Lots of Last Story Details

As per request, here is my translation of the recently updated The Last Story official Japanese website.

Characters

Elza
After having lost all living relatives when he was young, Elza became a wandering mercenary, continually fighting wherever he goes. However, he grows tired of constant fighting just to survive, and dreams of one day becoming a knight. During his first assignment after arriving at Ruli Island, he encounters a strange phenomenon.


Kanan
The heroine of this story. (that is literally all it says)

Quark
The leader of the band of mercenaries Elza belongs to, not only has Quark’s skill on the battlefield helped earn his companions’ devoted trust, but also his skillful single-handed negotiations with various employers.
Quark met Elza at a young age, and has been with him ever since as an older brother figure.

Seiren
A female warrior who fights with a double sword style, Seiren is the ‘mood-maker’ of the mercenary band Elza belongs to. Though a hearty heavy-drinker with a foul mouth, she also shows a side of deep caring for her companions.
Seiren is a commander who enjoys battle, and stands firm to take the brunt of it without looking back at the dangers.
NOTE: According to official battle screens, her name is Romanized as ‘Seiren’ rather than the previously interpreted ‘Saylen.’ Too bad, I think ‘Saylen’ is a more feminine Romanization. :(


Yuris
A mage with a perfect command of fire, Yuris may be the youngest member of the mercenary band, but he is highly competent.
A man of few words, and rather unsociable, Yuris put himself into the mercenary business as simply a way to survive.
Yuris is a young man without a single relative; his father disappeared when he was very young, and his mother passed away shortly thereafter.

NOTE: According to official screens, the other two playable characters are named Manamia (the girl with the short dark hair) and Jackal (the larger blonde man).

World of The Last Story

The Setting: Ruli Island
The Last Story takes place on a peninsula known as Ruli Island. Located in the middle of the continent’s only inlet, Ruli Island prospers due to its abundant resources and strong economy, despite the empire proper being undermined by constant turmoil and devastation.

The Bustling Ruli City
Ruli City, located in the heart of Ruli Island, becomes a base of operations for Elza and his friends. In addition to main streets and plazas, the city is characterized by a huge complicated maze of small backstreets.

The Mercenaries who have come to Ruli Island
The mercenaries, among which is Elza, the story’s protagonist, arrive at the thriving Ruli Island, leaving the desolate empire behind them, in search of new work.

The Mercenaries who dream of Knighthood
The mercenary band Elza belongs to accepts various job requests from employers, such as monster suppression. Since mercenaries mainly receive jobs of a violent nature, people tend to keep their distance from them. On the other hand, the knights who serve the Empire have a high rank in society, lead stable lives, and are respected by the people. Elza and his friends, while working as mercenaries, dream of succeeding to knighthood someday.

The Mysterious Power that Dwells within Elza
During the mercenary group’s excursion to some caverns on their first assignment after arriving at Ruli Island, an incident occurs that leaves Elza with a mysterious power.
What could this power truly be? And what fate awaits Elza and his companions?

Control the State of Battle with ‘Gathering’
As a result of the incident in the caverns, Elza gains the ability to use a special power called ‘Gathering.’ Gathering allows Elza to forcefully change his enemies’ focus, creating advantageous situations for his companions.
Upon using Gathering, Elza’s right hand emits a blue light.

Pointer
During battles in The Last Story, special ‘lines’ can be seen between allies and enemies. These lines show who the enemies are targeting, and are known as ‘Pointers.’ Being able to tell who is being targeted from where can allow you to progress battles in advantageous ways.

The Last Story will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

[The Last Story Official Website]

The Last Story Official Site Opens, Tons of Info Revealed

Nintendo and Mistwalker have ripped down the 'please be patient' curtain off the official website for their upcoming action-RPG collaboration, The Last Story.

The updated website features new screens, game and story details, as well as juicier descriptions for the playable characters revealed so far (Elza, Kanan, Quark, Saylen, and Yuris).

There is a ton of content there for any interested.

My previous Last Story translation apparently rubbed some people the wrong way, so I hesitate to jump right into translating all of it right away. (It is a lot of work, and I'm not interested in just being trolled over it.) Since I am looking forward to the game, however, I would be happy to translate it if there is interest. Otherwise, I have been told that Google can provide you with the exact same translation. (I couldn't confirm this, but the friendly troll was quite adamant.) ;)

Either way, The Last Story is definitely looking cool, and provides a strong argument for me finally picking up a Wii this year.

The Last Story will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

[The Last Story Official Site]

Meet Some Friendly Faces from The Last Story

The latest issue of Jump has revealed three new friendly characters from Mistwalker and Nintendo's upcoming action-RPG, The Last Story. Since I'm very excited to play The Last Story, I have taken the liberty of translating their (very short) character descriptions.

Quark
Leader of the mercenary band, Quark met Elza at a young age, and works with him as an older brother figure.

Saylen
The mood-maker of the mercenary band, Saylen has a foul mouth, but also possesses a kind and considerate side towards her companions.

Yuris
Though the youngest mercenary in the group, Yuris is a solitary young mage possessing outstanding battle abilities.

Besides Yuris, I think the characters designs for The Last Story are quite cool-looking, and the screens continue to be impressive for a Wii title. Definitely looking forward to this one.

The Last Story will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

The Last Story might be Sakaguchi's last story

After a 3 month long development stint in Japan, Final Fantasy creator and Mistwalker boss Hironobu Sakaguchi has returned to his home in Hawaii for a brief week for personal reasons.

In his Mistwalker blog, Sakaguchi comments on his team's commitment to The Last Story, stating that they are all pouring 120% into the project, which he says may be his last.

From his blog (translated by yours truly for your English reading pleasure):
"While I'm completely pouring everything I have into this one title, the feeling that this might be my last game is strong. So I am working towards the project's completion so that I have no regrets, but more than that, while having fun."

While it saddens me to think The Last Story may be Sakaguchi's last game, it is shaping up to be a great-looking title, and I think most would agree that Sakaguchi has more than made his mark upon the game industry.

The Last Story will be available for the Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

[Mistwalker]

The Last Story gets its First Trailer

Mistwalker and Nintendo's second joint project, The Last Story, is currently in development for release this year on the Wii. Up until now, the project has been kept under fairly tight wraps, with mostly only concept art and design elements revealed by the developer in a series of blog posts, and the odd Famitsu article dropping a handful of screens and gameplay details.

This morning, though, Nintendo released a full-fledged trailer to the masses, showing off the cast, demonstrating the action-RPGing elements, and even dropping some story elements into the mix.



Being a Wii title, the visuals are predictably sub-par compared with even Mistwalker's previous console offering (Lost Odyssey), but it looks like they've done a lot with the tech they have, and the battle system is certainly Mistwalker's most ambitious project to date.

While this trailer didn't exactly grab me in the way I hoped it would, the title seems like a solid entry into the 7th generation JRPG library, and definitely a game to keep on the radar.

The Last Story will be available on Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

E3 10: Nintendo Reveals Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Nintendo, the second of the Big 3, has just kicked off their E3 press conference, starting with one of their most anticipated upcoming titles, new Legend of Zelda.

Titled Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the title will require Wii Motion Plus, and use 'intuitive' motions to control all the tools and abilities, including the sword and shield, which will work with 1:1 motion on the wiimote and nunchuck, respectively.

Unfortunately, not much was revealed about the story, and Miyamoto, citing some development hold ups, said the game will not hit its target release this year.

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime next year.

The Last Story's Heroes Get Names

While Monolith's Xenoblade has been getting a torrent of media attention, Nintendo's other Wii RPG project (and arguably way more intriguing game), The Last Story, has been only dripping small droplets of information here and there.

Finally, however, thanks to a scan from a recent issue of V Jump, The Last Story's hero and heroine have been named, along with some incredibly brief character descriptions, translated for your convenience below:

Elza
A mercenary that has come to Ruli Island, Elza longs to become a knight of position and influence.

Kanan
The heroine of the story, clad in a white dress, a certain sense of nobility drifts from her.

Yeah, pretty short. But there you go.

The Last Story will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

Nintendo-Flavoured Scan Dump

It's been a while, but here is a lovely little scan dump from the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, featuring three upcoming RPGs for Nintendo systems, including a first look at screens from Mistwalker's latest, The Last Story.

The Last Story
Nintendo Wii
Mistwalker, Nintendo
2010 (Japan)




Ninokuni
Nintendo DS
Level 5, Studio Ghibli
Autumn 2010 (Japan)




Xenoblade
Nintendo Wii
Monolith, Nintendo
June 10, 2010 (Japan)




Yeah, looks like its almost time to invest in a Japanese Wii.

[All Games Beta]

Take Your First Look at The Last Story's Main Characters

Nintendo and Mistwalker have been keeping info on their upcoming joint Wii RPG, The Last Story, to a small but steady drip. From the island the game takes place on to how the soldiers dress, every week another drop is delivered.

This week we are finally given a decent look at the hero and heroine of Sakaguchi's latest. Though we still have no names or colours with which to identify them, we are told that the two are separated by a wall. Not necessarily a physical wall, but something that keeps the two apart in someway due to their individual roles and positions in society.

We are told that though the game focuses on the hero's Story, each person he comes in contact with necessarily has his or her own Story with which the hero may be able to touch.

I fell in love with RPGs due to their storytelling, and while a good battle system and nice graphics always enhance any experience, this sort of commitment to storytelling is why I love Sakaguchi's work so much. The Last Story definitely has my attention.

Though that hero guy could use a shirt.

[The Last Story Official Site]

Xenoblade gets a Release Date

Nintendo is apparently trying to mend their ways by bringing hardcore games (especially JRPGs) to their little white waggle box this year. And if they really can manage to bring a Tales of main series title, a Mistwalker RPG, a new proper Legend of Zelda game, and the resurrection of the Xeno series to their console all in the same year, I might just accept their apology for ignoring me the last couple of years.

So, along with that, Nintendo has announced that their first of the upcoming heavy-hitters, Xenoblade, will be hitting Japan in June this year. June seems a little more like 'summer' than the originally promised 'spring,' casting some doubt as to whether or not they are truly capable of having an unbeatable RPG year in 2010, but I'm sure they could still prove me wrong if they want to.

Also, they have released a new story trailer, which is embedded below for your viewing pleasure.

Xenoblade will be available for Nintendo Wii on June 10, 2010 in Japan. No date has been confirmed for North America or Europe yet.

[Xenoblade Official Site]

Monster Hunter 3 gets a North American Release Date, Free Online

Nintendo held a press event today called the Nintendo Media Summit, where they've shown off and announced release dates for several of their 'core' titles.

Among the list of (mostly) first and second party offerings, Capcom made an appearance to talk about the long overdue North American release of Monster Hunter 3 (pronounced 'Monster Hunter Tri' for reasons still unknown). Released last summer in Japan, MH3 was a game Nintendo hoped would draw core gamers back to their white box of waggle, and though the game enjoyed decent sales, it wasn't the phenomenon the PSP titles were in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Regardless, it appears that Capcom has decided to allow North American gamers to hunt monsters alongside their Japanese counterparts this Spring.

Like the Japanese version, the North American release will be fully playable with a classic controller and be able to utilize the WiiSpeak peripheral for chat online with friends/co-players. However, Nintendo and Capcom are aware that Monster Hunter is not popular on our side of the ocean as it is in its native land, and have announced that Monster Hunter 3's online functionality will be available for the very agreeable price of FREE.

For those interested in trying before buying, a demo disc is set for release exclusively from GameStop/EBGames on March 8, 2010.

Monster Hunter 3 will be available for Nintendo Wii on April 20, 2010 in North America. It is already available in Japan.

[Destructoid]

Xenoblade First Look

Famitsu has recently pulled back the curtain on Monolith and Nintendo's upcoming Wii RPG, Xenoblade to give us a taste of what's to come. The taste is not a big taste, but it is enough to possibly wet your appetite.

The article focuses on an interview with one of Monolith's bigwigs, Tetsuya Takahashi, who answers questions and expands on the game's world, its gameplay, and content. The article is unfortunately too blurry to make a full translation viable, but it is notable that the game will apparently use a real-time battle system. Expect more coverage as information becomes available.

UPDATE: Nice scans GET! Translation requests now accepted.





Xenoblade will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime this Spring in Japan.

[Gamekyo]
[Wiiz]
[Puissance-Nintendo]

Tales of Graces to Get a Summer 2010 Release?

According to the Official Nintendo Magazine (the Nintendo Power of the UK), Namco Bandai will be bringing the latest iteration of the Tales of series, Tales of Graces, to Europe sometime this summer.

One of the biggest JRPG series in Japan, the Tales of games and their fanbase in the West have been repeatedly slighted or overlooked completely by Namco Bandai, with only 1 in 3 Tales of games ever seeing the light of day outside their home country. With little rhyme or reason to which Tales of games are allowed a chance in North America or Europe, many feared that the recently released in Japan Tales of Graces would be similarly forgotten.

While the ONM article provides new hope that an English release may be in the cards, many North American Wii owners are already very aware that Europe has repeatedly got the better end of the stick with Nintendo this generation, having received bundles and games that Nintendo of America seems bent on preventing.

Though the Tales of Graces article offers few details, the 'Summer 2010' release date alone is welcome news to many eager fans, and hopes for an official announcement from the publisher have been renewed.

(Thanks to GameFAQs user tylerx27 for the scan)

Nintendo Announces The Last Story

Well, Mistwalker promised their new big RPG would finally be announced this year, and here it is, much sooner than I anticipated.

The revolutionary action-RPG that Sakaguchi has been talking about on his blog consistently for the last year or so has finally been revealed to be a project for Nintendo. Titled The Last Story, the game is currently planned for an unspecific release on the Wii sometime this year in Japan.

Like Xenoblade, The Last Story has no real media or details worth speaking of at the moment, other than a teaser site up on the official Nintendo site. And, like Xenoblade, the game's site features little beyond a logo and some background music - though both are admittedly very nice.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this announcement. On one hand, I couldn't be more pleased to see that the game is a console title instead of a handheld one. On the other, I bought my 360 partially to play Mistwalker's first two games, and still prefer to play my 360. I also don't particularly love motion controls (which every Wii game has the possibility of possessing). Further, I am actually quite surprised to see Nintendo funding a Mistwalker game after the dreadfully disappointing sales of Archaic Sealed Heat.

But, hey, I'm still excited to see what it's all about, and I'm quite impressed with Nintendo of Japan's efforts to put more RPGs on their console.

As a bit of bad news, however, Nintendo's most recent finacial report only lists The Last Story for Japanese release, and is completely absent on North America and Europe's release forecast. That doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it would have been more reassuring to know The Last Story won't meet the same Japan-only fate that ASH met.

Thoughts?

[The Last Story Official Japanese Site]

Nintendo Announces Xenoblade

Since last year's E3, Nintendo has been surprisingly impressive in their resolve to promoting RPGs on their systems. One RPG that was teased at E3 09 but then fell mysteriously silent was Monolithsoft's Wii RPG, Monado: Beginning of the World.

Though all that was released was a single teaser trailer and a name, many eagerly anticipating the next thing from the studio that created Xenosaga and Soma Bringer were understandably excited.

Since then, it seems that the game has undergone a name change, and has been officially announced as Xenoblade, and according to Nintendo's most recent financial report, will be released this Spring in Japan, with a slightly more vague 2010 release planned for North America.

Currently, the only official media we have since the name change is Nintendo of Japan's official site for the game, which shows off the game's logo while a loop (presumably from the game) plays in the background, and a promise that the official site will launch "soon."

Sweet.

[Xenoblade Official Japanese Site]

Sakura Wars Will be Better on PS2, Wii Shafted

If there is one publisher that just can't let the PS2 go, it's NIS America. Oh sure, they have published a few titles on Wii, DS, PSP, and even PS3, but that good old PS2 just seems to maintain a sweet spot in their hearts.

For better or for worse, this has driven NIS to publish a series here in North America that has been often overlooked by others: Sakura Taisen (Sakura Wars).

Sakura Wars: So Long My Love is actually an ancient 2005 Japanese release known as Sakura Taisen 5: Saraba Itoshiki Hito yo (which translates as basically the same thing). Quite why NIS thought that the game is worth releasing 5 years later on a system that has (in my opinion) long outlived its usefulness is beyond me, but here we are.

In an effort to keep the game relevant, NIS has commissioned a Wii port of the title to be released here in North America at the same time as the PS2 version, and we were originally told that the two would be comparable in features.

However, this has proven not to be the case, as NIS has announced that the game will be heavily gimped on Nintendo's console.

The PS2 version will ship in a premium box complete with an artbook and poster, and will contain two dual-layer DVDs, complete with both English and Japanese voice tracks. The Wii version, by contrast, will receive only a standard case and one single-layer DVD containing only the English voice-overs, though will be priced $10 lower than the superior PS2 version. It should be noted that there is currently only one printing scheduled for this game, and NIS has mentioned that should subsequent printings occur, the PS2 version will be reprinted without the extras mentioned above.

Predictably, NIS has not offered any official statement on why the Wii version is "getting the shaft," as it were, but putting on my educated guessing hat, I would conclude that the Wii port has gone way over budget, and NIS is trying to just get it out the door to minimize further losses. Again, just my speculation.

Sakura Wars: So Long My Love will be available for PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii on March 23, 2010.

So now I have approximately 3 months to decide if I care enough about a 5 year old PS2 game to warrant pre-ordering it. PS2 games are getting harder and harder purchases for me to justify. :/

[RPGamer]

Trailer Tuesday: Tales of Graces Trailer Makes Me Happy

I had my doubts about a new Tales of game on Wii. After playing Tales of Vesperia in beautiful HD, I wondered if I was ever capable of loving SD graphics again. HD or nothing, I thought. But then, Tales of Graces showed up, and slowly but surely, has made me a believer.

Sure, the graphics aren't up to ToV's standard, but the game's feel and story seem to be everything I love about Tales of. So when ToG shows up with a new trailer (like the one below), I can't help but smile a little. Check it out.

Yeah, I'm definitely going to need to play this.

Tales of Graces will be available for Nintendo Wii on December 10, 2009 in Japan.

TGS 2009: New Trailer and Release Date for Crystal Bearers

If Final Fantasy XIII is looking to fill your need for a moody techno-punk melodrama, then Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is hoping to satisfy the younger, more energetic side of you that just wants to mess around and have some fun.

Despite its horrendous title (3 titles in one!), Crystal Bearers is looking more and more like a breath of fresh air for the FF series. It promises humour, a stuck up hero, motion controls, and girls in bikinis (no lie). Check out the trailer below and see if Crystal Bearers is your jive or not.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers will be available for Nintendo Wii on November 12, 2009 in Japan (2 full weeks earlier than originally announced), and on December 26, 2009 in North America (that's Boxing Day up here in Canada ;P).

Okami Wiimake Finally Gets a Japanese Release

This news kind of really surprised me, but apparently the Wii remake of Capcom and Clover's highly-stylized adventure-RPG, Okami, was only released in the West. Capcom has apparently decided to right its wrongs, and will release the game on Japanese Wiis later this year.

Following the story of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu (albeit in wolf form), Okami is a game that is extreeeeeemely Japanese in everything from its folklore references and decidedly Japanesesque humour, to its music and art direction. Quite why the game was released over here at the expense of a Japanese release is rather mind-boggling to me, but to be honest, I never heard any Japanese gamers complain. So whatever, I guess.

In order to smooth things out with Japan, Capcom is offering a limited 42-song soundtrack with the first printing of the game. Not a bad deal.

Okami is a terrific and highly underappreciated game. While I doubt this re-release will do any wonders in the Land of the Rising Sun, I'm glad to hear that it will see the light of day in its own country.

Okami will be available for Nintendo Wii on October 15, 2009 in Japan. It is already available in North America.

[Dengeki]