I Am Setsuna Nintendo Switch Guide: Temporal Battle Arena

While unquestionably a more limited game in scope than the SNES classic it was inspired by, I Am Setsuna still scratches a certain nostalgic itch for console RPG fans. 

That limited nature is also overcome somewhat on the Nintendo Switch edition of the game, with an entirely new feature added just for Nintendo fans, one that PC players don’t even get to try out.

It feels like a bigger deal should have been made of the Temporal Battle Arena since this is a Nintendo Switch exclusive feature, and it’s completely free, rather than being paid DLC. But even though it wasn’t, we’re here to tell you what it’s about, where to find it, and how to win battles in it. Let’s dive in. 

Finding The Temporal Battle Arena in I Am Setsuna

Endir and his companions can’t actually access this feature until after beating the game. Following the final boss battle, return to the Last Lands and go through the portal right at the start of the map, the one that warps you to the bridge leading to the boss.

Instead of going through the bridge, look over to the left and you’ll see a new penguin character named Togi waiting in the corner. After reading his instructions, select “Upload Your Battle Data” to save your team’s current equipment and skill load out.

Next, choose “Download Another Player’s Battle Data” to either load a random player to fight or instead select a specific group to battle against from one of your friends who owns I Am Setsuna on the Nintendo Switch.

 Finding Togi in the Last Lands

Winning In The Battle Arena

The Temporal Battle Arena works on an auto-battle system, meaning the winner is mostly determined by who has the better equipment, spritnite, and combos equipped on their team.

You don’t actually get to select each attack as in a normal battle, and the AI takes over for you. Because of the random nature of these battles, support spells that increase your magical and physical defense aren’t always helpful, as they might get cast on someone who doesn’t need the buff.

In most cases, it’s better to dole as much damage as possible — as quickly as possible. Of course, if the other side is outmatching you on the damage output, the opposite will be true, and then buffs can save your skin.

When downloading random data, you can select Weak, Normal, or Strong settings for that player’s loadout. If you have trouble at first, go down to Weak to get a feel for how your combos and equipped spritnite are fairing against other players.

Because this all occurs after completing the game, you’ll want to have already gone through all the optional end game side quests to ensure you have your team at maximum power before even attempting the Temporal Battle Arena.

Clearly, level grinding is also helpful, with the angel enemies in the Last Lands a decent source of experience for leveling up post-game. After a victory, your team is rewarded random spritnite — and the harder the player you battle, the better your rewards.

 Winning New Spritnite

And that’s about it for the Temporal Battle Arena in I Am Setsuna for the Switch. Need more help getting to 100% completion with this classic revival RPG? Be sure to check out our other I Am Setsuna guides:

• Recipe Cooking Guide
• Spritnite Guide
• Shining Spot Locations
• Double and Triple Tech Combos
• Locked Chest Guide