Jade Cocoon II revealed

[04.20.01] » First media and details on the PS2 sequel to Genki's monster-collecting RPG.

   A year after Crave, the US publisher of the first Jade Cocoon, hinted that a sequel was under development, the first details of Jade Cocoon II have begun to emerge.

   As in the first game, players will take the role of a would-be "Cocoon Master" who must battle, collect, and combine the monsters of the forest to perfect his trade. Though the formula looks to be largely unchanged, Jade Cocoon II will feature three times as many creatures and a much larger forest to explore. Developer Genki also promises that the merging of monsters will be a much more complex process in the sequel. The game will also make use of Sony's announced mobile phone adapter to allow players to trade their creations.

   The premise of the sequel may be nearly identical, but the graphics will be receiving an overhaul. The pre-rendered backgrounds of the first game have been discarded in favor of a fully 3D world, presented in a 3/4 top-down perspective similar to Grandia II. Character designer, Katsuya Kondoh (of Princess Mononoke fame), will return for art duties in the sequel. Early media suggests, however, that Jade Cocoon II will have a much more lighthearted look than the previous game.

   Jade Cocoon II is tentatively scheduled for a summer release in Japan and will most likely find its way to the US courtesy of Crave.