| Legend of Ogre Battle Gaiden: Prince of Zenobia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | SNK |
| Publisher(s) | SNK |
| Producer(s) | Kazutoki Kono |
| Programmer(s) | Kaneko Michiaki |
| Artist(s) | Eisuke Ogura Shinbo |
| Writer(s) | Hideto Kanzaki Shinji Goto |
| Platform(s) | Neo Geo Pocket Color |
| Release date(s) | June 22, 2000 |
| Genre(s) | Real-time Strategy RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multi-player |
Legend of Ogre Battle Gaiden: Prince of Zenobia (伝説のオウガバトル外伝 ゼノビアの皇子, Densetsu no Ōga Batoru Gaiden Zenobia no Ōji, Sidestory to Legendary Ogre Battle: The Zenobia Prince), is a real-time strategy video game for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. The game is presented as a side story to Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, sharing many similarities in gameplay and setting.
Story[]
Prince of Zenobia precedes the events of Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, and follows Prince Tristan, who also appears as a supporting character in the aforementioned title. Set in Xenobia under occupation by the Sacred Xytegenian Empire, the game explores Tristan's journey from a boy inexperienced as a soldier, to the skilled and honorable leader he would eventually become.
Before the events of The March of the Black Queen, Tristan's father, King Gran of Xenobia, was assassinated by Gares to pave the way for the kingdom's conquest by the Xytegenian Empire. The young Tristan's life was saved by the quick actions of those in the castle. Estrada, a loyal knight loyal of the late king, took the boy deep into the Xenobian countryside and began to train him, in the hopes that he may one day lead a revival of his kingdom.
The story spans several years, affecting the age and appearance of the characters. The plot branches between a Lawful and Chaotic Route, with 5 possible endings.
Gameplay[]
With the exception of new areas and character classes, Prince of Zenobia is almost identical to The March of the Black Queen in appearance and gameplay. Although, maps are generally smaller, and the amount of units deployed at a single time are limited to 7. There are other familiar series staples present, such as the opening tarot reading, Chaos Frame mechanics, and music from the earlier games.
One added innovation is the Ogre Battle 64 ability to plot unit movement as a series of points, rather than a single straight line. However, unlike the previous games, player units will always move as the crow flies, so this feature is more of a necessity to compensate for the simpler AI.
The game has 13 story stages, divided between two routes. Like The March of the Black Queen, there are also some hidden stages.
A Free Battle mode, unlocked after clearing the game, provides access to harder enemies, rare items, new maps, secret classes, and bonus characters.
Prince of Zenobia also features multiplayer support, the first game in the series to do so. Players can engage their armies in head-to-head battles, or trade units and items. The game places heavy emphasis on multiplayer, with many classes and characters only available after completing the storyline, and a host of multiplayer-exclusive battle items.
Development[]
Prince of Zenobia is the only original game in the series not to be made by Quest. Instead, it was created by SNK, after Quest agreed to license them the intellectual property. Despite being developed by a brand new team, great pains were taken to keep the game consistent with the story and tone of The March of the Black Queen. The characters were designed by Eisuke Ogura, best known for his work on SNK franchises Fatal Fury and King of Fighters.
Release[]
The game was released in Japan on June 22, 2000 and is currently the only Japan exclusive Ogre Battle title, due to the system being discontinued internationally. The game still sold well in Japan, charting amongst the top ten highest selling titles in the week of its release, despite the low market share of the NGPC.
A limited edition version was released later that year. Along with the game, it came with a Neo Geo Pocket Color console, a guidebook, and a light novel adaptation.
An early-stage fan translation patch has been posted online, which translates much of the interface into English. However, the game is notoriously prone to sound and memory bugs when emulated.
From 2020, SNK began porting several games from the NGPC library to the Nintendo Switch, releasing the NeoGeo Pocket Color Selection, as well as offering each title individually. Though the collection does feature some previously Japan exclusive titles, no announcement has yet been made for Prince of Zenobia.
Game Information[]
Characters[]
- Recruitable and non-recruitable character biographies and starting statistics.
Classes[]
- An index and overview of playable classes in the game.
Locations[]
- All playable maps in the game, and a guide to each stage.
Equipment[]
- A list of weapons, armor, and accessories.
Consumable Items[]
- Healing items, strategic items, class promotion items, and more.
Special Items[]
- Plot items, and what they're each used for.
Tarot Cards[]
- The drawing and battle effects of tarots (unchanged from The March of the Black Queen).
Neutral Encounters[]
- All random monster encounters in the game.
Endings[]
- The requirements and differences across the multiple endings.
External Links[]
- Translated game endings courtesy of VGMuseum.
- English Walkthrough by RoslolianGarr
- Game Script (Japanese)