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Gaming to Go: The World Ends with You
Ah, TWEWY. That's The World Ends with You for the lot of you, though any Japanese readers might know by it a seemingly happier name. But no matter what you call it, doesn't that acronym just rock your pretty pink socks? Seriously, stop reading and say it aloud. Do it right now. Let the letters roll off your tongue and perhaps you'll get a tantalizing taste of the title we've been raving about for the last few months. You also might sound a little silly. My bad.But what's that? You've already played The World Ends with You? Good for you! I might be treading well-worn ground with this week's edition of Gaming to Go, but Square Enix's latest epic deserves mention for one simple reason: it makes fighting fresh, fast, and -- most importantly -- fashionable. Tired of tedious turn-based battling? Tired of donning drab, colorless garments whenever you step into the war zone? TWEWY might be just what you need!What other game actively rewards you for playing in short bursts? That feature alone makes The World Ends with You an easy recommendation for a gamer on the go. Hit the jump if you need further convincing, you fashionista, you!%Gallery-11943%
The Sale Ends with You [update 2]
E3 news is still trickling in, but we wouldn't be the DS Fanboy you know and love if we neglected to tell you how to buy cheap games.The latest hot sale is something we've seen before -- The World Ends with You at Amazon for $29.99. Yet, that offer quickly went out of stock way back when, and many of you poor, unfortunate souls didn't get a chance to nab it at the time. In fact, from what we understand, the game is still hard to find at certain locations.You can still get the title minus the "Square Enix tax," though, thanks to Amazon's revisiting of its previous sale price. This is a game that's actually worth all $40, too, so $30 is definitely a bargain.[Update: Well that lasted a good ... half hour. Those of you who are set on the sale, it might be worth it to keep checking in at Amazon throughout the day. As of this moment, though, it seems that the price has gone back to $39.99.][Update 2: Well, what do you know, the price has gone back down to $29.99 again. That's one small step for man, and one giant "woot" from mankind. Once again tipped by supa_s -- we think he must have the magic touch.] Gallery: The World Ends With You [Thanks, supa_s!]
The World Ends With You remix album is a sensory overload
We already know that the It's A Wonderful World + The World Ends With You remix album will sound amazing -- one only needs to play the game or listen to samples of the compilation on Square Enix's dedicated site to appreciate that Takeharu Ishimoto's magical soundtrack is one of the best this year -- but the packaging of the album will also look totally classy.Unlike the original soundtrack, this album contains tracks from both the Japanese and the North American and PAL editions of the game. It hits Japan (and the iTunes Store) on July 30th, when it will retail for ¥2,100 ($19).%Gallery-11943%[Via Go Nintendo]
Square Enix might be squashing creativity
Gamers like innovation when it's implemented well and creatively. Take a look, for example, at the positive critical reception (from gamers, bloggers, and journalists alike) for Square Enix's The World Ends With You. Such a refreshing break from Square's usual sequels and remakes might be a thing of the past, though, after the company's profits for fiscal year 2007 dropped 21% from the previous year's earnings.According to Kotaku rumor, Square Enix higher ups were lashing out at developers in a meeting last month, claiming that the company's games are falling away from the mainstream crowd. Employees who continue to steer the company in this direction are apparently in danger of being fired.As this is a rumor based on hearsay, don't take it as fact just yet. Still, if it's true, then we can't help but worry that this might scare developers from coming up with original ideas like TWEWY and Sigma Harmonics. After all, we like seeing things other than sequels and remakes from the company.
DS Fanswag: The contest ends tomorrow!
Still itching to get your hands on the very excellent The World Ends With You? You can enter our giveaway two more times -- today and tomorrow -- for a shot at one of three copies we're giving away. Hurry over to the original post and get your name in the (extremely stylish and trendy) hat for a chance at a prize!
DS Fanswag: The World Ends With You
We wouldn't jump up and down in a fit over the greatness of a game without setting aside a few copies for you guys! And since we just loved The World Ends With You, we're going to give three readers the chance for a crack at Square Enix's brilliant new outing. All you have to do is leave a comment right here on this post telling us what you think the very best DS game you've played is. If you were reviewing, what would be closest to the magical ten? We want to know, and that comment may just snag you a copy of The World Ends With You ($39.99).The contest will run through Monday, May 12; that night, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, entries will close, and we'll choose three winners in a random drawing. To enter, you must be 18 or older, and a current legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). Have questions? Check the official rules.
The World Ends at $29.99
The early birds may catch the worms, but the late adapters catch the sales. So, those of you who haven't yet succumbed to Square Enix's high-and-mighty game tax but still want a copy of The World Ends With You are in luck.Until Sunday (we assume, so don't quote us on that), you can grab the game at both Amazon and Circuit City (dot com or brick and mortar) for the low reasonable price of $29.99. Should you not want to leave the comfort of your own home (or, like this blogger, you just don't live near a Circuit City), then each online deal has its pros and cons. Both sites offer free shipping, but Circuit City adds tax to the order. Amazon, on the other hand, doesn't add tax but the game isn't in stock at the moment. Therefore, it will take two to four weeks (according to the website) for Amazon orders to ship.Either way, if you have your eye on this game, we recommend biting on one of these deals because Squeenix's $40 DS game standard hurts.Note: Amazon is trying to fool you into buying the copies that are in stock for $39.79 (via Hubbagames), so don't fall for it. If the link directs you to the wrong place, you should see this on the right side of your screen. Just click "Add to Cart" on the choice that says $29.99, and voilà. Gallery: The World Ends With You [Via CAG]Read: TWEWY at Circuit CityRead: TWEWY at Amazon
DS Fanboy Review: The World Ends With You
2008 is shaping up to be an incredible year for the DS, and not because of old franchises. Zelda, we love you. Final Fantasy, we think you're great, and you'll probably dominate a good portion of our summers. But the first half of the year belongs to the new guys. After playing Professor Layton and the Curious Village, we thought we'd seen one of the most wonderful DS games to date, and that's true. But when it comes to sheer innovation, The World Ends With You blows it right out of the water. Anyone looking to create an ARPG or anything with stylus-based action controls should study The World Ends With You, because -- no exaggeration -- nearly everything here is done right. Of course, almost nothing's perfect, and that includes this game. Most of the few flaws here are visible right from the beginning; that, combined with the unusual look and the fact that it's a new IP, may turn some gamers off. Don't be one of them, because this one is worth playing.%Gallery-11943%
It's a Wonderful cross stitch
The staff at DS Fanboy normally goes by the mantra, "Those who can't craft, blog," but apparently that's not always the case. Every week over at GamerTell, blogger Jenni Lada makes a game-related cross stitch based on images from various sprite databases. No one loves video game crafts more than we do, so you can bet we'd be all over these cute works once they came to our attention. This week's stitch is an enemy from Square Enix's recently released game, The World Ends With You. Called Samba Pigs, these little oinkers are apparently tough to kill since they're always trying to escape. When you do nab them, though, they drop some worthwhile badges.Since The World Ends With You is on our "do want" list, we couldn't help but admire the work and talent that went into this little craft (although it probably won't come as a surprise to you that this blogger's favorite of the bunch is Fire Emblem themed). Next week Jenni tackles two Naruto sprites from Jump Ultimate Stars (which doesn't sound like an enviable task), so if you're a fan of the orange ninja make sure to check back there. Gallery: Jenni's Character Cross Stitch
DS releases for the week of April 21st
Just as we were getting lulled by the weeks of slow releases and were convinced we had time to whittle away at that ever-increasing backlog of DS games, a week of awesome bursts out of nowhere. Between Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and The World Ends With You, we expect a lot of gamers to be pretty busy in the coming days. Dream Pinball 3D Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time River King: Mystic Valley The World Ends With You Hit the jump to see what's out in the rest of the major markets. Hint: it's quite a list.
The World Ends with manga and ringtones
Not long ago, Square Enix launched an official website for The World Ends With You, which had nothing on it besides a pointless countdown. While the website actually has stuff to look at now, it's still relatively "meh" as far as official sites go.The Square Enix Members page is a different story, though. There, you can check out a creator's roundtable, as well the first chapter of the translated manga by Shiro Amano (with more chapters to come). Another neat feature is that by clicking on the few colored bits of the manga, you can unlock TWEWY ringtones. They can be downloaded for free once you're finished reading the chapter (this blogger's favorite of the ones offered is "It's So Wonderful.")The website also reports that the official soundtrack for the game will be heading to iTunes soon, which is good news if you don't mind having DRM "protected" music.[Via GamerTell]
DS releases for the week of April 14th
This week sees a return to U.S. gamers getting actual games (huzzah!), and the disturbing trend of games being released in Europe continues. Games released before they hit the U.S., even. Clearly, the end of the world is upon us. We expect a rash of heart attacks in the EU gamer contingent any time now. If you're still alive by the end of the week, let us know how you feel about The World Ends With You. AMF Bowling Pinbusters! Cory in the House High School Musical 2: Work This Out! Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All Stars Rondo of Swords Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys!
Metareview: The World Ends With You
Square Enix's stunning new title The World Ends With You doesn't hit U.S. and European shelves until later this month, but the reviews are already rolling in, and things are looking even better than we expected. The early reviews are kicking the action RPG up into the top tier of DS titles -- and that's good company. What's propelling the game's success? The sheer originality of the concept.Nintendo Power: 90% -- The Nintendo hub had nothing but effusive praise for Square Enix's unusual effort. "This delightfully weird action-RPG, set in modern-day Tokyo's bustling Shibuya district, is unlike anything else out there ... Kudos to Square Enix for taking a chance on something so original (and bringing it to these shores)."Thunderbolt: 90% -- In fact, this game is starting to sound like the second coming of the RPG. "In a genre where medieval themes reign supreme, setting a game in contemporary Tokyo is a fairly fresh concept. The game captures the city scene so well: the sun-blasted streets, the pulsing J-Pop, and the bustling crowds of people who care absolutely nothing about you. Neku and his little gang of urban heroes are a far cry from the super-heroic swordsmen of most RPGs; the ultra-stylish outfits and technology they use are taken directly from what you'd see in Shibuya today. Despite this, the mysticism of the plot and the magic being wielded are definitely welcome. The combination of using both screens and the stylus make for one of the most demanding gameplay formulas yet; there hasn't been a game this Touch Screen-centric since Kirby Canvas Curse. So do yourself a favor and pick up The World Ends With You. As far as handheld RPGs go, it doesn't get much more original than this."IGN UK: 89% -- Perhaps the pieces aren't as original as some think, but together, they create something fantastic. "The World Ends With You combines Square's hallmark character development and story with the collectability of Pokémon, and ties together innovative game design with the urban cool of Jet Set Radio. Indeed, the game's appropriation of real-world themes and issues are at the heart of its success. It's a celebration of modern life, and like modern life, it can be messy, complicated and confusing, and you might find yourself beset by minor disappointments. But you get out what you put in, and at its heart is an important message about making human connections in a world that can sometimes seem harsh and uncaring. Which, when you think about it, is pretty cool. And if you don't want to think about it, well then you can just sit back and enjoy the game design."%Gallery-11943%
DS Daily: Tough choices
The next few months will be filled with a lot a great releases -- perhaps too many. Super Dodgeball Brawlers, Bangai-O Spirits, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Etrian Odyssey II, Space Invaders Extreme, Arkanoid DS, Rondo of Swords, Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles, Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, and The World Ends With You are just a few that we can name on the spot, and all of these will be out before July starts. Unless you have abundant amounts of currency, though, you probably can't afford to buy that many games in such a short period of time. Also, money isn't the only problem. Supposing that you could afford everything you wanted, you wouldn't even have the time to play them all. Narrowing down the field is tough, but necessary. What games that are coming out in the next three months do you consider must gets? And they don't have to be chosen from the games listed above, so go nuts.
The World Ends With You is serious about Shibuya
We've always known that The World Ends With You is steeped in Shibuya youth culture, but we weren't aware that the game actually includes real-life landmarks from the reputably trendy Tokyo ward.However, thanks to Siliconera's Spencer Yip, we now know that the statue to the right is a famous tribute (situated outside Shibuya station) to a real-life dog known as "Hachiko," and that it appears in Square Enix's ARPG -- here, to be precise. Yip also reveals that Shibuya's "Scramble Crossing" has made it in to the game, as well as popular department store "109" (both here -- though 109 is known as "104" in the game).All of which was news to us, primarily because we're paid far too little to fly to Tokyo. The World Ends With You is far from the first game to feature real-life landmarks (in terms of games on Nintendo systems, Pilotwings 64 had Mount Rushmore, Illusion of Gaia features the Great Wall of China and Angkor Wat, amongst others, Super Dodgeball Brawlers has the Eiffel Tower, and feel free to name more in the comments) but it's still pretty interesting reading up on references that would have otherwise eluded us.%Gallery-11943%
The World Ends With You gets PAL release date, new shots
We couldn't help but perform a double take at the press release we received this morning from Square-Enix. So uncertain were we of its contents that we showed it to our friends and faxed it to faraway colleagues, just to check we weren't seeing things.And apparently, we're not going mad -- The World Ends With You really will be launching in PAL territories before the U.S., with April 18th the date to circle on your calendar. That's only a four-day head start, but let's say that again: before the U.S. We're baffled as can be, but also delighted! Celebrate with us by hitting the gallery below for a dozen new shots!See also: 2008's Biggest Blips -- The World Ends With You%Gallery-11943%[Via press release]
The Wait Ends With this release date
Square-Enix has slapped a U.S. release date of April 22nd on The World Ends With You.If you're not already familiar with this Jet Set Radio-esque slice of ARPG goodness, you've got catching up to do! Based on Shibuya youth culture, the game sees protagonist Neku combating Noise and accomplishing various missions to strict time limits, all in the name of not ceasing to exist. It's been put together by the folks behind the Kingdom Hearts games, so comes with a respectable pedigree.See also: 2008's Biggest Blips -- The World Ends With You%Gallery-11943%
2008's Biggest Blips: The World Ends With You
Developer: Square Enix/JupiterPublisher: Square EnixRelease: Spring 2008We all love gaming, or we wouldn't be here ... but what if you were dumped into a week-long game with your life on the line? Welcome to the wonderful world of 15-year-old Neku Sakuraba. The World Ends With You is something of a wonder among Square Enix's recent DS titles. It's not a remake or part of a long-running series, and while there are plenty of unusual characters in even more unusual outfits, the action RPG boasts a glittering artistic style that is both unique and yet clearly draws some influence from such sources as Viewtiful Joe, the impossible proportions of Æon Flux and the fantastic Jet Grind Radio. Despite the bright colors and the game's dependence on the Shibuya youth culture, it's not quite as happy-go-lucky as it might seem at first glance. Yes, fashion and music play heavy roles in the title, and the game centers around a group of teenagers, but the underlying themes are much darker than one might expect. Not only is Neku's life on the line, but so is that of his new partner, the stylish Shiki, and they face the "Noise," which are physical manifestations of dark thoughts and feelings. As with many Square Enix titles, there are a lot of darker underlying themes hidden in the story. In fact, the game was adapted into a short manga that serves as a prologue to the main action, the death game that rocks the lives of the characters.So what, exactly, is the game-within-a-game in The World Ends With You? That's complicated. We'd rather tell you what it isn't. We can pretty firmly state that this game of life and death is not: THE Game of Death, as in the Bruce Lee film, unless we missed a particularly distinctive track suit somewhere. a "boob of death!" (wait, we're getting off track here). The Game (without the death, or at least, as much) starring Michael Douglas. a barbaric ritual meant to keep the peace, as in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." an episode of Sliders based on Jackson's short story. an extended Mountain Dew commercial, a la The Island (at least, we hope not). a more hilarious reality show lottery packed with satire, indie rock, and a dollop of New Wave. Rollerball (sadly). any sort of Bogus Journey. So if it isn't any of these awesome (mostly) examples, why are we so into it? Not only does The World Ends With You boast an odd look and a freaky story, it takes a fresh approach to absolutely everything else, especially our favorite handheld's dual screens. When you control Neku in battle, you also control one of his partners on the top screen, so you've got to juggle the touchscreen and d-pad at the same time in what is termed the "Stride Cross Battle System." And what attacks do you use? It depends on the badges you've collected in your travels through Shibuya. Plus, we'd really like to see the adorable preorder bonus make it over. %Gallery-11943% Insecticide Back Curiouser and curiouser
