Kimi no Yusha

Kimino Yusha (キミの勇者) is a role-playing video game developed by SNK Playmore 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.

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.