Brain Lord

A 1994 hack 'n slash Action RPG for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System published by Enix. Imagine a typical game in The Legend of Zelda, only with a Pokemon-esque Attack Drone system, more destructable equipment (well, shields), a slight bit more realism than usual, and, most importantly, Zelda puzzles on steroids (hence the game's name).

The story follows that the main character, Remeer, has joined a band of treasure hunters in his long-term quest to investigate the mysterious disappearance of dragons (which, apparently, were a pretty common sight once). His father had attempted this investigation before him, but never returned. During the course of the game, Remeer does find the last of the dragons, but this discovery is hardly the end of the game.

Notable in that the game contains numerous references and even cameos to that other Enix game, but despite going so far as to Title Drop it several times, is otherwise unrelated and not within the same continuity.

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Tropes used in Brain Lord include:

• 24-Hour Armor: Then again, it is invisible armor...
• Adventure Narrator Syndrome: When Remeer *does* speak, it's usually along these lines.
• Already Done for You: Happens when some NPCs go missing.
• Awesome but Impractical: The most powerful weapon in the game is a hand axe.
• Awesome Yet Practical: Once you get the morning star, it will be your best weapon for quite awhile.
• Broken Bridge: The statue that controls access to Droog will not operate without its sapphire
• Canon Name: The only way the player knows of Remeer's name is if they decide not to name him something else. This can be pretty easy to miss.
  • Though the team that developed the game tends to use that name repeatedly (both in 7th Saga, where it was transliterated as "Lemele", and its follow-up, Mystic Ark).
• Capital City: Toronto. It is the nicer out of the only two towns in the entire game.
• Character Level: Subverted. Remeer powers up through new weapons, armor, items, etc. But your Attack Drone becomes faster, stronger and meaner in general though little orbs of experience.
• Charged Attack: All of the magic spells, rather than requiring MP. The stronger spells take longer to charge up, but the basic Shot magic charges up in about half a second and shoots a projectile as strong as two or three hits from the Copper Sword.
• Convenient Questing: Although usually for script reasons rather than having a shiny new item.
• Crate Expectations
• Elemental Crafting: Gold, a substance you can smear between your fingers at the right amount, is stronger than copper.
• Fight in The Nude: Remeer is shown with the same white tunic with orange shoulderpads, regardless of what you have equipped.
  • However, he will be shown carrying specifically whatever shield you have equipped. And, of course, the weapons look different too.
• Inevitable Tournament: Subverted. The underground tournament in Toronto is completely optional.
• Inexplicable Treasure Chests: Though sometimes the items are referenced by ancient script very close to where they are found, suggesting they were intentionally stored in their chests.
• Irrelevant Importance: Subverted, in that a lot of exclusive/rare items that have gone obsolete CAN be sold off, but since you'll never see them again...
• Let's Split Up, Gang!: Given that the player controls Remeer and only Remeer, this happens all the time, even in towns.
• Money Spider: Unless there's also a little blue ball for your fairy, numbers will rise from slain foes, telling you how much you made.
• Musical Spoiler: The minute you step into Toronto after completing Droog, you know something's up.
  • Also, the music will remain like this for the rest of the game. Just warning.
• Now Where Was I Going Again?: Unfortunate, considering that at least half of the dungeons are hidden in far-away places from the main world, and at least one requires a magic wormhole in order to reach. Plus, most NPC's don't know much about that sorta thing, and your NPC-team is probably already there. Or near it.
• Only Smart People May Pass: Natch.
• Opening the Sandbox: Happens after you gain access to Toronto, just before the third dungeon. However, this only really applies to the main world map. At the end of the game, you can access almost all of the dungeons, but the third will be closed off.
• Pamphlet Shelf: A bit ridiculous in the library, where different chapters of the same work are on different shelves.
• Player Party: Subverted, in that there is a very clear and present party system within the team, but you will always be in control of Remeer and Remeer only. Everyone else is an NPC in party member clothing.
• Power-Up Food
• Press X To Not Be Trapped Forever: The single hardest puzzle in the game is ironically the simplest (the two often go together), partly because of the fact that it's a bit of Breaking the Fourth Wall. There is a room with a locked door, and three buttons that don't do ANYTHING, and a message saying that the key is on the control pad. How do you solve it? You walk up to the door, and press a button of the control pad that you literally never use in any other situation in the game.
• Save Point: Statues in dungeons. Also, the good ol' inn.
• Save Scumming: Stat Up potions give 1 to 3 points. One single point makes a noticeable difference. Save Scumming to make every single potion give 3 instead of 1-2 gives you a Remeer that is much more powerful than a standard Remeer.
• Save the World
• Sprint Shoes: A special cape found in the second dungeon, at the drawback that it is a type of armor and thus un-equips what you had on before. In other words, you move fast, but you're vulnerable.
  • Unless you Save Scum the Defense Up Potions. Then you might as well be wearing plate armor. Doubly so if you use the +Defense fairy. This could even be considered a Game Breaker. Imagine a Remeer that moves faster than most enemies, has enough defense to only take 1 point of damage from nearly anything, and has enough strength to kill nearly anything in one hit with a weapon like the Boomerang or the Morning Star. Game Breaker indeed....
• Standard RPG Items: Revival mirrors, power boosters, potions, antidotes, etc.
• Standard Status Effects: Poison makes you slowly lose health, numbness makes you suddenly lose all control for a fraction of a second and stop (spell casting takes much longer because of this).
• Talk to Everyone: The sidequest before Droog.
• There Are No Tents: Only statues and items. And inns.
• Took a Shortcut: Used and abused by your teammates.
• Trauma Inn
• Universal Poison: Scorpion Venom is apparently made from the toxic dust produced by Toronto Library's ancient rotting text.
• Vendor Trash: Silver and Gold bullion, Ancient Coin, etc.
• The Very Definitely Final Dungeon: The Platinum castle.
• Wallet of Holding
• Wasted Song: The road between Arcs and the first dungeon, again. There's no other song like it in the game, and it's only heard here.
• Welcome to Corneria
• You All Look Familiar