# Shining Force Classics — user reviews > 220 indexed App Store user reviews of Shining Force Classics by Sega America, rated 4.19/5 from 2,503 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shining-force-classics/id1437922492/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shining-force-classics/id1437922492.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1,618 · 4★ 388 · 3★ 135 · 2★ 83 · 1★ 277 ## What do users think of Shining Force Classics? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Great nostalgic experience - 👍 Faithful emulation of classic games - 💡 Ability to save anywhere - 🎮 Controller support **Cons** - 🐛 Unreliable save system - 🔍 Clunky controls and interface - 💰 Ads even after paying to remove them - 🔌 Requires internet connection to save **Commonly reported bugs** - Game freezes when casting spells - Saved data not loading properly - Inconsistent performance and crashes **Most requested features** - Offline save option - Improved control scheme - Shining Force 3 and other series additions ## Newest reviews (14 of 220) ### 3/5 — Great return to retro gaming *2025-05-31, version 9.0.0* This game keeps everything of the original. My only complaints would be that the controls are terrible. It is very hard to use the on screen control pad. I also wish they would have made the screen area a little bigger. ### 3/5 — Great games, but… *2025-05-29, version 9.0.0* The games are great, the joystick, is very frustrating and I’ve never gotten used to. ### 4/5 — Imperfect return of perfect games *2025-03-17, version 8.0.0* The Shining Force 1 and 2 ports to iOS grant some new features - like a new saving system - without getting in the way of the classic tactical RPG system exemplified in SF1 and SF2. The original games shine through , with their intricate world building, epic storylines, memorable characters, and each battle as its own strategic puzzle. The direction pad on iOS unfortunately sometimes makes the interface clunky, but this is truly the only mar on a game bundle that can bring you hours of ad-free fun gameplay for mere dollars. ### 2/5 — Very Disappointing *2025-01-11, version 6.4.0* I love playing this game. I even payed the extra few bucks to go add free. Spent a very long time playing it (several hours) and ensured I saved my game before I stopped. Got back on probably 30 minutes later and it won’t load my saved game. Waste of time and money. I’m assuming the other sega games on here are the same. ### 3/5 — It was great until.. *2024-12-26* I always switch tabs while playing for a few seconds to look at something about this game & every time I did it would pause the game for me without issue. But this time when I switched tabs for only a few seconds it made me restart the game & I lost over an hours worth of progress. I deleted the game because of this as I don’t want to redo everything over again. If I knew switching tabs for a few seconds ran the risk of the game restarting & my progress deleting then I would’ve saved before doing so but all the other times it would just pause & let me resume. Even if I was on another tab for a couple minutes. Disappointed because this is an awesome game. ### 4/5 — 4 stars *2024-12-04, version 6.4.0* I would give it 5 stars if the movement controls were not so crappy. Or give us controller support ### 2/5 — Port could be alot better *2024-10-30, version 6.4.0* Not a good port for edge to edge iPhone 12 all the other ports are tho if u google segazine then u can see all of the updates for this dev ### 5/5 — My1st love and the rest is history *2024-10-12, version 6.4.0* My1st love and the rest is history ### 3/5 — Rerelease the Phantasy Star series *2024-10-11, version 6.4.0* This is an excellent way to relive the Shining Force series. That said, SEGA made a mistake taking down Phantasy Star Classic. ### 4/5 — Good, but fix the glitch in 2 *2024-08-24, version 6.4.0* Played Shining Force 1 and 2 on here. I enjoyed it from my childhood. 2 glitched on me near the end… the Devil’s Head maze has part of the path missing. I can’t access the door to continue the game… Four out of five stars. Would be five, but just that issue. After obsessively grinding and playing to finish strong, I’m unable to finish the game… ### 5/5 — Brought back memories *2024-08-19, version 6.4.0* I remember playing this game with my friends as a 9 year old kid. Taking turns with the controller, trying to figure out where to go next on the map and what the heck mithril does… I’ve thought about these games fondly ever since then and it made my day when I realized I could play them on an app. The gameplay has been fun since I have a deeper appreciation for the strategy aspect as an adult, and it also brought back memories and put me right back in my parents basement with my sega genesis and my friends sleeping over. Well done and thank you! ### 3/5 — Bad control *2024-08-19, version 6.4.0* Fix the dang joystick. For the love of god! ### 5/5 — 发布新游戏 *2024-07-31, version 6.4.0* 作者能不能发布《头文字D》啊谢谢 ### 5/5 — Game Controls Need Fixing *2024-06-21, version 6.4.0* The game is awesome and love being able to play it again. But the direction pad needs fixing and makes game play hard and frustrating. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Bad controls *2025-02-12, version 8.0.0* This is basically unplayable. 1 star. ### 1/5 — Please fix the save feature and the horrible D Pad control *2025-01-28, version 8.0.0* Please fix the save feature and the horrible D Pad control. It makes the game play horrible. ### 1/5 — Capitalism at its worst *2024-10-04, version 6.4.0* I already own this game! But now I have to watch ads or pay again to play it. And the save function doesn’t work. But that’s a side issue. How is this even legal? ### 1/5 — Adding to the ads *2024-09-22, version 6.4.0* Game reminds me of my childhood….but with ads every 5 seconds ### 1/5 — App robs you *2024-09-21, version 6.4.0* I bought this years ago and now they want more money, again, not to play ads. ### 1/5 — Oh my lord *2024-07-17, version 6.4.0* So I downloaded this today because I got hit with a random wave of nostalgia for a game I spent countless days playing back in the day. I read the reviews and figured I’d form my own opinion just in case. Well I downloaded the game and started it up and ended up deleting it before I could even reach the first battle of the first game. The controls are absolutely horrendous and it took WAY too much effort to even be able to face the right direction to talk to a character. Not happy at all. I guess I’ll find another way to play ### 1/5 — Routinely fails to save —> can lose hours of progress *2024-06-20, version 6.4.0* Often hangs on the “connecting to server” message when attempting to save progress, more trouble than it’s worth, maybe better off with the Steam version ### 1/5 — Super fun game ruined by ads. *2024-06-20, version 6.4.0* I realize just about everything runs ads these days but it’s an absurd amount with this app. There are far too many places to play this game online for free to be messing with this one. ### 1/5 — Save function is not working *2024-04-21, version 6.4.0* I can live with the ads, but the broken save game is too much of an issue 😒 Lose progress and have to restart each time. ### 1/5 — Terrible *2024-01-28, version 6.4.0* Just plays opening scene over and over. It’s a scam. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Just as I remember them *2025-06-03, version 9.0.0* Played these games years ago, and this is a faithful emulation without ads or other sketchy stuff. Just fun, casual, classic games. ### 5/5 — Love this game! *2025-06-01, version 9.0.0* Thank you very much for bringing this game back to play on my iPad mini. I love it very much and I appreciate all the time and the effort to keep it going for us.. ### 5/5 — Love it *2025-05-31, version 9.0.0* Have played this game dozens of times. So good. ### 5/5 — Good *2025-05-31, version 9.0.0* Good game and nostalgia ### 5/5 — Works as well as a dead in the old days. *2025-03-09, version 8.0.0* I don’t know what any of these people in the comments are talking about. I have no issues with this game. It works just as well as it did in the old system and it’s super convenient to have it on the phone. I’m not a fan of mobile games but this game I’m very familiar with already so it’s easy to pick up and enjoy. I would’ve easily paid a lot more than what they’re charging. ### 5/5 — Keep Getting Signed Out *2025-03-06, version 8.0.0* Why do I keep getting signed out of this game? Now, Game Center isn't working for Shining Force but all the other games work just fine. Did I just lose all my progress? Will it ever sign back in? I don’t have this issue with any other game. ### 5/5 — I loved these games *2025-02-06, version 8.0.0* First, there are some technical issues with Game Center. Don’t know if it’s Apple’s fault or Sega’s. You cans save in game or through the new Save feature. Both seem to work for me. But the games. The games!!!! I can play Shining Force anywhere and at anytime. I love this and am so grateful to have these games back. I need more. Port the Gaiden games! Port the GBA remake! Port the Shining Force Chronicles! Port Shining Force 3!!! GIVE US MORE! ### 5/5 — Sega *2025-01-23, version 8.0.0* It’s very good game ### 5/5 — Shining Force at its best *2024-12-09, version 6.4.0* An incredible way to play some of the original Shining games, the games easy to play and super nostalgic, my only want for this app is that they would add the Shining Force CD game, which would complete this amazing collection of games. ### 5/5 — Developer is sega *2024-10-17, version 6.4.0* Only complaint is i seemingly cannot access configuration mode in SF2 because holding the start button constantly toggles a splash menu. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*