September 24, 2008
Dokapon Kingdom Abnormous Update
In Dokapon Kingdom, the upcoming
party RPG for Wii and PlayStation 2, players will find a bevy of unanticipated
twists on their way to raking in the most gold, capturing the most towns, saving
the kingdom, and winning the hand of the princess in holy matrimony. Below is a
description of some of those sudden and at times undesirable events, along with
some accompanying visuals, just to really hammer it home.
For more, visit the
OFFICIAL
DOKAPON KINGDOM SITE!
Like many traditional board games,
players in Dokapon Kingdom take turns with a spinner to determine how many
spaces they will be able to move. There are a wide variety of different spaces
to land on, such as item/spell roulette wheels, bank spaces that allow for
investment and tax collection from possessed towns, weapon/item/magic shops, and
in addition to a large list of other spaces, there also happen to be the plain,
bland yellow spaces.
In most games, these empty spaces
are merely filler for the experience. In Dokapon Kingdom, very often they are
the heart of the matter. Yellow spaces are where most player-versus-player
engagements will occur, and the areas in which players will be doing work to
strengthen and improve their characters. They’re also the only spaces in the
entire grand world of Dokapon where random events can occur.
There are far too many different
types to describe, but needless to say these events can often bring fortune for
the player or just as easily bring disaster:
-
Weber the Trickster likes to mess
with contestants, usually tricks he finds fun but you likely won’t. -
Risque the Bandit offers players a
chance to steal something from an opponent, but very often his fingers are not
quite fast enough to get the job done (although he’ll have a firm grip on your
payment). -
Robo-agent will offer players with
the chance to "take out" one of their foes (and we’re not talking about eating
out). Upon payment, he’ll transform into Robo-Sassin, and from that point it
will be nail-biting suspense for your enemy as they hope to avoid encountering
the obscenely overpowered automaton. Of course, very often Robo-Sassin is
willing to consider taking double his original payment from his intended
target, which will turn him back on his original client… -
The Beggar will ask you for money,
simple as that. Pay him or don’t, there may be consequences either way…
-
Kira the Merchant offers
exceptional wares at hard to beat prices, but very often players will
encounter her with empty pockets, which can only frustrate as she takes her
rare wares elsewhere
At the start of each week (and weeks
are comprised of 7 rounds, in which each player has to have one turn), there is
the possibility of random global events, which vary in scope and often can
completely change the focus of the game:
-
The Coliseum, for example, may
pull all players to its great arena for a little bit of player-versus-player
action, all for the enjoyment of its rather hedonistic owner. -
A "Wabbit Explosion" indicates to
all contestants that there will be an inordinate number of Wabbits on the
loose, something to consider when landing on an empty yellow space… -
The "Hairstyle contest" allows
players who’ve taken the time to collect and use rare or fancy hairstyles to
put their glam to the test. Who will be voted the fairest of all? -
The "Epidemic" will hit you where
it hurts the most: your wallet! Your citizens are ill and need your help…
Expect to pay a sizeable amount in aid based on the number and size of the
towns you own. -
The "Abnormous Disaster" can
really set folks back, knocking all of the towns on a single, random continent
down a level and robbing them of all of their currently accumulated taxes. All
those investments you poured lovingly into your little hamlets? Oh my,
misplaced, so sorry!
These are really just a taste of the
types of completely unforeseeable bonuses, disasters, and curious events that
can spice up a game of Dokapon Kingdom. Be sure to check out the screens below
to see some of what’s been described above! Dokapon Kingdom is scheduled for
release on October 14th!
