Who's up for some more Hakuoki?

Don't worry if you're not quite sure how to answer that question, as I'm not sure how to answer it myself.

Still, I'm intrigued. I mean, yet another Hakuoki game is coming to North America--who could've guessed that a few years ago?

The latest Hakuoki game that's being brought stateside, by the way, is the PS3-based Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi.

As always, Aksys Games is handling the localization. The Torrance, California-based company has yet to announce a release date for Stories of the Shinsengumi, although an Aksys representative recently revealed on neogaf.com that it will be given both a digital and retail release.

My only problem with this announcement: it seems that Stories of the Shinsengumi includes yet another retelling of the story that serves as the focus of the 3DS and PSP Hakuoki titles.

Will any of you be picking up one or both versions of Stories of the Shinsengumi, or have you had enough Hakuoki for the time being?

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)'

How on earth did I miss 7th Dragon 2020-II's announcement?

Seriously, how did I miss Sega's announcement that it would be releasing a sequel to 7th Dragon 2020 (itself a follow-up to the awesome-looking DS game, 7th Dragon) this spring?

Oh, well, there's nothing I can do about that. And, really, all that matters is that I know about it now.

As for why I'm so happy I've finally discovered this Imageepoch-developed PSP title: it features idols that are able to unleash some of the most fabulous attacks I've ever seen in an RPG.

Don't believe me? Check out this video:



7th Dragon 2020-II is due out in Japan on April 18, by the way. Since the previous installments in this series failed to see release outside the Land of the Rising Sun, I have to imagine this one will suffer the same fate.

Which is understandable to a degree, of course--the PSP hasn't been a viable system in western markets for years, after all--I can't help but be a bit disappointed by it all the same.

(Via siliconera.com)

Well, I'll be: yet another PSP game is being prepped for western release

Unlike other coming-soon-to-the-PSN-nearest-you PSP titles like Class of Heroes 2 and Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, though, Black Rock Shooter: The Game western release was announced long ago.

The thing is, so little has been said about this Imageepoch RPG since then that most interested parties concluded it had been canceled.



Well, according to according to blisteredthumbs.net's Taylor H., who interviewed a few NIS America staffers during the company's recent press event, that's far from the case. (NIS America will be publishing the game in Europe and North America.)

In fact, not only is Black Rock Shooter: The Game's localization said to be complete, but apparently it's been done for a while now. Oh, and word is it will hit the North American PlayStation Store--and hopefully the European one, too?--"before E3."

Considering my backlog is bursting at the seams right now, I'm not entirely sure I'll be picking up this title once it finally surfaces.



The main thing giving me pause at the moment: I really like the game's art style. Also, I'm a total sucker for a good portable RPG. Of course, who says this portable RPG is a good one?

Are any of you also hemming and hawing when it comes to the supposedly impending western release of Black Rock Shooter: The Game?

(Via NeoGAF)

I take back what I said previously: 7th Dragon 2020 doesn't look so bad

I can't say I was all the excited when I first laid eyes on the PSP sequel to one of my most-desired DS games, 7th Dragon.

Although the original was a deliciously retro RPG developed by imageepoch and published by Sega, its sequel, 7th Dragon 2020, has always appeared to be a more modern beast--which means, of course, that it eschews the pixels its predecessor so embraced in favor of polygons.

Anyway, the disappointment brought about by imageepoch's decision to make 7th Dragon 2020 more wow-worthy prompted me to all but ignore the title ever since it was announced earlier this summer.

That all changed after I watched the following "character make video" (whatever that means) via andriasang.com:



Would I still prefer 7th Dragon 2020 to be a two-dimensional wonder like its forebear? Yes, but I'd be lying if I said the trailer above didn't at least somewhat pique my interest in the title, which will be released in Japan in just a few weeks (on Nov. 23, specifically).

The question is: Now that my interest has been piqued, will the game eventually see the light of day outside of the Land of the Rising Sun or will it suffer the same Japan-only fate as its pixel-loving predecessor?

I think we all know the answer to that one, don't we? Sigh.