kotowari 「理」

Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver: Japanese Pre-Order Bonus Announced

Roy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:42:55 +0000

The Pokémon Company in Japan released this image of the exclusive pre-order figures for their upcoming Nintendo DS titles Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver. If you pre-order a copy of Pokémon Heart Gold, you’ll receive a Ho-oh figure, if you pre-order a copy of Pokémon Soul Silver, you’ll receive a Lugia figure. What about that little guy in the middle you ask? Only those customers who pre-order both versions of the game will receive the Arceus figure…

Is this terribly ingenious or just plain terrible on Pokémon’s part? Sadly this minor incentive will probably force many people to pre-order both games. If you get one for you and one for you friend who gets which figures? There is just no way to win without shelling out the big bucks.

These figures will be available tomorrow in Japan. It’s pretty likely that they’ll be popping up on sites like e-bay for especially gouging prices. The wise consumer may just wait until a Western release is announced. I wouldn’t be surprised if we are treated to the same luxury.

Cross Edge Review

Roy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:43:30 +0000

(Please open the article to see the flash file or player.)

It’s been a while since the last vlog, huh? Sorry about that! This one concerns NIS America’s hardcore RPG, Cross Edge. I don’t know why, but I felt a little out of it for this video–hope it’s not super apparent.

Basically this video echoes much of what I already mentioned in my review, but with some added commentary from NG5 who is also playing the game. I think for the most part we have the same feelings regarding Cross Edge, although NG5 has devoted more time to it than myself.

The story appears to be the weakest part of the structure that holds the game up, with each other’s load-bearing beam wobbling just a bit. Most games like this have much more to offer aside from the story, so if you don’t mind this drawback and a steep learning curve you will most likely enjoy the game.

Anyone else out there playing the game have any thoughts?

Hero 30 Gets Web-Manga and Ranking System

Roy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:50:21 +0000

Despite being released over a month ago in Japan, Hero 30’s campaign of adding extras to the game and official site is going strong. The site now features a collection of classical, 4-panel manga inspired by the game. You can find the collection here. They are obviously all in Japanese, but I figured some of you out there might dig it.

I managed to translate the above comic while at work, but was forced to use paint. I apologize for the less than desirable quality…

In addition to the comics, Marvelous has also launched an online ranking system for Hero 30. While the game is really a single-player title, this ranking system will bring somewhat of a multi-player feeling to the game, adding yet another layer of desire for us Westerners. The ranking login page can be found here.

Rankings are based on certain attributes the player has upon completing the game. The above screenshot shows a ranking based on level, but there is also a ranking for total time left and how much money the player has. Rankings are then divided further depening on what mode the player selects.

This ranking screen totally reminds me of my time spent toiling away in Maple Story… Good times… Those were the days when full time employment seemed so far off on the horizon.

I’m sure this is obvious, but I really hope someone is going to pick up Hero 30 for a NA and/or PAL release. I guess if it is, an announcement should be made soon…. or not.

OMG Toys: Makai Kingdom: Pram Figure

Roy — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:46:25 +0000

This weekend NIS America sent out an e-mail announcing a slew of sales on merchandise at their Rosenqueen store. Most of them are re-packaged pre-order goodies from past games. However, there was one gem in the bunch: the Pram figure pictured above.

I didn’t even realize this figure was in the works, so it was a bit of a surprise. Currently, the release date is set for late September, meaning that it won’t be among the merchandise at NIS America’s booth at the upcoming Anime Expo in LA. The pre-order price is $59.99 at Rosenqueen, which is pretty decent compared to most other sites that ship to the West. The going price in Japan seems to be around $50 USD, though, so we are getting shafted a bit, what else is new?

I really love Pram and the design of this figure, it nicely reflects Takehito Harada’s character design. The face and hair even almost appear a little rough like a sketch. You can find a few more images of the figure here if you are interested.

I am hoping for some decent Disgaea 3 figures soon, though… I kinda feel like we got screwed with the most recent set of gashapon figures which don’t even feature any characters from Disgaea 3! I would really like a Raspberyl figure and a Sapphire figure. Make it happen, Internet.

Related Entries:
All OMG Toys posts can be found here.

Pokémon Soul Silver and Heart Gold Gets Japanese Release Date and Packaging

Roy — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:42:46 +0000

Nintendo and Pokémon have finally announced a release date for their highly anticipated Nintendo DS titles Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver. The date is September 12th in Japan and the price with the bundled Poké-Walker is 4,800 yen (~$48.00 USD).

This is about the standard price for a new Nintendo DS title in Japan, which makes it seem like the Poké-Walker is actually free. The packaging appears to be a bit larger from a side-view (left), obviously to accommodate the Poké-Walker.

The cover art feels a bit retro compared to the more recent games. This may just be because the pokémon featured on the cover look like actual animals… kind of. I dunno, something about the background just feels old-school too–I like it. Will the NA or PAL versions feature the same art? Only time will tell…

It is interesting to note that the last Pokémon title for Nintendo DS, Pokémon Platinum, came out on September 13th in Japan last year, making this duo of games 1 year and 1 day apart from Platinum. The localized version of Pokémon Platinum was released March 22nd of this year. From this one can estimate a North American release sometimes late March 2010.

However, Platinum was a stand-alone game, where Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are two games which also include the Poké-Walker. That is a bit of extra text to sift through and bugs to flush out. For these reason the actual release may even stray into April or beyond… Let’s hope that’s not the case though.

In addition to this announcement, some new screens of the game have been released which appear to be from the game’s intro cut-scene:

The screens also include an image that seems to suggest that the player is not limited to the three starters when it comes to being followed. The elated pokémon to the right looks like a Teddiursa to me. It is hard to tell since it’s so small, but I am positive that whatever it is, it is not a Totodile, Chikorita, or Cyndaquil. This gives me some hope that this feature will be somewhat flexible.

There is also a cool screenshot which seems to show what the screen displays while exploring your inventory (left). The touch screen looks like it displays all the different pockets which the player can switch through. The top screen shows a translucent 3D rendering of the player’s character with their respective bag standing out. I am willing to bet that when you change pockets it rustles or something. I am still pretty impressed by the 3D rendering of the main character though… I can haz (good) 3D Pokémon game?

Final Fantasy XIII: Pendants/Necklaces Hit the Square Enix Store

Roy — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:03:30 +0000

As some of you may recall back during the frenzy of E3 news, Square Enix showed off some upcoming Final Fantasy XIII merch at their booth during the event. Among the merch was some fancy new jewelry. Earlier this week, a few of these items appeared on Square’s official Japanese shop. Be forewarned, they are not for the feint-of-wallet:

Lightning’s Necklace Replica
Cost = 13,000 Yen (~$130.00 USD)
Release Date = July 3rd
This is a replica of the necklace Lightning wears in the game. The silver pendant looks very much like a single bolt of lightning. Inlaid in the center are three cubic zirconium stones. The plating on the pendant is a mix of gold and black rhodium. The ball-chain necklace is silver925, whatever that means.

L’Cie Pendant
Cost = 16,000 (~$160.00 USD)
Release Date = July 3rd
This pendant is a model of the L’Cie symbol. It’s surface is covered with silver925 and black rhodium. You can view a larger image of the necklace here. Unlike the other pendant, this one includes an actual chain necklace, possibly explaining the price difference.

Personally I do not own any jewelry, but I think more nerd bodies around the world are adorned with Square jewelry than any other brand. I don’t know why but I find this rather amusing.

I think I like Lightning’s necklace more than the L’Cie pendant. That may just be because the significance of it is immediately apparent to me. Since I still don’t really know what a L’Cie is, I can’t be sure I wanna wear their symbol waiting in line at Orange Julius. Someone may take offense or something.

Anyway, these items should appear on the American Square Enix shop in a few months for pretty comparable prices. If you absolutely can’t wait until then, I would say the shipping fees with Celga probably wouldn’t run you too much on something as light as this.

Knights in the Nightmare Review

Roy — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:01:49 +0000

Sting’s Department Heaven series is one of the most unique compilations of titles out there, spanning three games (currently) and changing the way people think about RPGs. Atlus has brought over part four in the series: Knights in the Nightmare, a game which appears quite different from its sister titles.

When I returned from E3, jet-lagged and behind on work, a review copy of Knights in the Nightmare awaited me in my stack of mail. The game taunted me, saying “finish your work so we can play!” When I finally got to the game, it was everything I had been longing for in a video game since 2009 began.

Learning Curve – Take a Seat, You’ll be here for a While

Since I wanted to be thoroughly educated on the game’s complex battle system, I decided I would play through all the tutorials Knights in the Nightmare had to offer. Sadly, I made this decision before I looked at how many tutorials there are. I spent over an hour working my way through them, but as the game doesn’t really provide a tutorial in story mode, this is a must! There is a bit of repetition, but you can probably tell when you know everything you need to. It will be when you say to yourself, “Holy crap, I wanna battle NAO!”

Battle System – Ethereal Grid Based Renaissance

The battle system in Knights in the Nightmare takes up more than half of what the game is, since the story progresses automatically between battles. The player will be given a grid-based map with certain locations where allies can be placed. In addition to allies, up to 4 key items or weapons can be brought each turn. You have the ability to change allies and items at the end of each turn.

Turns last for one minute of “battle” time. Basically, performing actions deducts from this available time. When the wisp, which is controlled by your stylus, is hit by an enemy projectile, a set amount of time is also lost. The turn ends when you run out of time, destroy all enemies, or clear your kill reel (more on that later).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part one of Atlus’s tutorial videos on YouTube

Everything is controlled with the wisp/stylus, which means dexterity and your ability to multi-task are of the utmost importance. If you want some practice and own an iPhone, I found this app pretty helpful for working on your dodging skill! The main action you will be performing with the wisp is giving your allies weapons and telling them which direction to attack, but there is a lot more you can do which I won’t even try to explain now…

Victory is based on a reel at the bottom of the battle screen which is associated with the enemies you have killed. Killing an enemy in a certain location will earn you a KILL marker. You need to line up these markers across the reel in the given number of turns or else it is game over. For boss battles, you just need to make the boss not live anymore, which sounds easy, but bosses in this game provide a heaping portion of challenge.

The reel system between turns for a standard battle (left) and a boss (right)

If you want more details on the battle system, I highly recommend checking out the rest of Atlus’s tutorial videos on YouTube.

Appearance – Medieval Film Noir

Part of what attracted me to Knights in the Nightmare over a year ago was its distinctly darker appearance which really accents the story. Since the designer who worked on the other two Dept. Heaven titles also worked on Knights in the Nightmare, visually there is a comfortable cohesion with the other games. I do feel that the style was altered just enough so that the game really stands out still. Props to the designer JaJa for somehow creating this careful balance of familiarity and distinction.

My review copy of the game included a detailed art book (still available through Amazon) which I spent a good deal of time flipping through. You can check out a little sample of the art book here. I was immediately shocked at how many knights were in the book and assumed they were NPCs or something… While some of them are NPCs, many of them you can battle with and most of them you can recruit. I swear there must be around 100 unique characters – all beautifully designed.

Story – Before the Chicken was the Egg, Beneath the Chicken was a Nest, Above the Egg was a Chicken

The story flies at the player in an occasionally confusing array of past and present from varying points of view. At times it is difficult to really feel grounded in the goings-on. I found that this problem was less severe as I became familiar with the game, but early on I had no clue what was going on. It’s important to note that those who played the previous titles in the Department Heaven series will probably feel equally lost.

A knight’s past (left) showing her demise and her spirit being recruited in the present (right)

What does stick to my brain I like. I know that the wisp is the ghost of a great king trying to make his way back to his castle where a horrible massacre of his retainers occurred long ago. Along the way, he recruits the fallen spirits of those knights to fight a series of monsters and demons. His goal is to return to the castle and learn what happened to cause the massacre. Is that not bad-ass?

My favorite part of the game is that recruiting knights permanently (rather than just for one battle) requires that you find an artifact from the knight’s life they have a connection to. I will give you an example: I recruited a Warrior who was a bit of a drinker when he was alive. I showed him his ol’ drinkin’ cup and he fondly remembered his life. The bond he had to drinking apparently gave him a strong enough connection to the present for him to fight alongside the wisp. There are tons of these artifacts to be found throughout the game, some are harder to acquire than others.

Final Thoughts

The last time I remember playing a game as mind-blowingly unique as Knights in the Nightmare was The World Ends With You. I suppose you could say that the game is this year’s breakthrough title in terms of originality.

On a more personal note, I can say without a doubt this is my favorite title of 2009. On every level, Knights in the Nightmare brings something new and amazing to the table. The initial learning process and slight confusion concerning the story is the only hurdle to overcome. After that you will find yourself falling in a love with an extremely unique and fun game.

Valkyria Chronicles: Edy Detachment’s Challenge Trailer

Roy — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:05:28 +0000

(Please open the article to see the flash file or player.)

A trailer has been released concerning the new Valkyria Chronicles DLC on the topics page for the game. The trailer gives a bit of information on the 6 new missions given to the player from the Edy Detachment, as well as reveals some combat from each mission. Here is what I was able to establish by watching it:

Mega-Tank Battle: This seems to be a mission where the opponent is packing several tanks. For that reason, Lancers like Largo and Juno appear to be running around the map. This challenge most likely comes from Jann.
A Lone Scout’s Reconnaissance: Scenes from this mission show Alicia in a wilderness environment at night time. This is most likely Susie’s challenge.
Sniper Assault on Opposite Shore: This mission shows Marina in a tower position sniping units from a good distance. This is most likely Marina’s challenge.
Rescue From Certain Tank Destruction: This battle appears to focus on the Engineer jobclass. So far it shows the Edelweiss with extensive tread damage and Dallas neutralizing anti-tank mines. This is most likely Homer’s challenge.
Shocktrooper Rush!: This mission shows Edy running through a series of other Shocktroopers strategically arranged to do some decent damage. Also, her Panic potential activates… heh, potential humor. Not sure if this challenge comes from Edy or Lynn.
Tank Penetration Battle: For this mission the player appears to use tank rounds to knock down slabs of rock–not sure why.

The trailer also explains that there will be new weapons included in the DLC. I am not sure if there is one for each jobclass or if earning the new weaponry is dependent on your rank. In the trailer, the player earned an “S” on the Scout mission which earned them this thingy:

The more I hear about this DLC, the more convinced I am that this is the best one to date. It’s a close race between this and “Selvaria’s Mission: Behind Her Blue Flame.” It may be too early to call, since there are still many unknowns with “Edy Detachment’s Challenge.” When it goes on sale on the 26th in Japan more information should definitely become available.

Valkyria Chronices: New DLC: Edy Detachment’s Challenge

Roy — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:33:58 +0000

To those of you eagerly anticipating a Valkyria Chronicles sequel (although I think it will be a prequel) it looks like we will be getting one more piece of downloadable content to hold you over. This particular DLC will be available June 26th in Japan for 300 yen and is being called Edy Detachment’s Challenge.

Included in Edy Detachment’s Challenge are 6 challenges directly from mega-idol Edy herself. It appears that the missions take place on maps which were used in prior story missions (but probably not skirmish maps). I am not sure if there are actually any new unique maps. These battles are said to require unusual tactics to complete each mission, but no details are given. It does not appear that exclusively the Edy Detachment will be making an appearance, at least looking at the various screenshots:

This officially dashes the hopes and dreams anyone had of this DLC being an online multi-player. Just last weekend a friend and I were playing a little Valkyria Chronicles over a few cocktails wistfully discussing ways the game could be improved. That’s not to say it’s flawed in any way, just that it has immense potential. Online multi-player was definitely thrown around a lot.

I guess this DLC is nothing super exciting, but I am still glad I have a little more Valkyria Chronicles to play.

Cross Edge: DoubleJump Guide Available

Roy — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:05:35 +0000

I remember playing Cross Edge and thinking to myself “this game could really use an in-depth guide…” Obviously my first choice for in-depth guide makers is DoubleJump Books. However, with their Devil Summoner 2 handy reference guide being released so recently, I didn’t think they would have the man-power to get to Cross Edge. Thankfully that wasn’t the case.

Similar to the guide for Prinny: Can I Really Be the Main Character? DoubleJump offers both an e-book, and a “print on demand” version. The print on demand versions are really high quality and the $44.10 price-tag certainly reflects that. If that’s too rich for your blood, the e-book goes for $9.99.

Personally, I can understand preferring the physical guide more for a game like Cross Edge. This game is very heavy on numbers, so the data in the guide is probably something you’ll have to access frequently. Pulling out a laptop, turning it on, and letting your eyes adjust just doesn’t seem like something I wanna do every time I need the info.

I guess this may sound contrary to my post concerning the e-book for the Devil Summoner 2. The difference really concerns the frequency I imagine myself using the respective guides. When it comes to Devil Summoner 2 I would only really need the guide when I am stuck, but for Cross Edge, I would probably just flip through it whenever I had free time.

I guess regardless I am happy the guide was made, I am just not sure if I can afford to shell out that kinda money for the physical guide! Too bad, I am sure it would help immensely.