Eco Creatures: Save the Forest

Eco Creatures: Save the Forest
North American cover art
Developer(s)	LightWeight Headlock Corporation
Publisher(s)
Director(s)	Masakazu Tagawa
Platforms	Nintendo DS
Release date(s)
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Eco Creatures: Save the Forest, known as Ecolis (エコリス, Ekorisu) in Japan and as Ecolis: Save the Forest in Europe, is a real-time strategy video game for the Nintendo DS video game console. It was co-developed by LightWeight and Headlock Corporation and was released in Japan on August 23, 2007 by Interchannel; in North America on March 4, 2008 by Majesco Entertainment; and in Europe on June 13, 2008 by Rising Star Games. Eco Creatures is sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Synopsis

The residents of the Mana Woods had lived in peace and harmony for many years when the nearby Kingdom starts destroying the woods to expand the Kingdom. Dorian, the hero of the game, with the help of his mentor and the forest spirits, the Ecomon, Ecolis, and Ecoby, sets out to stop the pollution and save the forest.

Gameplay

Eco Creatures uses the stylus to control three types of small rodents; a Squirrel called Ecolis, a Flying squirrel called Ecomon, and a Beaver called Ecoby. All of their characteristics depend on their color, which is very similar to Nintendo's own Pikmin series. Eco Creatures supports Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. There is also a level creation mode, which has support for online connectivity. It has been stated that Dorian is able to either summon a spirit, or transform into one.[1]

Characters

Forms of the Creatures

	Ecolis	Ecomon	Ecoby
Max Defence	Dancelis	Recyclemon	Dai-By
Max Power	Mixlis	Strongmon	Shiel-By
Max Speed	Runlis	Fastmon	Wi-By

Each of these forms has a different ability depending on the stat that was upped. These abilities usually affect the special ability of the Eco-creature. -Ecoby and Ecoby forms can build bridges and piers on clean water. -Ecomon and Ecomon forms can lift objects and other characters and move them. -Ecolis and its forms can plant trees that provide mana (the "money" of the game) and raise the forested land percentage.100.00% max. Pictures are available at ecoris.com

Dorian

The protagonist of the story. He is a humanoid, yellow-orange furry creature resembling a durian fruit, able to use several forms of magic. He sets out to save the forest once the pollution starts.

Master

Master is Dorian's mentor. He teaches Dorian all the magic he knows throughout the game. Touching him in the Square opens up the Tutorial menu. He is temporarily captured and brainwashed by the Minister and becomes the fifth boss. He is similar to Dorian, except his lavender color and his beard, mustache, and thick eyebrows.

Daydalabotch

The Mountain God of Mana Mountain. He becomes enraged at the forest's pollution and destruction and attacks the Kingdom as the sixth and final boss. He is a fiery Cyclops creature that is always surrounded in lava.

Gepyo

Gepyo is a large, green and brown striped frog creature that befriends Dorian after Dorian saves him the pollution overtaking the Taisai River. Throwing Mana Drops into his pond at Woods Square will change them into different drops. His polluted form is the third boss.

Enemies

Mechas

Mechas are the primary enemies of the game. They come in many forms, some of which mimic the powers of the Ecomon(flying), Ecolis(basic), and Ecoby(swimming). There are also machines that resemble gumball machines that occasionally spit out the variety of Mecha they resemble (for example, a dispenser with a floating tube on it would dispense swimming Mechas). All resemble mechanical balls with red or blue striped hats.

The King and Queen

Rulers of the Kingdom. They are young children manipulated by the Minister. The Minister made them believe Dorian was a monster and caused them to tear down the Mana Woods to make "yummy candy". The Queen usually speaks in short phrases, many of which are repeats of the king's dialogue.

The Minister

The Minister is the greedy, scheming advisor to the King and Queen. He manipulates them in order to gain massive wealth. He has an army known as the Mecha-Mecha Army filled with green Mechas.

Big Soya

This is the game's fourth boss. Appearing as a giant plant, this opponent is quite challenging. The only way to defeat is to destroy the gray vine and then attack its head.

Dalos

The game's first boss, Dalos ambushes Dorian and Master near the beginning of the game. He is actually a robot on long, spindly legs and attacks by stomping and flattening the ground around him.

O'Sludge/Odoro

The game's second boss. O'Sludge is a byproduct of toxic waste poured into the river, and appears as a giant ball of tar.

Development and release

Eco Creatures: Save the Forest was co-developed by LightWeight and Headlock Corporation. The game was conceived in the summer of 2006, while its main development lasted from January to August 2007. According to Gui Karyo of North American publisher Majesco Entertainment, the game was created to promote "public awareness of man's effect on the natural environment and the life within it" and to "impart environmental consciousness on the younger generation". Project director Masakazu Tagawa stated that one of Lightweight's graphic designers came up with the concept of the game. "A squirrel is capable of storing seeds in its cheeks but they are not very good at remembering where they buried them afterwards," Tagawa explained. "So as generations pass the forgotten seeds that the squirrels buried will turn into the next generation of trees."

Ecolis was officially released in Japan by Interchannel on August 27, 2007. A portion of the game's sales were donated to Japan's branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature. Shortly after its debut, Majesco picked the game up for North American distribution under the title Eco Creatures: Save the Forest and released it on March 4, 2008. Rising Star Games followed suit the following April by promising a European publication; the game was released in the region as Ecolis: Save the Forest on June 13, 2008.

Reception and legacy

Eco Creatures: Save the Forest was met with a mostly mediocre critical reception. The game holds aggregate scores of 58.75% on GameRankings and 55 out of 100 on Metacritic.

A sequel titled Ecolis: Aoi Umi to Ugoku Shima (エコリス ～青い海と動く島～, lit. "Ecolis: The Moving Island and Blue Sea") was released in Japan by GungHo Works on May 28, 2009.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)