In the wake of Ni No Kuni on Switch and the Remaster on PS4 and PC, Bandai Namco have released a story trailer for the beloved JRPG with a pixelated twist. Featuring scenes from the first few hours of the game, the trailer recounts the beginning of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch as if it were a 2D pixelated RPG.
The Ni No Kuni Pixel Remix Trailer was done by Dutton Films and showcases not only a new visual take on the game but a spin on the soundtrack and sound design as well. The musical themes transfer very well to chiptune. Hearing the music accompanied by the bloops and bleeps of old school RPGs, I became nostalgic for a game that never was while watching. It is a treat to see familiar locations and characters re-imagined for a different medium.
For those out of the loop, Ni No Kuni was originally a PS3 exclusive that was the result of a team up of developers Level-5 (Yo-kai Watch, Professor Layton) and legendary animation from Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro). It follows the adventures of an optimistic boy, Oliver, and his Welsh accented fairy friend, Drippy, in an effort to save Drippy’s world and Oliver’s mother. Recently a remastered version for PS4 and PC was released, as well as a Switch port of the original game. For more thoughts on the original game, I recently reviewed the Switch version of this magical gem of a title.
I think its a testament to the art direction and music composition that Ni No Kuni holds strong even when transformed so dramatically. The trailer is 10 minutes long, which is impressive, yet sadly flies through hours worth of the game. It certainly is a very fun “what if” though and could pave the way for more like it.
What do you think of the pixel treatment Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch received? What other games would you like to see re-imagined in this way? Let us know in the comments or on social media!
