The battle system of Crossedge has always been a bit confusing to me.  I understand the basics, but it was hard for me to really imagine it in action.  Luckily, I stumbled upon this video the other day which shows an actual battle from the game.

The video shows a few different characters participating in some team attacks, as well as performing some special abilities.  I am glad to see that Etna’s Prinny is in fact playable.  The one special ability he does towards the end of the video is pretty cool.

In addition to this video, some updates to the Japanese website for Crossedge have been made.  One update concerns some possible pre-order bonuses.  Depending on which store the game is pre-ordered at, Japanese gamers can get 1 of 4 different bonuses.  The participating stores are Sofmap, Geo, Messe Sanoh, and Imagin.  I didn’t include the link for Messe Sanoh because it’s well… not work safe.

The two on the left are Telephone cards, the one all the way to the right is a clear file, and the one next to it is a tosho card (kinda like a pre-payed debit card).

It has also been confirmed that X-Edge will be released with a series of downloadable content.  So far the confirmed content is an Item Pack, and two seperate dungeons.  More will be available sometime after the game’s September 25th release.

A website for the game’s OST has been launched as well.  You can check that out here.  There are 4 songs you can listen to for free now, one of which is Blade of Tears, the game’s featured song.

Sadly there is still no news on Crossedge coming to the West, although I remain hopeful.  NIS has mentioned the game in an interview with RPGamer.com.  Hopefully the other 4 companies (Gust, Capcom, Bandai-Namco and Idea Factory) won’t have to OK the game’s localization as that could take forever.

Related Entries:
X-Edge (Crossedge) Announced for PS3
X-Edge (Crossedge) Video and Website Update

Roy capcom, namco, nis, ps3, videos 0 comments

LittleBigPlanet is considered by many to be a reason people won’t laugh at PS3 owners for purchasing the most expensive video gaming system ever.  The game is brilliant in its simplicity: you control a tiny creature, a sackboy/girl, through a series of obstacle courses.  Both of which are nearly infinitely customizable. The game will feature online and standard multiplayer with a maximum of 4 players.

LittleBigPlanet is being released on October 21st here in the States, and shortly after the rest of the world will be graced with sack-filled joy.  I couldn’t help but notice the different covers for the games:

For some reason North American covers are always so busy.  In fact, going from right to left, the covers get increasingly complicated.

The hype of the game has caused some merchandise to pop up in Japan, being manufactured by Taito.  A variety of Sackboy plushes are already available in Japan. If you absolutely have to own your own Sackboy, you can find all of them here at Play-Asia.com. I personally dig the solider one because he has a cape, and capes are awesome.

As always, Japan has a free plush that comes with their version.  It is pretty adorable, and you can’t beat the fact that it’s free. I was surprised to learn that the North American version also features some cool pre-order bonuses.  If you pre-order the game at Gamestop.com, you can get a free Kratos outfit for your Sackboy. If you pre-order from BestBuy you get Nariko from Heavenly Sword for your Sockgirl.  Having worked at BestBuy, take my advice and check the store’s flier every Sunday.

Click for full size

You can check out LBP’s website here.  Only 1 more month until LittleBigPlanet hits shelves in America–let’s hope it lives up to the hype.

Roy merchandise, pre-order, ps3 2 comments

I am not sure how I missed these Rosenqueen.com packages for the two upcoming Nintendo DS ports.  They were posted on NIS’ website a while back, but I just happened to notice them today.  All packages will ship on the September 23rd release date.  Anyway, here are their contents as well as prices:

• NIS totally DS Touch and Play Set
  • Disgaea DS
  • Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure DS
  • Rhapsody Musical Booklet (Songs by Tenpei Sato, composer from the Disgaea series. Only 800 units available in United States)
  • Prinny Touchpen (limited to 2500 units)
  • Disgaea Beauty of War Figure (1 out of 7 randomly)  The secret one is *SPOILER> Prier <SPOILER*
  • Price = SOLD OUT
    
• Tactically Tactile Set
  • Disgaea DS
  • Prinny Touchpen (limited to 2500 units)
  • Price = SOLD OUT
    
• Musically Delicious Set
  • Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure DS
  • Rhapsody Musical Booklet (Songs by Tenpei Sato, composer from the Disgaea series. Only 800 units available in United States)
  • Price = $29.99

These sets are actually a really good deal if you are planning on purchasing the game.  The extras are pretty much free since the going price of the games alone is $29.99 at sites like Gamestop and Amazon.com.

If you are planning on purchasing both games, then the Touch and Play Set is the obvious choice.  I am actually not too crazy about the Beauty of War figures, which were available while I was in Japan (I only purchased the secret figure).  The Laharl figure in particular is kind of bizarre looking…  I think Etna and the Cleric are the two best.  I prefer the Palm Figures which are smaller, and look more like the game’s sprites.  To those who get this package I hope you get whichever one you wish for!

Related Entries:
4 New Playable Character Revealed for Disgaea DS
Makai Senki Disgaea DS Preorder Bonus: Prinny Touchpen
Three Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice Pre-Orders to Choose From
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure Coming to Nintendo DS

Roy disgaea, figure, nintendo ds, nis, ost, pre-order 2 comments

As Devil Summoner’s release date draws closer in Japan, more details are constantly emerging.  The first and probably most exciting for MegaTen fans is the packaging for the game, as well as the special “Plus” edition:

Standard Packaging

Plus Packaging

As you can see, the cover to the plus packaging features the nameless Demi-Fiend from Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne in heated battle with Raidou.  The plus version comes with a special edition of Nocturne which allows the main character to recruit Raidou.  Special editions like this, while awesome, rarely make it to the states.  I still cry every night over Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix+…

Some new elements of the game’s battle system have also been revealed.  It appears that Raidou is not limited to only his katana and pistol.  He is now also able to equip spears and large axes.  There may even be more weapons he can wear…

Equipping these different weapons provides different advantages, but also alters special attacks that Raido can perform.  The image above shows Raidou performing a special attack equipped with an axe.  I believe it may be the very same special as in the video I posted here, although that one is performed using a katana.

Every MegaTen game rewards the player for locating and exploiting your enemies weakness.  The newest Devil Summoner title is no different.  The name for the new weakness-exploitation system is MAG Scheduling Battle. Weird name, I know.

The system basically allows the player to steal Magnatite from an enemy after repeatedly striking it’s weakness.  Doing so grants the player an unlimited supply of MP to continue attacking that weakness.  Since attacking a weakness also stuns the enemy, there is very little an affected enemy can do.  Let’s hope the system doesn’t work both ways…

The more I learn about this game, the more I think it will redeem itself from the previous title.  The added depth of battle definitely earns it some points in my book.  I sure wish we’d be getting the Plus edition, but I guess playing through Nocturne again would suck up a lot of time.

Related Entries:
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. King Abadon Video
Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. King Abadon Story Info

Roy atlus, preview, ps2 0 comments

The localization of games for Western audiences often involves the elimination of Japanese cultural references.  Why this is done, I can’t really say.  In the case of NIS and Disgaea 3, I believe the changes were made in an effort to make the humor of the game as recognizable as possible.

Orcs: Fond of Organized Crime in Any Country
Before I even started a new game in Disgaea 3, I changed the spoken language to Japanese.  I have a hard time listening to English voice actors…  Anyway, I was wondering why in the story text, all of the Orcs end every sentence with “-ese”.  I didn’t think much of it until my friend mentioned to me that they talk like latinos out of the gangster rap era.

In the Japanese dialog, they do talk in a dialect generally reserved for individuals in the Japanese mafia (a.k.a yakuza.)  In terms of the speaker showing respect to his or her audience, this dialect is extremely low.  It is considered blunt and crude.  In contrast, when the Orcs are brainwashed in later chapters to become delinquints, their dialect shifts to the most formal style of Japanese.

When the Orcs refer to Mao as “Boss” they are in fact saying “Father.”  In the world of yakuza, members are initiated into the gang through an elaborate saké drinking ritual.  During the ritual, the Boss of the gang shares a cup of saké with a subordinant.  In doing so, the subordinate becomes a member of the Boss’s bloodline, effectively becoming a member of the family, hence Father.

Mao’s Love/Hate Relationship with Condiments
The next change I noticed took place during the third chapter, in which Mao was trying to acquire a Dragon’s Egg, so that he could eat it and open his heart.  When Mao talks about eating the cooked egg, he says that he wants to put hot sauce on it rather than salt and pepper.

In the Japanese dialog, salt and pepper is actually soy sauce.  Hot sauce on the other hand is simply sauce in the Japanese dialog.  In Japan, “sauce” refers to a generic sauce with a worcestershire base.  This sauce is put on just about anything from cutlets to noodle dishes.  So in actuality Mao loves sauce but hates soy sauce.  How can you hate soy sauce?

Champloo Sensei Boom!
Everyone loves the overly enthusiastic Mister Champloo aka, Champloo Sensei. He is intense, mysterious, and a great cook. Also, he ends his sentences with Boom!  Or does he? In the Japanese dialog he ends sentences with zonamoshi rather than do-n which is the Japanes equivalent of boom.

Zonamoshi doesn’t really have a meaning, but in the Iyo dialect, central to the Ehime prefecture of Japan, it was a common, yet bizarre way to end one’s sentences.  Ehime prefecture was known for having some rough characters in it, who at times fought off invading pirates.  Sounds like something Champloo Sensei would do…

Related Entries:
Prepare to Rage: Game Cover Westernization
Know Your Video Game History: Persona

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