History VideoGame / MagicPengel

''Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color'' is a 2002 RPG for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, released by Creator/{{Taito}}. The predecessor to another [=PS2=] game called ''VideoGame/GraffitiKingdom'',[[note]][[MarketBasedTitle An explicit prequel in Japan]], where ''Magic Pengel'' is named ''Graffiti Kingdom'' and ''Graffiti Kingdom'' is named ''Graffiti Kingdom 2: Battle of Devil Castle''.[[/note]] it is a unique {{Mons}} game with a very unusual central premise: You, the player, get to design ''your own'' monsters (here called Doodles) and fight with them.

* BonusBoss: Post-game, if you gather 1,000,000 Gold Color Gems, Galileo's doodle book will appear outside the palace gate, which allows the player to face off against [[spoiler:Kiba and his [[BossRush expansive list of Doodles]], including rematches of the final bosses.]]

* PlayableEpilogue: New challenges open up for you to fight after you beat the game, including some [[BonusBoss rather challenging ones.]]

* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler: Kiba has Mono kill the Marshal, but given he was an arrogant and cruel lapdog for an evil kingdom, no tears are shed for him.]]

* EvilMentor: [[spoiler:Kiba is nowhere neat as nice as he seems to be]].

* BareYourMidriff: Zoe's midriff is bare all the time.

In addition to its unique concept, the game is notable for having character designs--and a few animated sequences--by a little Japanese animation house called Creator/StudioGhibli. [[NamesToKnowInAnime You may have heard of them.]]

* CompanyCrossReferences: Several of [[spoiler:Kiba's Doodles]] are shout-outs to other Taito works, including ''Chack'n Pop'', ''G-Darius'', ''VideoGame/RayCrisis'', and a shrine maiden from Touhou's creator, ZUN.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Kiba seemingly gets off scot-free for shooting Zoe, controlling Mono, and erasing the world's colors. [[ZigZaggedTrope Though it is hard to say for sure,]] in the story he just vanishes after Mono’s being seemingly attacked by Mono and the post-game events are ambiguously canon.]]

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Kiba seemingly gets off scot-free for shooting Zoe, controlling Mono, and erasing the world's colors. [[ZigZaggedTrope Though it is hard to say for sure given the post-game events are ambiguously canon.]]]]

* ToBeAMaster: But there's a purpose behind it--you're also [[SavingTheOrphanage saving Taro and Zoe's home.]]

* TheUnfought: [[spoiler: You never do get to square off against Kiba in the story. But that's because he's too smart to solve problems through Doodles.]]

* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: Kiba intends to use Mono to destroy the corrupt kingdom that rules over the town. He is also visibly dismayed whenever he does something bad.]]
* AWinnerIsYou: [[spoiler:Your reward for defeating Kiba's insanely difficult boss rush is... a page in the encyclopedia congratulating you]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Zoe and Taro are able to save their home and the town is free of the Kingdom's oppression, but Mono sacrifices himself to bring the color back, Kiba gets off scot-free, and Zoe and Taro leave to find Galileo]].

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Kiba gets off scot-free for shooting Zoe, controlling Mono, and erasing the world's colors]].
* KingIncognito: [[spoiler: Mono is really the Doodle King.]]
* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler: Kiba's intentions--to keep humans from misusing Doodles--is a good one. His methods, however, are questionable at best.]]

* TheRival: Denka, as well as his trio of toadies. He isn't actually a bad guy, just very... abrasive.

* StandardStatusEffects: Every magic ability has at least one, and they come in many flavors. In addition to stat buffs and reducers, there's two kinds of poison (one for HP, and one for MP), ''several'' different kinds of confusion, sleep, fainting (paralysis), shrinking, flattening, and many others.

At the dawn of time, there were no colors. Thenthe Spirit of Creation came, and created the four basic colors: Red, yellow, blue, and green. From this, all other colors were born, and the world blossomed with life-forms known as Doodles. Humans were given the power to create Doodles in order to help them. But an evil king tried to use Doodles for his own gains, so the Spirit revoked the power of making Doodles. Only those who were pure of heart would be granted the ability to create Doodles, using the powers of special magical creatures called Pengels.

At the dawn of time, there were no colors. Then two gods came, and created the four basic colors: Red, yellow, blue, and green. From this, all other colors were born, and the world blossomed with life-forms known as Doodles. Humans were given the power to create Doodles in order to help them. But an evil king tried to use Doodles for his own gains, so the gods revoked the power of making Doodles. Only those who were pure of heart would be granted the ability to create Doodles, using the powers of special magical creatures called Pengels.

* MysteriousWaif: Mono is a quiet, mysterious boy with untold powers, including the ability to heal people. [[spoiler:This is because it's not actually human; he's the true Doodle King]].

* SavingTheOrphanage: The main character is pressed into tournaments to save Zoe and Taro's home, which is in danger of foreclosure.

* MysteriousWaif: Mono.

* PlayableEpilogue: New challenges open up for you to fight, including some [[SelfImposedChallenge rather challenging ones.]]

* BareYourMidriff: Zoe.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: But it ends happily, if not [[BittersweetEnding bittersweetly.]]

''Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color'' is a 2002 RPG for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, released by Creator/{{Taito}}. The predecessor ([[SpiritualSuccessor of sorts]]) to another [=PS2=] game called ''VideoGame/GraffitiKingdom'',[[note]][[MarketBasedTitle An explicit prequel in Japan]], where ''Magic Pengel'' is named ''Graffiti Kingdom'' and ''Graffiti Kingdom'' is named ''Graffiti Kingdom 2: Battle of Devil Castle''.[[/note]] it is a unique {{Mons}} game with a very unusual central premise: You, the player, get to design ''your own'' monsters (here called Doodles) and fight with them.

* ColorMotif: The subtitle of the game ''is'' "The Quest For Color," after all.

* TorturedMonster: [[spoiler: The BossRush leading up to the final boss is a gauntlet of false "kings," all created to be the Doodle King yet failed in some way. They're clearly not happy with their lot in life.]]

* MoreThanJustATournament: [[spoiler:The yearly tournaments are held to weed out those with the most Doodle-creating potential, who are then taken and used by the Kingdom to create a new Doodle King that will let them control the world's colors]].
* MysteriousWaif: Mono.

* UselessUsefulSpell: Averted. All of the magic spells have at least one alternative effect, and knowing how to make use of these is critical.