Japanese Niche Games Deals & Discussion Thread 4.0

[shivan128]

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!

 

[Nothing-]

This is what I'm excited about ordering from Japan this week:

pretty flipping cool if you ask me. Only costs $32 and I get a nice collectors set delivered straight to my doorstep. My gosh, we live in amazing times. I just finished watching Frieren last week and absolutely adored it. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys (D&D) fantasy, adventure, slice of life anime. It has such a slow start which had me suspicious, but then turned into masterclass in execution of a proper story arc. I'm also going to get the custom deck box from Mana Moon and use it at cards night.

 

[TheKbob]

Freiren is top tier and deserves to beat FMAB on MAL.

Edit: I am weak... I got the Frieren OST on the way, with a copy of The Witch from Mercury Soundtrack. The second outro hits too hard.

 

[keyblader1985]

I didn't ever compare censorship and TERFs, I compared my refusal to support the two as a personal stance. And for the record, I didn't even know about this game at all; I was literally just stating my feelings on the matter. But if I were interested in the game, then my problem would have already been solved by what I said earlier - the book is stated to be unaltered on Switch, so I would have just gotten that version.

It doesn't matter how big or small the issue is or that censorship and compromise in art has always been a thing. This was all just me stating my personal stance.

And if you don't see all the strawmanning in that post by Nothing- that I was referring to, I honestly don't know what to tell you.

 

[TheKbob]

It doesn't matter how big or small the issue is or that censorship and compromise in art has always been a thing.

I got bad news; every game has been "censored" under your perspective since its been compromised to be a product, not art for arts sake.

At least any game sold as a product (not looking at itch.io indie stuffs). So I am once again saying it's a meaningless and silly distinction over something extremely trivial versus say not buying a product due to manipulative predatory pricing, issues regarding work place practices, etc.

It's your choice, but it's also ours to comment how weird that two pages of an artbook would get you to not buy a game. Again, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism.

The other dude's post is an extension on the absurdism of folks talking about censorship in general, mostly in bad faith, which is what I brought up. If you want to call someone out for their argument specifically, quote them. Don't expect us to read your subtext.

 

[Xenogears]

Just from my observations, it’s not puritanical censorship anymore, it’s political and cultural. With how much vulgar and grotesque trash is spewed at us in media, that slightly raising a bosom line is even done, is equally stupid as complaining about it in my view. That it is being mandated by the platform holder is also an issue. It’s not an artistic decision, or even a business decision by the producers of the content. The memes comparing some of the cut content to TLOU2 graphic violence and sex scenes, also do make a valid point of hypocrisy in my eyes.

 

[Nothing-]

Sony supports a game as horny and stylish as Stellar Blade, and people still complain about it.

 

[Vinny]

Sony supports a game as horny and stylish as Stellar Blade, and people still complain about it.

I haven't played the game yet, but I don't really get how this game has "controversy" and yet sits at a 9.3 user meta score. Feel like usually whenever there's any type of "controversy", things end up getting review bombed which doesn't seem to be the case here (unless the game actually is THAT good).

I don't personally trust user reviews given how often people bring up the stupidest things to just bring a game down (like Spider-Man's water/shadow thing) but the following this game has is something else.

 

[TheKbob]

Sony supports a game as horny and stylish as Stellar Blade, and people still complain about it.

What's also funny is claiming its all about artistic merit, but unless you're sitting down with every artist on the team, you don't know what their intent was when they made their characters. Perhaps management made them perv up the models a bit more than they wanted to get more sales and the more risque, yet covered model is the one they preferred.

In reality, most of the censorship discussion is bad faith and its more "I don't like this, give me what I like," rather than actual interest in artistic intent.
I cannot reinforce it enough, if you care about true artistic intent, breaking the cycle of only allowing "profitable" art to exist is far more important than anything discussed about this topic so far.

 

[gospelman]

Reminder that this thread has previously derailed into the censorship vortex to the extent that there's a warning/request in the OP not to propogate it. At least in the past there wasn't this inexplicable bite back against other cags. Buy what you want - but keep in mind that for someone it's their favorite game and it legitimately matters.

 

[TheKbob]

Reminder that this thread has previously derailed into the censorship vortex to the extent that there's a warning/request in the OP not to propogate it. At least in the past there wasn't this inexplicable bite back against other cags. Buy what you want - but keep in mind that for someone it's their favorite game and it legitimately matters.

Additional clarification that the topic in question here, based upon what folks are saying on reddit, is that the so called censorship involves scantily clad teenage girls. And that none of the gameplay is touched.

Therefore, I certainly hope seeing underage girls naked in an artbook with no bearing on the game at all does not legitimately matter, if that part is true.

 

[swordity]

Tsukihime is rated M.

When was it that Sony decided to become the arbitrator of morality for adults?

Nothing about an M rating tells adults they can't purchase the game, what are you even talking about? It's literally a rating scale for children, even 17 year old children can purchase the M game. They could have gone the AO route I guess.

 

[super1upqueen]

Sony supports a game as horny and stylish as Stellar Blade, and people still complain about it.

I mentioned in the Playstation thread that I hate how the censorship issue is dominating all discussion of this game. Honestly, I agree they're stupid changes since there's a ing skin suit in the game that gets you as close to naked as possible. I also understand that complaining like this is very first world problems-y and a few altered pixels don't ruin a game. I'm just so ing tired of this shit. If you let Cyberpunk have full nudity, Baldur's Gate 3's horny-ass sex scenes, and whatever depraved crap was going on in Last of Us 2, then let the Asian games show cleavage and butts. It's just hard for me to ignore the countless times Asian games are "altered" (especially when countries like Japan don't even allow nipples and genitals in their equivalent of mature-rated games) while western games are left alone. This very much harkens back to when major stores refused to sell Catherine due to its suggestive cover and story about adultery, and Atlus made a video showcasing the graphic sex scenes and violence in western games, then compared it to the tame visual novel scenes and puzzle solving of Catherine. That was over a decade ago. Progress!

But like I said, this isn't preventing me from playing the game and I'd much rather talk about its fun but janky combat, interesting world and sidequests, beautiful graphics, and infuriately spotty platforming.

 

[nightc1]

I'm cool with whatever y'all want to buy or whatever reasons you have not to buy something. It's all good. I don't think I've ever found the actual censorship in various region and/or platform versions of games is enough to change my mind about a purchase. But I'm more into gaming for playing games and less about graphic changes or even how the kanji was translated into another language and how the meaning of something was slightly altered. Even back in the SNES/Genesis days... bood changing color from the arcade versions of Mortal Kombat (Or SF2) didn't stop me from buying the SNES version when I didn't have a Genesis (at the time, I got one later... though SNES version think played more faithful to the arcade). There are a lot of weeds anyone can get into on this stuff, but most of it really doesn't concern me as a gamer. Does the game play well and is it fun (or faithful to the action in the original, for a port)... it does... ok, cool. I'm not really into the more pervy/fanservice side of gaming. That's usually not a factor in my purchase unless there's just so much of it that it's the core of the game experience.

 

[TheKbob]

I think someone brought it up before, but will PlayAsia have a separate Golden Week sale or is the Bundle Deal it?

I mean, they got me pretty good already, so my question is somewhat out of fear, not desire. I'm looking forward to trying Minstrel Song on Switch.

 

[keyblader1985]

So is the Tsukihime game a sequel or just the original game? I've always been kind of interested in it.

 

[Squarehard]

Slow April for me. :x

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1785780734231465995

 

[scorponok]

So is the Tsukihime game a sequel or just the original game? I've always been kind of interested in it.

It's the first part of a remake of the original.

 

[Twilightsparkle]

I think someone brought it up before, but will PlayAsia have a separate Golden Week sale or is the Bundle Deal it?

I mean, they got me pretty good already, so my question is somewhat out of fear, not desire. I'm looking forward to trying Minstrel Song on Switch.

The bundle deal is it. Golden Week is just about over - it ends on Sunday.

 

[TheKbob]

Slow April for me. :x

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1785780734231465995

Slime Girl Smoothies... I believe from what I have gleaned from a glance at the Steam page, you are to create cocktails by mixing various ingredients within said slime girls chesticles. Shaken, not stirred, as it were.

 

[gpn]

So is the Tsukihime game a sequel or just the original game? I've always been kind of interested in it.

It's a stand-alone game, but it has light connections to other Type-Moon properties if you want to delve further (The Witch on the Holy Night VN that came out last year and the Garden of Sinners anime that came out several years ago).

 

[scorponok]

Subscribe to the Atlus newsletter to receive two exclusive Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Nahobeeho Credit Card Stickers. First 9,500 signups.

 

[Xenogears]

Additional clarification that the topic in question here, based upon what folks are saying on reddit, is that the so called censorship involves scantily clad teenage girls. And that none of the gameplay is touched.

Therefore, I certainly hope seeing underage girls naked in an artbook with no bearing on the game at all does not legitimately matter, if that part is true.

Not dredging up the “debate” or whatever this discussion was previously, but could you link to this? I have no familiarity with the game, or characters / images in question, but could not find any reference to this additional info. I’m curious what they actually are now.

 

[Vinny]

Subscribe to the Atlus newsletter to receive two exclusive Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Nahobeeho Credit Card Stickers. First 9,500 signups.

Is this like the others, where it's ONLY for new email addresses? I got the patch but then missed the last one (whatever the bonus was) because I didn't realize it had to be a diff email for each thing.

EDIT* nevermind, it says on the form it's for new emails only.

 

[nightc1]

for gmail remember you can just put a period in your current address and it makes it a new one that still goes to the same inbox. Same for adding a + at the end and a letter/number/word/etc

so [email protected] could be [email protected] or [email protected] and most sites will see it as a unique new address.

 

[shadowysea07]

I find that age thing in the book questionable and at best a placeholder as everything about them is ??? If I remember right. They don't even have a last name. Presumably they are older than 18 though

Spoiler

just based on the current antagonist age as she would have to predate them to be connected to the last one.

 

[Vigilante]

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE+ announced for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC

I hoped it would come to other systems eventually. Glad I passed on it for Switch--most complaints I've read about that version are tied to performance, so that should be addressed in this new version.

 

[TheKbob]

It's speculation based on the artbook that came with the japanese release (2021). Within this reddit post, there's this imgur (nsfw) of what they believe might be one of the image censored.

The character bio list her as 18.

View attachment 713

Something, something, 3000 year old dragon.

 

[Souffrir]

Something, something, 3000 year old dragon.

I have zero context, I don’t even know what other young adults (by which I mean young adults, not teenagers) look like in comparison to this character, but without that context, I could believe that design was meant to represent a physiologically 18-25 year old in that sort of artstyle. This isn’t exactly an Etna situation where she’s physiologically underaged no matter how you look at it.

 

[TheKbob]

Something, something, fictional work.

Spoiler: Yikes

 

[shadowysea07]

The funny thing about Ciel is you change the clothes and take off the glasses and she ages like 10 years design wise. Though I think they make her eyes bigger with the glasses vs smaller without so that might be the contributing factor.

 

[Vigilante]

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE Plus launches October 1 in the west

The PlayStation 5 version of Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE Plus will be available both physically and digitally worldwide, while the Xbox Series and PC versions will be digital-only. In the west, a “Lucid-Noir Limited Edition” will also be available for $99.99 / €99.99 / £89.99, which includes a copy of the game, an outer box with artwork by Rui Komatsuzaki, a SteelBook, 6.5-inches Shinigami plush, and the official soundtrack “Noise of Neon.”
...
Pre-orders for any edition on PlayStation 5 include the novel “How to Be a Master Detective: A Halara Nightmare Case.” First-print physical copies of the game include a printed version of the novel, while pre-orders for the digital edition include a digital version of the novel.

Limited Edition contents:

Spoiler

Details about the bonus novel:

Spoiler

I'm likely in for that Limited Edition.

 

[Nothing-]

I just started playing Bloodstained: Ritual of the NIght for the first time and I gotta say it feels pretty bad. The controls are poor and unresponsive. It doesn't have that snappy feel I expected, like in its 16bit and 32bit predecessors. very disappointing. compared to the expectations from critical reviews and public reception. I thought this game would be a shoo-in, whenever I became in the mood for it.

 

[gpn]

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE Plus launches October 1 in the west

I'm likely in for that Limited Edition.

I'm in for it too, but looks like I'll need to take the artbook out of the Switch LE and sell off the rest of it.

 

[nightc1]

I just started playing Bloodstained: Ritual of the NIght for the first time and I gotta say it feels pretty bad.

I played the switch version after it was heavily patched (didn't touch it before then) and found it a really great experience. It felt like a Castlevania. Controls were responsive and the only hiccup was some fps drops around the round tower part. I only played it docked and my tv's max at 1080p.

 

[keyblader1985]

I can't say I had any such problems with Bloodstained on PS4. From what I recall everything felt perfectly smooth, but it has been a few years since I played it.

I actually haven't played the game at all since it's gotten any major updates. I enjoy playing the 1.0 disc version because it has a lot of glitches, and exploiting such glitches and sequence breaking is one of my favorite things about metroidvanias.

 

[scorponok]

Sword Art Online Last Recollection PS4 $24.99 PS5/Xbox $26.99 woot
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Deluxe Edition PS5 $27.99 in stock again woot
Persona 5 Tactica Xbox $19.99 woot
Eternights PS4 $9.99 PS5 $12.99 woot

Reynatis Limited Edition Switch/PS4/PS5 up for preorder on NISA Store.

 

[Masterkyo24]

Dead Space (PS5/XBOX) $25 at best buy. It's hard to tell it'll drop down $20 or less this day.

 

[Mattiful-Joe]

Dead Space (PS5/XBOX) $25 at best buy. It's hard to tell it'll drop down $20 or less this day.

I picked it up at $30. It's an excellent remake.

Too bad EA is not going to make anymore. It's said to have sold below expectations.

Probably will drop to $20 though nowadays it feels like these drops on physical games are a lot slower on most prestige titles.

 

[Masterkyo24]

Square enix, EA, Capcom software and Sony tried to keeps they games below $30. Unless sports title.

 

[Mattiful-Joe]

Square enix, EA, Capcom software and Sony tried to keeps they games below $30. Unless sports title.

Assume you mean they're trying to keep them from falling below $30-- like how Nintendo (frustratingly) keeps their titles at msrp for years on end after release.

Not sure how well that's working for these other publishers, but for me I do pick up titles I want when I see $25 or $30. Granted, I'm strictly physical games and I don't play much anymore.

 

[62t]

Trying to decide if I want Like A Dragon 8 at $25. All other games got below that ...

 

[Vinny]

Trying to decide if I want Like A Dragon 8 at $25. All other games got below that ...

Where is it $25?

 

[62t]

Where is it $25?

It is $30 on woot. I am mixing it up with Metal Gear Collection which is $25

 

[scorponok]

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R PS4 $4.99 PS5/Xbox $6.99 woot. I paid $20 for it, never though it would ever get this low. Still have to buy 2 season passes to get all the characters though.
Yumeutsutsu Re:Master & Re:After Switch $29.99 back in stock woot

 

[Souffrir]

Anyone know if both Yumeutsutsus are on the cart?

 

[scorponok]

woot
Octopath Traveler II PS4 $24.99
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key PS5 $34.99
Valkyrie Elysium PS4 $14.99
Persona 3 Reload: Collector’s Edition Xbox $99.99
Deathsmiles I&II PS4 $24.99

 

[62t]

Trying to decide if I should jump on Persona 3 R CE. The PS4 version already sold out amazon and BBY and I don't know how long it will be in stock.

 

[Souffrir]

I’d wait for the expanded version, myself.

 

[Vinny]

I've been grinding like crazy on FF Rebirth, loving it, but after 40 hours I was wondering how far I was and I think I'm just at the half-way point (just finished the Golden Saucer prison)... yeesh, I really hope these latter chapters are quicker. I hated on FF16's shit sidequests but this game's sidequests are mostly fun so that's part of the problem I think... keep getting side tracked.

I think my two biggest revelations so far have been:
1. I played Remake completely wrong. I struggled so much in Remake's combat on bosses/tougher enemies, and realized I did everything wrong after doing Chadley's challenge battles or whatever... in Remake, I only played with Cloud, rarely used any of the material outside of the magic attack ones, didn't block/dodge. Combat is ing dope and fun... except for air combat with some characters (like having to throw Tifa up, haven't figured out Red XIII at all).
2. I dunno if it's just my foggy brain, but there was a point (I think during the Golden Saucer polygon fighting mini-game) where a remix of the classic battle theme started playing and I immediately stopped and had think... I honestly don't think that theme is in this game at all, or even in Remake... which is a damn shame, it's one of my favorite battle themes.

I’d wait for the expanded version, myself.

I'm out of the loop and honestly I can never tell with all these Persona-whatevers (P3 vs P3 FES, P4 vs P4 Golden, P5 vs P5 Royal): what's the expanded version?

 

[Souffrir]

There isn’t one yet, but considering the series’ history and the fact that Sega made some kind of announcement of annual Persona releases recently, I would not be surprised to see one in the near future.