This Week in Famitsu

Weekly Famitsu #1181

Cover Story

This week, we are blessed with double cover stories, as we couldn't in good conscience focus only on Sengoku Basara (the drawing on the cover) when 'PlayStation Vita' is plastered across it in giant, neon-orange letters. Lucky you!

Sengoku Basara is an insanely popular series here in Japan, and the cover story this time is covering their newest iteration for the PSP, called “Chronicle Heroes”. Haven't heard of Sengoku Basara before? Think Dynasty Warriors, but instead of being based in Ancient China, it's in Ancient Japan. Also similar to Dynasty Warriors, most of the characters are based off of actual historical figures, but with one noticeable difference: they made them smoking hot. As all the historical old men have been transformed into long-haired anime pretty boys, it should come as no surprise that the series has a rabid female fanbase, which would ordinarily be unusual considering its categorization as an action-based hack and slash game. Think George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in a war game, but instead of being dignified looking old men, George Washington boasted pecs rivaling Arnold Schwarzenegger in his hey-day, and Abraham Lincoln had hair as long and black and flowing as the styling trench-coat the designers put him in, and you'll have an idea of how close this game is to portraying these characters accurately. This newest entry into the series boasts of having 32 characters (including some that might even appeal to men!) and continues the 2 vs 2 fighting system started in the previous Sengoku Basara PSP game, 'Battle Heroes'.

As for the PSVita, for brevity's sake we'll skip over the description of the new system's various features and abilities, even though they do an admirable job of covering it; all that information is readily available in English all over the internet. What isn't readily available, however, is Famitsu reader survey data! Unfortunately, the survey is quite long, too long to cover when there's dueling cover-stories; Famitsu out-did themselves this time. So, we'll just give you a few brief highlights: 31% of readers surveyed thought that the PSVita is a good name, 55% believe the prices of the two different models are reasonable, and 58% of readers plan on buying the Wi-Fi-only enabled model. As for what games Famitsu readers want to see on the console, Monster Hunter ranked as the most desired series, followed by Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid rounding out the top three.

Featured Game

Lollipop Chainsaw (PS3 and 360): Occasionally, Famitsu has the honor of being the first to announce a brand new-game on the horizon, due to the level of respect the gaming press over here has for them. This proved to be the case with this latest issue, as it has a huge reveal on Lollipop Chainsaw, a new game featuring Suda 51 (Killer 7, No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned) as the Creative Director. Boy, does it show. Suda 51 is revered for being a bit of an art-house game creator, meaning that he makes strange, strange games. Lollipop Chainsaw is shaping up to not be an exception to that, as it features a cheerleader by the name of Juliet Staring who murders zombies with a pink, heart-decorated chainsaw. If that isn't unusual enough for you, she also has a young man's dismembered, talking head as a little key-chain tied to her belt. Needless to say, this game should prove to be interesting, and we are looking forward to seeing how it shapes up.

Weird Games Found Only In Japan

The Idolmaster 2 (PS3): The Idolmaster series is a strange beast; with a huge cast of cute female characters, initially viewing any media from it would lead you to believe it's a dating-sim game. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Idolmaster 2 puts you in the shoes of a young female producer who is trying to manage a group of young wanna-be pop-idol girls. As this is actually the second one, your group already achieved success in the first game, but now they've hit a slump and it's up to you, and your god-like managerial skills, to bring them back to the top of the charts. How do you do this? You micro-manage their lives. You choose the venues the girls play at, the commercial jobs they take, and how much they practice for their shows. It's also a music-rhythm game, as during concerts and practices the player pushes a sequence of buttons in time to the music to make the girl group perform well. As mentioned before, though, it is not a dating-sim game. While there are events where you work with the young girls to improve your relationship with them and each other, it is in no way romantic or sexual. There are, however, enough pictures of cute girls who decide to go to the beach together in their bikinis to get the equivalent of a Teen rating. 

 

Idolmaster 2 is coming out for the PS3 this October, but the first one was actually an Xbox 360 exclusive, and one of the few games that actually sold well for that system here in Japan. While this one has more of a chance of coming to the States than some of the other games we've covered before, due to its lack of objectionable content, I doubt there's enough OCD people who feel the intense need to play a manager-sim game enough for it to sell well.

Hardware Sales: Week of 7/4-7/10

• PSP – 25,778 units
• Nintendo 3DS – 23,219 units
• PlayStation 3 – 21,199 units
• Wii – 12,848 units
• Nintendo DS – 7,108 units
• Xbox 360 – 1,911 units
• PlayStation 2 – 1,078 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 7/4-7/10

• L.A. Noire (PS3) – 46,375 units sold
• Infamous 2 (PS3) – 30,266 units sold
• Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon (PS3) – 30,224 units sold
• Wii Remote Plus Variety Pack (Wii) – 17,316 units sold
• Danboru Battle (PSP) – 14,691 units sold

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games: Based on survey results from 7/7-7/13

• Tales of Xillia (PS3)
• Dragon Quest X (Wii)
• Final Fantasy: Type-O (PSP)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
• Photo Kano (PSP)

Four out of the five top selling games this week are western games? Isn't that one of the signs of the apocalypse? Well, if it is, we still hope you enjoyed this week's 'This Week In Famitsu'. See you next time, unless the world ends....

Submitted By: Sherrie Blackwell

GamePro magazine switching from monthly to quarterly

Nowadays, with the influx of news and information readily available at the click of a mouse or swipe of a finger, GamePro magazine might be hammering another nail into the coffin of video game print media. Starting on November 8, 2011, the 20-plus year monthly magazine will relaunch as a quarterly publication. This also includes a shift to a more “coffee style” format with the goal to provide readers with more enriching content that can't be found online.

GamePro revealed to IndustryGamers that the magazine will have a higher production value that's, “a visually stunning, tactile experience and rich, engaging editorial.” It'll also include more than 50 pages of editorials and increase the actual size of the magazine by 15 percent. The company also plans on positioning itself as gamer's “ultimate buyer's guide”, due to its availability during peak video game retail months of March, June, September and November.

GamePro has become one of the video game industry's longest standing and respected publications in the industry despite beginning its life in a Redwood City, CA garage in 1989. Over the years, it witnessed the rise of Mario, the fall of the Sega Dreamcast and the transition of cartridge games to disc. Regardless of the ever changing world of technology and video games, one could always look forward to sneaking off to the newsstand or awaiting their next monthly subscription to arrive in the mail to take in the magazine in all its glossy glory.

“We all know the print landscape has changed over the last several years and gamers in particular are reading print in a very different way,” said Marci Yamaguchi Hughes, President of GamePro Magazine. “We’re proud of the passionate community and loyal audience we’ve built on GamePro.com who seek the latest news and information. With our move to a quarterly publication, enthusiasts will have a go-to resource for the best games to purchase during the heaviest buying periods of the year.”

Eletronic Gaming Monthly magazine also went through a business change not too dissimilar to GamePro when it ceased publication in January 2009 after UGO purchased 1UP from Ziff Davis. To all intents and purposes, many believed that this was a sign of print media's death, but then got a second chance when its ownership changed, supported by an online component, EGMi.

GamePro's new magazine will sell at $9.99 a pop. Time will tell if whether or not this new change will preserve its print publication or if it's simply the beginning of the end.

A Special Look at the Square-Enix Store

In the Shibuya district in Tokyo, the Square-Enix Store faces the busy street in front of it, watching as cars and businessmen in suits go hustling by. There are really no stores to speak of near it; the surrounding buildings are primarily dull-gray office buildings and small restaurants that cater to their occupants during lunch time. In this drab palette, a bright-orange giant slime really stands out.

The store itself is located in the bottom floor of the Square-Enix company headquarters, and I'm sure just a few dozen feet above it people are working diligently on the next iteration of the Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest series. The square-footage is actually quite small though, much smaller than one would think from looking at the pictures. Size doesn't necessarily always matter, however, as it's packed full of merchandise, many of which is exclusive to the store and can't be purchased anywhere else. I personally walked away with a stuffed Tonberry, a mini, chirping, baby Chocobo, an umbrella with Final Fantasy creatures on it, and a Mandragora cell-phone strap after my last visit there. Even if you don't buy anything, it's an amazing chance to look closely at some of the high-end Final Fantasy & Dragon Quest inspired jewelry on display and really appreciate the detail they exemplify. Or you can just buy those too, if you have the money, and examine them at your leisure. And, of course, there's the floor.

Yes, you read that right. The floor is the best part of the whole place. Why, you ask? It's because the floor is made of black, shiny tiles, with a certain portion of it being see-through glass displaying a recessed space. There, an eternally sleeping, life-sized Sephiroth lies in repose.

The statue is absolutely gorgeous. It is, hands-down, the coolest thing I have ever seen in Tokyo. Luckily, I was able to restrain myself from breaking the glass and taking the statue home with me, so I left the store voluntarily instead of being escorted into the nearest police station. If you ever happen to be in the area, make sure you check it out. I guarantee you the statue is worth it, even if you don't happen to be a Final Fantasy VII fan. If you can't hop on a plane and go to Tokyo this weekend, I hope at least that our little preview of the Square-Enix Store was enough to tide you over until you can.

And with that, I would like to leave you with Sephiroth's sleeping visage to ponder. Make sure to keep checking back for 'This Week in Famitsu' and other news articles, coming soon!

Submitted By: Sherrie Blackwell

This Week in Famitsu

Weekly Famitsu #1180

Cover Story

This week Famitsu returns to its retrospective series with a look back at the history of RPG giant (and creator of two of Japan's best selling franchises of all time, Final Fantasy & Dragon Quest) Square-Enix. However, hopefully most of you remember that before the company was known by its current name, it was actually two separate companies: Square Co. Ltd & Enix Corporation.

Enix (whose name is a play on the words of "phoenix" and "ENIAC", the world's first digital computer) can trace its roots back to 1975, but it didn't get into gaming until 1982 when it held a PC game programming contest. The winners of this contest would eventually go on to create 'Dragon Quest' on the NES, which was released in 1986 and sold almost 1.5 million copies. In addition to its video game business, Enix is also very well known in Japan for its anime and manga publishing divisions.

Square was founded in 1983 and was originally the computer software division of a Japanese power-line company. They released their first game, 'The Death Trap', in 1984 for the PC. The game was a text-based adventure game which somehow managed to sell over 500,000 copies, if you can believe it. However, after Square's initial success, they had nothing but failure after failure. In 1987 Square was on the verge of bankruptcy when they released a game for the NES called, appropriately at that time, 'Final Fantasy'. The rest, as they say, is history.

Fast-forward almost twenty years to 2003. Faced with ever-increasing development costs and huge financial setbacks (caused by the financial failure of Final Fantasy: Spirits Within for Square and the long drawn-out development of Dragon Quest VII for Enix) the two companies merged and formed Square-Enix. Thanks to their combined catalog of games, the newly formed company was stronger then ever, and in 2009 they purchased the well-known 'Western' game company Eidos.

Thanks to their recent addition, beyond the tried and true franchises Square-Enix creates themselves, they also publish a great deal of western games in Japan. They will be responsible for publishing some of the most anticipated new titles this year, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Hitman Absolution, Tomb Raider, & Deus Ex. Square-Enix also operates a store based out of their headquarters in Shibuya, which sells merchandise based on their popular franchises. (Look for a separate post on the blog soon that will give you a first hand look!) Here's wishing this RPG giant many more years ahead of it to add to its already impressive history.

Finally, this wouldn't be a Famitsu article if it didn't have an extensive poll of its readers. Check the results below and see how they compare with yours!

     Game Most Desired to be Remade

1. Final Fantasy VII
2. Xenogears
3. The World Ends With You

     Favorite Dragon Quest Game

1. Dragon Quest III
2. Dragon Quest V
3. Dragon Quest VIII

     Favorite Final Fantasy Game

1. Final Fantasy VII
2. Final Fantasy X
3. Final Fantasy V

    Favorite Non-Final Fantasy/Dragon Quest Game

1. Chrono Trigger
2. Xenogears
3. Romancing Saga 2

Weird Games Found Only In Japan

Senran Kagura (3DS): When you first heard about the 3DS' ability to project hands-free 3D, what was the first thing you thought could most effectively utilize this new technology? An awesome 3D HUD system on a first-person shooter? Innovative puzzle mechanisms? 3D movies in the palm of your hand? Apparently the mind of the creator of this week's 'Weird Games' pick went straight to... shall we say the fairer sex? Senran Kagura is a new 3DS game coming out this September in Japan. It's a brawler (think old school River City Ransom or Streets of Rage), which is pretty awesome; the genre is a bit rare nowadays. It boasts nice graphics, some RPG elements, and incredibly ...eh-hem, well-endowed school girls in 3D. With over 180 different outfits you can change the various female characters into (counting color variations), including picking out what they wear underneath them, it's pretty obvious who this game is pandering to. Picking out what they wear underneath is important, by the way, because the amount of damage you receive is reflected by the amount of clothing, or lack there-of, left on the girls as the battle progresses. It might be worth it to check it out just for how incredibly rare straight-up brawlers are nowadays, but there's a reason this game was crowned to be this week's 'Weird Games Found Only In Japan'; expect this game to come out in the States when every single person who still believes that games are just for children and wants to ban them moves to Canada.

Hardware Sales: Week of 6/27-7/3

• Nintendo 3DS – 31,545 units
• PSP – 26,587 units
• Playstation 3 – 19,290 units
• Wii – 11,915 units
• Nintendo DS – 6,890 units
• Xbox 360 – 1,874 units
• PlayStation 2 – 1,051 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 6/27-7/3

• Tales of the Abyss (3DS) – 68, 218 units sold
• Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (PS3) – 45,347 units sold
• To Heart 2: Dungeon Travelers (PSP) – 43,979 units sold
• Goldeneye 007 (Wii) – 37,457 units sold
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (3DS) – 26,019 units sold

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games: Based on survey results from 6/30-7/6

• Tales of Xillia (PS3)
• Dragon Quest X (Wii)
• Final Fantasy: Type-O (PSP)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
• Photo Kano (PSP)

We hope you enjoyed this week's 'This Week In Famitsu'. See you next time, and keep an eye out for that first-hand account of the Square-Enix store, coming soon!

Submitted By: Aaron McKeever & Sherrie Blackwell

Sony delving into virtual reality

There's no doubt that 2D is the foundation that the video game market was built on, and its success has allowed the industry to shift into the 3D realm. Sony pushed for 3D on the PS3 at E3 2011, Nintendo popped out the 3DS and Microsoft's been buzzing about 3D for the 360 for some time now. The seeds of 3D gaming were planted by the near-forgotten and doomed concept of “virtual reality” gaming presented in arcade games and later on devices like Nintendo's Virtual Boy.

Sony looks to be reaching beyond the 3D realm to breathe life back into virtual reality and give it another chance. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, Sony unveiled a headset that could provide a way for gamers to become more immersed with their games like never before. Sony Worldwide Studios senior director, Mick Hocking spoke with Develop about how they're working on integrating virtual reality experiences into video games.

“We've also got a new head mounted display that we showed at CES, that can produce really great quality 3D and a very immersive experience for games. The head-mounted display has twin-OLED screens; very high quality,” Hocking said. “At the moment it’s just a head-mounted display; the head isn’t being tracked – but that’s something we’re doing R&D on. I have to say, what we’ve done in the R&D projects has just been fantastic.”

The headset will also support 5.1 surround sound, but Sony has yet to reveal the cost and release date. Regardless, you'll definitely want to start saving your pennies now.

Study discovers that women take gaming over sex

The number of girl gamers continues to climb, and in a recent study commissioned by Doritos, those who spend their time playing online games prefer it more than working out, taking a bath, shopping and even sex.

The study consisted of responses from 2,052 people, and found that 49 percent of women play online games, closely following the 50 percent of their male counterparts. These women also spend 23.1 percent of their time gaming online, whereas men spend 22.3 percent of their time. Further, 84 percent of the women surveyed enjoy gaming sessions compared to the 70 percent who take pleasure in sex, 62 percent who enjoy working out, 75 percent who like taking baths, and 71 percent have fun shopping. Seventeen percent even admitted to playing online games while in bed.

The reasoning behind Doritos' survey was to help promote it's new Facebook title, Doritos Dip Desperado.

"Social and mobile gaming is hugely popular and, as the survey reveals, amongst women as much as men," said Doritos marketing manager Hugo Amos. "We wanted to create a game that is fun and entertaining for everyone. It will be exciting to see who tops the Doritos Dip Desperado Facebook leaderboard over coming weeks."

Regardless of the study's aim, there's no doubt that the gamer stereotype just took another haymaker to the face.

This Week in Famitsu

Weekly Famitsu #1179

Cover Story

With issue 1,179, Famitsu officially celebrates its 25^th Anniversary. This definitely is an amazing accomplishment in a day and age in which the medium of print is slowly dying off; the number of gaming magazines in the US alone that are no longer around are too many for us to count. So, we here at Level Up Video Games would like to offer our congratulations to all the hard-working staff at Weekly Famitsu for their 25 years of work and dedication.

In order to celebrate their 25^th Anniversary, Famitsu decided to take a look at the Top 10 Revolutions in gaming history, which they were around for most of.

The first gaming revolution, according to their list, was the beginning of 'Video Game Civilization' from 1983 to 1987, or basically, the advent of home consoles. With the original Nintendo (Famicom here in Japan), the Sega Mark III, PC Engine and others, video games suddenly became something everyone could enjoy in their own homes. Incidentally, the Famicom was released in 1983, and Famitsu launched their first magazine in 1986, so they really have been around for almost the entire history of games.

Revolution number 2, 'The Advent of Gaming as a Social Phenomenon', from 1988 to 1991. Games such as Tetris, Dragon Quest 3 and Sonic the Hedgehog all became incredibly popular, and started to spread into mainstream consciousness, setting the stage for gaming to be the mega-industry it is today.

'The Arrival of the Fighting Game Boom' from 1992 to 1995 is Revolution 3. Street Fighter II, Virtua Fighter, and Tekken all came out during this time period. Enough said.

Revolution 4: 'Portable Game Machines', or essentially, their surge in popularity in 1996. Why '96 you ask? One word: Pokemon. Red and Blue, to be precise. The love the gaming public has for their little pocket monsters has not diminished over the years.

The fifth revolution can be attributed to the millions of tears gamers shed at Aeris' death scene; 'The Evolution of Expression' in video games, or the increased amount of emotions games started to display and evoke from 1997 to 1999, is adequately represented by Final Fantasy VII, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Shenmue.

'The New Form of Action Games', from 2000 to 2001, was largely brought about by the release of the Playstation 2 in 2000. Games such as Dynasty Warriors and Onimusha brought a new level of graphics and depth to this fan-favorite genre.

Revolution number seven is a two-for-one deal: 'Attack of the Western Games and the Rise of Online Gaming'. And yes, it's literally referred to as an attack...or an invasion, if you prefer that word. Halo and Final Fantasy XI are both prime examples of their respective categories.

'The New Generation of Video Games' are represented by Wii Fit and Brain Age, titles that don't quite fit within the traditional definition of a game. These and others like them were released from 2004 to 2007.

Revolution number nine is a continuation of revolution four: 'The Prosperous Age of Portable Gaming'. With games like Monster Hunter and Love Plus sparking a new level of nationwide obsession between 2008 and 2009, I think it's fair to say Japan will never be the same. We have yet to ride a train here where there were not multiple DS and PSP systems in use around us.

Finally, the last revolution is the one we are currently in: Revolution ten, from 2010 to 2011 and beyond, is 'The Games From Here On Out'. From the portable 3D technology on the 3DS to the motion sensing capabilities of the PlayStation Move and the Kinect, the technological advances in gaming that await us are truly awe-inspiring. With any luck, Famitsu will continue its magnificent news coverage as we all journey together into our bright future of gaming.

Weird Games Found Only In Japan

Girls RPG: Cinderella Life (3DS): The latest game from acclaimed developer and publisher Level-5 Games (Dragon Quest VIII, Professor Layton) is actually a remake of its incredibly popular mobile game called 'Kyaba Joppi', in which you play an employee of a hostess club. What's a hostess club, you ask? Well, we'll tell you!

Hostess clubs are something of a cultural oddity here in Japan. Basically they are bars in which you pay beautiful young women in evening gowns to talk with you and serve you horribly overpriced food and drinks. Before your mind goes down that road, there is no sex involved what-so-ever at hostess clubs, only talking. Why anyone in their right mind would pay to have someone talk to them is anyone's guess, but even though the girls don't sleep with their customers, that doesn't stop them from shamelessly flirting with and complimenting them. For middle-aged businessmen that can work over 12 hour days six days a week, dating might be too troublesome, perhaps.

Cinderella Life stars a country girl, which you can create and customize, who travels to Neo-Ginza from her small rural town in order to hit it big. The game follows her career at a hostess club in a castle. So just how do you play game in which you are a hostess? Well it involves talking to the guests, having them order overpriced food and drinks from the club's menu using a slot machine (huh?), all the while leveling up based on your performance and the customer's level of satisfaction. When not working at you are free to explore the town of Neo-Ginza, which is populated with shops that sell fashion items which increase your performance at your job. You can also visit the many restaurants in town or talk and interact with the various residents of Neo-Ginza.

Chalk this one up in the “no-way in hell” category for its release date outside of Japan.

The Games of 2011 Reviewed: January – June

Occasionally, in addition to the 200+ pages Famitsu puts out each week, they sometimes have additional pack-in stories featured as their own mini-magazine. This time, as the title says, the mini-mag is a collection of all the reviews Famitsu has done for every game that has been released in Japan from January until June. Since there have been over 125 releases in that time frame, we are only going to list the top reviewed game for each system. Here they are!

• Best DS Game: Dragon Quest Joker 2 Professional – 37/40
• Best PSP Game: Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy – 38/40
• Best 3DS Game: Nintendogs & Cats – 38/40
• Best Wii Game: The Last Story – 38/40
• Best PS3 Game: Little Big Planet 2 – 38/40
• Best 360 Game: Dragon Age Origins & Portal 2 – 37/40

Hardware Sales: Week of 6/20-6/26

• Nintendo 3DS – 27,378 units
• PSP – 25,080 units
• Playstation 3 – 14,967 units
• Wii – 8,954 units
• Nintendo DS – 6,677 units
• Xbox 360 – 1,853 units
• Playstation 2 – 1,183 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 6/20-6/26

• Atelier Meruru: The Alchemist of Arland 3 (PS3) – 100, 722 units sold
• Steins;Gate (PSP) – 85,918 units sold
• Gundam Memories: Memory of Battle (PSP) – 60,189 units sold
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (3DS) – 40,262 units sold
• Danball Senki (PSP) – 38,496 units sold

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games: Based on survey results from 6/23-6/29

• Tales of Xillia (PS3)
• Dragon Quest X (Wii)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
• Final Fantasy: Type-O (PSP)
• Photo Kano (PSP)

We hope you enjoyed this week's 'This Week In Famitsu'. See you next time!

Submitted By: Aaron McKeever & Sherrie Blackwell

PSN ID protection registration extended

If you didn’t get the chance to take advantage of the “Welcome Back” program for the Playstation Network breach between April and May, you’re not totally out of luck. Sony has extended registration for its identity-theft protection program throughout the end of July, as stated on the company’s official blog.

The AllClear Plus ID from Debix, Inc. will be available free for any PSN user for a year starting on the registration date. The original sign-up deadline for this service was June 28.

The identity-theft protection service was one of the free bundles Sony offered alongside a free month of its Playstation Plus service and downloadable games such as Infamous, Little Big Planet and Wipeout HD. With the deadline increased, Sony looks determined to protect as many of the millions of PSN users who were affected by the outage as possible.

If you're interested in signing up, head over to Sony's registration page to get a personal activation code.

Services that come with the program include:

• Cyber monitoring and surveillance of the Internet to detect exposure of an AllClear ID Plus customer’s personal information, including monitoring of criminal web sites and data recovered by law enforcement. If his/her personal information is found, the customer will be alerted by phone and/or email and will be provided advice and support regarding protective steps to take. The customer will also receive monthly identity status reports. Debix works with an alliance of cyber-crime experts from the government, academia and industry to provide these services.

• Priority access to licensed private investigators and identity restoration specialists. If an AllClear ID Plus customer receives an alert, or otherwise suspects that he/she may be the victim of identity theft, the customer can speak directly, on a priority basis, with an on-staff licensed private investigator, who will conduct a comprehensive inquiry. In the case of an identity theft, the customer can work with an identity restoration specialist to contact creditors and others, and take necessary steps to restore the customer’s identity.

• A $1 million identity theft insurance policy per user to provide additional protection in the event that an AllClear ID Plus customer becomes a victim of identity theft. This insurance would provide financial relief of up to $1 million for covered identity restoration costs, legal defense expenses, and lost wages that occur within 12 months after the stolen identity event.

Of course, simply not purchasing anything on PSN with your credit card will protect you, too.

This Week in Famitsu

Weekly Famitsu #1178

Cover Story

This week Famitsu takes a look at Rockstar's ambitious detective thriller, L.A. Noire. While the game has been out for some time back in the States, it is not releasing here in Japan until July 7th. Famitsu takes a look at some of the different characters you will encounter, covers some basic plot details, and side-quests. It also outlines the 5 different divisions of LAPD you play throughout the game, along with the partners who will accompany you. The article also pays special attention to the amazing period-specific details that are present in the game. Since the game has already been released in the US, though, there's really not a lot else to say.

However, this does give us a good opportunity to talk about something: the 'Western game' in Japan. For a long, LONG time Western games have been looked down upon over here. Slowly but surely that has been changing; in fact, since moving to Japan 2 years ago, we have seen a marked increase in the number of Western games being featured in Famitsu and given prominent advertizing campaigns here (both in print and in retail). Unfortunately, most Western games are still viewed by the gaming public, by and large, as being nothing more than just your standard, cookie-cutter, carbon-copy shooter. However, games like L.A. Noire, which have intricate and complex stories, are starting to change that. So much so that when Famitsu reviewed L.A. Noire in this month's issue, they gave it a 39/40 (four reviewers each rate the game on a scale of 10), which is very impressive. It missed the “Perfect” score by only 1 point, and as Famitsu has only ever given 15 Perfects in their entire 25 year history, that's nothing to laugh at.

Featured Games

Mobile Suit Gundam: New Gihren's Ambition (PSP): Gihren's Ambition is a turn-based strategy game, very similar in style and gameplay to that of the Fire Emblem series, based on the original Gundam anime. This particular Gundam series saw its first game based on it released on the Sega Saturn in April 1998. In the original title, players took control of either Federation or Principality of Zeon forces. In New Gihren's Ambition, you still have the option of choosing your side, but now you can also play from the perspective of a single pilot or a commander, in addition to the conventional approach of taking control of the full battle. Pilot and commander scenarios include many of the popular characters from the series, and the game will be presenting the story through both CG graphics and actual scenes from the anime.

Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS): Kid Icarus returns to the 3DS after a 25 year hiatus from gaming. While the original Kid Icarus was a blend of platforming and 'shooting', Uprising puts more attention on the shooting. The game is a fast-paced action game featuring a variety of weapons, including Pit's classic bow and arrow. New to the mix are close combat claws, a mixture of heavy and light guns, and magical attacks. The game will also feature a robust 3v3 online multiplayer mode. Probably the coolest thing about Uprising, though, is that it will support the AR Cards (one of the 3DS's best features in our opinion) to create a card battle game using the characters featured in Uprising!

Weird Games Found Only In Japan

AKB48 1/48: When You Fall in Love With an Idol in Guam (PSP): Just what is AKB48 you ask? Well, that's simple: it's an all girl music group comprised of 48 school girls, and they are one of, if not the biggest, music group in Japan now. Yes, you read that right. 48 girls...it wasn't a typo. As there are so many of them, it's the perfect source material to make a dating sim game from!

In the original AKB48 1/48 game for the PSP, players were bombarded by the advances of ALL 48 members of AKB48, and it was up to you to complete the arduous and painstaking task of selecting only one girl to be the recipient of your affection. In actuality it turned out to be more of a dumping simulator, but that didn't matter because it had 48 girls that you could dump! 48 of them! It sold half a million copies here in Japan, so it was pretty much a sure thing that it would be getting a sequel.

The sequel is set in..... wait for it..... wait for it.... Guam! Once again, the players finds themselves being pursued by all 48 members of AKB48, but this time they are in bikinis....it's different because of the bikinis. Just like the first game, the sequel will be sold in a variety of offerings including

the “First Run Limited Edition” version that comes with a copy of the game, a 120 minute UMD with outtakes, 420 minute making-of and “fashion collection” (that's code for video of the girls in their bikinis) DVD set, a set of pics, a Team 4 special DVD (because there are some many of them the girls are divided up into “teams”), 48 small posters, a download code for 48 different custom themes, and a Blu-ray film of all cut-scenes from the first game. I kid you not, there were customers getting into altercations while waiting for the first game because the “First Run Limited Edition” was so sought after. Look for this game to come out in the US when we make our own 48 member all girl group.

Hardware Sales: Week of 6/13-6/19

• Nintendo 3DS – 41,086 units
• PSP – 28,026 units
• Playstation 3 – 14,327 units
• Nintendo DS – 7,892 units
• Wii – 7,031 units
• Xbox 360 – 2,465 units
• Playstation 2 – 1,230 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 6/13-6/19

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (3DS) – 182, 998 units sold
• Danball Senki (PSP) – 163,834 units sold
• Yakuza: Of The End (PS3) – 48, 252 units sold
• Steins Gate: Hiyoku Renri no Darling – 40, 473 units sold
• Steins Gate Double Pack (360) – 10, 803 units sold

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games: Based on survey results from 6/16-6/22

• Tales of Xillia (PS3)
• Dragon Quest X (Wii)
• Final Fantasy: Type-O/Agito (PSP)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
• Photo Kano (PSP)

We hope you enjoyed this week's 'This Week In Famitsu'. See you next time!

Submitted By: Aaron McKeever & Sherrie Blackwell

A Look at the Indie Fighting Game Scene

We thought it might be nice to have something a little different in the blog section every once in a while, so with that in mind, I'm going to step away from the limelight of major companies' video games and delve a little deeper into the world of independent games. Now, I'll be honest and admit I could be considered a fighting game fanatic; it's the majority of what I play, and the recent surge in the genre, both mainstream and independent, has been a huge source of joy for me. What I'd like to do today is bring to light three recent, excellent fighting games that are lesser known because they were not majorly published: Pokemon: Type Wild, Touhou Hisou Tensoku, and Ougon Musou Kyoku.

The first game, Pokemon: Type Wild, is a fan-made game based on, obviously, the Pokemon series. It was revealed in the US during the recent fighting game tournament in Los Angeles, RevLAtions. The game features various Pokemon, beautifully animated in 2d, including favorites such as Blaziken, Combusken, Snorlax, Gengar, Gardevoir, Lucario, Breloom, and Swalot. It plays similar to Street Fighter, in that the gameplay does not rely on heavy combos and revolves more around mind games, pokes, and timing. The game is still fairly new and hasn't developed a hardcore following that some other games have, so there is not much of a scene for it yet. With it finally being out in the open now, though, there is sure to be some underground tournaments happening around the country for it soon.

Next, Touhou Hisou Tensoku, or Soku for short, came from 'project Touhou', which is a series of independent games developed by Tasogare Frontier and Team Shanghai Alice. Interestingly enough, most of the games in 'project Touhou' originally started out as bullet hell games, but Soku became a fighting game spinoff. About 20 different young girl characters are faced off against each other, with each of them having a weak attack, a strong attack, and a bullet attack they can utilize. Combining these attacks with special inputs creates long, in depth, and interesting combos that the gameplay heavily relies on. The gameplay is also incredibly unique, in that it also has a system where you combine the special moves with spell cards, which vary offensive and defensive capabilities. To make it even more chaotic and interesting, weather effects are also added to the experience, and can effect the way the game plays. Soku is a very intense fast paced game that requires a lot of practice but pays off when mastered.

Finally, Ougon Musou Kyoku is based off of an anime by the name of "Umineko no Naku Koro ni" (When the Seagulls Cry) which in-turn is also based off of a visual novel game (think interactive picture book with a robust story) developed by 07th Expansion. This is a wonderfully rendered game with high resolution sprites that are comparable to that of Blazblue or Guilty Gear in terms of quality. In this game you take control of 1 of 10 different characters from the anime to duke it out against the other characters. Its gameplay can be considered as a slower version of Guilty Gear, as it's very combo based, but the timing is easier and a bit slower. This is a must have for fans of the "When they Cry" (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) anime series and is a lot of fun, and easier to pickup than some other fighting games out there.

Most of these are fan-made games and can be downloaded for free, and if not, they can be imported from Japan (then you have the disk and the cool cover art!). Unfortunately, all of these games are only available for PC (sorry Mac users!!), but if you have the means, and you are a fighting game fanatic like me, I highly recommend them.

Submitted By: Tom Ferko (Employee)

This Week in Famitsu

Weekly Famitsu #1177 

Cover Story

So, before we begin this week's coverage on the cover story, there's something you all need to know about Famitsu: on slow news weeks, or when there's a particularly awesome game, they will have strategy guides in the magazine. Usually they aren't that in-depth or long; they tend to focus on one thing, say, getting all the feathers in Assassin's Creed 2, or something along those lines. They're very cool, and great if you are actually playing that game at the time. They usually aren't very newsworthy though, so we tend to skip over them. However, the latest issue of Famitsu has a guide for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, that is also riddled with random tidbits of information and readers' favorite memories of the game. Famitsu also polled its readers on various items, bosses, dungeons, and how much the readers loved/wanted to break their controller from the difficulty for each of them. We thought it would be interesting to share some of those results with you, especially since it's what's featured on this week's cover. So, without further ado, here you are!

Favorite Characters 

1.) Link

2.) Navi (What. The. Heck.) 

3.) Zelda

4.) Saria

5.) Shiek

6.) Malon

7.) Ganondorf

8.) Ruto

9.) Darunia

10.) Epona

Most Difficult Bosses 

1.) Ganondorf

2.) Bongo Bongo

3.) Phantom Ganondorf

4.) Morpha

5.) Twinrova

6.) Barinade

7.) Gohma

8.) Volvagia

9.) Dark Link

10.) King Dodonga

Most Difficult Dungeons 

1.) Water Temple

2.) Shadow Temple

3.) Ganon's Stage

4.) Forest Temple

5.) Bottom of the Well

6.) Jabu Jabu's Belly

7.) Gerudo Training Grounds

8.) Inside the Deku Tree

9.) Fire Temple

10.) Ice Cavern

Favorite Songs 

1.) Saria's Song

2.) Zelda's Lullaby

3.) Song of Storms

4.) Epona's Song

5.) Song of Time

6.) Serenade of Water

7.) Prelude of Light

8.) Requiem of Spirit

9.) Forest Minuet

10.) Nocturne of Shadow

And there you have it! Results straight from Famitsu readers' mouths. How do they stack up to your own opinions? Personally, we agree with the Water Temple being the most difficult... the many long hours spent staring at the TV screen in a confused stupor, aboslutely stumped.... Ah, memories!

Featured Games

Remake Extravaganza: Okay, so this isn't so much a featured game as a secondary cover story. This week, Famitsu decided to take a look at all the remakes and facelifts classic games have been getting over the years. It's a fun little article that takes a nice trip down memory lane, so we thought we'd share it with you! Of course, these games, the release dates, and the sale numbers related to them are for the Japanese copies, and there might be a few games in this list that never made it to American shores.

Super Mario Collection (SNES): This is the same as the US verison of Super Mario All Stars, containing Super Mario Bros. 1-3, as well as Super Mario USA for the NES. What's Super Mario USA you ask? Well, that is our verison of Super Mario Bros 2, which is entirely different from the Japanese verison (known in the States as "The Lost Levels"). In fact, the US verison of Super Mario 2 is actually a game known in Japan as "Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panikku", with Mario characters substituted for the games' normal characters. Released on 7/14/93, with 2,120,000 total units sold.

Dragon Quest I & II (GBY & SNES): A remake of original Dragon Quest I & II games from the NES. Dragon Quest is so popular here in Japan that it is a National Law that DQ games can only be released on a weekend, so as to not impact the productivity of businesses and the nation. Released on 9/23/1999, with 763,760 total units sold.

Super Mario Collection 25^th Anniversary Special Pack (Wii): This is a re-release of the Super Mario Collection from the SNES to commerate Mario's 25^th Anniversary. The package also contains a nice little packet about the history of Mario as well as a soundtrack CD. Released 10/21/2010, with 905,732 total units sold. 

Romancing Saga: Minstrel's Song (PS2): A remake of Romancing Saga from the SNES. Yes, Japan actually likes the Saga games! Released on 4/21/2005, with 454,657 total units sold.... which we almost can't believe. A Saga game selling almost half a million units must be one of the signs of the apocalypse or something... 

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (PSP): This was a remake of Valkyrie Profile from the PS1, probably one of the rarest games back in the US. Here in Japan used copies of the PS1 classic are readily available at pretty much any used game store for around $10, if you can believe it. Released on 3/2/2006, with 168, 515 total units sold.

MOTHER 1+2 (GBA): This is a remake of MOTHER for the NES and a port of MOTHER 2 for the SNES. The game was releasd to celebrate MOTHER 3 being released on the GBA. The MOTHER games are known in the US as Earth Bound, and are probably one of the most popular RPG titles here in Japan to never be completely released in the US. Released on 6/20/2003, with 279,183 total units sold.
  

Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green (GBA): Both of these games are remakes of the fan favorites Pokemon Red and Green, originally released on the GBY. Released on 1/29/2004, with 3,073,380 total units sold. 

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver (DS): Another Pokemon fan favorite remake, this time from the GBC classics Pokemon Gold and Silver. Released on 9/12/2009, with 3,901,466 total units sold.

The article also talks about some current and upcoming re-releases, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, StarFox 64, Tales of the Abyss and Metal Gear Solid 3, ALL for the 3DS. Persona 2: Sin, for the PSP, was just recently released in Japan. Not many people know that there were actually two Persona 2 games for the PS1 in Japan; the US only ever had one of the Persona 2 versions released as the other, 'Sin', was deemed too controversial at the time (the PSP version of 'Sin' is finally scheduled to be released this summer in the US). Also, remember that law we mentioned earlier about Dragon Quest games only being released on a weekend? Well, it's a good thing, because this September Japan will be getting the Dragon Quest: 1, 2 & 3 Collection for the Wii. It will feature both the original NES and enhanced SNES versions of Dragon Quest 1, 2 & 3.

Finally, the article mentions the HD collections of game series like God of War and Sly Cooper. It highlights the upcoming Monster Hunter Portable 3^rd HD, in which you can take your save file from Monster Hunter Portable 3^rd on the PSP and use it to play on the PS3 and vice versa. The graphical jump this game is getting on the PS3 is definetly impressive, and we're sure since it is a Monster Hunter game it will sell like gang busters. Last, but certainly not least, we come to what is our most antcipated game of this year...the ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection. These two games were gorgeous beyond belief when they were released on the PS2, and the PS3 versions look mind blowingly amazing. Oh, and just to make you all jealous, Japan is getting a special edition of the games bundled together with a special art and interview book and a soundtrack! September 22 can't come soon enough, as that is when we will lord our awesome Japanese collecter's edition copy over you all like nobody's business.

Weird Games Found Only in Japan

Hatsune Miku Project DIVA: Dreamy Theater 2^nd (PS3): Any description of this game must be fore-worded by an explanation of who Hatsune Miku is, so with that in mind, here you go: Hatsune Miku is one of Japan's biggest pop idols right now, selling out concerts wherever she goes, with songs that have reached the top of the charts.... and she's not real. She's a CG character who is voiced by a computer music program. 'But wait!' you might be saying, 'how has she sold out live concerts then?' The answer is simple: they project a 3D hologram onto the stage for her fans to worship! (Check out the video below to see one of her concerts.) As she's already a CG musical character, Ms. Miku translates perfectly into the music game genre, of which there are several. The gameplay is the standard 'push the buttons in time to the music' fare, but this latest iteration for the PS3 is notable because it takes advantage of the system's ability to project games in 3D. Now Hatsune Miku fans can get the experience of being at one of her insane concerts in the comfort of their own home! The game is coming out sometime this summer in Japan, but don't hold your breath for Miku and her friends (Yes, there are more of them! There's a boy too...) to be popping out of your American TV anytime soon.

Hardware Sales: Week of 6/06-6/12

• PSP – 25,854 units
• Nintendo 3DS – 24,226 units
• Playstation 3 – 16,673 units
• Wii – 7,149 units
• Nintendo DS – 7,028 units
• Xbox 360 – 1,535 units
• Playstation 2 – 1,148 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 6/06-6/12s

• Yakuza: Of The End (PS3) – 30,7592 units
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries (3DS) – 15,721 units
• Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing (DS) – 12,019 units
• Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 Professional (DS) – 10,856 units
• One Piece Unlimited Cruise SP (3DS) – 10,337 units

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games: Based on survey results from 6/09-6/15

• Tales of Xillia (PS3)
• Dragon Quest X (Wii)
• Final Fantasy: Type-O/Agito (PSP)
• Dark Souls (PS3)
• Photo Kano (PSP)

That's it for this weeks Famitsu, check back next week to see what Famitsu is talking about! Oh, and we wanted to say thank you to everyone that has been passing along a kind word to us about these articles. We definitely appreciate it, as it takes a long time to read through the issue, pick-out intresting things, translate and then type this article each week. Once again, thanks everyone!

Submitted By: Sherrie Blackwell & Aaron McKeever