Here's another game for Japan which has the inklings of becoming an import hit. Project Diva has you starring as an adorable big-eyed anime girl wooing her way to stardom. Sing well and you'll find your room growing with tons of decorative items.
Ikki Tousen: Eloquent Fist truly is a bizarre game. It's hard to make commentary on a game that's known for its emphasis on well-endowed school girls whose clothes seemingly explode at random. The truly strange fighting game has us asking all sorts of questions: why is she fighting random teenagers? Why are they so angry at her? How is all of this happening? Why are her clothes exploding? We're sure for the Japanese audience (and importers) that get their hands on this, all answers will be revealed.
Do you know of Cho Aniki? The hardcore shooter crowd knows this notorious title because of its ridiculous premise: you play a motley crew of mostly naked men firing energy missiles at other enemies, also usually mostly-naked men. The upcoming PSP game seems to be based on the original PC Engine title, meaning the increasingly strange and homoerotic imagery found in later games will most likely be absent in this upcoming PSP game. It may be based on the most tame version of the series, but it will undoubtedly become another hit amongst the cult shooter crowd.
Read more on the series' legacy at Wikipedia -- and then for a more humorous take, check out Something Awful (content may be not safe for work). A video of the game, embedded after the cut.
One of our readers rightfully asked why we post so much information on Japanese games. The truth of the matter is, Japan just gets more games than us. Games like Gundam are system-sellers on that side of the Pacific. The upcoming Macross game will also undoubtedly do very well. While most of us will never have a chance to actually play these titles (lest we import), at least we can take some comfort that PSP is doing incredibly well in Japan? Check out this new promotional video to check out some hot mech-on-mech action.
Cardinal Arc: The Neverland Card War is PS2 RPG released back in 2003. The gameplay is card-based as you have undoubtedly guessed from the title. You step into the shoes of Gallahad, who must battle both forces from heaven and hell to win cards and territory. The game is getting ported over to the popular handheld in Japan this September and will feature some enhancements: newly reworked cut-scenes, a new 16:9 widescreen presentation and a versus mode via ad hoc. Check out the site for the original PS2 game here. Unsurprisingly, no word on a release outside of the Japanese region.
Unless you're a truly hardcore otaku, it might be hard to understand the appeal of Idolmaster. This was a huge success in Japan, in spite of it being on Xbox 360. Imagine how well it will do when it arrives on Japan's most successful console right now. Yeah, we're thinking this is going to cause a massive surge of sales, one only rivaled by Monster Hunter.
For some crazy reason, Namco Bandai decided to release the very Japanese Idolmaster game exclusively on Xbox 360. It quickly became the system's most popular game ... but that doesn't say much for those that follow the Japanese charts every week. Looks like Namco Bandai realized that the franchise needed to jump ship to a much more popular platform. And it has -- the PSP.
The iDOLM@ATER SP looks to be based on the arcade original, with downsized PSP graphics. You play as a producer that must work with a variety of underaged pop idols. To ensure maximum profitability, Namco Bandai is releasing three versions of the game, each with three characters. (Wondering Star will actually feature four. Terrific value!) Considering the incredible desire of nerds to manage anime pop stars, we have a feeling this will do very well when it debuts in Japan.
The Japanese don't want one Chocobo themed game -- they want two. And that's exactly what they're getting this week on their PS Store update. Five new PS1 games are available for 600 yen each, and two of them are about Square Enix's notorious yellow mascots. Here they are:
Are you thinking of importing the upcoming PSP fighting game Ikki Tousen? While that is all well and good, we thought we'd bring to your attention some other Ikki Tousen goodies you'll miss out on unless you live in Japan. In celebration of the game's arrival, the Cure Maid Cafe have added a milk pudding dessert to their menu dubbed "Hakufu's milk pudding". The attention to detail is impressive -- there's even a small bulge in the middle of these, er, milk pudding globs. Has anyone been able to try this out? Whatever the case, Ikki Tousen is coming out October 2nd in Japan.
There's no shortage of anime fighters on the PSP. How will Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! stand up to the rest of the competition? To be honest, the newly released trailer doesn't look bad ... but it doesn't seem to be particularly noteworthy either. The gameplay looks to be rather standard 2D fighting fare, but for many, that won't really be a problem.
Here's another Japanese simulation game aimed squarely at the female audience: Neo Angelique Special. In this port of a 2006 PS2 game, you play a pretty young woman who battles demons with the help of various pretty young males. Of course, love is in the air. A lot of love -- there are ten guys shown at the official site for the anime version of Neo Angelique. For those who are interested, the game arrives in Japan on September 20th.
We can see the marketing now: Ikki Tousen for him, Neo Angelique Special for her. A match made in PSP heaven.
Both the PSP and PS3 have incredibly generous region settings, which allow you to play games from all around the world -- no mod chips required. Importing games for both of Sony's platforms is easy, and Play-Asia's sale makes it even easier. Right now, they're providing 25% off all of their in-stock items. Here's our recommendations:
This premium edition of the upcoming PSP fighter Fate/Tiger Colosseum UPPER is well ... rather much. Called the "Megamori Box," you are getting a mega-more amount of stuff than you could possibly need. For $95 (via Play-Asia), the package contains the game, a 72-page book filled with interviews and comics, 23 tarot cards, binder, drama CD, and special DVD. This is quite possibly the most fanservice-filled box we could imagine. Too bad we're unfamiliar with the series -- perhaps if you're a Fate/Tiger fan, this package will have you going nuts.
From the same folks that brought us brought Japan Solfege: Sweet Harmony, comes a new RPG called Mimana: IYAR Chronicle. Exactly what's in store here, we're not sure as our Japanese skills still need some fine tuning. However, this should be interesting to those who can't get enough J-RPGs with cliché blue-haired heroes and scatterbrained female companions.
The game is developed and published by GungHo. You can check out more on the game at its official site here.
There are only a few certainties in life. One of them is that an anime fighter will get a sequel, especially if its on PSP. Capcom's super-deformed fighter based on the Fate/Tiger series is going UP in this sequel. Expect just as much crazy fighting as the original, and maybe some fan-service (considering the franchise's origins ... ). Will this game (and its prequel) ever come out to the US?
From the same folks that 
