This Week In Imports: Bionic Jackpot

By Spencer . June 21, 2009 . 11:11pm

A deluge of games is slated for Japan this week covering alchemy RPGs, high resolution 2D fighters, and pachinko parlor sims.

Wii Sports Resort is sure to be the top selling game and eclipse smaller budget titles like Atelier Rorona (a big budget for Gust?), Class of Heroes 2, and Xbox 360 adventure game Time Leap. Glancing through the list there are a ton of niche games and visual novels while the past few weeks were pretty empty.

Shouldn’t publishers spread there releases out more? Here’s the list and a few $10 off $50 coupons for Play-Asia.

Nintendo DS
Fushigi Yuugi DS
Maruhan: The Pachinko Hall
My Sims Racing
Really? Really! DS
Table Game Spirits V
Yukkuri Tanoshimi Taijin no Jigsaw Puzzle DS

PSP
Class of Heroes 2
DoraSlot: Hana Hana Matsuri Da
Memories Off: After Rain
Noko Aozora ni Yakusoku: Tenohira no Rakuen
Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! G.P. Gakuen Princess Portable
Valhalla Knights 2: Battle Stance

Xbox 360
Bionic Commando
Blazblue
Extreme Racing: Pure
Mamoru-kun
Time Leap
Wanted: Weapons of Fate

PlayStation 3
Agarest Senki Zero
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland
Bionic Commando
Blazblue
Extreme Racing: Pure
Wanted: Weapons of Fate

Wii
My Sims Racing
Wii Sports Resort

PlayStation 2
Himehibi: New Princess Days
Under the Moon: Crescent
Wand of Fortune

Key European Releases
Another Code: R (Wii)
Battle Rage: The Robot Wars (Wii)
Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires (Xbox 360, PS3)
Fight Night Round 4 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Lego Battles (DS)
Octomania (Wii)
Overlord II (Xbox 360, PS3)
Overlord: Dark Legend (Wii)
Overlord: Minons (DS)
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (PSP)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Wii, DS)
Valhalla Knights: Episode 2 (PSP)

Key Domestic Releases
Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires (Xbox 360, PS3)
Fight Night Round 4 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP)
Overlord II (Xbox 360, PS3)
Overlord: Dark Legend (Wii)
Overlord: Minons (DS)
Pangya: Fantasy Golf (PSP)
Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil (Wii)
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (DS)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Wii, DS)
The Conduit (Wii)

Play-Asia Coupon Codes ($10 off $50)
MP-QXS-BLN
MZ-GXV-VZE
PX-YVG-VRP

TAGS: This Week In Imports

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todorok1

Im happy for Gust. Rorona reviewed well at Famitsu with 30/40 I think. Agarest Zero also reviewed almost as well which is some feat it was developed in at least half the time.

Akimitsu

Definitely looking forward to seeing how Atelier Rorona will do.

NickyD

Rorona, Agarest, Class of Heroes 2... wow. Good week for RPG'ers in Japan.

Now if only we got word of those titles coming stateside [I'm assuming the "european" version of the original Agarest (which had much more poor reviews) will mean "english"], I'd be rather happy. As for now, aside from a few handhelds, my gaming future is dry until at least late September.

Spencer

I'd count on Rorona... :0

Volcynika

Damn you Spencer and your teasing!

NickyD

You ARE a tease. I doubt it'd hit in 2009... but if it did... holy cow, NISA's really gotten good at their localization turnover. In 2010? I'd fear it would get overshadowed by White Knight Chronicles.

...Though I guess '09 has the Vesperia "enhanced port" (I think... might just be Japan for '09)... agh. Gust will never have it easy outside of Japan!

Hraesvelgr

Depends on your definition of "good", of course.

NickyD

Heh, that's true. I thought they did well with Cross Edge; but you can only make horrid fanfiction dialogue so interesting. I won't say that was any fault of theirs.

...And VA isn't a big deal to me, but it is to many others!

Volcynika

Summer drought, my ass!

Hraesvelgr

Isn't the "summer drought" just a North American thing, because at least 70% of the best games come out between October and Christmas time?

Aoshi00

I was kind of excited about the Fushigi Yuugi DS game until I found out the whole Suzaku ensemble are cast w/ different voice actors than the classic anime. The new seiyuu are very close in their tones to their original cast, but there's no reason to replace all the familiar voices while the original actors are still alive and kicking.

The coupons seem to be all used up though.. I was really interested in the shooter Mamonoro, or the dating sim Time Leap. But I'm refraining from spending too much now for the Black Wii in August..

Hraesvelgr

I don't know who's in the new cast, but Japan often does things like that, replacing old VAs with newer, more popular ones.

Aoshi00

Recasting voice actors for an established anime actually doesn't happen very often in Jpn since they want to stay consistent, unlike here w/ different actresses voicing Shion in Xenosaga Episode 1 & 2 (& 3 they go back to the first one), unless the VA is unable to perform the role, passed away, or is retired from the business.

Like the rearranged Dragon Ball Kai airing now, almost all cast are the same from 20 years ago except bit characters or Master Roshi or Tenshinhan since their VAs passed away already.

A recent case I could think of is Fullmetal Alchemist where they recast everybody except Ed and Al, but it's more understandable since it's more of a reboot instead of a continuation of the series, they are starting the whole anime again this time adhering to the manga rather than original anime like the first series.

Problem w/ Fushigi Yuugi is who is the DS game aiming for, fans who've watched and treasured the anime 10 plus years ago who were familiar w/ Midorikawa Hikaru and Koyasu Takehito, or new anime fans who haven't really heard of this series. It's like Goku, w/o Nozawa Masako it's not Goku, god bless the old lady still able to bring so much energy to Goku and Gohan. I'm sure the newer gen voice actors would sound very nice, but they're just not Tamahome and Hotohori w/o the same voices.