Star Ocean: 2nd Evolution (PSP) screens

Star Ocean: 2nd Evolution is the second Star Ocean port for the PSP. Back int he PS1 days it was called Star Ocean: The Second Story and is of course the most logical game to port after porting the first one to the PSP. Those who weren't fortunate enough to be able to play this little gem in its original form may now rejoice, because the first 2 Star Ocean games were, in my opinion, the best ones. (The third one was just weird.)

Coded Soul: A new reason to dig up your PSP

The PSP has been really quite amazing lately. It baffles me why it didn't sell as much before, and needed something like Final Fantasy to attract attention. This pretty-looking game is brought to you by one of the original creators of the Shin Megami Tensei series, Koji Okada. Which explains why Coded Soul is so SMT-like in appearance. It also reminds me somewhat of Xenosaga, especially that picture of the white room.

I'm not sure what the gameplay is like, but judging from this screenshot it seems to be an "active" RPG like .hack, judging from the little button icons. That's a good thing maybe, but I hope it's a little more Tales-like if it's gonna be this way.

No US release date yet, but February 7, 2008 in Japan. See the official site for more info (that is, if you can read moonspeak).

R-Type Tactics to get a US release

R-Type Tactics, Irem's shooter-turned-strategy game released in Japan some 2 months ago, is gonna get a US release after all. Renamed R-Type Command (for reasons unknown), it has a tentative March 4, 2008 release (a day after Chains of Olympus! Oh no) and will be priced around $40.

Doesn't seem like there will be bonuses of any sort though. Can I get at least an Arrowhead plushie? :(

Source: NeoGAF

Star Ocean: First Departure boxart, screens, limited edition PSP and bag

I'm not really feeling well today and I don't feel like writing; fortunately, 1 picture = 1,000 words:

Limited edition PSP


Limited edition PSP bag


Box art






Wow. Pretty bridge is pretty.

Needless to say, I wish I had that PSP :( I like it much better than that nerdy Crisis Core edition. Did I say 'nerd'?

Okay, so Capcom hasn't completely abandoned the PS3...

...with regards to Monster Hunter. Quote from a Famitsu interview:

"Asked if it was possible that the Monster Hunter series would still come to the PS3, Capcom’s publicity department said that Capcom has a multiplatform strategy, so they cannot deny the possibility. Asked if numbered versions of the game could appear on the PSP, the response was that the PSP portable series has an important position within the company. Finally, Famitsu pointed out that some people may have purchased a PS3 once Monster Hunter 3 was announced last year. This drew a big apology from the Capcom reps, who said that PS3 owners should wait for further announcements in the series."

It seems that Capcom is feeling a little guilty about the platform switch to the Wii. They are being vague about the issue of porting MH3 to the PS3: it's possible, them having a multiplatform strategy and all, but the probability is low. At most, the PS3 will probably receive a spinoff or even an entirely different sequel, but not MH3. Don't count on it, but it's good to have hope. Especially if you're one of those who bought the PS3 for MH3. Let's just wait for those "further announcements".

At least, the PSP has "an important position within the company" and it's pretty definite that they'll keep making MH games for it. They've actually started on a new one, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, which was announced last TGS.

Review: Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles

Castlevania is undoubtedly one of my favorite game franchises. I've played every game for all the consoles that I owned (including the really bad ones), and I look forward to every new installment, especially after Symphony, even though the whole MetroidVania thing is getting pretty old. When I heard about the Rondo of Blood remake for the PSP a few months ago I was sold immediately. Rondo was one of the better CV titles that never really made it to the West for two reasons: one, the TurboGrafx system never really sold well; and two, religious overtones that border blasphemy. Yeah, the second reason seems pretty stupid now but it really was a problem back then. I was only able to play Rondo not too long ago, when someone kindly ported it to the PC for free. It didn't play as good as, say, Super Castlevania IV, but the animation, the smoothness of movement, and voice acting (!) made it truly superb.

The remake finally came out, in the form of Dracula X Chronicles. It is not in any way related to the poorly-executed SNES game of a similar title, but is a complete overhaul of Rondo. It is exactly the same story and game, but done in 3D, with new cutscenes and voice acting. Also, in English! It also comes with the previously underexposed original Rondo game, as well as Symphony of the Night, in the form of unlockable bonuses. The (semi-)linear classic CV gameplay is a nice break from the usual MetroidVania grind, and it truly felt refreshing after so many years. It also stays faithfully loyal to the original, right down to minute level design details. Characters are also redesigned: Konami ditched the anime-style design of the original, in favor of a more mature, SotN-esque look. If you've played Rondo and enjoyed it, the remake won't disappoint.

However, it isn't without imperfections. The game feels a little bit sluggish, and is less difficult in some parts. For instance, the whip seems to have a wider range; some enemies that can only be hit if Richter crouches can now be hit standing up. The faster enemies also suffer from the sluggishness, and suddenly that werewolf boss isn't so menacing anymore. Those crows from Stage 2 annoyed the hell out of me in the original game, but now they're easily managed. Heck, even the flea men and Medusa heads aren't such huge problems anymore. Still, the game poses enough of a challenge to attract players who are used to the classic difficulty, but not too hard as to alienate new players.

Hit detection is also different, the game being in 3D. It's somewhat hard to explain, but 2D generally has sharper hit detection, and this game is no exception. Sometimes it's too sensitive, at other times it isn't. For instance, those skeleton spears will hit you when you are just getting ready to evade. But you can shake hands with that giant skeleton boss just fine.

Another noticeable problem with the graphics is the jaggies. It's highly noticeable and sort of unforgivable given how other 3D games for the PSP like Monster Hunter Freedom 2 have almost perfectly-smooth graphics.

I'm also disappointed to say that Maria mode isn't as cute anymore. Her clothes and hairstyle have changed too, and she just looks plain. Hiding under a turtle shell isn't really funny anymore, and you can actually spam her slide move and it looks really awkward. Her main attack is also slower and has a shorter range, but she still makes the game much, much easier like she should.

The classic games remain exactly what they were before for the most part, and are very welcome bonuses. The inclusion of the original Rondo allows you to compare the old game to the remake, and SotN still looks, plays, and sounds good after an entire decade. Although, if you loved the horrible script and voice acting of the original SotN, you will probably be disappointed, because they changed both. That classic exchange of words between Richter and Dracula is gone, and the new dialogue isn't really that much better. I wish they just kept it the way it was.

Overall though, this game is more than a worthy addition to your games collection, especially if you're one of those slavish CV fans.

Additional screens of upcoming Kingdom Hearts games

Famitsu has made available for viewing some new screenshots of the upcoming Kingdom Hearts games: 358/2 Days, Birth by Sleep, and Coded.


358/2 Days (DS)



Birth by Sleep (PSP)



Coded (mobile)



Also, the links above actually lead to a three-part interview with Tetsuya Nomura, but it's all in crazy moonspeak and I can barely understand any of it, although I'm pretty sure he answered what the hell exactly "358/2 days" is supposed to mean.

Koji Igarashi talks about Castlevania STUFF

Wired.com has an amusing little interview with Iga (Koji Igarashi), producer of the well-known Castlevania series of games. Iga hinted of a new DS game being developed, but nothing is to be announced yet until after players "enjoy the PSP version (the Rondo of Blood remake)". So for those who thought that just because the next Castlevania is on the PSP Konami has "switched sides", think again. Also, he said that by pre-ordering the Rondo remake from GameStop players will receive a special edition Simon Belmont figure, Simon's Quest version (black, red, and white, and 'pixelated'), especially made for this occasion by Neca (who also made another 'pixelated' Simon figure, as well as the new Symphony of the Night figures, among many other things). However the numbers are very limited, so be prepared.

Iga also admits that he messed up with regards to the timeline of the games, and that he shouldn't have released it because now it's 'all official'. Well, they can always rewrite it. Many games in the series have been rendered 'unofficial' because of this same timeline anwyay.

Also, as to why the player whips candles:

"I've actually thought about the candles. The candles are people's souls that were taken by Death or by the vampires. In Japan there are candles that represent life. So, when you release the souls from the candles by whipping them, they give you a "thank you" present. Thank-you hearts, or thank-you holy water."

I wonder what the new DS game will be like, though. I don't really want another Aria sequel, and Portrait of Ruin kind of sucked for me...and honestly the 'MetroidVania' stuff is getting kinda old...I hope he can bring something fresh for the next installment.

Haha oh wow, Manhunt 2 re-rejected

The British Board of Film Classification, or BBFC, has once again rejected Manhunt 2, despite revisions made to decrease the goriness of the game, stating that they "do not consider that these [revisions] go far enough to address our concerns about the original version," and that the game still is "visceral" and "casually sadistic". Furthermore, the revisions did nothing about the game's "bleakness and callousness of tone".

Uh...what the hell is "bleakness and callousness of tone" supposed to mean? Are they requiring Rockstar to fill Manhunt 2 with rainbows and happiness? Since when did "bleakness" merit censorship? "The game's too dark and dreary, it's not good even for adults" hurrrrr.

The game's edited heavily enough that it actually doesn't look so violent anymore with the removal of the 'execution scenes', which comprise most of the game's violence apart from the generic beating up of enemies. I.e., it isn't much more violent than, say, MGS3, which featured real-time breaking and slitting of necks thanks to CQC. And it got past the board of censors somehow. At this rate Manhunt 2 will be so heavily edited that the entire game will be nothing but GTA with spiffier graphics and no cars. The way things are going it seems like BBFC has something against Rockstar games. Lets just hope someone in there realizes what they're doing is foolish and immature, not to mention condescending to adults. What kind of maturity level do they think an uncut version of Manhunt 2 require anyway?

R-Type Tactics intro and gameplay videos

Yes, seeing the word 'tactics' suffixed onto a title of a series of games that usually aren't SRPGs generally means the game will suck (see Onimusha Tactics). Also, of all the things a gaming company can combine, a side-scrolling shooter and FFT-style gameplay truly is unusual and just plain bold. However, Irem Software, makers of the R-Type series of side-scrolling shooting games, looks promising: It's not exactly like Final Fantasy Tactics; it will still look as if it were a traditional side-view shmup, but instead of being able to freely move around, the player will take turns moving around a grid while the enemy does the same. When you perform an attack, the view then switches into an animated attack sequence. The ships, weapons, and even some of the bosses are still intact, and the game includes an ad-hoc battle mode.

Videos (from Gametrailers.com):
Intro
Gameplay

Random News Bits: Halo 3 & PSP Sales, Possible ICO Sequel

An official press release from Microsoft states that Halo 3 has become the fastest-selling videogame ever: it sold more $300 million in first-week sales worldwide, while 360 sales more than doubled in the few weeks preceding the release of said game. Elsewhere in the press release, more cockstroking by Microsoft: they claim that they have the greatest lineup in the history of videogames (the lineup consists of Madden '08, Rock Band, Mass Effect, and of course Halo 3) and claims to be the only console where "consumers can play all the year's biggest blockbusters". They believe that Halo 3 has become something of a cultural phenomenon, and that it harks the new era of "interactive storytelling".

...Did anyone really buy Halo 3 for the single-player campaign?

Elsewhere in the world, the new PSP slim, Sony's answer to the menacing DS Lite, has sold 500,000 units in Japan, says the company's game division. It's thinner and has more colors, and lighter, but honestly when I tried one in the store it didn't really feel that much different from the fat PSP. Sure it was a bit lighter, and skinnier, but not by much...not comparable to the changes between the old DS and the DS Lite. But it's a step I guess. Just that if you already have a PSP you probably wouldn't want to buy a PSP slim.

In other, more exciting news, Team ICO is allegedly developing a sequel to, uh, either one of their PS2 games--ICO or Shadow of the Colossus, according to the Team ICO Gamers Blog. While they feature the same main character they're drastically different, but at the same time share very many similarities. So a sequel to either should be fine by the fans. The very few fans. Although, I'd prefer a sequel to Colossus. There isn't much information available yet, other than that it's for PS3, but at least we know they're coming out with something. And that's usually good.

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is more than just a PSP port

Okay, first I will admit that I've never heard of this port until now, when I read the review from Advanced Media Network. While reading it I was thinking "yay, another port to the PSP of a great game but I probably won't need it until much later" until I got to the part about the new additions.

As you all probably already know, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness was the first ever game in this series produced by Nippon Ichi Software, for the PS2. It's a strategy-RPG whose story takes place in an unusually wacky Netherworld, ruled by incumbent Overlord and main character Laharl.

Yada yada, enough about the 2003 game, since you've very likely played it more than I did. What is new in the PSP port? There's the usual improved graphics (well, sort of--I'm just imagining it'll look better on the PSP), there's probably some new stages as well, but we can't say for sure yet (at least I can't--gonna research on this in a while). But two confirmed additions will make this worth your buy:

The PSP port will feature multiplayer (!) which is a first for the Disgaea series. The main draw of the multiplayer is that each player is given five Geo Cubes (which can really mess things up), at random, and another five can be selected, for a total of ten Geo Cubes. The player can lay them wherever they think they can benefit from it. Since Geo Cubes can be destroyed the player must plan carefully which cubes to use and where to place them.

But the real draw to Afternoon of Darkness is what can only be referred to for now as "Etna Mode": Once you beat the main story, players are given an option to play as Etna, and everything will be from her point of view. How does that change things though? Etna Mode's story is about what could have happened were she able to kill Laharl in the beginning of the game. In short it's an entirely new story and of course, new ending.

Apart from these additions and improvements, it plays exactly like its PS2 counterpart, but it's really worth picking up just for Etna Mode.

The Promise of Haruhi Suzumiya (PSP) Super Premium Box: something you can only hope to get

Famitsu gives us details of what devoted Haruhiists will get for their unwavering devotion and ordering the limited edition copy of Namco Bandai's upcoming PSP adventure, The Promise of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Top to bottom, left to right: a Mikuru lanyard for your PSP, a UMD case with the SOS-dan logo, stickers, a PSP bag with the school logo, the box, an artbook, a vertical display base (more on that in a bit), and special earphones.

What is the vertical display stand good for? Well, you can pretend to have a little chat with Yuki. The effects of which can also be achieved by talking to a wall...

...However, she announces the time. Just thinking about it is already making me hard.

And for those truly dedicated fans who reserve their copy of the Premium Box now, they also get this limited figure of Haruhi in Christmas swimsuit outfit by none other than MaxFactory, responsible for most of the Haruhi figures in the market right now.

The Super Premium Box costs 9,450 yen or ~$82.14, plus shipping, and the regular package (game only) is 5040 yen (~$43.81). And this great box will most likely NOT be available in a store near you, unless you live in Japan (so you're gonna have to import). Also, the game will probably stay in Japanese unless someone picks it up (pleeeeaaaasssseee...), but I suppose if you know enough Japanese it's all good. The game comes out on December 20, 2007, and stores like Play-Asia will have stocks of both the game and the Premium Box on the same day (note that you can't get the figure from here though), so nark your calendars and set your alarms to avoid losing to other Haruhi fans. :(

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions Official US website is online

Whew, that was the longest post title I've ever typed. Anyway, like the title says, the official FFT: War of the Lions US site is finally up. There's a lot of info to be found here, so look around.

Here you may find the available Jobs for your characters. Some of them look like fun. Although I'm not so sure about Arithmetician. Math is hard! Note also the gorgeous artwork.

A little background of the story is also provided. Actually there's more than just a little bit...

Of course, there are character bios. Hey it's Ramza!

No RPG website is complete without an explanation of battle mechanics. There aren't pictures though...

The only gripe I have about the site is that a lot of the sections take so long to load. The longest wait I had was when I first entered the site. So, be prepared to wait.