JRPG Catch-All

beeporama wrote:

I got a little further in Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love. Interesting way to break up the game and implement a save system: The game is broken up into "episodes" as though it were an anime series, reinforced by a narrated "coming up next..." scene at the end of an episode and a title screen at the beginning of the next. There are save points at points in the plot where you would expect a commercial break. It is too early to assume a pattern, but each "episode" promises to have its own plot arc and villain you fight at the end.

In the manual, they're actually pretty explicit about this, if I recall correctly. You'll always have three dating segments followed by one combat segment. I wouldn't be surprised if it was primarily monster-of-the-week stuff leading into a series of connected episodes against an über villain.

Although some of the voice acting is cringeworthy (mostly the badly done accents) I'm finding the game increasingly charming.

Gemini made my ears bleed. But you're right: if you approach the game on its own terms, it's very sweet and very charming. It's a lot like some of the anime series I've seen, in that respect. I'm having trouble coming up with a series to compare it to directly.

They just launched the Persona 3 Portable full trailer (non-embeddable YouTube link, unfortunately).

ClockworkHouse:

I don't suppose Sakura Wars would be a good anime to compare the game to?

LarryC wrote:

ClockworkHouse:

I don't suppose Sakura Wars would be a good anime to compare the game to?

Like I said before: they're related. Ergo, that'd be cheating. Also, I haven't seen the anime.

Highly recommend the anime. Juxtaposes "serious" military-style anime tropes with Steampunk mecha and theater antics for comedic effect. Lots of very understated humor, but a fair amount of slapstick and fan service up top as well. Better if you're acquainted with the tropes and Japanese culture.

Nintendo has published a release date for the next Dragon Quest game, which is coming out for the DS on July 11th:

Nintendo's PR Site[/url]]DRAGON QUEST IX: SENTINELS OF THE STARRY SKIES LAUNCHES ON JULY 11

Character Customization, Cooperative Multiplayer Adventuring and an Epic Story Make for a One-of-a-Kind Nintendo DS Experience

REDMOND, Wash., May 19, 2010 - Launching in the United States on July 11, DRAGON QUEST® IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies™ for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems lets players enjoy an adventure that is entirely their own, yet can be shared with others anywhere, anytime. Developed by Square Enix Co., Ltd., this game has already become a phenomenon with players of all ages and backgrounds in Japan, with more than 4.2 million units sold.

Before setting off on their adventure, players can create their own heroes, deciding how they would like their face, hair and clothing to look. As the story unfolds, players become stronger, smarter and more powerful, and can customize companions who join their group. Players will have fun discovering more than 1,000 pieces of clothing, armor, weapons and other items that will provide them with a unique appearance and special abilities. Players can also change the class of their character at any time, choosing from a variety of vocations that will affect their abilities and strengths in the game.

In DRAGON QUEST IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, players begin their adventure as a city guardian who is sent to retrieve a sacred tree's fruits, which have the power to grant wishes. Players travel the world, conquer fearsome monsters and unravel an epic storyline. During their journey, players will encounter mighty opponents in fast-paced battles, and also interact with a colorful cast of characters.

DRAGON QUEST IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies contains special modes that let players share their adventure with others, allowing up to four players to team up via a [color=red]local wireless connection[/color] and experience the fun of tackling challenging monsters and dungeons cooperatively with their own characters. Players can even leave the game active in their backpacks, pockets or purses and still interact with other players via an interactive "Tag Mode." Information about players' characters can be wirelessly transmitted to others, and treasure maps and customized greetings can be exchanged automatically by players who come within range of one another when their games are set to Tag Mode.

Players looking to enjoy a variety of different game activities can take on special side quests. Some of these quests will be earned by progressing through the game, while additional quests will be made available for free download for players with broadband Internet access after the game launches, providing hours of additional content for virtual adventurers to enjoy either on their own or with friends. Some downloadable quests will continue the main storyline of the game, while others offer standalone missions.

"DRAGON QUEST IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies is one of the biggest games ever to hit Nintendo DS, with an incredible amount of content for every kind of player to enjoy," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "This new game has all of the elements of an instant classic: customization options, a great story, and the ability to share a nearly limitless experience with friends."

DQIX was a smash hit in Japan, but I'm not so sure that success is assured here in the states, especially with the limitation on local wireless play for multiplayer. In my opinion, Monster Hunter Tri managed to break through (so to speak) because it cut through the bullsh*t in the Wii infrastructure for more open online play; limiting DQIX's "passively interactive" content swapping to local wireless networking is a big drag, especially since the chances for simply passing by somebody on a local wireless network are remarkably small (or maybe even non-existent). Not everybody lives in a major metropolitan area; not everybody has an opportunity to go to PAX or any other massive gathering of gamer folk.

Still, it's a new Dragon Quest game, and one that will apparently wield the marketing muscle of the Big N. Despite my skepticism surrounding the implementation of the online component, I am definitely intrigued.

LarryC wrote:

Highly recommend the anime. Juxtaposes "serious" military-style anime tropes with Steampunk mecha and theater antics for comedic effect. Lots of very understated humor, but a fair amount of slapstick and fan service up top as well. Better if you're acquainted with the tropes and Japanese culture.

If I search for "Sakura Wars" on Netflix, I get a number of results. What would I be looking for to enhance my enjoyment of the game?

Not sure. I think the second one from the top is your best bet. I'm not acquainted with the newer ones.

Posted this in the video game deals thread, thought it might not be a bad idea to post here also:

Kind of an odd deal, but I found it impossible to resist.

Glory of Heracles for DS is $12.99 new on Amazon at the moment, and comes with a $10 video games credit, as well as a $5 dollar MP3 download credit. All told, they are paying you $2 to take this game.

And if anyone's wondering, it's a JRPG from a long-standing Japanese series making it's US debut.

Bonus points for also getting you Club Nintendo points, if you're into that (I am).

Beep that's the weird thing of it. I have wife and twin boy/girl twins 4 yrs old I'm 34 and love videogames especially JRPG, but waiting. My wife and I don't agree. It's probably a long time, maybe when they're at least 10. So far Mario is okay but my wife freaks out, then sleeptime. I say be cool and cautious and wait for wife okay. I'm waiting for when I remember I began understood appreciative video games, my boy will be 8 or 10 and twin girl then follow along

Yakuza 4 will be getting a North American release next spring. I know that'll make more than a few people around here happy.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Yakuza 4 will be getting a North American release next spring. I know that'll make more than a few people around here happy.

I *would* be happy had Yakuza 3 not been so brutally butchered.

Not interested now.

Square Enix announced their E3 line-up, and it's surprisingly light on JRPGs. Final Fantasy XIV is their big headliner, but it's an MMO. Looking through their titles, the only JRPG-ish things I see are: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep for the PSP, and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded and Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light for the DS. However, The 4 Heroes of Light is described as "a charming new adventure by the creators of the FINAL FANTASY III and IV remakes"; that sounds more like a Crystal Chronicles sort of action game to me.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

However, The 4 Heroes of Light is described as "a charming new adventure by the creators of the FINAL FANTASY III and IV remakes"; that sounds more like a Crystal Chronicles sort of action game to me.

Actually, I was under the impression that 4 Heroes of Light was a return to the more traditional turn-based RPG commands from the FF series' NES days:

IMAGE(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Hikarino4senshigameplay.jpg)

OzymandiasAV wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

However, The 4 Heroes of Light is described as "a charming new adventure by the creators of the FINAL FANTASY III and IV remakes"; that sounds more like a Crystal Chronicles sort of action game to me.

Actually, I was under the impression that 4 Heroes of Light was a return to the more traditional turn-based RPG commands from the FF series' NES days:

IMAGE(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Hikarino4senshigameplay.jpg)

That's news to me, and it's good news, at that. Thanks.

Etrian Odyssey III for the DS got announced and dated for Sept. 9th.

Golden Sun's new title is Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. Still no firm release date.

Edit: Oh, and just to add something to the conversation: I haven't played RoF in weeks, probably coming up on two months. There have just been so many awesome games out recently. Still haven't gotten my hands on FFXIII and I have a feeling I may never pick it up. The "it takes 20 hours to get to the good stuff" half-joke has kinda gotten to me.

The only thing I'm looking forward to in the near future in DQIX, but only because the extreme amount of praise it got in Japan. I'm not a DQ devotee, so there has to be a reason otherwise I pass.

garion333 wrote:

Etrian Odyssey III for the DS got announced and dated for Sept. 9th.

Golden Sun's new title is Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. Still no firm release date.

Atlus's mailer has Etrian Odyssey III's release date as 9/21. I'll update the link for a pre-order once Amazon puts up a product page for it.

garion333 wrote:

Oh, and just to add something to the conversation: I haven't played RoF in weeks, probably coming up on two months. There have just been so many awesome games out recently. Still haven't gotten my hands on FFXIII and I have a feeling I may never pick it up. The "it takes 20 hours to get to the good stuff" half-joke has kinda gotten to me.

I haven't played Resonance of Fate in awhile, either. My old Xbox died and ate my 25 hour save, and it's been hard to work up the gumption to get back into it, especially with some really wonderful games landing in my lap (Super Mario Galaxy 2). It's a genuinely great game, though, and I look forward to getting back to it.

So far as what's around the corner, the information on Arc Rise Fantasia coming out of E3 looks good, but I'm not entirely sold on the game. It looks polished and well-produced, but I haven't seen anything that's really hooked me, yet.

Xenoblade is out in Japan as of last week, but Nintendo has been silent about it and The Last Story at E3, so who knows when they'll make it State-side.

Amazon just sent me an email, and the release date they're showing for Golden Sun DS is January 12th-ish 2011.

Lard wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

Yakuza 4 will be getting a North American release next spring. I know that'll make more than a few people around here happy.

I *would* be happy had Yakuza 3 not been so brutally butchered.

Not interested now.

It's in my Top 3 of games played this year. Anyone know why it's called Yakuza here and "Like a Dragon" in Japan?

Has anybody played DQ9? I'm tempted to get a DS just to play it and some of the other RPGs announced.

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/06/16...

What a list of releases for NIS for the ps3

Trinity Universe and Atelier Rorona this year, Ar tonelico III and Neptune in 2011 (Disgaea is also likely but that's a rumour for now)

HOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYY CRAP

Ninokuni: The Another World (Ghibli + Level 5 RPG that is on the DS) is *also* going to be on PS3

http://www.imagebam.com/image/f675d9...

Whoa.

I'm cross-posting this from the deals thread, since it's of interest to this crowd:

The NISA Official Store has launched, and to celebrate they've cut prices on the following games:
  • Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice (PS3) - $19.99
  • Disgaea DS (DS) - $19.99
  • Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (DS) - $19.99
  • Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island (DS) - $19.99

The original post should now be up to date. It looks like most of the titles up there are TBA.

Weirdly, Trinity Universe releases in six days, but Amazon doesn't even have box art for it.

Anyone planning to get Arc Rise Fantasia?

Well, I'm not even considering this game now.

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/06/23...

While online play was free for new and used copies of White Knight Chronicles, Sony appears to be shifting their strategy for White Knight Chronicles: Awakening of Light and Darkness. A leaked package shot of the sequel reveals a GeoNet license, a product code players have to activate before logging online.

New copies of White Knight Chronicles: Awakening of Light and Darkness come with a one-time use code. Buy a used copy and you’ll have to pay extra to play online. GeoNet licenses can be purchased from the PlayStation

garion333 wrote:

Quick Look for Hexyz Force.

The game is awesome.

BishopRS wrote:
garion333 wrote:

Quick Look for Hexyz Force.

The game is awesome.

I'm glad to hear this. I really wanted to buy it just to support the "copy to memory card" option built in to the game, which as most PSP hackers (and XBox 360 owners) know ought to be a built-in feature.

beeporama wrote:
BishopRS wrote:
garion333 wrote:

Quick Look for Hexyz Force.

The game is awesome.

I'm glad to hear this. I really wanted to buy it just to support the "copy to memory card" option built in to the game, which as most PSP hackers (and XBox 360 owners) know ought to be a built-in feature.

I couldn't find that feature. It can install data to the memory card for faster load times but you still need the UMD in it to launch. I'm new to PSP though so maybe you can enlighten me?

I couldn't find Persona 3 Portable locally and had to hit up Amazon for a UMD. Atlus seems to produce some optimally minimal amount of physical discs. It's smart business but a pita for fans.

Oh, did you all read this? woo!

http://kotaku.com/5582128/studio-ghi...