Coming to Steam on April 14

Code of Princess, one of the first standout Nintendo 3DS exclusives, is now coming to Windows PC, Tokyo-based publish??er and e-commerce ?company Degica announced today.

The title will be available on Steam starting April 14 for $15.

Code of Princess was created by Studio Saizensen, the same team behind the Umihara Kawase trilogy, and was originally published by the now-defunct Agatsuma Entertainment in 2012. Back then, it was oft compared to Treasure and Sega's beloved 1996 beat-'em-up Guardian Heroes -- and with good reason! In addition to Code of Princess bearing a striking resemblance to that game, Guardian Heroes director Tetsuhiko Kikuchi and lead programmer Mas??aki Ukyo both helped develop the title.

Code of Princess [Steam]

[Correction: Degica listed a $11.99 price point on its press kit. However, a c??ompany representative now tells us the game will cost $14.99?? and will launch with a 10 percent discount.]

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So long, Agatsuma Entertainment

Code of Princess publisher Agatsuma Entertainment announced its closure this week. Citing financial difficulties, the studio dissolved Friday with plans t??o fully liquidate by March 31, 2016.

Established in Tokyo in 1997, Agatsuma, in addition to developing and publi??shing games, acted as an agency for other studios, providing business and marketing services worldwide.

In recent years, Agatsuma became best-known for publishing titles in the Umihara Kawase series, releasing Sayonara Umihara Kawase on Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita in 2013 and 2014, respectively. A Windows PC version of the game then released this October, followed by a Steam version of the 1997 PlayStation title Umihara Kawase Shun (and trilogy pack) in late November.

子会社の解散および清算に関するお知らせ [Agatsuma Entertainment]

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Guardian Heroes successor 'sold beyond our expectations' in North America

A sequel to Code of Princess might be in the cards, Agatsuma Entertainment producer Yasuo Nakajima let slip when speaking with Siliconera. Despite lackluster sales in Japan, the beautifully crafted side-scrolling successor to Guardian Heroes ??exceeded expectations on this side of the Pacific. 

"[Street Fighter artist Kinu Nishimura] already has ideas about Code of Princess 2 in mind already," Nakajima divulged when asked about the possibility of a sequel. "If Code of Princess 2 goes into development maybe it wi Guardian Heroesll be for consoles like PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. I want to develop it a sequel to Code of Princess for core gamers like fans that are anticipating Dragon’s Crown now."

Whether that dream becomes a reality depends on a variety of factors: resources, manpower, and timing. In addition to requiring a larger team to develop for consoles, Nakajima is interested in bringing back the Guardian Heroes creators. With any luck ??the stars will align and we'll be seeing Solange and company again sooner or later.

Code Of Princess producer wants to de??velop sequel for PS4 or Xbox One [Siliconera]

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Now $29.99, down from $39.99

Dale North and I both had a grand old time with beat-'em-up Code of Princess at launch, and now you can too, at the reduced price of $29.99 on the 3DS eShop. Keep in mind that the online communi??ty is basically non-existent though, so you'll have to mostly play by yourself, or with friends.

Say what yo?u will about digital games, but if price drops and sales like this were more commonplace on Nintendo platforms, they'd be a lot more competitive than they are now. As a collector, I love physical boxes, but at the same time, who can say no to a 95% off Steam sale?

Code of Princess [Nintendo Life]

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Slash 'em up

If you're a beat 'em up fan and you haven't checked out Code of Princess yet, you really should. Although it has its fair share of issues, it has a ton of heart, and ??should satisfy old school brawler fans. In fact, it's one of the best 3DS games I played this year.

On January 3, 2013, you'll have a chance to pick it up digitally (which is just as well, as a lot of people report that the game is hard to find). Hopefully this means Europe will have a chance to take a crack at it, as the game isn't even out there yet.

Code of Princess [Go Nintendo]

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An instant cult-classic

People keep saying this: "Code of Princess is being called the spiritual successor to Sega Saturn classic Guardian Heroes."

Say it once or twice and my interest is piqued. Say it any more than that and I get defensive. Why? Treasure's Guardian Heroes still stands as my favorite side-scrolling 2D beat-'em-up of all time, and one of my favorite games ever. Spiritual successor? If it's to be anything like actual sequel Advance Guardian Heroes you can keep it.

But then I played it. Saw what they meant. Felt what they were talking about. And now, several days later, my right thumb and palm are nearly nu??mb from constant play, and it hurts a bit to be typing this review. I'm now a bit concerned about the d-pad of my new 3DS ??XL as I've been mashing directional commands into it non-stop. This all reminds me of how I'd practically ruin Sega Saturn controllers in multiplayer sessions with friends. 

That said, I can't spend this whole review comparing Code of Princess to Guardian Heroes, as similar as they are. Thankfully, judged on its own merits, Code of Princess is? one of the best beat-'em-up RPGs I've?? ever played.

Code of Princess (3DS)
Developer: Agatsuma Entertainment
Publisher: Atlus
Release: October 9, 2012
MSRP: $39.99

The whole princess and her ragtag group of friends save the kingdom and world story won't blow you away, but the outfit of Code of Princess' heroine, Solange Blanchefleur de Lux, might. This blonde, busty, and barely clothed princess of DeLuxia is the only one capable of wielding the massive blade known as DeLuxcalibur. She joins a??n unlikely group which includes a mouthy thief, a necromancer made up of spare body parts that wears white panties, an Elf bard that plays electric guitar, and a fighter that seems to have an animal fetish, among others. They come together defeat the monsters that have suddenly taken over, working to eventually restore Solange's kingdom. 

If this all sounds silly to you, then you're getting what Agatsuma Entertainment and Atlus were going for. Code of Princess is very silly, and one of the things I love most about this game is that it never takes itself too seriously. While the development team did a fantastic job with the character design and story, Atlus should be commended for the top-notch localization for this title. With the writing, it is apparent that great care was taken to make sure that this cliched story did not fall flat. Instead, we are treated to the humor and cleverness that we've become accustomed to in Atlus USA localizations. What really sold the localization was the voice work, though. All dialogue is fully voiced in Code of Princess, and? every line is performed beautifully. Outstanding job on both fronts, Atlus. 

Code of Princess is a 2D side-scrolling beat-'em-up with action-RPG leveling elements, just like the beloved Guardian Heroes. I'm glad to say that it's a near-perfect match as far as these aspects go; the combat engine is exquisite. While it takes a few slashes to get used to the timing, you'll be comboing and juggling within no time. Buttons for light and heavy attacks give you the basics, and directional inputs before these buttons, like double-tapped directions and quarter-c??ircle sweeps, trigger special moves. Just about every attack can be chained into the next, and the game has no issue with you mercilessly juggling enemies until they're dead. 

Combat takes place on open fields with pretty static backdrops, but you'll be too busy hopping between three or more planes (just like Guardian Heroes) to notice. Jumping from the foreplane to the mid and rear ones gives a pseudo-3D feeling to the fighting, letting you move to dodge projectiles or take a breather from enemy attacks. Though it always looks neat, outside a couple of specific? boss battles, moving between these planes felt unnecessary. Another problem is that being on the rear plane had me struggling to see my character among the hordes of enemy sp?rites, even on the larger 3DS XL screen. For these reasons I tried to stay on the foreplane as much as possible.

I had a blast playing all of the cast of characters, but heroine Solange and her massive sword really had me appreciating the combat engine the most. Her slow and heavy swings leave her vulnerable, but when they hit, they hit hard. I saved these swings for openings or finishing hits, opting instead to knock a large bundle of enemies up in the air (down, down, A) and then jumping up to meet them before continually hitting them back and forth to wear them down in an endless floating juggle. Just about every cast member and even NPCs become playable characters eventually, and I had a blast developing my o??wn combat strategies with each of them.  

Code of Princess has a leveling system straight out of an action-RPG. Successfully complet??ing a battle gives you experience points that go toward a leveling bar that once filled, increases your character's level. For each level, 5 attribute points are given to you to dump into stats like defense, attack and speed. You're free to add them to any stat you wish, though you'll find that the game is more manageable with a well-balanced character. I speak from experiences, as my super-strong characters were practically defenseless and pretty pathetic in some of the game's later battles.

Further customization can be found in the game's item system, which lets you strap on armor, weapons and accessories to tweak character stats. Some are found in battle, others are rewarded, but most are purchased from a crazy feline named Marco Neko with gold earned from battles. Incidentally, Marco's theme song must not go unmentioned as it ranks up there with the Persona series' Pharmacy Theme as one of the craziest shop so??ngs ever written.

The structure of Code of Princess has you watching a short cutscene to advance the story before jumping into a battle with some objective (beat the boss, kill all ene?mies) to clear before a set time expires. You'll select each 'chapter' to kick this off, and you'll level your character and save upon completion. This structure makes for a perfect portable game, as you can stop at just one battle if you're busy, or plow through several chapters if time permits. The only time this doesn't work out is when you're up against a battle where you're not quite strong enough to win.

I wouldn't call it grinding exactly, but it's close. If you've been trying out different characters in each chapter (all of which start at level 1 and do not auto level as the game progresses), you'll likely find yourself outclassed in a boss battle at some point. Code of Princess lets you replay any chapter you've previously finished to gain experience and gold in its Free Play mode. I found that I had to go back two or three times to do this to become strong enough to ??progress.

To get away from the grindy feeling, a better choice is to enjoy the game's Bonus Mission mode, which is packed with crazy bite-sized trials to take on. These missions are unlocked as you progress through the game, and they gradually increase in difficulty (rated from 1 to 5 stars) to the point where they're so hard that you feel like the game's makers are laughing at you for even trying. But finally succeeding in plowing through impossibly dense masses of en?emies always f??elt great. 

What's nice is that Code of Princess is beautiful even when it's kicking your ass. Big, bodacious sprites dance around the screen in some of the most incredible animation I've ever seen on a portable game system. Seeing such a varied, colorful cast move around with such liquid smoothness seems almost unreal at times. Some of the larger enemies and bosses are a full-blown eye candy, so much so that you feel bad for taking them down. It's almost a shame that you're so into the combat s??ometimes to think about just how lovely this game is. Screenshots and even web video will not do this game justice; you have to see it running in person.

The excellent single-player mode is complimented by some multiplayer options that allow for up to four players to play cooperatively or competitively, online or through local play. Going back to Guardian Heroes comparisons, a lot of the magic of that game was tied to plowing through the game's story together with a few friends. Things are a bit less magical given that Code of Princess is played on a small, personal screen, and that other players might not be in ?the same room, but there's still ?some room for fun.

I was able to try a bit of competitive play with another games writer via online connection. The standard Ranked matches let you pick any character from the game's cast, though you won't have access to your personal character as that might make for some unfair matches. An Ultimate mode does let you bring in your own character and item configuration, though. I beat down Alexa's Solange with my ??own to receive a leaderboard ranking, some EXP, and a couple of reward items for my performance.

We also ?tried a bit of cooperative play, which lets you tackle bonus missions and completed game missions together for more experience and rewards. Unfortunately, establishing a connection proved to be pretty difficult. We found that?? we could only play together by using the game's password-protected game lobby creation, and even then it wouldn't connect half the time. When we did manage to connect and play, the enemy AI seemed lacking and dull, as if it was confused from having more than one target to go after. 

I think Code of Princess will go on to be one of those cult-classic games that gamers will bring up in their 'must-play games' list for the 3DS, just like Guardian Heroes. It's really that good. That 'spiritual successor' label? Totally worthy. This is a beautifully crafted side-scrolling beat-'em-up that has no equal on the 3DS, and the love that went into the localization makes it that much better. If you've found yourself longing an old-school beat-'em-up with a real substance, challenge, and polish, you owe it to yourself to check out Code of Princess. 

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What is the code of this princess? ??I don't know, but I can tell you about her dress code!

But partial nudity isn't why I'm excited to play upcoming 3DS game Code of Princess, which is set to release on October 9. I'm excited to play it because it looks like one of my favorite games ever, Guardian Heroes. Who wouldn't love some side-s?crolling action like that on the 3DS?

And as the new launch trailer shows, it also comes with more than 50 playable characters, 100 missions, and co-op play. Add in blondes, big swords, and RPG elements and you have a game that looks like it was made just for me.

I'm also looking forward to the included art and music bundle called Code of Princess Sound + Visual Book. Because free art and music never sucks. You can get a better look at this bonu??s and the game?? packaging in our gallery.

The post I can’t wait to play Code of Princess appeared first on Destructoid.

First, 3DS title Code of Princess gets the hookup today with an official release: October 9, 2012. Atlus says that pre-order cust??omers will get the Sound + Visual Book, packed with art and music from the ?game. 

The official website for Code of Princess has also launched. It contains game background information (story, character, system), a somewhat limited gallery and three pretty nice wallpapers for download. 

A??nd if that wasn't enough, they've also thrown in a ?new character trailer. You'll get a quick look at the huge cast and get a taste of their voice work. 

Side-scrolling beat-em-up with RPG elements for my 3DS? Yes, please! What do you think about how Code of Princess is looking so far? Is this something ?you'll pick up this fall?

The post Code of Princess: Release date, new s?ite, new trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

I saw the luscious side-scrolling action 3DS game Code of Princess from a distance at E3 a few weeks back, but as soon as I headed toward it I got pulled away for some stupid work thing. Stupid work??! One day I'm going to go to E3 and only play the games I want to play. 

No worries. I'm going to get this game when it releases this Fall and play the sh*t out of it. Will you play with me? (Code of Princess has four-player multiplayer.)

For now, we're still at the stage where we get teaser trailers and preorder bonus news. I have both right now! Preorder Code of Princess at a participating retailer and get the Code of Princess Sound & Visual Book, which spills forth with lovely character art and soundtrack selections. You can get a better look at the preorder glam shot in our galle?ry below. 

Also be sure to check out the new teaser trailer (abo?ve). 

The post Code of ??Princess: Preorder bonus and new teaser trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Code of Princess discussion is usually reserved for Holmes o'clock, but with the Daylight Savings time change, everything is out of whack. Up is down, 2+2=fish, and I'm talking about Code of Princess.

When we last met our heroes, the April-targeted brawler had just earned itself some online multiplayer. The torchbearer of the Sega Saturn's Guardian Heroes' spirit, Code of Princess is looking to be just a grand ol' time. I mean, check out the oodles and oodles and oodles of characters you can select from for the game's competition mode! You can play as seemingly any minor enemy from the game, a feature that I personally haven't seen since Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure on the Game Boy Advance.

After the jump are a couple more videos I've scrounged up that showcase the co-op mode and a few other heroes. Give 'em a look before filing Code of Princess next to Senran Kagura in the file cabinet marked "3DS brawl??ers that Japan is selfishly hoarding."

"Code of Princess" Competition Mode Play Movie [YouTube via GoNintendo]

"C??ode? of Princess" Adventure Alongside 4 Friends Play Movie [YouTube via Nintendo Life]

CODE OF PRINCESS CO-OP [YouTube]

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