A different take on OZ

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Why isn’t there a Japanese role-playing game based on The Wizard of Oz?,” then congratulations: You’ve entered into minority status among all gamers everywhere.

D3 Publisher might disagree with a lack of demand for such a title, however, at least to a point of actually going and making just that. Just because Beyond the Yellow Brick Road doesn’t necessarily carry the demand D3 might’ve thought it would doesn’t mean it’s all bad.

The game is basically a retelling of Frank L. Baum’s classic tale, only done up in stylized Japanese themes—at least, in a way that does its best to mimic the original story’s more American sensibilities. Dorothy may find herself getting caught in a tornado and winding up in Oz, but the story has changed, much like the creepy Return to Oz (except not really creepy).

In this particular iteration, the titular wizard is a giant floating green head, for example, and Oz has been beset by problems as four witches reign and cause problems within the magical realm.

The cast is the same as the classic film, save for appearances. The principal four allies are a collection of Japanese reinterpretations on familiar cultural icons, casting Dorothy as a cute anime-style heroine and the Tin Man as a fat, steampunk-looking logger that only says “hvah,” (the Norwegian word for “what,” evidently).

The game itself is kind of mixed, from a presentation standpoint. Cut scenes are generally presented in digital novel format—essentially a series of still images with third-person narrative text—with some dialogue cut scenes for more important scenes. The story isn’t bad, but the aesthetic approach could use some work.

However, Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is one hell of a good-looking DS game. Dorothy and Toto are animated very well, and the character models and environments pop with vibrant color.

The game’s mechanics work well enough, too. Like this year’s Flower, Sun, and Rain, the controls are all performed with the touch screen, through a trackball on the bottom screen that you flick with the stylus. This makes Dorothy move forward, as well as perform context-sensitive actions or talk with other characters. You can even play with Toto, which is a nice touch.

Battles are played out in an old-school vein similar to Dragon Quest, although thankfully they’re not randomized and each of the principal four members has a certain amount of points used per turn, adding a slight strategic hint to the procedure. Probably the best thing about Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is that, when she’s running, Dorothy hightails it into a full-bore sprint that can tear through an entire dungeon map in very little time.

Seriously, just for that reason alone, the game might be worth playing.

Overall, the simplified mechanics and quirky story might turn some RPG fans off, but if you consider yourself a fan of The Wizard of Oz or are just looking for something different on the DS, this may fit the bill.