For those whose should-know-better stubbornness can go round for round with that of the game's level designers, amazingly and in spite of its crudities and failings, Pursuit Force's pull factor never really wanes.

The problem with most sequels is they're often poorly conceived—however, that's not the case with Golden Sun: The Lost Age. This follow up to 2001's Game Boy Advance (GBA) role-playing game (RPG) marks the second installment in a planned trilogy of games. As such, it picks up right where the first title left off, continuing a tale begun in that first story.

Playing Golden Sun is like returning to your bedroom after being away for years. You'll still know where everything sits, and you can pretty much navigate the place with your eyes shut. Golden Sun presents that type of familiarity, especially with gamers who enjoyed the 16-bit era of role-playing games with the Super NES.

While Role-Playing Games (RPGs) may have gained mainstream acceptance during the 32-bit era of gaming, most serious fans of the genre would agree that the best games invariably came into existence on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). For a number of years, the SNES was the RPG fan's system of choice—boasting a line-up of games that are still considered classic in this age of 3-D polygons and life-like graphics. Considering that the Game Boy Advance is essentially a portable version of the SNES, it's probably no surprise to learn it's also developing a reputation as a veritable haven for excellent RPGs. With ports of older SNES titles such as Capcom's Breath Of Fire series and entirely new creations such as Golden Sun, this genre is already well represented on the fledgling handheld.