Hyperdimension Neptunia

UPC: 813633010984

Platform: PlayStation 3

Publisher: NIS America, Inc.

Developer: Idea Factory Co., Ltd.

Category: Role-Playing

Style(s): Third-Person 3D RPG

Synopsis: Hyperdimension Neptunia is an RPG that doesn't travel far to find its inspiration, using the real-world "console wars" between Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega, and Sony to create Gamindustri, a parallel realm in which four goddesses battle for control. The goddesses and their respective homelands are representations of specific consoles, with Noire presiding over Lastation (PS3); Vert ruling Leanbox (Xbox 360); Blanc governing Lowee (Wii); and the main character Neptune presiding over Planeptune, a reference to Sega's unreleased "Neptune" console. As Neptune, players explore dungeons and engage in turn-based battles with monsters unleashed by a mysterious woman known as Arfoire, all in an effort to find the Histoire, a book that contains all the world's secrets. Industry references permeate Hyperdimension Neptunia, as each goddess can transform into a more powerful CPU (Console Patron Unit); gamers can enlist the aid of characters from such classic Sega titles as Altered Beast, Shinobi, and Space Harrier; and secondary characters are named for companies that worked on the game, including Compa for Compile Heart, If for Idea Factory, Nisa for Nippon Ichi Software, and Gust for, unsurprisingly, Gust. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide