View source for Lufia

{{short description|Video game series}}
{{Primary sources|date=June 2008}}
{{Infobox VG series
| title = Lufia
| image = Lufia series logo.png
| caption = Logo
| developer = [[Neverland (company)|Neverland Co., Ltd.]] <br/> Atelier Double (''The Ruins of Lore'')
| publisher = [[Taito]] <br> [[Square Enix]] <br> [[Natsume Inc.]] <br> [[Atlus|Atlus USA]]
| genre = [[Role-playing video game]]
| platforms = [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Game Boy Color]], [[Mobile phone]], [[Game Boy Advance]], [[Nintendo DS]]
| first release version = ''[[Lufia & the Fortress of Doom]]''
| first release date = June 25, 1993
| latest release version = ''[[Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals]]''
| latest release date = February 25, 2010
| spinoffs = 
}}

'''''Lufia''''', known as {{nihongo|'''''Estpolis Denki'''''|エストポリス伝記|Esutoporisu Denki|officially translated "Biography of Estpolis"<ref>{{cite video game |title=Estpolis Denki |developer=Neverland Co., Ltd. |publisher=Taito |date=25 June 1993 |platform=Super Famicom |quote=< Staff > [...] Biography of Estpolis}}</ref>}} in Japan, is a series of [[role-playing video game]]s developed by [[Neverland (company)|Neverland]] (aside from ''The Ruins of Lore'', which was developed by Atelier Double). In Japan, the games were originally published by [[Taito]] and later, its now-parent company [[Square Enix]] (with ''Curse of the Sinistrals''), and after the closing of Taito's North American branch after the release of the first game, [[Natsume Inc.]] (''Rise of the Sinistrals'', ''The Legend Returns'', and ''Curse of the Sinistrals'') and [[Atlus|Atlus USA]] (''The Ruins of Lore'') in the U.S. While the games are primarily traditional 2D RPGs, they draw on elements from many other genres including [[Action adventure game|action-adventure]], monster collecting, and [[puzzle video game|puzzle games]]. In the 1990s the games were originally developed on the Super NES while the most recent installment, ''[[Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals]]'', was developed for the [[Nintendo DS]] and was released in 2010 for Japan on February 25 and for North America on October 12. The series currently consists of six games, including this most recent installment.

== Setting ==
{{Expand section|date=January 2018}}
The ''Lufia'' series spans the course of two centuries, beginning with the defeat of the god-like Sinistrals in ''Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals''. These events are followed by ''Ruins of Lore'', which takes place 20 years after ''Rise of the Sinistrals'' ends. ''Fortress of Doom'' picks up another 79 years (99 years after the events of ''Rise of the Sinistrals'') later. The current series ends with the Sinistrals' final defeat in ''Legend Returns'', which takes place 101 years after ''Fortress of Doom''.

== Characters ==
{{Expand section|date=January 2018}}
{{Redirect|Sinistrals|the type of chirality|Sinistral and dextral}}
''Lufia'' follows the exploits of the hero Maxim and his quest to defeat the Sinistrals; after his death, this task is taken up by his descendants through several generations. One of his descendants is Wain, the main male protagonist of ''The Legend Returns''.

== List of media ==
=== Video games ===
{{Video game titles|
{{Video game titles/item
|article=Lufia & the Fortress of Doom
|title=Lufia & the Fortress of Doom
|date={{vgrelease|JP|{{Start date|1993|6|25}}|NA|{{Start date|1993|12|4}}}}
|canceled= 
|refs=
|release=[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], Mobile Phones
|notes=The first game in the ''Lufia'' series made for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]] published in [[Japan]] in June 1993 (under the name ''Estpolis Denki'') and later that year for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] in North America, it starts out with a prologue where a team of warriors  defeat the evil group of super-beings called the Sinistrals. Then, the story changes to the main story of the descendants of these heroes, and how the Sinistrals are trying to be reborn.

The game was ported to Japanese mobile phones in 2009.<ref>[http://www.taito.co.jp/mob/tsmg/pages/estpolis.html 株式会社タイトー｜公式ページ｜<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091218083020/http://www.taito.co.jp/mob/tsmg/pages/estpolis.html |date=2009-12-18}}</ref>
}}
{{Video game titles/item
|article=Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
|title=Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
|date={{vgrelease|JP|{{Start date|1995|2|24}}|NA|{{Start date|1996|8}}|EU|{{Start date|1997}}}}
|canceled= 
|refs=
|release=[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|notes=''Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals'', released in Japan for the Super Famicom under the name ''Estpolis Denki II'', is a  [[prequel]] to ''Lufia & The Fortress of Doom'' that takes place right before the events of the first game occurred. Notably, it ends partly with the events that begin the first ''Lufia'', making the first game's introduction a partial spoiler for the second. It was released in Europe as simply "''Lufia''" because ''Lufia & the Fortress of Doom'' was not released in Europe. This often causes some confusion.
}}
{{Video game titles/item
|article=Lufia: The Legend Returns
|title=Lufia: The Legend Returns
|date={{vgrelease|JP|{{Start date|2001|9|7}}|NA|{{Start date|2001|9|20}}|EU|{{Start date|2001|10|23}}}}
|refs=
|release= [[Game Boy Color]]
|notes=Released in Japan in 2001 as ''Estpolis Denki: Yomigaeru Densetsu'', and later the same month in America, ''Lufia: The Legend Returns'' is the series' first handheld adventure on the [[Game Boy Color]]. Taking advantage of the Game Boy's new enhanced color palette, the game features sophisticated 8-bit graphics, a new battle system and randomized dungeons. In this game, the player acts as a descendant of Maxim in the fight against the Sinistrals.
}}
{{Video game titles/item
|article=Lufia: The Ruins of Lore
|title=Lufia: The Ruins of Lore
|date={{vgrelease|JP|{{Start date|2002|3|8}}|NA|{{Start date|2003|5|6}}}}
|canceled= 
|refs=
|release=[[Game Boy Advance]]
|notes= ''Lufia: The Ruins of Lore'' was released for the [[Game Boy Advance]] in Japan in 2002 as ''Estpolis Gaiden: Chinmoku no Iseki'' and a year later in North America. It is a [[gaiden]] or "sidestory" game that deviates from the normal [[folklore|lore]] of the series. It was published by [[Taito]] in Japan and [[Atlus]] in America.
}}
{{Video game titles/item
|article=
|title=Estpolis Denki DX
|canceled= 
|refs=
|release= Mobile Phones
|notes= ''Estpolis Denki DX'' or ''Estpolis Biography DX'' is a [[mobile phone]] game only [[downloadable]] in [[Japan]]. It consists of the "Ancient Cave" scenario from ''Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals'', featuring characters and enemies from the original game.
}}
{{Video game titles/item
|article=Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals
|title=Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals
|date={{vgrelease|JP|{{Start date|2010|2|25}}|NA|October 12, 2010<ref name="cots">{{cite web |url=http://www.natsume.com/coming_soon/games/lufia/images/LufiaAnnouncement.pdf |title=RETURN TO THE WORLD OF LUFIA THIS FALL WITH NATSUME'S LUFIA: CURSE OF THE SINISTRALS FOR NINTENDO DS |publisher=natsume.com |access-date=2010-06-01}}</ref>}}
|canceled= 
|refs=
|release= [[Nintendo DS]]
|notes= Titled ''Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals'',<ref name="cots" /> it was developed by the staff of the [[Lufia & the Fortress of Doom|original ''Lufia'']].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1229437_1124.html |title=『エストポリス』名作RPGの新作が発売決定 |date=2009-11-13 |publisher=Famitsu |access-date=2009-11-12}}</ref> The game was released for the Nintendo DS on February 25, 2010, in Japan,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=104626 |title=Lufia project confirmed for DS – first details |date=2009-11-18 |publisher=GoNintendo |access-date=2009-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302154336/http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=104626 |archive-date=2010-03-02 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and later the same year in North America.<ref name="cots" /> The game is a re-imagining of ''[[Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals]]'' with modified story and characters, as well as being an action RPG.
}}
}}

=== Canceled titles ===
{{Video game titles|
{{Video game titles/item
|article=
|title=Lufia: Ruins Chaser
|canceled= 
|refs=
|release=[[PlayStation]]
|notes=''Lufia: Ruins Chaser'' was a game being developed by Japanese software company Nihon-Flex for the [[PlayStation]] until they went bankrupt. For a time, development of the title ceased, but was picked up and heavily remade in both story and graphics, being renamed ''[[Lufia: The Legend Returns]]''.
}}
{{Video game titles/item
|article=
|title=Lufia: Beginning of a Legend
|canceled= 
|refs=
|release=[[Game Boy Color]]
|notes=''Lufia: Beginning of a Legend'' was in development for the [[Game Boy Color]] alongside ''Ruins Chaser'' for the [[PlayStation]], and was to be a prequel to ''Lufia II'' as it told of Maxim's early days as an adventurer years before the Sinistrals strike.
}}
}}

== Reception ==
{{Expand section|date=September 2018}}
{{Video game series reviews
| game1 = [[Lufia & the Fortress of Doom]]
| fam1  = 28/40<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=8943 |title=エストポリス伝記 [スーパーファミコン] |magazine=[[Famitsu]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| gr1   = -
| mc1   = -
| game2 = [[Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals]]
| fam2  = 30/40<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=8944 |title=エストポリス伝記II [スーパーファミコン] |magazine=[[Famitsu]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| gr2   = 80%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588451-lufia-ii-rise-of-the-sinistrals/index.html |title=Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals for Super Nintendo |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| mc2   = -
| game3 = [[Lufia: The Legend Returns]]
| fam3  = 26/40<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=12301 |title=エストポリス伝記 〜よみがえる伝説〜 [ゲームボーイ] |magazine=[[Famitsu]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| gr3   = 61%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/563014-lufia-the-legend-returns/index.html |title=Lufia: The Legend Returns for Game Boy Color |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| mc3   = -
| game4 = [[Lufia: The Ruins of Lore]]
| fam4  = 29/40<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=11993 |title=沈黙の遺跡 〜エストポリス外伝〜 [GBA] |magazine=[[Famitsu]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| gr4   = 71%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/gba/589582-lufia-the-ruins-of-lore/index.html |title=Lufia: The Ruins of Lore for Game Boy Advance |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| mc4   = 76/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/lufia-the-ruins-of-lore/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance |title=Lufia: The Ruins of Lore for Game Boy Advance Reviews |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| game5 = [[Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals]]
| fam5  = 30/40<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=8945 |title=エストポリス [DS] |magazine=[[Famitsu]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| gr5   = 77%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/ds/980073-lufia-curse-of-the-sinistrals/index.html |title=Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals for DS |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
| mc5   = 80/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/lufia-curse-of-the-sinistrals/critic-reviews/?platform=ds |title=Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals for DS Reviews |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>
}}

==See also==
* [[List of Square Enix video game franchises]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.lufiaworld.com/ Lufia World]

{{Lufia series}}
{{Square Enix franchises}}

[[Category:Lufia| ]]
[[Category:Square Enix franchises]]
[[Category:Video game franchises]]
[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 1993]]