August 5 – August 9

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This is one of those weeks where I just don't know. I'm sure there's something amidst the chaos of this week's release list that someone is pretty excited about, but I'm just not sussing it out straight away. On a hunch — in that it was a PS3 game I hadn't heard of that sounded suspiciously like it would be the title of a JRPG — I did some looking up on Tales of Xillia, and yup, it sounds like that's probably the one that some of you will be looking forward to. Now don't get me wrong, the temptation to pick Divinity: Dragon Commander so I can spend the day reading exasperated comments is strong, but that's a dark road to go down as a human being. So, Xillia it shall be as game of the week.

Please enjoy the many qualities of that game that make it distinctive and relevant, which are obviously so numerous I shan't trouble to enumerate them here.

Since we've gotten that so cleanly out of the way, allow me to take a minute to talk Doctor Who at you. This weekend Peter Capaldi was named the 12th incarnation of the titular time-traveling hero — whose last name, by the way, is no more "Who" than Jesus' last name is "Christ" — and presented to the world live. As always I am left immediately wondering if this dude, who I'm sure is a nice guy, can pull it off, and whether this is where the whole thing finally goes off the rails. Then I end up thinking, "Well, if Colin Baker pulled it off, then I suppose anyone can."

I'm sorry, Colin. That wasn't nice of me.

I always feel like a little boy when I get wrapped up in all things Who. It is, at its heart of hearts, a juvenile show, and though I usually struggle to allow myself to enjoy pointedly childish content that many other adults enjoy — the perplexing and cloying Adventure Time for example — I have a weak spot for Who. I for one, can't wait to see what Capaldi brings to the show.

PC
- Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians (download)
- Divinity: Dragon Commander (download - $40)
- Guacamelee! Gold Edition (download - $15)
- GunCraft (download - $15)
- Megabyte Punch (download - $15)
- Papers, Please (download - $10)
- Spelunky (download)
- The Sims 3 Dragon Valley

Xbox 360
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (XBLA - $15)

PS3
- Dragon's Crown
- ibb & obb (PSN - $10)
- Superfrog HD (PSN)
- Tales of Xillia
- The Red Star (PS2 Classics)

Wii U
- Disney's Planes
- Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party (eShop - $9)

Wii
- Disney's Planes

Vita
- Dragon's Crown
- Superfrog HD (PSN)

3DS
- Disney's Planes
- Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

DS
- Disney's Planes

Comments

Dragon's Crown shall be purchased.

I'm shocked - SHOCKED - that Mario and Luigi Dream Team didn't get the nod. It's the only one I've seen anyone getting excited over.

Also I'm optimistic about the new Who, it seems like it could give the opportunity for a refreshing tonal change.
Or it could be total crap, but I don't have a TARDIS to jump into and see what the future holds.

imbiginjapan wrote:

I'm shocked - SHOCKED - that Mario and Luigi Dream Team didn't get the nod. It's the only one I've seen anyone getting excited over.

I'd be all over that except Pikmin 3 arrived in the mail today. Or the fact I'm still picking away at SMT IV. First world problems, right?

SPELUNKY.

I'm actually kind of startled that Dragon's Crown didn't get the nod, at the very least for all the controversy it's been causing with the character designs.

Xbox 360
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (XBLA - $15)

Oh shoot, that's out? Damn, I didn't realize that was going to be "so soon" after E3. I was really interested in that one.

Wow, quite the week for the 360. Jeez. The Wii and DS almost beat it out in terms of releases.

Another JRPG gets the nod? I think Elysium's gone bonkers.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Another JRPG gets the nod? I think Elysium's gone bonkers.

I think there's a method to the madness:

Now, don't get me wrong, the temptation to pick Divinity: Dragon Commander so I can spend the day reading exasperated comments is strong, but that's a dark road to go down as a human being

I love the smell of disdain in the morning. Or I'm reading this wrong.

I'm trying to show that I am growing as a person.

I think big JRPG finally got to him. He's flying an airship to work now, no WAY he could afford that on his salary.

Dragon's Crown actually seems kind of neat. But that character design..... Yeeeeeeeeesh.

Sheesh...Red Star becomes a downloadable PS2 classic before I've ever even popped it into the disc tray, in spite of buying it only a few months after release.

Certis wrote:

I think big JRPG finally got to him. He's flying an airship to work now, no WAY he could afford that on his salary.

Man I've been shilling for JRPGs for years and all I've got is a keyblade and a stack of ninety nine potions. Must be good to be a professional!

Mario & Luigi would definitely be the highlight of this week... except that Amazon, Wikipedia etc. are reporting that it's a title for next week (Aug. 11). So I can only assume that it'll be featured next week because Mario & Luigi is one of the best series ever.

As for this week, Shop is getting Pikmin 3, and I'm kind of interested in Papers Please and Brothers.

Demyx wrote:

Mario & Luigi would definitely be the highlight of this week... except that Amazon, Wikipedia etc. are reporting that it's a title for next week (Aug. 11). So I can only assume that it'll be featured next week because Mario & Luigi is one of the best series ever.

Nintendo seems to be the only publisher to release on a weekend so it's an unusual situation.

Elysium put it in the list for this week's releases so I assume he treats Sunday as the last day of the week for the purposes of this list. Then again that's probably a lot more thought then he puts into it :p

danopian wrote:

SPELUNKY.

It's good. I feel like the XBLA version got overlooked. Hopefully the Steam version sells well.

Demyx wrote:

Man I've been shilling for JRPGs for years and all I've got is a keyblade and a stack of ninety nine potions. Must be good to be a professional!

At least you didn't end up with an evoker instead of a keyblade.

imbiginjapan wrote:

Elysium put it in the list for this week's releases so I assume he treats Sunday as the last day of the week for the purposes of this list.

That sounds right. He gave Pikmin 3 the nod last week and that arrived in stores on Sunday.

shoptroll wrote:

At least you didn't end up with an evoker instead of a keyblade.

I got an evoker. Took me forever to figure out I needed to shoot myself in the head with that thing.

ohhh... Guacamelee on PC! Picking it up on Steam in the first week will get you Mutant Blobs Attack on top of the 10% discount for the game itself.

We love your JRPG hating personality, Sean. Come back with the hate, soon! Set that airship on fire and crash it into the side of the biggest JRPG release in the foreseeable future. Just because.

That sounds right. He gave Pikmin 3 the nod last week and that arrived in stores on Sunday.

Nintendo Sunday releases are tricky.

Mario & Luigi would definitely be the highlight of this week... except that Amazon, Wikipedia etc. are reporting that it's a title for next week (Aug. 11). So I can only assume that it'll be featured next week because Mario & Luigi is one of the best series ever.

I already know what next week's GotW is. It's not Mario & Luigi. That'll give you some time to think of something really mean to say to me.

Dragon's Crown and The Red Star are looking mighty good to me :D.

Elysium wrote:
That sounds right. He gave Pikmin 3 the nod last week and that arrived in stores on Sunday.

Nintendo Sunday releases are tricky.

It's almost like they don't want people to order from Amazon!

EDIT: Is it too late to declare August as "Be nice to Sean in the Week Ahead thread" month?

mrtomaytohead wrote:

We love your JRPG hating personality, Sean. Come back with the hate, soon! Set that airship on fire and crash it into the side of the biggest JRPG release in the foreseeable future. Just because.

So... Pokemon?

Elysium wrote:

I already know what next week's GotW is. It's not Mario & Luigi. That'll give you some time to think of something really mean to say to me. :(

Man, you are really that excited about Europa 4???

Certis wrote:

I think big JRPG finally got to him. He's flying an airship to work now, no WAY he could afford that on his salary.

I heard he won it by gambling.

wordsmythe wrote:
Certis wrote:

I think big JRPG finally got to him. He's flying an airship to work now, no WAY he could afford that on his salary.

I heard he won it by gambling.

I hear he killed a man for cheating at Triple Triad.

Elysium wrote:

I already know what next week's GotW is. It's not Mario & Luigi. That'll give you some time to think of something really mean to say to me. :(

IMAGE(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff261/demyxkol/fawful.jpg)

Tales of what, now?

Personally, I'm very curious to play the finished version of Papers, Please. I really enjoyed the demo that was released a few months ago.

Cobble wrote:
Elysium wrote:

I already know what next week's GotW is. It's not Mario & Luigi. That'll give you some time to think of something really mean to say to me. :(

Man, you are really that excited about Europa 4???

Duck Tales Remastered. I'm calling it now.

[edit] shophauserred!

Cobble wrote:
Elysium wrote:

I already know what next week's GotW is. It's not Mario & Luigi. That'll give you some time to think of something really mean to say to me. :(

Man, you are really that excited about Europa 4???

Either that or Ducktales

EDIT: Which will be very funny if true because I think Demyx is the last person to say something really mean if Ducktales is the next Pick of the Week.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
mrtomaytohead wrote:

We love your JRPG hating personality, Sean. Come back with the hate, soon! Set that airship on fire and crash it into the side of the biggest JRPG release in the foreseeable future. Just because.

So... Pokemon?

Probably. After he crashes right on through Mario & Luigi next week. It should be glorious!

That spoony bard! /fistshake