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Avalon Code

Avalon Code (アヴァロンコード, Avaron Kōdo) is a fantasy action role-playing game for Nintendo DS. It was developed by Matrix Software and published by Marvelous Entertainment.

Avalon Code
European cover art
Developer(s)Matrix Software
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Keizo Kato
Takahiro Matsumoto[4]
Producer(s)Yoshifumi Hashimoto[5]
Designer(s)HACCAN
Composer(s)Minako Adachi
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
  • JP: November 1, 2008[2]
  • NA: March 10, 2009[1]
  • AU: 2009
  • EU: March 12, 2010
Genre(s)Action role-playing

The game makes use of a mechanic that allows the player to affect the "elemental code" of the world around them by using the Book of Prophecy which is situated on the touch-sensitive lower screen. This book is the central focus of both the plot and gameplay. The game also allows the player to select between a male or female protagonist.[3]

Avalon Code received mixed reviews, being praised for its graphics and innovative mechanics, but criticized for its linear story-line and repetitive gameplay.[6][7]

Gameplay edit

The plot, as well as the gameplay, revolves around the Book of Prophecy situated on the touch-sensitive lower screen of the Nintendo DS. In order to record a person, monster, plant, or weapon in its pages, the player performs a "Code Scan", which is done by striking the target to be recorded with the Book itself (mapped to the B button at all times). Locations are filed under the Book's Map section and are added automatically when the player enters the screen for the first time.[8]

Each page reveals its subject's essential information such as attack strength for weapons; health points for enemies; local lore for maps; and personal tastes and goals for people. In addition, every object or character capable of being scanned has a Code. This page Code is in turn composed of many Codes, which are exactly what they sound like: pieces of seven different shapes that fit into the Mental Map like pentominoes into a box and radically alter the target's properties.[9]

Creating different combinations of Codes by adding and removing them to attain specific quantities or ratios changes the object's title and, often, effects. Changing titles to remove 'defective' Codes as well as creating 'new' items (usually by following certain obtainable recipes) is a facet of gameplay used in many side-quests and occasionally within the story. An example of Code manipulation is as follows: at one point near the beginning of the adventure, Yumil/Tia's only weapon is a Rusted Battle Sword, where 'Rusted' is a title derived from the presence of three Codes of Illness and three Codes of Copper on the Mental Map. Rempo urges the player to remove the Illness, converting the title to 'Copper' and strengthening the weapon's overall attack power. The player can then add the Illness to a monster's Code, which will lower the health points of every encountered enemy of that species as long as the piece of Illness is contained in their Mental Map. By the same right, transferring Codes of Poison from a sinister character's page to a weapon would give the player the ability to poison stricken enemies.

Each page in the Book of Prophecy has a numerical value of 'worthiness' measured in Code Points, and when the Book's entire value reaches certain quantities, it will level up. In this way the Mental Map undergoes two size upgrades, beginning with a 3x3 square. Specific side-quests and mini-game activities are triggered through 'News Flashes' upon level-ups as well. In order to raise page values, the player can, for example, manipulate Codes, examine 'Exploration Points' on a map, present another cast member with things he or she enjoys collecting, defeat a high number of a certain enemy, call on a Spirit for aid, or equip a weapon.

Dungeons edit

Dungeons are fairly linear and consist of many linked rooms in which the player must complete a specific task to advance (and determine that page's value). There are several varieties of goals, ranging from lighting torches to flipping switches to defeating enemies. Although there is an onscreen several-minute countdown for each challenge room, the player may still complete the challenge and advance after running out of time with no penalty other than a lower score. Most dungeons, naturally, end with a fight against a boss. Performance is ranked according to a medal system; a good run is rewarded with a gold medal for the room, while an especially poor or slow run may not garner a medal at all. Rooms and bosses may be replayed as many times as the player desires in order to achieve a better score or find hidden bonuses.

After defeating each monster boss in the Boss section of the Book of Prophecy, the player unlocks a new page in a special Book chapter. These pages contain questions about the coming world and the Codes that are inserted as answers serve to determine the aspects of it. Such aspects include the inhabitants' housing and the background music. Answers can be filled in differently as many times as the player wishes, yielding different results with different code combinations.

Romance edit

Players familiar with other games by Marvelous Entertainment producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto will likely compare the affection system featured in Avalon Code to that of games such as Story of Seasons titles and the fantasy-tinged Role Playing Game spin-off series Rune Factory, even though the protagonists of Avalon Code are too young for marriage. Most human non-player characters can be given gifts, and, as previously mentioned, have different tastes and aspirations.

Avalon Code features a total of fourteen 'eligible' non-player characters who may take a romantic interest in the player character as various side-quests are completed. In the course of the campaign, Yumil may date characters labelled as Heroines in the Book of Prophecy (kind but terminally ill orphan Fana, determined heiress Princess Dorothea, guarded psychic Nanaida, precocious elf Sylphy), while Tia may date one of the Heroes (wary street kid Rex, vigilant aspiring hero Duran, emotionless swordsman Anwar, devoted commander General Heath). Six additional characters become available as love interests after the completion of the main quest: two Book Spirits apiece, along with a Hero and Heroine not listed in the game's instruction booklet.

Most character-related side-quests may be undertaken by either Yumil or Tia even if the character in question is of the same gender as the player or the player already has an 'established' significant other. Developing platonic relationships adds new back-story information to entries in the Book of Prophecy. Every Hero and Heroine also has a particularly gripping personal issue that manifests itself in the form of a locked Code piece. For example, the sword master Gustav's son, Duran, was unable to stop a tragedy that happened before his eyes. A square in his Mental Map is taken up by 1 Weakness that is removable only by helping him come to a better understanding of the past.

Plot edit

The plot centers on a young peasant who has been plagued with apocalyptic and prophetic nightmares for weeks prior to the beginning of the story. The latest dream, shown in the opening cinematic, features a mysterious voice. The voice reveals that the protagonist's world has undergone countless reincarnations in the past and is fated to a cycle of correction, destruction, and rebirth until "true enlightenment" is achieved and that the main character has been chosen by the Powers-That-Be to deem the people, places, and things of the current world worthy (or "unworthy") of being carried over into the next.

This voice is that of a magical sentient record book called the Book of Prophecy. Taking this tome, the newly appointed Chosen One sets out to find and befriend four guiding elemental Book Spirits who take residence in the Book. Throughout the journey, the Chosen One learns more about a hidden plot to hasten the imminent apocalypse playing out beneath a shallow political feud with the neighbouring kingdom and the decisions of the previous Chosen One.

Development edit

In May 2008, Famitsu featured Avalon Code in their Nintendo DS spotlight. The game gained attention early on for its high quality 3D engine.[4] Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games showcased the game as part of their game portfolio at that year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, with plans to release the U.S. version of the game in the first fiscal quarter of 2009.[10] Less than a month before its release in Japan, the game was showcased at the Tokyo Game Show at Marvelous Entertainment Japan's booth.[11]

Originally, the game's Book of Prophecy was intended to be a virtual book that could be written in using the touch pad on the Nintendo DS.[12] In an interview with Siliconera, producer and scenario writer Yoshifumi Hashimoto said "in the beginning of the planning stages I thought about the players actually writing "become weaker" into the book, but realized that this will take too long from the time the user thinks about it to the time it'll actually change. Plus I wanted players from other countries to all play the game the same way, so I decided to go with moving codes (icons) around".[8]

Avalon Code's character designs were done by the Japanese illustrator HACCAN, while much of the scenery and promotional art is accredited to the Japanese artist group Kusanagi.[5] The opening theme, "Deep Forest", was sung by Japanese pop musician Kana Yazumi.[13]

Reception edit

Avalon Code received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[14][24] 1UP.com called it "the kind of game that's bursting with creativity and ambition, but constantly trips over its own good intentions".[25] IGN called the game's core component, the Book of Prophecy, "a compelling mechanic you won't find anywhere else".[20] Nintendo Life praised the game for its "stunning" visuals, but criticized the Book of Prophecy for being "ridiculously annoying [to browse] through to find the data you need".[3] GameSpot referred to the Book as "the game's most unique and fascinating feature", but said that overall "Avalon Code is a thoroughly mundane adventure despite some interesting, but poorly implemented, concepts".[7] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one seven, one eight, one seven, and one eight for a total of 30 out of 40.[15]

References edit

  1. ^ "Avalon Code - NDS". IGN. from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  2. ^ "Avalon Code (Video Game 2008)". IMDb. from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Wild, Kim (April 8, 2010). "Review: Avalon Code (DS)". Nintendo Life. from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Tanaka, John (May 9, 2008). "Matrix Brings Avalon Code to the DS". IGN. from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  5. ^ a b 『アヴァロンコード』魅力的なキャラクターたち (in Japanese). Famitsu. July 28, 2008. from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
  6. ^ Ouden, Adriaan den (2008). . RPGamer. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Stella, Shiva (May 1, 2009). "Avalon Code Review". GameSpot. from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Spencer (March 9, 2009). "All About Avalon Code". Siliconera. from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  9. ^ Yang, Louise (April 9, 2009). "Avalon Code: The First Chapter". Siliconera. from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  10. ^ "Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games". Official Press Release. GameSpy. July 11, 2008. from the original on June 10, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  11. ^ "Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games Partner to Participate at Tokyo Game Show". Official Press Release. GameSpy. October 9, 2008. from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  12. ^ Spencer (March 6, 2009). "Originally, Avalon Code Had A Virtual Book Of Prophecy To Write In". Siliconera. from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  13. ^ Perfect Fit/deep forest/矢住夏菜 (in Japanese). Oricon.com. from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Avalon Code for DS Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on May 23, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  15. ^ a b rawmeatcowboy (October 22, 2008). "Famitsu - review scores". GoNintendo. from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  16. ^ Juba, Joe (May 2009). "Avalon Code: A Unique RPG Concept Marred By Clumsy RPG Gameplay". Game Informer. No. 193. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  17. ^ Balistrieri, Emily (April 2009). . GamePro. p. 83. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  18. ^ Card, Ben (May 19, 2009). "Avalon Code Review". Game Revolution. from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  19. ^ Platt, Dylan (March 30, 2009). "Avalon Code - NDS - Review". GameZone. from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  20. ^ a b Hatfield, Daemon (March 6, 2009). "Avalon Code Review". IGN. from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  21. ^ "Avalon Code". Nintendo Power. Vol. 240. April 2009. p. 90.
  22. ^ Miller, Zachary (May 16, 2009). "Avalon Code". Nintendo World Report. from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  23. ^ "Avalon Code review". Official Nintendo Magazine. May 2010. p. 83.
  24. ^ Akerman, Nick (November 24, 2009). "Rising Star Games' Q1 2010 release schedule announced". GameSpot. from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
  25. ^ Parish, Jeremy (March 10, 2009). . 1UP.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.

External links edit

avalon, code, アヴァロンコード, avaron, kōdo, fantasy, action, role, playing, game, nintendo, developed, matrix, software, published, marvelous, entertainment, european, cover, artdeveloper, matrix, softwarepublisher, marvelous, entertainmentna, xseed, gamespal, risin. Avalon Code アヴァロンコード Avaron Kōdo is a fantasy action role playing game for Nintendo DS It was developed by Matrix Software and published by Marvelous Entertainment Avalon CodeEuropean cover artDeveloper s Matrix SoftwarePublisher s JP Marvelous EntertainmentNA Xseed GamesPAL Rising Star Games 3 Director s Keizo KatoTakahiro Matsumoto 4 Producer s Yoshifumi Hashimoto 5 Designer s HACCANComposer s Minako AdachiPlatform s Nintendo DSReleaseJP November 1 2008 2 NA March 10 2009 1 AU 2009EU March 12 2010Genre s Action role playing The game makes use of a mechanic that allows the player to affect the elemental code of the world around them by using the Book of Prophecy which is situated on the touch sensitive lower screen This book is the central focus of both the plot and gameplay The game also allows the player to select between a male or female protagonist 3 Avalon Code received mixed reviews being praised for its graphics and innovative mechanics but criticized for its linear story line and repetitive gameplay 6 7 Contents 1 Gameplay 1 1 Dungeons 1 2 Romance 2 Plot 3 Development 4 Reception 5 References 6 External linksGameplay editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed April 2014 Learn how and when to remove this message The plot as well as the gameplay revolves around the Book of Prophecy situated on the touch sensitive lower screen of the Nintendo DS In order to record a person monster plant or weapon in its pages the player performs a Code Scan which is done by striking the target to be recorded with the Book itself mapped to the B button at all times Locations are filed under the Book s Map section and are added automatically when the player enters the screen for the first time 8 Each page reveals its subject s essential information such as attack strength for weapons health points for enemies local lore for maps and personal tastes and goals for people In addition every object or character capable of being scanned has a Code This page Code is in turn composed of many Codes which are exactly what they sound like pieces of seven different shapes that fit into the Mental Map like pentominoes into a box and radically alter the target s properties 9 Creating different combinations of Codes by adding and removing them to attain specific quantities or ratios changes the object s title and often effects Changing titles to remove defective Codes as well as creating new items usually by following certain obtainable recipes is a facet of gameplay used in many side quests and occasionally within the story An example of Code manipulation is as follows at one point near the beginning of the adventure Yumil Tia s only weapon is a Rusted Battle Sword where Rusted is a title derived from the presence of three Codes of Illness and three Codes of Copper on the Mental Map Rempo urges the player to remove the Illness converting the title to Copper and strengthening the weapon s overall attack power The player can then add the Illness to a monster s Code which will lower the health points of every encountered enemy of that species as long as the piece of Illness is contained in their Mental Map By the same right transferring Codes of Poison from a sinister character s page to a weapon would give the player the ability to poison stricken enemies Each page in the Book of Prophecy has a numerical value of worthiness measured in Code Points and when the Book s entire value reaches certain quantities it will level up In this way the Mental Map undergoes two size upgrades beginning with a 3x3 square Specific side quests and mini game activities are triggered through News Flashes upon level ups as well In order to raise page values the player can for example manipulate Codes examine Exploration Points on a map present another cast member with things he or she enjoys collecting defeat a high number of a certain enemy call on a Spirit for aid or equip a weapon Dungeons edit Dungeons are fairly linear and consist of many linked rooms in which the player must complete a specific task to advance and determine that page s value There are several varieties of goals ranging from lighting torches to flipping switches to defeating enemies Although there is an onscreen several minute countdown for each challenge room the player may still complete the challenge and advance after running out of time with no penalty other than a lower score Most dungeons naturally end with a fight against a boss Performance is ranked according to a medal system a good run is rewarded with a gold medal for the room while an especially poor or slow run may not garner a medal at all Rooms and bosses may be replayed as many times as the player desires in order to achieve a better score or find hidden bonuses After defeating each monster boss in the Boss section of the Book of Prophecy the player unlocks a new page in a special Book chapter These pages contain questions about the coming world and the Codes that are inserted as answers serve to determine the aspects of it Such aspects include the inhabitants housing and the background music Answers can be filled in differently as many times as the player wishes yielding different results with different code combinations Romance edit Players familiar with other games by Marvelous Entertainment producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto will likely compare the affection system featured in Avalon Code to that of games such as Story of Seasons titles and the fantasy tinged Role Playing Game spin off series Rune Factory even though the protagonists of Avalon Code are too young for marriage Most human non player characters can be given gifts and as previously mentioned have different tastes and aspirations Avalon Code features a total of fourteen eligible non player characters who may take a romantic interest in the player character as various side quests are completed In the course of the campaign Yumil may date characters labelled as Heroines in the Book of Prophecy kind but terminally ill orphan Fana determined heiress Princess Dorothea guarded psychic Nanaida precocious elf Sylphy while Tia may date one of the Heroes wary street kid Rex vigilant aspiring hero Duran emotionless swordsman Anwar devoted commander General Heath Six additional characters become available as love interests after the completion of the main quest two Book Spirits apiece along with a Hero and Heroine not listed in the game s instruction booklet Most character related side quests may be undertaken by either Yumil or Tia even if the character in question is of the same gender as the player or the player already has an established significant other Developing platonic relationships adds new back story information to entries in the Book of Prophecy Every Hero and Heroine also has a particularly gripping personal issue that manifests itself in the form of a locked Code piece For example the sword master Gustav s son Duran was unable to stop a tragedy that happened before his eyes A square in his Mental Map is taken up by 1 Weakness that is removable only by helping him come to a better understanding of the past Plot editThe plot centers on a young peasant who has been plagued with apocalyptic and prophetic nightmares for weeks prior to the beginning of the story The latest dream shown in the opening cinematic features a mysterious voice The voice reveals that the protagonist s world has undergone countless reincarnations in the past and is fated to a cycle of correction destruction and rebirth until true enlightenment is achieved and that the main character has been chosen by the Powers That Be to deem the people places and things of the current world worthy or unworthy of being carried over into the next This voice is that of a magical sentient record book called the Book of Prophecy Taking this tome the newly appointed Chosen One sets out to find and befriend four guiding elemental Book Spirits who take residence in the Book Throughout the journey the Chosen One learns more about a hidden plot to hasten the imminent apocalypse playing out beneath a shallow political feud with the neighbouring kingdom and the decisions of the previous Chosen One Development editIn May 2008 Famitsu featured Avalon Code in their Nintendo DS spotlight The game gained attention early on for its high quality 3D engine 4 Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games showcased the game as part of their game portfolio at that year s Electronic Entertainment Expo with plans to release the U S version of the game in the first fiscal quarter of 2009 10 Less than a month before its release in Japan the game was showcased at the Tokyo Game Show at Marvelous Entertainment Japan s booth 11 Originally the game s Book of Prophecy was intended to be a virtual book that could be written in using the touch pad on the Nintendo DS 12 In an interview with Siliconera producer and scenario writer Yoshifumi Hashimoto said in the beginning of the planning stages I thought about the players actually writing become weaker into the book but realized that this will take too long from the time the user thinks about it to the time it ll actually change Plus I wanted players from other countries to all play the game the same way so I decided to go with moving codes icons around 8 Avalon Code s character designs were done by the Japanese illustrator HACCAN while much of the scenery and promotional art is accredited to the Japanese artist group Kusanagi 5 The opening theme Deep Forest was sung by Japanese pop musician Kana Yazumi 13 Reception editReceptionAggregate scoreAggregatorScoreMetacritic71 100 14 Review scoresPublicationScoreFamitsu30 40 15 Game Informer7 10 16 GamePro nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 17 GameRevolutionC 18 GameSpot5 5 10 7 GameZone8 10 19 IGN8 3 10 20 Nintendo Power8 5 10 21 Nintendo World Report6 10 22 Official Nintendo Magazine77 23 Avalon Code received average reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic 14 24 1UP com called it the kind of game that s bursting with creativity and ambition but constantly trips over its own good intentions 25 IGN called the game s core component the Book of Prophecy a compelling mechanic you won t find anywhere else 20 Nintendo Life praised the game for its stunning visuals but criticized the Book of Prophecy for being ridiculously annoying to browse through to find the data you need 3 GameSpot referred to the Book as the game s most unique and fascinating feature but said that overall Avalon Code is a thoroughly mundane adventure despite some interesting but poorly implemented concepts 7 In Japan Famitsu gave it a score of one seven one eight one seven and one eight for a total of 30 out of 40 15 References edit Avalon Code NDS IGN Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved April 3 2014 Avalon Code Video Game 2008 IMDb Archived from the original on April 5 2012 Retrieved April 4 2014 a b c Wild Kim April 8 2010 Review Avalon Code DS Nintendo Life Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved April 4 2014 a b Tanaka John May 9 2008 Matrix Brings Avalon Code to the DS IGN Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved April 3 2014 a b アヴァロンコード 魅力的なキャラクターたち in Japanese Famitsu July 28 2008 Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved April 4 2014 Ouden Adriaan den 2008 Avalon Code Staff Review RPGamer Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved April 3 2014 a b c Stella Shiva May 1 2009 Avalon Code Review GameSpot Archived from the original on February 4 2018 Retrieved April 3 2014 a b Spencer March 9 2009 All About Avalon Code Siliconera Archived from the original on April 10 2014 Retrieved April 5 2014 Yang Louise April 9 2009 Avalon Code The First Chapter Siliconera Archived from the original on April 10 2014 Retrieved April 5 2014 Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games Official Press Release GameSpy July 11 2008 Archived from the original on June 10 2011 Retrieved April 3 2014 Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games Partner to Participate at Tokyo Game Show Official Press Release GameSpy October 9 2008 Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved April 3 2014 Spencer March 6 2009 Originally Avalon Code Had A Virtual Book Of Prophecy To Write In Siliconera Archived from the original on April 10 2014 Retrieved April 5 2014 Perfect Fit deep forest 矢住夏菜 in Japanese Oricon com Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved April 5 2014 a b Avalon Code for DS Reviews Metacritic Archived from the original on May 23 2015 Retrieved April 3 2014 a b rawmeatcowboy October 22 2008 Famitsu review scores GoNintendo Archived from the original on February 19 2019 Retrieved July 26 2017 Juba Joe May 2009 Avalon Code A Unique RPG Concept Marred By Clumsy RPG Gameplay Game Informer No 193 Retrieved July 26 2017 Balistrieri Emily April 2009 Avalon Code GamePro p 83 Archived from the original on January 30 2010 Retrieved July 26 2017 Card Ben May 19 2009 Avalon Code Review Game Revolution Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved July 26 2017 Platt Dylan March 30 2009 Avalon Code NDS Review GameZone Archived from the original on April 3 2009 Retrieved July 26 2017 a b Hatfield Daemon March 6 2009 Avalon Code Review IGN Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved April 3 2014 Avalon Code Nintendo Power Vol 240 April 2009 p 90 Miller Zachary May 16 2009 Avalon Code Nintendo World Report Archived from the original on February 19 2019 Retrieved July 26 2017 Avalon Code review Official Nintendo Magazine May 2010 p 83 Akerman Nick November 24 2009 Rising Star Games Q1 2010 release schedule announced GameSpot Archived from the original on February 10 2014 Retrieved April 4 2014 Parish Jeremy March 10 2009 Avalon Code DS 1UP com Archived from the original on April 13 2014 Retrieved April 3 2014 External links editOfficial website Avalon Code at MobyGames Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Avalon Code amp oldid 1182882732, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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