The Release List 06.30.09: BlazBlue, Hatsune Miku, Roogoo, Treasure World, Street Fighter IV PC, and Diabolik

Posted by Tommy Coloma on 06.30.2009

Aksys releases its alternative to Street Fighter and KOF, Sega brings Hatsune Miku to the video game masses, SouthPeak gives us a double dose of Roogoo, and Kristin Kreuk tries to outdo Van Damme.



While we have quite a few releases this week, there isn't really anything of note unless you're into fighters, puzzlers, or imports. We have two movie-based games that will probably sell more than all of this week's highlighted games combined. Shooter fans get two games that are noteworthy only because they aren't being released near anything from a more established series. We also have a few Mega Man offshoots that will go largely unnoticed in the US because Capcom hasn't given us a good reason to care about the series outside of Mega Man 9. Maybe the publishers just want us to spend more time with our families this holiday weekend...


This week's highlights

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Note: Release dates are subject to change


BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Limited Edition (360, PS3)
Note: Last week I said that this wouldn't come out in America until late July. I was only partially correct - the Limited Edition version will be available this week while the regular edition will come out on July 28. Oddly enough, the LE costs just as much as the regular, so there isn't any reason to wait if you really want to check it out.

This is pretty much the spiritual successor to the Guilty Gear X series; even those who played Guilty Gear casually should notice more than a few similarities. I never really got into any of the Guilty Gear games, mostly because of the lack of anyone to play against and also because of the poor netcode in the previous online-enabled release. Consequently, I will be just as inexperienced as many of you when BlazBlue comes out this week, so I will not even attempt to try to explain how the fighting system works. You can look at the official site for that. Thankfully, Aksys did a better job with the netcode this time around, at least according to those who have imported the Japanese version, so practicing against other people (the best way to learn in my opinion) is a viable option now.


some "high-level" play

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Hatsune Miku: Project Diva (PSP Import)
Hatsune Miku is a character that was made for the Vocaloid2 Character Vocal Series. Her popularity grew thanks in part to a video that made the rounds after Vocaloid2 was released. She even became big enough to land a cameo in the Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei manga and anime. Evidently, Sega saw an opportunity to exploit her rising fame, which leads us to this. I haven't been paying attention, so I'm not sure if Hatsune is as popular as she was when the game was first announced last year. I do remember seeing lots of ads for a music CD in every electronics store I went to in Japan back in October, so I'm pretty sure the game will be a success on some level.

Project Diva looks to be a rhythm game set to various songs sung by Hatsune herself. I've been told that on normal it can get quite difficult for casual players, so those worried that the gameplay would be dumbed down need not worry. As with most rhythm games, the whole thing lives and dies on its music selection, so I'm glad that Sega was at least smart enough to include Levan Polkka. While I have no doubt that there will be enough catchy tunes to carry the game for a little while, it's nice that Sega also added the ability to load your own songs and create custom tracks. That, combined with all of the unlockables (including a very cool looking Space Channel 5 costume), should keep any fan busy for a while.


the video that made Hatsune Miku famous

the "features" trailer

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Roogoo Attack (DS)
Roogoo Twisted Towers (Wii)
Roogoo is a puzzle game that has you rotating disks that contain holes with different shapes in order to accommodate falling objects which happen to match those same shapes. There are several layers of disks, so you have to stay on your toes if you want to get the objects to pass through to the bottom. Sometimes you have to make stacks in order to break through to the lower levels, which adds more complexity to what is already a hectic puzzler. It may seem simple at first, but things ramp up as you progress through the game.

I checked out both of these games at SouthPeak a few months back and if I remember correctly, these ports include new stages, a more developed storyline, single-cart multiplayer for the DS, and co-op play for the Wii. Even without those extras, Roogoo is still worth a try for anyone who considers himself or herself an avid puzzle fan.

the trailer

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Treasure World (DS)
Treasure World is an item collection game with a fairly unique twist - you get your items by traveling around and finding wi-fi hotspots in the real world. Essentially, the game scans the area for wi-fi signals and if it finds one that it hasn't seen before, it will generate an item or treasure. There are a few thousand items to be found, so don't expect to get everything right away. Gamers are encouraged to bring their DS with them wherever they go as only unique signals will garner new treasure. Searching can even be done while the DS' lid is closed, so you can go about doing your daily activities and still be "playing" the game. Treasure World's developer, Aspyr, saw that a community could be built around the game, so it launched a social networking site called Club Treasure World in which players can share hotspot info, find people to trade with, etc. It's just too bad that the game doesn't seem to be getting the attention that it deserves, as I'd love to see how big the community could get with proper backing.

treasure hunting in Austin

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Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (DVD, Blu-ray)
I watched this at the movies, expecting something of the so-bad-it's-good variety. Unfortunately, it was just a bad movie, period. About the only thing I remember was the random lesbian dance scene and the horrible way Chun-Li learned her fireball. You're better off getting the 1994 Van Damme masterpiece as it still remains one of the best unintentional comedies ever.


a very entertaining interview...

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Street Fighter IV (PC)
According to the Capcom Unity boards, the digital download release will be up next week. Steam pre-orders should be available by the time you read this, so if you're gonna go that route, start downloading now! I'm going to get this just so that I can surf the web while waiting for matches.

Bundle options: On Amazon there's a MadCatz bundle that comes with the game and a FightPad (the 360 version) for a mere $60. I'd say that it's worth it considering the fact that the FightPad normally costs $40 and the game itself is also $40. Plus, you don't really want to play on a keyboard or a regular 360 pad, do you?

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Diabolik: The Original Sin (PSP European Import)
What we've got here is a point-and-click adventure game with combat and stealth mixed in. For now, it seems to be a Europe-only release.


the trailer

The other US releases

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ArmA II (PC)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (360, PC, PS3)
Fuel (PC)
Grand Theft Auto PC Trilogy
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince (360, DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii)
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (360, DS, PC, PS2, PS3, Wii)
Infernal: Hell's Vengeance (360)
Mega Man Star Force 3 Black Ace (DS)
Mega Man Star Force 3 Red Joker (DS)
Rise of Flight: The First Great Air War (PC)
Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament (PSP)


The Import Scene

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Japanese localizations of domestic games, "Asia" versions of games that do not have English options, and "Best" (greatest hits) versions of already released games are ignored.

Boku no Natsuyasumi 4: Seitouchi Shounen Tanteidan, Boku to Himitsu no (PSP)
Chizu Minna no Oekaki Yasan (DS)
Shuwa no Mori (DS)