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A fitting legacy for your Legacy of Ys preorder
Preorder perk ahoy! For the February 10 launch of Legacy of Ys Books I & II, Atlus will be offering jammy U.S. and Canada-based gamers a sweet preorder bonus: a limited edition soundtrack CD, featuring tracks from both Ys I and Ys II. As far as we know, this will be available at Amazon and GameStop. The revised translation for this DS remake had already roped us in, but now we're counting down the days hours minutes. As the press release we received notes, the Ys series is renowned for having wonderful music. If you're new to the series, you can head to this part of Atlus' website to listen to a few samples for yourself. %Gallery-9296%[Via press release]
A new Legacy of Ys translation
Atlus may have just given us another reason to buy the DS Legacy of Ys Books I & II instead of (or in addition to) just dropping $8 for the Virtual Console version: for the first time since that release, the games will have a new official translation. Given that Atlus does better localizations than most companies now, they are almost guaranteed to do a better job than circa-1990 NEC.In a press release, project lead Sam Mullen said "We're not taking this lightly, but we also see this as an opportunity to give the game a 21st-century localization, a new script to match the game's remade features."We rather like the idea of carefully-considered text in the classic action RPG! Wander into our gallery for new screens of this new-ish game.%Gallery-9296%
DS Daily: Ys or no
Atlus will publish Interchannel's DS remakes of the endlessly remade first two Ys games to North America next year. Japanese gamers are pretty familiar with Falcom and their venerable ARPG series, but it never really caught on outside of Japan, despite a decent number of releases making it over here on the Sega Master System, Turbografx-16 CD-Rom, Super NES, and other systems.How familiar are you with Ys? Did you pass over the Virtual Console release in anticipation of the announcement of this DS game? Did that recent release pique your curiosity about the series? Or has Atlus's involvement gotten your attention? Alternately, you love these two games so much that you'll pick them up on every available system?[Wallpaper found here]
Japanese hospitals want Dementium off store shelves
Dementium: The Ward hit Japan this year (along with a colorful launch event for the game), yet is now enduring its first public outcry in the country. According to Yahoo! News (and Google's translation tools), the Japanese Association of Psychiatric Hospitals has requested that the title be removed from shops instantly, arguing that the game could instigate "discrimination and prejudice" against sufferers of psychiatric disorders. Interchannel distributes the game in Japan, and has yet to comment, but Mike Wilson of [U.S. publisher] Gamecock did proffer a view to MTV Multiplayer, stating that the criticism is down to a "lack of understanding or appreciation (and therefore fear of) games outside our little sub-culture." He also confessed to being "thrilled" by the extra attention the game has enjoyed as a result; as the game failed to penetrate the Japanese top 30, we know what he means.%Gallery-4929%[Via MTV Multiplayer]
Asylums, nurses, and gore: Dementium's awesome Japanese launch event
Dementium: The Ward launches in Japan today, and Japanese publisher Interchannel-Holon could not have found a more perfect venue to promote Renegade Kid's horror title*. "Alcatraz E.R." is a novelty restaurant in Tokyo's Shibuya ward with a mental asylum theme where patrons must announce their blood type before entering. They are then handcuffed by girls dressed as nurses who serve up food in surgical trays and drinks in hospital drips.In other words, it's a totally amazing and ideal place for a Dementium promotion. Hit the break for more gory pics of the press-only event (our invites must have got lost in the mail). * Admittedly, they could have used an actual abandoned psychiatric asylum, but that probably comes with its own issues.%Gallery-4929%
Ys I & II DS get bundled, still cost too much
The remakes of Ys I & II should have been sold in one package to start with, as 5,040 yen ($49) each is rather a lot to pay for yet more Ys remakes -- especially since they were released on the same day and therefore fully intended by Interchannel to be sold together. All but about 1,000 Japanese DS owners agreed, as the games sold 2,000 copies combined in their first week.7dream.com, an online retailer run by 7-Eleven and NEC (who used to own Interchannel, the company publishing these games) is now offering a "Special Box" of Ys I & II DS containing both games, a soundtrack CD, and, yes, a special box. While it's awesome to have both games in one deluxe package, the 9,800 yen ($95) price probably won't boost sales that much.[Via Inside Games]
Ys to get JP release in Fb
GAME Watch has revealed the Japanese release date for the Ys remakes: both drop on the same day, February 28th. If you think you'll be in the mood for $92 worth of ported action RPG, these seem like appropriate purchases. Of course, they almost seem worth it based on their boxarts alone. Featuring the original art we previously wowed over, they show that somebody still knows how to make RPG boxarts-- and it's Interchannel, a company who primarily makes dating games. Check the link for the Ys II boxart, and be sure to poke around the official site for a few screenshots.
Ys I & II remakes look like Ys, on the DS
The Age of Remakes continues, as more old stuff is resurrected for the newly re-energized Japanese game market. Screens for the new Ys remakes for the DS have been released, and they look pretty nice! Somewhat controversially, the environments have been remade in 3D; while the change certainly doesn't make the game look any nicer than the recent PC releases, we think it looks okay.We're hoping for an American release of these games (at a significantly reduced price), because a handheld release would finally provide us with the impetus to spend some time with Ys I and II. Alternately, we could play the Turbografx-16 CD-Rom version on the Virtual Console in the near future (we're sure), but we'd enjoy the portable option.Check out our galleries of the games and see if you're up for some vintage action-RPG games!%Gallery-9295%%Gallery-9296%
Ys inevitably lands on DS
The DS has previously seen one not-very-representative entry in Falcom's vaunted Ys series in Ys Strategy, but now some proper action-RPGs will make their way. The first two Ys games will be released for the DS in Spring 2008, at an unfortunate price of 5040 yen ($44) each. The remakes, from Interchannel, will include new multiplayer modes, and the usual DS stuff (stats on one screen, action on the other). They'll also swap out the original bump-into-enemies combat style for the Eternal versions' more conventional attack button.This had to happen sooner or later. The DS is a system popular with Japanese gamers, and these Ys games have been ported and remade endlessly. Ys, for example, has appeared on seven different Japanese computer formats (not including DOS), Windows, NES, Sega Master System, Saturn, PS2, cell phones, and the Turbografx 16 CD ROM. Most recently, the TG16 CD-ROM version was released on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan. [via NeoGAF]
Majesco bringing Ecoris to the states
Regular readers will recognize Majesco's latest game announced for the US, Eco Creatures: Save the Forest, as Ecoris, the FernGully-esque RTS that came out in Japan just last month. We thought for sure that this niche title would never make it stateside, but we're happy to see Majesco prove us wrong. Billed as "the first eco-conscious game for the Nintendo DS," Eco Creatures has you leading a woodland army against the pollution and industrialization taking over your Mana Woods. In addition to battling your friends locally (single-card download play and multi-card) and online, you'll also be able to create your own maps to play. Look for Eco Creatures: Save the Forest to plant itself in North America early 2008.%Gallery-4106%
New details on Ecoris
The more we learn about Ecoris, the eco-centric RTS, the more we're planning to riot if the game doesn't get an English-language release. Get Atlus on the project right now!The latest updates on Ecoris focus on the beginning of the game, and there are some new details on online play as well. As the story opens, our fruity hero, Durian (sometimes Dorian in non-Japanese articles) begins to notice that not all is well in the forest. Development and pollution are destroying the ecosystem. He's not alone in his observations; the squirrels have noticed the same thing. On their own, the forest creatures are too weak to fight back ... but if they team up, anything is possible. Some other interesting facts about the game: apparently, there's a level-creation mode (we can only guess this comes in as you start to rebuild the forest), and once created, you can utilize those new stages in online battles. Our translation here may be a little rough, but it also seems as though Durian can either summon some sort of ancestral spirit, or take on its form, and you will need that power to pass certain sections. Ecoris is sounding more fascinating every day. For those gamers for whom the language barrier isn't a barrier at all, this one is looking like it may just be a must-import title.
Ecoris or Ecolis -- either way, the online is multiplayer
To those of you who were less-than-pleased at the idea of a RTS title with a bacteria flavor, it looks like Ecolis is now known as Ecoris. The good news is that the game is still adorable, and it looks like the Wi-Fi capability will in fact be online multiplayer. Now if only someone would explain exactly what the hero, Dorian, is. Jeux-France likens him to a Totoro, but we remain unconvinced. You can ponder his origins while perusing the new images in our updated gallery below.Ecoris is scheduled for an August release in Japan, and we're crossing our fingers for a localization some time after that.%Gallery-4106%
Ecolis boxart reveals WiFi and panda support
Online support seems like a prerequisite for any decent RTS release, but it's never safe to assume with DS and Wii games. Thankfully, the boxart for Ecolis indicates that the InterChannel title will make use of Nintendo's WiFi connection in addition to its "download play" features. We're not sure if that means online duels, item shops, or a near-useless messaging system, but it's something -- a quantity that's arguably better than nothing. If you haven't been properly introduced, Ecolis is a strategy title in which you command an army of woodland creatures against the pollution and deforestation taking over their homes. You'll also be tackling issues like global warming and recycling while you plant new trees to restore damaged forests. The eco-friendly message doesn't end there; as evidenced by the panda stamped on the game's packaging, a portion of Ecolis' proceeds will be donated to Japan's World Wide Fund for Nature.%Gallery-4106%[Via Ruliweb]
Command an army of squirrels with Ecolis
We're not sure how we missed Ecolis when the game was first announced last February, but Insert Credit thankfully brought the colorful RTS to our eager attention. Developed by Lightweight (Bushido Blade series), Ecolis charges you with the task of defending wilderness habitats from pollution and deforestation. You'll have a variety of woodland creatures to manage and command during the FernGully-esque adventure. The concept art alone was enough to leave us charmed, but the accompanying screenshots are filled with just as much character. Head past the post break for Famitsu's magazine scans of the title from a few months ago. If you have any idea what that orange, message-bag-carrying creature is supposed to be, make sure to drop us a line.
