NISA: Sakura Wars 5 and The Last Rebellion

[androvsky]

Well, the end of days is here. NISA is bringing us a Sakura Wars game! REPENT!



What kind of game is Sakura Wars? It's a mix of a giant robot strategy game and a dating sim that takes place in an alternate reality version of the 1920's. Really. And just for the record, the dating sim aspect of the game is extremely clean; I hesitate to even call it a dating sim (no nudity, and I don't recall any kissing). As for the strategy part of the game? Well, the battle system in Valkyria Chronicles is based on the system that was introduced in Sakura Wars 3. Yeah, they're made by the same team, Overworks (although Red helped with Sakura Wars). They also made Skies of Arcadia. I assume I have everyone's attention now.

A fantastic interview with Nao Zook from NISA that touches on most of the major aspects of the game: http://www.rpgamer.com/games/sakura/...akura5int.html

Official Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love website:
http://www.sakurawars.us/



Thanks to Moonphase for helping get a better boxart link and letting me know the release date is announced, set for March 23. Further info from RPGamer:
http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q4-2009/121109a.html

After much waiting, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love now has an official release date of March 23, 2010. This title will be available on both the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii. The PlayStation 2 release will be a premium version with a special art book, poster, a collector's box cover, and will feature two dual layered discs with options for English and Japanese voices. It will retail for $39.99 and be limited to the initial shipment. If any future shipments occur, they will be a regular packaged versions without the bonuses and only featuring an English voice track.

The Wii version include a single layer disc featuring only English voices. It will also lack the bonuses found in the PlayStation 2 release, but be priced lower at only $29.99. This means if you want Japanese voices, you had better pick up the initial release of the PlayStation 2 version. Stay tuned for detailed impressions of Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love soon.

I'll geek out a bunch more about Sakura Wars later...

Also they announced a new PS3 jrpg... The Last Rebellion.



Although announced by NISA, the game is being developed by Hit Maker (makers of Blade Dancer (PSP) as well as A Witches Tale (DS), not to be confused with Hitmaker, the Sega division). It's due to be released in Japan on January 28, February for the U.S. Supposedly the price is $39.99, but I'm having trouble verifying it at the moment.

It started out as an action RPG, but switched to a more traditional turn-based RPG while in development.

Trailer is up at the North American webiste.
http://nisamerica.com/games/lastr/

Gameplay footage up at the Playstation Blog!
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/...23/#more-23174

Last Rebellion

You play as both Nine and Aisha. You can switch between these two characters anytime you need to. They have different attributes and skills: Nine is a Blade, who does physical damages to Belzeds (undead creatures), and Aisha is a Sealer, who can seal Belzeds to prevent these undead creatures from reviving. Each character has different strengths and weaknesses, so switch them back and forth to successfully destroy the Belzeds!

Check out the Last Rebellion Wesbite to see more detailed information!

Amusing little comic I found on NISA's website:

[chnandler_bong]

A graphically high-end PS2 game...they probably won't make the PS3 flex all its muscles but they don't look bad to me at all!

[Shin-Ra]

Ooh so it wasn't Trinity Universe. Three new RPG's in one day isn't too bad going, even if this isn't the prettiest.

[MOONPHASE]

Sakura Wars(Sakura Taisen) coming to America? Ok now I'm happy I love all of the anime series for it that have made it to America and now I'm happy that I can finally play at least 1 of the games.

[MOONPHASE]

Oh and going to try out Last Rebellion to see how it is.

[Musashi]

I been wanting to play Sakura since god knows when. I'm a have to support this release, since it just might convince Sega and NIS to get the first one over here. The first one was remade on PS2 so that'll make releasing it all the more convenient.

[jkwest]

wow..that floating platform picture looks like it was taken straight out of World of Warcraft.

[Goodintentions]

im starting to think that NIS is looking to take over the world !!!!!!!!!!!!

[MOONPHASE]

1. Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love will come in a premium package, including an English voice disc and a Japanese voice disc. Yes! There will be two discs in one package! We know that you are all looking forward to the original Japanese voice overs, and it turned out we couldn't fit both English and Japanese on one disc. So we decided to make this premium package in order to make sure that the Japanese voices will be available to you guys. This 2-disc package will be available for both the Wii and PS2 versions!

Also Atelier Annie comes out to DS in October

[jeabombers]

So, what IS Sakura Wars, and should I care? I mean, 5 games out and now we get one? Also, is this "5 games" like there had been roughly 20 "Shin Megami Tensei" games that came out before any made it to the U.S.?

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by jeabombers

So, what IS Sakura Wars, and should I care? I mean, 5 games out and now we get one? Also, is this "5 games" like there had been roughly 20 "Shin Megami Tensei" games that came out before any made it to the U.S.?

Sakura Wars is also an anime and this particular game is actually Sakura Wars V(5) though it's ok to play this game if you never seen the anime or played the original games before this. But no one bothered to pick this up for America but NIS decided that Americans shouldn't be left out without this series. I believe there are even remakes of the original games so if this sells well maybe we might get the remakes also if we are lucky.

The first Sakura Wars game to reach North America, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love takes the franchise to America with the franchise's first story set in America, following a new hero who joins the US version of the Hanagumi. Demons have appeared in New York, and its up to Shinjirou, Gemini Sunrise and a new cast of characters to take them out. The cast serves as performers during the day and warriors when called upon, continuing series tradition.

Sakura Wars is a strategy RPG that features a unique sim-based story system. Character interaction plays a major role in a storyline that never follows a set course, and your responses to the various characters in the game can ultimately change the story content and even the final outcome. The battle system is divided into two main parts; ground combat and air combat. Ground combat takes place using two-legged mechanized suits, which transform into jet fighters to take the fight to the sky. Every mech unit in the game can transform from battle mech mode to jet fighter mode during combat.

[Musashi]

Originally Posted by MOONPHASE

I believe there are even remakes of the original games so if this sells well maybe we might get the remakes also if we are lucky.

There are indeed; The first 4 titles in the series are available on PS2 in Japan. I think the first one is a full on remake while 2-4 are ports of the Saturn/Dreamcast versions.

I will definitely get the US release of 5; more would be welcome too.

2 DVDs says NIS...they didn't consider using a dual layer disc?

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by Musashi

There are indeed; The first 4 titles in the series are available on PS2 in Japan. I think the first one is a full on remake while 2-4 are ports of the Saturn/Dreamcast versions.

I will definitely get the US release of 5; more would be welcome too.

2 DVDs says NIS...they didn't consider using a dual layer disc?

Maybe even a dual layer dvd wasn't enough which actually gets me pumped up for it because that means plenty of voice acting, gameplay, and maybe even a lot of cutscenes. Because don't forget it's dual audio and if there is a lot of acting, music, or whatever a dual layer disc is just not enough for a dvd.

On a similar note that's what I think happened to Ar tonelico 2 to much soundtrack in the game and not enough room for both languages so it was cut to fit.

[androvsky]

Originally Posted by Musashi

There are indeed; The first 4 titles in the series are available on PS2 in Japan. I think the first one is a full on remake while 2-4 are ports of the Saturn/Dreamcast versions.

I will definitely get the US release of 5; more would be welcome too.

2 DVDs says NIS...they didn't consider using a dual layer disc?

Sakura Wars 5 already uses a dual layer disc.

[Musashi]

Originally Posted by androvsky

Sakura Wars 5 already uses a dual layer disc.

The thought had occurred to me.

[Cordre69]

Originally Posted by MOONPHASE

Maybe even a dual layer dvd wasn't enough which actually gets me pumped up for it because that means plenty of voice acting, gameplay, and maybe even a lot of cutscenes. Because don't forget it's dual audio and if there is a lot of acting, music, or whatever a dual layer disc is just not enough for a dvd.

On a similar note that's what I think happened to Ar tonelico 2 to much soundtrack in the game and not enough room for both languages so it was cut to fit.

Ar Tonelico 2 had a good soundtrack so it was so worth the space!

Anime/CG FMV takes up a ton of space, so long as they don't make the image windowed and hella small like some games/movies have done. And if they support 5.1 then yeah, 2 Dual-Layer discs will fill up mighty quick.

[jeabombers]

Originally Posted by MOONPHASE

Sakura Wars is also an anime and this particular game is actually Sakura Wars V(5) though it's ok to play this game if you never seen the anime or played the original games before this. But no one bothered to pick this up for America but NIS decided that Americans shouldn't be left out without this series. I believe there are even remakes of the original games so if this sells well maybe we might get the remakes also if we are lucky.

Sounds like fun, thanks! I'll try to keep an eye on it.

[MOONPHASE]

Sounds like NISA had a fun time dubbing Sakura Wars http://nintendo.joystiq.com/2009/09/...-long-my-ears/

[MOONPHASE]

[androvsky]

Woot, thanks for the pics Moonphase! One of the ones in the latest batch that you didn't link had some text going way outside the box of the battle HUD, but this early on I'm not worried. The rest look great... I'm really jazzed finally seeing Sakura Wars screenshots in English.

By the way, the Playstation Nation podcast is going to have an interview with the Sakura Wars localization team, and they've got a thread going for questions to ask: http://vgevo.com/site/showthread.php?t=247176