Namco Bandai released a short clip showing character customization in Tales of Hearts R. Players can change costumes and equip attachments. Decorating characters with cat ears and gym uniforms lighten the mood a little too much for my first time through a Tales game, but on a second run I like to equip the most ridiculous accessories available.
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The story takes place after the 3DS game and follows Sin who is an aide of President Shoko Ozoro, you know the girl you played as in Liberation Maiden. Kiyoto has a special power that lets him read people's thoughts. Suda will help write some of the story for Liberation Maiden Sin.
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Liberation Maiden Sin is slated for release on December 5. The game will cost 7,140 yen ($72) and a limited edition will also be available with a soundtrack CD and drama CD for 9,240 yen ($93).
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If you're wondering how 5pb, Level-5, and Grasshopper Manufacture got together read this interview where the CEOs from all three companies talk about collaborating on Liberation Maiden Sin.
The Amazon looks like Dragon's Crown's heavy hitter. This brawny warrior has a humongous axe and a flurry of kicks. It looks like the Amazon can close distance with jump kicks and' by sliding into enemies.
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Dragon's Crown comes out for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 on July 25 in Japan and a week later in North America.
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I have 395,754 bells. I just built and paid off the 198,000 bell room expansion. I've captured 36 out of 72 bugs, 46 out of 72 fish and 15 out of 30 kinds of underwater life. I've built the 50,000 face cutout stand and an additional 128,000 cobblestone bridge.
If it's possible to 'win' in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, then I am winning.
In 30 hours and 29 minutes, spread across 7 days, I have beaten the system. I am master of Nook's domain. I am the Animal Crossing: New Leaf queen, and it’s all because of the tropical island and Bell Boom ordinance.
Marvel at my house for a moment, then listen while I explain.
Tortimer is no longer mayor because he has retired to a tropical island. It's the same island on which Kapp'n's mother, wife and daughter reside. After a few days, Tortimer arrives to invite you to come visit anytime you like, provided you have the 1,000 bells for the round-trip fair, and the next day Kapp'n is there with his boat.
The island is the best place ever and I wish I could live there. Even though that would make Kapp'n my neighbor and mean I'd be subjected to continued advances.
You're a married man, Kapp'n!
But we’re off getting track off here. The island is a prime fishing, bug catching and diving spot. Lloid the Gyroid lends you whatever equipment you need, be it on the island or one of Tortimer's mini-game tours. There's no garbage when fishing and head-sized beetles as far as the eye can see.
Did I mention the sharks? Because there are sharks there too. I've noticed there is an increased frequency in shark appearances between 7-11pm. On a good night, and the past three days have been very good, I have been able to catch at least five sharks in one visit.
Now, here's where my devious, master plan really shines. Bell Boom is an ordinance to make your town 'wealthy' in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It means that the prices on all shop items increases, but also means that Re-Tail and Nookling Junction will pay more for everything you sell. For those just settling in, buying isn't really an issue. The early days of Animal Crossing are always more about earning money.
In short, Bell Boom + Tropical Island = Get Rich Quick or Your Money Back, Guaranteed.*
While some people may see this approach as sacrilegious, I say it's a welcome addition and option. Those who want to be instant millionaires and don't mind putting in some late nights can get the best homes and towns in no time. People who prefer a more gradual approach can relax and take it easy. It's all up to you.
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Please, please, please don't patch the game and make island shark appearances rarer because I brought this up, Nintendo. I'm having the time of my life here! The sharks are my valuable, lethal babies! For the first time in one of my Animal Crossing lives, Nook has no power over me and I don't want that to change.
* You're not getting your money back. It's going straight to the Nooklings, Able Sisters or town.D3 Publisher have teamed up with Cartoon Network to publish three games based on three Cartoon Network shows—Adventure Time, Ben-10: Omniverse and Regular Show.
The new Adventure Time game is titled Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know!, and is being developed once again by WayForward Technologies. It’s in development for the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game will include a 4-player co-op feature.
Meanwhile, 1st Playable Productions, who developed last year’s Ben 10: Omniverse game for 3DS are returning to make Ben 10: Omniverse 2. The game is headed to Nintendo 3DS. Meanwhile, High Voltage Software are working on console versions for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Wii.
Finally, the Regular Show game is titled Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land, and is also being developed by WayForward for the Nintendo 3DS. The game puts Mordecai and Rigby in their favourite 8-bit games, and they need to make their way back out.
All three games are slated for release this Fall in North America.
Adventure Time screenshot from last year’s Nintendo 3DS game.
While he isn't well known in the West, Ninja JaJamaru-kun is a Famicom icon. The red ninja was a reoccurring character when Jaleco still made video games. Hamster, the company behind Azito 3D and the company that localized Heavy Fire Afghanistan for Japan, developed a brand new game starring Ninja JaJamaru-kun for Nintendo 3DS. It comes out along side Kuma Tomo, a game where you can befriend a teddy bear, and Hyperdimension Neptunia PP.
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystaria and New Super Luigi U (as an expansion pack for New Super Mario Bros. U) comes out this week in North America.
PlayStation Vita
Hyperdimension Idol Neptunia PP
Winning Post 7 2013
Nintendo 3DS
Kuma Tomo
Ninja JaJaMaru-kun: Princess Sakura and the Secret Dragon
PSP
Koibana Days
Ro-Kyu-Bu! Himitsu no Otoshimono
Shiratsuyu no Kai
PlayStation 3
Daisenryaku: Dai Toua Kouboushi ' Tora Tora Tora Ware Kishuu Ni Seikou Seri
The Last of Us
Xbox 360
Batman Twin Pack
Key European Releases
New Super Luigi U (Wii U as an expansion for New Super Mario Bros. U)
Key Domestic Releases
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Vita)
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC)
Knights of Pen & Paper: +1 Edition (PC)
Jak and Daxter Collection (Vita)
New Super Luigi U (Wii U as an expansion for New Super Mario Bros. U)
In a short development diary video at Game Informer, WB Games Montreal, the developers of Batman: Arkham Origins, explain their approach to the game. Rocksteady say they wanted to develop a “Year two” story, and this is the reason the game is set several years prior to Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Batman: Arkham Origins takes place on Christmas Eve in Gotham City, with the city divided into two sections. Old Gotham is the part of the city that would eventually go on to become Arkham City. Meanwhile, New Gotham, separated from Old Gotham by a bridge, is the more modern part of the city, and is an entirely new, much more metropolitan environment filled with skyscrapers.
“The challenge for us coming in after [Arkham Asylum developer] Rocksteady is to do something that hasn’t been done,” says Eric Holmes, creative director. “Something that isn’t a retread and isn’t [a] copy-paste of their game. It has to add value, it has to bee new. To me, the key to that prequel is the invigoration that it adds to things.”
That having been said, Rocksteady have been available for assistance whenever required. The studio was able to assist with technological aspects of development and explain things like how Batman’s cape simulation system works and so on.
Holmes adds that WB Games Montreal are being careful with what they add to Batman: Arkham Origins in terms of new features and characters. “We’re not adding 20 things that suck,” he says. Instead, they’re cherry-picking things to add based on their creative vision for the game.
“We are very aware we are standing on the shoulders of giants,” says senior producer Ben Mattes. “We are playing in the space of some of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time and we’ve greatly benefited from that.”
You can watch the full development diary over at GameInformer.com.
Namco Bandai are releasing a collector’s edition of One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 in Europe, the publisher announced this morning.
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Slated for release in August, the collector’s edition will include a 14cm figurine of Luffy, created by sculptor Keiji Iwakura, and manufactured by Banpresto. You can order this—or the game’s regular edition—on its official website. Pre-order bonuses, Namco say, will be announced at a later date.
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North America is getting One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 on the PlayStation 3 as well, but Namco Bandai will release it as a download-only game in that region.
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Capcom will not be holding their annual “Captivate” event this year, where they discuss their portfolio of games and even announce new ones, the publisher’s senior Vice-President, Christian Svensson, has revealed.
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Over on the Capcom forums, Svensson shared: “This year we're likely to be looking at announcements around other events or not at events at all. So there isn't a Captivate planned this year.”
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Svensson added that Capcom will be making appearances at E3, Comic-Con and the Penny-Arcade Expo.
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Hakuouki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi has a release date in North America. Aksys Games will release the PSP game on February 19th. Unlike Hakuouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, this one blends the visual novel format with an action game.
Hakuouki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi lets you control six samurai, and you can play through the game in two separate story modes. The first is based on Hakuouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom and is dubbed “Shinsengumi Memorial”.
The other story mode is “Shinsengumi Chronicle” and this one lets you play through an alternate history that’s yours to change. Finally, a “Skirmish Mode” will allow you to replay past battles to level your character up, and will also allow you to unlock two additional characters for skirmishes.
Each retail copy of Hakuouki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi will come with a 16-page character guide, featuring all eight selectable characters from the game, along with artwork of them in their traditional outfits as well as western attire. Additionally, pre-order the game at Amazon will get you a 22” bandana featuring these same characters (see below).
Idea Factory have updated their website with an introduction to Urakata Hakuouki’s story, where you’ll be playing as a young girl seeking to avenge her brother’s death at the hands of the Shinsengumi. Early story details are vague, but you can read on if interested.
Late Tokugawa period, third year of the Bunkyū. It's an era full of disturbances, and the world of the Tokugawa shogunate government is reaching its end, while another story begins at the capital of Kyoto.
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A suspicious figure with white hair and a light yellow haori sneaks into the dojo of the protagonist's brother. The identity of this mysterious figure is an evil of the Shinsengumi.
Since then, this young girl has decided to learn the ways of the sword in order to avenge her older brother who sacrificed himself in order to protect her. This resolution would lead to a new age of hardships.
A group of men who live through the age of chaos appear in front of the girl. As she follows and looks at the back of these men who live strongly, what could she be yearning for? This is the story of a young girl who has been entangled in the age of chaos and confusion, along with this group of men who wish to start a new era.
You can read more about Urakata Hakuouki characters such as the charismatic Takasugi Shinsaku or the devoted killer, Okada Izou, in our previous report.
Urakata Hakuouki is slated to be released on May 30th for PSP. Idea Factory will also release a limited edition for 8,190 yen.
