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New Valhalla Knights 2 class revealed
Normally, you know everything you need to about a game well before its release nowadays. Back when the internets were just a series of tubes in a cradle, we had to rely on magazines to feed us information only on select titles -- often after the games were released. So to hear that Marvelous waited until a month prior to their release of Valhalla Knights 2 to talk about one of their character classes (something that should be a major talking point) is a surprise.The new class is a martial arts sort of group who call themselves Akatoki. Apparently, neither the male nor female class really enjoys wearing a top. But of course, the latter has to for fairly obvious reasons. This game hasn't been picked up for localization outside of Japan yet, but the natural course of things dictates that sequels will normally come out, regardless how the first title sold. Do you hear us, Nippon Ichi and Namco-Bandai? We want Ar Tonelico 2. We won't forget. We also want this.
Brief Wild ARMs XF trailer tells all the basics
In case you're interested in Wild ARMs XF but haven't read our interview with Akifumi Kaneko, then perhaps this brief English trailer will grab your short attention span. In just one minute, the trailer tells you every basic detail you'll need to know about the title's gameplay. This comes in as a nice little info-jolt as this PSP-exclusive strategy RPG will be out soon -- March 11 to be exact.
PSP Fanboy interview: Wild ARMs XF's Akifumi Kaneko
XSEED's upcoming PSP exclusive Wild Arms game takes the series to a bold new direction. Like the great PSP games of last year, the popular RPG series is getting a taste of strategy. We got a chance to talk to producer (and scenario writer) Akifumi Kaneko about this upcoming SPRG.Where does the influence for the unique western music come from?From all the western movies I used to enjoy as a child. I think the idea of something being "cool" is a worldwide concept. I thought combining the musical style from western movies with the style from anime (Japanese cartoons) would create an original Wild ARMs soundtrack that would be considered very "cool" by many people. That is what we strive to achieve with each new game's soundtrack.Was this game originally created as a strategy-RPG?It was planned as a strategy RPG from the initial stages. The past few Wild ARMs games had become more action-based but we wanted to add more depth to the battle tactics while creating a new concept in the Wild ARMs series. Another reason was that we wanted a faster paced story element, especially since the story in Wild ARMs XF is constantly changing with many plot twists. If we kept it the same style as previous Wild ARMs games, the pace of the story gets put on hold every time the player gets lost or can't find the next dungeon. We branched off to the strategy RPG genre so that the story can be enjoyed at the speedy pace that it was meant for.%Gallery-3795%
The heroes of Wild Arms XF
Click for high-resolution image. Are you excited for the upcoming SPRG, Wild Arms XF? Sony's handheld has become the platform of choice for strategists, and XSEED plans on delivering yet another experience on the PSP. Not only do we have an overwhelming amount of new screenshots, we have character bios for you, after the break.%Gallery-3795%
PS Fanboy Wallpapers: Volume 12
Every week, PSP and PS3 Fanboy will bring you new backgrounds for your Sony consoles, in resolutions up to 1080p. Download them directly to your PS3 by accessing PS3 Fanboy on your system. Download PSP wallpapers directly to your PSP by accessing the site wirelessly at m.pspfanboy.com. For those having trouble accessing the site on your PS3, please visit m.ps3fanboy.com or disable Javascript.This weekend, we're focusing on XSEED's upcoming PSP title Wild Arms XF.
Wild Arms XF coming to US in Spring 2008
Click for high resolution image. Wild Arms XF, the PSP-exclusive SRPG continuation of the popular Wild Arms series will be making its way to America courtesy of publisher XSEED. The hex-based SRPG will be available for the English speaking market in Spring 2008. You'll certainly see a lot more of this game in the coming months.Check out our updated gallery below:%Gallery-3795%
Fanswag: Victorious Boxers goes to ...
Hey, we bet you were getting worried there for a little bit? Maybe you thought we forgot about crowning the winner of our latest giveaway? Well, we didn't! We set out to make one person incredibly happy today and we will do just that. And, that person is: Lord Kuragari, who apparently has a boxing father. Congratulations Lord Kuragari! We'll be sure to get this out to you as soon as possible.And, to everyone else that entered, try not to hate him too much. Thanks to everyone that entered and thanks for reading Wii Fanboy!
Fanswag: Victorious Boxers Revolution
If you're a reader on the regular here, then you might have read our review of Victorious Boxers Revolution. You should know that we rather enjoyed the game. So, like any responsible blog, we won't sit on something good, we'll give it away to a reader. Why? Because we love you, that's why. And how do you enter to win? Just leave a comment in this post telling us who your favorite boxer is.As with most of our giveaways, you must be 18 years or older and live in the United States (we're very sorry international readers). Also, you only have until Thursday, November 1st, 11:59PM EST to get your entry in, as we'll be selecting the winner on this Friday. Only one entry per person.Be sure to hit up our official rules before entering. Good luck and thanks for reading Wii Fanboy!
Wii Fanboy Review: Victorious Boxers Revolution
Upon initially hearing that the title Hajime no Ippo would grace U.S. retail shelves as Victorious Boxers Revolution, we were quite excited. Then, some critics reviewed it and we were worried the game wouldn't be worth our trouble. So, upon receiving this nice little review package from XSEED, we jumped right into the game.And you know what? It's actually quite good.
Joystiq impressions: Victorious Boxers: Revolution
With a projected late-September U.S. release, Wii-only Victorious Boxers: Revolution dukes it out for the best Wii sports title. I recently played a nearly complete localization of the June-released Japanese original, and Victorious Boxers is clearly different than Wii Sports Boxing. While Americans may think the manga art-style should appeal mostly to kids, the animation and physicality are viciously pitched to an older crowd. You're not trying to bowl over your opponent with kindness after all.The boxing mechanics were harder to gauge than the catchy art. I relied on the two-fisted, motion-only control scheme, although the game offers five other ways to play. After a lot of wild flailing, I felt like I had a general sense of my character. But I never felt like my swings were perfectly interpreted. Hopefully, after an hour or two, players will learn how to move. But while Victorious Boxers easily held my interest, I couldn't predict if this will be a perfect translation between physical moves and game action. At some point, I wonder if the Wii controllers can handle one-to-one motion mapping for fast games.%Gallery-7321%
Valhalla Knights 2 coming to Japan in 2008
According to Famitsu, Marvelous Entertainment are developing Valhalla Knights 2, a sequel to the critically panned dungeon crawler that got released in America earlier this year. Though the game was known for its sharp graphics and good overall technical presentation, it got ripped for repetitive and punishing combat and a lack of any kind of real story.Hopefully, Marvelous will address some of the complaints in the sequel, though it already sounds like they're going in the right direction. The game will have over 350 different pieces of armor and weapons for your characters, as well as 60 scenario quests and outdoor levels (which will hopefully break up the nonstop dungeon crawling). The title is scheduled to come out in Japan in 2008 with no American release mentioned.[Update: First images of the game have surfaced at Jeux-France.]
Victorious Boxers boxart, for real this time
We threw in the towel last week when we mistakenly identified GameFly's Victorious Boxers: Revolution mockup as the finalized design, but now we're scrambling into the ring to retrieve the surrendered cloth. "Uh, sorry about that! It must've slipped out of our hands!"Dynamite Glove, a community site for the Hajime no Ippo series, received a first look at publisher XSeed's actual packaging, and it is a thing of beauty. This is the sort of box that we could run up the Philadelphia Museum of Art's steps with, holding it above our heads once we've reached the top, hopping up and down in slow-motion as the training montage fades out.Those of you who would still rather have Ippo's fighting figure on the front will be happy to hear that the jacket is reversible, the opposite side using artwork from the Japanese cover. Jump past the break for a better look at both boxart designs.
Not So Victorious Boxart
Publisher XSeed will be bringing Victorious Boxers: Revolution to the US (Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting Revolution in Japan), but the boxing game's manga-tastic cover won't be coming along for the trip, at least according to the packaging design on GameFly's product page.Instead of the crowd of expressive faces -- determined, vengeful, and contemplative -- that we saw with the Japanese boxart, we'll be getting this victory pose silhouette and a ho-hum logo. While we understand that Hajime no Ippo isn't as popular in North America as it is across the Pacific, it would've been nice to have at least seen Ippo, the series's hero, on the cover.Victorious Boxers hits store shelves this September. Bob and weave past the post break for a look at the game's dramatic packaging art in Japan.
Wii version of Victorious Boxers coming to U.S.
Lost a bit in the mess of announcements and impressions that was this year's E3 was the news that XSEED is bringing the Wii version of anime-flavored boxing sim Victorious Boxers to the states at the end of September. The sequel to the PlayStation 2 classics, which is already out in Japan, offers three different control modes: one using the classic controller, one using the Remote and Nunchuk to simulate boxing gloves (a la Wii Sports: Boxing) and one that uses the remote pointer to control things.A video preview on Gamespot (embedded after the break!) shows the boxers doing elaborate dodges as well as some incredibly over-the-top special moves. It's hard to gauge how well the motion-sensing controls work without some hands-on time, but it has to be better than the flail-fest that is Wii Sports.
The sweet science of Victorious Boxers
XSEED is bringing Hajime no Ippo Revolution to the US as Victorious Boxers Revolution, ushering in a new era of smashing some cartoon people up! Soon you'll be able to find out how impetuous your style is.Unfortunately, the motion controls, which are lauded so enthusiastically in the video, are apparently not that hot. There are actually two motion control styles: a Wii Sports-like scheme, and a pointer-based control scheme in which you use the remote to point at where you want to punch. The Classic Controller seems to work much better-- we assume that Classic Controller play works similarly to the well-regarded Playstation 2 Victorious Boxers controls. But that doesn't look as exciting on video.
Rumor: Dungeon Maker coming to DS?
If you're not familiar with Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground, a PSP title that XSeed brought to the US just last month, we won't blame you. The ARPG's release received very little press and most reviewers met the game with average to above-average scores. Among their criticisms were the lack of a proper XP/leveling system, limited character customization outside of equipment upgrades, and unimaginative combat.So why were our arms thrown into the air in victory, fists clutched as if to suggest hardships we've endured throughout this journey, after hearing from the Famitsu-scanning newshounds at NeoGAF that a DS port might be on the way? We've had hungry eyes for the dungeon making portion of the game for some time now, but we've refrained from mentioning it lest those other fanboys hold that knowledge over our heads. Dungeon Maker's gimmick -- build your lair, piece by piece, to attract monsters for you to slay -- is like a tractor beam aimed straight at our hearts. Hack and slash your way past the post break for Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground's PSP trailer.
Brave Story gets official release date
Game Republic, creator of the Genji series, is bringing a new RPG to the PSP in two weeks time. Entitled Brave Story, this RPG tells the story of a boy that must enter the world of Vision in order to save his friend from a mysterious illness. Through the game, the hero can build various attributes, such as Friendship, Courage, and Growth.Like many other RPGs, new accessories can be forged by collecting and combining the right materials. In addition, players can collect special birds for use in mini-games. Game Share and Network features will allow players to trade birds and mini-games with others.Check out screenshots and art of the game in our galleries below. Brave Story arrives on PSP on July 31st.%Gallery-4974%%Gallery-4975%
Dungeon Maker gets release date, screenshots
Dungeon Maker is coming to the PSP a lot sooner than you may think. XSEED sent us a reminder, telling us that the RPG will be available on June 19th, a Tuesday. With their announcement, they also conveniently provided us a plethora of screenshots. A quick look makes us not think very highly of the game's visual appeal -- hopefully, the gameplay will do more than enough to make up for its looks.%Gallery-3820%
Dungeon Maker website reveals silly plot
Dungeon making fans, take notice. XSEED's Dungeon Maker Hunting Ground has an official website now, with a projected release date right around the corner in June. XSEED also released Valhalla Knights awhile back, a title that was lampooned by critics for its restrictive game play and lack of story progression. How does the story in Dungeon Maker fare? Well, the new website contains some insight into the background story elements we think you'll find ... interesting. You control the Architect (not that Architect), a hero that arrives in town wanting to develop a monster-luring dungeon so he can sharpen his fighting skills, net some serious gold coinage and become the baddest dungeon maker who ever lived. The hero must face skepticism from the townspeople that don't believe the Architect has what it takes to make the ultimate dungeon. But eventually, the Architect begins to win support of the townsfolk by luring rare and powerful enemies into his ever-growing dungeon. In turn, the townspeople equip the Architect with new dungeon making abilities. Will our hero be able to lure the powerful and elusive Wandering Demon, freeing the townsfolk from its reign of fear and terror once and for all? Wow. The plot seems utterly ridiculous so it might be 0/2 for XSEED. On the other hand, a dungeon making game for the PSP is certainly unique. Perhaps its appeal might overcome such a far-fetched plot. We'll know a lot more once Dungeon Maker Hunting Ground is released in a few weeks. In the meantime, check out the game's website for more information.
Metareview: Valhalla Knights
Valhalla Knights looked so promising when it was first previewed so many months ago. Looks like it'll join the ever-growing collection of RPG failures on our system. The critics, for the most part, have bashed XSEED's latest, telling you to stay far, far away from it: 1UP (35/100) likens the experience to torture: "I can't remember the last time I felt so constricted as a gamer. Sure, running around the dungeons and slashing through enemies is enjoyable enough -- and, dare I say it, even fun at times. But as soon as you attempt to play through Valhalla Knights like its an actual game, it completely falls apart. The viselike grip Valhalla Knights holds." G4 (40/100) thinks the game is too old-school for its own good: "This is not a game for the impatient, especially since there's no in-game help system. When it comes to combat tactics or building a party, you have to learn by doing (and probably dying)." IGN (53/100) wanted to like the game, but couldn't: "Valhalla Knights succeeded at impressing me with fun, real-time combat, completely pissing me off with drawn-out quests and eventually driving me away due to the complete lack of anything resembling story progression." Ouch! Those are some of the harshest reviews we've read in quite some time. Valhalla Knights is now available in stores ... if you dare pick it up!
