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Two PlayStation ports summoned to the DS
Further emphasizing the DS's status as the system that companies want to rerelease their old RPGs on, the latest issue of Shonen Jump revealed today that Summon Night 1 and 2, both originally PlayStation titles, are headed for the DS. We haven't been able to glean much information from the Japanese magazine's photographed page yet, but it looks like the two SRPGs will be released separately and not as a collection, the first one slated for Spring 2008, its sequel planned for Summer.Though the GBA and DS received several Summon Night side-story ARPGs, the first two of which were eventually brought to the US by Atlus, this will be the first time that entries from the main series see a handheld port. Neither Summon Night 1 or 2 ever made it stateside -- this seems like an excellent opportunity for a North American publisher to finally localize the games![Via Ruliweb]
Super Robot Discount 2
Has your anxiety for Front Mission DS's distant October release become unmanageable, affecting your work and love life? If it's any consolation, you can get your mecha SRPG fix with Banpresto's Super Robot Taisen: Original Generations.Atlus, the North American publisher behind this chibi-robot game, is notorious for its low print runs, but finding a copy won't be hard at all. GameQuest Direct has marked the GBA title down to $9.99, half of its usual price! Get it while the getting's good![Via CAG]
Atlus confirms Ontama, Touch Detective sequel, Draglade for US
If there's one thing to love about E3 -- even the all-new, scaled down E3 -- it's the flood of new game announcements that tend to come with the show. On that front, Atlus has certainly not disappointed us; this morning, they let fly with a bevy of localization announcements. One -- Touch Detective 2½ -- we expected, but the announcements that Draglade and Ontamarama are headed to English-speaking gamers are news indeed. For rhythm game enthusiasts, those last two are very good news indeed. Ontamarama follows the story of Beat and Rest, two "Ontamaestros" who discover an evil demon (as opposed to all the good ones) is cajoling villagers into trapping Ontama, the sound spirits who bring music to the land. Of course, that means our heroes have to get their rhythm on in order to save the day. Also, the word "Ontamaestros" demonstrates why we love Atlus-style localizations. We've been cooing excitedly over this game for months, so unless you've been living under a rock that didn't have wifi, you've probably seen a screenshot or two. Draglade is the intriguing mix of rhythm and fighting that the world has been waiting for. Well, we've been waiting, at least. In the world of Draglade, the premier spectator sport of the day is "Grapping," which sorta makes us think of breakdance fighting -- just with more potential violence. The game tracks the rise of four hungry Grappers, Hibito, Guy, Kyle, and Daichi, and their struggle to make it to the top. Can someone get us a hip hop version of "Eye of the Tiger" up in here? Obviously, Touch Detective 2½ is the sequel to the BeeWorks game released last year. We have such a love-hate relationship with this game that we can't help but look forward to the sequel, if only because we're masochists.[Via press release]
Keep criminals at bay with Summon Night: Twin Age
It will be months before Summon Night: Twin Age sees its August release in Japan, but that hasn't stopped Banpresto from putting out some early commercials for the RPG. The first video to debut at the official site casts the talents of geeky actor, Atsushi Itoh, to show off Summon Night's touchscreen mechanics with both in-game and real-life demonstrations! Bring your stylus past the post break for the playful clip. %Gallery-3357%
Summon Night coming to DS
Banpresto's Summon Night series of RPG's finally made it to the U.S. last year on the Game Boy Advance. Fans of the GBA action-RPG's will be happy to know that Summon Night is getting a new entry on the DS: Summon Night: Twin Age. The original Summon Night games were strategy RPG's similar to Tactics Ogre, but this, like the GBA games, is more action-oriented. It stars two plucky youths named Aldo and Leeha who want to become great summoners-- you know, standard RPG stuff. They want to be the very best, like no one ever was. To find gems is their real test-- to use them to summon monsters is their cause.Twin Age will be released in Japan in August. No word on if Atlus will pick it up for localization.%Gallery-3357%
Blood on the dance floor
As you've probably picked up from our coverage of Puzzle Quest's RPG/Bejewled mix and Kanji Ken's beat-em up training game, we are in love with titles that mix genres in new ways. Banpresto's Custom Beat Battle: Draglade does just that, weaving together rhythm, fighting, and RPG elements into an exciting pattern.You customize and arm your fighters with beat combos, pulling off special attacks by timing button presses with a meter that displays a rhythm sequence. You can also level up your characters and buy items for them at shops. Punch and kick your way past the post break for some Custom Beat Battle: Draglade trailers. Now that we've got rhythm fighting, rhythm action, and rhythm platforming on our handheld, what's next? We're hoping for a math-and-music-based shoot-em up where you solve equations with the beat while trying to dodge bullets. We'll call it... a logarhythm-up.
K K Slider keeps you grooving, keeps you clean
Tired of spending every Saturday night at Animal Crossing: Wild World's museum cafe, abandoning any hope for a social life so you can catch K. K. Slider's weekly set? Ever found yourself shushing talkative friends or family members who think it's alright to chat during one of the soulful puppy's live performances? Has your girlfriend threatened to leave because of that time she looked in your wallet and saw that her picture was replaced with a photo of K. K.? With Banpresto's Totakeke bath towel, a commemorative item from the Animal Crossing movie, you don't have to devote your weekend schedule to hanging out at The Roost anymore. Now you can visit the guitar-playing dog whenever you take a shower! This out-of-game version of him won't play any music, but you could always just hum the tune to K. K. Condor while you dry yourself off. That wouldn't be weird at all! [Via DCEmu]
The DangerBomb alarm clock: wake or go boom!
Already loosed in Japan, the DangerBomb alarm clock from Banpresto is yet another oddball way of coaxing you into the morning grind. To disable the alarm, you must reconnect the red, yellow, and blue cables in the correct order. Fail your mission and suffer the annoyance -- and possible death -- of a mocked audible explosion. Genius. Just ?2,366 in Japan or $19... if you can get it back through customs. Warning: not for use in the Boston Area.[Via Akihabara News]
