Joystiq

The Last Story is XSEED's most successful game, and now it's cheaper

JC Fletcher — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:00:00 EST

The Last Story was released in North America by XSEED, after original publisher Nintendo decided to skip it. Nintendo's lack of interest turned out to be a boon for XSEED: today, Executive Vice President Ken Berry revealed that the RPG "has become our most successful title to date." XSEED declined to offer specific sales numbers.

In response to this success - and to the selling out of the original printing - XSEED is now shipping a standard edition that lacks the art book and special packaging from the original release. It's also cheaper, at a $29.99 MSRP. The MSRP on any remaining "premium" versions is now $40. If you need a cheap game to go with your Wii U, don't forget about the backward compatibility for stuff like this!

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The Last Story is XSEED's most successful game, and now it's cheaper originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We can build on this: Why ideas in The Last Story should be embraced by RPG devs

Kat Bailey — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 20:30:00 EST

This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer.

When Hironobu Sakaguchi set out to make The Last Story, one of his main goals was to make something new. It was an approach that made him nervous.

"With this title, I felt strongly that as the creator of the game, I was laying myself bare, and I was anxious about how the customers would respond to my ideas," Sakaguchi said in an Iwata Asks feature released by Nintendo. "At the same time, there are certain unique things I want to do and express, and in the end, I don't think that my approach is mistaken."

In the end, Sakaguchi was indeed vindicated. The Last Story was met with solid reviews, and was praised in large part because of its creative battle system. All told, it's a nice story of a developer breaking out of its comfort zone to create a new and interesting game, and it's worth reading the full interview to see how The Last Story ultimately came out. I don't think it needs to be the whole story though.

It's in part because The Last Story incorporates so many new elements that I would like to see it adopted in some way by other RPG developers - especially strategy RPG developers. The Last Story can't really be pegged in any particular genre; but it does have a fair amount in common with strategy RPGs. It's not grid-based, or even turn-based, but it does place a premium on enemy placement, for example, by making it possible to knock out casters or other hazards using alternative methods.

Gallery: The Last Story

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We can build on this: Why ideas in The Last Story should be embraced by RPG devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story review: Sakaguchi's experimental side

Kat Bailey — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:30:00 EST

The Last Story appears to flip the script on Dragon Quest. Where Square Enix's seminal RPG series normally seeks to tell new stories within familiar mechanical frameworks, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi's latest effort offers a very (very) familiar narrative while experimenting wildly with its battle system.

The story is vintage Final Fantasy - a collection of traditional role-playing tropes set amid a world featuring an effective mix of medieval and steampunk elements. The hero Zael has a lot in common with the likes of Cloud and Cecil, and his infatuation with a runaway princess brings to mind Final Fantasy IX. There's even a flying fortress ala Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy VIII. For some, it will be charming (I'm in that camp), though others may find it distracting.

Gallery: The Last Story (8/14/12)

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The Last Story review: Sakaguchi's experimental side originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The last trailer you see before you realize The Last Story is out

JC Fletcher — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 23:59:00 EST

Finally, after all the anticipation, petitioning, and weird fan campaigns, The Last Story arrives on Wii in North America today, published by XSEED. See why so many people were so anxious to get a chance to play it in this launch trailer.

The last trailer you see before you realize The Last Story is out originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last Story designer: Wii U controller will enhance JRPG strategizing

JC Fletcher — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST

The Last Story lead designer Takuya Matsumoto believes the Wii U has potential for role-playing games, partly for organizational reasons. "I feel that the Wii U's interface, as with other tablet devices, works best for browsing and arranging information," he told Siliconera.

All right, maybe "browsing and arranging information" isn't the most exciting-sounding use of the WiiPad, but it sounds much more interesting in RPG-specific terms. "One merit is the ability to use a touch screen to directly manipulate information, such as looking up a monster's weak point or, like with a car's GPS, as a tool to understand battlefield conditions on a sub screen," Matsumoto explained. "This special feature will likely bring about opportunities for deep research into JRPG strategy."

Matsumoto envisions JRPGs using other Wii U features as well, beyond the touchscreen. "Also, I think that things like saving information gathered during gameplay, adding to your own character's memories and experiences, and sharing with other players via Wi-Fi and the Miiverse will become an experience typical to the Wii U," Matsumoto said. Sharing memories of virtual experiences isn't exactly the first thing we thought of when we saw Miiverse, but it's an interesting idea.

Last Story designer: Wii U controller will enhance JRPG strategizing originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story finally comes to North America on Aug. 14

JC Fletcher — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST

XSEED has announced an August 14 release date for Mistwalker's anticipated, petitioned-for Wii role-playing game, The Last Story.

All launch copies will include an art book; in addition to that, XSEED revealed the above soundtrack disc as a pre-order bonus from Amazon, GameStop and EB Canada. That's some deluxe treatment for what is sure to be one of the last big Wii games, and it seems to deserve the attention.

The Last Story finally comes to North America on Aug. 14 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The creative maturity of Hironobu Sakaguchi's Last Story

Kat Bailey — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:45:00 EST

There must be a fascinating behind-the-scenes story as to how XSEED managed to get a hold of the localization rights for The Last Story. Ordinarily, Nintendo has a death grip on the rights to its games: If they don't localize it, no one does. XSEED, for their part, say they "got lucky."

The Last Story is the most recent RPG by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, as well as the natural companion to Xenoblade Chronicles, which arrived last month. Both headlined last year's Operation Rainfall petition, along with Pandora's Tower, forever joining them at the hip. Much like Monolith Soft's opus Chronicles, Sakaguchi seems determined to say something new about the genre he once helped create.

Gallery: The Last Story (Nintendo Conference 2010)

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The creative maturity of Hironobu Sakaguchi's Last Story originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 May 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hironobu Sakaguchi made this Last Story trailer for you

JC Fletcher — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST

If you've been ignoring The Last Story because you didn't want to get interested in a game you'd never be able to play, well, it's time to start watching trailers. And there's no better place to start than with this European trailer directed by Mistwalker's Hironobu Sakaguchi himself.

Like the European release of Xenoblade Chronicles, this version of The Last Story has quite British voice acting. American publisher XSEED hasn't made any announcements about how it would handle voice recording, but we expect to hear the same accents when the North American version shows up this summer.

Hironobu Sakaguchi made this Last Story trailer for you originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii's 'The Last Story' coming to North America in 2012 [update: summer!]

JC Fletcher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:03:00 EST

The final surprise at the end of this morning's Nintendo Direct: The Last Story! The long-awaited action-RPG for Wii by Mistwalker will be out in North America this year, thanks to the stalwart RPG localizing staff of publisher XSEED Games.

Update: A press release from XSEED specifies summer 2012. You can read it after the break.

Continue reading Wii's 'The Last Story' coming to North America in 2012 [update: summer!]

Wii's 'The Last Story' coming to North America in 2012 [update: summer!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story is Europe's next Wii RPG, coming Feb. 24

JC Fletcher — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:55:00 EST

Now that North America has a confirmed release for Xenoblade Chronicles, it's time to start pining non-stop for another Wii RPG. It's either that or be happy, and we can't have that.

Nintendo has officially dated the European release of Hironobu Sakaguchi's The Last Story. It'll be released on February 24, giving Euro players the chance to finish two of the "Operation Rainfall" games before Xenoblade even comes out in North America.

The action-RPG features both a single-player story mode, about a mercenary named Zael aspiring to become a knight, and online modes including co-op and deathmatch for six players.

Continue reading The Last Story is Europe's next Wii RPG, coming Feb. 24

The Last Story is Europe's next Wii RPG, coming Feb. 24 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story classified in Australia

JC Fletcher — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:55:00 EST

We're happy to have some good news about a new regional release of The Last Story, even if it's not the region we would have picked. The Classification Board has rated Mistwalker's Wii action RPG for release in Australia, where its "fantasy violence and mature themes" have earned it an M rating.

The Last Story, of course, is one of the games for which "Operation Rainfall" is campaigning. Depending on your outlook (and your location), evidence of an Australian release can either be an encouraging sign of worldwide plans, or a version of the game in yet another region that isn't North America.

The Last Story classified in Australia originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story, Pandora's Tower due in Europe in 2012, more Euro releases dated

JC Fletcher — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:35:00 EST

The Wii does have a lifespan beyond 2011 -- in Europe. Nintendo of Europe sent out a list (PDF) of upcoming titles today, including the two other games for which Operation Rainfall is campaigning: Mistwalker's The Last Story and Ganbarion's Pandora's Tower. Both are slated for 2012 in Europe now, and have yet to be announced in North America. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be released in Europe November 18 while Kirby's Adventure Wii is coming in December.

The release list also provides November and December windows for Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 on 3DS, respectively. Super Pokemon Rumble will also be released in Europe this December. On DS, DQ Monsters Joker 2 is coming October 7, Kirby Mass Attack is due October 28, and Professor Layton will answer The Spectre's Call in November. Cave Story will finally come to DSiWare in Europe in Q4.

A few standout downloads listed: in Q4, the 3DS Virtual Console will see releases of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Metroid II, and the Game Boy Bionic Commando game. Nintendo previously blocked the NES version from Virtual Console.

The Last Story, Pandora's Tower due in Europe in 2012, more Euro releases dated originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Operation Rainfall begins phase 2, asks fans to buy Final Fantasy on Virtual Console August 19

JC Fletcher — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:30:00 EST

Operation Rainfall, the fan-driven initiative to promote North American releases of Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower, begins its "phase 2" today. This phase is meant to coincide with, and take advantage of, the August 19 launch of Xenoblade Chronicles in Europe.

"To all residents in the regions of Europe and Oceania," the organizers say, "we encourage you to pre-order and purchase it at your earliest convenience. In the Americas, we encourage you to promote awareness of these titles. Good sales abroad will be a strong indicator for the title making it to American shores."

The initiative also includes a rally of letters to Nintendo of America, to be mailed from August 13 to August 17 in order to arrive at roughly the same time. The group also posted an open letter to Satoru Iwata urging him to greenlight the games for North America, and promising to help promote them.

Finally, "phase 2" includes one (hopefully) attention-getting stunt timed for August 19. As a show of interest in RPGs, the initiative encourages people to purchase Final Fantasy on Virtual Console that day -- if you already have it, you can gift it to someone else or donate to Child's Play through a widget on the site. Can the Virtual Console's servers even handle multiple people buying a game at once? Has that ever been tested?

Operation Rainfall begins phase 2, asks fans to buy Final Fantasy on Virtual Console August 19 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story's 2010 US trademark receives 'Notice of Allowance'

JC Fletcher — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:45:00 EST

In a nicely timed coincidence, the US trademark Nintendo filed for The Last Story has popped back up, reminding us all that Nintendo made at least a casual overture toward a North American release back in January of 2010 when it filed the document. The Last Story is currently one of the subjects of the "Operation Rainfall" fan campaign.

This week, the trademark was granted "Notice of Allowance," which means it went through its 30-day "opposition period" without any parties opposing the registration of the mark. It has therefore been allowed for registration, but not yet finally registered.

And, of course, even the existence of this trademark doesn't mean Nintendo intends to publish the game here. Companies (including Nintendo) routinely file trademarks worldwide for all of their properties, in case they decide to release them at some point -- or just to prevent others from using the name. Late last month, Nintendo announced it had 'no plans' to localize The Last Story, Xenoblade, or Pandora's Tower.

The Last Story's 2010 US trademark receives 'Notice of Allowance' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo: 'No plans' to localize Xenoblade, Last Story, or Pandora's Tower

JC Fletcher — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:30:00 EST

On Sunday, Nintendo of America's Facebook page promised "more updates soon" regarding the status of Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower, the three Wii games that are the focus of the ongoing grassroots campaign for localization, called "Operation Rainfall."

On Monday, it posted a Super Mario 64 trivia question.

Then, today, it provided the response that fans were waiting for -- but not the one they wanted. "We never say 'never,'" the company stated, "but we can confirm that there are no plans to bring these three games to the Americas at this time." A brief response on Twitter thanked Operation Rainfall-ers for being "such incredible fans," but reiterated that "there continues to be no plans for NOA to release these 3 games right now."

Not that we want to give false hope regarding the actions of a company who is always pragmatic to the point of angering dedicated fans, but "no plans right now" is far from a death knell, especially for Nintendo. Some things that there were "no plans" for in America: the black Wii, the Classic Controller Pro, the Wii Sports Resort hardware bundle. Basically, there are "no plans" until the company decides to tell people its plans.

So even that denial leaves the door wide open for one of these games to be announced at a "Media Summit" or similar event in the fall. We're just mentioning that possibility, to be perfectly honest, so that we can say we totally called it should that happen.

Nintendo: 'No plans' to localize Xenoblade, Last Story, or Pandora's Tower originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Operation Rainfall' campaign seeks localization of Wii RPGs

JC Fletcher — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:45:00 EST

Normally, online petition efforts seem doomed from the start. But a grassroots campaign, born on the IGN forums, and aimed at getting Nintendo to localize Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower outstrips the normal, futile campaign through cleverness and pure vigor.

Fans have taken to spamming Nintendo's Facebook and Twitter pages and email with requests for those three games. "Operation Rainfall" also involves coordinated physical mailings of letters to NOA headquarters, aimed at one game at a time.

Even more clever -- and likely effective -- is a campaign to pre-order "Monado: Beginning of the World" from Amazon. Back in 2009, before it was even called Xenoblade, Nintendo announced this game at E3. Amazon accordingly added a pre-order listing, which has been sitting dormant for two years. Now, that orphaned pre-order listing is Amazon's top seller in video games. Unlike most petitions, this can be translated directly into purchase intent -- i.e. money on the table -- and is more likely than anything to attract Nintendo's attention.

It's at least attracted the attention of Nintendo's social media intern: the company tweeted, "Hey fans, we appreciate your enthusiasm. Look for more updates to come soon!"

'Operation Rainfall' campaign seeks localization of Wii RPGs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story's insane 'chat' system revealed

JC Fletcher — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:30:00 EST

Mistwalker's Hironobu Sakaguchi and Takuya Matsumoto from co-developer AQ Interactive spoke to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata about The Last Story's online play in a new Iwata Asks interview posted by Nintendo of Japan. The game won't exactly have chat when played online, but it will have a bizarre, kind of useless, but also probably really amusing replacement.

Basically, you'll be able to trigger voice-acted lines from the single-player game in multiplayer. Matsumoto offered the silly example of one of the characters being made to say "Father ... Father ..." repeatedly, which is weird, and hilarious. It would have been even more hilarious had Mistwalker not replaced the placeholder staff voice acting with professionals.

The Last Story's insane 'chat' system revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story Wii bundle, Uematsu music revealed

JC Fletcher — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST

Mistwalker's Wii RPG The Last Story will receive a big push from Nintendo in Japan when it comes out January 27. The company will offer the game in a bundle with a white Wii and Classic Controller Pro for ¥25,800 ($300), neatly packed in a box (pictured above) that buyers may want to hang onto for display purposes. It looks really nice, is what we're saying.

The first run of the game will also be bundled with bonuses including a mini-soundtrack and an artbook. Speaking of the soundtrack, Nintendo also revealed that Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu has created the music for The Last Story (via a Japanese-language Iwata Asks interview with both Uematsu and his fellow Squaresoft veteran Hironobu Sakaguchi). The addition of Uematsu certainly makes that mini-soundtrack more appealing!

The Last Story Wii bundle, Uematsu music revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story has competitive and cooperative online play

JC Fletcher — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:25:00 EST

Yes, it's still on the Wii.

The latest Jump magazine, summarized by Andriasang, reveals two online game modes for Mistwalker's surprisingly exciting action RPG, The Last Story. The competitive mode is a battle arena, and the cooperative mode has players teaming up to fight tough monsters -- reminiscent of a certain phenomenally successful series about hunting monsters, perhaps. Both modes support up to six players and are accessed through the game's "Raid Lobby" area.

With players meeting their pals on the internet, it makes sense that you can customize your character. Andriasang notes that players' armor and equipment is visible on their characters, and items can be "painted" to customize their color. The Last Story will be released in Japan on January 27. No plans have been announced for a launch outside of Japan.

Gallery: The Last Story (Nintendo Conference 2010)

The Last Story has competitive and cooperative online play originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Rhythm Heaven, Fatal Frame games announced for Wii

JC Fletcher — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:10:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Nintendo's conference today wasn't all about the 3DS. The publisher has also announced new DS and Wii titles. Mistwalker's The Last Story was given a January 27 release date, but more excitingly, two new Wii sequels were announced -- one for the GBA/DS Rhythm Heaven series, and one for Zero, known here as Fatal Frame.

Both games are scheduled for 2011 releases, and screens of both are available in our galleries.

Gallery: Fatal Frame (2011) (Wii)

Gallery: Rhythm Heaven (Wii)

New Rhythm Heaven, Fatal Frame games announced for Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story seen in action for the first time

JC Fletcher — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:47:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We've seen little of The Last Story since its January debut: concept art, mostly, with more revealed in a series of developer columns. Today, Nintendo released the first trailer for the Wii RPG, which Mistwalker head and Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi identified as his sole project earlier this year.

The dedication appears to be paying off. We expected something turn-based from Sakaguchi, but Mistwalker seems to be delivering a real-time action RPG with surprisingly fast action. There also appears to be a cover system. The game as seen in this footage reminds us of a quicker, less daunting Demon's Souls.

Earlier this year, Nintendo of America was undecided about whether to localize this game. But, of course, that was before NOA saw this trailer.

Continue reading The Last Story seen in action for the first time

The Last Story seen in action for the first time originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Story's first concept art

JC Fletcher — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST

The first details about Mistwalker's mysterious Wii RPG The Last Story have been released, in the form of a blog entry on Nintendo's Last Story site. The game takes place on Ruri Island, which, as home to a necessary harbor, has become a wealthy and important city. The affluent island is run by "Lord Arganon," a power-hungry ruler who is well-versed in magic. If we had to guess, we'd say he's going to be the villain.

We still have yet to see real screens or footage of The Last Story, but the blog entry includes concept art of the island, which is quite lovely.

Gallery: The Last Story (Wii)

[Via VG247; All Games Beta]

The Last Story's first concept art originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dunaway hints at new Zelda in 2010, unsure about Xenoblade and The Last Story

JC Fletcher — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

As if Satoru Iwata's pronouncement of a 2010 release date for -- let's call it -- "New Legend of Zelda" wasn't exciting enough, Nintendo of America's Cammie Dunaway referenced a similar timeline for the upcoming Wii game at the Nintendo Media Summit this week. Speaking to GameLife, Dunaway said, "If you compare the first half of 2010 with the first half of 2009, it's night and day. And from some of the things that Mr. Iwata has talked about, and things that we will talk about at E3, like Zelda, you know that we're going to have a good back half of the year, as well." So then, Zelda in the back half of 2010? Yes, please.

In regards to North American releases of RPGs Xenoblade and The Last Story, Dunaway somewhat baffling said, "It's too early to say whether we're going to bring those here" -- even though Nintendo of America already announced Xenoblade back at E3 2009 when it was called Monado: Beginning of the World. It's possible Dunaway simply misspoke, or she just forgot about Monado -- like everyone else in the world.

Gallery: Monado: Beginning of the World

Dunaway hints at new Zelda in 2010, unsure about Xenoblade and The Last Story originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sakaguchi: The Last Story is 'my only project'

JC Fletcher — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:14:00 EST

It's likely that The Last Story, Mistwalker's new Wii RPG, is the project Hironobu Sakaguchi has been hinting at for a while. In a new blog post, the Final Fantasy creator said that the new RPG is "my only project because I am concentrating on this particular one right now." And then, because that didn't meet the appropriate level of creepiness, he described the game as "raised like a only daughter, but sometimes she was forcedly pushed into the abyss of ravine ... She's sturdy, beautiful and I'd like to nurture her gently."

Yikes. Anyway, the point is that Mistwalker has been at work on the game for a while, and Sakaguchi is working on it directly.

Since The Last Story is Sakaguchi's "only project" right now (except for the Lego creation above, of course), that means that either another team within Mistwalker is working on the iPhone game or it's been put aside until the The Last Story is all grown up.

Sakaguchi: The Last Story is 'my only project' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo's 'The Last Story' is new Mistwalker RPG; Xenoblade is Monado

JC Fletcher — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:44:00 EST

We didn't have to wait long to find out about Nintendo's two mystery Wii games. Xenoblade, as we guessed before, is the new name for Monado: Beginning of the World, the RPG by Monolith Soft, creators of Xenosaga. Nintendo has launched a site for the title, featuring little more than music and a bit of artwork for now. More of the game, as Monado, can be seen in last year's E3 trailer and screens.

Additionally, The Last Story is a new RPG for Wii being developed by Nintendo and Blue Dragon's Mistwalker. According to Andriasang's translation of a statement from an investor meeting, the game is an attempt at a "new form of RPG." The last time Nintendo worked with Mistwalker, the result was Archaic Sealed Heat, which Nintendo didn't bother to localize for North America.

Finally, a Metroid: Other M teaser site has also been newly launched. It doesn't really reveal anything about the game, other than confirming its summer 2010 release in Japan. Interestingly, the game doesn't appear to use the traditional Metroid logo, opting for something much plainer.

[Via Andriasang: The Last Story; Xenoblade; Metroid]

Source - The Last Story teaser site
Source - Xenoblade teaser site
Source - Metroid: Other M teaser site

Nintendo's 'The Last Story' is new Mistwalker RPG; Xenoblade is Monado originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo report hints at new Wii titles, Other M release

Mike Schramm — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:15:00 EST

Nintendo is one of a few companies to release its earnings report earlier this week, and a supplemental report released today has some surprises and new information for Wii owners. Not only does it finally list a target date for Metroid: Other M (you can expect it as soon as summer of this year if all goes according to plan), but there are two brand new names in the list as well: Xenoblade and The Last Story. Xenoblade is listed for a Spring 2010 release, so we should be hearing about that one soon, and The Last Story is listed for sometime this year, with both slated for release on the Wii in Japan. There's reason to believe these are just new names, as both Monado: Beginning of the World and Cosmic Walker are missing from the report, and Monado was being developed by Monolith Soft, known most notably for another Xeno- title you may have heard of. But Monado is still listed for a release in the US this year, so who knows?

Other than that, the report lists some titles we expected to see soon: A new Kirby Super Star title, Super Mario Galaxy 2, the Wii's Legend of Zelda, Golden Sun for DS, and a few other releases scheduled in 2010. Full list of Japanese Wii releases is after the break.

Continue reading Nintendo report hints at new Wii titles, Other M release

Nintendo report hints at new Wii titles, Other M release originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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