The official logo for Tales of Xillia, the 13th entry in the long-running Namco RPG series.
Tales of Xillia is coming to the USA! In addition to an American release, Europe will also be getting the game confirmed Namco via their Twitter account.
Here’s a Japanese Tales of Xillia Trailer, showing tons of cutscenes and story sequences, along with gameplay at the end.
This is huge news for fans of the Tales series of RPGs from Namco, who were a bit worried that the latest game in the series, a PS3-exclusive, would not see the light of day outside Japan.
Thankfully, Namco has come to their senses, although no word on exactly WHEN the game will be released has been announced. But it is extremely likely it will hit sometime this holiday, if I had to wager a guess.
This is what the RPG battles look like in Tales of Xillia exclusively for PS3. Coming this Fall 2012.
The latest game in the Tales series was the 3DS Tales of the Abyss 3D released last year, a remake of the PS2 title from 2006. Before that we got Tales of Graces f for PS3, an enhanced port of a Wii game in the series that was never released outside of Japan. The game most players will remember from the current generation is the Xbox 360-exclusive Tales of Vesperia (also released for PS3 in Japan with an updated version). Sadly there are two fairly recent DS entries in the Tales series that never got released outside of Japan. Hopefully Namco can combine them into a dual-pack and release it for 3DS or something along those lines eh?
Otherwise, releases of Tales games in the West have been somewhat hit or miss, but it’s great to hear that Tales of Xillia will finally be getting its day on Western shores.
Apparently some pretty cool cats from Tales of Xillia. What with the shades in all…
The anime RPG style of the box art for Car Battler Joe for GBA, released in 2002.
Episode 9 of On the Cutting Room Floor (Games I’m Longing to Play) is Car Battler Joe, a little-known, extremely unique GBA RPG that combines Twisted Metal-style Car Combat with RPG elements!
If you know me, you know that there are TONS AND TONS of videogames I’ve never played. Sadly, although I consider myself to be a “hardcore” gamer, I really am not compared to most “gamers”. The reason for that is because, unlike other more productive people, I can never seem to find the time to play games. Period.
So I thought it would be fun to go through some of the games I’d LOVE to play and still plan on playing someday, but never have up to this point and why I want to play them. Hopefully I’ll play through them in the near future. :)
EPISODE #9 – Car Battler Joe Released: 2002 System: Game Boy Advance Re-Released: No Genre: Car Combat RPG Developed By: Ancient Corp Publisher: Natsume Is There A Digital Version?: No. I highly doubt there ever will be.
Here is a video of Car Battler Joe in action!
In the early 2000s, the Game Boy Advance was stuffed to the gills with very cool, interesting, and unique games that have been seemingly lost to the sands of time… Most people do not know of some of the best little gems that GBA has to offer; games like Drill Dozer, Car Battler Joe, Demi Kids, Sigma Star Saga and Klonoa: Empire of Dreams. Among many others.
Which is a crying shame, because some of the above titles are truly lost gems… Such as this game, released in 2002 by RPG house Natsume, and known as Car Battler Joe!
….. Car Battler Joe is often thought of as Pokemon Cars, which isn’t quite accurate. More like Twisted Metal RPG.
Car Battler Joe is a unique mashup of Twisted Metal-style car combat with RPG elements! It is truly a mix of genres and styles that you have never seen before. The brunt of the game sees players stepping into the shoes of the titular mechanic Joe, who must run around an RPG world, talking to people, purchasing new items and equipment, and battling car owners in Mode-7 arenas with car-on-car-combat in order to gain more cash which is used to upgrade your car. Eventually players will proceed in the storyline of the game and find out about Joe’s father.
While it is tempting to think of Car Battler Joe as “Pokemon Cars”, it’s actually not, as the game is more about upgrading your car with new abilities, and less about collecting new cars in the way you collect “Pocket Monsters” in Pokemon. Instead you are typically collecting new parts to improve your car in an number of areas and add a variety of weapons and abilities to it. Which make defeating new Car Owners easier.
Don’t be deceived by the very cool looking artwork. The game doesn’t look this!
Overall, Car Battler Joe is a very unique game that very few people know about. The game garnered good reviews (mostly in the 7 range) upon release and was praised for offering a unique hook. One that has still yet to be seen in the same way. In particular because Car Battler Joe makes heavy use of the 32bit Game Boy Advance to offer 16bit style graphics and effects, which are much different than how the game would’ve been done had it come out on a more powerful system. Yet these oldschool graphics are what instill Car Battler Joe with such a unique charm. If the game was to be done today, it likely would lack that charm.
Car Battler Joe is quite rare and hard to come by, although you can get it off ebay for around $20 if you can even find it being sold. Hopefully the game will get a digital re-release at some point, as very few people even know it exists. Of course, there’s always piracy. Which is definitely the easiest way to play this lost gem. :)
Explore the world in RPG mode and talk to new car mechanics to battle!
Use the cash you win in battle to buy new parts and weapons to upgrade your vehicle!
In typical RPG style, run around the world and talk to everyone.
Hey is this Battle Bots or Car Battler Joe?!
Exploring building interiors in the RPG mode of Car Battler Joe.
Battling other cars is kinda like Twisted Metal RPG eh.
Face off against a titanic boss in the third game in the Penny Arcade RPG series!
The third On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Penny Arcade game, Episode 3, will be released early, on June 25th, as part of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Xbox Live Indie Games section, as well as a legit release on Steam.
This is a much earlier release than was originally intended, as the game was supposed to hit in July. But since the game is done now, the developers thought it’d be dumb to sit on their hands until later. Cool right?! :D
Additionally, fans of the Penny Arcade comic-based videogame who purchase On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 3 on Steam will get an extra goody! Buy it on Steam during the first week of its release will net you a full copy of the Indie darling “Cthulhu Saves The World”! The Steam version also supports SteamPlay and Mac gamers will be able to play the game once it hits Steam.
Here is a video of the game in action, which features a completely different style from the former two games in the series, and was made by Indie Developer Zeboyd Games, makers of Breath of Death VII and Cthulhu Saves the World, as well as other retro-style modern RPGs.
On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 3 is also scheduled to hit Android and iOS in the future.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star for 3DS was officially announced at Nintendo’s E3 2012 Press Conference (previously known as “Paper Mario 3DS”), with the first gameplay trailer showing the game in action for Nintendo’s next-gen glasses free, stereoscopic 3D portable system. It will be released digitally and physically this holiday 2012.
The game brings back the classic Paper Mario RPG, look, style and humor that players know and love from past Paper Mario games; complete with the literal “paper” look where everything in the game is paper-thin “2d”… meaning that Mario “flips over” when turning and slides under the covers of a bed when sleeping. All the environments and buildings in the game look like a pop-up book, etc… all while adding an all-new gameplay element in the form of “Stickers”.
The Stickers are scattered throughout the environments of the game world that you explore and can be “peeled” off of walls, floors, objects, etc. and added to your collection, where they become items and equipment that increase your abilities and give Mario new powers!
Here’s the Paper Mario: Sticker Star gameplay trailer of the E3 2012 Nintendo Press Conference announcement and gameplay video.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star Synopsis Mario’s Super Sticker Collection
On the day of the annual Sticker Fest, Bowser decides to pull a prank and scatters six Royal Stickers across the land. To retrieve these mysterious, magical stickers, which are now stuck onto Bowser and his underlings, Mario sets off on an adventure with Kersti, a sticker fairy, visiting prairies, deserts, forests, snowy mountains and volcanoes around the world.
Key Features of Paper Mario: Sticker Star include:
* Stickers are blended into every aspect of game play. They become your arsenal of items and attacks in traditional Paper Mario action-battles and can even unfold the environment to reveal new areas and ways to progress through the game.
* Collect stickers by peeling them off their environment, buying them in shops, or even making your own, and store them in your notebook for later use.
* “Paper”-ize the world by flattening it out and then use your stickers to find secret areas and hidden items just about anywhere in the game.
* The papercraft setting of the game is really emphasized in 3D, giving you the feeling of peering into and exploring a world comprised of shoebox dioramas.
* A cast of colorful characters will keep players laughing at every turn.
This game looks absolutely awesome! I can’t wait for it. Sadly, I shamefully have NEVER played any of the Paper Mario games, even though I want to SOOOO bad and I LOVE Super Mario RPG and the Mario & Luigi series. I MUST play them before this game comes out!
Legends of Dawn is an upcoming Indie RPG being developed by Dreamatrix Game Studios.
Here’s a gameplay trailer for Legends of Dawn followed by the press release. No release date for teh game was given, or platforms but its clear it is for PC.
Fresh out of the lair of Dreamatrix Game Studios, Legends of Dawn invites players to the brutal northerly reaches of Narr. Survival depends on you, your magic and your sword.
What sets Legends of Dawn apart, is the freedom of play expressed in several key attributes that are rarely seen in typical RPG genres. We have poured our passion and creativity into taking you on an enthralling ride away from wearisome reality, by providing you with the choice to be whatever your heart desires, in Legends of Dawn. Read the rest of this entry »
Gameplay of Divinity: Original Sin looks like this.
Divinity 3: Original Sin has been announced by Larian Studios as the latest game in the hack-and-slash, class-based RPG franchise.
Officially entitled simply “Divinity: Original Sin”, the game is technically the fourth entry in the series following the original 2002 debut entry, Divine Divinity, its sequel: 2004′s Beyond Divinity, and 2010′s Divinity II: Ego Draconis.
Artwork split with gameplay from Divinity: Original Sin.
Synopsis:
Welcome back to Rivellon, player, welcome back to this vast world of role-playing. Experience a classic RPG adventure that includes an isometric perspective, strategic turn-based combat and innovative co-op dialog. Return to the days when the realm was young and evil first reared its head. In the wake of a terrible sin, two heroes share one destiny.
Lovely artwork of a couple of presumed main characters in Divinity: Original Sin.
Story:
The orcs of Tanoroth are on the march, wielding magic never seen before: bloody, deadly, reality-bending. The free nations of Rivellon are about to fall beneath their blades. Yet there are two unlikely heroes who can resist this savage magic: a condemned warrior released from his chains and a mystic heroine restored to life. Will they be strong enough to cope with the sins of their past? And will they be strong enough to counter the even greater threat that lurks behind the marching orcs?
Here’s the Divinity: Original Sin debut trailer.
No word on platforms, but you can expect PC for sure. The second game also came to Xbox 360 however (Divinity II: Ego Draconis).
Nintendo GOT IT RIGHT! Metroid’s DO EXIST! As Level 9999 Deepstaria Enigmatica Giant Blob Jellyfish!!!
Jellyfish or Metroid? Does it suck the lifeforce of anything it touches? Does anyone even know if it DOESN’T?!
Those questions and more will ponder your head when you watch this video…
Captivating the Internet like something that captivates the eyballs of five million human beings (the video’s current views sit at 5,061,629) the “Cascade Creature”, or “DeepSea Blob”, as it’s affectionately called by people who don’t know any better; Is in actuality a giant version of a Deepstaria Enigmatica deepsea Jellyfish. It was discovered and captured on video near a deep-sea oil rig off the coast of the UK.
It also looks like it has its insides on the outside… a brainy, disgusting, ungodly like mass within a huge hexiconal pattern of blob…. God I wish I could feel it….. Don’t you just wanna touch it?
It’s so creepy looking… and many people thought it wasn’t actually real. But apparently it IS real, and these types of jelly are known. However they have never seen one of this size apparently. I haven’t seen the actual size mentioned, and it’s tough to know how big it actually is since there is nothing to compare it to in the video.
But man is it cool looking. I wonder if Metroid’s really DO exist….. Ahem. I like this comment by a guy on reddit, in relation to the Metroid blob: “It’s probably a jellyfish that has been regenerating since the dawn of time and has finally reached level 9999!” Hahaha. Freakin’ awesome. All I have to say to that is… “indeed”. Non RPG fans will be confused by that statement, which only makes it funnier.
Why God?! Why are Metroid’s NOT REAL!!!!!!!!!!! :( *sigh*
Here is the truth about the Metroid Blob (as I’ll continue to call it whether you like it or not):
“This bag-like jelly is not that rare, but is large, so rarely seen intact. In the video, the swirling from the sub makes the medusa appear to undulate and it even turns inside-out… The web-like pattern is not a nerve net, as some comments have said. It is branches from their digestive system. This type of jellyfish is usually found in the south Atlantic Ocean; it has oral arms terminating in curious hook-shaped organs,” said Steven Haddock, a scientist for the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Moss Landing, California, writing on his “Jellywatch” Facebook Page.
This Deepstaria Enigmatica Jellyfish was first identified in the deeps of the Antarctic Ocean in 1966 using a deep-sea submarine research vessel.
That’s gotta be one of the greatest jobs ever…. Which reminds me… One day I WILL own a jellyfish aquirium! *adds to list of “life accomplishments to get to one day”*
This amazing Coin Set can be yours for registering Pandora's Tower, The Last Story and Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii.
Club Nintendo Europe is offering a Limited Collector’s Wii RPG Coin Set featuring Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower for anyone who registers all three of the hit Operation Rainfall RPGs via Club Nintendo’s European website!
THOSE BASTARDS!
This Coin Set is the absolute cherry on top of the cake for Operation Rainfall members and Wii RPG fans who live overseas. Sadly it is unknown (and some would say very unlikely) that Nintendo of America will be offering this absolutely amazing coin set in the USA. That’s because Pandora’s Tower has not even been confirmed for American release yet! But one can hope… And pray. And write. And DEMAND! (see end of story below)
In order to qualify for this set, you must be a PAL region Club Nintendo member and you must have bought all three game’s new, you’ll then need to register them using the Club Nintendo code that is included with each new game. It doesn’t matter if you bought the standard or Limited Edition of the RPGs, either will work fine for registration. Once all three have been registered, you should get a message on the Club Nintendo site telling you of the new exclusive offer. The Coins in the set feature logos of all three titles along with emblems representing them, one on each side of the coin.
Keep in mind that this Three Wii RPG Coin Set is LIMITED and will only be in stock while supplies last, so ACT NOW!
Operation Rainfall is still going in America for Pandora's Tower. Demand Nintendo of America release this ---great Wii RPG!
In Pandora’s Tower you take on the role of Aeron, as he battles to save his beloved friend Elena from a mysterious curse that is gradually transforming her into a demonic creature. Only by battling through the towers of a nearby fortress can Aeron rescue Elena from her gruesome fate. Featuring multiple possible endings and a New Game+ mode, Pandora’s Tower contains hours of entertainment and great replay value.
While you explore thirteen challenging towers on a mission to save Elena, you will enjoy a powerful soundtrack consisting of some of the most popular classical music in the world, including composers such as Verdi and Tchaikovsky. Every decision you make will affect your ultimate success. The choice is yours.
Here is a trailer for Pandora’s Tower! Please be sure to call and write Nintendo of America to DEMAND that they release the game here! Especially do the demanding today, Friday the 13th, as today is an activist day where all Operation Rainfall members are being encouraged to contact Nintendo of America today, so that they get a huge influx of letters, calls, etc. all at the same time from people demanding that they release Pandora’s Tower in North America. DOOOO ITTTT CHUCKY DOOO ITTT (Rugrats reference… ahem)
And remember to keep staying plugged in to the Operation Rainfall Facebook and the Operation Rainfall website! This will help you stay informed and stay ontop of the latest news concerning videogames that deserve the attention and activism!
Xenoblade Chronicles offers great visuals for a Wii game, and offers an epic world to explore.
Xenoblade Chronicles has finally been released exclusively for Wii (On April 6th, my younger brother’s 25th bday actually), hopefully you went out to your local GameStop or ordered the game at Nintendo’s official online store to get your copy today! If not, then definitely watch a few trailers of the game or whatever it takes to convince you that Xenoblade Chronicles is a must-own title. Then go out and BUY IT!
This is one of those amazing games that was developed with love and care by Monolith Soft (makers of Xenogears and Xenosaga series), and needs sales to be high in order to convince Nintendo to bring the third, last and only outstanding Operation Rainfall title left, Pandora’s Tower, to America! So please go out and support Xenoblade Chronicles!
Awesome Operation Rainfall artwork showing all three games in the campaign to convince Nintendo to release these Wii RPGs stateside!
Sadly the artbook is more like a brochure, and is not the hardcover bound tome that I was hoping it would be. I guess you can never expect to much with GameStop, you definitely gotta check your expectations at the door. However a bonus is better than NO BONUS, so I can’t complain too much. And the “skinny artbook” is actually quite thick (printed on thick paper), so in a way it’s a lot more than a brochure or pamphlet in size and weight, and does feature some beautiful images. It’s mostly artwork on the right side and stretching about half into the left page, with text on the left side on a black background. The book is a bit longer about the width or a bit more of a Wii game case. It’s nothing much, but like I said, it’s better than nothing. Sadly we didn’t get the hardcover French-exclusive Xenoblade Chronicles Art Book that was offered overseas. FOR SHAME!
The Xenoblade Chronicles Artbook alongside my copy of the game. The artbook may look big here, but it's not much bigger than the game case.
GameStop early on actually met the threshold for how many pre-order bonus Xenoblade Chronicles Art Books were actually given to them (around March 30th, although the news hit on the 27th). So if you reserved the game after March 30th ahead of the release date on April 6th (like I did, pre-ordering the game on April 4th), the company would no longer guarantee that you would get an artbook. This thankfully bodes well for the game’s sales; because it means that enough people pre-ordered that they RAN OUT of their pre-order incentives. Hopefully demand for the game has been very high for this Wii-exclusive RPG! Which is so deserving of it it will be criminal if sales aren’t high! Do what you can to let your friends know about the game and spread the word!
I’m also very thankful that I was able to get my hands on the Xenoblade Chronicles artbook at all, because my local GameStop also couldn’t guarentee that I’d get the book. I went in early though and they gave me one, so I’m a happy camper!
Xenoblade Chronicles will cost you $50 or $65 if you went the Nintendo Store route and got the Classic Controller Pro bundle. Personally I had no money, so I had to trade in games to get my copy. I ended up trading in New Super Mario Bros. DS, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (PS2, I own two copies), Super Mario Galaxy 1 (Wii) and Punch-Out Wii. It always stings to trade games in, but that was the only way for me since I’m a poor man. I wanted to do my part to put my money where my mouth is and pre-order the game, so it was the only way. At the end I NEARLY traded my copy of Epic Mickey…. I deliberated for a long time, but decided to keep it since the sequel is coming out soon and I haven’t played it. And it looks like such an awesome game. Plus I own the Collector’s Edition with the awesome figurine. So in the end I choose to trade NSMB DS instead.
Once I’ve played through some of Xenoblade Chronicles, I will let you know what I think of the game. And the same for Kid Icarus: Uprising, which I desperately need to get back to playing. So keep your eyes peeled for a review soon!
Here, once again, is the Xenoblade Chronicles Epic Trailer!
