I've always tried to use my blog as a means to alert folks as to some of the awesome shit that's coming down the pipeline. but due to the massively disorganized way that I do things, 99% of said mentions get lost in the shuffle. Not helping is how they're also usually buried deep in my 18,000 word long gaming news and nonsense round-ups, as evidenced when Joe asked me about the Art Style games for the DSi last week during dinner, which I've talked about quite a bit already on my site.
So I figured, why not just make a list of stuff, which I can add and append whenever? Some stuff comes out relatively soon, some a bit later down the road, and a few has already come out! Take a look...
1. Cave Story & La Mulana (WiiWare)
Not exactly the most original choices to start off with, especially since they already have threads, but since I am doing a most wanted list, they sorta have to be included. Feels like almost forever since word first came out of the Wii port of Cave Story. Truth be told, I've never touched the PC version of La Mulana (hey Dave, was a PSP port ever made?) and my anticipation of the Wii edition will directly rest upon how well Cave Story ends up being.
2. Pole's Big Adventure (WiiWare)
Everyone knows about Sega's retro platformer, right? If not, everyone can brush up here:
http://www.siliconera.com/2009/02/03/poles-big-adventure-segas-gag-game/ It's actually one of the more inventive meta-retro titles to come, and by far the most interesting thing Sega has developed in seemingly ages. Though it's hard to say if it'll come out here, given all the cultural references and stuff.
3. Tomenasanner Wii (WiiWare)
Another WiiWare title, this one is from Konami and is a port of a cell phone title, as the trailer clearly shows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIhrlpZxqjw The original game was basically an action platformer with just a one button control scheme, whereas the console version, thus far, features lots of dancing. The art style looks cool though, very minimal.
4. Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble (PSP)
Otherwise known as that Atlus game in which they asked the public to come up with a name, and that's the best people could come up with. It's a Final Fight-esque brawler that's very heavy with the Japanese, especially when it comes to humor. I've always heard great things about the series (the PSP version is third in the series), and even got one of them for the PS2, but couldn't figure out what to do cuz of the language barrier.
5. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP)
Again, not the most original of choices, but I'm a Metal Gear fanboy, plus this newest portable installment finally appears to be the one I've been waiting for, not some goofy squad based title or card game, but a legit MSG entry, or so says Kojima-sensei:
http://www.siliconera.com/2009/07/16/metal-gear-solid-peace-walker-lets-players-customize-snake-has-a-growth-feature/6. Final Fantasy Gaiden: 4 Warriors of Light (DS)
I'm sure everyone's seen footage of the game, and if not:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zuR5TYWNUo I like adventure/RPGs on the go, and this particular title looks too damn cute to pass up.
7. Inazuma Eleven 2 (DS)
From the makers of Professor Layton and other awesome titles is this hybrid of soccer and role-playing. Worth noting is how your primary opponents are aliens. Aliens that play soccer. It was recently revealed that two flavors of the upcoming sequel are being prepped, a la Pokemon style, plus there's apparently an anime in the works, which leads one to believe that it might be coming stateside!
8. The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (DS)
This past winter, RIZ-ZOAWD, a RPG based on Wizard of Oz was a bit of a sleeper hit in Japan, and it's coming this way thanks to the folks at Xseed. I only got the chance to play around with it for just a few seconds at a press event a few weeks back, but was pretty impressed by the graphics and I hear from good sources that the battle system is a tons of fun.
9. Korg DS-10 Plus (DSi)
Am still a big fan of the original music creation software suite for the regular DS, and the DSi enhanced version looks to be even better. I was actually trying my best to seriously learn how to use the first edition, but got sidetracked by "stuff" so perhaps its best I just wait for ver. 2. BTW, Joe, do you still want a copy? I have an extra one lying around that's up for grabs.
10. The Silver Case (DS)
Here's a title that may not ever come out,
according to it's creator, Suda 51. It's the prequel to Flower, Sun, and Rain, which also happens to be one of my fave DS games of the year (everyone else says it sucks, and all I can say is that they kinda don't get the game... and this coming from a dude that totally hated Killer 7, remember).
11. Retro/Grade (PSN)
Yet another $10 game I have to first spend $400 for, it's basically a combination of a music game and shump, one that also plays backwards in time. The trailer sorta explains it better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Uj7IaNmxhs It also apparently uses a guitar controller, just like Fret Nice. Speaking of...
12. Fret Nice (PSN)
I played the original incarnation at GDC 08 and instantly fell in love with its mechanics, that being a platformer that's controlled via a guitar. Was initially turned off by the brand new art style, but it's slowly grown on me. Too bad the Godawful trailer doesn't tell you a damn thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5CQYV9_dgI13. Toro to Morimori/Toro! Let’s Party! (PS3)
For years, a cartoon cat known as Toro has served as Sony's unofficial PlayStation mascot in Japan, and just this week, a title featuring him and all his friends just came out in Japan. Granted, it's nothing more than just another collection of mini-games, but they're VERY pretty looking ones, plus some of them look kinda fun. Take a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jv7JTvJEyg If I had a PS3, I'd nab a copy right now, or simply wait till next month, when it comes out in Hong Kong, where it'll be translated in English.
14. KiraKira (PC)
I have no idea if anyone remembers me mentioning this visual novel on my blog a while back, but it's finally been translated and released in America! Plus, it's been uncensored, which is certainly nice. For a closer look....
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/07/22/kirakira-gets-english-release/... some of it is NSFW, btw.
