‘Sigma Star Saga DX,’ One Of GBA’s Best-Kept Secrets, Just Got a Full Remaster – And It’s Worth Your Time
by Andrew Berson
Sigma Star Saga DX (Image: Saga)
Sigma Star Saga DX, which is an enhanced remaster of WayForward’s 2005 Game Boy title, is now available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. It’s been over 20 years since the original game’s release, but it is finally playable again on modern platforms. The game is currently priced at $19.99.
Published by Namco for the GBA in 2005, the game follows Allied Earth Federation pilot Ian Recker as he attempts to infiltrate the alien Krill empire and save mankind. The game stood out due to its unique combat system. Rather than simple turn-based battles, the game shifted from top-down RPG exploration into side-scrolling shoot-’em-up sequences. This hybrid combat system was unlike any other GBA RPG at the time.
The DX version was developed by Mighty Rabbit Studios and published by WayForward. The game was first announced at an Anime Expo panel in July 2024, revealing that it had been in development to bring the once-beloved 2005 Game Boy title to modern hardware for the first time.
It wasn’t enough to get the game running on newer hardware. The DX version retained all the elements of the original, including its graphics, gameplay, and audio, but added several key quality-of-life improvements, including a better map, lower random encounter rates, a rebalanced experience point system, improved dialogue choices, additional save points, and several bug fixes. In addition to those, QOL upgrades included several bonus features such as a concept art gallery, a music player, border art options, a rewind function and save states — which are the kinds of things that give a remastered title the impression that it cares about the original content and players’ time.
The game’s mechanical depth is on another level. The ship’s customization system features over 70 Gun Data items that combine into more than 15,000 weapon configurations. The multiple endings a player can receive give the game great replay value.
Switch and Steam players will receive a 10% discount through April 20. Limited Run Games is handling the physical editions for PS5 and Switch and will be available for pre-order at a later date.
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