Play Summon Night : Craft Sword Monogatari : Hajimari no Ishi Online

Summon Night: Craft Sword Monogatari: Hajimari no Ishi came out on the Game Boy Advance in 2003, developed by Flight-Plan. It was part of that wave of mid-2000s handheld RPGs that really tried to stretch what the hardware could do, mixing different visual styles and gameplay ideas into one package without a huge budget or name recognition.

You control a young apprentice blacksmith seeking revenge, accompanied by the very guardian beast that killed your master. The game shifts between top-down exploration in towns, where you gather materials and talk to people, and side-scrolling action stages where you fight with a sword or a bow. A key mechanic is crafting; you're always hunting for ore and blueprints to forge better weapons, which directly affects your combat effectiveness. During battles, you can also temporarily transform into powerful summoned monsters to clear rooms or handle tougher enemies. The pacing is deliberate, with a focus on incremental upgrades and mastering your movement in the platforming-heavy dungeons. It feels like a personal, hands-on journey where every new sword you make actually matters.