Japanese Niche Games Deals & Discussion Thread 4.0

shivan128

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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gospelman said:
Yeah, figured. Do we know what the dlc items actually do ingame yet? Might not care enough to fight for the correct dlc.
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There was a list somewhere but I can't find it off hand. I do recall the main thing everyone wanted was corneos armlet.

 
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gospelman said:
Yeah, figured. Do we know what the dlc items actually do ingame yet? Might not care enough to fight for the correct dlc.
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Let me know if its readable
3bd93f39e9e5885d549754a5847d83d3.jpg


Sent from my SM-N970U1 using Tapatalk
 
FlawlesslyFatal said:
Let me know if its readable
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It is, thanks. I'm guessing that since I had my original receipt rejected 2x (because it was auto-rotated by the site) it put me behind all the other submissions and now they only had the 1 piece of dlc for me. Eh whatever. I like the theme.

Side note: That carbuncle design is atrocious. Should have gone with something similar to ffxiv's.

 
Does NIS not reprint their games very often? Ys VIII and many of the Danganronpa games seem to be out of print and Danganronpa Trilogy is pretty expensive. I've been use to getting whatever retail game I want for $10-20 as long as I wait.

 
Green Card200 said:
Does NIS not reprint their games very often? Ys VIII and many of the Danganronpa games seem to be out of print and Danganronpa Trilogy is pretty expensive. I've been use to getting whatever retail game I want for $10-20 as long as I wait.
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I don't think so. They used to have larger print runs too, which allowed us to get some cheap games now and then. They still go down in price, but it's not quite the same anymore.

 
Ys has especially been rarer and difficult despite there being 3? versions of 8.  A very drastic change from 7 being dirt cheap at 10$ new just a few years back.

 
Kaiser499 said:
Anyone elses Final Fantasy VII Remake date from Amazon change? Mine doesn't have a release date now. I hope the game isn't delayed again.
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gospelman said:
This shipping estimate on my deluxe orders is now indefinite. Release date on item page is still the same, as is my standard edition order.
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I'm pretty sure Amazon has stated they are working to fill necessity orders before all else, stuff like toilet paper and the like. They are also being slammed like most online places, with Xmas level orders, and without the Xmas level help, as no one was prepared for this pandemic.

My son had a few gift cards I was going to use for his Animal Crossing game this Friday, but I told him I would try Walmart, as there is no telling when a single item order from Amazon may arrive. I would suggest to those who are looking to play games day 1, look elsewhere, as your items may be delayed days, or weeks, no real way to tell. And all places are in the same boat, as delivery services are slammed as well, so even if Amazon happens to ship an item at the right time, it may be delayed. I had an Amazon order due yesterday, and it was pushed back for delivery today.

While going out right now isn't the best idea, I'm planning trips to get the most, and be out the least. So when I go to Walmart on Friday morning for AC, I'll grab other items we need, and then back home away from the masses. So if you need to buy games at retail, plan your trips around other things, so your not just exposing yourself and others for a damn video game.

 
I actually switched all my video game pre-orders to Best Buy, but that was mostly cause rewards. I only have FF7Remake because of the low price way back when.

 
gospelman said:
Trials of Mana demo
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Man, I can at least say it really mashes the nostalgia buttons. Very faithful to the original soundtrack. Even the merchants still do a ridiculous, nonsensical dance - made me laugh.

Some nice character models (angela) but really clunky animations.. controls feel very sluggish / floaty.

 
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Controls feel "sluggish" imo because the game oddly has a dial-a-combo system (best way I can think to describe it.) You can mash light -> light -> heavy before the first attack animation is finished and your character will still do the entire combo as long as you're not knocked out of the animation. It feels bad because if you wait until the second hit animation to actually input the heavy attack you might not actually get the proper attack and you'll do the non-combo lunge attack instead. It's not really a deal breaker but I'm not a fan of this kind of system, at all, took me a while to adjust to it in the demo.

That said, I think they did a good job at translating a SNES title into a 3D game. It feels very simplistic in the way many SNES games do, but not in a negative way. I liked the demo overall, totally going to pick it up at launch assuming life isn't completely bananas by the end of April (kinda 50/50 at the rate we're going.)

 
gospelman said:
Man, I can at least say it really mashes the nostalgia buttons. Very faithful to the original soundtrack. Even the merchants still do a ridiculous, nonsensical dance - made me laugh.

Some nice character models (angela) but really clunky animations.. controls feel very sluggish / floaty.
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The jump controls in particular suck balls. They probably shouldn’t have bothered with adding verticality, which would also have left us with a free face button for a dedicated run function—never been a fan of pressing the analog sticks to dash.

I’m being nitpicky because Seiken Densetsu 3 is one of my favorite games, but I feel like the cutscenes are a bit lackluster compared to the SNES ones, or at least the Mode 7 ones—that opening scene with the fairies leaving the Mana Tree felt a bit anemic in comparison.

The shop merchants also feel like they actually have a lot less energy and character than the SNES ones, too—they have the crazy dance, but it feels slow and awkward compared to the frenetic but more controlled animations of the old version.

I dunno, like I said, these are just nitpicks, really. I haven’t even gotten to Jadd yet, so there’s not much I can give here other than my first impressions.

EDIT:
Oh, yeah, the music. It’s nice hearing those tracks with an orchestral sound, but honestly some of the tracks also feel less energetic than their beep bloop counterparts. I guess that’s really my takeaway so far, this remake just generally feels more subdued than the original.
 
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I don't like the sound of floaty controls of Trials. I hope it doesn't become the disaster that Mana was. I quit that one because it kept crashing on me.

 
Souffrir said:
EDIT:
Oh, yeah, the music. It’s nice hearing those tracks with an orchestral sound, but honestly some of the tracks also feel less energetic than their beep bloop counterparts. I guess that’s really my takeaway so far, this remake just generally feels more subdued than the original.
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There is an option to use the original music instead. I think my plan is to use the new soundtrack on my first playthrough and then switch to the SNES one for the next.

Also speaking of options you can pull the camera out which I appreciate, always hate having it stuck right up on a character's back.

 
is there two player co op in it? I heard a rumor they took out co op in this remake. Co op was one of the reasons I had a alot of fun with secret of mana, very few rpgs let you co op.
 
So I Compared the ps4 pro version to the switch version of Trials of Mana remake. Naturally, the ps4 version is vastly superior. The switch version has a lower resolution and the animations are stiff. The frames drops are quite noticeable too. Not nearly as good as the Dragon Quest 11 port. I recommend the Ps4 version.

 
I didn't go in with high expectations, but the game is pretty ok. Felt too easy on normal. I ate 0 candies in the entire demo, including on the boss fight.

I'm enjoying the music more than the SOM remake music.

Not a fan of the shopkeepers' dance. I used to love the SNES ones. It's now really slow and feels a little racist.

The character models are ok, but I wish they used higher resolution textures. It looks like a PS2 remaster, almost. Kinda wish they went with an Okami look, to keep it simple but still has that 16-bit feel.

One annoyance is exploring. You sometimes talk to people or enter buildings when you're trying to get an item on the ground. The distance for interaction is like this weird 180 degree around you, instead of what's directly in front of you.

The flying enemies are kind of weird. I get it, but the fact that they fall when you hit them, and lose track of them is a little jarring in an action game.

Mained Riesz like I usually do. Kevin's speech is kinda annoying. Like the asthma kid in Malcom in the Middle.

Edit: Took me about 2 hours with exploring, btw. So it's a decent length demo. And the save carries over to the retail.

 
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elessar123 said:
I am, actually. That's how he's talking in Japanese. Or rather, a beastman who isn't fluent and pauses a lot and skips words.
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It’s been a while since I’ve played the original with Kevin in my party, but I think that was how he talked there, too. Wasn’t a fan there, either, but it’s probably extra annoying being voiced.
 
elessar123 said:
I didn't go in with high expectations, but the game is pretty ok.
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Yeah I can also say the demo surpassed my low expectations. For me (and for now), this is a case where the demo product is perfectly satisfactory. I enjoyed seeing what they did with the music and characters. I even thought the english voicework was okay (up until lumina). I'll probably buy the full game when it's $15.

 
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G_x51 said:
is there two player co op in it? I heard a rumor they took out co op in this remake. Co op was one of the reasons I had a alot of fun with secret of mana, very few rpgs let you co op.
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The rumor was correct, there is no co-op in the remake. You're better off with the Switch collection if that's what you're looking for.

 
I don't buy non NA Atelier game releases mainly because of the mass amount of DLC. I'll just wait for the digital to drop on that one more.

Also in some news Nekonyan is releasing Making*Lovers April 3rd. Early b-day present for me. It stars slightly older people, so that's something.

 
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Nioh 2 is pretty sweet so far.   I just completed everything in the very first region and am level 38 now.  Bosses are difficult and the learning curve is steep.  The game is almost identical to its predecessor and that's great if you enjoyed its format.  You pick missions from the map, unlock new side missions during your gameplay, and collect and craft all the finest weapons and armor as you build your character up from scratch.  Except now you can infuse your Yokai transformation with new skill gems as well, customizing its passive bonuses.  There is also a new parry mechanic called "burst counter" which becomes a primary aspect of the gameplay.  Enemies glow red right before they unleash a super attack and you have to counter it, or else take about 80% of your health in damage, but you can get away with avoidance sometimes as well.  Some of the menu options are streamlined and improved like there are entire skill trees for each of the weapon skills and abilities now.  Since the first Nioh is one of my favorite Souls-likes of all-time, this is exactly what I wanted. 

Nioh 2 is just what the doctor ordered for Souls enthusiasts that like collecting rare loot and customizing their character, with robust action gameplay moves and skillsets. 

 
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The thing I like most about Nioh 2 is... I can co-op from the get-go with my friend without having one of us beat the level solo first. Co-op has more enemies and they have more health. Not sure if there's any difference in damage. Difficulty is okay and enemies don't respawn in co-op when you hit a shrine like single player. The 'death bar' can be pretty unforgiving in some ways too in co-op.

One of the most annoying things so far is the need to acquire proficiency in ninjutsu and onmyo in order to take more advance dojo missions once unlocked. The best way to raise them? Damaging enemies with them.

 
Nothing- said:
Nioh 2 is pretty sweet so far. I just completed everything in the very first region and am level 38 now. Bosses are difficult and the learning curve is steep. The game is almost identical to its predecessor and that's great if you enjoyed its format. You pick missions from the map, unlock new side missions during your gameplay, and collect and craft all the finest weapons and armor as you build your character up from scratch. Except now you can infuse your Yokai transformation with new skill gems as well, customizing its passive bonuses. There is also a new parry mechanic called "burst counter" which becomes a primary aspect of the gameplay. Enemies glow red right before they unleash a super attack and you have to counter it, or else take about 80% of your health in damage, but you can get away with avoidance sometimes as well. Some of the menu options are streamlined and improved like there are entire skill trees for each of the weapon skills and abilities now. Since the first Nioh is one of my favorite Souls-likes of all-time, this is exactly what I wanted.

Nioh 2 is just what the doctor ordered for Souls enthusiasts that like collecting rare loot and customizing their character, with robust action gameplay moves and skillsets.
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My summary: Nioh 2 got nerfed

Much easier than Nioh 1


Bosses are nowhere as difficult or unique as Nioh 1

Currently on 3rd Region with all main and sub missions completed.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
Nioh 2 sounds solid, will get it on pc eventually.  I'm just woefully behind on the genre.  Still need to finish the last 25% of bloodborne.  nioh 1, souls II & III as well as sekiro are backlogged and untouched.  Sigh.

I'm over here trying to finish Rune Factory 4 SE before selling off my console (stupid high demand here locally).  Apparently the final endgame arc is triggered by a completely random town event.  Blah.

 
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jedex said:
My summary: Nioh 2 got nerfed

Much easier than Nioh 1

Bosses are nowhere as difficult or unique as Nioh 1
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As someone who has finally gotten around to Nioh 1 for the first time this is interesting because I don't think it's really that hard to begin with. It's made me wonder if the years of patches nerfed the base game or something because I was expecting more. The first real road blocks I've ran into are these post-game double boss fights but like most Souls-like games the double boss fights are hard for the wrong reason and not particularly fun tbh.

 
I'm doing a Heart + Magic build and using Swords + Switchblade.   Elemental magic was really powerful and useful in the old game.  Especially the Sloth Talismans (slows enemy); I wonder if they nerfed those.  But I've gotten most stats close to 10 to have the ability to use most weapons and armor and then started putting points into magic.  I'm trying to use different weapons in order to get a little experience and skill pts with everything.  Finally, I'm avoiding walkthroughs and strategy stuff completely because playing this game blind is the way to go. 

 
Zenax[zd] said:
As someone who has finally gotten around to Nioh 1 for the first time this is interesting because I don't think it's really that hard to begin with. It's made me wonder if the years of patches nerfed the base game or something because I was expecting more. The first real road blocks I've ran into are these post-game double boss fights but like most Souls-like games the double boss fights are hard for the wrong reason and not particularly fun tbh.
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That wouldn't surprise me given how many patches games get these days. Even fire emblem 5 houses is a bit different than when it came out. I'm just sad that since I already did the red route that I will miss out on playable Jeritza since he's exclusive to that route.

 
shadowysea07 said:
That wouldn't surprise me given how many patches games get these days. Even fire emblem 5 houses is a bit different than when it came out. I'm just sad that since I already did the red route that I will miss out on playable Jeritza since he's exclusive to that route.
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Yeah, to me the biggest change was increasing the save slots from a miserable 5 total. Much more inclined to try different branches now.

I played through the new story dlc recently. The story itself doesn't add too much significance. However the main draw is that the new characters can be added to the main story. High production values all around - I enjoyed the new battle bgm tracks in particular

 
When do you recommend going through that Fire Emblem  DLC? I haven't started the game myself, but it's in the queue for my next 10 games or so.

 
The answer is probably the latest point of the main story where the recruitment windows (for the dlc characters) are still open.  I haven't replayed the main story yet, so I'm not sure precisely where that is in the campaign.  Recruitment of the dlc characters gradually unlock (1 at a time) as you complete the dlc storyline chapters.  

 
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gospelman said:
Yeah, to me the biggest change was increasing the save slots from a miserable 5 total. Much more inclined to try different branches now.

I played through the new story dlc recently. The story itself doesn't add too much significance. However the main draw is that the new characters can be added to the main story. High production values all around - I enjoyed the new battle bgm tracks in particular
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Ugh yeah I'm glad they dropped that crap since there's no reason to use that outdated save model on modern games. They also gave a 1000 renoun sp? boost which is helpful considering how low it is on a regular playthough. There's also a number of more supports since release though many of them are with the dlc characters.

I just wish they would update it to change the story split so it would all happen late in the game. As it makes 0 sense the way they had it set up as the story is pretty identical on every route for the beginning and ng+ points boost and carry over is a minimal benefit when you have to replay the entire game again.

 
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