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Anime lands in the iTunes Store via Funimation
Anime has officially landed in the iTunes Store today, courtesy of Funimation Entertainment, with newly available series for purchase including Samurai 7, Speed Grapher, and Desert Punk. Each episode from all three franchises are available for $1.99 each, and season passes can be purchased for $38.99. Notably, the videos are only offered with the option of an English dub, and knowing how particular many fans are about strictly watching shows with the original Japanese language tracks and subtitles, this might be a serious deal breaker. Other than this issue, I guess this is not such a horrible deal considering most shows would cost you anywhere from $4-6+ per episode on DVD. (Of course, that's if you don't mind the limited viewing options, DRM, and lower quality.) But, yeaaa. There you go. Anime. In the iTunes Store. Today.
New Dragon Ball Z game announced
It looks like our previous story about a new DBZ game on the way was right. IGN is reporting that Dragon Ball Z fans can look forward to another installment in the Shin Budokai series. Atari's Dragon Ball Z Shin Budokai: Another Road will add more than 50 new fighting skill and ultimate attacks, a new storyline that deals with Future Trunks and his fight agains Majin Buu. The title will have available characters from all of the Dragon Ball anime worlds. The title is due out in March. I bought the first Dragon Ball Z game on the PSP and had quite a bit of fun with it. I didn't care for the plot though, so hopefully the plot is improved in this sequel. Either way, the DBZ games remain some of the best anime fighters on the market. Are there any readers that are excited like me about Dragon Ball Z Shin Budokai: Another Road?
Tales of the World anime intro
All Tales games seem to come with catchy J-Pop songs and anime intros. The PSP-exclusive Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology is no different. This potpourri of fan-favorite Tales characters features "Hikari to Kage" (Light and Shadow) sung by Kana Uemura.It would be awesome if we could get an English translated version of this game. Considering the fairly large Tales fanbase in the States, I won't be surprised if Namco announces a release date one of these days.
Can't get enough Bleach? Heat the Soul 4 revealed
I'm a fan of the anime series Bleach, but even I find it ridiculous how often these games are coming out on the PSP. Within two years, the Heat the Soul franchise is getting its fourth game. As usual, expect a larger roster of characters from the anime's continuing storyline. With the franchise's good looks and awesome presentation, Bleach fans will certainly want to get their hands on the game. But really, isn't this too much?Check out the official Japanese website to see videos of this fighter in action. [Via Game & Gadgets]
Artists: Win PS3/Wii and help fight breast cancer
Are you an artist? Want to help fight breast cancer? If you said yes to all of these then you can try your hand at creating a piece of art and be one of eight winners of a PS3 or a Wii. theOtaku is holding a contest to coincide with AnimeFF being held in Las Vegas Jan. 13 - 14. AnimeFF is a "fully funded non-profit anime convention," which means 100% of ticket proceeds will go to breast cancer research. The contest brings attention to the convention, driving ticket sales to support a good cause. The actual contest involves submitting a piece of art to theOtaku.com with the tag "awareness" and the art must have "something" related to breast cancer awareness. All art must be original, so no using a licensed anime babe with her breast sandwiched in a mammogram machine. All entries must be in by Dec. 20. Top two people get a PS3 and the other six get a Wii. And before anyone gets smart, they say they already have the prizes, so availability will not be an issue. So go make art, maybe win a system and support a good cause.
Video Sandwich: November 26, 2006
Here are two of Sony's arguably biggest products hitting the PSP this year. First, you see the amazing Tales of the World commercial. It's only 15 second long, and shows mostly anime sequences. But what I see here is good.Next, you see an insanely long demonstration of Chotto Shot, the PSP camera software suite. Like Hikaru Utada, it's very Japanesey, featuring a cute Japanese couple getting all lovey dovey over the device. Who knows? Maybe with Chotto Shot, you too can score yourself a Japanese girl or boyfriend!
Dual videos from Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Symphony
It could be a new jingle, amirite? Dual pleasure, dual fun, dual screens from Dual Symphony!Well, maybe we'll just stick to blogging and hang up those hopes for the marketing career. These two videos are from GameSpot's preview of the English version of Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Symphony. And we've learned something from watching them -- jumping on spikes? Not a good idea, not even if you're a hardcore alchemist.Unfortunately, the videos don't cover any of the minigames that are discussed in the preview. That's the part that sounds interesting, after all. We've seen lots asskickery in our day ... bring on the arm wrestling!
SNK's game is about witch-hunting, not girl-hunting
Doki Doki Majo Saiban, a little game (which almost surely will go no further than Japan) from SNK that was shown at TGS is suddenly back in the news. Has it been released? Are there videos? Not so much. Instead, people have been busily photoshopping some very risqué images that are being passed off as official screens. Of course, that's nothing new -- and it wouldn't be surprising if they were actual screens. However, some of the outcry around this particular set of faked screens is that some of the "characters" look extremely young. A certain p-word has been bandied about in reference to the game, and we hate to see misinformation spread, particularly when it comes to branding something as being a part of the "rapist game demographic" (a horrific quote if ever there was one), so we looked into the rumors. And we'll warn you up front that some of the sites linked herein further link to images that are most vehemently NSFW. Doki Doki Majo Saiban thrusts the player into the role of an intrepid young man hunting witches who appear human but are not. How can you tell the difference? By touching them. Seems innocent enough off the top, but the game is designed in a rather mature anime style. Now, this is common in Japanese media, and there's an entire genre of games (eroge) that, to non-Japanese audiences, might seem a little ... unusual. That's par for the course – what is anathema in America is acceptable in Europe and common in Japan, and vice versa, switch it around, etc. Sex and violence are handled differently in different countries and cultures. Doki Doki Majo Saiban is a Japanese game, and many Japanese gamers enjoy eroge. Until someone starts talking about releasing it elsewhere, who are we to impose our cultural sensibilities and sensitivities on it?
Bleach trailer: ass kicking at its finest
Whether or not you're a fan of the anime Bleach, it's hard to argue with a good round of ass kickery. One of the first things we thought of when the WiiVolution was first introduced, way back in the long ago time of 2005, was a fighting game. What better use for the controller than beating down your best good friends?Bleach looks to do just that. This new trailer is equal parts gameplay footage and hot Wiimote-swinging action. Check it out after the jump.
New Tri-Ace RPG for Xbox 360 undiscovered
New information leaping from the obscenely colorful pages of Famitsu reveals a brand new Tri-Ace RPG for the Xbox 360 -- the uncomfortably named Infinite Undiscovery. Widely known for in-your-face epics, Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile, the Japanese developer has released little information regarding the fantasy title thus far, with GAF mentioning real-time battles and support for online play. While the game is unlikely to have any relation to last year's smash hit, Everlingering Nonemergence*, it is very much an important coup in Microsoft's continuing battle against apathy in Japan. * This game has not been proven to exist in any shape or form. [Scan courtesy of duckroll from GAF.]
ACAMM: the freshest anime mag for the PSP
ACAMM, the anime PSP magazine has been doing some interesting stuff for the handheld. The latest issue features Samurai Champloo, the hip-hop infused story about two samurai on a journey. The magazine goes over the basics of the show, and anime in general. It also goes one step further: it provides stills that can be rapidly viewed through, similar to how one would play with a picturebook. It's pretty interesting, and shows the great effort that ACAMM is placing into each issue. Each image is wallpaper-worthy, and the .zip file for this month's issue even includes a video. Kudos to the ACAMM team: keep up the good work.See also:ACAMM Issue 6: Ergo ProxyGo past the cut to see more pictures from the magazine.
Jump Superstars 2 announced
One can look around at the abundance of excellent games on the DS, usually feeling contented and satisfied. Yet, despite the numerous genres represented (and in a few cases, completely made up), the dual-screened wonder lacks a proper fighting game. Well, that's only partially true: Japan scored a brilliant game in Jump Superstars, a battle royale between essentially every popular anime and manga character in the country. And it was import-friendly! However, despite the game's excellent Smash Bros-like battle system, the real fun came via ad-hoc multiplayer...and what were the chances of finding another American gamer with this thing?Well, get excited, fighting fans. The most recent issue of Famitsu has confirmed a sequel, entitled Jump Ultimate Stars. There are a few new characters, a few new moves, the regular treatment...but this time, the game properly supports the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. If you can't find an American to beat down with Getsuga Tenshou, then just connect with someone across the Pacific. Warning: Japanese gamers are generally way, way better than you are.[Thanks, Thousand Dragoon Link!]
Tachikoma, the killer spider tank toy now available
While it's no Spidernaut robot, fans of the anime series Ghost in the Shell will surely appreciate this new robot creation of the Tachikoma. Although Wikipedia tells us that regular Tachikoma "are as large as an average sedan," this miniature version probably could fit in your desk drawer. From what we can tell based on the videos, it only speaks Japanese, except for a high-pitched "bye-bye!" that is accompanied by a really cute wave. Cute for an anime robot, anyway. If you can read Japanese, tell us what the rest of the page says in the comments, m'kay?[Via Robot Gossip]
Moe girls try to teach you English [Update 1]
English is a difficult language to learn, which is why the Japanese love making games to help you in your quest to master the language. And as you know, there's no better way to teach someone than through scantilly clad girls, But if the girls of that other English school were a bit too... real for your tastes, worry not! You can have a moe (which means "cute girls") teach you in Moegaku. These chibi anime girls look even younger than the girls of Simple 2500. If you want video proof, you got it!(Fake comments totally ripped off of Joystiq.)[Via QJ][Update 1: The title is Moegaku. Considering how I can read hiragana, that was a stupid, stupid mistake. Also, movie embedded after the cut.] Reader Comments (Page 1) 1. Why don't you just blog about some REAL PSP NEWS. Or should this blog be called Perverted Japanese Porn... Fanboy. Posted at 4:22PM on Aug 26th 2006 by Maxwell 0 stars 2. I'd hit it! Posted at 5:46PM on Aug 26th 2006 by Player1 0 stars
Enchanted Arms embraces bilingualism
Due for release on 29 August, Enchanted Arms is the fully localized version of From Software's more awkwardly named and rather annoyingly capitalized [eM] eNCHANT arM, the first traditional Japanese RPG to emerge on the Xbox 360. For its American release, the fine French folks at Ubisoft have bravely volunteered to publish the game and translate the gratuitous amounts of Japanese voice and text into something more palatable to a Western audience. Then again, many localizations turn out be anything but palatable, representing the aural equivalent of vicious food poisoning. The mere memory of Shenmue's soulless soccer kids causes great discomfort and anxiety, feelings that are slightly dimmed by Ubisoft's intentions to include both Japanese and English soundtracks on the Enchanted Arms disc. Excellent news, to be sure, but frustrating in the sense that Ubisoft is one of the few publishers that actually does put a great deal of care into cinematic presentation, generally avoiding talentless talkers who end up in the recording studio through sheer chance. Based on Grandia II, their English efforts might not be nearly embarrassing enough to warrant this feature.And really, "feature" is a good word to describe it. With advanced compression techniques and new, Blu-tinged storage mediums arriving, there should be no reason for gamers not to have a choice in who they hear blathering about chosen ones and ancient, poorly imprisoned evils. It's about time that publishers and developers realized that poor voice acting is no laughing matter.[A video involving magical limbs is embedded in the second part of the post.]
Jeanne d'Arc trailer shows incredible production values
The Japanese official website for Jeanne d'Arc recently went live, and not only does it feature tons of screenshots, it has an absolutely beautiful trailer. It gives you a great look at the game: the incredible cel-shaded graphics, to the epic, sweeping music, and the beautifully animated anime cutscenes. I've been trying to hype this game a lot. Hopefully, this trailer will generate a ton of response. Also available: Download for PC [Thanks, steve!] [Via IGN]
TakaraTomy's Micromachine to terrorize creepy anime dolls
Now this is what we've been waiting for ever since Takara and TOMY joined forces; a robot! Temporarily dubbed Micromachine, this 5.9-inch tall, 0.66-pound programmable robot is a prototype of the mass produced bipedal 'bot due for release in March 2007. For less than ¥40,000 (about $349) you'll get a fully tricked-out model with Bluetooth and camera modules. Details are sketchy at this point and anything could happen between now and product launch anyway. And since this is Tomy and Takara, we mean anything.
Final Fantasy XII releasing this Halloween
For those dreaming of the gorgeous gun ballet glimpsed in Final Fantasy XIII, it may come as a rude awakening when we loudly exclaim, "Hang on, we haven't even gotten number 12 yet!" Thankfully, Square Enix has answered our call by officially announcing the North American release date for their next inevitably epic RPG. Final Fantasy XII will be in stores this Halloween, 31 October 2006. If ever there was a good reason for Sephiroth and Rikku cosplayers to head out into public and purchase the game in full fantasy garb, this is it.Not to be left behind on the platform as the Collector's Edition trend train heads off, the game will be arriving in two distinct versions. The vanilla package will retail for $49.99, whereas the Collector's Edition, laced with interviews, series featurettes, trailers, art galleries and ancient evils, will be available at Gamestop and EB Games exclusively for $59.99. Depending on how fond you are of the non-final franchise, that's either a trick or a treat.[Image: Advent Children.net]
Yu Yu Hakasho bound for DS
A new scan from Japanese magazine V-Jump reveals news that is sure to send some anime and manga fans into joyous poses amidst rapidly scrolling backgrounds. Yu Yu Hakasho is destined for our favorite dual-screen device, though our inability to decode the Japanese language prevents us from sharing anything further. Since Funimation's picked the show up for American distribution, there's a glimmer of a chance that this one might make it across the ocean, but don't hold your breath. You'll need the air to scream about that Bleach game which has yet to be localized.
Sega unleashing Bleach on Wii
Honestly, we think we deserve some sort of prize for resisting the temptation to concoct a hilarious headline that involves the words "Bleach" and "Wii". Feel free to make your own--just be careful when you choose to inflict them upon us and the countless fans of the manga and anime series.Sega has unveiled a teaser website for a forthcoming Wii Bleach adaptation, though "teaser" may be somewhat of a strong word to apply to a single image and some cryptic text. We can only assume (and hope) that it promises a hyper-stylized, cel-shaded adventure with plenty of wiimote-waving swordplay. The Wii won't be a success until someone makes one of those, right?[Via 4cr, Thanks Hobbes!]
