[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

NIS America announces Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl

Announced over the weekend, NIS America announced that they will be releasing Ground Control to Psychoelectris Girl aka Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko.  The release will be, like every other NIS America licensed anime, a premium box set with both blu-ray and DVD copies with a full color 36 page artbook in a collectible slipcase.  The complete 13 episode series will be out on January 8, 2013.

Bakemonogatari Limited Edtion Blu-Ray Box Set from Aniplex releases this Holiday Season

Aniplex of America has revealed today the details of their long awaited Blu-ray box set of the hit anime Bakemonogatari. 

The box set includes all 15 episodes on 6 Blu-Ray discs, Japanese audio with subtitles for dialogue and onscreen text, Character audio commentary, textless OP and ED animations and TV previews, 3 cases inside with double sided case wraps all in a sturdy rigid box featuring an original illustration by Akio Watanabe.

 Plot Summary from Anime News Network: Although there are still traces of the brief period he became a vampire, third-year high school student Koyomi Araragi is human again. He happens upon others with their own supernatural problems and finds that he can empathize. Koyomi becomes involved in their lives, seeking to help them and occasionally asking for advice from Meme Oshino, the homeless man who helped him become human again.

This is again a Limited Edition Box Set by Aniplex, so it means once it sells out, you probably won't be able to buy it again.  It is scheduled for release on November 20th, 2012.  It is up for pre-order for $149.98 here at Right-Stuf.

Mirai Suenaga Nendoroid

Mirai Suenaga, mascot of Culture Japan has received her very own super cute nendoroid figurine by Good Smile Company.  Pre-orders are now up on many figure retailers like J-list, AmiAmi, and Hobby Search.

Nendoroid Mirai will come with two different smiling expressions, her robot companion Retrokyu, an miniature itasha(mini car) with several different decals you can place on it, and a full 50 set pack of miniature Moekana hiragana learning cards along with six bonus cards not included in the full size set.

More detailed information can be found here at Culture Japan
Mirai Suenaga Nendoroid

She is planned to retail for around 4000 yen and scheduled for release by December 2012.  Links to retailers below.
Pre-Order at J-List
Pre-Order at AmiAmi
Pre-Order at Hobby Search

Persona 4 Golden just got more Golden with an Extremely Limited Edition

From the Atlus Faithful newsletter sent out just last night, Atlus has announced the extremely limited Solid Gold Premium Edition for Persona 4 Golden with only 10,000 copies.  Alongside the announced pre-order bonus of the skin, this premium set includes, a Hori Hard pouch and face cover, and a set of stickers all for $30 more than just the game by itself.

Persona 4 Golden is scheduled to come out some time this Fall.

Atlus offers Persona 4 Golden PSVita cover with pre-order

Seems like a pretty awesome bonus considering the only way to ever get a skin like this for your PSVita would be to import it from Japan.  Persona 4 Golden is due out this October

Source: From the Atlus Faithful Newsletter. 

Durarara!! Blu-ray Complete Set in a Lunch Box!

Now this is a pretty interesting package for an anime collection.  Aniplex of America announces the Durarara!! anime series in a complete collection all in a nice lunch box set on October 30th 2012.  It contains episodes 1-24 with the bonus episodes 12.5 and 25.  Bonus items include a double sided poster and a deluxe booklet.

As usual of Aniplex's BD set releases, they are incredibly limited and should be pre-ordered immediately if you even have the slightest interest.  It's retail price is $189.98 but Right-Stuf.com has it for $149.99 :Pre-order at Right-Stuf.com

NIS America Licenses Umineko: When They Cry

Announced during their panel at Otakon, NIS America will release Umineko: When They Cry on two separate Premium Edition volumes on Blu-ray this December.  The 26-episode series originally aired in Japan back in 2009.

 Plot Summary from Anime News Network:

Umineko no Naku Koro ni takes place in the year 1986, during the time frame of October 4 and October 5 on a secluded island named Rokkenjima. The head of a wealthy family named Kinzo Ushiromiya, who lives on and owns Rokkenjima, is near death, and eight of his family members arrive on the island to discuss how Kinzo's assets will be divided once he is dead. Also on the island are three family members who live there, five of Kinzo's servants, and his personal physician. After the eight family members arrive, a typhoon traps them on the island and shortly after people start to get mysteriously murdered.

The anime series is an adaptation of the visual novel of the same name by 07th Expansion.  They have also worked on the previous entry of mystery/horror anime Higurashi: When They Cry.

I hope NIS America will also think about re-licensing Higurashi and its sequel Kai someday.

source:NIS America Adds Umineko: When They Cry Mystery Anime

Fate/Extra CCC Promo video

The first promo video was streamed today by Marvelous AQL for the 2nd Fate/Extra game.

Fate/Extra CCC is a spin-off of  the Fate/Stay Night series by TYPE-MOON.  It's an RPG where you can choose a male or female main character and a servant of your choice from Saber, Archer, Caster, and new in CCC, Gilgamesh.

The game is offered at 6,279 yen (about US$81.20) for the standard edition, and a limited edition Type-Moon Virgin White Box for 10,479 yen (US$135.50), which includes a Saber bride figma figure, a visual works collection, and CD with 3 songs by Saber's voice actress Sakura Tenge.  It's release date is currently set for February 21, 2013 in Japan.

The original Fate/Extra was released in 2010 in Japan and last year in the US by Aksys Games.  Got the game somewhere in my huge collection, need to play it sometime.

Details from Anime News Network.

Kami Jigen Game Neptune V 2nd Promo Video

A new video detailing the battle system for Kami Jigen Game Neptune V (God Dimensional Game Neptunia V) was recently put up on Complie Heart's official website. (Video is not my re-upload; visit MasterLL on YouTube)


This game is a follow up to last year's Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 which I'm still currently playing through.  The battle system looks to be identical with some improvements to the UI.  Looks like this game is going to be filled with more fanservice than the previous Neptunia games with just as much "moe" otaku filled goodness.  The Japanese release date is on August 30th and will cost 7,329 yen (about US$93) and a limited edition is available at 10,479 yen (US$133).

There are currently no news regarding a US version but I assume NIS America will announce it sooner or later.

Mugen Souls PS3 Limited Edition Figure Set Pre-order announced

Originally saw this during Anime Expo 2012, NIS America has now officially announced the Limited Edition Figure Set for Mugen Souls on PS3 exclusively or pre-order on the NIS America online store.

The normal Limited Edition will include:
• The Mugen Souls Game for PlayStation 3
• An original soundtrack
• Online Store exclusive: A hardcover art book (35+ pages)
• Online Store exclusive: The Shampuru body sponge and hand towel

The Limited Edition Figure Set features the above items as well as:
• Online Store exclusive:A Nendoroid Petite figure set box produced by Good Smile Company which contains a detailed figure of Chou-Chou Infinite (poseable with interchangeable face and arms), Altis (poseable with interchangeable face and arms), and a Shampuru (1-inch figure).

If you were to pre-order the game anywhere else, you don't get any of these items, so if you're interested in the exclusive items, pre-order here from their online store:
http://store.nisamerica.com/Exclusives/Mugen-Souls-Limited-Edition-plus-Figure-Set

Both Limited Editions will not get reprinted once they run out and if like the Atelier Meruru Limited Edition before, it will sell out weeks before release.

From what I've seen, this game looks to be for the crazy "Moe" anime fans.  It's graphics style focuses on chibi models and those "mow" facial expressions.  Its gameplay system resembles that of Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 with the turn based free movement battles, and the ridiculous over-the-top animations and damage from  Disgaea series.  The game just seems to be the fusion of both NIS and Complie Heart/Idea Factory.

Being a sucker for limited editions from NIS America I already pre-ordered at Anime Expo for $100 and got a exclusive pin set.

The game is scheduled for release September 18th 2012.