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?

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears ... as well as your Vita game recommendations

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you've already heard this thrilling piece of news: I recently bought a Vita!

Actually, I bought it quite some time ago, but it took its sweet time getting to me. Plus, after it finally arrived in my neighborhood, it had to sit at the local "carrier annex" for a full week before I was able to come rescue it. (Which is what happens, I guess, when you go from being a full-time freelancer to having a full-time office job and thus no longer have the luxury of pretty much always being home when such packages arrive.)



Sadly, I haven't been able to do much more than charge its battery, start it up, set it up, download a couple of PSP games from my PSN account (Patchwork Heroes being one of them) and connect with a few pals between last weekend and today.

I'm planning to spend a lot more time with it late next week and the following weekend, though--right after I wrap up the class I mentioned in yesterday's post about my Solitiba and Katamari Damacy doodles, basically. 

As for what I'll be playing once I finally give my Vita the attention it deserves: well, I'll probably begin with Danganronpa, although it's possible I'll also download and play a bit of Magical Beat, Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines or Pix the Cat.

Given that my gaming wish list is sorely lacking in Vita titles at the moment (it includes the ones I just mentioned, of course, as well as a handful of others), I thought I'd ask all of you who also have Sony's PSP follow-up to share with me any recommendations you may have for a Vita noob like myself. 

Should any must-play Vita games come to mind in the next few hours, days or even weeks, please share their names in the comments section of this post.

It looks like I'll be getting my second Vita game sooner rather than later

Which game am I alluding to in the header above? Why, Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines, of course--which will be released in North America on March 3 (and in Europe on the following day).

I'm a bit bummed that Oreshika won't be getting a physical (boxed) release in either of the above-mentioned regions, but I'm far less bummed than I'd be if the game weren't being released at all.

Plus, Oreshika will cost just $19.99 upon release in North America, and €19.99 in Europe, so it's hard to complain too much about the situation surrounding the localization of this lovely looking RPG.

Oh, and in case I haven't said so here already (I know I've mentioned at least part of the following somewhere on line in the last few weeks, but I can't remember where), I recently bought a Vita. More specifically, one of the Japanese pink-and-white Vita 2000 systems, as they're sometimes called.

And just before I bought that Vita, I bought a Vita game--with the game in question being the first Danganronpa, of course.

Anyway, the Vita is due to be dropped on my doorstep any day now, and as soon as that happens I'll let everyone know via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and here, although not necessarily in that order.

In the meantime, are any of you planning to buy Oreshika--either at launch or at some point down the road?

(Almost) right on time, another episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever appears

Those of you who enjoy listening to shidoshi, Anne and I wax poetic on anything and everything related to niche-y games and systems may recall that I ended my last blog post about The Nichiest Podcast Ever with an announcement that we're aiming to make this sucker a monthly thing from here on out. (Or from here until whenever we quit doing it, I guess.)

Although we didn't quite meet that goal this month, we got pretty darn close. We're only a week late, after all.

Anyway, this episode, take, whatever you want to call it touches on a ton of niche-y titles, including the Brandish PSP remake that's supposedly coming to North America (via PSN) by the end of the year, Etrian Mystery Dungeon (3DS), Hatoful Boyfriend's second-quarter 2015 release for PS4 and Vita, Keita Takahashi’s (Katamari Damacy) new game, Rodea The Sky Soldier (3DS and Wii U), Suikoden II's long-awaited appearance on PSN, Theatrhythm Dragon Quest (3DS) and Yakuza 5's just-announced localization.

During the much-loved "Cheerleading" segment, Anne discusses Monster Monpiece (Vita), I blather on about a curious Japanese 3DS eShop title known as Pinch 50 and shidoshi attests to the quality of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth.

Oh, and before I forget: the three of us also spend a good amount of time at the start of this podcast chatting about the 10th anniversary of the DS' North American release and the 20th anniversary of the original PlayStation's Japanese launch. (Sadly, we completely forgot to acknowledge the 10th anniversary of the PSP's emergence. Maybe we can belatedly cover that in our January "take"?)

Should all, or at least some, of the above sound like something you'd like to hear me, Anne and shidoshi talk about, head over to radio.morningproject.com at your convenience.

One more game I'll be buying after I (finally) get a Vita: Pix the Cat

I've been aware of this digital PS4 and Vita title for a couple of weeks now, and every time I think of it, I want it--and a system that will allow me to play it--a little more than I wanted it the last time it popped into my head.

Why is that? For starters, Pix the Cat was made by the crew at Paris-based Pastagames, whose past products include one of my favorite XBLIG titles, Arkedo Series: 03 Pixel, as well as the superb (and sadly under-appreciated) DS gem, Maestro! Jump in Music.

Also, there's the following trailer:



NeoGAF user Sir TapTap recently described Pix the Cat as being akin to Pac-Man ChuChu Snake Rocket Championship Edition DX+--or a mash-up of the ancient Snake game, Pac-Man Championship Edition and Sega's ChuChu Rocket!--which of course makes me want it even more.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely I'll be able to buy this game--or, for that matter, a Vita--until the end of the year. In the meantime, I guess I'll have to continue lusting after the trailer above and poring over Tiny Cartridge's recent write-up of the title.

And then there was DuckTales: Remastered

Well, that's a game I don't think anyone saw coming--other than those who know folks who are working on it, of course.

Regardless, it's a game I will welcome with open arms when it's released sometime this summer.

The question is: which version of Capcom-and-WayForward-developed DuckTales: Remastered (a trailer of which can be seen below) will I buy?



My initial reaction to this morning's announcement was to wait until I own a Wii U to pick it up, but now I'm wondering if I should bite the bullet and purchase it on day one via XBLA instead. (Don't fret PS3 owners, it's also coming to PSN.)

Are any of you similarly excited about the prospect of playing a re-jiggered--with HD graphics, extra levels and more--update of Capcom's classic NES title, DuckTales?

Editor's note: as stoked as I am about this game's existence, a part of me wishes it were a sprite-based sequel à la Mega Man 9 and 10. Also, I really wish Capcom would bring it to the 3DS eShop as well.

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)

RIP Arkedo Studio

It's always a sad day when a game-development studio closes its doors, but it's an especially sad one when the studio in question was known for putting out quality games.

Given that, it's likely that bucket-loads of tears are being wept in response to the news that no more games will be produced by Arkedo Studio, the company responsible for Big Bang Mini (DS), the Arkedo Series of XBLIG titles and Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit (XBLA, PSN and PC).

According to a blog post written by co-founder Aurelien Regard, the company "is still here. But no one’s employed anymore.

"Arkedo hasn’t closed down and is not bankrupt," he adds, but "no more games are [being] produced, either."

Fans of Arkedo Studio's past efforts may take a bit of solace in the fact that two "small" and as-yet-unknown games will still be released by the company, although Regard didn't say when that will happen or which systems will be the recipient of them.

See also: 'Five XBLIG games you should have played, but probably didn't' and 'Shucks, this could have been a cool game ...'

No joke: another otome game (for PSP) is coming to North America

And not only that, but it appears that this forthcoming otome game will be released both digitally and on UMD à la Class of Heroes 2.

The name of the title in question is Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, by the way, and it's being brought to North America by Aksys Games.

Here's a summary of Sweet Fuse's story as per Aksys' website:

"Saki Inafune, niece to legendary game developer Keiji Inafune, can’t wait to visit her uncle’s new theme park. She’s been invited to the opening day ceremonies, and is looking forward to a day of fun and excitement when suddenly Count Hogstein—a villain as corpulent and cliché as he is evil—blows up the Ferris wheel, takes the park management hostage, and declares the beginning of a deadly series of games.



"Desperate to save her uncle, Saki volunteers to be one of the participants in Hogstein’s games, and finds herself thrust into the midst of excitement very different from what she’d expected when she woke up that morning. She’ll need all of her cunning, determination, and exceptional insight to get herself and her fellow participants—all available bachelors—out alive and maybe, with a little luck, find love along the way."

As for when Sweet Fuse will see the light of day in North America: according to the folks at Aksys, it'll do so sometime this summer.

So, who bought Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (PSP/Vita) yesterday?

I'm sad to say I didn't.

The main reasons: I've yet to beat the first Corpse Party (I'm pretty sure I'm not even close to the end credits) and I'm still trudging my way through Elminage Original.

Also, I can't say I'm tickled pink about paying $19.99 for a digital game that likely would cost the same amount if it were given a retail release.

Still, I want it, and I'll probably pluck it from PSN sooner rather than later.

If any of you bought Corpse Party: Book of Shadows yesterday, though, I'd love to hear what you think about it in the comments section below.

For more information on this PSN title (which is perfectly playable on both the PSP and Vita, by the way), check out this blog post and this NeoGAF thread.

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (Vita) Edition

There's a rather awesome (in my opinion, of course) story behind this particular Gay Gamer Giveaway™, so I'm going to share it here. Don't worry, it won't take long to tell.

So, a few days ago (on my birthday, actually), I was blathering away on Twitter when Matthew Carrington (@Segamastermatt, also Segamaster dude on deviantart) asked me if I owned a Vita. After replying in the negative, I asked him if he had one. His answer: "No, I was going to wait on it for a while. I was asking you because I won a digital copy of PlayStation All-Stars for the Vita." After which he added: "Would you want it to give away as a contest prize or something?" Cool, eh?



As for the rules of this Gay Gamer Giveaway™: All you need to do is leave a comment below between now and 11:59 pm PST on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Don't worry about its content or length--even something like "Yo!" is fine with me. Just make sure you're identifiable in some way.

Also, should you throw your hat into the ring for this giveaway, be sure to pop your head into this here blog again on Thursday, Dec. 6, as that's when I'll announce the winner.

Please note: The code I send to the winner will only work with the US PSN store, so if you can't download Vita games in that way this probably isn't the giveaway for you.

See also: Previous Gay Gamer Giveaway™ posts

Returning to the Corpse Party: 'Book of Shadows' is coming to North America

And not only that, but Corpse Party: Book of Shadows is coming to North America sometime "this winter."

Oh, and this digital PSP title will be brought here by the fabulous folks at Xseed Games. (They're fabulous because not only did they bring the original Corpse Party to our region late last year, but they've also brought a trio of similarly unique Wii games to the North American masses over the last few years: Fragile Dreams, Ivy the Kiwi? and Little King's Story.)

Don't worry, European Corpse Party fans--Book of Shadows is coming your way, too. Unfortunately, the closest Xseed staffers will come to a release date in your neck of the woods at the moment is "sometime shortly after" the game hits the streets on our shores.



For a brief glimpse at what you can expect to experience in Corpse Party: Book of Shadows once it's finally added to your region's iteration of PSN, check out the just-released teaser trailer (above and here).

Confession time: I'm picking this up day one despite the fact that I've yet to beat the first game. I didn't stop (well) short of Corpse Party's end credits because I disliked anything about it, mind you. Rather, I got stuck at one point and refused to head to GameFAQs for a solution. Shortly after I reached that impasse, it fell off my radar due to the release of some other title I can't remember right now.

Anyway, I'll get back to that ghoulish adventure eventually. Whether that happens before or after I add Book of Shadows to my PSP collection, though, is another question entirely.

Attention Vita owners: Dokuro is now available for purchase via PSN

OK, so most of you probably don't own a Vita. And if you do, you likely already know that GungHo's 150-level puzzler-platformer Dokuro is hitting PSN today. Just in case any of you weren't aware of that fact, though, I thought I'd remind you.

Oh, and I also should remind you that this "two-dimensional Boxxle and ICO mixture with chalk graphics" title (according to NeoGAF user deimian86) will cost you just $19.99.

Here's a (Japanese) gameplay video of Dokuro--which is Japanese for "skull," basically--for those of you who've yet to see it in action:



If you just can't get enough of Dokuro, you may want to watch this video, too, which takes viewers through the game's Japanese demo. (Warning: The guy playing said demo is very annoying.)

Personally, if I owned a Vita I'd probably pick up the Japanese retail release of Dokuro, as I'm pretty fond of its box art, rather than the North American PSN version, but I'm weird like that.

See also: 'Surprise, surprise: The first (and only) Vita game that interests me is an odd, niche-y one'

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)

Third podcast's a charm?

As of about 14 hours ago, the audio for the third episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever is in the can.

What did Anne (@apricotsushi on twitter), shidoshi (@pikoeri) and I chat about this time?

Well, we began by shooting the spit about the recent Tokyo Game Show (which shidoshi attended in person, the lucky devil) and the heap of niche-y games--3DS and Vita ones, especially--that were announced during the multi-day event.

We also discussed the just-announced Animal Crossing-themed 3DS LL (it'll hit the streets of Japan on Nov. 8) and the just-released (on Sept. 27) "PINK x WHITE" 3DS LL that I wrote about earlier today.

 Oh, and we touched on Bayonetta 2, Dead or Alive 5, THE "DENPA" MEN, HarmoKnight, Tokyo Jungle, and a few other games I can't mention here because they were part of the do-you-know-this-game segment of the podcast that's called "The Nichiest of Them All," too.

As always, I'll let you know when this episode is available for listening. In the meantime, why not check out episodes one and two?

I'd totally (probably) buy Sound Shapes if I owned a PS3 or Vita

I know I'm a bit late to the party on this one--it was released early last week, after all, although it won't hit the streets in Europe until tomorrow--but what do you expect from someone who owns neither a PS3 nor a Vita?

Even then, you'd think this Queasy Games-developed title would have appeared on my radar before this past weekend, when I read about it on the geek out! blog.

As for why I'd totally (probably) pick up Sound Shapes if I owned a PS3 or Vita: I really like its minimalist, LocoRoco-meets-NightSky aesthetic, for starters. Also, I'm intrigued by its gameplay, which seems to be an appealing mash-up of a platformer and a rhythm title.



The only thing that makes me a bit, well, queasy about this digital release: Its $14.99 price tag. Still, I'd likely bite the bullet and hand over my hard-earned cash for it if I owned a Vita, as only a couple of its games have caught my attention thus far (namely @field, Dokuro and Gravity Daze/Rush).

See also: 'Sega's doing its darndest to lead me @field' and 'Surprise, surprise: The first (and only) Vita game that interests me is an odd, niche-y one'

I'm not entirely sure what's going on in this trailer, but (I think) I like what I see anyway

The trailer in question is for Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit, by the way--which is being developed by Arkedo and published by Sega. It'll hit PSN and XBLA in late September (Sept. 25 and 26, respectively and specifically) and PC on Oct. 3. Oh, and all three releases will have $14.99 price tags attached to them.



I loved Arkedo Series - 03 Pixel!, so I'm seriously considering picking up the XBLA version of Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit. The only things that may keep me from doing so are the above-mentioned price tag and the fact that so much is going on in the trailer above that I'm a bit worried that playing this game could be an overwhelming (in a bad way) experience.

FYI: Wizorb is now available via PSN

Not only that, but this "retro-flavored Breakout clone with a dash of RPG folded into it" is playable on PS3, PSP and Vita, as far as I'm aware.

I know for sure that it's playable on PSP, though, since I just bought it. Yes, that means I now own four "copies" of Wizorb--one each for my Mac, PC, PSP and Xbox 360.

A word of warning to those of you who are about to race to your PSPs and download this puppy: A bit of "frame-rate chug" weaseled its way into this particular version.



It doesn't ruin the experience--or at least it hasn't yet ruined it for me--but it is noticeable, not to mention a tad annoying, especially if you've spent some time with the Mac, PC or Xbox 360 releases.

Hopefully no such "chug" rears its ugly head while playing the game on a PS3 or Vita. Since I don't own either of those systems, though, I currently can't tell you if that's the case or not.

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Wizorb (PC and XBLIG)' and 'Ten questions with the guys who created Wizorb'

I really hope Sony promotes the North American release of Tokyo Jungle with an ad like this

The folks at Sony recently prepped a special TV commercial to celebrate the fact that Japanese sales of their crazy-survival-action-game-starring-a-bunch-of-animals, Tokyo Jungle, have topped the 200,000 mark.

Will the game move that many copies after it lands on our shores? It wouldn't surprise me in the least given the amount of interest it's garnered since it was announced in 2010.

What would surprise me: Sony's North American arm promoting the localized release of Tokyo Jungle with an ad like the one below. Or promoting it at all.



That's not a jab at Sony, by the way. I just see this as being a game the company tries to sell via word of mouth.

Regardless, I hope we hear more about the Western release of Tokyo Jungle soon, as all we know at the moment is that it's on its way (but when?) and that it'll likely be released digitally.

(Via andriasang.com)

Tokyo Jungle's box art will be altered to feature a Rottweiler or Doberman if the game's actually brought to North America, won't it?

As much as the possibility mentioned in the header above depresses me, I may be able to forgive the graphic designers at SCEA that are sure to be responsible for such a travesty if they alter the title placement on said box art (to the right), too.

In case you've never heard of Tokyo Jungle, here's the scoop: It's a "survival action" game set in a deserted, futuristic Japan that's been transformed into a "vicious wildlife wasteland." Also, it was developed by the folks at PlayStation C.A.M.P. and Crispy's (nice name for the development studio, no?) and will be published by Sony Computer Entertainment.

Oh, and it will be released--in Japan only, for the time being--both digitally (via PSN) and physically on June 7.

Should Tokyo Jungle (here's a trailer for it, by the way) actually see the light of day in North America, I'll add it to my ever-growing list of awesome games I need to pick up once I finally get around to buying a PS3.

I don't suppose this Pomeranian-focused title appeals to any of you fine folks, does it?

(Via andriasang.com and neogaf.com)