Game Preview: Studio Ghibli’s Ni no Kuni

Wow, this looks awesome! I had heard about it some time ago, but that was ages ago when there wasn’t any footage available yet. Now… wow.

Initially announced as a Nintendo DS game, Ni no Kuni: The Another World is the first partnership between animation studio Studio Ghibli and game developer Level-5 (the guys who did the Professor Layton series and the Dragonquest series). Then last week it was revealed there would now be two games: Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madoushi for the Nintendo DS and Ni no Kuni: Shiroki Seihai no Joou for the PS3.

Here’s some footage from the PS3 version:

Both versions are being developed from scratch, and each will feature different artwork, graphics and story developments, while only “retaining the same story axle”. That story is about a 13 year old boy Oliver, whose mother suddenly dies. He’s given a book by a fairy that allows him to go to the parallel world of ‘Ninokuni’, where he might be able to revive his mother.

I love the footage of the PS3 version, but the Nintendo DS version already has me intrigued. That game comes with an elaborate 350 page book that is needed to play the game. It’s part tutorial, but also part strategy guide, featuring instructions on how to draw runes to cast magic in the game, enemy weaknesses and other info, and encrypted codes to unlock secrets in the game.

I’m definitely going to get both games when they’re released there (if they’re released here, but I think they will be). And you? Are you a Studio Ghibli fan? Do you want these games?