The "Friendship Destruction" game is coming to Switch!　First Impressions of "Dokapon Kingdom Connect," a Hilarious RPG-style Board Game with Online Competitive Support

The latest title in the "Dokapon" series, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary!　You can enjoy heated battles online as well!

Dokapon" is a backgammon-type board game series, first released in 1993 with the title "Kessen: Dokapon Kingdom IV: The Legend of Dokapon! Dokapon Kingdom IV: Legendary Heroes" was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1993, and this year, 2023, marks the 30th anniversary of the first game in this popular and historic series. Dokapon Kingdom Connect" is a port of "Dokapon Kingdom" for PS2 and Wii, which is a remake of "Dokapon 3, 2, 1: Storm Calling Friendship," the second title in the series released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, to the current Nintendo Switch console, adding an online battle function. This is a port of "Dokapon Kingdom" for the current Nintendo Switch console with online battle functionality.

The main feature of "Dokapon Kingdom Connect" is, as mentioned above, the online battle function. In this title, players can freely play against friends or anyone in the world using the online function. Of course, it is possible to actually gather in one place and play offline using a single Switch, but the implementation of an online function that allows players to casually enjoy battles regardless of time or location is a very welcome feature. In addition, there are a number of convenient features for online matches, such as the ability to save during the game, the automatic creation of a room to regroup immediately after a member's connection is disconnected, and the ability to leave the game by passing the baton to a COM operator, making the game easy to play.

There are three main game modes in this title. First is the "Scenario Mode. This is the main mode of the game, in which players travel through the seven continents of the Dokapon Kingdom to complete various events. Players who are playing Dokapon for the first time should try this mode by themselves first.

Next is "Normal Mode. In this mode, players set the number of weeks (turns) to play, and the player with the highest total assets within that time frame wins. This mode can be played in a wide variety of ways, such as playing quickly by setting a small number of weeks, or playing with friends through the night (but not all the way through) by setting the maximum number of weeks to 999.

The third is "Battle Royale. This mode offers three races, each with different victory conditions. The first is the "Village Race," in which the player who liberates a specific village the fastest wins; the second is the "Kill Race," in which the player who kills the other players the specified number of times wins; and the third is the "Kaimono Race," in which the player who delivers the specified item to the Dokapon castle the fastest wins. Each of these races requires a different strategy than regular "Dokapon" and offers a unique way to enjoy the game. The game also offers a more heated battle against other players.

These three game modes can be selected for offline play, of course, but they are also all playable in online matches. This is another nice feature. In addition, the online room search allows you to select a game mode and search for rooms that you can enter, so you can try to find a room with the mode you want to play.

An artistic fusion of board game and RPG!　Jam your opponent and seize victory!

Let me introduce the game system of this title. I will try to explain it in as much detail as possible for those who have not played the Dokapon series.

The Dokapon series is characterized by a unique system that combines board games with RPG elements. The objective of the game is to earn more money than anyone else by progressing through the squares as many times as the number of eyes that come out of the roulette wheel, battling enemies and bosses in the field using a command selection system to earn experience and money, and sometimes battling other players as well. This is not just a backgammon game, but a unique system that incorporates many RPG elements such as battles, experience, and levels, which sets it apart from other board games and provides a unique playing experience.

Before starting the game, players begin by creating a character. In addition to deciding on appearance, face type, hair style and color, the player chooses one of three basic occupations.
There are three basic occupations: the Warrior, which excels at physical attacks that push with force; the Magician, who can use powerful magic with high magical power; and the Thief, who is quick and stealthy and steals from others. Each has different specialties and stats, so choose the one that best suits your ideal strategy. Incidentally, as you progress through the game, you can change to a different profession. Changing to a higher level job will increase your salary and bonus rate, so you will want to be proactive about changing jobs to get closer to victory.

Each turn comes around once a day. There are two basic actions that can be taken on one's turn: "use belongings" and "move. You advance through the field as many times as the number of eyes that come out of the roulette wheel, and follow the instructions of the squares you stop at. There are various types of squares, including "terrain squares" where battles with monsters and events occur, "treasure chest squares" where you can obtain items, field magic, equipment and money, and "store squares" where you can buy tools and equipment. After turning the roulette wheel, you can select the "Leave it to me" option to get an idea of which squares you can go to, so it's a good idea to make use of this option.

Among these squares, "village squares" are particularly important. By stopping at a village controlled by a boss monster and defeating the boss, you can liberate the village and turn it into your own property. Since assets are directly related to victory, the shortcut to victory is to liberate as many villages as possible before other players do.

However, the boss monsters are tough, and if you underestimate them, you will be beaten back. So, gain experience, raise your level, get the right equipment, and prepare carefully before you attack. Although the game is called ......, you must also make sure that other players don't get there before you. The game is thrilling and exciting, whether you take your time to prepare or just go in at a mediocre state.

Battles occur when players encounter monsters in terrain squares or village squares and stop at squares occupied by other players. The battle is fought by selecting one of four actions from a command selection system. If you can anticipate your opponent's command and choose it well, you can reduce damage and deal damage more efficiently. This guessing game is like rock-paper-scissors-scissors, and is inevitably more exciting in a battle against a player.

Winning against monsters rewards the player with experience and money, but the reward for winning against players is a little different. If you win a battle with another player, you can directly take their money, village, items, etc. This is one of the reasons why Dokapon is called the "Friendship Destruction Game. Although it is easy to be a little hesitant about directly damaging your opponent, there is no mercy in Dokapon!　You should try your best to get in your opponent's way to gain the upper hand. Of course, there are also many cases where you can be the one to be hindered. The real thrill of the game comes from the huge "friendship-destroying" jamming battles.

Battles are not the only elements that can be a distraction. By using field magic obtained from treasure chest squares and other locations, players can interfere with their opponents in various ways, such as inflicting damage or status abnormalities. The higher the player's magical power, the more damage he or she can inflict, while the higher the player's speed, the more likely he or she is to evade. In the aforementioned battles, attack and defense stats are naturally important, but the originality of Dokapon lies in its fusion of board-game strategy and RPG-like training elements. The game's balanced balance of luck and skill is highly addictive, making players want to play again, whether they win or lose. The game is highly addictive, making players want to play again, whether they win or lose.

This is what makes it so great! My personal recommendation for "Dokapon Kingdom Connect

Now, let me introduce some of the "my personal highlights" of "Dokapon Kingdom Connect".

1, The too-hot battles against other players that could really "destroy friendships"!

This is, after all, the most important point of this work. Although this title supports single-player play, it is no exaggeration to say that the real thrill of Dokapon, which is synonymous with "destroying friendships," lies in the versus battles. This is because the game offers a wide variety of ways to interfere with other players. You can use magic to block other players, set traps in the field, or even stop at the same squares as other players to battle directly with them. In order to experience the essence (?) of these mischievous elements, it is necessary to play against other players. To experience the essence (?) of these disturbing elements, it is better to play against a human player than against a COM player.

Among these elements, the one that caught my attention was the "prank" that can be played on the other player after winning a battle. These pranks include changing the opponent's name, changing the character's hair style to a funny wig, and even writing a postcard on the character's face. Yes, these pranks are purely party actions to make everyone laugh and have fun with each other. It is quite rare to find a game with an element of interference that has nothing to do with winning or losing, and I felt that this is exactly the kind of element that symbolizes the fun of this party game.

2,Easy-to-play online battle function that can be customized in detail

The most attractive feature of this title is the ability to casually enjoy a heated online battle at any time. In addition to the choice of mode and number of players, users can set passcodes and whether "anyone" or "friends only" can enter the game. In addition, there is a "guest function" that allows you to share a single Nintendo Switch and play with two or three friends. Simply put, this function allows you to participate in online matches with players in the same location as you. Whether you are playing with a friend who has come to your house to visit, playing against a mutual friend who lives far away, or challenging a married couple to an online match against someone you don't know, the guest function will greatly expand the range of ways to play.

Dokapon Kingdom Connect" is recommended as an otomo for the upcoming Golden Week holiday!

So, there you have it, our first impressions of "Dokapon Kingdom Connect".

The unique fusion of RPG and board game gameplay is sure to be addictive to both experienced and inexperienced players of Dokapon. It is a perfect game for a major vacation or a long vacation, so if you are interested in this game, please pick it up.

Dokapon Kingdom Connect

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• Title Information
• Dokapon Kingdom Connect " (Compile Heart)
• Release date: April 13, 2023
• Price: Package version: 6,380 yen (including tax)
• Download version: 6,380 yen (including tax)
• #: (Japanese only)

Author: Nero Hyakkabe

Freelance writer who buys too many games. Currently have more than 300 games in my stack. Also a novelist. His works include "Yubisaki Kaidan: 140 Scary Stories" (PHP Kenkyujo) and "Goa-ken: Unrated Edition" (Kodansha).

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