SPC Highlights

Friday, February 8, 2013

Localizations, Please! New Year, New Begging Edition

A huge slew of games that went without much news regarding if they were ever coming to the West has been announced to actually be localized. I'm referring to titles like Pandora's Tower (Wii), Ys: Celceta: Sea of Trees (Vita), Project X Zone (3DS), Rune Factory 4 (3DS), and Muramasa Rebirth (Vita). Never to be satisfied, SuperPhillip Central is here to identify some current games out there with little to nothing in the way of localization news that we'd like to see come to the West. This edition focuses on games on the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and PlayStation Vita.

Dragon Quest X (Wii U)


The Wii version of Dragon Quest X came out in Japan late last year, and it saw a high number of players exploring the game's expansive online world with others, fighting slimes, and leveling up. In fact, over 600,000 people purchased the game. Not bad for a console with a notoriously basic online infrastructure. Still, that version will no doubt have no chance to make it to the West, but what about the upcoming Wii U version with more in the way of graphical enhancements? An MMORPG on Wii U is just the type of game that is attractive to me, and I'm sure others.

Dragon Quest VII (3DS)


A remake of the PlayStation One classic, Dragon Quest VII hit Japanese store shelves yesterday, continuing the assault to Nintendo 3DS owners' wallets with all of the appealing games coming out for the system over there. The remake boasts unique improvements, most notably the entire graphics of the game have been totally revamped. Currently, the only way to play Dragon Quest VII in the West is to have a PS1 or backwards compatible system and shell out a considerable amount of money for the game-- and that's just for a used copy. Let's not even talk about how much a shrink-wrapped copy is selling for!

Tales of Hearts R (PSV)


Another remake, but this time of a Nintendo DS game that never left Japan, Tales of Hearts R takes the RPG action of the original and remakes it into a fully 3D world. Dialogue is voiced completely this time around, new events pertaining to the main game have been included, and two new party members can join the fray. A focus on air combat has also been implemented. I know we have an embarrassment of riches lately with JRPGs, especially with the release of Ni no Kuni and Xenoblade Chronicles, but Vita owners only have Persona 4: Golden to play in the RPG department (regardless of how great that game is), so it'd be nice to see more in  the way of the genre on the handheld.

Fantasy Life (3DS)


Fantasy Life is a Brownie Brown-developed and Level-5 published game that released in Japan in 2012, fresh off the heels and hype of Animal Crossing on the Nintendo 3DS. While there are some similarities between the two games, Fantasy Life is a totally different beast, filled with combat in addition to the high amounts of customized gameplay. The icing on this cake is the fact that famed Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu worked on the music for the game. Actually, the icing on the cake is that the game is being well received by its homeland, and it makes me wish that us Westerners would get a chance to see what all the buzz is about.

Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney (3DS)


Speaking of Level-5, the localization fate of this last game on the Localizations, Please! might just be up to them. The game sold relatively poorly in Japan, considering the names attached to the title. However, this crossover is one that fans of both franchises have been dreaming of since before it was even announced. The actual gameplay consists of two familiar parts: exploration featuring coming across puzzles to progress the story, something Professor Layton aficiandos should welcome, and trials, a hallmark of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney franchise. Here's hoping the Japanese sales of the game don't hamper the hopes of the game coming to the West.

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