The X Button
God Bothering
by Todd Ciolek,
Last week I was a bit envious of our European cousins for getting a nice Bravely Default collector's edition, complete with a figure, months before North America even sees the game. Then photos of that figure leaked online.
My envy remains for those who can play Square Enix's cute 3DS RPG without importing, but I think Bravely Default fans will do just fine without this simulacrum of Agnes Oblige. It happens sometimes with toys packed in with collectors' sets.
Special-edition figures might not look so bad if they're repackaged trinkets. For example, the Milla Maxwell figure included with this year's Tales of Xillia box set was originally made for prize machines, so it had to show enough quality to coax claw-manipulating punters out of their money. I also expect that NIS America's eighty-dollar limited edition of The Witch and the Hundred Knight will include a decent figure along with its art book, two-CD soundtrack, and fancy little box. The toy is a Nendoroid rendition of main character Metallia, and Nendoroid has a sturdy reputation.
It's not the same when companies make a statuette specifically for some collector's bundle that most buyers won't appraise before they buy it. That's when you might get things like Xenosaga Episode II special edition mercifully exclusive to Japan.
And what happens when the truth is out? Will fans really haul these box sets back to their local retailers and demand a refund? All I know is that if I opened up a $130 bundle to see that particular version of Agnes, I'd immediately consider the ways I might rid myself of it.
I wouldn't return MOK-KOS, though. It might curse me.
NEWS
BRAVELY SECOND TRADEMARKED, HINTED AT, THEN FINALLY ANNOUNCED
In Bravely Default news that has nothing to do with malformed toys, Square Enix at last uncovered the sequel. Bravely Second slunk around in trademark fillings for a while, but last week brought the first details about the 3DS RPG.
Like the original Bravely Default, Second's storyline seems an old-fashioned Final Fantasy in everything but name. The moon even figures prominently into the tale: a demon king arrives in the world of Luxendarc, and help comes from Magnolia Arch, a winking, adventuresome (and casually murderous) hunter of lunar origin. Square Enix promises new areas to explore and a larger game all around, and those of you who own the European release of Bravely Default can see a preview of Second after the credits.
Yet Bravely Second emerges amid unfortunate news: Akihiko Yoshida left Square Enix. Yoshida wasn't just the character designer for the Bravely series; he did the same for Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII, Vagrant Story, and various other games, often collaborating with director Yasumi Matsuno. His career stretches back to the original Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre, and he also refashioned the characters for the PSP version of Tactics Ogre. Of course, Yoshida still can collaborate with Square Enix, and his message of resignation even notes that he'll stick with Bravely Default “as long as I am needed.” Perhaps this'll even let Yoshida work on outside projects…such as Matsuno's Unsung Story.
SKULLGIRLS MIGHT BE GOING AWAY, THEN COMING BACK
What controversies do we find in the game industry this week? Try this: Xbox Live to remove Skullgirls, that crisply animated 2-D fighter from Lab Zero Games. It comes after Lab Zero and publisher Autumn Games announced an end to their business arrangement with Konami, and Konami apparently isn't giving the game a break as it moves over to Autumn's aegis. Unless Konami reconsiders, the game leaves the PSN on December 17 and Xbox Live on December 31. Skullgirls owners can still play the game offline, but online matches may be impaired.
Yet it doesn't seem that Skullgirls will go missing for long. Lab Zero and Autumn are at work on a new build of the fighter for both the PSN and Live, and with any luck it won't be hard for people to update if they've already purchased Skullgirls. Moreover, this doesn't affect the Japanese PSN release or the very nice Steam version of Skullgirls. So I wouldn't rush to Xbox Live in a Skullgirls-driven panic.
Spike Chunsoft, it follows protagonists Eren, Mikasa, and Armin through future-medieval mankind's war against horrific shambling humanoids who look like they crawled off an old Bavarian woodcut. Two able storylines will be available as well. One features Levi, and the other features Attack on Titan's only most likable character, Sasha.
True to Sasha's occasional role as gluttonous comedy relief, her chapter is a shade more humorous than the unrelentingly desperate circumstances of other Attack on Titan characters. It's still shot through with savage battles against naked, human-devouring titans, but Sasha can unlock a knife and fork for weapons. Yet it's a bit of a disappointment compared to the more creative routes Spike Chunsoft might've taken. I would've preferred a Pac-Man clone with a little Sasha sprite eating her way through a maze of potato dots and big-eyed titans.
In fact, Space Dandy went for that classic approach. Cartoon Network, and so there's already Space Dandy game in the works. Well, it's actually Galaga refashioned into Space Galaga, but that's good enough. It fits beautifully with the classic space-pulp atmosphere that Space Dandy previews evoke, though one wonders how that mildly distressing State of Liberty ship might work into the storyline. Space Galaga is headed to iOS and Android platforms next year, and I hope it'll be as readily available in North America as the anime series will.
IMPORT ROUNDUP: NOVEMBER
| The IDOLM@STER, and the character-creating system can fashion all sorts of anime lookalikes. |
METAL MAX 4: MOONLIGHT DIVA Developer: Cattle Call/24Frame Publisher: Atlus, and XSEED sometimes risk. Bonus Outfits: Metal Max 4's wardrobe homages its own history instead of Hatsune Miku. Hinata can dress up as the main character from Metal Max 1 and 2, while other characters get over a dozen costumes from Metal Max 3. |
SUPER ROBOT TAISEN OG INFINITE BATTLE Developer: B.B. Studios/BEC Publisher: Geneon sent to its ignoble death. The Cybuster is on hand among staples of Super Robots Wars like The Alteisen, the Gespenst, the humanoid Valsione, and the G Compatible Kaiser (not to be confused with the G. Kaiser from Tech Romancer). The lineup reaches almost thirty playable robots, and the game's versus mode expands to three-on-three fights. However, it doesn't have much of a story…and I don't see the old Weisritter, either. That was my favorite of the Original Generation bunch. Yes, the original white-and-blue model that looks like a robot-sniper cockatoo. For those who miss the strategy element, the special edition of Infinite Battle includes a code for Super Robot Taisen OG Dark Prison. It's a tactical RPG starring Shu Shirakawa, one of Infinite's antagonists, and it'll cost 3000 yen as a standalone title this spring. Import Barrier: Once you figure out the menus, Infinite Battle's not that tough to play. There's still plenty of dialogue, however. Chances of a Domestic Release: Minimal. Infinite Battle may have no licensed robots to legally wrangle, but it doesn't have much cache among general RPG or action-game fans over here. Bonus Outfits: Technically none, but when you think about it, the entire Super Robot Taisen Original Generation series is one big extra. |
NEXT WEEK'S RELEASES
Well, there's nothing much headed our way next week. Publishers blew their holiday wad, and now it's time for most of us to look back for any games we missed.
But what's this? Hideo Minaba? That's worth mentioning, even if it's only out in Japan.
Granblue Fantasy is intriguing, particularly when compared to other smartphone RPGs. A typical fantasy plot and cast seem a touch more alive with the game's animated scenes and some rich spritework that recalls Minaba's duties on Final Fantasy VI. It arrives next week for Japanese Android and iOS devices, so playing it in the West might require some trickery. But that's better than a blank release schedule, I think.
discuss this in the forum (10 posts) |
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history