Robot Summoner Kite DX

Kite the Summoner Deluxe, or Robot Summoner Kite DX (ロボットサモナーカイトDX) in Japan, is an action-platform video game developed and published by Namco for the Playstation in 2000. This game was given two remakes: one for the Playstation 2 and Nintendo GameCube in 2002, and another for the Playstation Portable in 2010, titled Kite the Summoner Deluxe Plus, or Robot Summoner Kite DX+' (ロボットサモナーカイトDX). 'Kite the Summoner Deluxe's box art states that the game features eight games in one disc. Most of these games are platforming-oriented, while some are mini-games.

Gameplay
Kite the Summoner Deluxe sees players take on the role of Kite, who can fly, absorb enemies' energies and form Summons, becoming able to perform a wide range of attacks. A unique feature of the game is the addition of a new character named Ray, who has the ability to become any monster he touches. When Kite is in possession of a summon, he can choose to give it to Ray (controlled by a second player or AI) to transform him into a helper monster (certain Summons such as Destroyer or Rockband cannot be turned into helpers). Kite can choose to give Ray a different form, or revert his form into a Summon orb to use on himself in an emergency. Certain monsters, such as Wheelo, allow Kite to interact with them during two player play. If Ray takes too much damage, there is a short time for Kite to grant him a new power before he returns to normal until Kite creates a new one. However, if Kite takes too much damage, he will lose a life.

Gameplay takes place across seven main modes and several sub-games:

Mimicry Program
Mimicry Program is an original mode which introduces the character Ray, who enlists the help of Kite to find his creator, said to have been captured by Mr. Justin. There are three levels to be cleared before fighting Mr. Justin.

Dasher Attacks
Dasher Attacks is another original mode in which Kite must battle Dasher, a duck-like alien who challenges him to a fight. The mode comprises four levels that the player must clear before facing off against Dasher. There are also two secret areas and a mini-boss that moves across the world map.

Jet Race
Jet Race is a race type mode in which Kite must race against Mr. Justin aerially. Taking place across three levels of varying length, the winner is whoever earns the most points by the end of all three levels, with bonus points awarded for being the first to finish each race. Players can choose to race either Mr. Justin or his "ghost", which is the player's best attempt at the race, or simply race alone for the fastest time. The remakes feature multiplayer functionality.

Underground Trek
Underground Trek is a Metroidvania adventure type mode which sees Kite and his friends exploring a cave searching for treasure. Hidden throughout the game's four areas are sixty treasure chests, with a maximum score of 9999990 achievable by collecting all 60 treasures. Some of the treasures are references to other Namco games, such as the Solvalou, the Special Flag, and the Soul Edge.

Asli's Assault
Asli's Assault sees Kite attempt to destroy Asli's castle, the Modenia, before she can conquer Techno City. Each area has a time limit, which will cost Kite a life if it hits zero. It is particularly plot-based, featuring comments from the various servants of Asli. Every time you beat a round, at first Kite tries to get back on the Modenia, but when he gets on, the ship takes damage after every round beaten. At the bottom of the screen, there is a meter showing how the Modenia is doing. Bosses appear such as Twinbranch, two Genbranches, and Mechaw, a robotic bird-like machine. This culminates in fighting Asli twice, in a duel, and in a chase to escape the falling Halberd.

Galaxy's Great Promise
Galaxy's Great Promise is the largest game in the collection. As the stars around Neo-Earth are fighting, an alien named Rexx tells Kite and friends they must travel across nine different planets and restore the giant comet-robot GEMINI, who can grant any given wish. Unlike the other modes, Kite cannot create Summons out of energies he absorbs; instead, he collects "Summon Essence Deluxes". These are items with Summons on them that, once in Kite's possession, it allows the player to select them from a list of abilities and they are permanently kept throughout the entire game. The mode also features scrolling shooting sections near the end. In the end, Rexx wishes to GEMINI his "dream", to control Neo-Earth. Kite stops this by destroying GEMINI's heart, then battling Rexx in his powerful form and defeats him.

Coliseum
Coliseum is an endurance mode that challenges the player to fight every boss in the game, as well as a Blorb with high endurance, one after the other without dying once. The total boss battles include 26 bosses in 19 rounds. In between rounds is a room with five Hi-Juices, which can only be used once each, and two randomly selected pedestals which will grant the player certain Summons (the player can choose any Summon at the beginning of the game).

Sub games
Both of these modes are playable either against the computer or with two players.
 * Low=Dive: A mini-game in which the player must survive falling through an endless cylinder of traps and obstacles. Going through rings allow you to clear said obstacles.
 * Seismic Strike: Another timing based game in which the players must time a series of button presses to punch a crack in the planet, the goal being to try to make a bigger crack than their opponent.

PSP exclusive modes
The following modes are exclusive to the PSP remake, Kite the Summoner Deluxe Plus.

Revenge of the Boss
A more difficult version of Mimicry Program which sees Kite and Ray face off against Mr. Justin's new form, Behemoth Justin.

Light Witch Plus
A mode in which players control Asli as she plays through levels based on Mimicry Program, Dasher Attacks, Underground Trek, Asli's Assault and Galaxy's Great Promise. At the end of Galaxy's Great Promise, instead of fighting Rexx, players fight Orda, the strongest mage in the universe.

Ray's Monster Brawl
Similar to Coliseum mode, except players now take control of Ray's monster characters and fight a new character, Cave King Diamond.

True Coliseum
An enhanced version of Coliseum, featuring the additional bosses from the new modes including the 3 final bosses of each mode, Behemoth Justin, Cave King Diamond, Orda, and an all-new boss, Rexx Y-Mode, the villainous Rexx reincarnated.

Playable
Ray (レイ) - a boy with the ability to transform into other monsters upon physical contact. He goes on many adventures with Kite and his friends.

Mid-bosses
Crugg (クルッグ) - an orc-like monster that wields a wooden club. His energy will give Kite the Hammerer Summon, which will also give Ray Crugg's form.

Masked Fang (キバ・カメン Fangmask in the EU and JP versions) - a heel wrestler with a tiger motif. His energy will give Kite the Wrestler Summon, and his form will be available for Ray.

Chef Nuni (シェフヌニ) - an alien chef who attacks with poisonous foods. His energy will give Kite the one-time Cook Summon. Ray cannot use Nuni's form.

Steel Mama (スチールババ Steel Baba in the EU and JP versions) - a metallic woman who can perform various types of combat skills. If defeated, her energy will give Kite the Fighter Summon.

Luchadoom (ルシャドゥーム) - a Luchador with an evil motif. His energy will form the Wrestler Summon for Kite.

I-Cicle (Iシクル) - a robotic yeti that can attack using its ice cubes and ice breath. Kite can obtain the Ice Mage Summon by taking its energy.

Bosses
Genbranch (ゲンブランチュ) - the first boss in Mimicry Program. He is a 1000-year-old tortoise that is the guardian of Emerald Forests.

Gogo & Nana (ゴゴ&ナナ) - the second pair of bosses in Mimicry Program. They are two alien dancers from the Planet Grooven.

Raijo (ライジョー) - the third boss in Mimicry Program. He is a lighting monster responsible for many storms.

Mr. Justin (ミスター・ジャスティン) - the final boss of Mimicry Program. Mr. Justin is the founder of Techno City who has been humiliated by Kite. By kidnapping Ray's creator, Dr. Grove, he wishes to have the same monster-morphing power as Ray does.

Dasher (ダッシャー) - the antagonist of Dasher Attacks. He is a Quargon, a duck-like alien from the Planet Quarg, who landed on Neo-Earth in search of a worthy challenger. He has heard of Kite and his previous heroics and decides to challenge him on Fury Mountain. After the fight, he was scolded by his master Makara, and soon made a friendship with Kite.

Cutie Porpoise (キューティーポルポイズ) - the first boss in Underground Trek. She is a porpoise with an adorable personality, and she uses this personality to lure men into the seas, similar to how sirens use their voice for the same purpose.

Digiboss (デジボス) - the second boss in Underground Trek. It is a computer program which displays RPG monsters: the Slime, the Evil Knight, and the Hydra.

Stealth Wan (ステルスワン) - the third boss in Underground Trek. It is an alligator with the same characteristics of a chameleon.

Cave King Boulder (洞窟王ボルダー) - the final boss of Underground Trek. He is the king of the underground world who punishes those who steal his treasures.

Twinbranch (ツインブランチ) - the first pair of bosses of Asli's Assault. As the name implies, they are clones of the original Genbranch. They even have his techniques.

Castle Sentinel (キャッスルセンチネル) - the second boss of Asli's Assault. It is the guardian of Modenia created to repel intruders. When Kite first fought it, the sentinel initiated an explosion that blew him off the castle.

Mechaw (メッカオ) - a robotic bird monster created by Asli's servants. It has sharp wings which act as blades and can lay rainbow-colored bombs, which Kite can absorb the energy of to summon the Painter.

Castle Reactor (キャッスルリアクター) - a stone that gives the Modenia its flight abilities. Kite cannot damage it, neither can his summons, so he has to use the reactor's own attacks to defeat it.

Asli (アスリ) - the enigmatic witch who helped Kite in the past. Now, with Despair done for, she can now fulfill her near-forgotten dream; to take over Techno City. Using his Swordsman summon, Kite must fight against Asli.

GEMINI Nucleus (GEMINIの核) - the "heart" of the giant wishing robot GEMINI. Kite has to fly inside of him and destroy the nucleus to shut him down.

Rexx (レックス) - an alien from an unknown planet who tricked Kite and his friends into finding GEMINI, only for him to grant his own wish to conquer Neo-Earth. After stopping GEMINI, Kite must fight Rexx to save his home.

NPCs
Dr. Grove (グローブ博士) - Ray's creator who has been kidnapped by Mr. Justin in Mimicry Program, where he was forced to create said program for him.

Makara (マカラ) - a Quargon who dons a lilypad-like sombrero and a poncho. He is Dasher's master who warned him about not travelling to other planets to fight anyone, which is why he scolded him.

Valli (ヴァッリ) - one of Kite's friends who was with him in most of the modes. She has her own ray pistols to defeat enemies.

Suzy (スージー) - a holographic girl who assists Kite whenever he has trouble. She is responsible for informing players during the tutorials at the start of the modes.

Mr. Panda (パンダさん) - Kite's caretaker who has been with him in most of the modes. He wields his Megaton Hammer, built by Valli's parents, to fight.

Frances (フランシス) - Valli's former rival and one of Kite's friend. In Underground Trek, she was separated from the others and lost until Kite found her.

Daniel (ダニエル) - Kite's former rival. He appeared in Underground Trek, where he fell into a different location away from his friends, but was found by Kite.

Pelt (ペルト) - one of Kite's friends. He was also in Underground Trek, where he got lost after falling into the underground world before Kite found him.

Matthew (マシュー) - another friend of Kite's. After falling into the underground world, he became lost as to where he was until Kite found him.

Gooey (グーイー) - Kite's other friend. He was also separated from the others in Underground Trek, but was luckily found by the others.

Milly (ミリー) - one of Kite's friends and his secret crush. In Underground Trek, not only was she separated, but was also held captive by the Cave King Diamond.

GEMINI - the almighty wishing robot. He can be summoned by gathering nine Wishing Items. He granted Rexx's wish for world domination, but he was still stopped thanks to Kite's efforts. In the PSP remake, specifically in Light Mage Plus, GEMINI summons Orda, the strongest mage in the universe, for Asli.