Survival Kids
Encyclopedia
Survival Kids is a Game Boy Color
game developed by Konami
that was released in 1999. The gameplay revolves around surviving on a deserted island. The game features an open-ended structure that presents the player with multiple ways to progress through the game, all at the player's own pace.
Another important aspect of the game is the item-crafting system. Many elements of the environment can be picked up and collected, although most objects serve no purpose in their original form. However, the game allows the player to combine two or three objects in order to form tools, weapons, and other items to assist in the player character's survival, known in-game as "merging." For example, a vine and a flexible piece of tree can be combined to form a bow; a stick, bird feather and pointed rock can be combined to form arrows; and a flexible piece of tree can be combined with a discovered line of fishing gut to form a fishing rod.
Many of the items, such as kindling, arrows and torches, do not degrade overtime and ultimately break, making the building of additional items unnecessary. Foods, such as meats, can go rotten in just an in-game day, but the player can merge cooked meats with flora identified as spices in order to preserve them; although there are about 15 set types of flora in the game, their effects when eaten change with every new game.
The game features a non-linear structure, giving the player the freedom to progress through the game without specific goals in mind beyond attaining the basic necessities of survival.
While the gameplay is free and unrestrained by any real plotline, there are a host of different endings dependent on discoveries the player makes, what objects the player has crafted, the current situation after a particular amount of time has elapsed, and so on.
.
The series was continued on the Nintendo DS
with Lost in Blue
, Lost in Blue 2
, and Lost in Blue 3
released worldwide in 2005, 2007, and 2008 respectively. The Japanese versions of the game retain the Survival Kids title.
A Wii
game was released in 2008 for the series titled Survival Kids Wii pre-release in Japan, and Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked
for the US release.
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
game developed by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
that was released in 1999. The gameplay revolves around surviving on a deserted island. The game features an open-ended structure that presents the player with multiple ways to progress through the game, all at the player's own pace.
Story
The background of the game's story is minimal. All that is truly known is that the player character, either a boy named Ken (Kou in Japan), or a girl named Mery (Nami in Japan) (the names are optional), has become stranded on a deserted island after a storm capsizes the player's boat, and must actively work to survive and possibly find a way to escape back to civilization. Interaction with other characters is scarce or entirely absent, depending on how the player chooses to progress throughout the game.Gameplay
The 2D view is characteristic of most adventure games of its generation such as The Legend of Zelda. The player must keep track of hunger, thirst and fatigue meters in addition to the traditional Health Points, which require the accomplishment of "every day" tasks such as eating, drinking, and sleeping, as well as hunting, gathering, and finding a place to rest.Another important aspect of the game is the item-crafting system. Many elements of the environment can be picked up and collected, although most objects serve no purpose in their original form. However, the game allows the player to combine two or three objects in order to form tools, weapons, and other items to assist in the player character's survival, known in-game as "merging." For example, a vine and a flexible piece of tree can be combined to form a bow; a stick, bird feather and pointed rock can be combined to form arrows; and a flexible piece of tree can be combined with a discovered line of fishing gut to form a fishing rod.
Many of the items, such as kindling, arrows and torches, do not degrade overtime and ultimately break, making the building of additional items unnecessary. Foods, such as meats, can go rotten in just an in-game day, but the player can merge cooked meats with flora identified as spices in order to preserve them; although there are about 15 set types of flora in the game, their effects when eaten change with every new game.
The game features a non-linear structure, giving the player the freedom to progress through the game without specific goals in mind beyond attaining the basic necessities of survival.
While the gameplay is free and unrestrained by any real plotline, there are a host of different endings dependent on discoveries the player makes, what objects the player has crafted, the current situation after a particular amount of time has elapsed, and so on.
Sequels
A second Survival Kids for the Game Boy was produced, but only saw release in JapanJapan
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...
.
The series was continued on 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...
with Lost in Blue
Lost in Blue
Lost in Blue is a video game which is a continuation of Konami's Survival Kids series. It was released in North America on September 27, 2005 for the Nintendo DS. Lost in Blue makes extensive use of the system's touchscreen and microphone features as two young teenagers, Keith and Skye, struggle...
, Lost in Blue 2
Lost in Blue 2
Lost in Blue 2 is a simulation video game published and developed by Konami for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the sequel to Lost in Blue. The game was followed by Lost in Blue 3.-Story:...
, and Lost in Blue 3
Lost in Blue 3
Lost in Blue 3 is a simulation video game published and developed by Konami for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the sequel to Lost in Blue 2...
released worldwide in 2005, 2007, and 2008 respectively. The Japanese versions of the game retain the Survival Kids title.
A Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
game was released in 2008 for the series titled Survival Kids Wii pre-release in Japan, and Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked
Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked
Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked is an adventure video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Konami for the Wii video game console. It was first released in Japan, and was later released in North America. It is the latest title in the Survival Kids series.-Story:A teenage boy, Aidan, and his pet...
for the US release.