Namco chases Tales to North America for Wii, Xbox 360

Namco's Tales RPG series is a lot like the bus -- if you miss one, just wait a moment and another will be around shortly. The series, which got its start back in 1995 with Tales of Phantasia for the SNES, is now set to get two new entries as Namco Bandai announced plans to localize both Tales of Vesperia (pictured) for the Xbox 360 and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World for the Wii later this year.

While Vesperia was first announced during Tokyo's Jump Festa event last December, the game's console destination had been something of a question mark until now. The game, which marks the franchise's first entry on Microsoft's console, will feature character designs by series stalwart Kosuke Fujishima of Oh My Goddess! and Gungrave fame, and promises "significant additions" to the series' action-heavy combat, a facet that has been Tale's defining feature since hit met points.

For those with a taste for nostalgia, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World will take place two years after the GameCube original, whisking Wii owners away on a journey wrought with discovery, old friends, and what we're sure will be plenty of waggle. There's also talk of being able to "recruit" more than 200 different monsters, no doubt pleasing those harboring an incessant need to "catch 'em all."

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