Kimino Yusha

Kimi no Yusha (キミの勇者) is an action-adventure RPG developed by SNK for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on October 23, 2008. It is advertised as a visual novel experience that can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages. Kimino Yusha was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, but very few websites reported of the game's unveiling; they only posted screenshots and videos seemingly out of the blue.

The game is designed for people who don't have a lot of time to play RPGs and is said to promise large-scale adventures that can be played in 30 minutes. A playable demo was available at the 2008 Tokyo Game Show.

Story
The prologue is as follows:

"Once long ago, on the floating land Midalias, there existed God and Maoh, the demon lord. God, a being whose rite was to protect others, and Maoh, a being who only wished for destruction, inevitably clashed due to their differences. Amongst the chaos stood one warrior who fought to save the land he loved. Wielding a sword forged from the stars, Seiken, the hero battled Maoh and sent him back to his grave. After his victory, he returned to the sky and became a legend to his people as the "Star Hero". Fragments of his legacy, Star Fragments, are spread throughout the land and treasured by every citizen.

However, troubled times sweep the countryside once more as demons, monsters, and other malignancies terrorize Midalias. The people once again pray for their hero to save them..."

The story begins with an adventurous Tio and her unlikely encounter with Wanda, a boy who wields the Seiken as the preordained hero of the land. On their travels, they hope to solve the mystery behind the "Star Memories", rare fragments that briefly invoke the previous hero's thoughts and memories. As they learn more about the Star Hero, they discover that their land's legend is not as it appears.

Gameplay
Like a novel, the story is divided into chapters, each with different quests, dungeons, and items available. Each chapter begins with an automated prologue sequence, which introduces the setting for the player. After the prologue is over, the game allows players the freedom to choose how to progress through the chapter. Rendered CG art is used for the game's cinematics. Once a quest or chapter has been finished, extra experience will be granted to the party if someone says a word of thanks (often highlighted in red text). Different scenarios can occur based on the hero's choices, which gives the game multiple endings. There are 25 chapters for the main story and 50 side stories for players to explore. Each chapter can be played within 30 minutes, giving the game an episodic flow.

The overworld map is a scaled-down version of the game's fictional world, which the player uses to direct characters to various towns or dungeons. Locations, such as towns and dungeons, can be reached by touching their icons on the touch screen. Travel in dungeons occurs in a 2D third-person perspective. A mini map is displayed on the game's dual screen while action and movement is displayed on the touch screen.

Combat utilizes both screens and is presented in a 2D profile view. Using both screens, the whole party can combine their attacks for a devastating finisher. The finisher is performed by the last attacking party member, leading to several different combinations, based on a particular character class. Players can have up to 10 characters in one party and up to four characters for battles. Once players have cleared a certain chapter, they can also equip their characters with the Star Memories and alter their stats to their liking.

The game also has an extra side-story with the guild leader associated with the hero. Through these chapters, players can earn experience, treasure, and see more facets of the cast that otherwise isn't revealed during the main story. A bonus chapter is also included once the player has cleared a game.

Protagonists

 * Tio Ridgemond - a sorceress who travels with Wanda; member of an esteemed family of wizards. She keeps a journal log of her adventures. Has a baby dragon, Ma, as a pet.
 * Wanda - a human with the "hero" class who fights with the holy sword, Seiken. Docile and polite, people usually don't believe he is the next Star Hero until they have seen his strength.

Recruits

 * Tango Lowen - a male gunner in training who was raised to fight for the next Star Hero. Cold-blooded and serious but stubborn about what he wants. He often squabbles with Tio.
 * Gray - a mysterious and soft-spoken swordsman who travels to perfect his art. He runs into Wanda from time to time.
 * Dranco - a blue and white dwarf who doesn't speak much. Unlike stereotypical images of the fantasy race, he physically resembles a giant cat. Travels with a smaller pink dwarf as his interpreter, Okusan.
 * Aroma Fortunel - martial artists extraordinaire and a treasure hunter. Travels with her younger sister Sera, who additionally speaks through a puppet named Tom. His full name is Tolwene Asabi Daringtonia Tarraceniasebestian Muselmol the Third.
 * Silk D. Paltear - princess of a mermaid tribe. Attacks with water magic and a boomerang.
 * Fije Pronston - a human mage protected by wind and water. Considered to be a genius.
 * Lunate Forester - an elven archer. She says she's looking for a way to seal the magical forces she feels, but she is a bit of a procrastinator who over thinks things.
 * Haim Vampress - a plucky demon with short bat wings. Although she comes from a noble and proud clan, she is very childish and selfish. Constantly followed by her servants, Sebastian and Beigekoumori. Uses vampire techniques in battle.

Critical Reception
Tsukue Kihara from Game Watch states that though the game's story is a cliched and a somewhat shallow gaming experience, it's a good experience for audiences unfamiliar with the RPG genre. Though it can the main story can be beat in an hour and thirty minutes, there is plenty of side quests and combination attacks for the player to unlock. Kihara recommends that players take the time to do some side quests as the difficulty jumps in later levels.