Jetspike

Kade,
Ok, point taken. I guess it just depends on personal opinion of what is considered a decent RPG. Maybe I shouldn't have said decent but "buy-worthy". The Tales series just don't interest me really and I find them to get a bit boring and uninspiring overall. I recently tried Tales of the World from a friend, and thought it was decent, but not worth the money or time to go through. Jeanne D'Arc was a game I would consider "decent" as I usually tend to like RPGs coming from Level 5. I like the SRPGs and such (Tactics Ogre, FF Tactics etc) and also RPGs like Fire Emblem. But still, for a tactics game, Jeanne D'Arc was very simple and didn't require really any tactics so to speak and the story was quite weak. Monster Hunter Portable 2 is another game that seemed to be decent but also not really worth the 50 bucks or so they want for it in Japan. Yes, your point is well taken. There are quite a number of "decent" RPGs out there, just really none in that high 8/10 or 9/10 rating that would be certainly welcome and expected on such a system.

Yeah, a lot of naysayers around here. But considering that the PSP seems to be lacking decent RPGs of any kind (I bought a PSP last week just for this release and the upcoming FF Tactics remake coming out on the 10th of May) I think it's a nice addition. I think it all comes down to whether or not you like FF1. For those whose first journey into an RPG was the original on the NES, I think the game is very valuable and the enhancements are very nice. It's definitely above and beyond the GBA versions, so I can't wait for future installments on this system (FFII comes out in June in Japan). Also, it's about time remakes included both English and Japanese languages. For those of us fluent in one and studying the other, this is a nice option to have available and there's no reason not to have both texts since there is plenty of space on the disc. If you are in your teens and didn't grow up with this game, then you might not like it, so don't buy it. But for those who began with this game, it's a welcome addition to an otherwise lackluster PSP library. Now let's hope FF Tactics also comes in Japanese and English!

JetSpike

Well, I just picked up Final Fantasy in Japan for the PSP (Tactics comes out on May 10th, and includes new characters etc and FFII comes out in June) and I must say I am impressed. First, it comes with both Japanese and English options on the disc (i.e. choose your language for script and menus). Also, the graphics are a nice improvement rather than the crappy ports like FFIV-VI on the GBA. I am looking quite forward to playing Tactics again and with portability. Personally, I still enjoy playing the first FF, 20 years after it first hit the NES.

Yeah, it definitely looks like a must-buy. However, one question is whether or not GH2 is regionless? Does anyone know yet? I have a japanese 360 but am back in the states for a week and will be looking to purchase it before returning home as long as there's no region lock on it. If anyone could help, that would be great. Thanks!

I'm another one of the newly converted XBOX fans. I never had a XBOX but had both the Gamecube and PS2. When the XBOX came out, I was very against it, considering Gates built it up as basically being a computer that plays only games (so how is that diff than PC gaming?). Also, I didnt find any of the games to warrant the purchase. I'm not a big Halo fan, and even though Ninja Gaiden looked great, it wasnt worth buying a console for it. That being said, I waited about a year after the release of the 360 before purchasing it. As to be expected, the 360 was a little slow coming out of the gates (no pun intended) but since purchasing it, I definitely have no regrets. Live is by far the best way to set up online gaming. 500 digit friend codes? Are you kidding me? I used it on my DS for about 5 minutes before deciding Wi-Fi play wasnt worth it. Live makes it easy to keep in touch with people and meet alot of new people from around the world. Sure, there's alot of immature morons on it, but u can weed those people out more and more once you get a good friends list. Fanboys can say what they want, but for me, Live is a great system for a great console. Is nickle and diming people for ridiculous things like themes and icons absurd? Absolutely. But then again, I find it more appalling when people say I should work harder for their new system. Their arrogance is unbelieveable. And yes, this is coming from a 100% anti-XBOX person (and even anti-360 person when it was first released). People should try Live before dismissing it, especially the MS haters. Just a year ago, if someone asked me if an MS console would be my console of choice, I would have said not a chance. But seeing the strides the 360 has made recently combined with the ease of chat functions and online gaming, it's no longer a contest in my opinion. Tried and tested, I can't imagine going back to a console w/o solid online capabilities.

Yes, the game is actually quite amazing. The graphics are of course wonderful and the gameplay, while not revolutionary by any means, is still nice. It's definitely hard to write any type of review with this game without mentioning some of its flaws and disappointments (which there are some that would be impossible not to bring up). Of course, most notably being the narrator whose comments are extremely annoying (JOIN UP, PLAYABLE, METAL, ITEM are just a few of the useless 1 word comments made in the game). It really has no reason to be in the game and should be cut out for the Western release. The Field Combat option I think is pretty nice. It basically allows you to group a bunch of on-screen monsters (on the world map) and fight them all in a row, instead of killing one group, then getting kicked out to the world map and then running into the next group.

After games like Oblivion, which have hours upon hours of voiced dialogue, personally, I think it's disappointing to still have next gen RPGs with mounds and mounds of scrolling text. The Japanese voice actors I think are exceptional, especially Shun, the main character, and really adds style to the characters themselves. However, it's sad to see so much of the text still not voiced.

Overall, it's a great RPG. I think the cartoon style is fabulous, thanks to a once again amazing job by Toriyama, but of course comes down to personal preference. I enjoy light-hearted RPGs (i.e. Dragon Quest VIII) over games that try to be more serious and realistic (i.e. Final Fantasy XII). The next gen graphics in HD quality really shine, even in the cartoonish setting and the storyline is fun enough to keep you playing on. While not revolutionary by any means (then again, it wasn't trying to be), I think Blue Dragon holds its own as a great Japanese style RPG that any fan of the genre would be happy with. If it was on the PS2, it would be Blue Dragon pandemonium in Japan. It's a bit disappointing to see it not selling as well because it's on a non-household system like the 360. But for those who have a 360, I think it's a must-own.

As for those with some Japanese knowledge, I recommend getting the game if you have a Japanese 360. The dialogue is quite easy and with furigana written above the kanji, it definitely is kid-friendly (AKA also easy for foreigners w/o too much kanji skill). Hope this shines a little light on some negative aspects of the game and overall premonitions.
Feel free to add me or msg me on Live if u have any questions regarding the game. Enjoy!

Gamer tag: Sal Paradize

Did anyone else get some good extras when they bought this game? I got it on Thursday at Sakuraya and it included a mousepad and 2 sets of Blue Dragon decals to put on the standard plain white 360 faceplate (i.e. different than the faceplate bundled with the BD 360 Set). Japan is known for these little bonuses, I think especially on the first day of release and was wondering if other fellow Joystiq viewers living in Japan got some good stuffs. Thanks!

Jetspike

not to nitpick, but could you please spell words correctly, especially if they are going to be in the article title. Thanks!

#4. They will be able to pronounce it? Umm..I don't see how saying Sofuto banku mobairu is a step up in pronunication over bodafon. And if you say Vodaphone, Japanese will still understand you. If you say Softbank Mobile (in normal English pronunciation), I think you will be repeating yourself alot until they pick up on what you are trying to say (especially the bank and mobile part). But if you are in Japan, shouldn't you be pronouncing it how they say it anyway so you can be understood? In Rome...

Yeah, the reason why they said it prolly wont sell out is because of the poor sales of the 360 here in Japan. It would have been nice of Microsoft to realize the poor sales and think hey, let's sell a special soccer edition at a little less than normal. Or hell, sell it for the same price. But if the 360 aint selling, releasing a special edition at an even higher price isnt going to change that trend...great job Microsoft. Oh, and I'm sure re-launching the 360 over the summer is gonna boost sales a WHOLE lot...yeah.