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Friday Video: I'm diggin' it
We should have seen it coming, but we didn't. Square Enix always dedicates themselves to a high-end audiovisual experience in their games, and that always means they record new English voice for games that feature voice acting. But, for some reason, we didn't think they would for The World Ends with You. Maybe it's because the aesthetic and the setting are so totally Japanese.We'll reserve judgment of the results of the English voices, mostly because we don't want to join the chorus of anime fans who summarily declare the Japanese voice acting in anything superior. Even if you're, uh, not into evaluating voice acting, these new videos give us a nice look at WEWY's bizarre, split-personality "Stride Cross" battling. Two more follow after the break!%Gallery-11943%
The World Ends with DeviantART
Square Enix has decided to streamline the fanart process, appealing directly to the community art website DeviantART with a The World Ends with You art contest. Entering the contest involves drawing new character or background art for The World Ends with You, to be judged by DeviantART staffers and the game's development team! We hope Square Enix gets the fanart they were imagining, and not the fanart that ... DeviantART is known for.But the real story here isn't the proliferation of cat-eared Sephiroths in the style of The World Ends with You. As reference material for the contest, Square Enix put a bunch of concept art on the site, along with discussion of the game's visual style and inspiration from the team.
The World Ends With You is serious about Shibuya
We've always known that The World Ends With You is steeped in Shibuya youth culture, but we weren't aware that the game actually includes real-life landmarks from the reputably trendy Tokyo ward.However, thanks to Siliconera's Spencer Yip, we now know that the statue to the right is a famous tribute (situated outside Shibuya station) to a real-life dog known as "Hachiko," and that it appears in Square Enix's ARPG -- here, to be precise. Yip also reveals that Shibuya's "Scramble Crossing" has made it in to the game, as well as popular department store "109" (both here -- though 109 is known as "104" in the game).All of which was news to us, primarily because we're paid far too little to fly to Tokyo. The World Ends With You is far from the first game to feature real-life landmarks (in terms of games on Nintendo systems, Pilotwings 64 had Mount Rushmore, Illusion of Gaia features the Great Wall of China and Angkor Wat, amongst others, Super Dodgeball Brawlers has the Eiffel Tower, and feel free to name more in the comments) but it's still pretty interesting reading up on references that would have otherwise eluded us.%Gallery-11943%
You have seven days to check out this world-ending footage
Okay, we lied -- you can watch these videos whenever you'd like. We just like stealing the drama of The World Ends With You's seven day timeline. We've packed the gallery below to bursting with new screens, too, just in time to get you excited for the game's April release. If you can't decide, and the videos and screens aren't enough to convince you (geez, you're tough), then you can remind yourself of all the things the game isn't. %Gallery-11943%
The World Ends With You gets PAL release date, new shots
We couldn't help but perform a double take at the press release we received this morning from Square-Enix. So uncertain were we of its contents that we showed it to our friends and faxed it to faraway colleagues, just to check we weren't seeing things.And apparently, we're not going mad -- The World Ends With You really will be launching in PAL territories before the U.S., with April 18th the date to circle on your calendar. That's only a four-day head start, but let's say that again: before the U.S. We're baffled as can be, but also delighted! Celebrate with us by hitting the gallery below for a dozen new shots!See also: 2008's Biggest Blips -- The World Ends With You%Gallery-11943%[Via press release]
The Wait Ends With this release date
Square-Enix has slapped a U.S. release date of April 22nd on The World Ends With You.If you're not already familiar with this Jet Set Radio-esque slice of ARPG goodness, you've got catching up to do! Based on Shibuya youth culture, the game sees protagonist Neku combating Noise and accomplishing various missions to strict time limits, all in the name of not ceasing to exist. It's been put together by the folks behind the Kingdom Hearts games, so comes with a respectable pedigree.See also: 2008's Biggest Blips -- The World Ends With You%Gallery-11943%
2008's Biggest Blips: The World Ends With You
Developer: Square Enix/JupiterPublisher: Square EnixRelease: Spring 2008We all love gaming, or we wouldn't be here ... but what if you were dumped into a week-long game with your life on the line? Welcome to the wonderful world of 15-year-old Neku Sakuraba. The World Ends With You is something of a wonder among Square Enix's recent DS titles. It's not a remake or part of a long-running series, and while there are plenty of unusual characters in even more unusual outfits, the action RPG boasts a glittering artistic style that is both unique and yet clearly draws some influence from such sources as Viewtiful Joe, the impossible proportions of Æon Flux and the fantastic Jet Grind Radio. Despite the bright colors and the game's dependence on the Shibuya youth culture, it's not quite as happy-go-lucky as it might seem at first glance. Yes, fashion and music play heavy roles in the title, and the game centers around a group of teenagers, but the underlying themes are much darker than one might expect. Not only is Neku's life on the line, but so is that of his new partner, the stylish Shiki, and they face the "Noise," which are physical manifestations of dark thoughts and feelings. As with many Square Enix titles, there are a lot of darker underlying themes hidden in the story. In fact, the game was adapted into a short manga that serves as a prologue to the main action, the death game that rocks the lives of the characters.So what, exactly, is the game-within-a-game in The World Ends With You? That's complicated. We'd rather tell you what it isn't. We can pretty firmly state that this game of life and death is not: THE Game of Death, as in the Bruce Lee film, unless we missed a particularly distinctive track suit somewhere. a "boob of death!" (wait, we're getting off track here). The Game (without the death, or at least, as much) starring Michael Douglas. a barbaric ritual meant to keep the peace, as in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." an episode of Sliders based on Jackson's short story. an extended Mountain Dew commercial, a la The Island (at least, we hope not). a more hilarious reality show lottery packed with satire, indie rock, and a dollop of New Wave. Rollerball (sadly). any sort of Bogus Journey. So if it isn't any of these awesome (mostly) examples, why are we so into it? Not only does The World Ends With You boast an odd look and a freaky story, it takes a fresh approach to absolutely everything else, especially our favorite handheld's dual screens. When you control Neku in battle, you also control one of his partners on the top screen, so you've got to juggle the touchscreen and d-pad at the same time in what is termed the "Stride Cross Battle System." And what attacks do you use? It depends on the badges you've collected in your travels through Shibuya. Plus, we'd really like to see the adorable preorder bonus make it over. %Gallery-11943% Insecticide Back Curiouser and curiouser
