If Monster Hunter Tri is your first experience with the franchise, you may be feeling in a bit over your head.  The tutorial in the game is sorely lacking in substance, but before you sell your copy in frustration, here is a list of things every good hunter should know:

1. How to Make a Well-Done Steak

As your character scrambles around, he or she will become hungry which will cause their stamina bar to shorten.  When this happens you won’t be able to run as far and (depending on your weapon) you may not be able to charge your attacks as effectively.  The best way to keep your belly full is by slaughtering any manner of large docile beast, which generally yields raw meat.  If you have both raw meat and a BBQ spit in your inventory, you can cook it and eat it.  Depending on your timing you can get various different levels of done-ness but “well-done” is the most effective at recovering your stamina bar.

Here is a video showing the timing for a well-done steak:

Click here to view the embedded video.

• You may notice that directly after the catchy tune ends, the meat changes color.  That is when the meat is done, and you should take it off the flame.  Practice makes perfect!

2. Try All the Weapon Types

You may think the Great Sword looks bad-ass, but maybe you’re a Bowgun prodigy and you don’t even know it.  Looks are one thing, but surviving is much more important.  Find what feels comfortable and master it — this means experimenting with combos and learning what buttons string together.  If you picked up the demo from Game Stop a while back, this is a great, cheap way to learn which weapon is for you.

• Some weapons are better suited to different enemies or missions, so you may have a bread-and-butter weapon, but it doesn’t hurt to have a backup.

3. Item Combining

When you’re out on the field and you’ve already downed your sparse supply of First-Aid Drinks, how are you going to finish off the boss in the remaining 45 minutes?  Well, start by looking around you.  Seemingly worthless items, when combined, can turn into the most helpful supplies on the battlefield.  Experiment as much as you can, this is relatively simple since only certain items can be combined.  You can even combine right from your storage box in your room.

• Here is a classic = (Blue Mushroom + Herb = Potion)+Honey = Mega Potion

4. Dazing, Sleeping, Crippling, Limping, and Killing

Monsters in Monster Hunter do not have an HP bar, and that’s part of what sets these games apart from most action RPGs.  You’ll need to keep your eyes open to tell what the status of your enemy is.  Here is a rundown of what sign means what:

• Limping: The monster is close to death and may try to run.  It can be captured by snaring it in a trap and tranquilizing.
• Dazed: If stars circle the enemies head, it is dazed meaning it won’t be able to act.  This is generally the result of Hammer-induced head-trauma.
• Sleeping: If a monster flees they may take a nap somewhere on the map.  This recovers their HP so you want to avoid this by hucking a paintball at a monster before it runs so you can track it.
• Crippled: By aiming your attacks at a certain appendage, you can cripple it — you can even lob off a tail.

If you’re still hungry for knowledge I would suggest checking out the Monster Hunter Wiki here.  It has a decent amount of into on Tri, and some other helpful pages for beginners.  If you have any other questions feel free to ask in a comment.  Happy hunting!

Some interesting new tidbits of info for the recently announced Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker PSP game was revealed during a Konami Q&A session with Hideo Kojima. He wants to make it perfectly clear that Metal Gear Solid has not ended, and that the “Metal Gear saga continues”.

Kojima also goes and gives a little more info about the Peace Walker mechanics. For starters, Snake can be customized to your preferences and you can also choose what kind of soldier he will be, such as a lightweight soldier who is quick on his feet or a heavyweight soldier who can more adeptly use a wide arsenal of weapons. The game will also have a “growth” feature that will allow your character to evolve as you go along. Quite frankly, it seems like Peace Walker is being h0pped up on some RPG influence juice.  I mean, customizing Snake on what kind of soldier he will be? It’s like choosing what character class you want in your party. And the “growth” feature? Just a fancy way of saying leveling-up.

Read the full Q&A below.

1) Many users had expected the next MGS5 announcement. When did you start this project?

I actually had the plan for this project in mind while working on MPO. Back then, I intended to place the project in the hands of the next generation of creators at Kojima Productions. However, in the end, I felt that it was still a little too early to leave it completely in their hands, so I decided to take the reins.

This game is an MGS5-class game. I am supervising, designing, producing, directing, and editing this title together with the MGS4 team. Therefore in that sense, “METAL GEAR SOLID” has not ended, and the “METAL GEAR SAGA” continues.

2) You have been saying for many years that your ultimate theme is “Anti-war and Anti-nuclear weapons”. Does this theme continue in this title?

Absolutely. The METAL GEAR SOLID series has always featured “Anti-war” and “Anti-nuke” themes. This title is no exception.

In the event of an attack from a neighboring country, I believe that finding a solution through diplomacy is ideal. However, the fact is that even peaceful countries with no intention of retaliating still maintain armies just for the sake of deterrence. I am sure there are varied opinions regarding this subject, but I believe that it is our generation’s role to “create peace through discussion.” What makes things complicated is that the youth of today have been born into a world where the current situation is the norm, so it’s difficult to convey this message. That is why my hope is to have players ponder and learn about why there are people who advocate the “need for armies, military power, and nuclear weapons” so that they may realize “why things turned out the way that they did” while they play this game.

3) I understand that it is a tactical espionage action game but could you provide some explanation for bringing this title to the PSP platform? I saw 4 Snakes in the trailer presented at E3, is this COOP?

The game will be stealth-action based. I can’t reveal too many details yet, but we are implementing features that can only be realized on the PSP platform that I believe everyone can look forward to. The game will be a little different from the METAL GEAR that players have come to know. However, the story can be replayed numerous times and the game is full of challenges to complete, so I feel that this title will really satisfy players with its long-lasting play time. Just as an example, do you recall the cardboard box at the end of the Peace Walker trailer? In addition to that two-man box, we are preparing a variety of other different cardboard boxes this time around.

To give a little more insight into the game, you can, how shall I say… customize Snake according to your preferences and determine what kind of soldier you will use prior to embarking on your mission. For example there’s heavy gear configurations that make a lot of noise, but that allow you to equip numerous weapons. Or, there are other configurations that won’t allow you to carry many weapons, but will allow you to be light on your feet. We will be preparing a variety of other types as well. Being able to make decisions and plot a strategy will be one of the really enjoyable features of this title.

We are also working on a “growth feature” as well, where your character evolves. It will be a new type of system, so I hope everyone will look forward to it!

4) You’re known for boot camps and on site checks. This time which part would you like to stress about the reality in terms of game quality?

We conduct research in many ways and then begin game production. In regards to the quality of the game, the main staff of MGS4 are producing it. They are aiming for PS3 quality because they were creating MGS4 on the PS3 not too long ago. In reality it is hard to maintain the same quality as the PS3 but we strive for it and we are expressing this in ways only we can express it in.

5) Regarding the KJP countdown teaser site, there were several signs as a message, could you explain what this message is all about?
5=it is an MGS5 class game
S=Snake
?=snake in Kanji
E=E3
R=Raiden
3=3 from 360 and E3
6=6 from 360
P and S=PSP and adding 3 makes it PS3

Aside from the Snake and Raiden visuals, we featured a total of 10 “symbols” and when all of these are rearranged, they form connections to the announcements that we made at E3.

The first symbols that appeared were the number “5? and the letter “S” for Snake that represented PW which, to me, is a “5? class title. “?” not only hints at the lowercase lettering of “E” for E3, but it is the kanji for the word “snake.” Also, the symbol that appeared at the very end is the kanji “?” and represents a sunny background and the sunrise that links to RISING.

The “RISING” of “METAL GEAR SOLID RISING” implies “the sun rising,” “the sun shining,” and “the sun shining on Raiden” that was revealed in the visuals on the HP. In addition, “RISING” also represents how “METAL GEAR SOLID” will be taking the next step up.

Going back to the symbols found on the HP, they also link to “the day of 360? and also to each of the titles that we announced at E3. When each of the symbols are rearranged, I think you’ll be able to recognize E3, PSP, PS3, 360 and others. So everyone, how did you like it? Were your predictions on the mark?

Well? Were they? It seems like everyone who made their predictions heard about the teaser site through the Internet were correct one way or another. Except for me, as I was stupidly hoping for a new Boktai game. Most people guessed that the site was teasing either MGS 5, an XBOX 360 MGS game, or a new MGS game featuring Raiden as the main character. As it turns out, everyone was right! I find it very interesting that the teaser site actually referred to more than just one of Kojima’s upcoming games. Just goes to show you that Kojima is a masterful troll.

Source: Kotaku

Related Entries:
E3: Days Two & Three – June 3rd-4th, 2009
Konami: BIG BOSS…Maybe?
Konami: ?
Konami: 5

So Natsume was the only booth with the balls to have stuffed animals at E3, and for that I applaud them.  Anyway, day 2 at E3 was a bit more laid back since I felt I accomplished a lot on the first day.  After taking a look around Little Tokyo only to discover nothing was open yet, I hopped on the shuttle back to the convention center, feet still raw from exploring the day before.  As the shuttle rounded the corner onto Figueroa street, I noticed some kind of commotion.

Once we got a little closer I could see that some protesters had gathered outside in front of the South Hall.  After reading their signs, I could tell pretty quickly that they were protesting EA’s upcoming action title Dante’s Inferno.  Once the shuttle dropped us off, I made a b-line for the protesters:

Their various signs, which I couldn’t help but laugh at, said the following:

• Hell is not a game!
• My high score is in heaven
• Play Dante’s Inferno – go to Hell
• Just say Infer-No!
• EA = Electronic Anti-Christ
• Trade in your Playstation for a PRAYstation

This was a great way to start my day and even though it should have made me angry, I just found it funny.

After going inside, I kind of gravitated towards Square Enix’s booth again.  I am not really sure why, it just had that effect on me.  While I was there, I noticed the display featuring some figures already in the works for Final Fantasy XIII.  Not sure how I missed this the first day:

There was every known main character as well as the summon Shiva appearing as Snow’s bike. If you are a fan of jewelry, it may also interest you do learn that Lightning’s necklace as well as a necklace featuring the glyph-tattoo on Snow’s arm will also be available.  The price for everything was TBD but the quality appeared pretty high.  I was really amazed with the detailed beading on both Shiva and Vanille’s skirt.  Also, I dig how the holsters for Sazh’s guns are functional, similar to those on the new Zidane figure.

After this, I made plans to meet with friends and some people in the biz who had previously only existed as e-mails/tweets to me so I basically took the rest of day two to meet up with them.  Hopefully some of my efforts will lead to employment somewhere down the road, but if not I had a great time just meeting everyone and getting to know Los Angeles.

Day Three

I really love this photo because there is a big fucking red thing walking around and every person in the photo is looking in a different direction.  It’s the simple pleasures in life, right?

Since this was the last day of E3, I tried to milk it for all it was worth and I could tell the various booths were throwing out their last efforts to attract people.  At this point, many games were marked as “Best of E3 Nominee” by popular magazines and what-not.  This helped decide what games to check out; popular opinion has been known to be right from time to time.  One game that initially caught my eye but I didn’t end up playing until day 3 was Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

I played the demo for a while, which was pretty enjoyable.  In terms of exploring, I was reminded of the flashlight controls of Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, only this game featured a lot more running and no combat.

If you look carefully at the image, you’ll notice a disclaimer which reads: Psychology Warning.  Basically, the fine print says that the game learns how the player plays and actively reacts to it which is awesome.

I started by filling out a psychological exam which had a series of questions – including a few about my sex life.  I didn’t really feel awesome answering them in front of a gaping crowd but maybe they just assumed my lameness was actually a made up person testing the game’s programming… yeah.

As I was playing, a Konami rep asked if I wanted to take part in a round-table discussion on the game with some of the developers.  Oh yea, there was free food, too, so off I went.  A variety of decent questions were asked about the game’s different appearance and deviation from the series.  Basically all this was chocked up to “it’s Silent Hill.”

I asked about how the game reacts to the player and about the psychological exams.  I guess there are times when the player will arrive at a fork in a road or be forced to make a decision that affects certain unknown factors which in turn affect the story and events which follow.   The initial psychological exam was equated to rolling for stats in an RPG.  They got my attention there!

While I was at the Konami booth, I noticed that the trailers for the two new Metal Gear Solid titles were added to the huge screen they had.  The one for Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker is much more revealing than the one for Metal Gear Solid Rising, however it did confirm that Rising will not be exclusive to the Xbox 360.  Have fun trying to understand the story with one title, Microsoft fans.

Anyway, it looks like Peace Walker will have some multiplayer functions which will be loads of fun!  Leave it to Kojima to figure out a way where everyone can be Big Boss:

Click here to view the embedded video.

As expected, the story looks pretty awesome for Peace Walker.  The future is fun and all but I appreciate the fact that Kojima is taking us back into the past where things feel a little more concrete.  I really like the game’s setting of Costa Rica in 1974.  It almost seems like a play on the Bay of Pigs Invasion of the 60’s, only reversed… or better yet Kojima-ed.

This day ended with trying to load up on as much free stuff as possible.  Now that I am sitting on this mountain of swag, I am not really sure what to do with it all, but I guess I will start spreading it around.  A random person to comment on this post (that has their e-mail address included) will receive a free beta code for the Uncharted 2 multiplayer demo!  I will think of some other contests down the road as well.

E3 was a lot of fun and I am glad that because of Kotowari I was able to go.  I met a lot of great people and saw a lot of awesome new games.  Also, it was a nice vacation from my crap job.  I hope you guys enjoyed my coverage on the event, although I apologize it was a bit late.  I plan on having a few posts down the line that may go in-depth on some of the titles I didn’t mention in these posts (The Last Guardian FTW), so look forward to that!

]]> http://www.kotowari.org/e3-days-two-three-june-3rd-4th-2009/feed/ 4 http://www.kotowari.org/slowpoke-metal-gear-solid-3-snake-eater-review/ http://www.kotowari.org/slowpoke-metal-gear-solid-3-snake-eater-review/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:50:17 +0000 Roy http://www.kotowari.org/?p=4165

After completing Resident Evil 5 I found myself in a unique situation: not really having a game which I had to play.  On the rare occasions when this occurs, I usually flip through old games and either play a classic for nostalgia’s sake, or play a game I never got around to trying.

I had played Metal Gear Solid 1,2, and 4 and loved them all immensely.  For some strange reason, I had never played Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which some would argue is the crowning jewel of the series.  I even remember a friend insisting that I borrow it when it came out, stating quite firmly that I needed to play it.  I think I ended up returning it about a year later untouched.  For Christmas, NutGarden05 bought me a Metal Gear Solid pack which included the complete version of Snake Eater dubbed Substance.

I went into the game with little knowledge or expectations.  All I knew really was that it concerned Big Boss and took place in Russia during the Cold War.  I admit part of me wasn’t expecting much, simply due to the fact that the game is over four years old.  In retrospect I realize how foolish this was…

Anyway, here is a rundown of what I liked:

Presentation – FoxDie is not for painting

First of all, the game’s opening movie and song are both very impressive and seem to really kickoff the game’s style and feeling.  I love the imagery of the ghost-like snake skeletons and the use of forest-y colors.  The song sung by Cynthia Harrell gets me every time I hear it (listening to it now).  It is used a few times throughout the game at important times which adds to the drama.  You can download it here if you would like to slap it on your iPod.

Click here to view the embedded video.

History – We go way back

I really enjoyed the story due in part to the history of the series I have knocking around in my head from the previous titles.  Knowing the future of various characters makes seeing their past that much more interesting.  Seeing Ocelot for the first time when he was a total nub was great.  Discovering that it was actually Big Boss who introduced him to the weapon he comes to have an unhealthy obsession with: the SAA (Single Action Army) is bitterly ironic.  I am only naming a few to prevent spoilers, but trust me, this game really ties things together.

Setting – A colder kind of war

I thought the fact that the game took place during the Cold War gave it a level of class and style most games focusing on any kind of gun warfare lack.  It felt a little like an old James Bond movie, without ever approaching that lame card-playing, fast-car-driving level.  I found myself really getting into Cold War culture, which I will admit is bizarre.  Something about the actual history of the times makes all the Kojima-fabricated-stuff sound like it could really have happened, which is pretty scary.  This game made me think about just what my country is/was capable of.

Bosses – Some are big

If you give Hideo Kojima a box, and tell him to think inside it, you are going to be very disappointed.  The bosses I fought in this game, known as the Cobra Unit, were very uniquely designed.  If that weren’t enough, the way the player does combat with them is even more unique.  Two battles in particular stand out in my mind:

The first was the snipe-off I had with an ancient sniper known as “The End.”  The battle takes place on a series of enormous woodland maps which makes things tricky since he is equipped with some decent camo.  I choose to fight fire with fire and hunt him with my sniper rifle.

I was shocked to learn that there are several other ways to kill this boss.  By entering the battle, saving, and waiting seven RL days, he actually dies of natural causes.  That is not a particularly glorious battle, but it’s still rather ingenious.  Another option is to snipe The End before you even get to the boss battle when he is first introduced.  Again, this is somewhat cowardly but very different.

The next battle (if you can call it that) took place in bizarre spiritual realm assembled by the next Cobra member who stood out in my mind: “The Sorrow.”  The Sorrow is actually deceased, so during the “battle” with him, he has no HP bar which totally threw me off.  Naturally, I had started by unloading on him like a sucker.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Anyway, all you do is walk through waist-deep water while The Sorrow summons phantoms of each and every unit you have killed throughout the game.  Every unit.  I was amazed at the attention to detail here.  People who I slit the throat of appeared with blood gushing from their neck, those who I allowed to be devoured by vultures appeared with vultures circling their heads, etc.  It was intensely spooky but has really stuck with me.

I especially like that this scene forces the player to remember every person you’ve killed.  It’s very easy to kill someone in a video game and not think much of it.  In fact in most games involving guns, success is measured in head shots.  I feel that this scene really changed the way I thought about video game killing, as strange as that may sound.  I did not want to kill anymore for the rest of the game unnecessarily.

Positive Female Characters – They DO exist

It doesn’t take long before the player is introduced to the individual who taught Snake all he knows: The Boss.  She and Snake co-created the CQC (close quarters combat) techniques which are so popular throughout the series.  However, The Boss is still just about everyone’s superior in terms of skills.  This becomes clear by the respect she commands from friend and enemy alike.  She is a very important part of the game’s story and the series as a whole.

The second impressive female is EVA, a highly trained spy who is working just about everyone over. Her skills in espionage are matched by her love for motorcycles.  In the end she ends up besting just about everyone in terms of espionage – including Snake.

I found it refreshing that both female characters contend with Snake on an even level, and in some cases actually surpassed him in skill.  This is contrast to the stereotype of female characters constantly requiring rescue, being the inspiration for revenge, or simply providing eye candy.

Conclusions – I haz them

I admit I am a bit embarrassed as both a gamer and a Metal Gear Solid fan to be appreciating this game so late in its life.  Still, I needed an outlet for me to express my appreciation for the game, so I hope no one minds.  I was thinking about my site and realized I tend to focus a lot on the future rather than the past.  This is probably because I don’t consider myself much of a retro-gamer, but I think a balance of past, present, and future is a good thing to have.

I really enjoyed playing through Snake Eater.  The game’s story and deeper connections now established from the other titles will stick with me for a while I am sure.

Metal Gear Solid Touch hit the App Store yesterday in Japan, a day earlier than previously announced.  In celebration of its release there was a presentation event held by Kojima and some Metal Gear fans.  Those in attendance included (from left to right) Kojima, fashion model Akina Minami, US born (now Japanese) actor Dante Carver and MGST producer Watanabe Yasuyo.

Minami and Dante both tried out the game for the first time and had some positive things to say about it.  They felt Metal Gear Touch was easy to play and a lot of fun.  Minami went on to say that she felt even girls would be able to enjoy the game.  Everyone seemed to think the game’s combat system was easy to understand, perhaps in contrast to the more complicated PS3 installment.

On a side note, Watanabe is the first female producer to work for Kojima Studios.  I think that is pretty cool, and MGST is looking like it will be popular so hopefully she’ll be around for a while.

I have been wanting a damn iPhone for a while now, but really just cannot afford it.  Metal Gear Solid Touch of course makes me want one even more, but no… Kojima couldn’t stop there.  He had to release a bunch of awesome MGS inspired air jackets:

You can check out the rest of them here.

I am not sure when these are coming out or if I would even be able to find them.  If so I may buy one in anticipation of eventual iPhone ownership.

Related Entries:
Metal Gear Solid Touch: I Was Wrong

Konami announced recently several games they would be releasing for the iPod Touch/iPhone.  Among the 4 titles is none other than the previously teased about Metal Gear title, now revealed to be Metal Gear Solid Touch.

I had previously suspected that the teaser was concerning a Metal Gear title for the Xbox 360.  Many people also assumed that the title would be a continuation of the Ac!d series due to the use of the “!” in the bizarre teaser equation. It turns out the only element in the equation that mattered was the “i” for iPod, since the rest of the elements seem to have no purpose at all.  I guess I gave Konami too much credit.

The game takes place in the same world as Metal Gear Solid 4, but Konami said that there would be original content.  I am not sure if this means it will be ALL original, or partially original.  The touch panel will be used mainly for aiming and zooming in on targets (pictured top right).  The game will include 8 stages, and more can be acquired while playing.  Other goodies players can earn are wallpapers for their iPod and exclusive videos.

Among the other titles being released are Silent Hill: The Escape, Dance Dance Revolution S Lite, and Frogger.  I don’t know what is more exciting, iPod sneaking action, or iPod avoid-moving-vehicles-and-jump-on-logs action.

Related Entries:
Konami: A Next Metal Gear Is…

This video features a duel between Cloud and Sephiroth from Square Enix’s PSP title Dissidia: Final Fantasy.  The video reveals both character’s EX Bursts – Ultima Weapon does make an appearance along with… a super nova.  If you aren’t too sure about what is going on, this might help.  The video is awesome and in pretty high quality.  Dissidia is being released in Japan this month, so info on it has reached a critical mass.

A 21st character was recently revealed to be the Tarutaru Black Mage Shantotto from Square’s MMO Final Fantasy XI.   Shantotto is on the side of good, summoned by Cosmos.  This throws off the powers of good vs. evil (11 vs. 10 respectively), which as Final Fantasy has taught us, you can’t have.  This suggests there may be an additional character on the side of Chaos.

So far every Final Fantasy has a character that appears in Dissidia, except Final Fantasy XII.  This leads me to believe that the 22nd character may be from FF12.  This is of course all speculation, but worth thinking about.

I was personally hoping there would be quite a few more cameos from other FF titles.  It would be nice if there were 10 characters which fell into a non-classified category, neither good nor bad perhaps.  With the game’s release so close, and no news, it seems unlikely.

Still, Dissidia looks awesome, and Square Enix is doing a great job keeping fans intrigued.

Related Entries:
Dissidia Final Fantasy: EX Combat
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Dissidia Final Fantasy: First High Quality Trailer
OMG Toys: Dissidia Vol. 1

This is a video highlighting the finer points of EX combat in Dissidia Final Fantasy.  When it comes to tough battles, understanding this system will be integral to success. 

So the video begins by explaining that the gauge next to the HP bar is your EX gauge, and circles it in red.  Obviously it starts at zero.  Squall starts to beat on Ultimicia a bit and some blueish-white orbs come out of her.  This substance is EX Force, and as you gather it from your enemy, the EX gauge rises.  You following so far?

Clobbering the enemy is not the only way to fill your EX gauge, you can also try to acquire these little bell-shaped-gems called EX Cores (pictured above).

When your EX gauge reaches max it glows purple, you can then activate EX Mode by pressing R+?.  In EX mode, your character’s critical hit rate rises and they begin to regen.  If while wailing on your enemy in EX Mode you manage to land a powerful attack, you will be prompted to activate EX Burst.  A square will appear in the middle of the screen (pictured below).

Each character in Dissidia has a unique EX Burst. In the case of characters on the side of Cosmos, EX Bursts are based on Limit Breaks from each character’s respective game.  Executing an EX Burst does require some level of skill.  As you may have noticed with Squall, the player must pull the trigger on his gunblade with each strike, similar to his Lionheart Limit Break from Final Fantasy VIII.

Perfectly executing the EX Burst deals incredible damage.  So far I haven’t seen what happens if you make an error while performing an EX Burst, but I am guessing the damage dealt simply decreases.  Understanding the ins and outs of EX Combat will be a great advantage while playing Dissidia.

The way I see it, this system can be played offensively or defensively.  By scrambling to find EX Cores early in battle, you can make it more difficult for an enemy to enter EX Mode.  Also, since EX Mode is temporary, you could just run away from a character who has activated it until it runs down.

Was it just me or did the battleground for this video look a bit like Hollow Bastion from Kingdom Hearts?  This kind of makes me wonder WHERE the game takes place, the story is still a bit lost on me. 

Did anyone notice when Squall was grinding on that spiral non-staircase (0:48-0:50)?  Final Fantasy XTREME. 

Related Entries:
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Dissidia Final Fantasy: First High Quality Trailer
OMG Toys: Dissidia Vol. 1

Click here to view the embedded video.

Nippon Ichi has released some more information about their 2D side-scroller for the PSP.  First off, a second difficulty has been added for players not as skilled at the action-rpg genre.  The new level of difficulty is called standard mode.  In standard mode, the scarved-Prinny will lose less life when hit by an enemy. 

Lives are measured by the number of red scarves you see in the upper left corner.  In addition to taking less damage in standard more, the Prinny starts with more lives each level.

To keep the obsessive gamers happy (which Disgaea is especially good at attracting), the game has a medal and BGM collection system.

Throughout the game it’s possible to find records lying around which contain new BGM which the player can then set to their liking in music shops. Medals are achieved by attaining high scores in different levels or achieving other goals as well.  Some of these goals are not dying upon completing a level, completing it quickly, or locating lucky dolls.  I am still not really sure what lucky dolls are though…

Some new actions the scarved-Prinny can perform have also been revealed.  They are of course hilarious and cute:

Japanese gamers now have the option of downloading an experience edition off of the Playstation Store for free, which is basically a short demo.  I am not sure how many levels the experience edition includes, but the difficulty level is set at normal rather than standard.  Weird, I know…  You can find the demo here.

This game is so damn cute, and I am surprised at the number of actions the little Prinny can perform.  NIS did a great job taking a simple idea and turning it into what looks like a fun and challenging game.

Prinny: Is it OK if I am the Main Character goes on sale in Japan November 20th.  I expect to hear something from NIS America shortly afterward…

Related Entries:
Prinny: Is it OK if I am the Main Character Dood!? Preview

Prinny: Is It OK if I am the Main Character Dood!? : that title sounds a lot better in Japanese, trust me. I am sure the North American version will have a different title, probably Prinny Adventure or something. Anyway, NIS decided to finally give the icon of the Disgaea series its own game. The title is for the PSP, and will be a side-scrolling Action-RPG.

As I said, the game is a side-scrolling 2D Action-RPG. This may sound boring to some, but NIS of course has put their zany twist on the game by incorporating some cool features, and some familiar elements of the Makai world:

Mechs will be making a reappearance from Makai Kingdom. Judging from the above screenshot, it appears that they may only be used for a limited time. If you look closely, you can see “36″ above the Prinny’s head–probably the number of seconds left.	Each stage will have different times of day that the player can choose to complete. The later in the day, the higher the difficulty. Completing stages at different times may also result in alternate story dialog.

The red-scarved Prinny has a variety of actions he can perform to defeat enemies in his path. Most of these actions you would be familiar with if you play a lot of action games. Others are pure Prinny:

Jump & Doublejump While in the air, it’s possible to perform a second jump	Dash Can be used to run through enemies	Spin Damages enemies, but if executed for too long, the Prinny will become dizzy
Lift/Throw Whip bombs and more at enemies	Attack Dual-dagger damage dood	Special Attack If only Pringer-X could see this…

Prinny: Is It OK if I am the Main Character Dood!? comes out in Japan on November 20th. I am glad to see more decent titles appearing for the PSP. It seems like it generally is overshadowed by Nintendo DS titles or only gets ports of older games.

As always, no word on a North American release yet. The game’s website is available at this address. If you wanna check out some more screens, you can find them here. I am sure that this game will provide the level of hilarity NIS fans have come to appreciate in their titles.

Related Entries:
Makai Senki Disgaea 3 Articles
All Kotowari entries tagged with NIS