PSP PSA: Nihon Falcom's Brandish is now just $10 on the PlayStation Store

I kind of can't believe I'm mentioning the above news here, as I've never played any version of this dungeon-crawler. (It first saw the light of day on some rather ancient Japanese computers--the NEC PC-9801 and the FM Towns, to be exact--in 1991 before being given a second chance on the PC Engine and Super Famicom in 1994.)

Don't take that to mean I'm indifferent to it. In fact, I'm quite interested in it. The only reason I haven't bought some iteration or other of Brandish yet is that I can't decide which one to pick up.



I have narrowed things down a bit, though. Specifically, I'd like to own either a physical, boxed copy of the Japanese PSP release or XSEED Games' recent English localization of it.

Because the former can be acquired for about $20 these days, it's probably my first choice at the moment. Or it would be if the latter weren't just $10 on the PlayStation Store. (It's playable on both PSP and Vita, by the way--in case you're curious.)

A video showcasing the gameplay of this most recent version of Brandish can be found above. After watching it, do any of you think you'll be adding it to your digital PSP or Vita collections?

'Beautiful' isn't adequate when attempting to describe this brand-new Ray Gigant (Vita) trailer

You've really got to hand it to the folks at Experience, who were responsible for developing the impressive (and oddly titled) Ray Gigant for Bandai Namco; without a whole lot of fanfare, they went out and made a game that both looks and sounds as stunning as any released for the Vita so far.

Don't believe me? Check out the latest trailer for this soon-to-be-released dungeon-crawling RPG, which can be viewed below.

For all sorts of reasons, I can't get enough of Ray Gigant's battle scenes, in particular. I guess some people may think they look a bit "cheap" thanks to the stilted animations, but I even find that aspect of this Vita title appealing.



My favorite of Ray Gigant's many intriguing traits at the moment, though, is the rhythm-game element that pops up when players go to use special attacks. (You can see it in action at the 1:40 mark.)

Does all of this mean I'll be nabbing a copy as soon as the game hits Japanese store shelves on July 30? No, but I may well buy one later on down the road--especially if Bandai Namco fails to bring it to North America. (If you'd like to pre-order one, though, you can do so now via amiami.com.)

In the meantime, drooling over the video footage above will have to suffice.

SHOCKING NEWS: physical copies of Class of Heroes 2 (PSP) may go on sale this week

Sorry for the snarky headline. I'm just feeling a little pissy after being forced to wait for more than two months for actual, straight-from-the-horse's-mouth--with the horse in this case being Gaijinworks' Victor Ireland--news about the physical release of Class of Heroes 2 for PSP. (I realize this is the definition of a first-world problem, by the way.)

It seems I may be just a bit less pissy this week, though, as the word on the street (or, rather, the word from Gaijinworks) is that pre-sales for the game may open up over at gaijinworks.com within the next few days.

Should that happen, I'll likely order myself a copy. I say "likely" as opposed to "surely" because I'm not a fan of the price tag--$36.99--that'll be attached to the physical-digital iteration of Class of Heroes 2. (Compare that to the digital-only version that will be just $24.99.)

Will any of you be buying copies alongside me, or are the days of picking up PSP games behind you?

And the winners of the Elminage Original (PSP/Vita) giveaway are ...

... apricotsushi, Juan Garcia and Steve Pixel.

Congratulations to each of you! Send me an e-mail (I'll share my address in the comments section below) at your convenience and in return I'll send you a code that will enable you to download UFO Interactive's Elminage Original from the PSN store.

Sorry for taking so long to announce the winners, by the way. I intended to do so yesterday, but I got so caught up in all of those things folks tend to do on Christmas day (sleeping in, laying around, etc.) that it slipped my mind until now. 

Anyway, thanks to everyone who tossed their hats into the proverbial ring for this Gay Gamer Giveaway™.

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Elminage Original (PSP/Vita) Edition

I know what some of you are thinking. "What? Another giveaway? Already? Didn't you just have one?"

Why, yes, yes I did. Somehow, though, the gaming goddesses smiled down upon me (they all work at UFO Interactive, apparently) and sent me three PSN codes for Elminage Original, a Wizardry-esque dungeon-crawler that's playable on both the PSP and Vita.

I just started playing this Starfish-developed game myself (the aforementioned goddesses provided me with a PSN code, too), and although the localization is a bit rough (or a lot rough) in spots and the rest of the game is tough as nails, I'm enjoying it so far.

So, what do you need to do to nab one of the three PSN codes mentioned earlier in this post? Leave a comment ("yo!" is fine) below. That's it.

Note: Like the last Gay Gamer Giveaway™, you have to be able to access and download from the North American PSN store if you want to be able to redeem one of these codes, so consider that before tossing your name into the proverbial hat.

As for when I'll draw the winners' names out of said hat: I'll do so on Christmas morning, so get your votes in (again, by leaving a comment below) by 11:59 pm Pacific on Dec. 24.

One last thing before I go: I've decided to do things a bit differently this time around. Specifically, I won't be promoting this giveaway via Twitter like I usually do, as I'd prefer the winners to be people who actually read the blog once in a while.

That said, I'm not sure all that many PSP and/or Vita owners follow this blog. So, if you know someone who would enjoy a free copy of Elminage Original, by all means let me know about the giveaway.

See also: Previous Gay Gamer Giveaway™ posts

To whomever it may concern: my list of 'to buy' Vita games just grew by one

Oh, and the Vita game is question is the just-announced (by the folks at Compile Heart) Sei Madou Monogatari, a top-down dungeon-crawler a la Shiren the Wanderer that's due out in Japan next March.

Personally, I'd prefer if it the game were a first-person dungeon-crawler like the Madou Monogatari series' first few releases (the MSX, PC88, PC Engine and Game Gear ones, especially), but I'll take what I can get.

Madou Monogatari ARS for the PC88

By the way, the other Vita games on my ever-growing "to buy" list are @field, Dokuro, Gravity Rush, Orgarhythm and Sound Shapes--with Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA f, Persona 4 Golden and Phantasy Star Online 2 included as "extremely possibles."

(Via NeoGAF)

A somewhat gay review of THE 'DENPA' MEN: They Came By Wave (3DS)

Game: THE '"DENPA" MEN: They Came By Wave

Genre: RPG/Dungeon-Crawler

Developer: Genius Sonority

Publisher: Genius Sonority

System: 3DS

Release date: 2012

THE "DENPA" MEN is often described as being "a lot like Dragon Quest." Although the comparison is apt, it's also a bit simplistic.

After all, although the two games sport similar battle engines, senses of humor and straightforward (some might say non-existant) stories, they're otherwise pretty unique.

THE "DENPA" MEN, for instance, lacks the kind of sprawling overworld often included in Dragon Quest games. Although I initially considered that to be a negative, over time I came to the realization that it sped things up considerably--which is a positive in this case because it allows you to zoom from the hub island to your next destination (always a dungeon)  and back again with a blink of an eye.

Also, although both THE "DENPA" MEN and Dragon Quest feature lightning-fast battle scenes, I've found those of the former to be a lot more fun than the latter thus far. (And this is coming from someone  who loves Dragon Quest's battle sequences.) In part, that's due to THE "DENPA" MEN's wacky character designs, I'm sure, but it's also due to what those wacky characters do during said scenes. Case in point: When a player prompts his "Denpa" men to "Fight" rather than use magic, said party members race toward selected baddies and attempt to headbutt them into oblivion--an action that's even more entertaining than it sounds.

Speaking of THE "DENPA" MEN's battles: Something that sets them apart from those found in many other RPGs (both old and new) is how malleable they are. For instance, you can hit your 3DS' X or Y buttons and let the game's AI choose your options for you (X orders the AI to not use any "skills" (magic, basically), while Y gives it the freedom to do as it wishes), you can assign specific tasks to each individual "Denpa" man or you can mix and match your commands.

Last, but surely not least, THE "DENPA" MEN differentiates itself from its dragon-centric counterpart by having players scan their real-life environment (using the 3DS' AR capabilities) to catch their multi-colored party members. It sounds kind of lame in theory, but in practice it's surprisingly enjoyable (and addictive). Not only that, but it basically gives you access to an unlimited array of playable characters, which isn't something that can be said of many RPGs.

One thing THE "DENPA" MEN doesn't offer that the Dragon Quest games do is a top-shelf soundtrack. That's not to suggest that the music in this Genius Sonority-made eShop title is terrible; rather, it's to suggest that, for the most part, it merely gets the job done. (It must be said, though, that the main battle theme is pretty darn good.)

With all of this chatter about how this 10-dollar digital release does and doesn't compare to one of the best RPGs ever made out of the way, you're probably wondering if I think it's worth picking up or not. The short answer to that question is: Yes. A slightly longer response, though, is: Yes, if you tend to enjoy the genre and if you don't mind a (sometimes rather stiff) challenge.

See also: Previous posts about THE 'DENPA' MEN and 'somewhat gay' reviews

A few QR codes for fans of 'Denpa' men with triangle-shaped noggins

How's this for a niche-y blog post?

After all, not only is its focus a rather niche-y game--Genius Sonority's eShop RPG, which I previously wrote about here, here, here and here--but it focuses on a niche-y aspect of said game (that being "Denpa" men with triangle-shaped heads).

Some of you may recall that in this recent-ish post about the game, I mentioned that I wasn't a fan of "Denpa" men with noggins shaped in such a fashion. Well, I've had a change of heart in that regard, and now I actually like the little buggers quite a bit.

As such, here are my current favorites. A few were collected via others' QR codes, I have to admit, but the majority were caught by myself.



This guy's name is Casen. His antenna allows him to call on the power of "Rising Flames." (Oh, and I originally added him to my collection using someone else's QR code.)



And this guy's name is Jeremiah. Isn't he cute? I love his spectacles. Anyway, his antenna eventually evolves to "Ice Missile."



I believe this fellow's name is Aditya, but it may be Aditva instead. Anyway, his antenna allows him to cast "Revive" on fallen "Denpa" men.



I don't often use "Great Wall," but I keep ol' Terrell here around because he's just too cute.

FYI: the PSP's still got a pulse

You could have knocked me over with a feather after I read on Friday that the folks at UFO Interactive are preparing to bring Elminage Original, a dungeon-crawling PSP title made by a company I've never before heard of (Starfish), stateside sometime in 2013.

Here is a gameplay video of the Japanese version of Elminage Original, which apparently will be a PSN-only release in North America:



Whether or not I end up buying a copy of this interesting (and, admittedly, kind of fugly) looking game--which is said to be "Wizardry hard" and allows players to customize character icons by loading images from a memory card--next year will depend entirely on how much it costs, so here's hoping the powers that be at UFO Interactive attach a reasonable price tag to it.

(Via siliconera.com)

A few more QR codes for THE 'DENPA' MEN fans

Silly aside (can you start a blog post with an aside?): My original headline for this series of posts was, "Show me yours and I'll show you mine."

So, why didn't I use it? I wanted as many people as possible to find these posts and not only add my favorite "Denpa" men and women to their parties but also share with me (and you) QR codes of their own fave characters, so I went with the more straightforward header you see above (and here).

Anyway, I've captured a few more cool-looking "Denpa" men since my last post on the subject, so I thought I'd share their QR codes here. Please share some of your own in the comments section below--especially if they're either swirly or cute.

This is Layton. He has sparkly eyes and a rainbow-colored antenna that (eventually) allows him to use "Laser Beam." That skill is pretty useful in one particular dungeon, which is why I'm sharing Layton's QR code here.

I'd like Tyler, above, even if his skill wasn't "Revive (All)." Being able to use "Revive (All)" sure helps, though! Anyway, I have to admit that I didn't find Tyler myself. I'm sharing him here, though, because he's one of the cuter "Revive (All)" characters I've discovered (on the Internet) thus far.

I can't imagine I'm ever going to use Ryder's "Great Weaken" ability, but I'm keeping him around because of his rosy cheeks and puckered mouth.

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."

I'm still liking the looks of Etrian Odyssey IV

About two months ago, I suggested (in this post) that I was quite smitten with the polygonal enemies that are set to appear in Atlus' upcoming Etrian Odyssey IV. Do I still feel that way about the game's three-dimensional baddies after watching the latest trailer (below and here) for this 3DS title, which will hit the streets in Japan on July 5? Without a doubt.



What do all of you think of what you've seen of this latest entry in the hard-as-nails series of dungeon-crawling RPGs that's known in its homeland as Sekaiju no Meikyuu (aka Labyrinth of Yggdrasill)? Are you praying that Atlus localizes and releases it in your particular region, or could you care less about this title's outside-of-Japan prospects?

(Via andriasang.com)

Goodbye, UnchainBlades ReXX; hello, Unchained Blades

How's this for a pleasantly surprising piece of news: The folks at XSEED Games announced yesterday that they will be bringing both the PSP and 3DS versions of FuRyu's dungeon-crawling RPG, UnchainBlades ReXX, to the US later this year as Unchained Blades. (Here is an article about the differences between the two versions, in case any of you are interested.)

In case you've never heard of UnchainBlades ReXX, which hit store shelves in Japan last summer, here's all you really need to know: It's a Wizardry-esque dungeon-crawler that was directed by Lunar's Toshio Akashi and penned by Grandia's Takashi Hino.

Should that not mean much to you, you may want to check out the following, action-packed trailer (of the PSP version, I believe), which preceded the game's Japanese release:



Personally, I've been interested in this game ever since I first laid eyes on the video above. I'm especially intrigued by how colorful the battle scenes seem to be. I'm also rather fond of the pyrotechnic special attacks that quite literally litter this particular trailer.

Another compelling aspect of Unchained Blades: Although parties are limited to just four human-ish characters (from a cast of 13), players can attempt to convince the monsters they encounter in the field to follow them. In fact, each character can be aligned with up to four “unchained” (as they are called in the game) creatures at any one time, with each monster assisting said party members by blocking attacks or supplying them with special offensive abilities.

One final, curious fact about this delicious-looking (to yours truly, at least) dungeon-crawler: Both the 3DS and PSP versions will be released as digital downloads.

I don't know about you, but I think the animated, polygonal enemies in Etrian Odyssey IV look pretty darn awesome

I have to admit, I was more than a bit skeptical when I read that Etrian Odyssey IV would include animated, polygonal enemies rather than the static, hand-drawn ones that have appeared in every other Etrian Odyssey release.

After watching the following trailer for this soon-to-be-released--on July 5, in Japan--3DS title, though, I'm feeling much less apprehensive. Actually, I'm feeling pretty darn excited about the game at the moment--in large part because the aforementioned animated and polygonal enemies look pretty awesome to these eyes.



What do all of you think? Did the trailer above serve to pique your interest in Etrian Odyssey IV?

Regardless, here's hoping this Atlus-made RPG makes its way to Australia, Europe and North America sooner rather than later--so all of us Etrian Odyssey fans can once again scratch our dungeon-crawling itches.

(Via andriasang.com)

If someone doesn't bring Beyond the Labyrinth to the States, I'm going to bust some skulls

Thanks to the 20 minutes of gameplay footage (below) of Beyond the Labyrinth that hit the Interwebs over the weekend, I'm once again frothing at the mouth for an English localization of this tri-Ace-developed, Konami-published, dungeon-crawling RPG.





Although I'm still a smidge unsure about this 3DS game's battle scenes--what's with all of the shifting around of those blue, green and red tabs on the bottom screen?--I'm feeling the exact opposite about the rest of it. I especially like the seeming omnipresence of its chatty, white-haired (or is it blue?) protagonist.

Are any of you also hoping Beyond the Labyrinth makes its way westward sometime this year? If so, why?

See also: 'Beyond the Labyrinth's battle scenes are as beautiful as its box art' and 'Konami's Beyond the Labyrinth (3DS) has some classy box art'

Beyond the Labyrinth's battle scenes are as beautiful as its box art

The latest trailer for Beyond the Labyrinth, the 3DS RPG being developed by tri-Ace and published (on Jan. 19 in Japan) by Konami, is a real looker.

Unfortunately, I'm a bit confused about what's going on in the video below. I mean, it's obviously showing off the game's glorious (in my opinion) battle scenes, but we still don't know how those battles "work" or why the white-haired girl is standing in the player's way throughout most of them.



Still, this teaser is the one that put me over the edge for Beyond the Labyrinth. Earlier ones were enough to pique my interest in the title to the point that I thought, "Eh, it'd be nice if someone brought it to North America," but this one has me thinking, "If this game isn't released here next year I'm going to pluck out my eyelashes and eat them for lunch."

See also: 'Konami's Beyond the Labyrinth has some classy box art'

(Via andriasang.com and gonintendo.com)

Konami's Beyond the Labyrinth (3DS) has some classy box art

I've had my eye on Beyond the Labyrinth since it was announced earlier this year. Not because it's being made by the folks at tri-Ace, mind you, but because it's supposed to be some sort of dungeon-exploring RPG.

I say "supposed" because a lot of the game is still a mystery--despite the fact that it's due to be released in Japan on Jan. 19.

Anyway, I'll continue to be interested in the game even if it ends up being nothing more than a slightly interactive 3D movie--thanks in equal parts to its cheery protagonist and its classy cover art (above).

Here's hoping that classy cover art appears on the North American version of Beyond the Labyrinth, should, you know, Konami decide to bring the game to our shores at some point.

(Via andriasang.com)

I'm curious about Beyond the Labyrinth (3DS) despite the fact that it looks kind of crappy

Why? Before I reply, watch this recently released trailer:  



Admittedly, the trailer above doesn't give us much of an idea as to what we'll be doing while playing this tri-Ace-developed title. I mean, will we actually battle baddies and such, as is typically the case in dungeon crawlers, or will be simply bound through the titular labyrinth (labyrinths?) like lost puppies?

I'm likely alone (or almost alone) in feeling this way, but I wouldn't mind at all if Beyond the Labyrinth, which will be published by Konami at some future point in time, were more about the latter than the former--or, to put it another way, if it focused more on puzzles and exploration (à la Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon or even ICO) than on combat.

Anyway, back to my answer to the question raised by this post's headline (Why am I curious about Beyond the Labyrinth despite the fact that it looks kind of like a regular ol' DS game?): I'm curious about it because of the sense of wonder and even whimsy suggested in the teaser above.

Speaking of which, I can't be the only guy who let an "awwww" escape his lips after seeing what I believe to be the game's protagonist stumble in the trailer's final seconds, can I?

(Via andriasang.com and tinycartridge.com)

Cladun X2 kinda, sorta gets a North American release date

NIS America's Nao Zook took to the PlayStation Blog earlier today to chat about three of the company's upcoming games: Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland, Cladun X2 and Disgaea 4.

The most interesting comment to escape Zook's lips? That Cladun X2--packed full of Mota's wonderful character designs, one of which can be seen above--will hit PSN at the end of this month. (To those of you who are interested: Atelier Totori will hit the streets on Sept. 27 while Disgaea 4 will precede it on Sept. 6.)

Admittedly, I would have preferred a solid release date, but as is far too often the case I'll take what I can get.

At long last, I can play Dragon Knight II (once I, you know, actually buy it)

I'm not at all into women (duh, right?), but for some strange reason I've always had a bit of a thing--aesthetically speaking--for the kind of girls Japanese anime artists specialize in bringing to life. You know, the kind with huge, glassy eyes, tiny, pixie-like noses and rainbow-hued hair that runs the gamut from blue and green to orange and pink.

A number of such girls appear in Dragon Knight II, an eroge ("erotic game") RPG developed by the folks at ELF and released for the PC Engine CD-ROM2 system in 1992.

Unsurprisingly, I've wanted to play this saucy little title ever since I saw screenshots (like the one above) of it in an issue of PC Engine Fan magazine as a teenager. I've long refrained from picking up a copy, though, because I don't know a lick of Japanese--and based on the aforementioned screenshots, the Dragon Knight games definitely seem to be the sort that require at least a slight understanding of their language of origin.

Thanks to a handy-dandy guide recently created by The Brothers Duomazov's IvaNEC--check it out here--I (and you, too) can go ahead and pick up a copy of the series' second release later this year and finally play through, if not fully understand, it.