Illusion of Gaia, known in PAL territories as Illusion of Time, is an action role-playing video game developed by Quintet for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released in Japan by Enix in 1993, and in North America and PAL territories by Nintendo in 1994 and 1995. Set in a fantasy reimagining of Earth, the game's plot centers on a boy named Will who is chosen to save the world from an impending disaster. During the course of the game, the player guides Will through levels based on ancient ruins of real-world civilizations and Wonders of the World, such as the Great Pyramid and the Great Wall of China. Gameplay While Illusion of Gaia has a large cast of characters, Will, Freedan and Shadow are the only playable characters in the game. Each has unique abilities, and certain areas are impassable without a specific character. The characters gain techniques as part of the story. Will's techniques are all based on reaching new areas with incidental combat applications. Freedan's techniques are more combat-oriented. Shadow arrives late in the game. Combat is fairly simple. Characters share the same health and defense scores, but have different levels of strength. Freedan does more damage than Will and has a longer reach. Shadow does more damage than Freedan. Attacks are almost exclusively melee, using Will's flute, Freedan's sword or Shadow's pseudopod. Enemies' health bars appear upon attacking, displaying as a series of red spheres that represent hit points. Bosses cannot be revisited. Enemies reappear only when Will loses all his lives or leaves an area and returns. Illusion of Gaia does not use experience points; instead, when the player defeats all enemies in a room, Will receives a jewel that confers a permanent increase in attack, defense, or health power. While returning to a cleared area will cause enemies to reappear, the bonuses for defeating them again do not. When an enemy is killed, it may leave behind a gold sphere worth some number of life points. If Will dies with 100 or more points, the player resumes play at the start of the current stage instead of losing outright. Illusion of Gaia has no currency or equipment systems. There is only one healing item (herbs), and they are rare. Unlike most games of its type, areas visited previously cannot be revisited, except in the last third of the game. The only side