Posts Tagged ‘Square-Enix’
Japanese hardware charts - DSi rules roost, PS3 gaining on Wii
The pattern’s starting to become familiar - DSi still reigns supreme in Japan, with PSP in second place. Wii’s just about scraping into third, with PS3 hot on its heels.
That said, it’s interesting to note that even with the release of Street Fighter IV this week, PS3 couldn’t raise its game enough to topple Wii for a single week. So perhaps once it’s over this slightly fallow period, Nintendo’s casual-courting console will start to pick up sales, particularly as the bigger third-party releases hit (how Nintendo must be looking forward to Monster Hunter’s arrival). It’s hard to see Wii de Asobu: Metroid Prime having any effect on Wii’s sales next week, particularly as the series is much more popular in the west - if any console sees a sharp rise in sales next week it’ll be the 360, with Square-Enix’s Star Ocean IV on the way.
Plume-ing marvellous - Square-Enix to release Valkyrie Profile DS in April
Square-Enix, perhaps the only publisher releasing more DS games than Atlus, has announced the forthcoming release of Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume in PAL territories on April 3rd.
It’s another RPG from the kings of the flowery subtitle, this time with a more strategic bent than usual, as tri-Ace (Star Ocean, Infinite Undiscovery) tell the story of a young soldier named Wylfred, who thirsts for revenge after the death of his father.
Hardly the most original plotline, then, but the big SP for Profile is its tactical battle system, which has evolved from the console games, utilising a ‘mutual assistance’ mechanic so allies can help you in battle. You’ll also need to shuffle your battle formation to get the biggest benefits from your squad’s abilities in combat. And that’s before we get to the myriad spells, finishers and combos, and the traditional RPG-style item management and skill levelling.