It is now twenty years since the original ‘god game’ was released. While perhaps not the first of its’ kind, Populous was the seminal incarnation of the genre on the PC platform and has defined it ever since. The lineage includes games such as Sim Earth, Black & White, The Sims and Spore. Now the classic returns in a faithful reproduction of the original for the Nintendo DS. Is the glory maintained? Read on and find out!
The DS has become the home for many classic PC games, but the quality has varied widely, from lousy games such as The Settlers, to average games such as Sim City and Zoo Tycoon, to solid games such as 1701A.D. and Age of Empires. However, the best of those games were the ones that were updated or reimagined in some way. Since Populous is pretty much a straight port of the original, my expectations were fairly low in terms of evaluating this as a ‘new release’, but my hopes were still high that this would peg my ‘nostalgia meter’ in a way that the awful The Settlers failed to do last year.
The concept of Populous is simple: you are one of five deities who needs to build up your land and your followers while a rival demon is simultaneously building up his forces. This all leads to an epic final battle that is decided by who prepared and nurtured and exploited their worshipers best. In many ways this sounds like a classic RTS formula, but the difference is that rather than directly manipulating situations, you are using your divine influence to enable your followers to complete tasks for you. So instead of building houses, you shape the land to be favorable for worshipers to build houses, and so on.
Controls are handled entirely through the stylus, and it is an excellent system – once you get used to it. The bottom screen is where you work all of your divine magic, with the results shown on the top screen. So to alter the terrain you simply drag the wireframe up or down on the bottom screen and watch the actual terrain change on the top screen. You also use the bottom screen to manipulate your divine powers and move your relics around to attract followers.
The graphics are sharp and crisp but retain a very retro feel – which works very much in the favor of the game. Populous looks and sounds like an old classic, with nice variety in the different areas and a very limited soundtrack that you will happily just turn down after a while. I was amazed that The Settlers suffered from poor framerates and load-times, so I was thrilled that Populous looks great with very short loads and no signs of slowdowns at any time. There is nothing that gets in the way of enjoying the game.
There is a load of content here, but also a minor complaint: in the twenty years since the original was released, the concept and mechanics have been used and reused and expanded upon greatly, to the point that Populous DS often feels like doing the same few simple tasks over and over again. It is fun and will keep you busy for hours on end, especially if you grab some friends and engage in wireless multiplayer battles.
But the question comes down to the initial attraction – if this is a game you have played before but haven’t touched since Sinead O’Connor was comparing things to the letter ‘U’ (or whatever that song was about), then it is a fairly easy ‘Buy’. I know I have greatly enjoyed it, but as I always do in cases like this … I gave the game to my kids to play around with on a outlet shipping trip with an old friend. They enjoyed it initially, and between two of them it consumed the entire hour or so we were driving. But for the ride home they had no interest – nor have they desired to touch it again since. It was a novelty with little to hook them for longer than a few minutes, which is how I think it will feel to many gamers … so I advise trying the game before buying.
Pros:
+ Looks good
+ Excellent touch screen control
+ Faithful reproduction of the classic
Cons:
– Feels twenty years old
– Limited appeal
– Soundtrack gets annoying
Game Info:
Platform: DS
Publisher: XSeed
Developer: EA Japan
Release Date: 11/11/08
Genre: Strategy
ESRB Rating: E10+
Players: 1-4
Valhalla Knights 2 may have been a HUGE disappointment, but XSEED’s got a good shot at redemption with two upcoming DS titles, KORG DS-10 and Populous DS, both of which have just gone gold and received their final ship dates. Music-creation tool KORG DS-10 will begin dropping phat beats come November 4th, then one week later on November 11th Populous DS will attempt to re-imagine the classic PC god sim title for a new audience. KORG will sell for $40, Populous for $30.
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XSEED Games has now launched official websites for its two major fall DS titles, the powerful music-creation app KORG DS-10 and the portable remake of Peter Molyneux’s PC classic Populous DS. The KORG DS-10 site is loaded with tutorial and demo videos to get all you budding composers out there up to speed before the program hits store shelves later this month, and on the Populous DS site you can find detailed info on all the game’s new features, play modes, gods, minions and battlefields. Follow the links below to find out more.
KORG DS-10 Website: www.korgds10synthesizer.com
Populous DS Website: www.populousds.com
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Populous DS Fact Sheet
Title: Populous DS
Publisher: XSEED Games
Platform: Nintendo DS
Release Date: Fall 2008
UPC: TBD
Genre: Strategy
Player: 1 – 4 players
In the beginning, there was nothing but a void, and from the void five gods created the world, each exercising their great power to shape the world with five different but brilliant colors.
Earth created the basis for all things; Water soothed it; Fire imbrued it with vitality; Wind breathed into it freedom; Harvest provided it with nourishment.
Fish, beasts, and finally beings called man came into existence. The power of the gods brought harmony among all living things and the world gave way to an age of glory.
However, prosperity created darkness in the hearts of man, and from that darkness demons were birthed. The demons controlled the same five elements as the gods and rose against them. A chaotic battle for the world had begun.
Thus opened the gates of an age of darkness, where man trembles in fear, helpless as the awesome powers rage around them. It marked the beginning of a long-lasting age that would test their faith between the gods and the demons.
A completely re-imagined remake of the PC classic that launched the god-sim genre, “Populous DS” brings the power of the gods into the palm of the player’s hands. The unique features of the Nintendo DS improve upon the original as touch-screen controls, dual-screens, and versus play with up to 4 players wirelessly have been implemented. The gameplay is fresh for returning players as multiple gods each with their own unique miracles have been added, while returning fans will recognize the classic maps from previous editions of Populous in homage to this legendary series.
KEY FEATURES
– A Classis is reborn on the DS! – The interface is built around the stylus and touch-screen controls while retaining the feel of the classic. Actions taken on the bottom screen play out on the top screen.
– Additional Gods and Miracles – 5 different elementally imbued gods, each with their own unique miracles and demon counterpart, are now selectable rather than just one.
– More Single-Player Missions and Variety – Challenge Mode with 50 missions to clear as well as Free Play Mode including a “Find The Warrior” mini-game.
– 4-Player Wireless Multiplayer – Versus Mode allows up to 4 players to compete unleashing disasters such as earthquakes, tidal waves and volcanic eruptions to wreck havoc on opponents’ lands!
– A Must-Have for Populous Fans – The most popular and classic maps from previous editions pay homage to the roots of the legendary series.