Ports are becoming increasingly common with the current generation of hand-held systems.  On the rare occasion when substantial improvements are made to a game for the transition, a port really becomes worth paying attention to.

The above trailer for the Knights in the Nightmare port to the PSP shows some interesting changes to the game visually.  While the original game for Nintendo DS featured static dialog art, it seems the PSP port will have animated cut-scenes.  I was quite impressed to see that the game’s highly unique aesthetic still carried over into these animated sequences.  I really felt like anew dimension was given to the world of the game in this video.

While my interest is perked, I still can’t help but wonder how the complex battle system will handle the transition — controlling the wisp with the analog stick just sounds too clunky!

This weekend I took a trip to my local Game Stop and picked up the free-to-all Monster Hunter Tri demo.  It had been a while since my hunter days in Freedom Unite, so I was rusty getting back into things: my first few steaks were either burnt to a crisp or raw and dripping, but soon I remembered all the fundamentals.  One aspect that may have slowed my progress was getting used to the controls.

My brain had been wired for the PSP, and I needed to re-learn basically everything.  Since I do not yet own a classic controller I had to use the Wii remote which proved a bit challenging.  Below you can find a scan of the mini-instructional page included with the demo:

My mind, wired for a standard controller, screamed for some sense of stability.  After a few runs of the easy mission with my most comfortable weapon class (Long Sword) I would say I had the controls down and I played through just about all the weapon-types.    If I had to play the game with the Wii remote only, I would probably not buy Monster Hunter Tri.  Luckily my faith in the new classic controller bundled with the game is so great, that I have every intention of acquiring this game.

Graphically I am quite happy with Tri.  Character sprites look smooth and they fit in well with environments and monsters — this is easily the most aesthetically pleasing Mon-Hun game to date.  I was hoping the demo would also include a new trailer featuring some cut-scenes, but it was only two missions; one which is relatively easy and one which is a healthy challenge.

I did play around with the new weapon-class: Switch Axe for my first play through.  This weapon can transform between a long, clunky axe, and a smaller sword.  It will offer some variety in terms of executable attacks which will keep things interesting to players.  As I found the axe mode a bit awkward, I would rather devote my time to mastering a better sword variant.

Monster Hunter Tri is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated games on the Wii for me in a long time.  While the controls may have been less than elementary, I believe the game is definitely meant to be played on a classic controller.  The updated appearance and online functionality promises to bring the series into the current console generation in a big way.

Click here to view the embedded video.

NIS has released a second, epic trailer for their upcoming PSP title: Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan. The video comically touches on every aspect of the game that we know about thus far, as well as a few new topics.

It looks like the game’s BGM will change based on the accessories your main character is wearing.  I am not sure how many different songs there are, but I have  seen an insane number of accessories suggesting an equally insane number of possible songs.  If you want to hear a few tracks you can check out the main website for the game and listen to 10 different songs.  They all tend to be a play on any tokusatsu theme you’ve ever heard.

At around the seven minute mark the trailer mentions that you can don accessories to assume the appearance of some popular characters from ASCII Media Works fame.  The characters are as follows:

• Dokuro-Chan from Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-Chan (Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan)
  
• Shana from Shakugan no Shana
  
• Aisaka Taiga from Toradora (one of the anime that NIS America has licensed)
• Holo from Okami to Kyoshinryo (Spice and Wolf)

Dokuro-Chan wielding her trademark kanabo

Since this system requires certain parts to take on the appearance of a character, unique abilities will also be unlocked which relate to each character’s specific manga/anime.  Fans of the aforementioned series’ should definitely be excited!  Considering that Toradora is being brought over by NIS America I would say the chances are good that the West will still be getting this content despite some rather niche titles.

Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan definitely proves that in the face of some financial hardships, NIS has not lost their creative edge.  The game will be released in Japan next week, let’s hope we hear something concerning a Western release soon!

Related Entries:
NIS Reveals Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan for PSP
Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan Promotional Movie

Sega announced that a new DLC mission will be released for Valkyria Chronicles 2 on the Japanese Playstation network today.  The DLC mission, simply dubbed “Ultimate Challenge” is said to be quite difficult.  In the above image you may notice that the level of the mission is capped out at a whopping 99.

To make things a little easier for the player, this is a co-op mission.  I am pretty sure this is limited to local co-op, but I am not sure exactly how it works since not many details are revealed.  The mission takes place aboard an enormous enemy battleship and the player will face off against a number of V2’s, or artificial Valkyria.  I could see why that may present a challenge…

While researching this I stumbled upon a list of passwords for various free DLC for the game.  If anyone imported this game, here are some links:

Valkyria Chronicles 2 Character DLC Passwords (note that some are only available through purchase of the anime and manga series)
Valkyria Chronicles 2 Sticker DLC Passwords (stickers can be placed on your tanks)

I totally want that toro/kuro sticker!  I am sure the Bayonetta one would be popular as well.  Some don’t appear to be released yet and may coincide with other major Sega releases.  These characters and items are unlocked by going to “EXTRA” from the main menu of the game.  On the off chance that Sega doesn’t change the passwords we may be able to unlock some or all of this content right off the bat!

I am glad the password system has been cleared up, I just hope that upon the game’s Western release the content requiring purchase of the anime or manga will still be available in some way, *cough*Selvaria*cough*.  I am also happy to see multiplayer is finally being incorporated into the series, although I wish I knew more about it.

English self proclaimed designerds, Bag of Bees, have released a pair of tee-shirts themed after Half Minute Hero.  Both are available for 18 GBP or around $30 USD.  There is shipping available for both Europe and America so everyone can purchase this pixely goodness.  American consumers should bare in mind that the cost for shipping is also calculated in GBP meaning you’ll wanna convert that price as well.  Just to give you an idea, delivery to my address came to 5 GBP or around $8 USD.  Ultimately it’s not a bad price for a truly unique shirt to celebrate a truly unique game.  Personally I prefer the red shirt on the left since it focuses a bit more on the game’s art.

Links:
Half Minute Hero,Retro (gray)
Half Minute Hero, Knight (red)

Yesterday marked the second full year that I have been writing at Kotowari.org.  Since last year’s anniversary the site and I have taken quite a few steps forward.  Don’t believe me?  Here is a list of achievements, bullet-ed for your convenience:

• Attended E3 2009 and approved for E3 2010
• Had my first job interview for a game industry position
• Appeared as a guest on podcasts with PSNation and Amplified Gamers
• Started broadcasting a rather unique program on UStream
• Appear as co-host weekly on the Bit-Speak podcast

That’s quite a bit of activity in a year, if I maintain this level of momentum I should be the CEO of Square Enix in five years!

Yesterday’s celebration was pretty muted:  I played White Knight Chronicles until my head hurt, went to my boxing class, ate a pizza, and finished by watching The Shining mini-series with Sarah.  It was pretty lax but enjoyable just the same.

I definitely want to thank everyone who has in some way offered their support.  This includes Sarah, my maintenance person, Joel, my intrepid co-host, and all readers and commenters.  You guys have made me feel like my interests and dedication have a place on the internet.  I look forward to what the next year may bring and hope you’ll all be around to be a part of it.

Related Entries:
Kotowari 1 Year Anniversary Celebration

Over a year ago White Knight Chronicles was released in Japan as one of the first PS3 exclusive RPGs.  After completing its leisurely journey to the West, I couldn’t help but pick it up — Level-5 after all does boast an impressive roster of games.

Did White Knight Chronicles prove to be a shimmering armor-clad success, or are the pages of this story not worth the 0s and 1s it’s made of?

System — Henshin!

The battle system for White Knight Chronicles feels like the one in Final Fantasy XII.  The player is free to select a character to wander the map with and control.  That character is joined by two allies who cannot be controlled.  There is a time gauge that fills at a certain rate based on the respective character’s agility.  Once it’s full, a command can be executed on an enemy within range.  Repeat until victory is attained.

Learning Skills Requires SP Gained at Each Level

Commands are acquired through a weapon-based job system.  If you want your character to tread the path of an axeman, then they’ll generate some hefty attack and HP.  At any time the player can choose to dabble in other weapon abilities.  Want to sling some magic between axe swings or learn some healing spells?  No problem, it’s entirely up to you how your characters grow.  I always appreciate this openness when it comes to character development so this earned some major points with me.

Commands can be strung together to make unique combos.  This system was actually a lot of fun, since there are a number of abilities which work well together in combos.  Your axeman can smack an enemy into the air, hit it a few times, then strike it straight downwards into the ground.  Executing combos requires the player to select the next move at the appropriate time however or the combo will fail.  This kept me engaged during battle and reminded me of Legend of Dragoon which was certainly appreciated.

Ankle-Biter Watches On

The one element that many people are familiar with from White Knight Chronicles is the huge shimmering knight you can transform into.  This is mainly used to combat the game’s many enormous bosses.  Where a normal character would only attack the shins of some enemies, a knight can get all up in its grill and dish out the justice.  This system consumes all of the character’s MP and AC (action chips, used for combos and special attacks) so it must be used sparingly.  Still, the player will use it enough for it to feel like a relevant part of the battle system.  It is also pretty fun, especially since knights can boost surrounding allies and their attacks are quite flashy.

My main complaint with the battle system comes from the games AI — mainly your allies’ AI.  If I am fighting a fire troll, it’s a fair guess that he’s weak to ice.  If my allies know all 4 elements, they’ll use a randomly selected element, meaning about 25% of the time a magically inclined ally will exploit a weakness.  This system forced me to take the reins of magical characters and let melee units mindlessly slash away at any enemy.  This resulted in a pretty solid system, but I would have preferred that AI units could exploit weaknesses on their own.  Also, I cannot tell you how many times the character I was controlling would be afflicted with sleep or paralysis only to have my two allies (who have the ability to cure my ailment) stand around dumbly staring at me until the effects wore off.  This system definitely could have been polished!

Story — More Like TRANSLUCENT Chronicles

The game’s story begins like nearly every RPG you have ever or never played.  There is an annoyingly upbeat guy who wants to save a princess who prays and has blond hair.  Admittingly, the characters surrounding the aforementioned clichés are considerably deeper.  By about the 20 hour mark things begin to get interesting with no help from the main character, Leonard.

I Am Thinking of a Word That Starts with “P”

If I had to sum up Leonard I would say that he is a record, playing on repeat.  His list of phrases include “We have to save the Princess!”, “Give us back the Princess!”, and of course “Princess!”.  By the end of the game (at least in this installment) he has not changed at all.  Leonard is a static character and this style of storytelling does not enhance anything.

As I mentioned, my love of certain supporting characters helped me choke down the story.  There were even a few twists which I found very surprising, earning the game some respect.  Given a more dynamic foundation the story of White Knight Chronicles could have been great.

Presentation, Mechanics, and Online — Avatars Everywhere

Graphically, there are more recent titles which easily surpass White Knight Chronicles.  However, the game maintains a cartoon-y anime feel which felt relatively timeless so that didn’t bother me.

Cut scenes are still pretty impressive, though there are few in the game.  Occasionally detailed hand-drawn art is used to depict the past which I enjoyed as well.

One of my favorite aspects of this game is the customizable avatar you create as soon as you start the game.  This avatar character will be joining the main cast for the game’s story as well as being the player’s vehicle for online play.  There is quite a bit that can be adjusted and you can easily spend an hour or so creating an acceptable character.

This system is an ingenious way of incorporating online play with a standard, story-heavy RPG.  I applaud Level-5 for their creativity.

Naturally, this brings us into the game’s online features.  At a certain point in the main story, the player will be able to go online.  Here you can construct your own village called a Georama (a la Dark Cloud), complete with inhabitants of different professions who can harvest different materials.  The player can arrange buildings and a number of accessories to achieve their desired look for their Georama.

The Georama serves as a “room” when going online.  Other players can come to your Georama to shop, explore, harvest, and team up on missions.  I enjoy seeing the degree some players have gone when it comes to decorating.  I should mention that there is also a “cash shop” of sorts where more gung-ho players can purchase unique and more valuable items for their Georama using real money.  I became quite addicted to editing my Georama, which became one of my favorite features.

When you team up with other players online, you can complete a number of quests as if playing an MMORPG.  You can chat, emote, give items but sadly not kill each other.  When your Clan Rank is low there are few quests you can complete so moving up in rank will require some repetition.  If you aren’t afraid to grind a bit the game really opens up around Rank 7.  Certain weapons and armor can only be equipped based on your Clan Rank which is a good means of motivating people to keep playing post-game, at least for me.  I suppose if you aren’t into the grind you’ll probably ignore this feature and discard the game shortly after completing the ~40 hour main quest.

Conclusions

As a game which attempts to incorporate modern technology with a classic genre, White Knight Chronicles comes very close to succeeding.  I did enjoy the game and plan on playing it a while longer — hell, I will probably play it today after work.  Still it had its moments where I wanted to kick my Playstation in the teeth from the sheer corniness it was projecting onto my screen.

All in all I liked the game and look forward to seeing the direction the series will take.  Perhaps the later installments will be more polished and the story will mature.

The official Nippon Ichi company site posted the above image today to show its fans that they’re planning a new Disgaea title for the PS3.  It’s part of their new strategy to help make up for some serious company losses that were shown by NIS a little while ago.

For those not in the know, Nippon Ichi posted a 97.5% profit drop in the first 9 months of this financial year. The total loss is estimated at nearly 300 million yen (about 3,450,000 USD). If things don’t shape up soon for the fledgling game developer, we could see one of the most cherished groups in the niche gaming community close its doors.

Nippon Ichi is blaming externally developed titles for their losses, so they’re going to focus on a high quality line-up, with a lot of attention being poured into PS3 development. In total, they’ve announced 87 new games for the year, with 6 of them being completely original titles. They are also very much aware of their huge fanbase outside of Japan, so they send an assuring note that they are increasing their efforts for the overseas market.

Part of me can’t help but be worried about Nippon Ichi. They are one of my favorite developers after all, but I feel that they should be treading ground more carefully. Disgaea certainly is their most popular title by far, but will it be enough to help pull them out of this financial slump? Not to mention it’s being developed alongside 7 other titles — seems a bit like overkill for a developer in such dire straits. I think they should spend as much time on their next Disgaea title as possible. Many people complained about the sprite graphics for the third entry in the series, especially since it was a PS3 title. NIS could maybe bring Disgaea into the next generation with new, updated 3D graphics to help bring in more gamers. Although in doing this, they may lose many of their loyal fans who would see the change as a disservice to the people who bought their games in the first place.

Either way, they have a lot more to think about if they don’t want to be shut down. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors and eagerly await news on those other 7 titles that they have up their sleeves.

At this point it’s common knowledge that when NIS makes a PSP game, there will be a alternate scenario which somehow exceeds the main story in hilarity.  It looks like the upcoming sequel to Prinny: Can I Really Be the Main Character? is no exception to this formula.

The name of the secret scenario is “Asagi Wars”, and as the name would suggest, the story largely revolves around Asagi.  You could say she is the main character… but there is one tiny difference: due to a certain accident, Asagi finds herself transmigrated as a Prinny living and toiling in the overlord’s castle.  She bravely goes about her many choirs as any Prinny should, until one fateful day.

While watching MHK (a parody of NHK) Prinny-Asagi learns that there are a number of impostors calling themselves Asagi, presumably in the wake of the true Asagi’s demise.  Asagi Wars is being held, and televised, to determine who the true Asagi is via a last-man-standing  (AKA ultimo hombre) all out war.  Naturally it’s up to Asagi-Prinny to clobber the truth out of each impostor.

Prinny-Asagi learning the news

Some of the impostors include a zombie Asagi, a Macho-male Asagi, and a mech-pilot Asagi, an Enka singer Asagi, and an 8-bit Asagi:

One major difference between the standard game and Asagi Wars is the implantation of a rating system. Note the bar in the middle of the screen displaying a percentage, that is the rating gauge.  Basically the better the player does the higher the ratings, after all your exploits are televised. When your ratings reach zero, Asagi is literally bombed by the network (I am sure Coco could relate to such abuse).  When the rating gauge is full, more powerful, flashy techniques become available.

There are also a number of unique weapons that Asagi-prinny can use that the Hero prinny cannot.  These include a gatling gun, drill, flamethrower, shotgun, etc.  Hey, it is a war after all!

Part of me is loving the uniqueness and creativity of this scenario and the attention that Asagi is getting.  The other part of me is hoping that Asagi is not gonna get stuck in Prinny form forever — that would actually make me madder than her not getting her own game!

Related Entries:
Prinny 2: The Battle for Panties at Dawn

I am really excited for Red Dead Redemption, but I am still trying to decide where to purchase it.  Right now I am leaning towards Game Stop since their pre-order bonus is the most appealing to me.  For a complete list of the other bonuses, check out this page on Rockstar’s main site.

Rather than settle on a single option for players, Game Stop is allowing consumers to vote for one of the above three bonus DLC outfits.  They are as follows:

• Savvy Merchant Outfit: Price for guns and ammo reduced by half
• Deadly Assassin Outfit: “Dead Eye” regenerates twice as quickly
• Expert Hunter Outfit: Receive double the reward from skinning an animal

This is a tough decision for me — it seems like the deadly assassin outfit would be helpful regardless of how far the player is in the game, which is great.  However, I think the value also depends on the player’s technique, I am sure some people will use Dead Eye more than others.  The other two outfits seem like they would be most helpful at the beginning of the game, but their value would taper off as time goes on.  Still, I imagine I will always need to buy ammo, even if all guns are unlocked so maybe the Savvy Merchant is the best choice.

I just can’t decide on my own guys!  If the decision is obvious to you, let me know and be sure to vote as well.