Code of Princess
A hack-and-slash RPG with over 50 characters and branching endings.
Code of Princess is an action role-playing video game developed by Studio Saizensen and originally published by Agatsuma Entertainment for the Nintendo 3DS. Released in Japan in April 2012 and in North America in October 2012, it later received a Windows version in April 2016 and an enhanced port, Code of Princess EX, for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. The game is noted for its hack-and-slash gameplay, over 50 playable characters, and its connection to the Sega Saturn title Guardian Heroes through the involvement of that game's director and character designer Tetsuhiko Kikuchi and lead programmer Masaki Ukyo.
- Developer
- Studio Saizensen
- Original Publisher
- Agatsuma Entertainment
- Platform
- Nintendo 3DS, Windows, Nintendo Switch
- Release Date (Japan)
- April 2012
- Release Date (North America)
- October 2012
- Genre
- Action role-playing, hack and slash
- Metacritic Rating
- Mixed or average
Lore & Background
Code of Princess follows Princess Solange Blanchefleur de Lux, exiled from her kingdom after monsters attack and the royal family is blamed. Armed with the Sacred Blade DeLuxcalibur, she seeks the cause of the monsters' behavior while evading the Distron Army. Along the way, she meets allies including thief Ali Baba, necromancer Zozo, bard Allegro, and others, eventually discovering that Distron's leader Queen Distiny is a cover for the fallen angel Dios Diablos Distille, who seeks to destroy the world. The plot involves a 'Code' power source, the Empyrean Stone, and two possible endings depending on whether Solange destroys the stone or not.
Reader's Guide
Code of Princess is significant as a spiritual successor to Guardian Heroes, with key staff from that game contributing to its development. Its gameplay combines hack-and-slash action with RPG elements, allowing players to allocate status points on level-up and choose from over 50 characters across multiple modes, including a story campaign, free play, bonus quests, and multiplayer cooperative or versus modes. The game received mixed or average reviews on Metacritic. Its legacy includes appearances of its characters in the crossover fighting game Blade Strangers (2018) and the puzzle game Crystal Crisis (2019). The development team expressed interest in a sequel for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2013. The enhanced port Code of Princess EX was released for Nintendo Switch in 2018, published by Nicalis worldwide and Pikii in Japan.
Did You Know?
- The game's director and character designer Tetsuhiko Kikuchi and lead programmer Masaki Ukyo previously worked on the Sega Saturn title Guardian Heroes.
- The Windows version of Code of Princess, published by Degica, did not retain the English voice acting from the original 3DS release.
- Princess Solange, Ali, Liongate, and Master T appear as playable characters in the 2018 crossover fighting game Blade Strangers.
- The game features two endings triggered by the player's choice to destroy or spare the Empyrean Stone.
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