Oh My God, So Many Announcements

I very, very briefly toyed with the idea of doing a post predicting just what could have been announced at the Sony Japan Pre-TGS Conference, but I decided on the idea that it was mostly going to be an event where the PS4 release date was going to be announced, see some Yakuza Ishin and Final Fantasy 14 on PS4 and basically be it.  Just the bog-standard Japan version of the "Here's the PS4, look how awesome it is" speech that we've all gotten by now and Japan hadn't, really since they didn't even get a release date just yet.  -Maybe- there'd be a big PS4 game announced.  Maybe.  I certainly didn't expect any big announcements or...really announcements of a sort at all.  As we all know by now, I am terrible at predictions and, as such, there were a ton of fucking announcements made at the conference and I don't even know what to think about half of them.

First up, what we all expected:  the PS4 launch date.  It is...certainly not what we expected, to say the least, as the Playstation 4 will launch in Japan on February 22nd, 2014, months after the NA and EU launch.  Those few months don't even change up the launch list all that much:

• Assassin's Creed 4
• Battlefield 4
• Call of Duty: Ghosts
• Doki-Doki Universe
• Dream Club: Host Girls on Stage
• Driveclub
• Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends
• FIFA 14
• Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn beta
• Hohokum
• Killzone: Shadow Fall
• Knack
• Natural Doctrine
• Puzzle 4 Sudoku
• Tottemo E Mahjong Plus
• Resogun
• Strider
• Watch Dogs
• Yakuza: Restoration

There are some notable exceptions of course - the Final Fantasy 14 Beta is a good thing, especially when you consider that PS3 owners get to play the Beta for free as well as transfer over their characters.  Joystiq may be being dumb here, however (Which has happened before) as the comments there and other places seem to indicate that it's a full-blown upgrade deal.  If you've bought the game for PS3, you won't have to re-buy it on PS4 and will be able to carry over your progress regardless.  With how good and friendly Square has been about FF14: A Realm Reborn (something I had never anticipated on saying), it certainly seems possible that you'll be able to upgrade and carry-over for free.  If nothing else, it simply makes the admittedly already-enticing FF14 all that much better which is also something I never figured on saying and just what the hell has happened in my life?

Yakuza: Restoration and Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends making the PS4 launch cut, however, will make quite a big deal in Japan.  Restoration was previously only figured on for PS3, but now is hitting the PS4 and possibly Vita - again, there's conflicting reports here and I base them on Joystiq just not having good people staying up late to watch the thing.  Either the game is going to be released on the Vita (as DW8:XL and a few other games (especially KOEI ones) or they just made it a point to once again mention Remote Play which is not the same thing at all and is something we already know because if a game is released for the PS4, unless it makes use of the Camera extensively or something, it can be Remote Play'd.  I -get- that it's a selling point, but you don't have to mention it with every game, especially when it leads to confusion like this.  Speaking of KOEI games, however, I have to wonder just what Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends is going to be like, as unless it has the base content of 8, it's....literally not a full game, as XL games are Expansions.  Quite a weird choice if it's going to be as light as previous XL games unless they bring 8 to Vita and PS4 as well.

Strangely enough, at the event where the Japanese PS4 release date was announced, there's a strong case to be made for the theory that the Vita was the big draw.  Vita news began with the announcement of a new, thinner model that follows in the footsteps of the PSP and its revisions.  The Vita-2000 (like the PSP-2000) will eschew the sexy OLED screen for a (hopefully not much less sexy) LCD screen, include 1 gig of onboard storage and come in six different colors for Japan at least.  Pricing doesn't seem to be much cheaper, since it comes in around $200 with conversion rates, but Japan -loves- different color models, and with a different screen, the profit margins on the device likely make it much, much better for Sony as a product.  I'm not sure how to feel about it - the Vita isn't that old to need a redesign and I fucking love the screen on mine, but there might not be that much of a difference.  Regardless, I'm not getting rid of mine anytime soon and, like others, the newly announced 64 gig memory stick will be mine ASAP, meaning that my Vita will be recommended -that much more- heavily by me if you can imagine that.

The Vita also saw a few games announced for it as well, and while it was nothing exactly huge - TGS is right around the corner after all, and I'm still saying you can expect Gravity Rush 2 there - there's still things worth a mention.  Soul Sacrifice Delta was announced as an updated version of Soul Sacrifice that is apparently much more than just an updated version of the game as Japan does sometimes.  It promises "all new elements" (I've heard talks of a straight up 'neutral option' that is neither Sacrificing or Saving a target in terms of your 'humanity' which is interesting enough) and the like that will increase the appeal of the brand overall.  I'd buy the hell out of it.  Alongside that, Phantasy Star Nova was announced as a collaboration between Sega and Tri-Ace in which is seems like Tri-Ace is doing basically all of the developing of the game.  It'll be based on the world of Phantasy Star Online 2, but offer a Single-Player story alongside an online Co-Op Multiplayer mode for up to four people.  Best odds are on Soul Sacrifice Delta being the one of these coming West, but we can hope for both.

Lastly, and most curiously, something called a Playstation Vita TV was announced and if there's anything that I just look at and don't know about, it's this.  What this is, essentially, is a Playstation Vita without the screen or the controls because you plug it into a TV for the screen and you control it with a controller; both Dualshock 3s and 4s will apparently work with it.  It is, for all intents and purposes, a console version of the Playstation Vita, meaning if you don't want to game on the go, simply don't want to play a handheld in your home, or you just want to play Vita games on a big screen TV, this is your go-to device.  You'll be able to put carts and memory sticks in it just like a normal Vita, and the touch-screen inputs can be mirrored with a press of the L3 and/or R3 buttons (the analog sticks when you push them down) of your Dualshock, which is...inelegant, but for minor uses, fairly inoffensive.  Games like Gravity Rush, Uncharted:  Golden Abyss and Zero Escape:  Virtue's Last Reward that make extensive use of all the Vita's features, however, might literally be un-playable on it as there's a compatibility list floating around out there which always means there will be some exceptions.

Still, at ~$99, the Playstation Vita TV is damn enticing for anyone who wants the Vita experience without actually buying a Vita.  Originally, I didn't know -why- you'd want to do this, but the more I think about it, the more that it begins to make a little sense as to why you'd want to buy one even if you -have- a Vita.  For one, the allure of playing Persona 4 Golden, with its lovely colors and silky smooth frames on a rather large TV is enticing admittedly.  Secondly, and perhaps the -real- reason why I'd consider it myself, is that for $99, you basically have a secondary PS4 box thanks to Remote Play.  Have your PS4 set up in the living room, but you want to play inFamous:  Second Son in your bedroom?  Hook up your Vita TV and Remote Play it on your bedroom TV, easy as that.  Combine that with the media capabilities the Vita already has (Youtube, Netflix apps, Video player, some browser-video viewing ability, etc.) and what they might get in the future as a result of more exposure (perhaps Crunchyroll, Hulu Plus, and the likes of other programs that are on the PS3 already?) and it might just be something that kicks the Apple TV, Roku and the Ouya all to the curb in one fell swoop.  Like the Ouya needed any help in doing that.

It makes you wonder what Sony's going to announce at the Tokyo Games Show when -that- is their pre-show conference.  Aside from the obvious bits that I mentioned (Gravity Rush 2), I was literally drawing blanks as to what to think about this conference and TGS both.  I don't really expect them to show up at TGS with nothing else, as that'd be really silly, but, hell, I'm always wrong with this kind of thing.  But when crazy, weird shit like this can happen, it really gives you hope and excitement about what's just around the corner, or at least, it certainly gives me that.  I wonder if it'd be too early to announce Soul Sacrifice 2 with the Delta announcement just made...

that 64 gig stick is going to be ridiculously priced, but it'll be worth it so that I can carry my Final Fantasy and Persona collections around hopefully

What a Long Day

As stated by the title, it has been an absurdly long day.  Mostly because it feels like a continuation of yesterday which was also an absurdly long day for the fact that I stayed up for around 24 consecutive hours because it's the weekend, damnit.  I'm stuck working the mornings for two more weeks and I'm a night owl, so it's....restrictive, so my weekends are my time to reclaim my nights...even when it's not a good idea.  As it clearly was in this case.  Don't get me wrong - I went to sleep before work today (a surprise eight and a half hours of very, very boring things) but, well, it was not very good sleep apparently.  Even though it was long sleep.  I'm sure that I do not have to explain this phenomena to you much more as I am sure that we've all been there at one point or another.

So, in this situation, I will do what I usually do - offer you K-Pop and an apology for not having anything interesting to say.  Because I just don't.  Have anything interesting to say, that is.  Just....absolutely nothing.  It's bothersome.  Still, tonight's song is a bit approachable since it's only K-Pop by virtue of being sung by a Korean Pop Star - it's in English and has quite the toe-tapping quality to it.  I'm sure some of you out there will dig it, at least.  So with that, I bid you good night, and hopefully I will have something to write about tomorrow.

I will, because I will at least be able to write -something- tomorrow as opposed to tonight

Trails in the Sky Second Chapter is Coming, GET FUCKING HYPE

Friends, this is the fucking year to be a gamer.  Well, this year and next year, it seems, but this year for the announcements if nothing else.  I have been constantly surprised (in a good way) by announcements for things this year, and that....that's not stopping, it seems.  Another one of the things that I had mostly given up on long ago has been announced today and I could not be happier unless there were more overwhelmingly positive things that happened today, but this is good too.  Another one of those things that I have said probably isn't ever happening has decided to happen to prove me wrong and that's fine.  That's amazing, even.  I will take that any day of the week.

The long and short of it is that The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter is coming to PSP and PC.  As in the sequel to the game on the PSP that I absolutely adored last year when I played it.  As in the game that continued the wonderful story from First Chapter that got so amazingly good at the end and made me froth at the mouth for a chance to get to play and experience it.  Basically the sequel to one of the RPGs that has nestled in my heart in that little spot reserved for "Favorite" games.  So I'm sure you can see that I am absurdly fucking happy for this.  Like, deliriously "if-things-were-better-I-would-proclaim-that-everything-is-amazing-and-life-is-wonderful" happy.  It's not quite there because of stuff and things going on elsewhere, but this is still pretty damn uplifting.

I suppose I should make a little notation here:  what I wasn't expecting was that the game would actually end up on PSP.  The way everything was going on and being talked about, it felt more like if -anything-, the series would be hitting PC through Steam only, meaning my clear data from First Chapter would be completely and utterly useless.  Meaning I would have to get a gaming computer (which I -intend- to), buy First Chapter on Steam (Which I will do -when- I get said gaming computer anyway, because FC is going up on Steam in Winter) so that I can beat it and buy and play Second Chapter (which, again, I will be doing -anyway- eventually) instead of just...you know, buying Second Chapter on my Vita so I could play it there with the data I already have.  So basically just prolonging that which has already taken a hell of a lot longer than I would've preferred, and more or less invalidating my PSP purchase of the game.  That's what I was worried about.  That's what most of us were worried about, and justifiably so, I should think.  Even though at least one or two of the XSEED folks just bought Sweet Fuse last week and were going on about that, proving that PSP games aren't dead yet, even if it's not going to sell ten million copies or some other absurd number.

It's happening, though.  Second Chapter is going to be published by XSEED sometime in 2014 featuring a translation done by Carpe Fulgur, who you probably know from Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale.  I don't know if they're starting over from scratch, or if they're going to supplement the XSEED translation that was already underway, but regardless, 2014 is a large enough window to cover either case I should think.  As you might expect, it's only going to release digitally, which as stated in posts previous, I have made a stink about before, but not for this.  In fact, I will go so far as to say that if you don't buy The Legend of Heroes:  Trails in the Sky Second Chapter -purely- because it's Digital-Only (No Physical, No Buy is the mantra there), then you are literally a shit and I hate you.  If I'm willing to throw $30-40 at my Vita until I can start the download for Second Chapter that will likely take somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-10 hours because I have the shittiest internet known to God and Man, then you can suck it up.  It's going to be worth it, if that's a more compelling argument.

Since this is happening, I very strongly recommend that you pick up Trails in the Sky (Store Link) at some point between now and when it's set to release so you'll be caught up and have some Clear Data to carry over into Second Chapter.  It's $20 which is not at all unreasonable for one of the best RPG releases in recent years.  Which is not something I say lightly.  And while I'm not going to compare TitS to something like, say, Persona 4 Golden, since they're both JRPGs, I am pointing out that I did bring up P4G in the same mention of calling Trails in the Sky one of the best RPG releases in recent years and let you come to terms with something on your own.  Since to directly compare them would be like comparing one delicious, decadent food item with another - they're both wonderful, they're both to be savored, and they're both to be appraised for what they are.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I have no doubts that Second Chapter will be equally delicious.

yes, I know, terrible metaphor but goddamnit, I am just so happy I don't even care

KOEI, Seriously, Please Start Announcing Localizations

KOEI really, really, really likes the Vita...

....in Japan.

No less than four Warriors titles are in production for the device at the moment, and it borders on absurd at just how much attention the Vita's getting from KOEI, even if it -is- half ports.  Yet, when those ports are Samurai Warriors 2 (and Xtreme Legends -and- Empires) and Warriors Orochi 3 (as an enhanced version of the game, same as PS3's enhanced version) you will be surprised at just how fucking okay I am with this.  Those two games join the line-up alongside Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends (potentially 8 somewhere along the line too?) and the newly announced Shin Dynasty Warriors Gundam which are both being developed for PS3 -and- Vita.  And that's all of just what I know about, who the hell knows if there's other stuff that I've missed completely, because it's entirely possible.

The first reaction to this is supposed to be a level of cautious optimism, of course.  They're not exclusive games to the Vita, but they're being developed for it nonetheless, and that likely fosters a sort of side-by-side mentality about them.  Consumers will only buy one or the other by-and-large of course (KOEI ain't gonna touch Cross-buy with a ten foot pole) but it broadens the pool of potential buyers at the very least if you put both out, and there's no reason -not- to.  That they're coming to the Vita at all is a good sign no matter how you look at it.  I basically mention that side-by-side mentality for the localization aspect of the games, of course.  Speaking of...

The next reaction is the slow, creeping disdain and cynicism that one has naturally fostered for KOEI by this point when it comes to actually releasing games outside of Japan.  We did get the original Warriors Orochi 3 (as digital-only for PS3 which is something that I have ranted about enough), and we did get Samurai Warriors 2, Xtreme Legends and Empires way back in the day easy enough as well.  DW8:XL seems a given to come out over here, but I'm not pinning any hopes on disc-based, and Shin Dynasty Warriors Gundam....is the sticky one of the bunch.  We don't know anything about it really - is it just another DW: G game with a new name? - so it's hard to say one way or another, especially with Namco Bandai being involved on top of KOEI.  Warriors Orochi 3 coming out over here originally might even be a strike against its chances since WO3 Ultimate is a (highly) enhanced version of it.  But we'll just have to see on that, I suppose.

Now, as mentioned, the really sticky thing to wonder about if -any- of these games come out is format.  KOEI surprised the hell out of me by announcing DW8 on disc with a proper localization and such, but I expect that to be the exception rather than the rule moving forward.  I have zero problems throwing money at people at GameStop for a copy of a KOEI game on a disc.  Zero.  While I've raised a stink about digital-only in the past (and it's still an issue, though definitely something I've chilled out on some), I only have a few issues with throwing digital money at PSN for a copy of a KOEI game in digital form.  Those issues are primarily "How big is it" and "That's going to take fucking forever to download".  Which was a legitimate concern with my current PS3 - the fans kick on to 100% or seems like it, which means it's not long for this world.  It takes the better part of six hours to download one gig of data, I'd bet, so something like WO3 which was eleven gigs?  Ridiculous.  Cannot, will not ever happen unless I cart my system to someone else and it manages to not die after I delete 22 gigs of data to accommodate the strange way PSN downloads work with full games or something.

When I get a shiny new PS3 with 500 gigs of storage space this will....be far less of an issue.  It'll obviously still take fucking forever to download, but the great thing is that I might actually be able to let it.  In the end, it's all about just being able to buy and play a game that you want to play.  So when there's an unreasonable barrier, of course it's going to be frustrating, but I guess the option then just becomes "Make it work".  So maybe I will.  I can tell you with certainty that if the games come out in the West on Vita, I don't care what format, I will buy the ever-loving shit out of them.  I will make a KOEI page and it will have all the bubbles for Dynasty Warriors Next and Toukiden and whatever of the above titles actually come out, even if I have to buy them all digitally.  I will eschew whatever I have to in an effort to have multiple KOEI Warriors games at my fingertips.  And I will seriously consider a 32 gig stick if need-be.  You just have to make it happen, KOEI.

there is honestly nothing about the prospect of any of those four Warriors games on my Vita that I don't love

Mighty No. 9 is Mega Man, Funded, Awesome

It's simultaneously easy and incredibly difficult to believe that you have not heard of Mighty No. 9 at this point - on the one hand, it's been a busy weekend in North America at least, and that does sort of make it difficult to find out about Kickstarter news unless you're looking for it, but on the other hand, it feels like everybody already knows about Mighty No. 9.  So for those of you who don't know what the game it, it is basically Mega Man.  It looks like Mega Man, it has the same general concept as Mega Man, the same general playstyle as Mega Man and the same original creator as Mega Man.  Yes, Keiji Inafune, with his company Comcept USA, took to Kickstarter to get funding for the game known as Mighty No. 9 and did so in quite a swift amount of time - just around two days.  For a $900,000 goal on a busy weekend as it has been (PAX and Labor Day), it's rather impressive and it still has a run of 28 days before it closes down and locks in the exact final amount which, thanks to stretch goals, will more or less decide just how much Mighty No. 9 we're going to get.

The base game....well, why don't I let one of the Kickstarter Bullet Points explain that, yes?

• You play as Beck, the 9th in a line of powerful robots, and the only one not infected by a mysterious computer virus that has caused mechanized creatures the world over to go berserk. Run, jump, blast, and transform your way through six stages (or more, via stretch goals) you can tackle in any order you choose, using weapons and abilities stolen from your enemies to take down your fellow Mighty Number robots and confront the final evil that threatens the planet!

Blatant Mega Man comparisons aside (emphasis theirs, by the way, not mine), it says right there that the original goal is for six stages, but that seven and eight can be added through  the Stretch Goals and is specifically the first one at $1,200,000.  At this point in time, it's -almost- there even, being at $1,141,413 as I'm writing this (and updating constantly as I continue writing, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's fully to that goal by the time I'm finished).  It's not broken apart or anything - that stretch goal is the one that will add the stages for Mighty No. 7 and 8 and thus more or less make it even closer to the Mega Man games we all already know and love.  The other Stretch Goals include Mac and Linux versions (btw, base game is set only for PC, however...), New Game Plus and "Turbo Mode", a Making-Of Documentary and, of course, PS3/360/Wii U versions.  There are also two Stretch Goals which are....mysteries?  I guess?  Perhaps surprises along the way to spice things up or something.

If there's absolutely anything to be disappointed in at looking at Mighty No. 9, it's simply that the Console Versions are the very last Stretch Goal, set in at the $2,500,000 mark, and that there's no 3DS or Vita love, nor Next-Gen love aside from the Wii U.  Of course, Kickstarters are malleable by nature and the feedback on their official Twitter has stated that versions for all the consoles left out are possible, depending on funding and feedback.  The official statement re: PS4/XBone versions is that they're not planning on them due to lack of knowledge about the consoles which....is understandable since they're not even out yet, buy by the time Mighty No. 9 comes out, they will have been and for...a little while.  Obviously, I am that guy, always saying how I want everything on my Vita so this is certainly no exception, but mostly because it's a damn good fit.  Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X (which was free through Plus a while back) played wonderfully on the PSP (and the Vita as well) so Vita/3DS versions of the game just make sense, so long as they can work them properly.

Otherwise, I just haven't looked into it all that much because I don't really....need to.  It's a new, improved version of Mega Man with fun, new little twists and such, but is so much built on a foundation that I already know very well.  Conveniently, that means that I know it's going to be good with some level of certainty, which is nice to have.  However, as much as I like looking at Kickstarter projects - I prefer the ability to actually buy them when they're available or, in some cases, while they're on their way to being released, not when they're mere theories and concepts on paper and computer documents and files.  But I'm old-fashioned like that, it seems, especially when I consider that notion to be a silly one, since there are people who will un-ironically agree with my assertion that I'm old-fashioned because of that.  But that sort of stuff just makes my head hurt anymore.

Anyways, Mega M- Mighty No. 9.  It's going to be a thing and it's likely going to be fantastic.  Let's just see where all it ends up landing and how the Kickstarter plays out.  Certainly going to be interesting if nothing else.

I personally just love how tongue-in-cheek against Capcom the whole thing is

Bonus Post - What's Been Going On Lately?

Above is the song that I linked to in the New Little King's Story post I made earlier, or rather, finished earlier, which was originally going to be used in a post the previous night where I just grumbled loudly about bullshit I didn't/don't want to get into and not actually talk about -anything-.  As noted in said NLKS post (which was supposed to go up last night, meaning the rage post was from the night before last) I hit save instead of publish and then closed the tab because I was, well, pissed.  So last night, I went "Oh, that was silly, but no sense in fixing my mistake and posting it since it's got no content and is just anger" and instead started the NLKS post which explained the lack of post from the night before.  While I was writing that, as I noted on my Twitter, there was a little friend drama occurring that I got dragged into.  I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but when two of your friends are having a -large- fight, and you end up on the blamed end because you didn't stick up for either of them (because they were both wrong), well, it kind of hampers morale.  So, what does all this mean, exactly?

It means that it just hasn't been a good week.

Rather, August just wasn't a good month in general.  I was on-and-off with allergies, and while my mood was mostly stable, my inspiration and my actual -ability- to write sort of fluctuated which I'm sure is residual from my moping around and such from The Great Mogs Funk of 2013.  Of course, at the end of the month here, I started working again and my current work will go on until at least the 20th of this month, if not til the -end- of September.  It's not easy work.  It's manual labor work, it's intensive, and it's something that requires proper timing and precision over several hours.  It's tiring, is my point, and going from not really working to being ridiculously busy is not an easy transition to make in ideal circumstances and I am clearly not in ideal circumstances by any flip of the coin.  So it's just a lot of stuff all at once as it usually happens and it just gets in the way and is annoying.

What -hasn't- helped things is that my pool of topics to talk about of a night has shrunk considerably for the bulk of summer, and I think that has shown itself at several points.  As I've stated before, during the summer it's simply -too hot- to play my PS3 for extended periods of time because it'll just erupt into flames and drag $170 out of my wallet for a replacement for a unit that I don't even want anymore.  I have an old 80 gig with backwards compatibility and not to sound like a jackass, but I don't even want that.  I don't use it because what if my PS3 seizes up and dies while I'm playing like, Shadow Hearts:  Covenant?  Drakengard?  Those aren't easy games to get anymore and yes, while you're -supposed- to get your disc back when you get the replacement unit, who knows if there's edge cases where they go "Oh, sorry, it was lost/destroyed" and who knows what happens in that case?  It's simply easier to just -not- deal with that nonsense.

That's why the goal has shifted as such.  I believe I mentioned it in the past, but I was giving serious consideration into the 500 GB GTA V Bundle at GameStop, and when I went there this past week to pick up Killer is Dead, I did it.  I put down $50 of the whole purchase and I feel good about it.  The Super Slim is a device that I actually like the looks of, it's small, it runs cool, it doesn't draw a lot of power, and if it breaks, I can open it and get my disc.  But, of course, it's not going to break - I'm confident that, like Microsoft with the latest and greatest models of the 360, they've figured out that over-heating thing something fierce and it only happens in the edgest of edge cases now - like Store Demos and the like.  So for $270 ($220, technically since the 50 is already down) I'm getting a PS3 that would otherwise cost $300 in a different bundle with Grand Theft Auto V, something I was already going to pay $60 additionally for, and another Dualshock 3 so I can have proper couch-multiplayer if I so desire and have someone else around.  Or if I just want to switch controllers.  It seemed like a no-brainer, especially because the cool system and the 500 gigs of on-board storage means I'll...actually look into downloading PS3 games I've gotten from Plus, which is a bevy of opportunity on its own merits alone.

So what's been going on lately is a lot of change.  Which means a lot of stress which means a lot of wasted time which means that I don't get a lot of work done.  Obviously, I apologize for that and it's a silly thing overall, but, well, y'gotta have pride in whatever you do, and I certainly do here.  I'm pretty certain that people read this blog nightly, judging by the view counts, and I imagine you people are the few and the proud, as it were, so you deserve a little transparency when I can offer it.  And that's what it is.  The next few weeks are going to still be rough, but when Grand Theft Auto V comes out, I'll have not only the game, but a new PS3 that I can use and abuse wholly for entertainment purposes on an unprecedented level which will allow me to get through my backlog and allow me to provide some more content for you guys where it might otherwise be absent or lacking.  It's not too far off.

As always, thanks for reading, folks.

as if I needed another reason to be excited for GTAV, I mean have you even seen that game

Oh, My, New Little King's Story is Delightful

I have to be careful with this one here because it seems that I have not been good with first impressions lately, both with the whole Touch My Katamari thing the other week and....some other things in my personal life that are -very- frustrating and the entire reason why I actually didn't get a post out last night.  Or rather, why I typed up a short post and, still in a blind fury, hit "Save" instead of "Publish" and closed the window so I could go be angry until I wanted to relax, which is when I turned to New Little King's Story.  You'll notice that the post is still not up, which is...mostly because it was me embedding a youtube video of a Halestorm song and typing a few angry sentences about how I wasn't able to do a proper post.  So you didn't really miss anything but the song which you are not missing now.  But that all is a terrible tangent and I've gone completely off-point.

Ahem.

Anyways, I bought New Little King's Story because it was going for a paltry $9.79 thanks to the wonderful Japanese Games Sale that I talked about a couple weeks ago.  Unfortunately I didn't play it until the sale was over (as it was just a couple days ago that I started playing it.) so I couldn't recommend it before it went back to retail price and it's -seeming- like that might be a bad thing.  I'm absolutely enchanted with the game from the start of it, so it's obviously endeared itself to me, surprising myself, to the point where I might be tempted to recommend it to others.  Except I'm wary to do so, mostly because of the issues mentioned above.  Especially with the price back up to $20 in North America, it's something I want to be a little certain on before I shout that you need New Little King's Story in your life if I do indeed end up doing just that.  I'll have to probably....like, beat the game first before I can decide if I'm going to do that or not and I'm not even -close- to that point.

What New Little King's Story -is- is something that I can't quite put a finger on, mechanics-wise.  It's like a really odd blend of what I can only assume Pikmin is like (having never played it) as well as the sort of easy-job system that probably has a better example than Fat Princess, but that's all I can come up with.  Basically the jobs, like in Fat Princess, are designated by hats, and you get the hats from buildings.  In NLKS' case, you send the members of your Royal Guard (basically people that you make follow you around) running into a building that gives (or sells in some cases) the hat you want them to wear and they walk out with that job.  There's a little more of a level of permanency to it than you might expect in that, while you can switch their jobs, and there doesn't seem to be a reason -not- to do so if you aren't so inclined, they will stay in that job from day-to-day.  So when you finish up for the night (game has a Day/Night cycle) and get up the next day, when you walk around town to pick your Guard again, those who were Grunts yesterday, Farmers, etc. will all still be in that job, mingling with the townsfolk until you recruit them again.

The story starts with you more or less building a domain from which to rule and that's a pretty decent start-up as any I've heard really.  Neighboring areas have monsters that don't trouble you unless you step out into the wilderness and even then they're start-of-the-game monsters so you won't be too fussed.  Though it introduces a system where a Miniboss controls the monsters of the area and when it's defeated, you gain control of the land.  So clearly, that's the idea to start out with so you can build more buildings and expand your kingdom for more subjects who will be more recruits with more jobs.  Etc. etc.  What this also means is that you should generally give a good bit of thought into your Royal Guard because there's certain things that you -don't- want to do, and the list includes: walking across a long, long distance with a group of grunts only to find out you need a carpenter to build a stairway, and walking directly into the den of a miniboss with a Hunter, Two Farmers and Two Carpenters.  Both can be very frustrating situations, let me tell you.

I haven't really even gotten into the meat of the game, though I suspect the meat is what my next objective is, so I'm -close-.  But even then, it's the first of many bits that comprise the meat, so it's going to be a fairly lengthy game, I'm guessing.  That's good.  I'm hoping that by the time I'm finished with NLKS, I'll think of it as the right length instead of wishing it'd been more or, even worse, thinking there was entirely too much there.  But I don't know -how- the game will get to a point where it will be too much of what I consider a good thing, nor do I know how this good thing can wear out its welcome.  So, overall, I'm just being quite positive about it.  It's going to be a nice ride in the meanwhile, figuring out the further nuances with the game and the jobs that it'll continue to offer.  And I'm sure this isn't going to be the last post that I make on the game, so there's that to look forward to as well.

I was lucky in that one miniboss encounter, however, since it just sat there and let my Hunter murder the shit out of it