Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning May 31, 2011

I only caught wind of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning earlier this month, but after reading a couple of articles, learning of the creators involved, and seeing a number of game play and concept videos featuring the combat mechanics created to set this game apart at the official site, the world of Amalur definitely has my full attention. They probably had me with a description a fan used in describing the game as “a dead RPG revived with the spirit of Tekken…”

Wanted to make sure those of you visiting the site that might not have heard of the game yet can go and check it out.

There is no official release date other than “2012” as of yet, but I’ll be sure to update the log when we get an update.

Dead or Alive Dimensions (Released May 24th) May 25, 2011

Team Ninja’s 3DS title Dead or Alive Dimensions was released in the U.S. yesterday, and thankfully my copy was waiting patiently for me when I arrived home from work.

Unfortunately, it will have to be a little more patient as I don’t have the 3DS yet (2011 holiday bundles and discounts anyone?) but such is my love for the series that I wanted to pick up a launch copy and help support the success of the game (as was the case with SFIV 3D and Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars) and by all accounts I’m going to have a great DoA fighter to enjoy when I do pick up the hand-held later this year.

And now that the game has been released, and gamers will have a sense of the series so far, I’d love to hear news of a Dead or Alive 5 being in development!

Atlus To Bring Persona 2: Innocent Sin to the U.S. this Fall! May 24, 2011

This will definitely be gaming’s biggest news bite today, but I’ve been waiting for the U.S. release of Persona 2: Innocent Sin for so long that I can’t help but share it as well. This was just about the first thing I woke up to as I checked my e-mail at about 6:00 this morning and it definitely got me moving a little faster than I otherwise might.

Here’s what Atlus had to say in the Newsletter:

The only Persona game never officially released out of Japan is finally coming to North America, and it’s making the trip with a huge list of enhancements and additions. Are you ready to finally discover this lost chapter in the Persona series?

• 16:9 Aspect Ratio
• Remastered Visuals and Audio
• Remixed Musical Score (with options to toggle between that and original)
• Streamline User Interface
• New Quests
• New Intro Animation
• And More!

We love ya Atlus!

Fire Emblem VI: Fuuin no Tsurugi Japanese Ad May 23, 2011

Ha, that definitely brightened my day!

Love this game, though it’s more than a challenge…to say the least.

And speaking of Fire Emblem, please do yourself a favor and play the U.S. releases on the GBA, Wii and DS if you can get your hands on a copies — they’re amazing titles and highly underrated with Western audiences. This is one of Japan’s most long-lived and beloved franchises for a good reason folks! Heck, they made a live action production of the theme song to advertise it!

Crysis 2 is Amazon’s “Deal of the Day” May 18, 2011

I’ve been champing at the bit to play Crysis 2 since it launched as I really want to check out what the hub-bub is about, the new cover system and the different forms of tactical gameplay options throughout the levels that, hopefully, will make this a lot more fun than the all too common run ‘n gun shooter.

But I wanted to hold off for a price drop (which is pretty much the norm for me with PS3 and 360 titles) and thanks to Amazon’s Deal of the Day fans that had a similar mindset can pick up the game cross-platform for $34.99 (42% off) today.

Happy hunting.

Portal 2 Movie-inspired Poster May 17, 2011

(Click to enlarge image)

[Awesome] Portal 2 Movie Poster by Tristan Reidford.

(Belated) April 2010 Acquisitions May 17, 2011

After a 10-day trip to Japan and a couple of intense papers prior to finals I can report that I’m glad to be back and that I’m looking forward to a break and the chance to spend more time with my wife and these games (sometimes at the same time if her experience with Enslaved is any indication).

April was a productive month in terms of the games that I picked up (though just wait until you see what May brought with my trip to Japan). As always, I rarely paid full price for anything listed and I will note any extraordinary deals, because having patience and tracking down these deals is a sizable part of the fun in collecting.

Here’s what I’ve picked up in April, if a little late:

Newer Games:

• Astonishia Story (PSP; ~ $7)
• Bayonetta (360)
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP; ~ $8)
• Dark Void (PS3; ~ $8)
• Enslaved (PS3)
• Heavenly Sword (PS3)
• Lunar: Dragon Song (DS)
• Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom (PS3)
• Mario Power Tennis (Wii)
• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP; Greatest Hits)
• No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Wii; ~ $3)
• Nostalgia (DS; ~ $7)
• Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad (360)
• Pangya: Fantasy Golf (PSP; ~ $10)
• Perfect Dark Zero: Limited Edition (360; ~ $3)
• Rondo of Swords (DS; ~ $7)
• Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals (DS; ~ $5)
• Spectrobes: Origins (Wii)
• Star Ocean: First Departure (PSP; ~ $10)
• Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament; ~ $6)
• Tales of Vesperia (360)
• Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade  (PSP; ~ $5)

Retro Games (defined as anything during or prior to the Playstation 2 era) :

• Dark Cloud (PS2; ~$5)
• Demon Stone: Forgotten Realms (PS2; ~ $4)
• Final Fantasy IX (PS; ~ $10)
• Nightshade (PS2)
• Rise of Kasai (PS2; ~ $5)
• Rygar: The Legendary Adventure (PS2; ~ $5)
• Tekken Tag Tournament (PS2; ~ $7)
• Tenchu: Fatal Shadows (PS2)
• Tenchu: Shadow Assassins (Wii)
• Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade (PSP; ~ $6)
• Warriors of the Lost Empire (PSP; ~ $6)
• Ys I & II Chronicles: Premium Edition (PSP)