Friday 29 August 2014

This Month's PSN EU/AU PSN Releases, JRPG Style! (29/8/14)

Photo from Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment
Hello hello!

For a start, I'm sorry posts have been sparse! I've been working on two reviews with any blogging time I've had, so I haven't been able to keep up with JRPG news this week, which by the way, I hate! What if I missed a sweet game announcement? O.O

Anyway, since I didn't post the PSN update last week, I thought I'd show off what PSN's offerings for the entire months were instead. So if a few of these games look familiar, that's why. But there have been some awesome releases as of late, with games such as Tales of Xillia 2, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment and Hyperdimension Neptunia ReBirth1 (in case you don't follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter, I'm on a Neptunia kick right now.) being released in these last few weeks. Looks like the game drought is starting to clear, thank goodness!

Enough talk. Here are this month's PSN EU and AU offerings:

New Releases
  • End of Serenity (PSP)
  • Hyperdimension Neptunia ReBirth1 (PS Vita)
  • One Piece Pirate Warriors 2 (PS3)
  • Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment (PS Vita)
  • Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3)


Free Demo

  • Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited (PS Vita)

DLC
  • Dynasty Warriors Xtreme Legends Complete Edition (PS3 + PS4 + PS Vita) - Various Free and Paid DLC
  • Everybody's Golf (PS3 + PS Vita) - Various DLC
  • Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth1 (PS Vita) - Various DLC
  • Mugen Souls Z (PS3) - Various Free and Paid DLC
  • One Piece Unlimited World Red (PS3 + PS Vita) - Various Free and Paid DLC
  • Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment (PS Vita) - Costume Pack
  • Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3) - Various Free and Paid DLC
Deals

  • Persona 4 Golden (PS Vita)
    (Side note: this is my favourite game, so naturally I highly recommend it!)
  • Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle - Joestar Offer
  • Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle - Prestige Edition - Add-On
  • One Piece: Pirate Warriors - Grand Line Edition
  • Mugen Souls Z
  • Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention
  • Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend
  • Toukiden: The Age of Demons
  • Demon Gaze
  • Atelier Rorona Plus + 3 DLCs
  • Atelier Meruru Plus: The Apprentice of Arland
  • Atelier Totori Plus: The Adventurer of Arland
  • Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection
Avatars

  • Tales of Xillia 2
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My release of the week: Hyperdimension Neptunia ReBirth1
Comment or Tweet @JRPGJungle with yours!

Did I miss something important? Or maybe you found a game on PSN that you think fellow JRPG fans would enjoy? Comment below, send a tweet to @JRPGJungle or email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let me know!

Tuesday 26 August 2014

A Week Worth Of Fantasy Life News: Two New Trailers Detailing Multiplayer and Classes Plus Release Dates

Last week, there were two new trailers released for Level-5's upcoming 3DS JRPG Fantasy Life. The first trailer details what the game is about and details the lives/classes featured in the game. It can be viewed below.


The second trailer touches on the original trailer's content while revealing the multiplayer functionality to the game. The trailer can be watched below.


Notably, the original Fantasy Life game in Japan didn't originally feature multiplayer functions, instead released a second version of the game with the multiplayer functionality called Fantasy Life Link!, which seems to be the version that is being localised for Western audiences.

For those interested in the game, release dates have also been announced. For Europe, fans can expect the game on September 26th. North American fans can look forward to Fantasy Life on October 24th. The game will be released for Nintendo 3DS consoles.

Pre-order Fantasy Life (Europe): Play-Asia
Pre-Order Fantasy Life (US): Amazon, Play-Asia

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What's your favourite thing about Fantasy Life so far? (So far, I can't get enough of the music score!)
Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

Sunday 24 August 2014

Guilty Gear X2 - Reload Coming To Steam

Last week, digital publishers Kiss Ltd. announced via Twitter that they are bringing Arc System Works' Guilty Gear X2 - Reload game to Steam. The game will be released September 5th. The original tweet can be viewed below:


Guilty Gear X2 - Reload was originally released in Japan 2003 and in Europe 2004. The game expanded on the original Guilty Gear XX game by adding balancing changes to all characters, two secret characters and a fully voiced story mode for console players. No other details have been released related to the Steam release, so keep an eye out for the game in September.

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Which Guilty Gear game would you bring to Steam? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

Thursday 21 August 2014

Deals Ahoy! (Australian Edition): Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection Is $29 At JB Hi-Fi!!


To my surprise a few days ago, I found Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producting Perfection for $29 at JB Hi-Fi. Last I checked it was something like $50 (this was around release day), so this is a really good deal!

I don't know how long the deal is for, so I suggest picking it up as soon as you can. I've been playing it for the last few days and it's quite fun, particularly if you're looking for something light and humourous after a long day at work like I was!

You can find the deal on JB Hi-Fi's website or at one of JB Hi-Fi's stores.
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Will you be picking this up? Or did you find some good deals you'd like to share? Comment below! Or you can tweet them @JRPGJungle or email them to jrpgjungle@gmail.com

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Chibi Blazblue Game "Clone Phantasma" Will Be Out August 21st In The US



With a different feel compared to the original Blazblue series, Arc System Works will be releasing the chibi brawler Blazblue: Clone Phantasma on August 21st (so in a few days) on the Nintendo eShop. Blazblue: Clone Phantasma will feature a Story Mode and a Challenge Mode that has you battling as many enemies as you can to unlock characters. Speaking of characters, Clone Phantasma will feature 10 characters from the original Blazblue series in chibi form.

Blazblue: Clone Phantasma will cost $5.99 for US Players. The official website can be viewed here.

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Which Blazblue character will look best in chibi form (I would vote Tager, but he doesn't seem to be in the game :( )? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

Monday 18 August 2014

Be Afraid - Corpse Party: Book Of Shadows Released In English On iOS Worldwide


Ever wanted to play the high school horror game, Corpse Party? Now you can! Xseed Games has localised 5pb's Corpse Party and it is available now on iOS worldwide. The localised game has been previously available on PSN, but this is it's first appearance on iOS.

Corpse Party revolves around a group of Kisaragi Academy students who find themselves trapped in the Heavenly Host Elementary School, an alternative dimension that was sealed by a mystical charm. In order to escape, the students must unravel the the mystery of the Elementary School or be doomed to join the corpses trapped inside the dimension before them.

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Will you play Corpse Party? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

Two New Etrian Odyssey Untold II Music Tracks Revealed By Atlus


Originally revealed by Etrian Odyssey Untold II: The Knight of Fafnir's producer and director Shigeo Komori to Famitsu, Atlus Japan's official Youtube has revealed two new tracks for the upcoming game.

The first track is a quaint labyrinth track titled "The Sea Trees of the Ancient Remains".


And the second track is a more pumped-up battle track called "First Campaign Battlefield".


Soundtrack titles translated originally on Siliconera's original post.
Etrian Odssey Untold II: The Knight of Fafnir is due for release on Nintendo 3DS in Japan Winter this year.

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Which of these tracks was your favourite? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

Recommended Reading - Kotaku's Take On Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines


Being unable to read Japanese as of yet sometimes leaves me with a problem: I would love to tell you guys about a certain game, but there's not enough English information for me to go off and the small amount of Japanese I do know probably isn't reliable enough to post about. Instead of giving sub par information about Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines (a recent PS Vita game released in Japan that will be released in the US eventually), I'd like to send you to read this great Kotaku article by Richard Eisenbeis.

The article covers mainly the game's breeding mechanics and why it makes the gameplay expereince special and unique for each and every player of the game. After reading it, I really want to try it....Which kind worries me. I just bought Conception II. Is there such thing as too many 'in-game' children?

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Does your article deserve the attention of our readers? Email it to jrpgjungle@gmail.com for consideration as a Recommended Reading article!

Friday 15 August 2014

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Rated By The Australian Classification Board - Could This Mean It's Coming To PAL Regions?


Persona 4 Arena Ultimax has been rated by the Australian Classification Board, suggesting that the game could come to Australia and possibly other PAL regions, including Europe. While no confirmation has been made by Atlus or Arc System Works, it would be rather strange to have a game classified if there were no intentions to release it. The rating can be viewed at the Australian Classification website (or here).

This wouldn't be the first time the Australian Classification Board has revealed an unannounced game. Atelier Rorona Plus was rated by the Board around a week before it was officially announced.

Even if this game doesn't get announced for PAL regions, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax can still be imported and pre-ordered by fans from these regions as the game has been announced as region free.

Pre-order for PS3 or Xbox 360 (in English): Amazon, Play-Asia
Pre-order for PS3 (in Japanese): Play-Asia

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Are you also crossing your fingers for an European/Australian release? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

Thursday 14 August 2014

This Week's PSN EU/AU New Releases, JRPG Style! (15/8/14)



No Japanese new releases, but you can pre-order Tales of Xillia 2. That's legit exciting and I'm regretting having not finished the first one.

Other than that, it's a quiet week but that's kind of the norm right now for games. Here is what the EU/AU PSN has to offer this week!

DLC
  • Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends Complete Edition - Various DLC
  • Mugen Souls Z - Various DLC
  • One Piece Unlimited Red World - Various DLC
Discounts



  • Child of Light (PS4 and PS3)
  • Soul Sacrifice Delta (PS Vita)
  • Dynasty Warriors GUNDAM Reborn - Complete Bundle (PS3)
  • Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends Complete Edition (PS4, PS Vita, PS3)
  • Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arise (PS3)
  • Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z (PS Vita)


    • Pre-Orders

      • Tales of Xillia 2
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      Did I miss something important? Or maybe you found a game on PSN that you think fellow JRPG fans would enjoy? Comment below, send a tweet to @JRPGJungle or email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let me know!

      Sunday 10 August 2014

      Margaret Has Been Confirmed As A Playable Character In Persona 4 Arena Ultimax + Official Release Date and New Japanese Trailers

      After rumours surrounding a recent Persona 4 Arena Ultimax poster, Margaret has been confirmed as another playable character for Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. Players of Persona 4 will remember Margret as the game's Velvet Room resident, who will join her sister, Persona 3's Velvet Room resident Elizabeth in the Persona 4 Arena Ultimax character line-up. Margaret will be available in the game via DLC, though it has not yet been revealed whether she will be free in the first week like the Adachi and Marie DLC.

      In the game, Margaret will use the Personas Yoshitsune, Cu Chulainn and Ardha in regular combat and her burst arrack will feature the Persona Lucifer. Here are some photos of Margret in action (courtesy of Famitsu):





      Also in recent Persona 4 Arena Ultimax news, the release date for North America has been announced as September 30th. No European date has been announced, meaning that European fans may have to import the game this time around.

      (Side note: I will be importing the game from Amazon and trying to get the DLC to work on an Australian Playstation. According to Google, this is possible so if I'm successful, I'll post an article here on how you guys can do it too!)

      Finally, here are the latest character trailers from Japan featuring Akihiko, Aegis and Mitsuru.





      Pre-order it! (English version released 30th September for PS3 and Xbox 360): Play-Asia, Amazon

      Pre-order it from Japan! (Japanese version released 28th August for PS3): Play-Asia

      Check out JRPG Jungle's other Persona 4 Arena Ultimax coverage here!

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      Will you be downloading all the DLC characters for Persona 4 Arena Ultimax? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

      Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com with details for consideration!

      Friday 8 August 2014

      Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- For PS4 Will Be Released In Japan December This Year


      Famitsu Magazine has leaked that Arc System Works is due to release Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- for PS4 and PS3 on December 4th 2014 in Japan. This will be the first Guilty Gear game to launch on PS4 and also Arc System Works' first game for the PS4.

      Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- is also due for release in North America in 2014. One could speculate that Japan's release date could possibly give us an idea on when we can expect to see the game in the West, but no official date has been indicated by the game's publisher Aksys Games as of yet.

      Pre-order Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- in English: Play-Asia, Amazon

      Pre-order Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- in Japanese: Play-Asia

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      What are you looking forward to most in Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign-? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

      Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

      Deals Ahoy!: This Week's Humble Bundle Is Full Of Japanese Games!


      Want to get a bunch of new games and do something nice for charity? Humble Bundle allows you to do just that once a week, offering a bundle of games on a pay-what-you-want basis and giving more games the more you pay. This week's bundle has a fitting theme for this site: Japanese games!

      There's something here for everyone: you have JRPGs, casual fun games and robots. You can pay-what-you-want for the first three games, but it's only $10 if you want everything that's on offer. A list of the games included is below, plus a link to the bundle.


      • Unholy Heights
      • One Way Heroics
      • Gigantic Army
      • Ys Origin
      • Misurugi Kamui Hikae
      • PixelJunk Shooter
      • Astebreed


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      Did you find some good deals you'd like to share? Comment below! Or you can tweet them @JRPGJungle or email them to jrpgjungle@gmail.com

      Thursday 7 August 2014

      This Week's PSN EU/AU New Releases, JRPG Style! (7/8/14)




      Ever wanted the weekly PSN update tailored to your Japanese gaming needs? Our weekly PSN update has you covered! Not much to report this week, but One Piece and Mugen Souls have at least been consistent with adding DLC for the last few weeks. Also worth noting, for those looking for a new game to play, the Winter Sale is still going. Happy shopping!

      DLC

      • Everybody's Golf - Various DLC
      • Mugen Souls Z - Various DLC
      • One Piece Unlimited World Red - Various DLC

      Discounts

      These discounts will finish next week (14th of August), so if you want these games, get them before they're full price.
      • Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars
      • Mind Zero
      • One Piece: Pirate Warriors
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      Did I miss something important? Or maybe you found a game on PSN that you think fellow JRPG fans would enjoy? Comment below, send a tweet to @JRPGJungle or email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let me know!

      Omega Quintet Box Art Revealed

      Amazon Japan has updated their listing for Compile Heart's upcoming Idol JRPG for PS4 Omega Quintet with previously unseen box art for the game. This box art includes both the standard and limited editions of the game, with each featuring different artwork.

      Below is the Standard edition, which features Otaha and Kyouka from the Omega Quintet Idol group. The boy on the cover is the game's protaganist, Takuto:



      And this is the limited edition cover, featuring a very sweet photo of all of the Idols:



      For those wondering, the limited edition copy of Omega Quintet includes the PS4 game, a Special Booklet, Special DVD and a Drama CD, along with the limited edition packaging.

      Pre-order (Import from Japan): Play-Asia

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      Who is your favourite Omega Quintet idol? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know! (I like Nana and Kyouka best so far.)

      Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

      Monday 4 August 2014

      Looking Good! - Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Trailer


      In my other Digimon post, I asked if anyone had played Digimon Rumble Arena. Well, I now feel the need to mention the PSOne game Digimon World before talking about another new and exciting Digimon game. Digimon World was a pretty brilliant JRPG for it's time that allowed you to raise your own Digimon while rebuilding the Digimon community and really brought the Tamagochi experience to life. This is one of the many reasons I'm excited for Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. You can check out the trailer for Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth below.


      Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth excites me most because it's being aimed at adult Digimon fans, making it perfect for those who are now adults that grew up with the series. It has been described as a Cyberpunk RPG, including training, adventure and battle with multiple Digimon. The game also includes the ability to travel between the Digital World and the Real World, which is another common theme taken from the anime.

      The game is set for release in Japan next year on PS Vita. There is currently a petition to have the game localised for the West, so if you're keen for the game I highly recommend signing it (I did!).

      Pre-order (Import from Japan): Play-Asia
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      What were your favourite Digimon games? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

      Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

      Digimon All-Star Rumble Coming To The West Soon!


      Did you play Digimon Rumble Arena as a kid? If you did, then you understand the intense race to Digivolution first in a battle with friends. If you didn't play Rumble Arena on PSOne, then you can experience what a Digimon battle game has to offer in Digimon All-Star Rumble.


      Digimon All-Star Rumble promises to remain true to it's title by featuring an all-star cast of Digimon from different series of the original anime. It also features the all important Digivolution, which allows players to Digivolve their Digimon into a stronger form during battle, giving the Digivolved player a serious edge against competitors.

      The game offers battle with up to four players, so if you're a Digimon fan or you're looking to revisit your childhood, this looks like a fun game to play with your friends!

      Digimon All-Star Rumble will be available on PS3 and Xbox 360 Fall 2014 (aka. soon!).
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      Which Digimon are you looking forward to fighting with? Comment below or send a tweet to @JRPGJungle and let us know!

      Have a story about a Japanese game or something else you think we should cover? Email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let us know!

      Sunday 3 August 2014

      This Week's PSN EU/AU New Releases, JRPG Style! (3/8/14)

      From Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds

      Are those two localised games I see released on the PSN this week? Why yes! This week you can either enjoy two new games or look at the Winter sale. Here's what's new!

      (Side note: I haven't posted on here in like 4 days. Boy does that feel strange. Good to be back!)

      • Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland (PS3 and PS Vita): I'm throughly confused here as I posted about this release weeks ago! But the date says it was released 30/7/14 and it's in the new releases. I can't be crazy - other sites also reported it's release on PSN earlier. But here's a quick description anyway:
        Atelier Rorona Plus is the first game in Atelier's Arland series. Rorona is working with a master alchemist to pay off her parent's debt when she is challenged with the possibility of the alchemy shop closing if she does not prove herself. The game revolves around three years where Rorona attempts to complete the tasks to prove her worth.
      • Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds (PS Vita): Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds is a side-scroller/beat em' up game by 5pb. The game features 18 characters and two unique fighting styles to explore.
      DLC
      • Atelier Rorona Plus - Various DLC
      • Destiny of Spirits - Destiny Orbs 1000
      • Mugen Souls Z - Various Paid and Free DLC
      • One Piece Unlimited World Red - Various DLC
      Discounts

      Oh me, oh my, it's Winter Sale time! Not a lot of Japanese games to talk about, although half price on these games is never a bad thing!:
      • Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars
      • Mind Zero
      • One Piece: Pirate Warriors

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      Did I miss something important? Or maybe you found a game on PSN that you think fellow JRPG fans would enjoy? Comment below, send a tweet to @JRPGJungle or email jrpgjungle@gmail.com to let me know!