The first of the three Shining Force games for GameGear, this is a Japanese-only gaiden (side-story) to the main series. The events take place in a time period between the first and the second Shining Force games (twenty years after the events of the first game), in a kingdom called Cypress. The ambassador of Cypress kidnaps Anri, the princess of Gardiana, casting a spell on her that envelops her in dark fog. You control Nick, a young prince who decides to help the princess, aided by the warrior team of the first Shining Force.The game is a strategy RPG with a typical Shining Force-style combat: the largest part of the game is spent fighting enemy forces. You move your party (up to twelve characters) around, attacking or casting spells. Once in contact with the enemy, a short automatic battle sequence occurs. You gain experience points for every attack. Unlike other Shining Force games, you cannot visit towns in this game.