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Still more Japanese leaks for Final Fantasy XIV
There are male mito'qe and female roegadyn in Final Fantasy XIV. There's no word currently on whether or not they'll be playable, but the latest information put out via Famitsu indicates that they are there, at least. For some players, simply knowing that the somewhat awkwardly monogendered races from Final Fantasy XI will be reaching the wild shores of sexual dimorphism will make the latest bits of news palatable. Others would rather hear about the actual mechanics of playing the game -- and luckily for everyone, that's included with the information as well. It's confirmed that zone transitions are seamless, as is the background music (most likely with careful crossfades). There are stat differences between the much-discussed clans, but they're not a huge deal -- a far bigger difference is every class getting early access to teleportation and warp spells to make transportation less problematic. We even get a bit of meta-information telling us that testing on the Playstation 3 should be coming in another couple phases. While there's nothing world-shattering, the picture being paiinted is increasingly alluring, and it's hard to argue Final Fantasy XIV isn't learning a lot from its predecessor. The full list of leaked facts can be found here.
CyberConnect2 working on 'Solarobo' for DS
Somehow, developer CyberConnect2 is making a game that is neither Naruto nor .hack. In fact, Solarobo for DS is a spiritual successor to CyberConnect2's 1998 PlayStation game Tail Concerto. Like Tail Concerto, Solarobo is a platforming action RPG starring anthropomorphic animals in walking mechs. As Red Savarin, you pilot the robot DAHAK-AZI03 on bounty hunting missions. Without weapons, your only method of combat is picking up and throwing objects using the robot's arms. Solarobo is due in Japan this year from Namco Bandai. It features some kind of 1-4 player support, but the details of that have yet to be released -- as does any information about a release outside of Japan.
Advance leaks from Famitsu and Dengeki shed more light on Final Fantasy XIV
The first round of testing is just around the corner, and for some people that means that Final Fantasy XIV is holding much more mental real estate than the just-released Final Fantasy XIII. All things considered, information is likely to start coming fast and furious as soon as the testing opens, but some advance copies of Famitsu and Dengeki Playstation have made their way into the hands of people who just can't wait another day. FFXIVCore has helpfully translated the information available, which already paints an interesting picture of how the game will play. Fighting is confirmed to be on the move, with a strong emphasis on positioning and MP conservation. We've also got some picture of how the classes will play, with Pugilists inheriting a workalike to Provoke and Gladiators inheriting Phalanx and Shield Bash, albeit with different characteristics. There's also talk about Miners and Blacksmiths working in parties, pointing out utility for gathering or crafting disciplines in groups. We've also got a little information on the Illusionist, meaning most likely that an official site update is on the way. With testing beginning soon, expect Final Fantasy XIV information to become more and more available -- but what we're hearing so far definitely sounds like a good ride.
Nomura 'not sure' about Final Fantasy Versus XIII at E3
As Square Enix developers are prone to do, acclaimed Final Fantasy lead Tetsuya Nomura recently dropped some vague information about one of the handful of Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII games that was announced like, a million years ago (okay, okay -- in 2006). Apparently, due to the display of the world map not being up to snuff, Final Fantasy Versus XIII may not make an appearance at this year's E3. "We were hoping to debut it at E3, but we're not sure now," Nomura told Famitsu (as relayed by FF-Reunion.net). "For displaying characters on the world map, we were originally planning on using the method used by 'FF#,' with a small Noctus running about on the screen, but that didn't look too great, so we ended up switching to the method used by 'FF#.'" Allegedly, the "#" designations used by Famitsu in the preceding quotation were an effort to mask the particular Final Fantasy installments Nomura was referring to. "Famitsu had to block them out," explained Andriasang. Nomura also suggested that Versus might be benched for E3 2010 in order to give other Square Enix titles at the show more time in the spotlight. Nomura did not mention Agito XIII in the Famitsu article, but did note that, in terms of other projects, "There are a number of them, along with some for which we need to begin preparations for a reveal." That's right -- forget about finally showing us more of the game that was announced four years ago, bring on Final Fantasy XV! [Via Andriasang]
Hey, you got your Street Fighter III characters in my Super Street Fighter IV
[Udon Entertainment] The latest issue of Famitsu has started making the rounds and, as spotted by multiple fan sites, it contains confirmation that three new characters (well, old ones, technically) have joined the already bursting roster of Super Street Fighter IV. Newly added Ibuki, Makoto and Dudley all hail from Street Fighter III (the trio being a ninja, a karate master and a boxer, respectively). The news has the SF community crackling with excitement; even Udon Entertainment, creator of comic books based on the famous fighting series, has caught the "Here comes a new challenger!" fever. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!] Source -- iPLAYWINNER Source -- GamersLounge Source -- Shoryuken.com
Rumor: BlazBlue Continuum Shift on leaked Famitsu cover
Like a villain from some cheesy show back in the '70s, you haven't seen the last of BlazBlue. The latest issue of Famitsu (via Andriasang) confirms that BlazBlue Continuum Shift -- presumably a home console installment of the recently released arcade game of the same name in Japan -- is currently in the works. What was a one-off fighting game in the summer of 2009 has grown into a full-on franchise, with a PSP port and DSiWare spin-off already out mixing it up amongst fight fans, so the safe bet is that Continuum Shift is a new retail game. However, the info is coming from a leaked Famitsu cover on Enterbrain's site -- which has since been pulled, but can still be seen on Andriasang -- that only mentions the title of the game, so that's all we have to go on right now. We'll be sure to keep you posted as information becomes available.
Aonuma hopes to show 'playable' build of new Zelda at E3
The latest carrot to be dangled before the teeming mass of The Legend of Zelda fans comes from a recent interview in Famitsu magazine, via Andriasang. There, director Eiji Aonuma says he hopes that Nintendo will be able to "show something playable" at E3. What? That's, like, four years ahead of schedule! We jest, but it's not like Nintendo really needs to rush anything. It's The Legend of Zelda. You want it, even if it's supposed to be different this time around. Aonuma wouldn't provide much in terms of how far along the game has come, other than talking up the MotionPlus support and stating the team has "progressed in development since last year" and that the "core areas have come into clear view." We take that to mean the team has finished rendering Hyrule Field.
New Super Street Fighter IV Ultra Combos, alternate costumes revealed
Recent Famitsu magazine scans have surfaced, revealing new Ultra Combos for Super Street Fighter IV's world warriors and friends. As an added bonus, Eventhubs has actually translated the descriptions of the attacks, so you can get a better idea of what you're squinting at. Chun-Li's Kikosho fireball returns, and now Ryu has a "Metsu-shoryuken" -- a super-powerful Dragon Punch, duh. Most interesting, however, is Cammy's new Ultra Combo: the "Cammy Quick Combo" -- or "CQC" -- a counter move. The Famitsu issue also features images of new alternate costumes for the upgraded fighting game -- Chun Li's, above, is the most visible from the scan. Thankfully, GameTrailers has posted a much clearer, wha-wha-wha-wooorld exclusive look at the costumes in action, along with some of the new Ultra Combos and rival battles, embedded after the break. [Thanks, Will]
Online game sharing confirmed for RPG Maker DS
Image source: Famitsu The RPG creation game with a very appropriate name, RPG Maker DS, has just raised the bar on itself. Famitsu reports gamers will not only be able to share game data locally, but also online via Wi-Fi Connect. You'll be able to swap the smallest of things, like items and monsters, right up to full games. Now if that doesn't scream replay value, we don't know what does. Of course, this news really only affects Japanese gamers, as a localization isn't that likely. Still, that's not to say there isn't any hope you'll be able to play the thing, especially considering that there's already an English-speaking community established for the game. [Via SIliconera]
Spoiler alert: Famitsu's astrologer predicts 2010's gaming trends
[Wikimedia Commons] While we have analysts like Michael Pachter to tell us the future of gaming, Famitsu has Yusho Fukuda, a real astrologer (well, as real as an astrologer can claim to be). Why bother looking at market trends and such mumbo-jumbo when the stars have all the information about the game industry's upcoming plans? What totally specific insights did the cosmos reveal to Fukuda for Famitsu's end-of-year issue? "A game will come out in the first half of the year that will touch off a major boom," Fukuda writes, as translated by 1UP . "And another game will follow upon that in the second half." Also, there will be delays, disputes between publishers, and "we may see a price drop in hardware or software in November." Fukuda offered predictions for each of the hardware companies as well. Nintendo will advertise a game all summer and release it in the fall; Sony "will release a hit game in 2010 that is based off an older title and will attract attention for games based on history and that feature a large cast of characters;" and Microsoft will sell a game this year involving "adventuring around the world, or examining a map and doing something based off that." Since astrology is a hard science, all of this is 100% guaranteed to happen exactly as Fukuda predicted.
Nomura has more unannounced games, one 'not entirely new'
If you're reading gaming blogs on a regular basis, Tetsuya Nomura needs no introduction. While Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is by no means finished, Nomura is already talking about what's next. In the latest issue of Famitsu (via Siliconera; scan can be seen here), he confirms two additional projects: one that is already fairly far along in development and another unannounced project that's "not entirely new." Aside from Birth By Sleep, Nomura's other known projects include Final Fantasy Agito XIII and 3rd Birthday, a new game in the Parasite Eve series. Keep an eye on Famitsu's site, where the full interview will soon be available.
Rumor: Super Street Fighter IV getting 10 new characters in total
Every Street Fighter fan site ever perked up its ears late last week when Famitsu held a live streaming demo of Super Street Fighter IV. The administrators and visitors of said sites immediately began to pick the bones of the demo clean of important gameplay details -- the most fascinating of which comes from the above still image of the game's character select screen. The alleyway brawling enthusiasts of EventHubs.com discerned from said image that SSF IV will add 10 new characters to the game's roster -- four of which are still unannounced. You can watch a brief YouTube clip of the Famitsu stream after the jump -- it definitely contains the menu seen above. We've contacted Capcom to find out if these fans' assumptions are accurate.
Second Resident Evil 5 episode has playable Jill and Josh
Are you bored with the unspoken, yet powerful sexual tension between Resident Evil 5's protagonists, Chris and Sheva? Yeah, we are too -- that's why we're so excited about these scans from the latest issue of Famitsu (as uncovered by Siliconera), which reveal that the second chapter in the game's Alternative Edition DLC, titled Desperate Escape, will let you play as Jill Valentine and Josh Stone. In case you didn't recognize that last name, Josh Stone is actually a pretty popular British female soul singer. Seems like a weird choice, but what-evs. Okay, Josh Stone is actually the BSAA member who helps out Chris and Sheva throughout the game -- mostly through the deus ex machina helicopter rescues for which the series is well-known. But wait -- if you're playing as Josh Stone, who's going to come rescue you at the end of the game in a helicopter? This could be bad, folks.
Famitsu: No More Heroes being ported to PS3 and Xbox 360 [update]
Though scans of the actual article have yet to appear, the table of contents for the latest issue of Famitsu reveals a new No More Heroes game for Xbox 360 and PS3, called No More Heroes: Eiyuutachi no Rakuen (Heroes' Paradise). With recent statements from series creator Suda 51 that the next No More Heroes game would be made for the Wii's successor, and that he sees the current controls scheme as the ideal, we're inclined to believe that this is a port of the original game, undertaken by publisher Marvelous -- much as it has expressed its interest in doing. We'll find out more when we can see the scan! Update: The scans are up, showing a ported version of the original game with updated graphics and a new "Very Sweet" mode in which all the female characters are wearing less. According to the scan, it'll be out in Japan on February 25.
Phoenix Wright judged appropriate for WiiWare re-release in Japan
The latest issue of Famitsu confirms what a USK rating hinted: Phoenix Wright is coming to WiiWare. Capcom is porting the DS games (or, if you'd rather, the Game Boy Advance games) to Wii one at a time, to be released in Japan starting December 15. Judging from what we can see (which isn't much -- portions of cell phone images of screenshots), the graphics aren't enhanced for Wii at all. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will be available in Japan on December 15 for 900 Wii Points, with the two Phoenix Wright sequels following on January 26 and February 23 for 1200 Wii Points each. The original case added to the DS version of the first Ace Attorney will be out on March 16 for 300 Points. And now begin the process of reminding ourselves that we've already played all of this content, and just because it's being released again in a different format doesn't mean we have to buy it again. The fact that no announcements have been made about a North American release should help.
Rumor: Car punching returns in Super Street Fighter IV
While Street Fighter may be the perfect symbol of man's inhumanity to man, we always considered SFII's bonus stage (which used the punching of a car as a John Henry-esque metaphor for the struggle to maintain humanity in the face of an industrial age) as the more poignant symbolism. Capcom appears to agree, as some new Famitsu scans seem to indicate that the car-punching bonus stage will return in Super Street Fighter IV. Also depicted is the barrel smashing mini-game, though that doesn't represent anything ... except that it's fun to smash barrels.
Nintendo of Japan: Nikkei reveal of new DSi is 'speculation'
As expected, Nintendo didn't openly announce the new, larger-screened DSi in response to a Nikkei article mentioning it. In a statement to Famitsu (as translated by Siliconera), Nintendo said, "Our company is not doing any interviews. We believe this article is speculation." Of course, that is merely a comment on how Nikkei arrived at that information, and not a denial of the information. It's familiar, as well. Nintendo of America said almost exactly the same thing about Nikkei's early reveal of the DSi, so we wouldn't dismiss the possibility of a DSi upgrade yet. We're checking in with Nintendo of America to find out more.[Via Siliconera]
Kojima and Desilets trade praise over Assassin's Creed 2 and Peace Walker
Assassin's Creed 2 head Patrice Désilets and MGS: Peace Walker head Hideo Kojima had a war of compliments in the most recent issue of Famitsu. It seems that the two gentlemen have a bit of a game industry bromance going on, lauding the other's current project in a back and forth translated by 1UP. "I think there are three games that stand out above the rest of the pack in the remainder of this year. One is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, one is Uncharted 2, and the third is Assassin's Creed II," said Kojima."If I had to give my impression of Peace Walker, I'd have to say that I want to play more," Désilets responded. "It was great fun; I can't wait for the retail version." Kojima expanded a bit on his appreciation for Désilets' "focus on game design" over style, and said that he's currently considering the possibility of them "maybe, kinda" going steady. Okay, we made up that last part.
Japanese game devs give their verdicts on TGS
While plenty of games press and hardcore fans flocked to 2009's Tokyo Game Show, attendance was down versus last year, and developers noticed. "The total attendance is down from last year, but myself, it felt less like a crush of people and more like a fun festival atmosphere like we used to have," Hideo Kojima told Famitsu in an upcoming feature.But not every developer looked favorably on the late-September show. Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya pointed out that only three titles out of the 12 awarded 'Future' prizes at the Japan Game Awards were non-sequels. "That seems to go crossways with the term 'future' in my mind and it's frankly kind of sad," he said.Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi revealed he was "a little disappointed" that there were very few Japanese-made titles positioned for the worldwide market. However, he does note the titles meant for Japanese consumption puts the industry (in the East) on a stable base. While Fumito Ueda -- currently working on The Last Guardian -- noted that he is extremely excited about offerings from the West, specifically Modern Warfare 2. "I feel a serious sublime beauty in all of Infinity Ward's FPSes," he told Famitsu, despite qualms that Western companies came to Japan to push their wares rather than discussing innovation.According to Akihiro Hino, head of Level-5 -- one of the busier booths at TGS 2009 -- the show felt "kind of plain." However, he does agree that the show offered a lot of games he personally wanted to play. "So in that respect," he noted, "TGS was great." If you consider waiting in line for 180 minutes to play one title great, we agree.[Via 1UP]
Bayonetta is first Xbox 360 game awarded perfect score by Famitsu
We bet you didn't know Bayonetta was a (numerically) flawless game. As it turns out, it is ... at least according to Famitsu, which just gave the game a perfect 40/40 review -- the first perfect score given to a game available on Xbox, incidentally. It's no secret that the Japanese mag has been handing out perfect scores at an accelerated rate these days. Of the twelve games to receive a perfect score -- Bayonetta included -- six were awarded in the last two years. There are only so many reasons we can imagine that Bayonetta would receive such high scores. First, it could be that Bayonetta is just a really good game. Second, it's possible the editors of Famitsu really have a thing for hair witches. Given the involvement of Hideki Kamiya -- one of the principal minds behind Devil May Cry -- it's probably the former. At least, we certainly hope it's the former.
