Rhapsody - A Musical Adventure (Review)

Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (Nintendo DS)

Rated “E” For “Everyone”

Cornet is her name and she’s a puppeteer too…well, let’s have her tell you who she is.

That’s right. Just as the title says and just as Cornet has shown you, this is indeed a musical adventure. That opening alone sets the tone of the adventure ahead of you in this Playstation port.

=====Music=====

So with that kind of opening and the title of the game, you’d expect there to be singing everywhere you go. Not true. Like a musical movie, music is a key part of the story, but the singing only happens at the more important moments. While music is woven into the game (Cornet playing her horn to have puppets join her party), singing is only during main parts to help progress the characters and plot in the story.

Also to note (ha) that this version on the DS has the songs in Japanese with English subtitles. The original PSX version had a dual language choice, but you don’t get that choice with your portable musical. This could be a major turn on/off for some people, but either way, they’re still the same quirky songs that make Rhapsody.

And along with music comes with sound and that is something that falters. Sounds are still bland and far and few in between. The DS version seems to have made the sounds more faint, more bland, and more far and few in between. Most of your battles will just be the battle music from beginning to end with the occasional thud or pop.

=====Gameplay=====

Battles are another change. The Playstation Rhapsody played more of a strategy RPG. Move yourself and your puppets around strategically to improve offensive and defensive strategies. In this version, Rhapsody has changed to the normal RPG turn based gameplay. While this doesn’t make the challenge any more difficult (this is a fairly simple RPG), it does help move things faster along especially with the Auto option. So it will be a little faster to quickly level up your cast of puppets to take down your target.

=====Story=====

So why are these crazy characters singing? For many reasons, but they all circle around the heart of one Prince Ferdinand. It’s your job to hook him and Cornet up. Unfortunately, the Evil Queen Marjoly throws a bad note into your music score to make the sweet music not so kind to the ears. So you help Cornet get her Prince back and restore order to this musical.

=====Changes=====

Already mentioned was the use of Japanese voices for the songs and the new gameplay. A couple extra changes include the use of the stylus (it is a DS game after all). Nothing too big, just tap on the screen to move Cornet or make your choices in battle or the menu. All this can be done with the normal button layout.

Also added is the in-game map, which is very helpful. Most dungeon layouts are look the same and it was easy to get lost in the Playstation version. The map certainly helps with determining where you are especially since later dungeons include more and more floors as the game goes on.

The script has been polished a little bit more. Players of the original don’t have to worry though. All the quirky one-liners, weight jokes on the main character, and charm are still here.

The use of Kururu as an individual character just adds another team to your party. Before, Kururu would just accompany Cornet, tease her, and sing a few songs. Now she’s a butt kicking puppet that can help take out foes. She’ll also be completely on your side in your quest to be with the Prince.

=====Final Words=====

While there have been quite a few changes from the Playstation to the DS, the game is still the same. The story is the same. The difficulty is nothing for seasoned RPG players. Some may not be able to get passed the overall cuteness of the game that is always crammed down your throat, but that’s part of what makes Rhapsody Rhapsody. This game floated under the radar the first time around and might be repeating that process again. It’s not for everyone, but if you want a game that doesn’t take itself to seriously and can bring out a couple laughs, then this game will definitely do it. And if you don’t mind having a couple of silly songs bounce around in your head, then you will really want to play this.

Rated 3 out of 5

(pictures from DS, videos from PSX)

Evil Queen

Amphibian Paradise

Amazing Pirates (extra song left out of both versions, Spanish subtitles)