As I was working on an upcoming post concerning Patapon (????), I became slightly nostalgic for the music of LocoRoco (????). I figured I would try to find the OST for free somewhere in the vast ocean of the Internet.

I managed to find a Japanese blogger who posted it as well as a variety of other great OSTs and images. You can check her blog out here. Or if you just want the OST, you can download it here. I highly recommend it!

The soundtrack is great to listen to when doing something mindless. It is the epitome of blissful glee, occasionally featuring singing children or just cute sounds. There are 6 versions of the main song, each sung by a different LocoRoco featured above. The style of songs range from reggae, to J-Pop, to completely unclassifiable.

The password for the soundtrack is: rpgmm

Roy , merchandise, ost, psp 21 comments

I found a few screenshots of some of the new content of Persona 3 FES.

A new Persona

A new area called “Empyrean“, notice the team is being led by Aigis. This may be the area in the exclusive artwork, as they are both a desert.

Mitsuru possibly in Junpei’s room

Probably has something to do with changing clothes

It appears your allies can change their outfits as well. It is not confirmed if you can control this or not. Most likely not.

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Atlus e-mailed me this exclusive artwork, just figured I would share with the loyal Persona fans out there. Aigis, the Progonist, and Metis in front of some kind of tower, but not Tartarus. Looks like there may be some of the new Personas or enemies in the background.

Previous Articles on Persona 3 FES English release:
- Atlus Officially Announces English Persona 3 FES
- Persona 3 Merchandise: Headphones and Cell Phone Strap
- Persona FES Countdown Over

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Since man first realized that swinging a stick or throwing a rock could inflict bodily harm, there has been fighting. As these fights became more and more important, so too did the sticks and rocks. I have decided to start a several part post on the history and myth behind legendary weapons in some of our favorite video games to get a better appreciation for the thought that goes into weapon design.

Part I –Lances & Spears
The benefits of these weapons are fairly obvious: increased range. That scary looking guy in the picture is a Yamabushi (??), or roughly mountain monk. They were known to typically use naginata (??) or a Japanese style of spear which had a long curved blade at the end. These are also the guys who would live in the mountains, meditate under waterfalls, walk through fire, and die on their feet. They chose to use naginata as it gave them the advantage of range. In a country where the most fearsome adversary (a Samurai) uses a katana (?), a mid-length weapon, that little difference in range can present a huge advantage.

Japan is not unique in the spear being an impressive element of military technology. Each nation who experienced the early stages of warfare, can vouch for having made the same discovery. For that reason there are a variety of famous or legendary spears which you may have noticed in the video games you play:

Longinus

• The spear that is believed to have stabbed Jesus in the side while he was on the cross per John 19:31. The Roman soldier wielding the spear was named Longinus, thus his spear carries his name as was customary at the time, though the actual Latin would read: Lancea Longini, or “The Lance of Longinus”. Since the lance was covered in Jesus’s blood, it is generally given a holy attribute in games.
• Found in: Disgaea 1 & 2. The Longinus, or Holy Longinus, is the second best spear in the game, meaning that if you want to acquire the best spear in the game, you will need a Legendary Longinus.

Gungnir

• According to Norse mythology, Odin–the God of all Gods–carried the spear Gungnir. Its name is roughly translated to “Unwavering One”, as it never missed its target, and would always return to Odin’s hand. The spear was forged by the Sons of Ivaldi, a group of blacksmith dwarves. The supreme power of Gungnir is what led to a rival group of dwarves to forge Mjolnir, or Thor’s Hammer.
• Found in: Final Fantasy Series. When you summon Odin in some versions, like Final Fantasy VII, Odin will perform “Gunge Lance” or “Steel Bladed Sword” (zantetsuken) depending on the battle. Gunge Lance is just a bizarre translation.

Gae Bolga

• A spear carried by a legendary Irish warrior by the name of Cuchulainn. The spear’s name means “notched spear”, as it had a series of notches along the blade. These notches made extracting the weapon from an unlucky individual especially painful. For this reason, the spear is occasionally given a thunder attribute in games. The spear was made out of a single bone taken from a dead sea monster by the name of Coinchenn.
• Found in: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. Cu Chulainn is a demon who you can get to join your Protagonist in battle. He is equipped with the Gae Bolga.

These are only a few legendary spears, but they are the ones which appear the most in video games. Try to keep your eyes open for them! If this article interested you, come back next Wednesday for the second installment of History of Video Game Weapons: Part II –Katana!

Roy history, weapons 2 comments

I guess I should start by saying I am not being paid to say any of this. I truly have been a fan of Doublejump Books since the release of Phantom Brave by Nippon Ichi. Their guides are super informative, and are generally only released alongside titles that have many hidden aspects.

I first gained respect for the line of guides when I noticed they were being released alongside Nippon Ichi Software titles, which are among my favorite games in existence. Now, normally I avoid purchasing guides, and get all my info from online walkthroughs. However, In Disgaea’s wake, I was very eager to learn as much as I could about Phantom Brave. I decided to order the guide about 2 weeks before the games release. Much to my surprise it arrived on my doorstep a week later, and a week before Phantom Brave’s release. I was thrilled to be able to thoroughly study the game before getting to play it. Here are a few reasons I was instantly sold on Doublejump Books:

• A Nice Amount of Game Art
  • In addition to art from the game, they usually include images of just about everything you could ever want to see. In their Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne guide, they included images of every demon.
• They Are as Obsessed as You
  • Their guides for all of Nippon Ichi’s SRPG’s to date include detailed instructions on attaining the games ultimate weapons, as well as help on creating the ultimate warrior.
• Spoiler Free
  • While each guide comes with a story walkthrough, I usually skip over that part, since I am only interested in the deeper working of the games. You don’t need to worry about accidentally glancing at a section you don’t want to, since the sections are labeled with tabs.
• Early Release Date
  • I find all of DJB’s guides come out about a week or two before the actual game, allowing obsessive individuals like myself a nice pocket of study time. Sad, I know. If you plan on taking advantage of this, buy direct from their site, as most game stores wont bother carrying the guide early.
• Special Bonuses
  • It may not be much, but occasionally their guides also come with a bookmark featuring game art, or an interview with the game designers which can provide some insider information. Also for some reason, I now have a subscription to Hardcore Gamer magazine, who is in cahoots with Doublejump. I am not entirely sure why I have a free subscription, but maybe you’ll get lucky too.

I guess the name says it all, Doublejump books really increases your ability to explore a game, and acquire the things you really want. Their newest guide on the way is for NIS’s Mana Khemia, and is scheduled to be released on March 24th.

You can buy Doublejump game guides off of their website or in any gaming store near you.

Roy , atlus, gaming, how to, nis 0 comments