Aug. 31 to Sep. 6 3rd Party News Roundup

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

Capcom recently uploaded a new video showcasing the DLC additions to Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate this month.

Check it out below:

Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village DX

Capcom recently released the opening movie for Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village DX and a new batch of screenshots from the title too.

You can check them all out below:

Monster Hunter X

New Monster Hunter X details have been revealed via the official website. These focus on Raizex, Nyancook and Fenny. You can find them listed below.

Rizex:

– Rizex is one of the four main monsters in Monster Hunter X;
– This monster has a violent personality and is extremely territorial, willing to kill off any trespassers with everything it’s got;
– It is known as the “Thunder Wyvern” thanks to its electric organs;
– It can charge itself with an “Electric Charge State”, which increases its power and range of attacks;
– Crest Attack: an attack that hits with Rizex’s crest, which is located on its head. During an “Electric Charge State”, it becomes more like a blade and does even more damage;
– Claw Wing Attack: uses its extremely developed claws on their wings to shred its prey;
– Lightning Attack: a breath attack that shoots out two powerful lightning bolts;
– Tail Attack: thrusts with its sharp and long tail. During an Electric Charge State it gets more power and discharges electricity;
– Electric Charge State: its crest, wings and tail get charged with electricity, and increases the damage and range of its attacks. Rizex also has attacks that can only be done while in this state.

– Lagiacrus, Blangonga and the Shogun Ceanataur are also confirmed to return in Monster Hunter X.

Nyancook:

– Is the head chef of the “Felyne Bistro” kitchen;
– Nyancook cooks things like fondue made from homemade cheese;
– Makes other foods to give players buffs.

Fenny:

– A new pet you can dress up, carry around and take naps with.

You can also find a new batch of screenshots from the game in the gallery below:

Monster Hunter Stories

Thanks to the opening of the official website for Monster Hunter Stories and the extensive coverage provided in the latest issue of Famitsu, we now have a lot more information about the game.

Famistu gives us several details about the game itself first, and then shares information about the development of the game via the developer interview.

– Monster Hunter Stories is an RPG set in the Monster Hunter world;
– Tells the story of “Monster Riders” who form bonds with monsters;
– The game begins in the Rider Village, where the protagonist receives a “Bond Stone” from the village chief, which is necessary to pass a trial and become a full fledged Rider;
– Nabir, who grew up with the protagonist, is a partner in the trial and is determined to see the world outside the village;
– Riders come from a village far separated from the Hunter society and live a self-sufficient lifestyle;
– Monsters that can form bonds with Riders are known as “Otomon”;
– You can play as a young boy or girl protagonist, as a fledgling Rider;
– There’s a looming shadow of unrest, as people begin noticing serious changes in the environment;
– Riders and Hunters will play their roles utilizing their respective items;
– The key lies within the Bond Stones, and the truth lies in an old legend;
– Along with your partner Nabir and co, a grand story unfolds.

Famitsu then gives us the following information about the various characters:

Protagonist (Boy/Girl)

– Born and raised in Rider Village;
– A bright and curious young boy/girl;
– Yearns for adventure in the world outside the village;

Senpai (Upperclassman/Senior) Rider

– Strong emotions and hot blooded;
– Gives various bits of advice to the Protagonist who aims to be a Rider;

Nabir

-Adventures with the Protagonist, an Airou (Felyne) with a personality;

Village Chief

– Of the Dragon-Human Family;
– A kind old man who watches over the village and the Protagonist;
– Mischievous and likes telling bad jokes;

Young Girl

– Bright, vigorous, and curious;
– Energetic girl who follows after the protagonist’s group;

Young Boy

– Has a kind and gentle personality;
– Aims to be a Rider like the protagonist;

And then continues with more information:

– Monster Hunter Stories features a turn-based battle system, where you battle monsters encountered on the way;
– There are three commands in a triangle formation that can be used, power, technique and speed;
– These are dependent on the habits of the chosen monster, so players will need to read up on monster habits and use them to their advantage to dish out as much damage as possible;
– Riders form bonds with Otomon to fight. The key/focus is “bonds”, which is especially important in battle;
– Players can change weapons as well as damage multiple enemies, and there are special abilities for weapons like the “Nagiharai”, for great swords, and “Shield Bash”, for the sword and shield;
– You can expect plenty of action with the Rider and Otomon both attacking with various abilities;
– As they battle, the bonds between Riders and Monsters will deepen;
– After a certain point, the Rider becomes able to use “Ride On” to mount the Otomon, making combat ability soar;
– You’ll also eventually be able to use the incredible power within the “Bond Stone”;
– “Otomon Eggs” can be found on the field. New Otomon appear if you return to the village with them, so the fun is in discovering what will come out of it;
– Players will come across many “unusual phenomena”, while visiting various towns and places on the fields;
– Hunter Village is where the hunters gather;
– It contains a marketplace with various shops, a Guildmaster and a “Hunter Guild”. The atmosphere will be familiar to long time fans of the series. Various creatures from the series such as Airou (Felyne) and Merarr (Melynx) can also be found living here.
– The opening field contains cliffs, water and nature in abundance, along with a steep and dangerous valley. Large monsters lurk deep in this valley in hopes of protecting it. There are various things to warn people of the dangers found in this place.
– Players will have to face many monsters they have never seen before in the various environments.
– Capcom is including thick woods, a burning desert, swamplands, and more.

Famitsu then talks with the developers about how the game came to be:

– Development began two years ago, but the project has been five to six years in the making and it’s something that came about due to some fans wanting an RPG;
– Monster Hunter has always focused on strengthening the player character, but it’s about the monsters. So in this game, since there are plenty of people who like monsters, it is more of a sport to use them;
– The team approached development with the idea of allowing those who love the Monster Hunter world itself to experience it;
– The game is targeted at players of all ages who think they will enjoy the game and is for both series veterans and newcomers alike;
– Stories has pleasing visuals with a plot that never gets too serious, and features catchy designs with a simple approach to help achieve this.
– Before settling on the Triangle Battle System using the “Power”, “Technique” and “Speed” commands, the commands were originally “Fight”, “Run”, etc. However, at one point, the staff took a simpler approach with turn-based combat and decided to base it on a triangle;
– Battles aren’t just based on luck to win, because monsters have unique traits and capabilities. For instance, Velociprey has a “speed” habit. Often, there is a link between the monsters’ image and resulting special habit;
– Stories is true to an RPG, yet keeps that flavor of developing strategies to hunt monsters by researching them in previous games;
– Although the protagonist can collect many monsters, he/she only fights with one in a battle each time;
– You’ll have the ability to change the monster (in the party) that is battling, though;
– While the protagonist battles with the monster, in the end the Otomon does the most work in the battle. It’s said that if the Otomon is the “attacker”, then the protagonist is the “Almighty Supporter”;
– You will be able to ride monsters in the game, if bonds are high enough;
– All Otomon have their own distinct traits and personalities;
– Players can build bonds by traveling together, playing with the monsters and using them;
– There will be new locations to stay true to the adventure in an RPG;
– Since the protagonist will form bonds with monsters as a Rider, “What would he think of Hunters?” will be a problem and question often addressed in the game, a depiction of their different viewpoints of the matter within the Monster Hunter universe;
– The story is about the protagonist’s growth to adulthood within a world of monsters in a changing environment. The plot also involves how Hunters and Riders will cope with each other. The mainline Monster Hunter games deal with monster quests, but what if the monsters were starting to disappear? There are people who think life would be easier, and those that do not;
– As a final message, the developers ask fans to look forward to a game that series veterans and aficionados of the series can enjoy. This title brings the world of Monster Hunter to all ages. It was an action game before, but now it’s an RPG. Whatever the pillar of focus, they will put all their effort into it.

Monster Hunter Stories will be out in Japan sometime in 2016, and the game will be playable at the Tokyo Game Show later this month. While you wait for those dates, you can enjoy the new batch of screenshots in the gallery below:

The Great Ace Attorney

The eighth and final round of DLC for The Great Ace Attorney is now out in Japan.

This eight edition of the Randst Magazine includes a short episode with Sherlock Holmes on trial, a Nintendo 3DS Theme featuring Kazuma Asougi, some concept-art for the characters in Episode 3 and 5, a behind the Scenes video for the game’s sound effects, and some beta music for Naruhodou Ryuunosuke.

One interesting thing about it, is the fact it also includes this message from Shu Takumi, basically the creator of the game and the whole Ace Attorney franchise:

“London, at the turn of the 20th century…
I hope you enjoyed your great turnabout voyage.
The team is looking forward to the day we can meet you again in Ryuunosuke’s next adventure.”

(all credit to Court-Records for the translation)

Although this could be interpreted as their wish to make a sequel to this game, I would say it’s rather improbable right now, since Capcom doesn’t even seem very interested in localizing the game itself. The future will tell, I guess…

Ace Attorney 6

Early in the week, Capcom announced they are now working on Ace Attorney 6 and that the company intends to release the game in the West.

It will be a 3DS game as usual, and the game is being spearheaded by producer Motohide Eshiro and Takeshi Yamazaki, both of them series veterans.

Capcom also intends to showcase a playable version of the game at this year’s Tokyo Game Show.

This week’s Famitsu also reveals the first details about this game’s story.

Here’s a list of what is pointed out in the magazine:

– The game is set in a foreign country which Phoenix visits “for a certain goal”;
– The residents of this country apparently believe in the spirits of the dead;
– The old Wright luck kicks in and he finds himself wrapped up in a certain case when his tour guide, a monk-in-training named Bokto Tsuani (roughly translated), is arrested.
– Bokto works as a tour guide to make some money, and it’s said that after starting his tour-guide-talk, he can’t be stopped;
– Phoenix goes to see Bokto’s trial, and while there, he sees there’s no defense attorney and the judge is relying on things like an “oracle of spirits” to hand down a guilty verdict immediately;
– Phoenix objects to this and takes the defense’s bench;
– In the game there’s a mysterious, strong-willed woman that is shown in the artwork;
– This woman is neither a witness nor a prosecutor nor a judge, she’s this game’s “key person” like Athena in AA5. Note that it does not say she’s Phoenix’s assistant, just reuses the “key person” term;
– A big Water Mirror (mizukagami) can be seen in their courtrooms on the floor. On the upper 3DS screen, there are images and words floating in the water, while the touch screen seems to show part of a testimony and the option to present something;
– The “water mirror” in the courtroom plays a part in a new system they’re keeping under wraps;
– The magazine also seems to suggest there may be other small changes from the usual courtroom antics;
– In this country, there are prosecutors, but no defense attorneys, so defendants must use a “certain object” to defend themselves;
– The game’s theme is a “courtroom revolution”;
– The team felt Phoenix was in a position where he didn’t really have anyone who could match up to him in Japan, so that was part of the reason they moved him into the wider world;
– They also hope that trials in a court where the usual “rules” don’t play will help give a sense of urgency to the game that they couldn’t get in just a plain Japanese trial;
– Devs have heard complaints about Ace Attorney 5 being too easy due to the many hints characters gave, so they’re aiming to let the player enable/disable hints on their own, to avoid direct clues like in AA5;
– Development is still fairly early on, but the team wants to make a game that will surpass the previous entries, and to “betray the player’s expectations – in a good way!”;
– Development on the game is 30% complete.

The official site for the game is now open, and you can find the first screenshots from it in the gallery below:

7th Dragon III Code: VFD

SEGA recently uploaded three new trailers for 7th Dragon III Code: VFD. These include a new promotional video, a small introduction to battles and an overview of the Vanisher class.

You can watch them below: