I'm in my "play Americanish" mode right now, but my age of constant hipster is eternal. The need to keep the two in balance means I must play some Japan only games. And a desire from last year to broaden my horizons with new franchises also needed to be met. Thus, I scoured and searched, dug deep and looked high, and found something perfect! While the game was ported and translated into English in 2006, I'll be playing the original, fan translated version of Popolocrois Monogatari.
PopoMo is based off a manga from the late 1970s. I think it was turned into an anime shortly after in the 80s, but I have a hunch none of the three got a big foothold in America. I've only heard of them recently. It's a brand new thing to me, but I wasn't hyped to play it. The graphics looked weird, the characters are cutesy, while the music is hard to find. What's the chance this niche thing is worth it? But I jumped into the PlayStation One version because it has more story, and well...
It was amazing!
The story starts off as an adorable adventure about reclaiming a crown from an over-the-top villain named GamiGami. He's a Saturday morning cartoon villain, which you notice early on, as no one in his opening attack dies. But Prince Pietro, the ten-year-old heir, goes off to reclaim the crown! He's accidentally attacked by a forest witch who's nonplussed with his presence. But her little sister, Narcia, feels guilty and joins him on his mission. They're quickly joined by another goofball named White Knight. He's a white knight who speaks with a Middle English accent. WK is a true defender of justice and quickly becomes a true friend of the kids.
They arrive at GamiGami City, home to clunky robots imitating human society in every way. It's humorous, and I want to watch the anime. The three ascend GG's castle and reclaim the crown, but only after he's blown himself up, escaping the three. Pietro, Narcia, and White Knight go their separate ways, with the prince returning home to restore peace in Popolocrois! That was book one, and it was a comedic prologue to the game. It fit the graphics and gameplay, but belies what's to come. It also was omitted from the PSP remaster, so that port sucks.
The next books get a lot heavier. The childlike nature of the game becomes something deep and emotional. You see, before the start of the game, Popolocrois was attacked by the Ice Demon, who nearly conquered the kingdom. If not for the Queen, Sania, who single handedly defeated Ice Demon by becoming a dragon, he would have. But that battle put a curse on Sania. She's been sleeping ever since. Prince Pietro then goes on a journey to save his mother. The story becomes one of life and death, family, and the tale of a young boy doing all he can to see his mother. I struggled holding back tears at the end.
And all the while, you play a baby version of Final Fantasy Tactics. It's more akin to Treasure Hunter G, if you remember that one, but FFT is more well known. Battles play out on the field, with potential for all the obstacles to impede both parties. And it's fast paced, so there's plenty of action. The battle plays out on a grid, with characters moving around it as best they can. Each character has their role and unique spells and skills, so everyone fills a role and feels important. Normal battles can feel easy, but it's sometimes the attrition that gets to you. And then there are bosses, and they can get difficult. But only one felt cheap, so you just needed to find the right groove of battle to eke out a win. It all felt rewarding. A tad repetitive towards the end, but fun enough!
The music also fits into the Saturday morning kids' cartoon vibes. There are a lot of weird keyboard sounds I can't fully understand, but they're peppy and upbeat. But there are a few standouts within. When the game needs to get deep and heavy, you can expect to get sad. My favorite song in the game nearly sat me down.
The graphics are, well... Fitting! Remember, the game is based off a 70s manga. When you keep that in mind, the visuals are actually neat. They emulate the look of the vintage media, and start to grow on you pretty quickly. It's colorful and green, and a part of me thinks there isn't much variance in the world, but the late game switches it up enough. Although skill and magic animations are reused. Every wind spell shares the same look, as do all lightning skills.
The world is also a fitting continuum to the game's sense. All the random NPCs feel, mostly, alive, and adorable. My only issue with the charm is the lack of replayability. But that's probably the least important thing about a game, and the most subjective.
I absolutely loved Popolocrois Monogatari. I almost blew this off because I thought it looked weird and didn't vibe with what I saw. But it ticked all the boxes I was looking for, and I'm thrilled I did. It's not perfect in terms of plot and cast, but there's a sequel (or two!) that could "fix that. The epilogue set up enough. I'm definitely playing that one. But, on its own, Popolocrois Monogatari gets a surprising 45 points out of 50. If you're looking for a cute but interesting game with some neat mechanics, then PopoMo is the perfect experience. Can't wait to play the sequel. Thank you, Stardust Crusaders, aishsha, and paul_met.
Which I think is translated...
Update: it is. Maybe after Lufia?
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