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A road map of Itadaki Street
Having never come out in the US, the Itadaki Street franchise is somewhat of a mystery. But the series has been thrust into our attention with its entry on the DS and the included Mario and Dragon Quest characters. We know we like the characters, and we are vaguely aware of a board game of some kind, but how exactly does the game play?Siliconera, who previously helped us identify all the Dragon Quest folks, has a piece up now about the game that's half review, half tutorial. It's an excellent resource for the Itadaki curious, and should help you in your soul-searching about whether or not you're interested in a Japanese board game about property.
Guide to Itadaki Street characters
Confession time! We haven't played a Dragon Quest game since the first one. And that was in the ancient times-- we were basically playing it on an oscilloscope. As such, we don't know any of the characters besides slimes (who could forget slimes?).If you're like us (old and anachronistic), you might need a lesson on who all these adorable Dragon Quest characters are in Itadaki Street. That is exactly what Siliconera has done, because we asked for it just now. Oh, there we go with the anachronism again.Finally, we know the names and origins of Guy Who Looks Kinda Like Dante and Spikey-Haired Guy. Now we're ready for the US version of the game, which will probably never exist.
Itadaki explains why Tecmo chose DS instead of PSP
When one looks at the recent installments in the Ninja Gaiden franchise, one finds titles that are intense and full of action, but also look really good. The latest game is even being redone on the PS3, complete with full HD graphics. Considering this, why would the folks at Tecmo choose to bring their action series to the DS and not the PSP (aside from the obvious, what with the DS selling like crazy since launch)? Well, apparently the PSP's technology is what stopped the game from being on Sony's handheld. Well, that and what Itadaki thinks his fans want. "The design philosophy for the PSP as a piece of hardware is a home gaming machine ... If we were gonna make it for PSP, it'd be better for us to make it for a powerful home system instead," Itadaki says. He also says what he thinks his fans want, stating "I think if I were to develop this game on the PSP, most of my fans would be upset." [Via PSP Fanboy]
Dragon Quest, Super Mario, Boy and Girl in Itadaki Street DS
Itadaki Street DS apparently didn't have enough characters to choose from-- the entire Mario and Dragon Quest casts are just too limiting, you know? Besides, nobody can relate to wacky characters like a plumber and a plumber's brother, who is also a plumber. Square Enix has nicely included some characters who will do less to draw players' attention away from the serious business of strategic board game play: "Boy" and "Girl." They look just like we would if we were three feet tall and didn't have noses!We've got some screens of Boy and Girl, and of Itadaki Street in general, after the break. And check the link for character art and a few board layouts.
A few more Itadaki Street screens
Any time mascot characters from different game companies converge, it's a big deal. As mascot-converging deals go, it doesn't get much bigger than Itadaki Street DS, which forcefully jams the worlds of Dragon Quest and Mario together onto a game board. There's also the fact that another long-time Square Enix franchise heading to the DS is likely to cause a sales supernova. We enjoy keeping tabs on this game in anticipation of that upcoming cosmic event.While you wait for that June 21st release date, and ponder learning how to read "slime" in Japanese (????????????), why not take a look at some new screenshots?
More characters in Itadaki Street revealed
Famitsu has recently revealed some new characters for Itadaki Street, with a handful originating from the Dragon Quest series and one princess that those who read this site should immediately recognize. Nothing else more has been revealed on the game, however you should keep an eye on DS Fanboy for future updates.See also: Final Fantasy says goodbye to Itadaki Street Itadaki Street scans Translated Itadaki Street scans Itadaki Street screens Itadaki Street revealed, Wi-Fi confirmed
Itadaki Street revealed, Wi-Fi confirmed
A game that combines Dragon Quest with Nintendo into a board game for the DS, Itadaki Street has not received a street date or price in Japan yet. However, we do know the game is to support both local and Wi-Fi Connect gameplay modes through two different multiplayer gametypes. Exact details on how the game will play, through single-player and multiplayer, are not known as of this time.
