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is a series of role-playing games developed by Level-5. The series chiefly follows the young Oliver, and his journey to another world to save his mother and stop the beckoning evil. The games utilize several magic elements, allowing players to use magical abilities during gameplay, as well as creatures known as imajinn/familiars, which can be tamed for suitability during battle. Conceived as a project for Level-5's tenth anniversary, ''Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn'' was released in December 2010 for the Nintendo DS. An enhanced version of the game, ''Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch'', was released in Japan in November 2011. The games were developed separately, retaining similar stories, but featuring significant artwork, graphics and specification changes. A localized version of the game was published in Western regions by Namco Bandai Games in January 2013. Two mobile games have also been released: ''Hotroit Stories'' in December 2010 through the Roid service, and ''Daibouken Monsters'' in May 2012 through the GREE service. The former follows the story of Oliver and Mark as they try to find parts for a car, and the latter is a social card game in which players collect cards featuring imajinn. The animated sequences for ''Dominion of the Dark Djinn'' and ''Wrath of the White Witch'' were produced by Studio Ghibli, and the original score was composed by Joe Hisaishi and Rei Kondoh. The game's artwork was also greatly inspired by Studio Ghibli's other productions. The game's character development—particularly that of Oliver and his friends—was a large focus of the game's development, and was intended to make children empathize with the characters and for adults to relive their adolescence. The developers chose to initially develop for the Nintendo DS due to its suitability for gameplay, and later used the power of the PlayStation 3 to its full potential to render the world with great detail. Games in the series have been praised as being among the best modern role-playing games. Reviewers mostly aimed their praise at particular elements of the game: visual design, and its resemblance to Studio Ghibli's previous work; characters and story, for their believability and complexity; the soundtrack, and Hisaishi's ability to capture the essence of the game world; and the unique gameplay, particularly for its ability to blend formulas from other role-playing game franchises. The games also won awards from several gaming publications In March 2014, Namco Bandai reported that the series had sold more than 1.7 million copies worldwide. == Games == ''Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn'' was released in Japan on December 9, 2010, for the Nintendo DS. After his mother dies, Oliver sets out on a journey to another world to save her. Alongside the fairy Shizuku, Oliver meets Maru and Jairo on the way, who assist him on journey. After retrieving three magical stones to complete a wand to defeat Jabou, Oliver discovers that he cannot save his mother, but vows to protect the world regardless. He defeats Jabou, who uses his power to ensure that Oliver does not die as well. ''Ni no Kuni: Hotroit Stories'' was released in Japan on December 9, 2010, for mobile devices through the Roid service. It follows the story of Oliver and his friend, who create a custom car by finding parts around Hotroit, eventually making their way to an abandoned factory and encountering creatures.〔〔〔 ''Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch'' was released for the PlayStation 3 in Japan on November 17, 2011, and published in Western regions by Namco Bandai Games in January 2013. The game is an enhanced version of ''Dominion of the Dark Djinn''; the plot is almost identical, featuring an extended ending. Some character names were also changed; Shizuku was changed to Drippy, Maru to Esther, Jairo to Swaine, Lars to Marcassin, and Jabou to Shadar, among others.〔 After Shadar is defeated, the White Witch appears and casts a spell that turns the citizens into undead-like creatures. When Oliver and his friends reverse the spell, they discover that the White Witch was once a young queen called Cassiopeia who had noble intentions, but was manipulated into wanting the destruction of the world. After Oliver defeats the White Witch, she is restored to her former self, and declares to dedicate her life to making amends for her actions. Oliver then returns to his old life in Motorville. ''Ni no Kuni: Daibouken Monsters'' was released in Japan on May 11, 2012, for mobile devices through the GREE service. Players travel to another world and collect cards featuring imajinn. An occupant of the other world is trapped in every card; by flipping the card, players have the ability to use the occupant's abilities during battles.〔〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ni no Kuni」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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