Bravely Default: Flying Fairy will be released for 3DS in America and Europe this year! Bringing a tear to the eye of many a Japanese RPG fan! More soon.
Tag Archives: RPG
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk PS3 RPG Release Date Is March 5 2013. Localization By NIS America, Tecmo Koei Publishing. No Dual Audio Japanese Voice Track. Trailer, Opening And Screenshots
The English titlescreen for the USA release of Atelier Ayesha.
It is the latest game in the long-running but little-played Atelier series. An RPG franchise based on the art of Alchemy, where players spend the game exploring a world in which to find and collect various items, that they can then combine into recipes to create better items and more powerful spells in an artists workshop.
Collect items to brew more powerful potions and magic using Alchemy.
Sadly for fans of the series, most of the games have stayed in Japan. Although many of them have been localized as well. Other than the alchemy angle, the game’s are standard Japanese RPG, anime-style fare.
Here is the very anime Atelier Ayesha opening movie intro.
This latest game, Ayesha, stars a girl alchemist named Ayesha Altugle whose been forced to live by herself ever since her grandfather died. Following that event, her younger sister Nio has gone missing, leaving Ayesha alone. On the day that Nio disappeared, Ayesha was out gathering medicinal herbs… Now she sells those ingredients to make a living for herself. One lucky day, she discovers that her sister is in fact alive, somewhere in the wide expanse of the world. Thus begins her quest to find her sister.
This is what battles look like in this RPG.
Fans of the series will probably be disappointed to learn that Atelier Ayesha is the first localized Atelier game to only include English recorded vocals, and does not include Dual-Track support so you can listen to the voice acting in its native Japanese (the way most anime fans prefer it). This is a big change from past titles which always featured both the English and Japanese voices included in the game.
Exploring the field and overworld in typical RPG fashion.
However Tecmo Toei is aware of the issue and aware that fans desire dual-audio-track support, and promises that the next entry will include both the Japanese and English voices. They are in fact embarrassed that it was cut for Ayesha. They told Siliconera, “We are very sorry. We have confirmed the voice option information with Atelier series developer Gust and for this title, Atelier Ayesha, it will be English only. We know how important this is for you and we will try to implement the voice option in the future Atelier releases. We aren’t happy with the lack of a dual-audio feature either, and we understand and share the concerns of our Atelier fan community,” said Tecmo Koei Europe representative Chin Soon Sun.
A sexy purple witch dress for Ayesha.
If you aren’t familiar with the Atelier RPG series, here is some background. Ever since the early 2000’s, the West has seen several of the games released. However to the unitiated the sheer amount of releases in the series, the confusing names, and the fact that there are multiple and differing “series”, make everything very convoluted and hard-to-understand. There have been several different “series” in the franchise, and they include: The Salburg Series (the first and debut titles), The Gramnad Series, The Iris Series (the first one English speakers will be familiar with), The Mana Series, and The Arland Series. Additionally there are several side-stories and one-offs, although only one of them has been localized for the West (2009’s DS RPG Atelier Annie).
Here is the entire list of Atelier franchise releases in America (In order by release date and system):
* Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana (PS2, 2005)
* Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny (PS2, 2006)
* Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm (PS2, 2007)
* Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis (PS2, 2008)
* Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy (PS2, 2009)
* Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island (DS 2009)
* Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland (PS3, 2010)
* Atelier Toton: The Adventure of Arland (PS3, 2011)
* Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (PS3, 2012)
Phew! Still many of the games in the series have never been released outside of Japan (and some of the games just listed were not released outside of the United States).
These Japan only titles include the debut games in the franchise:
* Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg, which released for PS1 in 1997 and it’s sequels:
* Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg 2 (PS1, 1998) and
* Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg 3 (PS2, 2001).
Other Japan-only releases include:
* Atelier Judie: The Alchemist of Gramnad (PS2, 2002)
* Atelier Violet: The Alchemist of Gramnad 2 (PS2, 2003)… From here is when the U.S. started seeing the games released. Even so, we missed out on:
* Atelier Judie: The Alchemist of Gramnad – Imprisoned Guardian (PSP 2010)
* Atelier Violet: The Alchemist of Gramnad 2 – The Memories of Ultramarine (PSP, 2011)
* Atelier Elkrone: Dear For Otomate (PSP, 2012) and
* Atelier Totori Plus (PS Vita, 2012), although that latter game may still be released here.
We also missed out on these “Side-Games” in the series:
* Marie & Elie: Atelier Pair (Wonderswan Color, 2001)
* Marie To Elie Atelier (Dreamcast 2001)
* Hermina & Culus: Atelier Lilie Another Story (PS2, 2001)
* Atelier Marie, Elie & Anis: Message On the Gentle Breeze (Game Boy Advance, 2003)
* Atelier Lise: The Alchemist of Orde~ (DS, 2007) and
* Atelier Lina: The Alchemist of Strahl (DS, 2009).
In fact the only side-game released in the US was the second-to-last, “Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island” which hit DS in 2009 in America, but was not released in Europe. PHEW. Now that is a lot of entries, essentially one or two a year!
So if you want to know what this Atelier RPG franchise is all about, track down either the first PS2 game released in the West (Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana for PS2 2005), or the first game in the Mana series (Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis, PS2 2008) or, and probably the easiest one to play and find, track down the first PS3 game entitled “Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland” (PS3 2010). Once you’ve played one of them, you can attempt to track down the others and judge whether you enjoyed it enough to seek out other games.
Happy 15th Anniversary Final Fantasy VII! Waxing Nostalgic As FFVII Turns Fifteen Years Old! (Photo of the Day September 7 2012)
…. Final Fantasy VII is celebrating its 15th anniversary! Sadly this artwork is from the CG film Advent Children, not the 1997 RPG epic.
It’s hard to believe that the Final Fantasy series is as old as it is (25 years old, the first game having come out on December 18th 1987 in Japan). It’s even harder for me to believe that the 32bit generation is OLDER than 15 years. That just sounds absolutely insane to me, but here we stand.
…. The beloved cast of Final Fantasy VII in artwork form as it appears in the manual. NOT how they appear in the game itself except in movie scenes.
FFVII and it’s amazing cast of Cloud Strife, Tifa, Barret, Red XIII, Vincent, Cat Saith, Yuffie, Zack Fair, Sephiroth, Cid, The Turks and, of course, Aeris (I refuse to call her Aerith); is beloved the world over. For many young people my age (nearing their 30s) and younger, this game was their BIGGEST introduction to the RPG genre of role-playing adventure games.
What the cast ACTUALLY looks like in the game… it was better in our heads eh.
Sure there were great RPGs before FFVII, ranging from Super Mario RPG and EarthBound to Phantasy Star, Dragon Quest/Warrior and, of course, Final Fantasy’s 1-6… but FFVII was the first RPG that TRULY, TRULY felt like a blockbuster Hollywood film. While the graphics look absolutely atrocious and downright primitive today, its as if you’re revisiting the stone-age of gaming… Final Fantasy VII is much more than just its graphics and visual look.
FFVII Walkthrough With Intro, Gameplay, Movie Scenes
The amazing and intricate Materia system and classic turn-based RPG gameplay, the “more-mature-than-most-games-you-had-ever-played writing” (SWEAR WORDS OH MY!), the romantic story and intricate, mind-warping plot (a plot that goes absolutely mind-bending bonkers towards the end. Matrix-style, accept it did it before Neo was a flicker in the eye), the myriad of secrets, items, weapons, places to explore… Chocobos and Chocobo Breeding, Cid, Summons, Golden Saucer… and boss fights; one of the greatest villains of all time, the wealth of CG FMV (which is still cool but not nearly as impressive as it was back then… in fact it’s entirely underwhelming and unimpactful today… especially when you compare it to something like the FFVII: Advent Children CG film), the incredible sweeping music (and super iconic Battle Theme) and the overall grand epic experience is still a treat even in 2012 and stands the test of time very well.
The cast is simply fantastic, and every character is unique enough (particularly in the way they look, accentuated even more because of their token boxy look, which helps each stand out from the other, even though they all have square hands…) that you’ll remember them long after you stopped playing.
The most famous FFVII scene of them all.
And while the writing is not up to the quality of later games in the series, it is still good writing in its own right.
Of course, for likely half of the gaming world, these characters and this amazing universe that Square created, will never be forgotten. It is eternally embeded in each of our hearts.
The awesome and iconic FFVII cover artwork of Cloud with his big, badass sword!
While there are many gamers who do not consider Final Fantasy VII to be the greatest game in the Final Fantasy series, there are LEGIONS UPON LEGIONS who consider FFVII not only the best-in-the-series by a longshot, but the BEST GAME EVER MADE.
There are not a whole lot of other games in the history of the industry that can hang with the likes of FFVII. A rare feat indeed.
The Best Music of Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy Versus XIII Coming (2013?). Still In Development. New Info Will Be Announced On August 31st – September 2nd 2012 At Lightning Saga 25th Anniversary Event
…ooo……o
Here’s the original amazing trailer for FF Versus XIII.
It is here that a special “Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Saga: New Developments Presentation” will be held. New information on Final Fantasy Versus XIII, the only outstanding part of the FFXIII saga called “Fabula Nova Crystallis” (excluding “Final Fantasy Type-0” for PSP, formerly Final Fantasy Agito XIII, yet to be released outside of Japan) will almost undoubtedly be announced.
Hopefully we’ll learn and see new gameplay video of what Final Fantasy Versus XIII now looks like, as well as news that Final Fantasy Agito XIII is headed to America; whether on PSP or perhaps through a digital release or some other form.
Also included at the event will be: Presentation of music from Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XIV 2.0, Final Fantasy VII 15th Anniversary.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII producer Yoichi Wada stated on Twitter the following, confirming that the game is well under development:
“It seems someone is spreading a false rumor about Versus being canceled. Heh, just a few moments ago a regularly scheduled meeting for Versus ended. If you were to see the city etc. presented today, you wouldn’t be able to stand from surprise, lol.”
EarthBound Unboxing Video
My complete EarthBound set, bought at Blockbuster for $15 in 1998!
Here is a video of me unboxing a complete EarthBound set (from my personal collection) that I am selling on Craigslist.
As you can see, it is not in great condition, the box is pretty roughed up. I bought it in 1998 (the game and the box) at Blockbuster Video for… wait for it…. $15! Of course, little did I know how rare it would become.
Even back then, I was pissed. Because the main reason I bought the game was because of the eye-catching large box, which I assumed included the Player’s Guide printed on the cover. The Collector’s Whore in me wanted it more to have a complete set than to have the game… although I was interested in RPGs thanks to “Super Mario RPG” and had heard good things in gaming magazines of a strange, unique RPG called “EarthBound”. But I had never played it and didn’t know anything about it beyond that.
Much to my horror, when I opened the box up I discovered that there was NO PLAYER’S GUIDE/instruction manual inside!!!!!!!! Just the game and the box! I was SO UPSET. I nearly took it back!
…. PHEW! What a mistake that would’ve been eh! Suffice it to say, I kept it. Now due to it being a Blockbuster rental, the box was already roughed up, and since then it has simply sat on my shelf and got more worn over the ages and the last 14 years that I’ve owned it. As such, the box is in pretty rough shape.
The game works perfectly, although it doesn’t maintain game saves. :( It has always done this though, even when I first bought it. I even replaced the battery once and it still didn’t maintain my saves. :( I kept trying to play it for years and years, refusing to use a ROM, since I wanted to beat it in its original state on my SNES. However after trying to beat it one final time on SNES about a year ago, I finally gave in and downloaded the ROM. So I didn’t have to worry about my saves getting erased.
A few months back I then bought the Player’s Guide Instructions Manual for $80 off ebay, in order to make this a complete EarthBound set (without the inserts). I’m selling it for $400. :) Wish me luck in selling it!
Tales of Xillia American US and European Releases Confirmed By Namco
The official logo for Tales of Xillia, the 13th entry in the long-running Namco RPG series.
Here’s a Japanese Tales of Xillia Trailer, showing tons of cutscenes and story sequences, along with gameplay at the end.
This is huge news for fans of the Tales series of RPGs from Namco, who were a bit worried that the latest game in the series, a PS3-exclusive, would not see the light of day outside Japan.
Thankfully, Namco has come to their senses, although no word on exactly WHEN the game will be released has been announced. But it is extremely likely it will hit sometime this holiday, if I had to wager a guess.
This is what the RPG battles look like in Tales of Xillia exclusively for PS3. Coming this Fall 2012.
The latest game in the Tales series was the 3DS Tales of the Abyss 3D released last year, a remake of the PS2 title from 2006. Before that we got Tales of Graces f for PS3, an enhanced port of a Wii game in the series that was never released outside of Japan. The game most players will remember from the current generation is the Xbox 360-exclusive Tales of Vesperia (also released for PS3 in Japan with an updated version). Sadly there are two fairly recent DS entries in the Tales series that never got released outside of Japan. Hopefully Namco can combine them into a dual-pack and release it for 3DS or something along those lines eh?
Otherwise, releases of Tales games in the West have been somewhat hit or miss, but it’s great to hear that Tales of Xillia will finally be getting its day on Western shores.
Apparently some pretty cool cats from Tales of Xillia. What with the shades in all…
On the Cutting Room Floor – Car Battler Joe For Game Boy Advance (Episode 9)
The anime RPG style of the box art for Car Battler Joe for GBA, released in 2002.
If you know me, you know that there are TONS AND TONS of videogames I’ve never played. Sadly, although I consider myself to be a “hardcore” gamer, I really am not compared to most “gamers”. The reason for that is because, unlike other more productive people, I can never seem to find the time to play games. Period.
So I thought it would be fun to go through some of the games I’d LOVE to play and still plan on playing someday, but never have up to this point and why I want to play them. Hopefully I’ll play through them in the near future. :)
EPISODE #9 – Car Battler Joe
Released: 2002
System: Game Boy Advance
Re-Released: No
Genre: Car Combat RPG
Developed By: Ancient Corp
Publisher: Natsume
Is There A Digital Version?: No. I highly doubt there ever will be.
Here is a video of Car Battler Joe in action!
In the early 2000s, the Game Boy Advance was stuffed to the gills with very cool, interesting, and unique games that have been seemingly lost to the sands of time… Most people do not know of some of the best little gems that GBA has to offer; games like Drill Dozer, Car Battler Joe, Demi Kids, Sigma Star Saga and Klonoa: Empire of Dreams. Among many others.
Which is a crying shame, because some of the above titles are truly lost gems… Such as this game, released in 2002 by RPG house Natsume, and known as Car Battler Joe!
….. Car Battler Joe is often thought of as Pokemon Cars, which isn’t quite accurate. More like Twisted Metal RPG.
Car Battler Joe is a unique mashup of Twisted Metal-style car combat with RPG elements! It is truly a mix of genres and styles that you have never seen before. The brunt of the game sees players stepping into the shoes of the titular mechanic Joe, who must run around an RPG world, talking to people, purchasing new items and equipment, and battling car owners in Mode-7 arenas with car-on-car-combat in order to gain more cash which is used to upgrade your car. Eventually players will proceed in the storyline of the game and find out about Joe’s father.
While it is tempting to think of Car Battler Joe as “Pokemon Cars”, it’s actually not, as the game is more about upgrading your car with new abilities, and less about collecting new cars in the way you collect “Pocket Monsters” in Pokemon. Instead you are typically collecting new parts to improve your car in an number of areas and add a variety of weapons and abilities to it. Which make defeating new Car Owners easier.
Don’t be deceived by the very cool looking artwork. The game doesn’t look this!
Overall, Car Battler Joe is a very unique game that very few people know about. The game garnered good reviews (mostly in the 7 range) upon release and was praised for offering a unique hook. One that has still yet to be seen in the same way. In particular because Car Battler Joe makes heavy use of the 32bit Game Boy Advance to offer 16bit style graphics and effects, which are much different than how the game would’ve been done had it come out on a more powerful system. Yet these oldschool graphics are what instill Car Battler Joe with such a unique charm. If the game was to be done today, it likely would lack that charm.
Car Battler Joe is quite rare and hard to come by, although you can get it off ebay for around $20 if you can even find it being sold. Hopefully the game will get a digital re-release at some point, as very few people even know it exists. Of course, there’s always piracy. Which is definitely the easiest way to play this lost gem. :)
Explore the world in RPG mode and talk to new car mechanics to battle!
Use the cash you win in battle to buy new parts and weapons to upgrade your vehicle!
In typical RPG style, run around the world and talk to everyone.
Hey is this Battle Bots or Car Battler Joe?!
Exploring building interiors in the RPG mode of Car Battler Joe.
Battling other cars is kinda like Twisted Metal RPG eh.
Previous Episodes of “On the Cutting Room Floor”:
* On the Cutting Room Floor Episode 8 – Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Posted On June 16 2012)
* On the Cutting Room Floor Episode 7 – Halo 2 (Posted on June 11, 2012)
* On the Cutting Room Floor Episode 6 – The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (Posted: June 3, 2012)
* On the Cutting Room Floor Episode 5 – Otogi: Myth of Demons (Posted: May 27, 2012)
* On the Cutting Room Floor Episode 4 – Drill Dozer (Posted: May 21, 2012)
* On the Cutting Room Floor Episode 3 – Psychonauts (Posted: May 11, 2012)
* On the Cutting Room Floor Episode 2 – Silent Hill 3 (Posted: May 3, 2012)
* On the Cutting Room Floor Episode 1 – EarthBound (Posted: April 26, 2012)
Penny Arcade On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 3 Release Date Is June 25 2012 (Xbox Live Indie Games, Steam)
Face off against a titanic boss in the third game in the Penny Arcade RPG series!
This is a much earlier release than was originally intended, as the game was supposed to hit in July. But since the game is done now, the developers thought it’d be dumb to sit on their hands until later. Cool right?! :D
Additionally, fans of the Penny Arcade comic-based videogame who purchase On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 3 on Steam will get an extra goody! Buy it on Steam during the first week of its release will net you a full copy of the Indie darling “Cthulhu Saves The World”! The Steam version also supports SteamPlay and Mac gamers will be able to play the game once it hits Steam.
Here is a video of the game in action, which features a completely different style from the former two games in the series, and was made by Indie Developer Zeboyd Games, makers of Breath of Death VII and Cthulhu Saves the World, as well as other retro-style modern RPGs.
On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 3 is also scheduled to hit Android and iOS in the future.
Paper Mario 3DS: Sticker Star Announced. E3 2012 Gameplay Trailer. Peel Stickers Off the RPG World Environments For New Powers
Paper Mario Sticker Star logo and artwork!
The game brings back the classic Paper Mario RPG, look, style and humor that players know and love from past Paper Mario games; complete with the literal “paper” look where everything in the game is paper-thin “2d”… meaning that Mario “flips over” when turning and slides under the covers of a bed when sleeping. All the environments and buildings in the game look like a pop-up book, etc… all while adding an all-new gameplay element in the form of “Stickers”.
The Stickers are scattered throughout the environments of the game world that you explore and can be “peeled” off of walls, floors, objects, etc. and added to your collection, where they become items and equipment that increase your abilities and give Mario new powers!
Here’s the Paper Mario: Sticker Star gameplay trailer of the E3 2012 Nintendo Press Conference announcement and gameplay video.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star Synopsis
Mario’s Super Sticker Collection
On the day of the annual Sticker Fest, Bowser decides to pull a prank and scatters six Royal Stickers across the land. To retrieve these mysterious, magical stickers, which are now stuck onto Bowser and his underlings, Mario sets off on an adventure with Kersti, a sticker fairy, visiting prairies, deserts, forests, snowy mountains and volcanoes around the world.
Key Features of Paper Mario: Sticker Star include:
* Stickers are blended into every aspect of game play. They become your arsenal of items and attacks in traditional Paper Mario action-battles and can even unfold the environment to reveal new areas and ways to progress through the game.
* Collect stickers by peeling them off their environment, buying them in shops, or even making your own, and store them in your notebook for later use.
* “Paper”-ize the world by flattening it out and then use your stickers to find secret areas and hidden items just about anywhere in the game.
* The papercraft setting of the game is really emphasized in 3D, giving you the feeling of peering into and exploring a world comprised of shoebox dioramas.
* A cast of colorful characters will keep players laughing at every turn.
This game looks absolutely awesome! I can’t wait for it. Sadly, I shamefully have NEVER played any of the Paper Mario games, even though I want to SOOOO bad and I LOVE Super Mario RPG and the Mario & Luigi series. I MUST play them before this game comes out!
Legends of Dawn Indie RPG Announced (PC). Gameplay Trailer
Here is what Legends of Dawn gameplay looks like.
Here’s a gameplay trailer for Legends of Dawn followed by the press release. No release date for teh game was given, or platforms but its clear it is for PC.
Fresh out of the lair of Dreamatrix Game Studios, Legends of Dawn invites players to the brutal northerly reaches of Narr. Survival depends on you, your magic and your sword.
What sets Legends of Dawn apart, is the freedom of play expressed in several key attributes that are rarely seen in typical RPG genres. We have poured our passion and creativity into taking you on an enthralling ride away from wearisome reality, by providing you with the choice to be whatever your heart desires, in Legends of Dawn. Read the rest of this entry »
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