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The Release List for the week of September 21, 2009

Note: Release dates are subject to change


Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (PSP)

This is a remake of Revelations: Persona, the first game in the Persona series which originally came out in 1996. It includes, among other things, updated cut scenes, improved graphics, and a redone soundtrack by the person who worked on the original as well as P3 and P4. From the first-person dungeons, to the isometric rooms, to the ability to converse with demons for favors, it's a pretty big departure for those who've only played P3 and P4, but that shouldn't stop fans of the series from taking a look.

According to various reports, Atlus will be doing the localization from scratch. This is pretty big as the original PlayStation release was notorious for being horrendously bad. With a more competent translation and the inclusion of missing features like the Snow Queen quest, this is the version to get if you ever wanted to see how the series started.




Dungeon Fighter Online (PC download)

Out of all the games that I saw at GDC this year, Dungeon Fighter Online was one of the few that I felt was worth keeping an eye on. It is essentially a free online multiplayer beat 'em up with MMO-like qualities. The gist of it is that you start off in a lobby town, form a party of four, and then jump into an instanced dungeon and start killing monsters and collecting loot together. There are several different classes from which you can choose from, and each has a few subclasses that you can specialize in. Combine that with all the items that you can pick up and equip, and you've got quite a few ways to customize your character to fit your style of play. This is definitely something to check out if you are even remotely interested in the beat 'em up genre.




Spyborgs (Wii)

Spyborgs can best be described as a modern day beat 'em up. You have two attack buttons (quick but weak and slow but strong) as well as a jump button. As one would expect, different attacks can be unleashed by varying your button combinations, including a few that make use of motion control. There is also a block button which is surprisingly useful. New moves, armor, and weapons can be purchased, so your character is constantly evolving. I played quite a bit of the game at E3 while waiting for an interview, so much so that Daryl Allison, a senior producer at Capcom, stopped by to tell me about it. Here is what he had to say:

"We prefer to refer to it as Ratchet & Clank meets Devil May Cry."

"All the leads on the dev team have played key roles on the Ratchet & Clank games." As a result, Ratchet & Clank fans may see some of their influence in Spyborgs.

Capcom saw that there weren't too many action games on the Wii, so it set out to make a "cinematic, stylish, action experience" to fill the void.

"Everything is designed around co-op, whether it's you and the AI or two human players, so it's all about teamwork."

There's a medal system that unlocks additional content for fulfilling certain requirements.

It is easy for a second player to get in on the action - "activate the second controller and you're in. Deactivate the second controller and the AI takes over."


Based on my short play session, I found Spyborgs to be a fairly decent brawler. The only thing that I disliked was the use of motion control for some the quick time events as I found myself having to redo things because the Wii remote wouldn't register what I was doing correctly. Though I think that it could be a solid game, I doubt that it will be embraced by its intended audience. Wii owners who crave action may not appreciate the old-school beat 'em up gameplay while beat 'em up fans may not dig the game's overall look and feel. Regardless, this looks to be a decent game for those who like old-school brawlers and have someone to play along with.




Aion: The Tower of Eternity (PC)



Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Expedition (Wii)



The other releases

Imports:
Japanese localizations of domestic games, "Asia" versions that do not have English options, and "Best" (greatest hits) releases are not listed.
No new releases this week as Japan is celebrating the Autumnal Equinox holiday.

Domestics:
Chicken Blaster (Wii)
Fabulous Finds (DS)
Fallen Earth: Welcome to Apocalypse (PC)
Family Party: 30 Great Games - Outdoor Fun (Wii)
Halo 3: ODST (360)
Just in Time Translations (DS)
Katamari Forever (PS3)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (PSP)
Our House (DS)
Our House: Party (Wii)
Order of War (PC)
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection (360, PS3)
Scooby Doo: First Frights (DS, PS2, Wii)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up (Wii)
The Price Is Right 2010 Edition (DS, PC, Wii)
Wacky World of Sports (Wii)
Where's Waldo? (DS, PC, Wii)
Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion (DS)




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