As part of its feature on original IPs, Weekly Famitsu compile a ranking just for the best selling new original IPs launched last financial year (Apr 1, 2008 – Mar 22, 2009). Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode is the run away winner with 784,037 copies sold, which is more than double the amount of Wii Music in second place. As expected, DS games dominates the Top 20 with 10 titles. Check out the contenders for next year’s Top 20 here or see the full ranking after the jump.

Source: Weekly Famitsu

Read the rest of this entry »

The recent issue of Weekly Famitsu (issue 4/24, the issue before last) has a massive 11-page feature on original IPs (the mag call them “rookie titles”) and lots of long-in-development titles are suddenly in the spotlight. Readers were asked to vote for their most anticipated new IPs in a survey and here are the Top 10 and comments from the developers.

1. Ninokuni (DS, Level-5, TBA 2009, 600 votes)

Level-5’s first title for their 10th anniversary is a collaboration with Studio Ghibli. You’re a 13-year-old boy traveling between reality and Ninokuni (direct translation: the second country) looking for your mum. Studio Ghibli is responsible for the animation while the studio’s famous composer Joe Hisaishi take care of the music. The game will also come with a book called “Magic Master” that mimic the magic book found in the game. Players will need to refer to the book throughout the game in order to learn spells, combine items, check map, identify enemy’s weakness and get to know more about the story. Level-5’s boss Akihiro Hino says the game is about human relationship and there will be follow-up reports soon.

Read the rest of this entry »

One of my most wanted game when I got my DSi is Level-5’s Inazuma Eleven, which sadly isn’t available in English yet. I used to like soccer a lot but has been extremely poor at soccer games. So the mix of soccer with role-playing elements in Inazuma Eleven excite me a lot. While nobody seems interested in publishing the first game elsewhere, Level-5 already announced a date for its sequel, Inazuma Eleven 2: Kyoui no Shinryokusha, which is now set for release in Japan this October 1st.

Source: Official website

Issue 1/23 of Weekly Famitsu celebrate the new year by interviewing 21 Japanese game “creators” who they think will make waves in the year 2009. I always love these interviews, especially when developers explain the thinking behind their games or reveals how difficult it is to make them. Each creator gets a page to talk about 2008, 2009 and their games, so read on if you’re interested. PSP and PS3 creators can be read here and here.

Atsuhi Inaba (Platinum Games) & Hifumi Kouno (nude maker)

The duo says they spent most of their time in 2008 working on Infinite Space for the DS, thanks to the increase in content (three times more than originally planned). The most important thing for them in 2009 is to release the game. They reckon it will gives players a lot of satisfaction and Kouno says he is very happy with the script, he even cry while writing them. He hopes his next game will be a horror title. As for Inaba, he says Infinte Space, Madworld (Wii) and Bayonetta (PS3, Xbox 360) will be completed and hope he can mention Shinji Mikami’s new work.

Read the rest of this entry »

The upcoming issue of Weekly Famitsu has a 5-page exclusive report on Bandai Namco’s next entry in the Super Robot Taisen (aka Super Robot Wars) series. Super Robot Taisen K is coming out this April 2 in Japan with 14 anime works included, 6 of them are new to the SRPG series.

Source: 2ch.

Plenty of screens from Dragon Quest IX: Hoshizora no Mamoribito again, this time focus on the sub-quests that will add to your enjoyment of the main story, cut scenes from the latest trailer released at Jump Festa 2009 and also a look at the Sandy the fairy. Again, March 28th is the release date in Japan and Play-Asia already has the game available for pre-order.

Source: Game Watch & Gpara.

Read the rest of this entry »

Famitsu has an article up now explaining the flow of multiplayer part of Dragon Quest IX: Hoshizora no Mamoribito, something I’m always interested in, so let’s see how does it work.

Before you start, you can choose to be a host and invite your friends to join your party or a guest by joining them. It appears that the offline and online adventure will be seamlessly integrated, if you are a host, you’ll simply continue your offline adventure with your friends.

Source: Famitsu

Read the rest of this entry »

Looks like Dragon Ball The Movie is not the only new Dragon Ball Z game currently in development as the latest issue of V Jump magazine reports that Bandai is making Dragon Ball Z Story for the DS. To be released in spring 2009, the game is a command-based RPG that allows players to form a team of three characters. As for the story, it will starts with Majunia.

With the completion of Layton Kyouju to Saigo no Jikan Ryokou, Weekly Famitsu sit down with three members of the development team to discuss about all things Layton Kyouju (Professor Layton in the West). I’m a big fan of Level-5, their attention to details in all their works is simply phenomenal, so let’s see what’s being said in the interview.

Saigo no Jikan Ryokou (The Last Time Travel in English) was completed in a year’s time, which Akihiro Hino (Level-5 president) noted is actually longer than the time taken to do Akuma no Hako (The Pandora’s Box). He explains that they tried to answer all the fans feedback in the game and as a result, the final game actually used 2Gb ROM, which is double of Akuma no Hako’s 1Gb ROM (and Fushigi na Machi, the first game in the series, used 512Mb ROM).

Read the rest of this entry »

The latest round of Dragon Quest IX: Hoshizora no Mamoribito report include information on Ruida Inn, the place where adventurers from all over the world gather. There are three inn keepers inside, Ruida, Rikka and Roxanne. Only Ruida’s job is being revealed at this time, she is the one who will help you find your ideal partner or if you wish to be joined by the character you created, there is option for that too. Also shown in the latest batch of screenshots are job classes you can pick for your characters.

Source: Game Watch

Read the rest of this entry »