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Shiren the Wanderer: a primer
While previous Shiren the Wanderer video releases from Atlus have focused on the story, this walkthrough spends more time discussing the basic gameplay of the roguelike -- perfect for those of you who have no idea what we're talking about when we refer to Shiren as a "roguelike" game. Atlus project lead Scott Strichart also introduces the new difficulty settings -- easy mode allows you to keep your items and levels after dying! -- and the methods of control for AI partners, ranging from fully automated to fully player-controlled. Atlus calls this video a "walkthrough," but it's really more of an overview. In any case, might as well start studying up now in preparation for the February 9 release.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/16-6/22
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Well, except for the PSP, that is. Sony's handheld is still as mighty as ever. Even so, the Wii toppled all the other home consoles once again last week, reclaiming its second-place spot: The new Wii kid on the block in the charts is Mario Super Sluggers, which didn't sell as well as we thought it would, considering that it's a baseball game -- one published by Nintendo, no less. That's why we love Japanese sales so much, though. Just when we think we have the country all figured out, it goes and surprises us again.Everything else Wii related is pretty much just business as usual, but check past the break to see where the games ranked in the top thirty and how much the top tenners sold.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/9-6/15
Last week in Japan was all about Sony dominance, as Metal Gear Solid 4 rocketed the PS3 into first. The Wii still did pretty well for itself, though, nabbing the third spot in hardware and nine of the top thirty in software:Shiren the Wanderer 3 managed to remain in the top ten despite the Metal Gear bullying, but everything else was as we expected. Just click past the break if you want to check out the software rankings and sales numbers.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/2-6/8
The top Wii game last week wasn't Mario Kart, or even Wii Fit. Rather, beloved roguelike Shiren got the coveted title, as Shiren the Wanderer 3 debuted in second behind the PS3's new Dragon Ball Z. The previously mentioned Nintendo games did show up in the top ten, though, along with Family Trainer. We're happy to see both Smash Bros. Brawl and Battalion Wars 2 hanging tough in the top thirty; the previous week had us a bit worried. In hardware, though, the Wii remains sandwiched between the PSP and the DS:Just click on past the break if you'd like to see how Wii software fared.
Shiren 3's clockwork bosses
Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 3's setting, the Clockwork Palace, has given developer Chunsoft license to pit Shiren against some supremely freaky-looking mechanical monsters. Just the very existence of monsters in a Mystery Dungeon game is cause enough for fear, as any single one of them can kill you and erase all your progress. It almost seems like overkill, then, to design enemies that actually look creepy at all.Famitsu has revealed some of the boss creatures found in the dungeon, including the five Ikusa Oni, a sort of Power Rangers-type organization, but made of monstrous samurai, and the Clockwork Kasha, a flaming cart with a Noh mask.The Clockwork Giants aren't particularly frightening, but they're certainly weird. Both are mechanical heads with one pair of appendages each; one has hands and the other feet, and both have totally metal eyebrows.
Growing items in the Mystery Dungeon
One of the new systems in Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 3 allows you to imbue items with elemental (or other) attributes at certain locations around the dungeon. When you happen upon a spot marked with (for instance) a lightning icon, you can set an item down and allow it to "grow" a lightning attribute. This is done by first setting the item down in the right spot, then using scrolls to create a barrier around the item. After a few turns, the barrier will break down and the item will be ready! And you'll probably be dead anyway, but the item will be there just in case you aren't.Famitsu has screens showing off this process, as Shiren turns his sword into a Dark sword. It looks just like it did, but, it's got like a different icon on it in the menu.
