Update: August 28, 2008
«©NCSX» No one likes a monster. Except maybe the monster's mom. The operative word in that last sentence is "maybe" because monsters are so disagreeable, unattractive, and overly surly that even its own mother may harbor animosity towards it.
In the case of Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida, you love the monster you've been charged with protecting. You love it so much that you'll do whatever it takes to keep it safe from valiant heroes who would wander into dungeons to capture it. To that end, your job is to design a dungeon and cultivate protectors in order to stop warriors and wizards who are on the hunt for your monster which just happens to look like the Devil himself.
At the outset of the game, a training mission hands you a pickaxe which is used to break blocks and create a dungeon. Press the "SQUARE" button to hack away at the blocks until discernible pathways are carved out on the screen. Some blocks will release green slimes which move around in drippy fashion and serve as a line of defense for your monster. The green slimes may also be used as fodder to enhance other subterranean creatures so that they'll evolve into stronger forms. The invading heroes will have to get past slimes, insects, and other beasts that are released from the blocks before they'll get a chance to kidnap your monster and bring it to the surface. However, if your dungeon and monster defenses aren't good enough, the hero bags the beast and it's game over.
View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.
Region-Free
Japanese PSP games may be played on North American and European PSP handhelds. There is no region-coding on PSP game UMDs.
NCS Game Notes
» The pickaxe can only be used to create contiguous pathways. You can't just axe a block in the middle of nowhere and expect to be able to create a little hideaway for your monster. The use of the pickaxe is also limited - you can only swing it a predetermined number of times before its power runs out. If you try to use the pickaxe after using all of its power, you'll get razzed.
» To quickly verify which blocks have slimes behind them, look for the green moss in front of the block. Blocks with a little white webbing over them indicate insects. Solid white blocks will reveal lizardmen.
» A monster pyramid may be viewed which shows the different monsters that are available for cultivation. Maybe cultivation isn't the right word but it's close. Maybe "genesis" is a more fitting term.
» The devil monster speaks in rapid-fire Japanese that's at "Alvin and the Chipmunks" speed.
» You can save your progress to memory stick after every level. At the outset of the game, four training stages are playable which teach the basics of digging and monster genesis. The goal of the first training mission is to hack blocks to reveal green slimes.
» The second training stage introduces white insects to your arsenal that look like termites. When the bug eats a green slime, it'll spin into a cocoon and incubate for a short time before emerging as a flying insect that's stronger than its former incarnation. The third training stage introduces the concept of birth where the aforementioned flying insects are able to engender babies. Things get interesting in the fourth training stage where a monster ecosystem of sorts gives way to a third monster type that looks like a blue lizardman who wields a shield and sword. The lizardmen can set up a little cave hovel and then engender their own babies which hatch from blue eggs. In later levels, the lizardman retires to the cave to snooze and snore up a storm.
» In the fourth stage of the proper game where the warrior and wizard work in concert to corral our monster, things get a little more difficult but the key to success is digging out branches in the dungeon for the two "heroes" to explore and expend their HP. Although the wizard has a healing spell, it'll be overcome by monsters since the warrior forges ahead without protecting the weaker wizard. One thing that we found disconcerting in this level were the actions of the lizardmen whom we expected to provide the muscle in the level. They went to sleep. There's no way to wake them up and they'll snooze away while the slimes and insects finish off the warrior.
» The green dragon walks around and lays golden-colored lumps of dung in quick succession. The green dragon is a formidable monster since it blows streams of fire that does impressive damage to interlopers.
» The birth of dragons must be planned carefully because if they're not positioned properly, they are tactically USELESS. For all of their might and fire breathing capabilities, a poorly positioned dragon is worth less than a slime. The reason is because dragons can only attack to the left or right. They can't attack up or down. So, if an invader merely attacks the dragon from above, that powerful beast is cannon fodder. The best way to position dragons is in single unit tunnels that are in the way of any path to your monster. That way, the hero has to go through them and not around them.
» Yuusha no Kuse is a novel concept which is addictive and easy to play but difficult to master, which are generally the hallmarks of a good puzzle game. There's sort of a "Lemmings" look and feel to the game with simple miniature pixels serving as the monsters and objects. It's unclear if Sony will release Yuusha no Kuse stateside since the masses may not appreciate a game that looks like it hails from a few console generations ago.... which is a shame. If Sony does decide to release the game in North America, we have a suggestion for the game title: Love Thy Monster.
This document is ©NCSX 2008. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.