As some of you may have surmised – because we suggested as such in the actual podcast – our latest recording was fraught with difficulty and indeed peril. Behold some of our less shining attempts at getting thirty-six minutes of coherent audio. Nerdboy echoes, Cactuar has a plan ™, Roku types with drama and panache, and Harvest Moon curses our attempts at earnest dialog. I apologize in advance.
Continue reading ‘July Podcast Omake: It’s Japanese For Something, I’m Told’ »
CD Projekt Red and Atari are releasing yet another update for the North American release of The Witcher. This time around, previously cut ‘mature content’ has been re-added to the game. Among other things, the game’s patented sex cards were edited for the US release; present, but with less nudity. The Enhanced Edition Director’s Cut removes this and other minor tweaks from the European version.
Reports that Atari had to cut a $500 check to Game Freak when one employee jokingly remarked that you ‘gotta catch ’em all’ have been denied by Atari. This has not stopped players from trying, however.
Every time I see new FFXIII screens I am reminded how much I’m looking forward to it.
Continue reading ‘Mass Media 07/31/09’ »
Tags:
art,
Dragon Quest (series),
Dragon Quest IX,
Final Fantasy (series),
Final Fantasy XIII,
Magna Carta (series),
Magna Carta 2,
Screenshots,
Summon Night (series),
Summon Night X: Tears Crown,
Yggdra Unison
Square Enix has posted yet another countdown teaser website. The page has a timer with Roman and Arabic numerals over some vague artwork.
Via the official PlayStation blog, Atlus revealed some not-so-shocking news. Pre-orders of its upcoming PS3 RPG Demon’s Souls will include the game’s soundtrack and an art book. The soundtrack has 71 minutes of music over 24 tracks, and the art book has 40 pages of sketches, designs, and renders.
Demon’s Souls will be out on October 6, and until then you can check out the official site for the game.
Courtesy of a NIS America press release, a launch date of August 11 has been announced for Phantom Brave: We Meet Again. Apart from four new story chapters and a new character, the Nintendo Wii adaptation of Phantom Brave will be packaged with a digital art disc, containing a variety of artwork files, character illustrations, and so on. Experienced Phantom Brave players can jump straight into the new chapters if they wish.
Square Enix has released details about the plot of its upcoming DS RPG Blood of Bahamut. As it turns out, the main character is a summoner named Ibuki, presumably the last of his kind. The power of dragons runs through summoners, and as such they’re granted the ability to transform. Giant monsters already roam the land, and supposedly there’s another dragon lurking out there, which suggests Ibuki may have some competition down the line.
Summons from Final Fantasy games have been shown in previous screenshots, and it is known that Shiva, Ifrit, and Gilgamesh will make appearances. A beast known as Chaos Bahamut awaits those who can take on all the others, making it basically a battle royale of Godzilla-a-likes.
Blood of Bahamut will be released in Japan on August 6.
Source: Siliconera
Falcom Japan has already announced that they have plans for some new and interesting things for Ys Seven, the newest installment of their flagship series, Ys. Now they have finally divulged some details on the biggest addition: the party system. Up to three different characters can be in the party at any one time, one of which will be player-controlled. The other two will operate on AI. Players will be able to switch between controlling any one of the three characters at any time. With the addition of party members comes the addition of different kinds of attacks. Each character’s weapon will specialize in either slicing, striking or piercing attacks. Accordingly, enemies will be weaker or stronger to these different attacks.
Along with the party details comes the introduction of three new sub-characters who will be key players in Adel’s journey. First is Kymarl, the wise king of Altago. Hearing rumors of Adel’s adventures, he does what’s within his considerable power to help Adel out. Also introduced are Elk’s grandmother Fatima and Mustafa’s ailing younger sister Crshe. The official site says she is the victim of fevers, but it seems obvious the poor girl also has a vowel problem.
Ys Seven is due out on the PSP in Japan on September 17.
Source: Dengeki
Unfortunately, the Japanese don’t really celebrate Halloween, but Final Fantasy fans will be able to celebrate the arrival of Final Fantasy Gaiden: Four Warriors of Light. Square Enix has announced that the game will grace Japanese shelves on October 29th. Touted as harking back to the good ol’ days of RPGs, Four Warriors of Light follows the adventures of the young man Brand as he goes on a quest to save a princess and eventually the world.
Hiya folks. Got another podcast for y’all, fresh out of the oven. This time around, Nerdboy, Slayer, Roku, and Cactuar join me in discussing some of the latest news, and introducing our new segment discussing various developer teams and their wacky exploits. This week, we delve into the shadowy backstory of Game Freak, perhaps best known as the dudes behind Pokemon. Also, Nerdboy abuses “medication” and discusses the finer points of Engrish. Behold!
Continue reading ‘NPCast 12: Jerly Boy’ »
We don’t make these images, but we have an understanding with those who do. In this update: Tales of Versus, Final Fantasy XIII, and Hexyz Force:
Continue reading ‘Mass Media 07/29/09’ »
Nintendo has confirmed that Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky will be available in North America on October 12. The game allows you to play as one of 19 different available Pokémon, and it also has special communication features. You may trade in-game items and share a demo dungeon with your friends via local wireless communication, and you can also use wireless internet access to embark on special missions.
This week’s dose of Famitsu reveals that Level 5 is patching its PS3 RPG White Knight Chronicles again. The so-called 1st Wave arrived this past spring, and now the 2nd Wave will hit sometime next month.
Continue reading ‘Level 5 Levels Up White Knight Chronicles’ »
In addition to the English voice acting, Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy will give players the option of listening to the original Japanese audio for its North American release. It is not yet known if the translated dialog has been adjusted to compensate for such things as ‘jealousy’ and ‘grilled bean paste’ being the exact same word in Japanese, though time will tell.
Fall of Alchemy is due for an August 25 launch.
Source: Siliconera
According to the instruction manual for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord, players may purchase several special items related to Final Fantasy IV: The After Years with Wii points. Fashionable Darklords may be interested in purchasing Rydia’s dress, which lets the wearer cast Fire, and Porom’s dress, which allows the wearer to case Cyclone. If cosplaying isn’t enough, then you can also purchase actual Final Fantasy IV characters Kain and Palom to help you defend your lair. Each of these will set you back only 200 Wii points.
Source: Siliconera
These days it’s not altogether uncommon to see strange genre mashups. In 2007 Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords managed to successfully combine RPG elements and puzzle games in what is perhaps the most unusual combination out there. However, it was by no means the first. As early as the SNES era you could find games that defied genre boundaries, with Harvest Moon being not the earliest, but the most successful example.
Continue reading ‘Game Changers: Volume 17 – Harvest Moon’ »
A downloadable demo of Magna Carta 2 is now available through Japanese XBox Live, with a full release in Japan scheduled for August 6. The North American launch date lags by a good two months, with the game currently set for October 13. Rumors that the flavor only keeps for one month have been repeatedly denied by Namco Bandai.
Source: Siliconera
Natsume has announced a North American release of Harvest Moon: Magic Melody for the Wii, in an exclusive deal with Gamestop for the US and Canada. Although an exact date is not yet known, a late August launch is expected according to Gamestop’s release schedule.
Source: Siliconera
Square-Enix recently confirmed that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is due for a North American launch this year. When, exactly, is still up in the air, although a holiday release seems likely.
As for the plot, details have begun to emerge about the game world, specifically in a cover feature for this month’s Nintendo Power. The article revealed that one race, the Lilties, has achieved technological superiority and currently reigns supreme over the other races. Science is king and magic, wielded by crystal bearers – such as the one you play – is viewed with suspicion and disdain. Other details are mentioned, such as a dramatic fight scene that ends with the main character, Layle, using his power to keep a crippled airship aloft. Even money says he’ll still have to hunt for a key to a locked door at some point.
A portion of the article can be read here.
Atlus and Sting have teamed up yet again, this time bringing us a traditional-style RPG for the PSP – Hexyz Force. Aside from the hours of entertainment inherent in simply attempting to pronounce its title (hexies? hek-syz?), Hexyz Force promises an interesting story split across two worlds; one Light and one Dark. At the beginning of the game, players choose for their main character either Cecilia, priestess of the Light world, or Levant, knight of the Dark world. Picking one over the other will have a large effect on the story’s characters, venue and progress.
A glimpse at the battle system has also been provided, showing a turn-based system where players can choose to place each of their three party members in one of three different rows; front, middle or back. Placement will have effects on attack power and accuracy, as well as damage received.
Hexyz Force is due out for the PSP in Japan on November 12 of this year.
