Complete King's Field releases

[Guyra]

Newest pictures: (Click for larger versions!)

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm19/MagnusGuyra/Picture109_zps0cf84f94.jpg (http://s292.beta.photobucket.com/user/MagnusGuyra/media/Kings%20Field%20Shrine/kfshrine1_zps46a68362.png.html?sort=3&o=0)

So, I'm looking for any variant of all of the King's Field games. This would include reprints, rereleases, various localizations - basically any copy that isn't 100% like another!

I've listed the games according to their Japanese numbering. KFII is known in North America and Europe as KF, KFIII and KFIV is known in North America as KFII and KF: The Ancient City.

King's Field:
- NTSC-J
- - Original, SLPS-00017 [x]
- - PSone Books, SLPS-91401 [x]
King's Field II:
- NTSC-J
- - Original, SLPS-00069 [x]
- - The Best, SLPS-91003 v1.8A [x]
- - The Best, SLPS-91003 v1.8B [x]
- - PSone Books, SLPS-91423 [x]
- NTSC-U
- - Original, SLUS-00158 [x]
- - Original, long sleeve #1, SLUS-00158 [x]
- - Original, long sleeve #2, SLUS-00158 [x]
- PAL
- - Original, English/French/German, SCES-00510 [x]
- - Original, Dutch/German/Italian/French, SCES-00510 [x]
- - Original, Spanish/Portuguese/Greek, SCES-00510 [x]
- - Promo disc [x]
King's Field III:
- NTSC-J
- - Original, SLPS-00377 [x]
- - The Best, SLPS-91089 [x]
- - PSone Books, SLPS-91426 [x]
- - Power Completist, SLPS-00377 [x]
- NTSC-U
- - Original, SLUS-00255 [x]
King's Field IV:
- NTSC-J
- - Original, SLPS-25057 [x]
- NTSC-U
- - Original, SLUS-20318 [x]
- PAL
- - Original, English & Italian, SLES-50920 [x]
- - Original, French, SLES-50920 [x]
- - Original, German, SLES-50920 [x]
- - Original, Spanish, SLES-50920 [x]
- - Promo disc [x]
King's Field Additional:
- Japan
- - Original, UCAS-40100
- - Original, ULJS-00070 [x]
King's Field Additional II:
- Japan
- - Original, UCAS-40105
- - Original, ULJS-00076 [x]
Other King's Field Releases:
- NTSC-J
- - King's Field I-IV Dark Side Box, SLPS-25725 [x]
- - King's Field III: Pilot Style, SLPM-80029


If anyone know of more variants and releases, please inform me!

[x] = In collection

[cynicalhat]

don't forget the 2 cardboard long boxes for KF1 (US) that have different colorings. one is much darker than the other.

[cynicalhat]

are you gonna hit up the ps1 "shadow tower" im not sure if it was a spiritual successor or if it was separate, but it used the same game engine.

*edited for spelling

[cynicalhat]

http://www.game-rave.com/psx/playstation_perfect_guide/long_box/index.htm

here is a good page for info on ps1 box variations

[Guyra]

Already got them, under "long sleeve #1/#2". :)

And yeah, I'll probably start on the two Shadow Tower games, plus Eternal Ring, Demons Souls and Dark Souls, and Echo Night. :)

Thanks for the link, though I've already been to that site. That's where I first found out about there being two different long sleeve versions. :D

[Guyra]

Okay, I think I've found all the variants out there. Now I just need to get hold of them all. So far, I've got exactly half(15/30), but I've got another two on their way: KFAII and Dark Side Box(since the one I had disappeared during moving).

The two that will be the hardest to find are KFIII - Power Completist and KFIII - Pilot Style. It seems these are really, really rare. If anyone come across one of either, do not hesitate getting it! (Or let me know of it, hehehe! ;D)

[exit]

Interestingly enough I just found a copy of Shadow Tower for $10 at a local CD store, main reason I picked it up is because it had "From the creators of Kings Field" written on it. Glad to see there's a little King's Field love going on around here.

[Guyra]

Hey, that's a nice find! :D I've actually got a Japanese release of Shadow Tower on its way. :)

I haven't played Shadow Tower myself, but from what I understand it's very much like King's Field, but there's no music. At all. Which is a weird design choice, if you ask me. And the music was one of the things that made KF as good as it is, in my opinion. ;)

[Aussie2B]

Haha, I mentioned this topic to my fiance and he offers his praise. He loves the King's Field series. :)

As for Shadow Tower, I think the lack of music works for it. If playing King's Field is like being in Hell (and I mean that in the most positive way possible, haha), then Shadow Tower is like... uh, what's worse than Hell? :P Truly a horrifying, unnerving game, without even being a genuine horror game.

[Guyra]

Haha, give your fiancé a big double thumbs up from me, then! ;)

Well, I've only seen videos and read about Shadow Tower so far, but it's without a doubt a game I will play through. I've nothing against weird design choices(sometimes weird choices work quite well), I'm just a huge fan of the music in the King's Field games. :D

Horrifying and unnerving, eh? That sounds just up my alley... :)

[exit]

I haven't played Shadow Tower myself, but from what I understand it's very much like King's Field, but there's no music. At all. Which is a weird design choice, if you ask me. And the music was one of the things that made KF as good as it is, in my opinion. ;)

The game really is something else, I must have spent an hour trying to get past the very beginning of the game and then died some more until I was able to find a save spot. You won't even notice that the games lack of soundtrack, it's filled with soo many sounds and small noises, you'll be too worried about what's to come or what could be following you.

It's similar to King's Field control wise, but it's more of what laid the grounds for Demon's Soul. One interesting thing is that instead of leveling up, certain stats are raised depending on what enemies you kill. Your weapons and armor may break rather quickly and instead of using money to repair them, you use your own health. Also, HP/MP potions always fully fill up your HP/MP no matter what, which is a rather interesting design choice that I wish more games would have followed.


Horrifying and unnerving, eh? That sounds just up my alley... :)

For a game that's over a decade old, the atmosphere is perfect and there's always a sense of dread around every corner. The game actually had me jump at one point when I opened a secret door and was greeted by a nasty surprise.

[Edmond Dantes]

Interestingly enough I just found a copy of Shadow Tower for $10 at a local CD store, main reason I picked it up is because it had "From the creators of Kings Field" written on it. Glad to see there's a little King's Field love going on around here.

Did somebody say KING'S FIELD! :):):):D:D:D

*Owner of the Dark Side box here*

[Guyra]

@exit: Well, it's definitely a game I will play once I get the chance. It both sounds and looks good. :)

@Edmon Dantes: Ah, the Dark Side box is really nice! Too bad they didn't release it outside of Japan, though. Anyway, I used to have it, but it got lost while moving. (That's what you get for not doing it yourself, I guess. :P ) So now I've got another copy on its way from an eBay seller. ;)

[Kellhus]

Another huge King's Field fan here. Nothing to add though, it seems like you've got everything.

I'll second the Shadow Tower suggestion, fantastic game. I'll also mention that Shadow Tower actually has a sequel on the PS2 (Shadow Tower Abyss) that's also very good. It's NTSC-J only though.

I'm actually a huge fan of FromSoftware all together, they're my favorite developer. I hope to one day own all of their releases. Right now I have about 3/4ths of them.

[Edmond Dantes]

Yeah, a part of me kinda wants to own the equivalent Armored Core box. But I don't know enough Japanese to justify that (hell, I don't know enough for KF--I bought it just to have it ready when I did).

So far my favorite game in the series is KFII (going by Japanese numbering).

Also, yes, pick up Shadow Tower. You have to get used to some slightly different game mechanics but if you have a King's Field fix and have already played King's Field, well... and yes, its fairly creepy. Taken from a guy who thought Silent Hill was silly.

Nobody's recommended Eternal Ring yet? It's pretty good too. The main drawback is that its more linear than the KF games.

[Guyra]

Well, I'll definitely going to check out Shadow Tower. It's prioritized after any King's Field releases, anyway. In fact, I even have the Japanese release on its way from an eBay seller. :)

@Edmond Dantes: Yes, that's my favourite game, too. It was the first I played in the series, but I also think it's the best even without the nostalgia. ;)

Regarding Eternal Ring, I didn't think that one was that good. It was very linear, and the story wasn't very good either, in my opinion. There was no special atmosphere, it suffered from a lot of bad level design, and it was very lacking when it came to gameplay elements. Melee weapons were just about useless, and there were only a handful of weapons in the whole game. And the ring crafting system was, like, 60% random.

So I was a bit disappointed with Eternal Ring. I had expected much better. :/ But, it goes into the "related to KF" part of my collection - already have the PAL release. :P

[Kellhus]

Yeah, a part of me kinda wants to own the equivalent Armored Core box.
I want the Machine Side Box too. It's a pretty rare find, but I'll get it some day.


Yes, that's my favourite game, too. It was the first I played in the series, but I also think it's the best even without the nostalgia.
I always find myself going back to KF III. KF II was the first I played, but there's just something about III for me. It's one of my favorite games of all time.


Regarding Eternal Ring, I didn't think that one was that good.
Did you play it when it came out though? It wasn't that bad for a PS2 launch title. I was expecting more too, but I thought it was still a fun game. It was like King's Field lite, and it definitely set the stage for King's Field IV, which I thought was great.

[AB Positive]

wow, this thread makes me want to reassess my (negative) feelings about King's Field. I remember getting it on release thinking "3D Action RPG??? YEAH!" and playing it for about a month before giving up in a frustration/boredom combination.

But that was impatient 15 year old me. Something tells me I missed something, huh?

[kupomogli]

Another FromSoftware fan here.

[Guyra]

I want the Machine Side Box too. It's a pretty rare find, but I'll get it some day.
That one's going in my collection at some point, despite never having played any of the games, hehe!


I always find myself going back to KF III. KF II was the first I played, but there's just something about III for me. It's one of my favorite games of all time.
KFIII was also great, but personally I think KFII was slightly better. But those two are, in my eyes, two halves of a whole. :)


Did you play it when it came out though? It wasn't that bad for a PS2 launch title. I was expecting more too, but I thought it was still a fun game. It was like King's Field lite, and it definitely set the stage for King's Field IV, which I thought was great.
No, I actually played it quite recently. It may have been a decent launch title, but I'd have to say mainly regarding the graphics. KFIV was good though. :)


wow, this thread makes me want to reassess my (negative) feelings about King's Field. I remember getting it on release thinking "3D Action RPG??? YEAH!" and playing it for about a month before giving up in a frustration/boredom combination.

But that was impatient 15 year old me. Something tells me I missed something, huh?
While the King's Field games isn't for anyone, it is worth trying out. Or in your case, retrying I guess. ;) The game does demand some patience from the player at certain points, but not overly much. And it can be a challenge at times, too. But if you still have it, can borrow it, or buy it cheap, I would at least suggest giving it another go. :)

[Edmond Dantes]

Definitely give it another go. the entire world must understand the glory of King's Field!

[bcks007]

King's Field IV:
- NTSC-U
- - Original, SLUS-20318
- - Original, SLUS-20353

I have the SLUS-20318 version, but I've never seen the SLUS-20353 version before. Do you have this? How do you know it exists? Yes i know its listed on sony.index com, but I've seen lots of typos on there site, and I even keep a list of there typos/errors listed, to one day send them. Any other proof besides that site just listing it? Pics?

[Guyra]

I have the SLUS-20318 version, but I've never seen the SLUS-20353 version before. Do you have this? How do you know it exists? Yes i know its listed on sony.index com, but I've seen lots of typos on there site, and I even keep a list of there typos/errors listed, to one day send them. Any other proof besides that site just listing it? Pics?
The games I have, I've marked with [x]. However, I do have the 20318, but it's disc only(so I don't include it). As for the other one, it's the only one I'm not 100% sure of. I sent Agetec an e-mail regarding this a couple of days ago, so I hope they will be able to enlighten me on the matter.

Underground gamer lists them with slightly different titles, which is a bit interesting:
SLUS-20318 - King's Field 4
SLUS-20353 - King's Field IV - The Ancient City

If anyone has got this game, could you please check the ID and post here if you've got any relevant information?

The reason why I've included them in the list is because they're listed at many more sites than just the one you point out. (Including collectors' personal lists.)

[Edmond Dantes]

Would you happen to know a way to get the Mobile Phone games?

[Guyra]

Would you happen to know a way to get the Mobile Phone games?
Sorry. I wish I did. Want them bad!

[Guyra]

Okay, I've removed one of the King's Field: The Ancient City variants. Reason for this is that I've not been able to confirm and validate its existence, despite it showing up in text a few places. I believe this simply has to do with a simple mistake that has spread throughout the internet. (Thanks to bcks007!)

In other news, I've got a couple more variants on their way, plus I've started on the merchandise and related items part of this collection. I've ordered a handful of guides, plus some other items. :)

[mobiusclimber]

Do you consider Sword of Moonlight (http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/958393-sword-of-moonlight-kings-field-making-tool/images) part of the King's Field series, even tho it's a "maker" style game?

[Guyra]

Okay, reviving this thread of mine now due to progress!

I've been able to discover one more variant of KF2, spesifically there are two different variants of the Japanese KF2 The Best release. The only difference is the data on the disc. On one disc, the game version is 1.8A, on the other the version is 1.8B. Exactly what this means for the game itself I've no idea, but it's probably just a couple of bug fixes at most.

A complete copy of KF3: Power Completist showed up on Yahoo! Auctions Japan a few days ago, and I won the auction. So now I've got the second most rare KF release on its way.

To get the KF2 The Best v1.8A that I'm missing, I'd either have to buy a bunch of copies in hopes of getting the one I'm missing, or ask sellers to check it for me. Turns out most people are too lazy to even bother. But one eBay seller, Eric Rabideau (theretroprince) (http://www.ebay.com/sch/theretroprince/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686), replied to my inquiry and had the variant I was looking for. And not only that, despite me making it clear that I would buy the game, he instead chose to donate it to my collection! So a big thanks to Eric for that! :D

With that last KF2 variant on its way from Eric Rabideau, and the KF3 Power Completist on its way from Japan, I've got every variant out there for all the four main King's Field games! What I'm missing now is the King's Field III: Pilot Style(which is not a KF3 variant, but its own, little game), and one variant of each of the two KF Additional games.




@mobiusclimber: Sorry for never answering that question. The SoM KF Game Making Tool software comes with a PC version of the very first King's Field on the same disc, so that kind of counts as a variant. The software itself is not something I consider a KF game release though, as it isn't a game at all, but tools for making KF style games. I think of it more as a collectible. There are people over at http://www.swordofmoonlight.com that still create games using this software. And yes, it's already in my collection. ;)

[BydoEmpire]

This is a series that always looked pretty cool, but for some reason I just never got around to picking up any version of the game. If you've never played one before which is the best starting point?

[Guyra]

If you've never played any of these games before, I'd suggest starting out with KF2, or possibly KF4/The Ancient City if you want to start out with some nicer graphics. ;)

KF3 is a direct sequel to KF2, so should be played afterwards. The first KF was only released in Japan, and KF2 is a direct sequel to that, but you don't miss out on much by skipping it, and I'd actually advise it anyway as it is not as refined as the others.

Oh, and when I say "KF2" and "KF3", I mean "KF" and "KF2" in the US. ;)


The series is very cool, but it's hard(this is the spiritual predecessor to Demon's Souls, after all) and you've got to get used to the gameplay(which actually doesn't take long, but many first time players have put it down a bit too quickly). They are some of the most atmospheric and rewarding games I've ever player. :)

[Guyra]

The donation from Eric Rabideau arrived today, and now I can truly say I've got every single known King's Field 2 release variant in the world! (Feel free to correct me if you know of any I don't have, though!) :D

Big thanks to Eric for this final piece of the KF2 collection! :)


Here's a pic of the complete King's Field 2 variant collection:
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm19/MagnusGuyra/kf2allvariants.png

[Guyra]

I'm reviving my old thread here, hope you don't mind! :)


Friday about a week ago I went to pick up a parcel at the local post office. When I got home, I found that it was what I'd been waiting for almost two months to get!

Inside the parcel I found the Japanese variant of Eternal Ring, a King's Field IV poster, a small, Japanese guide to Shadow Tower, and what has since become the jewel of my collection: King's Field III: Power Completist!

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm19/MagnusGuyra/Picture-29.jpg

I have been looking for this release for at least a couple of years, and all I've seen is an incomplete one. Until this one popped up, and I actually got it for only 530 yen - roughly $7 USD or £4.50 GBP - plus shipping! That's roughly half of what the normal version usually goes for!

There isn't really much difference to the release from the normal one, other than that it bundled in a slipcase with a small guide book.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm19/MagnusGuyra/Picture-34.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm19/MagnusGuyra/Picture-36.jpg

The guide book is of good quality, and can to some extent even be used by someone who doesn't know Japanese(like me) because of the maps you find in it. In addition, it also seems to include things like lists of items and weapons, with information about them, and what looks like a map of how all the different areas are connected.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm19/MagnusGuyra/Picture-44.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm19/MagnusGuyra/Picture-49.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm19/MagnusGuyra/Picture-51.jpg

The KF3: Power Completist is the second most rare King's Field release, so I am very happy to finally have it in my collection! :D

[xelement5x]

Very cool read through this thread, congrats on the addition it looks pretty sweet.

I'm always really impressed with very in depth collections on a single product like this. It's always neat to see the different packaging involved and the love that people put into them.

[Guyra]

Thank you, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

Hopefully I'll manage to get my hands on King's Field 3: Pilot Style at some point, hopefully in the not too distant future - but I won't be holding my breath. :P

[Drixxel]

There really are a stunning number of variants across the Japanese King's Field releases. Reissues like the Power Completist are definitely more thoughtfully constructed and interesting than a mere "Greatest Hits" style budget reprint.

[DeseoParadise]

I have King Field IV pal spanish sealed for PS2

[kainemaxwell]

So which is worth playing first for a beginner to the series?

[Guyra]

@Drixxel: There certainly are. And apart from the fact that the manuals don't fit inside the cases, I really like the design of the cheap PSOne Books rerelease variants. :)

@kainemaxwell: I'd say go with KF2("King's Field" in the US, orange cover with two crossed swords and a dragon), but KF4("King's Field: The Ancient City" in the US) might also be a good start, especially if the graphics of the older games is a turn off for you. ;)

[Guyra]

Okay, I finally came across another variant that I'd never seen or heard of before: The PAL King's Field IV promo disc! I've already got it on order, so it should be in my hands within the month! I'm a happy camper right now! :D

[Guyra]

The above mentioned KFIV promo disc is now in my collection, and I've got some new(crappy) pics of my King's Field "shrine!" ;)

Next on the list is to get all the Additional I & II variants. I've found some images that suggests there may be up to four variants of each of the games, but I've yet to see photos of them - so the images may just be mock ups. However, I'm quite certain there are at least two variants of each of the games, as there are two different Playstation catalog numbers for each of them, and Play-Asia.com has got both a "Japan" and an "Asia" release variant of each game in their online shop. (Sadly, they are sold out of the "Asia" release variants and will not get them back in stock.) Not to mention that UCAS-40105 "King's Field Additional II" is listed on Sony Hong Kong's official website, though without a picture.

[Rickstilwell1]

Very cool checklist thread. November 2011 was one of the best months of my life for gaming. That month I actually sat down and played through all 4 original King's Field games back to back, completing each. I used to mess around with King's Field 2 (USA 1) as a teen but would get confused partway through the game. I think after beating the first Japanese game in Japanese instead of using the fan translation patch, I really learned how to navigate and it made the rest of the series much more understandable and playable.

To anyone else starting out I recommend playing them in order. Don't skip the gem that is the first in the series and use the fan translation if you must.

[Guyra]

Playing through all four KF games straight after each other, that's not bad! I love these games, but I've actually never done that, myself.

Actually, I wish I either knew Japanese, or the KFA games got an English translation in one form or another. I really want to play those, as they apparently continue(and finish) the Verdite story.

[needler420]

I bought demons souls US release day and platinum that and dark souls but I can't buy into the hype of these other games.

It's so funny having been with these game from the start on PS3 then after all of a sudden a surge of Atlus and fromsoftware fans came out of nowhere overnight. :roll:

[Guyra]

I bought demons souls US release day and platinum that and dark souls but I can't buy into the hype of these other games.

It's so funny having been with these game from the start on PS3 then after all of a sudden a surge of Atlus and fromsoftware fans came out of nowhere overnight. :roll:

Hehe! It's even more funny having been with the KF games from the start, and then seeing the hype about the Souls games. But it's the way it always is though, isn't it? ;)

[Rickstilwell1]

Playing through all four KF games straight after each other, that's not bad! I love these games, but I've actually never done that, myself.

Actually, I wish I either knew Japanese, or the KFA games got an English translation in one form or another. I really want to play those, as they apparently continue(and finish) the Verdite story.

Not only that, but I recorded all the gaming footage while doing it. I plan to save the content for some online videos but I might also just release the pure playthroughs as well.

[Guyra]

Not only that, but I recorded all the gaming footage while doing it. I plan to save the content for some online videos but I might also just release the pure playthroughs as well.

Oh, that is cool! It'd be really nice if you were to release longplays of each of the games. :)