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 Home -> Reviews -> Little King's Story
Little King's Story By: John "Award" Del Percio
August 14, 2009
..
Developer :Cing
Publisher :XSEED
Release Date :July 2009
Platform : Nintendo Wii
Table of Contents

· Introduction
· Closer Look
· Facts
· Final

Capole, Capole, Capole for Little Kings Story

Little King's Story looks as though it will remain one of those titles with the potential to be one day called "classic" while most of the gaming public never even heard of it. You may want to buy a second copy to keep shrink-wrapped for that fateful day when you find out it's become one of those rare gaming collectibles. If you buy soon, you may even be able to find one of the copies with an Onii squish toy attached to it!

Despite some obvious misses and the creation of a love-hate relationship with the game stemming from some extreme frustration at some moments, the charming and lovable world of Little Kings Story is something that must be experienced, even if it's just to explore and play with. With its jovial cow-spotted decorum, playful attitude, and highly rewarding victories, at least for the first two thirds of the game, it's something that truly should not be missed by any hardcore gamer looking for something worthwhile on the Wii. Were Little King's Story available on, PS3, XBox 360, or PC, I would likely drop the score by a noticeable margin considering the level of competition it would be up against. But rating this game purely as a Wii title and comparing it to other options on that platform, it's guaranteed to be one of the deepest, most engaging Wii titles to date.

Rating

Personal Note

Graphics - Sound - Gameplay - Depth - Multiplayer  Reviewed by John Del Percio
GRAPHICS
88 %

For Wii standards, the graphics are excellent, though it's by no means The Conduit. Still, by Wii standards, the graphics are relatively good. In many ways you can argue that both the graphics quality and the general design characteristics are extremely reminiscent of many isometrics SNES titles. On the other hand, it can be equally well argued that that's one of the key selling points of the game. What SNES gamer wouldn't clamor for MORE SNES gaming, but prettier? Still, the game would feel as much at home on the DS as it does on the Wii.

SOUND
80 %

I was all set to give the game a 100% for it's ingenious use of classical music in a new and exciting way. Then I heard the voice loops. That's a thirty point deduction in my book, but since it was such a well done, slightly less annoying version of the voice loop mechanism, I gave it a ten point boon.

GAMEPLAY
92 %

There are flaws; Serious flaws that lead to extreme frustration at times, as well as a touch of repetitiveness, but forgiving that, there is very much to love about the gameplay. It's a true strategy-RPG on the Wii set in a lovable world with characters and monsters that are fun to engage, all tied together by a simple to use (sometimes too simple for its own good) control scheme.

DEPTH
91 %

While the story is textured and inventive, it tends to only be exploited to surface depth, though it touches on some deep topics. I would have loved to see more exploration of this world. Gameplay depth is probably about as deep as the Wii controls will allow for this type of hardcore game, though that is a revealing detail about the lack of buttons on the Wii system, it shouldn't affect the scores of games that are bound to it. Where the real depth detail comes into play is in the small things. The game is strewn with details everywhere if you look in the corners for them. From the team-stretches of an idle party, to the individual names and personalities of each resident of the world.

MULTIPLAYER
0 %

N/A



The Wii has been something of a mixed bag for hardcore gamers. It's had a few hits, quite a few misses, and seems to have finally landed, at least pre-Motion Plus, in the world of casual and kiddie games. It's a huge thrill to see a game that very nearly has it all, hardcore gameplay, retro SNES feel, and deceivingly cute artwork. I just can't get enough of the Holstein spotted cannons as the fast travel mechanism. I only wish the story were more well developed, and the game lasted a bit longer before getting to the controller-throwing, screen-bashing frustration of the later bosses without having to resort to endlessly repetitious side-quests. The part of the game that featured well paced expansion, however, is well worth the price of admission. I can only hope it will serve as a launching point for more games that don't loose sight of the principal: If the style was fun in 1992, why would it suddenly be less fun now?

Overall Rating

 


 


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