Japanese Niche Games Deals & Discussion Thread 4.0

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shivan128

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Welcome to the Japanese niche games deals and discussion thread!  Feel free to talk about local and import Japanese games here.  Our goal is to maintain a thread dedicated to active deals on niche games including RPGs, Visual Novels (VN), Shoot'em ups (Shmups), Musou, etc.  Also maintained are pre-orders for standard, limited and collector's edition games with key release dates provided.

I've wikified the thread to make it more friendly and open to others that can actively update with important information. You can find the wiki post directly below this one.

NOTE:  Please, leave the censorship discussion away from this thread.  It's common for japanese games to have questionable content outside of the country.  We want to keep discussions to the game itself and not about cultural/societal tolerance.

A message from Thorbahn:

Our CAG Japanese Niche Games Thread also has a community on PS4, where you can interact and game with other members of the thread.

Our moderators are: Draekon, Las_Hole, and Waffleswanton

You can basically friend any of our members, or any moderator, and you will be able to request to join the community under "Communities friends are in" tab, and a mod will approve your request.

You can also leave your PSN ID in the thread, saying you want to join, and we can invite you directly as well.

As always, have fun and enjoy your stay!

 
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It's ok, I guess. I'm glad they put attention into remaking it, but some of the charm is missing from the original. But it's much better than, say, the Lufia remake. F that game.

 
It felt like a Super Nintendo era RPG converted directly to 3D, both the good and the bad. Overall though I am glad they made it and Square didn't even charge full price for it which is the most un-Square thing ever.

Actually been getting the itch to do a second playthrough on PS5 for the higher resolution over my PS4 Slim.

 
nightc1 said:
Grabbed these sunday when the sale started. The demo for Trials of Mana sold me on that even though I already have collection of mana. FF XII will be my first time trying it. It gets compared to Xenoblade... which is a major plus. FF X/X-2... I'm not a fan of how linear it is... tried playing the vita version... but figure for the switch I'll give it one last shot as I enjoyed the story... just hated how on rails it was and wasn't ready to play an rpg like that. Really hyped for Trials of Mana. Nicely it's another game where the demo data imports to the full game. So no time wasted on the demo. Hyrule Warriors AOC was also great with it's demo data import.

NEO:TWEWY looks good to me. That'll be an easy buy.
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10-2 is pretty open compared to 10. That's actually to its detriment if you want to go for the true ending which is horribly tedious and easy to miss. You need an actual step by step guide to follow. And I mean in game step by step as you can trigger a scene on the mihen highroad to mushroomrock road intersection just by stepping too far losing out on the true ending.

I never felt like 10 was all that linear since you can backtrack for sidequests throughout the game, have the option of killing the chocobo eater if you knock it down into the gorge, blitz ball which I sunk about 20 hours into or so, and the optional dungeons here and there like the cavern near mushroom rock road and the other cavern for Yojimbo by mt gagazet.

 
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shadowysea07 said:
10-2 is pretty open compared to 10. That's actually to its detriment if you want to go for the true ending which is horribly tedious and easy to miss. You need an actual step by step guide to follow. And I mean in game step by step as you can trigger a scene on the mihen highroad to mushroomrock road intersection just by stepping too far losing out on the true ending.

I never felt like 10 was all that linear since you can backtrack for sidequests throughout the game, have the option of killing the chocobo eater if you knock it down into the gorge, blitz ball which I sunk about 20 hours into or so, and the optional dungeons here and there like the cavern near mushroom rock road and the other cavern for Yojimbo by mt gagazet.
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I agree; I really found 10 to be less linear and more parabolic as it arced from my hand to the trash can.
 
Happy thanksgiving cags!

In my time off I've finished up 13 sentinels.  I like vanillaware stuff and found the quality artwork I'd expect from them.  I just found the battle/"destruction" gameplay to be largely uninteresting and a necessary chore to unlock all of the characters' story.  The plot I view to be somewhat messy (hard not to be with all the elements at play) but still engaging and well-delivered.  I'd call it good but not great.  Worthwhile at the current $30 sale price, for sure.  If you're someone who has nostalgia or affinity for retro scifi stuff I can see how it could rise to the levels of greatness some have mentioned here.

Trying to figure out what to play over the next week. Next things on my radar are DQXI S on pc (Dec 3rd) and cyberpunk (10th).

 
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Everyone is buying video games and here I am buying Demon Slayer Figpins on sale at Gamestop instead. 

Demon-Slayer-Figpins.jpg


 
All the English Disgaea 6 voice actors are announcing their roles today. Seems kinda early for a Summer 2021 release.

https://twitter.com/ProZD/status/1332084747128901632

https://twitter.com/BWincklerVA/status/1332024034653925378

 
gospelman said:
Happy thanksgiving cags!

In my time off I've finished up 13 sentinels. I like vanillaware stuff and found the quality artwork I'd expect from them. I just found the battle/"destruction" gameplay to be largely uninteresting and a necessary chore to unlock all of the characters' story. The plot I view to be somewhat messy (hard not to be with all the elements at play) but still engaging and well-delivered. I'd call it good but not great. Worthwhile at the current $30 sale price, for sure. If you're someone who has nostalgia or affinity for retro scifi stuff I can see how it could rise to the levels of greatness some have mentioned here.

Trying to figure out what to play over the next week. Next things on my radar are DQXI S on pc (Dec 3rd) and cyberpunk (10th).
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Oddly enough I'm the opposite with this game. I hate visual novels and the previews of this game seemed real boring. But the story is hyper engaging off the bat and I treat the battles as a respite when I feel tired of dialogue.

Nearing 80% completion and yet to see the finale, but it's already my GOTY at this point.

 
Trials of Mana was pretty decent. The story was near super cliche and not very good, but the battle and class systems were really good. I liked the added passive skills. Also the fighting system was leagues better than the original. Still a solid 7/10 game. Nothing amazing but well worth it at $20. PS4 is likely recommended with some slowdown noticed on my Switch in portable mode.

I'm actually playing on my Switch Yu-no, and it's kind of rough. I know it's a remake of an older game and wow does it feel like one. It seems like there is a million more actions than is necessary. I liked the classic art and feel this one still has very pretty art for the characters especially. It feels like an eroge game sometimes with the eroge removed. It feels slow and the story and characters are not super enthralling yet, but I'm going to beat it and will give my thoughts on it. So far it's trending towards a 6.5 or lower/10. I have to say though the music is very good at times. I love the downtown theme. 

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3wVMOlCXTA&list=PLjy7CP4O9_VGmolMXS0Hg1zz2uoJofilO&index=25&ab_channel=ycleped[/media]

 
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Nothing- said:
Everyone is buying video games and here I am buying Demon Slayer Figpins on sale at Gamestop instead.
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Those are awesome, and I can relate. I was contemplating getting a limited edition or two from the Iffy Store sale, but I'm instead probably going to spend that money on some SD Gunpla. The shrieking girl in me can't resist the Hello Kitty crossover:

https://www.siliconera.com/hello-kitty-gundam-rx-78-2-and-haro-models-take-off-in-japan/

Also picking up the Sangoku Soketsuden Zhou Yu Akatsuki and Ma Chao Barbatos, and the Knight Gundam and Knight Unicorn that can combine into a centaur. Hoping these will put me back in the mood to put my backlog of models together, or at least convince me to finally put the five million stickers on my RG Unicorn lol

 
SaGa Frontier Remastered coming to Switch, PS4, Steam, iOS, and Android in Summer 2021:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYnCp7_fh7M&feature=emb_title

So excited! Hopefully SaGa Frontier 2 is next!

Between this and the new TWEWY, Squeenix has been on fire this month!

 
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super1upqueen said:
SaGa Frontier Remastered coming to Switch, PS4, Steam, iOS, and Android in Summer 2021:

So excited! Hopefully SaGa Frontier 2 is next!

Between this and the new TWEWY, Squeenix has been on fire this month!
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Maybe it's just me but I didn't really think the Saga Frontier games on the PS1 were that good... I would rather they gave something like Xenogears or Chrono Cross (bastard "sequel" to CT or not, it was still one fantastic game) some love.

Starcrest said:
Anyone know what the MSRP for summon night 6 LE was? I’m having trouble believing it was that expensive (150 usd) to have the listed 50% mark off.
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It was $130 for the PS4 and $115 for the Vita versions (plus another $20 shipping) for if you were stupid enough to bankroll directly because of Vic Ireland's "these are super rare!! def not selling these to any retailers!" pitch.... which I was. Pretty sure the VGP $150 MSRP is right. With that said, it's not the worst CE for $135/$150. It has the WD level of TLC.

 
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Starcrest said:
Anyone know what the MSRP for summon night 6 LE was? I’m having trouble believing it was that expensive (150 usd) to have the listed 50% mark off.
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It really was about $150 ($200 CAD). I pre-ordered the Vita Wonderful version from VGP and just double checked my order from 2017.

 
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super1upqueen said:
SaGa Frontier Remastered coming to Switch, PS4, Steam, iOS, and Android in Summer 2021:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYnCp7_fh7M&feature=emb_title

So excited! Hopefully SaGa Frontier 2 is next!

Between this and the new TWEWY, Squeenix has been on fire this month!
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Hopefully the console version isn't just the same as the ios version.

Never tried any of the Saga games, though it always seemed like a series I'd enjoy. I'm guessing like FF, they aren't related, so anyone have any suggestions on which one to play if you could only choose one? Romancing 3 is on sale on PS4 right now, so I was eyeing that, but this remaster looks appealing too.

 
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Eh Saga Frontier kind of blows. Maybe I was dumb when I was younger, but some of the stories wouldn't trigger for anything or where so barely there I didn't know what to do next (the robot guy for sure). The music was really good and fighting could be cool with combos. Difficulty could be through the roof though. I do hope they make it a bit more friendly in difficulty and hopefully in figuring out where the heck to go next.

 
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Covnam said:
Never tried any of the Saga games, though it always seemed like a series I'd enjoy. I'm guessing like FF, they aren't related, so anyone have any suggestions on which one to play if you could only choose one? Romancing 3 is on sale on PS4 right now, so I was eyeing that, but this remaster looks appealing too.
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I've played almost every SaGa game that has been officially localized and Romancing 3 is the first one I actually beat. In my opinion it is the most newbie friendly because they ease you into the craziness much slower then most of the other games in the series. But that said do not go into any of these games expecting a normal JRPG. The SaGa series is very much the video game equivalent of being thrown into the deep end of the pool when you're 4 years old.

After you get done with the story introduction in each game they generally tell you what your main objective is to beat the game and that is it. You are on your own from that point on. They explain nothing else; not where you need to go to achieve that goal, not how any of the character progression mechanics work, and not how any of the battle mechanics work. You have to just wander and experiment to figure stuff out. I absolutely love the series myself and Frontier is my favorite actually (despite never finishing it as a kid) but it's really not a series I'd recommend to most people. Only buy one if you actually enjoy the idea of just being thrown into a game and being told to figure it out on your own.

As for why they're bringing this game back and not other, bigger games (since a few people commented on it) it's cause we're in the middle of a SaGa resurgence. This will actually be the 7th SaGa game brought to modern consoles in the span of around 3 years. We've had Romancing 2, 3, and Scarlet Grace and then next month the original trilogy (which were gameboy titles) are coming out on Switch. The games are niche obviously but the series producer said Romancing 2 (which was the first one ported to modern consoles) sold way better then they expected, especially outside of Japan where the series has never been popular at all. So they've just been bringing all of them over finally.

 
Zenax[zd] said:
I absolutely love the series myself and Frontier is my favorite actually (despite never finishing it as a kid) but it's really not a series I'd recommend to most people.
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The main thing I remember about saga frontier was that it came with a free demo for the upcoming Final Fantasy at the time, which is probably the only reason most people bought it. I didn’t mind not having the game tell me what to do, but I felt like there literally was nothing I could do without running into random encounters that felt very punishing.
 
Your December JRPG releases:
 
- Shiren the Wanderer (Switch, PC)
- Dragon Quest XI S (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light (Switch)
- Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia (PS4)
- COLLECTION of SaGa FINAL FANTASY LEGEND (Switch)
 
Starcrest said:
I didn’t mind not having the game tell me what to do, but I felt like there literally was nothing I could do without running into random encounters that felt very punishing.
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Yeah that is pretty much just how the games work tbh. Though they accommodate for that in a couple of ways. Escaping from battles is very easy and they actually let you run from a lot of boss fights as well, especially ones in side quests. But also they use the Life Point system so that even if you lose most of your party in a battle they all come back to life once combat is over assuming they still have LP available.

Realistically though it's just expected that you will have to look up a guide at some point. I played Romancing 3 as blind as I could but I did get completely stuck a couple of times and had to turn to a guide. Thankfully though in the past 20 years the hardcore fans have wrote some insanely detailed guides that cover just about everything in the games.

 
IceyD said:
Your December JRPG releases:

- Shiren the Wanderer (Switch, PC)
- Dragon Quest XI S (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light (Switch)
- Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia (PS4)
- COLLECTION of SaGa FINAL FANTASY LEGEND (Switch)
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Is Shiren the Wanderer having a physical western release? I know PlayAsia has a Asian physical version but I have not heard(if anyone) will bring the physical version to the west

 
Yeah, don't expect to have an ESRB physical copy of Shiren in your hands until the 2nd half of 2021 at the absolute earliest.  If you want to play it anytime soon, just buy it digital.

 
Either way since digital is 20 bucks only I think that is the way I will go. I was expecting $30-40 so was pleasantly surprised to see the preorder page up for $20.

 
heavy liquid said:
For real. I wish SquEnix would at least sell physical copies on their site like they did with Oninaki and Lost Sphear. Maybe someone like Limited Run would be able to pick it up, but who knows.
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There is no US physical version of Oninaki, only Asia and Europe release.

 
Got my playasia order from their recent free shipping campaign. That was a lot faster than I anticipated. And they have this tiny little cardboard box that just perfectly fits a switch case.

Got Girls und Panzer Dream Tank Match DX. Had it on PS4 but never got the dlc.

 
motaku96 said:
Got my playasia order from their recent free shipping campaign. That was a lot faster than I anticipated. And they have this tiny little cardboard box that just perfectly fits a switch case.

Got Girls und Panzer Dream Tank Match DX. Had it on PS4 but never got the dlc.
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Same, but I did two separate orders for two separate coupons. I got Gundam Breaker 3 Break Edition and Psikyo Collection Vol 2, both in very cute, custom fitted cardboard boxes. Love it.

 
Play-Asia might be a bit expensive but I always liked their packing and all. I wont see my order for a while at least. Got pre-orders so whenever they come out they will ship, which is likely mid December.

On another note some new VN releases one of which I'm enjoying currently were released.

Sekai Project released Nekopara Vol 4. It is recommended to play them in order. 18+ patch is for sale on Denpasoft as well. Denpasoft version doesn't need the patch. Slight discount currently.

Steam

18+ Patch (NSFW)

Denpasoft (NSFW)

Meteor World Actor was released as well. This one is only currently available on one site and was rejected by Steam. I bought this and it's a good translation and deals with cops and detectives and stuff like that. Pretty entertaining so far. It's currently half off around $20 bucks and well worth it so far. I can give a review for it. The site makes it look like a nukige, but I've been playing it for hours and it's not like that. It's more of a detective with a strange personality and the people he works with trying to solve some interesting cases. Don't pass up just because of the one place available for downloading.

VNDB (NSFW)

Official Site Store (Very Very NSFW)

Yu-No is put on hold for me. To say the gem system for saves drived me mad was no small feat. Game is very hard to complete easily without a guide.

 
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Death End 2 LE sold out on Iffy, I did not expect for it to be sold out for very little discount during this year BF sale, must be a really small print.

Sent from my SM-N970U1 using Tapatalk
 
FlawlesslyFatal said:
Death End 2 LE sold out on Iffy, I did not expect for it to be sold out for very little discount during this year BF sale, must be a really small print.

Sent from my SM-N970U1 using Tapatalk
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It's also possible that with all the other games lately getting smaller prints and quickly vanishing from the market that people panic bought it just in case.

 
Yakuza games drop fast for sure. I always fear for Sega's sales on this since I really like the series, but yeah really burned me for sure buying this one early.

Also for Meteor World Actor I am liking some of the story but the cracks are showing. The character routes so far have been near horrible. 1 of them felt so forced and horrible. Also they just end abruptly and I believe they have epilogues eventually, but some of these stories are just not ending well. I am close to the true ending though and I hope it's a decent enough one. Some high quality art, decent enough story, with some good characters with bad arcs is making this a decent game I may have overrated at first.

 
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FlawlesslyFatal said:
Yakuza Like A Dragon already on sale for $35 at bestbuy, time for price adjustment

Sent from my SM-N970U1 using Tapatalk
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Not surprised. The Yakuza series tend to drop pretty quickly. Interestingly, Judgment took a whioe longer, though that one technically is only made by the same devs.
 
Got my Persona 5 Scramble treasure box from play-Asia last week, beat it over the weekend, the "semi-musou" style combat does not take away the core persona experience, the 2 new playable characters are very likable, solid 9/10 for me.
 
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