Sorry for double-post, but just have to gush...
Literally straight after making that post and doing some impromptu at-home karaoke, I hopped on the Eshop and grabbed Protect Me Knight.
Suffice to say, the game is delivering on all fronts.
The visuals, music/sfx, frontend and controls all have that perfect 8-bit consistency that makes it feel like you're really playing an old Famicom game.
If you're in the mood for quirky retro gaming on your import 3DS, look no further.
The things that remind you it's actually a modern game are very well-implemented, too. I'm not normally a fan of tower defence, and to many the idea may leave a bitter taste after having being drowned in so many hack-jobs and clones on various app stores.
However, in PMK the tower defence systems are not only relatively unobtrusive, but also flexible depending on your playstyle. Using skills you've acquired and equipped, you can meticulously build and upgrade fortifications, knocking them around to adapt to the battle, punting them into enemies, and selling them when no longer needed.
If you're like me, you'll enjoy the action side of the game a lot more than the TD mechanics, and the game is rewarding on this front as well. Master your character's unique skills and play aggressively, zipping around the battlefield and clearing out enemy hordes. There are nice audio and visual cues for when a fortification is at risk of breaking, and defences can be repaired simply by attacking them, so a bare minimum of
macro management can be carried out with ease.
Even if you don't read Japanese (mostly kana), the menus are streamlined enough to get used to after a few attempts, and you shouldn't have too much trouble deciphering the majority of skill icons. The RPG elements are solid, and if you've played one before, you'll know roughly what to expect.
Although, you may miss out on one of the game's most charming points: its humour.
It innocently takes the old "save the princess" trope and constantly fiddles with it, offering great dialogue and some genuinely cute/funny moments. From what I've seen, the jokes will translate perfectly to a western audience, and I can't wait to see what Ancient do with an English release. The characters may seem stereotypical on the surface, but they have some delicious twists to them, and supporting cast members (shop keepers, skill trainer, Princess Lola, etc.) are all presented well, and just as unique.
Finally, that soundtrack... Everything is up-beat and amazing. Everything is catchy. Another triumph from Koshiro. You will no doubt find yourself humming along while you level up and purchase weapons. Voice samples are used sparingly, but are really cute and have a sweet nostalgic distortion effect that is also reminiscent of the old consoles.
PMK is like the Japanese take on what was attempted by the likes of Retro City Rampage and Shovel Knight; i.e old school aesthetic with modern tweaks and humour. I haven't played RCR, but I recall that it wasn't received with much positivity, unlike SK, which seemed to receive universal praise. I was bummed when I found that wasn't on the JP 3DS store, but PMK is making up for its absence. I have a lot of confidence in PMK, as it doesn't try to do too much all at once, and nothing comes across as ham-fisted. I don't know what happened with the original on XBLA, but I believe this one would be a great addition to any 3DS owner's library.
