PoPoLoCrois is a manga series by Tamori Yousuke, originally published in the Asahi Student Newspaper (a subsidiary of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper). It was later adapted into two anime series and five console role-playing games. Its title is a combination of words from two languages: the Italian word "Popolo (people)" and the French "croix (crossing)", which together mean "crossing of people". The general theme of the series is love and compassion, that the race to which one belongs isn't important and the importance of friendship.
The first game, "Popolocrois Monogatari", starts at the night of Pietro's (also called Pietoro) 10th birthday, when he learns that his mother, who he thought was long dead, was found in a coma. Pietro sets out into a journey along with the apprentice forest witch, Narcia, to save his mother's soul from the underworld. Pietro has to free her soul and defeat a menacing demon that is threatening to destroy the entire kingdom.
The game starts when Pietro, our hero, who looks a bit gloomy despite it being his tenth birthday goes to see his father, King Paulo, and after that the king goes into the tower that he has always told Pietro is forbidden, and Pietro decides to follow him. Inside, he finds King Paulo talking to an unconscious Sania, Pietro's mother whom he had thought died.
Pietro finds out that Sania's soul was taken to the Land of Darkness, a place where normally only the dead go, and that she has been asleep since shortly after he was born. Pietro decides he has to do something to help his mother, and despite King Paulo's wishes, sets off to see the forest witches who are researching a book that may be able to help the next day.
Pietro also grows older as the story goes on, so you are able to control Pietro when he is 10, 12 and 15 years old. Players guide the adventures of the young Prince Pietoro, whose mixed heritage puts him in a unique position to foster peace and understanding between humans and their traditional rivals, the Ryu. Pietoro sets out to rescue his mother from a curse and it joined by an assortment of powerful and magical friends along the way.
PoPoLoCrois is played from an isometric perspective. Combat is tactical and turn-based, similar to that of a traditional strategy RPG. While playing you are able to pick up different characters to form a party, each with a different personality and combat style. Battles occur randomly and they become semi-strategic turn-based if you turn off the default auto combat option. Combat doesn't take you to a different screen, it just defines a spot in the background moving it to a diagonal grid, where you will move and fight the enemy. In these fights, there are many battle options, from special skills to tag-team attacks. Actions are based on an action gauge that fills up.
The PSP release is a reproduction of "Popolocrois" (included into Book 1) and "PopoloCrois II"(Included into Book 3), but Book 2 is a brand-new scenario.
CHARACTERS:
* Pietro is very caring and values friendship, and he gets more courageous as the game progresses. Pietro has crush on Narcia ever since they had their first adventure together. Pietro finds out that he is part dragon because his mother, Queen Sania is a dragon.
* Narcia is an Apprentice forest witch who helps Pietro in the game. Narcia wears a pink dress with a two pointed hat for a specific purpose; when she is 15 years old, she begins to wear a semi purple and pink dress.
* Kai is Narcia's shapeshifting alter ego. Guilda gave her the treasure of the forest witches: the Golden Key which allowed her to become a human so she wouldn't turn into bubbles if she came in contact with seawater; but if anyone discovered this secret, she would fall into a coma. At first she tricks Pietro and the White Knight into thinking that she's a friend of Narcia's, but she reveals her secret to Pietro by accident and later Kimendoji.
* White Knight is first met by Pietro and Narcia at the same time Naguro is met. He joins the party and stays until the very end of book one, Ice Demon. He then rejoins the party when Pietro, Don and Gon go the mine in Pasela to find a dragon in there but then leaves after a baby dragon imprints on him and he stays behind in the land of Dragons to get the baby used to living there.
* GamiGami Devil is a slightly unbalanced dwarf who, though unable to read or write above the level of a child, is a technical genius who creates robots and vast cities.
* Ice Demon is the ruler of North Land and master of ice magic. In the past, he attacked Popolocrois but was stopped and defeated by a dragon.
Manufacturer's description:
PoPoLoCrois follows the adventures of brave Prince Pietro as he battles to save his beloved kingdom from the chilling grips of the evil Ice Demon and rescue his mother from a mysterious eternal slumber. Pietro and his friends travel to faraway lands as they interact with beautiful environments and do battle with a vast array of fierce monsters.
Features:
- Third person perspectives
- 2D Graphics
- Cartoon Graphics
- Medieval Fantasy theme.
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