Torneko: The Last Hope

Torneko: The Last Hope
Developer(s)	Chunsoft, Matrix Software
Publisher(s)	Enix
Designer(s)	Yuji Horii
Artist(s)	Akira Toriyama
Composer(s)	Kōichi Sugiyama
Series	Mystery Dungeon
Platform(s)	Sony PlayStation, Game Boy Advance
Release date(s)	PS1; JP September 15, 1999; NA November 15, 2000; GBA; JP December 20, 2001;
Genre(s)	Console role-playing game, Roguelike
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ESRB: T (Teen);
Media	CD-ROM, Cartridge

Torneko: The Last Hope (World of Dragon Warrior), is a console role-playing game for the Sony PlayStation. The game was co-developed by Chunsoft and Matrix Software and published by Enix in both Japan and North America in 1999 and 2000 respectively.

Torneko: The Last Hope is a spin-off title of the Dragon Quest franchise and the second Mystery Dungeon game to star the Dragon Quest IV character Torneko. It is also the second game in the Mystery Dungeon series to be released in North America, after Chocobo's Dungeon 2. Like in Torneko no Daibouken: Fushigi no Dungeon, Torneko (or Taloon, as he was known in Dragon Warrior IV) explores dungeons in search of items, while fighting of hordes of monsters. In Japan, the game was ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2001, renamed Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibouken 2 Advance.

Story[edit]

Legends told of the Joy Chest that lay hidden in the depths of the mysterious Magic Dungeon. It was described as a mystic chest that bestowed happiness on whomever held it. Many brave souls ventured into the Magic Dungeon seeking the chest, but none was ever successful.

Then Torneko, a man who dreamed of becoming the world's greatest merchant, came to the kingdom. He began his dungeon exploration at the request of the King. Soon he had his own store, which grew bigger and more popular each time he emerged from the dungeons with goods to sell.

Thanks to the support of his wife Nina, his son Paolo, the friendly carpenters Ed and Mondo, and store employees Gon and Polly, Torneko eventually succeeded in fighting his way through the Magic Dungeon and bringing back the Joy Chest. The magic song of the Chest not only made Torneko happy, but the entire village as well.

And so Torneko settled down to a peaceful life. However, just six months after his original adventure, more troubles arose. Monsters appeared outside of dungeons and began threatening people's homes. The King was distraught. Eager to put things right, Torneko decides to once again set out on a grand adventure.

Gameplay[edit]

The main gameplay involves Torneko exploring maze-like dungeons in search of items. Each dungeon is full of monsters from the Dragon Quest games that Torneko can fight. The monsters can only make one move for each of Torneko's moves.

Music[edit]

The musical score for Torneko: The Last Hope was composed by Dragon Quest series alumnus Kōichi Sugiyama. The original game soundtrack was released by SPE Visual Works on January 21, 2000 in Japan on a single 21-track disc.

Reception[edit]

Torneko: The Last Hope was a financial and critical success in Japan. The PlayStation version of the game sold over 578,000 copies in Japan the year of its release. The Game Boy Advance version of the game had sold over 181,000 units in Japan by 2007. The game was well-received by Famitsu magazine, with a score of 37 out of 40 for the PlayStation Version and 36 out of 40 for the Game Boy Advance Version. Additionally, the game was voted by the publication as number 31 in its top 100 PlayStation games of all time.

Torneko: The Last Hope did not sell well in North America and garnered mixed reviews within the region. It received a decent 89/100 from RPGFan. The reviewer called the game "frustratingly difficult," but that its "addictive gameplay elements and top-notch soundtrack" made it a marvelous game. The game received a "fair" 6.9/10 from GameSpot, which states that a lot of role-playing game players would be turned off by its lack of story and randomly-generated dungeons, but those who are looking for some lighter fare of role-playing game may like it. Other critics scored the game much lower, however. PSM Magazine gave the game a score of 1/10 and the Official PlayStation Magazine gave Torneko a 2/5.