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Rising Star's Q1 lineup for Europe includes Fragile, Way of the Samurai 3
Rising Star Games has announced a European release for Fragile (as Fragile Dreams), Namco Bandai's action-adventure game about exploring a haunted, post-disaster Japan, in March 2010. That's around the same time XSEED plans to bring the Namco Bandai title to North America. Also in March, the publisher will release Rune Factory Frontier on Wii, and Avalon Code and My World My Way on DS. Before that, in February, Rising Star will release Half-Minute Hero on PSP, and, through "affiliate label" Gamebridge, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Way of the Samurai 3. We've got Rising Star's full lineup listed after the break.
Half-Minute Hero can't rescue Quebec
If you're looking for a UMD version of Half-Minute Hero in Quebec, stop trying. A Destructoid reader looking for the game was surprised it had skipped a release altogether in the Canadian province -- and it's all thanks to the law. "Canadian distribution is always tricky because of the bilingual law that Quebec enforces, so for titles with limited distribution we do not create a second bilingual version specifically for Canada because it's too expensive. Unfortunately, that's what happened to Half-Minute Hero," an XSEED representative stated. Thankfully, digital distribution offers a workaround. PlayStation Network appears to be exempt from Quebec's bilingual laws, so a simple visit to the PlayStation Store is all it takes to bypass the French language police.
Spend a few minutes with this Half-Minute Hero trailer
Okay, Half-Minute Hero is finally seeing release. In addition to launching an official site for the game, XSEED has released one last trailer for the game that gives you a good overview of all the wackiness you can expect from the game. Does it look familiar? Yeah, but now this one's in English, a language commonly used by Joystiq writers and readers. Half-Minute Hero hits UMD next week, and PSN a week thereafter.
Half-Minute Hero rushes to UMD on October 13, PSN one week later
Okay, so it's pretty clear all of us are going to buy Half-Minute Hero. The only questions left are: when? And how? XSEED's bringing the clever micro-RPG game to retail stores on October 13, with a digital PSN release to follow one week later on October 22. "Timing is just off for whatever reason," we were told by a PR representative. Half-Minute Hero's bite-sized gameplay makes it an ideal game to throw on your Memory Stick. But, will gamers have the patience to wait an entire week for the PSN version? By our calculations, you could play Half-Minute Hero over 25,000 times on UMD before the PSN version comes out! %Gallery-68352%
First Half-Minute Hero demo coming tomorrow
If you read the headline carefully enough, you'll notice that there is more than one demo coming out for the upcoming PSP Half-Minute Hero. However, the first demo will be available on the PlayStation Store tomorrow. It's quite possibly the zaniest game to hit the platform in a long time, forcing players to vanquish evil in 30 second bursts (seriously!). Hero mode is just one of four different modes hidden in the full game. It's hard to effectively describe the frantic gameplay through words. Thankfully, you can completely ignore our opinions and just give the demo a spin. %Gallery-68352%
Half-Minute Hero may be PSN exclusive, demo coming in August
There were three letters that went through our heads when we played XSEED's English adaptation of the upcoming Half-Minute Hero. For those not in the know, the PSP-exclusive "RPG" has a clever twist: the gameplay occurs in frantic thirty second chunks. (For detailed impressions, read our hands-on here.) The English demo we played retained the same action and charm as the Japanese original -- only this time, we could understand what was going on. Certainly, Half-Minute Hero has a niche appeal. However, anyone who tries it out should be able to understand what makes the game so brilliant by giving it a try. We were told by an XSEED representative that a downloadable demo is planned, and that it should be available some time next month. The demo will feature two stages from the "Hero 30" mode, where you have 30 seconds to level up and destroy a wizard that threatens to destroy the world. Those expecting a UMD version of Half-Minute Hero may be disappointed to know that XSEED is looking into making the game a PlayStation Network exclusive. Games like Patapon 2 and Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman! both skipped the UMD format. A game that's as pick-up-and-play as Half-Minute Hero does seem ideally suited for PSN distribution. %Gallery-68352%
Half-Minute Hero was based off a side project Flash game
Half-Minute Hero wasn't always meant to be a commercial title; it was originally just an ordinary flash game until producer Kenichiro Takaki saw its potential. Takaki, along with the game's director Kotaro Yoshida, explained in the latest issue of Famitsu PSP+PS3 (via PSP Hyper) that Half-Minute Hero was inspired by some of Yoshida's work he had done during his spare time, specifically a Flash game that only took him a day to make. Takaki was amused with the concept and pitched the idea of making a retro game for PSP, liking the fast-paced gameplay and old-school art style most of all. From there, the rest was history. If you've yet to see Half-Minute Hero, be sure to check out our gameplay clips. We instantly fell in love with it and we think you just might, too.
XSeed brings localized Half-Minute Hero, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony to E3
XSeed just announced its E3 line-up, which includes two PSP games we've heard about before: Half-Minute Hero and Lunar: Silver Star Harmony. You might remember Half-minute Hero as Hero for 30sec (the new name sounds so much better), which was that bizarre micro-RPG we've been drooling over for the past couple of months. As for Lunar: Harmony, it's a remake of the original Lunar game from Sega CD. Both games were previously Japan-only titles but are now coming to North America. Expect both to arrive sometime in the fall.
Being a 30 second hero ain't easy
Yuusha 30 looks to be quite a remarkable game. This action RPG has a rather unique twist: you have 30 seconds to do everything. Having so little time in an ever-present countdown really transforms the genre. Seeing our hero scuttle around trying to fight monsters, level up and find towns in 30 second increments is quite amusing -- we're sure with a PSP in our hands, we'd be sweating at the game's relentlessly chaotic pace. See gameplay footage after the break.
Joystiq hands-on: Hero for 30sec
Ever heard of 15 minutes of fame? Sure you have. But what about 30 seconds of being a hero? We've reported a bit on this oddly-named RPG known as Hero for 30sec (Yuusha 30), but its unique concept on short bursts of gameplay had left us baffled. How does this work? How does this translate into an engaging RPG experience? These were questions we've been wondering for quite some time now. However, after having played it for ourselves this afternoon, we finally understand what the game is trying to achieve. Or, should we say, what one-fourth of the game is trying to achieve as Hero 30 still contains three other heroes and individual play-styles. The overall experience of the demo we've tried out is a refreshing, fast-paced take on the traditional J-RPG genre. If you like RPG exploration, but want to cut out the fat of boring random encounters and grinding, then this game might be for you.
Yuusha 30: Meet the 30sec squad
In Yuusha 30 -- a.k.a. Hero for 30sec -- players take on the role of four heroes, each with their own minigame based on distinctive genres: role-playing, action, shooting and real-time strategy. Developer Marvelous Entertainment hopes to pull players into the experience with short bursts of 30-second gaming. Beyond the description in an old issue of Famitsu and this teaser trailer, the rest of Hero for 30sec is a mystery. But we should expect to see more of this PSP title soon, as it hits stores in Japan this May. Meet the squad after the break.
New RPG Yuusha 30 gives only 30 seconds of play time ...
That's really 30 seconds of play time allotted to clearing a particular game mode. You see Yuusha 30 (not to be confused with Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida) from Marvelous is a "new vibe RPG" according to the leaked pages of Famitsu due out later this week. It has four game modes which revolve around 30 seconds of microburst gameplay. Though it's not entirely clear, we'd assume each mode would have multiple "levels" of these 30-second trysts because a two-minute game just doesn't sound all too enticing ... or is it? Each mode will focus on different characters and will have unique gameplay. This includes a princess in a shooter, a fighter in a side-scrolling action title, a "devil king" in a strategy game and finally a knight in some regular action. What any of this has to do with one another and exactly how does this "new vibe" and 30 seconds of gameplay jive are all beyond us at the moment. Perhaps we'll know more once the new issue actually hits stores.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade cuts down Japan this April
Word on the street is that the highly stylish and, well, one of our most-watched games, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, will hit Japanese retail in April of this year. We've got no firm date yet, however an April release in Japan means that we could be seeing it localized in North America this holiday season. It is coming to Europe in November, after all (not taking into account summer placeholders).It's a long wait, but one we'll gladly suffer for what we're sure is going to be a wonderful game.%Gallery-33431%
New Harvest Moon title coming March 2009 in Japan
According to Weekly Famitsu, a brand new Harvest Moon title will be making its way onto on the PSP this upcoming March in Japan. In Harvest Moon: Sugar Village, the third PSP title of the farm simulator franchise, you are responsible for the fate of a ... you guessed it, village. Gameplay elements include the ability to make home improvements to your house and to woo girls -- honestly, this sounds just like every other Harvest Moon game. No word yet on whether this game will see a release in the Western market.[Via PSPHyper]
Harvest Moon: Welcome to the debut trailer
Can you keep up with all these Harvest Moon games? It's getting pretty difficult, but the recently-announced Harvest Moon: Welcome to the Wind Bazaar should be memorable, thanks to the multiplayer elements ... but it's still Harvest Moon, and that means farming.As with Animal Crossing, you can invite friends to visit your farm, but in Welcome to the Wind Bazaar, you can put them to work! You know someone's a good friend when they start taking care of your business.
Vanillaware's Muramasa: The Demon Blade coming stateside
The publishing duo of XSEED and Marvelous Entertainment announced plans to bring Vanillaware's Wii-exclusive ninja-action title, Oboro Muramasa Youtouden, to the US sometime next year. The game, which will be redubbed as Muramasa: The Demon Blade for the local market, marks the second title to emerge from a co-publishing deal inked in May, following this week's release of Valhalla Knights 2 for the PSP. Muramasa looks to continue the tradition of Vanillaware's eye-poppingly gorgeous titles, Odin Sphere and Grim Grimoire, promising hand-drawn 2D sprites and side-scrolling levels. Beyond this, details are scarce, though more is expected to be revealed next week when the game is officially unveiled during TGS.
Harvest Moon: Waku Waku Animal Puppets
Our Japanese is not quite good enough to ascertain the nuances of this dramatic scene, but what we could understand was self-evident anyway. In this ad for Harvest Moon: Waku Waku Animal March, the frog wants the cow to give him a ride like the animals in the game do. The cow (spoilers!) relents, and the frog gleefully hops on, only to find the ride slow. The cow complains about being out of energy, and the frog cheers him on, telling him to summon his "cow power." Then the frog takes off on a date with Keromi-chan. In the second part, after the break, the frog and cow decide to make use of Waku Waku Animal March's photo features. Wackiness ensues, culminating with the frog asking the cow to take some "sexy" shots. And that's why you should buy Harvest Moon: Waku Waku Animal March.
Grab your hair gel and weapons: new Arc Rise Fantasia shots
Square Enix's Marvelous and Image Epoch's Final Fantasy XI Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King Arc Rise Fantasia is looking pretty good, despite the thin layers of cotton everything seems wrapped in. Good and more than a little bland and recycled, but so long as it plays well and has a decent story, we'll probably accept it. Considering the source, there will probably be more than a few quirks to keep us going.But seriously, we can handle the generic characters, weapons, and enemies -- we're used to that in RPGs -- but can we dispense with that very soft, very muted look for Wii games? We can do better than this.%Gallery-26466%
Harvest Moon: Waku Waku Animal March uses WiiConnect24
The official website for Bokujou Monogatari: Waku Waku Animal March has updated with new screens and art of all the super-adorable animals that will be featured -- the ones above can even be kept as pets. But even more heartwarming than cartoon pandas is the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection logo on the front page. The game supports WiiConnect24 in some as-yet-unspecified way -- sharing crops? Sending pictures of yourself riding a goat along the beach? Marvelous has also announced the Japanese release date: October 30. Since this is a Harvest Moon game, we expect Natsume to pick it up for release here, but they've got to finish with Tree of Tranquility first. Less likely to leave Japan is the promotional campaign associated with Animal March, in which lucky winners will receive Harvest Moon stickers ... or yogurt. [Via NeoGAF]
E308: Wii Fanboy tends farm in Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility
Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility is a big game. The first thing that I noticed was just how large the game world is. You aren't restricted to just one farm, instead able to spread many a seed across many a land. Aside from that, the game very much feels like all of the other Harvest Moon titles, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on whether you're a fan of the series or not. %Gallery-3745%
