Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (PSP) review

The original PlayStation Revelations: Persona was a great game but sadly very rare. The localisation was actually pretty awful as well, so it was great to see Atlus finally making do for their western fans (well America anyway, no idea yet as to when this will be released in Europe - so as usual hit the usual import stores). The PSP version of Persona is basically an enchanced port of the original game with some new features added on that makes an already compelling game even sweeter.

There is a new soundtrack for one. Personally I prefer the original soundtrack more, but Shoji Meguro's new 'modern' score isn't too bad. I guess they wanted to invite the new fans, those who are more familiar with Persona 3 and 4. The models used for characters does not seem to have received significant upgrade, if at all. On the other hand, the remake does feature new FMV cutscenes, a far improvement over the original clunky CG video. Also, unlike the PS1 localisation, Persona for PSP features the Snow Queen Quest, an alternative storyline to the main plot - something I have always wanted to play but could not bother with the Japanese version.

Unlike the slow build up seen in the later games, Persona storyline begins almost immediatelty, which was kinda disappointing. I was hoping Atlus would have modernised the storyline and dialogue a little bit (still cheesy as ever), but at least the localisation is more faithful (no longer is the game set in America for one). The game begins with the silent main characterand his friends in a classroom playing a game called 'Persona' when they find themselves knocked unconsious. Whilst still unconsious, they were visited by a masked man called Philemon, who bestowes them the ability to summon Personas.

In the meantime strange things has started to occur throughout town. This is caused by a machine, invented by a stereotypical evil corporation SEBEC, that allows for creation and passage into other alternate dimensions. Demons soon start to appear and it is up to you and your party to stop these evil geniuses from causing further mayhems and reverting the town to its original self before the dimensional rifts. It may not seem at all original, but trust me the game is worth playing for its storyline.

Persona for PSP has three difficulty levels, a new feature not seen in the original game. Seasoned RPG gamers should probably start with the high difficulty setting, as normal setting is pretty darn easy. There are more save points than before as well. Each characters can hold multiple Personas (summons) as well, unlike the recent games. As before the characters and their Personas earn EXP independently, so levelling up depends on how much the gamer uses each characters. Combat and general chit chatting takes place on an isometric 3D field, where as exploration is via a first person 3D field map. Unlike the original, where the city is rendered in untextured polygons, the remake features a lovely looking easier to navigate 2D rendered map.

The visuals has been upgraded, but only slightly and pretty much resembling the original PS1 visuals. The 3D rendered dungeons looks significantly smoother, with slightly better textures. The interface during combat (a pull down menu now) has been updated, and does not look as clunky as it was. Atlus has unfortunately left the sprites alone. Even the character cutouts are seriously outdated. It isn't a pretty sight to be honest, but it will do. Getting a definitive Persona game is better than the botched PS1 version, so I guess we all should be thankful that Atlus bothered to bring this over in the first place.

The game also features a demon negotiating system where you can earn demon spell cards. These spell cards can then be traded with Igor in the Velvet Room(s), who will then fuse a new Persona (two cards are needed). This works by conversing with the demons (contact). Each demons have their own unique personality and depending on the demon's reaction, it will offer you rewards such as EXP, loots or spell cards. Piss it off, or scare it and it may attack back or just bugger off.

The random encounter rate can get annoying. At times taking just two steps would trigger an encounter. It gets annoying, and this is from someone who played plenty of Japanese RPG in his lifetime. As I said earlier that Persona is pretty easy, but getting ambushed isn't something you would like. There are moments where it would be better to restart the game than continue attempting to save your party. Thankfully save spots are plentiful. Regardless K.O.'ed party members are automatically revived after each successful encounter.

New fans of Persona series will find the lack of social links a disappointment. Instead this is a pure dungeon crawler like those older Shin Megami Tensei games. Exploring mazes through first person mode is a huge chore and the mini map helps a little. Thankfully Persona 2 ditched the first person mode. Combats are random though the encounter rate will depend highly on the moon phase. The moon's phase may also have an effect on the creation of a Persona demon.

The game's replayability is high due to its multiple endings. As previously mentioned, there is also the alternative Snow Queen Quest. Also like before you will have the option to pick from a list of four, the fifth member of your party. Getting Reiji (Chris in the PlayStation localisation) is still a lengthy process, but probably worth it for first timers who do not want to miss out when doing the main SEBEC quest.

All in all, Persona for PSP is a brilliant game, one worth the attention of veterans of the old classics as well as those introduced via Persona 3 and 4. It is a definitive upgrade over the old classic, and best of all, you get to play it whenever and wherever you want. Now if enough of you buys this, Atlus will see that there is a market out there and will hopefully remake both Persona 2 titles as well.

Persona 3 Portable gameplay videos

Persona 3 and its FES expansion was one the highlights of PS2 gaming, so you will excuse me if I sound a little too excited about the title being remade for the PSP console. The game, due to be released this November in Japan, will provide the option to play as a female protagonist - the first among the three Persona 3 games. The video below demonstrates the RPG gameplay with visuals pretty much comparable to the PS2 version, but with lower polygon and slightly different character design (they have a more 'chibi' like proportion now). The gameplay is also being revised to incorporate battle elements from Persona 4 - which allows you to control every character rather than relying on the individual character's A.I.

Interesting if anyone has the Art of Persona 3 book, check out page 2 where you will find a concept art of an unknown female character. Apart from some slight changes, she looks similar to the new playable female main character in the PSP remake. Incidentally page 13 of the book will also reveal a sketch that is even more similar. And here I thought FES was the director's cut... Can't wait!

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 review

It may have taken me roughly 2 1/2 months, but I finally completed Persona 3. Rejoice. Now I can remove the masking tape from the PS2's door. Truth be told, it took me quite some time to get used to the mechanics and I was too busy with other stuff to have put much effort into grinding, hence the late endorsement. This franchise has never seen mainstream success, and anyone interested in this will likely already own it anyway. Still if you consider yourself a JRPG fan and have yet to pick this classic title, you owe it to yourself to buy it and play it now.

Much like previous Persona games, the fourth title in Atlus's flagship Shin Megami Tensei: Persona sub-series involves you playing a self-named Japanese high school student over a school calendar year. The unnamed character comes of a generic RPG cliché hero, with floppy hair, and headphones to boot. This emo-looking kid is first attacked by 'Shadows' when he transferred to his new high school. He soon learns about his Persona, a summon, as well as others like him at the school. Unlike his allies however he is capable of using multiple Personas.


The basic gameplay of Persona 3 is divided into two sections. The first involves you participating in various mundane activities on or off-campus, which is an important gameplay element aimed at augmenting your stats. It isn't too far removed from games like The Sims and Harvest Moon where repeated none-combat tasks (such as eating ramen, studying or playing MMOs!) as well as dating improves key attributes. Basically the cycle of the game involves you going to school for the day, do some stuff like dating, eating, watch a movie, do sports, sleep, study etc. Developing your Social Link (S.Link) is crucial to the game as it also affects the strength of your Personas/summons.

The other half of the game is your run on the mill RPG where your participate in none-sanctioned extra curricular night time activities. During this hidden dark hour period the school transforms into an organic shape shifting tower called Tartarus, which is seemingly infested with these Shadows. Joining your character are members of S.E.E.S. (Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad), many of whom have significant back story integral to the plot of Persona 3. There are around 200 levels in Tartarus, making dungeon crawling a very repeatable chore, though the randomness of each levels does alleviate the problem a little. While climbing to the top is your priority, each new level introduces increased difficulty. Significant powered Shadows also appear every full moon.


Exploration is similar to Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment, in that it features a top-down third person viewpoint. Enemies do not appear randomly, rather they visibly roam the dungeons in real time. Similar to Valkyrie Profile, slashing them first will give your team the upper hand. In any case battles takes place separately from the field map. The battle system is turn-based and and your party attacks with various melee and ranged weapons as well as magical attacks, including the ability to inflict status effects. Similar to Nocturne (Lucifer's Call) and Digital Devil Saga series, Persona 3 features a similar Press Turn combat system called One More, where the you are rewarded with extra turns for exploiting an enemy's elemental weakness (beware, the enemies can do the same).

During combat the player can summon their Personas using an Evoker, a revolver like object, by firing at their own skull. These head shots does not mean anything bar providing the player with visually provoking scenes (no blood or skull fragments are visible - sorry to disappoint you Daily Mail readers). Personas can be gained through out the game, including through the use of fusion. Fusion is very similar the old Persona games dating back to Revelations and is done in the same Velvet Room with Igor, its creepy veteran keeper. As mentioned earlier, socialising is an important gameplay aspect and is a requirement to boost your Persona's stats, in addition to the experience points.


Perhaps significantly, the player can only control the main character where as the other party members are controlled via the A.I., though the player can govern their overall strategy beforehand. The lack of direct control of each A.I. can be a pain as they sometimes tend to make shoddy game altering decisions. It is imperative that one should always analysis (scan) the enemy as it allows your allies to understand the foe, as well as giving your the required knowledge to exploits its weaknesses. Allies can fall sick during battles especially if they work beyond their capabilities. During such events you should avoid bringing them on missions and have them rest for a day or two. Tiredness can also affect the main character, in which case you should avoid Tartarus altogether and get plenty of rest, like sleeping in class.

As far as graphical fidelity goes Persona 3 does not particularly impress. While it does not compare well to late generation PS2 games like Final Fantasy XII, it does not distract from the gameplay as well. On a technical side, it at least improves on the last Megaten game I played, Devil Summoner - which had a fixed perspective engine and a very washed out one at that. Camera viewpoint is top-down and easily allows you to see all active party members on the field map, as well as surrounding enemies. Other than that, the game uses low polygonal character models and simple geometry throughout. While it does not look particularly pretty, it does create a 'Persona 2-ish' vibe to it - which is only a good thing as I love that game.


The lack of graphical punch is offset by the stylistic and brilliant character designs and art direction. Shocking as it may be, these were not handled by veteran series artist Kazuma Kaneko. I was initially disappointed by this, but have since grew to love the new art direction, by one Shigenori Soejima (who is also responsible for the new Trauma Center DS game). The two style differs mainly in the character's fashion sense, not to mention the lack of Kaneko's trademark ghostly character design. Soejima's design is also noted to be more anime inspired. Character sprites, used during conversations, are extremely detailed with their expressions conveyed well. Unfortunately while the new characters are stylish they are still peppered with generic RPG clichés. For example Akihiko is only a mere senior and yet is treated as a deep wise man despite being only an upperclassman. His hair is even painted grey! And let's not forget the orphans...

Thankfully Atlus did not appear to make the same mistake with cultural localisation as they did with Revelations: Persona. Names remains in Japanese and both modern and traditional Japanese cultural reference are abundant. The soundtrack on the other hand is a mix and match of acquired taste. Anyone familiar with the Megaten series may find themselves disappointed due to the lack of soaring guitars (a couple exists, but they are exceptions). The soundtrack mainly consists of urban and 'hip' J-pop not to dissimilar from The World Ends With You and Jet Set Radio, as well as the odd orchestra, jazz and piano pieces. Despite some people voicing concern about the dubbed voice acting, it is superb. Sadly this version does not come bundled with the soundtrack and you can mark that as another 'PAL region sucks' middle finger by a clueless publisher underestimating the market yet again.


Persona 3 contains a New Game+ for after you beat the game. With roughly 70 hours of main content in it (of which 10-20% are likely to be devoted to grinding), I doubt any casual gamer would want to use the option, but it is there for completists, and is ideal for people wanting to further their S.Links as well as wrapping up lose ends. It allows you to start the game over with the same Social Links, stats and equipments, and hopefully is compatible with any future European release of FES (see below). The content, compelling storyline and plot is significantly more entertaining than the majority of games out there and despite the less than satisfying dungeons, the quality is on par with the main Megaten series. Social Link mechanism is a spin of riveting freshness that complements a now archaic (but still playable) gameplay.

My only regret is having to play through the none-FES version, but my anger is mainly directed at the shoddy strategy provided by Atlus and Koei for ignoring the biggest video gaming market in the world (Persona 4 will be out in Japan next month!). On a flip side, perhaps it is time for me to mod our PS2 so I can play FES. Persona 3 is the most refreshing and in-depth RPG title, nay - any genre, in modern times on any consoles - and thus deserves to be played yet again.

What is FES?

Persona 3: FES is an expansion pack/director's cut and was released in Japan a year ago and recently in the US. It contains additional plots in the form of a new chapter, as well as gameplay tweaks. Quite why Koei/Atlus did not skip the vanilla version of Persona 3 and went straight to FES for PAL release is beyond even my comprehension, but I wouldn't put it past them for being utterly lazy and/or ignorant of the market here.

Persona 3 is out now in Europe. NTSC PS2 owners should instead get the FES version here.

Update: The PAL version of FES is out now.

Persona 3

Look at what the postie dropped in today.


\(^o^)/

Bummer that we are only getting this now, especially when Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES edition has been announced as a budget release for the North American market. Times like this I wish that I have invested in a NTSC PS2. Oh well, maybe once it hits US$100.

Ah, but who cares? Persona 3 is now available in Europe and that is the most important bit, even if we have to wait six months after the US release. This is one of the last few triple-A games on the PS2, the console who is preventing me from next-gen (Wii doesn't count). Anyway since I have already completed a couple of articles - all scheduled to be published via Blogger draft - I will be away for the whole weekend. ^_^

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army mini-review

While Shin Megami fans in PAL region awaits patiently for Atlus and Koei to complete the PAL conversion of Persona 3, we will have at least one other game in their collection to kill time. Here is a round down on what to expect from Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army (hence forthwith be referred as Devil Summoner 3) the game with the longest title in PS2 history, also the quirkiest SMT game in recent history. Originally released back in April/May the title has taken some time to be hunted down, filtered into my collection, misplaced while moving, finding its way back into my collection and then finally getting played.

Devil Summoner 3 is a unique addition to the Megaten series as it is based in past: 1920s Japan during the fictional 20th year of the Taishō era in Edo (Tokyo) rather than the usual present or post-apocalyptic world. You play as Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th Devil Summoner from the Kuzunoha clan, whose job includes being a 17 year old student and more importantly works as an assistant detective at an occult agency known as Narumi Detective Agency, whose sole task involves investigating paranormal activities and inducing in Pokémon-like demon luring. The hero even has a talking sidekick cat. The game is divided into 12 episodes with each lasting 2-3 hours. As the title implies, Raidou has the power to summon captured demons. Demon actions can be controlled or left alone to its own device. Demons can also be summoned during exploration and each has their own unique abilities which Raidou can use to help his investigations.


Unlike main Megami Tensei games, Devil Summoner 3's battle combat system isn't turn based - it is action based! Encounters are still random, which makes for a slight jarring combat when experiencing the transition between exploration to battle mode. During combat Raidou is placed in an enclosed small open platform where the battle begins. You can tell that this isn't a speciality of Atlus as combat isn't as fluid as most action based games like Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry. Camera is your worse enemy here as the over head camera's lack of interaction can be detrimental to the enjoyment of the game. An option for third person shoulder camera would have been wise and would have made hacking and slashing a bit more enjoyable. You will have access to two types of weapons (a sword for close range and a gun) and combos can be activated. Ammos can be upgraded to include elemental bullets and demons can be cross-bred and fused to toughen them up.


The 1920s industrialisation and westernisation of Tokyo visuals style of the game is matched by yet another stylistic character design by series staple designer Kazuma Kaneko. The graphics however isn't as impressive and certainly won't win any awards, much less nominated in them (probably if it was released on the Dreamcast). The prerendered backgrounds does serves its purpose as it allows for our hero to investigate around and interview people as in most point and click adventure games though because cameras are fixed I often find the Final Fantasy X's fixed camera style as detrimental to the gameplay. Dungeons are none-existent as random battles occurs during investigations in normal areas and backtracking and revisiting previously visited area is a must. The music style is virtually unchanged from the one you get in Nocturne (Lucifer Call) and Digital Devil Saga series, which isn't a bad thing as the roaring guitar score has always been part of the Megaten lore.


Devil Summoner 3 is perhaps the most mainstream of Megaten titles, not without irony as the title itself is pretty none-mainstream (and corny). The accessibility is mainly down to the carefree (and funny) linear plot as well as the simplified battle system which makes the game rather easy though I am not sure if the overuse of terminology will help (Atlus needs to publish a lexicon). However this should not put off fans of Megaten proper because Devil Summoner 3 is fun though hardcore jRPG fans may loathe it purely from a gameplay point of view alone. Replayability is a none-factor as it has almost none, but it does have a New Game+ mode for completists. If you love RPG and have an open mind on where games can take you then Devil Summoner 3 should be considered (if you can find it - I know most shops don't stock them, if ever).

Now Atlus, with Bloomberg (of all news organisation) announcing Persona 4, please please at least let us play Persona 3 first.

7/10

PAL shoppers can get the title here where as NTSC gamers should import from Play-Asia.

Upcoming DS games

My copy of Gyakuten Saiban 3 DS is due here soon and I can't wait to battle prosecutor Godot. Expect a review sometime next week, maybe. While waiting you can read my impressions on GS1 and GS2.

With Heroes of Mana, Atlus' sRPG Luminous Arc and a proper DS Harvest Moon Rune Factory, this summer games draught is finally coming to an end (what an awful summer).

UK games draught continues though, unless you do the right thing by importing.

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 review

Megami Tensei is probably one of those under-rated series you have never heard about. Compared to the marketing budget that series like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Suikoden or even .hack can afford, the developer/publisher Atlus are very well known for producing very limited numbers of their games, in order to minimise losses (remember the E.T. scandal?) as well as recognising that the the Japanese role-playing games genre belongs to a small niche market, dominated only by a single franchise Final Fantasy, at least in the UK. Perhaps it makes sense from a marketing point of view, but it doesn't help in introducing a great series to people.

The original Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga spin-off was one of my favourite RPGs of last year, at least in terms of tactical gameplay - particularly the Press Turn combat system. It was actually the first Megami Tensei game I ever played thanks to the chance encounter at Gamestation, then a quick review check at Eurogamer. Since then I have also gone through Shin Megami Tensei III: Lucifar's Call (Nocturne Maniax in Japan), the third game in the canonical Shin Megami numbered series. The games are so fucking rare, especially in the UK, it makes me want to clutch my copy of these future collectors even harder.

Digital Devil Saga 2 is a direct sequel to Digital Devil Saga and it is probably essential to be able to play the predecessor rather than jumping straight into this game. You will also get to import the save file from Digital Devil Saga for bonuses. I won't explain any plot details here out of fear of spoilers (plus the plot is complicated enough to try to fit into a small essay, but it essentially revolves around a band of tribe called Embryon lead by this guy called Serph and their constant war with other tribes in order to ascend to Nirvana). Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 attempts to tie up any loose-ends from the first game (in which there are plenty) and providing more back story to each factions, then expanding those into a story worthy of a singular standalone game.

One of my favourite aspect of both Shin Megami Tensei III: Lucifar's Call and Digital Devil Saga are the stunning visual style of the games. As Digital Devil Saga 2 uses the same engine, Kazuma Kaneko's demonic character design is once again the highlight, as a unique visual characteristic of the game. I have always been a fan of these demonic art style ever since I started reading serious gothic style manga (not sure what those are called) during the mid-90s. The visuals are rendered in 3D (naturally) with cel-shaded look and simple textures, not unlike that of killer7. The original bleak and post-apocalyptic cyber-punk look of the original has been retained and the environment effect has been improved. There is also the distinct voice acting which surpasses anything Square-Enix has ever managed (bar Dragon Quest VIII of course).

After the fantastic but relatively easy Final Fantasy XII, I am looking forward to playing this proper, hopefully in Easter. Digital Devil Saga was awfully difficult and challenging, and it looks to be the same with Digital Devil Saga 2. It is unfortunate that such great games often goes overlooked by the public. Looking at the rather depressing UK game charts you can't blame Atlus for the lack of care when it comes to promoting this (and their other titles). The game is available at most stores for a low price of £15 (or £25 with a limited edition soundtrack), a shocking price considering it has been out for less than a month. A crying shame.

8/10

Import the NTSC version from Play-Asia or buy this Amazon UK today

More top something lists

So Eurogamer has started the countdown to the top 50 games of 2006. Can't wait to see the outcome of the forums! This is my list (complimentary to that other list). Only games that I have played, released this year, either in Europe, Japan or America qualifies.

Top 15 Games of 2006



1. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the King (Square Enix/Level 5, PS2, Japan)
2. Shadow of the Colossus (Sony Computer Entertainment, PS2, Japan)
3. Final Fantasy III (Square Enix/Matrix, DS, Japan)
4. Gyakuten Saiban 2 (Capcom Production Studio 4, DS, Japan)
5. Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo EAD, DS, Japan)
6. Elite Beat Agents (iNiS, DS, Japan)
7. Half-Life 2: Episode One (Valve, PC, USA)
8. Metroid Prime Hunters (Nintendo Software Technology, DS, USA)
9. Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (Square Enix/Tose, DS, Japan)
10. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda, PC, USA)
10. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo EAD, DS, Japan)
11. Trauma Center: Under the Knife (Atlus, DS, Japan)
12. Contact (Grasshopper, DS, Japan)
14. Professor Kawashima's Brain Training (Nintendo, DS, Japan)
15. Gunpey DS (Q Entertainment, DS, Japan)

For a year when finally all three so called "next-gen" consoles are out, it may be a surprised to some that my list lacked any. Well I couldn't get a Wii. Nintendo decided it needed to screw up the European launch. Hell people with pre-orders dating to early November has yet to received their units this side of Christmas. Sony Computer Entertainment decided that Europe isn't worth it as far as the PS3 is concerned. Hell at £425 I would wait 3-4 years and 4-5 price cuts later, and maybe a PS3 slimline, to even consider getting one. As for the 360, nothing I have seen caught my fancy. I love old fashioned generic FPS and the 360 no doubt will have plenty of it. But I hate playing shooters using the joypad.

DS games dominated my gaming life in 2006, as some of you probably know. Personally one of my mate has got back into gaming via Nintendo's DS and we managed to coax another mate of ours into getting one. She has been having a wild of a time, although she is having difficulty in getting her boyfriend to join.

My PC is pretty out of date so the only game I got to enjoy was Half-Life 2: Episode One. Oblivion was great but I think I will have to upgrade my PC to fully enjoy it. There were a couple of great games for PS2, but the two I am looking forward to (FFXII & Okami) won't be released in Europe until 2007. I never liked Guitar Hero anyway so it is obviously missing from the list. Dragon Quest VIII was only released in Europe early this year but it was worth the wait. Excellent, but not over the top, anime cel-shaded graphics, combined with brilliant British and European voice acting, symphony opera soundtrack, old school RPG menu combat system and old fashioned plot made this a simple but utterly addictive game.

Games personally looking forward to in 2007:



Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft Montreal, PC, Canada)
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (EA, PC, USA)
Dragon Quest IX: Protectors of the Starry Sky (Square Enix/Level 5,DS, Japan)
Final Fantasy XII (Square Enix, PS2, Japan)
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo EAD, DS, Japan)
Lunar Knights (Kojima Production/Konami, DS, Japan)
No More Heroes (Grasshopper Manufacture, Wii, Japan)
Okami (Clover Studios, PS2, Japan)
Rogue Galaxy (Level-5, PS2, Japan)
Shin Migami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 (Atlus, PS2, Japan)
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (tri-Ace, PS2, Japan)
Seiken Densetsu: Dawn of Mana (Square Enix, PS2, Japan)

Top 15 music albums of 2006

1. Appleseed Cast "Peregrine"
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah"
3. Dirty Pretty Things "Waterloo to Nowhere"
4. Hot Chip "The Warning"
5. Belle & Sebastian "The Life Pursuit"
6. Camera Obscura "Let's Get Out of This Country"
7. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins "Rabbit Fur Coat"
8. Delays "You See Colours"
9. Islands "Return to the Sea"
10. Muse "Black Hole and Relevations"
11. The Kooks "Inside In/Inside Out"
12. The Killers "Sam's Town"
13. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan "Ballad of the Broken Seas"
14. Guillemots "Through the Windowpane"
15. The Zutons "Tired of Hanging Around"

Some may remember 2006 as the year of the Arctic Monkeys. I did not. Seriously I have never ever seen anything special in the brand of "post-punk" dribble, so I wouldn't even bother to describe my amazement that they even managed to snag the desired but rather pointless Mercury Prize.

Appleseed Cast's Peregrine is an intense but beautiful album. There is a balanced mixture of instrumentals, indie rock with soaring guitars and the odd electronic numbers. Clearly album of the year for me. The Killers

Also went through my blog and deleted most of the numerical ratings that accompanied my reviews, in line with Richard and British Gaming Blog. I say most 'cause some I've left untouched (because the review was so short that a rating probably meant more than the text itself and because I can't be bothered to edit all my posts). Anyway removed said numbers. Texts means more than numbers, and even for an insignificant blog like this, I prefer if people actually read my posts than skimming straight to the rating.

Jon's "Christmas Awards" 2006

EDGE's Christmas issue is due in the shops any day now. With it the annual Christmas Awards were announced, with Final Fantasy XII getting game of the year. Which is great and all but since FF XII isn't out in PAL territory until next year I guess it is all conjecture, at least for me. Here are my "Christmas Awards" for gaming in 2006...

Best Game
Dragon Quest VIII Journey of the Cursed King (Square Enix, PS2)

In many ways Dragon Quest VIII is one of the best games you can ever play in recent history. Sure RPG haters will naturally hate this, but even Jennifer, who traditionaly shun turn based combat games has learnt to love this. At first, due to the narrative, then progressively the combat system. Combined with great visuals, excellent British voice acting and stunning orchestra, this really does deserve game of the year, even if it came here more than a year later.

People
Satoru Iwata (Nintendo)

Console Game
1. Dragon Quest VIII (Square Enix/Level 5, PS2)
2. Shadow of the Colossus (Sony Computer Entertainment, PS2)

Portable Game
1. Final Fantasy III (Square Enix/Matrix Software, DS)
2. Gyakuten Saiban 2 (Capcom Production Studio 4, DS)

Best Innovation
1. Nintendo Wii
2. Professor Kawashima's Brain Training (Nintendo EAD, DS)

Best Visual Design
1. Dragon Quest VIII (Square Enix/Level 5, PS2)
2. Shadow of the Colossus (Square Enix, PS2)

Best Audio Design
1. Dragon Quest VIII (Square Enix, PS2)
2. Uhm, nothing else strikes me as unique

Best Developer
1. Nintendo EAD (Japan)
2. Square Enix (Japan)

Best Publisher
1. Nintendo Japan (Nintendo Europe gets worst publisher)
2. Atlus

Best Online Experience
1. Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo EAD, DS)
2. Gaming blogs and fanboys during E306

Best Hardware
1. Nintendo DS Lite
2. Sony PS2 Slimline (I know it came out in 2005)

Idiot(s) of the year
1. Jack Thompson and anti-gaming lobby.
2. Idiots who started class action lawsuits on Nintendo due to Wii strap 'issue'.

BTW, Jenni just got Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and she loves it. I had no idea she is into this sort of games!

Top 100 games of all time

Another utterly worthless post to keep this blog from heading down the gutter. This time a top 100 games of all time, that I have ever bothered to play.

I didn't put much thought into the list. Who would? It isn't a serious list, just a list of games I love(d), as of November 2006. It doesn't include pretentious games that many people pretend to like though. Also, not all that made the list, I would even consider twice of playing again. For example F-Zero was great and I had fond memories of it, but will I ever play it again? Hell no. It has aged rather badly me thinks (faux 3D games tends to do that).

I did think hard (for like 10 minutes) of ranking the top 10 games though and why I love them. Commentary on the top 5 (because I am lazy enough not to justify the latter five).

List updated as of May 2008

1. Total Annihilation (PC, Cavedog Entertainment, 1997)
- This is the ultimate game as far as I am concerned. When I first played this many many years ago, I had no idea that it would ever lodge Red Alert from my top RTS game list, but it did. Incredible graphics (even in this day), soundtrack and huge maps. Enemy A.I. was a bit patchy, but so what? The cool thing about this game was building up a massive army (hundreds) of cyber robots and watching the mayhem as they destroy the pitiful enemies. This game rocks, and still rock hard today. I pity the fools who prefers StarCraft over this.

2. Chrono Trigger (SNES, Square Co., 1995)
- Still the greatest RPG ever made, Chrono Trigger, while short, featured multiple ending due to the non-linear gameplay offered through time traveling.

3. Final Fantasy VI (SNES, Square Co. 1994)
- While not too dissimilar with fanboy favourite Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VI was without doubt a much better game. Nothing more nothing less. That is of course my opinion.

4. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2, Square Enix/tri-Ace, 2006)
- Without a doubt one of the best RPG game in recent history. The sequel to the fantastic PS1 game eschews jRPG cliché for a more modern uptake on the stale genre.

5. Final Fantasy XII (PS2, Square Enix, 2006)
- The developers of Final Fantasy XII with much flair, revamped the series for the PS2's final Fantasy swansong. Purist may hate it, but this is destined to be a classic.

6. Command & Conquer: Red Alert (PC, Westwood Studios, 1996)
- Who could ever forget playing Red Alert on those creaky Windows 95 Pentium machines, cranking up the speakers to full blast whenever 'Hell March' plays, annoying the neighbours at the same time? The sequel to another masterpiece, gameplay hasn't really aged well, but the graphics (made up of 2D sprites over 3D isometric plane) still hold up well.

7. Rollercoaster Tycoon (PC, Chris Sawyer, 1999)
- It is quite shocking that such a behemoth of a game was developed by a single man who was obssessed with rollercoaster, which in turn turned many of us into obsessed Rollercoaster Tycoon gamers - with so many sleepless night wasted trying to create the most insane rollercoaster there is.

8. Gyakuten Saiban 3 (DS, Capcom Production Studio 4, 2007)
- An utterly bonkers of a game, yet a fine example that text adventure role playing genre can still do well.

9. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (GCN, Nintendo EAD, 2003)
- If I was a well known guy and this was a well known list, Zelda fanboys would be sending threats due to my ranking of Wind Waker higher than Ocarina of Time. Fortunately this is the internet and such a simpleton like me isn't important enough to warrant an assault. Put it simply, in my opinion, OoT has aged rather badly, whereas Wind Waker, like an old Disney classic, still looks stunning (granted it is newer after all).

10. Soul Calibur (DC, Namco, 1999)
- When I got the Dreamcast for the low price of 20 quid, I bought three games with it, all original, and all at a fiver a piece. This was one of it. Beautifully executed moves were a joy to create. Maybe I should start looking for my old Dreamcast again.

11. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2, Team-Ico)
12. Dragon Quest VIII (PS2, Level-5/Square-Enix)
13. ICO (PS2, SCEI)
14. Metal Gear Solid (PSX, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan)
15. God of War (PS2, SCEA)

The rest (in alphabetical order):

Advance Wars (GBA, Intelligent Systems)
Age of Empires (PC, Ensemble Studios)
American McGee's Alice (PC, Rogue Entertainment)
Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS, Nintendo)
Astro Boy: Omega Factor (GBA, Treasure)
Battle City (NES, Namco)
Beach Life (PC, Deep Red)
Bubble Bobble (NES, Taito)
Caesar III (PC, Impressions Games)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1, Konami)
Command & Conquer (PC, Westwood)
Commandos 2: Men of Courage (PC, Pyro Studios)
Contact (DS, Grasshopper Manufacture)
Contra (NES, Konami)
Crazy Taxi (DC, Hitmaker)
Dead or Alive 2 (DC, Team Ninja)
Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive (PC, Spellbound)
Dino Crisis (DC, Capcom Production Studio 4)
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (PS2, Nippon Ichi)
Doom (PC, id Software)
Double Dragon II (NES, Technos Japan)
Dragon Quest III (SNES, Enix)
Empire Earth (PC, Stainless Steel Studios)
Final Fantasy IV (SNES, Square)
F-Zero (SNES, Nintendo)
God of War II (PS2, SCEA Santa Monica)
Golden Sun (GBA, Camelot)
Gradius (NES, Konami)
Gunstar Heroes (SMD, Treasure)
Half-Life (PC, Valve)
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town (GBA, Marvelous)
Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2 (PC, Ritual Entertainment)
Hexen (PC, Raven Software)
Hitman: Codename 47 (PC, IO Interactive)
Ice Climber (NES, Nintendo)
killer7 (GCN, Capcom Production Studio 4/Grasshopper Manufacture)
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (GBA, HAL)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES, Nintendo)
The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap (GBA, Flagship)
Lode Runner (NES, Hudson)
Max Payne (PC, Remedy Entertainment)
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (PC, 2015, Inc.)
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (PC, Lucas Arts)
Mortal Kombat II (SNES, Sculptured Software)
Mother 2/Earthbound (SNES, HAL)
No One Lives Forever (PC, Monolith)
Okami (PS2, Clover)
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (DS, iNiS)
Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast (PS2, Sumo Digital)
Paperboy (NES, Mindscape)
Parasite Eve (PS1, SquareSoft)
Populous: The Beginning (PC, Bullfrog)
Prince of Persia (PC, Broderbund)
Quake (PC, id Software)
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Wii, Capcom Production Studio 4)
Resident Evil Code: Veronica (DC, Capcom Production Studio 4)
Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC, Gray Matter Interactive)
Sam & Max Episodes Season One (PC, Telltale Games)
The Secret of Monkey Island (PC, Lucasfilm Games)
Seiken Densetsu: Secret of Mana (SNES, Square)
Sensible Soccer (PC, Sensible Software)
Shenmue (DC, Sega AM2)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (PS2, Atlus)
Shogo Mobile Armor Division (PC, Monolith)
Shogun: Total War (PC, Creative Assembly)
SimCity 2000 (PC, Maxis)
SiN (PC, Ritual Entertainment)
Snails (PDA, PDAMill)
Sonic the Hedgehog (SMD, Sonic Team)
Suikoden III (PS2, Konami)
Super Bomberman (SNES, Hudson)
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, Nintendo)
Super Metroid (SNES, Nintendo)
Street Fighter II (Arcade, Capcom)
Tales of Phantasia (GBA, Namco)
Tetris (GB, Nintendo)
Trauma Center: Under the Knife (DS, Atlus)
Unreal Tournament (PC, Epic)
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2, tri-Ace)
Viewtiful Joe (GCN, Capcom Production Studio 4)
WipEout Pulse (PSP, Sony Studio Liverpool)
The World Ends With You (DS, Square Enix)
Xenogears (PS1, SquareSoft)
Yakuza (PS2, SEGA)

DC: Dreamcast
DS: Nintendo DS
GB: Game Boy
GBA: Game Boy Advance
GCN: GameCube
SMD: Sega Megadrive/Genesis
N64: Nintendo 64
NES: Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom
PC: Windows PC/DOS
PDA: Pocket PC/PalmOS
PS2: PlayStation 2
PSX: PlayStation
SNES: Super Nintendo/Super Famicom

Technorati tags: Video Games Total Annihilation

2006 Nintendo DS games assault

Edit (11/05): You can download Nintendo's press pack from their E3 press site.
Username: media Password: E32006

Looking through Nintendo's E3 press pack, you will find galores of info on new DS releases for 2006, as well as the US release of DS Lite. Omitted from this blogger's list are crappy and generic titles published by the likes of Disney and THQ - you know games based on IPs like SpongeBob, Chicken Little etc. all of which are only bought by parents who doesn't like their own children).

Highlighted are the games that I really really want. I am happy to see Gyakuten Saiban 4 in the press pack in its supposed English title (Phoenix Wright 2). This means Capcom will be porting the game to English. Huzzah! And of course the breaking news of Hideo Kojima's first DS title, Lunar Knights (Boktai) makes things a wii bit more interesting.



Update: Apparently Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All will be the official title and will be a port of Gyakuten Saiban 2 GBA (not the new Gyakuten Saiban 4) with a projected US release in Q1 2007. Confusing and weird of course, but I guess this is to keep the storyline intact for the Western market. Jumping from Gyakuten Saiban 1 to Gyakuten Saiban 4 wouldn't make much sense to the storyline. In any case I hope they will finally release/port the rest of Gyakuten Saiban series as Phoenix Wright games.

Update 2: Yes, the screenshots above pretty much confirms that Phoenix Wright 2 will be a port of Gyakuten Saiban 2 GBA.

Big Brain Academy (Nintendo Software Technology, USA) 5 June 2006
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (Konami, Japan) Fall 2006
Chibi Robo Park Petrol (Skip, Japan) TBA
Children of Mana (Square Enix, Japan) Q4 2006
Clubhouse Games (Agenda) Q4 2006
Contact (Atlus, Japan) July 2006
Cooking Mama (Majesco, Japan) Q4 2006
Custom Robo Arena (Noise) Q4 2006
Deep Labyrinth (Atlus, Japan) Q4 2006
Diddy Kong Racing (Nintendo, Japan) Q4 2006
Dino Master (Majesco) May 2006
DK King of Swing (Paon) TBA
Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (Square Enix, Japan) Sept 2006
DS Air (Nintendo, Japan) Q4 2006
Elite Beat Agent (iNiS, Japan) Q4 2006
Final Fantasy III (Square Enix, Japan) Sept 2006
Freedom Wings (Natsume, Japan) July 2006
Harvest Moon DS (Natsume, Japan) June 2006
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (Cing, Japan) Q4 2006
Kirby - temporary title (HAL, Japan) TBA
Lunar Knights: Vampire Hunters (Kojima Productions, Japan) Nov 2006
Magical Vacation (Brownie Brown) Q4 2006
Magnetica (Mitchell Corp) 5 June 2006
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (Square Enix, Japan) 11 Sept 2006
Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (Nintendo Software Technology, USA) 25 Sept 2006
Mech Assault: Phantom War (Majesco) TBA 2006
Mega Man ZX (Capcom, Japan) Sept 2006
New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, Japan) 15 May 2006
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All (Capcom, Japan) Oct 2006 Q1 2007
Point Blank (Namco, Japan) June 2006
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (Chun Soft) 18 Sept 2006
Star Fox DS (Q-Games/Nintendo, Japan) 28 Aug 2006
Steel Horizon (Konami, Japan) Fall 2006
Sudoku Gridmaster (Hudson, Japan) 26 June 2006
Rayman (Ubisoft) Nov 2006
Tenchu: Dark Secret (FromSoftware) 21 Aug 2006
Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos) Sept 2006
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (Vicarious, USA) Q4 2006
Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer (Konami, Japan) Fall 2006
Xiaolin Showdown (Konami, Japan) November 2006
Yoshi Island 2 (Nintendo, Japan) Q4 2006
The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo EAD, Japan) Q4 2006

Phew. Nintendo isn't kidding when they said that the DS would be getting plenty of softwares by year's end.

Also in the press pack are a bunch of screenshots of the DS Opera Browser in action. Here is one I thought was quite interesting.



Not sure which handwriting technology Nintendo has licensed (may be Decuma's), but hopefully all future DS games uses some kind of handwriting interface. I am so sick of tapping the QWERTY keyboard in Animal Crossing: Wild World.

Technorati tags: E3 Nintendo Nintendo DS Opera DS Phoenix Wright Gyakuten Saiban

Trauma Center: Under the Knife review

Ever since I was an adolescent blood was something I could never stand. You ask me to watch one of those medical dramas like E.R. and I would look away or do that blurry eye thingy so I couldn't see any details. Same story with Nip/Tuck and that German nutter Gunther von Hagens. Jennifer loves watching craps like that.

Trauma Center: Under the Knife (Japanese title: Caduceus: Surgical Operation) is a surgical simulation game developed by Japanese game designer/publisher Atlus. This game, designed for the Nintendo DS, has been out in North America for quite some time and it is so damn rare (it has since been discontinued) that you can find used carts on the market for double the retail outlay. While a mate of mine is busy slaying giant creatures in order to bring back his dead girlfriend back to life, I spent the best part of my spare weekend time on this genius.

The DS is the ideal platform for a surgical game. With a touch screen wielding your stylus is like wielding a forcep. I had doubt that this may just be another tech demo game (eg. Yoshi: Touch & Go) but it really is playable. There is nothing gimmick about using a stylus on this game as it is the only way to play this type of game. In a market oversaturated with racing title (Xbox 360), this is a truly exceptional title for contemporary consoles.

You are Dr. Derek Stiles who has just completed residency and is now working in Hope Hospital. Stiles is a lazy bugger who takes his patients for granted and it's up to you to prove his superiors (and assistant) wrong. The year is 2018 and the majority of diseases has been wiped out (I doubt this would in real life but who knows? MRSA anyone?) but a disease known as GUILT (you can trust the Japanese to come out with something this ridiculous) threatens mankind. GUILT, according to Atlus, is the first biological weapon used for 'medical terrorism' (Atlus's words - not mine).

Before each procedure, you will be briefed by nurses and other staff members. Your aide happens to be a young and feisty (and irritating) part German nurse by the name of Angie Thompson. She will get on your nerves at times and tends to give you a hard time. Sometimes you may wish to shut her up and fortunately you couldn't. Anybody who had a botched surgery should know that you should never have a surgery performed unaccompanied!

The only way to perform the surgeries is through the touch screen and that is a blessing. Up to ten instruments (e.g. scalpel, syringe, laser etc.) can be used at any time during each procedure. These are represented by icons. The scalpel, for example, is used to make incisions into a body (see, I am speaking medical language!). The touch screen is also where the surgeries are performed and contain the patient's vitals. The top screen contains information such as the time, score and miss limit. Your assistant is also featured on the top screen occasionally giving much needed advice or in most cases (initially), yelling at your incompetence.

If your patient dies or the time runs out you are dismiss (or killed). However unlike real surgeries, you can have as much practice as you want as you can always undo your mistakes by reloading your save game. In total there are a few dozen surgeries (there are a couple of repeats) to be performed and are spread over six episodes. There is also an episode where you have use your surgical skills to disarm a bomb!

Style wise the game is very Japanese anime/manga like. Cels and sprites are simple and non animated. The graphics during surgery are quite bloody in an abstract way and doesn't distract from the main game. It is effective and you can easily make out the different organs that human beings like us harbour. It was indispensable that Atlus styled the game the way it was for queasy cowards like me (see first paragraph). You may also have to thank Nintendo for releasing a graphically inferior machine. I can't imagine wanting photo-realistic graphics for this game so I am pretty happy!

Trauma Center has to be one of the most addictive and engrossing games I have ever played. The procedures will increase in difficult as you progress through the game and it is a good challenge. You will find yourself frustrated at times but practice makes perfect. Each procedure is timed (usually five minutes) therefore you do not have the luxury of time. Even your tools are subjected to limits. Use up too much medicine and you have to wait for them to refill. Laser has to be recharged. After all these hassle there is usually a feeling of satisfaction once a surgery is successful.

If there are problems with the game I can only think of two. The political storyline is so cliché with its terrorism plot and anti-euthanasia rambling. Also the fact that gameplay is stylus based meant that you can't operate on the Tube, but that can't be helped. Apart from that, this is the perfect game for a generation of gamers who are fed-up with the constant stream of clones and the lack of innovation from the game industry.

8/10

Buy now from Play-Asia or Amazon UK