It is hard to express the nostalgia inheret in Pool of Radiance. Now, danger of dangers, I can look into the guts of the game with the Gold Box Companion (and overcome some unfortunate limitations of the game). Oddly, I never finished Curse of the Azure Bonds, despite owning the physical copy. I am on a mission to do just that, though, and all the rest of these wonderful games. Note, that does not include Hillsfar, sadly. I am a completionist and I wanted to quickly run through that game despite it's very different nature. However, 3 hours invested (and wasted) tell me this game is not one for me. It makes me think more of Super Mario or Sonic than an RPG. I'd be fine with that, as a temporary lark, if it was not so incomprehensible with poorly designed (or completely inoperative) controls. No thanks, I'm not searching for more frustration in my life. Fortunately, that hot mess of a game is not enough to bring down my rating for this entire collection. Just avoid that one and you should be good (unless you're like the least-liked reviewer who only enjoyed Hillsfar... everyone is different!).
I'm determined to complete all Gold Box games and, even though it isn't technically one of them, I was including Hillsfar. I am an insufferable completionist, after all. Three hours in, and I can't stand it anymore. I have to take a break. I don't know if I'll come back; once I'm into CotAB, I won't want to return to this mess. I get that this is more of an arcade style with mini-games. I can look past the nonsensicle mechanics and challenges, and the hacky manner in which they are designed and enforced. However, when the basic controls, which are not intuitive in the first place, don't even work, then I can't waste any more time and mental energy on it. Maybe it was a sign when my triple-classed character from Pool of Radiance was forced into the only quest-line I didn't want to do.
I've loved this game since my childhood. And now, with the Gold Box Companion, I can love it even more with many of the quirks ironed out!
