[Mania] Uparu Returns... Preserving the Original's Sentiment Intact

Once leading the social network game (SNG) genre and enjoying tremendous popularity, 'Uparu Mountain' has returned after a three-year hiatus under the new name 'Uparu Odyssey.' It inherits the charming elements of the original game, where players decorate a village and heal through unique Uparu characters, evoking nostalgia among existing fans.

Developed through a partnership between NHN and Hybro, the game was officially released on October 5 last year and quickly rose to the top, ranking number one in the App Store's popular games, casual game revenue, and Google Play's simulation game revenue within two weeks. Even now, on its 100th day since launch, the number of users continues to grow steadily, keeping it ranked high on the charts.

When you first launch Uparu Odyssey, a tutorial immediately begins. A shaman named 'Lupa' appears to introduce the gameplay. The story involves a peaceful village invaded by an 'evil' dragon, and the Uparu learning combat skills from helpers to grow. Uparu are fictional animals.

The core fun of this game lies in collecting Uparu. These Uparu take the form of various animals and require habitats according to their attributes. Players build the village to place Uparu in suitable habitats and help them grow. By creating fields to harvest food and feeding it to Uparu, they level up. Placing them in habitats matching their attributes or making friends with other users earns in-game currency.

Uparu can be obtained by purchasing 'Summoning Stones' with in-game currencies such as 'Mana Balls' or 'Gems.' Placing these 'Summoning Stones' on the 'Summoning Stone Altar' for a certain period will summon a Uparu. The longer the summoning time, the stronger the Uparu that appears.

The biggest difference from the previous version is the addition of a 'Battle Mode.' The battle content consists of 'Expeditions,' a PvE (player versus environment) mode, and the 'Arena,' a PvP (player versus player) mode. Through 'Expeditions,' players can easily understand the attribute affinities used in battles. The 'Arena' requires strategic mind games, where players must devise strategies involving various combinations of Uparu attributes.

In Battle Mode, players can field three Uparu to engage in turn-based combat. Each Uparu enters the battle one at a time, and players can switch Uparu each turn. Each Uparu in the game has attributes such as water, fire, ice, forest, earth, and thunder. While each has a main attribute, some Uparu possess two or more attributes. These attributes have affinities that affect combat outcomes.

One drawback is that the overall graphic quality is not very high. Especially the effects during battles seem somewhat lacking for a modern game. However, considering that the game can be enjoyed fully without usage fees and that it evokes fond memories, this is a forgivable shortcoming.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.