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Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow coming to DS in Spring 2010
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Oct 29th 2009 at 2:30PM } 
Dubbed Blue Dragon: Ikai no Kyojuu in Japan (and published by Namco Bandai, which owns the majority of D3Publisher), the second DS entry in the Mistwalker's role-playing franchise stars a new protagonist, with gender, facial features and clothing determined by your input. Awakened Shadow is set two years after the events of the Xbox 360 game and finds Shu and the gang returning to Blue Dragon's "contemporary" RPG gameplay. Expect to upgrade weaponry, tactically change shadows and skip every scene featuring Marumaro.
Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow is scheduled for release in Spring 2010.
Sakaguchi: unannounced Mistwalker project in 'finishing stage'
by JC Fletcher { Oct 19th 2009 at 4:00PM }
In the latest blog post, Sakaguchi said, "I am working hard on a new project. Now we are being rushed into the 'finishing' stage. No matter what, I will make it really good...." And judging by the tiny surfing Sakaguchi analog seen above, it appears that as the work picks up on this project, the Lego complexity drops. He's really busy.
And we still don't know what he's busy on! The last Blue Dragon game came out on October 8, so this is something else entirely. We should find out soon ... since it's almost finished, we guess.
[Via RPGSite]
Sakaguchi hints at new game over therapeutic LEGO session
by JC Fletcher { May 5th 2009 at 6:45PM }
In a post on Mistwalker's blog, Sakaguchi revealed a few ideas about the upcoming, unannounced project. "Planning to basically put importance on having seamless control of the overall direction of the game, mixed with CG spectacle scenes," Sakaguchi said. "Controls will have a bit of a trick to it, while having a blend of RPG-type strategy and growth. Behaviors based on interaction with the situation around you...wait, I'm not supposed to say more than this... (^^;" He will be able to say more this year, he says.
As for the LEGO truck, Sakaguchi says that LEGO building is something he does when he's "troubled with something," in this case the "graphic settings" for the new game. It's a pretty nice truck.
[Via Eurogamer]
Ninety-Nine Nights 2 details arrive in short supply
by Ben Gilbert { Apr 16th 2009 at 11:30AM }
The title remains exclusive to the Xbox 360 and is expected to arrive later this year. These are the folks who worked on Lost Odyssey and Infinite Undiscovery after all -- what could possibly go wrong?
Mistwalker says character art isn't from new game
by Randy Nelson { Apr 2nd 2009 at 3:45PM } 
Sometimes video game artists draw things ... just to draw things. That's more or less what Japanese developer Mistwalker (Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey) has said in regards to character art added to the gallery section of its web site. The image by Kimihiko Fujisaka could be taken for concept art for a new game, but its creator has put any speculation to rest."I'm currently being challenged with Mistwalker's new project," Fujisaka says on his staff page. "This illustration has nothing to do with it, but it's a single drawing I did recently." He also laments the cancellation of his previous project, which very well might have been Cry-On, a collaboration between Mistwalker and AQ Interactive.
Whether it was or not, Fujisaka places some blame on himself, saying, "I was very disappointed in my lack of skill." We say, "Dude, don't be so hard on yourself." Fortunately, he assures Mistwalker fans by declaring, "I'm gonna keep at it." Now that's the spirit!
[Via Siliconera]
Free Blue Dragon anime appears from the shadows
by Dustin Burg { Feb 25th 2009 at 2:00PM }
The Blue Dragon anime's pilot episode, "The Shadow Comes Forth", can be grabbed from the iTunes Store for free, through March 10. That's a savings of $1.99. We can only hope that watching an episode of Shu search for the Night Master, while attempting to prove he isn't a child, doesn't involve any form of digital disc swapping.
Source - iTunes Store
Source - What They Play
Joystiq hands-on: Blue Dragon Plus (DS)
by JC Fletcher { Feb 20th 2009 at 1:00PM } 
Blue Dragon topped Japanese Xbox 360 sales charts, but still didn't necessarily achieve Dragon Quest-like success. So, along with a merchandising blitz that includes manga, anime, a card game, and toys, Mistwalker has taken Blue Dragon to a system that is much more popular in Japan, and much better suited to both the JRPG and Toriyama's cute designs: the Nintendo DS. Surprisingly, despite the move to less powerful hardware, Blue Dragon Plus is a more progressive role-playing experience than its predecessor, and offers elements of post-Dragon Quest presentation.
Gallery: Blue Dragon Plus
Japanese 360 sales: Blue Dragon on top, console sales on the up
by Dustin Burg { Jan 28th 2009 at 2:45PM }
It is no secret that the Xbox 360 is not Japan's gaming console of choice. Just look at 2008's software sales and you'll spot just one Xbox 360 game in Japan's top 100. But that doesn't mean Microsoft's Japanese situation is a complete lost cause, because console sales are actually on the rise (year over year) and some games have sold rather well.
Gamezine.co.uk put together a list of the top 30 Xbox 360 games sold in Japan, and sitting proudly on top is none other than Blue Dragon and its 203,740 lifetime unit sales. Rounding out the rest of the top five are Tales of Vesperia, The Last Remnant, Infinite Undiscovery and Lost Odyssey. As far as 360 hardware is concerned, Microsoft has been able to steadily increase console sales year after year, with 2008's total Japanese sales peaking at around 317K units. But don't get confused, the Japanese Xbox 360 situation is still very, very bleak and very, very depressing. These numbers are one of a few "bright spots."
Sakaguchi would 'love to make a Wii game'
by David Hinkle { Jan 14th 2009 at 12:49PM }
During an interview with IGN about Blue Dragon Plus, Sakaguchi spoke about a variety of subjects, including bringing his RPG to the Wii, as well as his thoughts on the system overall. "I think the Wii is a wonderful system," he said. "It's very unique, starting with its iconic controllers." When asked about making a game for Wii, he said that Mistwalker has "no plans at the moment," but he "would love to make a Wii game in the future." We hear you. "Dude, go for it," you say. "Please make it?" you ask. "Love that mustache!" you exclaim. He's a talented guy. We totally get it.
But, what's stopping Mistwalker from undertaking a Wii project? His company has already worked with Nintendo in bringing multiple titles to the DS, so why not make the leap to Wii? Personally, we'd appreciate the injection of JRPG goodness that he'd bring to the Wii. Let's hope he gets around to it sooner rather than later.
Blue Dragon: Blurry Beasts of the Underworld
by Chris Greenhough { Jan 8th 2009 at 6:00PM }
We first discovered Blue Dragon: Beasts of the Underworld last month, and now these rather blurry scans from Famitsu have appeared on the interblag. It's difficult to glean much new information from these dim images -- indeed, the original Shonen Jump scans were much clearer -- but Gamekyo whipped out its magnifying glass and located one crucial nugget of information: a Japanese release date of March.
Obviously, whether we even get this Blue Dragon game in the west could depend on whether anybody buys Blue Dragon Plus, so prep your wallets for February 24!
Grab a hanky, 'Cry On' canceled
by Xav de Matos { Dec 27th 2008 at 2:30PM }
A joint venture between Cavia and Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker, Cry On would have been the third title from the famed Japanese creator; Mistwalker previously worked on Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. A representative for AQ Interactive told 1UP that the studio "deeply apologize[s] for troubling those who were awaiting its release." No screen shots of the game had ever been released since the game had first been announced in 2005. Down and out for now, but something tells us Sakaguchi isn't hanging up the gloves anytime soon.
AQ Interactive cans Xbox 360 RPG 'Cry On'
by Ludwig Kietzmann { Dec 26th 2008 at 1:00PM }
Whether you consider it a cryin' shame or prefer fans to cry in shame, you can expect Sakaguchi and Friends to unveil more titles in the future. Old habits die hard.
Mistwalker and Namco team up for new Blue Dragon game
by David Hinkle { Dec 12th 2008 at 1:56PM }
Blue Dragon: Beasts of the Underworld is currently slated for release sometime next year.
Source - Siliconera translation
Source - Scan from Shonen Jump
Blue Dragon Plus: epic battles, small screens
by Alisha Karabinus { Dec 11th 2008 at 11:25AM }
Let's just hope we see a better box.
New trailer, website bring Blue Dragon Plus out of the shadows
by Alisha Karabinus { Dec 4th 2008 at 11:00AM }
Along with this video -- which does an admirable job of capturing an epic feel -- the English-language website is up and is stuffed full of content you can actually read. That's always helpful!
Blue Dragon Plus is slated for March 2009 in both Europe and North America.
