So, who's gonna grab Gotta Protectors (Protect Me Knight 2) from the NA 3DS eShop ASAP?

I'm not sure how this news avoided pinging my radar until now, but apparently the localized version of Ancient's Protect Me Knight 2--known as Gotta Protectors in this part of the world--hit the North American 3DS eShop yesterday.

In case this is the first you're hearing of the game, it's a portable sequel to the Japanese developer's first Protect Me Knight title, released digitally for the Xbox 360 in 2010.

That game was a total blast--while also being a blast from the past--and this one is even better. Specifically, this on-the-go follow-up offers a slew of playable characters, 100 levels, four difficulty levels, four-player co-op via Download Play (only one person needs to own a copy of the game), a map editor that uses QR codes and more.



Oh, and to top off that pixelated goodness, Protect Me Knight 2--er, Gotta Protectors--features a soundtrack that was concocted by the brilliant Yuzo Koshiro. (If you've played 7th Dragon III Code: VFD, Half-Minute Hero or any of the Etrian Odyssey titles, you've heard what he's capable of in this medium.)

Is all of the above worth a cool $12.99--which is the price tag currently attached to this tiny tower-defense title? Based on my admittedly limited experience with the Japanese version, I'd say yes, especially if you tend to be a fan of the genre.

One last thing: those of you who are happiest when you're defending towers--or princesses, or any other entity that needs protecting--should check out Witch & Hero II as well. It's just $3.99 right now, which is a great price for what I consider a must-have 3DS game. (Read my Witch & Hero II review to learn why I hold it such high esteem. Up for more? Read my review of the first Witch & Hero, too.)

Praise the f$%kin' goblins, a sequel to Ancient's Protect Me Knight is set to hit the Japanese 3DS eShop this September

Although I was really excited when it was revealed that Yuzo Koshiro's company, Ancient, was going to release a retro-tinged tower-defense title--called Mamotte Knight in Japan and Protect Me Knight elsewhere--for the Xbox 360's indie-games service, I have to admit that I barely played the resulting effort after I downloaded it in 2010.

That's not a comment on this pixel-packed game's quality, mind you. Actually, I rather enjoyed what little I played of it. The fact is, though, that I just didn't use my Xbox 360 very much, and as such titles like this one suffered (by being ignored).

I doubt that's going to be a problem with the expanded 3DS sequel that the folks at Ancient recently announced--complete with a September release date--via their Twitter account.

Sadly, this game--to be called Minna de Mamotte Knight, I believe--is going to be a Japan-only affair at first, although the person in charge of Ancient's Twitter output already has informed followers that the company hopes it'll eventually be able to bring it to Western 3DS eShops, too.

As for what will differentiate the digital-only Minna de Mamotte Knight from its predecessor, according to a couple of NeoGAF threads (here's one and here's the other) the 3DS game will feature "about 10 times" as much content as the Xbox 360 one, a handful of new characters (the buff dude on the right isn't one of them, by the way, as he appeared in the first Protect Me Knight) and four-player local co-op.

Should you want to see a localized version of this sure-to-be-quirky title on non-Japanese 3DS eShops, I'd suggest aiming a Tweet at @AncientGames_JP at your earliest convenience.

Note: the "f$%kin' goblins" mentioned in this post's headline is an homage to one of Protect Me Knight's funniest lines--in which the game's damsel in distress demands that the titular warrior to "DEFEAT F$%KIN' GOBLINS!"

Any game with pixelated cobs of corn in it sounds pretty good to me

I've never before played Ponpoko, an ancient arcade platformer produced by a company called Sigma Entertainment, but after reading about it over at redparsley.blogspot.com a few days ago, I plan on rectifying the situation as soon as possible.

That's not only because this 1982 release features, as suggested in the headline above, pixelated cobs of corn, mind you. No, it's also because it stars an adorably big-bellied (at least I think that's its belly...) tanuki. I also like that it has mice that look kind of like scorpions and can fly through the air as easily as they can skitter across the ground.

Now that I've piqued your interest in this maniacal quarter-muncher, I'm guessing you'd like to see how it looks in action? If so, here you go:



Awesome, eh? OK, so "awesome" may be too strong a word, but it's certainly pretty cute, don't you think? Granted, I'm a complete sucker for games that are filled with fruits and veggies, so maybe I'm the wrong person to ask such a question.

Anyway, I plan on giving this one a go fairly soon--despite my oft-reported disdain for playing games on a PC.

Mamotte Knight: Not your mother's tower defense game

At least, that's blogger PepsimanVsJoe's assessment of the just-released Xbox LIVE Indie Games title.

"It's a unique take on the genre that combines chaotic action with just the right amount of strategy for some of the most fun I've gotten out of the XBL Indie Service," he opines in his rather rambling (in a good way) review.

PepsimanVsJoe's lone point of contention with the Ancient-developed title? The inability to play it on line.

"Oh, sure, the game is more than enough fun by yourself," he writes, "but if you're like me and all your friends would rather play World of Warcraft or Call of Duty, well, that's just too bad."

I can understand the gripe, as I'd certainly be restricted to playing the $3 game alone if I picked it up--which I would if, you know, I had an Xbox 360.

Speaking of which, what do you think are the chances Microsoft will drop the system's price to $99 at the upcoming E3 event?

See also: 'SAVE ME ... MY HERO! DEFEAT F$%KIN' GOBLINS!'