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The Denpa Men 3 debuts May 8, demo coming next week
Genius Sonority's AR-enhanced dungeon crawler The Denpa Men 3: Rise of the Digitoll is due to arrive in North America and Europe on May 8 via the Nintendo 3DS eShop, Nintendo announced this week. Released in 2012, The Denpa Men is a turn-based RPG in which players pluck party members from invisible Wi-Fi hotspots using the 3DS's camera. A sequel, The Denpa Men 2: Beyond the Waves, hit the eShop shortly thereafter, adding online multiplayer battles to the mix. A demo version of The Denpa Men 3 will hit the eShop on May 1. Players will be able to transfer their demo progress to the full version upon its launch. [Image: Nintendo]
The Denpa Men 2 hits 3DS eShop on May 30
Nintendo of America has revealed a May 30 launch date for Genius Sonority's The Denpa Men 2: Beyond the Waves on the 3DS eShop. No price is listed on the Nintendo page yet, though we can't imagine cost will stray too far from the original Denpa Men's $10 asking price. The Denpa Men 2 is the sequel to the charming RPG in which players find and recruit hidden characters in the real world using the 3DS's camera. Denpa Men exist to raid dungeons and, this time, battle other players online.
Genius Sonority's Denpa Men reaches back to the company's 16-bit roots
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. Genius Sonority made its debut under that name in 2003, with Pokemon Colosseum. It was billed as a successor to Pokemon Stadium, and I ended up putting in more than a hundred hours before eventually souring on the recycled sprites and Colosseum's grinding "purification process."Since then, Genius Sonority's name has mostly been a byword for "outsourced" among Pokemon fans, bringing the same shudders that Backbone does for retro gamers. But with the recent release of Denpa Men: They Came by Wave, a kind of augmented reality RPG for the Nintendo 3DS, I've found that their roots go back further than Pokemon.%Gallery-169215%
Portabliss: The Denpa Men (3DS eShop)
This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go. The Denpa Men (officially The "DENPA" Men: They Came By Wave) seems at first glance like something new, alien, and weird, thanks to its augmented reality gimmick and, well, this video. But upon actually playing it, I discovered that this game was designed for comfort in a way that I wish every classic RPG had been.I don't mean it's easy – in fact, only one of my four-person party survived the boss battle at the end of the demo. But everything about the interface is streamlined to allow you to play without any of the repetitive annoyances that turn people off of classic dungeon RPGs.
Finally, Harlequin romance novels on DS
DS games are great, and those 100 Classic Books are pretty classic and all, but they lack heaving bosoms. Nintendo of Japan and developer Genius Sonority are stepping in, shirts open and hair flowing gently in the wind, to come to the rescue of romance-starved DS owners with Love Stories for Adults: DS Harlequin Selection, a cartridge of Harlequin romance novels, out in Japan on February 25. The cart contains 33 romance novels, five of which (gasp) are new to Japan. It also features summaries of previously read segments, a glossary, music and text size options, and even charts of characters' relations to each other. Sure, romance novels may not be what we're all into, and e-books may not necessarily need to be collected on cartridges like this, but we are fully in support of the use of the DS for the delivery of books -- and we like the ideas behind all the enhanced content. [Via Andriasang]
DS Daily: Novelty
Nintendo finally got around to showing off the UK release of their book compilation, now called 100 Classic Book Collection. Some of us are way into it, while others see it as cashing in on the public domain. If 100 Classic Book Collection hasn't already captured your attention, what features would elevate it in your estimation? Is there a certain function or interface element that would make Book Collection more useful or more tempting? Or is your disinterest simply related to the selections on the cartridge?If you are eagerly anticipating the collection, what about it attracts you? Specific inclusions in the catalog? Something about the interface? Pure portability?%Gallery-38092%
Disney Fairies will please little girls this winter
Disney announced today that a game called Disney Fairies will be heading to the Nintendo DS this holiday season. Apparently, Disney Fairies is an entire franchise, spanning books, online minigames, movies, and maybe even other forms of media, too.The DS game will let young girls (we hate to generalize, but come on) dress and accessorize Tinker Bell, as well as barter for more clothes from other fairies. (After all, why not let Tinks wear something other than a leaf dress?) Other activities will include minigames, of course, and completing tasks for the fairies of Pixie Hollow. Disney Fairies will also make use of Disney's new DGamer service, which launched last week. Confession: If this game had come out when this blogger was a wee lass -- oh, never mind, there's no sense in shaming the DS Fanboy staff and girl gamers all over the world. (Oops, too late.)[Via Kotaku]
Counting Rupees: The WiiCube
Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming: In my last column I suggested that, if Microsoft is to make a Wii-like controller, it should still continue to focus on the "traditional" types of games that have so far made the 360 a success, because Nintendo had already basically wrapped up the "casual" crowd. I also mentioned that the only Wii games that are apparently selling are Nintendo games and some casual games. And with that in mind, the New York Times published an article on Monday detailing that, while the Wii hardware is selling well, even seemingly popular Wii software still has some trouble continuing to sell to the Wii audience.
Wii Fanswag: Win a copy of Dragon Quest Swords
We've been sitting on this copy of Square Enix's Dragon Quest Swords (retails for $50) for a little longer than we would've liked, but we're now ready to gift it to one lucky reader. As with the majority of our giveaways, there are some rules that must be followed. First of all, you must be 18 years of age or older to enter, as well as a current resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). Sorry, no getting around these two. Also, in order to enter, you only need leave a comment telling us what your favorite Dragon Quest (or Dragon Warrior) game is. And you may only leave one comment per day, or else you'll be disqualified from the giveaway. We'll be ending the contest on Sunday, March 16th at 11:59PM Eastern. All comments after that time will be disqualified and we'll announce the winner (chosen via random drawing) on Monday. For a full and very complete list of rules, click here. %Gallery-3929%
Wii Fanboy Review: Dragon Quest Swords
In a lot of ways, Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is a lot like the Wii itself. It appeals to a new kind of gamer by making sacrifices for the greater good, and introduces them to a genre they might not have known of or cared enough about in the past. However, in making these sacrifices, Dragon Quest Swords ultimately fails as a RPG. But that's not the end of the world, necessarily, because this is a title to ease gamers into the genre, ignoring the best features and aspects of modern RPG titles and replacing them with simple gameplay and an overall easily accessible package. But longtime fans of the Dragon Quest (previously Dragon Warrior) franchise will find that this game is a lackluster spin-off. Most folks will tell you that a RPG ultimately needs two things: a good story and an engaging battle system. This game, sadly, falls flat on both accounts. %Gallery-3929%
Wii releases for the week of February 18th
It looks like Balloon Pop got pushed back a week, meaning that it did not release last week, but is hitting retail shelves this week. We're sure that's not the game you are all dying to play, however. No, we look at this list of releases and know only one experience can satisfy your lust for a worthwhile gaming experience: Pimp My Ride. That's right, if you've got the disease, then Xzibit and his car-modifying friends are the doctors, ready to force a bottle of antibiotics down the throat of your craptastic car. Oh, and some Square Enix game is coming out, too. Apparently, it's like some kind of spin-off from one of their huge franchises or something. Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors Pimp My Ride Balloon Pop MX vs. ATV Untamed Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection %Gallery-3929%
Dragon Quest Swords release date pushed up
Square-Enix fans (in North America, at least) will be happy to know that the release date for Dragon Quest Swords has been bumped up, perhaps to put a little more space between itself and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. That's right, this isn't news about a delay -- the game will actually be coming out earlier than it was originally planned for. The initial release date for the spin-off was February 26th. The game was only pushed up one week, but still, we like the sound of February 19th a lot better. Does that make any of you Dragon Quest lovers breathe easier? Or, is it still a little too close for comfort (and possibly too hard on your wallets) to, you know, the release of that other game? [Via press release] %Gallery-3929%
We almost forgot what Dragon Quest Swords looked like [update]
Seriously, we're looking forward to the title and all, but it's been so long. The game released in Japan months ago, yet the rest of us are left sitting and waiting for Square Enix's Dragon Quest spin-off. Now, with just about a month until it releases here in the states, it would appear the first ad for the game has found its way onto the internet. Sadly, we're not sure if this is the first of many or the entirety of Square Enix's television marketing campaign. Update: Reader strongbad80 writes in to inform us that this is a video to be played inside game stores such as Gamestop and not a television ad.
DQ Swords slashes wallets in February
Word hits that North American gamers can get their Dragon Quest fix come February 26th, when Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors releases to hungry fans. And, Dragon Quest fans are their own kind of breed of hungry fans, eagerly clawing and destroying anything in their path to that game. We suggest you stay locked indoors when that day comes. For any of you who might have forgotten exactly what the game is like, check out some videos and screens for the game. And, care to comment on whether you're looking forward to this or not? Are you hoping for a more traditional Dragon Quest game on the Wii sometime in the future?
Dragon Quest Swords unsheathed Feb. 26
And be sure to have your brain thank us for the last-minute headline edit which saw the removal "unshwiithed." It's best we use a concise sentence to inform you that Dragon Quest Swords is, in fact, a Wii game due for release in North America on February 26th, 2008. Oh, and there's a subtitle too: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors. Where most games would settle for just a masked queen or a tower of mirrors, Square Enix goes the extra mile and gives you both for the price of one game. Watch out, Orange Box! As for the game itself, the press release dutifully reminds us that it's essentially a foray into first-person fencing, placing "a mighty blade, protective shield and special attacks all in the palm of your hand." We're not sure how much of a chance you stand with such teeny tiny weaponry, but hardened Dragon Quest fans should do alright.
Getting your sword dirty in Dragon Quest Swords
Siliconera has gotten their hands on a Japanese copy of Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors. In taking the game for a spin, they carefully document the beginning portions of the game and let us all know what to expect from the upcoming Square Enix title. First, navigation sounds like it will be a pain. Unlike most 3D titles, you will not have analog control over your character, instead requiring you to move as if you're "walking around in Resident Evil 1." Ouch, that's not very good. Also, when navigating the enemy-infested areas, the game goes semi on-rails. There's two strikes. Battling seems to add lots of flavor, though. In describing the many formations of enemies and their own distinctive attacks, as well as the art of blocking, we've found the thing that offsets the lack of navigational freedom, in our eyes. Seriously, it could probably get repetitive after a bit (we're just speculating here, having never played the game), but overall it looks to be very fun. See also: Massive amount of Dragon Quest Swords videos
New Dragon Quest Swords footage is looking ace
The Wii exclusive Dragon Quest Swords was released in Japan this week and GameVideos has begun to slash and waggle their way through the first Square-Enix title for Nintendo's console. It's come a long way since its original debut and is looking quite nice by any standards. A knack for pleasant art will do that for you. Using the Wii remote as a sword and a shield, Swords appears to play like an intensely updated Crossed Swords -- a true, unsung classic of the Neo-Geo. IGN was the last outlet to go in-depth with the title, should you wish to learn more. [Update - What? No nunchuk shield? Weak.]
Massive Dragon Quest video update
We may have had screens to drool over recently, but we'll always take video over screens any day of the week. And it's video overload at the Japanese site for Dragon Quest Swords as the site houses not one, or two videos, but an incredible nine different snippets from the game. So, without further ado, let's check out the videos: Video - Encountering and fighting the enemy Video - Taking a stroll Video - Selecting enemies Video - Character assistance Video - Narration Video - NPC interaction Video - Navigating a river Video - Activating sword powers Video - Monsters montage [Via Codename Revolution]
Gossipy Dragon Quest Swords screens
The latest batch of screens of Square Enix's rail-RPG Dragon Quest Swords focuses entirely on everyone's favorite part of any RPG: talking to townspeople. We don't know about you, but we were afraid the game would be all about swordfighting! Sometimes we rush through the tedious boss fights and story progression so we can get back to town and hear the single, repeated piece of information from every citizen. We just want to hear all about their lives. It reinvigorates us for more hours of grinding right outside of town!
Japanese Dragon Quest Swords boxart
When anything at all happens related to a Dragon Quest game, we pay attention. Therefore, we felt that the newly-released Japanese boxart for Dragon Quest Swords was worth posting. Take an early look at something that's going to be in pretty much every Japanese home after July 12th! The boxart looks pretty nice, actually. We appreciate it when publishers put actual hand-drawn art on the cover instead of action poses of the main character's 3D model. Especially when it's Akira Toriyama art, which we continue to like despite Dragon Ball Z.
