RIZ-ZOAWD
Encyclopedia
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road, known in Japan
as RIZ-ZOAWD, is a role-playing video game
for the Nintendo DS
. It was developed by the Japan
ese video game developer Media.Vision
. The game is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum
's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
, using its characters, locations and plot. The game was originally published in Japan by D3 Publisher
on December 25, 2008. Xseed Games
published the game in North America on September 29, 2009.
, where turn-based battles are fought in a first-person view
. The abilities of the playable characters are based on their personalities and action from the original story, an example being the Cowardly Lion allowing you to escape from enemy encounters.
In this RPG, The Witches are divided up by seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Along with the two evil witches (Deene and Horiin), there are new enemies.
Each of the witches has a magical egg that the player is supposed to collect, there are ten in all, three each in the spring, summer, and fall levels and one in the winter level. After the player gets these Oz turns against them and they have to go defeat him by traveling the yellow brick road. But beware once you're in the castle there is only one way out, which is to defeat Oz.
along the way you gain abilities by meeting the elemental spirits and by defeating the dragon masters. Each time you defeat them you will gain magical abilities such as the ability to heal or to double the power of one friend's move.
, the company behind the Wild Arms
series. The game was produced by Wild Arms designer Tetsuya Okubo and directed by Nobuo Nakazawa, who joined the company starting with Wild Arms 2
. The game's Japanese title, RIZ-ZOAWD, is an anagram
of "Wizard" and "Oz". According to Nakazawa, the name come about through Japan's "tendency to like meaningless enumerations of letters and coined words" and that they chose the title because "it had a ring to it, the feeling of the word, and it sounded good to our ears".
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road was first unveiled in the Japanese magazine Famitsu
in June 2008, and was later shown in more detail at the Tokyo Game Show
months later. The game includes a limited edition music CD for its initial release in Japan, featuring six tracks including the game's title theme, composed and performed by Michiko Naruke
and Kaori Asoh
respectively. Xseed Games
announced in July 2009 that they had acquired the North American publishing rights to the game with licensing by Warner Bros.
respectively. IGN
reviewer Mark Bozon gave the game 8/10 stating: "It's great for younger (or casual) players, and it's also a haven for awesome RPG's – seldom is it both at once though...The Wizard of Oz is all about compromise, since the game is literally out to satisfy two very different crowds, it's simple enough for newcomers while still being deep enough for open-minded hardcore players too." He also goes on to praise the use of the trackball running/walking tool (calling it "catchy") and the sole use of the Nintendo DS
's touch screen function.
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...
as RIZ-ZOAWD, is a 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...
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...
. It was developed by 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 video game developer Media.Vision
Media.Vision
Media.Vision is a Japanese video game developer best known for the Wild Arms series of video game RPGs.-PlayStation:* Crime Crackers* Crime Crackers 2...
. The game is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
, using its characters, locations and plot. The game was originally published in Japan by D3 Publisher
D3 Publisher
D3Publisher is a Japanese video game publisher founded on February 5, 1992. Current CEO and president is Yuji Ito, and It is known for its Simple series of low-priced console games. Their games have been released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2,...
on December 25, 2008. Xseed Games
XSEED Games
XSEED redirects here. For the proposed supertall structure see X-Seed 4000.Xseed Games is a video game publisher and distributor founded by former members of Square Enix USA. Their goal is to bring high-quality interactive entertainment to the North American market...
published the game in North America on September 29, 2009.
Gameplay
RIZ-ZOAWD is controlled entirely with the stylus using a track ball on the bottom screen to move Dorothy around the 3-dimensional world of Oz where enemies appear on-screen and coming into contact with them triggers a battle. The game is a traditional console role-playing game in the same vein as Dragon QuestDragon 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...
, where turn-based battles are fought in a first-person view
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
. The abilities of the playable characters are based on their personalities and action from the original story, an example being the Cowardly Lion allowing you to escape from enemy encounters.
In this RPG, The Witches are divided up by seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Along with the two evil witches (Deene and Horiin), there are new enemies.
Plot
The game follows Dorothy and her group of friends as they complete a task for the Wizard of Oz. He asks them to defeat four different witches. After this, he promises to grant each of the companions' wishes.Each of the witches has a magical egg that the player is supposed to collect, there are ten in all, three each in the spring, summer, and fall levels and one in the winter level. After the player gets these Oz turns against them and they have to go defeat him by traveling the yellow brick road. But beware once you're in the castle there is only one way out, which is to defeat Oz.
along the way you gain abilities by meeting the elemental spirits and by defeating the dragon masters. Each time you defeat them you will gain magical abilities such as the ability to heal or to double the power of one friend's move.
Characters
- Dorothy GaleDorothy GaleDorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
: The protagonist, who, with her dog Toto, ended up in a magical world after a tornado and tries to find her way home by going to Oz Castle (Riz-Zoawd's version of the Emerald City). - ScarecrowScarecrow (Oz)The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator William Wallace Denslow. In his first appearance, the Scarecrow reveals that he lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old and merely...
: A friendly scarecrow Dorothy meets who, while an optimist, lacks a brain. - Tin WoodmanTin WoodmanThe Tin Woodman, sometimes referred to as the Tin Man or the Tin Woodsman , is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum...
: A metal woodsman Dorothy encounters in the woods who lacks a heart. - Cowardly LionCowardly LionThe Cowardly Lion is the main character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is a Lion, but he talks and interacts with humans....
: A lion who lacks courage, who Dorthy meets after the Scarecrow. - Flora: The Witch of the Spring and youngest of the three witch sisters, her realm is North of Oz Castle (Riz-Zoawd's Witch of the North).
- Delphi: The Witch of the Summer who is the middle sister and gets to the point, her realm is East of Oz Castle (Riz-Zoawd's Witch of the East).
- Holly: The Witch of the Fall and 1st born sister, her realm is West of Oz Castle (Riz-Zoawd's Witch of the West).
- Snowso: The Witch of the Winter, her domain is South of Oz Castle. She is the mother of the three witch Sisters. (Riz-Zoawd's Glinda the Good).
- Hood Cats: Cat-like beings that serve the Three Witch Sisters. (Riz-Zoawd's Nekozukin)
- Oz: The Ruler of OZ Castle. (Riz-Zoawd's "Great and Powerful" Oz).
- Pachi of Fire: Fire elemental who helps Dorothy.
- Hyul of Wind: Air elemental who helps Dorothy.
- Doron of Earth: Earth elemental who helps Dorothy.
- Ulu of Water: Water elemental who helps Dorothy.
- Jiyukaku: Tall Dragon Grandfather
- Kouyoku: Overweight Dragon Grandfather
- Io: Shortest of the Dragon Grandfathers
Development
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road was developed by Media.VisionMedia.Vision
Media.Vision is a Japanese video game developer best known for the Wild Arms series of video game RPGs.-PlayStation:* Crime Crackers* Crime Crackers 2...
, the company behind the Wild Arms
Wild Arms
is a role-playing game developed by software company Media.Vision and originally released in Japan in 1996 for the Sony PlayStation video game console and was later translated and released in North America in 1997 and Europe in 1998 by Sony Computer Entertainment...
series. The game was produced by Wild Arms designer Tetsuya Okubo and directed by Nobuo Nakazawa, who joined the company starting with Wild Arms 2
Wild Arms 2
Wild Arms 2, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by Media.Vision and published by Sony Computer Entertainment and the second installment in the Wild Arms series...
. The game's Japanese title, RIZ-ZOAWD, is an anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of "Wizard" and "Oz". According to Nakazawa, the name come about through Japan's "tendency to like meaningless enumerations of letters and coined words" and that they chose the title because "it had a ring to it, the feeling of the word, and it sounded good to our ears".
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road was first unveiled in the Japanese magazine Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
in June 2008, and was later shown in more detail at the Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
months later. The game includes a limited edition music CD for its initial release in Japan, featuring six tracks including the game's title theme, composed and performed by Michiko Naruke
Michiko Naruke
is a Japanese video game music composer, well-known for her work in the Wild Arms series.-Composing career:She used to work for Telenet Japan and Riot, but many people who worked for these two companies left, and along with Naruke, later started working for Media.Vision...
and Kaori Asoh
Kaori Asoh
' is a Japanese actress and voice actress.*Originally she was an actor.*She did a voice work in Nurse Angel Ririka SOS. She also sang two of the ending themes.*After this work, she performed to the supervisor work of Daichi Akitaro....
respectively. Xseed Games
XSEED Games
XSEED redirects here. For the proposed supertall structure see X-Seed 4000.Xseed Games is a video game publisher and distributor founded by former members of Square Enix USA. Their goal is to bring high-quality interactive entertainment to the North American market...
announced in July 2009 that they had acquired the North American publishing rights to the game with licensing by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Reception
Critical reactions to The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road have been generally mixed. the game currently holds aggregate scores of 69% on GameRankings and a 68 out of 100 on MetacriticMetacritic
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,...
respectively. 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...
reviewer Mark Bozon gave the game 8/10 stating: "It's great for younger (or casual) players, and it's also a haven for awesome RPG's – seldom is it both at once though...The Wizard of Oz is all about compromise, since the game is literally out to satisfy two very different crowds, it's simple enough for newcomers while still being deep enough for open-minded hardcore players too." He also goes on to praise the use of the trackball running/walking tool (calling it "catchy") and the sole use of 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...
's touch screen function.