Article / News

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Brings Rhapsody II & III West for the First Time

by on January 31, 2023
Artwork celebrating Rhapsody II & III in Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles.

During yesterday’s NIS 30th Aniversary Livestream, NISA surprised fans by revealing their plans to localize — for the first time (officially) in the West — the two sequels to Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure. This summer, Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles will bundle the newly-titled Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess and Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The same event also revealed that Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless will be released this fall, so be sure to check out Tom’s article on that!

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Trailer

NISA released a short synopsis of Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles alongside this announcement:

Experience Rhapsody II & III as they make their Western debut!
Following the events of Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, join young Kururu, the daughter of Cornet and Ferdinand, on her quest to find true love in Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess! Then, gear up for another dose of musical adventures as the songs and stories continue in
Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom!

While it’s no doubt exciting to finally get a release window for Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless (especially following the game’s Japanese release last week), this one caught me totally by surprise. Who knew that when NISA re-released the first Rhapsody last year in the Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 3 collection that they had their sights on the others?

For a bit of historical context, the second game in the series was known as Little Princess: Marl Ōkoku no Ningyō Hime 2 in Japan, and released in November 1999 for the PSOne. The third title, Tenshi no Present: Marl Ōkoku Monogatari, was the first and only PS2 game in the series, released just over a year later in December 2000.

While the second game eventually made its way onto the PlayStation Store, making it playable on PS3, PSP, and PS Vita, the third title was only ever available on PS2. And of course, aside from fan translations, neither title has ever been released outside of Japan, and I doubt many people expected this to happen over 22 years later!

It’s worth noting that Rhapsody II & Rhapsody III will feature English text, and options for English or Japanese audio. However, the songs will only be available in Japanese, and are not being localized/recorded in English.

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Editions

It wouldn’t be a NISA release without a limited edition! When Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles releases this summer, there will be LE versions for PS5 and Switch, which are already up for pre-order in the NIS Online Store. This version is $89.99 USD and contains the following, shown below:

  • Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Deluxe Edition
  • “Memories in Melody” Hardcover Art Book
  • “Ballad of the Little Princess” 2-disc Original Soundtrack
  • “Memories of Marl Kingdom” 2-disc Original Soundtrack
  • “Royal Crescendo” Art Cards (Set of 3)
  • “A Duet of Adventure” Acrylic Display
  • “Generations of Song” Acrylic Display
  • “The Show Must Go On” Cloth Poster
  • Collector’s Box
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Cover Art (Switch, Limited Edition)

As you may expect, the PC release is digital-only and not available with these bonuses. In fact, the games are being released as standalone titles on Steam, and not in a bundle. While there is no pricing yet, both Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess and Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom can be wishlisted on Steam.

Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess Screenshots

  • Rhapsody II Ballad of the Little Princess Logo 001
  • Rhapsody II Ballad of the Little Princess Screenshot 001
  • Rhapsody II Ballad of the Little Princess Screenshot 003
  • Rhapsody II Ballad of the Little Princess Screenshot 004
  • Rhapsody II Ballad of the Little Princess Screenshot 005
  • Rhapsody II Ballad of the Little Princess Screenshot 006
  • Rhapsody II Ballad of the Little Princess Screenshot 007
  • Rhapsody II Ballad of the Little Princess Screenshot 008

Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshots

  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Logo 001
  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshot 001
  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshot 002
  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshot 003
  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshot 004
  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshot 005
  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshot 006
  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshot 007
  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshot 008
  • Rhapsody III Memories of Marl Kingdom Screenshot 009

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles is coming this summer to PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Learn more on the game’s official website, and you can no doubt expect more coverage of these long-awaited sequels in the months to come, so keep an eye (or two) on RPGFan!

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Mike Salbato

Mike Salbato

Mike has been with RPGFan nearly since its inception, and in that time has worn a surprising number of hats for someone who doesn't own a hatstand. Today he attempts to balance his Creative Director role with his Editor-in-Chief status. Despite the amount of coffee in his veins, he bleeds emerald green.

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