jrpg
Latest
Tales of the World coming to America
We've complained about our lack of Tales of the World a lot on the Fanboy. Well, it looks like Namco Bandai is finally listening and giving English-speaking gamers what we want: a localized version of Tales of the World. This PSP-exclusive RPG is a fan-service feast for Tales fans, featuring characters from previous Tales games, such as Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss.In an interview with IGN, Namco Bandai revealed that "players will be able to use Grade Points they have earned in battle to purchase special items or equipment ... the US version of Tales of the World will be slightly more tuned than the overseas version."While that's certainly good news, we can only hope for more in the future: "Although I do not have details as to whether other PSP Tales titles will be reaching the shores of the US at this point, I can say that such possibilities do indeed exist." Tales of the World will hit American shores later this year.See also:Pictures, Anime Intro, Video
New screens from Dragon Quest Swords
While what we really want are closer impressions of the intriguing character designs, we'll take whatever screenshots we can get from Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors, because we eat RPGs like sweet, sweet candy. Behind the jump, we have loads of screens for you -- check 'em out! As an aside ... wtf, isn't that bridge in Lufaise Meadows? It looks like a place we may have lain, all corpsified and angry.
Trusty Bell Update: New screenshots and website
Known as Eternal Sonata on this side of the ocean, Tri-Crescendo's (Baten Kaitos, Baten Kaitos Origins) Xbox 360 RPG Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream is gearing up for a Summer release in Japan. Details have been scarce since its incredible Tokyo Game Show debut this past year and today a slew of new screenshots and artwork have popped up. The official site has also been updated with a brand-new look, as well as a direct-feed version of the original trailer, last seen at the Tokyo Game Show. Trusty Bell will be hitting the streets of Japan in June and with any luck, the States by the end of this year. Read - The latest Trusty Bell Screenshots Read - A newly outfitted website for Trusty Bell [Update - We made the classic Ace/Crescendo mix-up. Thanks, Taf!]
Eternal Sonata screens drip with happiness
Alright, we're excited about Eternal Sonata. That's a given now. We want to play it and enjoy its wonderful Chopin-has-magical-friends story. We want it bad. Maybe that makes us just a little strange, but we don't care. It looks wondrous and we hope there are unicorns in it. If you're like us and aren't afraid to admit your addiction to child-like wonder, you may be interested in scoping out some new screens of Eternal Sonata over at Xboxygen. They are filled with color, sparkles, and baguettes. Hit the "read" link to enjoy them all.
Trusty Bell: new scans, Japan release date
Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream (known as Eternal Sonata in the west) has finally received a Japanese release date. Featured in the latest Famitsu, Bandai Namco's Trusty Bell will arrive in Japan on June 14th. For those that don't know (the game has been off the radar since TGS) Trusty Bell is an RPG involving Chopin (the composer), a dream world, and lots of interesting characters. With a Japanese release date of June 14th, we just might see the US localization before next year. In the meantime, check out some fresh scans at Xboxyde. See also: GameStop: Blue Dragon roars in June
Riviera: The Promised Land makes it way to the US
Like Disgaea, Riviera is a 2D sprite-based RPG that hardcore gamers seem to be entranced by. However, unlike NIS's darling, Riviera is actually finding a US release. It'll arrive in June, featuring new event scenes, a CD-quality soundtrack and a dual-language track for voice acting (wow!). That's something the GBA version never could've handled. Heck, even the DS wouldn't be able to do that.[Thanks, Bud! Via RPGFan]See also:First Riviera: The Promised Land video released
Throaty Valhalla Knights trailer
Is it just me or does this narrator have something caught in his throat? He sounds like he's trying to hard to do the deep, intimidating announcer voice. C'mon, XSEED: there's no need to fool around like that! The trailer does a good job of selling itself! What do you think fanboys? Are you getting excited? We'll find out for sure when the game comes out on April 17th.
PSP Fanboy review: Monster Kingdom
Note: You may be interested in reading our extensive hands-on preview.The PSP has no shortage of RPGs in its library. Yet, why have none found true success on the platform? The role playing games that have been arriving on Sony's portable have tended to be formulaic, generic, and littered with technical flaws (such as painful load times). However, Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner is a great step in the right direction. While it may not provide truly original gameplay, or characters, it's executed in fine technical form, making it easily the best RPG on the system so far. While it certainly has its share of flaws, anyone longing for an accessible, addictive, and well-crafted RPG will want to seriously consider Jewel Summoner.
Makai Wars resurrected; Disgaea to continue
Makai Wars, a strategy RPG for PSP, was long thought to be dead. Gone. Canceled. Well, it looks like the project isn't quite over yet. RPGFan held an exclusive interview with the fan-favorite Nippon Ichi Software, and they've received confirmation that the development team has resumed work on this long-delayed game (it made its first appearance at E3 2004!). Surely, the brisk sales of Disgaea Portable have something to do with this PSP resurrection? According to RPGFan, "The performance of its PlayStation Portable debut, Disgaea Portable in Japan apparently exceeded internal expectations. Furthermore, future handheld releases are also under consideration." Of course, we Americans still haven't received a localized version of Disgaea. While a portable sequel would be great, our pleas for the PSP version of Disgaea to head stateside seem to be largely ignored. [Via IGN]
DQM sells over a million
By way of Father, we are informed of a great feat on the part of Square-Enix's Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker. This feat, which you may have guessed based on the post title, is surpassing the million sold mark in Japan. The game released on December 28th in Japan, meaning that the title has accomplished this in little under a month. What's even more impressive is that this is only the second third-party title to achieve the million mark in Japan, with the previous title being Bandai's Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi. Japanese consumers were distraught in trying to find the game this last week, however stocks have been replenished today, hopefully quenching the thirsty Japanese public.
FFI & FFII on PSP = most beautiful NES game EVER!
Famitsu now has direct-feed grabs of the PSP ports of Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II. Do they grab your attention? While this new "Anniversary Edition" certainly has some shiny new special effects in it, the price alone will determine whether or not I'll grab one off the shelf. Certainly, a brand new Final Fantasy game would be far more grabbing.[Via IGN]
Get a free Gurumin guide
For a limited time, gamers that rush over to the Gurumin official website will get a free 32-page mini-guide, filled with full-color art, tips, and a walkthrough of the game's first chapter. Five lucky gamers will get their guides autographed by the voice cast, which includes the likes of Tara Strong.Those of you browsing via your PSP will be interested to check out the Downloads page to get your hands on MP3s from the game's lively soundtrack. The cute, anime-inspired, Falcom-developed RPG is heading to the US on February 12th.
Jewel Summoner video preview
I wrote up an exclusive hands-on with Atlus' upcoming RPG, Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner. This video, provided by GameTrailers.com, gives you a better look at the first few hours of gameplay that I went through. Once again: notice the complete lack of load times.
Final Fantasy XII hits Europe on Feb. 23
It's about bloody time news now, with Square Enix announcing the official release date for Final Fantasy XII in PAL territories. Arriving on February 23rd (that's 2007), role-playing fans in Europe are the last to receive a game rife with political intrigue, androgynous street urchins and bunny-eared vixens. We think that might actually be the description on the back of the box.There's no mention of a fancy collector's edition, but rumor has it that the game itself is well worth the asking price. Particularly impatient gamers would do well to pick up Okami in the meantime -- it's finally out in Europe on February 9th.
Dragon Quest Swords trailer revealed
Over at Square-Enix's Japanese site, we find the main page for Dragon Quest: Swords. And by going through that, one may stumble upon a newly-released trailer for the game. In the trailer, we receive a short intro speech followed by some artwork of the game's characters being shown and, well ... we don't want to ruin the whole thing for you, so we suggest you go check it out. [Thanks creamsugar!]
Fresh from Japan: more DQMJ screens
The latest update on Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker comes from Famitsu's site, placing the game's setting at center stage. With two islands in Nobisu and Sandoro, the first being a lush and green place that possibly hides a large monster inhabitant and the second being a desert island with a large dragon monster constantly roaming about. Famitsu also talks about encountering NPCs out in the wilderness ...
Japanese site has plenty of DQMJ videos
The official Japanese DS site has a slew of videos up for Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker. The first video is pretty short, showing some of the 3D environments. The second video shows the player roaming around some more before engaging in a battle. The third video, which we find a bit more interesting than the previous two, shows the player using the previously announced splicing feature. Finally, the fourth video really doesn't make much sense to us. Last, but not least, we've got some Japanese commercials here, here, and here. One could argue that the commercials hold more worth than the other videos, offering up a cornucopia of footage for the various parts of the game, but we'll leave such a discussion for the comments section. [Via Go Nintendo]
FFV: Dragon Quest IX already rocking airwaves
We didn't expect a commercial for months yet -- but it seems fitting that just days after Dragon Quest IX was announced for the DS, there's already a commercial airing in Japan. Big news for big franchises demands big gestures ... or very short, teaseriffic ones. The brand new commercial is this week's Featured Friday Video, and you can check it out after the jump.
Legend of Heroes III announced for US audiences
Just like Bleach on the PSP, some franchises seem to get new versions on a much too frequent basis. Such is the case for Namco Bandai's upcoming US release of Falcom's latest RPG, Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean. The series hasn't been too strong at earning critical acclaim, but it doesn't seem like most PSP RPGs can. Considering how PSP owners will have to wait quite a while before either Crisis Core or Final Fantasy Tactics come out, will the latest Legend of Heroes be able to satisfy the RPG urge? We'll find out when it comes out in January.See more screenshots after the cut.See also:Legend of Heroes trailer
Screenshot explosion: Dragon Quest Swords
A whole slew of new screens for Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors have surfaced over at French gaming site Jeux-France. The images, which showcase in-battle scenes and cutscene dialogue, present a new light on the game, showing us some more of enemies we'll no doubt encounter, as well as presenting the overall experience in a much more favorable light. Of course, now that we've received some new images, it'll be that much longer before we get any more, so be sure to give these a thorough look.
