Hyperdimension Neptunia: Moeconsoles with a side order of Thunder Tits

Grimthwacker

Oh ye gods, I think it's finally happened: the perfect storm of video game self-parody and insanity that could only come from Japan. I usually don't follow news from that neck of the world, but this is just too messed up NOT to address . . . I give you Hyperdimension Neptunia, a PS3 RPG taking the current generation of consoles and giving them the "Moe Anthropomorphism" treatment.



A collaboration between NIS, Compile Heart (whose most recent release over here, Record of Agarest War, was marketed to, shall we say, a certain "select demographic"), Gust (of the Atelier and Ar Tonelico series) and Sega, the game takes place in a universe called Gamindustri where various worlds under the care of the "Console Goddesses" are under attack, forcing them to band together and fight back. Yes, you'll be seeing the XBox 360, PS3, Wii, and the human incarnation of the prototype Sega 32X in crazy anime-style RPG action. I am not making this up. It is coming over here next year. I fear for our souls.

Well, as long as we're exposing ourselves to the madness, let's meet the stars of this elegant mind-screw, shall we?

Neptune, aka Purple Heart

The aforementioned Sega Neptune's personification (in her "civilian" state and "Goddess" mode), our heroine is the typical anime ditzy hyper-cheerful girl. Somewhat slow on the uptake, but friendly and optimistic under most circumstances.

Belle, aka Green Heart

Representing the XBox 360 (insert lolSexBox jokes here), Belle is apparently modeled after the Japanese depiction of American gamer girls - really addicted to the point of pulling all-nighters, so she tends to be a little narcoleptic.

Blanc, aka White Heart

The Wii Goddess, Blanc is the token loli (insert lolKidtendo jokes here), so she's on the, shall we say, petite side. Apparently also the token "tsundere" character.

Noire, aka Black Heart

Representing the PS3, Noire is serious business (mostly), and apparently fills the "badass" role of the bunch.

Also appearing are personifications of Nippon Ichi (here's a hint, she has blue hair and wears a Prinny "Can I Really Be the Hero" scarf), Gust and Compile Heart, mainly as NPCs but also as playable (DLC in Japan so far) characters.

So what say ye, PA Forums: has the industry finally gone off the deep end? Will anyone other than die-hard NIS/Gust/JRPG fans even consider picking this one up? How many mind-altering substances were involved in the making of this thing? Now if you'll excuse me, my brain hurts just thinking about this.

EDIT: Official U.S. release date is Feb. 15, 2011. First English gameplay videos have begun emerging, showing the battle system to be akin to Cross Edge and Trinity Universe, other NIS/Idea Factory games:
Gameplay Video
Info about the Limited Edition packaging swag can be found on the game's official site under the "Info" section.

Olivaw

What

No seriously, what

BuhamutZeo

Isn't this old news?

Very very disturbing old news, none the less.

vagrant_winds

It's not as bad/awesome as SegaGaGa.
Yes, I'm picking it up on principle alone

Chen

Tell me more.

Falx

If I had a choice between playing this and death, I would draw a target on my head and shake my murderer's hand before he kills me.

Chrono Helix

Not sure if want.

Kyoka Suigetsu

Loli console wars?

I'm suprised this hasn't already happened. Whats so bad about it? besides the obvious of course.

Cantido

Falx wrote: »

If I had a choice between playing this and death, I would draw a target on my head and shake my murderer's hand before he kills me.

Playing Death?

Falx

It will inevitably contain pointless sexual-themes poorly shoehorned onto the game-play that is only in the game for people to terminate their turkey's to.

Edit: :^:

EVOL

Day 1

Magic Pink

EVOL wrote: »

Day 1

Ditto. I love Idea Factory games. Hate the loli bullshit but I get oversexualized woman no matter what game I buy these days.

EVOL

But I was joking. I've never even heard of these guys. What're their games usually like?

Magic Pink

EVOL wrote: »

But I was joking. I've never even heard of these guys. What're their games usually like?

Slightly more complex Disgaea style games. With more boobs, sadly. And Item Creation.

edit: Also, if just this tame crap is freaking so many of you all out, you is all WUSSES, I says.

Falx

Legends of Agarest was a full on porn game. And you don't need to be a wuss to realize that tacking on sex in an attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator takes away time better spent on exciting gameplay and interesting plot.

Magic Pink

Falx wrote: »

Legends of Agarest was a full on porn game. And you don't need to be a wuss to realize that tacking on sex in an attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator takes away time better spent on exciting gameplay and interesting plot.

I never found any porn in Agarest. And tacking on sex is something every game and movie studio does all the time, forever. This is nothing different or exceptional.

That witch touching DS game? THAT was something icky extreme.

Couscous

Criminal Girls.

NSFW http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/10/28/criminal_girls_bonus_items/ NSFW

Falx

The sleazy commercials led me to believe otherwise, but I know damn near everything is getting sexed up... which is why I hardly watch/play anything anymore.

Every time I see something like this it makes me just a little bit more upset.

EVOL

Oh. So these guys made that witch touching game and are making Criminal Girls?

..Slowly backing out here.

Magic Pink

Falx wrote: »

The sleazy commercials led me to believe otherwise, but I know damn near everything is getting sexed up... which is why I hardly watch/play anything anymore.

Every time I see something like this it makes me just a little bit more upset.

Oh, absolutely, the advertising and stuff was pretty much just a copy of Hustler. It was SICKENING. The game itself... meh. God of War and the Dante's Inferno's DEMO had more risque stuff.

Magic Pink

EVOL wrote: »

Oh. So these guys made that witch touching game and are making Criminal Girls?

..Slowly backing out here.

No, not the witch touching game. I don't know about Criminal Girls, I'm not touching that link but I doubt it.

They made Cross Edge and a bunch of stuff for the PSP. They made the Atelier games too.

Zombiemambo

Japan is apparently pretty easy to market to.

everyone is easy to market to

cj iwakura

As effed up as this game looks, I've heard the gameplay is actually fun, and the plot is hilarious.

I really do hate Idea Factory with a fiery passion, so I'm cautiously pessimistic.

Crimson King

Anthromoeporphism.

That is all.

BlitzAce1981

...The words "Belle" and "Red Ring Of Death" just came to mind. They didn't leave pleasant images.

Falx

With everything ever from Japan, and increasingly everywhere else, I've learned to always set the bar as low as possible. I'm hardly ever disappointed, these days.

Syphyre

The real question...how's the gameplay? Because that's all anyone buys these for, yanno.

ystael

Agarest War had some interesting game-mechanical ideas in it, unfortunately buried under a crippling weight of grinding ... setting up your character geometry to pull off a neat special combo is much less interesting the fiftieth time you have to do the SAME combo because there have been twenty battles since the last time you got a new ability for anyone.

I enjoy this kind of thing as an occasional guilty pleasure, so as long as NIS doesn't pull the same kind of miserable hack-job they did with Ar Tonelico 2, I'm looking forward to it.

Syphyre

There was actually a really good tactical game buried under Agarest War, it was just grindarific.
(yes I bought it don't hurt me I even have the mousepad my wife thinks it's hilarious)

wateyad

Magic Pink wrote: »

EVOL wrote: »

Oh. So these guys made that witch touching game and are making Criminal Girls?

..Slowly backing out here.

No, not the witch touching game. I don't know about Criminal Girls, I'm not touching that link but I doubt it.

They made Cross Edge and a bunch of stuff for the PSP. They made the Atelier games too.

Atelier is GUST, not Idea Factory / Compile Heart.

MrVyngaard

Huh.

This is so weird I'm going to have to see how it ends up, just because it's Japan.

EDIT: Also I am upset and outraged that MY Xbox 360 wasn't that model.

Magic Pink

wateyad wrote: »

Magic Pink wrote: »

EVOL wrote: »

Oh. So these guys made that witch touching game and are making Criminal Girls?

..Slowly backing out here.

No, not the witch touching game. I don't know about Criminal Girls, I'm not touching that link but I doubt it.

They made Cross Edge and a bunch of stuff for the PSP. They made the Atelier games too.

Atelier is GUST, not Idea Factory / Compile Heart.

Oh, yeah. Oh well, GUST is involved in this too.

And yeah, all Idea Factory games are super grind fests. I love grinding but if you don't, skip 'em.

Grimthwacker

Yeah, sorry about the rather brusque OP (just banged it out at the spur of the moment), but here's the deal about what the game's like: this here link shows off the battle system; I have no real clue about the mechanics, but it looks like a pretty standard turn-based affair with some tweaks. Apparently the whole setup is inspired by the Japanese software piracy issue using flash cards, like the DS uses (the JP name of the big bads is essentially the word for "flash card"), so yeah, some subtle "commentary" by the devs, too.

Magic Pink

Grimthwacker wrote: »

Yeah, sorry about the rather brusque OP (just banged it out at the spur of the moment), but here's the deal about what the game's like: this here link shows off the battle system; I have no real clue about the mechanics, but it looks like a pretty standard turn-based affair with some tweaks. Apparently the whole setup is inspired by the Japanese software piracy issue using flash cards, like the DS uses (the JP name of the big bads is essentially the word for "flash card"), so yeah, some subtle "commentary" by the devs, too.

It looks very similar to Corss Edge's battle system. That's a good thing since it was one of only two good things about the game.

subedii

What are they thinking with this game?

They've clearly missed a character.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jppNmXcw0fY

I wonder whether that marketing actually worked.

Caedere

As someone who injects unnecessary sexuality into things that DEFINITELY don't need it, I approve of and look forward to this game. Awesome.

Cantido

We're here to make consoles MOE.
WE WILL MAKE EVERYTHING MOE
PINKER THAN THE PINKEST PINK, TIMES INFINITY!

Lilnoobs

Huh, might finally have a reason to pick up a PS3.

Gilder

Buying this ironically, but having not watched any videos of gameplay I am hoping to god it isn't yet another IF game where the battles are just waiting for a bar to fill up so you can unleash a barrage of attacks. Just let me attack on turn 1 goddammit! The grind in Cross Edge is pretty insane, but I can deal with it. Always skipping the first turn however is what makes it a pain to grind.

KiTA

Edit: Ah, didn't realize this was already announced. Still, we apparently now have a date -- Feb 2011.

Gentlemen, the Console wars are upon us.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Screens Wage Console War In English
Hyperdimension Neptunia is headed to North America in February according to Gamefly, and Tecmo Koei announced it for March in Europe.

While Hyperdimension Neptunia and Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel have specific dates in Europe, all we have in North America are vague "spring" timelines for those titles. Nevertheless, Gamefly claims to know the dates of both games.

According to the rental service, Hyperdimension Neptunia is slated for February 17. That date is inline with the "few weeks prior" comment from NIS America. Ar Tonelico Qoga is pegged for March 17, which is also a little earlier than the European release.

In addition to these titles, NIS America also has Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! and Phantom Brave: The Hermuda Triangle coming out for PSP next year.

Apparently installing a HDD into your Sega Neptune makes it stronger.

... huh.

They need to get the Sega Fantasy 6 guys working on a sequel, STAT.

Jintor

I suddenly imaged Game Dev Story crossed with Tron. Where the progress of your Avatarised console is measured by the crazy development practices you push, and your power is measured by software sales, and grargahlgakjsdaslkjdklsaj