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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Tothoro said:
I just want Squenix to give us the enhanced version of Star Ocean 2. It's so weird that that's the one they chose not to localize considering it's often lauded as the best in the series.
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Guh no kidding I loved 2 on the PS1... wish we had a modern way of playing it...

 
That's my take on it too. The demo was petty fun but I was left wondering if I felt that way due to novelty or if it was actually a really good game. Figure I'll wait until $15 or so then it wont bother me as much. Also navigating menus was a bit of a chore with everything being cards sliding in/out. 

 
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I thought the demo was fun but it was way too freaking easy. Reading some impressions/reviews it seems like the whole game stays that easy as well. I still want to play it but yeah gonna wait for a pretty big discount.

 
I looked up some footage of SaGa Frontier Remastered finally, and compared it with footage of the original, and I sorta fuck ing hate the new sprites. The rest of the visuals I can live with, but the sprites look oversaturated, way too detailed for the jerky animations and 3D camera rotation, and don’t do a good job of preserving the original sprites’ artstyle. They aren’t as bad as the old mobile FFV/VI remakes, but I still don’t think I’d be able to stand playing the game with them looking like that. Anyone know if there’s a mod or something for the PC version to restore the old ones, maybe? I still kinda wanna play Asellus’s new content at some point.
 
Got my Nep x Senran special edition today (didn't even know it shipped lol) and I love the art scroll!

eoi02Wx.jpg


Yes, there are owls on my wall ;)

Probably won't get to this game right away since I restarted my island in Animal Crossing and also finally started Persona 5 Strikers, which is pretty fun so far but story-wise is a bit of a retread of the base game (I'm on the second Jail). I'm heartbroken Kasumi and you-know-who-else aren't in the game, but Zenkichi the wiseass detective (excuse me, PubSec) is a treasure. I'm playing it kind of slowly because it hasn't grabbed me the way the base game did. I also picked up the remake of Nocturne and MegaTen V is coming on Friday, so I need to pace myself with all this MegaTen lol

 
I guess I missed the news that Soul Nomad in the Prinny Collection is broken on Switch.  I haven't played my copy yet, but I'm super bummed now.  I cancelled my order on the second collection and will wait for post-release purchase.

I guess I should have known better, but thought that they couldn't possible screw up straight porting some PS2 games... sigh.

 
If you guys had any interest in Blue Reflection: Second Light on PS4, grab it asap. Already oos at gamestop, Amazon, and Best Buy online. Looks like switch version is still available on amazon, best buy, and gamestop. First game is going for $200-250 on ebay. I should add the game is reviewing really well, so looks like it's going oos a lot faster than the first game.
 
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thormx3467 said:
If you guys had any interest in Blue Reflection: Second Light on PS4, grab it asap. Already oos at gamestop, Amazon, and Best Buy online. Looks like switch version is still available on amazon, best buy, and gamestop. First game is going for $200-250 on ebay.
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Thanks, looks like I made the right choice getting it from Target during their B2G1 sale. Assuming they ship it. :pray:

 
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I'd rather not FOMO a game day one.  If it sells out that insanely fast, then either a reprint will happen or GUST/KT are just that dumb.  The first game going for $200 on the aftermarket just screams reprint, as well.

I'll wait for the standard "once every 6 months 50% off" KT sale.

 
super1upqueen said:
Got my Nep x Senran special edition today (didn't even know it shipped lol) and I love the art scroll!
eoi02Wx.jpg

Yes, there are owls on my wall ;)

Probably won't get to this game right away since I restarted my island in Animal Crossing and also finally started Persona 5 Strikers, which is pretty fun so far but story-wise is a bit of a retread of the base game (I'm on the second Jail). I'm heartbroken Kasumi and you-know-who-else aren't in the game, but Zenkichi the wiseass detective (excuse me, PubSec) is a treasure. I'm playing it kind of slowly because it hasn't grabbed me the way the base game did. I also picked up the remake of Nocturne and MegaTen V is coming on Friday, so I need to pace myself with all this MegaTen lol
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At least Sophie starts in the party in the first 20 mins, unlike you know who, who's in party for last 3% of p5r.
 
TheKbob said:
I'd rather not FOMO a game day one. If it sells out that insanely fast, then either a reprint will happen or GUST/KT are just that dumb. The first game going for $200 on the aftermarket just screams reprint, as well.

I'll wait for the standard "once every 6 months 50% off" KT sale.
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Reprint could happen, but the first game never got a reprint, and I'm still waiting on a reprint of Attack on Titan 2 Final Battle, which is a franchise infinitely more popular than Blue Reflection. KT doesn't seem to think so, and is ok with just digital and the game selling for $160 on ebay.
 
TheKbob said:
I guess I missed the news that Soul Nomad in the Prinny Collection is broken on Switch. I haven't played my copy yet, but I'm super bummed now. I cancelled my order on the second collection and will wait for post-release purchase.

I guess I should have known better, but thought that they couldn't possible screw up straight porting some PS2 games... sigh.
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Where did you hear it was broken? I heard it was a lazy port, but nothing about any major issues.

 
Soma_Cruz said:
Where did you hear it was broken? I heard it was a lazy port, but nothing about any major issues.
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Reddit, Twitter, GameFAQs, and few reviews mention the frequent crashing in Soul Nomad.

Obviously being very niche makes it hard to find concentrated discussions.

 
Gamefly has dropped the price on more switch games... and put more up for sale.

I went ahead and just bit the bullet on Ni No Kuni 2 for $39.99.  Ended up $43.59 tax and all, with free shipping.   I could have waited for $30 or under... but I wanted to just get this and be done.    While I like the first one, the second one is far more up my alley with the battle system.   Now I'm pretty much back to zero games I 100% want right now.   I may get Astral Chain for $40 during the BF sales if anyone has it in stock... but if I miss it, not going to be bothered.

Probably the highlight in this group is Monster Hunter Stores 2 for $34.99.

https://www.gamefly.com/browse/store/switch-store-pricedrop

 
nightc1 said:
Gamefly has dropped the price on more switch games... and put more up for sale.

I went ahead and just bit the bullet on Ni No Kuni 2 for $39.99. Ended up $43.59 tax and all, with free shipping. I could have waited for $30 or under... but I wanted to just get this and be done. While I like the first one, the second one is far more up my alley with the battle system. Now I'm pretty much back to zero games I 100% want right now. I may get Astral Chain for $40 during the BF sales if anyone has it in stock... but if I miss it, not going to be bothered.

Probably the highlight in this group is Monster Hunter Stores 2 for $34.99.

https://www.gamefly.com/browse/store/switch-store-pricedrop
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Ni no kuni 2 is 48.49 at Target right now and qualifies for the b2g1 sale. If you order 3 and cancel you could’ve gotten it for $32 + tax.

 
I got Scarlet Nexus, Mass Effect Legendary and Samurai Warriors 5 from GameFly.  They'll likely be that price new elsewhere, but beating the Black Friday nonsense is fine by me.  Used is also fine by me. Still waiting for Tales of Arise to be $20.

Edit:  Also, since Gust/KT reprinted Ryza, perhaps they'll reprint the Blue Reflection games, now that the second one seems to be a bigger hit.

 
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Twilightsparkle said:
Ni no kuni 2 is 48.49 at Target right now and qualifies for the b2g1 sale. If you order 3 and cancel you could’ve gotten it for $32 + tax.
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Wouldn't that fall below the $35 minimum for free shipping? So $5.99 shipping... and then another $3.20 tax... $41.19 ... so $2.40 less to jump through the target hoops. Even if for some reason they didn't catch it and ship free... I just can't bring myself to order three games to cancel two. Nothing against anyone that does it. If for some reason it fails to let me cancel the two others then I'm stuck dealing with a return to a store that's an hour a way... or a phone call and going to the post office and standing in line... and then waiting for the refund. I hate hassle more than I like spending less for the same thing.

The Gamefly deal wasn't the best... but it was a simple purchase and I know what I'll be getting will be complete. The risk of hassle is super low.

 
Tempted to get Tales of Arise for ~$33 from the Target sale, but I have a feeling it'll show up on Game Pass eventually. Plus I'm sure there will be other opportunities to get it for $30 or less if it doesn't.

I got Demon Slayer as a gift.

Nothing else really jumped out at me. The PS5 version of Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is included this time, last time it was only the other versions I believe.

There are some NIS games in the PlayStation under $20 sale:

The Princess Guide, Demon Gaze II, The Lost Child are all $9.99 each.

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/category/30826e82-088f-4cc2-aaa4-81507aa31353/1

 
TheKbob said:
Reddit, Twitter, GameFAQs, and few reviews mention the frequent crashing in Soul Nomad.

Obviously being very niche makes it hard to find concentrated discussions.
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I didn't see anything about crashes in the one or two reviews I skimmed over but a google search of Soul Nomad crashes indeed shows there is a problem. It's a shame, makes me glad I didn't keep my preorder(and also glad I didn't spend $42 shipped on it from Gamefly a week or two ago, had it in my cart and decided against it). I guess I'll wait until it's $20 or below on the eshop.

 
I probably won't bother, since I'll forget it's bugged by the time I play it. I'll just keep my PS2 copy.

NISAmerica's releases pretty much have an 80% rate for having major bugs since at least the PS2 days.

 
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BoxPizzaBox said:
The Blue Reflection LE is still in stock too if anyone wants that. I still think it's pretty overpriced and I think most agree, seeing as how it still has 25% stock left at launch.

https://store.nisamerica.com/blue-reflection-second-light
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Just got it in yesterday and it is extremely underwhelming lol pretty much just the box and game and even the slot for the missing CD from the Japanese version is still there and just empty.

 
Some VN releases recently. Sorry about the lateness mentioning but some still have launch discounts.

First of all Denpasoft/Sekai released The Oath of The Dark Magic Queen. This one has a knight I believe finding a trapped dark magic queen. I'm sure it has cute moments or maybe some serious stuff. Still has a launch discount and has an 18+ patch on Denpasoft.

Steam

Steam 18+ Patch (NSFW)

Denpasoft (NSFW)

VNSB (NSFW)

JAST USA released Yamizome Revenger. This one is only available currently on their store. Currently has a launch discount.

JAST Store (NSFW)

VNDB (NSFW)

Mangagamer has Horny Elves and a Moral Orc coming out on 11-18-2021. This is from Waffle know for interesting fantasy nukiges like Oppai Fantasy. I like these games usually, but the higher price might make me wait for a better sale. It's also coming to Steam. There is a pre-order discount.

Steam (NSFW)

Mangagamer (NSFW)

 
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toska said:
for future reference you get to keep free shipping if you cancel 2 even if its under 35.
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It's a little scummy but I've done this with Best Buy before too... they wanted to charge shipping so I just tacked on a random game pre-order to get over the $ amount for free shipping, then later canceled the pre-order.

 
TheKbob said:
I'd rather not FOMO a game day one. If it sells out that insanely fast, then either a reprint will happen or GUST/KT are just that dumb. The first game going for $200 on the aftermarket just screams reprint, as well.

I'll wait for the standard "once every 6 months 50% off" KT sale.
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Agreed. It's the sequel, which always gets a larger print run. The OOS right now is just a symptom of supply chain issues. It'll be readily available, just like YS IX. The original release was a risk, the second far less so.

Further, publishers are more desperate for revenue right now given the next-gen console shortages. PS4 game sales are essential so expect reprints and/or larger initial runs.

I plan to get it, but not at MSRP.
 
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My cheapness has shifted dramatically towards "buy less, but buy what I really want the most sooner and be willing to pay more".  This goes double for anything limited print to retail.   I'll take whatever deals are available ($10 off at Walmart is a good one).  It works out that I'm spending a hell of a lot less on games now... and I own most everything I want that's on the market now.    I used to be all about bargain hunting games... spent so much more doing that and ended up with too much to play.

 
I generally just take whatever discount I can get but I play lots of VNs, very niche games like dungeon crawlers, and deck building/card games. VNs do drop in price a bit, as well as the dungeon crawlers just a bit, but it takes a while and some just end up going out of print instead.  I rarely take advantage of buy 2 get 1 free deals anymore, and I also buy games my friends will play multiplayer. Overall I still get stuff cheap generally indie game bundles and niche games that deep discount that I didn't buy over the years.

 
I buy everything that goes on steep sale\discount. I should probably slow it down considering the size of my backlog. I have found quite a few gems that way though. Especially during gen transition like currently for PS4 stuff.
 
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I also just buy anything that's on sale now or looks interesting or I want to support. Am I a hoarder? I guess, but who cares? I prefer playing and collecting games than dealing with people.
 
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Won a used copy of 13 Sentinels for $20 shipped on ebay. It's a generic gs case but I honestly couldn't care less, $20 is what I was willing to pay for that game. 

Started Persona Q2 last week and it's so good. Atlus is really amazing. 

 
booni3 said:
Won a used copy of 13 Sentinels for $20 shipped on ebay. It's a generic gs case but I honestly couldn't care less, $20 is what I was willing to pay for that game.

Started Persona Q2 last week and it's so good. Atlus is really amazing.
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If it's not too late to cancel your eBay order, 13 Sentinels (pre-owned) just dropped to $18.99 at Gamestop and is eligible for their Buy 2 Get 1 deal so if you paired it up with 2 similarly priced games you could get it for about $13.

https://www.gamestop.com/video-games/playstation-4/products/13-sentinels-aegis-rim/226852.html

If you're into the Shin Megami Tensei/Persona series, SMT3: Nocturne for PS4 is also down to $18.99 and Persona 5 Royal & Persona 5 Strikers (PS4) are down to $19.99.

 
Gameboy415 said:
If it's not too late to cancel your eBay order, 13 Sentinels (pre-owned) just dropped to $18.99 at Gamestop and is eligible for their Buy 2 Get 1 deal so if you paired it up with 2 similarly priced games you could get it for about $13.

https://www.gamestop.com/video-games/playstation-4/products/13-sentinels-aegis-rim/226852.html

If you're into the Shin Megami Tensei/Persona series, SMT3: Nocturne for PS4 is also down to $18.99 and Persona 5 Royal & Persona 5 Strikers (PS4) are down to $19.99.
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Lol when I checked the price on gs a few days ago it was $38 used. There's nothing else I want at the moment, but saving another dollar would have been cool. I find that while I like Persona I don't too much care for SMT proper (don't hate me) and I already platinumed Strikers. I platinumed vanilla P5. I have no interest in Royal on principle since it wasn't DLC and also because I'm not playing a 100+ hour turn based game on a home console any time soon.

 
I looked through CdJapan's Black Friday sale and I'm just like. How is 10% off a sale? Here in the US that would just be considered a price fluctuation or an employee discount. Most of the games they have on sale were overpriced to begin with and with the discount are now on par with normal store pricing.

 
inverted_fray said:
I looked through CdJapan's Black Friday sale and I'm just like. How is 10% off a sale? Here in the US that would just be considered a price fluctuation or an employee discount. Most of the games they have on sale were overpriced to begin with and with the discount are now on par with normal store pricing.
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It seems to be the trend more and more in America too. Remember when we had "buy one, get one free" instead of "buy two get one free"? Better than nothing I suppose, but lately price drops have been better at incentivizing me to buy than sales.

 
gamestop buy 2 get 1 free for select new titles is back up.  I had 30 credit to burn so I picked up blue reflection 2 and smt5.  Couldn't find anything to pair them with so I just grabbed another blue reflection 2.  I figured if it ends up like the first one then it will go for a pretty penny down the road. Whereas atlus usually reprints their stuff these days so until they go out of print they typically are cheap and easy to find.

 
The only thing I'm tempted by is the zip hoodie, but I'm not that excited about it. So I'll wait to see what the other games have.

Edit: Oh, they're still adding stuff. There were only 8 items when I first looked.

Edit 2: Or maybe I just didn't click on the link and thought the subset on the page is everything.

 
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I kind of zoned out with the Play-Asia free shipping promos recently as there wasn't something I wanted, but now there is (though it's a figure). Did I just miss one and is there usually one in December?

 
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