As the year draws to an end, we owe it to ourselves to take a moment and reflect on the games which graced our consoles and our hearts.  Quite a few games were released this year, but not all of them will be remembered as “good” or even “decent.”  The following games, I consider to be truly great.  I did not arrange them in any particular order, since it’s just too damn hard.

I feel that 2008 was an especially good year for me in terms of games.  There were a few games which I anticipated feverishly, mainly the Persona titles, Disgaea 3 and LittleBigPlanet.  There were also games which seemed to come out of nowhere and surprise me, like TWEWY , Fallout 3, and Valkyria Chronicles.  Sometimes I think I prefer the later category of games – surprises are nice.

2009 has some big shoes to fill, but with several Final Fantasies and a new Resident Evil on the horizon, it looks like there will be some stiff competition.

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1. Is Baroque For You?

So this question is on the minds of all Wii and PS2 owners it seems. Normally I refrain from being so forward, but I think I just need to clarify for everyone. It is not a matter of Baroque being “good”, or “bad”. It is simply a question of if you are a match for Baroque. Here is a simple test to see find out if you should buy it:

2. Baroque (Wii & Playstation 2) OST

Baroque is being released April 8th in North America. To celebrate, here is the OST to the game. It is entirely instrumental, with songs that vary from the energetically charged “Endless Redemption”, to the slower and more solemn “Spilling Tears.” I think that Sting did a good job producing a cohesion between art, music, and graphics to create the overall mood of the game. The songs sound very futuristic and synthetic and give an impression of intensity mixed with sorrow.

3. Makai Senki Disgaea 3: The Complete Guide

I have been waiting for this guide to come out since I first arrived in Japan. This past Friday it was finally released in stores for the reasonable price of 1700 yen, or around $17.00. I have spent a lot of time already flipping through the pages and trying to learn about the games deeper workings.

4. Furai no Shiren 3: The Sleeping Beauty of the Trick Mansion (風来のシレン３からくり屋敷の眠り姫) for Nintendo Wii

Ah, random dungeon games, have my readers noticed that I have a soft spot for them? There is something so unforgiving about a game where you die and lose everything… I don’t know why but I find it appealing. Furai no Shiren 3 is one of these games, and surprisingly enough it is for the Wii, a system which never stops surprising us.

5. Rarities: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne for Playstation 2

Right around the time that Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 was picking up in popularity, word began spreading about Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. People who couldn’t get enough of Persona 3 wanted the next closest thing, and Nocturne was it. At that point, the game was already rare due to a limited number of copies produced. Since then they have become even more scarce to the point where the only place you can find a copy is probably eBay or Amazon.com for around $70.00.

6. Dokuganryu–Your Source for MegaTen Artwork

It is difficult to find quality scans of video game art without doing some digging. The older a series gets, the harder it becomes. Luckily Kei, the creator of Dokuganryu (formally Be Your True Mind–a reference to the first Persona game), has amassed an enormous collection of video game art and scans from media that are difficult to find outside of Japan. The scanned media range from game guides to art and poster books.

7. Metal Gear Solid 4 Bundle

We all know it’s coming out, but is it a good deal? In my opinion hell yes, but opinions don’t mean much without some logic behind them. First let us break the contents of the bundle down into easy to understand parts:

8. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Burn My Dread OST

This is an excellent soundtrack featuring remixes and alternate versions of some of the cooler songs in the game. My favorite it track number 7, “Burn My Dread -Last Battle-“. The song features the game’s unique style of hip hop, with a slightly higher tempo than the regular version. Also, there is more of an emphasis on the vocals than most of the other songs in the game.

9. Makai Senki Disgaea 3 Story Character: Rasuberiru

Name: Rasuberiru (ラズベリル)
Nickname: Beriru
Demon type: Monster
Ma-bility: “I Love You” Heart (愛羅武勇ハート)
Ma-bility Effect: If there is an allied character on the map who has a level higher than Rasuberiru, she will give 20% more damage.
Prerequisite: Joins after clearing chapter 4
Machange weapon: Sword

10. Etrian Odyssey (Sekaiju no Meikyū–世界樹の迷宮) Figures

This weekend I was exploring den den town when I came across a figure of one of the cleric girls from Etrian Odyssey. The figure was about 10 inches tall, and very high quality, with great attention to detail. I didn’t even realize that Wave was producing figures from Sekaiju no Meikyu, so I did some research shortly afterwards. It turns out they released a female samurai first, followed by the cleric.

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1. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, Closer Than You Think

Given the time between Persona 2 and Persona 3, I was pretty shocked to learn Atlus already has number 4 in the works, and there is already a bit of info floating around about it. The game will be for the Playstation 2, so it seems Persona is not ready for the jump to next-gen just yet. Persona 4 is scheduled to be released on July 10th in Japan.

2. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Follow-up Part 3: Allies

Atlus has been careful to keep the team members you get in Persona 4 tightly under wraps. So far we have a decent amount of information about the following characters:

3. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Follow-up Part 2: Mayonaka TV

In Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, Tartarus was where the player went to do battle with shadows and move closer to finding the truth of the game. Persona 4 has a similar dungeon themed system. It comes in the form of an urban legend called “Mayonaka TV“, or “middle of the night TV.”

4. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Follow-up

I got kinda sick of trying to read those crappy Famitsu scans of Persona 4, and trying to load the video so I bought the newest issue with the DVD. Luckily it plays in my laptop even though it says it is for Japan only. Between the 4 page spread and watching the video, I have made a good deal of progress with the Protagonist’s story:

5. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Promotional Video

Video

6. New Makai Senki Disgaea 3 Jobclass: Cheerleader

Job class: Cheerleader or Idol (応援師)
Ma-bility: Lovely Song (ラブリーソング)
Ma-bility Effect: All allied characters receive a 5% stat increase
Prerequisite: Cleric(female) and Sage level 45
Suggested weapons: Gun, Staff
*NOTE* Must also pass bill entitled “応援師を作りたい”, or “I want to make a Cheerleader” for 400 mana in home room.
Move: 4
Jump: 25
Counter: 1
Throw: 4

7. Houkago Shounen for Nintendo DS

Houkago Shounen is for anyone who remembers the bitter-sweetness of childhood. The story takes place in Japan in 1976, yet it is timeless and if properly translated would surely make even the most foul-mouthed sailor weep like a little girl.

8. Makai Senki Disgaea 3 Jobclass: Thief

The other day when walking around Kobe I stumbled upon Otaku capital of the world. Amidst the blatant and not-so-blatant child pornography I managed to find a store that sold some individual Disgaea Palm Scenery figurines. Unfortunately they did not have the Kunoichi or Yukimaru figures, but much to my nerdy delight they had the thief from Disgaea 2. I pretty much hated the thief in the first Disgaea due to a wretched attempt at voice acting, so I never really used one.

9. Baroque for Wii and PS2 Scores a 3/10 with Nintendo Power and Atlus Reveals New Screens

It seems like I always deliver new Baroque media with bad news. The guys over at Nintendo Power did not care much for the upcoming Baroque for the Wii. According to Atlus’s newsletter they had the following to say about the game:

10. New Makai Senki Disgaea 3 Jobclass: Shaman

Job class: Shaman (呪術師)
Ma-bility: Kaazudo Dance (カーズドダンス)
Ma-bility Effect: All enemy characters on the map have their stats reduced by 5%
Prerequisite: Sage and Magician (female) level 25
Suggested weapons: Spear, Staff
*NOTE* Must also pass bill entitled “呪術師を作りたい”, or “I want to make a Shaman” for 400 mana in home room.
Move: 4
Jump: 20
Counter: 1
Throw: 4

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1. Atlus Officially Announces English Persona 3 FES

If you still have your copy of Persona 3, now is the time to sell! It will only depreciate in value. If you don’t have a copy, don’t feel too anxious, after Persona 3’s popularity there should be enough copies to go around once it is released.

2. Persona 3 Merchandise: Headphones and Cell Phone Strap

To celebrate the end of the countdown of Persona 3 FES, I decided to make a post about some cool Persona 3 merchandise. Over here in Japan, Atlus released a slew of overpriced Persona 3 related goods shortly after the games release. All of which I would murder several orphans to get, but thats a topic for another day.

3. How to Buy Video Games

I know what you’re thinking: “I already know how to buy video games!” Well, I am sure you do, but the meaning of this post is simply to give some advice on the matter depending on the type of game you’re buying, and what kind of benefits you want to get along with it.

4. History of Video Game Weapons Part I: Lances & Spears

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.

5. Persona FES Countdown Over — Follow Up

So I realized the countdown was intended for American readers. Obviously being from the future doesn’t count, I have to wait until 8pm tonight (6am for those of you on the East Coast in America) to see the news. Expect a follow up on this follow up later…

6. Doublejump Books–Makers of Fine Strategy Guides

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.

7. Persona FES Countdown Over

So my alarm goes off last night at 5:59 AM, and I jump out of my futon. My roommate is looking around in a daze as I turn on my computer, which is incredibly bright in the pitch darkness. Luckily I suspended my computer so I would be able to quickly get to Atlus’s mysterious countdown timer. Twenty seconds left, I made it! I watch with great anticipation as the timer comes to an end:

8. Wii Fit by Nintendo Brings Fitness to Everyone

“Yea, I would love to exercise, but I just don’t have the time.” I hear it all the time, especially from my friends who play video games probably more than I do. I cannot say that I blame them. Their jobs are stressful, and the last thing anyone wants to do after a long day in the office, is lift some weights or go for a brisk jog. So what do they want to do? Play video games of course, and allow their minds to become completely engrossed in something fun.

9. English Persona 3 FES (PS2) exclusive art - Aigis and Metis

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.

10. LocoRoco OST (Original Soundtrack)

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

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