Line #33 Videogame/PN03


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pn03.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Tagline}} "Danger around every curve"]]'']]
3
4	''P.N.03'' (short for ''Product Number 03'') is a relatively little-known Platform/NintendoGameCube game developed by Creator/{{Capcom}} as part of Creator/ShinjiMikami's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capcom_Five Capcom 5.]] ''P.N.03'' was the only one of two games of the Capcom 5 not later ported to the Platform/PlayStation2, the other being ''Dead Phoenix'', which was cancelled.
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6	''P.N.03'' is a [[ThirdPersonShooter 3rd person]] ShootEmUp starring [[{{Cyborg}} cybernetic]] ActionGirl and ThirdPersonSeductress Vanessa Z. Schneider, a [[HiredGuns mercenary]] who wears a [[SpyCatsuit special sci-fi catsuit]] connected to her spine that allows her to shoot palm shots and execute [[SmartBomb energy drives]], which she [[CampyCombat campily]] performs with [[SheFu acrobatic moves]] or while standing still [[ShakingTheRump gyrating or wiggling her bottom]] to [[RobotWar destroy robots]] in a range of Apple-chic futuro-minimalist facilities. Impressively, all of her animations were handcrafted.
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8	The game received mixed reviews when it was released on September 9th, 2003 in North America, with many critics and players considering it to be mediocre, but others complimenting it as a fun albeit flawed 3D transposition of an old-school [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame arcade]] [[ScoringPoints high-score]] shooter. It commercially flopped, with less than 30,000 sales worldwide. The below-average reception for a Capcom 5 title was due in no small part due to a [[TroubledProduction difficult development process]] in which project lead Mikami reportedly had a difficult time caring about it and the team couldn't agree on the "true" title (its development title was ''Jaguar'', reflected by a trailer where she makes catlike movements). The features ended up being as minimalist as the architecture, as due to the extended development cycle many features were dropped. The game engine, [[RecycledSoundtrack some music]], and [[TankControls some of the mechanics]] were later used in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. Despite its lack of commercial success, it is considered a [[CultClassic cult game]] today.
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10	Much of the team later split from Capcom to form Creator/PlatinumGames, who developed ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', which are [[CreatorDrivenSuccessor successors]] of ''P.N.03'', with ''Vanquish'' being the [[RobotWar Robot fighting]] [[ThirdPersonShooter third-person shooter]] he originally envisioned ''P.N.03'' as, and ''Bayonetta'' having [[CampyCombat a kinetic hypersexual dancing combat style]].
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12	----
13	!!This game contains examples of:
14	* AIIsACrapshoot: The premise of the game is that Computerized Armament Management robots (CAMS) which humans created to help colonize space have now turned on them and [[KillAllHumans taken over Planet Ode]]. Vanessa is a [[HiredGuns mercenary]] who must destroy them all.
15	* AllThereInTheManual: Little of the background is mentioned in game, but you play a mercenary hired by the military to investigate an AI defense system gone haywire.
16	* AmenBreak: Several tracks are this.
17	* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Beating the game with all suits acquired unlocks the "Blackbird" suit, and beating the game again with an overall "Professional" rank, including all trials, unlocks the Papillon.
18	* ArtificialStupidity: The enemies spawn as predetermined types in predetermined locations. You know immediately on entering a room through prior experience what you are facing. The enemies also attack in predetermined patterns. Which makes sense, since they ''are'' robots.
19	* AttackAttackAttack: Skilled players who are familiar with enemy patterns and sound cues and know when/where/how to dodge in the open can ignore [[TakeCover cover]] and play more aggressively.
20	* AwesomeButImpractical:
21	** Many of the energy drives are super flashy and over the top but do pitiful damage and in some cases can miss the target entirely!
22	** The Papillon Suit can access all the energy drives, but turns you into a OneHitPointWonder.
23	* BeamSpam: A lot of the bosses and enemies tend towards this. The FinalBoss uses a beam spam of {{Wave Motion Gun}}s when it TurnsRed.
24	* BeautifulVoid: Many of the game's environments fit this.
25	* BoringButPractical:
26	** Tengu and the upgraded version, Tengu Pro. Doubles your shot power, but most importantly gives temporary invincibility.
27	** The Black Aegis Suit is the first suit that allows for maximum upgrades in all categories and has access to Tengu Pro, Pegasus Pro and Swan Pro, three of the best energy drives in the game.
28	** Ducking. Quite a few enemies are incapable of aiming up or down so a simple duck will avoid all incoming fire. Additionally, rooms can have trenches which when jumped into allow you to avoid incoming beam attacks with a duck.
29	* BossInMookClothing: The Seerose and Gardenie robots.
30	* BulletHell: The bosses tend towards this, though unlike pure bullet hell games there is architecture to hide behind. The last boss is a pure example, and beating him involves learning the patterns to his attacks.
31	* ButtonMashing: The early Aegis Suits require lots, though later ones can be upgraded to fully automatic fire. Through NewGamePlus all the suits can be upgraded this way.
32	* CampyCombat: Vanessa's [[SpyCatsuit skin-tight]] or [[ThongOfShielding revealing suits]], ballerina-like dodges and [[DanceBattler dance animations]], and [[ShakingTheRump butt-shaking]] as she shoots.
33	* CatastrophicCountdown: [[spoiler:Mission 9 has a self-destruct escape sequence at the end.]]
34	* CommLinks: Vanessa and the Client communicate most of the game through ''Metal Gear Solid''-style codec scenes.
35	* CriticalExistenceFailure: You're perfectly fine until that last hit that pierces your remaining shields and kills you.
36	* CutAndPasteEnvironments: The trial missions are a bunch of random rooms strung together. Late in the game the randomizer loves to string multiple T-shaped intersections together, making it very easy to get lost.
37	* CyberPunkIsTechno: The soundtrack fittingly consists mainly of techno, breakbeat, industrial, and jungle/drum & bass tunes.
38	* DanceBattler: Even though it's a shooter, Vanessa uses lots of dance-like moves like cartwheels, twirls, and poses when dodging and firing. It gets a little gratuitous when she fires automatic blasts while shaking her butt. Even her idle animation has her bobbing her head and tapping her foot to a steady beat.
39	** Vanessa's dance moves were inspired by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MEWM-ePJUs "watching hours...of famous dancer's dancing on television"]]. Her [[ShakingTheRump more suggestive moves]] leave little doubt [[{{Stripperiffic}} what type of dancers they were watching]].
40	* DancingTheme: Several trailers showed off Vanessa's dance-like movement. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y4q5fOdRV8 One of the attract videos of the game is a thirty-eight second video]] titled "dance" in the game's filesystem, showing Vanessa performing all her in-game animations like a dance. [[https://youtu.be/QQb6S1m9pNk?t=300 The ending credits scene]] is a similar, longer video of Vanessa performing all her animations like a dance.
41	* DefeatEqualsExplosion: Applies to all enemies in the game, since they're all robots.
42	* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: Dying simply dumps you out of the storyline or trial mission you were in - you get to keep the points you accumulated before death.
43	* DissonantSerenity: Demonstrated in the game's opening cutscene, when Vanessa grooves unflinchingly as double lasers fly past her face.
44	* DoNotRunWithAGun: Vanessa has to stand still to fire.
45	* DifficultyByRegion: The western release massivelly increases the cost of new suits and suit upgrades, and makes the Blackbird and Papillon suits much more time-consuming to unlock.
46	** In the Japanese version, unlocking the Blackbird simply requires beating the game once on Normal difficulty. In the western release, you have to purchase every suits ''and'' their upgrades.
47	** Unlocking the Papillon in the original release was done by beating the NewGamePlus. In the western version, you have to beat all 50 trial missions with a [[GameplayGrading Professional ranking]].
48	* DifficultyLevels: You really should play the game on Easy to get the hang of the enemies and controls.
49	%%* EverythingTryingToKillYou
50	* ExcusePlot: Can apply to the game's plot, since the development team stated they were more focused on the action.
51	* ExpositionBreak: Major advances in the plot come through this way.
52	* {{Expy}}: Vanessa is somewhat of a futuristic expy of Jill from the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series.
53	* HitAndRunTactics: You cannot shoot and move at the same time. Gameplay is basically dodging out of the way of enemy fire until they're vulnerable, then attacking.
54	* GainaxEnding: [[spoiler:The ending is a big MindScrew and SequelHook, revealing that the Client is also a Vanessa clone (after Vanessa already discovered a sleeping clone in Mission 9 that she was forced to abandon in a self-destruct sequence), and the Client says that [[FakeMemories memories can be faked, even her own]], creating an OntologicalMystery. The last line of dialogue is the Client asking Vanessa if she will continue to be a mercenary, and Vanessa responds "Let me sleep on it." The ShowerScene hidden ending also implies a sequel, when the Client approaches Vanessa about a new mission.]]
55	* GameplayGrading: The player is graded every room based on their max combo, time, and whether they took damage; at the end of every mission and at the end of the game the player gets a rank of "Amateur", "Regular", "Destroyer", or "Professional".
56	* GhostCity: [[spoiler:Mission 6 takes place in this.]]
57	* GottaKillThemAll: Every mission begins with a briefing of a giant, sometimes [[TransformingMecha transforming]] [[{{Mecha}} mecha]] boss you must defeat at the end of the level.
58	* HopelessBossFight: Sonnenblume in the first level, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation or so your employer insists]].
59	* HumongousMecha: Certain bosses are several stories tall and tower over Vanessa, especially the last boss.
60	* InvulnerableAttack: Much like the super bombs of {{Shoot Em Up}}s, Vanessa is completely invulnerable during an energy drive.
61	* JigglePhysics: Plenty of Vanessa's animations cause her butt to jiggle. Whether you're walking around, attacking, or even just standing still (which makes her tap her foot), it almost never stops moving.
62	* LaserHallway: Applies to certain rooms in the game.
63	* LevelGrinding: Doing the trial missions over and over for points to upgrade the Aegis Suits makes the game much easier.
64	* MaleGaze: The only explanation for Vanessa's near-constant butt-shaking.
65	* {{Mecha}}: Every enemy in the game is a robot. Some robots and bosses [[TransformingMecha transform]].
66	* ModelingPoses: Vanessa does this in some promotional images and in the game itself.
67	* MsFanservice: Vanessa, who wears a [[SpyCatsuit skintight outfit]] throughout with a strong dose of MaleGaze applied.
68	* MultipleEndings: Beating the game on Easy gives the standard ending. Beating the game on Normal or Hard adds an additional cutscene after the ending. Beating the game with the [[OneHitPointWonder Papillon Suit]] treats the player to a ShowerScene, [[spoiler:and the Client reveals her name as "Dominique"]].
69	* MultiMookMelee: Used for the end-of-level battle in Mission 4, and some of the ReactorBoss battles.
70	* MundaneMadeAwesome: The game adds excitement and intrigue into an otherwise mundane mercenary mission with techno music and [[DanceBattler dancing]].
71	* NewGamePlus: The Aegis Suits you've bought and upgraded carry over between games.
72	* OneWingedAngel: Orchidee II transforms from a mecha-centipede to a SpiderTank form. Loewenzahn II changes from a "lion scorpion car" to a [[ThePhoenix phoenix]]. Alraune starts as an easy robotic skull, then turns into a much tougher {{humongous mecha}} [[ScaryScorpions scorpion]].
73	* OneHitKill: The energy cannon turrets. You do not want to be out in the open when they fire.
74	* OneHitPointWonder: On Normal and Hard difficulty, any hit in the Papillon Suit is an instant [[GameOver game over]].
75	* PaletteSwap: The basic enemy type, the Pilz, all look the same outside of the color. Their attacks vary depending on what color they are. The Aegis Suits themselves are all different colored versions of the same model, with one exception.
76	* PointBuildSystem: The Aegis Suits are both buyable and upgradable through the points scored in both the storyline and the side missions.
77	* PostDefeatExplosionChain: The bosses do this upon defeat.
78	* ReactorBoss
79	* RecurringBoss: All of the normal bosses are fought twice, and two of them have OneWingedAngel forms in their rematch.
80	* RecycledSoundtrack: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV--tmWcw-U The "Fourth Mission" track]] was recycled in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Wnyd2qkRg Klauser's mercenary theme.]]
81	* ReusedCharacterDesign: Vanessa resembles Jill Valentine from the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series, another Capcom property Mikami directed.
82	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: The game is an allegory of this
83	* RobotWar: The premise of the game, with CAMS turning against humans and Vanessa hired to destroy them. The director specifically stated in interviews that he wanted to create a "hot robot war" game.
84	* SavePoint: You are only allowed to save in between missions.
85	* ScoringPoints: Being inspired by old-school arcade shooters, score is important in P.N.03. Learning to get large combos with No Damage Bonuses is essential to hi-scoring in ''P.N.03''. The score is also currency, which allows you to upgrade or buy new suits, and scoring effects mission rank. In a new game, about 4 million points are required to buy every suit, which unlocks the Blackbird, and on a second playthrough all missions (story and trial) need to be finished with a "Professional" rank to unlock the Papillon Suit.
86	* ScoreScreen: You see this after completing every room, every mission, and the entire game, based on max combo, time, and whether you took damage.
87	* SmartBomb: All of the energy drives are variations on this theme.
88	* ShakingTheRump: Vanessa almost always does this when firing--becoming more brazen as she upgrades to semi-auto and fully-auto fire--and also during a few [[SmartBomb Energy Drives]].
89	* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Vanessa becomes this with the Papillon Suit on, which is just a tanktop, chaps, and a [[ThongOfShielding thong]].
90	* ShowerScene: Wearing the Papillon Suit through the whole game rewards you with one.
91	* SignatureSoundEffect: The enemies all have unique sounds indicating they're about to attack. Listening for this is key when trying to dodge while out in the open.
92	* SingleStrokeBattle: With the game's SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity, and using the right Pro energy drive, you can end most boss battles with a single strike.
93	* SorryILeftTheBGMOn: The level music is apparently what she's listening to, thus the toe tapping and gyrations. It turns off when she snaps her fingers.
94	* StuffBlowingUp: A core part of the gameplay is blasting robots and watching them explode spectacularly.
95	* SuddenSoundtrackStop: Happens before certain pivotal moments [[spoiler:such as before the Mission 9 clone [[PlotTwist plot twist]], or when approaching the final boss.]]
96	* SpiderTank: Sonnenblume, Alraune, Orchidee's second form, and several of the {{mook}}s.
97	* SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity: There are many rooms that have full health and energy pick ups, particularly before a boss fight.
98	* TakeCover: One of the ways to avoid enemy fire. Skilled players who are good at dodging in the open don't need to rely on this so much and can [[AttackAttackAttack play more aggressively for hi-scoring combos]].
99	* TankControls: The game uses tank controls like the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series, another Capcom title.
100	* ThemeNaming:
101	** The "Blackbird" Aegis Suit is black, like the name implies. "Papillon" is a French word that means "butterfly", signified by the butterfly tattoo on Vanessa's stomach, and "Vanessa" is a genus of butterfly.
102	** Everything in the game is named with German words or references; "Ode", the name of the planet the game is set on, means "wasteland". Vanessa's last name "Schneider" is also Germanic, and she has a German accent.
103	* ThirdPersonSeductress: Vanessa is a particularly blatant example with all of her butt-wiggling.
104	* ThirdPersonShooter: Despite the over the shoulder cam as later used in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', this is what the game is at heart.
105	* TransformingMecha: Some [[{{mook}} regular robots]] and many of the bosses do this.
106	* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: The premise of the game, the CAMS robots went haywire [[KillAllHumans killed all human colonizers]] on Planet Ode.
107	* TurnsRed: The {{final boss}} uses its WaveMotionGun BeamSpam when down to a quarter of its HP.
108	* UnexpectedShmupLevel: Reviewers tended to treat the entire game like this.
109	* UnflinchingWalk: Applies to Vanessa posing and vogueing as she explodes robots, her curvy frame often silhouetted by it.
110	* WaveMotionGun: Used by several enemies and bosses, especially the death laser turrets sometimes guarding the reactor bosses.
111	* WorldLimitedToThePlot: Standard for a ShootEmUp, there is no world-building or plot outside of the events of the game. The producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi stated from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MEWM-ePJUs the E3 2003 demo]] that this was his intention, saying "the story itself isn't too deep" and "we're focusing on the action".

Context Videogame / PN03