History VideoGame / DarkCloud

* DropTheHammer: Goro's weapon of choice.

''Dark Cloud'' is a UsefulNotes/{{PS2}} {{RPG}} developed by Creator/Level5. It was released in 2000 in Japan, originally as a launch title, but it was delayed a bit and it was released at the end of 2000. It was released everywhere else in 2001.

* [[AnInteriorDesignerIsYou An Exterior Designer Is You:]] When you're not DungeonCrawling, chances are you'll be re-building destroyed towns and replacing lamps on people's houses. Although it's not necessary to advance, fulfilling people's requests to achieve OneHundredPercentCompletion in a town will net you valuable rewards.

* BonusBoss: The Black Knight Pendragon, who waits for you at the end of the Demon Shaft. He’s also a SequentialBoss with 2 phases and 90,000 hitpoints. He’s actually implied to be Toan’s father, given that his weapon resembles Aga’s [Toan’s father] Sword and using Steve the Slingshot will have Steve remark that “Toan should know this guy”.
* BonusDungeon: The Demon Shaft, a massive MarathonLevel of a dungeon that encompasses 100 floors and of course has a BonusBoss waiting on the last floor.

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: In life, La Saia was a kind and benevolent ruler. However after being [[WomanScorned jilted by her lover]], on their wedding day no less, in death she has become the cruel and terrifying [[AnIcePerson Queen of Ice]].

* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: The only penalty for death is being booted back to the nearest town with half of your money missing. Any other treasure and Atla you keep.

* DiscOneNuke: It's possible to get ultra-powerful weapons ''very early in the game'', sometimes even the final weapons. Partly due to a GoodBadBug, you can do this for Toan.
* DramaticIrony: [[spoiler:Sophia died for Seda, in hopes that he would be a good king for his people. Her death however led to Seda sinking into such rage, sorrow and hatred that the Dark Genie was born, and decimated Seda's kingdom and his people.]]

* FanDisservice: The game has plenty of upskirt shots, unfortunately they're all of Goro, the fat guy from Matatakai village.

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: In life La Saia was a kind and benevolent ruler. However after being [[WomanScorned jilted by her lover]], on their wedding day no less, in death she has become the cruel and terrifying [[AnIcePerson Queen of Ice]].

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Seda's fiancee, Princess Sophia, gives her life shielding Seda from the assassin disguised as her. Unfortunately this action is what led to the birth of the Dark Genie.]]

* HopeSpot: All of that effort building the [[HumongousMecha Sun Giant]] has finally paid off! [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu You've just beaten the Dark Genie in a DBZ-esque cutscene!]] [[spoiler: Nope. The Dark Genie you've been working to beat this whole time was actually a ''rat'' trapped inside the urn with the REAL Dark Genie for many years, absorbing some of its power. The REAL Dark Genie has possessed Colonel Flag, who proceeds to effortlessly one-shot the Sun Giant.]]

* InformedAbility: The Dark Cloud. Despite being an {{evil weapon}}, it has no effect on gameplay in either game, other than being one of the better weapons.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Seda's deal to mix his blood with the sorcerer's, eventually led to the birth of the Dark Genie, and the destruction of his kingdom. He chooses to use what little magic he has left, to travel through time in an attempt to find the one who can stop the Genie.]]

** StableTimeLoop: Twice, mostly the final story dungeon and ending. [[spoiler:Time travel Seda kills himself so Toan can travel back to before he unleashed the Dark Genie in an attempt to erase its origin point. Being the personification of hate (it says so itself), it exists outside of time and cannot be vanquished as long as human hatred runs pure (though its definition of "human" seems to include Moon People, i.e. its presence in the bonus dungeon in ''Chronicle''). Despite failing to prevent its release, Toan and his friends are able to seal it back into non-Time Travel Seda. After bringing back Sophia's soul by sacrificing the Atlamillia, Toan and Xiao return to a version of their time line where the Dark Genie was never unsealed. In order for any of this to happen at all, there has to be one instance of Seda who did release the Dark Genie and use the Forbidden Spell to travel forward in time, creating an infinite number of Sedas who both do and don't time travel.]]

* UnintentionallyUnwinnable: Possible in Matataki Village. To get past the Level 9 dungeon level here, you need an Odd Tone Flute. To get it, you need to complete Cacao's house. However, it's entirely possible to finish other houses before that, locking the Georama pieces to them permanently. And since you can't get any more Atla because you're stuck at the Level 9 dungeon... well, let's just say you're completely screwed. Moral of the story: don't build ANYTHING until Cacao's house is finished. Placing rivers to revive [[WiseTree Treant]] is fine, though.

* TheFaceless: The Moon People look a lot like [[StarWars jawas]]. One removes its hood late in the game to reveal [[spoiler:they are anthropomorphic rabbits]].

* PowerUpFood: Appears in the forms of "favorite foods" for each character that would raise their defense. Also, Gourds that increased the thirst meter and Fruits of Eden that increase the health meter.

* GameGourmet: What few recovery foods this game features would not qualify alone, but it's clear that the developers had food on mind when all ''six'' playable characters each have a TrademarkFavoriteFood to increase their defensive power with, supplemented by gourds and Fruits of Eden that anyone can eat to increase other stats.

* {{Baku}}: ''Dark Cloud 2'' / ''Dark Chronicle'' features a mini-boss in Starlight Canyon called the Memo-Eater, an obese monster with a tapir's nose that possesses a girl and eats her memories.

%%* MadLibFantasyTitle

* EverythingsBetterWithLlamas: There're a couple in Norune Village.

* FanDisservice: The game has plenty of [[PantyShot upskirt shots,]] unfortunately they're all of Goro, the fat guy from Matatakai village.

* LeafBoat: Used in the LostWoods dungeon to go to a hidden bonus dungeon.

* CharacterSelectForcing: Several dungeons force you to use a particular character on any floor - the final dungeon has a whole stream of these. The FinalBoss also ''REQUIRES'' you to have at least one ranged character capable of dealing damage to stronger monsters.