Ports are becoming increasingly common with the current generation of hand-held systems. On the rare occasion when substantial improvements are made to a game for the transition, a port really becomes worth paying attention to.
The above trailer for the Knights in the Nightmare port to the PSP shows some interesting changes to the game visually. While the original game for Nintendo DS featured static dialog art, it seems the PSP port will have animated cut-scenes. I was quite impressed to see that the game’s highly unique aesthetic still carried over into these animated sequences. I really felt like anew dimension was given to the world of the game in this video.
While my interest is perked, I still can’t help but wonder how the complex battle system will handle the transition — controlling the wisp with the analog stick just sounds too clunky!
NIS has released a second, epic trailer for their upcoming PSP title: Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan. The video comically touches on every aspect of the game that we know about thus far, as well as a few new topics.
It looks like the game’s BGM will change based on the accessories your main character is wearing. I am not sure how many different songs there are, but I have seen an insane number of accessories suggesting an equally insane number of possible songs. If you want to hear a few tracks you can check out the main website for the game and listen to 10 different songs. They all tend to be a play on any tokusatsu theme you’ve ever heard.
At around the seven minute mark the trailer mentions that you can don accessories to assume the appearance of some popular characters from ASCII Media Works fame. The characters are as follows:
- Dokuro-Chan from Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-Chan (Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan)
- Shana from Shakugan no Shana
- Aisaka Taiga from Toradora (one of the anime that NIS America has licensed)
- Holo from Okami to Kyoshinryo (Spice and Wolf)
Dokuro-Chan wielding her trademark kanabo
Since this system requires certain parts to take on the appearance of a character, unique abilities will also be unlocked which relate to each character’s specific manga/anime. Fans of the aforementioned series’ should definitely be excited! Considering that Toradora is being brought over by NIS America I would say the chances are good that the West will still be getting this content despite some rather niche titles.
Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan definitely proves that in the face of some financial hardships, NIS has not lost their creative edge. The game will be released in Japan next week, let’s hope we hear something concerning a Western release soon!
Related Entries:
NIS Reveals Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan for PSP
Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan Promotional Movie
Today Rockstar games revealed this trailer which explains Red Dead Redemption’s various weapons and the unique mechanics surrounding gunplay. I have to say, the more I look into this game the more genuinely impressed and excited I become.
The natural motion physics engine in particular looks like something that has been a long time coming for shooters. I especially appreciate the way that people are knocked off their feet from a gunshot. Bodies don’t appear unnatural at all like with generic rag-doll physics and each impact is uniquely generated by the game’s engine. Is it weird to get so excited about watching things get shot?
The large variety of weapons in the game doesn’t surprise me but I was not expecting a sniper rifle. I had no idea they were around as early as the 19th century. Also, that buffalo rifle is ridiculous, it looks like it’s probably a .50 caliber… I imagine ammo for that will run a pretty half-penny.
The dead-eye targeting system is a bit like Fallout 3’s VATS meets Max Payne’s Bullet Time. In other words it does not provide too much of an advantage to make the game easy, only enough to contend with the enemies’ AI.
Lastly I meant to post this video on the game’s story a bit earlier, but was afraid it was already common knowledge. Just in case I’ll post it anyway:
I am hoping the story won’t be a straight revenge tale since those are all to often executed poorly, especially in video games. Still, I like what I see from this trailer a lot. The music is great, and the voice acting is decent. If you frequent the site look forward to me squealing about Red Dead Redemption until April 27th… and then probably for a few months after.
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Red Dead Redemption Gameplay Video
Today NIS released their first video concerning their upcoming tokusatsu-themed PSP title, Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan. I have been waiting to get a better look at this game since it’s a bit… unique to say the least.
Anyway the video sums up some of what I have already translated but also reveals some cool new features. The first that I found pretty exciting is a secret base creation system. Basically you can add a number of facilities to your base. These include some which are obvious such as a black smith which sells and repairs weaponry. There are some that are a bit more unusual such as a cosmic police station, which allows the player to change accessories mid-battle — yeah, figure that one out.
A secret base complete with a number of facilities
When the player is in a dungeon, it’s possible that a defeated enemy monster will become a resident of one of the various facilities. The player is able to switch residents around between the different facilities as well. I assume that some monsters are better suited to certain jobs but I am not sure. I am glad that NIS is characteristically playing around with monster characters since I was a tad worried by the lack of character creation.
The main character also has a home within the secret base. There he meets his wife who will badger him for living expenses such as rent, bring you obento in battle, and upgrade your home’s item storage capacity. Should I even be surprised that such a hilarious quirky system exists in an NIS game?
Delivering a homemade bento mid-battle
Another extremely unique feature concerns the way the player will strengthen their main character. It revolves around the bizarre panel-grid human figure in the trailer. As you may have noticed the player is able to lay down panels which represent a certain attribute. Laying down said panels increases the respective stat. There are also a number of items which can be placed on certain types of panels but require a certain formation of those panels. These items can grant abilities or further enhancements to the main character’s stats.
There isn’t much information out about this system but it does remind me a bit of the equally complex growth system used the NIS’s other upcoming PSP title, Classic Dungeon. Perhaps both games have the same talent behind them?
The video announces that Hero-Plan will go on sale March 11th with both a standard and special edition in Japan. Hopefully with the release so close more information will be available on the game soon.
Related Entries:
NIS Reveals Absolute Hero Remodeling Plan for PSP
NIS Announces Classic Dungeon: Magic Team Assistance for PSP
This is the first video highlighting gameplay and features in Rockstar’s upcoming sandbox title, Red Dead Redemption. I think this may be old news, but I finally got around to watching it today and was really impressed.
One of the aspects that draws me to this game is the rural, largely unpopulated areas to explore. I also enjoyed this in Fallout 3, but in RDR it seems a bit more colorful and interactive. There are a number of reasons to explore the game’s wilderness such as finding treasure, collecting bounties, hunting, etc. I also appreciate the apparent weather changes and day/night system, I am just hoping the map is as massive as the narrator says.
The bounty system has me excited since it was another feature in Fallout 3 which fell a bit short. I like the option of bringing in bounties alive, who doesn’t love a good hogtie-ing? This feature also plays into the the “honor” system, aka the game’s morality system. I am curious what effects the player’s honor has on NPC’s, the story, etc.
Lastly, gun-play looks pretty smooth — I love the simple over-the-shoulder style when it’s done right. The player seems pretty accurate in this video, but I wish it went into the dead-eye system a bit more. I am sure all these topics mentioned will be touched on in more detail later.
As you may have noticed my main attraction to this game stems from my love of Fallout 3. Both games seem very similar to me, whether intentional or not. Nothing beats exploring some vast expanse of land jes’ you and yer guns.
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My name is Roy and this is my blog about games that I enjoy. My favorite games are RPGs, but there are a few wild cards from time to time. I use my elementary knowledge of Japanese language and culture to translate info on upcoming games in Japan. When time (and publishers!) permit I also preview games and write reviews.
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White Knight Chronicles
by Level Five
Hours Played: 35-40
Recent Accomplishment:
Georama Level: 7
Clan Level: 7
Trying to make some of the higher level job parts, they take a lot of rare elements which has be questing my ass off. Should be able to reincarnate my character soon!