I haven’t been able to find the complete OST for download yet, but Rpgmm posted this preview of the full version. If you frequent my site, or have watched all the downloadable Persona 4 videos, than all the songs should sound pretty familiar. The one song I am sure everyone is excited to have is Pursuing My True Self which is the same song featured in the game’s opening video.

Tracklisting:
01. Pursuing My True Self
02. The Doujima Household
03. Inabashi Shopping District
04. Princess Yukiko’s Castle
05. Normal Battle Theme

Download

If you can’t wait until someone posts the full soundtrack, you can buy a copy from Play-Asia here for $28.90. It definitely sounds like those who enjoyed the music of Persona 3 won’t be disappointed with Persona 4’s soundtrack.  Enjoy!

Related Entries:
All other Kotowari entries on Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 can be found here

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This is a guest entry written by my girlfriend. I haven’t gotten a chance to play Wii Fit yet, but she seems to enjoy it so I asked her to write a review:

OK, so the biggest thing in video games in Japan before I left was the Nintendo Wii Fit. Since last fall I saw multiple commercials showing the various games you could play. This past spring I taught English to a group of kids in their apartments, and all their mothers had the Wii Fit balance board hidden away discreetly–which is what the innovatively designed and sleek unit allows you to do.

I wanted one so bad.

Luckily when I got home in the States, a good friend hooked me up with the very last one in stock at his place of employment. Since then I have taken quite a shine to it and try to use it everday for at least a half hour. Compared to other games involving moving your body, the Wii Fit definitely excels in the health department.

My experiences with interactive gaming equipment include Taiko Drum Master, Dance Dance Revolution, and Rock Band. But the Wii Fit seemed different. It has an inspired but effortless look about it, which makes the other games seem like they’re trying too hard. I had to try this thing, where you use your own body weight and balance to improve your health.

That’s another difference: the Wii Fit was made intentionally for getting healthy, where the other games were not. Sure, DDR is known for shedding pounds off of tap-happy chubsters, but performing the same motions you would need to lose weight without the game? Please. With the Wii Fit, they actually walk you step by step through the exercises–real, legitamite exercises that you can do on your own without the board if for whatever reason you find yourself stranded from it.

So anyway, let’s talk about the game play itself. When you first use the game you are to select a Mii that will represent you and your health. You enter in your height and birthdate, subtract the weight of your clothes, and are presented with your BMI. Along the way the game offers tips and advice about what you need to work on.

My BMI is normal, but my balance is shifted to the heel of my left foot. Who knew? So my balance is what I need to work on, it tells me. And there are plenty of ways to work on it: nearly all the exercises involve maintaining your balance within a confined area so that you have an idea of what proper balance should feel like. Then you are scored on how well you kept the balance. The game also rewards you with how many minutes you’ve saved up and unlocks more games along the way.

Exercises range from Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics, and Balance. My routine has consistently been doing a bunch of yoga first for stretches, and then strength training, followed by aerobics. I am the worst with balance games, although when one of the games involve your Mii dressed up like a penguin and using your balance to feed it, you find yourself coming back for more.

I could go on and on, but the most important thing is that I can feel results. The muscles that I worked out on yesterday are sore in the specific areas that I played. That’s not to say there aren’t any drawbacks. Which leads me to make this list of pros and cons:

Pros:
- exercises work
- the balance board is eerily accurate
- great way to keep up an exercise routine
- unlocking games encourage longer exercise time
- everything is simple and easy to understand

Cons:
- it’s a pain in the ass juggling with the Wii remote (I just put mine down during exercises)
- the load times are kind of obnoxious and turn a 30 minute workout into 45
- there is no way to skip dialogue

Honestly though, I really enjoy the Wii Fit and see it more as an inexpensive piece of gym equipment than another game accessory. No treadmills or rowing machines for me. Nossir. I highly recommend the Wii Fit for those who hate the gym but want to get, well, fit. It’s a simple way to keep your weight in check without all the flashing arrows.

Related Entries:
Wii Fit Preview

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Fragile news has been plentiful lately, thanks in part to the update the game’s official website has received. In addition to some new images, info, and a newsletter, the site now has its own blog.

In Japan, the blogs that accompany games are pretty serious. I first noticed this with Success’ Haninwa Seikatsu: Hitsujimura. The game is in the same vein as the Harvest Moon series, so some of the creators actually spent a few days in the forest roughing it to come up with ideas.

Fragile’s blog right now contains some photos of 3 of the actors who will be behind the game’s motion capture. Also, some of the game’s creators took trips to famous places Seto will visit in the wake of the world’s end. Most recently was a journey to Tokyo Tower, where a few members of the game’s team got to walk across the tower’s catwalk. Seto will meet a boy named Kuro wandering the ruins of Tokyo Tower. You can read more about that here. The team also took a trip to Kawaji Dam and some famous shrines around Japan.

I sure wish it was my job to travel Japan and get inspiration for a video game. Well, maybe someday. The game’s blog can be found here if you would like to check it out. We are still waiting for news of Fragile coming to North America, but it probably won’t be until after the game’s release sometime this year.

Related Entries:
Fragile Preview
Fragile Update

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Loco Roco 2 is currently in development in Japan. Not much is known about what new features the game has, although Sony says more will be revealed at the coming E3 Summit. From the screenshots, it looks one new addition may be underwater levels. Other than that I am sure the game will be filled with awesome music and lots of singing balls bouncing all over the place.

Rumor has it the game will be released in America later this year, possibly for the holiday season. This makes sense since there is little translating that needs to be done since the Loco Rocos speak their own language–that just leaves the user interface. I know I am looking forward to this one!

Related Entries:
Loco Roco Soundtrack Download
Patapon Preview

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So Persona 4 is officially on sale in Japan. If you absolutely cannot wait to get your hands on the game, or know a bit of casual Japanese, you can buy a copy from Play-Asia.com here for $68.90.

If owning the regular version is too pedestrian for you, Play-Asia also has the Konamistyle Special Edition here for $129.90. The below table explains the contents to the two different special editions. So far only the Konamistyle one is available on Play-Asia. Please note that Play-Asia only carries the bundle which comes with the XL t-shirt, good if you are a big fan of the series. Pun slightly intended.

Since the game’s release in Japan, some image rips have already surfaced on the web. The link to this rip was given to me by a person from 4chan’s video game message board. All the characters have bizarre eyes and some feature different outfits.

It also does seem to suggest that Naoto may be a girl. Although Kanji appears as a cross-dressed version of Marilyn Monroe suggesting that perhaps these images are not set in the reality of the game.

I am in the process of interviewing at several jobs, and if I manage to get one of them I may go crazy and buy a Japanese copy of the game. If I do I’ll be sure to tell you guys how it is! Too bad Play-Asia charges so much for the Konamistyle Special Edition… it’s like an extra $30 for a Kuma Plush and a shirt that will never fit me.

Related Entries:
All other Kotowari entries on Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 can be found here

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