etrianodyssey
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Atlus is bringing three great JRPGs to North America for the 3DS
The Switch may have already arrived, but you may want to wait a bit before putting your 3DS in storage. Atlus, which you might know as the studio behind Persona, has just announced that it's releasing three Japanese RPGs for the handheld in the US and Canada. One of them is the latest entry in the Etrian Odyssey franchise, while the other two are remasters of Radiant Historia and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, two critically acclaimed games originally released for the Nintendo DS. Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth is a dungeon-crawling, map-drawing game chronicling the journey of an adventurer on a quest to reach the top of a towering Yggdrasil tree. It'll be available sometime this fall.
Meet the heroes of Lagaard
Atlus revealed some of the characters and classes in the upcoming Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, and while Etrian veterans will recognize the Alchemist and Landsknecht classes, there's also a new Gunner class in the game. As you might imagine, Gunners are marksmen who use guns and ammunition to deal out single-target damage. On the other hand, the Alchemists are magic users and Landsknechts specialize in swords and axes.Based on those descriptions, you should be able to tell which class each character belongs to by their pictures. If you'd like to give them a look, then, be sure to check out our updated gallery below.%Gallery-15249%
Etrian Lottery: Win Etrian Odyssey II's soundtrack
Atlus is conducting a unique contest on their message board -- one which, if you're an Etrian Odyssey fan, you should be entering right now. The prize is a 3-disc soundtrack CD set featuring game music legend Yuzo Koshiro's score for Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, as they are heard on the DS and in totally retro PC-8801 versions!All you have to do to be eligible is post a continuation of the ongoing Etrian story being crafted in the contest thread. The best contributor, as judged by Atlus staff, will be awarded the soundtrack. There are resources available to introduce you to the world and the characters, in case you care more about Yuzo Koshiro than Etrian, or you didn't pay any attention to the first game's story. You have until 5:30 Pacific time on May 13, so put on your robe and (thinking) wizard hat!Atlus has also created an official Etrian Odyssey II Facebook page. If you're enough of a college student to be all about Facebook, be sure to check it out.
European dates for Etrian Odyssey, LOL, Pokemon Explorers
News of a European release date for Super Smash Bros. Brawl has dominated coverage of Nintendo's latest European release schedule, but there are a number of tasty morsels on the list for DS owners.For a start, the continent will finally be getting Atlus roguelike Etrian Odyssey, and it's about time -- lest we forget, the title made its U.S. debut last May! Notably, there are also dates (of varying specificity) for Race Driver: GRID (May), the new Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games (July 4th), New International Track & Field (Q2 2008), and Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? (June), the European version of Cooking Navi. "ArchimDS" appears on the list as well, though we presume this refers to LOL, or Bakushow as it'll be known in Euroland.Add all of those to this morning's Final Fantasy IV announcement, and Europe has quite the line-up of games to look forward to. Check past the break for the full list!
Etrian Odyssey II details and videos
Still reeling from the news of a localized Etrian Odyssey II? Well, so are we -- June 17th can't come fast enough. That's why we've brought you some more goodies and details from one of our favorite (albeit punishing) dungeon-crawling RPGs.If you've never played the original and don't know much about the series, the video above may baffle you a bit. Essentially, in the Etrian Odyssey-verse, not only do you have to battle monsters like in most turn-based RPGs, but you also have to navigate and map out the labryrinth-like dungeons.The sequel will include twelve different classes, each of which are customizable in numerous areas (name, sex, skills, spells, etc). This game will also own your soul should you choose to play it, as Heroes of Lagaard will have over 100 side-quests. Furthermore, Atlus promises an improved mapmaking tool, which will add some new features. Sounds good to us!We've included another video after the break for your viewing pleasure. It's only a short sampling of buying items, but we'll take any small morsels we can get at this point. Gallery: Etrian Odyssey II
Etrian Odyssey II coming to NA in June
Atlus, we knew you wouldn't let us down!Those of you who have been clamoring to play Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard because you either enjoyed the first game or wanted to play it and couldn't find it, have no fear! Atlus announced today that the game will, in fact, be localized. Heroes of Lagaard will hitting American shores in June, adding to the DS's awesome Q2 schedule. There's still no announcement for Europe, but getting the game in English is half the battle, right?If you just can't wait three months for this title, you can dabble around in Atlus' official (English) site. Of course, if you're an impatient wench like this blogger, seeing all the pretties might just make you want it more. A Catch-22, indeed. The site also promises to update every Monday, so if you have an interest in the game, you can check back every week to get your Etrian fix. %Gallery-15249%[Via press release]
Site recalls worst boxart of 2007, DS titles dominate
Games Radar's choices for the worst examples of boxart in 2007 don't necessarily coincide with our own, though even we would be hard pushed to dispute the inclusion of the above travesty in this hall of shame. Of the fifteen titles listed by GR, five are to be found on the DS, with OMG 26: Our Mini Games (#2), Julie Finds a Way (#4), John Deere: Harvest in the Heartland (#6), Touch Detective 2½ (#11), and Etrian Odyssey (#14) all charting.Jump past the break for more boxart that only a mother could love. Just remember that DS boxart can also be hella awesome.
Etrian Odyssey 2 screens, concept art
Hot off the heels of Famitsu's magazine spread on Etrian Odyssey 2 comes a follow-up attack via their website. Complete with concept art and screens for the game, anyone dying to see where the title goes in its second installment should look no further. Of course, those with keen eyes will notice that the images available via the website are the same in the scans, but a bit more cleaned up.Any Stephen Colbert fans reading this might want to steer clear, however. This game is known to include bears.
Famitsu reveals Etrian Odyssey 2 is in the works
Click image to enlarge When stumbling upon these images for the sequel to Etrian Odyssey, we understood what we were getting into. There would be more dungeons, which we may or may not need to crawl around, and it would also feature a lot of character customization and other genre staples. No big whoop, right? Wrong.
Limited edition blood-covered DS Lite
The dried blood on the Polar White DS Lite above is from a car accident last week in which the driver of an ambulance lost control and hit a mid-size SUV at 60 MPH. Its warning lights were not flashing at the time. The impact caused the SUV to flip over four times before landing upside down; the ambulance was also thrown over the parkway shoulder. Thankfully, everyone survived the collision with only a few injuries. Isfet, one of the SUV's passengers and the owner of the DS Lite, happened to be playing Etrian Odyssey when the accident occurred. We knew that the dungeon crawler was pretty punishing, but we weren't aware that its difficulty was so severe that you can almost die while playing it. Despite the tumbling the handheld went through, it still works! Isfet is a bit worried, though, that it might start to smell if he doesn't clean it off soon. He's not sure if the blood was from his head or the piece of glass that stabbed his arm.
DS Fanswag: And Etrian Odyssey goes to ....
Reader Max will be collecting a spankin' new copy of Etrian Odyssey! The winning comment was #248, as shown here. Congratulations, Max! And to everyone else: we'll be doing another giveaway soon, so watch this space for your chance to win free games. We here at DS Fanboy would like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered -- you made it worth flipping through pages and pages of comments to get to the lucky entry as determined by our trusty RNG.
DS Fanswag: Etrian Odyssey reminder
Don't forget -- the clock is ticking and there's less than two days remaining to throw your comment-hat in the ring for a chance at Etrian Odyssey. Since it's all about the mathematics of the thing, yapping an extra time can only increase your chances (but you have to get everyone else to stay away, so get creative). Also, many of the comments are packed with comedy, so they make for interesting morning reading.Remember -- comment there, not here, for your chance to win. Not that we don't love it when you talk to us. And if you're not the lucky winner, don't despair ... we may have a few more things around here to give away in the coming weeks.
DS Fanswag: Win a copy of Etrian Odyssey
Wouldn't it be awesome if your mailbox randomly generated spankin' new DS games? While we may not have mastered nanotech, we can offer you the next best thing, which is a chance for a free copy of Etrian Odyssey. All you have to do is leave a comment below. Convince us that you burn with the desire for Etrian Odyssey, and we just may draw your name. It helps if mathematics happen to be on your side. Entries will be accepted through June 21 -- as soon as the clock ticks over to midnight on the 22nd, your chance to enter will disappear, so get commenting! We'll notify the winner on Friday, June 22.The rules are simple, but all fine print aside, all you have to do is leave a comment on this very entry. Make sure you enter a valid e-mail address in the applicable field, because if you don't, it won't matter if we draw your name -- if we can't get in touch with you, we'll have to give your game to someone else.The official rules for the DS Fanswag giveaway
Etrian Odyssey the figurine
As gamers, we often like to surround ourselves with figurines and posters of the games and characters we love. Well, if you love yourself some Etrian Odyssey, then Hobby Wave has you covered. That is, if you don't mind importing it from Japan and waiting until September. The figure will set you back 3,990 Yen (or about $33 USD).[Via Go Nintendo]
Metareview: Etrian Odyssey
Here's the thing: the games Atlus USA sees fit to bring over tend to be love-it or hate-it propositions. Don't expect anything different with Etrian Odyssey. The RPG has collected the usual run of mixed reviews so far, but if you were looking forward to it, take heart and remember that the same lead dev behind Trauma Center headed up the Etrian Odyssey team, and if we learned anything from that title, it's that the best of all possible games tend to be brutally punishing. 1UP: 80% -- "Etrian Odyssey is old-school tough, but it's new-school fair. The maps are easy to make thanks to the simple, grid-based layout, and warp items and spells are easily accessible; their use is actively encouraged. The labyrinth is divided into several "strata," and each one has its own teleportation point. So, while it may be easy to get lost in the dungeon, it's almost impossible to get trapped ... Etrian Odyssey will definitely appeal more to the OCD'd than the ADD'd, and its punishing difficulty and very deliberate pacing may turn off younger gamers who grew up on flashier roleplayers. But it offers a real sense of wonder and a sense of accomplishment -- feelings missing from far too many modern games."GamePro: 60% -- "The first-person gameplay is effective when combined with the shiny new 3D graphics engine that renders the Labyrinth in rich detail, day or night. As you work your way downwards through the twists and turns of the Labyrinth, it really feels like you're lost in a maze. The novelty wears off, though, as you'll find your eyes glued to the 2D map rather than taking in the 3D world to plan your route and avoid roving enemies that pop up. Despite the detailed setting graphics, the character models are anime-styled 2D cutouts and enemies have no attack animations and only one wobble animation and a flash of light indicating that your attack hit them."Since we only have two reviews for you so far, we thought a bonus gameplay video might help you decide. Check it out after the jump!
DS releases for the week of May 14th
This week, gamers in the U.S. have some options again, but the big news is in import titles, with the release of the Ouendan sequel. How many of you will be shelling out the extra cash required to bring this one across the ocean? Probably more than a few, considering this is one of the most hotly anticipated sequels ever.DS releases in the U.S. Code Lyoko Etrian Odyssey Touch the Dead For the rest of the globe, check after the jump.
Etrian Odyssey Age
Developer Atlus admits that it will have a tough time selling Etrian Odyssey to anyone who isn't already a fan of dungeon crawls or other niche genres. As great as a turn-based, first-person RPG might sound to some of you, it's rare for that kind of game to register even a blip on the radar of most gamers or gaming media.Atlus has been updating Etrian Odyssey's official site with promotional webcomics, the first of which proposes how the title can attach itself to current trends and elbow its way to the front of the crowd. Likening the game's dungeon crawl experience to Brain Age is a huge stretch, but we have to applaud the creative approach. See what we mean after the post break!
Etrian Odyssey trailer teases
Personally, we can't get enough RPG action on our DS. Final Fantasy III and Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time will have to be pried from our cold, dead hands! That's why Atlus', which is one of our favorite developers, title Etrian Odyssey gets us so pumped. It causes our under-collar to become hot and soaks our brow in sweet, sweet sweat. We wants it and the loose release date of Q1 2007 isn't cutting it!Oh well, we'll just have to settle for watching the embedded Japanese trailer for the game, available past the jump, about 50 bajillion times. Won't you join us?
Yggdrasil Labyrinth gets new name, US release
Looks like the U.S. is about to see yet another RPG for the DS -- Yggdrasil Labyrinth, in development by Atlus, will hit the U.S. as Etrian Odyssey. Maybe they decided labyrinthine games weren't such a good idea after all.Etrian Odyssey is a first person RPG that puts you in the role of an explorer searching for riches and glory in the just-discovered labyrinth of -- you guessed it -- Etria. The touch screen features a customizable map, allowing you to track your own progress and mark spots that you find useful in your exploration. We half-wish they'd keep the original name. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is the tree that connects the nine worlds, including Midgard, the world of man. The name Midgard gets so much game love in various forms that it's about time Yggdrasil had a moment in the sun. Oh well. Etrian Odyssey is scheduled for release early next year in the U.S.More screens after the jump.
