The Escapist Review: Dokapon Kingdom

In the Dokapon Kingdom, you'll find shop-owning cats who seem to know the "meow" routine from Super Troopers, meet a mail delivery stork with a New York accent and be healed by a dog in a pope hat. You'll fight monsters with a pink mitten, deliver holy curry to the king and climb down into the depths of Heck. In other words, it's not like much you've played before.

Campy and odd, Dokapon Kingdom is not a game that's meant to be played alone. The title from developer Sting (Baroque, Treasure Hunter G) is a unique hybrid of board games and JRPGs that begs to be experienced with a group. Not only is playing the game much better with a couple friends, but having others around is crucial for getting the most entertainment out of Dokapon's more bizarre aspects.

Dokapon's main mechanic comes from board games, making it look like a Mario Party rip-off at first glance. Players spin a virtual spinner to move a certain amount of spaces on the map. Like Monopoly, different spaces let you perform different tasks. Some give you a random item or magic power. Some are shops where you can buy weapons and shields. Some make you fight a random monster. Unlike Monopoly, nobody gets to play as a thimble, though. Instead, you choose from three initial character classes, with the ability to change jobs as you progress. Thieves steal items from players as they pass by. Warriors are stronger. Magicians can cast magic twice before each turn. -