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(review by Katy E.)
"2011 is all about Pokemon Black & White".
Pfft!!!!
With the number of hits publisher/developer Level-5 have in store, you might just change your mind...
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| Property of Level-5 |
You might have heard of Level-5 for their chart-topping Professor Layton series, but the Fukuoka based company have actually been around since 1998 led by producer/designer/CEO/President Akihiro Hino.
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| Level-5's hit game Professor Layton (image from IGN.com) |
But this year Level-5 are making good use of the Nintendo's new handheld console (3DS) and launching 5 new games that are sure to fly off the shelves.
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1. Title: Time Travelers Publisher: Level-5 Developer: Level-5
Platform: 3DS E.T.A: TBC
Time Travelers (no, it’s not a typo – check Level-5’s site) was announced back in April 2010 with the information that it was being directed by Jiro Ishii – famous in Japan for his story-driven games. The game centres around two main characters; Mikito a Japanese schoolgirl who knows the future, and Skeleton, a terrorist who also can see into the future.
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| Time Travelers (image from Joystiq.com) |
Level-5 have confirmed that the game is of the ‘suspense’ genre, and from what you can see in the trailer it’s looking to be a very dark game indeed. (Follow link below to watch the trailer!)
One of the main features we know about Time Travelers is that the player is able to control what happens in the game using interactive cut-scenes. The game shows you options on the bottom screen so that the player may choose what Mikito does, involving the player in the story more than if you were to simply sit back and watch the cut-scenes.
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| Time Travelers |
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| Time Travelers |
But don’t forget – Time Travelers is set for the 3DS, meaning that Level-5 will be sure to incorporate the 3D effect of the console with the ‘suspense’ filled storyline to create some nail-biting moments to look forward to.
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2. Title: Ninokuni Publisher: Level-5 Developer: Level-5/Studio Ghibli
Platform: DS/PS3 E.T.A: Winter 2011
Ninokuni is probably the collaboration of the century. Forget Sonic and Mario teaming up, here we have Level-5 and Studio Ghibli – the creators of anime masterpieces Spirited Away, Ponyo, My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, The Cat Returns… (I could go on). The artwork for the game reeks of Hayao Miyazaki, yet the gameplay resembles Dragon Quest combat (probably because of Level-5's involvement with past Dragon Quest games such as VIII: Journey of the Cursed King).
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| Ninokuni is full of the kind of quirky characters you would expect from a Level-5 and Studio Ghibli collaboration - love those specs! |
The story is about a young boy whose mother dies and he must enter the ‘dream’ world, armed with a magic spellbook to revive her and bring her back home. This 'dream' world is basically a reality parallel to his own world, so in this 'dream' world he meets alternate versions of the people he knows back in 'Hotroit City'.
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Oliver - the main character clearly resembles Studio Ghibli's classic character designs and artwork style |
What really sets it apart from the rest of the RPGs out there is that Ninokuni is bundled with a giant 352 page “Magic Master” spellbook. How that is going to fit on the shelf – no one knows. The book includes lots of spells and incantations to help players out when they need to use a spell in the game. Most of these spells are symbols which you must draw using the stylus on the lower DS screen to activate in the game.
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| Example of using the spellbook within Ninokuni gameplay |
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| This is what the Japanese Ninokuni's DS case will look like if you buy the full package (including spellbook) |
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| And this is the box which contains both DS game and spellbook |
The DS case may look an odd size - but that's because the booklet inside the case matches the same size as the spellbook. With downloadable content being added from release, this is definitely one to add to the wish list.
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3. Title: Fantasy Life Publisher: Level-5 Developer: Brownie Brown
Platform: 3DS E.T.A: TBC
Level-5 are really pulling out all the stops with this one, as joining the team is Final Fantasy’s illustrator Yoshitaka Amano and composer Nobuo Uematsu. Originally Fantasy Life was going to be released for DS, but underwent a huge transformation into 3D to fit with the Nintendo’s 3DS console – and thankfully so, it looks excellent.
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| Before Level-5 made the swap to 3D |
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| After the swap to 3D - ahhh much better |
Nobuo Uematsu has been confirmed to be composing the main theme of the game as well as 21 “life songs” for the different characters within the game. You can hear a sample of the music in the trailer, which is linked below:
Fantasy Life looks to be a mix of Animal Crossing and Little King’s Story, which is by no accounts a bad thing. The game takes place in a cute little town called Fantazeal, which is apparently doomed to destruction. However, unlike most RPGs you’re job is not be play the hero and stop this terrible fate (think Zelda: Majora’s Mask), but rather just to get on with your life.
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| Fantasy Life |
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| Fantasy Life |
At the beginning of the game you create and customise your character, give them a job and then help them live their life with daily “life quests”. But this is no Harvest Moon, don’t forget you’ve got impending doom hanging over your head, so it looks as though Brownie Brown (developer of Mother3 and Secret of Mana) will be creating a plotline with a huge twist at the end and potentially a very emotional one too. Another one to watch.
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4. Title: Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney Publisher: Level-5
Developer: Level-5/Capcom Platform: 3DS E.T.A: Winter 2011
Where did this one come from? Level-5’s Layton and Capcom’s Wright are teaming up for the first time to create what’s set to be the best puzzle-action game going. AND in 3D. There has already been a trailer released a quite a few screens on the Level-5 site, which shows Layton and Wright battling it out in a courtroom, but it’s very likely that they will eventually team up to solve the case at hand. (Although I’d personally love to see Wright kick Professor “sell-out” Layton’s butt…) Akihiro Hino has even said that, Capcom initially said that the game was to be a Japan-release only, by after much begging it looks like the game is firmly set for Europe (we hope!!) Seeing as the game looks to involve mainly Phoenix Wright (no sights yet of Miles Edgeworth or Apollo Justice) then I would prefer the game to be called 'Professor Layton Vs. Phoenix Wright' and so until corrected that's what I'm referring to it as.
“fans of both … series will want to see a showdown between the two, but they also want to see moments where Wright and Layton join up and take on a huge challenge together. We want to put both situations in the game.”
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| How did they end up here?? |
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| What I presume to be Labyrinth City |
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| The Professor and Luke |
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| Maya and Phoenix |
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5. Title: Inazuma Eleven Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Level-5
Platform: DS E.T.A: February 2011
Inazuma Eleven is a football themed story-driven RPG with lots of animated cut-scenes and player customisation. Sounds interesting. In fact this series has actually been out in Japan for 2 years (they are now on their 3rd game), while we are just getting the first game to coincide with the release of the anime series in spring. Although the two seem like an odd combination, the Level-5 style anime characters and football action scenes look pretty intriguing even for a self-proclaimed couch potato.
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| Inazuma Eleven (image from IGN.com) |
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| Character customisation in Inazuma Eleven, this chap here is 'Axel Blaze' (image from IGN.com) |
The story centres around goalie Mark Evans who joint with friend Axel Blaze decide build a football team. As the player you do the recruiting of the squad and then play matches – which sounds simple enough, but throw into the mix some RPG style “abilities”, elements, ‘equipment’ and special techniques. For example Mark’s techniques are ‘God Hand’, ‘Blazing Knuckle’ and ‘The Phoenix’.
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| Although the style looks slightly dated now that we're in the era of the 3DS - just remember this game was originally released in 2008 (image from IGN.com) |
Like most Level-5 games there is an awful lot of dialogue, however in Inazuma Eleven it does seem to undermine the amount of action and in fact creates more depth. Albeit an odd choice, this is definitely more than your average RPG and certainly worth a try. Considering the hype surrounding it in Japan, Inazuma Eleven may just be Level-5’s European underdog of 2011.
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So, there you have it - 5 reasons to try out a new Level-5 game this year.
Give Level-5 the credit they deserve.
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Akihiro Hino showing off Ninokuni at Level-5's press conference |
