Code of Princess
A hack-and-slash RPG with over 50 characters and branching endings.
Code of Princess is an action role-playing video game developed by Studio Saizensen and originally published by Agatsuma Entertainment for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in Japan in April 2012, in North America in October 2012, and in Europe and Australia as an eShop title in March 2013. An enhanced port, Code of Princess EX, launched for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. The game is notable for its hack-and-slash gameplay, over 50 playable characters, and its spiritual similarity to the Sega Saturn title Guardian Heroes, with that game's director and character designer Tetsuhiko Kikuchi and lead programmer Masaki Ukyo contributing to its development.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Code of Princess
- Developer
- Studio Saizensen
- Publisher
- JP/PAL · Agatsuma Entertainment (3DS) · NA · Atlus USA (3DS) · WW · Degica (PC) · WW · Nicalis (NS)
- Designer
- Masaki Ukyo
- Artist
- Tetsuhiko Kikuchi
- Genre
- Action role-playing, hack and slash
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Nintendo 3DS, Windows, Nintendo Switch
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is set in a world of humans and monsters. Princess Solange Blanchefleur de Lux is exiled from her kingdom after monsters attack and the royal family is blamed. Armed with the Sacred Blade DeLuxcalibur, she seeks the cause of the monsters' behavior while evading the Distron army. Her companions include thief Ali Baba, necromancer Lady Zozo, bard Allegro, martial artist Master T Drakkhen, blind samurai Tsukikage, cat businessman Marco Neko, and warrior nun Sister Helga. The plot reveals that Distron's leader Queen Distiny is actually the fallen angel Dios Diablos Distille, who seeks to recover her strength and destroy the world. Distille sealed her power—her 'Code'—in several humans, but her plan fails because Zozo is not in her true body. The game offers two endings depending on whether the player destroys the Empyrean Stone, which is the source of the world's magic and monsters.
Reader's Guide
Code of Princess is significant as a modern homage to Guardian Heroes, directly involving that game's director and lead programmer. Its release across multiple platforms—Nintendo 3DS, Windows, and Nintendo Switch via an enhanced port—helped it reach a broad audience. The game's legacy includes appearances of its characters in crossover titles: Solange, Ali, Liongate, and Master T appear in the 2018 fighting game Blade Strangers, and Solange appears in the 2019 puzzle game Crystal Crisis. The development team expressed interest in a sequel for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2013. The game received 'mixed or average' reviews on Metacritic for both the original and the enhanced port. Its localization by Atlus USA for North America included full English voice acting, though the PC version published by Degica retained only the translated text.
Did You Know?
- The game features over 50 playable characters.
- Tetsuhiko Kikuchi, director and character designer of Guardian Heroes, worked on Code of Princess.
- The enhanced port Code of Princess EX launched for Nintendo Switch in 2018.
- Solange appears as a playable character in the 2019 puzzle game Crystal Crisis.
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