I'M BACK!

After much pondering and consideration, I've decided that this blog will not only be dedicated to DS games but also to PSP games. Stylus Screener is now a HANDHELD gaming blog!
Pardon my hiatus but I'm back now and better than ever!

So the news.



Dissidia 012: DuoDeciem has been the talk of the town. Heck, the forums have gotten popular over at Gamefaqs, too. The game I once touted as a shallow fangirl service game with (admittedly) a pretty fun game engine behind it receives the usual Square Enix treatment of a pointless sequel. Of course, more characters have been added and some new stages and they tweaked a bunch of things and so forth.

Again. Impressions:
-Trailer's in Japanese. Couldn't find one with subs, sadly.
-This confirms Lightning and Kain. Lightning parties with Bartz? Interesting.
-There is a new "Assist" which seems to call another character to assist you in battle. Hm.

Also, there have been speculations of (finally) a Chaos story mode.
Finally. My mains get some spotlight!

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And for the DS!




Super Robot Taisen L has some new characters! Here's a trailer. :D

Keroro RPG: Kishi to Musha to Densetsu no Kaizoku trailer

And here... have a trailer!



I'm actually quite excited about this that I might actually try and make a fan translation if I feel so inclined!
From the gameplay you see, it's a topdown 2D RPG (Good! and the sprites look clean, too!) with what seem to be three different settings and Keroro dressed up as a knight, a samurai (?) and a pirate.
You can also see the LMBS in action. 8D
Those special attacks look a TREAT.
Epic Tamama Impact.

So! Game's set for next year! I should start brushing up on my hiragana.

WE'RE NOT DEAD! DS Tidbits Vol 3.

Alright, first, I apologize to my readers for the lack of posts during such an active month. In a nutshell, my comp went kablooey, projects were due and I didn't have any time on my hands. I apologize.
I have a few reviews to post however and to start things off, here's a bunch of News Tidbits for all of you.



-First off, rumors of a larger DSi hitting the market has been confirmed. Dubbed the DSi-LL (DSi-XL in English speaking countries), this model of the DSi includes a bigger screen and a fatter stylus. Note the size comparison between the DSi and the DSi-XL:



According to a Nintendo spokesman, this is due to Nintendo starting to focus on games that require you to play with people in person. So... they gave the DSi a larger screen. Apart from that, there don't seem to be any other upgrades for the system.
Hm. I dunno about you guys but I think the DS was doing fine in that department, larger screen or no. It's been barely a year since the DSi has been announced and already Nintendo's coming out with an upgrade. IMHO, the larger screen isn't really needed. I'm starting to wonder though if this means the slow phase-out of the Lite and the Phat but maybe I'm worried over nothing.
Though I must say the wine red looks extremely fetching...
The DSi-LL is speculated to be released by the Q1 2010.

-Secondly! Blue Dragon: Ikai no Kyojuu , the second Blue Dragon game to be released on the DS has also been given a speculated English release date as Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow. Strangely enough, Namco isn't handling the publication but rather its subsidiary, D3.
Unlike other Blue Dragon titles, this one gives you a customizable main character which you can name, select a look for and a Shadow.



In this installment, everyone seems to have lost their ability to summon their shadows save for your main character who has a handful of them. These shadows gain levels and have different specialties and abilities.

-Thirdly, have some Luminous Arc 3: Eyes videos! This time around, the game focuses on the conflict between fairies and humans concerning the Eyes that give humans the power of magic. As usual, it's part strategy rpg and part dating sim.





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That's it from me for now. In the following days, I'll be posting up some reviews for you guys so sit tight. I've got a lot on my plate at the moment.

To follow:
-Review: Nostalgia
-Review: Style Botique
-Follow up Review: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Okamiden Official Trailer

And it's finally here! Okamiden's official trailer.
Yes, this one actually has audio and it shows actual gameplay videos!

Okamiden Chiisaki Taiyou first footage

So by now, you guys have probably heard that an Okami sequel has been announced for the DS. I've heard a lot of people complaining and saying that it won't be as good as the original or it's gonna look shitty... But come ON, guys. Give the little guy a chance. You can't really compare a handheld game to a console game. Treat em like two separate animals, sequel or no.
Personally, I'm happy that the DS is getting an Okami game. I've long wanted to play it seeing as I'm fond of legends and anything remotely mythical in origin. I always thought the touch screen would make for a great Celestial Brush.
My prayers have been answered!
For Okamiden, it seems you play as Amaterasu's... son? Chibiterasu. And he is ADORABLE. Two seconds into seeing the picture, I squeed in joy. And you can take along other characters who ride on your back and help you in battle.

Anyway, here's the first footage of the game! No sound yet... I gotta say... it does look pretty good. I'm excited!



No, there is no audio for this video.

Trailer: Atelier Annie

And once again, NISAmerica brings us a niche Japanese game! You have to thank NIS for things like Rhapsody and Disgaea. It's a hit and miss with these niche games though. Let's hope Atelier Annie is a hit for the West so we can get more of them in english. :D



Apparently, there won't be any dubbing this time around. Word is unconfirmed if this is due to budget constraints or just for the hell of it.
Either way...
Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island hits us all by October!

Heart Gold and Soul Silver announced for English Release!

A few months ago, pokemaniacs around the world were treated to a bit of good news: the return of Gold and Silver as HeartGold and SoulSilver. We held our breath, hardly believing the news. For the more pessimistic, it was more of "Oh no. Yet ANOTHER pokemon game." and for the fans, much screaming and fangasming was to be had.

Be prepared to fangasm yet again.... for I bring you...



THE ENGLISH TRAILER.
Now go watch it! No further commentary from yours truly is needed. Shoo! Git!

Speculated release is Spring 2010.

DS Tidbits!

Firstly! XSeed has confirmed localization of RIZ-ZOAWD. Strangely, they've chosen to change the title to Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road. I really think they should have stuck to RIZ-ZOAWD. No release date has been confirmed but this does look exciting. Feel free to check out the Japanese trailer below. So far, it looks like a very very pretty game and the soundtrack sounds good.



Via [Joystiq.com and siliconera.com]

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Secondly! Here. Have a trailer. It's for Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. Yep. The full length animated feature is already underway.



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Thirdly!
Here are my anticipated releases for the next few months:

August:
10 - Fossil Fighters
24 - Professor Layton and Pandora's Box
25 - Monster Racers/Harvest Moon Frantic Farming

September
14 - Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
15 - Bleach 3rd Phantom/Scribblenauts
22 - Spore Hero Arena
29 - Battle of Giants: Dragons (*coughs* Can't help myself.)/Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

October
20 - Bakugan
29 - Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island

November
10 - Phantasy Star Zero

E3 Videos!

Scribblenauts is looking interesting. Your main goal is to gather pieces of Starite in the level using any means possible. With over 100,000 words to play with (check out the video to see what I mean) this can lead to some very interesting puzzle solutions!

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Pokemon Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky has been given a trailer which shows stuff that isn't present in Explorers of Time/Darkness (As far as I've encountered). I see a Shaymin... and an Igglybuff... Intriguing.

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Also, Golden Sun is looking awesome.

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In other news from Siliconera, it seems that Gaijinworks is now thinking of porting Visual Novels?
Gaijinworks' was responsible for the localization of Miami Law and its president was former president of Working Designs, Vic Ireland.
Sounds like a good idea to me! The Visual Novel genre is greatly underrated but I don't really know how Americans would take to it. Always worth a try, though!

A Witch's Tale Trailer

And after a long period of no news from this game... we finally have a trailer and a speculated release date!



You play as the witch in training, Lidell and battle through the six kingdoms to save the Princesses and do some odd jobs for the citizenry on the side. Battle is done by sliding runes around and tracing them using the stylus.
Already, the art style reminds me of Disgaea which is a good thing. I had a bit of a Disgaea obsession a few months back.
It's NIS so we can expect something quirky and fun. The game itself has a gothic overtone with the horror theme and the dolls you have to find in each Kingdom.

The game is set to release by Fall so... perhaps around Halloween?

KH 358/2 Days Storefront Trailer

Obviously, this trailer is in Japanese but this is what I've gathered.
-The black haired girl is Xion.
-There is much existencial angst to be had all over the place.
-I see Sora (Yes, not Roxas. Sora.) somewhere in a screen there. Playable in Multiplayer mode, perhaps?
-I feel much Axel abuse from yours truly. Hm.
-Final release date for Japan is March 30, 2009.

In my honest, unbiased, Squeenix skeptic, KH hating opinion...
This game looks like an interesting ride. For a fandom I've billed as nothing but bull and fanservice, my interest has been piqued. I want to see how they'll pull this off. Maybe after this game, I won't hate the franchise so much...
Maybe.

EDIT: Thanks to the people over at Nico for the subbed version of the video. Sorry about the lack of news, people. Slow news week. Who knows though. When the Japanese version of KH 358/2 Days comes out, I might post a little preview here...
When June comes along, though, things are going to be WAY more lively.
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In other news:
Ace Attorney Investigations has been rumored for a release by Winter in America. (Possibly around Q4)
Here. Have an English trailer.



Miles Edgeworth gets his hands dirty by going to the crime scene and digging in dumpsters! Alright, maybe he doesn't... but he does go to the crime scene.

-Players will interact with witnesses and dig around for evidence.
-There's a new Logic system which makes you piece two pieces of information together and combine them to create new clues.
-The new character's name is Kay Faraday and she seems to be a phantom thief of sorts.
-We get to see actual crime scenes... with bodies.. and blood.
-The trailer soundtrack is pretty kicking and the last few seconds on the trailer = major lolz.

Interestingly enough, Miles runs around the screen rather than the first person POV that was used during the past 4 Ace Attorney games. I still see some sort of defense part is present in play but instead of being in court, you go face to face with the criminal?
Either way, we'll see come Q4.