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Tingle's site gets an overhaul
Releasing next month in Japan, Tingle's latest adventure for the DS has been something we've had our eye on here at DS Fanboy for some time. We're hypnotized by his sway and adorable puppy. What can we say?The mini game that we reported on last time is still there, should you wish to revisit it, but the rest of the site's content is new. With fresh art and screenshots, there should be plenty to keep you occupied.Or you could do what we're doing and just make Tingle walk back and forth...back and forth...back and forth......back and forth.
Massively dark Mass Effect screens
CVG -- the folks that pseudo confirmed Assassin's Creed for the 360 -- has posted some screens of BioWare's Mass Effect. All of them appear to be taken from combat sections of the game, and all of them are pretty dark. Perhaps that's why the CVG article in question was down at the time of this writing. Luckily, QJ has done us all a favor and hosted the images themselves.While you may not be able to make out much detail, you can at least rest assured that Mass Effect will feature super trendy nighttime levels. Lest these screens leave you doubting Mass Effect's graphical prowess, be sure and check out the video on XBLM, or right here. So, who wants this? (Me.)
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker details
Thanks to the typical chaos-incarnate informative advertisements found in Japanese magazines, some new details regarding the upcoming Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker have surfaced. The game will have the player choose a team of monsters to battle for him or her, and in typical RPG fashion, they'll get stronger as you use them. You can (genetically?) combine two monsters together, providing for new abilities and balance: the key is not simply choosing the strongest two of your bunch, but to pick the pair whose abilities compliment each other. We'll be honest, the game does remind us vaguely of a Pokemon clone. However, the Dragon's Quest series is nigh revered in Japan; the depth of the game, in both complexity and plot, will most likely exceed the typical "defeat the Elite Four" business found in everyone's favorite cuddly GBA cartridge.
Two Worlds screens tree it up
Reality Pump keeps talking up the tree physics in their mondo RPG Two Worlds. Maybe that's why this latest round of screenshots is focused on foliage, as usual.[Thanks Gaetge]
New FFIII trailer all purty 'n stuff
Go Nintendo points us to a trailer taken from the official Japanese Final Fantasy III site that displays more of that beautiful CG you've come to know and love from the franchise.Note the angelic look of the characters and the soft flowing music to coincide with the gentle breeze blowing through the trailer. Take a deep breath, and enjoy. Doesn't that prerendered CG stuff get you all hyped up to finally play this DS remake?
Pile on: Contact takes a jab at Sony meme
1UP's Jeremy Parish was kind enough to post the above picture on his blog, reminding us all that the lifetime of a particularly stinging internet meme is likely to extend beyond that of a mere mortal. The depicted DS game is Contact, an Earthbound-ish RPG from Atlus, one of the few developers that can don the "quirky" tag with pride even as they bounce around a drunken cosplay party. Our first instinct was to question Tomm Hulett, the man in charge of the game's localization, regarding the whereabouts of his elbow in relation to Sony's battered ribs."I'll be honest, I can't really speak for the Professor. He has a mind of his own, and he's sure to say all manner of crazy things as you play through Contact. It certainly seems like he's up on his gaming news, though, doesn't it? I have heard that battles in Contact ARE based on actual battles which took place in space, though, so who knows."Tomm confirmed the presence of crabs in the game, though didn't specify if they were of the "giant enemy" variety as commonly found in feudal Japan.
A boy and his dog: Deep Labyrinth site up and running [Update 1]
And the RPGs just keep on coming! Just in time for next month's release, the Deep Labyrinth site is up, with information on the storyline and characters, as well as a few peeks at gameplay. There are four mini-videos that showcase different game aspects -- definitely worth checking out. We're not sure what's going on with the item usage ... it's obviously something strong enough to neutralize advancing troll crotch. Lock on? Thanks for the offer, but we'll have to pass.[Via Go Nintendo][Update 1: Italics are hard, man.]
Jeanne d'Arc trailer shows incredible production values
The Japanese official website for Jeanne d'Arc recently went live, and not only does it feature tons of screenshots, it has an absolutely beautiful trailer. It gives you a great look at the game: the incredible cel-shaded graphics, to the epic, sweeping music, and the beautifully animated anime cutscenes. I've been trying to hype this game a lot. Hopefully, this trailer will generate a ton of response. Also available: Download for PC [Thanks, steve!] [Via IGN]
New historical RPG Jeanne d'Arc to have 150 characters and talking lions [Update 1]
Yesterday, Famitsu revealed the big PSP game that we've been waiting for. IGN's Canadian Japanese correspondant, Anoop, has unearthed more information from an interview Famitsu conducted with Level 5. For a change of pace, the development team wanted to make a female hero. Also, they wanted to have a historical game and they've done a lot of research. Of course, that doesn't mean that it'll be 100% historically accurate: it'll still have magic and talking lions. When discussing development for the PSP, the team wanted to make a balanced gameplay system that would be suitable for both hardcore and casual players. Although the game will be on a handheld, the team at Level 5 have no intentions of making a small game, though. The game will have around 150 characters, and between 40 and 50 stages. Each stage, being about 10 to 30 minutes long means that the game will be somewhere between 7 and 25 hours long. Interesting. If you haven't yet, you should get really excited for this project. The team at Level 5 is known for their excellent Dark Cloud games and Dragon Quest VIII. Their upcoming game, Rogue Galaxy, is featured in the screenshot to the right. Hopefully, we'll get more news on this game around Tokyo Game Show. [Update 1: Included an image from Famitsu scan. Gallery is available here.]
Level 5's super-secret RPG revealed!
Remember how Famitsu said they had the scoop on some big-name game coming for the PSP? Well, here it is folks. A tiny scan from NeoGAF shows that it's a new strategy RPG from big-name developer Level 5. It's entiteld "Jeanne d' Arc," or Joan of Arc, for you English-speaking folk. What has Level 5 done before, you ask? They're the ones responsible for the uber-hit Dragon Quest VIII. Additional reporting from IGN reveals more info on the game: it takes place in a fictional world based on the true story of Joan. While hearing voices from the heavens, Joan is ordered to fight demons and the English army. In order to do so, she will partake in turn-based strategy battles. However, there are a few twists. Features like "Burning Site" and "Connection Guard" can boost stats of players on the field, drastically changing the flow of battle. The game features "full 3D visuals that appear to actually push the PSP hardware" and is 70% done. We can expect more news on this hot PSP-exclusive title soon, considering how it will come out by the end of the year... in Japan.
Final Fantasy III gameplay footage
A Final Fantasy III (DS) video -- minus the fluff -- has surfaced on YouTube. Although edited, this clip is 3:44 of gameplay footage: a lil' exploring ... a surprise skirmish ... some more explorin' ... a lethargic giant-tortoise boss battle ... a shiny crystal -- you know, classic Final Fantasy. Sure it's garden variety, but it's a proven formula and looking extremely polished at home on DS.
Teaser takes Mass Effect on XBLM
A four minute "Demo Walkthrough" for BioWare's 360 exclusive RPG, Mass Effect ,is now available for download on Xbox Live Marketplace. The video features Project Manager Casey Hudson talking over gameplay footage from E3. It's impressive stuff, especially if you haven't seen it before. The squad-based gameplay looks a bit like Gears of War and you have to love that incinerator gun (Not too crazy about the voice acting though). BioWare's baby isn't due until Q2 2007. No telling why the marketing guys are calling the vid a "walkthrough" when it's more aptly described as a teaser trailer -- unless it's to torture us with the hint of an early playable Mass experience.Note: Bungie's Halo 3 "making of" featurette, long available on the web, is up as well.[Thanks Matt T]
Fire Emblem: First details
European sites seem to have all the good Wii info lately. A German site, GamesCathedral, is posting freshly gleaned details (from where, who knows) on the mysterious Fire Emblem Wii. As you'll remember, this game's brief, anime FMV appearance in the E3 press conference made many feel all glowy and warm, yet no further details could be pried from the lips of Nintendo's faithful (ninja) executives. Apparently, the newest incarnation of Fire Emblem will feature two protagonists, one male and one female. The male, interestingly enough, is Sothe...the very same Sothe of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance fame. A direct sequel, perhaps? PoR was critically acclaimed for all kinds of rocking, and a continuation would hardly be ill-received. The female lead is a bit murkier, though it might be Ilyana from the same game. Finally, the article states that the game might be in full 3-D, a first in the Fire Emblem series. No more isometric view? Oh, our minds ache already.
Final Fantasy III DS wi-fi feature revealed: emailing?
ClubSkill.com reports that a leaked screenshot from Jump, a Japanese publication, reveals that Final Fantasy III will make use of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, at least in part, by allowing friends to send 'letters' to each other. Exchanging these emails is said to trigger special events in the game.Fair enough, but we're still holding out for some true co-op functionality, or even just a simple battle mode. C'mon Square Enix, we play games to take a break from emailing!
Name this concept art
Here's some concept art from EA's would-be Oblivion-killer, working title Project Gray. They really should have a contest to re-title this game. Corporate Scrolls: Oblivious? Feel free to offer your suggestions.
Final Fantasy XII releasing this Halloween
For those dreaming of the gorgeous gun ballet glimpsed in Final Fantasy XIII, it may come as a rude awakening when we loudly exclaim, "Hang on, we haven't even gotten number 12 yet!" Thankfully, Square Enix has answered our call by officially announcing the North American release date for their next inevitably epic RPG. Final Fantasy XII will be in stores this Halloween, 31 October 2006. If ever there was a good reason for Sephiroth and Rikku cosplayers to head out into public and purchase the game in full fantasy garb, this is it.Not to be left behind on the platform as the Collector's Edition trend train heads off, the game will be arriving in two distinct versions. The vanilla package will retail for $49.99, whereas the Collector's Edition, laced with interviews, series featurettes, trailers, art galleries and ancient evils, will be available at Gamestop and EB Games exclusively for $59.99. Depending on how fond you are of the non-final franchise, that's either a trick or a treat.[Image: Advent Children.net]
Metareview - Titan Quest
When Blizzard introduced the seminal Diablo a decade ago, they single-handedly invented the hack and slash RPG (and, quite possibly, carpal tunnel syndrome). There have been many followers since -- Dungeon Siege on the PC, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath on consoles -- and while the graphics engines have evolved, the addictive gameplay has remained more or less the same. With Titan Quest, developer Iron Lore stuck to the principle formula, but in a setting that is more Age of Mythology than D&D. Yahoo! Games (90/100) appreciates the attention to detail in level design: "Although there are no random levels, the later game opens up with enough side quests that you don't feel like you're playing Dungeon Siege, being shunted from one canned encounter to the next. The flip side of not having Diablo's tile-based random-level generator is that every nook and cranny is built by hand. And it looks it: Titan Quest is a gorgeous game on many different levels." GameSpot (76/100) notes Titan Quest's potential longevity: "The gradual approach to character creation taken here is welcome, and the sheer scope of the single-player campaign, coupled with the cooperative play and tools to create your own campaign, means that players willing to commit to the experience will have a wealth of content to keep themselves busy with." GameSpy (70/100) recommends a hefty system configuration: "One wart in Titan Quest is its performance -- specifically, the game tends to chug when the lighting and particle effects are full-blast. It never became unplayable, but during the worst moments, it was definitely annoying enough for me to hope that some imminent patches will be released to address the problem."
Square Enix confirms Final Fantasy III wi-fi enabled
A few days ago, we were sent a scan of a page from Nintendo Power. The image suggests that Final Fantasy III (DS) will feature Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support. See the tiny blue icon? Today, IGN confirmed with Square Enix that FFIII would indeed be wi-fi enabled. Unfortunately the company representative added, "I can't reveal the details at this time." Final Fantasy III is scheduled for release on September 12. [Thanks, Sean]
Magical Vacation 2 coming our way
Nintendo has recently updated their North American release list to include the Japanese RPG Magical Vacation 2, being locally renamed to Magical Starsign. This is the first official confirmation of a stateside release, something numerous fans have been clamoring for; the game is scheduled to be released on October 23rd of this year. Tentative date? You bet. But DS owners can look forward to a healthy bunch of RPGs coming their way this year, as Starsign will complement the already announced Children of Mana and Xenosaga DS. Rock on, role players.
Trusty media for Trusty Bell
Xboxyde has posted several screenshots of Namco Bandai's upcoming game Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream. Yes, that Chopin. The game stars the tuberculous pianist and his friends Polka and Allegretto. Together, the group traverses a land where fatally ill people are given super powers. That's right, super powers. I guess any RPG for 360 is better than nothing, right? [Via 360Era]
