I really like these recent examples of Japanese Vita box art, too

You may recall that at one point in the post I published yesterday (about recent examples of Japanese 3DS box art that I also like) I complained that far too many games released in the Land of the Rising Sun these days sport cover illustrations that are little more than lazy collages of the title in question's colorful cast of characters.

Sadly, that's exactly how some folks will describe the four pieces of Vita box art showcased below, and even though I agree with them--to a point--I'm still more than a bit fond of each of them.

The cover art shown above, for Persona 4: Dancing All Night, is my favorite of the bunch. Of course, how could it not be, right? After all, it features a bunch of the Persona series' regulars striking furious poses while a glittery disco ball bathes them in rainbow-colored light. In a word: fabulous.

As much as I love Dancing All Night's cover imagery, I think I love the example above just as much. Or at least nearly as much. It's for a game called Fushigi no Gensokyo, or Mystery Gensokyo: The Tower of Desire, by the way, and I'm desperately hoping it makes its way to North America sometime soon.

That's not because of its box art, mind you, but because of its adorable roguelike gameplay. Also, it seems this title is going to be a digital-only affair in Japan, which means me picking up that version probably is going to be out of the question. So, here's hoping someone brings it to my neck of the woods--and soon.

In the post I devoted to Bandai Namco's oh-so-attractive RPG, Ray Gigant, a couple of days ago, I mentioned its also-beautiful box art. Well, here it is. Stunning, right? Possibly not as stunning as the pair of examples that preceded this one, I guess, but it's definitely "pretty nice."

This is another Vita title that I hope crosses the pond, as they say--as long as it winds up being a better game than the similar-looking Time and Eternity.

Full disclosure: I know next to nothing about this particular game. Well, other than its title, which is Makai Shin Trillion, I mean. And that it was made by the folks at Compile Heart. That last fact doesn't fill me with much hope, I've got to admit, as I've nothing but complaints about that developer's past efforts.

Not helping matters is that Makai Shin Trillion looks to be some sort of Disgaea ripoff, which rubs me the wrong way for some strange reason. Oh, well, at least its cover illustration and logo are kind of snazzy, right?

See also: 'I really like these recent examples of Japanese 3DS box art'

Oh, hey, yet another PS3 game I'd probably buy if I, you know, had a PS3

One thing that I forgot to mention in yesterday's post about the recording of the third episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever: We also discussed my admittedly surprising lack of a PS3.

Full disclosure: It's always been my intention to own all three of the "current gen" consoles at some point in time. Thanks to my current obsession with the 3DS, and to Nintendo's idiotic decision to region-lock that particular portable, though, I've yet to a PS3 to my collection.



Although I recently commented (in this post) that I was considering forgoing the PS3 and its games altogether, I have a feeling the more likely scenario is that I'll wait until the PS4 (or whatever Sony winds up calling it) is released and then I'll pick up a PS3 "on the cheap," so to speak.

The question is: Which games will I purchase alongside it? A few of the obvious ones I've mentioned here before include Journey, Ni No Kuni, Tokyo Jungle and Valkyria Chronicles. Well, an additional possibility was added to that ever-expanding list yesterday, with that "possibility" being NIS' Kami-sama to Unmei Kakumei Paradox.



All you really need to know about this "spiritual successor to Zettai Hero Project" is that it's being made by the company's Disgaea team. Should you need to know more about it, though, hopefully the following comments, shared by NIS America's Jack Niida during a recent interview with RPGamer, will suffice:

"In this title, a young man wins a department store lottery game, only to discover that what he's won is a divine power to change people's destiny. In order to save people, he has to take on various roles and somehow find a way to change whatever fate may await them.

"The actual gameplay in Kami-Para is the sort of thing that NIS is best known for: Hardcore tactical combat. Any quirks or environmental factors in combat have yet to be revealed."

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Disgaea 4 edition)

One of the first games I'll buy after I (finally) obtain a PS3 will be Disgaea 4. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Until then, I'll stare longingly at the game's beautiful box art.

But which piece of art will I stare at--the one that graced the cover of the Japanese version of this Nippon Ichi-developed game (released in late February), or the one that will welcome Disgaea fans when the series' latest sequel appears on store shelves in the States sometime in the next few months?

Here's Disgaea 4's Japanese box art, by the way:

And here's the game's US box art:

Hold on to your hats, because I'm actually going with the US box art for once. The Japanese art is nice enough, but it's a bit too busy, don't you think?

See also: Every previous 'Let's Play: Which Box Art is Better?' post

I'm always down for another dose of Disgaea

Nippon Ichi revealed in a recent earnings statement that it hopes to turn around its fiscal fortunes by releasing "a new PS3 entry in the Disgaea series."

I'm guessing the new Disgaea game is mentioned in the blue box
at the top of this image (where it says "PlayStation3").

The report doesn't reveal whether the new entry will be Disgaea 4 or some sort of spin-off, but I'd be willing to bet it'll be the former.

In related news, Nippon Ichi plans to release eight games in the coming fiscal year (including the aforementioned Disgaea sequel/spin-off), six of which will be "original titles."

(Via andriasang.com)

In the running for the best subtitle ever: 'Dawn of the Great Pantsu War'

You've gotta love a game with a subtitle like that, don't you?

The title of said game is Prinny 2, by the way--with Prinny 2: Dawn of the Great Pantsu War being the sequel to Nippon Ichi's Disgaea-themed PSP platformer, Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?

Oh, and in case you aren't as big a nerd as I am: "Pantsu" basically is the Japanese word for "panties" or "underwear."

The subtitle makes a lot of sense considering the game calls on the titular Prinny to recover another Disgaea character's stolen underswear.

If that sounds interesting (and, really, how could it not?), you may want to check out the trailer for the soon-to-be-released (March 25) Japanese version of the game:



As far as I'm aware, NIS America hasn't announced an American or European release date for the title, but I'm guessing (hoping) they'll do just that sooner or later.