Captain Shepard Recruits Critical Squad Members Starting with the
Merciless, Vicious Krogan Character “Grunt”

Cologne, Germany – August 18th, 2009 – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed new plot points in the epic sci-fi fantasy Mass Effect 2™. Once again stepping into the role of the heroic Commander Shepard, gamers will command their crew on a suicide mission in space. Players will strategically select each member of their squad, all of whom have a direct impact on the direction of the story and the squad’s chances for survival. Players will select from a motley cast of characters including the newly revealed ‘Grunt’ – a blood-hungry Krogan.

Once players have assembled their squad from amongst the galaxy’s most powerful mystics, geniuses, and convicts, they must lead them on a suicide mission to discover why humans are vanishing from the galaxy. The success of the mission hinges on the squad recruited and their loyalty to the mission. Shepard’s future depends on it.

“The Mass Effect trilogy is an epic saga with consequences that will carry through from chapter to chapter” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, GM and CEO BioWare, VP EA. “Building out a diverse and loyal party is one of the features that makes the Mass Effect series unique. “The characters Commander Shepard recruits are not only pivotal to the storyline but essential to the players overall success.”

The new character revealed in the Mass Effect 2 squad is ‘Grunt’. A violent and unpredictable Krogan fighter, Grunt has never faced true defeat. His unsurpassed physical strength makes him a strong asset to Commander Shepard’s team, if he can be tamed, and if he can be trusted.

Grunt is the second party member to be revealed in the Mass Effect 2 universe following ‘Thane’ a deadly assassin who was first introduced in June. More details about the rest of Shepard’s crew will be revealed in the coming months.

The Mass Effect trilogy is a masterful science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious uncharted planets. Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC in early 2010. The new recruitment gameplay video and screenshots can be found at info.ea.com. Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/masseffect2.

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Hot Japanese Imports: Ponyo movie review

Section: Reviews, Exclusives, Originals, Features, Columns, Japanese Imports, Ads & Media, Movies

Title: Ponyo
Release Date: August 14, 2009 (US), July 19, 2008 (Japan)
Rating: “G” for General Audiences.
Length: 1 hour, 41 minutes. (101 minutes)
Pros: Gorgeous visuals. For the most part, the voice acting is fantastic. Great pacing for the story. A nice mix of active and passive scenes. The music and soundtrack is absolutely wonderful.
Cons: Noah Cyrus’ voice (Ponyo) can occasionally be grating and/or annoying.
Overall Score: 9/10

Handdrawn, 2D animation is an endangered art form. Most films are now made with computers and companies have a habit of releasing everything in 3D. Thankfully, Studio Ghibli is still doing things the old fashioned way. The company’s latest film, Ponyo, is among its most beautiful, and is a new adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid.

A new take on The Little Mermaid.

Brunhilde is a little goldfish who lives under the sea with her father and sisters. All her life, she’s been stuck in and Fujimoto’s submarine, but she wants more out of life. She one day sets out to see what there is outside of the ocean she knows. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go too well and she ends up trapped in a bottle.

She’s then rescued by a young boy named Sosuke. He breaks the bottle trapping her and sets her free. She then licks clean a cut he got saving her, healing it with her magic. He renames her Ponyo and decides to keep her with him and protect her. Ponyo loves her new name and him. However, her father Fujimoto comes to claim her, dragging her home, and the Ponyo and Sosuke are separated.

Ponyo is then determined to not only find a way back to Sosuke, but also find a way to become a human. However, doing so could disrupt the world’s balance.

Ponyo is a reminder of how beautiful 2D animation can be.

Ponyo is the kind of movie you’d have to see twice. The first time, you’d see and appreciate the actual story presented on the screen. The second time, you’re able to focus on the detailed artwork on the screen. In fact, Ponyo sets a new record for Studio Ghibli films – there are 170,000 individual, handdrawn images in the movie.

It also features a wonderful sense of storytelling and pacing. The beginning of the movie is very relaxed, almost leisurely. The audience is able to take this time to get to know and identify with the characters, specifically Ponyo and Sosuke. It then gradually builds in intensity and action, and features a satisfying ending. It never feels rushed, and while there are some fairly intense and dark moments, even those don’t feel threatening. It’s just a trial that must be faced and overcome.

Disney did do a wonderful job when casting the English version, with one exception. Personally, I found Noah Cyrus (Ponyo) to be a tad annoying at times, as opposed to endearing, and I preferred Yuria Nara’s take on Ponyo. Frankie Jonas, on the other hand, does a decent job as Sosuke. Of course, Tina Fey (Lisa), Liam Neeson (Fujimoto) and Cate Blanchett (Gran Mamare) all provide wonderful performances, and so do Matt Damon, Betty White, Lily Tomlin and Cloris Leachman in their cameo appearances. Overall, it’s very well-acted.

A tale all ages and cultures can appreciate.

If you enjoyed previous Studio Ghibli movies, like Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, you’ll fall in love with Ponyo. It’s an endearing adventure. The English language version is well cast, and it’s a joy to watch. I have a feeling that it will also become the most popular of the Studio Ghibli movies released in America, due to the familiar story and breathtaking visuals.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Hot Japanese Imports looks at Japan’s Pokemon Centers.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Hot Japanese Imports reviewed Nanashi no Game for the DS.

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“Quivering with mega deliciousness. The Mega-Egg. Limited time only. From 6/6 (Friday). At store locations serving breakfast, service will begin after 10:30AM. Some locations are not participating.”

http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/sales/new/mega_tamago/

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The August 21 issue of Weekly Famitsu is a special double-issue which includes coverage of the following games and/or events in the Japanese market:

» Famitsu covers the launch of Monster Hunter 3-tri and takes photos of the crows, the queues, and the solidarity as consumers make their buys.
» Scoop on PS3 Final Fantasy XIV (MMORPG) with an introduction to the game world and the races that reside in the world.
» Preview for Wizardry on the Nintendo DS which looks impressive.
» The Review Crew ranks Wii FullMetal Alchemist (5/7/7/8), PS2 LoveXLoop (5/7/7/5), and PS2 Meltyblood AA (6/7/7/6).
» NDS Blood of Bahamut game play guide.
» Flip to pages 254-255 for a look at ARC Senko no Ronde DUO.
» View an unappetizing hot dog in this week’s PICK UP FOOD section.
» Every issue includes a 98-page Monster Hunter 3-tri guidebook which contains maps, hints, tips, and detailed information on the game.

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Title: Nanashi no Game
Price: $48.90
System(s): DS
Release Date: July 3, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Square Enix (Square Enix)
ESRB Rating: N/A, Cero C (Ages 15+)
Pros: Interesting how you shift between the RPG and “real world” for assistance and answers, The real world portion looks very realistic. The game world even has fake glitches, a nice touch. The in-game DS unit is really cool. Good ambiance formed by the game’s surroundings and sound.
Cons: Your character moves very slowly. Storyline is incredibly similar to The Ring.
Overall Score: 8/10

While North American and European gamers have been seeing the typical Square Enix fare recently, that is Final Fantasy ports/spin-offs/entries, the perpetuation of existing series like Kingdom Hearts and the occasional new title like The World Ends with You, Japan’s been seeing more unusual items. Nanashi no Game the first entry in a DS horror series from Square Enix, is one of those games.

Since Nanashi no Game‘s sequel, Nanashi no Game: Me, is going to making it’s Japanese debut soon, I figured now would be a good time to borrow and review a friend’s copy of Nanashi no Game.

If you want to live, better learn how to play the game

If you’ve seen the horror movie The Ring, Nanashi no Game’s plot may sound a bit familiar. You’re a student who has stumbled upon the nameless RPG that carries a curse. Everyone who plays it dies within seven days if they can’t beat the game.

The trick is that you don’t really get to play the game, per say. The game is very glitchy and such, since it isn’t an official release. Instead it acts as an assistant of sorts to help you solve real world puzzles and challenges that pop up due to the fact that you chose to play the game. You will play it a bit, but for the most part it’s your aide in attempting to survive.

You’ve decided to team up with your friend to uncover the truth behind all of the nameless game related deaths, try to prevent new fatalities and perhaps break the curse behind the game.

Sufficiently scary and a trifle short.

Nanashi no Game is about two things, ambiance and immersion. Fortunately, it succeeds in both areas. The way the game is presented, where the RPG takes place on one screen in the standard DS mode, and the investigation and “real world” actions take place on both screens and the DS is held like a book. When you bring up your in-game DS menu, you can read mail or play the “game.” The real world aspect looks incredibly vivid and realistic, and the music and noises are quite eerie and often chilling.

There’s also quite an interesting story behind the game. The reasons for the curse is not only horrifying, but also a bit sad. Nanashi no Game’s “villain” is a tragic figure, so you almost feel sad, despite the fact that this villain has cursed everyone behind the game.

One thing to note is that Nanashi no Game is quite short, at least for a Square Enix game. I finished it after playing for about five days, and typically a Square Enix game takes me over a week to complete. Of course, given that it’s an adventure/horror game, the shortness sort fits given the genre. It’d also probably be a bit unbelieveable if it took you more than seven days to defeat a game where you have seven days to beat a game.

There was an aspect I didn’t appreciate, and that is how your character moves through the “real world” in Nanashi no Game. Walking isn’t even an appropriate description. Crawling would be more accurate. A walking pace is achieved by pressing forward on the directional pad and tapping the touch screen at the same time. I’m sure Square Enix did this to try and build up suspense, or make players more panicked as they struggled to escape a ghostly apparition. Sorry, in practice, it doesn’t work like that. It’s only frustrating! Multiple times I’ve had a ghost end my character’s life because I couldn’t move fast enough to get away.

Japanese-speaking DS owners looking for a horror game will be quite pleased.

I’m tempted to call Nanashi no Game a leisurely sort of horror game, if there is such a thing. While there are the occasional heart pounding risks and ghost chase scenes, it’s more about puzzle solving and exploration. One thing’s for sure, it certainly is an unsettling game. Personally, I’m hoping Square Enix decides to surprise North American and European gamers with a localization, now that it’s become a series.

Also, if you’re someone who likes to import games, don’t import Nanashi no Game unless you’re good at reading Japanese. Since my kanji skills are lacking, I often had to call my friend over to assist me in my adventures and translate words I didn’t understand.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Important Importables will be a day late next week, running on Saturday with a review of Ponyo, the English language version of Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Important Importables looked at games inspired by Sugar Sugar Rune.

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When manga or anime series become popular, they’re almost guaranteed a video game release. When a series is incredibly popular, they’ll spawn multiple games. Since many of these series don’t achieve the same level of recognition outside of Japan, this means that people in other regions of the world will likely never hear about them.

This week, Important Importables is going to look at one of these lesser known series, Sugar Sugar Rune. While Del Rey released all eight volumes of Moyoco Anno’s series in North America, it never reached the same heights of popularity that it achieved in Japan. In Japan though, it managed to inspire three video games on three different platforms.

What’s Sugar Sugar Rune?

Sugar Sugar Rune was a first for mangaka Moyoco Anno. She is best known for mangas written for women, like Happy Mania, Flowers & Bees and Hataraki Man. Sugar Sugar Rune was the first series she created for a younger female audience.

Long ago, witches and wizards separated from the human world and moved to the Magical World. Once there, a rift developed between two factions, ones who followed the Ice Prince Glacé and others who followed Le Royaume. Glacé and his followers were sent into exile and dubbed Ogres.

Le Royaume and the Magical World is led by a queen. At the moment, it’s Queen Candy. However, a contest is being held to determine the next queen. The two candidates are Chocolat Meilleure, daughter of previous queen candidate Cinnamon Meilleure, and Vanilla Mieux, Queen Candy’s daughter. The two young witches are best friends, despite their contrary personalities, and they are sent together to the human world.

Their goal? Collect humans hearts, which are called ecuré in the Magical World and used as both currency and energy. Witches can’t regenerate their own hearts, but humans can. The girl who collects the most hearts will be the next queen.

In the Magical World, outspoken, crude and tomboyish Chocolat was most popular, but in the human world shy, quiet and demure Vanilla gathers the most attention. Chocolat has to challenge her best friend to become the best. To make matters worse, a young Ogre representative named Pierre is attending the same school and trying to influence both girls.

At it’s very core, Sugar Sugar Rune is your typical magical girl series. Especially if you only look at the anime, which follows a “monster of the week” sort of story, focuses mainly on the collecting of hearts and has more of a traditional art style. The manga series is darker and slightly edgier, with a gothic-punk art style and more background on the war between the witches and ogres. The 51 episode anime is geared towards a younger audience, while the eight volume manga seems oriented towards slightly older readers.

Sugar Sugar Rune: Heart Gaippai! Moegi Gakuen

Sugar Sugar Rune: Heart Gaippai! Moegi Gakuen was the first Sugar Sugar Rune game released, and debuted on the Game Boy Advance. It also begins a trend. All of the Sugar Sugar Rune games focus on the heart collecting aspect of the original.

The GBA Sugar Sugar Rune game focuses on Chocolat’s gathering of hearts from classmates at the elementary school Moegi Gakuen. It’s primarily a text based adventure where Chocolat visits various locations from the series, perhaps runs into familiar characters and, if she’s lucky and conversations go well, she earns hearts. There are also a few unrelated mini-games tossed in.

Sugar Sugar Rune: Koimo Osharemo Pick-Up

The second Sugar Sugar Rune game was a PlayStation 2 adventure called Sugar Sugar Rune: Koimo Osharemo Pick-Up, and it is quite similar to the previous GBA release. One of the main differences is you can choose to play as either Chocolat or Vanilla.

When it comes to gameplay, it’s similar to the previous game and otome games like Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side. You dress and prepare Chocolat or Vanilla, using clothes and magical accessories. Then, you attend school to to try and befriend the male students so you can take their hearts and (hopefully) become queen. There’s more of an active element here, since the clothing and accessory choices you make help determine whether certain guys will like you more or less.

Sugar Sugar Rune: Queen Shiken wa Dai Panic

Sugar Sugar Rune: Queen Shiken wa Dai Panic was the last Sugar Sugar Rune game, released in 2006. Unlike the previous games, which were more text based adventures, the DS game was an action/platformer title. Remember the Sega Genesis game Flicky? It’s slightly reminiscent of that. It’s also the only Sugar Sugar Rune game I’ve had the opportunity to play.

In the beginning of the game, players choose whether they want to be Chocolat or Vanilla. Aside from some cosmetic differences, both characters play the same. You must go through a variety of levels, based on locations seen in the anime and manga, to gather hearts. When Chocolat or Vanilla see a boy, they press a button to lure him in. He then will follow her around. The goal is to get a few guys following you around for a decent period of time so their hearts turn pink. Then, you execute a special move that plucks their hearts and gives Chocolat or Vanilla points. The boys then leave. The goal is to get a certain number of points and make it to the end of a level before time runs out.

It isn’t as easy as it sounds. There are dogs roaming the levels that will attack/scare the girls, causing the boys to leave. Also there are other female classmates wandering around, and if you walk past them, they’ll lure one of your admirers away. Plus, Chocolat and Vanilla can only have a certain number of boys follow them.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Important Importables reviews Nanashi no Game for the DS.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Important Importables reviewed Vitamin Y.

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