Ten Games Japanese Gamers Reccomend

Following up on that article from Kotaku I mentioned in my Dungeon Travelers 2 post, I can agree on most of their recommendations.  Aside from Dungeon Travelers 2 I've also played Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus and DmC.  Those are really fun games and they play really well (ignoring Senran Kagura's excessive fanservice).  I'm surprised as with most people that the Japanese loved Far Cry 3, which I haven't gotten my hands on yet but am looking for it to be on sale during the Steam Summer Sale.

Demon Gaze and 7th Dragon 2020 II are some RPG's I haven't really heard much of, but they do like like excellent games.  The 7th Dragon series has never and localization and probably never will, but as Demon Gaze is a new IP, I'm hoping one of the niche developers here in the US like Atlus, Aksys, NIS America, or Xseed will pick it up.

NIS's The Guided Fate Paradox is coming over sometime in the Fall and I am looking forward to the spirtual sequel to Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger vs Darkdeath Evilman.  That was a fun spin on the roguelike RPG genre and had quite a few cameos from Disgaea and various manga/anime.  Hoping Guided Fate Paradox will do the same.

Soul Sacrifice is out right now but I haven't the opportunity try it out/ buy it, but the reviews have been positive.  Macross 30 is something the states will never see but as new Macross fan I'll believe the Japanese to its quality.

[Nintendo 3DS ]Atlus bringing Etrian Odyssey IV to the US next year

Originally slipped under my radar but Atlus announced a few weeks back that they will be bringing the latest in their new school old-school dungeon crawler RPG series Etrian Odyssey IV.  The newest improvement they've done with the game is giving the game new 3D graphics for the monsters over sprites like they used to.  They've scheduled a release for sometime in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS. No word yet on whether they will bundle a bonus item like they've done with most of their recent releases, but here's hoping theres another artbook like Etrian Odyssey III.

Today Atlus Faithful subscribers have just received the first batch of screenshots and an explanation about their font choice for the game.  The fact that Atlus cares about what font they put into their games is just amazing. 

Atlus' Etrian Odyssey IV website

[Nintendo 3DS] Code of Princess Unboxing

I just got my order of Atlus' new 3DS game Code of Princess, a side scrolling beat-em-up with RPG elements, and features, 50+ playable characters and 4-player co-op and versus, local and online ranked matches.  Atlus has packed in bonus content with a sound and visual CD/Artbook inside a neat boxed package.  These are only for the first print copies so down the line you will only get the game when you purchase.  Without further ado here's the pictures of the unboxing!

 And here's Atlus' launch trailer for the game.

Tokyo Game Show 2012 Monster Hunter 4 Trailer

Here's the trailer for the next Monster Hunter game due out sometime in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS.  Wish there was more support for the series outside of Japan where just about everyone is nuts about it.  Would totally play this with friends.

Graphics look roughly better than the PSP games, but looks like the new hub town we get to hang around in is in a desert, reminds me a lot of Monster Hunter Tri's online hub.  Tons of new monsters as expected with some returns from Tri, and what do we have here? A Spear weapon? Awesome.  Looks like now we can do some aerial attacks as we jump off cliffs, very cool.

Tokyo Game Show Trailers for Ace Attorney 5 and Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney

Shown at this year's Tokyo Game Show which is currently going on in Japan,trailers for Ace Attorney 5 and Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney.

 Ace Attorney 5's 3D graphics are looking really impressive and better than I imagined.  Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney looks like a wonderful blend between both games and that animated intro really made me think it was a trailer for an anime. Freakin' Awesome.

Really can't wait for these games to come out in the US.  Ace Attorney 5 has already been confirmed by Capcom when the news first broke, but I'm unsure about Layton vs. Ace Attorney though there are rumors of it being listed by some online retailers.

Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney gets release date in Japan

The long awaited cross-over game between Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright will be released in Japan on November 29th.  The game will also have a playable demo during the Tokyo Game Show coming up soon.

The game will take place in a fantasy setting called Labyrinth City where our professor and defense attorney will help some wrongly accused individuals.  The gameplay will be split into two different parts, an Adventure Part where you play as Professor Layton and do what he does best, solve puzzles and gathering clues.  The Trial Part is where you take control of Phoenix Wright in a special courtroom to go through a "Witch Trial" where there will be multiple witnesses taking the stand at the same time.

There's currently no news as to whether the game will come stateside, but with the recent announcement of Ace Attorney 5 getting a western release, and with the extreme popularity of both Professor Layton and Ace Attorney games here we should expect them to bring it over sometime in the future.  Looking forward to it when it does, even though I've never played a Professor Layton game.

Phoenix Wright returns in Ace Attorney 5! (Updated!)

Great news for fans of Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney as a 5th game in the series has been announced for the Nintendo 3DS.  Set one year after Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, the 4th entry in the series, Phoenix returns as a lawyer after losing his license eight years ago after a conspiracy. He is accompanied by a mysterious girl in yellow who wears a black glove on her right hand and a crescent earring.

New in this game, scenes within the courtroom are now in complete 3D, including all characters like the judge, Phoenix himself, and probably anyone who appears in the courtroom.  The camera in the courtroom can be controlled by the player to view from many angles.

One of the first scans shows him facing off the younger brother of veteran prosecutor Winston Payne, who you may remember from past games.  Phoenix's first client appears to be a high school girl who is prone to spasm attacks.

It's still a mystery as to whether characters from previous games will make an entrance such as Apollo Justice, Trudy Wright, and the absence of Maya and other members of the Fey family.  No release date for the game has been announced yet.

Update: Capcom has confirmed that Ace Attorney 5 will be getting a release in the West.

Images and source from:Anime News Network