Little King's Story

At a time when the shelves are awash with ageing IPs, new franchises need to work hard to impress the ever-insatiable gaming public.

Last year was a particularly strong year for original IP with the likes of Dead Space, LittleBigPlanet and Professor Layton all making their successful debuts, so as one of the first new properties of 2009, there is plenty of expectation for Little King’s Story.

Brought to UK shelves by Rising Star Games, Little King’s Story is a charming Wii title that puts players in control of establishing the young King Corobo’s kingdom. Rather than physically doing anything for himself – he is royalty, after all – the king can only develop his realm by leading and commanding groups of subjects, directing them as they carry out tasks that will help his domain prosper.

“We’re all very excited about Little King’s Story here at Rising Star Games,” the publisher’s product marketing assistant Yen Hau says. “Not only because we’ve had the pleasure of seeing its development from concept to fruition, but also because of the people involved as well as it being genuinely a very good game.

“Over the past year or so, we’ve come to love King Corobo and the inhabitants of Alpoko and because we’ve been working hard on the project for so long, it’s very important to us that the product performs well.”

KING’S RANSOM
Described by Hau as the company’s biggest release since No More Heroes, Little King’s Story is aimed at possibly the widest audience Rising Star has targeted so far, with its endearing gameplay and appealing premise catering for Wii owners of every taste.

The game boasts a fairytale book-esque art style that will instantly catch the eye of younger games or fans of the console’s more adorable offerings, while the ability to custom build an entire kingdom by ordering around the local residents will satisfy more active gamers.

Hau sums up Little King’s Story’s appeal, explaining why the title will stand out from the plethora of Wii titles already available:

“The first reason is the game itself – it’s amusing, charming and surprisingly deep. It’s no conincidence that the previews all reflect that behind the cute graphics lies a game where there is a fair amount of strategy involved as well as humour that many over the age of 20 would appreciate. Players of any profile, be they young, old, casual or core will find something for themselves within the many layers of Little King’s Story.

“Another key factor, especially for the core market, is the development team. From the initial planning stages, many creators who have worked on some of the biggest franchises in Japanese gaming were involved at one stage or another, including titles such as Harvest Moon, Final Fantasy XII, Dragon Quest VIII, Kingdom Hearts, Mario & Luigi RPG and No More Heroes. Their influences are immediately evident throughout Little King’s Story.”

Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, players guide the king around the fantasy land with a group of loyal subjects in tow.

These characters can be assigned different jobs, giving them new abilities. Soldiers, for example, can defeat enemies and monsters, while farmers can dig
for treasure that will fund the kingdom’s expansion.

FIT FOR A KING
Initially, fledgling monarchs will only be able to command five characters, creating a level of strategy as they balance which abilities are most essential on their travels.

Completing quests and constructing new buildings will improve the Little King’s kingdom. This growth in power boosts Corobo’s renown, allowing him to command greater numbers of his loyal subjects.

Far from being a passive game focused solely on construction, Little King’s Story boasts a plot that will see players challenging the leaders of the seven neighbouring kingdoms.

While maintaining order and their citizens’ happiness throughout the game, gamers will constantly need to plan ahead as they prepare for conflict and conquest.
This one offers real potential to rule over other Wii releases when it is released next month.