Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14386 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: ACTIVISION
• Released on: 2002-08-09
• Platform: GameCube

Amazon.co.uk Review
Lost Kingdoms is a Japanese role-playing game whose random battles play like a cross between Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon. It may not be the king of cool but it's certainly the queen of quality. Considering it's had next to no advertising or hoopla (up until very recently it was still be referred to by its Japanese name of Rune), it really is quite a shock to find out that Lost Kingdoms is really pretty good, even more so because it involves collecting what can only be described as virtual Top Trumps cards. There's a typically overwrought plot to explain all this but quite frankly at this stage there's no need to make the game seem anymore hokey than it already does. All you need to know is that Lost Kingdoms, unusually for an RPG, is split into a series of missions that involve you collecting and then using magical cards in the aforementioned randomly occurring battles. The cards are divided into three sorts (magical attacks, creature summons and miscellaneous) all of which are further classified as being Earth, Water, Wood or Fire types.

It's all as complicated as it sounds but the various in-game tutorials allow you to dip your toe in slowly enough to appreciate the fact that the whole system has been very well designed and balanced. The game is far from perfect--the graphics and controls could've done with a bit more work for a start--but it is refreshingly different, particularly on the thus far RPG-less GameCube. --David Jenkins

NGC Magazine
"Far more than the sum of its parts. 86%."

Manufacturer's Description
As one of the first role-playing games for the GameCube, Lost Kingdoms takes you on an immersive adventure into a magical world where guardian beasts are summoned to battle malicious foes. Lost Kingdoms combines eye-popping graphics, rich 3-D environments, incredible special effects and a compelling adventure story line. As Princess Katia, you must explore more than two dozen 3-D world filled with graveyards, mountains, forests and fortresses, interacting with other characters, uncovering secret areas and unravelling the mystery that threatens your realm. Collect and power up more that 100 Guardian Creature Cards, from fighting skeletons to ravishing wolves, and summon them to fight in real-time battles against hordes of evil monsters. As you progress through the game the experience and abilities of the creatures will increase, adding additional elements of strategy. Play alone through the story mode, or take on a friend in the two-player versus mode, pitting your Guardian Creature card collection against theirs in a battle to the finish.

Customer Reviews

Interesting game, but far too short
Lost Kingdoms is initially very promising, with an
interesting battle system and fast pacing.

However, there is little depth to the story, and it
suffers from being extremely short. The box claims
20 hours gameplay, but I completed it in under 13
(including doing the side-quests). If you wanted
to obsessively collect all of the cards you could
stretch it out a bit further, but there is not really
any replay value.

The two-player option could add some value, but
doesn't seem compelling.

A game with great potential - but 'flawed'...

This at first appeared to me to be a great-looking game. The opening sequence is colourful, captivating and enthralling and the graphics are exceptionally impressive, but try as I might, I could not figure out the purpose of the 'Editing' of the Decks of Cards....

Apparently, you fight enemies using 'Cards' instead of traditional weaponry to make progress in the game. However, one would think that due to this facet of the game, one would have at least been given a chance to 'select' the order of Cards to be used in a battle from your Deck, as they have differing 'attributes' and so you would need to choose wisely which were the 'best' Cards to use in any particular battle. (you are able to hold a maximum of four Cards in your hand so to speak, at any one time, and when these have been used, they are replenished - if you indeed have any more from your 'Deck' available.) BUT! 'Editing' your Cards is only possible when reaching a certain 'Edit' point within the Missions. Nothing wrong in that, but as one does not know which types of Monsters you are to be confronted with in advance - and their attributes or abilities, how does one choose in anticipation of what would be their best Cards? Maybe I am stupid, and missing something here, but if so, I would love anyone to help me out by leaving a 'Comment' explaining to enlighten me, as I really would like to be able to play this game.

This could have been a really good game. I felt it had great potential too with the use of 'Cards' for weapons, which was pretty unique for a game in this genre. I so wanted to play this - indeed; I would re-play and re-read the Instruction Booklet in a desperate attempt to make it work, but the 'Editing' of the Cards bit just confused me...

Another 'niggle' was that the Icons on the Cards and that appear above the Monsters that are displayed whilst you are in Battle Mode are also pretty small and not always easy to see (unless you are extremely close up to the screen) and so this makes it even harder - coupled with not being able to 'Edit' your Cards during a battle, you simply end up pressing randomly to select any card/button in your hand, to simply hope for the best - the result being; you run out of Cards very quickly - hence your character dies and then has to start all over again... If you do manage to defeat an enemy this way (and it does happen on occasions) you're none the wiser as to how or why it has happened, and which Cards worked the best, and so the whole exercise becomes rather pointless...

Perhaps I'm missing something here? Unless the penny suddenly drops with this one - it's just not my game...

Not what u think
When i first read reviews for this game i thought it was probably just a new pokemon style game where u "summon" creatures from cards u collect.
Icouldn't have been more wrong, the combination of puzzle solving and fights is brilliant whereas some of the cards are sheer genius.
Instead of having a sword or gun and chopping up anything that comes close u have to fight with cards that summon creatures like skeletons, mummys, dragons and gargoyles to fight for u. Plus there is no bloodshed so the game is for people who enjoy bloodless battles. The graphics are superb and the creatures are magnifecentally animated. Only got 4 stars because of the lack of character speech, it appears in a little box to read.
Other than that a must buy.