Code of Princess

 3DS
  • Publisher: Atlus
  • Release Date: Oct 9, 2012
  • Also On: PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 82 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 82
  3. Negative: 9 out of 82
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  1. ttocs
    Oct 10, 2012
    8
    Very reminiscent of the much loved Guardian Heroes. You pick up characters as you continue along the main campaign and can level them up independently and assign them weapons, charms, armor, etc. The game takes place on a 2d plane with the ability to move from forescreen, midscreen, and backscreen (three levels) at will while attacking enemies and performing movies like in a fightingVery reminiscent of the much loved Guardian Heroes. You pick up characters as you continue along the main campaign and can level them up independently and assign them weapons, charms, armor, etc. The game takes place on a 2d plane with the ability to move from forescreen, midscreen, and backscreen (three levels) at will while attacking enemies and performing movies like in a fighting game. The gameplay is fun but the game can suffer from some slowdown when there are a lot of enemies on screen. It doesn't take away from the action too much though and you'll get used to each characters attack speed and judge accordingly. You'll soon find your favorite and upgrade to the nines while enjoying a decent story filled with a lot of silliness.… Expand
  2. malypso
    Oct 10, 2012
    9
    Being named the spiritual successor to Guardian Heroes, Code of Princess is finally here. But does it live up to the hype? Short answer, YES! COP is a beautiful JRPG beat em up game that has a ton of content, including local/WiFi co-op/vs multiplayer action, and over 50 playable characters. The campaign is broken up in bight sized sections, which is good for on the go gaming. The story isBeing named the spiritual successor to Guardian Heroes, Code of Princess is finally here. But does it live up to the hype? Short answer, YES! COP is a beautiful JRPG beat em up game that has a ton of content, including local/WiFi co-op/vs multiplayer action, and over 50 playable characters. The campaign is broken up in bight sized sections, which is good for on the go gaming. The story is good and once I got the combat mechanics down I was hooked. There are some minor issues with slow-down but nothing that deters from the experience however, I could tell that this game was designed with the original 3DS in mind, not the 3DS XL. Either-way the game is fun and beautiful, never letting up not even at the end. Campaign isn't too long but, with 50+ playable characters and full campaign with up to 4 players Local/WiFi multiplayer and also a 2-4 player VS mode, Code of Princess will keep you busy for a long time. Enjoy and support great games from Japan.… Expand
  3. forthesloth
    Oct 11, 2012
    9
    This game is awesome!... I have sunk about 10 hours into the game and am still captivated by the game play. The combat system is simple but deep executing the right moves at the right time to chain together combos takes skill and practice. The game plays more like a fighter than it does a brawler. I wish there were more depth on the rpg elements not they are shallow in anyway but iThis game is awesome!... I have sunk about 10 hours into the game and am still captivated by the game play. The combat system is simple but deep executing the right moves at the right time to chain together combos takes skill and practice. The game plays more like a fighter than it does a brawler. I wish there were more depth on the rpg elements not they are shallow in anyway but i would have like to have seen more done with the weapons system. I can see why they didn't though the game is filled to the brim with content whether it be unlocked characters, online game modes, single player game modes etc. I could go on forever. I have had no frame rate drops and only had a lag issue in one match of the 30 or so ive played. The graphics are smooth and animations are seamless as well. This game is worth every penny of the 40$ price tag.… Expand
  4. vicviper
    Oct 15, 2012
    8
    Great game, perfectly paced for a handheld. Playing Code of Princess is like stepping back to the 90's when games were developed to be a memorable experience. Incredible amount of content on the cartridge, without the need of DLC. If you enjoy old school beat-um-ups with with RPG elements buy this game.
  5. revrevolution
    Oct 15, 2012
    8
    This is a really fun jrpg with enough beat-em-up to go around. The artistic style is very appealing, and the humor aspects are silly and well balanced. In terms of gameplay, it's about as fun of mindless button mashing as there is - leveling up characters is fun as well as collecting new armor and weapons to help polish your character (which there are many fun characters to choose from forThis is a really fun jrpg with enough beat-em-up to go around. The artistic style is very appealing, and the humor aspects are silly and well balanced. In terms of gameplay, it's about as fun of mindless button mashing as there is - leveling up characters is fun as well as collecting new armor and weapons to help polish your character (which there are many fun characters to choose from for free play). My only real 'beef' with this title is that gameplay does indeed slow down a lot during during some battles - this can be distracting at times, but honestly after you've played the game for a while you get use to it pretty quickly. The slowdowns aren't enough to keep this game from being a real keeper, if you're into side scrolling beat down games, then check this one out.… Expand
  6. Oceanicus
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    It has a genius localization thanks to Atlus, its humour is just great, you'll be playing to see what the character will say next, also, for the fans of beat-em-ups its a good game. The only downside is that it can suffer from frame rate when you're playing with more than 2 people, other than that, great.
  7. raidendaigo
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    Like JRPGs but wish they were more action oriented. Well then Code of Princess is up your alley. Great looking graphics, arcade style action and goofy plot lines make for a whimsical and fun game experience. The characters are well designed but and kinda fan-service but the game play and tone more then make-up for it. The 3d has a diorama effect giving a toy-like appearance to theLike JRPGs but wish they were more action oriented. Well then Code of Princess is up your alley. Great looking graphics, arcade style action and goofy plot lines make for a whimsical and fun game experience. The characters are well designed but and kinda fan-service but the game play and tone more then make-up for it. The 3d has a diorama effect giving a toy-like appearance to the experience, which was a plus for me. I can't wait to unlock all the characters.… Expand
  8. HeroOfLegend
    Oct 10, 2012
    9
    This is probably one of the best 3DS games I've played in a long time. Story mode is pretty awesome and the dialog is quite well written and funny. Voice actors are great too! The gameplay can be pretty challenging at times, but you can grind yourself up to the right level when you need to. I also like how you can play as different characters in both story mode and free play. Only issue iThis is probably one of the best 3DS games I've played in a long time. Story mode is pretty awesome and the dialog is quite well written and funny. Voice actors are great too! The gameplay can be pretty challenging at times, but you can grind yourself up to the right level when you need to. I also like how you can play as different characters in both story mode and free play. Only issue i have is with the frame rate at times, but it doesn't really take away from the experience for me. A must have for any RPG fan.… Expand
  9. VegetarianWolf
    Jan 17, 2013
    10
    This is one of the only games from this generation that I feel deserves a 10/10. At first glance, I thought it would be just another one of Fatlus' JRPG games like all the rest. And I'm sure a lot of you felt the same. I bought this game originally just for collecting and archiving purposes, but instantly fell in love after I gave it a chance.
    Everything about the game is light hearted    This is one of the only games from this generation that I feel deserves a 10/10. At first glance, I thought it would be just another one of Fatlus' JRPG games like all the rest. And I'm sure a lot of you felt the same. I bought this game originally just for collecting and archiving purposes, but instantly fell in love after I gave it a chance.
    Everything about the game is light hearted and goofy. And that is a great change from the usual pace of realistic dark and grimy shooters we have this days. But it doesn't ruin the combat a bit. The combat in this game is very deep and also fun. If you are a fan of fighting games, you will be able to pull of combos very easily.
    The dialogue is captivating. I haven't felt inclined to watch cutscenes in years. The characters are cool, interesting and have a lot of depth. I was also very impressed with the voice acting. Not a lot of 3DS games actually have real voice actors, just text to tell the story.
    On top of all that, this game has infinite replay value. 50 unlockable characters, all with their own stats you can customize to your playstyle, plus tons of unlockable items that do a variety of things.
    And the multiplayer. I don't know what to say, other than this is the best game to have on the 3DS if you want to play with friends.
    This is a must have game for any 3DS owner. Even if you don't like anime, trust me, you will enjoy this game thoroughly.    … Expand
  10. partyintheback
    Oct 14, 2012
    9
    Code of Princess is basically a spiritual successor to Sega Saturn's Guardian Heroes. It's a 2D brawler/beat 'em up with beautiful sprites, fun gameplay, role-play hooks like loot & leveling up, in addition to tons of unlockable characters and a fun story that uses them all very well. I love this game. So why'd I give it a 9 instead of a 10? There's some serious framerate slowdown atCode of Princess is basically a spiritual successor to Sega Saturn's Guardian Heroes. It's a 2D brawler/beat 'em up with beautiful sprites, fun gameplay, role-play hooks like loot & leveling up, in addition to tons of unlockable characters and a fun story that uses them all very well. I love this game. So why'd I give it a 9 instead of a 10? There's some serious framerate slowdown at times, which can definitely put a hamper on the game's glorious gameplay. Had they polished up the framerate, this game would truly be a 10 for me. Definitely a rare treat of a game and for fans of Guardian Heroes.… Expand
  11. Magejutsu
    Jan 25, 2013
    8
    TONS of characters with full voice acting, all with different play styles, and a charming story. Everything I'd expect from an Atlus game. Kept me busy for hours.
  12. Astrogamer
    Oct 30, 2012
    8
    Gameplay: The gameplay is relative simple as most beat-em ups are. B is a fast, light attack, A is a stronger but slower attack, Y is a lock-on attack, X is boost which uses up your mp, d-pad/slide pad are for movement and L/R for guarding. You can chain the attacks for more damage and using on dpad while attacking produces different moves. the lock-on mechanic and boost mechanic areGameplay: The gameplay is relative simple as most beat-em ups are. B is a fast, light attack, A is a stronger but slower attack, Y is a lock-on attack, X is boost which uses up your mp, d-pad/slide pad are for movement and L/R for guarding. You can chain the attacks for more damage and using on dpad while attacking produces different moves. the lock-on mechanic and boost mechanic are essential in harder encounters as boost stuns nearby opponents and both double damage individually with a 4 times multiplier for both activated at same time. Stages consist of several enemies and sometimes a boss and are usually completed within 3 minutes. Each of the 8 characters plays fairly unique. Solange plays sorta like Ike from SSBB while Zozo is a magic user. I feel the gameplay is fairly fluid except when you must run between masses of enemies but this is eased with an increased speed stat. Also with a lot of explosions/effects, the game tends to get a frame rate drop but it doesn't really hurt the experience. Actually it makes the game as if it is some sort of bullet time. However, while the gameplay is fluid and simple, it does not really allow for variety in gameplay so the game gets quite repetitious after 5 or so stages so gaming sessions should kept short like around 20 minutes. The campaign should take about 7 hours. Then, there is freeplay, to play campaign as any of the eight characters if you unlocked them, bonus quests which adds several many hard missions, and the multiplayer of co-op and versus. The online mode is great if you can find another person play with. The versus matches are intense matches between 2-4 characters of the 50 possible character. Every character, enemy and npc is playable in versus. Want to play as a troll you fought in level 2. You Can! Want to crush your foes as one of the main villians? Sure! The little girl from the orphanage too? I guess. The old woman as well? now your being extremely creepy but yes. Co-op can be even more laggy with all the different effects of the attacks. Despite this, online mode is barren because very few have bought the game.

    Art and Music: The music and art of the game are outstanding. The characters are excellent each being very unique from each other. The cutscenes, animated by Bones studios (who animated animes like Soul Eater and the Cowboy Bebop movie.) are epic. The music though mostly being 8 songs and a bit of variations, fit the mood of the current scene and are excellent pieces of music. Simply the art and music are phenomenal. Story: The story is pretty good. The story is basically on the line of typical anime stories. The hero, Solange is forced to flee her kingdom as the Distron Army overthrew the DeLuxia royal family. She joins with several fantastical characters like the thief Ali, the necromancer Zozo and the Bard/Sage Allegro. The story is made much better which the several jokes made throughout the campaign like Emble-Semble Duo, Solange's clothing (or rather lack of) and Allegro's reference to his level. Voice Acting is pretty good and fits many of the characters. The cutscenes are almost like watching an anime. All these little touches make campaign much more enjoyable and make you want to get through the stages as fast as possible. You might be disappointed that Mister T was localized as Master T though.

    Pros: Excellent art and music, very funny story, simple but good combat, great cutscenes
    Cons: Repetitious gameplay, Online is empty, if you are a feminist Solange's clothes    … Expand
  13. Adretel
    Apr 19, 2013
    9
    this game is good like the games that we have in the 90's but sadly in this generation of gamers when a game wants to be like and old school god game the is underated and killed by bad critics, i think this game is vibrant ad colorfull and has a good sountrack (if your ear was trained in the 90's), i would recomend to everyone who want to had a good time. this game is replayeable and youthis game is good like the games that we have in the 90's but sadly in this generation of gamers when a game wants to be like and old school god game the is underated and killed by bad critics, i think this game is vibrant ad colorfull and has a good sountrack (if your ear was trained in the 90's), i would recomend to everyone who want to had a good time. this game is replayeable and you can play with every character on the game.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Best 3DS Game of 2012
12
#12 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2012
12
#12 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 38
  3. Negative: 2 out of 38
  1. Cubed3
    Dec 18, 2013
    70
    Code of Princess plays like an old school game, but as a package manages to feel fresh due to its witty script, complete with sharp voice acting.
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  2. Official Nintendo Magazine UK
    Jun 1, 2013
    52
    Like Lady Zozo, its heart is in the right place, but its arms and legs are on backwards and inside out. Too monotonous to be entertaining.
    Read full review
  3. Games Master UK
    May 9, 2013
    52
    A royal pain in the ass. [June 2013, p.83]
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