For some crazy reason, Namco Bandai decided to release the very Japanese Idolmaster game exclusively on Xbox 360. It quickly became the system's most popular game ... but that doesn't say much for those that follow the Japanese charts every week. Looks like Namco Bandai realized that the franchise needed to jump ship to a much more popular platform. And it has -- the PSP.
The iDOLM@ATER SP looks to be based on the arcade original, with downsized PSP graphics. You play as a producer that must work with a variety of underaged pop idols. To ensure maximum profitability, Namco Bandai is releasing three versions of the game, each with three characters. (Wondering Star will actually feature four. Terrific value!) Considering the incredible desire of nerds to manage anime pop stars, we have a feeling this will do very well when it debuts in Japan.
The Japanese don't want one Chocobo themed game -- they want two. And that's exactly what they're getting this week on their PS Store update. Five new PS1 games are available for 600 yen each, and two of them are about Square Enix's notorious yellow mascots. Here they are:
Are you thinking of importing the upcoming PSP fighting game Ikki Tousen? While that is all well and good, we thought we'd bring to your attention some other Ikki Tousen goodies you'll miss out on unless you live in Japan. In celebration of the game's arrival, the Cure Maid Cafe have added a milk pudding dessert to their menu dubbed "Hakufu's milk pudding". The attention to detail is impressive -- there's even a small bulge in the middle of these, er, milk pudding globs. Has anyone been able to try this out? Whatever the case, Ikki Tousen is coming out October 2nd in Japan.
There's no shortage of anime fighters on the PSP. How will Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! stand up to the rest of the competition? To be honest, the newly released trailer doesn't look bad ... but it doesn't seem to be particularly noteworthy either. The gameplay looks to be rather standard 2D fighting fare, but for many, that won't really be a problem.
Here's another Japanese simulation game aimed squarely at the female audience: Neo Angelique Special. In this port of a 2006 PS2 game, you play a pretty young woman who battles demons with the help of various pretty young males. Of course, love is in the air. A lot of love -- there are ten guys shown at the official site for the anime version of Neo Angelique. For those who are interested, the game arrives in Japan on September 20th.
We can see the marketing now: Ikki Tousen for him, Neo Angelique Special for her. A match made in PSP heaven.
Both the PSP and PS3 have incredibly generous region settings, which allow you to play games from all around the world -- no mod chips required. Importing games for both of Sony's platforms is easy, and Play-Asia's sale makes it even easier. Right now, they're providing 25% off all of their in-stock items. Here's our recommendations:
This premium edition of the upcoming PSP fighter Fate/Tiger Colosseum UPPER is well ... rather much. Called the "Megamori Box," you are getting a mega-more amount of stuff than you could possibly need. For $95 (via Play-Asia), the package contains the game, a 72-page book filled with interviews and comics, 23 tarot cards, binder, drama CD, and special DVD. This is quite possibly the most fanservice-filled box we could imagine. Too bad we're unfamiliar with the series -- perhaps if you're a Fate/Tiger fan, this package will have you going nuts.
From the same folks that brought us brought Japan Solfege: Sweet Harmony, comes a new RPG called Mimana: IYAR Chronicle. Exactly what's in store here, we're not sure as our Japanese skills still need some fine tuning. However, this should be interesting to those who can't get enough J-RPGs with cliché blue-haired heroes and scatterbrained female companions.
The game is developed and published by GungHo. You can check out more on the game at its official site here.
There are only a few certainties in life. One of them is that an anime fighter will get a sequel, especially if its on PSP. Capcom's super-deformed fighter based on the Fate/Tiger series is going UP in this sequel. Expect just as much crazy fighting as the original, and maybe some fan-service (considering the franchise's origins ... ). Will this game (and its prequel) ever come out to the US?
A name change is just what Astonishia Story 2 needs for its journey from South Korea to Japan; at least in the opinion of its Japanese publisher, Sega. A Weekly Famitsu scan shows the game will debut in Japan this fall as Garnet Chronicle and highlights the game's main characters, story, the battle system and the Japanese version's seiyuu. We've made available the Korean version's demo before so feel free to try it out. The game will arrive in Japan on October 23rd. Take a look at the scan here. [Via PSPHyper]
First off, most of the links on this post are slightly NSFW. Nothing graphic, but you probably don't want your boss to catch you looking at it. Now we got that out of the way, let the fun begin.
As reported before, Ikki Tousen is basically Sailor Moon remade as a fighting game by males, where the female warrior's clothes explode when they receive damage. The official website launched late last month shows us all the juicy details, including each girl's body measurements, the very unique Costume Destruction System, screenshots including the girls in shredded clothes, having been defeated by their opponents and the most important aspect, the story. Finally, they have a blog where the creators of the game post pictures like this. Look for this game in Japan on October 2nd.
As an alternative to the UMEMD, PSPGadgetZ suggests you check out this other UMD-slot, slip-in memory stick holder for your PSP. Previously, the UMEMD could only be used inside the PSP-1000 models (fat ones); however, this new gadget can be used with both the fat and slim models. The only drawback is that this one can only hold two memory sticks -- half the UMEMD's capacity of four.
It looks like you can't currently buy this thing alone either; it comes together as part of other PSP accessories. You can check them out here and here if you're interested. There are also more pics over at PSPGadgetZ.
Want to give the upcoming PSP game, Infinite Loop, a try? Well, you can on your computer through a brand new Flash demo. Watch out! The game is primarily a text adventure game ... in Japanese. Unlike you're proficient in nihongo, you probably won't get much benefit from the demo. Give it a try here. (Note: There is no load screen. You will simply wait a very long time for the demo to download.)
For something everyone can enjoy, you can also download the new Infinite Loop theme for your PSP. It features cute anime girls and ... well, bread. Download it here and install it on your PSP in the folder PSP/THEME.
Phantasy Star Portable is a title that will be out in Japan at month's end. Gamers that want to try PSP out earlier than that can probably do so as it looks like a demo is on the way. Said to come two weeks earlier than the July 31 release date, a Japanese demo will allow players to tinker with the Story Mode and co-op ad hoc with Multi Mode. One last interesting bit involves the ability to transfer your character data from the demo to the full game, if you so choose to purchase the full game. There's still no word of a release outside Japan.
This is classified as a rumor, but it really makes too much sense for it to be false. A collection of four Star Soldier games will be released by Hudson under the banner of PC Engine Best Collection. The collection will include Star Star Soldier, Final Soldier, Soldier Blade and the never-before-released in the US Star Parodier. It will retail for the budget price of 2,940 yen (less than $30) which might translate to even lower if and when it is ever brought over to the US. Some of us here loved the Star Soldier series growing up and would love to relive those memories on the PSP.
From the same folks that 
