Dokapon Kingdom Review


Dokapon Kingdom can best be described as a Mario Party/RPG hybrid. The idea itself is quite interesting and even has some good execution. There are only a couple of things that really hamper Dokapon Kingdom in the long run. It’s not a game that will appeal to a lot of people, however. For those who enjoy RPGs, though, they might very well be taken in by the games initial charm. br /br /It combines the best of what it can with RPG elements. You begin by selecting classes (you begin with a Magician, Thief and Warrior but more classes can be unlocked later on), naming your characters etc. Once this is all done, you begin on a game board. Much like Mario Party, you take turns. Each turn begins with a character spinning the spinner and then moving the number of spaces that it lands on. The map is pretty big, though, and you’re allowed to choose where you go. It won’t move you across automatically. br /br /Dokapon Kingdom is a pretty complex game, however. On the boards you’ll notice several things. The first is that you can land on item bags and spell books, which will bring up another wheel that spins and lands on a specific item or spell for you to use in combat. You’ll also notice that throughout the game there are several towns that have been taken over by monsters that you’ll have to vanquish. And this is ultimately what the main goal of the game is. To rescue towns and in turn, save them. Each town has worth, which can be invested in throughout the game. The more towns you save, the more your net worth is. The goal is to end with as much net worth as you can. br /br /Of course, that’s easier said than done. Especially when playing with friends. You’ll rescue towns, but friends can take your towns, along with the value. Likewise, you’ll be in for a long game. A very long game.br /br /Combat is simple to pick up on, and yet can be strangely addictive. Whenever you land on certain spaces, you’ll be thrust into a battle. In each battle, you’ll be put on two different fronts, both with different options. When on offense you can choose different ways to strike your opponent. Attacking normally, using special abilities or performing powerful strikes. When defending, you can either opt to defend or counter. The game works out like Rock, Paper, Scissors. There is an upside and downside. For example, while Strike is a very powerful command, if the opponent selects counter it will fail. So Counter beats strike. Defend will lower damage from normal attacks. When someone uses magic, M Guard is the way to go. And in the process, you’ll be kept guessing in many cases. br /br /As you might expect, if two players land on the same blank space, they’ll battle each other. The victor has the option of robbing a character of items and equipment (or even taking towns), inflicting statuses or even just playing pranks (such as changing names or drawing graffiti on them). br /br /Of course, at the heart of it, it’s still an RPG, and there are many RPG elements. Such as leveling up. You can increase class levels to unlock more classes, and you’ll also have to worry about your level. This is especially important when saving towns. But beyond that, there are also plenty of shops for you to go to. Even the shops have their own charm, however. When going to a shop, you do have a chance of robbing it. It’s not exactly attacking the shop keeper, however. Instead you’ll end up playing a game of Roshambo (Rock-Paper-Scissors). If you win you’ll get some spoils. Lose, however, and you’ll be wanted, with a bounty on your head as well (given to whoever defeats you). It’s actually quite unique and fun. br /br /There is a bit more, however. From time to time when landing on spaces you might run into other types of events. For example, you might find a girl who wants you to deliver a certain item to a specific town, or a bandit who will gladly rob the other players provided you pay him. Of course, not everything works out for you. You might run into characters who will give you items with negative consequences or characters who will take more of your gold from you (and you can fall into debt). It’s interesting, and there’s actually quite a bit of variety. br /br /In real RPG fashion, it probably also comes as no shock to find out that the game can last for hours. You’ll find yourself having to level up a lot and save many towns to progress through the story. Much of it seems left up to chance, but even more of it is dependent upon who you’re playing with. There’s a joke about Dokapon Kingdom that it is “friendship destroying,” and in some ways you might find yourself wanting to “destroy” your friends in combat when they take your towns, or rob you of a precious piece of a equipment that you need so desperately (or your money). The main story will take several hours. br /br /This brings about Dokapon Kingdom’s big problem. The fact that the story is pretty long for a game like this. It’s a fantastic idea, but after a while, especially when you start dying and having to wait turns to be revived, you might find that it can become really repetitive after playing for a while. It’s fun, that’s for sure, but just the same, it will also become very tedious after a few hours of going at it. Luckily, you can save your game whenever you want. But just the same, you’ll die a lot. Either by monsters or friends. And gameplay can become really stale after a while. br /br /Visually, the game has charm, but it’s not really an eye opening game. It isn’t bad looking by any means. Just rather plain and simple. Artistically it isn’t so bad. It’s definitely got a look and feel about it that works great. The music, while not so bad, will become repetitive after a while as well. Yet some of the tunes, for what they’re worth, are quite fun to listen to. The soundtrack just needed to be a bit bigger for how long the game can last. br /br /Up to four players can play, and they can all even play off the same Wii Remote if need be. You’ll hold it like a control pad. So no, there are no motion sensor controls within the game. You can also use a Gamecube controller if you’ve got one. In short, it doesn’t really take advantage of the Wii capabilities (if you got a hold of the PS2 version you’re not getting much of a different game). At the very least, however, it’s fun. br /br /You’ll need to pace yourself when playing through the game with friends. It can be repetitive at times, but being able to break and save whenever you want is a pretty helpful thing when it comes to Dokapon Kingdom. RPG fans might like quite a bit, but it probably won’t appeal to anyone outside of that core audience. Nevertheless, if you do fall into that audience, the game is worth a try.

Dokapon Kingdom Feature

  • 4 person local multiplayer gameplay
  • Innovative board game RPG crossover
  • The friendship destroying game turns the heat up on your relationships
  • Tons of battles, magic spells, mini games and endless play
  • Easy, intuitive and effective combat system

Dokapon Kingdom Overview

The Kingdom of Dokapon is a land of wealth and riches ruled by a gold-loving King and his daughter Princess Penny. One day, monsters begin appearing all over the realm, assaulting the towns and stealing all of the empire¿s wealth. The King, unable to collect taxes from his impoverished citizens, calls for heroes from across the land to come and rid his monarchy of these monsters. The prize for the hero who is able to free the land: The hand of Princess Penny and rule of the Kingdom itself! Warning : relationship counseling not included!

Dokapon Kingdom Specifications

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Feb 03, 2010 01:53:36