History Videogame / NinoKuni

* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Zig-zagged. The Zoadiarch council were established as the council of villains at the start of the game. However, nearing the end of the game, it was revealed that [[spoiler: they were actually hard-light illusions by the White Witch and have not existed for thousands of years]][[note]]except that one of them is actually her father as a ghost[[/note]]. Then after you battle the White Witch herself and she has a HeelFaceTurn, they suddenly manifest [[spoiler:with the excuse that they were around for so long that the magic has made them real and refuse to cease existence... And you have to fight them anyway]].

** The strongest {{Mon|s}} in the game, Mandragorer, rewarded for beating the Rank S tournament in the Solosseum. Since the S rank is only unlocked in EndgamePlus, there's not a lot you can do with it, besides using it against the {{Bonus Boss}}es in the Conductor sidequest mentioned above.

* ''Wrath of the White Witch'' - Released for Platform/PlayStation3 in Japan in 2011 and worldwide in 2013, this was developed separately, but is essentially the same story as the original up to the mid point. Combat is real-time and menu-based. A HD remastered version for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, PC, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch were released on September 20th, 2019, and on the [[Platform/XboxOne XBox One and XBox One Series-S/X]] on September 15th, 2022.

* ''Dominion of the Dark Djinn'' - Released for UsefulNotes/NintendoDS in December 2010, this is a turn-based RPG where you draw magic spells on the touchscreen. Each copy includes a complete Wizard's Companion book.
* ''Wrath of the White Witch'' - Released for UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 in Japan in 2011 and worldwide in 2013, this was developed separately, but is essentially the same story as the original up to the mid point. Combat is real-time and menu-based. A HD remastered version for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, PC, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch were released on September 20th, 2019, and on the [[UsefulNotes/XboxOne XBox One and XBox One Series-S/X]] on September 15th, 2022.

** The other world, to a degree; but what really fits this trope is [[spoiler: the alternate Motorville that The Conductor takes Oliver to after you beat the BonusBoss; a Motorville with talking animals and other major differences that Alicia did ''not'' go to; therefore, Oliver's soul was never reborn and became a spirit being instead, ie the Conductor.]]

* BonusBoss:
** [[spoiler: The Guardian of the World]], as well as rematches with stronger versions of bosses from the storyline.
** Shazar (Gallus) and many more bonus bosses from ''Dark Djinn'' were integrated in the ''White Witch'' main story and considerably nerfed.
* BonusDungeon: Moya Island in ''Dark Djinn'' had a 100-floor tower accessed with ItemCrafting of all things, with all-new more powerful enemies and PaletteSwap of bosses that will mop the floor with your Lv.99 party if you aren't careful enough. Shazar (Gallus in the English version) is awaiting you at the last floor, and he is on-par with BonusBoss from the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series, a welcome change from the easy main quest. There is another pirate BonusDungeon hidden in a star-shaped island.
** It was replaced in ''White Witch'' with a portal to the FinalDungeon, but its monsters were reused at various points, like many other BonusBoss from ''Dark Djinn''. Gallus himself was reused as TheDragon for the [[FinalBoss White Witch]], but was considerably Nerfed (he no longer has two phases): another BonusBoss (who can be faced after clearing all other boss rematches) replaced him as the ultimate challenge.

** In the ''Dark Djinn'', there is also a DreamLand you get to as Oliver alone, when you check in the inns. You can solve some riddles there using the book. [[spoiler:There is also a BonusBoss there, on-par with late Moya Tower bosses]].

* EndgamePlus: Beating the FinalBoss allows you to reload from the last save. There are now extra sidequests and [[BonusBoss optional bosses]] available.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* {{Feelies}}: The limited Wizard Edition comes with a plushie of Mr. Drippy, and a 340-page hard-bound physical copy of the in-game Wizard's Companion spell book, which contains in-game spells, a bestiary, alchemy recipes and item compendium, and faerie tales.

%%Image selected per Image Pickin' thread:https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16913894970.15587100

* There is also ''Ni No Kuni: Daibouken Monsters'', a card collecting mobile game, which was released through the Japan-only GREE phone service in 2012. Again, it did not do well and was quickly abandoned.

* {{Boss Subtitles}}: Every boss gets one right before they're fought.

* BraggingRightsReward: The OneHitKill ultimate light spell in ''Dark Djinn'': You get it when you defeat Shazar (Gallus in English), but there is nothing else left to do in the game.

* HopelessBossFight: In ''Dark Djinn'': the lava female monster, if you go directly to the Volcano Summit before going first to the Cave of Trials.

* LevelUpFillUp: But only if a player character levels up, ''not'' any of the character's familiars.

* MeaningfulName: "Shizuku" is Japanese for "drop", as in the [[SwissArmyTears teardrop that brought him to life]]. Not to mention his general shape is reminiscent of a teardrop. [[spoiler: And also his backstory in the Wizard's Companion.]] This was maintained with his English name, "Drippy".

[[quoteright:219:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/NiNoKuni_6455.jpg]]

-->''"Each and every heart will be healed\\

** Which is extra odd for Esther, seeing as how she lives in a city where everyone except the British-sounding Queen (who is also the only cow person we ever see in the entire game, so she is already kind of a unique case) has Arabic/Indian accents, including her dad.[[note]]Which goes hand-in-hand with her being the only blonde Caucasian on that half of the continent, including her dad. Maybe her mom was from Ding Dong Dell and had some very strong genes for appearance... and accent...[[/note]]

* AlternateUniverse: The other world, to a degree; but what really fits this trope is [[spoiler: the alternate Motorville that The Conductor takes Oliver to after you beat the BonusBoss; a Motorville with talking animals and other major differences that Alicia did ''not'' go to; therefore, Oliver's soul was never reborn and became a spirit being instead, ie the Conductor.]]

* HealingCheckpoint: Waystones are save points that can fully restore your HP and MP.

* BonusBoss: [[spoiler: The Guardian of the World]], as well as rematches with stronger versions of bosses from the storyline.

* ElementalRockPaperScissors: Some in the {{Four Element Ensemble}}, but there's also TacticalRockPaperScissors.
** The Platoon minigame has a similar system. The cards in a standard deck are divided into four categories: Kings, Bishops (Aces), Wizards (Jokers) and Regular cards (everything else) which the player and AI organize into five units. Units with Kings beat any unit with only Regular cards, Bishops beat Kings and units with only Regular cards beat Bishops. Wizards are outside the rock-paper-scissors relationships and instead forces the player and AI to switch units, essentially reversing the usual outcomes.

* BareYourMidriff: Esther's standard outfit, and many of the young female Mamooni [=NPCs=].

* {{Pun}}: Almost too many to mention, but one of the [[ShownTheirWork cleverest examples]] occurs in the Vault of Tears -- when the party are turned into frogs, Drippy croaks "rarebit, rarebit!" (as opposed to "ribbit") in reference to his Welsh characterization and the national dish. And Swaine, the party thief, croaks "Robbit, robbit!"

* ''Wrath of the White Witch'' - Released for UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 in Japan in 2011 and worldwide in 2013, this was developed separately, but is essentially the same story as the original up to the mid point. Combat is real-time and menu-based. A HD remastered version for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, PC, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch were released on September 20th, 2019.

* PunnyName: Most of the monsters/familiars. Examples include a sheep-like familiar called Baatender, who can later metamorphose into a Baabarian, a thief cat called Cutpurrse (later Purrloiner), a sunshine familiar that can turn into a Wayward Sun...

* AllThereInTheManual: The Wizard's Companion has an absurd amount of detail and lore even when it' first obtained. Reading it is sometimes the only way you'll learn the history of some characters and places.

The most notable feature of ''Dominion of the Dark Djinn'' was that the Wizard's Companion was an actual hardbound 392-page book that shipped with the game and was required to progress through the game. The localization and printing cost of the book is widely blamed for the lack of an international release of that version of the game. When ''White Witch'' was created, the book was included in digital format. However, a limited "Wizard's Edition" release of the title did include the book as part of a luxury collection, [[EverythingsBetterWithPlushies as well as a stuffed doll of Drippy]].

* WeaponOfChoice: Wands for Oliver and [[spoiler: Marcassin]], Harps for Esther, Handguns for Swaine.

* BalefulPolymorph: [[spoiler: The party has to navigate the Vault of Tears as [[BewitchedAmphibians frogs]]. This also happens to all of the townspeople (and two kingdom leaders... and a tank) in the three main kingdoms during the beginning of the White Witch portion of the game. The townspeople become various zombie-esque animal hybrids (like a horse-man and fish-woman), while the kingdom leaders turn into more monstrous versions of their original species.]]

** [[spoiler: Cassiopeia originally wanted to use the Ashes of Resurrection spell to help the people of Nascaä after discovering the Council of Twelve were running it into the ground, only to realize too late that it came at a [[BalefulPolymorph terrible price.]] Believing that the world was wicked to the core and that there was nothing she could do about it was what led her to become the White Witch.]]

* IllGirl: Myrtle is one of these. [[spoiler:She gets better after you repair the hearts of her father Rusty and her soul mate Esther.]]

** Also, there's an attack called the [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Incredible Ulk]].

* ''The Jet-Black Mage'' - Released for UsefulNotes/NintendoDS in December 2010, this is a turn-based RPG where you draw magic spells on the touchscreen. Each copy includes a complete Wizard's Companion book.

The most notable feature of the ''Jet-Black Mage'' was that the Wizard's Companion was an actual hardbound 392-page book that shipped with the game and was required to progress through the game. The localization and printing cost of the book is widely blamed for the lack of an international release of that version of the game [[note]]An update for 3DS with a digital copy of the book is apparently a possibility.[[/note]]. When ''White Witch'' was created, the book was included in digital format. However, a limited "Wizard's Edition" release of the title did include the book as part of a luxury collection, [[EverythingsBetterWithPlushies as well as a stuffed doll of Drippy]].

* AdaptationExpansion: ''White Witch'' extends the plot-line of ''Jet-Black Mage'', adding characters, locations, spells and mechanics (not only by virtue of the differences between DS and [=PS3=] controls) and removing others and changing certain points.

** The story in the ''Jet-Black Mage'' and the one in the ''White Witch'' play in different parallel universes. Basic elements are the same, but they diverge in story elements pretty early on.

** Shazar (Gallus) and many more bonus bosses from ''Jet-Black Mage'' were integrated in the ''White Witch'' main story and considerably nerfed.
* BonusDungeon: Moya Island in ''Jet-Black Mage'' had a 100-floor tower accessed with ItemCrafting of all things, with all-new more powerful enemies and PaletteSwap of bosses that will mop the floor with your Lv.99 party if you aren't careful enough. Shazar (Gallus in the English version) is awaiting you at the last floor, and he is on-par with BonusBoss from the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series, a welcome change from the easy main quest. There is another pirate BonusDungeon hidden in a star-shaped island.
** It was replaced in ''White Witch'' with a portal to the FinalDungeon, but its monsters were reused at various points, like many other BonusBoss from ''Jet-Black Mage''. Gallus himself was reused as TheDragon for the [[FinalBoss White Witch]], but was considerably Nerfed (he no longer has two phases): another BonusBoss (who can be faced after clearing all other boss rematches) replaced him as the ultimate challenge.

* BraggingRightsReward: The OneHitKill ultimate light spell in ''Jet-Black Mage'': You get it when you defeat Shazar (Gallus in English), but there is nothing else left to do in the game.

* CatchAFallingStar: In ''Jet-Black Mage'', [[spoiler:Kublai accidentally knocks Tengri unconscious with his Cloud Sweeper's weapon. Since he is in the sky to battle with Oliver whom Tengri was chasing, the dragon falls from several hundred meters down onto the ground. Oliver can't stop his drop, as Tengri is too heavy for his own Cloud Sweeper. But by using the in-built grappling hook, he changes their trajectory, so they land in the sea instead]].

* CopyProtection: A rather old-school variation, via the included [[{{Feelies}} feely]] with ''Jet-Black Mage''. To do certain things in the game, you need to refer to the book included with the game and see the corresponding page for the current situation. Without it, you can't proceed normally, and if you try to use Oliver's book, it says that you need to see the physical book instead.

** In the ''Jet-Black Mage'', there is also a DreamLand you get to as Oliver alone, when you check in the inns. You can solve some riddles there using the book. [[spoiler:There is also a BonusBoss there, on-par with late Moya Tower bosses]].

* DeathByAdaptation: ''White Witch'' has the Xanadu Kingdom (Haven in the Japanese version) destroyed with most of its denizens killed. ''Jet-Black Mage'' on the other hand has it alive and well, as an airborne kingdom, much like Laputa, and you even meet the sage there. The sames goes for the Dragon's Lair, Kublai's previous center of operation.

* DiscOneFinalDungeon: Inevitably, since ''White Witch'' added a story arc, this was the case with Nevermore Castle, Shadar's lair, which was TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon in ''Jet-Black Mage''.

* HopelessBossFight: In ''Jet-Black Mage'': the lava female monster, if you go directly to the Volcano Summit before going first to the Cave of Trials.

* MultipleEndings: ''Jet-Black Mage'' has a hard-to-get extra ending for clearing the Moya Tower BonusDungeon.

* PetInterface: In ''Jet-Black Mage'', the Familiars can be taken care of in a special screen which allows you to feed, pet, and play with them. ''White Witch'' only has the 'feeding' option left.

* SceneryPorn: This is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEsJpRpn4Pg trailer]] for ''White Witch''. Note especially at around 0:45. There are two frames: the upper one shows the pre-rendered form, and the lower one shows the real time form. They are practically the same. In other words, you will be ''walking through a Ghibli movie.'' Not that ''Jet-Black Mage'' is any slouch--the DS does cell-shading well, and it features the same sort of hand-painted look for its maps.

* YouShouldntKnowThisAlready: Oliver explicitly requires both the correct stroke pattern and knowledge of the spell in order to cast. In ''The Jet-Black Mage'', this meant that even if you had the physical copy of the Wizard's Companion with you, you couldn't cast anything Oliver didn't have in his own copy.

It was followed in 2020 by a [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnline MMO]] for mobile devices, ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniCrossWorlds'', where you play as a beta tester for an upcoming VR game called "Soul Divers" who discover that they are actually being sent to the alternate world of ''Ni no Kuni''.

** Which is extra odd for Esther, seeing as how she lives in a city where everyone except the British sounding Queen (who is also the only cow person we ever see in the entire game, so she is already kind of a unique case) has Arabic/Indian accents, including her dad.[[note]]Which goes hand-in-hand with her being the only blonde Caucasian on that half of the continent, including her dad. Maybe her mom was from Ding Dong Dell and had some very strong genes for appearance... and accent...[[/note]]