Japanese Niche Games Deals Thread: Atlus, NISA, Aksys, XSeed and More!

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The following thread are for niche-based Japanese video games by smaller companies such as Atlus, NIS America, AKSYS, XSEED, D3 Publisher, KOEI/TECMO, SNK Playmore, Ignition, Natsume or any sweet deals for those who are passionate and hardcore about Japanese video games even from the bigger companies like SquareEnix, Sega, Bandai Namco, etc.

But to avoid any messiness of links everywhere, we'll focus on games within the last 2-3 years as opposed to the last five-ten. [although, if you do see older titles on sale, please post them regardless].

The theme of these deals are Japanese video games distributed in the US by the smaller niche companies. The thread is literally for those who love Japanese games. There will be a few Korean games that you may see on this list, such as the "DJ Max" games.

If you see a deal, please post!

NOTE: Please check the most recent page for the latest deals.

And I want to thank many of you in advance who submit their deals and their support!!!
 
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Ciffy said:
so as a newb to this genre, where can I look for deals? I'm trying to pick up a copy of dodonpachi resurrection for the 360 and the only place that has it is amazon. Would love to be able to compare prices - where else do you guys look?
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Zavvi and theHut had sales on this game for a while ... even though it was an overseas company, they still offered to ship for a small, reasonable fee. If I remember correctly, it went as low as $18 (after conversion, before shipping). It's definitely worth the $30 you see from Amazon IMHO.

 
So Gamestop just cancelled by copy of Project Diva F citing stock issues. I'm pretty pissed right now, since that was the only place with pre-order DLC. If I hadn't cared about that, I could've gotten it on release date with Amazon Prime. Instead, I can get it now 3 days later without DLC and start playing later than everyone else.

Anyone think customer service can hook me up with a DLC code if I ask nicely and say I'll purchase it at a local Gamestop instead? I wonder if that would work..

 
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ithebigc said:
So Gamestop just cancelled by copy of Project Diva F citing stock issues. I'm pretty pissed right now, since that was the only place with pre-order DLC. If I hadn't cared about that, I could've gotten it on release date with Amazon Prime. Instead, I can get it now 3 days later without DLC and start playing later than everyone else.

Anyone think customer service can hook me up with a DLC code if I ask nicely and say I'll purchase it at a local Gamestop instead? I wonder if that would work..
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Give it a shot. The worst thing that can happen is they say no.
 
Ciffy said:
so as a newb to this genre, where can I look for deals? I'm trying to pick up a copy of dodonpachi resurrection for the 360 and the only place that has it is amazon. Would love to be able to compare prices - where else do you guys look?
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Zavvi/Thehut have had it cheap many times. It's also worth checking some other UK retailers (365games / game.co.uk / shopto.net). I don't know if any of them will have it in stock anymore, but always best to shop around. Also check eBay UK.

 
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I imported both and while playing on the vita is really nice (and easier on my eyes), the 3D is really neat if you have a 3D setup. but to the point, buy the NA version, maybe Sega will localize PDF 2nd for simultaneous release! :)

 
 
wasabi5858 said:
I imported both and while playing on the vita is really nice (and easier on my eyes), the 3D is really neat if you have a 3D setup. but to the point, buy the NA version, maybe Sega will localize PDF 2nd for simultaneous release! :)
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can i ask what is the appeal of hatsune miku project diva f? i tried the demo, and thought it was ok.
 
It's huge in Japan because they like rhythm games and that type of music (synthesized voice singing).  Since you thought the demo was just ok, you might want to pass on the full game because it's more of the same.

 
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shivan128 said:
Zavvi and theHut had sales on this game for a while ... even though it was an overseas company, they still offered to ship for a small, reasonable fee. If I remember correctly, it went as low as $18 (after conversion, before shipping). It's definitely worth the $30 you see from Amazon IMHO.
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Thanks for the suggestions! Zavvi has it for 17.06 after conversion (according to putting the price + shipping into the google calculator). Can anyone tell me if I can just use my normal debit / credit / bank card (with the visa logo) on their website or do I have to do something special to get the funds in the right currency?

 
Ciffy said:
Thanks for the suggestions! Zavvi has it for 17.06 after conversion (according to putting the price + shipping into the google calculator). Can anyone tell me if I can just use my normal debit / credit / bank card (with the visa logo) on their website or do I have to do something special to get the funds in the right currency?
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Yes you can just use a normal Visa card. They also accept paypal, if that's more to your liking.

 
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Ciffy said:
Thanks for the suggestions! Zavvi has it for 17.06 after conversion (according to putting the price + shipping into the google calculator). Can anyone tell me if I can just use my normal debit / credit / bank card (with the visa logo) on their website or do I have to do something special to get the funds in the right currency?
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any working credit card should be just fine. You may incur a conversion fee for funds, usually a few percentage points of the actual charge.

 
Ciffy said:
Thanks for the suggestions! Zavvi has it for 17.06 after conversion (according to putting the price + shipping into the google calculator). Can anyone tell me if I can just use my normal debit / credit / bank card (with the visa logo) on their website or do I have to do something special to get the funds in the right currency?
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Lastly, if you're a shmups fan and you have not already done so, check out SHMUPS. I go here most of the time to pick up imports. Price varies among users so you may find good deals from time to time.

 
Thanks for the link, I bookmarked it.  I'm a fan of shmups, but not of half naked loli's that most of these JSMUPS tend to feature (deathsmiles, muchi muchi pork, otomedius).  Would love to be able to play more of them, but I can't support that kinda crap with two young girls of my own.   :)

Going to look around a bit more but will probably end up ordering from zavvi since it seems to be pretty reasonable.  Thanks again!

Edit: while I'm on the topic, can anyone recommend me any shmups that don't have half naked women? I have akai katana already and ikaruga on xbla.  I should also note that I only have a 360.  Guwange seems a bit too disturbing for my liking but it's on my radar already.

What about solid JRPGS in the vein of Lost Odyssey or Blue Dragon or Tales of Vesperia that are region free?

OP should put links to zavvi, game.co.uk, 365games, etc in the OP for others that are new... maybe?

 
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Go to Gamestop and pick up Infinite Undiscovery and Last Remnant. They are part of Gamestop's 3 for $10 promo along with a bunch of other great, older games. Both are solid JRPGs and are fairly unique, though Last Remnant is plagued with technical issues, namely long loading times and texture pop-up.
 
Pretty hard to recommend Infinite Undiscovery. That game was essentially a test for Star Ocean that happened to get released to the public. Not horrible, but wholly inferior to its parent IP and generic and 'meh' as can be. If you only have a 360, then I guess you should take what you can get; I just tend to look at things as "Is this actually worth my time?" The answer for that game is no.
 
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I liked it. I think it is better than a lot of crap that is released. Is it a "wow" game? No, but I'll tell you what. I'll take it over pretty much any NIS game out there that people are gaga about. It's a solid RPG for people that are really into RPGs. Nothing more or less IMO.

 
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whitereflection said:
Go to Gamestop and pick up Infinite Undiscovery and Last Remnant. They are part of Gamestop's 3 for $10 promo along with a bunch of other great, older games. Both are solid JRPGs and are fairly unique, though Last Remnant is plagued with technical issues, namely long loading times and texture pop-up.
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Those are two of the games I actually want to play on the 360 (though I don't own a working 360). Thanks for the heads up on the 3 for $10 promo!

 
slowdive21 said:
Those are two of the games I actually want to play on the 360 (though I don't own a working 360). Thanks for the heads up on the 3 for $10 promo!
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I did pick up Infinite Undiscovery, but passed on Last Remnant. Is the PC version much improved? Saw on sale during one of those steam sales.

 
ShadowAssassin said:
I liked it. I think it is better than a lot of crap that is released. Is it a "wow" game? No, but I'll tell you what. I'll take it over pretty much any NIS game out there that people are gaga about. It's a solid RPG for people that are really into RPGs. Nothing more or less IMO.
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Not to quibble over details, but people that are really into RPGs are exactly the type that would be able to recognize the game as the mediocre, hackneyed mess that it is. It's the ones with less experience with the genre that wouldn't be able to pick up on many of the game's short comings. I mean, he started out asking for games like Lost Odyssey & Tales of Vesperia--two of the very best JRPGs on the 360 and among the upper echelon of the whole gen. It just seems borderline cruel to turn around and suggest Infinite Undiscovery. It's like suggesting a McRib based on someone saying they recently enjoyed a filet mignon... lol

erehwon said:
I did pick up Infinite Undiscovery, but passed on Last Remnant. Is the PC version much improved? Saw on sale during one of those steam sales.
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If your main worry with the game are its technical pitfalls, then the PC version will be great for you. I can't say that it's 'perfect', but it's a large improvement.

 
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62t said:
Japanese outside of Final Fantasy is pretty much dry up, so there aren't that many to chose from anyway.
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You're kidding, right? FInal Fantasy has been a candle flickering in the wind for quite a few years now. It is in no way some final bastion of JRPGs. What a funny comment, though.

 
I don't get why you guys can't let people decide for themselves whether or not they like a game. 

 
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HakaHina said:
I don't get why you guys can't let people decide for themselves whether or not they like a game.
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Anyone can 'like' whatever in the world they want. Nearly all of my comments and critiques on things are on as objective a basis as one can humanly muster. There is a chasm in between "I like this" and "this is good". They are in no way guaranteed to go hand in hand. As for IU, which is the conversation you are surely referring to, I welcome anyone that defended it to enjoy it and like it. I have no right to tell them that they can't/don't like it. I can say that it is objectively everything I described it as, so buyer beware. I don't see why some struggle with the notion that one can be objectively critical of something, and yet others can still 'like' it to their heart's content.

 
Olengie said:
I tried Last Remnant and I liked it. While the Texture Pop-up happened occasionally, you get used to it.
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Man, I remember I gave that game a shot for about 2 hours a few years ago and the combat was just so confusing I gave up. I'm a huge RPG fan so I may give it another shot.

Loved Lost Odyssey.

 
Zaku77 said:
Anyone can 'like' whatever in the world they want. Nearly all of my comments and critiques on things are on as objective a basis as one can humanly muster. There is a chasm in between "I like this" and "this is good". They are in no way guaranteed to go hand in hand. As for IU, which is the conversation you are surely referring to, I welcome anyone that defended it to enjoy it and like it. I have no right to tell them that they can't/don't like it. I can say that it is objectively everything I described it as, so buyer beware. I don't see why some struggle with the notion that one can be objectively critical of something, and yet others can still 'like' it to their heart's content.
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The two are essentially the same statement, and opinion is inherent to both of them. Attempting to objectively critique someone else's experience with something so trivial as a video game on as pointless a venue as a forum where your text-based arguments have very little impact is nothing but a losing battle. =\

For what it's worth, I enjoyed both IU and Lost Odyssey. Now, let's get back to deals.
 
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Zaku77 said:
Anyone can 'like' whatever in the world they want. Nearly all of my comments and critiques on things are on as objective a basis as one can humanly muster. There is a chasm in between "I like this" and "this is good". They are in no way guaranteed to go hand in hand. As for IU, which is the conversation you are surely referring to, I welcome anyone that defended it to enjoy it and like it. I have no right to tell them that they can't/don't like it. I can say that it is objectively everything I described it as, so buyer beware. I don't see why some struggle with the notion that one can be objectively critical of something, and yet others can still 'like' it to their heart's content.
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I tend to see anything objectively analyzed as being an absolute, since objectivity imposes a standard that is true regardless of personal feelings or interpretations. But then how can something absolute be true to all individuals when tastes and preferences differ so vastly. Hence, I can't see how video games, a unique form of art, can be graded upon by universal standards.

That's not to say IU doesn't have any flaws; I just don't think those flaws are objective a.k.a. universal for everyone.

 
HakaHina said:
I tend to see anything objectively analyzed as being an absolute, since objectivity imposes a standard that is true regardless of personal feelings or interpretations. But then how can something absolute be true to all individuals when tastes and preferences differ so vastly. Hence, I can't see how video games, a unique form of art, can be graded upon by universal standards.

That's not to say IU doesn't have any flaws; I just don't think those flaws are objective a.k.a. universal for everyone.
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The angle of absolutes is certainly one way to look at it. But absolutes are not absolute for everyone, and now I'm going to unpack that seemingly contradictory statement. And hence we enter into the conversation of "This 'flaw' doesn't bother me." As a for instance, the battle system is harshly inferior to Star Ocean. I have played all the Star Ocean games, so I see its failings when juxtaposed against Star Ocean, and I cannot call it good or truly enjoy it. Someone who hasn't played Star Ocean may not be able to recognize the flaws with IU's battle system because they don't have the better example to compare it to. The flaws still exist, yet it's not at all a problem for said individual. Their 'like' for it doesn't take away the objective problems. The objective problems also don't prohibit their like for it.

Blade said:
The two are essentially the same statement, and opinion is inherent to both of them. Attempting to objectively critique someone else's experience with something so trivial as a video game on as pointless a venue as a forum where your text-based arguments have very little impact is nothing but a losing battle. =\

For what it's worth, I enjoyed both IU and Lost Odyssey. Now, let's get back to deals.
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As for games--which are quite arguably a form of art--not being critique-able, Blade, there are legions of well versed and extremely knowledgeable art critics--and, indeed, video game critics--that would tersely disagree with that notion. One that is well versed within a certain medium of art certainly has the ability to critique it on an objective level--good ones do, at least. That cannot account for personal enjoyment, emotions, or feelings, but it can judge it based purely on its most objective and general merits. It's not a matter of critiquing someone else's experience--no reviews are, for that matter. It's critiquing the thing itself. Your experience may--and certainly will--vary.

True objectivity can never really exist from a critic, but one can still strive to separate the subjective from the objective and the personal from the general. Most people can't or don't do a very good job at that, and therein lies the defining difference, I suppose.

Also, just a little more--my apologies for being overly verbose--if critiquing a video game is pointless, then surely so is critiquing film, television, the theater, and music, right? The thing is, though, it's not. Many people enjoy these types of conversations, and many people make a living off of them. You also made sure to point out that my arguments are text based. I enjoy flashy video reviews as much as the next guy, but most in depth analysis of anything are, indeed, done with good ol' text. I cannot see that as a drawback in any way.

 
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Zaku77 said:
The angle of absolutes is certainly one way to look at it. But absolutes are not absolute for everyone, and now I'm going to unpack that seemingly contradictory statement. And hence we enter into the conversation of "This 'flaw' doesn't bother me." As a for instance, the battle system is harshly inferior to Star Ocean. I have played all the Star Ocean games, so I see its failings when juxtaposed against Star Ocean, and I cannot call it good or truly enjoy it. Someone who hasn't played Star Ocean may not be able to recognize the flaws with IU's battle system because they don't have the better example to compare it to. The flaws still exist, yet it's not at all a problem for said individual. Their 'like' for it doesn't take away the objective problems. The objective problems also don't prohibit their like for it.
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I think our discourse seems to disconnect with our definitions of objectivity and subjectivity, and how personal experience factors into determining the two. It's like we're on two parallel lines that'll never meet. Perhaps the difference is because I staunchly don't believe that there is any way to critically analyze video games (and truth be told, most things in the world) on an objective experience.

But it's nice to discuss this kind of thing once in a while.

 
HakaHina said:
I think our discourse seems to disconnect with our definitions of objectivity and subjectivity, and how personal experience factors into determining the two. It's like we're on two parallel lines that'll never meet. Perhaps the difference is because I staunchly don't believe that there is any way to critically analyze video games (and truth be told, most things in the world) on an objective experience.

But it's nice to discuss this kind of thing once in a while.
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Indeed. I do actually address the very thing you just mentioned in my response to the other person from the post you quoted, so you could certainly read that for my take on it. Even if you may not want to flat out call it 'objective', I'm sure you at least accept that there are degrees of objectivity. Asking a buddy how much fun he had with a game is going to lead to a subjective mess of what he really liked and didn't, while asking a critic will lead to a much more objective response. "This was done well, but is not something I like" or "This was done very poorly, but I enjoyed it anyway" are ways that an objective criticism can account for underlying subjectivity. If you're completely wrapped up in the idea of objectivity being absolute, then that is just that. But I am sure that you see what I am getting at with some critiques being far, far more objective than others.

 
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Sorry to break up the conversation but does anyone know if there is any special edition for Lightning Returns announced in america yet?

 
The Last Remnant is a great game... on PC. The 360 version was pretty much crap technically-speaking, and is the primary reason people passed over it. One of the most underrated games ever IMO.

 
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Domo7 said:
Sorry to break up the conversation but does anyone know if there is any special edition for Lightning Returns announced in america yet?
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There hasn't been yet. We got a nice one for XIII-2, so hopefully we also get one for XIII-3. There has been a steelbook announced for various parts of Europe, however.

Matenshi said:
The Last Remnant is a great game... on PC. The 360 version was pretty much crap technically-speaking, and is the primary reason people passed over it. One of the most underrated games ever IMO.
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I have a friend that frequently rants and raves about it. I've always been curious to try it. I have it on PC, so perhaps it should be my next JRPG after Xillia.

 
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Domo7 said:
Sorry to break up the conversation but does anyone know if there is any special edition for Lightning Returns announced in america yet?
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Dude, I wish I knew. If SE would announce a Collector's Edition similar to the one for FFXIII-2 (included soundtrack), I'd preorder that so fast, but I don't know why they haven't yet. Are they not as confident that Lightning Returns will do well? :???:

 
ShadowAssassin said:
I liked it. I think it is better than a lot of crap that is released. Is it a "wow" game? No, but I'll tell you what. I'll take it over pretty much any NIS game out there that people are gaga about. It's a solid RPG for people that are really into RPGs. Nothing more or less IMO.
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I strongly agree. I would play this over any NIS or even Atlus games. I'd even take it a step further and say that for me personally, nice graphics are integral to the JRPG experience, and that I'd rather play Infinite Undiscovery than better-received but homelier-looking games like Xenoblade.
 
whitereflection said:
I strongly agree. I would play this over any NIS or even Atlus games. I'd even take it a step further and say that for me personally, nice graphics are integral to the JRPG experience, and that I'd rather play Infinite Undiscovery than better-received but homelier-looking games like Xenoblade.
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Domo7 said:
Sorry to break up the conversation but does anyone know if there is any special edition for Lightning Returns announced in america yet?
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I don't even think there has been one announced for Japan yet, unless you consider the ultimate box, which is really just a(n expensive) bundle of the trilogy with some extras.

 
Not like there'd be any point in pre-ordering it. The CE for XIII-2 dropped faster than children down a flight of stairs. I was less than pleased I got in on that at Day 1.

 
Dark_Sage said:
Not like there'd be any point in pre-ordering it. The CE for XIII-2 dropped faster than children down a flight of stairs. I was less than pleased I got in on that at Day 1.
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To be fair, XIII-2 sold pretty poorly. I STILL to this day see BestBuys with the preorder book on shelfs. Even see the CE from time to time, so yeah. They could actually make it a lot less common and everyone wins.

 
The Last Remnant is a major proceed with extreme caution title. It is very different and you have very little control over character customization. If you are a control freak you will hate it. With PC I guess it doesn't matter with commands, because you can easily use mods. But if you are going for the 360 version, then know what you are getting into before going in.

Also, it has a ton of bonus dungeons via free DLC and they are all incredibly hard and take a ton of patience and getting all the best gear takes hundreds of hours of grinding. I didn't like the game that much. They tried to be unique, but you have such little control over too many things.

 
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