This Week in Famitsu

WEEKLY FAMITSU #1189

Cover Story

First of all, we hope the cover doesn't offend anyone. As this week is the Tokyo Game Show issue, they chose the most famous part of TGS to grace the cover: booth babes. If you are unfamiliar with booth babes, they are attractive models, usually found at game shows, that are hired to promote specific games and products. They sometimes dress in outfits from the game they are promoting, or even have demo portable game systems literally hooked to their bodies. They are also usually quite scantily dressed. Similar to E3 in recent years, which has cracked down on what booth babes are allowed to do, and how racy their outfits are allowed to be, Japan also has tried to regulate a dress code, but with mixed success. Regardless, TGS' booth babes are truly...ehem.....out there. For all to see.

TGS is, of course, already over, and the plethora of information released at that game show has already started its rotation around the internet. This particular issue of Famitsu came out the day before TGS started, so it's a preview of what the show would offer, as well as being a vicarious experience for those unlucky enough to have not been able to make it in person.

The theme of this year's show was 'GAME- Dancing Your Heart'. It's quite engrish-tastic. Famitsu helpfully provides not only the dates, location, times, and cost of the show (only about $15 bucks for a ticket day-of, if you were curious), but also a map of the easiest ways to get there by train, and a floor map of the event hall showing where each vendor's display booth was going to be located. It then goes on to list each of the major booths and what games they would be demoing. All the big names were there: Konami, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Koei Tecmo, Square Enix, and many others. It also has a highlight of the goods each booth sold, and the prices of each item, so you could plan out your purchases in advance. It even has a list of some of the freebies each booth gave out, and what you could win in various raffles at the show, so you could plan those out too. Sadly, they did not include a list of what the booth babes were wearing at the individual booths, so attendees had to find the hottest ones all on their own.

PSVita Games

Well, we've finally come to the end of Famitsu's weekly look at the new games coming out for the PSVita, leading up to its newly-announced release date of December 17^th here in Japan. They started out this last week by discussing a perennial favorite: a new Ridge Racer game. Ridge Racer is an insanely popular racing series here in Japan, and has quite the cult following in the States as well. There aren't too many details put out so far about this title, and the coverage Famitsu had was mostly just an interview with the creators. However, they did manage to show off some of the new courses, featuring resorts and night races through cities, as well as some more traditional outdoorsy courses. They also showed one of the new cars that will be available in it. All of this is rather irrelevant, however, since those who like Ridge Racer games will probably ecstatically buy this new iteration, even if there was nothing new in it whatsoever.

Also new for PSVita, but not a new series, is a new Katamari game! Katamari Stretched follows the same formula that made its brothers so successful: as the small, green, Prince of the Cosmos, you roll a ball around gathering up stuff, until it gets bigger and you can gather up bigger stuff, and then you just keep going. Let's just say it's more fun in person than what it sounds like. New to the PSVita version is the ability to stretch your katamari into different shapes, in order to allow for maximum rolling-up-crap capability. As the game is going to fully utilize the PSVita's unique features, such as the front and back touch panels, controlling the katamari should be easier and more fun than ever!

To satisfy your blood-craving, the uber-violent hack-and-slash action series Ninja Gaiden is coming to the Vita, with a port of Ninja Gaiden Sigma. It looks gorgeous on the system, from what we can tell from the screenshots; it doesn't seem to have lost any of the polish and shine it had in the original PS3 version. There is, of course, at least one new special feature to look forward to with this title, beyond the ability to take your ninja habit on the go: the port will utilize the PSVita's touch panels. Various things, from critical hits to Ninjitsu magic, will all utilize touch controls to add to the experience.

Also mentioned in this week's last Vita coverage is a new Ys, the long-running and respected RPG series. While there's not much information out about it yet, Famitsu believes that Ys: Woodland of Celceta is actually a remake of Ys IV, based on its subtitle. As this is the 25^th year since the series first released, it's likely that this will be a very special Ys, but it looks like we have a while to wait yet for its release, let alone any more information.

Famitsu also mentions other PSVita games coming out, in brief, such as a new Formula 1 Racing game, a new DJ Max rhythm game called DJ Max Technika Portable, a sudoku game, and a new bass fishing game called FISH ON. Exciting! The feature ends with what might be our most anticipated game for the Vita, however: Dragon's Crown. Made by Vanillaware (Odin Sphere, Muramasa, Grand Knights History), it's an action RPG you can play with up to 4 players of varying job classes and races. It's sort of like a side-scrolling, gorgeous Baldur's Gate. Famitsu has covered this game before in more depth, so the feature this time is short, but we always appreciate the ability to look at new screens for this gorgeous game.

With that, Famitsu's weekly feature on upcoming PSVita games is finished! We hope it made you hungry for the PSVita's release, December 17^th here in Japan, with an early 2012 release date expected in the States. We know we are excited!

Featured Games

Theaterhythm – Final Fantasy (3DS): Square Enix is releasing a new Final Fantasy game for the 3DS, but it's not quite what you'd expect from the RPG maker. This new Final Fantasy is actually a rhythm and music game, with RPG elements. The game allows you to select from anyone of the thirteen Final Fantasy games and its main character, and play through the games most memorable musical pieces. The game has field scenes set in dungeons and towns, and battle scenes that resemble the side-view battles of old-school Final Fantasy games. However, everything is played like a rhythm game, where you tap the screen in accordance with prompts. The game uses three kinds of musical notes/prompts: red notes you tap, yellow notes you swipe (up, down, left, right, and at diagonal angles), and green notes you hold. Where do the RPG elements come into this game, you ask? Characters attack when you hit notes and deal a critical hit if your timing is perfectly on beat. Miss notes and the HP meter in the top right drops a bit. As you progress through the game you will also gain experience points, allowing your chosen character to level up. So, there you have it, a Final Fantasy music game that's probably exactly like you imagined it would be. If you ever imagined an RPG rhythm game, that is...

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright (3DS): This game takes place in a different universe from both the Professor Layton and Ace Attorney universes, otherwise our universe would explode if these two characters existed in the same place together. Both Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, along with their respective assistants Luke and Maya, find themselves in a strange and mysterious medieval town known as Labyrinth City. The game has a combination of gameplay from both series, featuring the trademark puzzles of Professor Layton, as well as the trials from the Ace Attorney series. Layton has to solve the mysteries of the strange world, while Phoenix Wright has to defend a client in an actual witch trial. However, unlike the Ace Attorney games, Labyrinth City has an unorthodox legal system: "mob juries", which override the typical rules of court. The game will also feature fully-voiced anime-style cutscenes, a staple of the Professor Layton games but a first for the Ace Attorney series.

Weird Games Found Only In Japan 

Fab Style (DS/3DS): Fab Style mixes fashion store management with a dating sim. In Fab Style, you play as a young female student that has inherited her sister's fashion store. Since you are now in charge of the store, it is up to you to help the customers make clothing, makeup, and fashion choices. Customers will react to you based upon if they are satisfied by your service or not. Throughout the game you will also encounter a bevy of young, hot men, all of which want to date you, and you them. The big selling point of the dating sim part of the game, at least here in Japan, is that these guys are actually voiced by famous voice-actors. So, you too can live out your fantasy of dating a hot young Japanese voice-actor! Squeeee!

Hardware Sales: Week of 8/29-9/4

• 3DS – 55,264 units
• PS3 – 32,969 units
• PSP – 28,921 units
• Wii – 9,931 units
• NDS – 3,205 units
• PS2 – 964 units
• 360 – 830 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 8/29-9/4

• Grand Knight's History (PSP) – 63,672 units
• Monster Hunter Portable 3^rd HD Version (PS3) – 55,346 units
• Sengoku Musou 3 Empires (PS3) – 23,186 units
• Everyone's Rhythm Heaven (Wii) – 21,044 units
• Devil Survivor: Overclocked (3DS) – 18,564 units

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games: Based on survey results from 9/1-9/7

• Final Fantasy: Type-O (PSP)
• Dragon Quest X Online (Wii)
• Persona 4: The Golden (Vita)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
• Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

And it looks like the PS2 outsold the 360 here in Japan for the third week in a row. Someone at Microsoft Japan is probably going to have to commit ritual Japanese suicide over this. That's all for this week's Famitsu, we hope you enjoyed it! Make sure to check back next week!

Submitted by: Aaron McKeever & Sherrie Blackwell