Through Action Packed Capitalism "Penny Punching Princess" Spins A Common Narrative

Socialism, and Capitalism ... it's a touchy topic of discussion for many, and like those many debating the very nature of the roles each side plays in society NISA has also jumped on the bandwagon through this very game. Albeit on more neutral and enlightening terms. Through a comical story with an obvious point to be made we find an heir to the throne of a tyrannical kingdom that was lost to the lure of capitalism. Money overpowered the powerful, as it were. At the heart of the tale being told is a penny punching plot of revenge where the princess and her Miya stag beetle companion Sebastian use the very capitalistic tools that destroyed their king, and kingdom to fight the powerful mob-like presence that is the Dragoloan Empire. With a powerful punch that produces coin, skills that kill, and a calculator that allows the bribing of monsters the Princess, and Sebastian set forth to rebuild castle Tyrannical's influence, and it's population by the very means it was taken down.

Like many of NISA's more unique JRPGs "Penny Punching Princess" takes an old formula, and spices it up through an innovative indie presentation. This particular chapter, and mission based dungeon brawling affair not only hosts a unique narrative driven story with political morals, but also features action packed gameplay that has you taking on the role of one of the powerful protagonists who are out to make bank, kick arse, and regain power. The experience itself takes you through missions where you face waves of monster minions as you either beat currency out of them via melee and skill based mechanics or bribe them to help you in your quest to rebuild your kingdom. With the combat that takes place in a set amount of gated off areas within a dungeon you'll have to utilize your punching, pushing, skills, and break abilities to loot the losers who bankrupt your father. Punching along with skills will ultimately build upon chain combos for bigger coin drops while the break (while minions are in a break state) mechanic will allow you to bank even more coins if executed on time.

Along with the tutorial explained basics of combat comes the introduction of a shoulder button based calculator function that can be used in tandem with the PS Vita touchscreen, or through additional button presses. Both methods are made optional from the start, and can be changed at any time via the "START" menu. Whatever option you choose to go with you will be bringing the calculator up in the middle of combat (preferably when an enemy is in break state), and either type in manually the indicated amount that floats just above the enemy's head or leave the calculator input blank, and use the auto-fill function to apply, and bribe the monster via the use of gained currency. By bribing the monstrous minions you can call them to aid you in combat via a sort of limited special attack, or you can put them work at the main menu "Control Center" listing having them crafting new armor, and Zenigami statues that will also help you as you progress.

Each dungeon area, or chapter based mission has an underlying objective. This objective includes, but is not limited to clearing out all the enemies. Alongside the mission listing which can be accessed at the main menu by choosing the "Leave Castle" option you'll find a list of monsters, and hidden treasures that can be found. The dungeons themselves are semi-overhead labyrinths in which you'll find certain areas that will gate themselves off, and force you to fight off a wave of collective enemies. Enemies vary in strength, size, and bribe cost. In some gated areas you'll even find traps, and hazards you have to avoid while punching your way out of the fray. Once you clear all the monsters the gates will drop, and you can continue to explore the dungeon for treasure chests, and other monsters. Along with the monster, and treasure looting opportunities comes the chance encounters with friendly minions who expand upon the plot, or give helpful tips for tackling the current dungeon area. Each dungeon, or mission playthrough is a timed affair with a timer on display. Some missions feature smaller single room areas while others are larger multiple room situations.

Once you've cleared a mission, and even a single gated area your performance will be rated alphabetically. The end mission's (sum of all area clearing ratings) "S" ranking means you had a perfect playthrough while "E" stands as the worst ranking possible. Of course, there are letters between "S" and "E" which lean slightly towards a perfect or pitiful excuse for a playthrough. Along with the playthrough rankings comes awarded skill points that can be used at a couple of the main menu hubs. The "Training Center", for example allows you to spend skill points on stat boosts, and new skills that you have unlocked through progression. It also allows you to equip new skills, and new armor while you are there. All of which is useful in the increasingly difficult rise to riches. Another hub of interest that will be of use to you comes in the form of the "Workshop". It is here you can craft armor or create beneficial Zenigami Statues (buffs) with the right amount of "G" currency, type & number of monster citizens required, and relics required. The latter, of which, are looted from the treasures in your mission outings. Needless to say bribing as many monsters as possible is just as important as looting them for their coins, and the dungeon area treasure chests.

The Presentation ...

Visually "Penny Punching Princess" is a delightful mixture of painted panel style backdrops, and indie inspired pixel art. The characters, and dungeons are heavily constructed by pixels while the menu does feature some painted details. This mixture of art, and pixels comes together perfectly, and complimentary. Even the soundtrack, and narrative voice-overs compliment every aspect of the game. For those of you looking for the original Japanese voices they are made available through the settings menu option along with "English".

The Verdict ...

Though some may be put off by the politically inspired theme there is some fun to be had in this action packed dungeon brawler. I personally found the combat enjoyable to a point, but did find the inclusion of the bribe calculator, and the way it was utilized to be kind of intrusive, and problematic at times. If you accidentally type in a number before using the auto-fill function it will cause you to have to clear that number, and reset the calculator to zero to get the most viable, and quick bribe option that is auto-fill. The touchscreen on the other hand is also off putting, but more so than the button control setup. With the touchscreen chosen as the means to bribe you will manually have to type out the bribe cost, and execute it. With the touchscreen on the PS Vita not always being reliable this causes notable issues. That aside I think the game is built decently enough with the button controls in mind that it's doable with the button setup. You just have to focus on bribing monsters while they are in a break/stun state, or when there's an opening to do so.

My final verdict is going to be that of a situational passing grade. By that I mean it's not the type of game that's going to appeal to everyone, some NISA fans included. It has it's functional frustrations, and it's obvious political motivations. You'll have to decide for yourself with this knowledge in mind whether this is enough to persuade or dissuade you from buying.