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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nightc1 said:
Audio mixing on it was solid as the sax really fit in well with the dualing guitars and the audio levels seemed really well engineered.
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Yeah they the performances were really solid. The sax and vocals in particular were extremely on point for a live performance. My favorite track of the event was the one taken from YS VIII, which best translated to the context of a live band performance.

 
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One thing I can say for sure: If NISA offers Collector's Editions for all of these new Trails games similarly priced to their CS3 & 4 CEs and with similar bonus items (at least the steelbook), I'm getting all of them.

tenor.gif


 
Vigilante said:
One thing I can say for sure: If NISA offers Collector's Editions for all of these new Trails games similarly priced to their CS3 & 4 CEs and with similar bonus items (at least the steelbook), I'm getting all of them.
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For sure. Yesterday/today was huge. And fans who have purchased/repurchased Falcom releases over the years made yesterday happen.

Also just a note to anyone watching the archived video: Don't watch the images shown during the last song from Hajimari / Reverie. Contains significant Cold Steel spoiler(s).

 
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So stoked for all the Trails announcements. I didn't get a chance to download the Azure patch from Geofront before they pulled it, but considering I haven't even played Zero yet, I might just wait until the official releases. I finally started up Persona 5 Royal last week, and I'll be moving on to Strikers after that, plus Mario Golf comes out today and I'm seriously considering doing a Persona 4 Golden NG+ run...by the time I finish doing all this, Zero will probably be close to release! So, I can wait. Once I play the Crossbell games, I can finally get to all those Cold Steel games I have...

And yeah, I will be buying every collector's edition for these games that NISA wants to release. I already have all 4 Cold Steel collector's editions, why stop there?

Real quick: I was sort of hoping they'd announce a Trails in the Sky collection, so those games could finally come to modern consoles. Sure, getting them on Steam is easy peasy, but to have a modern, physical collection with collector's edition potential...me want.

 
srocky26 said:
Sounds like Geofront have pulled their translations because they’re working with NISA to use the Geofront translations for the official releases. Looks like I might not get my Vita patch and will need to wait the 2 years for an official release of Azure.

https://geofront.esterior.net/2021/06/25/from-fantasy-to-reality-our-partnership-with-nis-america/
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Yeah, makes sense. This was a huge point of discussion during the live event. On the bright side it's kind of cool that a fan project can be brought into the fold officially. Reminds me of that dude, Christian Whitehead, that liked making his own sonic games getting hired by sega to port and make his own sonic games. It's a negative for the community getting this stuff for free... but much nicer than what happened with AM2R.

 
Really bummed by the 2023 release date.  Hopefully with the new game they are at least working with a team to do English translations concurrently so that we can get it sooner.

 
skiy said:
Really bummed by the 2023 release date. Hopefully with the new game they are at least working with a team to do English translations concurrently so that we can get it sooner.
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Yeah if you're referring to 2023 for Hajamari / Reverie, I am also disappointed. The game after Reverie, Kuro, is the newly announced game for jpn release and will be the beginning of a new story arc. We will probably get those at yearly clip (2024, 2025) if things stay stable with NISA.

 
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gospelman said:
Yeah if you're referring to 2023 for Hajamari / Reverie, I am also disappointed. The game after Reverie, Kuro, is the newly announced game for jpn release and will be the beginning of a new story arc. We will probably get those at yearly clip (2024, 2025) if things stay stable with NISA.
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I was and yeah forgot the name for Kuro. You would think that since they are trying to appeal to the western audience and they are bringing all of these games to us they would have someone at least do the translations concurrently. Although, maybe they do have someone doing the translations already.

 
super1upqueen said:
So stoked for all the Trails announcements. I didn't get a chance to download the Azure patch from Geofront before they pulled it, but considering I haven't even played Zero yet, I might just wait until the official releases. I finally started up Persona 5 Royal last week, and I'll be moving on to Strikers after that, plus Mario Golf comes out today and I'm seriously considering doing a Persona 4 Golden NG+ run...by the time I finish doing all this, Zero will probably be close to release! So, I can wait. Once I play the Crossbell games, I can finally get to all those Cold Steel games I have...

And yeah, I will be buying every collector's edition for these games that NISA wants to release. I already have all 4 Cold Steel collector's editions, why stop there?

Real quick: I was sort of hoping they'd announce a Trails in the Sky collection, so those games could finally come to modern consoles. Sure, getting them on Steam is easy peasy, but to have a modern, physical collection with collector's edition potential...me want.
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Honestly I don't get why they didn't reuse the cold steel assets and do sky trio on the switch/ps4 already. Or the azure and zero games since they practically teased them in cold steel 2 with that cross bell intermission dungeon.

I'll get to the games eventually. I still need to play cs3 among others.

nightc1 said:
Yeah, makes sense. This was a huge point of discussion during the live event. On the bright side it's kind of cool that a fan project can be brought into the fold officially. Reminds me of that dude, Christian Whitehead, that liked making his own sonic games getting hired by sega to port and make his own sonic games. It's a negative for the community getting this stuff for free... but much nicer than what happened with AM2R.
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Certainly better than what normally happens.

gospelman said:
Yeah if you're referring to 2023 for Hajamari / Reverie, I am also disappointed. The game after Reverie, Kuro, is the newly announced game for jpn release and will be the beginning of a new story arc. We will probably get those at yearly clip (2024, 2025) if things stay stable with NISA.
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Yeah they will have quite a backlog to work through. It'll end up being just like when bamco for tales of started localizing games again from graces up.

Meanwhile my copy of scarlet nexus came today. Sealed shockingly. I was planning on playing that now but atelier rorona plus ended up running longer than I had planned thanks to the freezing, I'm still working on tales of xillia 2 and pokemon pearl as well.

 
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shadowysea07 said:
Honestly I don't get why they didn't reuse the cold steel assets and do sky trio on the switch/ps4 already. Or the azure and zero games since they practically teased them in cold steel 2 with that cross bell intermission dungeon.
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The reality is that these things aren't happening because Falcom is operating with very limited resources, manpower, and budget. They're not square enix. A rapid pace for them is something like 1 game (jpn release) per year. This is usually a new Ys or Kiseki game. Occasionally it's something like Tokyo Xanadu or Zwei.

It's also why supporting (with $'s) what they've done in the west is so important.

 
PS4 and Xbox listings for physical copies of Fatal Frame V are up on PlayAsia. Can't order just yet, but it's a good sign.
 
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It's great to see a fan project help bring out an official release

super1upqueen said:
Real quick: I was sort of hoping they'd announce a Trails in the Sky collection, so those games could finally come to modern consoles. Sure, getting them on Steam is easy peasy, but to have a modern, physical collection with collector's edition potential...me want.
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Yeah, it'd be really nice to have the Sky on the PS4 and have the entire series all in one place.

 
Mattiful-Joe said:
PS4 and Xbox listings for physical copies of Fatal Frame V are up on PlayAsia. Can't order just yet, but it's a good sign.
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As long as this isn't a Saga Frontier Remastered situation where they kill off the non-Switch listings later. I'm still upset that physical PS4 version didn't happen.

 
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gospelman said:
The reality is that these things aren't happening because Falcom is operating with very limited resources, manpower, and budget. They're not square enix. A rapid pace for them is something like 1 game (jpn release) per year. This is usually a new Ys or Kiseki game. Occasionally it's something like Tokyo Xanadu or Zwei.

It's also why supporting (with $'s) what they've done in the west is so important.
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However they also need to recoup money spent on an engine. Logically reusing cold steel engine would help towards that while also providing a platform to release the unlocalized titles, building the player base further.
 
FlawlesslyFatal said:
Playasia will have free shipping event soon, more info on Wednesday. Excellent time do import games and goodies.

Sent from my SM-N970U1 using Tapatalk
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Word of warning, last time they had the free shipping promo, I ordered something where shipping was pretty high (I think over $50) and instead of fulfilling my order, they canceled it instead like a month later and blamed it on a stock issue.
 
itzd4n said:
Word of warning, last time they had the free shipping promo, I ordered something where shipping was pretty high (I think over $50) and instead of fulfilling my order, they canceled it instead like a month later and blamed it on a stock issue.
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From my experiences with PlaybAsia, never place a preorder in the same order as an in-stock game. They don't hold orders so if that item goes out of stock by the time the pre-order is released they cancel the order.

 
JohnnySucco said:
From my experiences with PlaybAsia, never place a preorder in the same order as an in-stock game. They don't hold orders so if that item goes out of stock by the time the pre-order is released they cancel the order.
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Crap, I wish I had known this. When Play-Asia listed the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles: Turnabout Collection in April, I preordered that with the in-stock-at-the-time Buried Stars (PS4) to capitalize on shipping, and that's listed as "out of print / out of stock" now. You're saying I'm screwed on that order no matter what because they'll cancel Turnabout Collection due to Buried Stars being OOS? Is there any way I can ask them to remove Buried Stars from the order ahead of time?

 
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I agree with the Play-Asia advice. They do hold orders till everything is released and it lost me a mug that has been impossible to get for a while now. Do group pre-orders though especially if they come out around the same time, or even if they don't as there likely is enough stock. I haven't ordered Maiden/Super Robot Wars new one yet so I'll wait for the free shipping event. May order Legend of Mana with something else. The Asian English releases of S-E games are a good choice such as FFIX, FFX/X-2 both on carts,  FFVII/VII dual cart, Legend of Mana Remastered, Saga Frontier remastered, Romancing Saga 3 and I think those are the main ones. Also good for random goods like soundtracks. Play-Asia prices are expensive, but this is one of the better places especially for the Asian English releases. Also Super Robot Wars Asian English releases FTW.

 
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According to Gematsu worldwide will be digital only and only Japan will have a physical copy. I'm guessing it will have DLC so if I purchase it, it will be digital.

 
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itzd4n said:
Word of warning, last time they had the free shipping promo, I ordered something where shipping was pretty high (I think over $50) and instead of fulfilling my order, they canceled it instead like a month later and blamed it on a stock issue.
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Lol, thats horrible service.

 
Jiles001 said:
The switch version is also the same price. Do you think this one will follow the same trend as the ps4 edition?
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It's hard to say as both platforms have had multiple waves of prints. The main factor in supply being different across platforms is that they were not released at the same time. nsw version is something like 8 months newer.
 
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Jiles001 said:
The switch version is also the same price. Do you think this one will follow the same trend as the ps4 edition?
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I am sure ultimately it will follow the same trend, but for now switch versions for both iii & iv are easily available for $39.99 at most places

If you are thinking of buying switch version from there, the steelbook & bag package is cool & you cannot get that steelbook anywhere else

https://store.nisamerica.com/trails-of-cold-steel-3-nintendo-switch-with-steelbook-bag-bundle

 
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DanteWarrior said:
31 copies remaining for Trails of cold steel 3 PS4 @39.99

It’s already going for much more in reseller market, so this may be the best price before it sells out

https://store.nisamerica.com/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-of-cold-steel-iii-early-enrollment-edition-ps4tm
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Me and niche games:

Buy Ryza 2 at MSRP after seeing what's happening with Ryza 1 prices and it shows up on a Target B2G1F sale.

Buy Ryza 1 over-MSRP thinking it's just gonna keep going up, and it gets reprinted.

Buy Ys IX at MSRP thinking it'll end up like Ys VIII, and it shows up in a different B2G1F sale at Target.

Buy ToCS III used for just under MSRP, and it goes on sale at the publisher's website.

fuck me.

 
Vinny said:
Me and niche games:
Buy Ryza 2 at MSRP after seeing what's happening with Ryza 1 prices and it shows up on a Target B2G1F sale.
Buy Ryza 1 over-MSRP thinking it's just gonna keep going up, and it gets reprinted.
Buy Ys IX at MSRP thinking it'll end up like Ys VIII, and it shows up in a different B2G1F sale at Target.
Buy ToCS III used for just under MSRP, and it goes on sale at the publisher's website.

fuck me.
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I agree, same thing happening to me. That said, I remember when Ys VIII was everywhere and could be bought for $30. From what I noticed, these niche games don’t sell well, go on sale, then once they’re gone, they’re impossible to find. I will say some of the games come out and instantly disappear, and some stay around forever. But a good majority linger for a while. Then suddenly are impossible to find.

That said, every time I skip a game. It’s gone instantly to never be seen again, every time I preorder a game, it’s ends up going on sale for half price within a couple months.
 
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Which version of Ys 8? as I don't recall it ever going under 35 physically. 

As for Ys 9 it was also part of gamefly and gamestop sales iirc.  The former you could get for 20 after the groupon 10$ off voucher deal and the latter 36 after the buy 3 get 2 free. 

 
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Vigilante said:
Crap, I wish I had known this. When Play-Asia listed the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles: Turnabout Collection in April, I preordered that with the in-stock-at-the-time Buried Stars (PS4) to capitalize on shipping, and that's listed as "out of print / out of stock" now. You're saying I'm screwed on that order no matter what because they'll cancel Turnabout Collection due to Buried Stars being OOS? Is there any way I can ask them to remove Buried Stars from the order ahead of time?
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Sorry to bring this up again, but can anyone help with this? I'd like to know if there's any chance Play-Asia CS can help me before I give them a try.

 
Vigilante said:
Sorry to bring this up again, but can anyone help with this? I'd like to know if there's any chance Play-Asia CS can help me before I give them a try.
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I know a lot of people have said their CS sucks but IMO, they only suck with returns/exchanges. I had an order for 3 items- 2 of which were in stock, and the third was "awaiting stock, usually ships in X weeks" or something. Well the awaiting stock items went OOS and they emailed me and asked what I would like to do (ship the two items and refund the third, or cancel entire order). I asked them to ship the two items and if I could change shipping to a cheaper option (since having that 3rd game required a more expensive shipping option) and they were able to do it, saving me $7 on shipping and I got my refund within days.

I say give it a try. Either you're already screwed without contacting them or you contact them and they potentially help.

 
Vinny said:
I know a lot of people have said their CS sucks but IMO, they only suck with returns/exchanges. I had an order for 3 items- 2 of which were in stock, and the third was "awaiting stock, usually ships in X weeks" or something. Well the awaiting stock items went OOS and they emailed me and asked what I would like to do (ship the two items and refund the third, or cancel entire order). I asked them to ship the two items and if I could change shipping to a cheaper option (since having that 3rd game required a more expensive shipping option) and they were able to do it, saving me $7 on shipping and I got my refund within days.

I say give it a try. Either you're already screwed without contacting them or you contact them and they potentially help.
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Thank you, I sent an email to their CS.

 
Damn... Near, developer of the fantastic Bahamut Lagoon translation that was recently released and a legend in the emulation and preservation community, just committed suicide.  The forum that targeted them is celebrating their death now.  Disgusting.

I lost my sister to suicide.  Please try to get help for anybody in your life that is showing signs of emotional or suicidal crisis.

 
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Why did a forum target him?

I always wonder why people spend so much time working on games that already have (fan) translations. There are so many games that have yet to be translated.
 
whitereflection said:
Why did a forum target him?

I always wonder why people spend so much time working on games that already have (fan) translations. There are so many games that have yet to be translated.
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The forum is dedicated to doxxing, stalking, and harassing people for 'luls'.

Here's an article about Near and their work from earlier this year:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvxezw/a-23-year-perfectionist-journey-to-localize-the-obscure-bahamut-lagoon

EDIT: Near identified as non-binary, so I would assume that's why they were targeted.

 
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I didn't know this was byuu. They are indeed a legend in the emulation scene. The Resetera thread on this news was deleted and there hasn't been any official news sources about it yet, so I'm hoping it isn't true. There hasn't been any source yet other than the "anonymous friend", right?
 
Vinny said:
I know a lot of people have said their CS sucks but IMO, they only suck with returns/exchanges. I had an order for 3 items- 2 of which were in stock, and the third was "awaiting stock, usually ships in X weeks" or something. Well the awaiting stock items went OOS and they emailed me and asked what I would like to do (ship the two items and refund the third, or cancel entire order). I asked them to ship the two items and if I could change shipping to a cheaper option (since having that 3rd game required a more expensive shipping option) and they were able to do it, saving me $7 on shipping and I got my refund within days.

I say give it a try. Either you're already screwed without contacting them or you contact them and they potentially help.
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Thanks again for suggesting this. I got a fairly quick response from Play-Asia's CS that assured me my Buried Stars copy would be fulfilled despite the "Out of stock / Out of print" status because a copy was allocated to my order, but they were willing to split my order into two. They confirmed that the new shipping cost for Buried Stars alone and the lowered shipping cost on the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles CE preorder would work out to my having to pay $3.90 extra, which is fine by me if it means I get that Buried Stars.

 
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I'm enjoying Scarlet Nexus.  It feels like they took in some elements from Lost Dimension and Seraph of the End, and tossed in some
Matrix and Time Travel.

The actual gameplay is fast paced and chaotic, but still feels under control, with the majority of it an alternation between Square to attack and R2 to throw stuff. The timing for a perfect dodge seems really strict to me though, I wish one of the skills I could unlock was related to widening that window.    I'm on a ps5, so I can't speak to how well it performs on older hardware.  My biggest complaint about the game is the inconsistent hair colors between the cut-scenes and the close-up profiles that appear directly over them.

 
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What kind of absolute garbage subhuman not only tells a random person to kill themselves, but actually cheers when they actually do? I can't even imagine being that sort of scum.
 
Despite not enjoying the demo I picked up Scarlet Nexus since it was on sale everywhere for $50. Glad I changed my mind on it as it is quite enjoyable. The demo just dropped you into the middle of it with all your abilities and just kind of set you loose whereas the full game eases you into the mechanics and how to properly use them. Each person seems to describe this game in a different way and reminds them of "Game X mixed with Game Y", for me, it comes off like a modern day Tales Of game and will due nicely until September. 

.......I bought Evenicle today on Steam since it was on sale. We'll see if I come to regret this decision. 

 
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I enjoyed Evenicle a decent amount. Pretty good battle engine, I like the girls for the most part, and it's kind of like an intro to Rance games. Good stuff. I'm not sure what I'm buying other than Slobbish Dragon Princess+.

 
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I can sort of see the tales of vibe.  But it plays more like god eater to me.  Especially with the finishers to kill stuff and get material from them. 

I picked up scarlet nexus on sale during the b3g2. I'll actually start it possibly today after sleep.  Just finished tales of xillia 2 netting one of the bad endings.  It's sad when the cameo battle ending is the only good one. 

 
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