I followed Half-Minute Hero closely as it was being promoted and released in Japan, hoping against hope it would reach the states.  Thankfully X-Seed stood up to the task and the game proved as awesome as it looked, being one of the champions in the PSP’s corner.  Recently, a teaser site for the game’s sequel launched and today a full article on the game was published on Famitsu.com.

In terms of gameplay, the different scenarios will all be using a playstyle that emulates RPGs.  I am not sure if that means each scenario features identical gameplay, but hope it varies somewhat.  The variety was part of what made the last game so interesting.  Also there is no longer a time restriction when the player is moving around the world map, only when on one of the 90+ quests in the game.

A new mode allow players to join forces online through ad-hoc multiplayer.  This mode features a number of new scenarios with different rules.  Player can also create their own mini-quests and play with others through the same multiplayer.  Scenarios can be uploaded and played by anyone.  You can design the world map, arrange buildings and townsfolk and even make up their dialog.  Sounds like this will be annoying without a keyboard…

Another new mode dubbed “Hero Infinite” will put one hero against a demon king which continually re-spawns.  I believe the goal is to see how many times you can take him down in the 30 second time limit.

Lastly there are now a total of 5 scenarios:

Half-Minute Hero Overture

• A member of the kingdom’s army, Yuusha, is ordered to defeat a monster called “eight elements”
  

Half-Minute Hero Judgment

• The gate of hell has been opened and demons are flowing out all over the world. Yuusha will join forces with a rival to fight them off.
  

Half-Minute Hero Revolution

• The princess, Yushia, decides to go on a fun adventure with her classmates but must do so before her thirty second curfew is up!
  

Half-Minute Hero Ragnarok

• A hero by the name of Yuujya finds a collapsed world.  There he must figure out how to prevent the gods from descending and destroying everything using the mysterious mechanism number 30.

Half-Minute Hero Destiny

• Hero castle and the gods face off in a battle 1000 years in the making.

Half-Minute Hero II is slated to come out November 4th in Japan.  Given the rather underground success of the first Half-Minute Hero title, fans of the series may not be in the clear when it comes to this title being localized.  Hopefully X-Seed will realize that the game’s cult following haven’t had enough half-minute mayhem.

Square Enix has revealed images of the special Birth By Sleep edition PSP to be bundled with the game come January 9th in Japan.  It appears to be the standard gray with minor details to the front and back.  The bundle will cost 22,000 yen, or roughly $240 USD.

The design reminds me of the special edition Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days DSi, which was equally boring.  I suppose when it comes to designs for systems, minimal is better, but this one just takes minimal too far.  I think the best system design by Square Enix I have seen recently is without a doubt the Final Fantasy XIII themed PS3.  It really puts the other two to shame.

A Witch’s Tale DoubleJump Books Guide Available

DoubleJump Books has released a strategy guide for NIS America’s most recent Nintendo DS title, A Witch’s Tale. There is of course the electronic guide for $9.99 as well as a physical copy for  $22.76.  It’s been a while since I’ve seen them offer a physical guide for such a reasonable price.  Could it be because the guide is on the smaller side?

A Witch’s Tale has received some pretty mixed reviews and appears to be rather simple so I was a bit surprised to see that DoubleJump Books had taken up the task.  For those of you who have the game this guide would make a fine addition to your SPOOOOKY collection.

I just hope this means DJB is going to start making more, reasonably priced physical guides.

No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise Announced for PS3 and Xbox 360

The critically acclaimed Wii title, No More Heroes, is receiving an enhanced port to both the PS3 and Xbox 360 in Japan on February 25th.  Rumors regarding this possibility had been whispered on the web for a while now, but today it’s official.  I can’t say I blame Marvelous for a little double-dipping since the game’s sales were less than desirable in Japan.

I admit I have never actually played No More Heroes and it’s one of my deepest regrets as a gamer.  This port makes it much more likely that I will play the game.  I anticipate there are others like me who haven’t played it, but due to the hype surrounding the game, would be inclined to pick up a copy of the port.

I would say the chances of Ubisoft/Rising Sun picking this up are very good since the game sold so well in the states.

Well, Tokyo Game Show 2009 is bearing down on us.  I feel an intense sense of left-out-ed-ness for not being able to attend. E3 was a great experience, but I feel like it’s truly second to TGS.  Maybe I just miss being in Japan, who knows.  Anyway, as the grand event grows closer, more and more titles which will be highlighted there are being revealed.

One game which definitely has peaked my interest is titled Disgaea Infinite.  There have been a number of rumors speculating what system the game is for, ranging from PSP, PS3, and purely PSN download.  Considering NIS hasn’t really released anything too complex since Disgaea 3, I think it’s a safe bet that Disgaea Infinite will be a substantial title.

The main site for the game (linked above) opens on the 17th.  Hopefully by then we can begin to wrap our minds around whatever that Prinny is hiding behind.

Next, the official site for Persona 3 Portable continues its aggressive series of updates.  A new video was added showing the female protagonist summoning her persona in battle.  Note the pink action dial:

In addition to this video a bunch of blog banners were put on the site which normally wouldn’t interest me much since I never use them.  However, they do reveal a few different outfits for the female protagonist:

It’s fun to watch them dance.  I like how every outfit still features her red headphones — they are quite eye-catching.  In case you are not familiar with Persona 3, the outfits appear to be (from left to right) winter school uniform, winter leisure outfit, and summer leisure outfit.  I really like the winter outfit.  Any ladies out there have any thoughts on these outfits?

Those who have befriended me on the PSN may notice that I have pretty much given myself up to Demon’s Souls.  If I have  a free moment, odds are I am playing the game.  I have made a lot of progress on my character as I can now take on enemies that once struck intense fear in me.  I want to play as much as I can before my review comes out, since this is definitely one of my favorite games this year.  I guess quite a few people have beat me to the punch on their reviews, which may be why there is hardly anyone online for me to play with.  I just got the ability to invade people’s games and murder them to regain a physical form and to nom up their souls.  I definitely wanna experiment with multiplayer before I start the review.

When I am not playing Demon’s Souls or working, odds are I am watching Foxes play Muramasa:  The Demon Blade on my newly acquired Wii.  The game is absolutely beautiful and really has absorbed my friends.  I love seeing all the different yokai since I consider myself to be somewhat of a Japanese demon lore enthusiast.  I realize that most people in the West are probably completely clueless as to the background of many of the demons in the game.  I hope this isn’t detracting from people’s experiences or anything.  Personally, I find myself really enjoying recognizing the demons and the spin the game puts on them.  Also, many of the yokai play an important part in the story which I hope isn’t causing further confusion.  I think at this point the overwhelming success of the game is evidence that the lack of a native background is fairly unimportant.

I believe this game does an amazing job capturing the essence of Japanese culture.  Possibly the best example is the focus on food.  I am always shocked at how food-centered Japan is.  A love of food permeates everything from TV, seasonal changes, prefectures, etc.

The cooking system the player utilizes throughout the game really highlights the food and makes it seem special, like a spiritual experience.  The brief videos (above) which show your character eating make me absolutely ravenous for food you just cant find in the state of Connecticut, which is rather frustrating.

I believe Foxes will be writing a review on Muramasa for the site once she has cleared both Kisuke and Momohime’s stories. You can probably look forward to that sometime in October.  If you haven’t already bought a copy of the game you may be interested in a copy I put on eBay which includes some bonus items I got at E3.

Well that about sums up recent video game news and my personal gaming exploits.  Damn, I am starting this week off strong  

Despite being released over a month ago in Japan, Hero 30’s campaign of adding extras to the game and official site is going strong.  The site now features a collection of classical, 4-panel manga inspired by the game. You can find the collection here.  They are obviously all in Japanese, but I figured some of you out there might dig it.

I managed to translate the above comic while at work, but was forced to use paint.  I apologize for the less than desirable quality…

In addition to the comics, Marvelous has also launched an online ranking system for Hero 30.  While the game is really a single-player title, this ranking system will bring somewhat of a multi-player feeling to the game, adding yet another layer of desire for us Westerners.  The ranking login page can be found here.

Rankings are based on certain attributes the player has upon completing the game.  The above screenshot shows a ranking based on level, but there is also a ranking for total time left and how much money the player has.  Rankings are then divided further depening on what mode the player selects.

This ranking screen totally reminds me of my time spent toiling away in Maple Story…  Good times…  Those were the days when full time employment seemed so far off on the horizon.

I’m sure this is obvious, but I really hope someone is going to pick up Hero 30 for a NA and/or PAL release.  I guess if it is, an announcement should be made soon…. or not.

Related Entries:
Hero 30: Talk-Variety
Hero 30: Talk-Variety Part 2
Hero 30: Talk-Variety Part 3

Host: Now we he have our guest, the Knight.
Knight: It’s a pleasure.
Host: So you have to protect the Sage for 30 seconds?
Knight: Yes well I…
Knight: …the monsters…
Knight: …with traps…
Knight: …traps you see…
Knight: …and the Sa…
Knight: …the Sage…

In case that was too muddled for you, I will try to explain. Knight 30 has 30 seconds to protect the Sage/Wiseman/Mage (whatever you prefer) from being killed while he casts a powerful magic spell.  This spell is capable of wiping out all monsters threatening the forces of good.

(Square)Trap, (X) Dash, and (Circle) Carry

Protecting him basically includes avoiding monsters by carrying the Sage around, and setting a variety of traps for enemies.  The traps that I have seen include:

Straw Dummy (which attracts enemy attacks) Walls Meat Bombs Caltops

Knight 30 is the last of the four different modes in the game.  Hero 30 will be released in about a month in Japan.  I eagerly anticipate the game being brought to the states by some wise company…  I cannot emphasize wise enough.

Related Entries:
Hero 30: Talk-Variety
Hero 30: Talk-Variety Part 2

Host: Now we have our guest…
Princess: Princess!
Host: So for the sake of saving the King you are trying to find a cure for him?
Female Host: You sure are an energetic beautiful woman…
Princess: …Yea, 30 seconds…
Female Host: That makes it hard to have fun huh…
Princess: No, no… I go shopping, play golf (she mentions a bunch of things she likes to do)
Female Host: You can have that much fun in 30 seconds?
Princess: Yea! Lots!

Host:T-T-Today’s guest is… D-Demon King
Demon King: Let’s hurry it up
Host: Ah, yes of course… so you have to destroy the world in just 30 seconds…
Demon King: Do you disagree?
Female Host: *gasp*
Demon King: To conquer the world, 30 seconds is plenty.
Host: 30 Seconds!?
Demon King: Do you think otherwise?
Host: Err.. no…
Demon King: It’s 30 seconds!
Host: …scary…
Demon King: (not sure)
Host: no, no
Demon King: (not sure)

I love how the female host becomes obviously attracted to Demon King 30.  On an interesting side note, I found the blog of the girl who plays the female host, her name is Miyazaki Rui, or Louis (in French) I guess…  Don’t ask me how, I just have too much time on my hands.

Sorry I couldn’t translate the last few lines for Demon King 30, I honestly have no idea what he is saying, and the limited tools at my disposal provide no help.  I may try and ask someone and see if I can update it at a later time.

I eagerly await the CM for the last game mode, which would be Knight 30.  I am hoping it will be a manzai between him and the Mage who accompanies him, that would be hilarious.

Related Entries:
Hero 30: New CM
Hero 30: Talk-Variety

A new promotional video was made available to view on Marvelous Entertainment’s main site for Oboromuramasa today.  Judging by the video, you can tell the game’s release is very close since a lot gets revealed.

First and most obvious is the voice acting for the two main characters, Kisuke and Momohime.  I really like Momohime’s, but I was surprised at how deep Kisuke’s voice is.  Either way their voices are a huge improvement on what I had to listen to yesterday…

There was a decent amount of information regarding the game’s katana system.  Obviously Kisuke and Momohime are on a journey to collect katana from all over Japan, 108 in total.  What I did not realize, is that depending on the character you select, you will explore different provinces of Edo era Japan.  Kisuke will start in eastern Japan, and Momohime the west:

I hope Momohime is going to go as far as Okinawa, but somehow I doubt it.  This may may not be entirely accurate since I think the provinces were divided differently back in the day, but it should give you some idea.

The video also gave us the first look at swordsmithing.  Both characters have different katana they can craft.  Swordsmithing requires certain “vitality” and “spirit” values.  Vitality is increased by eating and drinking various foods, which explains all the videos of food eating.  To acquire spirits, you must defeat enemies.  I admit I am not entirely clear on the process, but it appears there is a swordcrafting-tree, where creating one unlocks other paths:

Equipping different katana, regardless of how they are acquired has certain stat requirements.  This means that you may not wanna rush into making a badass sword, because odds are you wouldn’t even be able to lift it right away.

Oboromuramasa comes out April 9th in Japan, and I expect to hear something concerning it’s localization shortly after.

Related Entries:
Oboromuramasa: Akiba and Onsen
Oboromuramasa: Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai

Marvelous Entertainment continues their media campaign promoting Hero 30 for PSP with a new CM.  This one is pretty long, clocking in at 3:15.  In that amount of time you could play the entire game six times!

It starts by outlining the basic premise of the story, conveniently enough in English.  After that a brief intro is given on the 4 modes the player can select: Hero 30, Princess 30, Demon King 30, and Knight 30.  Next there are some credits, and then a 3D, pixelated cutscene to wrap everything up.

I did some research on Demon King 30 after watching his video.  His scenario is an RTS, and he controls units he summons which can be divided into 3 categories. The units are either power, speed, or shoot.  Each type has their own benefit in certain situations.  When the strength of these 3 unit types reaches max, 4 powerful elemental units (pictured left) can be summoned for an especially powerful and showy attack.

Demon King 30 is fighting to release a curse set upon his lover Milenia.  I thought he was evil, but I guess he has no relation to the demon king that is casting the powerful spell threatening to destroy humanity.

There isn’t as much information concerning the fourth and final mode: Knight 30.  From what I saw in the video it appears he quite literally carries a mage around.  More on this in the future, since according to the video, info on Knight 30 will be released in May just before the game’s release.

I totally loved the 3D pixel cut scene, I am hoping there will be more scenes like that in the game.  Although I was  reminded of the opening movie of Dissidia: Final Fantasy, in which everyone saves Terra.  Why do female characters require saving?  Terra is pretty badass, and Princess 30 doesn’t seem like a pushover…  Maybe I just hate the Onion Knight.

Related Entries:
Hero 30: Princess 30 Mode Gameplay Video
Hero 30: Talk-Variety
Hero 30: Video and System Information

Oboromuramasa will be released in Japan in less than a month, so Marvelous Entertainment is unleashing the last wave of advertisment-frenzy.  Where better to attract potential consumers for a 2D ninja themed game than Akihabara?  Marvelous set up several booths at various otaku points of interest throughout the area including Sofmap, Messe Sanoh, Asobitcity, etc.  Despite the apparent rain, it seems quite a few people turned out.

At each booth, customers could play a hands-on demo of the game, which started with a tutorial and ended with a boss battle against Kurozaru (roughly translated to black-monkey).  Writers at both Gpara and Dengeki that played the demo mentioned they were impressed at the speed of combat, which contributes to the feeling of ninja-action. Other elements of the game such as music and graphics were praised as well.

Those who tried the demo received an additional reward of 3 bromide cards featuring the game’s two heroes, as well as a villain card:

I will simply move past my intense jealousy and instead throw in a bit of comic relief.  It appears that at some point in the game, the player can bring their main character to an onsen to relax a bit.  I don’t really know the purpose of doing so, but I found the images rather amusing:

I think those are supposed to be Japanese Macaque in the onsen with Kisuke.  I don’t know why but I find that picture especially comical, since everyone has a very angry look on their face.

When it comes to Momohime, she is bathing with Kongiku, who appears in the form of a well-endowed woman.  Judging by her skin color, ears  and the fact that Kongiku wears a leaf on her head, I believe she is most likely a kitsune.

I love the animal lore that is being included in the story, but I just hope that certain translation mistakes won’t be made come localization time.  Tanuki does not equal raccoon-dog.

Related Entries:
Oboromuramasa: New Video and Japanese Release Date
Oboromuramasa: Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai

Just when I thought Hero 30 couldn’t amuse me any further, Marvelous Entertainment releases a video showing gameplay for Princess 30’s story mode.  As I mentioned a while back, each character in the game has their own story and play-style.  Princess 30’s mode up until now was only called a “shooter.”  I wasn’t quite sure what that meant since there are lots of different kinds of shooters. I now see it’s kinda like an arcade-style scrolling shooter.

In this video, Princess 30 acquires one of the ingredients needed to cure her father’s illness and returns back to her castle all in just under 30 seconds.  The princess moves around on a map, carried by her loyal servants.  From her position on her palanquin, she shoots her enormous bow which fires at a semi-automatic rate.  Enemies who close in on Princess 30 carry off or destroy her servants, while the survivors comically make exclamations such as “Eddy!” or “Gil!”  I assume these are the names of the fallen comrades.

Hero 30 is one of the funniest games I have seen in a while now.  I am glad to see that developers are taking themselves and their games a little less seriously.

Related Entries:
Hero 30: Talk-Variety
Hero 30: Video and System Information