Hyperdimension Neptunia
A role-playing series parodying the video game industry.
Hyperdimension Neptunia is a series of role-playing video games produced by Compile Heart and Idea Factory that parodies the real-life video gaming industry, usually from a Japanese perspective, along with other forms of Japanese otaku subcultures. The series debuted in Japan on August 19, 2010, with the first game for the PlayStation 3, and has since expanded into sequels, spin-offs, manga, light novels, and an anime television series.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Hyperdimension Neptunia
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Android, iOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Developer
- Idea Factory / Compile Heart / Tamsoft / Felistella / (PS Vita)
- Publisher
- JP · Compile Heart, Idea Factory · WW · Idea Factory International (formerly NIS America and Koei Tecmo) · KO · CFK (formerly Cyberfront Korea)
- Genre
- Role-playing
- First Release Date
- August 19, 2010
- Latest Release Version
- Hyperdimension Neptunia Unlimited
- Latest Release Date
- August 27, 2024
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series takes place in the world of Gamindustri, divided into four regions each ruled by a goddess CPU: Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox. These regions represent specific video game consoles: Lastation represents the PlayStation, Lowee represents the Wii, Leanbox represents the Xbox 360, and Planeptune represents the cancelled Sega Neptune. The goddesses fight for 'shares,' which are the manifestation of citizens' belief; without shares, a goddess dies. Some games feature time or dimension travel, causing slight differences in settings across titles.
Reader's Guide
The Hyperdimension Neptunia series began with a game originally planned to feature three princess sisters and a protagonist, but after a partnership fell through, the project was redesigned and became 'Neptunia' near the end of 2009. The first sequel, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 (2011), introduced a reworked game engine and rebuilt battle system and dungeons. Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (2012) improved upon mk2 and set the foundation for future titles. The series has seen multiple remakes, including the 'Re;Birth' trilogy for the first three main games. The anime adaptation aired in 2013, and several OVAs followed between 2019 and 2023. The most recent main series entry announced is Neptunia Unlimited (2026), focusing on 9th generation console-based CPUs and a time loop plot.
Did You Know?
- The series name 'Neptunia' was originally derived from the scrapped Sega Neptune console, which combined the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega 32X.
- Noire and Blanc were always intended to be black and white; the red/blue color scheme was for early concept art of different characters, not for Noire and Blanc themselves.
- The first game's story remains standalone in the 'Superdimension,' while sequels from mk2 onward take place in a separate 'Hyperdimension' universe.
- The anime television series aired from July to September 2013, and three OVAs were released between 2019 and 2023.
More in Science fantasy role-playing video games 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced