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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finished chapter 2 for trails from 0.  trophy % was another drop down to 45%.  Seems the final story trophy is around 34% if they go in order. so much higher than i expected the way it was dropping so quickly. next 3 chapters are much smaller drops. Unlike the crappy play in cold steel this one was decent to watch as they put a minimum amount of effort into the dancing and such.  Shame it couldn't have had music and or singing though especially given that falcoms bread and butter is good quality bgms I heard. 

Noel Joined and left so that's 2 temp party members so far.  Her large base attack range was useful.  If I put two attack +25 accessories on her and upgraded her equipment and quartz load out she'd be nice for trash mob sweeping.  I wonder if the +1 gun attack range accessory is equippable to her.  As that depending on the radius size could make me waffle between that and the attack one. 

 
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Do they have all the trails games on one system? Even the spin-offs? And physical?

 
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shadowysea07 said:
Noel Joined and left so that's 2 temp party members so far. Her large base attack range was useful. If I put two attack +25 accessories on her and upgraded her equipment and quartz load out she'd be nice for trash mob sweeping. I wonder if the +1 gun attack range accessory is equippable to her. As that depending on the radius size could make me waffle between that and the attack one.
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Noel does benefit from the range accessory IIRC. Best crossbell girl. Among protagonists, anyway.

nagpo said:
Do they have all the trails games on one system? Even the spin-offs? And physical?
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Sadly, no. Steam / steam deck is the only option for everything. For NA NSW physical, I suspect the Sky Evo games would happen before anything happens with CSI&II.

 
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if you are clearing trash mobs remember if you stun them try hitting them again a few more times if the lvl difference is decent you can just defeat them that way.

shadowysea07 said:
finished chapter 2 for trails from 0. trophy % was another drop down to 45%. Seems the final story trophy is around 34% if they go in order. so much higher than i expected the way it was dropping so quickly. next 3 chapters are much smaller drops. Unlike the crappy play in cold steel this one was decent to watch as they put a minimum amount of effort into the dancing and such. Shame it couldn't have had music and or singing though especially given that falcoms bread and butter is good quality bgms I heard.

Noel Joined and left so that's 2 temp party members so far. Her large base attack range was useful. If I put two attack +25 accessories on her and upgraded her equipment and quartz load out she'd be nice for trash mob sweeping. I wonder if the +1 gun attack range accessory is equippable to her. As that depending on the radius size could make me waffle between that and the attack one.
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maxdragon said:
if you are clearing trash mobs remember if you stun them try hitting them again a few more times if the lvl difference is decent you can just defeat them that way.
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Yeah I remember that from cs1. Much like it you need to be significantly higher to trigger that. And the rewards are super small for auto win making it not worth the effort.
 
What's the deal with the MegaMan Battle Network game selling out?

I figured I could wait for it to get dirt cheap like other Capcom titles.

Think it's just a fluke?
 
I assume it's just a fluke. Zero collection was gone for a few before coming back again and other niche games like Digimon sold out before restocking too. 

 
TheKbob said:
What's the deal with the MegaMan Battle Network game selling out?

I figured I could wait for it to get dirt cheap like other Capcom titles.

Think it's just a fluke?
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A lot of more niche stuff tends to have a small initial print run these days. For companies like NISA and Koei-Tecmo that would usually end up being the only print (until VGP stepped in, at least). Capcom usually does a better job outside of CEs, so I think it's just a matter of waiting for more copies to move through production.

 
I'm convinced there will be a collection of DLC bundled with a game version at some point, which they will then proceed to release more DLC for.

 
Played the demo for Theatrhythm Final Bar Line last night on switch using joycons in handheld mode and pro controller with it docked. Overall it's really good, though I had occasional trouble with the stick part where you follow the line as it curves up and down. Sometimes I was bang on even when it went from a slight up/down to a rapid change, and sometimes I just flaked out and couldn't stay in synch. I think I'll play it some more since there seems to be a decent amount of content unlockable in the demo and it all carries over to the full game. Also, even though I love the FF music I can't help but wish this were Theatrhythm Dragon Quest. It might be time for me to import that one.

BoxPizzaBox said:
I'm convinced there will be a collection of DLC bundled with a game version at some point, which they will then proceed to release more DLC for.
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While possible, this is already what you are describing with Final Bar Line as it's basically the expanded version of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival (Arcade) mixed with the features used to expand Curtain Call (3DS). So kind of the "Ultimate" version of the FF Theatrhythm series and they have the dlc as season 1 / 2 / 3 and are likely to just stick with that.

 
The parts where you follow the the line curving on Theatrhythm are just challenging in general. It takes a good bit of trial and error before you start to feel confident when you see them coming up on the chart. It's good though, I do like some challenge in my rhythm games (just not Extreme Ultimate Exquisite Rampage levels of challenge).

 
If they had implemented touch screen controls I'd be on it and buy all the dlc. But as is I don't do well with button rhythm games. It's a shame since theaterhythm is a unique rpg rhythm game series.

Yeah I'm still sad dq theaterhythm didn't get localized. I would almost say curtain call is my favorite game ever. Bare minimum it's in my top 5/10
 
shadowysea07 said:
If they had implemented touch screen controls I'd be on it and buy all the dlc. But as is I don't do well with button rhythm games. It's a shame since theaterhythm is a unique rpg rhythm game series.

Yeah I'm still sad dq theaterhythm didn't get localized. I would almost say curtain call is my favorite game ever. Bare minimum it's in my top 5/10
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While I'm not huge on button controls, at least this one you can kind of click in to whatever feels comfortable. Using the pro controller I rested my thumbs on the sticks and then mainly used the L & R buttons since it doesn't matter what button is pressed.

My favorite rhythm games are the original Cytus and Cytus 2 (playing on iphone 4s, 7, 12 mini) over the past decade. But I loved a lot of the DS & 3DS rhythm games that used the touch screen as well for the same kind of direct input feel.

 
Played some more Theatrhythm Final Bar line and gave some of the higher difficulties a try and quickly found myself overwhelmed on just the first song in FF2.  Playing handheld though the stick precision isn't needed at all.  Hard up/down works for quick or gradual changes.  Still, I think that solidified my decision to just wait.  There is a freaking mountain of music in this game even without the dlc, but I think I'll wait and see if it drops to $20 like Curtain Call did.  I could probably enjoy just playing it casually knowing I got it cheap, but not paying $40+tax.

 
I'll jump on the physical this time around the moment it goes on sale assuming it even does. I missed torna the last time and I'm not paying for the reprint at that price point.
 
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Are the expansion for 3 worth it? I liked 2 quite a bit but Torna was next level awesome. I didn't think 3 was as good but wondering if the expansions are similarly better.
 
I still have to play 3.  2 was excellent and Torna was fantastic as a prequel.   If the dlc story for 3 gets a physical I'll preorder like I did Torna.  It was interesting watching people skip on it and then regret it later while I had my copy locked down.  It wasn't even an expensive standalone.

 
I can't remember if I mentioned it already but Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten ps4 qualifies now for the 10$ off amazon pickup promo. PICKUP10OFF.  May be targeted.  Minimum 25$ purchase offer ends 11:59pm on 31 July 2023.

 
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For once I'm breaking news before bigger game pages but Shiravune is releasing Dungeons Travelers 2 and Dungeon Travelers 2-2 this summer for PC on Johren for now. I'm guessing it will be on Steam as well and will link it then, as Johren other than free 18+ patches, is a pain to buy from. I loved Dungeon Travelers 2 so much back on the Vita, so this is pretty huge from me. The story is even halfway OK for a dungeon crawler. These are both likely must plays when they come out. The Johren site is pretty much all NSFW so be warned, although the game itself just may be a mature ecchi dungeon crawling game.

Dungeons Traveler 2 (NSFW)

Dungeon Travelers 2-2 (NSFW)

Shiravune also resurrected an old Sol Press licensed visual novel license Nukitashi from Qruppo. If people forgot what this was the main character is a virgin who vows to protect it until he finds someone he loves. The game takes place on Seiran Island where perverted sex is permitted by law. Those who resist the laws are subject to arrest, fellatio and intercourse. This is the adventures of he and his friends escaping the student council and disciplinary committee. I'm guessing by the end of the tale him and his friends will not be virgins, but that's just my intuition. This looks like a fun nukige that will be bought on release. I'll post when that happens as the Steam release will likely be so heavily censored it's a joke (it says 2+ hours when the game is classified as having about 42+ hours on VNDB) and will require a patch for any enjoyment of this.

Nukitashi Steam

VNDB (NSFW)

Nekonyan have announced Angelic☆Chaos RE-BOOT! from Yuzusoft. In this eroge our main character one day meets an angel sent from heaven. He learns that he is the Demon Lord's reincarnation. His life goes from boring to chaos quickly in this likely comedy romped fun filled moege. This was pretty obvious for localization, but it's nice to get an official announcement.

VNDB (NSFW)

Lastly there are two 18+ bundles going on from both Indiegala and Groupees (or whatever is running Groupees haha). $4.99 for the Indiegala one and $19.99 for the Groupees one for everything. I'm pointing them out as they are DRM free and the Groupees one has itch.io keys. They both also have Beat Refle, an ecchi rhythm game about massaging girls. They both also have Creampie Sugoroku about a guy who wants to get lots of action from mixers. He meets a girl and chases her and bad stuff happens. I'm sure there is less interest in that one.

Indiegala (NSFW)

Groupees (NSFW)

 
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scorponok said:
Did the price of Atelier Marie Remake PS5 drop at playasia? I could have sworn it was $60, now it's $50.
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Yes, the price did drop. I received an email from them a couple days ago about it. They said that if you've pre-paid for it, contact them and let them know if you want the refund to your PA wallet (immediate) or to your payment method (takes a few days). If you didn't pre-pay, they'll charge you the new amount.

 
nitrosmob said:
For once I'm breaking news before bigger game pages but Shiravune is releasing Dungeons Travelers 2 and Dungeon Travelers 2-2 this summer for PC on Johren for now. I'm guessing it will be on Steam as well
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Awesome news. I will look for the DT games on steam down the road. Maybe even eshop?

 
gpn said:
Yes, the price did drop. I received an email from them a couple days ago about it. They said that if you've pre-paid for it, contact them and let them know if you want the refund to your PA wallet (immediate) or to your payment method (takes a few days). If you didn't pre-pay, they'll charge you the new amount.
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Yep, I responded to their email because I paid via PayPal already and I had a refund for the difference in my Play-Asia wallet within 15 minutes. I'm always impressed at how quickly their customer service operates (for minor things, at least).

 
Anyone receive any shipment updates (as in the item's shipped) for their FF Pixel Remaster from PA? I know they sent out the email regarding the shipments being in waves and I was on the first wave cut-off date so curious if I actually missed the cut-off or if they just haven't started shipping yet. 

 
Vinny said:
Anyone receive any shipment updates (as in the item's shipped) for their FF Pixel Remaster from PA? I know they sent out the email regarding the shipments being in waves and I was on the first wave cut-off date so curious if I actually missed the cut-off or if they just haven't started shipping yet.
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I ordered 2 days before the first wave end date. I received a shipment confirmation and tracking info about a week ago. Still waiting on it. Tracking indicates it's gone from Honk Kong to NY at this point.

 
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I'm on the final boss of Dragon Quest 3 on the Switch compilation.  It has been a blast.

dq-1-3-box-art.jpg

FF Pixel collection on Switch is getting delivered tomorrow from Play-Asia.  Can't wait!

 
Nothing- said:
I'm on the final boss of Dragon Quest 3 on the Switch compilation. It has been a blast.

dq-1-3-box-art.jpg

FF Pixel collection on Switch is getting delivered tomorrow from Play-Asia. Can't wait!
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I went for the import on DQ 1/2/3 as well.

It would be cool to see some feedback here on the FF Pixel Collection. I keep resisting it, but it's a damned solid deal for the early FF games which I tend to prefer over the later ones.

 
nightc1 said:
I went for the import on DQ 1/2/3 as well.

It would be cool to see some feedback here on the FF Pixel Collection. I keep resisting it, but it's a damned solid deal for the early FF games which I tend to prefer over the later ones.
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What kind of feedback do you want for it? It's a great collection and worth the money if you are a big fan of the series. If you are a casual fan it is probably not worth getting anything other than iv, v, or vi.
 
nightc1 said:
I went for the import on DQ 1/2/3 as well.

It would be cool to see some feedback here on the FF Pixel Collection. I keep resisting it, but it's a damned solid deal for the early FF games which I tend to prefer over the later ones.
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The perceived value disparity between the physical collection and purchasing digital is unreal. It feels like almost nobody bought it digitally.

 
beenaround said:
What kind of feedback do you want for it? It's a great collection and worth the money if you are a big fan of the series. If you are a casual fan it is probably not worth getting anything other than iv, v, or vi.
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Do they play fine on switch... any big negatives versus say just playing the PSN versions on say the Vita (or PSTV)? Any negatives on the graphical changes ... does it hurt the nostagia the changes they made?

Nothing- said:
The perceived value disparity between the physical collection and purchasing digital is unreal. It feels like almost nobody bought it digitally.
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I think here on CAG it makes sense the majority leaned physical. Even as high priced as it is, it's a pretty legendary series and sure beats $30 per game or even $20 as they liquidate stock to just get them all one one cart and be done.

 
nightc1 said:
Do they play fine on switch... any big negatives versus say just playing the PSN versions on say the Vita (or PSTV)? Any negatives on the graphical changes ... does it hurt the nostagia the changes they made?

I think here on CAG it makes sense the majority leaned physical. Even as high priced as it is, it's a pretty legendary series and sure beats $30 per game or even $20 as they liquidate stock to just get them all one one cart and be done.
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For VI it really depends on how attached you are to the opera, that has been changed pretty significantly from the snes english translation. Fonts even with the new options are not 1:1 with the originals but pretty close now unlike the original state when they released on PC. If you have played the originals you are going to notice the graphical changes, there is no way around that especially in the early games. I wouldn't say they hurt the nostalgia, they are pretty faithful but they are noticeable. You can switch between the new orchestral arrangements and the original music. Quick saves, diagonal movement, hit re-direction, lots of QOL stuff plus auto battle and increased EXP and gil rates. Oh you can also turn off encounters entirely if you just want to explore an area then grind a few levels after.

There are tons of changes though overall, way too much to list. Some things are pretty small others are pretty considerable.

Each game on the playstation has it's own set of trophies and a platinum so there is that. The switch seems to handle them just fine or at least I haven't noticed any issues so far.

 
If you guys weren't already aware, Octopath Traveler II is surprising good. Picked it up during the gs b1g1 and it has really surprised me now that I'm 40hrs in. The soundtrack was what I enjoyed most in OT and it is still/again excellent. Everything else is a significant step forward. Though I can see how a distaste for random encounters would keep some people from enjoying the gameplay.

TheKbob said:
I'm waiting for the DQ3 2D-HD remake coming. Otherwise I'd have bought that three pack.
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Same. I have no experience prior to VIII. Next up in the series for me based on recommendations is V then VII. Figure I should just keep waiting on I-III at this point.

My two FF pixel remaster copies from PA are currently processing through a 4th innovations hub. But looking forward to jumping into VI. I still regard it as my favorite of the series but it's been at least 5+ years for me. Though I am starting to stress about having no perma sprint shoes option.
 
I had no idea there was a DQ3 remake coming.  That's pretty cool!  I much prefer the tradtional NES Dragon Warrior graphics and presentation and the mobile version (Switch) didn't really bother me at all.  It feels about 60% faithful to what I expected.  A lot of the icons and pixel art loosely resembles the original version.  The presentation is not as bad or jarring as I found some of the DS and mobile Final Fantasy games.  I also don't know that I would have wanted to play the game outside of its original 2D, top-down look.

Just thinking about these things makes me want to purchase very good condition copies of all four original NES games.  Maybe the Super Famicom bootleg ones with English translations as well.  Perhaps one day when I hit it big with the lottery.  God that is some of the best fantasy box art of all-time.  Dragon Warrior 2 was my most magical RPG growing up and its difficulty and secrets are what really got me into fantasy role-playing games, and traditional jrpgs.  It was hard as hell; progression felt meaningful. 

Didn't really have another experience like that until King's Field 1 on PS1.  And guess what.  That turned out to be From Software's first game.  Unreal!

 
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