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King Story screens tell an interesting tale
We can't help but be charmed by King Story. While we've never hidden the fact that we love the game's artwork and style, seeing it all in screen form makes us even giddier. Our favorite of the batch is the world map (pictured above), which features medieval-style art that's just perfect for a game of this nature.Aside from learning that hats are serious business in this title, we've also come across a few (roughly) translated details. Since a king is nothing without his subjects, one of your tasks will be to expand your land to attract more people. There are monsters around to threaten the folks living in your country, though (see that big dragon there?), so you're going to have to vanquish those, too. There are also seven other kingdoms (you can see the eight different lands pictured in the map above), each of which has their own king. As for the towns in your country, each person has their own name, job, and business to attend to, leaving a lot of NPCs for you to interact with.But if you're looking forward to this game, don't get too excited yet. While King Story should be releasing in Japan this summer, it will probably be a long while before this title gets localized. In the meantime, though, you can check out the screens we've posted after the break.
Famitsu causes worry over Oboro Muramasa Youtouden
Normally we can't wait for Wednesdays, the day that our fellow gaming brethren report all the juicy tidbits from the latest issue of Famitsu. This week was different, though, because we found out that a game we've been looking forward to might be in trouble.According to the magazine, Vanillaware's Oboro Muramasa Youtouden is "struggling," making us super sad pandas. Not only does the game look gorgeous with its beautiful 2D sprites and atmospheres, but also -- well, actually, now that we think about it, we don't know much about this title other than how it looks. And, considering that we haven't seen any new information or media since last fall, we're not too surprised that it might be in danger of falling by the wayside. Keep in mind, though, that we don't know exactly what this "struggling" pertains to, so it may not be as scary as we think. Until further details are released, we'll just have to hope for the best.In other Famitsu news, King Story seems to be doing well and should release in Japan this summer, showing that at least one game we're excited about is on track.
Anniversary aftermath: Next year's awesome games that you forgot about
We spent yesterday going through the big releases that've been announced for next year so far -- Smash Bros. Brawl and/or Wii Fit likely topping your personal "must get" list -- but what about the second-tier games that don't usually receive much press or attention? Though we haven't forgotten about the low-key releases, we've collected a selection of games and media to ensure that these titles stay on your mind too! Read on for our top ten list of awesome 2008 games that you totally forgot about!
We Built This City on Project O (artwork)
Not all of you shared our excitement when we posted Project O's trailer two weeks ago, many questioning our declaration of the game as a "must buy." We considered sassing back with our usual acerbic wit, riposting, "Yeah, well your mother is a 'must buy.'" Oh, how it would have burned. We eventually decided against attacking our readers, opting instead to chip away at your defenses with as many updates on the RPG/sim as we can muster.Jeux-France posted new artwork of Project O's buildings and characters that strengthen analogies between the game and a Pikmin-styled RTS. Some of the structures are predictable, like the smithy and archery hut, while others, such as the mustachioed and heavy-eyebrowed fish restaurant shown above, are a bit more eccentric.We've got more images past the post break which you can preview while you try desperately in vain to shake the musical stylings of Starship out of your head. Consider that last link our weekend gift to you. You know, to make up for that whole your-mother-being-a-must-buy burn.
Project O trailer better than our wildest dreams
We've had some pretty messed up dreams in our time -- like that one where we drove through the mall in a robot octopus to pick up girls, beckoning eight of them at a time with our come-hither, mechanical arms -- so it's no small feat exceeding our sleeping imaginations. This trailer for King Story (Project O) does just that, however, seducing us in just its first fifteen seconds with an arrangement of Maurice Ravel's "Boléro."The three-minute English trailer goes over a lot of what was already revealed in yesterday's site update, but the accompanying cartoon has more charm to it than a box of leprechaun cereal. In-game clips show off your cheering villagers, town building and maintenance, and even some combat with a spicy dragon! If this RPG/sim wasn't a "must buy" for you before, it should be now.
Project O revealed as King Story
Project O, the mysterious Wii project from a supergroup of Japanese developers, is finally on its way to being a real, tangible game. Ousama Monogatari (King Story) casts the player as a boy named Corobo Bread who, thanks to a magical crown, becomes the king of a growing, obedient village. Villagers follow you around and follow your orders; as you gather more villagers, you have the ability to issue more orders, and you can add more buildings and amenities to your village. Your villagers must also fight monsters at your command. Among the drones are characters with whom you can interact personally, allowing for RPG-style storyline-- though we'd be surprised if every villager had a distinct personality, as previously . It sounds a lot like a cross between Pikmin and Actraiser to us-- which is to say, a cross between wow and yaaaaaaay.In addition to this information, we found some magazine scans of the game on NeoGAF, which are provided after the break.
TGS exhibition list light on Wii
This year's Tokyo Game Show doesn't look like it'll be as Wii-oriented as we would like. CESA, the organization that holds the show, has published a list of games to be exhibited at TGS, only eight of which are waggly. We're fairly sure that publishers wouldn't put previously unannounced games on a list before the show like this, so we assume that they're all holding back the new stuff. This looks like a list of show-floor playable games anyway, which usually doesn't include brand new games.We're happy despite the relatively small list, because it contains stuff like No More Heroes that we're dying to hear gameplay impressions of. Here are all the Wii games on the list: Nights: Journey of Dreams Ghost Squad Doraemon: Himitsu Doguo Kettei Sen Simple Wii Vol. 1 THE Everybody's Kart Race Simple Wii Vol. 2 THE Everybody's Bass Fishing Tournament Dragon Ball Z Sparking! METEOR No More Heroes Project O [Link goes to a Japanese .PDF file containing the full exhibition list for all systems.]
Project O still rolling slowly along
It's been so long since we heard anything about the fantastic Project O that as soon as new information popped up on IGN, we gobbled it like a tasty bar of chocolate. The best part? There's more information to come at this year's Tokyo Game Show. We are now officially counting down the days. For those who need a refresher, Project O is a large-scale simulation game with elements reminiscent of Harvest Moon, but from the sound of this latest interview from Famitsu, it seems this title will have some significantly darker themes, despite the cheerful anime-inspired look. Each individual NPC in Project O is set to have their own unique attitudes and memories, of both good and bad events in their lives. In fact, one of the examples given in the interview is of the darker sort, but definitely intriguing -- an NPC will be affected while traveling a route he once walked often with a girlfriend who died. How sad! And yet, that tiny, humane detail makes us rabid for this game. How will all of this affect your actions as the main character in the game? Will you even be a main character? So much remains shrouded in mystery, but we'll be watching this one anxiously for new developments.
Project O teaser site launches
Marvelous Interactive, Townfactory, and CING recently announced that they had joined their development forces in hopes of producing a new game for the Wii titled Project O. Not much else was revealed except for a vague release date of sometime in 2008, but hearing that Hotel Dusk: Room 215 developers CING are involved was enough to hold our interest. We didn't have to wait long for more hints on what the game could be, as Marvelous Interactive has already uploaded a Project O teaser site for our analysis. The concept art shows what looks like resource gathering, structure building, multiple units engaged in combat, and an overhead shot. Could this mystery title be an RTS game? We will keep you informed as more news develops![Via Jeux-France]
