Zwei: The Arges Adventure
Two heroes, six stolen statues, and a food-based leveling system.
Zwei: The Arges Adventure is an action role-playing game from 2001, created by Nihon Falcom. It originally came out for Windows and later received ports to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The game’s title reflects its core mechanic: players switch between two main characters, Pipiro and Pokkle. Pipiro uses magic spells and techniques, while Pokkle relies solely on physical attacks. The story follows these two as they leave their village to recover six stolen goddess statues.
The gameplay blends dungeon crawling with a heavier emphasis on RPG elements and puzzles. Players control both Pipiro and Pokkle, swapping between them at any time. Pipiro attacks with magic, and Pokkle wields a drill-like weapon. Both can use elemental attacks to exploit enemy weaknesses, and Pipiro’s elemental spells also unlock new areas in dungeons. Landing multiple hits on enemies increases the drop rate of loot and earns combo badges, which allow screen-clearing combo attacks.
Players start in Puck Village, where talking to NPCs provides clues for progression. Outside lies the overworld of Arshes, containing dungeons and other locations. Each dungeon is split into stages, with each stage having three floors. Many stages can be tackled in different orders, and each stage has a hint plate outside showing the recommended level. At the end of each dungeon, a powerful boss guards one of the goddess statues.
Instead of gaining experience by defeating enemies, players earn it by consuming food items dropped by monsters or obtained elsewhere. Ten identical food items can be combined at Puck Village’s restaurant into a higher-tier item that gives more experience. Early on, players can obtain a pet—various cats or dogs—that follows the main characters and helps collect dropped items. Having a pet also unlocks the highest-level combo attacks.
Beyond the main game, several special items act as desktop accessories that run even when the game is closed. The first, “Pet Monitor,” is a basic adventure game starring the player’s pet. It periodically presents two choices, which can raise the pet’s level or reward items in the main game. By default, the game makes random choices automatically. Other accessories include a calendar, clock, calculator, a puzzle game called “Mona Mona,” and a typing tutor titled “Typing of Ys.” A shooting game, “Zwei!!
Quick Facts
- Title
- Zwei: The Arges Adventure
- Developer
- Nihon Falcom
- Publisher
- Nihon Falcom (PC, PSP) · Taito (PS2) · Xseed Games (Windows)
- Composer
- Wataru Ishibashi
- Released
- WindowsJP · December 20, 2001 · WW · January 25, 2018PlayStation 2JP · August 26, 2004PlayStation PortableJP · December 11, 2008
- Genre
- Action role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is set in Granvallen, a world of floating continents where magic once flourished. One thousand years before the game's events, the Great Sorcery War was instigated by six demon lords opposing the twin goddesses Aplyes and Espina. After five hundred years, the conflict ended when Tiara, the Priestess Princess of the Holy Kingdom of Valence, and the Crusader Paradys defeated Demon Lord Vesper on the floating continent of Arshes. Five hundred years later, magic is rare, and peace prevails.
The story follows two 14-year-old children, Pipiro and Pokkle, living in Puck Village on the remote island continent of Arshes. After a mysterious masked man steals six goddess statues from the village temple, the pair set out to retrieve them. Pipiro wields magic spells and techniques, while Pokkle uses physical attacks with a drill-like weapon. Players can swap between the two characters at any time, and both can use elemental attacks to exploit enemy weaknesses and access new areas.
Gameplay combines dungeon crawling with RPG elements and puzzles. Dungeons are divided into stages with three floors each, and many can be completed in different orders. Instead of gaining experience from defeating enemies, players level up by consuming food items dropped by monsters or obtained elsewhere. Ten identical food items can be combined at Puck Village's restaurant to create a higher-tier item granting more experience. A pet, chosen from various cat or dog species, follows the characters and assists in collecting items, and also unlocks the highest-level combo attacks.
Reader's Guide
Zwei: The Arges Adventure is significant for its innovative approach to character switching and experience mechanics, which set it apart from traditional action RPGs of its era. The food-based leveling system encouraged exploration and resource management, while the pet system added a layer of strategy and collection. The game also included unusual desktop accessories that could run while the main game was closed, such as the Pet Monitor adventure game, a calendar, clock, calculator, puzzle game Mona Mona, and a typing tutor called Typing of Ys. A shooting game, Zwei!! Shooting, was accessible from within the main game. The PlayStation 2 port, handled by Taito, removed the Typing of Ys mini-game and desktop applications, and modified the final dungeon sequence. The PSP port omitted Mona Mona but added character artwork during conversations, additional voice snippets, a rearranged soundtrack option, and artwork redone to match the sequel's style. A sequel, Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection, was released in 2008. An online game, Zwei!! Online, was announced in 2007 and developed by Korean studios Neonsoft and Dream Media, set ten years after the original, but its servers were discontinued in April 2013.
Did You Know?
- Experience points are gained by consuming food items, not by defeating enemies.
- The game includes desktop accessories like a calendar, clock, calculator, and a typing tutor called Typing of Ys.
- The PlayStation 2 port removed the Typing of Ys mini-game and all desktop applications.
More in Role-Playing Games of the 2000s, Part 2 1-23
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