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Ougon no Kizuna's smaller quests
Most of what we've seen of Jaleco's Ougon no Kizuna has involved big, big bosses. But while fighting huge hulks is an important part of the game, it's also characterized by much smaller tasks involving (generally) smaller characters, who then form "bonds" with Lian, the protagonist. The formation of these bonds affects the game's storyline.Famitsu has introduced two of Kizuna's 100 subquests. The first involves helping a girl named Aliche pass her test to become a water priestess, and the second seems to involve training a group of soldiers called "Resolvers" who are currently being trained in a less-than-serious manner.
A brief look at character creation in Phantasy Star Zero
In a post about the filming of a new commercial for Phantasy Star Zero starring actor and singer Takeshi Tsuruno, GAME Watch also included a few screens of the character creation process. We've quickly translated the visible options; there aren't any real surprises, but we at least know that there are three different aspects of the character costumes that can change color, that the player can change the color of the floating "mag" robot, and that there are multiple selectable voices like in Phantasy Star Universe!Other screens show a party gathering and calling out for a Photon Blast (a charged attack that could be combined in Phantasy Star Online) and the boxart, which is a delight.%Gallery-31775%
DS Daily: Ys or no
Atlus will publish Interchannel's DS remakes of the endlessly remade first two Ys games to North America next year. Japanese gamers are pretty familiar with Falcom and their venerable ARPG series, but it never really caught on outside of Japan, despite a decent number of releases making it over here on the Sega Master System, Turbografx-16 CD-Rom, Super NES, and other systems.How familiar are you with Ys? Did you pass over the Virtual Console release in anticipation of the announcement of this DS game? Did that recent release pique your curiosity about the series? Or has Atlus's involvement gotten your attention? Alternately, you love these two games so much that you'll pick them up on every available system?[Wallpaper found here]
Point/Counterpoint: Voice chat vs. Stylus chat
When it launches in Japan on Christmas Day (and in the west ... hopefully some time soon!), Phantasy Star Zero will allow users to play online and communicate with one another via a unique Pictochat-style system. Using stylus drawings to relay information to your team-mates is certainly an original and novel approach, but is it the best? Wouldn't the speed and efficiency of voice chat suit Sonic Team's RPG more?While none of the staff are violently opposed to the idea of visual chat or voice chat, each certainly has it merits. Hit the gray button below and read both sides of the debate, and then weigh in through our poll! NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } %Gallery-31775%
TGS08: Monster Hunter 3 controls: now in English!
Capcom's online control diagrams for Monster Hunter 3 are informative, especially with the video clips. But they lack one important component for most of us: coherent text. Nintendo World Report snapped pictures of English-language move charts at TGS.The five separate control guides completely shatter the notion that the game's controls would be simplified in the transition to Wii. The MH3 controls don't look overcomplicated, just complicated. Every button is used, some in multiple ways. Different weapons have subtly different control schemes. Interestingly, there are different controls for "sub-aqua," so it must be more than just walking around on the bottom of the sea.%Gallery-32281%
TGS08: Rising Star reveals four for Europe
Rising Star Games just unfurled an official list of Marvelous games that it plans to localize for Europe, including Luminous Arc 2, Avalon Code, Rune Factory 2, and a fourth game that is yet to be announced for North America: Steal Princess. We expected most (if not all) of these to reach us at some point, mainly because Rising Star Games is totally awesome and we love them.Previous evidence has suggested that Steal Princess and Luminous Arc 2 won't be appearing before the end of March 2009, but we can't be mad at Marvelous. The company has had an action-packed Tokyo Game Show, and this is the cherry on top of a whole pile of other excellent announcements for Nintendo fans. Make the jump for screens, screens, and more screens! %Gallery-34394%
TGS08: Monster Hunter 3 not as gorgeous as it seems
Luckily for those of us who wanted to read previews of Monster Hunter 3, Capcom held a private demo session for foreign press, allowing people to actually see the thing and not just stare dumbfounded at the insane line. Wired's Jean Snow got a chance to play the guaranteed multi-million seller, and brought back not-entirely-great news.He calls the graphics "fine for a Wii title," which is a far cry from the eye-popping beauty we've seen in screens and video. That's not bad. Even better than not bad: apparently, your character can now hold his or her breath for "5-6 minutes," opening up an entirely new area of the world for exploration.Unfortunately, the wait for Monster Hunter 3 wasn't limited to the TGS line: the game as presented was plagued by "constant loading screens when entering new areas."%Gallery-32281%
Unlikely rumor: Kingdom Hearts bundle includes GBA-capable DSi?
A Neowin forumite has produced what he claims to be a picture of a document faxed from a friend who works at Mandarake Galaxy, detailing a Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days/DSi bundle for Q2 of next year -- which is after the just-announced February release date for 358/2 Days. But that's not the really interesting bit -- in fact, we fully expect such a bundle will show up.No, the interesting bit, which makes us fully doubt this, is that according to his translation, the bundle will include not only 358/2 Days, but Chain of Memories as well -- and that the included DSi will include Game Boy Advance compatibility. Due to the quality of the picture, we can't make out a lot of the kanji, but we can clearly see mentions in katakana of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and the Game Boy Advance. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is written out too, but not correctly. It doesn't matter what it says, in the end, because this is a picture of a page some guy typed. In real Kingdom Hearts news, Gamespot has a hands-on preview of 358/2 Days, describing in detail a playthrough of the TGS demo. %Gallery-26441%[Thanks, B Marriner!]
TGS08: How do I hunted monster?
When we saw control diagrams for Monster Hunter 3 on Capcom's TGS page for the game, we rejoiced, because we would finally learn how Capcom adapted their online ARPG into something that can be (optionally) controlled with the Wiimote. But then we saw, to our horror, that the diagrams were labeled with so many complicated characters. Just before we resigned ourselves to a few hours in the company of our kanji dictionary, we noticed that alongside each infobox is a video link. Just click the black rectangles with yellow icons in them, and Capcom will explain how to play in the universal language of just showing you. Perhaps most interesting is the method of attacking, which involves moving the control stick in a direction and then swinging the remote -- or pressing the plus button.%Gallery-32281%
TGS08: Monster Hunter 3 features Classic Controller support, split-screen coop
So, here's some gameplay footage of Monster Hunter 3 (tri-). It's so incredibly gorgeous that we didn't mind typing out Monster Hunter 3 (tri-), which we've just done a second time. It looks pretty far beyond what is expected from a Wii game. Most importantly, it still looks like Monster Hunter.It should be great comfort to Monster Hunter fans (also known as Japan) to learn that it should play like Monster Hunter, as well. Capcom revealed Classic Controller support for the sequel at TGS. We fully expect a specially-branded Monster Hunter 3 Classic Controller to appear soon. They also revealed that two players can play together in a split-screen mode while offline. The screen is divided horizontally.
Sorcery Blade: first brief look at a small RPG
When we first saw Sorcery Blade, all we knew was that it was some kind of WiiWare RPG based on a mobile game series. We may still not know all that much about it, but Famitsu has posted the first direct-feed screens, so we have a better idea what it looks like.Sorcery Blade, evidently set on Mars in the year 3000, uses a motion-controlled combat scheme, with special attacks and magic done by drawing shapes on the screen, prompted by icons. When not in combat, you'll return to the town (we're guessing there's just one), where you'll receive quests and interact with Mii residents.The idea of a tiny, downloadable RPG is very appealing. There's nothing in particular about RPG gameplay that lends itself to superlong games -- that's just how it's worked out. Maybe Sorcery Blade will be an enjoyable, but bite-size, action RPG.
DS Fanboy's Media Summit screen round-up
The worst bit about big industry events for impatient bloggers and readers? The game assets. Oh Lordy, the assets. An absolute landslide of screens, usually scattered about across, ooh, dozens of pages. But not at DS Fanboy! Not on our watch! Because we wub you, readers, we've collected a big old stack of new screens for your viewing pleasure and placed them all after the break of just one post. This post, in fact. From the well-known to the obscure, we'd be amazed if there's not at least one game that appeals to everyone past that line of blue text. Mario & Luigi 3, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (right), Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel, Shining Force Feather, and Picross 3D is only scratching the surface, so make the jump!
Confirmed: Monster Hunter 3 has monsters
Whereas previous Monster Hunter 3 media has mainly gawked at the game's environments (which look great), Famitsu's latest spread focuses on the scaly beasts who inhabit them. That's probably a good idea, as monsters have this tendency to play a fairly integral role in a Monster Hunter game.Typically for the series, most of these are all teeth and scales and based on dinosaurs; this Pterodactyl-like fellow is probably our favorite to date. Hit the "Source" link for the full set of scans!%Gallery-32281%
Wii Warm Up: Monster Huh?
In Japan, the Monster Hunter series is one of the most successful game franchises in history, selling millions of copies on the PlayStation 2 and (especially) PSP. But outside of Japan, it's that one action RPG from Capcom or something. It's far from the system-selling sensation it is for Capcom of Japan -- over there, it sells PSP systems.Is the Wii version enough to change that in North America (if it even comes out in North America)? Has your interest in the Monster Hunter games been increased at all by the existence of a Wii version?%Gallery-32281%
Attractive Environments Hunter 3
Hunting for monsters in Monster Hunter 3 (tri-) might prove trickier than we thought, considering how pretty and distracting the environments are (they're not exactly small, either). Track monsters? No thanks. We'd rather go inspect that balloon, or browse at those market stalls, or dip a toe in that lake.These shots come from the game's just-opened official site, which also contains some concept art of monsters, including Rayburn, a dragon that can exist on land or underwater. Here he is, in fact (we think)!%Gallery-32281%[Via Go Nintendo]
Marvelous! Oboro Muramasa Youtouden announced for US
Marvelous Entertainment told The RPGO earlier this week that they had three unannounced projects for the US in the works. NeoGAFfer Botticus reports that the latest issue of Nintendo Power confirms the identity of one of those projects as Vanillaware's Oboro Muramasa Youtouden! The publication announced that Marvelous/XSEED plans to release the side-scrolling ARPG from the Odin Sphere creators as Muramasa: The Demon Blade sometime in 2009. Having heard absolutely nothing about the game's progress since troubling news in April, this announcement, in addition to letting us know it's coming out here, serves to reassure us that it's coming out at all.
XSEED placates forum, will 'look into' Ougon no Kizuna
XSEED seems to have replaced companies like Atlus and Mastiff as the go-to publisher for random imports, after releasing a couple of Wild ARMs games, Victorious Boxers Revolution, and other Japanese games, and announcing a localization of Namco Bandai's Game Center CX DS game.NeoGAFer "Hero of legend" sent an inquiry to XSEED about the possibility of picking up Jaleco's sketch-filtered action RPG (or just action game, we don't actually know!) Ougon no Kizuna. He actually received a response from a "Ken," who we assume is XSEED marketing and business development head Ken Berry. The statement, while entirely noncommittal, is at least not entirely dismissive of the idea: "Thank you very much for writing us about Kizuna, we will definitely look into it."Now, if you want to see dismissive, check out what he said about Shiren the Wanderer 3: "Shiren 3 is a request that we've received before, but Shiren the Wanderer sold pretty poorly on the DS so it's very hard for us to justify bringing over the Wii version when we're likely to lose money on it."
Famitsu serves up Monster Hunter 3 screens, deets
With the Wii desperately struggling for survival in Japan, it needs a big title to turn things around, and if there's anything bigger (in Japan) than Monster Hunter, we're yet to clap eyes on it. Monster Hunter 3 was trumpeted as a Wii exclusive almost a year ago, yet it's only now we're hearing and seeing anything substantial about the project.Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Kaname Fujioka granted an interview to Famitsu, in which the pair describe how the switch from PS3 to Wii prompted a major overhaul, including a large number of fresh monsters. Set on an unexplored island, the new game will prominently feature underwater sections, where several monsters hang out. Some creatures (such as the game's main monster, a huge dragon) will be capable of surviving on land or in the water, and can be successfully hunted in either environment.Tsujimoto and Fujioka also touched on what promises to be Monster Hunter 3's most appealing mode: online play. As in the PS2 versions, this can be played with four player groups, and there are lobby areas (in the form of a "city") that can be developed and expanded by offline play. The game makes a playable appearance at the Tokyo Game Show, so we should learn more soon.[Translation via IGN]
DS Daily: Phantasy Star on the small screens
We've had our (first) gushing moment about a Phantasy Star Online iteration on the DS. Now it's time to think semi-critically about the development. We know that we like online gaming on the DS, and we like action-RPGs on the DS. But most of our ARPGs have been single-player, and our online gaming competitive.Simply put, will the kind of longer-session multiplayer questing work on the DS as well as it did on the Dreamcast and all those other systems? Do you look forward to that kind of experience on a handheld? Obviously, people in Japan dig it (see: Monster Hunter Portable, Phantasy Star Portable). To us, there's something strange about this style of play on a handheld, and yet something quite appealing.%Gallery-31775%
More giant bosses in Ougon no Kizuna
The latest Famitsu scan of Jaleco's ARPG Ougon no Kizuna introduces some of the protagonists' traveling companions and other NPCs, who are basically a bunch of unremarkable fantasy-anime character designs, all decked out in some intricate robes. These are presumably the people with whom Lian attempts to form the "bonds of gold" referred to in the title. But who cares about humans when there are awesome hulking monsters to look at? For example, this guy here, Lanbos, is a giant zombie monster who also seems to be inside-out. That is one creepy monster. Another boss shown in the scans, Argos, seems to be a huge, bipedal hippopotamus man. The scans also show the cool-looking 3D world map, which reveals some Norse influence in the form of the world's name, "Midgardr."
