Sega announced that a new DLC mission will be released for Valkyria Chronicles 2 on the Japanese Playstation network today.  The DLC mission, simply dubbed “Ultimate Challenge” is said to be quite difficult.  In the above image you may notice that the level of the mission is capped out at a whopping 99.

To make things a little easier for the player, this is a co-op mission.  I am pretty sure this is limited to local co-op, but I am not sure exactly how it works since not many details are revealed.  The mission takes place aboard an enormous enemy battleship and the player will face off against a number of V2’s, or artificial Valkyria.  I could see why that may present a challenge…

While researching this I stumbled upon a list of passwords for various free DLC for the game.  If anyone imported this game, here are some links:

Valkyria Chronicles 2 Character DLC Passwords (note that some are only available through purchase of the anime and manga series)
Valkyria Chronicles 2 Sticker DLC Passwords (stickers can be placed on your tanks)

I totally want that toro/kuro sticker!  I am sure the Bayonetta one would be popular as well.  Some don’t appear to be released yet and may coincide with other major Sega releases.  These characters and items are unlocked by going to “EXTRA” from the main menu of the game.  On the off chance that Sega doesn’t change the passwords we may be able to unlock some or all of this content right off the bat!

I am glad the password system has been cleared up, I just hope that upon the game’s Western release the content requiring purchase of the anime or manga will still be available in some way, *cough*Selvaria*cough*.  I am also happy to see multiplayer is finally being incorporated into the series, although I wish I knew more about it.

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Capcom’s dropped fighters

I’ve really been enjoying the latest Japanese fighter to hit American shores, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Of course, with every new fighter, there’s that given moment after its release to lament what could have been.  For a game on such a massive franchise-scale as Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, the number of characters you would want to appear in the game from either side can be staggering, so sadly many don’t make the cut.

In an interview with Dengeki Online, three of TvC’s head honchos, Ryota Nizuma, Mr. Bancho and Ryota Igawa gave some insight into the game’s early stages while they were still deciding which characters to include in the game.  The most interesting of which was the inclusion of the star from the Ace Attorney series, Phoenix Wright.  I remember the days when TvC was just newly announced and Phoenix was a definite hopeful to join the game’s ranks.  To find out that they actually did consider adding him to the game is pretty amazing. Although, what’s more amazing is the way thought up on how Phoenix would actually fight his opponents.

Some difficulties came up while deciding on moves for Phoenix. For one, the only movements he really makes in the game are hand gestures, and not much could have really been made from that.  Secondly, for the most part, you only see Phoenix from the waist up in the games.  This led to the decision to have Phoenix and his desk act as one whole character, with wheels attached to the underside, making him some sort of rolling, justice-bringing tank.  While I think this sounds awesome in theory, it would just end up looking really stupid in-game.  Not to mention I expect his hitbox to just be massive.

Other TvC wannabes were Arthur from Ghosts N’ Goblins fame and Ingrid from Capcom Fighting Jam.  Even though none of these made the cut for the first game, Ryota Nizuma said that if a sequel were ever made, he’d work really hard to get these characters into the game.

More revealed on the 5th generation of Pokémon

Remember that new Pokémon game that was teased about a few days ago? I was under the impression that it was just going to be a Pokémon Crystal remake, but it actually turned out to be a whole new generation Pokémon game. This latest piece of news comes straight from Coro Coro magazine, and though the details are scarce, the rag says that more info will become available in the coming month.

For starters, the silhouetted pokémon was revealed to be Zoroark/Zoroaaku (ゾロアーク). Many people mistook him to be the next evolution step for Lucario (myself included), but who knew it’d end up being a new pokémon entirely? Zoroark also has a pre-evolution by the name of Zorua/Zoroa (ゾロア).  Click the above image for the full picture including Zoroa.  The few details on Zoroark is that he’s a Dark-Type and classified as a Monster Fox.  He will also be playing a major role in the upcoming Pokémon film Phantom Champion Zoroark.

The name for the new region has not yet been revealed, and other gameplay details are incredibly scarce at the moment.  I’m also curious as to what the next set of games will be called. The last two were Diamond and Pearl, so I think it’d be a good guess that the next two games would be named after some precious metal or gem. As with the unveiling of any new Pokémon game, I’m incredibly excited and eagerly anticipating more news from Coro Coro next month!

Sega announces bonuses for Yakuza 3

The wait for Yakuza 3 has been a long time; the fact that it was announced at all for an international release still seems pretty crazy to me. Well, Sega announced this morning that they will be offering up some goodies for those who will be purchasing the game, although the sweetness of the deal depends on where you hail from.

Sega Europe is offering a “battle pack”.  The battle pack includes a 31-track soundtrack, a Yakuza Who’s Who which acts as a dossier for all the characters in the game and 4 separate pieces of DLC:

• Battle Survival: A boss-run mode
• All-Star Tournament: A 7 character tournament
• All-Star Tag Tournament: 8 tag-team tournament
• Haruka’s Request: Missions given by Haruka, where you’ll be made to play mini-games to keep her entertained

European pre-orderers will also get access to alternate costumes and two-player mini-games (pool, golf, darts and bowling). However, if you’re in North America, the deal is a little less sweet as pre-ordering the game will only get you the 4 pieces of DLC.  If your primary place to pre-order from is GameStop, you’ll also get access to the alternate costumes and two-player mini games.

Overall I think this is a good idea on Sega’s part. I know one of the main fears of bringing Yakuza 3 outside Japan was the less than stellar sales of the first two games, so maybe these added bonuses will bring in more buyers.  Hell, if this ends up selling well than we might just have a chance of seeing Kenzan! and Yakuza 4.  I really wish they would go the extra mile for us Americans and give us the Battle Pack.  I’d love to get my hands on that soundtrack and character dossier.

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Sega took an egg-beater to the hearts of Shenmue fans late last month when they had the audacity to mention Shenmue III was a possibility.  The deciding factor?  Well, they don’t want to pay for it, so they need a hardware manufacturer to support the project in exchange for exclusivity.  I guess they weren’t too happy with the sales of the previous titles and don’t feel like taking a chance.  With the story already completed and someone else funding them, Sega’s profit potential would be substantial.

I always hate when the financial politics behind games become apparent, but I suppose that’s just part of the process.  From a marketing standpoint, the fact that the series has maintained such a following 10 years after the first title’s release is saying a lot for its potential in the current generation.

Is this passing comment by Sega and my air-tight logic enough to entice one of the three console manufacturers into stepping up to the task?  That sounds doubtful to me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dream.

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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

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I guess I should be happy.  I know that is the appropriate response for a victory this monumental:  Sega and SCEA finally got their shit together and announced a localization of Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 aka Yakuza 3 aka that game I had kinda given up on.

The good news however, is not without its share of what-the-fuck-were-they-thinking.  The next title in the Yakuza series, which Sega obviously has little faith in, is being released in March 2010 alongside some beastly juggernauts: Final Fantasy XIII and God of War III.  Since this is the last of the lot to be announced, it seems like they had ample time to change the release date, but what do I know.  I am sure there is a lot of… paperwork or something.

Setting any gripes aside, I am thrilled to hear that the original Japanese voice acting is being maintained.  This is a definite plus in my book and a feature that is in demand these days.  There is no doubt that I will be buying this game day one, but odds are it will settle below newer, need-to-play titles.

Related Entries:
Ryu Ga Gotoku 3: I Need a Vacation

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