamoru to his apartment to recover, the Senshi are greeted by the spirits of the Shitennou, no longer under Beryl's control. Each gives one of the Inner Senshi their "kage" (shadow) stone, which will lead them to the matching "hi" (sun) stone. When all four of these stones are brought together, the location of Mamoru's crystal, the Rose Crystal, will be made apparent, and when all five stones are in the same place, Mamoru will be healed.

Each of the Inner Senshi go on a solo mission to locate the Hi stones: Sailor Mercury to Switzerland, Sailor Jupiter to Canada, Sailor Mars to Tibet, and Sailor Venus to Turkey. Each is followed by her counterpart of the Oppositio Senshi, who are also looking for the stones. Usagi stays in Japan to take care of Mamoru, and Chibiusa secretly heads out to look for the Rose Crystal, which the Shitennou believe is somewhere in Japan.

After Sailor Mercury arrives in Switzerland, a large crowd of Youma frighten her and she backs away and accidentally falls off a cliff. She lands in Kainess Town, located under a gigantic glacier. Hans, a local villager, finds Mercury passed out on the ground and takes her in. Together, Hans and Mercury nurse Hans' mother back to health, find Zoisite's Hi Stone, and defeat Mercury's counterpart, Nabu.

Sailor Mars arrives in the town of Lasa in Tibet where she explores a temple; however, she is attacked by group of youma who are masquerading as monks. A man, Faregg, saves her and takes her to the village of Yaga but later becomes captured. Subsequently, Sailor Mars embarks on her journey to retrieve Jadeite's Hi Stone and to rescue Faregg which culminates in an encounter with her counterpart, Nergal.

Soon after Sailor Jupiter arrives in Canada, a man, George, is enticed by the smell of her dinner and as a token of appreciation for Sailor Jupiter's food, takes her into the hidden village of Medias. Here, and in the neighboring village, Sailor Jupiter helps George and his lover, Mary to be engaged and mends the broken friendship between the two villages. Along the way, she meets her counterpart, Marduk, and retrieve Nephrite's Hi Stone.

Sailor Venus finds herself in an underground village in Turkey, Rias, where the entire population is male and completely obsessed about Sailor Venus' arrival, showering her with marriage proposals and gifts. After her counterpart, Ishtar, accidentally knocks over a sacred statue of Kunzite and thus turns the villagers into stone, Sailor Venus travels to the nearby village populated with only women. Venus eventually learns about her history in this village and finds Kunzite's Hi stone and Ishtar in a giant airship called the Ark, owned by her past self.

Back in Tokyo, Chibiusa heads to Mugen Gakuen with Momoko in hopes of finding the Rose Crystal. This results in Momoko being poisoned and Chibiusa being stranded in a forest with a strange boy named Anshar.

After being informed of the situation by Momoko, Usagi decides to go to Mugen Gakuen to look for Chibiusa, however she instead faces Professor Tomoe in his lab, who reveals that Hotaru's destiny has also been changed and has now reverted to the identity of Mistress 9. Sailor Moon defeats Mistress 9 and revives Hotaru as Sailor Saturn, and the two of them defeat Prof. Tomoe, though they are unable to change his destiny when he dies once again. After locating Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, they all teleport to Chibiusa's location.

As the Sailor Senshi and Anshar explore the forest, they find a cave and are attacked by the DD Girls, who are again protecting their revived master Queen Beryl. After an initial battle, Beryl uses the ambient energies in the cave to transform into her Super Beryl form and become invincible, but Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi-Moon combine their Silver Crystals to weaken Super Beryl and destroy her. Shortly afterwards, the Senshi find the Rose Crystal, but Anshar betrays them and takes the crystal to his sister Sin.

Later, all the Senshi meet in Mamoru's apartment to plan their next move. It is then decided to find Sailor Pluto. When the Senshi arrive at the Space-Time Door, they find Sailor Pluto, who tells them not to enter the door. However, she is revealed to be Nergal in disguise when she mistakenly calls Chibi-Moon "Princess" (which the real Sailor Pluto never does). The real Sailor Pluto is found trapped deep within the dimensional maze beyond the door and is rescued.

After further debate, all of the Senshi decide to go back in time to the Silver Millennium in order to find Sin and the Rose Crystal. Their trip is briefly delayed by the arrival of the Black Moon UFO and the Ayakashi Sisters, who the Senshi reluctantly defeat. Upon arrival in the Silver Millenium, the Senshi locate the Ark and activate it, allowing them to travel the world quickly in their search for Sin.

While visiting the Earth Kingdom in the north, Sailor Moon disguises herself as a servant girl and explores the palace. She meets Beryl, who is currently a Sage for the Earth Kingdom and has not yet joined Metalia, and also bares witness to her past self and Prince Endymion having a conversation. Finally, up in the Moon Kingdom, Sailor Moon meets Queen Serenity herself, who recognizes her daughter through her disguise. She is briefly upsetted by knowing that her mother and everybody in the Moon Kingdom are soon going to perish, but knows that there's nothing she can do to change her destiny.

The Senshi later return to the Moon Kingdom in the aftermath of Beryl's attack and are greeted by Prince Dimande, who threatens to alter the future by tampering with Princess Serenity's corpse. Sailor Moon allows herself to be taken prisoner by Dimande in exchange for her past self's safety. The other Senshi are then met by Saffir, who begs them to stop his brother from making a deadly mistake. Deep in the basement of the palace, Sin kills Dimande as payback for murdering her parents in the Black Moon invasion, then attacks the Senshi before running away. With Sailor Moon rescued and the Rose Crystal recovered, and the Senshi return to the present.

Back in Tokyo, the Oppositio Senshi have abducted Usagi's little brother Shingo Tsukino to lure the Senshi into a trap. The Senshi and Tuxedo Mask follow them to the Space-Time Door, where Fiore stands to block access. Tuxedo Mask stays behind to fight off Fiore while the Senshi go through the door into Crystal Tokyo. Upon arrival, they find a powerful force-field blocking access to the palace, and so they split into two teams: one to rescue Shingo and one to get into the palace.

The first team go to Apsu's palace, where the Oppositio Senshi launch an all-out attack but are defeated and mostly freed from Apsu's control. Sin, however, refuses to leave Apsu for the sake of protecting Anshar and escapes. The remaining Senshi disable the force-field by defeating the Witches 5, then enter the palace to find and capture Anshar.

Finally, the Senshi return to the Space-Time Door to find a trail of rose petals leading inside. With Tuxedo Mask her prisoner, Apsu meets the Senshi and tries to convince them to give into her power by promising them their dream lives. Sailor Moon refuses, and she and the other Senshi fight back.

Apsu is seemingly defeated, but the sorceress escapes and locates Sin. Absorbing Sin's power, Apsu transforms into a monstrous Deity of Destruction and tries to destroy everything. Faced with the overwhelming odds, the Senshi prevail and destroy Apsu. Finally free from Apsu's power, Sin is reunited with Anshar and the Oppositio Senshi, and the six of them show their gratitude to the Senshi for saving them. The girls bid farewell to Setsuna at the Space-Time Door. Back at the Tsukino residence, Hotaru reverts into a baby, Haruka and Michiru leave the girls, hoping they will not have to meet again to fight. Minako, Makoto, Rei and then Ami, who reminds Usagi to study all head for home. With the destiny of the world resetting itself to normal, the Senshi are ready to face a new day.

Villains

The main villain of the story is Apsu, an evil sorceress who seeks to alter time so that she alone can rule the galaxy. To this extent, she has recruited five disillusioned young girls from Crystal Tokyo (Sin, Nabu, Nergal, Marduk, and Ishtar) to become the Oppositio Senshi, a band of doppelgangers who are convinced that the Silver Crystal needs to be destroyed for the good of the future. Also part of the group is Sin's little brother Anshar and his pet Kishal.

The other villians seen throughout the video game are past enemies that Apsu has revived by "changing their destinies", including Queen Beryl, Mistress 9, Black Lady, the Black Moon Clan, the Death Busters, and various Youma, Daimon, and Droids. The Shitennou, now allies to the Senshi, appear as ghosts and aid them in recovering the Shin no Ishi.

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