Deltora Quest for the Nintendo DS was announced earlier this year in January, but it didn't get a lot of attention from the western press—partly because there was little information and partly because the anime it is based on never officially left Japan. With the launch of the new Japanese website comes some new screenshots and info.
The game is being co-developed by Namco-Bandai and Audio Inc. Audio Inc. is headed by Akira Ueda, director of the strange and unique DS game Contact. Deltora's beautiful, hand-drawn backgrounds very much resemble Contact's own backgrounds.
Deltora Quest is based on the anime of the same name, itself based on a children's fantasy novel series written by Australian author Emily Rodda. The anime is very popular in Japan, and unlike many anime games, Deltora appears to have relatively high production values. Beside the art drawn by famous Japanese artist Yocky comes sound design from Hitoshi Sakimoto—known for his work in Final Fantasy XII—and scenario designer Kazushige Nojima, of Final Fantasy VII fame.
The story goes that Lief, Jasmine and Barda are attempting to save the world from a shadow king, who gains control over the world when seven precious gems are stolen. The gems are each taken to a different tower, and the three friends must retrieve them all to achieve their goal.
But how does the actual game play? It appears to be almost entirely touch-screen driven. The player can control one of the three main characters at a time, but can switch on the fly. Movement and attacks are both controlled entirely using the stylus. Tap an enemy to attack. Good timing results in combos. Movement is accomplished by simply tapping the desination. Each character has its skills and strengths. Lief is balanced with 4-hit combos, Jasmine is fast and can control animals, and Barda is strong but only has 3-hit combos. Thanks go to xcomp at NeoGAF for the translation.
When it was first announced back in January, Deltora Quest was announced for a Japanese release in Q2 2007, but still no specific date has been set. A localization for western audiences is unlikely; the anime has never left Japan.
The game is being co-developed by Namco-Bandai and Audio Inc. Audio Inc. is headed by Akira Ueda, director of the strange and unique DS game Contact. Deltora's beautiful, hand-drawn backgrounds very much resemble Contact's own backgrounds.
Deltora Quest is based on the anime of the same name, itself based on a children's fantasy novel series written by Australian author Emily Rodda. The anime is very popular in Japan, and unlike many anime games, Deltora appears to have relatively high production values. Beside the art drawn by famous Japanese artist Yocky comes sound design from Hitoshi Sakimoto—known for his work in Final Fantasy XII—and scenario designer Kazushige Nojima, of Final Fantasy VII fame.
The story goes that Lief, Jasmine and Barda are attempting to save the world from a shadow king, who gains control over the world when seven precious gems are stolen. The gems are each taken to a different tower, and the three friends must retrieve them all to achieve their goal.
But how does the actual game play? It appears to be almost entirely touch-screen driven. The player can control one of the three main characters at a time, but can switch on the fly. Movement and attacks are both controlled entirely using the stylus. Tap an enemy to attack. Good timing results in combos. Movement is accomplished by simply tapping the desination. Each character has its skills and strengths. Lief is balanced with 4-hit combos, Jasmine is fast and can control animals, and Barda is strong but only has 3-hit combos. Thanks go to xcomp at NeoGAF for the translation.
When it was first announced back in January, Deltora Quest was announced for a Japanese release in Q2 2007, but still no specific date has been set. A localization for western audiences is unlikely; the anime has never left Japan.