Bravely Second: End Layer
Nintendo of Europe has recently released another trailer for Bravely Second, this time introducing Yew Geneologia. Check it out below:
You can also find some footage from the game and the demo in the videos below. The second video contains the AR intro and is part of a large series, so check ChannelDotTheDot for more.
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3
Square Enix recently released another news update related to Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3’s online battle features.
You can find all of the content rounded up below, courtesy of Gematsu:
– You can compete against other monster masters all over Japan;
– The game has a “Wi-Fi Ranking Battle” mode, where monster masters all of the country can register the data of the monsters they’ve trained and battle against the monsters registered by other monster masters;
– 2 tournament types are held everyday for a certain period of time;
– When the tournaments close, final rankings will be announced and new tournaments will be held the next day;
– You can enter tournaments at any time;
– Master GP tournaments: each monster master fights using the monsters they’re proudest of to earn the title of “strongest” player. There are no restrictions on the monsters allowed to participate;
– Challenger GP: there are certain conditions for the monsters that can register. Under these conditions, you’ll need to form a party and take on the challenge strategically;
– You can participate in Wi-Fi Ranking Battles by obtaining a “Participation Ticket”;
– 10 Participation Tickets are distributed each week;
– Ranking Battles: battle against randomly selected monster masters from across the country in a series of three matches;
– You will usually be matched to your own strength, but you can also personally select the “strength” of the monster masters you battle;
– The higher the strength of your opponent, the higher the amount of points you’ll receive in the rankings;
– When the final rankings of each tournament are announced, your ranking will be determined. Rankings will be updated everyday;
– Ranking Battles also have an auto-battle feature that lets you shorten battle time drastically;
– You can ride monsters in battle in addition to the field;
– By synchronizing with your monster, you can unlock all sorts of ability enhancements;
– There are also some special techniques that can only be triggered while riding a monster;
– You get coins as rewards for battling players online, which you can exchange for accessories and monsters;
– Coins are awarded for participating in Ranking Battles, coming out on top, and at various other times.
There’s also a new batch of screenshots showcasing the details mentioned above, which you can find in the gallery below:
7th Dragon III Code: VFD
SEGA has recently announced it is localizing 7th Dragon III Code: VFD for North America, with plans to release this summer for $39.99 / CA$54.99. The game will be sold both physically and digitally. As you can see above, the American box art was slightly censored to cover up the cat girl’s behind.
Since 7th Dragon III is actually the first game in the series to be sold overseas, SEGA notes that the story is comprehensive and mostly self-contained, so no prior knowledge of the series is necessary.
You can find the official announcement and trailer below:
In 7th Dragon III Code: VFD, the world is engulfed in a time of darkness and great peril. In the year 2100, dragons have descended upon Earth and humanity is at the mercy of these terrifying beasts. However, not all is lost. As the protagonist, the player will team up with Nodens Enterprises — a video game company dedicated to stopping the dragon menace — to become a dragon hunter and eventual savior of the universe. Although times are bleak, Nodens Enterprises has found a way to tip the scales in favor of mankind: By traveling through time to three different eras, the protagonist can upset the balance of the dragons’ power. This will give them the edge to defeat the True Dragons, and stand a chance against the most powerful one of them all… the 7th Dragon: VFD.
In a quest for the ages, players will explore numerous dungeons in the mythical kingdom of Atlantis, futuristic capital of the land of Eden, and present-day Tokyo. Fighting enemies and dragons can’t be done by just one person, so thankfully the protagonist won’t be doing it alone. The main character can be joined by two squad members in the field, and have up to nine characters in their party. With eight distinct classes, 40 voice options, and 96 appearance variations, gamers can create and customize the perfect dragon hunting team to their heart’s content. Each dragon takes immense skill and cunning strategy to defeat, so choosing the right squad — and right look — is paramount.
Besides traveling through time and desperately trying to save the Earth , the team can unwind at Nodens Enterprises HQ where they can develop character skills, participate in numerous side quests, and even go on dates. Moreover, new floors can be added to the building with essential support areas such as a library, skylounge, cat café, and evacuation wards. Wait, cat café? That’s right — stray cats can be rescued during dungeon crawls and brought back HQ to lounge at the cat café. And yes, while people can be rescued as well, cats are clearly the priority.
Shin Megami Tensei IV Final
Atlus continued its new promotional video series for Shin Megami Tensei IV Final during the week with another two episodes. These two feature the mythology behind Krishna and Medusa, and you can take a look at them below:
https://youtu.be/NXQyeJLpfLI
https://youtu.be/bCR1BY9IUpg
Haikyuu!!: Cross Team Match
Bandai Namco recently released a new trailer for Haikyuu!!: Cross Team Match. Check it out below:
Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale
XSEED Games recently announced that Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale will be launching in North America on March 1st. The game will be sold physically and digitally for $39.99. You can also find the game’s website can be found here.
A listing on the European Wii U eShop also revealed that Marvelous will be selling the game digitally on PAL regions starting on February 18 for 34,99€.
Below you can find an official overview of the game by XSEED and two new trailers showcasing some of the features in it.
Produced by creative masterminds Yohsuke Tamori (creator of PopoloCrois Story) and Yoshifumi Hashimoto (longtime producer of the Bokujou Monogatari/STORY OF SEASONS and Rune Factory franchises), this comprehensive crossover features classically-styled RPG gameplay and game-spanning life simulation elements that both veterans and newcomers to either series will equally enjoy.
Based on the Japanese PopoloCrois Story comic book series, which fans can get a taste of in English for the very first time at the aforementioned product website, and featuring elements from the wildly successful Bokujou Monogatari farming and life simulation series now known as STORY OF SEASONS in the West, Return to PopoloCrois: A STORY OF SEASONS Fairytale hearkens back to the golden age of RPGs with its tactical, turn-based combat and towns full of interesting NPCs who contribute to a heartwarming narrative about friendship, forgiveness, and the bounty of the earth.
Ample farming and life simulation elements are also on offer à la STORY OF SEASONS, including real-time crop-raising, bug-catching, rock-quarrying, item synthesis, and relationship forging. Players can collect over 600 items and undertake nearly 100 quests throughout the game, supplementing its 25+ hour main story with nearly unlimited potential for replayability. StreetPassTM features are also present, allowing players to connect with one another and earn bonus items through treasure-hunting.
XSEED also published a new blog about various interesting features available in Return to PopoloCrois, which you can find over here.
Zero Time Dilemma
The “Crash Keys” promotional Twitter account for Zero Time Dilemma published another new piece of artwork for one of the character, which you can see below.
River City Ransom SP
Gamer.ne.jp recently shared some new screenshots from Arc System Works’ River City Ransom SP. Check them out in the gallery below:
Medabots Girls Mission
Rocket Company recently released new details about the Hyper Finish and Ogre Maxim systems present in Medabots Girls Mission. Gematsu has translated these latest details, which you can find rounded up below:
Hyper Finish
– When you build up the special move gauge, you can trigger the series’ familiar “Medaforce” special move;
– If you raise the gauge up to 200 percent, you can trigger a “Medaforce Burst”;
– When you use a Medaforce Burst to deliver a finishing blow, a command window appears;
– If you successfully input the commands that appears within the time limit, you can blow away the clothes of the opposing Medafighter with a “Hyper Finish”;
– Special move scenes are being prepared for each Medabot.
Ogre Maxim
– Dramatically increases the performance of your Medabot and is only available once per fight;
– It can turn the tide of battle and offers the following benefits: “Parts ability increased”, “Parts cooling time decreased” and “Increases the Medaforce Gauge”.
You can also find some new screenshots relating to these mechanics in the gallery below:
Super Bike Rider: Gather! Super Beast Hunter
Some clips are now available online showing off Spicysoft’s Super Bike Rider: Gather! Super Beast Hunter. You can find them all below.
Additionally PreCure, Godzilla and Crayon Shin-chan have all been confirmed to be featured in upcoming collaboration DLC.
Alphadia
Kemco released Alphadia on the North American 3DS eShop during the week, for $9.99.
Here’s an overview and trailer for Kemco’s RPG:
It has been almost a century since the end of the Energi War. Yet despite the armistice agreement signed between opposing sides, the Schwarzschild Empire has once again begun plotting world domination as it starts to conquer and occupy one nation after another. It is during this time that Ash and Karim, two residents of a small town on the frontier, rescue a young woman and her escort as they are being pursued by foreign soldiers. But who is this mysterious girl and what fate is in store for Ash and those with him as they attempt to help her fulfill her mission…? Find out as this dramatic story begins to unfold!
Employing an orthodox turn-based battle system, Alphadia evokes a feeling of nostalgia with its classic RPG style. In addition, its refined game balance and simple to use interface make this game accessible to players of any skill level while at the same time offering 30+ hours of gameplay.
The Legend of Dark Witch 2
Publisher Circle Entertainment recently confirmed on Twitter that The Legend of Dark Witch 2 is coming to PAL regions on February 11.
Parascientific Escape: Cruise in the Distant Seas
Circle Entertainment also confirmed that Parascientific Escape: Cruise in the Distant Seas will be available on the 3DS eShop starting March 3, in both North America and Europe.
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Following a number of leaks on February 2, Warner Bros. Interactive officially announced LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The game will be out on June 28 for both the 3DS and Wii U.
Here’s an overview of the game:
“LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes players deeper into the new film than any other game with all of the heroic characters from the movie, including Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and BB-8, as well as Kylo Ren, General Hux and Captain Phasma, while also exploring iconic Star Wars locales, such as Jakku and Starkiller Base.
This action-packed adventure introduces new gameplay features, including the enhanced “Multi-Builds” system, where players can choose from multiple building options to advance the game. Gamers will be able to engage in intense new Blaster Battles for the first time, utilizing surrounding environments to drive back the First Order. Fans can also experience the thrill of high-speed flight gameplay through arena-based battles and dogfights in space, while utilizing a multitude of vehicles along the way, including the legendary Millennium Falcon.”
You can find even more information on how the game adds to the movie’s lore on this GameInformer article, over here.
Below you can find the reveal and announcement trailers for the game, followed by a big batch of screenshots.
Virtual Console Trailers
Below you can find some trailers for upcoming Virtual Console games.
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (North America – Feb 4, Capcom, Wii)
Konami Crazy Racers (Japan, Konami, GBA)
Platinum Games celebrates its 10th Anniversary
PlatinumGames recently celebrated its 10th anniversary on February 1. In honor of the occasion, CEO Tatsuya Minami published a message on the studio’s website, and a special wallpaper was also made available, which you can find above.
Here’s the full message from Tatsuya Minami:
Hello, everyone. Ten years have passed since PlatinumGames was founded in 2006!
Even though our company was founded by a group of people with a decent amount of experience in the video game industry, our name recognition in the beginning was obviously nonexistent. We weren’t really in the position to make a big fanfare about establishing our company, either. I distinctly remember setting sail quietly, without really being noticed by consumers. But our goal right from the start was to create high-quality video games, and we’ve been working towards that goal ever since.
We released our first title in 2009. We used the publicity for that product to introduce ourselves to the world, and by the time the game was on shelves, we’d finally managed to establish a clear profile as a company. I strongly feel that we are still able to take our straightforward stance towards game development today thanks to a decade of support from the many fans who play our games. I am very grateful to all of you for this support.
In recent years, perhaps slightly presumptuously, we’ve adopted the slogan “Taking on the World as the Representative of Japan.” Japan used to lead the worldwide video game industry, but we can’t help but feel that it has lost some of its vitality in recent years. Yet we are using this state of affairs to motivate and inspire ourselves. If there is any conclusion that can be gleaned from this statement, it’s that we are dependent on the continued support of our fans. We will keep up our fighting stance. We will keep working hard to bring even more high-quality entertainment to all our fans all over the globe.
PlatinumGames has a bright, shining future ahead of itself, and we hope you’ll come along with us to see it.
Famitsu also held an interview with Hideki Kamiya to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Platinum Games, in which they talked about some Nintendo related games, like the Bayonetta and Star Fox Zero collaborations. You can find a translation and overview of these parts over here, at Nintendo Everything.