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Let's use our imagination for a moment: you're a handsome, cunning prince studying abroad. You return to your home kingdom and find that not only has your father, the king, disappeared, but he's left the kingdom in enormous debt. As creditors come knocking at your door, you discover that the neighboring kingdom's seven princesses have run away after a little misunderstanding with their father and they're now your traveling companions as you work to pay off the money your country owes. You have 800 days to pay this debt and win the heart of one of the beautiful princesses that accompanies you on your journey.

This scenario just happens to be my dream-come-true, but it also -- conveniently -- sets up the plot for the upcoming DS role-playing game, Shining Legend. This action RPG is developed by the folks over at South Korean studio Blueside, known for their Kingdom Under Fire series (which I previewed recently and enjoyed). And while there were a number of other exciting games here at the Tokyo Game Show, Shining Legend is the one I absolutely have to buy.

Shining Legend has plenty of potential.

The game is a mix of classic formulas that can be found in many Japanese RPGs. Players have two main objectives during the course of the game: pay back their father's debt and win the heart of a princess. Most of the player's time will be spent fighting monsters and developing relationships with the different girls. Players will need to learn those girls' personalities and moods and act accordingly, giving them gifts and speaking to them in certain ways to win their affection. 

The prince, named Luchs in the documentation I was given (I imagine this might change to "Luke" in the official translation), will travel around the continent and complete quests to earn money. During these travels, he can actually be joined in battle by a princess, which gives Luchs access to different special abilities or team attacks. These attacks vary depending on the girl Luchs is courting. 

This is just the beginning, of course. Luchs also has his own set of attacks and spells to use and he'll level-up and grow stronger as time progresses. As the game wasn't actually playable during my meeting with Blueside, the only information I have to go off of is screenshots. And the most noticeable feature of the battle system is the collection of enemies you'll be fighting. Monsters in Shining Legend are both 2D and 3D affairs, which gives the visuals a very nice look. Most of the characters and lower-level creatures are just 2D sprites, but when Luchs faces off with a boss character, that monster will be a 3D model. 

Luchs and the seven princesses.

Blueside wants the battles in Shining Legend to be action-heavy, so don't expect any turn-based business here. Luchs will be running around the screen and pounding on his enemies with the strength and valor that only a broke prince can muster. And considering the beautiful girls he's trying to impress, I'd say players have plenty of incentive to fight. 

It looks like special attention was given to the artwork in Shining Legend, as the character designs, environments, and even the small sprites have a light and airy look to them, giving the entire game a wonderful aesthetic. This will undoubtedly work well with the game's sense of humor, as I was told that if the player fails to win the heart of a princess by the game's conclusion, Luchs could be propositioned by a less-than-ideal suitor. I'll just leave it at that! 

This cat is important to the story.

Judging by Shining Legend's structure, players will be able to tackle this RPG an absurd number of times. Not only does every princess have multiple endings, but each successful playthrough will enhance the game's difficulty level and new quests will open up. Considering the game has more than 400 quests to offer, I imagine that players could keep Shining Legend in their DS for a long, long time. 

Shining Legend looks extremely promising, especially to an RPG nut like myself, but the game is still a ways out and I'll need to get my hands on it personally to make a real judgment call. With that said, the content I've seen so far is beyond charming and I can't wait to see more. 

Blueside plans to launch Shining Legend in Japan at the end of the year, with other regions targeted shortly after.