is a series of

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

s, mixed with elements of a

visual novel A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...

based

dating sim Dating sims, or , are video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. Dating sims are often dialog-heavy and focus on time management. The player must befriend and carefully build and maintain a relationship with one or more ...

. The series is primarily developed by

Flight-Plan was a Japanese video game developer best known for the ''Summon Night (series), Summon Night'' series of role-playing video games published by Banpresto. Founded in 1989, Flight-Plan began by developing the ''Black/Matrix (video game series), Bl ...

, published by

Banpresto (formerly Coreland Technology Inc.) was a Japanese video game developer and publisher headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It had a branch in Hong Kong named Banpresto H.K., which was headquartered in the New Territories. Banpresto was a partly-own ...

, and owned by

Bandai Namco Entertainment is a Japanese multinational video game video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in ...

. The character designs are by Izuka Takeshi. The series has had six main line entries, and seven spin-off entries, spanning the

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...

PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...

and

Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

video game consoles A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a t ...

. Until 2015, no main entries to the series had been released outside of Japan. The only titles localized into English were the spinoff games '' Summon Night: Twin Age'', '' Summon Night: Swordcraft Story'' and its sequel, '' Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2''. In April 2015, it was announced that

Gaijinworks Gaijinworks is an American video game publishing company founded by Victor Ireland in July 2006. The company was established shortly after the dissolution of Working Designs in December 2005 of which Ireland was president. Containing the Japanese ...

would translate and publish the latest entry in the series, ''

Summon Night 5 is a tactical role-playing game in the long-running ''Summon Night'' series of video games. It is the first and only original entry to be developed by Felistella and published by Bandai Namco Games, following original developer, Flight-Plan's, ...

'', in North America and Europe. On December 15, 2015, it was released in North America but a European release never came to fruition. The game was considered a success in North America, with its sales being enough to warrant Gaijinworks to translate its sequel '' Summon Night 6'' , which was released in both North America and Europe in late 2017. The ''Summon Night'' series has sold a total of 1.904 million copies.

Games

Main series

The games from the main series are all strategy RPGs. They take place on the same world and in the same continuity, but the stories do not have much connection. *''Summon Night'' (January 6, 2000)
Released for the

/remade for

. *''Summon Night 2'' (August 2, 2001)
Released for the PlayStation/remade for Nintendo DS. *'' Summon Night 3'' (August 7, 2003)
Released for the

/Remake for the PSP was released on October 4, 2012. *''Summon Night 4'' (November 30, 2006)
Released for the PlayStation 2/Remake for the PSP was released on November 15, 2012. *''

'' (May 16, 2013)
Released for the PSP. *'' Summon Night 6: Lost Borders'' (2016)
Released for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4.

Spin-offs

The following games are action-RPGs in the style of '' Ys'' or ''

Seiken Densetsu The ''Mana'' series, known in Japan as , is a high fantasy action role-playing game series created by Koichi Ishii, with development formerly from Square, and is currently owned by Square Enix. The series began in 1991 as ''Final Fantasy Adventu ...

''. *''Summon Night EX-Thesis: Yoake no Tsubasa'' (August 4, 2005)
Released for the PlayStation 2. *'' Summon Night Twin Age: Seireitachi no Kyoumei (Koe)'' (August 30, 2007; USA: June 3, 2008)
Released for the Nintendo DS, localized by

Atlus is a Japanese video game developer, publisher, arcade manufacturer and distribution company based in Tokyo. A subsidiary of Sega, the company is known for video game series such as ''Megami Tensei'', ''Persona'', ''Etrian Odyssey'' and ''Trau ...

in the US as ''Summon Night: Twin Age''. *''Summon Night Gran-These: Horobi no Tsurugi to Yakusoku no Kishi'' (March 11, 2010)
Released for the PlayStation 2. The following three games are ''Summon Night'' games in the action-RPG genre. *'' Summon Night: Swordcraft Story'' (Japan: April 25, 2003; USA: July 26, 2006)
Released for the

, localized by

in the USA. *'' Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2'' (Japan: August 20, 2004; USA: October 17, 2006)
Released for the Game Boy Advance; also localized by Atlus. *'' Summon Night Swordcraft Story 3: Stone of Beginnings'' (December 8, 2005)
Released for the Game Boy Advance. The following game is an RPG with turn-based battles in the style of the ''

Final Fantasy is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...

'' series. *'' Summon Night X: Tears Crown'' (November 5, 2009)
Released for the Nintendo DS.

Setting

All of the ''Summon Night'' games take place in Lyndbaum,Nintendo Power Magazine, Nintendo of America a world similar to medieval Europe with the inclusion of modern factories and railroads, placing ''Summon Night'' in a

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...

setting. Lyndbaum is surrounded by four other worlds: Loreilal, the land from where mechanical creatures come; Silturn, the land of yokai; Sapureth, where angels and demons live; and Maetropa, from where half-humans, magical beasts, fairies and other mythical creatures hail. Besides those four there are also countless other worlds, including our world (the "real" world) where the main characters of the first game are transported from. Certain boundaries separate the worlds from each other, making the various summoning techniques the only way to transport things between them.

References

External links

Summon Night Series Official Site
(Japanese)
Summon Night 5 Official Site
(Japanese)

{{Bandai Namco franchises Production I.G Action role-playing video games Bandai Namco Entertainment franchises Banpresto games Tactical role-playing video games Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 2000