Final Fantasy X & X-2 HD Have Release Dates!...For PS3

Stretch your memories all the way back to September 14th, 2011 when Final Fantasy X HD was annoucned for the Vita and PS3 (in that order) and realize that it's been over two years between then and now.  Keep in mind that the PS3 version of the game was sort of announced as an "Oh yeah, that too" deal.  Keep in mind that X-2 was added later on.  Just consider all of that for a moment, as the only version of the game that we have a release date for at this point in time is the PS3 one.  March 18th, 2014, a full two and a half years after the original announcement of the Vita game, is when the also-announced PS3 version is getting released.  With no news on the Vita version, as in the version of the game that was originally planned and announced.  I'm not sure that I'm harping on this enough.

Of course, in Japan, the games have a singular release date of December 26th, just before the end of this year, making the time between announcement and release...well, not really all that better, no.  There's something to be said of the type of release over there, however, as the PS3 version is releasing with both games on one disk, as it's planned over here, but the two Vita carts will be bundled together in one box for the exact same price.  One might take this as a hopeful sign for the Non-Japan releases, but then again, one probably hasn't dealt with Squeenix all that much if they take it as a sign of anything at all.  As we know by now, Squeenix just does things and the less sense we try to make of it all, the better we'll all be in the long run.  Though, I suppose -some- rationalizations could be made.

Releasing a digital-only game in Japan, I suspect, is just short of a death knell for any potential sales you hope to see from it.  One of those little 'secrets' of the game industry as a whole is that Japan, by and large has a certain approach to video game releases.  Games are bought up on release or a little after, beaten and then resold to the retailer in much greater numbers than such a practice sees here.  This is generally why you see re-releases of popular games that only have a few alterations made to it, because you're trying to sell this version of your game with new stuff to the people who already bought it, played it and sold it back because it was finished.  Kill the ability to resell and recoup some of that money on the consumer-side is simply something that is not on in Japan, so despite them being one of the world leaders in Internet availability and speed, they are just not having that Digital Future bullshit.  Which...I could make something of, but another night.

The issue most at hand here is that it's been widely thought that outside of Japan, FFX HD and FFX-2 HD would be digital-only on the Vita because fuck you.  I say 'because fuck you' since...well it's kind of obvious.  Space is something we're constantly fighting for because the largest memory stick available, the 32 gig, is simply not enough space for most Vita owners.  Both FFX HD and FFX-2 HD will not fit on the same Vita cart.  I don't know the full size that a Vita cart can offer, but some Vita games are already in the 3 Gig range.  So if you figure on both games, combined, being ~6 gigs, then that's already too much for half of the Vita memory sticks out there.  (4 and 8, I'm figuring the 8 only actually has ~7 gigs available and I don't know how much of that would then be OS stuff or what have you)  Basically what I'm getting at is that FFX/X-2 HD being Digital-Only is not merely bad as it is most of the time, but it's downright unfriendly to the consumer since they're just projecting the image of not caring about what the consumer is going to do for the 'privilege' of buying and playing your game.

Hopefully the delay is simply attributed to the logistics of bundling the two carts together outside of Japan and making a shiny package with it, or maybe even setting up some sort of wacky Limited Edition specifically for Vita buyers.  Hell, maybe they're just waiting to announce that every copy of the Vita version comes with a download code for Type-0.  Also Chocobo/Moogle plushies.  I'm being facetious because I figure it's better to imagine wild, never-going-to-happen scenarios and be disappointed when -they- don't happen, rather than looking at the reality of the situation (in which it's honestly not too much of a fucking hassle to release goddamn Carts) and being ultimately let down (as I always anticipate Squeenix doing anymore).  So I'll just be over here with my delusions, thank you very much.

I'm kind of stuck buying the games no matter what because I want Squeenix to acknowledge the Vita, but I'll be damned if I'm happy about buying something digital-only from them

How to Not Mess Up a Remake

"What's old is new again."

It's a statement that comes up a lot and for obvious reasons - remakes are easy money.  Simply by the flow of time, you have people who just aren't exposed to certain things the first time around and it's just easy enough to repackage those things and sell them brand-new to the folks who just haven't experienced them as well as the people who have and want to see what the 'new' experience is like.  We've seen a lot of the remake and remaster situation this generation because we've reached a point where a -lot- of people haven't been around for as long as we have, or at least not been in it as some of us have, which just means it's easy to capitalize on.  Well, easier since, well, remaking/remastering a game is honestly a very simple process.  Yet...some companies just seem to completely miss the point.  So here's a nice little refresher course on how to properly make a remake.

If you change something big, try to make it optional - Yes, everyone knows the whole point of giving a game a remake is giving it another go while not making it a wholly different game, but that doesn't mean you should change -everything- about it.  Or if you do, then it's a good idea to leave the original there as well to give new and old alike an idea of just -what- you changed and be able to quantify just how much work you put into it.  Dragon Fantasy Book I (which I still need to review >_<) was absolutely wonderful about this, in that the guy remade the map assets and music from scratch to make it better looking and sounding, -but- they also included an option to turn it back to 'retro' to see how the game was in its original state.  (they also patched in the ability to pick between retro visuals and sounds if you were so inclined)  Compare this to, oh say, Chrono Trigger DS wherein Squeenix completely and totally changed the script without including the original.  Also the new script was terrible, thus making it all the more groan-worthy that there wasn't an option to not stomach it.

For the love of God, don't make it worse - This one should be the most goddamn obvious of them all, but it's hilariously sadly one of the ones that gets tripped over the most.  If a game ran like X on this platform, it's just....just a given that you can figure out -some- way to make it run like at LEAST X if not X+1 on more advanced platforms.  Since everything is more advanced now than what you're remaking at the moment.  If you can't, then don't fucking do it.  The more recent examples have been the Jak and Daxter HD Collection on Vita and the infamous Silent Hill HD Collection debacle, but those aren't the only ones.  Hell, it'd take a while to name all the worst ones.  But one of the particularly bad ones, I think, is Squeenix's handling of Final Fantasy Tactics:  The War of the Lions which was a remake of Final Fantasy Tactics.  While I personally didn't have too much of an issue with it, there were many, many folks who complained of some slow-down that happened during magic casting and the like.  It's a valid complaint.  Where it gets egregious is when that slowdown is still there in the next port of it (on the iPhone) and is also still there in the next next port (on the iPad) when that port came six months later.  Did fucking nobody QA this damn thing at any point?

Realize what it is you're doing and market it appropriately - Remakes and remasters can be really, really exciting since you're basically getting new fans while also allowing old fans to relive the fun of whatever it is you're remaking.  But a remake/remaster is never, ever, ever going to be, on the whole, more exciting than a new iteration of the particular game or series.  (Yes, even THAT remake that will never happen, shut up)  So never forget that.  Promoting the announcement of your remake for days, even weeks leading up to said announcement is just the height of cruelty and is completely unnecessary.  I doubt I need to remind everyone about the whole The World Ends With You debacle.  A week-long countdown site for an iOS remake that wasn't even a universal app.  Who in the actual fuck thought that was a good idea?

Give the most complete game you can - If your game released and then you did something else with it, tweaked it, added DLC (which obviously isn't a thing -yet- but will be in future remakes) or whatever, include that shit.  Different regions get different versions of a game meaning some regions don't get -everything- of a game.  So if you're remaking/remastering that game, make every version standard as the version that had the most content.  Never, ever, ever, ever, ever even consider the notion of selling these extra bits of content additionally, squash any rumor that's saying you're thinking about doing it, or at least let people know you're giving them the whole game when somebody fucking asks you about it since that also gives you a chance to explain your strategy.  Because, you know, we always assume you actually have one, being that a remaster/remake is still a release.

I hope this handy little guide helps anyone who is thinking about releasing a remake or remaster of a game in the future.  It's a complicated thing, I know, but it's rewarding and valuable if you put in the right effort.  But if you're repeatedly making big mistakes in your remakes or remasters, then perhaps you should consider either not making those mistakes or not constantly torturing your fans with shitty remakes and remasters.  Of course, it's not like there's any company that is fairly consistent in releasing bad remakes and remasters, right?

this post is very tongue-in-cheek and I am very proud of it

And the Next Dreamcast HD Title Is...

...Sonic Adventure 2.  Obviously.  On the one hand, I am completely surprised, because there had been several hints and leaks and such in the past that painted the game following Jet Grind Radio HD to be Shenmue (which was from a reliable source, even!) which I honestly would have really liked.  On the other hand, I am completely -not- surprised, since in all honesty this is a little late as-is, considering Sonic Adventure 1's port was released last year and it's not like it took an entire year to port it.  It also likely would have been a much stronger start to the string of four Dreamcast releases Sega is more or less expected to come out with.  Yes, Jet Set Radio HD is certainly nicer to have, and ultimately something to be more excited about than SA2, but everybody knows what Sonic Adventure 2 is.  I will never understand the methods with which companies and such decide to do this sort of thing, and as I will likely always be on the consumer side of dealings, it's not like it matters since it seems like a matter of eventuality rather than anything else.  Which is a good thing, all said.

This is a little bit more interesting than what it is on the surface, however, since it highlights a few things that I can't decide if they're worrying or just strange.  At the end of the video embedded in the Joystiq link above, the logos denoted as the platforms it's coming out on are simply ones that suggest Playstation Network (PS3) and XBox Live Arcade (360) with nothing suggesting the PC at all.  So if you'll just play along with me for a moment, let's look at the last three ports that Sega has announced, along with the platforms suggested for them.  Jet Set Radio is set to release on PS3, 360, Vita and PC through Steam.  Nights Into Dreams (from the Saturn) is set for release on PS3, 360 and PC through Steam.  And now Sonic Adventure 2, as already stated, is simply set to release on PS3 and 360.  So it seems like with each successive announcement, they lose a system.  This sort of gives me the mental image that Sega is simply using what little manpower remains to pump out all of these ports at the exact same time, meaning that every new thing gets less and less of the attention that it deserves.  Which could very well just translate over the entirety of all three remasters.

Of course, the fact that all three games are set to release in the "Fall" does sort of help tip one off of the fact that maybe they're stretching themselves too thin.  Just....potentially.  I imagine the thought process is that, if they release everything so close together, they'll make a steady stream of money through the season and be able to go into the new year flirting with what lies above the red line.  Regardless, I wouldn't be surprised if a PC version of SA2 was simply overlooked, as Sonic Adventure 1 was released through Steam, and it would be rather odd if the sequel skipped that avenue, especially considering how vocal the Steam community seems to be about Sega in general.  I'm not too optimistic, however, on the games announced to reach to systems they're not otherwise announced on which does sort of crush my dreams of continued Sega support through their Dreamcast re-release library this go around.  At this rate, 'Volume 2' as it were, will be Jet Set Radio, Sonic Adventure 2, ??? (theoretically Shenmue, but I'm not holding my breath on it currently) and possibly Seaman to round us up around the Holidays.  Not bad, of course, especially if the third game -does- end up being Shenmue, which would elevate it from "Not Bad" to "Yaaaaaay!".  With any luck, a Disc-based Collection won't be exclusive to Non-PS3 this time around.

I can't say that I have especially fond memories of Sonic Adventure 2 as I barely remember the lot of it, if we're being simply honest.  I don't even own it, having only been exposed to playing the game by borrowing a friend's copy of it.  I think.  I might've rented it.  Regardless, the point is that I don't remember.  Except I do remember that while I was playing it, I also had to do a Science Fair experiment which I did in between sessions of playing as Rouge since playing as the bad guys was so new and awesome even though, looking back, they were....fairly sub-par.  Character-wise, that is.  Again, the memory, she is not so great.  I do remember the Chao Garden, of course, which I will likely enjoy the hell out of whenever I get around to playing the game.  Because I will, you see.  Regardless of what systems it is and isn't released on, this is Sega, and I've given in to the fact that I will simply play all of the Sega games.  Sometime.  Eventually.  On something.

I can only hope that Sega at least releases one or two of these games before the next announcement comes around.  Even if it's Shenmue, because I would hate to think and worry that the Shenmue HD port might be 'tainted' by lack of focus.  I doubt there'll be a problem with the way any of these turn out; I don't recall there being any issues commonly stated for the last year's versions, but at the same time, one could assume that Sega was doing at least a little better last year.  With any luck, however, these remasters, fired off in quick succession as well as a hopefully present Yakuza Collection (that will come out in the states on-disc, I'm still holding out hope considering it'll cost me a lot of cash if it does) will bring in some serious cash for Sega, alongside Phantasy Star Online 2.  More money for them means more greatness for us, after all, so long as you're not buying a new Sonic game.  Though, after Generations....well, still maybe hold out for reviews, if such a thing were to happen.

Yakuza HD Collection a Possibility

So, Joystiq brought it to my attention (almost personally, it feels like) that the possibility of an HD Collection of Yakuza 1 and 2 is a thing that could happen.  Listed for a brief moment on a Sega Japan Release Schedule, the Yakuza 1&2 HD Edition leaves little to the imagination, suggesting that it is simply HD Editions of Yakuza 1 & 2 (Presumably sold separately, since Japan seems to be finnicky about bundling games, as is referenced by the Ico/SotC Collection, and Peace Walker HD).  Of course, I saw this Joystiq post and proceeded to immediately lose all of my shit.  Look around, do you see things that shouldn't be there?  Yeah.  It's my shit.  Because I lost it.  For a moment that was entirely too sweet, entirely too brief, I experienced what I can only describe as ecstasy unlike any I have experienced in recent memory at the mere thought of being able to re-visit Yakuza 1 and 2, older and wiser and more well-versed in the series as I am now without plugging in my PS2 and dicking around with Memory cards and all that we have more or less sworn off since the days of the PS2.  To see Kamurocho as it started in a resolution that isn't torture on the eyes, even if it will not be as detailed as 3 and 4's (seen above) offerings.

For that all-too-brief moment, life was amazing and everything was wonderful.

And then I had that reality check that I'm sure you have already been thinking of since you read the title of this post.  Sega is in the shit.  It makes perfect sense to start doing things like this, up-porting old games for a quick buck that has fairly little spending associated with it.  It makes sense to do this and release it to a public that absolutely loves the Yakuza series where the sales numbers shows as much.  And that all happens.....in Japan.  Not so much here in the States.  So that sort of makes one think that the Collection just might not make it over here because Sega doesn't want to part with the paltry cost of localization.  And if they do, then the chances of them doing it on an actual disk are pretty much incomprehensibly infinitesimal.  Which for me more or less means that they shouldn't bother localizing it at all since I'll never be able to play the fucking things.  So this whole thing has the potential to be bittersweet at best, and infinitely disappointing at worst unless Sega just kind of magically does the awesome thing with money that they presumably don't have.

That means there's really not a whole lot I can do or say alongside this, honestly.  If this happens to play out and get localized on-disk, I'll be a very happy man, but if it doesn't, or if it's DD-only, I don't know what I'll do.  I'll probably buy them anyway just to throw Sega the $30-40 and the support, even if I won't be able to feasibly play the games by any stretch of the imagination.  (It takes me a ridiculous amount of time to download shit.  Like, three hours to download a 500 MB game at best ridiculous.  Not so much an issue on Portables since they're not about to explode or anything, but my PS3?  Nah.)  But goddamn if I won't be bitter as -fuck- about it the whole time and for quite a time thereafter.  It's pretty much this sort of scenario that I was basing an entire "Digital Distribution is Not the Answer to Every Fucking Problem" article around and never got around to writing because I just started to lose a little bit of the venom I had with it.  The thing is, I'm not anywhere near alone in the "I have shit internet and I must scream" territory, but it just doesn't seem to matter one bit since way of the future and other such utter fucking nonsense.  In a world of data caps and shit internet infrastructure not to mention shoddy internet security (From everyone, not just Sony don't even -start-) we can't just throw every fucking thing on the internet and do Jazz Hands until magic happens, people.

It's honestly a little more than depressing to have that realization weigh-in like that.  At first, I thought that maybe the Collection, should it exist and come out, could be an example of Sega's willingness to give physical media for the Yakuza one last shot, despite it not being one of the 'key' franchises that they're basing their physical releases on.  But it's hard to think of a scenario where I could realistically expect them on-disk, which means I still don't know what to think of Yakuza 5.  Even though I'm in the camp that says it would be the worst fucking idea imaginable to go DD-only with Yakuza 5, I can't realistically say it's not a possibility.  And one that'll be all the more real if the sales numbers of the theoretical DD-only Collection run more or less along the lines as they would expect it to, meaning the people who buy the series are still -there- and willing to buy it no matter what.  I guess I am over-thinking it more than a little bit, but as I've made it perfectly clear more than once here, the Yakuza series is that series for me, and it sucks that the reality for it is as negative as it is.

With any luck, all my sudden sullenness and negativity will be for naught and we'll get some good news from the whole scenario.  It's wholly unlikely, of course, but Sega does so love proving me wrong (I figured they would've announced a new Phantasy Star for Vita - PSO2 doesn't count - by now, I figured something would happen with the two Yakuza:  Black Panther games for us, figured we'd hear -something- about VC3 in the west, I could go on and on) so that does leave a slight window open.  I can say with some certainty that if they -do- prove me wrong and throw us a disk, I will probably be buying several copies of the game if just to send the message that physical games will still sell, I assure you.  So there's at least some incentive there.  Only thing left is to see it play out, I suppose, which will likely be more painful than several things that I'm not going to bother to explain because I'm sure you can think of painful things.

Update!:  Aaaand it's official.  For Japan, at least.  I'm sure we'll get localization news....uhh....sometime.

Maybe.

Please give us this, Sega.

Nights Into Dreams HD Is a Thing That Is Happening

In their continued effort of reminding everyone why they were liked in the first place, Sega has chosen another of their classic games to get the HD treatment for the current systems out there.  Nights Into Dreams, a Saturn Title (which would likely be the explanation for why a lot of people haven't played it) is getting all gussied up for the Fall when it will release on the Playstation Network, XBLA and Steam for PS3, 360 and PC players respectively.  Though, to say that it's from the Saturn title -might- just be stretching it as apparently the game was remade for the PS2 which would likely be the version of the game we'll be getting ported from, as I can only imagine it would simply be easier to work with, code-wise.  Or, at least that's what a commenter on the story over at Siliconera seems to think, and it does make a lot of sense, so hell, I'm running with it.  The PS2 version was Japan-only, but featured much the same as what we could expect from this HD version, since the PS2 version also had a "Saturn version" which was simply the same game with Saturn graphics, versus the remastered ones for the remake.

On top of the Saturn mode and the obvious widescreen support, Nights Into Dreams HD will feature the usual trophies/achievements as well as Leaderboard support so you can prove to your friends just who is the best flying Jester thing.  Which wasn't meant to sound flippant, but it did, but this explanation should sort of absolve that since I just cannot think of a different way to say it, considering I don't usually factor Leaderboards into much of anything.  But it was listed, and there's not a whole lot else that was mentioned in regards to being added to the game.  It's fairly unclear if, as stated, the game is being based on the PS2 remake or not, but if it was, then it would suggest that the Christmas Nights 'demo' that came out will be bundled in with the game.  Of course, being that Sega -needs the money-, it's just as logical to think that the Christmas thing might be held off for a few extra bucks (I'd figure a $2.99 pricetag on it) for a DLC add-on which, let's face it, everyone (including me) will likely be more than happy to buy, despite it just being a couple levels.  Because they will be Christmas levels.  This is important.

If it isn't painfully obvious by now, I have not played Nights Into Dreams and it's only due to my in-recent-years championing of Sega that I'm concerned with the game at all.  Or, rather, I like to think that even if I wasn't a super Sega supporter currently, the lovely look that the game carries, as well as the fairly magical charm it seems to have would sway me, but I'm not so sure it would.  Being that I had no idea it was considered a platformer, despite knowing of the game previously in a cursory manner, speaks volumes for my hesitation in admitting I'd buy the game otherwise, but hey, we don't really have to worry about that.  That is kind of the point I'm trying to make.  Knowledge that there is a Christmas -thing- involved whatsoever with the game might have swayed me otherwise now that I think of it, but until I know just what capacity it will come in (Originally included or as DLC, which, come on, we know which it'll be) I'll just default to the Sega thing.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the only thing I'm not too happy with, in regards to this all, is the lack of a Playstation Vita version being announced alongside the others.  I know I bring the Vita up like every day, but it's because I like it, which is pretty obvious, I should think.  And I like Sega.  So it makes sense that I would like to play Sega games on it, as I am being slightly lead to believe is a thing Sega wants as well, what with Jet Set Radio HD and Phantasy Star Online 2 both being playable on it and all.  Being that there's a good chance this up-port is being ported from the PS2 version, it's a good bet to say that it would be simple to port the port of the PS3 version to the Vita, since that is apparently an exceptionally easy process and profit.  Because people will buy it several times!  I'm sure I have made this much obvious with my previous statements of such with regards to other games being ported to the Vita.  Once again, simply because I really like the thing and it's....well, a great gaming device.  For gaming.  Which is why I want a lot of games on it.

Maybe they're just waiting for the sales of Jet Set Radio HD on the Vita to see if it will be a profitable platform for their games, but logic would dictate that it's....probably better to just give it a couple shots before getting skittish about it.  I mean, it's not like it's going to make Sega super-duper financially screwed porting the game over, but maybe I'm wrong.  And maybe it's just as simple as saying Sega might not be thinking that far ahead with the Remaster, considering Christmas Nights is just completely up in the air at the moment.  They do have a bit of time to play around with setting things firmly in place, of course, considering "Fall 2012" is a rather loose schedule, so I'm sure we'll be getting a bit more news about the game in the coming months featuring some more concrete details.  But the moral of the story, of course, is buy the shit out of Jet Set Radio HD on Vita if you're even the least bit hopeful of getting Nights Into Dreams on the platform as well.  Since at the very worst, you'll just get friggin' Jet Set Radio HD on your Vita to enjoy the magical soundtrack and entertaining gameplay of tagging neighborhoods and pulling off mad tricks and the like.  Not a bad deal.

Santa Seaman Signifies Sega Secret?

So, fairly recently, there was a tweet from the creator of Seaman, Yoot Saito, which contained one strange thing.  The tweet, as reported by Joystiq, contained an image of a Santa-themed Seaman, as well as a statement that basically says "Time to start thinking of the end of the year".  For as subtle as it is, it is -not-, but that's kind of the point and for that alone, well the fact that there was a Santa Seaman alone, is pretty amazing, I should say.  I mean, as you know, I am kind of a Christmas fiend, as well as a Sega fiend, so seeing the both of them together like that.....yeah, that'll get the ol' mind going into overdrive at the possibilities.  Of course, in this scenario, as it's been presented, there's really only three real possibilities that could come from this.  Okay, maybe four.

The first possibility is, of course, the one I prefer the most.  As Sega is wont to do, they seem to release a group of four of their classics through the digital services with remastering work done and updates where appropriate.  With Sonic Adventure, Space Channel, Crazy Taxi and Sega Bass Fishing being last year's offerings (Which was then bundled together in a collection for PC and 360 users only; damnit Sega), this year's group seems to have already been started with the upcoming Jet Set Radio HD for....well, everything but the 3DS it seems.  With reports that state Shenmue 1 & 2 are up next in the remaster list, as well as rumors associated with those saying Skies of Arcadia is a possibility too, we might just have our full Dreamcast volume for this year, if we figure that Seaman HD would be the last one, as it would come out during the holidays.  Assuming they either do five games this year or only do the first Shenmue, leaving Sonic Adventure 2 and Shenmue 2 both for next year, which is precisely the kind of dickery Sega would pull.

Obviously, this is tantalizing to me because not only would I love to just throw money at Sega through remasters for PS3/PSN (as well as collection disks if you would let me, Sega!), but with Jet Set Radio's position on the Vita, it would suggest that the rest of this year's catalog might make it to it as well.  As in, portable Jet Set Radio, Shenmue, Skies of Arcadia and Seaman (which would totally work, what with the built-in microphone).  Are you drooling yet at the very thought of this?  I AM.  I'm sure you know this already, but I did really want to lay it out like that.  Because it is very delicious looking laid out like that, and if I could dedicate an entire Vita page to a straight-up Sega page.....man.  Now I want this very badly.  Like....-so very badly- you don't even know.  I didn't even play Seaman on the Dreamcast (mostly because I didn't even know what the hell), but I would throw down $10 for the ability to do so nowadays, especially if I could take the experience anywhere.

The second option, which may or may not be more likely all things considered, is that this is merely a teaser for a possible 3DS release of the game that has apparently been rumored of for two years.  As in a release around the holidays, or an announcement that will come around the holidays to say that Seaman will come out....sometime after the holidays.  I'm sure you can figure out where I was going with that.  You're smart people.  While still delicious as a prospect, since it is still portable Seaman which has been updated (and will be able to use a mic, ala 3DS mic) I'm sure you all know that I more prefer the Vita, despite my acquiescence to the fact that I will have to get a 3DS at some point to get my Harvest Moon fix.  (I may go with the XL if they release a Circle Pad Pro for it.  By my estimations, if they do that, the thing will be the same width as a Wii U pad.  Wonder if that will be a coincidence?)  So regardless of what portable the theoretical Seaman HD comes out on, I'll be able to buy it, and you can bet that I will.

The third and fourth options are, then, fairly simple.  Being that Nintendo is in the midst of a bigger digital push, a combination of these two previous options could be possible.  As in, Seaman HD swims to the 3DS....as well as everything else.  Kinect (and headsets), Playstation Eye (and headsets), Built-in Mics, PC Headsets, every platform has an option, granted not a 'guaranteed' one but a likely one, that the game will be playable, so Sega could simply decide, as they need to do, that the most money possible is the best option.  Let everyone buy it and, guess what?  Some people totally will!  Amazing!  Conversely, on the flip side for the fourth option, this could all just be an elaborate ruse and the end-result will be something Japan specific involving Seaman that nobody cares about.  Like.....a urinal game featuring Seama-oh god nevermind.

...Anyways.  With Sega, all things are possible, I suppose.  How many of them are positive is always up in the air and questionable, but any of the above are viable options for this bit of news.  Of course, we just won't be able to know what will come of it for a long while and by then, who knows if we'll remember this.  I...probably will.  Since I'll be able to link this post and say "Hey, this happened" when I talk about just what was announced.  Everyone else?  Might not score too high on the old "things I need to remember" scale.  Still, it will probably be neat, whatever happens!  Because Dreamcast revivals are what we need to thrive - for we lost it too soon.  Too soon.  Sadface.

Sick Post Because I'm Sick

Sometimes, Google.  Sometimes you do good.

So, as I have kind of alluded to in recent posts when I have actually posted, I have been fairly sick lately.  Thankfully not in the 'serious' sense, but enough so that I am in something of a haze for the better part of a day, or at least more of a haze than normal, what with it being Summer Spring (for a day yet) and all.  Which pretty much means I'm really in no condition to be writing even though I would love to.  I mean, I have tried the last couple nights, but I've had nothing really to work with and I feel like even if I had a giant two page -thing- about something really interesting, I wouldn't be able to do anything with it because I have just been 'derrrr' for the entirety of my down-time.  I also haven't been gaming all that much despite my recent acquisitions of Lollipop Chainsaw and Gravity Rush which burns me tremendously.  The brief bits of the former that I have played have been brilliant, but you'll hear about that soon enough in a format you might not expect.

I do have two bits of news here that I can talk about to try and get myself out of this little funk I'm in, since I feel like I am possibly on my way out of illness.  With any luck, I'll be back to throwing down posts that veer more verbose than a valiant victor verily vexing villains for a vendetta.  Said time is not tonight, however, so don't be surprised if I can only muster a couple paragraphs here for both bits of information.  Though, to be fair, there's not a whole lot to be said about either, one is pretty uniformly positive, and the other is Sega being Sega which means it is not positive whatsoever except maybe kind of a tiny little bit, but not really.  I should probably save that for the actual talking about it portion instead of here, but eh, I'm feeling all crazy wacky so who cares.

Why don't I just throw down the Goddamnit, Sega so we can have that done and move along, yeah?  Yeah, let's just go ahead and do that.  So, do you guys remember Valkyria Chronicles?  Well it's back!  In pog card form!  Kind of.  Valkyria Duel is a free-to-play, PC Browser-based card game that is, obviously, only available in Japan because shut up.  There's a planned Smartphone version of it as well, but that's not in the cards on the table just yet, though I imagine it will likely be fundamentally the same since it's likely not a very taxing game.  It will be, as some/most Free-to-play games are, supported by micro-transactions that I have no idea how they will play out.  I imagine you can either buy 'boosters' of people, or they'll have a special grouping of cards that are special enough to be paid-only.  I mean, it's a card game, there are not really all that many options here.

I.....well, I really don't know where to start here.  I'm sure you can imagine where I'm coming from before I even say it, but suffice it to be said that there is not enough "Goddamnit Sega" that I can say here.  I could say it til my already raw throat dries up and cracks and it'd still not be enough for everything that is wrong with this picture.  Now, do I personally care that this is a quick cash-grab for a franchise that I happen to enjoy despite every instance of Sega trying to prevent that?  Of course not.  In fact, I encourage it - who knows, if they rake in enough profit from this, maybe they'll feel confident enough in a PSN-only, no-dub version of Valkyria Chronicles 3 for us since, hey, they'd still be making money off of the whole thing from micro-transactions of the card game.  And maybe if they did that, they could release -this- game over here for smartphones/browsers in an attempt at the same, but expanded, cash-grab.  I imagine it kind of hinges on at least having the ability to play all three games, however, since all three games rosters are involved, as you might be able to tell.

The thing that bugs me is that this is Valkyria Chronicles, and it's a card game at the same time.  I kind of have a thing for card games as you have no doubt realized, and I would probably buy into one based on several franchises I love.  I bought into Metal Gear Ac!d -happily- and would buy it all over again if I could play it on my Vita, which I keep mentioning.  It bugs me because it's pretty much a non-zero chance at being able to play this despite what I said above making something resembling sense.  Sega doesn't do sense, apparently, and said lack of sense still gives me reason to wonder at what's going to happen with further instances of series that I enjoy from them, namely Yakuza.  I have said it before, but I will straight up cut a bitch if my only option for Yakuza 5 is downloading it.  Regardless, that's not Valkyria Chronicles, nor Valkyria Duel related (Note:  Would totally buy a Yakuza card game, totally serious), but there's not much else to say.  It's free, it's Japan-only, it's a friggin' Valkyria Card Game and it taunts me something fierce.

Less vexing is the existence of Okami HD as a real thing, which is something I'm sure will make you all happy.  Should make Chance happy at least, so there's something.  As for myself, I am also happy, but in a less-so, I-may-not-buy-this-game-right-off way because it's DD-only which, you know what, I'm not even going to say it again, you know why that takes it off my radar.  Still, I hope it's only my radar that it takes it off of, because I really, really want this game to sell.  If I could buy and play it, I totally would, and if it catches a good Playstation Plus sale, I might even go against common sense and buy it to download it at some unforeseen time in the future when I have non-shit internet and a PS3 that won't explode or at least convinces me that it will not, should I choose to download something more than, oh say, 300 MB in size for the sheer amount of time it will have to remain on in which to do so.

I don't have much of a story with Okami, but I do have -something- of one with it, so I may as well tell it.  Back in the days of GameCrazy, you see, when I was but a teenager, I walked into the store with a desire to buy and the dosh to back it up.  I didn't know what I was looking for, and honestly could've been sold just about anything because I just needed something to play, since the games at home obviously weren't enough.  Being a dumb kid and all.  So, with just me and the cashier girl in the store, I walked right up to her as she asked me "Hey, anything I can help you find today?" and said "Well, I dunno.  I'm just looking for a new game."  Giving me something of a weird look before going into contemplation, she asked me what system I preferred and as she moved out from behind the counter, I said "PS2", prompting her to head that way.  She obviously had something in mind when she grabbed a case as soon as she went to it.

Going back to the counter, she placed Okami down, a game that I had not heard of at that point, and proceeded to extol unto me the virtues of the wonderful art style and direction, as well as the quirky, brush-and-platforming based gameplay.  Sufficiently curious, I informed her I'd take it, she rang my up and the transaction was complete, just that simple.  I took it home, played it and had to admit that the game was absolutely wonderful, while also wondering just how I had not heard of it, or at least not remembered it had I read about it.  I did beat it and had quite a bit of fun with it, and suffice to say that the next time I saw her, I informed her about her good taste.  And it's kind of for that reason that I hope the game does well since it is very underknown, underrated, despite a good portion of the internet not likely giving you that impression, especially now with this news.  So I suppose that means that maybe you should believe the hype.  Or at least buy it to give yourself an excuse to look at some gorgeous visuals, maybe use that Move Wand you bought (though it's not mandatory) and/or just to get some trophies.  Because you can never have enough trophies.

Bonus Post: Jet Set Radio HD's Soundtrack Has Less Cuts

Despite previous claims of the remake of Jet Set Radio having just over half of the total tracks the comprised the different releases of the game, Sega has used the above video to assure us that the list isn't quite that short.  Featured is the remix of Dragula by Rob Zombie that was featured in the North American release of the game.  It's one of the more divisive tracks on the overall OST, but more importantly, it's one of the songs that wasn't listed in the original release of what songs would grace your speakers (or headphones) for the remake.  This means that, if there was a song you were absolutely hoping for that seemed like it didn't make the cut, have faith, for Sega might just be able to pull this one out.  Now, if only they could go back in time and expend this much effort for the Crazy Taxi remakes.

Side-note:  After watching a Let's Play of Jet Set Radio to get me in the mood for the game, I have to say that I am really grateful for the locked frame rate that the game seems to have from the trailers.  Also, I'm pretty sure it was said that it would be locked, but that's kind of the norm for the releases.  I don't know if it's just because the guy is playing on an emulator (while owning a copy of the game) or if the original version was so choppy, but it gets near -painful- to watch sometimes with how low the FPS dips.  No matter what the issue is, I'm assuming that it -won't- be an issue when I'm rockin' the game on my Vita.  Best not disappoint on that, Sega.

Update!:  So, for once, "Stay Tuned" meant "For just a little while" instead of a month or so, and it's since been revealed that Jet Set Radio will have "99.9%" of the original soundtrack of 30 tracks.  Only two are confirmed cut (Which means it's 93.3% but details) so that means most of the groovy memories will come back to you while playing the game on whatever console you desire.  I am going to post the full tracklist now, which I admit that I am stealing wholesale from Chance because, hey, he pointed it out to me. (Also go to this page if just to see the trailer there because I'm not embedding it too.)

By Hideki Naganuma (SEGA)

“Grace and Glory”

“Humming the Bassline”

“Let Mom Sleep”

“Moody’s Shuffle”

“Rock It On”

“Sneakman”

“Sweet Soul Brother”

“That’s Enough”

By Guitar Vader

“Super Brothers”

“Magical Girl”

By Deavid Soul

“Dunny Boy Williamson Show”

“Miller Ball Breakers”

“On the Bowl (A.Fargus Remix)”

“Up-Set Attack”

Also including such popular tracks as …

“Electric Tooth Brush” by Toronto

“Everybody Jump Around” by Richard Jacques

“OK House” by Idol Taxi

“Bout the City” by Reps

“Funky Radio” by B.B. Rights

“Mischievous Boy” by Castle Logical

“Yellow Bream” by F-Fields

“Just Got Wicked” by Cold

“Dragula” by Rob Zombie

“Slow” by Professional Murder Music

“Improvise” by Jurassic 5

“Patrol Knob” by Mixmaster Mike

“Recipe for the Perfect Afro” by Feature Cast

“Funky Plucker” by Semi Detached

Joystiq informs me that Deavid Soul's "Yappie Feet" and O.B. One's "Many Styles" are the two missing tracks from the soundtrack which is a shame.  I've heard "Deavid Soul" being tossed around a lot as one of the soundtrack highlights, so that one of his songs is off will likely be a little bit of a blow to the overall product.  Still, provided you have ways to get that song (legal ones, I'm watching you), you can likely play it while playing the game if you have the Vita version.  Or..the 360 version.  Maybe the PC version.  Not the PS3 version.  Sadface.

Jet Set Radio Set to Groove on the Vita

Ever since its announcement, Jet Set Radio [HD] (I guess they're not saying HD anymore, despite being HD) for PSN, XBLA and PC has been quite the thing to anticipate as it was one of those dreadfully missing gems from the previous batch of Dreamcast games that were ported to the above systems.  And I, in my deepest hopes, timidly imagined a day where I might experience Dreamcast games on my Vita beyond PSP ports of games (If I wanted to buy Crazy Taxi that way, for instance), though didn't expect it to materialize for a while yet.  But, to my great surprise, that day is going to come sooner than expected, specifically sometime this Summer, when Jet Set Radio releases for the Vita alongside the other versions of the game.  Despite my hopes, I can honestly say that this is something that surprised me completely, and when I saw it in my LiveTweet updates, I didn't know what to think.  Of course, that got straightened out really quickly, as what I need to think about is simple:  How to fit this game into my schedule and how awesome it's going to be that I'll get to play it.

I don't recall much of my time spent with Jet Set Radio back in the day when I played it on my Dreamcast (which I still own both the game and console), but I chalk that up to not being very good at it, meaning that I didn't play it quite so much.  I attribute that mostly to me just being not that great back then, or at least not willing to exert a little bit more in an attempt to really crack into a game to find the creamy goodness that is fun within.  Especially during that era as, and I shit you not on this, I almost passed on Skies of Arcadia because the first boss kicked my ass because I wasn't even really trying.  I bought it, played to that minimal point, lost and promptly threw in something else.  When talking about it with a friend of mine later, I told him about that, to which he lost his shit.  "Go play that game right now, goddamnit." he said and reluctantly, I complied and went on to enjoy the experience of one of my favorite RPGs to date.  (Make no mistake, I don't mean to throw that title around, even though it might seem it what with the Trails in the Sky review last night and now this.)

There's not a whole lot of information about the game that's available at the moment beyond the already announced fact that the soundtracks won't be completely untouched from their original releases (licensing issues, unfortunately, meaning some tracks will be cut), and that the Vita version will include some features for the cameras and touch screen.  The latter of which will most likely, if not assuredly, be implemented into the Tagging, whether it's for the actual -doing-, the customization (if you'll be able to do that) or both, making it just a touch (ha!) different from its console counterparts, but not terribly so.  I imagine that it might also see something similar to Sly Cooper:  Thieves in Time, framerate-wise; as in if the Console versions run at 60 fps, we can likely expect the Vita version to run at 30, though I hope this isn't the case.  Still, I don't think I notice the jump from 30 to 60 and so long as it's locked, I can't say I'll care too much.  It's when framerate starts to dip and fluctuate that it bothers me, as I imagine is the case among many.

With the official announcement and reveal of the title for the Vita, as well as an affirmation of my hopes, I can't help but let that flourish and now expect more.  Why should/would it stop with just Jet Set Radio?  Should we expect that the rest of this next batch of Dreamcast games will see Vita versions in the line-up alongside the console ones?  What of the games that are already out like Sonic Adventure (one would expect Sonic Adventure 2 is part of this second batch, so to get the second before the first would be....strange) and Crazy Taxi?  Maybe after this batch fills/pushes out, we can expect some late-to-the-party releases of the four games already out, though I certainly wouldn't be too fussed if we just saw Sonic Adventure on the portable from the first batch.  Now, with this second batch rumored to include Shenmue 1 and 2 and Skies of Arcadia.....yeah.  I'm waiting for it.  I'm expecting it.  Don't disappoint me, Sega, even though you're oh so good at it.

Is Shenmue HD the Next Dreamcast Remake?

That's what a place called Gamerzines would like you to think and, while I would usually just toss off this rumor as just that, but a fellow over at the Penny Arcade forums who goes by (and this is an affectionate title, I assure you) "TheSonicRetard" has thrown this out as truth.  If there is one thing that TSR does not mess around with, it's anything to do with Sega, so for him to say "I know who this is, too. It is indeed real" makes me almost completely believe it as gospel because TSR has some connections.  It also makes complete sense since Sega has been tossing out a lot of their old Dreamcast hits in HD, seems to want to continue doing so and, well, people do indeed like Shenmue.  They like it a lot, so much so that rumors of Shenmue III existing seem to hold up part of the internet on their own.  So it's not crazy to think that Shenmue is on the list of games to get HD-ified.

Now, there is one of the finer details of the post that I'm not too sure about, and since TSR has not said that the entirety of the story is 100% truth, I am going to go ahead and poke at it a bit.  They claim that their insider says Shenmue HD has been done for over a year, as has Shenmue II HD (I assume not for over a year, but done nonetheless), but both have been held off in favor of getting a 'clearer picture of the future for the Shenmue franchise, namely, whether or not Shenmue III will see the light of day".  Of course, if Shenmue HD is announced after Jet Set Radio HD comes out, that either means we'll have some Shenmue III news around that time or, the entirely likely scenario here, we'll never hear anything of any importance from Sega about Shenmue III again as we haven't for years now.  So really, I'm just a little iffy on whether or not the games have really been finished for that amount of time.

Don't get me wrong - I, like the rest of everyone who had even a cursory interest in the Dreamcast and Sega while they were both still around in their former capacities, would love to see a Shenmue III.  And let's face it, we exist in a world where Duke Nukem Forever was actually released, so miracles -can- happen.  (Not simultaneously, however, which would be why DNF -was- released, but was sub-par)  Similarly, Penny Arcade Adventures:  On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 3 is being released despite being 'canceled' directly from the creators and then 'finished' in a novella.  So we really, truly cannot say 'Never' again because history has made us all the fool for doing so.  However, on the list of things that I believe could possibly happen, Shenmue HD and Shenmue 2 HD are pretty high up whereas Shenmue III being a thing ranks just under "Sega rejoins the Console Market" which itself is under "Microsoft releases a handheld to compete against the 3DS and Vita".  They're all possible, technically, but not exactly plausible.

Regardless, my first instinct when I saw "Shenmue HD" was the pull money out of my wallet and start throwing it at the computer monitor and my PS3, but neither had the effect of, well, getting me the game.  This might be because it's not out yet, or maybe, just maybe, because this is not how you purchase things digitally.  The fact that it hasn't been officially announced, much less had a price-tag attached to it or a release date further complicates matters but, no doubt, whenever it's announced it'll be like the others.  Fair price-tag, probably release in a few months or so from now, and it'll be pretty righteous.  Then, hopefully after it's released, the next two Dreamcast titles will be released and another collection Disk will come out, but for -all- the systems and not just 360 and PC.  I will literally double-dip on Shenmue HD and I don't even care.  I will also double-dip for Shenmue 2 HD and Skies of Arcadia, should these things ever come to pass and would even triple-dip if even just a single one were available for the Vita.  Can you imagine Skies of Arcadia as a portable game?  I can.  It's amazing.

We'll see what all comes of this in the coming months.  At the very least, we can reasonably expect to come away with two more amazing up-ports of games that are fan favorites and for good reason.   The games weren't afraid to do things that you weren't really accustomed to, and we really enjoyed it because of that and because it just had a really neat combat system in what was actually not a very combat-focused game.  It was at least a 50/50 split, where the story was just as important as the mechanics and it's a very precarious line that few games and developers can really walk with any certainty.  Perhaps with it back in the forefront when/if Shenmue and II are re-released, it'll have a good impact on the way we look at or enjoy games again.  Because certainly, at the time, it did that for me and is quite possibly one of the reasons as to why I loved the Dreamcast (and consequently, more Japan-focused things) and continue to do so.

So Much 'Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~!'

It's one of those magical times where I literally have a wealth of information to dispense and merely have to think about the proper way to do so, rather than the normal scrounging about at Joystiq and Siliconera for something that I think I can talk about or thinking about anything of interest otherwise.  Originally, this was just going to be about the above which I will get to in a moment, but I just discovered something else from the Vita Game Heaven Event that I just cannot help but talk about, so I'll just go ahead and combine the two pieces into a single post that covers a full spectrum of awesome.  Because that's just how I do, and I'm glad to do it not only because I'm personally excited about the news, but because I'm excited about being able to share it.

Yesterday during a GDC Panel Yasuhiro Wada, also known as the guy who created Harvest Moon and is thus a person who I actually know about, made a little mention about working alongside Hidetaka Suehiro or Swery on a Deadly Premonition project for the Playstation 3.  When it was initially announced, nobody knew if it meant a sequel or something of that sort or if it was actually the long-awaited localization for the game to PS3.  It has been released in Japan on the PS3, but under the Japanese name of "Red Seeds Profile" so the mention of it being "Deadly Premonition" meant specifically the Western release.  After the panel, people caught up to him for a clarification where he made it perfectly clear:  He's working on an enhanced Port of Deadly Premonition for PS3 with Swery, likely in the Executive Producer position as he was on the original version of the game.

Now, what does an Enhanced Port of Deadly Premonition mean for us, the people intending to buy it?  Well, if you pay attention to Joystiq, then it means the same game as the 360 version, but with more content (it says 'scenarios' which I believe might mean 'episodes') and support for the Playstation Move.  The former makes complete sense, being that it's a provision for approval for PS3/PSN games to have additional content when ported from another system (mostly the 360), but they seem pretty lax on just how much new counts as enough.  This means we could end up with a 20-minute extra episode between two original ones, or a fully fleshed out couple of episodes that explain a whole lot about the game that was otherwise left up to imagination or supposition.  Or just a new location or something, I don't know, it literally could be anything, it's all just up to what Swery and the rest of the team decides to put in.

Playstation Move controls, however, not only make sense but could make the game a much, much better version of it than it was otherwise.  Now, you know I champion games with poor gameplay, so long as they have a great story (whether it's legitimately great or so insane it's great), but to say Deadly Premonition was clunky was, apparently, an oversight.  We've gotten to the point where we can fully, openly, and truthfully acknowledge that Resident Evil 4 played like a pile of crap, and a lot of allusions to that were made in the reviews that came out for it.  However, it's also agreed that the Wii version of Resident Evil 4, with Wii-mote aiming, made for quite possibly the definitive version of the game, taking one of the big flaws of the original and fixing it completely, though some might consider it 'too fixed' since I do believe a common complaint about Resident Evil 4's new control scheme was that it made the game fairly easy.  I'll take that happily, though, if it means I get to finally play Deadly Premonition rather than just hope.

The other nice bit of news that came out, pretty much the important piece of news that came out from the Game Heaven event, is that Phantasy Star Online 2 will be released for the Vita.  Not only that, but it will feature Cross-Play with the PC version of the game, meaning that you can meet up with your PC friends in the same world, same server, and quest with them as if you were all on PC.  Or all on the Vita.  You get what I mean here.  Similarly, if you have the PC version and get the Vita version, you can take your character out and about if you're out and about and have a stable internet connection to use.  But -only- if you have a stable internet connection as, that seems to be the catch because of the Cross-Play feature; only the PC version will feature Offline Content.  The Vita version will always be online which means you might want to also have your charger handy, but it's worth it if you simply have to have your PSO fix.

At least, that's how the landscape of it is currently, and it could change based on fan feedback or what have you.  The game itself is only 10% finished (slated for a 2013 release), meaning there's still a lot yet to be done, and new things, both positive and negative, could yet be found out while the game is getting closer to being complete.  I think the more prudent question to ask, with regards to the second version, is how the subscription for it will work.  Will it require a separate subscription fee?  If so, will it be a wholly separate one at full price, or a lessened one, similar to Final Fantasy XI/XIV's extra character fees or the like?  Or will the cost of the game itself be enough as a secondary buy-in to the game and it'll just work off your account (or, if you -only- have the Vita version, you'll pay for that only, with the ability to get the PC version, at cost, but pay the same sub price) for that?  And you have to wonder, with Samurai and Dragons coming out, how big a part Microtransactions will play in the game.

Satoshi Sakai, producer of Phantasy Star Online 2, also hinted towards more Phantasy Star related surprises to come out this month after confirming that the Vita version of PSO2 was, itself, a surprise hinted at last week.  Of course, what this means is up to anyone's imagination, but I would put good money on a Phantasy Star Portable-style game (tentatively referred to as "Phantasy Star Victory") being announced as something to play around with in the meantime.  At least, I'm hoping for it, or -something- to do with that style of game, even if it's just a remaster of Phantasy Star Portable 1, 2, and/or Infinity for the Vita.  Provided it would actually come to the States, of course.  Since we do enjoy these games, no matter what Sega thinks. (Yes I realize Sega thinks we enjoy them, but don't enjoy paying for them and while I can't exactly fault that, I want these games and will pay)  I guess we'll just find out at some point this month!

Final Fantasy X Remaster is Officially Just That

When Final Fantasy X for the PS3 and Vita was announced a while back, it was specifically billed as a 'remake', even though most of us (at least me) figured they really meant "Remaster" since that is kind of the thing to do now and it makes sense.  Of course, the 10 versions of Final Fantasy IV alone will attest to the fact that Squeenix does, in fact, like taking their older Final Fantasy games and retooling/redoing them for reasons that always equal money, so it was a bit up in the air even though Remaster still made the most sense.  Officially today, it has been stated that yes, they really did mean HD Remaster which doesn't explicitly rule out fiddling, as the Silent Hill Collection will certainly attest to.  Though with the X remaster being 'early on' in development still, it's hard saying what all will make it in.

I think it's safe to say that if Squeenix decided to only take the PS2 game of Final Fantasy X as it was when released in North America and make that shiny, it's....not going to fly too well, since there's no way it's going to sell as cheap as the other Remasters out there, comparatively.  (Generally speaking, a Remaster for one game is $15-20 since they usually come in twos or threes.)  At the -very least-, Squeenix should really put some thought into making it the 'International Version' of the game which had quite a bit of extra things in it from what I understand.  Beyond that, I'm not even sure what they can do to really sweeten the pot to make it tangible for the likely inflated pricetag it's going to carry, being the Squeenix that we all know and...know.  The remasters aren't really known, as I said, for a lot of extra stuff, instead relying on the numbers for the sell, so with Final Fantasy X being the only game in the package, it's gotta have -something-.  And it's a bit late in the game for them to suddenly say "Oh yeah, X-2 is going to be in it too".

It might all be a little moot from my point anyway, since I'm fairly on the fence on whether or not I'll even get it.  I'm sure if I do, it'll be for the Vita since, hey, portable version of a full-size RPG is always nice to have for those times when I have time to kill and nothing exactly pressing to kill it on.  I guess the extra things that go in it, if any, will determine at what point I throw down the cash for it, really.  Since I bought the game at full price once already and shinier graphics and trophies aren't enough for me to throw down roughly the same amount of money for it again 12 years later.  Final Fantasy X was one of those games that, while I was playing it, it was fun and interesting and stuff, but the minute I beat it I instantly had no more interest in it whatsoever and just didn't want to touch it again.  That might've had something to do with how I dismissed Final Fantasy X-2 so easily with just the demo, since I'm not even sure when I played it all those years ago, that I even gave the combat a good try.  And that was apparently the best thing about the game and one of the better fighting systems of FF games in general.  I can't say if that's true or not and on some level it does kind of bug me.

It's funny because in trying to think of ways FFX HD becomes an easier sell, all I've managed to do is think of things that would make me not want to buy it even more than I already don't want to.  Like if they changed the voice acting, unless they brought in the same VAs to try it again, I guess.  Or, hell, as long as they just keep John DiMaggio for Wakka, I don't really even care.  Then, knowing Japanese trophy design as I obviously do, I'm already dreading the "Get all the Ultimate Weapons" and "Unlock all the Ultimate Weapons" or whatever trophies that will inevitably be in there.  I braved the lightning jump and that was....well, it was tedious, but not difficult.  But the Chocobo Racing?  Get 0:00 as a time on the course by use of the time bonuses scattered through it?  Nah.  Fuck that.  Perhaps in the 12 or 13 years that will have passed before the game hits American shores again, I'll have gotten better at that or will have gotten to a point where I can be better at it, but right now I'm not relishing the idea at all.

But Blitzball...I wouldn't mind playing Blitzball again.  Hmm.