Joystiq

Nab Ni No Kuni for $40

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:30:00 EST

A couple of retailers are offering Ni No Kuni at a hefty discount. Amazon has the wonderful RPG down to a mere $40. If you like your shopping a bit more up close and personal, Target has it available for the same price in-store. That's like ... 80 cents an hour.

Nab Ni No Kuni for $40 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Namco brings more Ni no Kuni stock to the UK following sellouts

Sinan Kubba — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 07:00:00 EST

Namco Bandai assured us it's making available more, limited stock of Ni no Kuni to the UK's leading retailers this week following widespread reports of it selling out across the country.

The Level-5 and Studio Ghibli PS3 game was the surprise leader of this week's UK charts, becoming the first JRPG outside of Final Fantasy or Pokémon entries to grab top spot in the last ten years.

Namco brings more Ni no Kuni stock to the UK following sellouts originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Feb 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni PSN EU download not working, being republished

Sinan Kubba — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:30:00 EST

European PS3 owners who pre-ordered Ni no Kuni on PSN are still waiting for the game following download issues. Although the game, out today in Europe and Australasia, can be downloaded, when you try to play it a message appears saying it isn't installed properly. PlayStation Europe says it's republishing the game onto PSN now, and hopes to complete the process by afternoon time over there.

The PSN issues in Europe follow the debacle on the US side with pre-orders of the Wizard's Edition, which left many customers with cancellations. The issues threaten to overshadow what's generally been a very well received game, one which we doled out four and a half stars to in our review. We felt the Studio Ghilbi and Level-5 collaboration is what made the game tick, saying that "one without the other might have been good, but together they've created a superb role-playing game for this generation to savor."

Ni no Kuni PSN EU download not working, being republished originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni Wizard's Edition oversold, some orders being canceled

Jordan Mallory — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST

The special "Wizard's Edition" of Level 5's Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, available exclusively through Namco Bandai's online shop, has been oversold, resulting in a multitude of issues for those that placed orders while the package was supposedly still in stock.

Digital River, the e-commerce middleware provider that powers Namco Bandai's shop, experienced an error in its ordering system that resulted in the Wizard's Edition's erroneous post-sellout availability. As a result, some orders have simply seen shipping delays, while others have seemingly failed to process at all or have been cancelled entirely. The number of non-existent packages sold is unknown.

"If your order(s) has been cancelled, we will be reaching out to you by email with additional information as soon as possible," an official update reads. Affected customers that feel proactive about resolving their issue can also contact Digital River directly by emailing namcobandai.en.cs@digitalriver.com, or by calling 952-392-2057.

It's also worth mentioning that while Digital River says it will be addressing the issues of everyone affected, the update does not go into detail about what that resolution may look like. To be on the safe side, we recommend tempering your expectations towards a refund and an apology.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Ni no Kuni Wizard's Edition oversold, some orders being canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metareview: Ni no Kuni

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST

Level-5's Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch delivers that Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle) animation charm like it's tapped into a fascination factory. Reviewers were pulled into the game by its engrossing world, but the gameplay they found there is where things begin to vary.

IGN (94/100): "I wanted it to keep going. That's because Ni No Kuni is just that special, and every RPG fan owes it to him or herself to pick it up and see why."
Gamespot (90/100): "Ni no Kuni proudly joins that elite group of games providing such an enticing world that you can't imagine never having visited it. The only problem, of course, is that you may never want to leave."
Eurogamer (90/100): "Ni no Kuni is rich yet breezy, classic yet modern, exquisitely made and completely sure of itself. Best of all, Level-5 and Ghibli's artists have worked together to create a gorgeous adventure that feels like it belongs to both of them."
Game Informer (70/100): "Despite the adrenaline-pumping intensity, the battle system has its frustrations. Sometimes the window to defend passes far too quickly. Not only must you select defend for your character, you must also order the sub-par AI companions to protect themselves as well."
Polygon (65/100): "I was charmed, but always by stuff surrounding the gameplay - never by the gameplay itself. Level-5 hasn't created a bad game but an inconsistent one that doesn't seem to understand its own strengths and weaknesses. The flashy look and cheerful tone will pull some people through, but at its core, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is missing a chunk of its heart that's hard to ignore. "

Metareview: Ni no Kuni originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behind the scenes of Ni No Kuni's art style

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 22:30:00 EST

This latest development diary for Ni No Kuni focuses on the game's art style, pioneered by world renowned Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli. As you might expect, literally every single thing about Ghibli's creative process is completely adorable, even the old dudes. Especially the old dudes.

Behind the scenes of Ni No Kuni's art style originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 29 Dec 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heartbreaking beauty of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Sinan Kubba — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST

The visual quality of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is so impressive, the upcoming PlayStation 3 role-playing game often resembles an interactive Studio Ghibli movie. No matter your angle, Ni No Kuni is bright, beguiling, and beautiful - even in the face of disparities between its animated cutscenes and in-game action.

Given the storytelling pedigree of co-developers Studio Ghibli and Level-5 - and the latter's prowess in the role-playing game genre - my hope was Ni No Kuni can be as enchanting as Spirited Away, yet underlined by the kind of design that makes Dark Cloud 2 so deep.

Based on my brief experience with the final build, there's legitimate cause for optimism; however, concerns remain. There are, at the very least, the seeds of curiosity in Ni No Kuni.

Continue reading Heartbreaking beauty of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Heartbreaking beauty of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Level-5's Hino wants to adapt Studio Ghibli's Castle in the Sky

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:40:00 EST

Ni No Kuni is the first collaboration between Level-5 and Japan's famous Studio Ghibli, and Level 5 CEO Akihiro Hino hopes it won't be the last. Speaking during a group interview session at a pre-TGS event at Namco's headquarters in Tokyo, Hino noted that he'd like to work with Studio Ghibli again. "If there is a potential opportunity to work with them again," he said, through an interpreter, "yes, we'd like to work on some joint projects with them in the future - if there is, of course, a possibility."

Concerning exactly what sort of project he'd like to pursue, we asked if Level 5 has had any discussions about adapting existing Studio Ghibli properties into video games. Hino said that he would love to but, naturally, Ghibli would have to approve any such projects. Corporate approvals aren't a very entertaining topic of conversation though, so we just went ahead and asked which Studio Ghibli film he would like to adapt. Given the opportunity, he said, he would adapt Castle in the Sky.

That strange rustling you just heard was the sound of millions of fingers being crossed.

Level-5's Hino wants to adapt Studio Ghibli's Castle in the Sky originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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15 minutes of Ni no Kuni footage straight from Gamescom (bonus: British hosts!)

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:40:00 EST

The Gamescom demo of Ni no Kuni was hands-on and, as expected, full of adorable moments. GameSpot UK's editor supreme Guy Cocker narrates the proceedings alongside Namco's Hollie Bennett, which can be seen above.

15 minutes of Ni no Kuni footage straight from Gamescom (bonus: British hosts!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good morning! Here's a bunch of gorgeous Ni no Kuni screens

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:45:00 EST

It's still pretty early, and perhaps you've yet to drink that first cup of life-bringing java - believe us, we understand. Why not treat your eyes to these beautiful, vibrant screens of Level 5's Studio Ghibli RPG, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.

Continue reading Good morning! Here's a bunch of gorgeous Ni no Kuni screens

Good morning! Here's a bunch of gorgeous Ni no Kuni screens originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch launches Winter 2012

David Hinkle — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:20:00 EST

You know how back in September Level-5 said Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch would launch in early 2012? Yeah, throw that out the window -- the developer must have meant to say it'll launch in the other winter of 2012.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, a collaboration between Level-5 and legendary animation outfit Studio Ghibli, will launch later this year in the unspecified Winter 2012 time frame. It'll be released exclusively on the PS3 with both English and Japanese voiceovers.

Continue reading Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch launches Winter 2012

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch launches Winter 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni commercials offer a more realistic look at another world

JC Fletcher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:40:00 EST

Ever thought "Ni no Kuni looks nice, but I wonder what it would look like without all that Studio Ghibli art?" Neither have we, but you should watch these Japanese live-action ads for Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch anyway.

In the brief clip above, and one more after the break, voice actress Mana Ashida explores realistic CG interpretations of locations from the game. She's almost certainly looking at green screens, but she looks suitably impressed! We're also impressed, but we have the benefit of actually seeing the impressive vistas.

Continue reading Ni no Kuni commercials offer a more realistic look at another world

Ni no Kuni commercials offer a more realistic look at another world originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have brunch with a bunch of Ni No Kuni cutscenes

Ludwig Kietzmann — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:45:00 EST

Red capes, regal cats and illuminating rhinoplasty. Good luck with that Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch localization, Namco Bandai. (Seriously, don't screw this up!)

Continue reading Have brunch with a bunch of Ni No Kuni cutscenes

Have brunch with a bunch of Ni No Kuni cutscenes originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni's 'Magic Master' goes digital on PlayStation 3

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST

Level-5 must have come under the impression that some people might not want an enormous book to accompany the upcoming PlayStation 3 version of Ni no Kuni. A new trailer reveals that the game's "Magic Master" will go digital on Sony's home console. You'll likely recall that when Ni no Kuni: The Jet Black Sorcerer launched for the Nintendo DS in Japan, it came packed with the 358-page behemoth to accompany your journey.

Instead, the "Magic Master" will be reproduced digitally for Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, giving players access to its data at the touch of a button.

Oh, you'd rather have two ridiculously cute characters from the upcoming game explain all of this to you? That option is also available to you, albeit in Japanese, just above.

Ni no Kuni's 'Magic Master' goes digital on PlayStation 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3's Ni no Kuni coming to North America early next year

JC Fletcher — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST

During a Sony Computer Entertainment Asia press conference adjacent to TGS, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino announced some very welcome news: the beautiful Studio Ghibli and Level-5 crossover for PS3, Ni no Kuni, will be released in North America.

And now we know what Level-5 International America has been up to. The game is due in early 2012, so that studio must have been busy translating the adventures of Oliver and the lantern-nosed Shizuku in the magical, probably imaginary world of Ni no Kuni.

PS3's Ni no Kuni coming to North America early next year originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tour the 'Another World' of Ni no Kuni in a new trailer

JC Fletcher — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST

Not to be outdone by another series it previously worked on, Level-5 released a new trailer for the PS3 Ni no Kuni game, showing off a variety of locations in the Studio Ghibli-designed world. There's an old-world castle town, a dark graveyard, a ... volcano, an open sea, and some kind of sea creature village in a forest.

Even if most of the locations sound like RPG standards, the trailer is worth watching. It's our best look at the game since it was announced, and the Ghibli-ized takes on those common locales are predictably lovely. Ni no Kuni comes out November 17 in Japan, and still hasn't been announced for release elsewhere.

Tour the 'Another World' of Ni no Kuni in a new trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's the 'Magical Gold' Ni no Kuni PS3

JC Fletcher — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:00:00 EST

We expected the Japan-exclusive Ni no Kuni PS3 to be white with some gold art on it. But it turns out that it is gold with gold art, featuring the lamp-nosed sidekick character Shizuku. If that fits your idea of "magical", you'll be able to import the 160GB system starting November 17.

Here's the 'Magical Gold' Ni no Kuni PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni bundled with 'magical' PS3 in Japan

JC Fletcher — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:00:00 EST

Level-5/Studio Ghibli tie-up RPG Ni no Kuni ("The Another World") comes with a deluxe spellbook on DS. Its PS3 counterpart one-ups the DS version when it hits Japan on November 17, by optionally bundling a whole PS3.

The Ni no Kuni "Magical Edition" bundle will include the game and a special white and gold PS3, according to leaks from this week's Famitsu. It'll sell for ¥33,780 ($440). PS3 games are region free, so if you decide to import this from The Another World of Japan, you'll at least be able to play your local PS3 games on it. There's still no word on a localization for either Ni no Kuni game.

[Image: Andriasang]

Ni no Kuni bundled with 'magical' PS3 in Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni No Kuni PS3 finally dated in Japan, still not announced anywhere else

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST

Ni no Kuni, the RPG made through a collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli, came out on DS in Japan late last year. The PS3 version was shown at TGS, but still has yet to be released. Andriasang reports that the latest issue of Famitsu features a date for the Japanese PS3 release: November 17.

Even if you've imported the DS game and its giant book, this one will be of interest. In addition to fancy HD graphics, the PS3 game has a new story about young boy Oliver in the magical "Another World," and a completely different battle system that is closer to real-time than turn-based. If you're just waiting on details of a western release ... well, there's still no word from Level-5.

Ni No Kuni PS3 finally dated in Japan, still not announced anywhere else originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni (DS) preview: Turn the page

JC Fletcher — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST

Ni no Kuni: The Jet-Black Mage on DS hasn't changed much since I saw it at last year's TGS, but a new demo allowed me a chance to (attempt to) use the game's spellbook accessory. It also offered me a shot at my first boss battle, which subsequently forced me to learn a bit more about the battle system. Read on for my impressions.

Gallery: Ni no Kuni book (DS spellbook accessory)

Continue reading Ni no Kuni (DS) preview: Turn the page

Ni no Kuni (DS) preview: Turn the page originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni (PS3) preview: Another Another World

JC Fletcher — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:25:00 EST

My personal goal at TGS this year was to play Ni no Kuni on PS3, no matter how ridiculous a line I'd have to face at Level-5 to do so. As it turned out, the line wasn't ridiculous at all (yet), and I got an opportunity to discover if Level-5 has managed to transfer the look and feel of the legendary Studio Ghibli animation company into a PS3 game.

Two demos were available, and I played a bit of both within my 15-minute window. One demo is town-based, and has Oliver and his weird lantern-nosed pal Shizuku talking to people in town (in Japanese, of course) to find their way into the "Colonel's" castle. After being rebuffed at the door, I realized that I wasn't going to figure out what I needed to do, and I'd spend my whole demo period trying to figure out enough Japanese to perform the task, so ... on to the next demo.

Gallery: Ni no Kuni (PS3)

Continue reading Ni no Kuni (PS3) preview: Another Another World

Ni no Kuni (PS3) preview: Another Another World originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni: take a look, it's in a book

JC Fletcher — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

When we went into Level-5's TGS booth to play the DS version of Ni no Kuni, we were greeted with an ornate surprise: the spellbook accessory that comes with the Studio Ghibli/Level-5 role-playing game. We took a moment out of our strict 15-minute demo session to snap some quick pictures of the book, so you can see the kind of information inside.

Not only does it include information about the items and creatures found in The Another World, it interacts with the game in puzzles -- our demo tasked us with finding a certain hinted word in the text on a certain page.

Gallery: Ni no Kuni book (DS spellbook accessory)

Ni no Kuni: take a look, it's in a book originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni for PS3 revealed, beautiful

JC Fletcher — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:32:00 EST

As promised, Level-5 announced a PS3 Ni no Kuni game during a press conference today. Rather than being simply a PS3 version of the DS game, Ni no Kuni for PS3 bears a new subtitle: "Queen of the Holy White Ash," as Siliconera translates it. And it looks, well, like a Studio Ghibli movie in polygons. A comparison image on the game's website places a scene done in the game's engine alongside a scene from the animation, and they look shockingly similar! See the trailer after the break.

Queen of the Holy White Ash won't be out until 2011, but the DS game will precede it. Level-5 also announced a Japanese release date for Ni no Kuni on DS: December 9, 2010. That version still comes with a hardcover book full of magic spells and information about the various creatures inhabiting the world.

Gallery: Ni no Kuni (PS3)

Continue reading Ni no Kuni for PS3 revealed, beautiful

Ni no Kuni for PS3 revealed, beautiful originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Level-5 and Studio Ghibli's Ni no Kuni delayed again

JC Fletcher — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:20:00 EST

Those of us looking to recreate the Studio Ghibli movie experience of a young child being drawn into a magical hidden world will just have to be patient. Ni no Kuni, the DS RPG co-created by Level-5 and the legendary animation studio, has been delayed until this fall. (It had previously been delayed from last year to this spring.)

Not much of an announcement of the delay was made -- just quiet indication from various Japanese gaming news sources that Ni no Kuni's scheduled release window had been changed to the fall. Perhaps as some consolation some new screenshots were released, depicting Oliver and a friend working on a car (seen above). If you'd like to know if this is a game worth waiting for (even if a localized version has not been announced), please direct your attention to our impressions of the TGS demo.

[Via Andriasang]

Level-5 and Studio Ghibli's Ni no Kuni delayed again originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TGS 2009: Hands-on: Ni no Kuni

JC Fletcher — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:00:00 EST

Level-5's Ni no Kuni: The Another World is, in general, a pretty standard JRPG. However, it's a pretty standard RPG that takes place in a Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke) world, and is thus magical. It really feels like you're inhabiting a Ghibli movie, from the appearance of swarms of cute little spherical characters to the lush forest environments. The frequent animated cutscenes and the persistent voice acting (every line of text in the demo, whether in a cutscene or spoken in a pop-up text window) is fully voiced, which helps the cinematic feel.

Continue reading TGS 2009: Hands-on: Ni no Kuni

TGS 2009: Hands-on: Ni no Kuni originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LittleBigPlanet team wants to work with Studio Ghibli

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:15:00 EST

Perhaps you've heard of Studio Ghibli, the studio behind some of Japan's most revered animations? (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, etc.) Media Molecule's Siobhan Reddy spoke to Develop about the company's success of collaborating with Japanese developers to produce content in LittleBigPlanet, such as the Metal Gear Solid level pack, and the Final Fantasy VII costumes. "They have been amazing. In fact, when we were in the US late last year we were introduced to Kojima and he told one of the level designers that he loved the design of the Metal Gear Solid pack."

So what's next for the LBP team? Well, there's water -- but beyond that, the possibilities are endless. Reddy admitted that she would "definitely" like to work with "Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli." Imagine: a Princess Mononoke level pack, or a Totoro costume for Sackboy! While we're not sure if the LBP team will be able to get the attention of Miyazaki and company, we'd certainly like to see them try.

LittleBigPlanet team wants to work with Studio Ghibli originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Level-5 and Studio Ghibli's Another World delayed until another year

JC Fletcher — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST

Ni no Kuni (The Another World), the Level-5/Studio Ghibli RPG for DS that includes the huge spellbook, will no longer be considered Level-5's 10th anniversary game -- because it won't be out in 2009. The game has been bumped to spring 2010.

A playable demo was available at the LEVEL-5 VISION conference, and the same demo will be playable at Tokyo Game Show, where it will also be handed out to lucky attendees as part of the Level-5 Platinum demo cartridge, which also houses Professor Layton and the Devil's Box and Inazuma Eleven 2 demos. Check out Andriasang for predictably lush new screens and artwork.

Level-5 and Studio Ghibli's Another World delayed until another year originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ghibli discusses The Another World in latest Famitsu

Jem Alexander — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:15:00 EST

The latest issue of Famitsu includes an interview with Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki, who discusses the company's collaboration with Level-5 on the development of Ni no Kuni: The Another World. The game, in which you play a boy who is transported to a mysterious world in order to bring his mother back to life, is being made to celebrate Level-5's ten-year anniversary.

According to Suzuki, when Ghibli's entire team is working on a project, they tend to generate about five minutes of high-quality animation per month. Even for animation, that's pretty slow, but it means that the overall quality of the product will be impeccable -- if you've seen any of Ghibli's movies, you'll know that's generally the case.

Studio Ghibli tends to shy away from video games and Level-5 seems to be very lucky to have the chance to work with the animators on The Another World. A composer close to both Level-5 and Ghibli introduced the two at a time when the animation studio had just finished work on its latest piece and, with the absence of nothing better to do, agreed to work on Level-5's game.

Ghibli discusses The Another World in latest Famitsu originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 May 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Daily: Most anticipated

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: DS Daily

Since the first footage of Ni no Kuni: The Another World appeared at the Tokyo Game Show last week, it has become the DS game I'm most looking forward to. A Level 5/Studio Ghibli collaboration is the stuff dreams are made of. The animation, predictably, looks wonderful. I already just want to hold the included spellbook. Maybe stroke it. Is that wrong?

Plenty of other titles were showcased last week in Tokyo, so now seems like an appropriate time to see which made the most impact on each of you. Are you crazy about Chrono Trigger? Giddy about Gyakuten Kenji? Cuckoo for Castlevania? If you could have one upcoming DS title in your hands right now, what would it be?

DS Daily: Most anticipated originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TGS08: First footage of The Another World [update]

David Hinkle — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: Video

Update: First images of the book and the package it all comes in have made their way online! Head past the break to catch a glimpse.

Level-5 and Studio Ghibli's upcoming DS RPG, Ni no Kuni: The Another World is sure to be a big success. Why? Uh, have you watched the video above yet? The game looks awesome. With the visual presence that Studio Ghibli provides with its great animation and wonderful character design, along with Level-5's RPG experience, this is going to be a game you want to keep your eyes on.

Know what else is cool? The game is going to come with a custom spellbook specific to that copy of the game. What's inside? Spells, of course (among other things, such as a bestiary)! You can see a bit of it in the video above, where the weird symbols are drawn. After the video, hit up this link to read the Level-5 president's interview with Famitsu about the game.

Continue reading TGS08: First footage of The Another World [update]

TGS08: First footage of The Another World [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take a closer look at Ni no Kuni: The Another World

David Hinkle — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screens, Imports

Well, it's Friday, and as promised, Level-5 has sent out some juicy screens for their upcoming game with Studio Ghibli, Ni no Kuni: The Another World. As you can see above, Studio Ghibli's amazing animation is present and the their wonderful imagination means the game will have some incredibly inspired characters. Head past the break for some more screens, courtesy of Famitsu.

Continue reading Take a closer look at Ni no Kuni: The Another World

Take a closer look at Ni no Kuni: The Another World originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Level-5 has big plans for DS, enlists aid of Studio Ghibli

David Hinkle — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:33:00 EST

Filed under: News, Imports

Good news, fan of all things DS. The handheld is getting some more love from Level-5, in the form of more games. Level-5 pres and all around handsome dude, Akihiro Hino, has made public his company's intent to rock the DS right out of your hands. How? Well, first is a proposed partnership with Studio Ghibli, the folks behind awesome animated films like Spirited Away.

Continue reading Level-5 has big plans for DS, enlists aid of Studio Ghibli

Level-5 has big plans for DS, enlists aid of Studio Ghibli originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Famitsu: Level-5 and Studio Ghibli teaming up on DS game

Christopher Grant — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:09:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS

Recent scans from Japanese gaming weekly Famitsu detail a new Nintendo DS project titled Ninokuni: The Another World from the fine folks at Level-5 (which is currently putting the finish touches on the PS3's White Knight Story). "What's so special about this project?" you ask, clutching your Totoro plushie. Get this: the animation will be handled by the legendary Studio Ghibli. Not altogether too surprising; anyone familiar with the excellent animation in Level-5's Professor Layton series knows that there wasn't much room for improvement.

Famitsu says there will be a console version though a platform has not yet been decided; Level-5 wants the experience to be distinct from the DS release and that desire will affect the platform decision. Both versions will come with the same "Magic Master" book - shared by the main character of the game - which will need to be referred to while playing the game (let's hope it's portable!). With TGS just around the corner, we're hoping to hear more - and maybe see more - soon.

[Via Opposable Thumbs]

Famitsu: Level-5 and Studio Ghibli teaming up on DS game originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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