3rd Party News Roundup February 14 2016 Feature

Feb. 8 to 14 3rd Party News Roundup

Ace Attorney 6

The latest issue of Famitsu magazine brings us more details on Ace Attorney 6.

According to the magazine, a new prosecutor by the name of Nayuta Sadmadhi will be the main rival in this game.

Here’s an overview of the character (translated by Court Records) and some screenshots:

The Funeral Prosecutor – Nayuta Sadmadhi
International prosecutor and an eminent monk in the Kingdom of Kurain with a devout belief in his/her religion. She/he believes that convicting the guilty in court means salvation for their victims. Has a soft demeanor, but has a sharp tongue.
“Let’s judge upon the guilty and guide the spirits of their victims to the afterlife”

Objection: “Satora”

The magazine reveals some more details, which you can find listed below:

– Nayuta Sadmadhi’s gender isn’t clear for now;
– Screenshots show Nayuta confronting Apollo in court;
– Athena is able to use the Mood Matrix in court like the last game, which she uses to uncover lies in people’s testimonies;
– In this case, the unlucky witness is a magician named Mimi, who claims she was “at the stage when at the time”;
– Screenshots also show Athena and Apollo investigating the “Theater Trompe”;
– Through text notes additional investigation is possible in this game compared to the previous one;
– Investigation Memo is back to keep people from getting stuck;
– It looks like the body popped out of a coffin-shaped show prop.

Mega Man Legacy Collection

Capcom has released a new Japanese trailer for Mega Man Legacy Collection and once again featured gameplay footage of the title in the latest episode of Capcom TV. You can find both videos below:

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

MH4U-Wallpaper

GamesBeat recently interviewed Monster Hunter series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and discussed with him how the game has become the most successful entry in the franchise in the West. In the interview, Tsujimoto touches upon some of the factors that might have led the game to become a hit in North America and Europe, such as the lenghty localization process and the inclusion of DLC and online play, among others.

If you are interested in reading it, you can find the full interview over here.

Bravely Second: End Layer

The demo for Bravely Second is now available on the European eShop, and if you download the demo until March 10th, you will get a 10% discount on the full game’s price if you decide to buy it via the Nintendo eShop. So if you aren’t getting the Special Edition, this might be a good deal for you.

Nintendo has also published another couple character trailers during the week, this time dedicated to Magnolia and Edea. You can watch them below:

Project X Zone 2

Project X Zone 2 is now out in all regions so we have a launch trailer for the game from Bandai Namco, which you can check out below, followed by some gameplay footage:

Additionally, Nintendo Life spoke with Bandai Namco producer Kensuke Tsukanaka and Monolith Soft development director Soichiro Morizumi about the new 3DS game in a recent interview, where topics like how some of the new characters were chosen, the influence of fan feedback and the series’ future were discussed, among other things. If you would like to read that interview, you can do it over here.

Haikyuu!!: Cross Team Match

Bandai Namco has released a new batch of screenshots and artwork from Haikyuu!!: Cross Team Match. Check them out in the gallery below:

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic-the-Hedgehog-Film

Polygon recently published a pretty big article describing Sonic the Hedgehog’s history. The site chronicled the series’ early times all the way up through Rise of Lyric and the upcoming future. It also features several comments from Big Red Button CEO and co-founder Bob Rafei about Rise of Lyric as well as other comments from SEGA about the franchise in general. They make some good points and observations about Sonic’s evolution over time and why certain games in the series, like the Rise of Lyric, failed to achieve expectations. You can take a look at the interview over here.

Besides this, Hajime Satomi, President and CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc., stated that the previously announced Sonic the Hedgehog movie would release in 2018, during an interview with The Worldfolio. The movie was first announced in 2014 and is being made by Sony Pictures, and is planned to be a live-action/animation hybrid. This release window is the first statement about the film since its original announcement.

Satomi said:

On the innovation angle, what kind of next-generation concepts are Sega Sammy working on?

Sega Sammy Group is currently planning with Sony Pictures to create a live-action and animation hybrid “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie scheduled for release in 2018. Like with this CG animation production, we would like to expand our business into other entertainment areas beyond what we are currently involved.

That interview also covers other business aspects involving SEGA, so you might want to give it at least a partial read.

Shin Megami Tensei IV Final

Atlus is continuing its Mythology video series for Shin Megami Tensei IV Final this week as well. The video below features Sukuna-Hikona, check it out:

https://youtu.be/UGyAFckpGak

Since the game is now out in Japan, you can also find Famitsu’s review translated into english on Nintendo Everything’s site, over here.

Some gameplay footage can also be found in the videos below:

Yo-kai Watch 3

The latest issue of CoroCoro magazine has an update on Yo-kai Watch 3, which showcases several new Yo-kai that will be featured in the upcoming game.

Here’s a list of the characters show on CoroCoro:

Annojo – Rank C
Bonkotsu – Rank E
Chichikashikarai – Rank E
Chotenku – Rank S
Columbus – Legend
Edison – Legend
Jikokenou – Rank C
Kakusan – Rank C
Kappaa – Rank B
Kirisugirisu – Rank B
Kuchisuberashi – Rank E
Matenou – Rank S
Namanamahage – Rank S
Nandenan – Rank E
Okurairi – Rank C
Oreryu – Rank A
Seidenki – Rank B
Taikomochi – Rank E
Taraimawashi – Rank D

You can also find the magazine scans below, so take a look at what those creatures will look like.

Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Season Fairytale

Marvelous has now officially confirmed via a trailer that Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Season Fairytale will indeed launch in Europe and Australia on February 18th. The game will take 12,108 blocks of memory on your SD card (around 1.5GB).

You can watch the trailer below:

Story of Seasons: Cherished Friends of Three Towns

CFTTInterior

The latest issue of Famitsu contains some new details on the upcoming Story of Season: Cherished Friends of Three Towns.

First, we have some details about some of the characters in the game:

– Bride and groom candidates from Tsuyukusa Village are Kasumi and Yuzuki;
– Carey and Brad are a married couple, and are in charge of the Garden Grill restaurant in Wes town;
– Marco is Brad’s grandfather and previously owned the restaurant. He also loves fishing.

Wes town is one of the three main areas in the game and has plenty of things to do. The Postino post office lets you send mail to villagers and family in the city, a mining spot exists to nab ore, and you can also fish.

The magazine also mentions Power Circles, explaining that players can place these objects in the field to give certain benefits to surrounding crops. Crops affected by Power Circles will turn blue when placed.

Power Circles can have a number of different effects, like the three examples mentioned below:

– Cactus: Raise crops’ sweetness;
– Flower Wheelbarrow: Raise crops’ color;
– Flower Fountain: Raise crops’ humidity.

Part-time jobs also seem to exist in the game. Players can partake in these to earn more cash, and some of them even provide extra items and improve relationships. Jobs will even have different contents each time. You’ll take on activities like cutting down wood or delivering mail.

Medabots Girls Mission

Rocket Company has recently shared the first trailer for Medabots Girls Mission, along with details on early-buy and first-print incentives.

The early-buy incentive is a visual book which covers character details and Medabots’ design pictures. Its cover is drawn by the character designer, Izumi Sai. The first-print copy incentive is an original theme for 3DS which is based on the version consumers purchase.

Below, you can take a look at both incentives and the first trailer for the game.

medabots-girls-mission-bonuses medabots-girls-mission-themes

Sadame

Rising Star Games has announced it is localizing Mebius’ Sadame, an action RPG for 3DS. The game will be released as an eShop title in both North America and Europe on February 25.

You can find a trailer for Sadame below, followed by an overview of the game, including some gameplay details.

Translating simply as ‘fate’, four warriors are called to battle with a whirl of swords, spells and mysterious arcane abilities in this fast-paced hack-‘n-slash adventure. Cut a swathe through waves of demons as you battle against the vivid backdrop of a reimagined Warring States period of Japan. Players guide their chosen hero through dozens of stages, facing an onslaught of over twenty enormous bosses, collecting loot, enhancing their equipment and levelling up with new abilities with which to punish and slay Nobunaga’s hordes.

Choose from the sword-wielding Samurai; the ranged and stealthy Ninja; the spell-slinging Monk or the enchanting witchery of the Rogue. Each of the four playable heroes has a distinct story and gameplay style with their own abilities and skills to explore and enhance. However, as loot is shared between multiple save files and previously created heroes can be set to assist new ones in battle – not to mention the branching paths offered by the story – Sadame offers a huge amount of replay value.

– Four distinct types of hero – Samurai, Ninja, Monk or Rogue – allow players to experiment with a variety of gameplay styles.
– Action mixes with deep RPG elements: new abilities, levelling up, equipment upgrades via enemy loot drops and a massive skill tree to unlock.
– Dozens of levels and over twenty bosses to test your heroes’ capabilities.
– Customise your experience via weapons, upgrades and levelling, with certain events and encounters available only to certain heroes.
– New difficulty levels unlock with successive playthroughs, while weapons and armour can be shared across multiple character files.
– Collect heroes via StreetPass and then utilise them as a support NPC. Locally saved heroes can also be selected to support!

Puzzle & Dragons X

The latest issue of CoroCoro also reveals that an anime based on Puzzle & Dragons X is in the works and will begin airing this summer. Along with the anime, a manga adaptation from Momota Inoue is also coming and will debut in CoroCoro’s May issue, which ships in April.

When it comes to the game, Puzzle & Dragons X will be available in Japan this summer, and two versions are planned: “Kami no Shō” (God Chapter) and “Ryū no Shō” (Dragon Chapter). Puzzle & Dragons X’s theme is “evolution” and will also feature cooperative play with friends in a cross battle. The game’s protagonist is named Ace and his partner Tamazō. The staff behind the anime will also animate the game’s opening anime.

Here’s the relevant magazine scan:

puzzle-dragons-x-1

River City Ransom SP

Arc System Works has recently released a new commercial for River City Ransom SP. Check it out below:

Zero Time Dilemma

The “Crash Keys” Twitter account has once again been updated with another piece of art for Zero Time Dilemma, this time showcasing participant 1. Check it out:

zero-time-par-1

Toy Defense

Circle Entertainment has recently confirmed that Toy Defense will be coming to the 3DS eShop in North America on February 25 for $3.99 USD.

Toy Defense is a tower defense game that tests your courage and skills as a military leader at the height of World War I. The goal of the game is to not let enemies get to your base, while helping toy soldiers survive through attacks and protecting your base from enemy airplanes, tanks, airships and overcome unexpected traps. You earn stars, strengthen your towers, improve soldiers and buy upgrades.

Here are the features of the game:

  • Recreated World War I atmosphere
  • 72 thrilling war missions in a variety of worlds
  • 4 historically accurate weapons with 24 upgrades
  • 16 different achievements

You can also find a trailer below:

Shadow of the Eternals

I recently found out that Quantum Entanglement Entertainment has created a website page for Shadow of the Eternals, its upcoming spiritual successor for Eternal Darkness, which is planned for the Wii U.

The website features several screenshots and a gameplay trailer I hadn’t seen before anywhere, so I included them below to share it with you. You can go check the website over here.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Game Informer has several weeks of video coverage planned for LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and have release two videos during the week.

The first video features lead story designer Graham Goring and cut-scene director Phil Gray discussing the process of adapting the movie and which scenes were the toughest to convert.

The second video stars TT Fusion’s head of animation Matt Palmer talking about the process of adapting the movie’s characters into the new game.

You can find both videos below:

Yooka-Laylee

Playtonic recently shared a new pair of updates for Yooka-Laylee, including a some new music and a look at a new character.

David Wise has composed a new track that players will hear during a section of the game which features Kartos, the newly introduced character. Yooka and Laylee will come across the minecart character several times, “and together they’ll hit the tracks in search of paper-shaped golden nuggets”.

Here’s the track, give it a listen:

Designer Kev Bayliss also had the following to share about Kartos, which you can see in the gif after the text:

“In true Playtonic fashion, we wanted to make this character as fun as possible. He’s old school, so we wanted him to look old fashioned, rather than modern. He actually looks like a bad DIY project by myself, and I’m sure I’ve seen some of his body parts lying around in my shed at home! Yooka will be taking advantage of Kartos and his services, as he is for ‘hire’ at various stages in the game. And why not? After all, his slogan is ‘Mein Kart ist Ihre Kart’ after all!”

Kartos

Project Elea

Bulgaria-based game studio Kyodai is currently developing Project Elea, a new first-person sci-fi interactive storytelling adventure. The game is centered on “humanity’s place in the universe, the nature of intelligence and the meaning of faith”.

Kyodai is targeting a few platforms for Project Elea, including the upcoming Nintendo NX, which they are in the process of obtaining a development kit for, apparently.

Here’s an overview of Project Elea:

Playing as Elea, you will navigate the hallways, control rooms and ecosystems of Pilgrimage II, the ship set to colonize Solace, a yet unexplored Earth-like exoplanet. In order to save the ship and uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of pioneering mission Pilgrimage I 15 years ago, you’ll have to aid crippled Kazumi in fighting off an eccentric invasive intelligence that wants to take control, that has been waiting in the darkness of space, preparing…

As Elea explores clues and executes manual overrides to restore Kazumi’s hijacked virtual memory, she will slowly come to realize it’s the lapses in her own memory and the imprints of a personal tragedy that she must deal with first.

The game runs on Unreal Engine 4 and has a “fully explorable and beautifully created fictional world” ranging from claustrophobic space environments to open vistas and detailed interiors. Kyodai also promises “a rich and unsettling narrative” and plenty of original gameplay scenarios. The studio claims interaction “with almost anything in the game” will be possible and that there will be logic puzzles to take on such as “periodic physically based distractions”.

You can find the first teaser trailer for the project below:

Virtual Console Trailers

Below you can find a trailer for Chocobo Land – A Game of Dice on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console. This was a GBA game released by Square Enix back in 2002.