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Shin Megami Tensei IV summons $10 discount
Purchase Shin Megami Tensei IV by October 14, and the game will set you back $40 - a $10 discount over its standard $50 price point. As publisher Atlus points out, this is the first official discount the 3DS roleplaying game has gotten since its debut on July 16. This price cut applies to both digital download and physical retail incarnations of the game. If you're on the fence about picking this game up, have a look at our review of Shin Megami Tensei IV in which we award it 4/5 stars. "If you've ever wondered what all the Shin Megami Tensei fuss was about, Shin Megami Tensei 4 is a great entry point," our Susan Arendt wrote. "It eases you into the gameplay without babying you, giving you the tools you need to succeed and enjoy your adventure while still providing a hefty challenge." "It's not the prettiest thing you'll ever pop into your 3DS, and the story isn't the series' strongest, but SMT4 will demand your full attention every step of the way."
Atlus details Persona 4 Arena arcade update, teases next Persona team project
Atlus announced new details regarding Arc System Works' upcoming Persona 4 Arena sequel, revealing a new character and teasing the Persona team's next project. P4U: Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold, as it's known in Japan, is currently slated for release exclusively in arcades. Though Persona 4 Arena saw release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, a console port for Ultra Suplex Hold has not yet been announced. Announced back in August, Ultimate Suplex Hold expands Persona 4 Arena's roster with three new characters. Persona 3 stars Yukari Takeba and Junpei Iori join Arena's playable cast alongside Sho Minazuki, a mysterious addition who does not hail from a previous Persona series game. Ultimate Suplex Hold also introduces a number of gameplay tweaks, including the special move-enhancing "S Hold System." Atlus additionally hints at a new Persona-related project at p-ch.jp, a teaser site featuring Persona series developer P Studio's logo alongside a date in November and a list of cities in Japan. Further details will be revealed on November 24.
Etrian Odyssey Untold review: Building a better dungeon
Etrian Odyssey was a revelation upon its initial release in 2007, scratching a dungeon-crawling itch that many RPG fans never knew they had. While the Wizardry series and other first-person dungeon crawlers are popular among a dedicated set of players, some are put off by their convoluted mechanics and high difficulty. Etrian Odyssey removed many barriers to the genre, presenting an accessible quest that won fans with refined gameplay, tricky dungeon layouts, and abundant character customization options. Since then, the Etrian Odyssey series has piled new layers of complexity on top of the original structure, ensuring a satisfying sense of progression for series veterans, but also alienating newcomers. Even the most recent sequel, Etrian Odyssey 4, posed a steep challenge for new players; while Casual mode dropped the game's difficulty, its underlying mechanics were obtuse to a first-timer. With Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl, Atlus returns to the original Etrian Odyssey, paring down its mechanics and crafting a quest focused on accessibility. Atlus further enhances the experience with a new Story mode and long-overdue gameplay additions that make dungeon-diving easier than ever. The result is both an ideal starting point for beginners and a significant improvement over the original game, though series veterans may balk at the idea of returning to Etria so soon after the release of the latest sequel.
Atlus apologizes for worrying fans during Sega acquisition
Atlus will "continue with its business operations" with Sega Sammy as its owner, President and CEO Naoto Hiraoka says. Sega purchased Atlus' parent company, Index Holdings, in a 14 billion yen deal that went public yesterday and takes effect on November 1. There was no word at the time about how this would affect Atlus, but Hiraoka has cleared the air with an open letter to to fans and customers (translated version via Game Informer): "I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for your support of Atlus products .... Atlus has consistently received support and praise from our faithful and our respected customers, and made great progress in recent years. So the recent incident must have surprised and worried all of you dearly. For that, I would like to express my deepest apologies. "We have nurtured a great relationship with Sega Inc. for a long time, especially concerning our consumer games business in Japan." Hiraoka explains that he sees the buy-out as beneficial for two reasons: Sega understands Atlus' desire to produce quality products and expand its business, and the companies' strengths compliment each other. Read the full letter below.
Meet Simon in new Etrian Odyssey Untold trailer
Despite his claims of leadership, Simon's true role in Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl is best described as "that guy who keeps you from dying when a transforming boulder pig tramples your party into paste."
Report: Sega to purchase Atlus' parent company for 14 billion yen [update: confirmed]
Following reports of Sega bidding on Atlus parent Index Holdings, parent company of Atlus, Japanese media company Nikkei has reported that Sega Sammy will purchase Index Holdings for 14 billion yen ($141.6 million). The deal is to be concluded in November. Sega rattled its cup at the grave of THQ in July, seeking revenue from the publisher that was made through pre-orders for Sega's Company of Heroes 2. We've reached out to Atlus and will update as we learn more. Update: Atlus Japan has confirmed the purchase.
Etrian Odyssey Untold trailer reveals the pure perils of classic mode
This Etrian Odyssey Untold trailer shows off its "classic mode," in which players forgo the game's story and stock characters in favor of a custom-built party picked from nine different character classes for pure dungeon-crawling action. The game launches October 1 on 3DS.
Tesla Effect trailer is eight minutes of live-action, full-motion cheddar
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure promises "full motion video the way it was meant to be seen," and after this trailer, I'm inclined to agree. Big Finish Games' revival of the near-future detective looks to play to the series' roots, mixing ham-tastic acting with dollops of sardonic humor. Next-gen tech may be nearly here, but Tesla Effect wants to drag me back to the 1990s, and I want to let it. Hopefully Tesla Effect will deliver on its promise when Atlus publishes it on PC and Mac in Q1 2014. Check out all eight minutes for an introduction to the cast, and an example of the game's dialogue wheel in action.
Anime fighter AquaPazza hits PlayStation 3 on November 19
Colorful anime fighter AquaPazza is set to beat its way to PlayStation 3 on November 19. Publisher Atlus also reiterated that the game, which will be available at retail and through the PlayStation Network, will be priced at $29.99. The North American edition will enter the retail arena with version 2.01 of the Japanese arcade spec, featuring 13 characters and "improvements for tournament-grade action." True tournament-level Aquapazza pros know how to say the game's name without imagining a soggy pizza.
Atlus publishing Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure in early 2014
The successfully Kickstarted Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure has its private eye on PC and Mac early next year, thanks to newly announced publisher Atlus. The sci-fi gumshoe's revival achieved just under $600,000 in funding a year ago, back when it was known as Project Fedora. Now developer Big Finish Games has a big name publisher to help it "more fully" realize its vision for Tex's new outing. In an update on the Project Fedora Kickstarter page, creator Chris Jones said support from Atlus will include play-testing the game every week and "more polish" in the final product, as well as greater opportunities for coverage and distribution. It should mean a few more sexy FMV trailers, we'd imagine.
Atlus bringing 2D fighter AquaPazza to US
Japanese 2D anime fighter AquaPazza: Aquaplus Dream Match is being localized for a North American release, publisher Atlus has announced. Titled simply AquaPazza for its western release, the game will launch on the PlayStation 3 in both physical and digital flavors sometime this holiday season for $29.99. The localized version will be based on AquaPazza's most recent Japanese arcade build (version 2.01), and will maintain all of the original Japanese voice dialogue. AquaPazza is a crossover fighter featuring characters from different eroge (read: erotic) visual novels/romance simulators developed by Leaf, a subsidiary of Japanese publisher Aquaplus. Despite this, AquaPazza is a normal, non-adult anime fighter with relatively tame visuals, especially when compared to something like Dead or Alive 5. While the game has no ESRB rating as of yet, last year's Japanese PS3 release was approved for ages 12 and up by Japan's Computer Entertainment Ratings Organization.
Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers delayed in Europe
Devil Summoner Soul Hackers for 3DS has been slightly delayed in Europe to September 20. Awaiting localization for nearly 15 years, what's an extra week? At least, that's what we tell ourselves whenever the shakes come on. The 3DS game launched in North America this past April and in Japan last August. The game originally launched on the Sega Saturn in 1997, and then on the original PlayStation in 1999, both times in Japan.
Persona 4 Arena arcade-only update adds new fighters, moves, system changes
The Japan-only arcade version of Persona 4 Arena (known as Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena) is being updated with two new characters, significantly updated gameplay mechanics and new abilities for the existing fighters. Currently, there is no plan for any of these changes to come to the console versions, either here or in Japan: "It's an arcade-only update," Atlus' John Hardin told us. "No plans to bring it to the U.S. at this time." Yukari Takeba and Junpei Iori of Persona 3 fame return as new combatants, bringing the game's overall roster up to 15 selectable Persona users. The update also adds a new "Shadow Type" system, according to Shoryuken's translation of Famitsu's hands-on report. This gives players the option of replacing the game's "One More Burst" mechanic with an alternate Shadow form, which grants temporarily unlimited special meter and augmented/enhanced attack properties. Additionally, Shadow Type characters bring their special meters with them to the next round, whereas historically special meter resets at the beginning of each fight. An "S Hold System" is also being added, which allows players to charge up certain special attacks to achieve augmented effects, such as invulnerability. It will also now be possible to cancel normal moves into hops, which will add more utility for combo crafting. Furthermore, the game's existing cast is being outfitted with new moves and abilities, an ongoing list of which can be found here. Location testing is underway at Taito Hey in Akihabara and Taito Station Nipponbashi in Osaka, from now through this Sunday. We're keeping our ear to the ground for further information about when this update will be released, and whether it'll garner it's own name, ala Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, or Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R.
Dragon's Crown flies to Europe, Australia in October
The latest NISAmerica newsletter reveals Dragon's Crown is coming to Europe, Australia, and other PAL regions on October 11, and confirms the art book pre-order bonus is available at select retailers. The PS3 and Vita brawler is already out in North America and Japan, getting off to a storming start in the latter after shipping 300,000 copies in its first week. The game proved sovereign with our Danny, too, notching four and a half stars in his review: "Vanillaware breathes new life into a worthwhile but rarely attempted style of gameplay with Dragon's Crown, a brilliantly executed tribute to arcade gaming's past that offers up an endlessly satisfying loop of questing, looting, and character progression."
Etrian Odyssey Untold pre-order bonuses include art book, music
Pre-ordering the 3DS-exclusive Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl will grant players the "Etrian Untold, Unseen, Unheard" pre-order bonuses, Atlus revealed in a statement. Bonuses include a design book with concept art, notes and comics and a 7-track music CD that features a live version of the game's opening theme by Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, Ys series). Etrian Odyssey Untold is an updated version of the original Etrian Odyssey for the DS. It features re-worked dungeon maps and challenges for the original quest as well as an additional story mode that explores the origins of the Yggdrasil Tree. The latter offers a pre-assembled party with dialogue and transitional scenes by Madhouse Studios (Trigun, Death Note). Picnic and Standard difficulty modes have been added for newcomers, but an additional Expert mode will keep series veterans on their toes. Etrian Odyssey Untold simultaneously launches at retail and on the eShop on October 1st.
King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition trailer points to imminent port [update]
King of Fighters XIII looks very likely to be on its way to Steam, after a new trailer was found in the portal's database. The vid, currently viewable on Steam, ends with a logo detailing a 'Steam Edition' of the SNK fighter. KoF XIII was first discovered on Steam's database in February along with several other games like Dyad and Fez, some of which have now released on the service. Entries for KoF 2002: Unlimited Match and KoF 1998: Ultimate Match were also unearthed back then, but the KoF XIII trailer provides solid indication that particular game is headed to Steam in the near future. No official announcement has been made. SNK Playmore's latest entry in its almost 20-year-old fighter series arrived in Japan's arcades in 2010 before coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 a year later. Joystiq's resident King of Fighters, Jordan Mallory, doled out four stars in his review, deeming it "hands down the best, most polished and solidly constructed King of Fighters game there's ever been." Update: The trailer has since been removed from Steam. You can view a copy uploaded to YouTube (via Shoryuken) here.
Report: Sega bidding on Atlus parent company
Sega is among about 20 companies bidding on Index, parent company of Atlus (Shin Megami Tensei, Persona), reports Bloomberg (translated by Siliconera). The bidding for Index has reportedly gone as high as 20 billion yen ($203.3 million), and the company could be sold by the end of the month. Index filed for "civil rehabilitation," a form of bankruptcy under Japanese law, in late June. Plans to sell of its operations were announced in mid-July. At the time, an Atlus representative assured Joystiq that its upcoming release plans would be unaffected. The publisher's latest game, Dragon's Crown – which we thoroughly enjoyed – should launch tomorrow. A Sega acquisition would make sense, given that the company already distributes Atlus games in Japan. It would also help expand Sega's growing pool of talent – the company acquired Company of Heroes 2 developer Relic earlier this year.
Dragon's Crown ships 300K across first week in Japan
Dragon's Crown scaled to heights of 300,000 shipments in its first week at retail, a welcome boost for publisher Atlus amid the financial struggles of its parent company. Those figures are restricted to Japanese shipments (including download purchases), and could rise dramatically after Tuesday, August 6, when the PS3 and Vita brawler will be available in North America. At the very least the game proved more than popular with our Danny, who deemed Dragon's Crown to be developer Vanillaware's best effort yet. "While it scales back the complexity that defined Princess Crown and Odin Sphere," said Danny in his four-and-half-stars review, "its focus on deep, varied fighting mechanics make it one of the best beat-em-ups released for any platform in recent years." As for Atlus, it'll wait to see how the situation with parent company Index shakes out. Index is expected to sell its subsidiary options after effectively filing for bankruptcy protection. Atlus has reassured fans that its games, including Dragon's Crown, are "shipping on time."
Dragon's Crown review: King of brawlers
Beat-'em-ups have been through a bit of a rough patch lately. The arcade-style brawler suffered a decline that coincided with the downfall of arcades themselves, and aside from standout efforts like Castle Crashers and Double Dragon Neon, little has been done in recent years to progress or revitalize the genre. Vanillaware breathes new life into a worthwhile but rarely attempted style of gameplay with Dragon's Crown, a brilliantly executed tribute to arcade gaming's past that offers up an endlessly satisfying loop of questing, looting, and character progression. In comparison to its Vanillaware-developed predecessors Odin Sphere and Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Dragon's Crown forgoes in-depth RPG elements in favor of traditional beat-em-up gameplay. Combat in Dragon's Crown is fluid, satisfying, and intense, and represents a major, necessary evolution of the style introduced in Capcom's Dungeons & Dragons series.%Gallery-194927%
Zeno Clash 2 challenges PC players with two new modes
Zeno Clash 2 has issued a free update today adding a pair of fresh challenge modes: Framerate and Coliseum. Framerate mode pits players against waves of wireframe enemies who spawn based on your computer's performance and must be vanquished to maintain a consistent frame rate. Coliseum drops players into a battle against against 50 waves of increasingly difficult enemies, with no limits on the number of allies players can employ. In addition to the new modes, you'll notice Zeno Clash 2 also supports Steam Trading Cards now. In what was most certainly an unplanned coincidence, all versions of Zeno Clash are on sale through Steam until August 1. You can grab the standard edition for $8 or the original game for $2.
