Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure
A rhythm-puzzle game about a resurrected Napoleon.
Sega and Xeen co-developed Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure, a rhythm-puzzle title Sega published for the Nintendo 3DS. The game launched globally in 2012. A shortened iOS version, Rhythm Thief & the Paris Caper, first appeared in Japan during October 2013, then worldwide the following January.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Sega, Xeen
- Publisher
- Sega
- Platforms
- Nintendo 3DS, iOS
- Genre
- Rhythm
- puzzle
- adventure
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Director
- Shun Nakamura; Sayaka Yamato
- Producer
- Shun Nakamura; Kazuhiro Kawakami
- Designer
- Takashi Hirai; Daisuke Shimizu
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In the prologue, the casket of former French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is stolen from Les Invalides in Paris, leading to his resurrection. Three years later, 18-year-old Raphael lives a double life as the art thief Phantom R, searching for his father who disappeared around the time of the theft. Phantom R steals artworks and returns them days later. After stealing a bracelet from the Louvre bearing a symbol matching a coin left by his father, Raphael meets Marie, who has a violin with the same symbol. A man claiming to be Napoleon chases her, demanding the Dragon Crown. Phantom R rescues Marie, and they recover the Dragon Crown from Notre Dame. Raphael meets Jean-François, Marie's guardian at her convent. At Napoleon's underground hideout, Raphael learns of a figure called Graf, whom he believes is his father. Phantom R steals the Queen's Pendant from Duchess Elisabeth at the Paris Opera, as Jean-François thinks Elisabeth is Marie's mother, but Elisabeth denies it. Raphael reveals to Marie that his father Isaac was a forger, and Phantom R was returning the true paintings hidden in Raphael's apartment.
Development
Sega announced the game on August 30, 2011. The Japanese version's opening theme is Clair de Lune by Miwa, and the ending theme is Story by Ai. The Western version, due to licensing issues, uses the ending theme Je te dis au revoir by Kahimi Karie. The soundtrack was released on February 15, 2012. For the Western release, gunshot sounds in cutscenes were muted to retain the E10+ rating. In June 2012, director Shun Nakamura expressed interest in a sequel for the Nintendo 3DS or Wii U, but neither materialized. A spin-off, Rhythm Kaitou R Premium Live, was released in Japan on October 30, 2013, for iPhone and iPad, adding new social elements and music. An English version, titled Rhythm Thief & the Paris Caper, was planned for early 2014 as a free app with paid content but was released as a priced title on January 9, 2014. It was pulled from the App Store on January 10, 2014, due to bugs, then returned shortly after.
Reception
Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure received generally favorable reviews, while The Paris Caper received average reviews, according to Metacritic. Famitsu gave the 3DS version 32 out of 40. IGN praised its tunes and gameplay but criticized the gyroscope controls. GameSpot called it an enchanting rhythm adventure that really brings the funk. Official Nintendo Magazine called it a brilliant adventure whose only drawback is its shortness. Eurogamer described it as stylish, personable, and effortlessly idiosyncratic. GameZone gave the 3DS version 9.5 out of 10, saying it marries entertaining rhythm segments with great storytelling and gorgeous animations, and hoped for more games. The Daily Telegraph gave four stars out of five, noting some repetition of rhythm tasks but calling it a joy with a huge amount of collectibles and post-game content. Digital Spy gave three stars out of five, praising the rhythm action, narrative, and characters, but citing pacing issues and some subpar mini-games, comparing it to Professor Layton: The Musical. Jose Otero of 1Up.com gave a B, calling it a fun and memorable first effort to revitalize character-driven music games. David Jenkins of Metro gave eight out of ten, stating it has enough charm and imagination to waltz into your affections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure?
Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure was directed by Shun Nakamura and Sayaka Yamato.
Who designed Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure?
Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure was designed by Takashi Hirai and Daisuke Shimizu.
Who composed the music for Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure?
The music for Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure was composed by Tomoya Ohtani, Naofumi Hataya and Takahito Eguchi.
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