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Q Entertainment, Harmonix Prep Rock Band For Japanese Release

Zach Lott — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:14:42 -0500

MTV, not satisfied with the mountains of cash that Rock Band has earned them in North America, recently released the game in Europe, but they aren't stopping there. Today they announced that Harmonix plans to partner with Q Entertainment to release a "heavily localized" version of the game in Japan.

GameDaily has reported that MTV revealed a trailer for the localized edition at the 2008 Japanese MTV Video Music Awards in addition to making the American version available at the afterparty.

A release date hasn't been made public yet, but we'll keep you updated.

GB Review: Patapon (PSP)

Shiva Stella — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:34:35 -0600

Get ready to drum to the beat.

Patapon is a great musically-geared PSP game from several of the creative minds behind the popular LocoRoco and sports the same simple flair, highlighted by a colorful world, straightforward mechanics, intricate visual details, and a fantastically catchy beat that'll make this an addictive treat for Sony and music-genre fans. But even if LocoRoco let you down, Patapon comes with some improvements: it relies on an actual storyline that gives the game purpose, the "characters" have a touch more depth, and the amount of army tweaking, hunting areas, bosses, and mini-game diversions should offer enough motivation for you to finish it. For $20, you simply cannot go wrong.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

As is often the case with deities, you - the 'All-mighty' god of the adorable patapons - have been too preoccupied with the business of the universe to cast them an endearing glance. Completely neglected by their patron deity, the patapons - tiny, bloodthirsty, giant-eyed creatures with a serious knack for rhythm - have been forced to deal with an incursion of the malignant zigotons, ugly suckers that, in the ignorance of the divine, have walled their way between Patapolis, the patapon capital, and the object of the patapons' desire a great, mysterious gift that you conveniently placed at the end of the world. In your absence the patapons have suffered defeat after defeat at the hands of the foul zigotons and in a final act of desperation the sole survivor of the patapons' once magnificent army raises the war banner and cries out for your aid.

Should you answer the call, all of Patapolis will rejoice as you enter the world of Patapon, Sony's mix of real-time strategy and rhythm for the PSP from almost the same folks who brought you LocoRoco, the cute musical puzzle game that had you tapping your toes while sliding colorful blobs throughout the trappings of a rainbow paradise. Though LocoRoco was definitely a delight and a great boon for Sony's handheld, it lacked a certain quality and the player felt like he was maneuvering gelatinous globs for the sole purpose of hearing the next song. Patapon, refreshingly, does more than feature adorable music; it actively incorporates it into the gameplay via a very simplistic control mechanism. The player taps out a command in line with the music and the pulsating edges of the screen, a great help for beginners, and the patapon army behaves accordingly, either advancing (pata-pon), attacking (pon), defending (chaka), or performing the occasional miracle (it's good to see you living up to your reputation).

On the surface, it almost seems too simple; there are no thousand command combo variations that'll trigger some fancy cutscene, no "special" power-ups that'll teach your patapons how to fly, and no healing magic to get your troops back on track. There aren't even items - just four basic commands, yet the music and pounding drums makes them incredibly addictive. The proverbial icing is that each command operates as a strategy, such that "attack" has patapons throwing spears from a wider distance while "defend" orders the patapons to bunch up on the flag carrier, attacking only what approaches the army and therefore narrowing the archer's arch; this is a great maneuver for when bosses are attacking the area immediately in front of them and not the army's flank, where the tightly packed patapons are huddling safely out of reach. Nevertheless, a backup maneuver is sorely missing. When a patapon that isn't the flag carrier dies it leaves a "cap" (its head) behind for the army to collect so the player can resurrect the unit, but patapons at the rear (mostly archers) can get left behind due to the army's inability to retrace a few steps. The lack seems almost silly.

Pon, pon, pata, pon!

While the basic gameplay consists of leading your patapon army throughout the 30+ main missions, Sony threw in some boss battles and lighter hunting areas, enabling the player to collect source materials (rocks, sticks, etc), money (ka-chi), and "legendary" weapons. Admittedly the enemy design is redundant: the first boss the player encounters is a giant turquoise-spotted, fire-breathing dragon while the second is a giant red-spotted, fire-breathing dragon (and yes, both dragons require the same strategy to defeat). The patapons' prey receive the same treatment, boasting black birds, pink birds, gold birds, and the like. However, there is just enough variation and the bosses are just difficult enough to keep the gameplay interesting. For additional diversity there are some nasty environmental aspects including excruciatingly painful lightning strikes and annoying wind changes to watch out for as well as animals that actually fight back, but again, the sole purpose of Patapon is to lead those adorable bug-eyed killers into battle with your significant drumming abilities. As a final touch, the highly important fever mode, which you activate by staying true to the beat for ten commands, is the key to success, sending the patapons into a blood-frenzy that crushes everything in its path; one troop type in particular, the kibapon (cavalry), relies entirely on fever mode and is less than useless without it, though with it the kibapon become war deities that rival the All-mighty Himself. The only downside to the fever mode is that most levels appear designed to encourage the gamer to reach fever by walking forward; this amounts to a lot of empty space and needless repetition, as you can reach fever by standing in-place and defending, if need be. Another annoyance is that the music changes as you initiate fever, so you can easily miss a beat and lose fever if you're distracted by patapon singing and the acoustic switch.

Singing, dancing, and drumming your one-eyed soldiers to success - while the highlight of the gameplay - is only half the story in Patapon, as any great army unleashed by any great civilization requires plenty of bureaucratic management. To this end Patapolis awaits the All-mighty's use, boasting many convenient features, the foremost of which is the life-tree for patapon creation and/or reincarnation (nobody's perfect). At the life-tree you can bring forth many a new patapon by mixing ingredients, usually minerals, meats, and tree branches, for specific race and troop types. If you're looking to create an archer (yumipon), for example, you throw in a rock and a stick and viola - instant bow-and-arrow buddy. To "adjust" the yumipon you simply increase the quality of the ingredients, this time mixing a tytanium ore with hinoki wood to create a tikulee (blue) yumipon, read: an archer with improved stats (HP, damage, speed, crit, etc). There are four basic troop types: yumipon (archers), yaripon (spearmen), kibapon (cavalry), and tatepon (infantry), and each unit within each type my be either a regular (white) patapon or, with a little genetic tweaking, achieve that extra special rank: pyokola (red), gekolos (green), mofeel (purple), or tikulee (blue).

Though the life-tree is the heart of Patapolis, Sony added some elements of the mini-game variety for fun and musical relaxation. As the player completes missions he'll collect "unique" items that can be utilized by the life-tree to create "hero" patapons - the great patapons of lore who kept the troops fed and the altar flooded with resources. The mini-games have you repeat tunes in a 'Simon-says' manner for four lines and, depending on your timing, reward you with prize goods for patapon creation. The rest of Patapolis - the "gateway" to the world map, the base camp (led by the priestess patapon, Meden) - serve as nice perches from you can view plot progression, but otherwise they exist to make the city feel less vacant.

Patapon's presentation is on par with LocoRoco's and is about what you'd expect if you played its pseudo-predecessor: the environs are colorful, the patapons and zigotons are detailed from their helmets down to their very tiny feet, and all character and object design features a simplistic structure and color palette. What differentiates it the most from LocoRoco, besides its "puzzles" (most of which include the obtaining and usage of the proper miracle needed to proceed) and gameplay mechanics, is the inclusion of an actual storyline and characterization, shallow though both may be. The player feels as though there is a real goal to obtain for helping the struggling patapons succeed and not just another level filled with cute little musical "events" that may eventually bore him. This drive to finish the game nicely compliments its replayability and keeps the gamer coming back for more of this unique musical experience, often hunting for kicks or creating patapons to form the "ultimate" army. Perfectionists beware: with more than 100 weapons/armor and plenty of source materials to tweak your darling soldiers, you can spend a few hours doing nothing but gaining goodies and improving stats. Unfortunately all 100+ of those weapons/armor must be obtained by completing missions: you can't take the source materials you already have and turn them into weaponry, which is a missed opportunity that could have added countless hours and much depth to the gameplay. On the whole, however, Patapon is yet another fantastic title on the PSP, perfect for short or lengthy mobile gaming sessions and full of endless acoustic delight. You'll be pleasantly surprised by this one.

Publisher: Sony Computer Ent.
Developer: Sony Computer Ent./Japan Studio/Pyramid
Release: Feb 26, 2008
MSRP: $19.99
Everyone

Sony Delays Skype for PSP in Japan, Cites Microphone Issues

Shiva Stella — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:20:00 -0600

News is now hitting the Web that Sony has delayed its Skype PSP update announced earlier this month at CES 2008. The company is citing compatibility issues as cause for the delay in Japan, claiming that the feature is on-hold until the microphones Sony designed for its use earn Skype's approval.

You can view the full press release (it's a quickie) at the jump.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN TO POSTPONE THE RELEASE OF MICROPHONE PRODUCTS FOR PSP® (PLAYSTATION®PORTABLE)

Tokyo, January 23, 2008 Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ), a division of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) responsible for business operations in Japan, today announced that it would postpone the release of two microphone products for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), SINGLE PACK (with one microphone, PSPJ-15010) and TWIN PACK (with two microphones, PSPJ-15011), scheduled to be released in Japan on Thursday, January 24th, 2008.

SCEJ planned to release the microphone along with the introduction of Skype features for the new slim and light PSP (PSP-2000). However, it was found that the microphone did not meet the Skype specifications in part to obtain certification and SCEJ has determined to postpone the release of the microphone. New release date will be announced as soon as decided.

With this, SCEJ has also reached a decision to postpone the introduction of the Skype features and services in Japan, scheduled in late January as part of the system software update for PSP. Solutions to enable users to start using Skype features and services on their PSP are being sought for and will be announced in due course.

Can Bioshock Save Japan?

Shiva Stella — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:48:42 -0600

According to Takashi Sensui, Microsoft's Xbox-related go-to guy in Japan at a recent Spike, Xbox 360 New Year's party, more and more (Xbox 360) western titles will be making their way over to the gaming capital of the world, and those being third-party titles at that. The first three games include Battlestations: Midway, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and 2K's ever-popular Bioshock.

It's an interesting move, with Xbox 360 sales lagging behind... everything else (hard to top those Nintendo DS's). It's possible that offering western-style games to Japanese gamers via the 360 might boost unit sales, but it's equally possible that the audience doesn't give a damn. But if Bioshock, one of 2007's premier titles in the west, can't move 360s over there, then what can?

Japanese Gamers Care About Content, Not the Money

Shiva Stella — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:21:09 -0600

According to a report on the Dow Jones Newswire, a recent survey has "discovered" that Japanese gamers "care more about the games they want to play than price," as a poll of 3,422 gamers on kakaku.com claims that 49.2% say their primary concern in choosing a new console is that it be "compatible with the games they absolutely want to play."

Here are some figures for those who like numbers.

43% wish to buy the most popular console
6.1% are mostly concerned about price
25% own a Wii
25% own a DS
10% own a PlayStation 3
10% own a PSP
3% own an Xbox 360
28% hope to buy a Wii next
27% hope to buy a PS3 next

I can only assume that 0% are interested in buying an Xbox 360 as their next console, as a figure wasn't given for Microsoft's unit. Maybe they're saving up for a DS or PSP in a new color?

Anybody surprised by this at all?

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Japanese TV Spot, Isn't it hip?

Shiva Stella — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:33:20 -0600

Here's a fun watch for Super Smash Bros. Brawl fans, as it's the Japanese TV spot for the very hotly anticipated (and perfectly scored by Famitsu) Nintendo Wii game. Take a peek below. The game was recently delayed to March 9 for the US.

PlayStation Portable, Now Minty Fresh

Shiva Stella — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:45:12 -0600

Sony has confirmed that beginning February 28 Japan will receive another version of the PlayStation Portable, this time in a lovely light mint green shade, for 19,800 yen (roughly $180 USD). Naturally there has been no announcement regarding a US or UK release in the new color.

I guess US and UK gamers should just be happy the PSP comes in white and black. More images at the jump.

Free PSN Points... if you Live in Japan

Shiva Stella — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:20:23 -0600

Here's some good news if you happen to live in the land of gaming goodness (that being Japan).

Sony has given one hundred customers of the Japanese PlayStation Network service a "PSN ticket" valued at 5,000 yen (roughly $44 USD), provided that said customers use those points toward the purchase of a new game or classic title from the PSN from 12/26/07-01/07/08.

If you're listening, Sony, I'd like some free points too...

Devil May Cry 4 Bundles Set for Japan, with Your Choice of Color

Shiva Stella — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:24:38 -0600

Here's some great news if you happen to live in the center of the gaming universe (read: Japan). Sony has announced that two Devil May Cry 4 bundles will be releasing on January 31, 2008 there, aptly entitled "Devil May Cry 4 Premium BD Bundles." The contents include:

PlayStation 3 40GB model, black or ceramic white
Devil May Cry 4 (well I certainly hope so) Blu-ray disc with bonus CG cutscenes
60 minute run-time for said cutscenes (might be a translation error, as that's a hell of a lot of extra CG)
47,800 yen (294 euro, roughly $422 USD) price tag

Pictures are at the jump. I admit that those bundles would make for a lovely stateside release, even if they are post-holiday season.

Nights Into Dreams Not Coming Stateside

Solomon Lee — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:58:26 -0600

Following the news of NiGHTs into Dreams being re-released on the PS2 for Japanese gamers, more information has been gathered regarding the North American release.

According to reports, it appears that the game will not be coming stateside. Takashi Iizuka, the man handling this relaunch, has stated that "there are currently no plans for the PS2 version to be released outside of Japan."

On the upside, fans can take heart as the Wii title, NiGHTs: Journey of Dreams is set for release on December 18.

Nintendo Launches Wii Demo Channel

Solomon Lee — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:41:55 -0600

Nintendo has launched a new Wii channel called "Minna no Nintendo" (known as Everybody's Nintendo Channel) in Japan that allows gamers to download Wii trailers and DS demos.

According to CVG, the demos are transferable via Wi-Fi connection but is playable so long as the Wii is left on and running before the demo is erased from the DS's stored memory.

There has been no word yet of a North American release. For now, we'll have to wait while others get to try it first. Patience is a virtue, right?

Japanese Are Digging The Slimmer PSP

Aaron Dunlap — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:53:34 -0600

Although there are estimates that roughly 700% of the people in Japan own a Nintendo DS, it looks like the new slimmer, lighter, less-expensive-er PSP may be taking a bite out of the handheld market in the land of the rising fun.

If only they could sell a single damn one in this country.

The "new" PSP, which is called PSP-1000 in Japan, has sold a million units in just two months. Not bad for a portable.

I'm not sure what kind of ad campaign they're running over there, but it must be more effective than the, "Dude, get your own" shtick we're having to sit through here. No, I don't want to get my own. Put a game I want to play on the thing and we'll talk.

PlayStation 3 Sales Beat Wii's For Second Time in Japan

Shiva Stella — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 14:40:01 -0600

Here's a little encouraging news for PlayStation fans, as sources are reporting that Sony has sold more than 53,000 PlayStation 3 units in Japan for the week ending November 18; this marks the second week that Sony's PS3 has outdone the Nintendo Wii, which clocked in at 36,000 units for the same period.

The sales increase is largely due to the introduction of the 40GB model (at just $399) and the price cuts initiated for the other, more expensive models.

As expected, the Nintendo DS is still rocking Japan with 81,000 units sold for the same period, followed by the PSP at 66,000. As far as the Xbox 360 goes, it managed 5,000 sales, trailing after the PlayStation 2 with 8,800.

Exactly what is inspiring all those DS/PSP purchases?

Xbox 360 Slightly Surpasses PS3 Sales in Japan, Both Owned by DS

Shiva Stella — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:13:53 -0600

Media Create has posted the latest sales figures for the week ending November 4, and (surprise!) the Xbox 360 has pulled ahead of the PlayStation 3 by a close 200 units, although both consoles and the Wii are still being (pardon the colloquialism) royally spanked by the Nintendo DS - someone explain that one to me.

Here's the chart for hardware sales, Oct. 29-Nov. 4 as courtesy of Media Create and Next Gen.

Nintendo DS - 78,599
PSP - 59,714
Wii - 37,617
Xbox 360 - 17,673
PlayStation 3 - 17,434
PlayStation 2 - 10,209
Game Boy Advance SP - 206
GameCube 155
Game Boy Micro - 113

View further details and software sales at the jump.

Apparently Japanese gamers are currently going crazy for Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, which sold 80,000 units over launch week (also the week ending Nov. 4). Here's a quick rundown of what your friends wayyyy over gaming yonder are picking up:

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - 251,000 / New
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Xbox 360) - 77,000 / New
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS) - 51,000 / 193,000
Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander The 2nd (PS2) - 21,000 / New
DS Bungaku Zenshuu (DS) - 18,000 / 72,000
DS Nishimura Kyotaro Suspense Shin Tantei Series: Kyoto Atami Zekkai no Kotou - Satsui no Wana (DS) - 18,000 / 115,000
Wii Sports (Wii) - 16,000 / 2,182,000
Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day (DS) - 15,000 / 676,000
World Soccer Winning Eleven DS Goal x Goal! (DS) - 15,000 / 44,000
Pokémon Mysterious Dungeon: Time Expedition Party (DS) - 14,000 / 552,000

I definitely get why Super Mario Galaxy grabbed the top spot, but I'm clueless as to why Ace Combat 6, Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander, and Flash Focus are selling so well. Granted I'm biased against air planes...

Trailer Introducing Project O for Wii Hits Web

Shiva Stella — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:47:27 -0500

A video introducing Project O, a strategy-RPG currently being developed by Marvelous for the Nintendo Wii, has been released today. The text is in Japanese but the voicing is in English.

If you're interested in the title's premise, its cutesy theme, or its unusual presentation then feel free to hit the jump to view the video. The launch date is given as 2008, but let's assume that's Japan-only at this point.

Wrestle Kingdom For Xbox 360

Tim Grube — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 12:24:00 -0600

This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

The first wrestling title to hit the Xbox 360 has officially been released in Japan entitled, Wrestle Kingdom. The game has a price of 8,190 yen and features forty-two wrestlers. The company has no plans to release the game stateside.

Check out these jaw-dropping visuals below.

Thanks GameWatch!