Princess Minerva (プリンセス・ミネルバ, Purinsesu Mineruba) is a role-playing video game developed and published by Riverhillsoft for the NEC PC-9801 in 1992 in Japan only. An original video animation by Group TAC was originally released by Toho in May 1995 in Japan; it was later released also in the United States. The extended franchise also includes a manga series, an illustrated serial novel, and other media.

Princess Minerva
Developer(s)Riverhillsoft
Publisher(s)Riverhillsoft
Vic Tokai Corporation (SNES)
Director(s)Kōji Ikemoto
Producer(s)Rika Suzuki
Kazuhiro Okazaki
Designer(s)Junji Shigematsu
Artist(s)Ran Ishida
Fumio Matsumoto
Osamu Inoue
Writer(s)Kō Maisaka
Platform(s)NEC PC-9801, PC Engine, Super Famicom
Release1992 (PC-98)
March 25, 1994 (PCE)
June 23, 1995 (SNES)
Genre(s)RPG

Development

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Princess Minerva was developed by Riverhillsoft and published by Riverhillsoft and Vic Tokai Corporation for the NEC PC-9801,[1] PC Engine[2] and Super Famicom.[3]

Story

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In the game, the evil sorceress Dynastar (ダイナスター) (voiced by Yōko Matsuoka) challenges Princess Minerva (voiced by Miki Itou), threatening to kidnap all the girls in the world and turn them into monsters. Minerva leaves with her eight personal female bodyguards to defeat Dynastar and her six also female demon generals. The game starts when all their weapons, armor and money gets stolen.

Release

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Princess Minerva was released for the PC Engine on March 25, 1994,[4] and the Super Famicom on June 23, 1995.[5]

A five-issue shounen manga series and a nine-volume illustrated serial novel were also released, written by the game's writer Maisaka Kou and published by ASCII comix and Shueisha, respectively, during the 1990s.[6][7][8][9] An original soundtrack / drama CD compilation was released by Futureland in 1995.[10] Other released included a regular original soundtrack[11] and a CD collection of graphics.[12]

In 2018, the Super Famicom version got a fan translation into the English language.[13]

Reception

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On release, Famicom Tsūshin scored the PC Engine version a 21 out of 40 score,[4] and the Super Famicom version of the game a 23 out of 40.[14]

Anime

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Princess Minerva
プリンセス・ミネルバ
(Purinsesu Mineruba)
Original video animation
Directed byYoshihiro Yamaguchi
Produced byMasako Fukuyo
Hiroshi Kanemasa
Written byHideki Sonoda
Music byKenji Kawai
StudioGroup TAC
Licensed by
ReleasedMay 1, 1995
Runtime43 min

The original video animation Princess Minerva was produced by Group TAC was released by Toho in May 1995 in Japan.[15] It was released by A.D. Vision in the United States in September 1995 and then again in 1998.

The OAV serves as a prequel to the game, telling how Minerva assembled her team of the most beautiful and powerful women warriors, and how she first run into Dynastar who tried to kidnap her and her friends.[16]

Dave Halverson gave the anime version a rating of C.[17] Chris Beveridge of Mania.com gave it a B−.[18]

Cast

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References

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  1. ^ "RIVERHILL SOFT [リバーヒルソフト]". Retroblues.sakura.ne.jp. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  2. ^ p.ink. "Q['VRNV PCGW@[vCOQ['V". Gamedic.jpn.org. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  3. ^ "ץ󥻥ߥͥ". Famicom.biz. Archived from the original on 2015-04-28. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  4. ^ a b "プリンセス・ミネルバ [PCエンジン] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  5. ^ "プリンセス・ミネルバ [スーパーファミコン] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  6. ^ プリンセス・ミネルバ 01. プリンセス・ミネルバ (コミック). Book.douban.com. 21 September 1993. ISBN 9784756108388. Archived from the original on 2014-11-26. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  7. ^ 陽炎のエラン. プリンセス・ミネルバ. Book.douban.com. October 1994. ISBN 9784086131568. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  8. ^ プリンセス・ミネルバ 05. プリンセス・ミネルバ (コミック). Book.douban.com. 22 September 1995. ISBN 9784756111678. Archived from the original on 2014-11-26. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  9. ^ ムナリーの帰還. プリンセス・ミネルバ. Book.douban.com. February 1996. ISBN 9784086132084. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  10. ^ "Library". Kawaidb.s60.xrea.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  11. ^ "プリンセスミネルバ オリジナル・サウンドCD ~スペシャル・トラック~ - 中古 - アニメシングルCD - 通販ショップの駿河屋". Suruga-ya.jp. Archived from the original on 2014-12-02. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  12. ^ "CDグラフィックスコレクション プリンセス・ミネルバ - 中古 - アニメシングルCD - 通販ショップの駿河屋". Suruga-ya.jp. Archived from the original on 2014-12-02. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  13. ^ "'Super Famicom Wars' And 'Princess Minerva' Translated to English". Nintendo Life. 2017-12-26. Archived from the original on 2018-01-30. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  14. ^ NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: プリンセスミネルバ. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.341. Pg.29. 30 June 1995.
  15. ^ "プリンセス ミネルバ - 新品 - LD - 通販ショップの駿河屋". Suruga-ya.jp. Archived from the original on 2014-12-02. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  16. ^ "Tanuki-Anime". Tanuki Anime. Archived from the original on 2014-09-05. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  17. ^ "Gamers Republic - No. 03 (1998-08) (Millennum Publications) (US)". August 1998. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  18. ^ "Princess Minerva". Mania.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-12. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
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