Cute Knight
Encyclopedia
Cute Knight is a casual
life simulation
role-playing video game
with many possible endings and careers featuring a single female character. Gameplay is similar to the Japan
ese Princess Maker
with more traditionally Western first-person perspective dungeons
.
/computer role-playing game game where the player takes the role of Michiko from 18 to 21.Michiko is the default character name; however, the player can enter another name. The game uses stats
which determine how well she does in various tasks and her combat ability. In addition, her stats and key events
determine the jobs she is able to do. The goal of the game is to unlock unlockable content and various endings, particularly good endings. The game ends after three years unless a special event ends the game sooner or Michiko's dream stat reaches 0; if the latter occurs the game still unlocks an ending, but its always a bad ending based on her stats and key events triggered.
Tasks affect stats, generally positively. Michiko's stats determine whether the task is completed successfully in a given day, with success often resulting in monetary gain. Each task takes one week of game time unless an annual event interferes with it. In addition, these annual events last for a varying number of days. During some of these events various mini-games can occur. Winning these mini-games may trigger key events or grant items, money, and/or stats boost. The game starts out with a few available tasks, but more open up by triggering key events and/or working at a particular place for some time. Several jobs can also be removed because of key events or high level of the sin
stat.
Combat occurs inside a multi-level dungeon. Time passes as the player moves through the dungeon. The player can chose to either defeat the monster in combat or attempt to tame the monster, getting it to leave Michiko alone. If the player kills a living creature (as opposed to golems or undead), it increases Michiko's sin. Sin goes down if the player works at the church or the doctor's. Combat is turn-based and features magic point
-based charms (spells). These spells use nine elements, including the classical four
. If Michiko's hit points (HP) drop to zero the player is automatically rescued. There is no character death, but she may need to pay to recover her lost health. Regardless, it will deplete the Dream meter during her recovery period and may lead to the bad ending.
To find out the whole truth you have to win the wizard challenge, find princess Alexandra, win the May festival and discover your birthmark. Depending on whether you have high or low sin, and befriended Kiralan in the stables, you can end up being either: regent Queen, a mischief princess, or joint ruler with Kiralan.
series. and released online-only on December 31, 2005. It was later re-released on 2007 in an expanded version with updated features as Cute Knight Deluxe. This version was published by iWin and available at retail.
On August 18, 2009 the first previews of a sequel, Cute Knight Kingdom On November 13 the game was officially released. While Cute Knight Kingdom still takes thematic and gameplay elements from the Princess Maker
series, it is also heavily influenced by Japanese role-playing games
.
gives the game 4/5 stars. Bell comments positively that the game actually lets you "role-play" Michiko allowing the player to spend their time cooking or cleaning rather than forcing them into traditional role-playing games like Dragon Quest
or Final Fantasy
comparing Cute Knight as a short-story version of such games. She comments that Cute Knight is a great casual game
stating, "Cute Knight...strips away a lot of...weightiness while remaining true to its RPG roots. The result is a light adventure that's easy to get into and can be played in short spurts - in other words, it's perfect for the casual gamer." While her comments are generally positive, she does comment on the graphics being mediocre, but complains more about the tasks which she comments can become repetitive wishing there was some kind of mini-games to break the monotony.
Most Innovative Casual Game of 2006. It was also listed as Game Tunnel's 2005 RPG of the Year. The original game has also been nominated and awarded from other sites as well.
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
life simulation
Life simulation game
Life simulation games is a sub-genre of simulation video games in which the player lives or controls one or more virtual lifeforms...
role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
with many possible endings and careers featuring a single female character. Gameplay is similar to the 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 Princess Maker
Princess Maker
is a series of Japanese life simulation bishōjo games by the computer game and anime production company Gainax. The first Princess Maker, while popular enough to be translated into Chinese, was never released in the United States. Princess Maker 2 was translated by for a North American release,...
with more traditionally Western first-person perspective dungeons
Level (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
.
Gameplay
Cute Knight is a life simulationLife simulation game
Life simulation games is a sub-genre of simulation video games in which the player lives or controls one or more virtual lifeforms...
/computer role-playing game game where the player takes the role of Michiko from 18 to 21.Michiko is the default character name; however, the player can enter another name. The game uses stats
Statistic (role-playing games)
A statistic in role-playing games is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. That piece of data is usually a integer or, in some cases, a set of dice....
which determine how well she does in various tasks and her combat ability. In addition, her stats and key events
Flag (computing)
In computer programming, flag can refer to one or more bits that are used to store a binary value or code that has an assigned meaning, but can refer to uses of other data types...
determine the jobs she is able to do. The goal of the game is to unlock unlockable content and various endings, particularly good endings. The game ends after three years unless a special event ends the game sooner or Michiko's dream stat reaches 0; if the latter occurs the game still unlocks an ending, but its always a bad ending based on her stats and key events triggered.
Tasks affect stats, generally positively. Michiko's stats determine whether the task is completed successfully in a given day, with success often resulting in monetary gain. Each task takes one week of game time unless an annual event interferes with it. In addition, these annual events last for a varying number of days. During some of these events various mini-games can occur. Winning these mini-games may trigger key events or grant items, money, and/or stats boost. The game starts out with a few available tasks, but more open up by triggering key events and/or working at a particular place for some time. Several jobs can also be removed because of key events or high level of the sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
stat.
Combat occurs inside a multi-level dungeon. Time passes as the player moves through the dungeon. The player can chose to either defeat the monster in combat or attempt to tame the monster, getting it to leave Michiko alone. If the player kills a living creature (as opposed to golems or undead), it increases Michiko's sin. Sin goes down if the player works at the church or the doctor's. Combat is turn-based and features magic point
Magic point
Magic points are units of magical power that are used in many role-playing, computer role-playing and similar games as an expendable resource that is needed to pay for magic spells and other abilities, such as special attacks...
-based charms (spells). These spells use nine elements, including the classical four
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
. If Michiko's hit points (HP) drop to zero the player is automatically rescued. There is no character death, but she may need to pay to recover her lost health. Regardless, it will deplete the Dream meter during her recovery period and may lead to the bad ending.
Characters
- Michiko - The default name for the player character. She begins the game as an orphan and is looking for her real family. If the player seeks to find the true family, which are ending one, it is revealed that Michiko and Kirelan were switched at birth by Queen Penelope whom wanted a baby boy but gave birth to Michiko instead. She pays a man to steal her a child and take her own away. This child is the son of the magic teacher Orchid.
To find out the whole truth you have to win the wizard challenge, find princess Alexandra, win the May festival and discover your birthmark. Depending on whether you have high or low sin, and befriended Kiralan in the stables, you can end up being either: regent Queen, a mischief princess, or joint ruler with Kiralan.
The Royal Family
- Princess Alexandra - The kingdom's runaway princess, she bears a striking resemblance to the player character. She can be found picking through trash in the slums, and the player can choose to either help her return home or impersonate her.
- Prince Kirelan - Raised as heir to the kingdom, he does not resemble either the king or the queen. He prefers the company of animals to life at court and spends a week at the church stables at the end of every month on the 23rd.
- Queen Penelope - She judges the Flower Queen Festival each year at the end of March, and the player must win the contest in order to speak with her. She has concealed the truth about her first child for over eighteen years.
- King Humphrey - He presides over the Tournament of Champions at each Midsummer Festival and shows no awareness of the various kidnappings and impersonations that plague his immediate family.
- The Old Nursemaid - The servant who raised both Kirelan and Alexandra can be encountered at the library while reading to the children there. She provides crucial hints about the player character's true identity.
Teachers and Employers
- Orchid - The magic teacher, she also presides over the Wizard's Challenge at the Midsummer Tournament. She has one daughter, Rose, and also an older son who was stolen from her as a baby. This baby is in fact prince Kirelan.
- Shane - The fighting teacher, he sometimes spends his evenings drinking at the inn. This can be the beginning of romance for the player character if she is the one to drag him home.
- Lisa - The green-haired librarian secretly yearns for adventure and romance. The player character can choose to provide her with both.
- Darla - The dance teacher generally wins the Flower Queen contest each year, so hers is the score you must beat if you want to talk to Queen Penelope.
- The Crafting Teacher - This unnamed, reckless fellow is seeking items from the dungeon for a mysterious experiment. He's also Carmen's uncle.
- Jareth - The leader of a gang of thieves in the slums, he is encountered only if the player character becomes so sinful that she is forbidden to return to town. Joining him is necessary in order to meet Princess Alexandra.
- Others - No plotlines involve the Exercise or Kitchen Science teachers, the innkeeper, shopkeeper, or nun.
Girls
- Rose - The magic teacher's daughter, met at magic class.
- Brittany - A blonde girl wearing a large bow, met in dance class, while working in the store or (if you two met at the store) after math class.
- Carmen - A gossip, met socialising in the square.
- Abby - A very competitive chef, met at cooking class or while working at the inn.
Release and development
Cute Knight was originally developed by Hanako Games and based on the Princess MakerPrincess Maker
is a series of Japanese life simulation bishōjo games by the computer game and anime production company Gainax. The first Princess Maker, while popular enough to be translated into Chinese, was never released in the United States. Princess Maker 2 was translated by for a North American release,...
series. and released online-only on December 31, 2005. It was later re-released on 2007 in an expanded version with updated features as Cute Knight Deluxe. This version was published by iWin and available at retail.
On August 18, 2009 the first previews of a sequel, Cute Knight Kingdom On November 13 the game was officially released. While Cute Knight Kingdom still takes thematic and gameplay elements from the Princess Maker
Princess Maker
is a series of Japanese life simulation bishōjo games by the computer game and anime production company Gainax. The first Princess Maker, while popular enough to be translated into Chinese, was never released in the United States. Princess Maker 2 was translated by for a North American release,...
series, it is also heavily influenced by Japanese role-playing games
Japanese role-playing games
Japanese role-playing games made their first appearance during the late 1980s. Today, there are hundreds of Japanese-designed games as well as several translated games...
.
Reviews
Erin Bell of GameZeboGamezebo
Gamezebo is a website that focuses on editorial coverage of the casual games industry, offering interviews, features, reviews, previews, strategy guides, news and podcasts....
gives the game 4/5 stars. Bell comments positively that the game actually lets you "role-play" Michiko allowing the player to spend their time cooking or cleaning rather than forcing them into traditional role-playing games like Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
or Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
comparing Cute Knight as a short-story version of such games. She comments that Cute Knight is a great casual game
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
stating, "Cute Knight...strips away a lot of...weightiness while remaining true to its RPG roots. The result is a light adventure that's easy to get into and can be played in short spurts - in other words, it's perfect for the casual gamer." While her comments are generally positive, she does comment on the graphics being mediocre, but complains more about the tasks which she comments can become repetitive wishing there was some kind of mini-games to break the monotony.
Awards
Cute Knight has been the recipient of multiple nominations and awards, It was a nominee for Yahoo! GamesYahoo! Games
Yahoo! Games is the section of the Yahoo! website in which Yahoo! users can play games either with other users or by themselves. The games on the website are typically Java applets or quick Flash games, but there are others which require a download. Many of the games that require a download...
Most Innovative Casual Game of 2006. It was also listed as Game Tunnel's 2005 RPG of the Year. The original game has also been nominated and awarded from other sites as well.