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

Another day, another 3D Dot Game Heroes trailer

OK, so the folks at Atlus haven't released that many trailers for their upcoming "love letter to retro gamers," 3D Dot Game Heroes. They've released quite a few, though, especially in the last three or four weeks.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. In fact, I've watched each and every trailer that has found its way to my inbox--multiple times--despite the fact that I don't (yet) have a PS3.

Anyway, here's the latest trailer for the game, which will hit the streets in North America on May 11 and in Europe (courtesy of SouthPeak Games) three days later:



Buy: 3D Dot Game Heroes

See also: 'Hey, Atlus USA: Why don't you just stab me through the heart while you're at it?'

Like a fal'Cie: Japanese gamers touch Final Fantasy XIII for the very first time

Final Fantasy XIII was unleashed upon the citizens of Japan earlier today, and you know what that means: Thousands, maybe millions, of impressions, photos (of people standing in line to purchase the game--and the "limited" Lightening Edition PS3 system) and videos (of people playing the game) are popping up all over the Interwebs.

My favorite photo so far:

Yes, some fool picked up five of the "limited" Lightening Edition PS3 systems. Apparently he didn't see the rumor that suggested Sony shipped 200,000 of those suckers. (Typically, somewhere between 10,000 and 50,000 such bundles are shipped to retailers--though Sony bucked that trend when it shipped 77,777 Final Fantasy VII Advent Children bundles earlier this year.)

Anyway, as far as videos of the title are concerned: I've spent a bit of time watching the videos posted on this gamer's YouTube channel (mainly because he translates as much of the Japanese text as he can) and I have to say I'm impressed with the game's production values. The question is: What, if anything, is beneath that sexy surface? 

Hot and sweaty Mega Man action

I know--I'm a jerk for using the words "hot" and "sweaty" to get you to click on this post. I refuse to apologize, though, because everyone needs to know about the upcoming PSN/XBLA/WiiWare game, Mega Man 10.

Anyway, the fabulous folks at Capcom just released a teaser trailer for the title, so I thought I'd force it down your throats share it with all of you:



I know this says something about me, but I'm ecstatic that the game will include an "Easy Mode." My gaming chops aren't what they used to be--as evidenced by my embarrassing inability to beat Mega Man 9. I'll get you this time, Dr. Wily!

Lady Gaga + LittleBigPlanet = Little Bad Romance

Someone with a lot of love for Lady Gaga (and, presumably, LittleBigPlanet) and a lot of time on his/her hands has given life to what may be the best (and gayest) game-related YouTube video ever:



To fully appreciate the exactitude of the homage, check out the actual "Bad Romance" video.

Coming soon to a PS3 near me (and you, if you live in the States): 3D Dot Game Heroes

Well, it looks like I'm going to have to save up (somehow) and buy a PS3 sometime next year. Why? Well, earlier today, the folks at Sony Computer Entertainment America sent out the following tweet regarding From Software's 3D Dot Game Heroes:

"No need to import--3D Dot Game Heroes for PS3 is DEFINITELY coming to NA! Spread the word, more to come."

Sony won't be publishing the title, according to someone supposedly in the know over on NeoGAF. Atlus and Ignition seem to be the most likely candidates as of now.

Anyway, I'm not sure how I'm going to swing the PS3's $299 price tag (or the game's $59 price tag, for that matter), but I'm going to make it happen even if I have to peddle my wares (if you get my drift) on the Interwebs...

It looks like Zelda, it sounds like Zelda, but will it be as fun as Zelda?

That's the question that went through my mind as I watched the first gameplay videos of From Software's 3D Dot Game Heroes this morning. Here's one of them:



(Two more videos of the upcoming PS3 title can be viewed here.)

Boomerang? Check. Chickens that retaliate after they're attacked? Check. Secret caves revealed by bombs? Check.

Those similarities have some gamers crying "copycat," but not me. I love it! It would be great if Nintendo would create such a game, but since that seems about as likely as a Kid Icarus sequel I'll gladly spend some time with this homage.

I know, I know--I don't have a PS3! Well, that might have to change this holiday season thanks to the $299 PS3 Slim and titles like this one, Katamari Forever, Little Big Planet and Valkyria Chronicles.

Pink-and-white PS3 Slim coming soon to a store near you ...

... assuming you live somewhere in Japan, that is.

One of the few newsworthy announcements made during the Sony press conference at the Tokyo Game Show yesterday involved the little beauty you see here:

For those of you who didn't stay up late trolling "teh Internets" for Tokyo Game Show news (like I did), the PS3 pictured above is a special edition that will be released in the Land of the Rising Sun on the same day (Dec. 17) as a little game known as Final Fantasy XIII. You may have heard of it?

Said system will sport a 250GB HDD and will set you back ¥41,600. (That's ¥11,620 more than the standard PS3 Slim.)

Personally, I'd rather have a plain white PS3 Slim, but since Sony's unlikely to release anything other than boring black PS3s in the States, my thoughts on the matter don't mean too much, do they? :)

New trailer for The Last Guardian (aka the "Game of Whichever Year it Comes Out")

I can't take credit for calling The Last Guardian the "Game of Whichever Year it Comes Out," by the way. Please direct your kudos to "leech" over at NeoGAF :)

Anyway, enough about that. The real reason you're reading this post is to see the new trailer (unveiled during the Tokyo Game Show yesterday) for Team Ico's upcoming PS3 title, The Last Guardian, right? Well, here you go:



Sadly, the title that's sure to be a contender for "Game of the Forever" still does not have a release date. Oh, well, back to that trailer...

Square-Enix releases NieR Replicant trailer

In advance of the Tokyo Game Show, the powers that be at Square-Enix have decided to release a trailer for NieR Replicant, the PS3 title that is sure to become known (to teenage gamers in the States, especially) as "that game with the hermaphrodite."

Said hermaphrodite (her name is Kaine, thank you very much) is the white-haired lass that can be seen quite a few times in the following trailer, in case you're interested.



The game looks quite interesting to these eyes, though I have to admit that the smiley-faced creature that appears around the minute mark freaks me out to no extent.

Anyway, here's to hoping there's some substance to the final product--and to the futunari-esque Kaine.

NieR Replicant to feature a futunari?

WTF is a "futunari," you ask? Well, according to Wikipedia, the term can be used to describe "any hentai [pornographic anime or manga] character that possesses both the traits of a female and the penis of a male." Apparently, it can be used to describe game characters, too.

Anyway, it seems Square-Enix's upcoming title, NieR Replicant, will feature a futunari. Specifically, the hermaphroditic character in question, named Kaine, will act as the protagonist's partner, according to a magazine scan posted over at Kotaku.

One of that site's avid (and educated) visitors kindly translated the text that accompanied an image of the confusing character:

"With the left half of her body infected by a demon, she's what's called a 'demon possessed' human - possessing sexual characteristics of both sexes. Suffering from being bullied since a young age, her resultant rebelliousness and thirst for revenge made her flaunt her feminine appearance beyond necessity. However, her demeanor is far from feminine. Her way of speaking and manners are also quite brutish."

Sounds good to me, although I have to say I'm a bit worried that Square-Enix will neuter (literally and figuratively) this wonderfully bizarre character when and if the title--supposedly a PS3 exclusive--is brought Stateside.

Great, *another* reason to buy a PS3...

OK, I don't have a PS3 at the moment but, believe me, it's not because I don't want one. I just don't have the cash at the moment. Anyway, rest assured that as soon as I do have the cash to buy one, I'll be buying 3D Dot Game Heroes along with it.

Of course, that's assuming this retro-riffic Zelda clone (from the looks of it, at least) is released in the U.S. Rumors abound that both Atlus and Ignition are fighting over the rights to the title, though, so hopefully that means we'll receive localization confirmation (and maybe even a release date?) in the coming weeks or months.

Anyway, not much is known about the title so far, though the folks over at IGN seem to know a bit about its back story. Here's what they had to say in a recent write-up:

"3D Dot Game Heroes is set in the Kingdom of Dotnia. This world was once made up of 2D sprite art like something out of an old-school game. However, wanting to attract more people to the kingdom, the king decided to use technology to make everything 3D. This is where something goes horribly wrong, although just what that is has yet to be specified."

Read the rest of what the IGN crew have to say about the game here. Or, check out this thread over at the great NeoGAF.