Raidou Kuzunoha Vs Avadon King Announced

As hinted at last week, this week's Famitsu announces a new Atlus RPG. The guesses were right! It is Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs Avadon King. The PS2 game is currently 80 percent done and slated for October 23rd. The first screens look quite nice.

New Atlus RPG [Gamekyo]

What Is Atlus Teasing With This Teaser Ad?

In the latest issue of Famitsu, Atlus has taken a two-page ad out that hints at an announcement on August 1st. According to a quick translation from the folks at NeoGAF, the tag reads:

On the day when Yin and Yang come together a new jiken (event/incident) will begin.

Seems like this is another Raidou Kuzunoha game. Any other guesses?

Atlus mysterious ad in the latest Famitsu... [NeoGAF via Go Nintendo]

iDOLM@STER For PSP Announced

Until now, nerds who wanted to play Namco's pop idol sim THE iDOLM@STER had two choices: Play the arcade versions or play the Xbox 360 versions. But not every owns an Xbox 360 in Japan. (Shocking, we know.) Good news! There's a new option as Namco Bandai is releasing the game on the PSP. Dubbed THE iDOLM@STER SP, this one player game almost looks like a port of the arcade version with PSP-tweaked graphics. There is a new "mail check" system where players have to check the idol's email from magazine writers, stylists and fans. Since Namco Bandai won't be able to make a killing on DLC like it has with the Xbox 360, the company is releasing three versions of the game with three characters spliced into each one. Maximum profits! The three versions (with characters) are:

Famitsu Boss Says PS3 Penetration Will Accelerate

Famitsu editor Hirokazu Hamamura isn't just an editor. He's a pundit! And he's got a bag full of opinions with him to share. Hamamura thinks the PS3's "slow penetration" is improving. Nice and slow, that's how Sony does it. According to Hamamura:

The PS3’s penetration pace has been slower than I expected. Its higher price tag and software development difficulties have been major causes for stalling the growth of its installed base. However, these problems are gradually being resolved.

If the console gets another price cut by the year-end shopping season, I believe its penetration pace will become accelerated.

Don't blame Hamamura for the "penetration", blame the translator.

‘PS3’s problems are being resolved’ [MCVUK]

People liked Patapon so much that Sony Computer Entertainment Japan went and decided to put out another. That's right, this winter Japan will see Patapon 2. While the previous title was single player, the sequel will feature four player multi-player mode as well as new characters. PON-PON-PATA-PON!

Hit the jump for another look at Patapon 2.

Mega Man 9 Dated For Japan

WiiWare game Mega Man 9 has been dated for Japan. The game will be out this September as confirmed by this week's Famitsu. The 8-bit game hasn't yet gotten a Western release date. That's what E3 for!

famitsu 20080704 [Wii@Everyday]

Namco's Dancing Wii Game With Added iDOLM@STER

In the upcoming issue of Famitsu, Namco Bandai announced Wii music rhythm game Happy Dance Collection. The game has players rhythmically match Wii-mote motions. Yes, it's cutesy and it's got Mii crowd integration, but the real kicker here is the music. As expected, the game features popular J-Pop like "http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=2CHH8PDJqoI">Popstar" and "Choo Choo TRAIN", but also "Go My Way" from Namco's idol singer simulation Xbox 360 game THE iDOLM@STER. The female dancers also look iDOLM@STEResque. How's that for fan service!
The game is slated for sometime this year.

Wiiでアイドルマスターみたいなゲームを製作中 [Hatimaki]

First Details About Xbox 360 Raiden IV Home Port

The upcoming issue of Japanese gaming mag Famitsu has the first details about the Raiden IV home port. The game will be hitting the Xbox 360 and will feature the standard arcade game, plus two new stages, LIVE and the ability to share replay saves with online buddies. There's even an option for vertical ("tate") for those with swivel arm HD TVs who want that true vertical shooting experience. Game shoots up Japanese Xbox 360s this September.

First Raiden IV 360 Details [Arcade Renaissance]

DISSIDIA: Final Fantasy Half Done

DISSIDIA: Final Fantasy? 50 percent done. So says the game's character designer Tetsuya Nomura in the upcoming issue of Japanese game mag Famitsu. This shouldn't come as a huge surprise as only half the cast has been revealed. That, and Square Enix does like to take its sweet time putting out its games. There's no rush, we guess.

Dissidia Final Fantasy [Videogamerx via PSP Hyper via PSP Fanboy]

Square Enix's grandiose plans for a Final Fantasy XIII three-way appear to be a bit stalled. The action oriented spin-off known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII may be coming even later than expected, which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. According to an interview with Versus XIII director Tetsuya Nomura in the newest issue of Famitsu, he explains that development is the side story is currently "on hold," with development staff of that game now tasked with getting FFXIII out the door.

Given that it's been over two years since Square Enix first showed off its FFXIII offerings and we're still getting trailers devoid of gameplay, we certainly don't expect to see Final Fantasy XIII until well into 2009. We'll pencil in Versus for 2013 or so.

Let's give it up for ten-year console life cycles!

Nomura: Square Enix blow-out at TGS, Versus XIII on hold [Forever Fantasy]

New Final Fantasy Versus XIII Scans

Here, have a look! Here are new Final Fantasy Versus XIII images from the upcoming issue of Famitsu. The PS3 exclusive is part of the Final Fantasy XIII label Fabula Nova Crystallis and is being directed by famed character designer Tetsuya Nomura. According to the Famitsu scans, Square Enix thinks it will be able to announce the latest news regarding FF Versus XIII this summer. Smart money says they do it at that "private party" this August.

Hit the jump for another scan.

This week's Famitsu announces mecha Macross Ace Frontier for the PSP. The game is based on the anime Macross Frontier, and hey, the franchise is celebrating its 25th anniversary! Out in this fall in Japan, the PSP game is being developed by Art Dink (read more about them here) and will be published by Namco Bandai. Like other Macross games, Ace Frontier will feature mecha from all the series and movies like Veritechs from Macross, Macross Plus and Macross 7. There are scans, and they are right down there.

Macross Scans [2chan.net]

Jamzy: The Game

Been a while since we last saw Jamzy. So what's Japan's #1 Microsoft fanboy been up to since? Oh, he's been keeping himself very busy. Busy designing games! Not real games, as in ones you can one day walk into a store and buy. Dream games, as in ones that Microsoft Japan aren't making, but in Jamzy's dreams, probably should be (that's his dog, and the text reads: "Oh, long time no see. Well, today, Jump In"). I mean, shit, I'd pay $50 for a game about little dogs and wacky hairstyles. Bet most of Japan would, too.

【雑記】インサイドXbox、リニューアルです。[Famitsu]

Why First and Third Person Shooters Are Not Popular In Japan

An eight page Famitsu article called "Shall we shoot a little?" and featuring a bikini lady holding a gun tackles first-person and third-person shooters. The magazine polled readers to see what experience they have with FPS or TPS games. 74.8 percent have played these types of games, while 51 percent of those said they'd like to play FPS or TPS games again. Reasons for disinterest didn't include the stereotypical FPS-games-make-Japanese-nauseous, but did include these responses from Famitsu readers:

"I'm not interested."

"The games seem difficult."

"I don't know what the point of these games is."

"I'm worried about playing them because I'm a beginner."

And so RPGs march valiantly on and on and on and on...

This Week in Japan [Next-Gen]

Tenchu 4 Heading to Wii

The most recent issue of Japanese game mag Famitsu announces that ninja stealth action title Tenchu 4 is headed for the Wii. The game will be developed by Acquire who worked on the early Tenchu titles and Armored Core dev From Software who published Xbox 360 exclusive Tenchu Z.

Tenchu 4 For Wii [2chan]

Yes, Have A Look Or Two At Fatal Frame IV

This week's Famitsu has a look at the Nintendo published surivival horror Zero ~Tsukihami no Kamen~ AKA Fatal Frame IV. The Wii game is being directed by Tecmo's Makoto Shibata and Grasshopper's Goichi Suda. While Shibata worked on the previous Fatal Frame games, Suda was roped in to work on Fatal Frame IV. Hit the jump for another look at the game.

We got our first blurry look at Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom courtesy of the pages of Famitsu magazine recently, but the mag's online presence has posted much clearer shots of the 2.5D fighter. It shows off the only confirmed characters—Chun-li, Ryu, Gatchaman and Casshern—and looks... well, it looks rather flat. Odd that Capcom would pump out another Street Fighter game so close to IV, but this one looks to cater to a different crowd, with big, big fireballs and over the top attacks a la X-Men Vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom. Take a peek.

Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom [Famitsu]

Capcom vs. Legendary Anime Company!

This. Is. Cool. The upcoming issue of Famitsu announces an interesting fighting game match-up: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes. Yes, that Tatsunoko, you know, the studio behind TV anime Speed Racer, Casshern and what Westerners know as Robotech. The game is being developed by Capcom and will storm Japanese arcades this winter. It will feature tag battles, and so far Ryu, Chun-Li, Ken Washio from Gatchaman and Casshern have been announced.

Thanks Tak!

Ollie Barder points out: "Robotech isn't owned by Tatsunoko, and Macross has very complicated rights issues (even in Japan) so it's unlikely the Capcom game would feature it. This is a helpful list."