Hyperdimension Neptunia

This unique RPG features game consoles personified as goddesses, CPUs (Console Patron Units), who you can customize visually with equipment to enhance their stats. Players take the role of Neptune and follow her quest to save the captive Histoire. This leads her to face the corrupt monsters ravaging the world of Gamindustri unleashed by the evil Arfoire.

Released: 29 July 2010
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 PlayStation Vita
Genres: Role-playing Turn-based strategy Adventure
Developers: Compile Heart Idea Factory
Publishers: NIS America Compile Heart
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action Fantasy Science fiction Comedy
Engine: PhyreEngine

About

Hyperdimension Neptunia (超次元ゲイムネプテューヌ, Chōjigen Geimu Neputyūnu; lit. 'Super Dimensional Game Neptune') is a series of role-playing video games produced by Compile Heart and Idea Factory, which revolves around and parodies the real-life video gaming industry usually from a Japanese perspective along with parodies of other forms of Japanese otaku subcultures. The series has also branched off into other forms of media, such as a manga, light novel and an anime.

The series debuted in Japan on August 19, 2010, with the video game of the same name for the PlayStation 3, and received sequels: Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 (2011), Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (2012), and Megadimension Neptunia VII (2015) as the last of the main series, until the release of Hyperspace Neptunia Unlimited (2026). All previously released main games have been remade at least once (such as the first three as the "Re;Birth" trilogy) and since then multiple spin-offs and crossover games have also been released for various platforms.

›Story

The story unfolds in Gamindustri, a whimsical world divided into four rival regions, each ruled over and worshipped as a divine goddess known as a Console Patron Unit. For ages these goddesses have been locked in a bitter struggle for supremacy called the Console War. Among them is Neptune, the protagonist, who finds herself overwhelmed when the other three goddesses turn against her all at once. Defeated and cast down from the heavens, Neptune loses consciousness and plummets to the world below.

She awakens in the care of a kindhearted girl named Compa, only to realize she has lost all memory of who she is. When word reaches her that monsters have begun running rampant across the land, Neptune resolves to fight back, setting out on a journey to battle the growing threat and rediscover her forgotten past.

Keywords

anime
mech
magic
turn-based
female protagonist
satire
fanservice
boss fight
anthropomorphism
platform exclusive
playstation trophies
alternate costumes

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Story

Games within the series takes place in the world of Gamindustri (a pun on "game industry"), which is divided into four regions/nations, each ruled by one Goddess CPU: Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox. Each region is completely different from the others in appearance and atmosphere, with each representing a specific video game console. Lastation represents the PlayStation, Lowee represents the Wii, and Leanbox represents the Xbox, while Planeptune represents the cancelled Sega Neptune. In the beginning of the story, the four goddesses are fighting each other for "shares" in a war known as the Console War.

Shares are the manifestation of the belief citizens put into their goddess, and without shares, a goddess dies. Because some of the games feature time and/or dimension travel there are slight differences in the settings for each title.

Development

Prior to Q3 2009, Compile Heart was conceptualising a new RPG project centred upon character designs by Tsunako, with the intention of collaborating with a partner company. This game was originally planned to feature three princess sisters and a protagonist. However, the partnership deal fell out, and as a result the project plans were redesigned and eventually became "Neptunia" close to the end of 2009 following the completion of Trinity Universe's development. During the early stages of the project, the characters Noire and Blanc were originally coloured red and blue respectively, however their colour schemes were changed to black and white so that they could better fit in with the new game setting and plot.

The release of the first sequel to the original game, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2, saw the introduction of a reworked game engine and the replacement of various components such as the battle system and dungeons, which were completely rebuilt from scratch. Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory later built on this, with the parts from mk2 which were considered "weak" by the developers removed and improved, eventually setting Victory as the foundation for the design of future titles within the series. Following Compile Heart's collaboration with David Production to produce the Neptunia television animation series, the developers were able to change their approach to direction and script-writing based on their experience with the anime development staff, which resulted in the changes to the narrative found in the Re;Birth games on PlayStation Vita.