Oct. 12 to 18 3rd Party News Roundup

Monster Hunter X

The lastest issue of Weekly Shonen Champion reveals another collaboration that will soon be coming to Monster Hunter X in Japan.

Monster Hunter X will, this time, have a collaboration featuring the anime Yowamushi Pedal. On the scan shown below, a Felyne is depicted in Sohoku’s bicycle racing club uniform, and we can also see a chibified version of Kyoto Fushimi‘s Akira Midousuji. Specific details about the collaboration are still under wraps for now, so we will have to wait for more concrete details.

monster-hunter-x-yowamushi-pedalMonster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village DX

Capcom has recently updated Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village DX with a new special quest that will let you acquire another collaboration costume, this one based on Tom Nook from the Animal Crossing series.

However, in order to unlock this special quest to obtain the costume, you will first need to become friends with the postman and the expedition quests receptionist (the one wearing a blue hat).

Below, you can find some screenshots from the update in question:

Monster Hunter Stories

monster-hunter-stories-3dsIn a recent interview with Fuji TV president Chihiro Kameyama confirmed that David Productions will be working on the Monster Hunter Stories anime. During the interview, Kameyama also mentioned that the Monster Hunter Stories anime is planned as both a broadcast and an anime business, which includes products, distribution and licensing. He even indicated that there might be plans to bring it overseas. There’s interest in having the series be a business much like how Yu-Gi-Oh! and Naruto are big businesses for TV Tokyo.

If this goes forward and the Monster Hunter Stories anime ends up coming west side, we might very well see the game localized outside of Japan too, which is great news.

Ace Attorney 6

Capcom recently shared new details on Ace Attorney 6.

You can find all the information rounded up below, based on Siliconera’s translation.

– Phoenix’s stage will be set in the Kurain Kingdom, while Apollo’s stage will take place in Japan. This makes both of them dual protagonists of the game;
– Kurain Kingdom is a country of mystery and faith, where people follow a “Kurain Religion” which follows the concept of faith in the spirits of ancestors;
– They have a deep connection with mediums, and most of the citizens follow this religion in their everyday lives;
– The country is run by a queen who is also a medium;
– Inside the Jiin Temple, you’ll find the Kurain Supreme Court, where everything is ruled according to the “Divine Message of the Spirits”;
– After getting chased out of the Japanese legal world, Gaspen Payne drifted off to the Kurain Kingdom, where he’s been enjoying his time as an undefeated prosecutor;
– He’ll face Phoenix and try to take advantage of him being on unfamiliar grounds;
– Leyfa Padma Kurain is the princess medium of Kurain and has a sacred and strict aura around her.
– Using the powers of the “Oracle of Spirits”, Leyfa holds a ritual that can only be held by those of the Kurain Kingdom, where she can see the victim’s last moments before death and depict them in court;
– Using these powers, she’ll get in the way of Phoenix in the court of Kurain, since Oracles are said to give the “words of the gods”;
– During the ritual mentioned above, she performs an elegant holy dance;
– After the dance,the victim’s last moments are shown on the “Water Mirror” located in the middle of the Kurain Supreme Court;
– The Water Mirror also shows letters that tell the sensations felt by the deceased before their death;
– What is shown on the Water Mirror cannot be disputed, especially in the religious country and its ruling medium, where there’s no room for doubt;
– While Leyfa’s visions from the Water Mirror are absolute for the people of Kurain, there seems to be some kind of contradiction going on;
– Phoenix will have to find a way to fight against it;
– You’ll see various messages show up on the Water Mirror, which will let you keep re-watching it as many times you need to until you find what was wrong.

Capcom also released a new batch of screenshots related to this information. Check it out in the gallery below:

Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden

With the release of Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden on October 16th, Bandai Namco released a launch trailer for the game. You can watch it below:

eShop Bandai Namco titles get permanent price drop

During the week, Bandai Namco permanently reduced the cost of several Wii U and 3DS games on the North American eShop.

Here’s the full lineup of affected games with their new price tags:

Wii U

One Piece: Unlimited World Red – $19.99
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 – $19.99
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition – $19.99

3DS

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy+ – $19.99 (was $39.99)
One Piece: Romance Dawn – $29.99 (was $39.99)
One Piece: Unlimited World Red – $19.99 (was $29.99)
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 – $19.99 (was $29.95)
Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle – $19.99 (was $29.99)

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3

The latest issue of Jump provides us with the very first details on Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3, that was previously announced by Square Enix back in July.

Here’s a rundown of the various details and scan of the magazine:

– The game is set in the near future;
– The protagonist is a boy who lost the memories of his past;
– He obtains an unknown, multipurpose device called a “Reactor”;
– He then sets off on a journey to regain his memories;
– The Reactor is equipped with various functions, including the ability to analyze monsters, among other things;
– There are over 500 types of monsters in the game;
– You can ride every monster you make friends with, be it on the ground, in the sky or in the water;
– There are some places you can’t reach without riding there;
– Multiplayer battle elements are included;
– The game will have types of competitions not seen in previous games;

dragon-quest-monsters-joker-327th Dragon III Code: VFD

With the release of 7th Dragon III Code: VFD in Japan, SEGA prepared four more videos to promote the game. In the videos below you can listen to the music used in the opening, plus some more insert songs.

Shin Megami Tensei IV Final

Atlus has released some extra screenshots from Shin Megami Tensei IV Final.

Take a look at them in the gallery below:

Stella Glow

Atlus announced during the week that a Stella Glow demo will be distributed on the North American 3DS eShop from October 27th onwards. This demo will include the game’s entire prologue, however, that progress will not be transferable to the full version of the game.

The official website is also now open and you can visit it here.

Additionally, Atlus prepared a new video showcasing Stella Glow’s Witches. You can find an overview on them and the above mentioned trailer below:

“we have a brand new trailer of the four good Witches, Lisette, Popo, Mordimort, and Sakuya. Well, good may not be the most appropriate choice of words, since you’ll have to “convince” the Witches to join you, which sometimes requires fighting them, but nevertheless! Their power and ability to wield song magic to control the elements is the one thing that can stand in the way of Hilda’s tour of destruction. And we have a new trailer to show their powers in action – and how their elemental magic can absolutely wreck enemies on the battlefield.”

XSEED and Marvelous on the Rune Factory series

Although the Neverland studio closed its doors back in 2012, XSEED Games executive VP Ken Berry recently told Destructoid that there have been internal discussions about how to keep the Rune Factory franchise alive. Their parent company Marvelous is also aware that “fans are clamoring for a sequel and are looking for ways to make it happen.”

Berry had this to say:

“There are continuing discussions on how to keep the Rune Factory series going, despite Neverland, the original developers, no longer being around. Hopefully, something will come of that in the not too distant future, because Rune Factory 4 was the best-selling title in the series, I believe, and it’s a series that’s been growing and growing over the years. Marvelous knows fans are clamoring for a sequel and are looking for ways to make it happen.”

Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories

Natsume has released another developer diary, this time covering the relationship and marriage aspects in the game. Check it out below:

harvest-moon-seeds-of-memories1Harvest Moon has always been about building a successful life, which means running a successful farm, and also building a meaningful life with friends and family. Marriage has always been an important part of the franchise, and in Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories, we wanted to be careful to balance it against other gameplay aspects. We also want to make sure that wooing your favorite bachelor or bachelorette isn’t so time consuming that you can’t get to the other parts of the game you love. Therefore, we’ve put a lot of thought into how to balance dating, marriage, and family in Seeds of Memories.

First, we’ve made it so affection meters are visible on each text box. Raising your affection with all of the villagers – not just the bachelors and bachelorettes – will be a key part to restoring the memories of the villagers in Chestnut Town. Second, we’re bringing back foraging and gift giving. We know for some fans, their absence was felt in The Lost Valley, and it makes sense for Seeds of Memories to include them. Just like classic Harvest Moon games, each villager has their own tastes, and may like or dislike certain items, including those foraged in the nearby mountains.

We’ve also increased the number of bachelors and bachelorettes. You may remember April, Catherine, and Emily, as well as Gilbert, Hunter, and Tony from Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley. These characters will be returning as marriage candidates, along with Luke and Andrea, who will be part of the Seeds of Memories cast!

We’re also excited to announce that, due to fan demand, we’re adding two additional marriage candidates: Tabitha, the witch extraordinaire, and Gareth, the logical wizard! Both of these magical characters give fans a chance to add a dash of the mystical to their romantic relationships!

And getting married isn’t just window dressing…it’s a big part of restoring the Seeds of Memories in the game! But we’ll be discussing that more in a future Development Diary!

Medabots 9

Rocket Company has recently released new information and assets from Medabots 9.

First, the game’s website is now open here.

Next, you can find below the first details about the game and main characters, thanks to Anime News Network.

– The game takes place on an academy on an isolated island;
– There are 290 different Medabots;
– This is the biggest amount in the series’ history;
– The Robattle system has been modified;
– You can now swap parts in the middle of combat;
– The plot focuses on protagonist Tenma Wakakoma, who doesn’t get along with his partner Medabot;
– One day, their argument gets heated, and he walks home depressed;
– He then encounters a suspicious group known as the Roborobo Team;
– When he gives chase to them, he gets caught up in their fight with a mysterious Medabot;
– He and the Medabot fend off the group, and an old man witnesses the entire incident;
– A few days later, an envelope arrives at Tenma’s house, inviting him to Medabot Academy in a scholarship. Tenma accepts and enrolls in the academy;
– The academy itself is located on an island where the best Medabot battlers train;
– It was once a large Medalia mine, now exhausted;
– It now serves as an institution for the richest and most influential Medabot battlers;
– Rumors still abound that a large Medalia vain remains undiscovered in the school;
– Tenma embarks on a journey to uncover the academy’s secrets.

medabots-9-8Tenma Wakakoma, a timid and reserved boy, and not experienced with Medabots, but was invited as a scholar to a prestigious academy, and thus attracts unwanted attention. It takes little time for his skill to reveal itself, and he soon joins an “Exploration Club” at school.

medabots-9-9Kunigiku Shinozaki, A lazy boy who fancies himself a supreme romantic, even if normal people have a hard time grasping what exactly he’s romantic about.

medabots-9-10Mio Shirakabe, a girl who thinks of herself as the cutest in the world, and displays some personality problems. She only opens up to her partner Medabot.

Finally, you can find a teaser trailer below,  followed by the remaining screenshots that were released.

Monster Strike

Mixi released another batch of artwork and screenshots from Monster Strike.

Check them out in the gallery below:

The Smurfs

Ubisoft has now released its 3DS game based on The Smurfs, selling for $29.99.

Below, you can find an overview of the game followed by a launch trailer.

“The Smurfs are in trouble and need help. After a walk in the woods, the Smurfs return to find their village completely destroyed and must discover the culprit responsible and rebuild their home.

Players will meet some of the most famous Smurfs, including Papa Smurf and Smurfette, and visit iconic locations, such as Gargamel’s Laboratory and the deep forest surrounding the village. Players will progress through an original story as they play a variety of 12 exciting mini-games, such as challenging the Smurfs to play hide-and-seek in the forest, creating new alchemy recipes by choosing the right ingredients and sneaking into Gargamel’s lab while he’s asleep while avoiding being caught by his cat, Azrael. Along the way, players will collect resources such as wood, rocks and bricks to create and customize the Smurfs’ village. The game empowers players to create the best village ever seen and make Papa Smurf proud.

Developed by Magic Pockets, all of the game’s mini-games are tailored for Nintendo 3DS. Taking full advantage of its features, players will play hide-and-seek using the Nintendo 3DS Stylus, pilot a plane through the woodland, organize music contests and create their very own recipes by tilting the Nintendo 3DS to mix ingredients and blow into the microphone to cool their preparations.”

LEGO Dimensions and Marvel’s Avengers

(Since this was small amount of information, I decided to put them together thist time…)

By modifying the URL of product pages on LEGO.com with certain initials, fans have been finding product numbers for unannounced sets of LEGO Dimensions, which might mean the game will be getting access to some new franchises via updates.

A few initials have been spotted thus far, including HP (likely Harry Potter), AT (possibly A-Team), MrT (Mr. T) and KR (perhaps Knight Rider). Other initials are MI (perhaps Mission Impossible or Monkey Island), FB (could be the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts) and ET (ET).

We will have to wait to discover what they are for sure, however.

lego-harry-potterMeanwhile, despite the recent introduction and success of LEGO Dimensions, Warner Bros. Interactive has no plans to stop creating one-off LEGO games.

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers game director Arthur Parsons told Polygon:

“One million percent this is not the last Lego standalone game. The first day Lego Dimensions was announced internally, we were told there will be a standalone video games alongside Lego Dimensions. People love Lego video games and we will continue to make Lego video games.”

LEGO games have a tendency to tease future entries. As an example, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes teased LEGO Batman 3 in the post-credits. LEGO Batman 3 hinted at LEGO Marvel’s Avengers. So, unsurprisingly, the latter title has a tease as well…

“There’s a tease at the end of this one too,” Parsons said, “But you’ll have to play it to find out what it is.”.

Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations

Little Orbit has announced some pre-order bonuses for Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations. These extras are being offered at both GameStop and Amazon.

By pre-ordering Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations at GameStop on Wii U, you’ll receive a bonus chapter entitled “Artifact Checking”. GameStop’s 3DS bonus is for the Sword of the Dead item. Meanwhile, you can reserve any version on Amazon for $5 digital downloads credit.

Here’s the official overview of the pre-order bonuses, followed by a new batch of screenshots:

Gamestop Exclusive Bonus Offer – All Gamestop pre-orders for the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii U will receive a code to download an exclusive sixth chapter of the game at launch for free! The Artifact Checking bonus chapter will only be available to Gamestop customers and will allow gamers to play as Marceline, the Vampire Queen, a playable character exclusive to this pre-order! Just like the five main chapters in Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations, Artifact Checking plays out like an episode of the show. In it, Finn and Jake discover that Marceline is having a yard sale and is selling off all the magical artifacts hidden in Billy’s Cave! What the stuff?! While Finn and Jake set off to track down Billy’s sword, Marceline must find and retrieve all of the dangerous artifacts she has sold and restore peace and order to the Land of Ooo.

Gamestop Exclusive Bonus Offer for Nintendo 3DS – Every Gamestop 3DS pre-order will receive an exclusive code to unlock the powerfully-awesome Sword of the Dead at launch! Striking an enemy with this sword temporarily turns that baddie into a ghost warrior homie that fights alongside Finn and Jake for short period of time. When the ghostly form wears off that enemy is defeated. The Sword of the Dead is one of five magical swords in the game, and once these blades are in a player’s inventory they can be swapped on the fly. When it’s “Ability Time” each sword wields a unique power. Schmowza!!

Amazon Exclusive Bonus Offer – Customers who pre-order Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations at Amazon will receive a BONUS for digital downloads at launch worth $5. Players can customize their device with Adventure Time ringtones, wallpapers, icons and more. Mathematical!

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