One is an awesome Japanese import action/RPG that’s very much Diablo inspired with an anime edge (and sadly was never localized into English – thanks, Nintendo for missing out on what would have been yet another a surefire hit new IP!).

The other is an amazing technical wonder in the form of a 60 frames per second racing game featuring those four-wheeled death machines some folks seem to love a wee bit too much. Thanks to Anthony Bourdain nearly killing himself when he fell off one that proceeded to roll over him as he tumbled down a sandy slope on an old episode of No Reservations, every time I see or think ATV, I get a good laugh going that takes a minute or two to subside…

From what I’ve read online, Soma Bringer has gotten a fan translation that’s pretty much complete save for the encyclopedia section (not important for gameplay), but it requires some not so legal behavior in order to play. It’s too bad this was passed up by Nintendo outside of Japan, as I could see developer Monolith doing a wonderful HD remake/sequel for the Wii U that uses all that lovely art and addictive gameplay as a key IP for Nintendo worldwide if they had the time and funding. That and hell, it certainly would cut down on a bit of piracy if the company localized more of these titles (or allowed other publishers to do so…

ATV Wild Ride comes from the supremely skilled folks at Renegade Kid, and yes, it got a small release and although reviews were positive, it didn’t catch on as it should have. The game looks great and again, that slick frame rate makes other DS racers pretty poor competition. I keep wondering what these guys could do on more powerful hardware, as their two scary as hell Dementium games plus their adventure/shooter MOON would be awesome as Vita or Wii U titles with more polished HD graphics. Then again, there’s definitely something to be said about the team’s mastering of the DS hardware…