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Sakura Wars available in the US [PS2/Wii]: Sakura Wars 1 is back! (Sort of.)
cj iwakura
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
New Rosenqueen swag, from the newly announced limited limited edition:
Do want.
Strategic Update:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showpost.php?p=13037078&postcount=96
Consult in advance.
Or as NISA's affectionally dubbed it, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love.
http://www.sakurawars.us/
What is Sakura Wars?
Press Release PDF
Okay, so it's not focused on the original cast most of us might be familiar with,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJPC6I2ss2c&feature=related
But it's a darn good start. Better late in the game than never.
All's forgiven for the Ar Tonelico screw-up, NISA.
Don't blow this one.
Some sparse pics:
And the opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWj1WRyRh64
Do want.
Strategic Update:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showpost.php?p=13037078&postcount=96
Consult in advance.
Or as NISA's affectionally dubbed it, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love.
http://www.sakurawars.us/
What is Sakura Wars?
Since the Sakura Wars franchise first started in 1995, it has sold over 350 million units worldwide. This success isn't limited to just video games; Sakura Wars has found popularity as a staged production, anime series', and printed publications. In this game, the setting moves from Japan to New York, bringing with it a whole new cast of characters. The series conventions remain fresh and intact along with some new features to enhance game play. It's a completely unique, but related, title in the Sakura Wars franchise!
The main character is Shinjiro Taiga, a young Navy Lieutenant and nephew of the hero of the previous 4 games. The story begins as Shinjiro arrives in 1928 New York.
Sakura Wars V: So Long, My Love welcomes some new features to the game play. In addition to ground-based battles (ARMS: Active & Real-time Machine System), you can engage in air combat. While in air combat mode, the STARs transform from their robotic form to an air fighter form to further enhance the experience of fighting in the skies.
During the Adventure portions of the game, characters have made the transition into 3D and the world map has been extended in order to allow you to freely walk around New York City. New features have been added to the long-standing LIPS (Live & Interactive Picture System), and new gameplay variations utilizing LIPS further improve the game play.
Press Release PDF
SAKURA WARS ANNOUNCED FOR NORTH AMERICA AT LAST
Santa Ana, Calif. (May 7, 2009) – After years of anticipation by hardcore gamers around the world, “Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love” will finally be released in North America this fall.
Sakura Wars is a Strategy RPG that features a unique sim-based story system. An in-depth storyline exists, much like in any other RPG; however, the player’s destiny in the game is not predetermined.
Character interaction plays a major role, and your responses to the various characters in the game can ultimately change the story content and even the final outcome.
The battle system is divided into two main parts; ground combat and air combat.
Ground combat takes place using two-legged mechanized suits, which transform into jet fighters to take the fight to the sky. Every mech unit in the game can transform from battle mech mode to jet fighter mode during combat. Once transformed, weapons and movement methods will change as well.
For example, the hero’s ground mode utilizes a sword as his main weapon, but in jet mode he will use long-range missiles.
KEY FEATURES
•8 chapters in total, each with 4-5 hours of gameplay.
•A total of 7 characters to control.
•6 different fully animated endings.
•Bonus features and story after beating the game
Okay, so it's not focused on the original cast most of us might be familiar with,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJPC6I2ss2c&feature=related
But it's a darn good start. Better late in the game than never.
All's forgiven for the Ar Tonelico screw-up, NISA.
Don't blow this one.
Some sparse pics:
And the opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWj1WRyRh64
cj iwakura on
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Posts
This would be why it's also coming out for the Wii.
But yes, people do. Quite happy to see this happen, and who knows, if this sells well the other games might come over.
Persona 4 and Devil Summoner 2 say hi.
And I'm hoping if this does well, we might get the PSP port of the first two(available on one UMD).
Speaking of, that's more or less a literal translation of the Japanese subtitle; the only thing NISA has done is to drop the number to avoid scaring people away. So Long, My Love is a standalone entry anyway, so not getting "earlier" games won't hurt enjoyment of this one.
Good show cj. Good show.
I can't sum it up any better than that.
Also, I half-wonder if they'll replace the look of the hero in this version of the game; the hero in the Japanese release was obviously this Japanese dude in America so that the (Japanese) players could relate to him, but that might actually feel weird to American players unfamiliar with the series. Hmm.
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3DS: 3454-0268-5595 Battle.net: SteelAngel#1772
It's basically the progenitor to all the hybrid visual novel/game thingies, most of which I can't mention because of the forum's "no porn" rule, but there buttloads of them made every year in Japan. Just usually for PC and almost always with porn, although most get ported to the PS2 anyway, sans the porn.
Still, we'll finally get to see.
I own V, by the way. Still got I-IV on the Dreamcast, complete with pink VMU and Rumble Pack.
Read my book. (It has a robot in it.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWj1WRyRh64
The OP's even in English. Well, the text at least.
EDIT: I dunno, I'd like to see it do well. I'm not that much of a Japanophile/weeaboo/whatever.
Read my book. (It has a robot in it.)
Probably because the main character is some kind of crazy cowgirl who wants to be a samurai IIRC, clearly indicative of 1920 Americans.
Hey, it worked in Shadow Hearts 3.
Read my book. (It has a robot in it.)
...Nakoruru visual novel? O_o
Not bad. I actually managed to finish it, picked up a fair bit of the story, really liked the ending song. Trading it in was going to get me a pittance compared to the fortune I paid for it, so I thought eh, what the hell. Plus it comes with the figurine and all.
Anyway, back on topic.
EDIT: Myself, I did I and II with the translations off GameFAQs, did III about half with, half without, did IV pretty much all without and then went back to see what I'd missed. I currently own I-IV on DC, with the LEs of I and II. Then V Episode 0 on PS2 (the LE - Gemini Sunrise bath towel, anyone? No, I'm not joking), plus V and Atsuki Chishioni, the remake of I.
Read my book. (It has a robot in it.)
Also, how is 5 compared to the other games in the series?
What are the odds on a European release?
Damned high. Sakura Wars seems to more or less be NISA's "AAA" offering for the year, so I suspect that they'll partner with Koei Europe as per usual to get this released in Europe, or at least in English-speaking PAL territories.
There were some complaints from importers about it being a fairly ridiculous take on America, but OTOH this is Roaring Twenties New York with steampunk mecha battles down Broadway. A certain amount of ridiculousness might be not just expected, but welcome.
We had better get more musical numbers than the one in the opening.
Oh you will.
Also hilarious mangling of Shakespeare.
The question now is PS2 or Wii...
If anything, Sagitta is probably more progressive (being an African-American lawyer when not piloting steampunk mecha) than portrayals of African-Americans in most Western games, which is a bit depressing. It's also surprising when you consider that a lot of times, Japan can be even worse than the West about this sort of thing, sometimes without being malicious but just due to cultural misunderstandings.
If she's localized well, I can see Sagitta being pretty popular with Western audiences simply because there are so few positive portrayals of African-American women in videogames. It helps that she apparently rides a bitchin' hog when not piloting mecha or lawyering.
Ah well, I'm confident NISA will give this the love it deserves, although the cries of "hurr I wonder what bugs they'll put into it" from some corners of the Internet are getting a mite old. One screwed up release out of a history of dozens does not make the company toxic.
Edit: ^^^ That's a point, I wonder how much is being done with the Wii remote in the Wii version. If the game can be controlled with a mouselike interface it's a day one purchase. I've been wanting a strategy game on the Wii that uses the remote like a mouse since the console came out.
I'm still confident they'll do this one justice, because I don't think they can afford to botch a high profile(if niche) release like this.
And if I had to guess why we didn't get the Saturn games here? Two words: Bernie Stolar(SoA's US CEO at the time).
The guy reportedly had it out for RPGs, and thought they had no chance of being successful in the US.
Among other things, he's also considered responsible for the Grandia and Lunar Saturn remakes not coming out here.
Statue of Liberty in the logo? Check.
American flag in the V? Check.
Crying bald eagle? Eagle!? EAAAAAGGGGLLLEEEE!!!!
No, Namco just removes all of it. Not a semi-random 60%
Read my book. (It has a robot in it.)
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
But they are horrendously easy. In some ways, I guess for Japan they're as mainstream as it gets.
Read my book. (It has a robot in it.)
And apparently ST5 does have some difficult boss fights.