While Japanese audiences will be playing Persona 4 this July, North American gamers won't have to wait long to wander the halls of Gekkoukan High. Atlus USA has taken time away from blowing things up with small explosives this holiday weekend to announce plans to bring Persona 4 to North America on December 9.
Sweetening the deal even further, the publisher also notes that each copy of the game will come bundled with a soundtrack CD featuring "select music" from the title, which represents the sixth in the role-playing series, and the latest to cling tightly to Sony's aging last-gen console. If, however, you're having trouble waiting until this holiday season to get your Persona fix, check out the game's English announcement trailer after the break.
They say that birds of a feather flock together, and that's certainly the case when it comes to niche game stalwarts Atlus and NIS America. The companies, which began holding hands with 2003's Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, have continued their close, dare we say intimate relationship, concerning a trio of upcoming titles, including Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice for the PS3.
The pair jointly announced that they will work together to release Disgaea 3 in North America on August 26, followed by both Disgaea DS and PlayStation remake, Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, for the Nintendo DS on September 23. In each case Atlus will act as the distributor, no doubt ensuring that the entire ten-copy run of each title makes it safely to store shelves.
Of the many things we look forward to when unwrapping a new game, box art ranks just above the new game smell and that little card that falls on the floor when the box is opened, quietly pleading for feedback. This is not the case, however, for Atlus creative designer Jeremy Cail, who makes it his job to judge books -- make that games -- by their cover, and in a recent blog post breaks down all of the effort that went into designing the cover for next month's Trauma Center sequel for the DS.
Besides the differences between North American and Japanese boxes, the designer expounds on the virtues of title placement (can't have it be covered by the shelf, can we?) and the importance of Derek's glowing hand (Uh oh, it's magic). He also discusses the title itself, noting that Under the Knife 2 was not the team's first choice, with subtitles such as "Surgeon's Oath" or "Under the Gun" also in the pot for consideration. And what of Nurse Angie's new maid cafe-inspired attire? Cail writes that "I hope that gives you cosplayers out there some extra inspiration this year at anime conventions." Man, it's like you read our minds. Creepy.
We remember Zoids as those little motorized plastic dinosaurs that He-Man and his motley band used to pummel into submission as Duke and Chitara quietly watched on from the safety of the bean bag chair in the corner. Ah the 80s ... twas a simpler time of action figure mayhem. However, Atlus has again given us reason to wax nostalgic, announcing plans to bring Zoids to the Xbox 360 on August 26 as a Japanese-style strategy RPG, a genre for which the company has shown increasing affection on Microsoft's console.
Released last year as Zoids Alternative in Japan, the renamed Zoids Assault promises "gritty" gameplay and "tons" of options, most of which revolve around customizing and arming robots with various means of blowing stuff up. We suppose it's interesting to see Tomy's toy and anime license to continue to endure, though we imagine when the game ships the Starriors in our office toy chest are going to feel more than a little left out.
If you're looking forward to the upcoming May 6 release of R-Type Command for the PSP, but are wondering where to pick it up, Atlus USA might have just made the decision a tad easier. The company has announced that for a "very limited" time those who buy the game from GameStop, Amazon.com, GameCrazy, EB Games Canada, and other select retailers will be able to take home a free plastic miniature replica of the game's R-9 spacecraft, which we imagine to be perfect for keeping your desktop safe from the Bydo Empire.
What?! Joystiq's giving away the totally certified "Game of the Week," you ask? Don't ask questions! Just enter for your chance to win, right here. (You still have two opportunities left, if you leave a comment today and another tomorrow before 5pm ET!)
Upon first glance (and your second through seventh glances, admittedly) Operation Darknessseems like a game created by insane people. It's a squad based tactical game where you're fighting the "hidden battles of WWII," but the reason they were hidden is apparently because they were waged against skeletons. And and some point, one of those skeletons gets punched by a wolf man in a trench coat. See? Crazy.
We tell you all this, not as a lead-in to dispel your presumptions about the game's insanity, but to see if you'd play the new demo on Xbox Live for us and let us know how it is. Because frankly, we're a little freaked out.
[Update: Entry period is over, folks. We're contacting the winners by email, so go check!]
If you missed out on Persona 3, last year's criminally under-printed and underplayed -- but not under-appreciated! -- high school sim-cum-dungeon crawler, here's your chance to take "The Journey." (And for those who didn't miss out, we know you've been dying to discover "The Answer!")
In conjunction with this week's release of Persona 3 FES, Joystiq and Atlus are giving away three copies of the game, each accompanied by an art book signed by lead artist Shigenori Soejima. This updated edition of the game features the original story ("The Journey") stuffed with new content, including quests, events, items and Personas, plus an additional 30-hour-plus episode, "The Answer," which promises to deliver the true ending. (Joytip: Game data from the original Persona 3 release can be imported into FES.)
Just follow these rules to enter:
Leave a comment telling us what you think "FES" stands for. (We know, we know, it's short for "festival" -- but c'mon! Be creative.)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
Limit 1 entry (comment) per person per calendar day.
This entry period ends at 5:00pm ET on Friday, April 25th. We'll randomly select three winners at that time (please check your email!).
For a list of complete rules, click here. (Total retail value of prize is approximately $35.)
Last year's Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja for the DS was an irresistible treat for fans of dungeon crawling, particularly those fond of roguelikes and their trademark randomly generated mazes. Now fans of the original -- all three of you -- will soon be able to re-step into the tabi boots of the game's arrogant teenage ninja, as Atlus has confirmed plans to release the aptly-titled Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns for the DS on July 22.
Atlus promises that the sequel will include more content and options than the original, as well as a larger collection of those pesky random dungeons and the ability to use two party members at a time for combination attacks. The game still looks incredibly niche, though it will be interesting to see if these additions will be enough to push the series' fan base into uncharted territory -- perhaps even into double digits.
Atlus this afternoon announced plans to bring Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 stateside, giving us plenty to keep busy amidst reruns of Scrubs and E.R. when the game ships for the Nintendo DS this summer. Atlus confirmed that the sequel, which follows the 2005 release that made us all believe that we could cure cancer with a flick of the wrist, will make it to retail on July 1, offering new modes and operations for armchair surgeons.
But wait, isn't that a full month before the game will be released in Japan? Has the world gone topsy-turvy? We touched based with Atlus and learned that this is indeed the case -- not that the world had gone into a tailspin, but rather that we can expect to stitch up wounds vicariously through Derek and Angie before our friends overseas. The official we spoke to also noted that while the team struggled with a number of titles for the sequel "there really was no other more fitting thing to call the game than Under the Knife 2." Honestly, they can call it anything they want, just get it in our hands STAT!
The footage reveals the return of Igor, and the departure of the pistol-like "Evoker" used to summon Personae. Instead, it appears that the player-characters all wear glasses, which they remove in order to summon helpful spirits. Televisions will also play a major role in the game, which otherwise does not appear to diverge much gameplay-wise from Persona 3. Not that that's a bad thing, of course.
Check out the entire 17 minutes of footage after the break.
Repetitively suicidal magical teenager news now, with Atlus Japan lifting the lid on its PlayStation 2 follow-up to Persona 3. Confirming earlier reports, Siliconera has revealed that Persona 4 is scheduled to arrive in Japan on July 10th, complete with a new weather system. Though a meteorological forecast might not sound like the most exciting addition to an RPG (unless its the name of a spell), consider that misty days will signal someone's untimely demise in Persona 4.
There's no word yet on whether Atlus USA will bring the game to English audiences, but with Persona 3: FESpreparing to make the jump, we'd be surprised if this one remained in Japan. In the meantime, you can pop by insert credit for some Famitsu magazine scans showcasing the franchise's recognizable art style.
Not to be confused with Summons Night, the vampiric lawyer adventure, Summon Night: Twin Age has finally escaped Japan with the aid of increasingly prolific publisher, Atlus USA. The DS action RPG tasks players with guiding summoner Reiha and summonee (?) Aldo through a "richly woven tale of adventure," one complete with multiple endings, sidequests and improbably named garments.
Much like The Legend of Zelda: Phourglass, the "action" in this action RPG is entirely initiated by the little stick thingy that came with your DS, with attacking, healing, using items and navigating all done through the power of touch. Summon Night: Twin Age touches down on DS May 20th.
True to its word (or at least to the word of a timer clicking down to zero), Atlus USA has lifted the shroud of secrecy off of its intentions surrounding Persona FES, announcing that it's bringing the RPG expansion to the US on April 22 for $29.99. The new package will feature both an "enhanced version" of Persona 3 with new bonus features alongside a new chapter -- promising an impressive 30+ hours of gameplay it says here.
Even better, Atlus notes that the new chapter will be able to be played independently of the core game, though players with Persona 3 game saves will be able to use their save data in the new chapter. We'd like to come up with something witty with which to close out the story, but honestly we're too busy already plotting out how exactly we're going to get our hands on the game before it disappears forever.
[UPDATE: Oops, looks like the game is coming one one disc instead of two as previously reported...blame it on lack of caffeine]
Atlus is up to something. We have a sixth sense about these things, though the ominous countdown on the company's website is a good indicator that something is up. Unfortunately we'll have to wait until the clock finally ticks down on February 26 to find out exactly what the something is. We have our own ideas, like a reprinting of Odin Sphere so maybe we could find the darn thing.
However, many internet sleuths have another idea, citing the timer's background as having been lifted from Persona 3, and hoping against hope that when the timer finally reaches zero Atlus will announce plans to localize Persona 3 FES, a special 'director's cut' style edition of the company's earlier released niche RPG. The expansion to the original game was first released in April 2007 in Japan, but has since that time eluded North American players, despite numerous rumors that Persona 3 FES was indeed on its way. Now the Atlus faithful are left to wait a few more days, time enough to ponder just what the niche publisher has waiting in the wings.
Posts with tag Atlus
Last year's Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja for the DS was an irresistible treat for fans of dungeon crawling, particularly those fond of roguelikes and their trademark randomly generated mazes. Now fans of the original -- all three of you -- will soon be able to re-step into the tabi boots of the game's arrogant teenage ninja, as Atlus has confirmed plans to release the aptly-titled Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns for the DS on July 22.
Atlus this afternoon announced plans to bring Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 stateside, giving us plenty to keep busy amidst reruns of Scrubs and E.R. when the game ships for the Nintendo DS this summer. Atlus confirmed that the sequel, which follows the 2005 release that made us all believe that we could cure cancer with a flick of the wrist, will make it to retail on July 1, offering new modes and operations for armchair surgeons. 
