Japanese Niche Games Deals & Discussion Thread 4.0

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shivan128

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Welcome to the Japanese niche games deals and discussion thread!  Feel free to talk about local and import Japanese games here.  Our goal is to maintain a thread dedicated to active deals on niche games including RPGs, Visual Novels (VN), Shoot'em ups (Shmups), Musou, etc.  Also maintained are pre-orders for standard, limited and collector's edition games with key release dates provided.

I've wikified the thread to make it more friendly and open to others that can actively update with important information. You can find the wiki post directly below this one.

NOTE:  Please, leave the censorship discussion away from this thread.  It's common for japanese games to have questionable content outside of the country.  We want to keep discussions to the game itself and not about cultural/societal tolerance.

A message from Thorbahn:

Our CAG Japanese Niche Games Thread also has a community on PS4, where you can interact and game with other members of the thread.

Our moderators are: Draekon, Las_Hole, and Waffleswanton

You can basically friend any of our members, or any moderator, and you will be able to request to join the community under "Communities friends are in" tab, and a mod will approve your request.

You can also leave your PSN ID in the thread, saying you want to join, and we can invite you directly as well.

As always, have fun and enjoy your stay!

 
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chrislaustin said:
Has it ever been confirmed that anyone in the states would carry the US version outside of Rice in the UK?
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I don't have a link, sorry, but one of their replies to a reply to their announcement on twitter had them clarifying that the special edition was exclusive to Rice, but that there would be other options for the standard edition. No elaboration on what the other options would be.

 
Forgot about this. Guess my mind was on Overwatch this morning. Pretty decent week and outside of Japanese games being released in English, Mirror's Edge Catalyst is also out this week. Not sure how I missed Onechanbara releasing on PC in last weeks list though. Maybe it was a post-Sunday addition.

Other stuff that released without warning last week that are all on PC/Steam:
- Onechanbara Z2: Chaos (Hack'n'Slash)

- CLANNAD Side Stories (Visual Novel)

Weekly Releases (June 5th - June 11th)

Stranger of Sword City
- Platform(s): PC
- Genre: First-Person Dungeon Crawler
- Demo: N/A
- Online: N/A
- Comments: Released on Vita last month. Be prepared for stat rolling on character creation.

Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-
- Platform(s): PS4, PS3
- Genre: Fighting
- Demo: N/A
- Online: Yes.
- Comments: Cross platform multiplayer. 60 FPS.

Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
- Platform(s): PS4, PS3 Vita
- Genre: Action RPG / 2D Scroller
- Demo: Only for PS4 & Vita.
- Online: N/A
- Comments: 60FPS, but does on rare occasion have some very slight dips I hear. Bunch of new content over the original and re-worked battle system.

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book
- Platform(s): PS4, Vita
- Genre: RPG
- Demo: N/A
- Online: N/A
- Comments: Vita version supposedly runs much better than the past Atelier Plus versions.

Kirby: Planet Robobot
- Platform(s): 3DS
- Genre: Action Platformer
- Demo: N/A
- Online: N/A

One Small Fire at a Time
- Platform(s): PC
- Genre: Visual Novel
- Demo: N/A
- Online: N/A

- Comments: Not really Japanese (Indonesian?). Also a prequel to An Octave Higher that was published by PLAYISM.
 

Past Releases

May 29th - June 4th

May 22nd - May 28th

May 15th - May 21st

May 8th - May 14th

May 1st - May 7th

 
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henry32689 said:
Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey.
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to add

enchanted arms

eternal sonata

phantasy star universe

last remnant

ff13-3

Though the majority of these have ports on other systems but are still worth playing. Especially 13-3 it was a very fun game despite being from a mess of a trilogy.

 
argyle said:
Someone else mentioned Lost Odyssey, but I just want to emphasize it - it's excellent and definitely worth your time. That and Vesperia are the 2 best JRPGs on the system IMO, but there are a few other good ones:

Eternal Sonata (but the better version is on the PS3)

Blue Dragon

Enchanted Arms

Magna Carta 2
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eh I think the ps3 version despite added content wasn't much of an improvement due to increasing the levels to gain skills in an already limited number to begin with and taking away the photo money stuff. If they had used the 2 new party members to make polkas side suck less, had made polka suck less, and had balanced the split chapters better in general then that would of been something.

 
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Tothoro said:
In addition to what others have said:

  • Record of Agarest War (and Zero) - Really long and moderately difficult tactical RPG. Comparable to Fire Emblem.
  • Nier - Japanese Action RPG with one of the best stories from games of that generation.
  • Star Ocean IV (the PS3 version has more content though IIRC)
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record of agarest war is DEFINITELY not remotely comparable to fire emblem. Its also guide dang it, load times are really long, lag, and is more on the trash tier jrpg side with big breasted lolis and such. People who rec the series only rec playing 2 of the trilogy.

nier I can't rec enough if for nothing other than the soundtrack. Amazing music.

so4 didn't add anything other than dual audio to my knowledge and removing the disc swap issue of the 360 version. Its an alright game but between the glitches, secret dungeon being impossible to finish due to freezing, and a poor story and everything else its not a game I recommend much. The gameplays good and the only thing it has going for it. Though it would of been better if it had carried over mp damage and fury system from 3 along with removing costs for move slots/skills.

 
Olengie said:
My local Gamestop had a used copy of Bayonetta 2 with 1. Ended up impulse buying it.
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That's a good buy, as the 1st disc has a pretty good value since it is no longer being produced. What condition are both disc in?

I actually bought that bundle new and sealed when GS had it on sale for $30 I believe, and I haven't touched it since I came home that day. I've been going back & forth if I want to sale it or not, as I have the 360 version, and the Wii U game only appears to add some "N" specific costumes.

The 360 version looks the best to me from the 3 versions, but it has some screen tearing here and there. The Wii U game seems to have the best performance, but the overall game looks washed out and dim. Maybe someone here who has played both versions can chime in and say which is the definitive game.

 
chrislaustin said:
That's a good buy, as the 1st disc has a pretty good value since it is no longer being produced. What condition are both disc in?

I actually bought that bundle new and sealed when GS had it on sale for $30 I believe, and I haven't touched it since I came home that day. I've been going back & forth if I want to sale it or not, as I have the 360 version, and the Wii U game only appears to add some "N" specific costumes.

The 360 version looks the best to me from the 3 versions, but it has some screen tearing here and there. The Wii U game seems to have the best performance, but the overall game looks washed out and dim. Maybe someone here who has played both versions can chime in and say which is the definitive game.
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Pretty minty fresh

Have the ps3 version of Bayonetta as well
 
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shadowysea07 said:
record of agarest war is DEFINITELY not remotely comparable to fire emblem. Its also guide dang it, load times are really long, lag, and is more on the trash tier jrpg side with big breasted lolis and such. People who rec the series only rec playing 2 of the trilogy.

nier I can't rec enough if for nothing other than the soundtrack. Amazing music.

so4 didn't add anything other than dual audio to my knowledge and removing the disc swap issue of the 360 version. Its an alright game but between the glitches, secret dungeon being impossible to finish due to freezing, and a poor story and everything else its not a game I recommend much. The gameplays good and the only thing it has going for it. Though it would of been better if it had carried over mp damage and fury system from 3 along with removing costs for move slots/skills.
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In terms of RoAW, I meant gameplay. Not everyone knows what a tactical RPG is, so Fire Emblem is my go-to comparison to explain it. In terms of polish, accessibility, and overall quality, FE wins hands down. However, I've played RoAW and Zero and I'd recommend them both. If fanservice-y stuff bothers people RoAW isn't for them, but it's not as heavily imbued into the game and story as something like Criminal Girls, Monster Monpiece, or even Dungeon Travelers. I didn't notice any significant load time issues, but I did install the discs to my HDD when I played the games and that does tend to help.

I didn't know that about SO4, but I guess that's what backlogs are for. :p

 
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Anyone have experience with pre-orders on amazon? Looking at Odin Sphere Storybook Edition, but don't wanna shell out for release day shipping.

Will the product not actually ship until release day with prime 2-day shipping?

 
Waggles said:
Anyone have experience with pre-orders on amazon? Looking at Odin Sphere Storybook Edition, but don't wanna shell out for release day shipping.

Will the product not actually ship until release day with prime 2-day shipping?
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Says this under it for me.

Want to receive this the day it comes out?
Order within 5 hrs and choose FREE Two-Day Shippingat checkout.

Edit: Oh woops. Just noticed it was the Standard Edition that it says that. I usually get it on release, but I think they usually send it out on Friday, so you might get it Wednesday if you order it. I've never ordered the weekend before something is released though.

 
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chickenbutt said:
Says this under it for me.

Want to receive this the day it comes out?
Order within 5 hrs and choose FREE Two-Day Shippingat checkout.
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I just realized the checkout page claims a delivery of june 9th. Meh.

I guess I'm just gonna hope Best Buy gets a copy, or else settle for the standard. Not like I need the dust collector anyway.

 
If you preordered it late, like a few days before the release date, you'll get it the day after or something like that. You could get it on the release date if you're lucky. That's what I believe anyways.

 
Olengie said:
Pretty minty fresh

Have the ps3 version of Bayonetta as well
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Cool you got some nice quality copies, so that is for sure a great buy. I show a few of the 1 & 2 bundle sets locally at a few GS, but I'm not sure if it's worth my time to go check on the condition. I'll keep tabs on them, and if I'm running errands, I'll give em a look.

Now in your situation, for sure play part 1 on the Wii U, as the PS3 version was garbage. There's no debate in regards to those versions, but I'm still wondering if the 360 id better or worse than the Wii U version.

 
chrislaustin said:
Cool you got some nice quality copies, so that is for sure a great buy. I show a few of the 1 & 2 bundle sets locally at a few GS, but I'm not sure if it's worth my time to go check on the condition. I'll keep tabs on them, and if I'm running errands, I'll give em a look.

Now in your situation, for sure play part 1 on the Wii U, as the PS3 version was garbage. There's no debate in regards to those versions, but I'm still wondering if the 360 id better or worse than the Wii U version.
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I don't have any problems playing Bayo 1 on PS3 though. lol.

Gamestop's Inventory Checker is awesome.

 
chickenbutt said:
Says this under it for me.

Want to receive this the day it comes out?
Order within 5 hrs and choose FREE Two-Day Shippingat checkout.

Edit: Oh woops. Just noticed it was the Standard Edition that it says that. I usually get it on release, but I think they usually send it out on Friday, so you might get it Wednesday if you order it. I've never ordered the weekend before something is released though.
Click to expand...
Something weird was up with it for me. I cancelled my Storybook to get the Standard, and even though it said that in the listing the soonest I would get it with Two Day was on Thursday. Had to pick One Day to get it on release day. Ended up contacting support and they fixed it instantly

 
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chrislaustin said:
Now in your situation, for sure play part 1 on the Wii U, as the PS3 version was garbage. There's no debate in regards to those versions, but I'm still wondering if the 360 id better or worse than the Wii U version.
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I'd recommend the 360 version over wii u. The dodging feels all kinds of funky on wii u; I've beaten the game on both consoles, but I had a lot of trouble dodging even basic attacks on the U version.

 
Are we pretty sure Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers won't be a localization? I don't want to miss the Asian english version, but also would rather a NA region copy if it were going to happen. No one has dropped any hints or outright denied anything, right?

 
Pheria said:
Are we pretty sure Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers won't be a localization? I don't want to miss the Asian english version, but also would rather a NA region copy if it were going to happen. No one has dropped any hints or outright denied anything, right?
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Seems kinda unlikely at this point. Maybe if theres enough import demand for this and the next one, we might see more in the future

 
Pheria said:
Are we pretty sure Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers won't be a localization? I don't want to miss the Asian english version, but also would rather a NA region copy if it were going to happen. No one has dropped any hints or outright denied anything, right?
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I highly doubt it.

 
Thanks for the recs!

I'll be looking at:

Lost Odyssey
Eternal Sonata PS3
Magna Carta 2 (do I need to play the first one?)
Infinite Undiscovery
Last Remnant
Nier (is there a difference between xbox and ps3?)
 
I'm not sure if anyone mentioned it, but Tales of Vesperia only made it to NA on the 360. Of course Japan released the superior version for PS3 with an added character and tons more gameplay, but we missed out.

Lost Odyssey is by far one of my favorite JRPGs in the last 10 years. I always wished it would have gotten more DLCs other than the one they released as well as a sequel. I don't think it did well enough, however, for a sequel to even be considered.

I liked Enchanted Arms, but it was more of a filler JRPG for me. I remember people calling it Mild Arms, but to this day I can't watch Fringe without thinking of this game. I marathoned the show while going through this game.

Final Fantasy 13, 13-2, and Lightening returns all were released on it.

Resonance of Fate is another one released on both the 360, and the PS3. I own it for the PS3, but never played it and saw where a lot of people said it was quite difficult.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope - Much like RoF, I own it on PS3 and never played it. Pretty sure this one is a black eye in the Star Ocean series. Voice acting is bad and the hero is named Edge Maverick. 

 
 
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Waggles said:
I'd recommend the 360 version over wii u. The dodging feels all kinds of funky on wii u; I've beaten the game on both consoles, but I had a lot of trouble dodging even basic attacks on the U version.
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Well, the 360 was the lead console after all, so that news shouldn't surprise me. You didn't find the screen tearing on the 360 version to be to bad then? And the extra's of the Wii U game didn't do much for the game overall uh?

 
Deader2818 said:
For what its worth

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-bayonetta-wii-u-face-off
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I've read that comparison, along with a few others. The Wii U always appears to be the version of choice, but it's never a glowing endorsement. Just that it has more "pluses" than the 360 game, but depending on certain things, one could find the 360 version to be best.

I guess in the end, it's a personal preference, so that is why I ask for thoughts from those who have actually played both. Having Waggles state he had issues dodging with the Wii U is the kind of stuff I'm looking for, as things like that aren't always mentioned in performance comparisons.

 
FFXII HD has finally been announced for PS4 with a 2017 release: http://gematsu.com/2016/06/final-fantasy-xii-zodiac-age-announced-ps4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2-bWotLKqo

Visual Improvements

  • High-resolution upgrades for backgrounds, character models, and all 2D parts including fonts
  • High-resolution upgrades for movie scenes
  • Introduction of current generation visual expression
Sound Improvements

  • 7.1ch surround support
  • High-quality voice support
  • English and Japanese voices (switch between them in the game configuration)
  • Original and newly re-recorded BGMs (switch between them in the game configuration)
Usability Improvements

  • Shorter load times
  • Auto-save functionality added
  • Improved high-speed mode and improved play time operability during high-speed mode
Click to expand...
 
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I know this isn't technically Japanese but it should appeal to many, especially Pheria lol

VA11 Hall-a aka waifu bartending releases on steam on June 21st
 
Now SE has to confirm that FFXII The Zodiac Age is going to be released episodically. :whistle2:

 
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I don't understand why Square is making FFXV and KH3 multi-console but then keeps other related titles exclusive to Sony (KH collections, FFXII remake, etc). As someone who owns an Xbox One, that's just weird and really disappointing.

 
ARsignal11 said:
I don't understand why Square is making FFXV and KH3 multi-console but then keeps other related titles exclusive to Sony (KH collections, FFXII remake, etc). As someone who owns an Xbox One, that's just weird and really disappointing.
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Likely sony still has exclusive rights
 
Deader2818 said:
Likely sony still has exclusive rights
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yeah i think sony usually forces some of these companys to threaten them into if they want to publish in japan kinda of thing, i am not as interested as ff games tend to be grindy and combat is usually purposely dragged out with heavy status inducing enemies, not a die hard for the series, would have been more interested if they adjust gameplay to quicken things up

 
ar4757 said:
I know this isn't technically Japanese but it should appeal to many, especially Pheria lol

VA11 Hall-a aka waifu bartending releases on steam on June 21st
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tumblr_nu1zyiIk7I1tw77coo1_400.gif


 
bigstew said:
yeah i think sony usually forces some of these companys to threaten them into if they want to publish in japan kinda of thing, i am not as interested as ff games tend to be grindy and combat is usually purposely dragged out with heavy status inducing enemies, not a die hard for the series, would have been more interested if they adjust gameplay to quicken things up
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It's most likely a publisher exclusivity thing, or it could even be the fact that Microsoft sold like 1000 Xbox ones in Japan and a largely focused Japanese company doesn't want to produce a game that simply won't sell very well in there home territory.

That being said, there should be a steam release
 
Awesome news that one of the best FFs is getting an HD remake.  I loved 12 so much.  It was a natural progression from the MMO gameplay in FF11.  It felt like a vast, single-player, open world MMO.  12 was just beautiful and engrossing. 

 
Nothing371 said:
Awesome news that one of the best FFs is getting an HD remake. I loved 12 so much. It was a natural progression from the MMO gameplay in FF11. It felt like a vast, single-player, open world MMO. 12 was just beautiful and engrossing.
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Agree. My second favorite after FFTactics, loved it.

 
kickalillas2 said:
It's most likely a publisher exclusivity thing, or it could even be the fact that Microsoft sold like 1000 Xbox ones in Japan and a largely focused Japanese company doesn't want to produce a game that simply won't sell very well in there home territory.

That being said, there should be a steam release
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I believe you have hit close to where the actual reason lies. There's no reason for a game like Final Fantasy XII to get released on the Xbox One unless there is strong evidence that the game will sell very well in the U.S. In Japan and Europe, the PS4 is dominating the market by a wide margin. Even in the U.S. the PS4 is leading the Xbox One. Releasing the game for the PS4 would have them covered for most of the globe. It's only if the game was expected to do VERY well in the U.S. that I would expect them to go to the trouble of an Xbox One release.

Given how they handled the X/X2 re-release, I would not expect to see an Xbox One version.

I think a Steam release, however, would be quite likely. Square-Enix has been pushing a lot harder for PC releases of their games as of late, with apparently positive results. They are making money off of their Steam releases, I would definitely expect that trend to continue. I wouldn't expect a day-and-date release for the PC version. But it would not surprise me in the slightest to see this Final Fantasy XII re-make find its way onto Steam eventually.

 
I disliked FFXII's story a lot.....way too boring and political IMHO. The game played alright though and did provide a challenge for sure. I also disliked how everyone felt very samey after a while cause of the way the level up boards worked. I understand in the later version that the boards were tailored towards characters instead of being the same for everyone. I will get it when it goes $20 like I do every other FF/KH remake.

 
I got my shipping notice for Storybook Odin Sphere from best buy.  I don't think it'll be here by tomorrow.  :cry: 

 
Starcrest said:
I got my shipping notice for Storybook Odin Sphere from best buy. I don't think it'll be here by tomorrow. :cry:
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I don't think mine will be here tomorrow either, I haven't even gotten the shipping email from them yet...

But I did get an email about Mirror's Edge, so I have that to look forward to tomorrow.

Oh and Atelier Sophie as well, but that's today. Looks like it's in the mailbox at home. :D/

 
 
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shadowysea07 said:
record of agarest war is DEFINITELY not remotely comparable to fire emblem. Its also guide dang it, load times are really long, lag, and is more on the trash tier jrpg side with big breasted lolis and such. People who rec the series only rec playing 2 of the trilogy.

nier I can't rec enough if for nothing other than the soundtrack. Amazing music.

so4 didn't add anything other than dual audio to my knowledge and removing the disc swap issue of the 360 version. Its an alright game but between the glitches, secret dungeon being impossible to finish due to freezing, and a poor story and everything else its not a game I recommend much. The gameplays good and the only thing it has going for it. Though it would of been better if it had carried over mp damage and fury system from 3 along with removing costs for move slots/skills.
Click to expand...
They also added the ability to switch the character portraits from the crappy-looking CG ones to the original hand drawn. That said, it's not a game I would really recommend either.

 
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