| 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) | Tactical role-playing game |
| 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), usually shortened to Ogre Battle Gaiden, is a strategy video game for the Neo Geo Pocket Color.
Story
Prince of Zenoba serves as a side story (or gaiden) to Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen, taking place around the same time and follows Prince Tristan, who also appears in the aforementioned title. The game explores Tristan's journey from a teenage prince, unfamiliar with the ways of 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 Sacred Xytegenian Empire. The young Tristan's life was saved by the quick actions of those in the castle. Estrada, a Xenobian knight deeply loyal to the late king, took the boy far away and begun to train him, in the hopes that one day he may reclaim his kingdom.
The story spans many years, affecting the age and appearance of the characters. Like other Ogre Battle titles, the plot is branching, with multiple 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, the amount of units deployed at a single time are limited to 7. There are other familiar series staples in the game, such as the opening tarot reading, Chaos Frame mechanics, and a certain witch. One added innovation is the Ogre Battle 64 ability to plot unit movement as a series of points, rather than a single straight line.
The game has 13 story stages, divided between two routes. Like The March of the Black Queen, there are also some hidden stages.
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.
Development and Release
Prince of Zenobia is the only original game in the series not to be made by Quest. Instead, it was developed by NGPC creators 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 in SNK franchises Fatal Fury and King of Fighters.
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.
A partial fan translation patch has been posted online.
External Links
- Translated game endings courtesy of VGMuseum.