Collaboration can do wonders for the
creative process, especially when it comes to video-games, and more specifically
RPGs. Several games now considered classics – Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG
among them – came about as the result of a combined effort between several known
game creators. Now you can add Little King’s Story to that list: the creative
minds behind games like Harvest Moon, Chulip, Final Fantasy XII, Dragon Quest
VIII, and Super Mario RPG have come together to make one of the most unique,
charming, and fun games I’ve played all year.
The little king of the title is
Corobo, a shy little boy who stumbles across a crown deep in the woods. When he
puts the crown on he attracts the attention of Howzer, a daft old knight with a
cow for a mount. Howzer tells Corobo that this crown makes him a king – more
than that, it makes him the King, destined to rule over the entire
world. Of course, as his kingdom only encompasses three cows, three unemployed
citizens, and a shack of a castle, he’s got a lot of work ahead of him.
The magic crown gives Corobo the ability
to command anyone he waves his scepter at.
At its most basic level, Little
King’s Story shares elements of games like Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, and
Pikmin, but it blends these influences and more into something wholly unique.
Each day King Corobo must gather a party of followers and use them to aid in the
expansion of his kingdom. At first your unemployed citizens can only dig holes
to look for treasure. Finding enough treasure allows you to fund the
construction of more houses (to attract more townspeople) and training houses,
so you can give your citizens the skills they need to be farmers and soldiers.
Once you have a few soldiers following you, you can begin to venture into the
monster-infested fields just outside your town. Defeating monsters grants more
treasures, and clearing out monster colonies gives your kingdom more real estate
to expand into.
The game controls very simply,
considering how many different actions and commands you have at your disposal.
Once you’ve gathered your troop of followers everyone follows behind Corobo
wherever he goes. Pressing A launches the first person in line out in front of
you, and if they encounter something they can interact with (an enemy, or a spot
to dig in, for example) they’ll take the appropriate action. Pressing B makes
them retreat to your side, and you can quickly cycle the order they stand in, so
as to always be sure to send the right person to the right job (heaven help you
if you accidentally send a soldier toward anything under construction – they’ll
think you want them to fight it, and destroy all the progress). The only aspect
of control that doesn’t work as well as it should is aiming – Corobo can only
launch citizens directly in front of him, which can make hitting your target
(especially a moving target, like, say, a quick boss) pretty tough sometimes.
Aiming with the Wii remote seems like it would have worked easier, but it’s not
a big enough issue to really complain about too much.
Wherever the King leads, the people will
follow.
The game unfolds at a very nice pace
– there’s always something you could be doing, but you never feel rushed to get
to that next objective. Rather, the game lets you explore at your own speed,
with each day’s activities left up to you. If you want to single-mindedly pursue
world domination, you can, but you could also spend your time looking for
treasure, seeing to the citizens’ requests (aka side quests) and fan letters
that fill your mailbox every morning, or just wandering your kingdom,
interacting with the little people. Every citizen in your town has a name,
unique look, and routine for the day, so when you stroll down the streets and
alleys of your city you’ll see average people going about their business,
usually thrilled to have a close encounter with their beloved king. Little
details like this are a big part of what makes this game so charming.
That’s the best word to describe the
game in general: charming. Everything, from the townspeople to monsters to the
world around you, is cute and amusing. The storybook art style deserves much of
the credit, and the bright use of pastel colors makes the game world pop off the
screen. There’s a lot going on onscreen most of the time – enough detail to make
the world feel real and alive. There’s also no shortage of variety: each new
area you encounter has its own unique look and mood, from the mushroom forest to
the land of deserts, where giant cakes litter the countryside.
Even boss fights against giant
fire-breathing dragons can’t help but be adorable.
It also deserves special mention for
its superb soundtrack, which is made up entirely of classical music. Far from
boring, these well-known songs add the perfect touch of beauty and class to an
already beautiful and classy game. From the moment “Pomp and Circumstance” (aka
The Graduation Song) plays at the title screen, every scene in the game is set
to a classical piece that sets the mood perfectly, whether that mood is powerful
and exciting or calm and serene.
No matter how much time I spend in
the world of Little King’s Story, it seems like there’s always a new world of
places to explore and things to do. A sense of excitement and discovery
permeates the entire game, and that makes every play session a true delight.
It’s not so common in today’s gaming world to find a game that delivers pure joy
and wonder, but when you do find one, it reminds you why you love playing
video-games in the first place.
Gameplay: 9.2
While it initially might seem like real-time-strategy for kids, give Little
King’s Story a little time and you’ll see the layers of depth and charm unfold.
The sheer amount of places to discover and things to do in the game can’t be
overstated, and once you’ve begun exploring this whimsical world you won’t want
to stop.
Graphics: 8.7
The game is a feast for the eyes – every screen is packed full of detail. The
cinematics, which look like they were rendered in colored pencil, are gorgeous.
All the monsters, characters, and environment elements animate with energy and
life. The lighting effects are soft and colorful, so at times like sunset the
entire game world is bathed in deep shades of orange and purple.
Sound: 9.0
While classical music might not sound exciting, every piece has been chosen and
arranged with delicate care. Suffice it to say that there’s not a scene in the
game that isn’t accompanied by the perfect symphonic melody. The Simlish-style
nonsense language spoken by everyone adds another element of whimsy.
Difficulty: Medium
While the game starts off very simple, once you’ve finished the tutorial the
difficulty gets a boost. Your ability to take challenges at your own pace helps,
though. If an area or section giving you problems, you’ve always got plenty of
other things you could be doing, so you’ll never be stuck for long.
Concept: 9.5
This game takes elements from real-time strategies, life sims, and RPGs, but
blends them all into something all its own. The game lets you feel what it’s
like to be in charge of a fantasy kingdom, for all the victories (you conquered
an enemy land!) and defeats (your troops were killed in battle, and you have to
preside over the funerals) that entails, for a refreshingly new gaming
experience.
Overall: 9.3
I challenge anyone to find a more amusing, engrossing, delightful, captivating,
or just plain fun game than Little King’s Story on the Wii or any other system.
