With Valkria Chronicles II’s release later this month, PSPs across the nation will be dusted off, charged, and updated.  Mirroring the treatment the game received in Japan, Sega has decided to release a playable demo of the game which hits the Playstation Network today.  It’s quite likely that this is simply a localized version of the same demo released in Japan, which I have already played and reviewed.  If you enjoyed the first game, or even if you didn’t play it, I encourage everyone to try this demo.

On the official Playstation blog some details were revealed suggesting we will get at least some of the bonus characters released in Japan:

Finally, I’d like to include one other confirmation here on the blog: We’ve added a few new exclusive items to the Western version of the game! Among the many stickers that you can get for your tank or vehicle, we’ve added in a few brand new ones that both old and new SEGA fans are sure to smile at. Those of you who loved the first game will also be happy to note that we’ve included a few original characters as unlockable Easter eggs, just like in the Japanese version.

As I understood it, said unlockable characters were only available via pre-orders and through purchasing the Valkyria manga and anime which provided passwords unlocking the bonus content.  The characters in question are:

• All members of the Eddy detachment (including Marina, which is all that matters)
• Selveria Bless
• Welkin and Alicia as they appeared in Valkyria Chronicles
• Alicia as she appears in the anime
• Lamar Vault
• Mintsu
• Julius Klose

Oh and for those still not in the know, there is also a slew of new features and a new weapon-class.  This should be more than enough to excite any fan of the game.  Valkyria Chronicles II goes on sale August 31st and you better believe I will be entering the hallowed walls of Lanseal Military Academy day one.

Some details have finally coalesced concerning the sequel to Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero, thanks to the newly launched site.  We’ll start with the story, which promises to be amusing:

One day Etna discovers that something has been stolen from her.  Sound familiar?  In her classic fury she gathers her less-than-trusty underlings: her 1,000 Prinnies.  It would seem someone stole her… um… underwear (panties).

I anticipate a lot of hentai jokes in this game…

Apparently a notorious thief is going through the netherworld stealing various rare items.  As you can imagine, Etna wants this thief caught by the end of the day, but she doesn’t feel like doing it herself.  Who does that leave?  A magical red scarf and 1,000 Prinnies.

As you can see, the story allows for an essentially unchanged system.  The player will still challenge one stage per hour, in a certain order until dawn, or the 1,000 Prinnies go up in smoke.  There are three levels of difficulty: Hell Official Rule, Standard, and Baby-Easy:

Baby-Easy allows for an additional hit from Standard, meaning the 4th hit would kill the current Prinny.  I am guessing this was added since the last game was balls hard.  BALLS.

Another new addition to the battle system concerns the attack gauge at the bottom of the screen.  This gauge was in the previous game as well.  When it became full, the Prinny’s offensive abilities increased dramatically.  The same is true in this version, but with a few more bonuses.  First off, you get this sweet aura:

And these two new attacks:

For “Prinny cyclone”, the Prinny in question will spin rapidly transforming the end of his red scarf into a fist, clobbering any foes in its reach.  The “metabon hip-attack” simply dishes out more damage than the normal version.

In the first game I found that I was rarely able to max out my attack gauge.  It would seem I am not the only person who had that issue since an additional way to boost it has been added.

Throughout the game’s various levels you’ll occasionally come across these Etna doll/scarecrow things:

If you destory it, your Prinny will receive a large boost to their attack gauge.  I am guessing that the placement of these bonuses alter based on the level and the hour though, so don’t get too comfortable.

That’s about it for major system updates.  The second Prinny title will hit shelves in Japan on March 25th.

On an somewhat related note, the official NIS Prinny updated his blog to include some holiday festivities.  Like most of Japan, the Prinny indulged in some customary KFC Fried Chicken on Christmas.  I know it’s a terribly commercial tradition but hey, it’s also fucking delicious.  Don’t worry this doesn’t count as cannibalism… I think.

Sega made a special Christmas Eve announcement today concerning yet another cameo in Valkyria Chronicles 2.  Is there going to be any incentive to actually play the main story?  Anyway, whether you like the rag-tag squad of would-be heroes, Edy Detachment will be making an appearance via yet another password.

This password can be acquired at Sofmap in Akihabara when making a reservation for the game.  You may recall a similar pre-order bonus password for Selvaria Bles.  Which pre-order bonus would you go with?

This is actually a really tough decision for me since I love Selveria but I also love Marina, the sniper in Edy’s group:

Marina in her new sniper’s outfit

I am not too partial on the other members however…  I guess since this is entirely rhetorical I will just say I am getting both!

Related Entries:
Valkyria Chronices: New DLC: Edy Detachment’s Challenge
Valkyria Chronicles 2: Pre-Order Bonus To Include Selveria Bless

Click here to view the embedded video.

In just two short days the agonizing wait for Final Fantasy XIII will be over, at least in Japan.  The above video shows the game being played on Retro Game Master (aka Game Center CX), a Japanese television show on Fuji TV.

This is the first time I have really been able to watch the game being played as apposed to watching gameplay highlighted in a trailer.  Considering how close the release date is, I believe it is reasonable to assume we’re looking at the retail version of the game, which is exciting!

The first scene which impressed me is when an Adamantoise lumbers across the world map.  It’s difficult to tell, but it almost looks like it walks over the party…  The thing is just massive!  At one point a co-host attempts to engage the Adamantoise in battle.  One swift stomp to the ground instantly wipes out the leader (Fang) and most of the party causing a game over.  It would appear that this is a foe best confronted later in the game.  Hopefully there are many other formidable foes like this.

Next we get our first look at summoning in action.  After the host gets a game over, he tries  fighting a considerably smaller enemy.  Fang summons Bahamut who comes down from a glyph in the sky, as summons so often do.  After wailing on the enemy a bit, someone suggests that they try driving mode.  Bahamut begins its transformation which is reminiscent of Transformers, Power Rangers, and the like, with just a bit more class.  Fang climbs on Bahamut and a whole new onslaught begins ending with Bahamut’s Mega Flare.  Soon the enemy is razed and celebrations commence.

My only complaint if you forced one from me is that I was hoping for some way to attack the enemy on the field to get a preemptive strike or something like that.  Instead you just walk up next to them and raise your guard.  Still, the game looks fun and I am loving the epic enemies.

I can hardly keep up with the onslaught of news regarding Final Fantasy XIII lately.  It seems like as the Japanese December release grows closer, Square Enix just chucks information at us like a crazy-cat-lady throwing cats.  The latest bit of news, released over the holiday (sorry for the delay), concerns weapons, missions, and etc!  There is a lot to cover so I am going to use bullets to keep me motivated:

WEAPONS CUSTOMIZATION SYSTEM

• Weapons can be customized using a web-site while on Cocoon, or at standard save points for all other areas.
• Each character has a fixed weapon type they can use, with multiple variations available throughout the game.
• Material required for weapon customization can be acquired from shops, drops, mission rewards, or treasure chests.
• Applying these materials is essentially like applying experience points in that at a certain point, the weapon levels up.
• Each weapon has a different level limit, once this limit is reached a weapon can be changed into a “Key Item”.  Key Items are used to produce the best weapons in the game.

Increasing the level of Lightning’s Blaze Edge

ACCESSORIES SYSTEM

• Characters appear to only have 3 stats: Attack Power, Magic Power and HP.  Enhancements to individual characters come largely from abilities imbued into their accessories.  These include simple stat increases to effects such as auto-haste (aww yeah…) etc.
• Multiple accessories can be equipped.
• Equipping multiple accessories with the same boosting effects to a single character results in a bonus.

MISSIONS

Throughout Pulse the player can find a number of inscribed monuments (pictured above) which designate monsters that need slaying.  Once the player accepts a mission, if the target monster is located it will read “MISSION” above its head (top picture).  Your mark will sometimes be a very common monster, and sometimes a very tough creature.  Some images have been released of especially large critters, such as this mega-cactuar dubbed Jyabotenda:

After the target beast is felled, you can return to the monument for your reward.  Some missions are repeatable while some can only be cleared once.  There is a ranking system (in game, not online as far as I know) and successful hunts increase your rank in relation to the marks difficulty.

ETC

It has been confirmed that this title’s Cid is named Cid Raines.  He leads an air-ship and militia called Kiheitai.  I would translate it to “Rough Riders”, although that doesn’t really “historically” hold any water, I just think it sounds cool.  It also appears that Cid is not an enemy to l’Cie, but more a neutral party who I would guess may become a sympathizer.  In the final trailer, the fiery man accompanying him is named Captain Rigby.  He is a hot-blooded rebellious youth, who I would guess may die.  OMG SPOILERS!!1

Lastly, Vainlle’s summon is indeed (as a certain commenter suspected) Hecatonchires.  This is of course the first appearance of this Eidolon in the Final Fantasy series.

THOUGHTS

Wow, if you made it this far you must have a general interest in my opinions rather than just finding this on google!   Anyway, I think the part that excites me the most about this news is the weapons/accessory system.  I love being able to customize my character to an unhealthy degree.  I feel like this system will really allow for that, at least more so than most Final Fantasies.  I anticipate  a lot of menu time for me! *drool*

The mission system really doesn’t seem all that exciting to me, yet it seems less annoyingly thrust upon the player than in XII.  At least now that it’s tied into weapon customization, my interest is piqued.

All in all I am happy with the direction the game is going.  I think it’s a real contender for best game of 2010 and it comes out in just the first quarter!  That gives us three quarters to play it or I dunno… learn a language, plant a tree, kiss a hobo, etc.

Related Entries:
Final Fantasy XIII: Final Trailer
Final Fantasy XIII: Character Growth System Revealed and More

Square Enix revealed details concerning the character growth system for Final Fantasy XIII dubbed  “Crystarium.”  How they managed to keep this under wraps until now is proof of their awesome-ness.  Anyway, here is a rundown on the system as I understand it:

As the player continues in the story, different crystarium become available.  There are crystarium for certain “roles” in battle.  Roles we know about thus far are “Blaster” (pictured as Lightning’s crystarium above), “Attacker”, “Jammer”, etc.  In the screens which explain this system, Lightning is a Blaster which seems to focus on long range, while Snow is an Attacker which seems to focus on close range and endurance.

When crystarium is used in battle, it will spread out, or grow.  For example, Lightning’s crystarium is a flower that blossoms as it levels up:

Each role imbues the character with different attributes.  As the respective crystarium grows, different abilities will become available.  These abilities appear on set path dubbed “power line”.  Continuing along a power line requires CP (crystarium points).  I believe this means some abilities are inherent to the crystarium while others are earned by continuing to use the crystarium.  I assume that these can be swapped (i.e. Lightning can become an Attacker, and Snow can become a Blaster).

Continuing along the power line

Changing your role would conceivably change the inherent abilities, but I think the character would retain any abilities learned by consuming CP.  Long story short:  job-class meets the sphere-grid where you can collect multiple grids.  No details are given as to how the player can acquire more crystarium – I assume each character comes standard with one, but after that I am really not sure.  I get the feeling that this is only the tip of the iceberg…  I hope to learn more about this system soon.

In other exciting Final Fantasy XIII announcements, Hope’s summon has been revealed to be Alexander.  For those of you unfamiliar with Alexander, he is a big holy robot.  Only in Japan, right?  Here is his new appearance:

His Driving Mode/Gestalt mode is a real stretch of the imagination…  He becomes a fort and all of his pillar… things… attack the enemy with a variety of abilities:

Moving on, some information has been released concerning Chocobos, the mighty steed of the Final Fantasy world.  First off, they’re pretty big!  In fact I think this may be the largest representation of Chocobos in any game:

At a certain point in the game, the player has the option of riding a Chocobo on the world map.  Obviously this increases the speed the player can move around the map.  There are also some areas which cannot be reached on foot and require the wiles of a Chocobo.  Areas where Chocobos can help are marked by a yellow ring (see right screen).

Chocobos can also detect and dig for treasure hidden underground.  When traversing the map, a “!” will appear above the head of the ride-able-fowl when there is an item to be found.

The player must be cautious of enemies on the map since they will attack your Chocobo.  The three feathers at the bottom of the screen represent its HP.  After getting hit three times, you lose your ride.

A new system has been introduced which allows the player to alter the weather of certain areas of the world.  That orb Vanille is inspecting above is a kind of terminal which gives options for the desired weather.  Only fal’Cie are able to use these rare terminals.

Changing the weather in a certain area can alter the ecosystem, spawning different monsters.  Details are scarce, but I believe it is possible to spawn tougher enemies by creating a more aggressive ecosystem.  With greater challenge conceivably comes greater reward!

I am really happy that a system is in place which allows the player to customize their experience somewhat.  I think this is a mark of a forward thinking title, which is surprisingly rare in this gen.

Writing all this has really gotten me excited for Final Fantasy XIII.  Now I just need to hold on until March 9th!

“Time to make the donuts”

I feel like I have been writing about Valkyria Chronicles 2 a lot lately.  If it bothers you, I swear I will stop as soon as they stop announcing awesome shit.  Sega has announced that Alicia and Welkin will be appearing in the game both as a cameo and as playable units.  The above screens show the protagonist and his friends at Alicia’s bakery as well as some scenes from the two in battle.

I just realized they are depicted in the original Valkyria Chronicles graphics during their Potential…  I had assumed the cheapy anime look was used for issues concerning UMD size constraints.  This proves that they could have kept the graphics but decided for whatever reason to dumb them down, argh!

Anyway, getting back to Alicia and Welkin.  It turns out they work at a shop on campus at Lanseal Royal Military Academy which is where they meet Avan and the gang.  I am not sure how they are recruited but they seem to have  an especially powerful combination attack in battle.

On the off chance that you also watch the Valkyria Chronicles anime and/or read the manga you may be happy to learn a few characters from both will also be recruitable.  Here is the list and some screens:

	Alicia (TV): She appears in her “TV version” depicted in Anime style.  I am assuming her skills vary from the standard Alicia.
	Lamar Vault: A character unique to the anime (link).  He was a member of Faldio’s squad.
	Mintsu: A character unique to the manga.  His parents died when he was young at the hands of imperial soldiers.  He joined Squad 7 but is mortified of combat, hence his placement as an engineer.
	Julius Klose: A character unique to the manga.  Julius is an extraordinary sniper assigned to squad 7.  He prefers to be alone and is rather antisocial.  Sweet Cape.

The characters from the anime can be recruited using a secret password which can be found in the 6th DVD of the anime which goes on sale January 13th.

Likewise, those who read the web comic to the end will acquire the password for Mitsu and those who purchase a physical copy of the second volume will get a password for Julius.

Since the merchandising campaign for Valkyria Chronicles in America is not this aggressive, I am hoping all these characters will appear as DLC or in some other attainable form.

It really seems like the creators of Valkyria Chronicles know what their fans want in terms of bonus content.  Also, we haven’t even started on the DLC yet, so anything could happen — perhaps Edie will be popping up at some point?  One can only hope.

Related Entries:
Valkyria Chronicles 2: Pre-Order Bonus To Include Selveria Bless

Sega was kind enough to release a downloadable demo through their main Japanese site for Valkyria Chronicles 2.  The demo features the game’s new training mode as well as two playable missions!  Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be at home with my PSP right now instead of at work like a sucker.

You can download the file for the demo here.  If you are unfamiliar with the process of uploading a game to your PSP, simply plug it into your computer with the USB cable, enter USB mode, extract the files and put them in the appropriate file on your memory stick.  Here is a simple image displaying the process:

The files to the far right are the ones you want to extract and put on your memory stick.  Once they are there you should be able to find the demo under “game”.  If anyone has any issues feel free to leave some comments and I will do my best to elaborate on the process!  Enjoy the demo everyone!  Expect my 2-cents on the demo early next week.

My suspicions of a new job class have proved true. A while ago (sorry, I’ve been busy) the official Japanese site for Valkyria Chronicles 2 updated to include the final infantry unit.  I have dubbed this unit “Defender” but the actual name (???) translates roughly to “shield technician soldier”.

This class is marked by excellent defenses combined with close-combat skills.  The defender uses a hefty shield to get close to an enemy and then smacks them around with that one-handed mace-like weapon.  The defender should definitely balance out the shocktrooper as this video will show:

Click here to view the embedded video.

A barrage of bullets from two shocktroopers and a tank results in less than 100 HP in damage!  The main weakness of the defender according to the game’s official site is landmines, good to know for that multiplayer I keep hearing so much about.

In addition to the new job class, some details were revealed on the player’s tank, a pivotal part of combat in Valkyria Chronicles.  It looks like (as I also suspected) the protagonist Avan does not pilot it as was the case with the first title.  Instead a new character named Lavinia Lane (????????) assumes that task of the pilot for G-Group:

You can watch a short video of her in action here.  Lavinia’s trusty iron steed dubbed “Cypress” is pictured here:

According to the new information on tank warfare, it appears the customization aspect is so advanced the player will effectively be creating their own tank.  Customizable aspects include body, armor, turret, camouflage and more.

As with the first title, infantry units are also customizable but more aspects of this have been added offering deeper customization to the player.  At this time, not many details are given but I did find this image showing that when increasing a rank in a certain job class, the unit’s appearance changes.  I am not sure if this is exclusive to Avan, I guess we’ll need to wait for confirmation on that:

Avan increasing his rank as a Shocktrooper

You may also notice the pentagon-like graph in the background which displays the character’s stats.  I believe this is part of the character customization system.  It would be awesome if you could increase the AP of a job class, let’s keep our fingers crossed that this is a possibility!

By watching the newest Tokyo Game Show trailer, it appears that the sniper job class is in fact still existent in the game, which I found surprising since the website makes no mention of it.  I thought this unit was eliminated or merged with the scout, but both are introduced separately.  The sniper is shown at around 2:30:

Click here to view the embedded video.

It is certainly looking like the battle system in Valkyria Chronicles has been improved, which I didn’t even think was possible!  The customizable aspects and job class depth really open a number of exciting possibilities that I look forward to learning more about.

Chunsoft has revealed key information regarding the 4th installment of their iconic rogue-like series Furai no Shiren.  The newest title, which translates to roughly Shiren the Wanderer 4: God’s Eye and the Devil’s Navel, is for Nintendo DS.  Once again the player assumes the role of adventurer Shiren joined by his lovable talking weasel Koppa.

The duo set off by boat in hopes of exploring a distant desert when a great storm suddenly shipwrecks them.  They wash up ashore a mysterious southern island known as Koh Tang.  By chance they come across the island’s inhabitants who mistakenly take Shiren to be a demon.  Shiren and Koppa are quickly tied to a stake to be burned alive.  At the last moment the game’s heroine, Kamina, steps forward and stops the angry mob from making a terrible mistake.  Shiren and Koppa may be saved, but the mob decides to imprison Kamina believing that she may be conspiring with demons.  A jaguar-headed Shinto priest approaches Shiren and informs him that by acquiring a legendary treasure known as the “Jaguar’s Eye” Kamina may be saved.  Thus the journey begins.

The 4th installment to the Furai no Shiren series is receiving a number of new systems to keep the roguelike game fresh and innovative.  Here are the new systems and what the player can expect:

	DAY & NIGHT: It’s now possible to enter a dungeon during the day and have night fall as you progress.  During the night, Shiren is basically blind unless he has one of a number of tools to light his way.  Different enemies also come out during different times of the day. It’s possible for a dungeon to take several game-days to clear.
	TERRAIN FEATURES: A number of traps, gates, and other mechanisms can both be used to Shiren’s advantage or inconvenience unaware players.
	MONSTER AURA: Some monsters will have a fiery aura around them.  Depending on the color of the aura, a certain ability will be enhanced for that monster.  The player will need to become familiar with the different aura colors to know what monsters to avoid and which ones to attack.
	TECHNIQUES: A new system allows for Shiren to use various techniques which are capable of dealing damage to a large area.  At the moment details are scarce as to how this system works, but more will be revealed by Chunsoft soon.

I really like the new art style used for Shiren the Wanderer 4.  It definitely contrasts the traditional feudal era Japanese aesthetic of past games with a more southern island/tropical feeling.  I am nostalgically reminded of Okinawa…  The game’s official Japanese website can be found here.

Atlus’ upcoming localization of Shiren the Wanderer 3 for the Wii makes me pretty confident that we’ll be seeing this game in the West in year or so.  I really think Shiren is probably the most polished and innovative rogue-like series out there, so I am definitely excited to play this game.

Related Entries:
Furai no Shiren 3: The Sleeping Beauty of the Trick Mansion for Nintendo Wii
Furai No Shiren 3 Update
Furai No Shiren 3 New Feature: Dragon Pulse