is a
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
action role-playing game
An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre.
Definition
The games emphasize real-time combat where the playe ...
developed and published by Colopl for
Android and
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...
. It was initially released in Japan on July 14, 2014. An English version was released internationally under the title ''Colopl Rune Story'' and operated from July 23, 2015, to October 7, 2016. A spinoff title, was released on both iOS and Android on July 31, 2016, while the upcoming sequel ''Shironeko New Project'' will be released on the
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
at a later date.
An
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
adaptation of the game's third anniversary event produced by
Project No.9
, is a Japanese animation studio
An animation studio is a company producing animated media. The broadest such companies conceive of products to produce, own the physical equipment for production, employ operators for that equipment, and hold a m ...
aired from April 6 to June 22, 2020.
Plot
A long time ago, there is an ancient legend revolving around two figures, the White Maiden of the Sky; represented by the White Cat, and the Black Prince of Darkness; represented by the Black Cat. At the same time, a war between the demons and the guardians of light took place, with the demons led by the Black King of Darkness attacking the lands in the sky. The Black Prince however, despite the wishes of the Black King, defied his orders and falls in love with the White Maiden, in hopes that their union would end the war. Both were not meant to meet and love each other as the war ravaged the world around the land and the skies.
Several millennia after the war, in a world consisting of numerous isles, a young hero from the Astora Isle encounters the adventurer Kyle and follows him on an expedition on the isle. They meet a mysterious girl named Iris and a talking white cat named Catra, and together they make their way to the isle's ruins, where they find a flying island. Kyle becomes consumed by darkness there, and the party resolves to travel to the ends of the world on the flying island in order to find the seven "Great Runes", following Kyle's words before he disappeared. Upon their adventures towards finding the Runes, both the hero and Iris start to fill the pieces, meeting friends and enemies and discovering their true identities.
Gameplay
''White Cat Project'' is an
action role-playing game
An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre.
Definition
The games emphasize real-time combat where the playe ...
with
touchscreen
A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is ofte ...
controls, where the player controls the character by dragging the finger across the screen (a mechanic Colopl calls "Punicon") and tapping to attack. Special abilities can be activated by holding the finger on the character, which opens up a selection menu of abilities. All of these actions can be done using one finger only, which facilitates one-handed gaming.
The characters also have their own classes corresponding to weapon types, for example swords, bows, and mage staffs. In general, most characters are gained via a "Summon" tab which works on a
gacha
Gacha may refer to:
* Gashapon, a kind of toy that originated in Japan which is sold inside a plastic capsule. Commonly sold in vending machines
**Gacha game, video games that are monetized via a concept that is similar to gashapon. Comparable to L ...
system. Runes are spent on randomized characters, with some characters being common and other characters being rare. Some characters can be gained for free by completing in-game missions. While the game is fully playable as a
single-player
A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. A single-player game is usually a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" is usuall ...
experience, it also supports up to four-player co-operative
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
. There is also a
town-building mode where players can build and upgrade structures that generate in-game currencies and provide combat bonuses to their characters. Unlike many free-to-play games, ''White Cat Project'' has no stamina system.
Media
Video games
''White Cat Project'' was released in Japan on July 14, 2014 on iOS and Android platforms. The theme song for the game is titled "Stand Up!", performed by
Yui Horie
is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with VIMS and Starchild. She has been affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans. She debuted as a voice actress in 1997, releasing her debut single "''My best friend''" on . Since then, sh ...
. An international English version operated from July 23, 2015 until its closure on October 7, 2016. In January 2015, Colopl released a
VR version of ''White Cat Project'' for the
Oculus Rift
Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a division of Meta Platforms, released on March 28, 2016.
In 2012 Oculus initiated a Kickstarter campaign to fund the Rift's development, a ...
. Named ''Shironeko VR Project'', the game can be controlled with a gamepad, keyboard and mouse, or on a smartphone. A spinoff tennis game featuring characters from ''White Cat Project'' was released in July 2016 under the name ''White Cat Tennis''. The "Punicon" controls from ''White Cat Project'' are used here as well. A new action RPG tentatively named ''Shironeko New Project'' is announced for the
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
, originally slated for release in 2020 in Japan.
In January 2018, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against Colopl over five
patent infringements found in ''White Cat Project''. These include "the special technology used to operate a joystick over a touch panel", first patented by Nintendo for its
Nintendo DS wrist strap that Nintendo claims Colopl had used for its "Punicon" controls. Nintendo later added a sixth patent infringement to the proceedings,
and seeks 4.4 billion yen in damages plus late fees, in addition to an injunction on the operation of the ''White Cat Project'' smartphone app. Colopl changed the game's control mechanics in February 2020 in response to the lawsuit.
Anime
An anime adaptation of the game, titled , which adapts the in-game "Zero Chronicle – The first sin" prologue event, was announced during the Colopl 10th Anniversary event and aired from April 6 to June 22, 2020. It was animated by
Project No.9
, is a Japanese animation studio
An animation studio is a company producing animated media. The broadest such companies conceive of products to produce, own the physical equipment for production, employ operators for that equipment, and hold a m ...
, with
Masato Jinbo
is a Japanese anime director and screenwriter. Since 2014, he has directed multiple series, including the adaptations of ''Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya'' and ''Chaos;Child''.
Biography
Jinbo was born in Tokyo and graduated from . He worked at ...
directing and writing the series, Yousuke Okuda designing the characters, and
Taku Iwasaki
is a Japanese composer and arranger. His hometown is Tokyo, Japan. He is a graduate of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.
Works
Anime
*'' The Irresponsible Captain Tylor'' (OVA series (theme songs composition, etc.); 1995, 1 ...
composing the music.
Takanori Nishikawa
is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, voice artist, radio personality, and businessman. He performs under the stage name T.M.Revolution (TMR), which stands for , stemming from the famous '80s pop electronic band TM ...
and
ASCA
''Asca'' is a genus of mites with worldwide distribution in the family Ascidae.
Species
* ''Asca acornis'' Lindquist, 1972
* ''Asca annandalei'' Bhattacharyya & Sanyal, 2002
* ''Asca anwenjui'' Ma, 2003
* '' Asca aphidioides' ...
performed the series' opening theme song , while
Rei Yasuda
Rachel Rhodes (born April 15, 1993), known professionally as , is a Japanese singer and model. She portrayed and co-voiced the character Lumi, the fictional lead vocalist of Genki Rockets in 2006. She debuted as a solo singer in 2013.
Early l ...
performed the series' ending theme song "through the dark".
Funimation
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializ ...
had acquired the anime series, and they streamed it on its platforms. Following
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
's acquisition of
Crunchyroll, the series was moved to Crunchyroll.
Reception
On July 18, 2014, ''White Cat Project'' reached the top of Google Play Japan's ranking of newly-released free apps, four days after release on Android. It reached 1 million downloads six days later, becoming the fastest growing app in Colopl's history. It soon became Japan's fastest growing smartphone game, having amassed 10 million downloads a little more than a month later on August 30. It reached 100 million downloads on June 27, 2016.
The game won the award for "Best Game of 2014" in
Google Play Japan and in "Best iPhone Game" and "Best iPad Game" in Japan's
App Store
An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
Best of 2014 awards. It also won the "Excellence" award in the
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the ...
Awards in 2014 and 2015.
Colopl was sued by
Nintendo in 2016 on claims that ''White Cat Project'' violated five of Nintendo's patents. While Colopl initially defended itself in the lawsuit, the company announced in August 2021 that they agreed to settle with Nintendo for (approximately ) as to "resolve the matter as soon as possible". The settlement allows Colopl to license Nintendo's patents for ''White Cat Project'' and other games.
Notes
References
External links
Official website
{{Project No.9
2020 anime television series debuts
2014 video games
2016 video games
Action role-playing video games
Adventure anime and manga
Android (operating system) games
Anime television series based on video games
Crunchyroll anime
Fantasy anime and manga
Free-to-play video games
Gacha games
IOS games
Kadokawa Shoten manga
Kodansha manga
Manga based on video games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Project No.9
Shōnen manga
Video games developed in Japan