Better yet, the sequel to the original Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! will take advantage of all that space the UMD format offers, packing in two games on one Universal Media Disc. NIS America has announced that it will include the first game (Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do To Deserve This?) on the North American release of the second. Holy bonus opportunity, Kotaku readership!

Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! 2: Time to Tighten Up Security! [Official Site]

That's according to the PS3 game's official site, which should explain just what Last Rebellion is, for those who don't remember it. It should also shed some light on heroes Nine the Blade and Aisha the Sealer and why the game's character switching mechanic is needed to slay all those undead Belzeds.

Other things to learn about this PlayStation 3 exclusive: who and what Lorvin, Arzelide, Junovald, Meiktilia, and Formival are. Your best pronunciations are welcome in the comments.

Last Rebellion [NIS America]

But publisher NIS America is promising a UMD version of the game - meaning it would be playable on the PSP-3000 and earlier, provided it gets 1,000 preorders - or at least respectably close to that figure - by Nov. 13.

Says NIS (through its Rosenqueen division):

We are currently trying to get some support from retailers for this UMD version of Badman, by letting them know that there are many fans who are still interested in the UMD version of Badman! If we could get supoprt from them, we will be able to make the UMD version of Badman even if the preorders at RosenQueen don't reach 1,000.

I'm not sure if 1,000 is an absolute minimum or not. Elsewhere in the email to Badman fans, it's made clear that 1,000 preorders are necessary in less than a month to deliver the game to UMD, although the above seems to give some wiggle room.

Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! [RosenQueen Games]
Color me confused. Then again, given this game's title, that's reasonably to be expected.

Thanks for the tip Michael M.

A Witch's Tale is an action role-playing game where users play as a super-cute witch in a Halloween-themed world. Nearly all the heavy-lifting in the game is done with the stylus where you drag, drop and draw with it to cast spells and navigate the map.

I wasn't lucky enough to get any time with the game at NIS America's last press tour – but why lament over a lost preview when the actual game ready to go? Check it out, if you like all things cute and Halloween.

Gamers were getting some confusing error messages regarding downloadable content, which is strange because the game released yesterday and DLC for it won't be available for two months. However strange, though, no one blows off a message like "If you save now, your save data will be saved in the state in which you cannot use the DLC."

NIS America put out a statement saying they've researched the problem and found that it's an erroneous message, which is supposed to appear if you are saving data with DLC involved, but your Memory Stick doesn't have the corresponding DLC package on it. "The message will appear regardless of whether or not the current saved data contains DLC. Our investigation has revealed that this message will not harm your game play experience with Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days or any future Downloadable Content offerings."

As a token of their concern for gamers freaked out by these messages, NIS America says its first DLC package, scheduled for Nov. 25, will be free. "Because this message has caused our fans distress and confusion, we have decided to release our first Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days Downloadable Content free of charge. The DLC content will include the lovely Disgaea 3 princess-to-the-rescue character, Sapphire, and is scheduled for availability on November 25th, 2009."

Awesome! Just keep in mind: "Until then, you will not be able to turn the message off."

NIS America Statement on Disgaea 2: Darkest of Days Error Notices PDF [NIS America, thanks Trygle]

We've been emails since yesterday regarding the Disgaea 3 update, which was originally thought to provide trophy support for the PlayStation 3 at the cost of all of the progress the player had made in the game to that point. Apparently there was some miscommunication on NIS America's part, because version 2.10 save games are loading just fine with version 2.30. I've confirmed this personally. Go figure.

Kotakuite Rick even went as far as to transcribe the warning displayed before he updated his game:

Features revised in Version 2.30

For version 2.20 the save date typ has changed.
Therefore, take note of the following 3 things.

1. You will need over 2,600KB of Hard Drive space to save.
2.Save Data created with version 2.10 will be updated automatically
3. Save data created by version 2.20 is not compatible with version 2.10.

Save files from 2.20 aren't compatible with 2.10, but they are with 2.30.

Thank goodness, right? This is the sort of misinformation a guy can really get behind.

Developed by Gust, Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy is of course the sequel to Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis. New subjects have been added to Al-Revis Academy's curriculum, and two new students share the focus of the story, Ulrika the alchemy student and Raze the combat student, each with their own story to play through. One can expect entertaining turn-based RPG combat and tons of detail-intensive alchemy recipes to collect and create.

The game is hitting the PlayStation 2 on August 25th, and NIS America is packaging it in a premium box, seen here, along with a double-sided poster and the game's soundtrack.

The first Mana Khemia stands as one of my favorite roleplaying games for the PlayStation 2, so I'm barely exaggerating when I say I am awaiting this release surrounded by an ever-increasing puddle of drool. Check out the promo trailer at the link below while I fetch some paper towels.

Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! and Mana Khemia 2 [PlayStation Blog]

The Disgaea 3 trophy patch goes live on July 16th, adding in the ability for players to earn coveted trophy points for achieving various goals. Unfortunately, most players will have to achieve those goals all over again, as the patch will render all of their Disgaea 3 save files useless. The official press release for the announcement contains the following warning in bright red type: CAUTION: Trophy Patch Update will make old save data unusable.

Disgaea 3 is the sort of game that one can play for 100's of hours, so news of a patch that renders such progress null and void might as well have been titled "Don't Download This Patch" as far as most fans are concerned. The only alternative I can see is to back up your save files, just in case, start a new game to unlock trophies, and then uninstall the patch when you are done in order to access your previous saves.

That's an awful lot of hoops to jump through, but if you really want those trophies, then there you go. Me? I think I'll pass.

Retailers began canceling pre-orders for the PSP game earlier this week, with online outlets like GameStop removing listings of Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!, as spotted by IGN. Online rental service GameFly also updated the title's status, marking it as "Not For Rent." That change in availability was similar to that of Sony's own Patapon 2, which also made the leap to digital download only earlier this year.

We contacted NIS America today and were told that the title will be skipping a traditional retail release, becoming a PSN exclusive when it launches this Summer. NIS America reps said that the game was simply a better fit for a downloadable release, partially based on positive reception to the game's PSN demo.

NIS reps also confirmed that Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do To Deserve This? will carry a $19.99 USD price tag when it becomes available on the PlayStation Store. Expect to see official word about the change later today from NIS, with a detailed explanation on the official PlayStation.blog.

To learn more about the game, make sure to check out our preview.

The Western branch of Nippon Ichi Software is taking a hit with the sagging economy, Akenaga said. Worse, he added, a lot of Japanese companies are restricting corporate travel right before E3 on account of swine flu concerns.

But despite the company's struggles and despite its smallish size, NIS America is still delivering the goods with this year's announced lineup:

A Witch's Tale (DS) – Fall 2009
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days (PSP) – Summer 2009
Last Rebellion (PS3) – Fall 2009
Puchi Puchi Virus (DS) – May 2009
Cross Edge (PS3) – May 2009
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What did I do to deserve this? (PSP) – July 2009
Mana Khemia 2 (PS2) – Fall 2009
Phantom Brave: We Meet Again (Wii) – June 2009
Sakura Wars (PS2, Wii) – Fall 2009
Full Blast Hitchhike (WiiWare) — TBD

Last Rebellion and A Witch's Tale will be playable at E3. Additionally, Disgaea chief programmer Yoshitsuna Kobayashi announced that he'd tentatively be releasing his own game this year from his new self-named studio. Kobayashi said that his game won't focus so much on graphics as much as it will on gameplay and that he hopes to have something to show off soon.

Here's our coverage:
Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! Officially Announced For PSP
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! We Deserve This New Trailer And Screens
Sega's Sakura Wars Finally Coming Stateside (But Not From Sega)
Witch's Tale Back With A Cute Vengeance (And Screens)
NIS Reveals The Last Rebellion For PlayStation 3
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! Preview: Badman Does Good Things
Cross Edge Crosses The Sexy Line
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days Coming Stateside
Puchi Puchi Virus Screens Make Outbreaks Adorable
Full Blast Hitchhike Preview: Just As Weird With The Name Change
Phantom Brave: We Meet Again Looks Hauntingly Familiar
Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy Falls In Fall

And here's the swag report (not pictured because my camera is flipping out):
1 Prinny plush
1 Badman 3D puzzle

Enjoy!

The first Mana Khemia took a bit of a hit in the ratings for being long-winded. But with screens this pretty, I may not mind sitting through long, tedious conversations half so much. At least as long as they're not about homework, that is.

Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy will also feature a different type of turn-based battle system where you can switch both attackers and supports in and out of combat. There are over 100 items to craft in the game and two separate story lines for the main characters.

The game is due to land on North American PlayStation 2s in the Fall of this year. Here are some screens:

But it doesn't matter because Phantom Brave: We Meet Again is Wii a port of the PS2 game—and therefore not beholden to whatever inspired the original. The Wii version does have some new content, including a character detailed on the game's website named Carona who's actually the main character, Marona, but from another dimension.

I'm not quite sure I get it, but maybe you can from the screen shots. The game is due out this June.

It also doesn't seem to have all that much to do with hitchhiking. Sure there's a thumb cursor and some vehicles you're trying to "flag down" via all manner of Wii-mote flailing you can imagine. But where's the grungy charm, the moral ambiguity? And where is the vague threat of being stabbed?

What Is It?
Full Blast Hitchhike is a board game where players advance their pieces on the game board by playing a little mini game every space where you use the Wiimote to flag down vehicles. Each vehicle has a star rating and requires a unique motion control sequence to successfully flag it. How well you do is ranked on a percentage scale. The higher the percentage, the more stars out of the total rating a player will be awarded. Each star counts as one space forward on the game board and there are chance cards that come up at the end of every turn which could send you forward or back.

What We Saw
I spent 15 minutes with it trying to flag down a four star police car, but I kept getting the two star rickshaws.

How Far Along Is It?
The game isn't out in Japan quite yet and there's no official US release information available – which is why the build I played didn't have a scrap of English in it.

What Should Change?
???: The game is so weird and so short, I'm actually hesitant to suggest any changes. It's held together by the fact that it's weird and wacky. The gameplay might be too simplistic for some and the blockhead character art style may not jibe with everyone, but any one tweak to any one element of the game might make the whole thing into a game it's not trying to be.

Kind of Limited: Maybe the chance cards shake gameplay up a bit more if you play for a longer period of time, but from what I saw, the game is just flagging cars by Wii-mote flailing. And pretty much nothing else.

What Should Stay The Same?
It's Fun: I enjoyed all 15 minutes I spent playing.

It's Cute: As WiiWare games ought to be.

It'll Probably Be Really Fun To Play When Drunk: And a whole lot safer than hitchhiking in real life, even when sober.

Final Thoughts
Really, the only thing that could wreck Full Blast Hitchhike for me is if the price is too steep. Limited gameplay is only a flaw if you feel like you paid for more, right?

Guess I'll just have to play it twice as long to make up for it. I totally dig puzzle games that put a twist on the classic Dr. Mario drop-down virus-related puzzle games. Pack in a swine flu-repelling surgical mask, NIS America, and you're bound to sell millions.

Look for Puchi Puchi Virus to hit the Nintendo DS in late May and check out the screens in the gallery below.

I'm not sure what the "peta" character class is, or even if I spelled it right, but it it should spice up the replay value even more than the first Disgaea's PSP port. If that doesn't do it for you, the game will also incorporate some battle features from Disgaea 3, as well as new items and skills. NIS America says the game is "ready to please even the most hardcore SRPG enthusiasts," a very bold claim.

Check out the screens here:

This means we get all kinds of characters from the cute to the scary and the fugly to the sexy. Pictured here is Morrigan from Capcom's Darkstalkers (among other 2D fighting games) who is both sexy and scary.

Sadly, I didn't get to see her for myself in the 25 minutes I spent playing the game at last night's NIS press event. As a matter of fact, I can't say that I saw nearly enough to get a good feel for the game – but what I saw looked like old school RPG with a layer of sexy on top.

Cross Edge is a "classic" RPG in that there are a lot of gameplay throwbacks to many of the franchises from which it borrows characters. The brief taste I got of the game were mostly combat encounters on a 2D plane where you could angle the camera with the right analog stick to create a 3D angle. Battles occur by random encounter with the agility stat determining who goes first and AP determining what moves your characters could use.

There were four characters in my party (none of whom I recognized immediately, but I missed out on Ar Tonelico and Mana Khemia) each with their own AP gauge. I could cycle through the characters with L1 and R1, which came in handy whenever a chain attack between multiple characters became possible. Once a character ran out of AP, the only way to replenish was to end the turn either through the start menu or with the right analog stick shortcut I eventually discovered. You could also score AP by breaking the enemy's guard with special moves.

I was totally sucked in at this point and only noticed that the journalist next to me had triggered a Morrigan cut scene when some lookers-on started catcalling the screen. I thought they were being silly ‘til I got at look her bust line. Turn-based combat? I bet she can't eat a sandwich without falling out!

Cross Edge was supposed to ship this March, but it slipped to a late May release. Just as well – an epic game like this will require epic amounts of time that only the summer can provide.

Get a look — and see if you can spot the downloadable content teaser screens:

The plot of the game is about you – the disembodied God of Destruction – protecting an evil overlord character from marauding hero characters by digging him a vast underground dungeon. Digging up soil unearths tons of under-worldly creatures like slimes, lizard men, evil spirits and demos that form a natural ecosystem of the overlord's lair. The strategy element of the game is where the player has to balance and expand the ecosystem with the right kind of monsters to protect the overlord from heroes stupid brave enough to enter the dungeon.

Sound weird enough for you? Try saying the game's full title aloud: Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This?

What Is It?
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman is a strategy game for the PSP. Players control the game via the D-Pad and face buttons, digging up squares of soil out of a grid to unearth monsters and provide places for your overlord to hide from heroes that come to capture him.

What We Saw
I spent almost an hour going through the first five missions – all of which turned out to be tutorials.

How Far Along Is It?
Late beta or early release candidate – the game is due out in July.

What Should Change?
Can't See The Soil For The Dirt: A major part of balancing the ecosystem of monsters in the dungeon is knowing which kinds come from which squares of soil; but it can be really hard to see the subtle changes in patches of soil as the ecosystem evolves. For example, one of the tutorial missions was to grow seven lizard men in a set amount of time. Lizard men come from pale white squares of nutrient-rich soil and the only way to enrich soil is to populate the dungeon with the most basic dungeon monster: slimes. Slimes are dug up from green-veined squares and as they inch and squinch through the dungeon, they eat up other green-veined squares and eventually enrich them, turning them gray and later white. I blew this mission twice because I couldn't tell when a square was white enough to spawn a lizard man – and cracking open a less-than-white square spawns an omnom – white creatures that eat the slimes and generally unbalance the food chain.

Steep Learning Curve: Badman is one game you cannot pick up and play easily. Many tried only to run out of dig power or fail a mission when time ran out because they weren't sure which monster type they were supposed to be digging up. But even going through the myriad tutorial missions step-by-step didn't feel like enough preparation for the actual game where the ecosystem is running and the heroes are encroaching and the overlord is yelling at you for help. Unless something in the tutorial were to change like adding a flashing "goal" icon to the squares you're supposed to dig up, players are just going to have to sit with the game ‘til they get the hang of it; which is par for strategy gamers, but sort of frustrating for everybody else.

What Should Stay The Same?
The Humor: Besides the title, Badman has a lot of campy jokes that poke fun at old school dungeon crawler RPGs – right down to the pixilated pictures of the heroes. It's endearing as much as it is entertaining.

The Interface: The game mechanics might be a little hard to figure out, but the controls certainly aren't. Once you figure out the dig button and how to change the view from zoomed-in to full-map, you're pretty much set.

The Challenge: It's tough to balance an entire ecosystem, especially while multitasking so your overlord doesn't get grabbed. I don't think hardcore strategy gamers are going to be bored with Badman.

Final Thoughts
I'm not sure how well Badman lends itself to the portable experience but I was okay with the game. In the hour I spent fiddling with the game, repeating missions and squinting at little demon sprites, I did get a little frustrated when I could only get four out of seven lizard men to spawn.

One look at first screen shots of the action-meets-turn-based title and you'll likely think "PlayStation... 3?" But that's not a typo! While The Last Rebellion may not impress graphically, perhaps you'll whip up some interest in the game's story, which features a tale of revenge, starring a "dark anti-hero."

After all, according to NIS America, the game is "no ordinary RPG with another mindless battle system."

On the contrary! The Last Rebellion features a Fallout 3-esque combat system, letting players target specific body parts during turn-based battles. Go for the legs to slow down foes. Whack 'em in the arms to weaken their attacks. That kind of stuff.

Check out first screens and artwork of The Last Rebellion in the galleries below. Then ponder why anyone would release this screen shot in particular.

The game features a totally stylus-controlled interface where players both move the character in the world map and control attacks and magic in the turn-based RPG combat. The press release says the story revolves around the invasion of the surface world by witches from beneath the world. A girl named Alice who can use the witches' magic against them drives them back, but the Witch Queen is still around, waiting for her chance to return to the surface.

A Witch's Tale was announced last year at NIS America's spring event. Tonight, one month shy of a year later, we got a few more details about the game. But you'll have to wait until a certain embargo lifts tomorrow to hear more. For now, have some screens:

Today NIS America announced that Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love will be coming to North America this Fall, letting PlayStation 2 and Wii owners find love in between bouts of steam-powered mech battling. For those unfamiliar with the long-running series, the strategy role-playing game offers a chance to foster relationships with cute, doe-eyed anime ladies, as well as let off some steam in ground and air-based battles.

For followers of the Sakura Wars series, the North American localization appears to be based on Sakura Wars V, which landed on Japanese PlayStation 2s in 2004.