Age of Empires: The Age of Kings
Encyclopedia
Age of Empires: The Age of Kings is a turn-based strategy
video game developed by Backbone Entertainment
and published by Majesco for the Nintendo DS
handheld
video game console
.
Age of Empires: The Age of Kings allows the player to command any one of five historical civilizations: the Briton
s, Franks
, Mongols
, Saracens and Japan
ese. It has a single-player campaign and scenario mode, as well as a multiplayer wireless
and hotseat
mode.
as opposed to turn-based strategy, The Age of Kings incorporates several features and mechanics commonly associated with real-time strategy, including technology advancement and resource and building management.
The playing field is divided into a grid, with the player having an overhead perspective of the map. Units are able to move a certain amount of spaces in the four cardinal directions, with how far they can go affected by several variables, including the unit's natural movement abilities and terrain. Each unit type is given a specific amount of spaces that it can move, with some having better movement capabilities than others. There are a variety of terrain types, such as roads, forests and grass. Roads are best for movement, while some terrains slow the player down but can provide other advantages, such as extra range or defense.
Each of the five civilizations has its own hero, which is stronger than other units. The Japanese hero is Minamoto no Yoshitsune
; the Saracens' hero is Saladin
; the Mongols' hero is Genghis Khan
; the Franks' hero is Joan of Arc
; and the Britons' hero is King Richard the Lionheart. Each hero has special abilities which are unique to them. Each civilization is also unique in the sense that they have different Unit Art (except for the Franks
and Britons), different Special Units (powerful civilization-specific units trainable from castles), and different high- and low-cost units.
Most units are divided into four main categories: Infantry, cavalry, ranged and siege units. Infantry and cavalry units are only able to attack an enemy unit or structure in any adjacent square (with the exception of squares which are diagonally adjacent), while ranged units and some siege units are able to attack from a greater distance. Each unit has movement, attack, defense, range and vision values. Some units may have additional defensive bonuses against certain types of enemy units or abilities.
There are many variables to be taken into account before battling an enemy. Before entering the battle, the game will display the statistics of both units, which consists of the units' health points, attack power, and defensive capabilities. This screen shows an adviser, who predicts the chance a given attack has of being successful. The attack power and defensive capabilities of the attacking unit vary depending on the opposing unit's special abilities. When the units enter into battle, many warriors are seen, which begin to battle each other. The attacking units usually do more damage as they get the first strike. As a unit's HP drops, their attack power does as well.
The player can advance their civilization by researching new units, technologies and other advancements. Once the player advances far enough in research or completes certain conditions, a new age is made available. Players usually start in the first age, the Dark Age, and progress through later ages, including the Feudal
, Castle
and Imperial ages
. Advancing in age unlocks new subjects for the player to research, makes additional buildings and units available, and upgrades existing units to their equivalent in the new age.
, and in some missions the player starts out with some buildings while in others the player may start without any. By playing to earn "Empire Points", the player can buy powerful units to use in-game from the Bonus Items Shop, as well as new maps to play on in Single Scenario (freeplay) mode. Each mission has main goals as well as secondary goals, the latter of which increase the amount of Empire Points gained when the mission is completed.
mode, or in wireless multi-card mode, where each player has a DS and a copy of the game.
(based on 45 reviews), and an average score of 80/100 at Metacritic
(based on 38 reviews). IGN
gave it an 8.2/10, saying that the gameplay was solid, although they stated that it should have had more civilizations and online play. Both IGN and Electronic Gaming Monthly
each gave it a Game of the Month award. It received an award for "Best Game Design" Elan award in the inaugural Canadian Awards for the Electronic & Animated Arts on September 14, 2006. It was also nominated for 2006 BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Award): Best Strategy Game.
units and after the end of a mission. Majesco released claims that they were investigating the issue but no official solution or replacements have ever become available, only workarounds.
Majesco has determined that using a short profile name (two to three characters in length) may be causing some issues and has suggested users change their profile name to at least four characters as a temporary workaround. Majesco eventually began inserting a slip of paper into all copies of The Age of Kings they produced, which warned users of the problem and provided the workaround.
Also the "Longswordsman" unit, when selected, doesn’t display a "unit name".
Due to financial difficulties, Majesco has restructured their website and removed their forums. The original information regarding the technical issues is no longer directly available. However, the glitches are mentioned in a review from Mygamer.com: "The game also has a number of bugs that freeze the game up during battles or when you save."
Turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy game is a strategy game where players take turns when playing...
video game developed by Backbone Entertainment
Backbone Entertainment
Backbone Entertainment is an independent video game development company located in Emeryville, California.Backbone Entertainment is the result of a 2003 merger between Digital Eclipse Software and ImaginEngine...
and published by Majesco for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
handheld
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
.
Age of Empires: The Age of Kings allows the player to command any one of five historical civilizations: the Briton
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
s, Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
, Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
, Saracens and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese. It has a single-player campaign and scenario mode, as well as a multiplayer wireless
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
and hotseat
Hotseat (multiplayer mode)
Hotseat or hot seat is a multiplayer mode provided by some turn-based video games, which allows two or more players to play on the same device by taking turns playing the game...
mode.
Gameplay
Age of Empires: The Age of Kings is turn-based. As a derivative of the Age of Empires series, other games of which are real-time strategyReal-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
as opposed to turn-based strategy, The Age of Kings incorporates several features and mechanics commonly associated with real-time strategy, including technology advancement and resource and building management.
The playing field is divided into a grid, with the player having an overhead perspective of the map. Units are able to move a certain amount of spaces in the four cardinal directions, with how far they can go affected by several variables, including the unit's natural movement abilities and terrain. Each unit type is given a specific amount of spaces that it can move, with some having better movement capabilities than others. There are a variety of terrain types, such as roads, forests and grass. Roads are best for movement, while some terrains slow the player down but can provide other advantages, such as extra range or defense.
Each of the five civilizations has its own hero, which is stronger than other units. The Japanese hero is Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura...
; the Saracens' hero is Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
; the Mongols' hero is Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
; the Franks' hero is Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
; and the Britons' hero is King Richard the Lionheart. Each hero has special abilities which are unique to them. Each civilization is also unique in the sense that they have different Unit Art (except for the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
and Britons), different Special Units (powerful civilization-specific units trainable from castles), and different high- and low-cost units.
Most units are divided into four main categories: Infantry, cavalry, ranged and siege units. Infantry and cavalry units are only able to attack an enemy unit or structure in any adjacent square (with the exception of squares which are diagonally adjacent), while ranged units and some siege units are able to attack from a greater distance. Each unit has movement, attack, defense, range and vision values. Some units may have additional defensive bonuses against certain types of enemy units or abilities.
There are many variables to be taken into account before battling an enemy. Before entering the battle, the game will display the statistics of both units, which consists of the units' health points, attack power, and defensive capabilities. This screen shows an adviser, who predicts the chance a given attack has of being successful. The attack power and defensive capabilities of the attacking unit vary depending on the opposing unit's special abilities. When the units enter into battle, many warriors are seen, which begin to battle each other. The attacking units usually do more damage as they get the first strike. As a unit's HP drops, their attack power does as well.
The player can advance their civilization by researching new units, technologies and other advancements. Once the player advances far enough in research or completes certain conditions, a new age is made available. Players usually start in the first age, the Dark Age, and progress through later ages, including the Feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
, Castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
and Imperial ages
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
. Advancing in age unlocks new subjects for the player to research, makes additional buildings and units available, and upgrades existing units to their equivalent in the new age.
Campaign
The Age of Kings includes a campaign divided into five sections, one for each civilization. Each section contains five or six missions. The first section of the campaign, following Joan of Arc, acts as a tutorial and educates the player about the basics of the game. Campaign missions vary widely in characteristics. Some contain a field effect known as the fog of warFog of war
The fog of war is a term used to describe the uncertainty in situation awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign...
, and in some missions the player starts out with some buildings while in others the player may start without any. By playing to earn "Empire Points", the player can buy powerful units to use in-game from the Bonus Items Shop, as well as new maps to play on in Single Scenario (freeplay) mode. Each mission has main goals as well as secondary goals, the latter of which increase the amount of Empire Points gained when the mission is completed.
Multiplayer
The Age of Kings contains a multiplayer mode which can support up to four players. Multiplayer can be played on a single DS in hotseatHotseat (multiplayer mode)
Hotseat or hot seat is a multiplayer mode provided by some turn-based video games, which allows two or more players to play on the same device by taking turns playing the game...
mode, or in wireless multi-card mode, where each player has a DS and a copy of the game.
Development
The vast majority of content from Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings was ported to the DS, in what Official Nintendo Magazine described as a huge task. The sole exception was said to be the political scheming in the PC version, though there was still some contained in the DS counterpart.Reception
Age of Empires: The Age of Kings has received an average score of 80.0% at Game RankingsGame Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
(based on 45 reviews), and an average score of 80/100 at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
(based on 38 reviews). IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it an 8.2/10, saying that the gameplay was solid, although they stated that it should have had more civilizations and online play. Both IGN and Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
each gave it a Game of the Month award. It received an award for "Best Game Design" Elan award in the inaugural Canadian Awards for the Electronic & Animated Arts on September 14, 2006. It was also nominated for 2006 BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Award): Best Strategy Game.
Technical issues
Some players have experienced technical issues which can impair gameplay or damage the data on the cartridge. The game data can become corrupted during a save and quit operation, preventing the cartridge from booting afterwards. The game may sometimes freeze in a battle involving scorpionBallista
The ballista , plural ballistae, was an ancient missile weapon which launched a large projectile at a distant target....
units and after the end of a mission. Majesco released claims that they were investigating the issue but no official solution or replacements have ever become available, only workarounds.
Majesco has determined that using a short profile name (two to three characters in length) may be causing some issues and has suggested users change their profile name to at least four characters as a temporary workaround. Majesco eventually began inserting a slip of paper into all copies of The Age of Kings they produced, which warned users of the problem and provided the workaround.
Also the "Longswordsman" unit, when selected, doesn’t display a "unit name".
Due to financial difficulties, Majesco has restructured their website and removed their forums. The original information regarding the technical issues is no longer directly available. However, the glitches are mentioned in a review from Mygamer.com: "The game also has a number of bugs that freeze the game up during battles or when you save."