Ni no Kuni
Ni no Kuni | |
---|---|
Artwork of the game's primary characters—Oliver, Drippy and Esther—in a town from the games | |
Genres | Role-playing |
Developers | Level-5 |
Publishers |
|
Creators | Akihiro Hino |
Artists | Toshihiro Kuriaki |
Writers | Akihiro Hino |
Composers |
Joe Hisaishi Rei Kondoh |
Platforms | Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Mobile phone |
Platform of origin | Nintendo DS |
First release |
Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn December 9, 2010 |
Latest release |
Ni no Kuni: Daibouken Monsters May 11, 2012 |
Ni no Kuni (Japanese: 二ノ国) is a series of role-playing games developed by Level-5. The first games in the series chiefly follow the young Oliver, and his journey to another world to save his mother and stop the beckoning evil. An upcoming game will follow Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, a boy king who is usurped from his castle, and sets out to reclaim his kingdom. The games utilize several magic elements, allowing players to use magical abilities during gameplay, as well as creatures known as imajinn/familiars,[lower-alpha 1] which can be tamed for suitability during battle.
Conceived as a project for Level-5's tenth anniversary, Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn was released in December 2010 for the Nintendo DS. An enhanced version of the game for the PlayStation 3, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, was released in Japan in November 2011. The games were developed separately, retaining similar stories, but featuring significant artwork, graphics and specification changes. A localized version of the game was published in Western regions by Namco Bandai Games in January 2013. A sequel, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, is scheduled for a 2017 release for the PlayStation 4. Two mobile games have also been released: Hotroit Stories in December 2010 through the Roid service, and Daibouken Monsters in May 2012 through the GREE service. The former follows the story of Oliver and Mark as they try to find parts for a car, and the latter is a social card game in which players collect cards featuring imajinn.
The animated sequences for Dominion of the Dark Djinn and Wrath of the White Witch were produced by Studio Ghibli, and the original score was composed by Joe Hisaishi and Rei Kondoh. The artwork was also greatly inspired by Studio Ghibli's other productions. The character development—particularly that of Oliver and his friends—was a large focus of development, and was intended to make children empathize with the characters and for adults to relive their adolescence. The developers chose to initially develop for the Nintendo DS due to its suitability for gameplay, and later used the power of the PlayStation 3 to its full potential to render the world with great detail.
Games in the series have been praised as being among the best modern role-playing games. Reviewers mostly aimed their praise at particular elements of the games: visual design, and its resemblance to Studio Ghibli's previous work; characters and story, for their believability and complexity; the soundtrack, and Hisaishi's ability to capture the essence of the game world; and the unique gameplay, particularly for its ability to blend formulas from other role-playing game franchises. The games also won awards from several gaming publications. In March 2014, Bandai Namco reported that the series had sold more than 1.7 million copies worldwide.
Games
Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn was released in Japan on December 9, 2010, for the Nintendo DS. After his mother dies, Oliver sets out on a journey to another world to save her. Alongside the fairy Shizuku, Oliver meets Maru and Jairo on the way, who assist him on journey. After retrieving three magical stones to complete a wand to defeat Jabou, Oliver discovers that he cannot save his mother, but vows to protect the world regardless. He defeats Jabou, who uses his power to ensure that Oliver does not die as well.[3]
Ni no Kuni: Hotroit Stories was released in Japan on December 9, 2010, for mobile devices through the Roid service. It follows the story of Oliver and his friend, who create a custom car by finding parts around Hotroit, eventually making their way to an abandoned factory and encountering creatures.[4][5][6]
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch was released for the PlayStation 3 in Japan on November 17, 2011, and published in Western regions by Namco Bandai Games in January 2013. The game is an enhanced version of Dominion of the Dark Djinn; the plot is almost identical, featuring an extended ending. Some character names were also changed; Shizuku was changed to Drippy, Maru to Esther, Jairo to Swaine, Lars to Marcassin, and Jabou to Shadar, among others.[7] After Shadar is defeated, the White Witch appears and casts a spell that turns the citizens into undead-like creatures. When Oliver and his friends reverse the spell, they discover that the White Witch was once a young queen called Cassiopeia who had noble intentions, but was manipulated into wanting the destruction of the world. After Oliver defeats the White Witch, she is restored to her former self, and declares to dedicate her life to making amends for her actions. Oliver then returns to his old life in Motorville.[8]
Ni no Kuni: Daibouken Monsters was released in Japan on May 11, 2012, for mobile devices through the GREE service. Players travel to another world and collect cards featuring imajinn. An occupant of the other world is trapped in every card; by flipping the card, players have the ability to use the occupant's abilities during battles.[9][10][11]
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom was announced at PlayStation Experience in December 2015, in development for the PlayStation 4. The story follows King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, who is usurped from his castle, and sets out to reclaim his kingdom. He is aided by Roland, a visitor from another world.[12][13][14][15] The game is scheduled to release in 2017.[16]
Common elements
The series consists of four role-playing games and one social card game. Each game typically features a third-person camera. The player controls the player character in a combination of combat and puzzle game elements to achieve goals and complete the story.[17] Hotroit Stories is the only installment to feature an overhead perspective,[4] while Daibouken Monsters is played as a card game, with no character movement.[11] All games in the series feature a battle mode. During battles, player command a single human ally. To fight enemies in the main game, players use magical abilities[lower-alpha 2] or familiars;[20] in Hotroit Stories, players attack using items such as dry ice for similar effects,[6] while Daibouken Monsters limits players to using familiars only.[10] The battle mode in Wrath of the White Witch is on an open battlefield, allowing players to freely roam around the area,[21] while Dominion of the Dark Djinn employs a grid layout, whereby players can create formations to avoid attacks.[22]
The main games in the series use a third-person perspective. Players complete quests—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. Outside of quests, players can freely roam the open world. Players explore towns, villages, dungeons and dangerous places scattered throughout the world. One of the core aspects of the games is the ability to travel between worlds; the majority of the games take place in a magical world, often referred to as the "other world", while part of the games take place in Oliver's hometown.[23] Upon leaving a location, players enter the World Map, which can be navigated, or used to select a destination.[23] The world may be fully explored from the beginning of the game without restrictions, although story progress unlocks more gameplay content and forms of transport to navigate the world.[23] In the main games, players initially run to navigate the world, though later gain the ability to travel by boat; Wrath of the White Witch adds the ability to ride on the back of a dragon.[24]
Familiars, known as imajinn (イマジン) in the Japanese version of the games, are creatures that wander throughout the game world. They can be found in different shapes and forms, and can be obtained after being defeated in battle. They can then be tamed, in order to be suitable to send out in battle to fight for players. Players command familiars, who generally have a range of magic and physical attacks. Familiars level up and evolve alongside the human characters; each have unique statistics and capabilities, and can be guided through their upgrades with treats and equipped with items.[25]
Development
Conceived as a project for Level-5's tenth anniversary,[26] Ni no Kuni: The Another World was announced in the September 2008 issue of Famitsu, as a title for the Nintendo DS.[27] In June 2010, Level-5 announced that the game would also be released for the PlayStation 3, with significant differences;[28] the DS version was renamed Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn, while the PlayStation 3 version was given the title Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.[29] Both versions were revealed to be in development separately, only retaining the same "story axle", while features such as artwork, graphics and specifications all received significant changes.[7] Journalists noted that the game's announcement ignited widespread anticipation within the gaming industry.[30][31][32][33]
Level-5 collaborated with Studio Ghibli to produce the game's animated sequences, and the game features graphics and visuals replicating the traditional animation style of Studio Ghibli films.[34] The collaboration began when musician Naoya Fujimaki, who had previously worked with both companies, introduced Level-5 president Akihiro Hino to Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki. At the time, Studio Ghibli had completed work on Ponyo (2008), and the animation team had no ongoing projects, which influenced Suzuki's decision to collaborate with Level-5.[35] Another influencing factor of the collaboration was witnessing Hino's passion for the project. Studio Ghibli approached the production process in the same way that they would create an animated film.[36] Work on the animation began in July 2008,[37] and took much longer than the predicted three months.[35]
For Dominion of the Dark Djinn, the development team found that the Nintendo DS was best suited to the game's development.[38] Alongside the launch of Dominion of the Dark Djinn on December 9, 2010, Level-5 also launched the first chapter of Hotroit Stories, titled "Oliver and Mark" (第1章〜オリバーとマーク), for mobile devices via the Roid service.[4][5] Wrath of the White Witch was developed for the PlayStation 3. The team planned to bring the game to the console from the beginning of development, but opted to work on the DS version of the game beforehand due to the larger number of DS users in Japan at the time.[39] The team found they could render the game world with great detail, using the hardware to its full potential to present the animation, world and music.[40] Hino felt that the PlayStation 3 version allowed the game's music to accompany the imagery, which was not possible on the DS version.[39]
Following the Japanese launch of Wrath of the White Witch on November 17, 2011, Level-5 developed Daibouken Monsters. The development of the game is the result of a comprehensive partnership between Level-5 and GREE, which resulted in the former developing three titles for the latter.[41] Early registrations for the game began on March 21, 2012,[42] and it launched for mobile devices through the GREE service on May 11, 2012.[43]
Level-5 worked with localization company Shloc to translate Wrath of the White Witch for Western regions; the two studios collaborated for many weeks.[44] The team found great difficulty when localizing the game for Western regions, particularly due to the large amounts of text and audio that required translation. Other minor changes to the artwork and animation also occurred, such as making Oliver bow in a Western manner.[45] By December 12, 2012, development on the localized version of Wrath of the White Witch stopped as the game was submitted for manufacturing.[46] It was released in North America on January 22, 2013,[47] in Australia on January 31,[48] and in Europe on February 1.[49]
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom was announced at PlayStation Experience on December 5, 2015.[12][13][14][15] It will be released for the PlayStation 4 in 2017,[16] and may later release on other platforms.[50] Studio Ghibli will not have direct involvement with the game.[51] Hino said that the game would better fulfill the ambitions of the original game, with deeper stories and improved visuals.[52]
Music
When Studio Ghibli agreed to produce the animated sequences of Ni no Kuni, they contacted Joe Hisaishi to work on the game's music. Hisaishi, who previously worked with Studio Ghibli on films such as Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001), met with Level-5 producer and writer Akihiro Hino. After witnessing Hino's passion for the project, Hisaishi agreed to work on the game's soundtrack.[53] Rei Kondoh also created background music for the score, and all in-game music was performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. "Kokoro no Kakera", the theme song for Dominion of the Dark Djinn and Wrath of the White Witch, was written by Hisaishi; his daughter Mai Fujisawa performed the song in Japanese, while chorister Archie Buchanan performed the English version. The team found great difficulty in selecting a performer for the English version, though ultimately settled upon Buchanan due to his ability to convey the "vulnerability and innocence" of the game's characters in a "moving and powerful performance".[44] For the orchestral music to fit onto the Nintendo DS at a high quality, Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn was shipped on a 4-gigabit game card.[54] Hisaishi also worked on the score for Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.[15]
Two Ni no Kuni soundtracks were commercially released. An album titled Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madoushi Original Soundtrack was released in Japan on February 9, 2011, featuring music from Dominion of the Dark Djinn.[55] A two-disc soundtrack was later released on March 28, 2013; the first disc is a re-release of the Japanese soundtrack, while the second disc contains additional tracks from Wrath of the White Witch.[56]
Reception
The first two main games were very well received, with praise particularly directed at the visual design, characters and story, soundtrack, and unique gameplay. Dominion of the Dark Djinn scored 38/40 from Japanese publication Famitsu, who felt that the game's elements are effectively utilized to maintain excitement.[57] Michael Baker of RPGamer named it the "best overall game" at the time,[58] and Janelle Hindman of RPGLand wrote that the game is "a reminder of why people used to flock to the JRPG genre in the first place".[1] Nintendo Gamer's Matthew Castle called it "one of the best experiences on DS".[22] Wrath of the White Witch also received critical acclaim.[59] It received 85 out of 100 from Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews",[60] and 86% from GameRankings.[61] Colin Moriarty of IGN named it "one of the best RPGs", and among the best PlayStation 3 exclusives,[2] and Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot wrote that it joins the "hallmark of the greatest RPGs".[24]
The artistic design of Dominion of the Dark Djinn and Wrath of the White Witch received acclaim, being favorably compared to Studio Ghibli's previous work;[57][62] Stephanie Bendixsen of Good Game called the art "vibrant and exciting", noting that it "brings the game to life in the most beautiful way".[63] The story and characters were also well received, with IGN's Moriarty naming them among the game's standout features[2] and Edge praising the believable and complex characters.[64] Critics considered the games' music to be appropriate for gameplay; Jim Sterling of Destructoid compared the soundtrack favorably to Dragon Quest VIII,[65] and RPGLand's Hindman lauded the music as "gorgeously crafted".[1] The gameplay and combat system polarized reviews; some reviewers found it a refreshing mix of styles from other role-playing games,[1] with Joystiq's Sinan Kubba calling it a "triumph",[66] while others noted its difficulty, and similarity to similar games.[64][67]
The game's received multiple nominations and awards from several gaming publications. Dominion of the Dark Djinn won the award for Future Division from the Japan Game Awards in 2009 and 2010, and the Excellence Award in 2011,[68] and also awarded the Rookie Award from Famitsu in 2011.[69] Wrath of the White Witch appeared on several year-end lists of the best role-playing games of 2013, receiving wins from Destructoid,[70] Game Revolution,[71] GameTrailers,[72] IGN,[73][74] the 18th Satellite Awards[75] and the Spike VGX 2013 Awards.[76] It also received Best Game from The Huffington Post,[77] Best Sound from Cheat Code Central,[78] and Excellence in Animation at the SXSW Gaming Awards.[79] At the 13th National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, it received multiple wins, including awards for Animation, Art Direction, Original Light Mix Score, Original Family Game, as well as Original/Adapted Song for "Kokoro no Kakera".[80]
In March 2014, Namco Bandai reported that the two main games had collectively sold more than 1.7 million copies worldwide, with Wrath of the White Witch selling over 1.1 million copies alone.[81] By the end of 2011, it was reported that Dominion of the Dark Djinn sold over 560,000 units;[82] it was the 33rd best-selling game in Japan in 2010,[83] and the 45th best-selling in 2011.[82] Following the release of Wrath of the White Witch in the United Kingdom, it topped the charts, selling out in many stores across the region.[84]
References
- Notes
- ↑ The creatures are known as "imajinn" in the Japanese versions of the games,[1] and "familiars" in the English version.[2]
- ↑ The four playable characters in Dominion of the Dark Djinn and Wrath of the White Witch possess differing abilities to use in battle: Oliver and Marcassin/Lars use wands to cast spells, Esther/Maru plays songs with a harp, and Swaine/Jairo uses trick shots.[18][19]
- Footnotes
- 1 2 3 4 Hindman, Janelle (October 9, 2012). "Ni no Kuni". RPG Land. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Moriarty, Colin (January 15, 2013). "Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ Level-5 (December 9, 2010). Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn (in Japanese). Nintendo DS. Level-5.
- 1 2 3 "NDS「二ノ国 漆黒の魔導士」の"プロローグ",「二ノ国 ホットロイトストーリーズ」第1章が本日配信開始". 4Gamer.net. Aetas, Inc. December 9, 2010. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- 1 2 "『二ノ国』の序章はケータイから!『二ノ国 ホットロイトストーリーズ』が配信". Famitsu. Kadokawa Corporation. December 9, 2010. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- 1 2 Monogatari, Gaijin (December 10, 2010). "Jandemonium (December 10th, 2010)". RPGamer. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- 1 2 Gantayat, Anoop (June 24, 2010). "Ni no Kuni PS3: Artwork Versus Realtime". Andriasang. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- ↑ Level-5 (January 22, 2013). Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. PlayStation 3. Namco Bandai Games.
- ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (March 21, 2012). "First Screens: Level-5's New GREE Games". Andriasang. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- 1 2 "「これでダメならソーシャルゲームは諦める」とレベルファイブ 日野晃博氏が語った。「グリー×レベルファイブ共同発表会」レポート". 4Gamer.net. March 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- 1 2 Johnston, Ken (March 21, 2012). "GREE and LEVEL-5 Announce a Comprehensive Global Partnership" (Press release). Burlingame, California: GREE. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- 1 2 Goldfarb, Andrew (December 5, 2015). "Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom Announced". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- 1 2 Frank, Allegra (December 5, 2015). "Ni No Kuni 2 is coming to PlayStation 4". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- 1 2 Hansen, Steven (December 5, 2015). "New Ni no Kuni coming to PS4 without famed animation house Studio Ghibli". Destructoid. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Kietzmann, Ludwig (December 5, 2015). "Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom brings a fairytale RPG to PS4". GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- 1 2 Lee, Dennis (December 3, 2016). "Beautiful new trailer for Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom debuts at PSX". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- ↑ Amini, Tina (January 29, 2013). "Ni no Kuni Is Gorgeous, Reviewers Agree. But Not Everyone Is Head Over Heels.". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ↑ Stuart, Keith (May 17, 2012). "Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – preview". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ Level-5 2010, pp. 4–5
- ↑ Level-5 2013, pp. 17
- ↑ Tucker, John (April 9, 2013). "Review - Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch". RPGFan. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- 1 2 Castle, Matthew (April 2011). "Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madoshi". Nintendo Gamer. United Kingdom: Future plc (60): 66–67.
- 1 2 3 Level-5 2013, pp. 7
- 1 2 VanOrd, Kevin (January 22, 2013). "Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ Vincent, Brittany (January 22, 2013). "Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch review". GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch – Behind The Scenes Interview". NowGamer. Imagine Publishing. January 18, 2013. Archived from the original on July 29, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Grant, Christopher (September 24, 2008). "Famitsu: Level-5 and Studio Ghibli teaming up on DS game". Joystiq. Engadget. AOL Tech. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- ↑ Yip, Spencer (June 22, 2010). "Ni No Kuni Is Also A PlayStation 3 Game". Siliconera. Curse, Inc. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (June 24, 2010). "Level-5 Puts Ni no Kuni on Demo". Andriasang. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- ↑ Shea, Cam (September 27, 2010). "Our Top 10 Most Anticipated Japanese Console Games". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ Plunkett, Luke (April 12, 2012). "My Most Anticipated PS3 Game Slides Out of 2012 (But Here's an English Trailer)". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ Welsh, Oli (January 17, 2013). "Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch review". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ Moriarty, Colin (April 17, 2012). "Ni No Kuni Could Get A Sequel". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ Winterhalter, Ryan (June 24, 2010). "A Japanese Kid's Come True: Level-5 Shows off Ni no Kuni at Tokyo Press Conferences". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- 1 2 Webster, Andrew (January 23, 2013). "The ridiculously charming world of 'Ni No Kuni', Studio Ghibli's gaming masterpiece". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on July 29, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
- ↑ Level-5 and Studio Ghibli (2012). The Art of Studio Ghibli. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ Tanaka, John (May 20, 2009). "Ni no Kuni: The Another World Update". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- ↑ Kato, Katuaki (October 10, 2008). "Interview with Akihiro Hino". Famitsu (in Japanese). Tokyo: Enterbrain.
- 1 2 Grossman 2013, pp. 358
- ↑ Reynolds, Matthew (February 1, 2013). "'Ni No Kuni' interview: Level-5 on its Studio Ghibli collaboration". Digital Spy. Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ↑ "レベルファイブとグリーが包括提携で世界を目指す、人気作品も続々ソーシャル化". Nikkei Trendy. The Nikkei. March 21, 2012. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ↑ Gueed (March 21, 2012). "4月にサービス開始予定の「二ノ国 大冒険モンスターズ」は,カードバトルやコレクションが楽しめる"二ノ国"をベースにした一作。現在事前登録を受付中". 4Gamer.net. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ↑ Aki, Gotsuki (May 11, 2012). "レベルファイブとグリーの提携タイトル第1弾「二ノ国大冒険モンスターズ」の配信が開始". 4Gamer.net. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- 1 2 Amoros, Laetitia (January 29, 2013). "Re-imagining Ni no Kuni for the West". Develop. Intent Media. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Campbell, Colin (January 8, 2013). "Ni no Kuni: The Interview". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (December 12, 2012). "Ni No Kuni screenshots celebrate localization going gold". VG247. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ Groen, Andrew (June 1, 2012). "Ni No Kuni release date revealed in new trailer". GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ↑ Te, Zorine (January 28, 2013). "AU Shippin' Out January 28 - February 1: Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ↑ Reynolds, Matthew (February 3, 2013). "Games out this month: 10 biggest releases for February". Digital Spy. Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Ni no Kuni 2 pourrait ne pas sortir que sur PS4". Jeuxvideo. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ Clark, Willie (January 4, 2016). "5 changes we want to see in Ni no Kuni 2". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ Romano, Sal (December 6, 2015). "Akihiro Hino: 'Ni no Kuni II a huge improvement to the first'". Gematsu. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ Level-5 and Studio Ghibli (2013). The Music of Joe Hisaishi. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ Epperson, Justin (August 24, 2009). "Ni no Kuni: The Another World First Look Preview". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ Gann, Patrick. "Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madoushi OST". RPGFan. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ Steinman, Robert. "Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch - The OST". RPGFan. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- 1 2 Gifford, Kevin (October 30, 2010). "Japan Review Check: Ni no Kuni, DKC Returns". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ↑ Baker, Michael. "Ninokuni - The Mage of Darkness - Staff Review". RPGamer. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (January 17, 2013). "Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch reviews round-up". VG247. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
- ↑ "Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for PlayStation 3". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Demo review on "Ninokuni: The Another World" with Animation by Studio Ghibli". Gigazine. September 29, 2009. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
- ↑ Bendixsen, Stephanie; O'Donnell, Steven (February 16, 2013). "Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch". Good Game: Spawn Point. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- 1 2 Mott, Tony, ed. (February 2011). "Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madoushi". Edge. United States: Future plc (224): 101.
- ↑ Sterling, Jim (January 21, 2013). "Review: Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch". Destructoid. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
- ↑ Kubba, Sinan (January 23, 2013). "Ni Ni Kuni review: Fairy tale wedding". Joystiq. Engadget. AOL Tech. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ↑ "二ノ国 漆黒の魔導士 果たしてクリアの日は来るのか?". Warotan.com. January 4, 2012. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
- ↑ "受賞作品リスト". Level-5. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- ↑ "ファミ通アワード2010、大賞は『モンスターハンターポータブル 3rd』". Famitsu. Enterbrain. April 22, 2011. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- ↑ Hansen, Steven (December 24, 2013). "The winner of Destructoid's 2013 Best Role-Playing Game". Destructoid. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Tan, Nicholas (December 16, 2013). "Best Role-Playing Game 2013". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Best RPG". GameTrailers. Defy Media. December 23, 2013. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Best Overall Role-Playing Game". IGN. Ziff Davis. December 18, 2013. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Best PS3 Role-Playing Game - IGN's Best of 2013". IGN. Ziff Davis. December 18, 2013. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Kilday, Gregg (February 23, 2014). "Satellite Awards: '12 Years a Slave' Wins Best Motion Picture". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Dane, Patrick (December 16, 2013). "'Grand Theft Auto V' Tops Spike VGX 2013 Award Winners List". Game Rant. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Ostroff, Joshua (December 31, 2013). "10 Best Video Games Of 2013". The Huffington Post. AOL. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ "The Best Sound Nominees!". December 6, 2013. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Blanchard, Bobby (March 9, 2014). "2014 SXSW Gaming Awards: So Many Amazing Winners!". South by Southwest. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
- ↑ Allen, Thomas J. (February 17, 2014). "2013 NAVGTR Winners" (Press release). Las Vegas, Nevada: National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ↑ Cook, Dave (March 7, 2014). "Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch passes 1.1 million shipped, new edition revealed". VG247. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- 1 2 "2011年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP500" [2011 Game Software Annual Sales Top 500]. Famitsū Gēmu Hakusho 2012 ファミ通ゲーム白書2012 [Famitsu Game Whitebook 2012] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Enterbrain. 2012. ISBN 978-4-04-728022-9.
- ↑ "2010年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP500" [2010 Game Software Annual Sales Top 500]. Famitsū Gēmu Hakusho 2011 ファミ通ゲーム白書2011 [Famitsu Game Whitebook 2011] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Enterbrain. 2011. ISBN 978-4-04-727315-3.
- ↑ Phillips, Tom (February 4, 2013). "UK chart: Ni No Kuni conjures up first place victory". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- Bibliography
- Grossman, Howard (January 2013), Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch - Official Game Guide, United States of America: Prima Games
- Level-5, ed. (2010), 二ノ国 漆黒の魔導士 取扱説明書, Japan: Level-5
External links
Media related to Ni no Kuni at Wikimedia Commons