Marl Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, released in Japan as is a console role-playing game for the PlayStation from Atlus USA and Nippon Ichi Software, the creators of Disgaea, and is part of the Marl Kingdom series....
, Little Princess: Marl Ōkoku no Ningyō Hime 2
Little Princess: Marl Okoku no Ningyo Hime 2
is a Japan-only RPG from the Marl Kingdom series. The game was released three times — once in 1999, once as Little Princess+1: Marl Ōkoku no Ningyō Hime 2 in 2000, and then in the PSOne Books series in 2001....
, and Tenshi no Present - Marl Ōkoku Monogatari
Tenshi no Present - Marl Okoku Monogatari
is a Japanese 2000 RPG from Nippon Ichi. This is the first Marl Kingdom game for the PlayStation 2. Unlike the previous games in the series, this game was only released once, although a special limited edition version of the game was released concurrently....
.
The first two games were released on the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, whereas the latter was for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. Only Rhapsody was translated to English, and was published by Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
in 2000
2000 in video gaming
-Events:* May 11–13 — 6th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo ; the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E³* June 26 — International Game Developers Association renamed from Computer Game Developers Association...
. The other two games' scripts have been translated to English by fans.
Characteristics
Like most Nippon IchiNippon Ichi
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. They are responsible for such titles as Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Phantom Brave, La Pucelle: Tactics and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure.-History:Nippon Ichi Software was founded in September 1991 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, as an entertainment...
games, the Marl games feature bright, anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
influenced graphics. All the games use 2D backgrounds and sprites, with the exception of Tenshi no Present, which has 3D backgrounds with 2D sprites. Each of the games were created by Yoshitsuna Kobayashi and feature the artwork of Yoshiharu Nomura, whereas the music was composed by Tenpei Sato
Tenpei Sato
is a video game composer and voice actor. His most notable works are his soundtracks for Nippon Ichi Software games, such as Disgaea and Phantom Brave. He also provides voice-over for games and movies.-Biography:...
, a regular for handling Nippon Ichi games. Sato described Rhapsody's music as a "complete musical with both solos and choruses" and said "...it was a fun and refreshing experience."
The Marl games, similar to other Nippon Ichi video games, feature goofy senses of humor, tongue-in-cheek melodrama, and quirky casts of heroes and villains. For instance, Cornet, in Rhapsody, attacks enemies with monstrous storms of confectionary foods, while her rival, the seemingly polite Etoile, pulls out machine guns on her enemies. Along with the humor, there is a certain level of girlishness
Femininity
Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with girls and women. Though socially constructed, femininity is made up of both socially defined and biologically created factors...
to each game, the plot often focusing on issues of love rather than complex politics and evil demon lords. Each game also features musical numbers.
Each of the Marl video games, with the exception of the puzzle games, are console role-playing games. Rhapsody and Little Princess are geared to be simpler RPGs, focusing more on story than complex gameplay, while Tenshi no Present's gameplay has more depth in it.
Rhapsody
Rhapsody: A Musical AdventureRhapsody: A Musical Adventure
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, released in Japan as is a console role-playing game for the PlayStation from Atlus USA and Nippon Ichi Software, the creators of Disgaea, and is part of the Marl Kingdom series....
(Marl Kingdom: The Adventure of the Puppet Princess in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
) was the first Marl Kingdom game. It was released on PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
on December 17, 1998 in 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...
and on July 30, 2000 in the USA and was remade 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...
in 2008
2008 in video gaming
Notable events of 2008 in video gaming. See also history of video games. The release dates listed in this article are the games' original release dates.-Events:...
. The game became an instant cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
among fans and never gained much popularity in the mainstream. This game was also one of the first Nippon Ichi
Nippon Ichi
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. They are responsible for such titles as Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Phantom Brave, La Pucelle: Tactics and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure.-History:Nippon Ichi Software was founded in September 1991 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, as an entertainment...
games to feature the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
art style and to have an offbeat sense of humor that has become a staple for the games Nippon Ichi has released.
In this game, Cornet, a young puppeteer, and her puppet friend Kururu face off against the almost menacing Marjoly and her minions in a battle over the prince. Battles are fought in a tactics
Tactical role-playing game
A tactical role-playing game is a type of video game which incorporates elements of traditional role-playing video games and strategy games. In Japan these games are known as , a designation which might seem peculiar to native English speakers...
fashion. This is the only Marl game to use this style. There are also a few musical numbers featured in the game, sung by various characters.
Little Princess
Little Princess: Marl Ōkoku no Ningyō Hime 2 (Puppet Princess of the Marl Kingdom 2: Little Princess in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
) was the second in the series. It was released on November 25, 1999 and was only released in 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...
for the PlayStation. Like the game before it, Little Princess was released three times.
After Rhapsody, Cornet and her prince have a child and call her Kururu, after Cornet's friend. The game follows Kururu's adventures. Little Princess dumps the tactics battles for a more traditional RPG system. Musical numbers are also included.
Little Princess is also the first of the Marl series to be featured for download via the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
in Japan. The download became available on May 31, 2007. This version can be played on either the PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
or PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Tenshi no Present
Tenshi no Present - Marl Ōkoku Monogatari (Angel's Present: A Marl Kingdom Story in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
) was the third game in the Marl series. It was released on December 21, 2000 in Japan for the PS2. This was the only main Marl game to come out on the PS2 and was the last Marl game, and unlike the other two games, Tenshi no Present has only one release date. Upon release, there was a limited edition version, however.
Tenshi no Present, instead of focusing on just one story, is broken up into chapters similar to Dragon Quest IV, each with its own story and characters, including ones from previous games. The battle system recycles the traditional RPG one, adding the ability to have characters on the side lines, aiding the main party.
Puzzle games
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, is a Mahjong
Mahjong
Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
game with Marl elements. Marl de Jigsaw, for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, is a puzzle game, where the player must assemble jigsaw puzzles, along the lines of Pieces
Pieces (video game)
Pieces is a 1994 puzzle game for the SNES published by Atlus. In the game, the player has to solve jigsaw puzzles.-Gameplay:The player can either face a computer, or up to five human players...
. Similarly to most games in Japan, games with Marl characters could be played on cellphones.
Other games
Several games developed by Nippon Ichi are often considered to be part of the Marl Kingdom world, such as Disgaea: Hour of DarknessDisgaea: Hour of Darkness
is a tactical role-playing video game developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by Nippon Ichi Software in Japan, Atlus USA, Inc. in North America, and Koei in Europe for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
and Makai Kingdom. In particular, La Pucelle: Tactics
La Pucelle: Tactics
La Pucelle: Tactics, released in Japan as , is a tactical role-playing game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Nippon Ichi Software. It was released in Japan in January 2002, and in North America by Mastiff in May 2004...
takes place in the same world, but at a different time in history and location and features the grandson of Cornet. A grown-up version of Elly from Angel's Present also makes an appearance. Antiphona no Seikahime: Tenshi no Gakufu Op.A, a musical RPG for the PSP, also takes place in the same world. Players can travel to Marl's Kingdom, and Marjoly and the Nyankos make an appearance.
Merchandise
The Adventure of Etoile Rosenqueen from Marl Kingdom is an "audio book" that chronicles the rivalry between Cornet and Etoile in between the first and second games which was released in 2006. Tenpei Sato composed the music for it and it was only released in Japan.RosenQueen.com, named after Etoile Rosenqueen from the Marl games, was an online division of NIS America that sells various games and merchandise concerning the NIS games. In late 2010, however, they closed down RosenQueen, and made the merchandise shop a generic part of the NIS site.
The series also has calenders, soundtracks, phone cards, novels, comics, and plushies.
Reception
Rhapsody has retained a cult following, but remains mostly unheard of in mainstream video gaming. With an emphasis on girlish themes and musical numbers, Rhapsody gained little popularity with the gaming industry in America. However, in Japan, the series went on to have two sequels and sold well. Examples such as the cellphone gaming indicate that the Marl series is treated just as any other RPG series in Japan, whereas more of an oddity in North America.Other Nippon Ichi games such as the Disgaea
Disgaea
is a video game series of tactical role-playing games created and developed by Nippon Ichi. The series debuted in Japan on January 30, , with Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, later re-released as Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and Disgaea DS. One of Nippon Ichi's most popular franchises, it has branched...
series, which are sometimes considered to be part of the Marl Kingdom world, have gained a large amount of popularity in America, years after Rhapsody was released. These games continue with the humorous approach to story telling and feature similar sugary character designs.