Atlus loves to talk about how its upcoming PS2/Wii "party RPG," Dokapon Kingdom, is going to make you and all of your friends hate each other as you fight one another to be the best kingdom-defender and win the hand of Princess Penny.

But man, how can there be hostility when these screens look so damn adorable and hilarious, seriously? Fist-in-teeth, girl-squealing adorable?

You're looking at the official box art for Wii. Release date is October 14th, new screens after the jump!

On the day when Yin and Yang come together a new jiken (event/incident) will begin.

Seems like this is another Raidou Kuzunoha game. Any other guesses?

Atlus mysterious ad in the latest Famitsu... [NeoGAF via Go Nintendo]

Atlus says the second installment features a "more refined" interface, rebalanced strategy features, touch-based play and "many more improvements." I never played the original Luminous Arc - did it need improving?

Also, every copy of the game comes packaged with a soundtrack CD, together in a "lovely" big ol' box. Yay for extras!

IGN got the exclusive reveal - screens over there.

Luminous Arc 2 Coming to America [IGN]

ATLUS has developed "TRIPLE CATCHER ICE", THE state-of-the-art prize machine carrying the latest freezing technology. "TRIPLE CATCHER ICE" is so unique that it will be absolutely imperative at every amusement scene worldwide.

We agree. This is absolutely imperative. Oh, and while other machines are typically one player affairs, the Triple Catcher -25C can be played by four players at once. It's a quadruple catcher! The Triple Catch Ice -25C doesn't use more electricity than the standard crane machine. For Atlus, arcade innovation means cold and delicious.

「ATLUS TRIPLE CATCHER ICE−25℃」 [オープンカーで颯爽と]

I went to its wiki page (does that make me a hypocrite?), which says the game will be set in the countryside and the story involves a murder mystery. Weather replaces the moon as an event trigger. Also, no more shooting yourself in the head to get your magic on; the Evoker has been replaced by cards, which you destroy to unleash whoopass.

Persona 4 Web site [Atlus]

The best way to start describing Dokapon Kingdom would be to compare it to Mario Party in that they are both multiplayer games that use a board game mechanic, but the similarities stop there. Dokapon Kingdom goes a step further by adding in RPG elements, a huge map and a healthy dose of vicious competition to create something truly unique and a hell of a lot of fun. Up to four players can play locally (there is no online play) and no worries if you only have one controller as the game can be played with the “pass the controller” method.

Dokapon Kingdom has been overrun with monsters much to the chagrin of its King and his daughter, Princess Penny. Your job is to help rid the land of it’s monstrous inhabitants and any other requests the King might have for you along the way. You begin the game by creating your own customizable character and choosing your class: Thief, Warrior, Magician, etc. Then, once the game begins it’s every man/woman for him/herself.

In classic board game style, moves are determined via a “spinner” that will allow you to move anywhere from 1-6 spaces at a time. You make your way around the board, racing the other players to whatever the current goal is. In my case it was rescuing Princess Penny’s piggy bank which had been stolen by a nefarious evil doer. Along the way you can land on various spaces that will let you do things like shop for items, experience random events, battle monsters and liberate towns from their evil clutches. As in an RPG, your character will gain items, gold and experience points from various deeds and eventually your character will grow stronger with advanced levels, better weapons and the like all the way up to level 99. You can also change your class throughout the game, allowing your character to develop skills across the board.

Where Dokapon Kingdom really shines is in its ability to pit players against each other. For instance, if you land on a space where another player is residing, you immediately go into battle mode with them. Once the battle is completed, the winner is allowed to do one of three things to the loser: rob them, prank them or force a bad item on them. The pranks are the most fun and will allow you to change the loser’s hairstyle, draw graffiti on them or best of all, change their name. And since the game isn’t online, there is no profanity filter so feel free to go nuts with the naughty naming! Additionally, passing a space that contains another character will allow certain characters to steal a random item from them. There are a myriad of ways to screw your fellow players over and the game lets you take full advantage of them.

Dokapon Kingdom is being released on the Wii and PS2 on October 14. If you are the type of person that likes super competitive games, Dokapon Kingdom is definitely the game for you. Just be careful what you rename the other person’s virtual character or you could end up with a very real fist in your face.

A Look Inside The Flora Print Club [Arcade Heroes]

Over 20 different types of rooms are available to construct your dungeon, which you can then explore, killing monsters for weapons and items used to build more and more elaborate dungeon designs. Players will be able to trade their designs with friends via the DS wireless connection, allowing for almost limitless gameplay. Check out the gallery below to get a better feel for the title, launching September 2nd, and hit the jump for the announcement trailer and more info!

Atlus Unearths RPG Master Of The Monster Lair For Nintendo DS

If you build it, they will come…

Irvine, Calif. - June 19, 2008 - Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today announced the dungeon-designing, monster-hunting RPG adventure Master of the Monster Lair for Nintendo DS™. Dream it, design it, dig it… then explore it! In order to trap the freeloading monsters of South Arc, you must become the architect of a vast labyrinth, crafting intricate levels designed to lure and capture all manner of beasts. Level after level, every monster disposed of offers the promise of new weapons and items, allowing for more unique dungeon designs and more efficient means of ridding South Arc of the nasty baddies.

On September 2, shovel talks. You dig. Monsters die.

About Master of the Monster Lair

The quiet town of South Arc is about to have some monster trouble. Foul creatures with serious attitude problems have infested nearby forests and are now slowly moving into the village. The townsfolk, fearful for their safety, do not even dare to leave their homes. Calls for help have gone unanswered, likely because every other town in the Kingdom is similarly troubled.

As a young lad off in search of your calling, you stumble across a talking shovel. The verbose tool forcibly binds you to the task of digging a dungeon on the outskirts of South Arc, hoping to bait and trap the scrounging monsters.

Looks like you found your calling, Master of the Monster Lair. Now start digging!

Key Features
• It all begins with a talking shovel – The discovery of a talking shovel begins an eccentric adventure where you become the master of the monster lair! As the shovel’s new owner, you’re given the incredible job of digging a dungeon and hunting the monsters that come to live in it.
• Be the architect of your lair – Transform a small hole in the ground into a huge dungeon for hunting monsters! Fill it with over 20 different types of rooms, including Chapels, Cellars, Stables, Trash Dumps, and more to attract different types of monsters and help you obtain different items.
• Share your lair! – Challenge your friends to reach the end of your custom monster lair and see what monsters and items are waiting in theirs. Trade designs over local wireless and prove that you’re the best dungeon digger around!

Master of the Monster Lair has been rated “E10+” (Everyone 10 and older) with Language and Mild Fantasy Violence by the ESRB.

“Zoids Assault is going to slip out of late August and into early September - the 9th to be exact... Hey, are these new Zoids Assault screenshots? These are great! Let’s focus on these instead,” pleaded Aram Jabbari, Assistant Manager of Sales and PR, holding a set of awesome new Zoids Assault screenshots above his head.

I didn't write that last paragraph. Atlus did. Here are new screenshots.

The art they've got on the official website is rather beautiful, if scary - like, weren't Nazis scary enough? Why zombie nazis?

That's right. Because it makes it seem awesome.

The gameplay sounds a little bit real-time action and a little bit turn-based strategy, with a card combat system. Full release follows the jump.

IRVINE, Calif. - June 09, 2008

Atlus U.S.A., Inc., today announced Yggdra Union, a card-based strategy RPG for the PlayStation®Portable system (PSP). For years, strategy RPG fans have accepted repetitive, non-interactive battle sequences as the genre standard; few games have dared to break the mold. Yggdra Union blows through, shattering the mold into tiny, unrecognizable bits. One reviewer wrote of the game’s ground-breaking mechanics, “It's no easy feat to invigorate a genre that has remained fairly set in its ways for the last few generations, let alone do it with the imagination and energy present here.”* Experience a fresh mix of turn-based strategy and real-time action, constantly engaging the player and providing intense, riveting gameplay combined with tactical card-based combat.

Originally released for Game Boy Advance to warm praise, Yggdra Union is beautifully remade and loaded with enhancements, including fully remastered audio and visuals (featuring the artwork of famed character designer and manga artist Satoko Kiyuzuki), dual language voiceovers in both Japanese and English, a widescreen aspect ratio, additional difficulty settings, new unlockable content, and more… all exclusive to the PSP® system!

Yggdra Union is currently scheduled for release on September 16.

The King of Dokapon has offered you the keys to the kingdom, and all you have to do is dispose of a horse of invading monsters. Unfortunately he's made this offer to up to three of your soon-to-be ex-friends, and it's a fight to the finish to see who comes out on top and wins the hand of Princess Penny and the crown. This is the premise behind Dokapon Kingdom, an innovative hybrid of RPG combat and leveling with Mario Party board game action, coming this October to the PS2 and Wii.

Players will navigate various playfields, liberating towns from monsters while doing your best to prove a thorn in your opponents' sides while participating in combat and various mini-games. More than just a board game, players will also level up and gain rare items to help them on their quest for kinghood. Atlus is calling Dokapon Kingdom the friendship ruining game, and considering how cutthroat I can get during a plain old Mario Party game, I can see where they're coming from. Hit the jump for the official announcement and launch trailer!

Have Friendships? Let Atlus Ruin Them With Party RPG Dokapon Kingdom The Friendship-Destroying Game for Wii and PlayStation 2

Irvine, Calif. - June 03, 2008

Atlus U.S.A., Inc., triumphantly friendless, today announced Dokapon Kingdom, an addictive new multiplayer RPG for Wii™ and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. The King of Dokapon has offered you his throne; all he asks for in return is that you dispose of an invading horde of thieving monsters. Trouble is - you’re not the only one he asked. Contend with up to three friends as you navigate playfields littered with challenges, monsters to defeat, and rare secrets to unlock. Warning: Relationship counseling not included.

Dokapon Kingdom is currently scheduled for release on October 14th, 2008.

Key Features
• Innovative board game-RPG crossover – Tired of shallow gameplay in party games? The genre gets retooled in this exuberant mix of role playing and board games! Encounter zany characters, collect rare items, and explore a fascinating kingdom on your quest to vanquish monsters, gather treasure, and level up!
• The friendship-destroying game – Turn the heat up on your rivalries! Take on up to three other soon-to-be-ex-friends in the race for Princess Penny and the crown. Battle, steal, deface – playing dirty is the name of the game – through a variety of locales and challenges. After your friendships are broken, the game is just as much fun to play alone.
• Never the same game twice – Tons of battles, magic spells, mini-games, and multiple play modes add up to endless replayability!
• Easy, intuitive, and effective combat system – This is no boring game of hack-and-slash. Players covertly choose their actions in an intuitive battle interface that guarantees every fight will surprise.

Dokapon Kingdom has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

About Dokapon Kingdom

The Kingdom of Dokapon is a land of wealth and riches ruled by a gold-loving King and his daughter Princess Penny. One day, monsters begin appearing all over the realm, assaulting the towns and stealing all of the empire’s wealth. The King, unable to collect taxes from his impoverished citizens, calls for heroes from across the land to come and rid his monarchy of these monsters. The prize for the hero who is able to free the land: The hand of Princess Penny and rule of the Kingdom itself!

Described as a demonstration of "commitment" to that system, Atlus' "gritty militaristic strategy RPG" revolves around tactics and customization for giant biomechs in a war between the Guylos Empire and the Republic of Helic.

Hey, lots of you have said you're sick of World War II, right?

Full release after the jump.

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA — MAY 13 — Atlus U.S.A., Inc., hailed as publisher of the month by "Hulking War-Machine Weekly," today announced Zoids Assault, a gritty militaristic strategy RPG featuring enormous beasts of steel, exclusively for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Zoids Assault further demonstrates Atlus' commitment to Xbox 360® system and the strategy RPG genre, joining Operation Darkness and Spectral Force 3 in a stacked 2008 lineup.

Manage a team of elite war machines through a campaign of intense military conflicts. Advanced upgrade and customization options combine with challenging objective-based gameplay to offer a fresh new strategy RPG and a daring new vision of the long-running Zoids universe. Commanders, start your engines (of war)!

Zoids Assault is currently scheduled for release on August 26.

Visit the official site:
http://www.atlus.com/zoids

About Zoids Assault:
When war broke out between the world's two main superpowers, the Guylos Empire and the Republic of Helic, the effects rippled across the globe, dragging other nations into the fight. Two such nations were Maroll and Jamil.

During the war, Maroll's attacks on the neighboring Jamil were devastating, and even a decade after the war had ended, Jamil's economy and infrastructure hadn't fully recovered. Animosity, paranoia, and mutual mistrust between the two nations hindered their ability to find a common ground and complete their peace talks. For ten long years, the two nations found themselves in the middle of a cold war.

After a mysterious explosion at one of Maroll's military bases, two covert ops teams are sent into Jamil territory, their exact mission details never disclosed. Somehow, the events of the present are inextricably linked to the past—to the final days of the war, ten years ago...

Key Features:
• Command a Zoid army - Take control of a fleet of giant biomechanical life forms that blend the assets of beast and machine to create fierce weapons of war.
• Advanced military tactics - Facing armies that far outnumber you means optimizing your tactical advantages. Mastering the concentrated fire tactic, managing the scan gauge and support tactics, and utilizing the Electromagnetic Pulse System will be crucial to your survival.
• First-class customization - Take your units to the next level with upgrades, including melee weapons, rockets, rifles, machine guns, shotguns, cannons, and more

Zoids Assault has been rated "T" for Teen with Fantasy Violence and Mild Language by the ESRB.

E3 is not the boon to publishers that it once was, says Penny Arcade's director of business development Robert Khoo, who as the organizer of the PAX fan expo clearly has an interest, to say the least, in how things turn out.

"The reason that E3 imploded in recent years was because the publishers felt that it turned into this sort of pissing contest between them... where they were trying to figure out who could one-up each other," Khoo said. "They all thought to themselves that it just wasn't worth it."

The controversial decision to re-format last year's E3 into a smaller, more toned-down event was what Khoo calls "a self-correcting measure by the members of the ESA," in an effort to address its constituency better.

"I would imagine that that show is still trying to look out for what the publishers want - that's the whole goal of that trade association, which is to deliver the needs and try to figure out what their members actually want."

Neither Khoo nor Penny Arcade are ESA members, so he couldn't speak to whether the association is acting optimally to assure its members' best interests. "The real question is whether a show like E3 is something publishers want," Khoo said. "I guess Activision, Sierra, Blizzard, Vivendi feel that is not the case."

Earlier today we reported that several companies skipping E3 blamed their departure on "business issues," which analyst Michael Pachter pinned on poor timing for the July event, inconvenient to those companies' fiscal calendars and overlapping with times during which they must observe a "quiet period" and avoid communicating with investors.

"That blackout period is definitely interesting," Khoo said. "We don't really deal with that at all, just given the timing of our show, because its smack dab in the middle of the quarter. I'm sure that is a genuine concern, but since the third quarter ends at the end of September, it doesn't affect us at all."

According to Khoo, the years where publishers knew what to expect from E3 appear to be over, and that's hurting the event and potentially the ESA by association. After last year's "transitional period," quite a bit looks still to be up in the air, he said.

"It's in flux, and since publishers have that level of uncertainty, that is an unattractive trait to have going into a fairly large investment not knowing what you're going to get out of it."

Several industry sources expressed the same opinion as analyst Pachter: that Gallagher's lack of involvement in the industry not only results in poor planning and poor communication regarding E3, but may weaken the ESA's power to serve the video game industry in the long run.

When prior president Doug Lowenstein gave his final, impassioned speech at DICE 07, he vented his frustration at developers and publishers who refuse to defend their creative work when it's controversial, saying, "Don't duck and cover when the shit hits the fan."

But that's largely what Gallagher did when the association failed to publicly defend Mass Effect during the infamous Fox News "SeXbox" controversy. In an interview with GameDaily, he promised to "support the thrust of the industry activities and the reaction of the video gaming community," but refrained from taking any public position on behalf of the ESA.

However, plenty of the major publishers, including Capcom, Take-Two and EA, continue to support both E3 and the ESA. "It seems that at least four very large members are on the floor and doing press conferences, and it seems like a fifth unaligned company is doing a large event contiguous to that," said EA's Jeff Brown, VP of corporate communications. "That means that there's going to be no problem getting a crowd into LA for E3 this summer."

For the first time in several weeks, Take-Two is in agreement with EA on something: "As a member company, Take-Two Interactive supports the Entertainment Software Association, its leadership and its efforts on behalf of the industry," said CEO Ben Feder. "Mike Gallagher has done an outstanding job as president of the ESA and we look forward to participating in the E3 Media and Business Summit this July."

"No plans to drop out, no issue with Mike, no comment," Capcom said, when asked for their thoughts on the usefulness of the ESA and the fate of the event.

Atlus USA is one of the companies declining to participate in this year's E3, but spokesman Aram Jabbari stopped short of placing the blame on the ESA. "The nature of the show changed when they changed it from a consumer show to an invite-only press show," he said. "A lot of things have changed, but our participation doesn't have to do so much with the changes... we just chose not to exhibit this year and we do wish the ESA and all the exhibiting companies the best of luck."

NCsoft said its refusal to attend E3 was related to a timing issue with their internal development schedule and not with any conflicts about E3, but PR manager Mike Crouch declined to comment on potential issues concerning the state of the ESA. "One of the primary functions of the ESA is to manage E3," Crouch said. "And we still believe in E3, and we would have gone this year had the timing worked out for us. In that regard, we don't have anything negative to say about the usefulness of ESA."

"We would have definitely found E3 useful had it fit into our schedule this year. The judgment would be the ESA serves its purpose as far as we're concerned, as far as E3."

"While the Entertainment Software Association remains the preeminent voice for U.S. computer and video game publishers, we can confirm that Activision and Vivendi Games opted to discontinue their membership. The ESA remains dedicated to advancing our industry's objectives such as protecting intellectual property, preserving First Amendment rights, and fostering a beneficial environment for the entire industry. Our high level of service and value to members and the larger industry remains unchanged."

- Rich Taylor, Senior Vice President of Communications and Research, Entertainment Software Association

This comes a day after it was noted that Activision and a number of other notable publishers were not listed as showing at the industry's big conference.

Neither Activision nor Vivendi have responded to requests for comment. More as this breaking story unfolds.

ATLUS FIRES IZUNA, CLEARS HER SCHEDULE FOR IZUNA 2: THE UNEMPLOYED NINJA RETURNS ON NINTENDO DS

Romp Some Dungeons with the Cutest Ninja-for-Hire Around

IRVINE, California - April 16, 2008 - Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today announced Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns for Nintendo DS(TM), starring everyone's favorite careless, jobless, and penniless female protagonist with a love for dungeon crawls. Combining zany characters and hilarious dialogue with hardcore dungeon RPG gameplay, Izuna 2 stands out from the crowd with its unique and memorable RPG experience. This sequel offers more game content, combat options, and RPG depth. Also, the lead character's a sexy, self-absorbed ninja.

Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns is currently scheduled to release on July 22.

Key Features:
- Play hardcore with Izuna - Get in the action by combining down-and-dirty old-school dungeon RPG play with the cutest girl ninja ever, for a "stimulating" RPG experience.
- TAG team system - Take any two party members into a dungeon for a greater range of combat strategy. Combine power to unleash fierce TAG attacks.
- More Izuna than ever before - Get everything that made the original game a fan favorite, plus more! This bigger, better package includes more dungeons, items, enemies, characters, as well as a wacky new story, side quests, and TAG team system.

Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns has been rated "T" for Teen with Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes by the ESRB.

About Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns
Izuna and her gang are back - and just in time for a wedding! Lured by the promise of free food (Why else would Izuna attend?), the festive event becomes a puzzling mystery when Izuna's sidekick Shino suddenly disappears, off in search of her long-lost sister. And making matters worse, the foreign gods have also arrived on Japanese soil, and they aren't very happy with the meddlesome, unemployed ninja. With disgruntled deities on the warpath, a sidekick to track down, and a missing sister out in the wild, it could all shape up to be one of Izuna's more exciting adventures. Sounds like a lot of work for a girl out of a job!

Style versus substance, red versus blue...

Loved

• Characters - There may be only 11 playable characters, but each one has a distinctive fighting style and design that sets her apart from the rest. Making the tiny girl in the water globule the wrestler character tickled me to know end.
• Graphics - As far as 2D graphics go, these are definitely on the upper end of the scale. While not as fluid as Guilty Gear at its best, Arcana Heart's sprites come pretty close.
• Combat - A relatively simple four-button system hides an extremely deep combat system full of counters, reverses, cancels - all the buzzwords you'd expect in a 2D fighter; a system where skill will win over random flailing 90% of the time.
• The Arcana System - This is where Arcana Heart really makes its mark. First you select a character, then you choose one of 11 Arcana to aid you in your fight. Depending on which you choose, you're able to not only access powerful special attacks, but also inflict status ailments on your enemies, or buff yourself. Which Arcana you pick can completely change your fighting strategy.

Hated

• Difficulty - I know I praised the complex combat system under the "Loved" section, but I'd still like to be able to sit down next to a friend who wasn't familiar with the game and give them the slightest chance of beating me. Hell, I'd like to have a chance at higher difficulty levels.
• Music - Aside from the opening song, the music in Arcana Heart could have been ripped from just about any generic 2D fighter in the history of the genre. Pleasant at first, I soon found myself setting the volume down lower and lower.

Plenty to love and not too much to hate in Arcana Heart, which deftly rises above the girl gimmick. If it weren't for the fact that they're all so damn adorable, it would be easy to forget that Arcana Heart's characters are all female, and that's no mean feat considering the core gamer demographic. When questions of which girl is the cutest (Puppy Girl!) give way to which character / Arcana combination fits your play style the best is when you know the game has you. The high cuteness factor may not be for everyone, but don't let it fool you - this is not a game for reflex-challenged button mashers. This is a game for fighters.

Arcana Heart is an extremely solid 2D fighting game, packed with intriguing gameplay variety and dipped in sexy anime sweetness, making it well worth its $30 price tag.

Arcana Heart was developed by Examu, published by Atlus and was released on April 8. Retails for $29.99. Available on PlayStation 2. Completed story mode for each character on medium difficulty.

ATLUS TO INJECT NINTENDO DS WITH TRAUMA CENTER: UNDER THE KNIFE 2

The Operating Room is Portable Again this July

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 7th, 2008 - Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today announced Trauma Center(R): Under the Knife 2 for Nintendo DS(TM), a direct sequel to the 2005 smash hit. The fast-paced medical action that made the handheld original a classic is back, along with all of your favorite Trauma Center characters. Rejoin Derek and Angie as they deal with the unpredictable aftereffects of GUILT. With numerous enhancements, including new difficulty modes and new operations, handheld surgeons have a lot to be excited about.

Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 is currently scheduled to release on July 1.

UPDATE: The host site is suffering some technical difficulties. Should be back soon.

If only there was a pill that taught you Japanese. *sighs*

Persona 4 Character Trailers [Gemega]

ADVENTURERS WANTED; ATLUS ANNOUNCES DUNGEON RPG ETRIAN ODYSSEY II: HEROES OF LAGAARD FOR NINTENDO DS!

One of Gaming's Truest RPG Series Returns in June

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27th, 2008 - Atlus U.S.A., Inc., preferred publisher of adventuring duo Fight and Heal, today announced Etrian Odyssey(TM)II: Heroes of Lagaard for Nintendo DS(TM). Continuing one of the genre's purest experiences, this sequel builds upon the original cult classic with more diverse areas to explore, new character classes, more fiendish FOEs, and an improved mapping system.

Etrian Odyssey II boasts an all-star development team, led by director Shigeo Komori (scenario designer; Etrian Odyssey, Odin Sphere). Composer Yuzo Koshiro (The Revenge of Shinobi, Streets of Rage, Etrian Odyssey) returns for Heroes of Lagaard, in addition to character designer Yuji Himukai and monster designer Shin Nagasawa, who both worked on the original Etrian Odyssey.

The odyssey resumes June 17th.

About Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard
In the Grand Duchy of High Lagaard, it is said that the Duke is descended from inhabitants of a castle in the sky. When an unforeseen crisis befalls the nation, it is decreed that the first explorer to retrieve the Grail of Kings from that mythical floating palace will be rewarded with wealth and fame beyond imagining. Enter the central city of Lagaard and begin your journey to the clouds!

Key Features
- Make the adventure yours - Rediscover true role-playing as you build your party of stalwart adventurers from 12 different classes. From basics like name and sex to advanced settings like combat formation, skills, and spells, every detail is yours to customize!
- The Odyssey continues - Experience an all-new story, more classes, improved mapping capabilities, new Force Skills, and over 100 side-quests.
- Chart your progress through the dungeons - Etrian Odyssey's innovative mapmaking tool returns with more options and features! Use the touch screen to map out the halls, chambers, treasures, and dangers of the realms you explore.

Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Hrm. Kooky setting aside, looks quite rubbish, actually. Bummer.

First Persona 4 Screens [Famitsu via Akayuki]

Persona 4 was just previewed in Famitsu yesterday and already someone has ripped the promo videos that came with the magazine. (Of course they are both in Japanese) They are both pretty lengthy, one being ten minutes, the other coming in at around eight. I've only recently been inducted into the angsty, head shooting world of Persona 3 and I must admit I find it quite fascinating. Sadly there is no head shooting in the new Persona but hopefully this new game will be just as intriguing as its predecessors.

Make the jump to check out promo number two!

[via Akayuki - Thanks, Squall]

ATLUS CONJURES SUMMON NIGHT: TWIN AGE(TM) FOR NINTENDO DS(TM)

Unsheathe Your Stylus and Vanquish the Enemy this May 20th

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18th, 2008 - Atlus U.S.A., Inc., a top 5 publisher in 2007 for overall game review scores*, today announced Summon Night: Twin Age for Nintendo DS, a fully stylus-driven action RPG set in the popular Summon Night universe. The stylus is your key to the world of Clardona, whether as your swinging sword or your shimmering wall of fire. Summon Night: Twin Age is currently scheduled to bring its precise controls, beautifully animated graphics, and addictive action RPG gameplay to the Nintendo DS on May 20th.

About Summon Night: Twin Age
From a very young age, the human girl Reiha displayed great aptitude for the magical art of Summoning. While still a child, her powers caused a terrible accident during a major Summoning experiment. It was reported that Reiha had died as result, but she survived, along with a young Summon Beast named Aldo that had been pulled into her world...

Following the accident, the two children grew up together as brother and sister on the tropical island of Jarazi, among a race of people with beast-like features. There they learned to commune with the Nature Spirits that surrounded them. One day, the Spirits began acting strangely, prompting Reiha and Aldo to investigate. Their quest to find out who or what is behind the corruption of the Spirits will lead them back to the human lands where the cataclysm first brought them together...

Key Features
- High-precision stylus control - Unleash the power of your Nintendo DS as you wield your stylus to attack foes, heal allies, and use items. Navigate your way around menus and maps with a responsive touch-based interface.
- Packed with gameplay features - Immerse yourself in a lavish gaming experience that lets you do battle, collect items, craft weapons, earn and improve skills, conjure beasts, build relationships with party members, trade items via local wireless, and much more.
- Choose the way you play - With alternate story paths, loads of battle options, side quests, and multiple ending sequences, there is a wide variety of ways to play. Replay the game and challenge yourself with extra dungeons.
- Richly woven tale of adventure - Two playable characters and several widely varying party members provide different views of your journey through the world of Summon Night.

Summon Night: Twin Age has been rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) with Mild Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes by the ESRB.

Weekly Famitsu Info & Scans [Akayuki]

The key to playing Rondo is letting go of your old turn-based strategy habits. Seeing a screen filled with enemies heading your way is very daunting until you realize that a few well-placed charges through their ranks will leave them completely decimated. You've also got to realize that having your characters too close together means the enemy can charge through you as well, so it isn't only about where your route takes you, but your final destination as well.

Basically it works like this. You select your character, which has a defined movement range. Instead of a flashing dot showing your final destination, a route marker shoots our from your character as you move the cursor. The only limitations to movement are you cannot cross your own path, and cannot land on another character or enemy. Once you choose your route you get moving, with combat taking place in the form of a sort of cutscene on the upper screen. If an opponent counter-attacks or blocks you, your charge stops, potentially leaving you very vulnerable.

You can also plan your route through allied units, some of which add effects to your active character when they pass by. This adds yet another layer of strategy to an already strategy rich system.

Then you have to figure in a unit's Momentum Counter points. The more enemies you defeat, the higher your MC raises, increasing the likelihood of enemy attacks. Certain skills can lower a unit's MC drastically, allowing them to move nearly unseen through the enemy ranks and strike vital targets. Likewise, you might need to be careful with your spellcasters, who can take out groups of enemies at once at the cost of having every baddie on the map suddenly gunning for their robe-wearing asses.

It really is a lot to take in. I found myself replaying levels over again after completing them, playing around with the system, seeing what worked for me. I often found myself using my front line fighters to make a huge bloody racket at the beginning of a stage to allow my more stealthy character to reach an objective relatively unscathed, or changing up my troops' routes in order to optimize positioning for the enemy turn.

There's much more to Rondo of Swords than the Route Maneuver System of course. You can send inactive characters on errands during battles in order to gain training, items, and open up new quests, for instance. There's the skill system, which allows you to spend skill points on each unit every level to learn new abilities or strengthen ones they already possess. Want your caster to have every spell in the book at a weak level or a limited number of extremely powerful ones? It's all up to you.

Having only played about a third of the way through the game, I'm quite impressed with Rondo so far. The storyline can get a little dull at times, but turn-based strategy storylines are rarely their major selling point. It's all about the combat system, and Rondo of Swords' movement-based system makes traditional TBS mechanics seem like they're standing still.

Rondo of Swords is due out April 15th for the Nintendo DS from Atlus.

Experience The Ultimate 'Hand Made' Fantasy With Odin Sphere

London (20th February 2007) - Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that Odin Sphere™ will be released across all PAL territories from 14th March 2008 exclusively on the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system.

Odin Sphere brings a lavishly illustrated world to a home console, experienced through an intuitive, high quality control system. Odin Sphere's fantasy world interlaces five individual tales to tell an epic story of amazing power, inevitable loss and irresistible love to enchant users.

Fully optimized for Europe, Odin Sphere delivers unique action-combat gameplay that rewards speed and style, revamping the action RPG genre. An alchemy system that lets you combine the spoils of combat for added bonuses and rare items adds further depth to this epic experience.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, "Odin Sphere embodies the commitment of Square Enix in bringing new experiences to European gamers. This is especially reflected in our partnership with Atlus, allowing Square Enix Ltd. to publish the first non Square Enix title in PAL territories. The wonderfully crafted Odin Sphere is the best possible start to an exciting new period for the company."

For more information about Odin Sphere please visit the official website at www.odinsphere.co.uk

About ODIN SPHERE

Story
The nations of Erion had always held an uneasy peace, as the various kings and queens watched each other for any signs of weakness. When the country of Valentine is obliterated by the power of an ancient artefact, it sparks a bloody war between the fairies of Ringford and the warriors of Ragnanival. Little do they know that they are acting out an almost-forgotten prophecy: one that, if fulfilled, will lead to the destruction of the entire world. Take control of the warrior princess Gwendolyn, daughter of Odin, and follow the threads of an intricately woven story as you uncover the truth behind the prophecy - and how to bring it to an end.

Features

* Gorgeous hand-drawn artwork and animations
* Intense side-scrolling action with astonishing attacks and magic effects
* Fully-voiced dialogue that heightens the drama
* Five playable characters in all; each one's fate is intertwined with the others
* Powerful orchestral score from Hitoshi Sakimoto, composer of FINAL FANTASY® XII
* A robust cooking and alchemy system that can be used to create powerful attack and recovery items
* PAL version includes 60Hz display mode to deliver the experience that the creators intended, and an optimised 50Hz display mode too
* In-game text is fully localised into English, French, German, Spanish and Italian
* Option to select either English or the original Japanese vocal track