Jade Cocoon 2 : Story Of The Tamayamu - PS2

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Viewed: 2.5D Side-on, Flick screen Genre:
Adventure: Role Playing
Media: CD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Genki Soft. Co.: Genki
Publishers: Ubisoft (GB)
Genki (JP)
Released: 14 Jun 2002 (GB)
Unknown (JP)
Ratings: 3+
Accessories: Dual Shock Joypad

Summary

Monster-breeding-meets-fantasy-role-playing-game is the theme in Jade Cocoon 2, resulting in a bizarre combination of Final Fantasy and Pokemon.

A sequel to the original Playstation game, JC2 is set some centuries later and features a different plot and a cast of new characters. The new hero goes by the name of Kafu. Kafu finds himself possessed by a dangerous entity called ‘Kalma’, which acts as a parasite on the mind of its host, eventually leading to insanity and, ultimately, death. To beat the evil affliction, Kafu enlists the help of his cohort Niko and begins a quest to find the four elemental orbs of Fire, Earth, Water and Wind.

On their travels, Kafu and Niko build a team of allies and, what’s more of a key element in the game, capture and breed the monsters that are used in the battle sequences. This is where the main focus of the game comes into play. From a collection of over 200 species, the player captures and raises the monsters. The concept of the ‘raising’ system is to refine the blood and then combine them with other monsters, building them in generations, thus creating a unique and original battle team.

JC2 is set in a fully rendered 3D world, with an emphasis on an over-exaggerated, ‘super-deformed’ appearance. Hailing from famous Studio Ghibli, widely considered as Japan’s answer to Disney, character designer Katsuya Kondo has opted for a more fantastical look, as opposed to the Final Fantasy-style general sense of realism.

Jade Cocoon 2 is a deep and engaging story, offering some innovative gameplay features and, with the versatile breeding element, a fair amount of longevity.