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Nintendo has proven to be a company that gives players what they want, but in their own time. So, while everyone patiently (or not so patiently) waits for Nintendo to get around to a true Pikmin sequel on the Wii, XSEED is delivering Little King’s Story, which should help take the edge off the long wait.
Little King’s Story stars a little boy who one day discovers a crown that allows him to control the people around him. Rather than get caught up in a moral quandary, the boy appoints himself king (with the help of a knight) and sets out to build up his own little kingdom.
Gameplay is a hybrid of Pikmin, Harvest Moon and any real-time strategy game. The game runs in day/ night cycles and charges you with building an empire by gathering townspeople, giving them jobs and keeping your economy going. You have direct control over the king and travel around your town looking for unhappy villagers and expansion chances. At one point, you may find a suspicious hole in the ground, at which point you’ll need to train a farmer to dig it up. Sometimes you’ll uncover a hot springs to heal wounded villagers and other times, you’ll find treasures.
When you begin your kingdom, your palace is a run-down shack surrounded by forest and uncultivated land. As your kingdom grows, you’ll unlock new structures, like farmhouses and barracks. New structures mean new jobs, eventually leading to advanced structures, new jobs and a better castle.
One really cool aspect about Little King’s Story is villagers aren’t a bunch of red shirts to toss around at your whim. Each has a personality and if you keep them around long enough, they’ll eventually make friends and become loyal followers. The idea is to get the player to really care about their villagers and bond with them. To get the point across, developers have gone so far as to include funerals when they die. You’ll even get a chance to see how well respected they were in the community based on the number of visitors. It’s creepy, but at the same time an interesting concept.
Look for Little King’s Story later this summer. |
