Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure

About

Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure swaps traditional cutscenes for full-fledged musical numbers, blending turn-based strategy with operatic flair. You play as Cornet, a girl bonded to a sentient puppet named Kururu, as you navigate a童话-like quest to free a prince turned to stone by a lovesick witch. Combat unfolds in grid-based tactical battles, while story moments burst into song, complete with lyrics and vocal tracks. The game mixes light-hearted charm with straightforward difficulty, focusing on simple mechanics and whimsical storytelling. Despite its cute aesthetic, Rhapsody earned a cult following for its bold concept and unapologetic weirdness. Originally released in 1998, it remains a niche curiosity among tactical RPG fans, praised for its creativity even as its low challenge and dated presentation may not appeal to everyone. Now available on modern platforms, it offers a quirky throwback to late-90s Japanese game design.

Storyline

The game centers around the adventures of Cornet, a girl who can talk to puppets and has a magical horn that grants wishes, and Kururu, a puppet that has the heart and soul of a human. The majority of the game is about Cornet and Kururu trying to save Prince Ferdinand (whom Cornet is in love with) after he has been turned to stone by the self-proclaimed "most beautiful witch in the world." The witch, Marjoly, also has a crush on the prince and had meant to put him to sleep, but messed up the spell and accidentally turned him to stone.