Young Thor
Encyclopedia
Young Thor is an American-Canadian action-adventure
video game developed by Frima Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
. Like Zombie Tycoon
, it is produced with the partcipation of Telefilm Canada
. It was first released on July 20, 2010 as a downloadable PlayStation Network title for the PlayStation Portable
and PlayStation 3
. Young Thor is about the childhood of the eponymous Norse god, Thor
, as he embarks on a quest to save the world tree, Yggdrasil
. The game was met with mixed or average reviews from critics upon release.
and is broken up into four levels. Players control the Norse god Thor
and unleash his lightning magic and powerful hammer, Mjölnir, to blast any foes in his way. As the game progresses, Thor gains XP which increases his character stats; however, the stats are not customizable, leading Joystiq
to comment, "leveling seems to exist for the sole purpose of encouraging replays. Somebody out there will want to achieve a level 100 character, right?" Each level introduces new types of enemies and new complicated platform
layouts. Treasures are hidden in certain levels which, if found, grant Thor powers such as extra health and magic regeneration, or the ability to double jump. Levels must be repeated multiple times both to find the treasures and to gain enough experience to defeat tougher enemies in later levels. To explain the Norse mythology present in the game, as the game progresses players unlock dictionary entries which can be accessed through the extras section of the game's menu.
as he travels through Midgard and Asgard on a quest to restore balance to the world. The three Norns
charged with keeping the world tree Yggdrasil
– Urd, Skuld, and Verdandi – are being held captive by Hel
and her two accomplices Níðhöggr
and Ratatoskr. Yggdrasil
will die if the Norns do not return, and with its death Hel will gain great power. Thor thus embarks on a quest to find eight godly artifacts that will help him defeat the captors and rescue the Norns.
mini developed by Frima Studio, the first being Zombie Tycoon
released on October 29, 2009. The game was shown at the Sony Computer Entertainment Europe booth at E3 2010, a video game trade fair
held in Los Angeles
, California
in June 2010. Young Thor was released in the PlayStation Store
on July 20, 2010. In November 2010, Sony created a "Western Game Buyer Selection" on the PlayStation Network in Japan to offer Western-developed digitally distributed games to the Japanese market. Young Thor was translated and localized for Japanese players, and was among the first three games to be released in this section of the PlayStation Network.
. Joystiq
's Andrew Yoon enjoyed the scaling levels but thought the game was too short: "I anticipated a far grander adventure, especially after the impressive, fully-voiced opening cutscene raised my expectations."
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
video game developed by Frima Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
. Like Zombie Tycoon
Zombie Tycoon
Zombie Tycoon is a real-time strategy for the PlayStation Portable developed by Frima Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, with the participation of Telefilm Canada. It was released on October 29, 2009....
, it is produced with the partcipation of Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada or Téléfilm Canada is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.It is the primary federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry....
. It was first released on July 20, 2010 as a downloadable PlayStation Network title for the PlayStation Portable
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...
and 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...
. Young Thor is about the childhood of the eponymous Norse god, Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
, as he embarks on a quest to save the world tree, Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil
In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology. It was said to be the world tree around which the nine worlds existed...
. The game was met with mixed or average reviews from critics upon release.
Gameplay
The game is a side-scroller beat 'em upBeat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
and is broken up into four levels. Players control the Norse god Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
and unleash his lightning magic and powerful hammer, Mjölnir, to blast any foes in his way. As the game progresses, Thor gains XP which increases his character stats; however, the stats are not customizable, leading Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
to comment, "leveling seems to exist for the sole purpose of encouraging replays. Somebody out there will want to achieve a level 100 character, right?" Each level introduces new types of enemies and new complicated platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
layouts. Treasures are hidden in certain levels which, if found, grant Thor powers such as extra health and magic regeneration, or the ability to double jump. Levels must be repeated multiple times both to find the treasures and to gain enough experience to defeat tougher enemies in later levels. To explain the Norse mythology present in the game, as the game progresses players unlock dictionary entries which can be accessed through the extras section of the game's menu.
Plot
The game follows the Norse god ThorThor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
as he travels through Midgard and Asgard on a quest to restore balance to the world. The three Norns
Norns
The Norns in Norse mythology are female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men, a kind of dísir comparable to the Fates in classical mythology....
charged with keeping the world tree Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil
In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology. It was said to be the world tree around which the nine worlds existed...
– Urd, Skuld, and Verdandi – are being held captive by Hel
Hel (being)
In Norse mythology, Hel is a being who presides over a realm of the same name, where she receives a portion of the dead. Hel is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...
and her two accomplices Níðhöggr
Níðhöggr
In Norse mythology, Níðhöggr is a dragon who gnaws at a root of the World Tree, Yggdrasill.-Prose Edda:...
and Ratatoskr. Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil
In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology. It was said to be the world tree around which the nine worlds existed...
will die if the Norns do not return, and with its death Hel will gain great power. Thor thus embarks on a quest to find eight godly artifacts that will help him defeat the captors and rescue the Norns.
Development
Young Thor is the second PlayStation PortablePlayStation 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...
mini developed by Frima Studio, the first being Zombie Tycoon
Zombie Tycoon
Zombie Tycoon is a real-time strategy for the PlayStation Portable developed by Frima Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, with the participation of Telefilm Canada. It was released on October 29, 2009....
released on October 29, 2009. The game was shown at the Sony Computer Entertainment Europe booth at E3 2010, a video game trade fair
Trade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
held in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in June 2010. Young Thor was released in 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,...
on July 20, 2010. In November 2010, Sony created a "Western Game Buyer Selection" on the PlayStation Network in Japan to offer Western-developed digitally distributed games to the Japanese market. Young Thor was translated and localized for Japanese players, and was among the first three games to be released in this section of the PlayStation Network.
Reception
Young Thor was met with mixed or average reviews upon release, garnering an aggregate score of 71/100 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,...
. Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
's Andrew Yoon enjoyed the scaling levels but thought the game was too short: "I anticipated a far grander adventure, especially after the impressive, fully-voiced opening cutscene raised my expectations."