King's Field Mobile: FromSoftware's 2004 Feature Phone Classic Finally Preserved

King's Field Mobile: FromSoftware's 2004 Feature Phone Classic Finally Preserved In a significant achievement for video game preservation, the long-lost 2004 mobile adaptation of FromSoftware’s debut title, King's Field, has resurfaced.

Thanks to the efforts of preservationist RockmanCosmo and an individual archivist known as Yuuku, this rare Japanese feature phone game is now accessible to players and historians interested in FromSoftware’s formative years. King's Field first made its mark when it launched exclusively in Japan on the Sony PlayStation in 1994.

Developed by FromSoftware, the game introduced players to the mysterious, medieval realm of Verdite, plunging them into intricate dungeons fraught with monsters.

Notably, King's Field was an early example of a first-person dungeon crawler to implement real-time combat—a departure from the turn-based mechanics popularized by titles like Wizardry.

Its influence would grow through sequels, and with King's Field II, the series gained international recognition. However, one branch of the King's Field legacy has remained largely unknown outside of Japan: the mobile renditions created for Japanese feature phone platforms in 2004.

These variants were offered via i-Mode, EZWeb, and Yahoo! Keitai services, making use of the unique hardware of Japanese cell phones of the era.

The Yahoo! Keitai version, in particular, boasted enhanced dungeons, a broader selection of equipment, and new types of monsters, while introducing user-friendly features such as an automap. As detailed by RockmanCosmo through their social channels, Yuuku's preservation work has ensured that this distinct retelling of King's Field, previously at risk of being lost to time, is now available for modern audiences to experience.

The preservation community has also facilitated access by providing a setup guide and an English patch, allowing non-Japanese speakers to explore this rare artifact of mobile game development. The preservation of King's Field’s mobile edition highlights the rich, often overlooked history of Japanese mobile gaming, and underscores FromSoftware's early experimentation with alternative platforms beyond the PlayStation.

It is also a timely reminder of the importance of community-driven efforts to archive and document gaming history, particularly as digital platforms and hardware evolve. For those interested in the technical and historical aspects of game preservation, the Keitai Wiki Discord serves as an online hub, uniting enthusiasts dedicated to researching and safeguarding Japan’s mobile gaming heritage.

As more obscure titles like King's Field for feature phones are recovered, players and historians alike gain a more complete understanding of the legacy shaped by pioneering studios like FromSoftware.

King's Field FromSoftware i-Mode PS1