Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure – NDS – Review

Nippon Ichi gained critical success
and a dedicated following with the late 2003 release of the tactical RPG Disgaea
for the PS2, and since then the company has become a major player in localizing
hardcore Japanese titles for American audiences. Their American debut, however,
occurred three years before that, when their offbeat RPG Rhapsody: A Musical
Adventure was released for the PlayStation in the summer of 2000. The game
contained all the elements that Nippon Ichi would later be known for: whimsical
scenario and characters, hand-drawn 2D artwork, and a script that was clever,
funny, and very well written. Despite all this, the game met with an
indifferent critical reception and widespread disinterest on store shelves
(although it did amass a significant cult following). Now, given the company’s
continued success, Nippon Ichi has redesigned Rhapsody for the Nintendo DS,
giving a whole new generation of fans another chance to try this unique title.

Rhapsody puts players in the shoes
of Cornet Espoire, a young girl who spends her days playing her trumpet and
talking to puppets. Cornet’s got the rare ability to understand what puppets
say, and her best friend/constant companion Kururu is small fairy-like puppet. Anyway, when she’s not conversing with dolls, Cornet passes the time daydreaming
about Prince Ferdinand, heir to the Marl Kingdom, romantically saving her from
certain death. When the real Prince shows up to do just that, Cornet begins an
adventure that will pit her against a score of rivals — including snotty nobles
and evil witches — to compete for the Prince’s affection. Some will find the
story saccharine and overly cutesy, but it’s a refreshing change of pace from
the standard “Evildoer threatens the planet, and angsty hero must stop him” RPG
plot. The dialog is well-written, smart, and funny, and the characters are all
pretty likable; even the villains have a light-hearted vibe to them, so the
story stays upbeat and fun throughout. Just like the subtitle says, the game is
a musical, so every few minutes the characters stop what they’re doing and burst
into song. It’s a little goofy, but like the rest of the game, it’s pretty
endearing. Fans of the original might be disappointed that the English vocals
were left off the cartridge (all singing is done in Japanese now, while the
English translation scrolls on the other screen), but the songs are catchy and
fun, even if you can’t understand what they’re singing.

 
The whole story gives off a strong
“comedy anime” vibe, which is a big part of the game’s charm.

In the original PS1 version of
the game, combat played out on a grid, much like a mini-tactical RPG. This is
probably the biggest change between the two versions, as the “Disgaea-lite”
combat system has been replaced by the same standard RPG combat system that’s
been around since the original Final Fantasy: your fighters line up on the
right, the enemy stands to the left, and you take turns beating on each other
until one side is destroyed. The combat feels a little more generic this way,
but the game keeps things from getting too boring in a couple of different
ways. First of all, battles are quick — you can be in and out of a fight within
10 seconds, so it never really drags out. The quirky attacks that fans loved
in the original are back and as wacky as ever, so if you’ve ever wanted to kill
your enemies by dropping assorted pastries on them, now’s your chance. You’re
also given leeway to customize your party as you see fit — aside from Cornet, your
party is comprised entirely of puppets, and as she’s meeting and recruiting new
puppets throughout the quest, you’re never more than a few minutes away from a
new party member.

 
You people act like you’ve never
seen a girl use her trumpet to drop cakes on skeletons and birds before.

In many ways, Rhapsody seems like it
was designed to draw new players to the RPG genre — specifically, pre-teen girls. Besides the obvious (the teen-age girl hero, trying to win the love of the
handsome prince), there’s the fact that the game is very short by RPG standards
(about 15 hours if you take your time, much less if you rush), not to mention
that the game is really quite easy. Healing items are plentiful, experience
points flow like water, and you’re never more than a fight or two from the next
level-up, so the game won’t prove much of a challenge for anyone but the
absolute beginner.

Rhapsody’s got a charming look, with
beautiful environments that look like hand-painted watercolors and cute sprite
characters. There’s not quite as much life and animation in the combat
sequences as I would have liked, but overall the game’s visuals are a great
match for the cheerful tone. For a game that bills itself as a musical the
audio is pretty important, and here Rhapsody doesn’t disappoint. The music
throughout the game is cute and bouncy, and the actual musical numbers are fun
in an anime kind of way. But while the music is pretty good throughout, sound
effects are touch-and-go; some battle actions (including many attacks) are
strangely silent, which robs combat of some of its impact and excitement. Overall, though, there’s not much to complain about.

 
The game doesn’t really push the
limits of the DS hardware,
but it does have an attractive hand-painted style.

Rhapsody is a very niche title, and
as such, not everybody will enjoy it — I wouldn’t even necessarily recommend it to
most RPG fans. Still, too many RPGs these days take themselves far too
seriously, and Rhapsody is like a breath of fresh air in this regard. For any
young DS owner wanting to know what this RPG thing is all about, this is a great
place to start. For the rest of us, if you don’t mind your games a little on
the silly side, Rhapsody is a short, sweet little game that might not have the
pedigree of a Final Fantasy or a Dragon Quest, but it’s got it where it
counts — heart.

Gameplay: 7.3
The actual gameplay isn’t anything you haven’t seen before — combat is
surprisingly straightforward in an era where it seems that every new RPG has to
have its own unique combat system. What some call “traditional” others call
“outdated,” but enemy encounters are quick and fun, and the game keeps a lively
pace, so fights do a good job of busting up the storyline with quick bursts of
action.

Graphics: 7.1
The environments are pretty, and the characters are detailed and cute. It might
not have the kind of graphical might of the DS RPG powerhouses, like Final
Fantasy IV, but it’s a good-looking game and the visuals are a perfect match for
the game’s plot and tone.

Sound: 7.8
All the game’s music is fun and catchy, although some tunes are kind of
forgettable in a generic anime kind of way. The actual musical numbers are
mostly well done, with memorable melodies and high-quality Japanese vocals. While some might not like anime musicals in general, Rhapsody pulls it off about
as well as it could.

Difficulty: Easy
The game was designed with RPG beginners in mind, and it shows — there probably
won’t be a point in the game where you really come close to dying. Combine this
with the game’s quick playthrough time, and it’s more like an RPG snack than a
full meal.

Concept: 7.9
RPG plots tend to be even more formulaic and predictable than most genres, but
Rhapsody’s story is unique and interesting, with plenty of original,
well-rounded characters.

Overall: 7.6
Many gamers are going to dismiss Rhapsody out of hand as too cutesy, too girly,
and just plain too weird. Still, the likable characters, fun quest, and
lighthearted vibe add up to a loveable game that is well deserving of its cult
status, and any DS RPG fan would do well to lighten up a little and follow
Cornet on her quest.