RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

I’ve heard tell that in the days of the NES and SNES era, when a new Dragon Quest game was coming out in Japan, it would be like a national holiday as people lined up to get their copy. RPGs have never reached such lofty heights of popularity here in North America. Final Fantasy VII managed to popularize the genre certainly. The series and the genre itself have become much more well known since — and seen an increase in sales as well. And while no RPG has had the worldwide acclaim sales, and following that Final Fantasy VII did, Fallout 3 deserves a special mention for its breakthrough performance in the North American market in particular. (more…)

Final Fantasy VII, the legend, the phenomenon. Classic? Overrated? Whatever you may think of the game now, nearly a dozen years later, its impact on the RPG world is undeniable. More than any other game in the history of the genre, it brought RPGs into the spotlight and gave them a mainstream appeal never before seen (and only occasionally duplicated since).

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Sequel. A word both thrilling and terrifying. How many times have you heard someone say about a movie that the sequel wasn’t nearly as good as the original? But unlike the movie business, the video game industry lives on not just sequels and prequels, but franchises. The biggest-selling RPGs these days are nearly all part of established franchises.

But sequels can go wrong. Very very wrong. Case in point: Chrono Cross. (more…)

E3 may be over, but there’s lots of media for you to feast your eyes on today including the first piece of concept art for the upcoming (and still unnamed) Zelda game for the Wii. You’ll also find Spectrobes Origins, Golden Sun DS, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky, Muramasa,  Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. (more…)

Some screens and art from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. (more…)

We have some Atlus goodies for you today with screens from Demon’s Souls, Persona PSP, and Devil Survivor. Enjoy! (more…)

Not to be left out of the E3 excitement, Atlus made a couple of announcements today as well. Shiren the Wanderer for the Nintendo Wii will be coming for North America in spring 2010. (more…)

A first look at some E3 goodies. To start out we’ve got a trio of Final Fantasy XIII screens and some Mass Effect 2.

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The year is 1987. The Nintendo Entertainment System is quickly becoming a household name. Most players have hopped and warped their way through Super Mario Bros., killed entire flocks of ducks in Duck Hunt, and probably taken more than a few potshots at that infernal dog that had a good laugh at you whenever you missed — man’s best friend indeed! Most NES-playing children were, by this point, pestering parents for new challenges. And for those who’d cut their teeth on the side-scrolling Super Mario, nothing could be more different than The Legend of Zelda. (more…)

PlayStation 3 owners looking for a challenge will soon have something new to sink their teeth into. Atlus announced today that Demon’s Souls will be coming to North America this fall.

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Anyone who’s ever tried to purchase vintage cartridge-based games on Ebay will tell you that prices can become hugely inflated based on the perceived popularity and rarity of the game. A hard-to-find SNES game cart can easily surpass its original retail price of fifteen years earlier. Even games that have since been ported can get high in price. For example, Chrono Trigger, which has recently seen its second port, can still go for anywhere from $30-$60 on Ebay. Auctions for Final Fantasy IV, which has been ported or remade a whopping six times, still go up to $20-$30 (or $60 if you’re picky about getting the box and all the maps and inserts). And Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, the first RPG tailor-made for the North American market and which has never been ported, goes for… somewhere between 1$ and $20. (more…)

The Virtual Console is still going strong with its 300th offering today. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, the peculiar Groundhog Day-like adventure from the Nintendo 64 era, is now available for 1000 Wii Points. It’s rated E for Everyone.

Sega of America and Sega of Europe have announced that Tri-Ace’s End of Eternity will be crossing the Pacific as Resonance of Fate. The game is due out in spring 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.

XSEED games has announced that it will be bringing Ragnarok Online DS to North America this winter. The game centers around an orphan-turned-adventurer, Ares, and Sierra, a mysterious girl with amnesia. The game will include online functionality so players can team up for wireless battles.

Source: Siliconera

Ubisoft announced today that it will be bringing the Might & Magic series to the Nintendo DS. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is a puzzle-RPG hybrid in which players fight in turn-based puzzle battles and explore a sprawling world. The game will employ manga-style art and include a two-player peer-versus-peer mode. (more…)

Those who missed out on Lunar: The Silver Star when it was originally released on the Sega CD and later re-released as Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete on the PlayStation will have another chance. The latest issue of Famitsu has revealed that the PSP will be receiving an enhanced port of the game as Lunar: Harmony of the Silver Star.

Source: Siliconera

RPG fans hungry for the next quest have a couple of new options today. Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is now available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC for a suggested retail price of $59.99. Fable II fans can also download the second add-on for the game, See the Future, for 560 Microsoft Points for the premium content package. Both games are rated M for Mature.

Earlier this year Square Enix announced an upcoming DS remake of SaGa 2 aka Final Fantasy Legend II: Goddess of Destiny. The company has now launched an official site for the game and confirmed it for a fall release in Japan.

NIS America has announced three new titles for North America: Mana Khemia 2 and Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love, both for the PlayStation 2, and Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days for the PSP. All three will be released in the fall.

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Gamers looking forward to the upcoming crossover game Cross Edge should keep their eyes on Trinity Universe for the PlayStation 3. Announced in the latest issue of Famitsu, the game brings together characters from the Atelier, Viorate, and Disgaea series. Two scenarios will be available, the first featuring a goddess and the Gust cast. The other scenario will centre around a demon lord and a devil dog named Kanata, with whom the Nippon Ichi cast should feel right at home. Also, for the first time, the Disgaea cast will appear in 3-D rather than sprite form.

Idea Factory has announced Trinity Universe for August in Japan.

Source: Siliconera