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Rumor: Cross Edge headed Stateside
Unfortunately, ensemble titles involving characters from multiple Japanese companies traditionally failed to get released in the US due to licensing issues (think Namco x Capcom and Jump Super Stars). So most of us pretty much thought Cross Edge was going to suffer the same fate; afterall, it features characters from IPs such as Darkstalkers, Disgaea, Ar Tonelico to name a few. Luckily, Siliconera is reporting that "trusted source" has informed them that a company "we know very well" will be releasing the title stateside. We are crossing our fingers and toes hoping this is true, and it will certainly help quench the thirst of PS3 owners for JPRGs. Check out the known roster of the game after the jump, again courtesy of Siliconera.
A plethora of Disgaea spinoff screenshots featuring Prinny
Want more Prinny action? There are almost 65 screenshots from Prinny: Is It Okay If I Am The Main Character? over at Game Watch right now, just waiting for you to check them out. Most of the screenshots explain the mechanics of the game: dashing, jumping, throwing, and more. Then there are fancier moves like a hip attack, cutting and finally, the Prinny blast.This platformer will be headed to Japan at end of November, but a demo will be landing the Japanese PS Store on September 29th. No release info yet for anywhere else in the world. Check the rest of the screenshots of our favorite tormented souls in action here.[Via PSPHyper]
Get a glimpse of Disgaea DS
Both veteran Disgaea fans and new fans who want to experience the series for the first time are getting ready for the release of Disgaea DS. The strategizing won't begin until September 23rd, but until then, it's a good idea for us to know exactly what we're getting into by observing some gameplay action. We think that the presentation is pretty nice on the DS, and although the graphics may have toned down in the translation, the visuals aren't wanting for anything. As for the gameplay, Disgaea virgins will notice from the videos that while the grid-based style is familiar, the actual execution differs from many other strategy games. Come September, we're ready to sacrifice hundreds of hours of our lives playing this title. Are you with us? More battle footage lies after the break!
Characters galore appear in this Cross Edge trailer
It's time to get your translating hats on, everyone. A Japanese trailer for Cross Edge has hit the airwaves and we have no idea what it's saying. We see a ton of cast members, from Darkstalkers, Disgaea, the Atelier series (including Mana Khemia) as well as Ar Tonelico, doling out some voice-acting skills and massive damage. We're not quite sure what the game is about or how all these characters end up fighting alongside the main characters of the game, but the battles seem frenetic and entertaining. We're itching to see more because 2D is far from dead. [Via Siliconera]
Yep, Mana Khemia is making its way to PSP's outside of Japan
Even though it saw release on the PlayStation 2 a few months ago, NIS America has confirmed the rumors that Mana Khemia is making its way onto PSP's in the US. This enhanced port will feature the core game, plus some new multiplayer support options. You can also choose to install portions of the game onto a memory stick to reduce load times. This enhanced port will make its appearance this September.[Via PSPHyper]
Nintendo Power DS mockup just a NIS advertising 'edit'
Remember the crazy ad in Nintendo Power (pictured above) that "hinted" at a DS redesign? (You should; we only posted about it two days ago, silly rabbits.) It turns out that the poor Photoshop job is nothing to speculate about, as NIS America only "placed screenshots on a DS backing to emphasize the platform, and edited them for effect." Now, we never took Marketing 101, but that seems like somewhat misleading advertising to us.NIS America's marketing guru Nao Zook apologized for any confusion that the picture may have caused, stating that there is no widescreen DS in the works (to her or the company's knowledge). So, you can rest assured (or at least hold your breath until E3) that you won't have to pony up the cash for yet another DS. Gallery: Nintendo DS mockups Gallery: Disgaea
Cross Edge promotional art reveals more characters
Some promotional art for the PlayStation 3 game Cross Edge has been located -- it's blurry, but we're not picky. This cross-over game features characters from multiple franchises including Darkstalkers and various Nippon Ichi and Gust properties. Compile Heart has slapped up a bunch of characters on said promotional art, but we can't identify them all. SiliconEra has an updated roster from what they could identify, but it's far from complete. If you can name any of the characters on there they haven't, you'll not only get huge props, but a freshly-baked bundle of e-cookies will be shipped to your e-stomach.
Rhapsody: A Stack of Screens
Nippon Ichi seems determined to show us as much of Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure while it still can. Impress Watch now has an update of 69 screens (some of which we have seen previously, but plenty of which are new) and pieces of character art, which follows other screenshot-heavy previews here and here. At this rate, recreating a flip book of the entire game by the time it hits Japan in August might not be out of the question.Actually ... holy crap, that's a great idea. While we head out to the store for scissors and glue sticks, check out the latest avalanche of images at the "Source" link below.
Rhapsody: A Musical Minigame
NIS is including extra stuff with the DS version of Rhapsody, in addition to the inevitable Etna/Prinny cameos that will ensure that PS2-era NIS nerds will desire this PS1-era NIS remake. Cornet's trumpet-playing has been expanded into a minigame in which Cornet plays trumpet in the town square to earn Imotium chips from the townspeople. This takes the form of a minigame in which you blow into the microphone in time with an onscreen indicator.Other new stuff includes a "Kansatsu Notes" feature, in which not only does the game provide a database of information about its characters and monsters, but the main characters offer commentary as well. Dengeki has posted tons of screens of these modes and other parts of Rhapsody.
Spectral Force Genesis hits Japan tomorrow, box art unveiled
And this little game that nobody loved -- turned out to be totally awesome. As the Japanese release date draws closer (like, tomorrow) we've stumbled upon some new screens and the final box art for the mucho-grando strategy RPG, Spectral Force Genesis.The crafty importers among you should be looking out for these shady characters when ordering the next shipment from Japan. You'll be a bit lost if you can't read Japanese, and the ultra-eccentric anime art style isn't going to attract anyone who isn't an established fan. Only the powers of the English language and North America can do that, and at this stage it's somewhat unlikely. Two new screens follow after the break, so order this bad boy if you just know it's a winner.
Disgaea 3 expansions hitting every month until '09 in Japan
It's not even released outside of Japan yet, but Nippon Ichi has been steadily planning Disgaea 3 expansions for consumption. While these updates and such may just be for Japan, it's likely we'll either see them incorporated into our game from the start or will see them on the PlayStation Store shortly after the game is localized. Anyway, starting June 27, there will be one pack per month until January of 2009 -- contents vary. In June, a new character will be available and sometime in Winter, new scenarios will open up. These aren't free, but only cost the Japanese fans 100 yen per pack. We'll find out in August what'll become of these updates outside of Japan.[Via Siliconera]
Don't expect Spectral Force Genesis from NIS America
During his interview with NIS America president Haru Akenaga, Spencer Yip made a point to inquire about the company's plans for many specific games, including those from companies with whom NIS has worked in the past. Spectral Force Genesis, the new SRPG from Idea Factory, came up. With unexpected candor, Akenaga confirmed that a localization of that or any Idea Factory title was unlikely:"We have a relationship with them, but unfortunately our mission is to release quality titles. Their titles are good, but not good as we expected. That's our reason. They always ask us to localize their titles, but at this moment we answer with 'we're sorry'."Atlus, Mastiff, O3 (who did the amazing localization of Idea Factory's Chaos Wars) and other small publishers are still a possibility, but NIS definitely doesn't have interest in working with the company. Which is good, because that particular bridge is pretty well toasted.
NIS asks you to customize Disgaea 3 bonus soundtrack
It's one thing to get a bonus for pre-ordering a game and it's another to actually be empowered in deciding what that pre-order bonus will be. NIS America is giving you that power by letting you choose the songs and cover art for the bonus soundtrack that comes with a Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice pre-order.If you head over to this voting site, you can listen to songs from all three Disgaea games and also vote for up to five songs from each game. Voting ends July 7, so get started here. Disgaea 3, a PS3-exclusive S-RPG, is expected for an August 2008 release in North America.[Via RPGLand]
A Witch's Tale casts a spell on us
NIS America's workload for the rest of 2008 is greater than we initially thought. Not only are there localizations of Disgaea and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure to take care of, but the company is developing an entirely new ARPG, A Witch's Tale.Due in October, the game tells the story of a tribe of witches who lived beneath the world's surface, practicing rune magic. One day, they set out to invade the surface world, but are stopped by a mysterious figure by the name of Alice, who seals the witches underground again with their own magic. The trailer above is the only media of the title released thus far, and features no gameplay sections (though Siliconera reveals that players must draw runes on the touchscreen to attack enemies), but we like what we're seeing so far: there's a fairly charming gothic fairytale vibe to proceedings.
Music to our ears: NIS America announces Rhapsody
In an interview with RPGamer, NIS America's Jack Niida bluntly confirmed a U.S. release of the remake of Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure. RPGamer asked him if the game was coming out, and he said "Rhapsody ~A Musical Adventure~ is coming to the Nintendo DS here in North America." This is the only time in history that just asking about an unannounced game resulted in a definitive answer. There's no date yet, but the Japanese version isn't out until August, so we'd expect the holidays at the earliest. Localization and voice recording take time (unless they're using the existing English script), and getting Disgaea DS out will probably take priority for NIS. We'll find out more about the company's plans on the 6th, when NIS will hold a press event. Niida promises "surprise announcements," which could be anything from Jigsaw World (fairly likely) to The Combini (pretty much no chance) to non-DS stuff.[Via NeoGAF]
Jigsaw World's puzzling special attacks
Nippon Ichi's Jigsaw World is bizarre in a few different ways. It's not a port, which makes it rare among NIS's DS games. It's not a strategy RPG, which makes it fairly unique among NIS's games in general. Oh, and also, it's an anime-style action game about completing jigsaw puzzles.The latest screens of Jigsaw World, which comes out this month, show off the giant special attacks employed by each character, which affect both competitors and the puzzles themselves. For example, Mikan the cat/fruit crate (as far as we can tell!) can automatically fit a piece into the right place at the highest level of its explosive, orangey special attack.
Rhapsody: A Visual Adventure
Nippon Ichi's DS Rhapsody remake, Marl Oukoku no Ningyou Hime: Tenshi ga Kanaderu Uta (The Puppet Princess of Marl Kingdom: Love Song Played by an Angel) promises the same kind of idiosyncratic, low-difficulty tactical RPG combat seen in the PlayStation version, including Cornet's dessert-based Reward attacks (as seen in this screenshot). It also promises musical interludes in lieu of traditional cutscenes, because that's Rhapsody's whole gimmick, really. This time, however, the perspective of the battles has changed, though the genre is apparently the same: while battles were originally presented in an isometric view with visible grids, they seem to be a more Final Fantasy-like side view now. Check out GAME Watch for a ton of screens!
The Combini: a very important training program
The Combini is really a smart series for Nippon Ichi to put on the DS: what was once called a "video game" can now be presented as "management training" and sold to very serious people who don't want to waste their valuable train time with anything that's not going to give them a business edge. It's not a game, no! It's training. For business. Also it looks like it would be cheap to make.New elements in The Combini on the DS include a "president's office," from which you can get in-game help from your secretary and look at graphs on your PC. As you acquire wealth, you can upgrade your office. Other than that, The Combini is all about opening up stores in strategic locations near popular buildings, in one city at a time, hiring staff and placing products. You'll create direct-mail ads and commercials and track other developing buildings around the city. Oh, and of course you'll build "business power."
Japan to be ecstatic for Rhapsody this summer
For our very lucky brothers and sisters living in Japan, this one's for you. Dated for this August is the release of Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, Nippon Ichi's SRPG. This has little weight with those of us living outside of the country, who're forced to wait until SRPGs are localized. We know, it's just horrible.Spencer over at Siliconera is of the mind that the title could wash up on North American shores come the end of the year, however. So for those of you looking to throw down in a very careful and meticulously plotted manner, cross your fingers. You just might get your wish.[Via Siliconera]
Run your own convenience store thanks to Nippon Ichi
Nippon Ichi announced that it had five DS games in the pipeline back in February, at least three of which have been revealed since.Amongst those five was an unnamed "management sim," and NIS has now revealed The Combini DS: Otona no Keiei Ryoku Training (The Combini DS: Adult's Management Power Training), a game that focuses on the smooth running of a convenience store.Although the game's title hints at a piece of training software for store management wannabes, there are also town-building elements present here, with the success of your store influencing the growth and wellbeing of your town. You'll also have to deal with rival stores competing for your business, and maybe get a chance to bully your minimum wage employees about. There'll be no paid overtime or crafty cigarette breaks in the stockroom in our virtual store!Head to the checkout past the post break for more screens.
