Hey Kids! Atlus STILL Wants You To Be A Better Badass, Round Two

This week’s Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble entry is even funnier than last week’s. Shabai  vs. Shibui, indeed… hilarious. November 11, 2009 is the date to remember, folks… pre-order it or else some punk dressed up all in black with a big slicked back pompadour is going to be kicking your butt down the street, into the nearest game store and all the way back up to your house. Meaning you’ll be too sore to play the game sitting down…

Anyway, here are a bunch of new screens to pore over below the jump, also funnier than last week’s batch:

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Review: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

Platform: PSP/PSP go

Developer: Atlus

Publisher: Atlus

# of Players: 1

Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A

Revised back into its original version with the bonus Snow Queen quest and reworked to include new over world maps, anime cut scenes and music, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is one of the deepest, most cerebral RPGs currently available on the PSP. Atlus went all out with this updated version of the 1996 classic that introduced US audiences to the SMT series, making it accessible to players who came late to the party with Persona 3 and 4 while retaining its distinct visual style and gameplay. New players to the series should absolutely grab this version for its memorable characters and the offbeat mix of dramatic and humorous elements while those gamers who have played the original should also snap up the game, as familiarity absolutely won’t breed discontent.

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Demon’s Souls is HERE (And So Is The Wiki!)


Yeah, some of you have it, all of you will die multiple times playing it and more than a few of you will want to jump up and down on your PS3 until it’s a flat black file folder with sparks coming out of it.

Before you reach that point (it’s an expensive file folder, folks), head on over to the new Demon’s Souls Wiki and get some assistance for those problem areas (which will be pretty much the entire game for those trying to play this like it’s Diablo 2 or some other simple chase ‘n chop game with a basic multiplayer and PvP mode… which it isn’t at all)

As the Wiki is *NEW*, a LOT of stuff needs filling in, so if you’re getting really great at surviving what’s being thrown at you in the game and can string a sentence together, SUBMIT to the Wiki! Just remember to use that spellchecker, folks. Poor grammar is a worse death than the False King Allant can ever give you…

P.S. The servers are officially UP – enjoy the game!!!

Hey Kids! Atlus Wants You To Be A Better Badass!!

Sometimes all you need is a little push. But if you’re already there, you can always learn some more handy tips, right? Well, courtesy of Atlus and its upcoming PSP/PSPgo beat ’em up Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble, here you go:

November 10, 2009. Be there… after school, of course.

WARNING: Playing Demon’s Souls TOO Early Will Blows UP Teh Internets! WARNING!!!

Oh Noes!!!! Actually, dear readers (and this IS the truth this time), Atlus is letting you know that the Demon’s Souls US servers won’t be active until the game’s 10/6/09 release date.

Now, SOME of you LUCKY pre-order-ers out there may receive your standard or collector’s edition before this date and should you try to jump online, you’ll simply get, according to the press release Atlus sent out this evening,

“…an immediate PSN error and have to start playing offline.”

 

Ulp (that big-ass font IS scary, huh?). Cue Demon’s Soul’s doomy-sounding atonal main theme played loudly enough to creep the cat right under the sofa. Poor Kitty…

In other words, be good and listen to the soundtrack (which is an awesome aural experience), read the hint book if you must and ogle the lovely art book as you sit in front of your lonely PS3. Of course, you can always just play the offline game for a bit until that clock strikes “Server’s UP!”

Anyway, be patient and really, really, really enjoy the game, as it’s spec-tac-u-lar, period.

Gallery: Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble

In case you didn’t know it yet, Atlus really wants all your money… and they know how to get it while making your gamer grin grow wider in the process. This year has been especially prime for the publisher, thanks to everything from the wacky fun of 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix to the upgraded classic RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Persona to the upcoming instant classic for the ages masterpiece Demon’s Souls (which is so spectacular, it’s worth buying a PS3 for).

Another cool-looking game headed your way (on November 10, 2009, to be more precise, so go pre-order the game!) is Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble for the PSP, a portable beat ’em up that should remind a few of you classic gamers out there of the good old days of River City Ransom and other non-stop knuckle-fest titles. I have a couple of these sort of high school beatdown games in my Super Famicom collection, but I’m too buried under new games and such to go dig them out. Anyway, seeing these screenshots made me laugh, but for all the right reasons – this one looks like it’s going to be hilarious. Take a look for yourself…

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Review: Demon’s Souls

Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: From Software

Publisher: Atlus

# of Players 1 (Online: 1 –  3)

Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A+

Console (and to some extent, PC) role-playing fans have been subject to some pretty darn disappointing games this generation thanks to a few too many developers and publishers playing it safe by merely rehashing familiar anime-style adventures, cooking up oddball battle systems that just don’t gel completely or copying top-rated western-style games with a few new ideas here and there. Sure, graphics have improved tenfold this cycle and there have been more than a few memorable games released during this period. However, other than stunning visuals and larger game worlds, not too many of these titles have done all that much to raise any new bars for the genre. Continue reading

Demon’s Souls Arrives, Goes Ahead And Makes My Day…

THANK YOU ATLUS! Early impressions: Well, I lasted a whole five or so hours before my avatar finally died, falling (well, rolling) off a ledge trying to get the heck away from something BIG and quite nasty chasing my character. This game is brilliant, beautiful and BRUTAL, all at the same time with a side of fries. Scary as hell in spots, too. As a longtime King’s Field fan, I knew it was going to be great, but From Software has really knocked it out of the park. Hardcore? Oh hellllllllllll yeah. This game will kick your butt all over the living room and into the kitchen, whereupon it shall cook and eat your corpse.

Twice.

Back with a full review in a bit… Did I mention it’s also scarier than a big box of dead, flaming monkeys?

Dealing Death Due to Double D’s of Doom and Destruction!

In English: a reviews update: Darkest of Days showed up yesterday (it’s really good so far) and Demon’s Souls is on the way as well (I’ve pored over the manual and a few other pieces of cool stuff from Atlus and I know I’ll be VERY busy for a while with this one). Got a few DS, Wii and PS2 entries to add next week and in the coming weeks as well…

I’ll be back later with a few impressions… that is all!

Gallery: New Demon’s Souls Screenshots

Can you feel it? That deathly chill that raises gooseflesh on the back of your neck? It’s alllllmost here and it’s coming for YOU. Yup, Demon’s Souls, From Software’s upcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive Action/RPG is headed your way from Atlus.

Eight tantalizing new screenshots are calling out to you from below the jump like a siren warbling on the rocks… enjoy. You did remember to preorder the game, right?

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