Last Update: 1/19/08
The World Ends with You
The World Ends With You, known in Japan as It's a Wonderful World, is an action RPG for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was developed by the Kingdom Hearts team, Square Enix, and Jupiter. Character designs are by Tetsuya Nomura and Gen Kobayashi. The distinctive art style is inspired by the aesthetics of Shibuya youth culture.
Neku Sakuraba, a 15 year-old boy with a hobby for music and graffiti, wakes up in what seems to be the Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, Japan. With no idea why he's there, he opens his hand to realize he is holding a strange black badge. After flipping it with his hand, the thoughts of the people surrounding him began to flow into his head at once. Surprised, Neku discovers he is able to read the minds of others, and assumes it has something to do with the black badge he is holding.
A cellphone starts to ring in his pocket, and he can't tell whether it is his or not. A text message appears: "Reach 104. Time limit 60 minutes. If you do not achieve your goal, you will die. From the Shinigami". After discovering he can't delete the message, a timer of 60 minutes imprints onto his right hand. Neku is in Shibuya to play the "Shinigami Game" which spans a total of 7 days. All participators of the Shinigami Game have a black badge with a skull embedded on it. The Shinigami Game has certain rules, which prevent him from leaving the Shibuya district. If Neku doesn't complete the game, he will be stricken from existence along with Shiki Misaki, a girl who is another participant in the game. Shiki requests Neku as her pact, and he agrees to work together with her for their week.
The Shinigami monitor the duo's actions and invite them to dangerous and difficult tasks. In order to survive, Neku and Shiki will have to defeat the "Noise", physical manifestations of people's negative thoughts and feelings. The Noise are based on animals such as pigeons, wolves, and bears and can also take the forms of objects and historical monuments in Shibuya. Neku's psychic talents are essential not only to gather clues and hints from the people, but to also detect the Noise that sweep through the roads of Shibuya. During their week in Shibuya, Neku and Shiki run into other people who have become involved in the Shinigami Game.
Most of the gameplay focuses on finding clues and battling Noise. Players can use Neku's mindreading abilities to hear people's thoughts by using the touch screen of the Nintendo DS. The game's combat system, called the "Stride Cross Battle System", uses both screens of the Nintendo DS. Neku has three partners, one in each specific chapter of the game. The player can freely choose which partner to use, once clearing the game. One of the three partners is displayed on the top screen, while Neku is displayed on the bottom. Battle actions take place simultaneously between both characters. The touch screen is used to move and attack with Neku, whose abilities depend on the badges equipped. On the top screen, movement can be controlled with the D-Pad, which is tapped for specific techniques.
The game is divided into three chapters, "Shiki Chapter" , "Joshua Chapter", and "Beat Chapter". An extra story, "Another Day — It's a Wonderful Day", is accessible after clearing the main game and fulfilling the reports from all days. There is a badge collection system that allows players to use new abilities by collecting badges scattered throughout Shibuya, obtainable either through defeating Noise or purchasable in stores. Different badges allow Neku to use a variety of new abilities. Players can buy clothing and food for Neku and his partners in the stores located all across Shibuya, to increase their Brave points, offense and defense points, or synchronization percentage.
HP between Neku and his partner is shared, and when Neku and his partner lose all their HP during battle, the game is over. The player is taken to a selection screen to choose an action: retry the battle, retry the battle on Easy Mode, flee from battle (unavailable for key boss battles and when black Noise symbols are chosen for battle), or return to the title screen.
Players can also play a mini-game named Marble Slash, a game similar to the Western marble game ringer. This is played by dragging and clashing badges to knock off the opponent's badge off of the arena. Each badge has different weight and special attacks.
Neku Sakuraba, a 15 year-old boy with a hobby for music and graffiti, wakes up in what seems to be the Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, Japan. With no idea why he's there, he opens his hand to realize he is holding a strange black badge. After flipping it with his hand, the thoughts of the people surrounding him began to flow into his head at once. Surprised, Neku discovers he is able to read the minds of others, and assumes it has something to do with the black badge he is holding.
A cellphone starts to ring in his pocket, and he can't tell whether it is his or not. A text message appears: "Reach 104. Time limit 60 minutes. If you do not achieve your goal, you will die. From the Shinigami". After discovering he can't delete the message, a timer of 60 minutes imprints onto his right hand. Neku is in Shibuya to play the "Shinigami Game" which spans a total of 7 days. All participators of the Shinigami Game have a black badge with a skull embedded on it. The Shinigami Game has certain rules, which prevent him from leaving the Shibuya district. If Neku doesn't complete the game, he will be stricken from existence along with Shiki Misaki, a girl who is another participant in the game. Shiki requests Neku as her pact, and he agrees to work together with her for their week.
The Shinigami monitor the duo's actions and invite them to dangerous and difficult tasks. In order to survive, Neku and Shiki will have to defeat the "Noise", physical manifestations of people's negative thoughts and feelings. The Noise are based on animals such as pigeons, wolves, and bears and can also take the forms of objects and historical monuments in Shibuya. Neku's psychic talents are essential not only to gather clues and hints from the people, but to also detect the Noise that sweep through the roads of Shibuya. During their week in Shibuya, Neku and Shiki run into other people who have become involved in the Shinigami Game.
Most of the gameplay focuses on finding clues and battling Noise. Players can use Neku's mindreading abilities to hear people's thoughts by using the touch screen of the Nintendo DS. The game's combat system, called the "Stride Cross Battle System", uses both screens of the Nintendo DS. Neku has three partners, one in each specific chapter of the game. The player can freely choose which partner to use, once clearing the game. One of the three partners is displayed on the top screen, while Neku is displayed on the bottom. Battle actions take place simultaneously between both characters. The touch screen is used to move and attack with Neku, whose abilities depend on the badges equipped. On the top screen, movement can be controlled with the D-Pad, which is tapped for specific techniques.
The game is divided into three chapters, "Shiki Chapter" , "Joshua Chapter", and "Beat Chapter". An extra story, "Another Day — It's a Wonderful Day", is accessible after clearing the main game and fulfilling the reports from all days. There is a badge collection system that allows players to use new abilities by collecting badges scattered throughout Shibuya, obtainable either through defeating Noise or purchasable in stores. Different badges allow Neku to use a variety of new abilities. Players can buy clothing and food for Neku and his partners in the stores located all across Shibuya, to increase their Brave points, offense and defense points, or synchronization percentage.
HP between Neku and his partner is shared, and when Neku and his partner lose all their HP during battle, the game is over. The player is taken to a selection screen to choose an action: retry the battle, retry the battle on Easy Mode, flee from battle (unavailable for key boss battles and when black Noise symbols are chosen for battle), or return to the title screen.
Players can also play a mini-game named Marble Slash, a game similar to the Western marble game ringer. This is played by dragging and clashing badges to knock off the opponent's badge off of the arena. Each badge has different weight and special attacks.
Publisher: Square Enix
