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Japan eShop Round-Up (02/20/2013)

by Danny Bivens - February 20, 2013, 8:37 am EST
Total comments: 2

Welcome to the Wii U GamePad, Fire Emblem!

As part of the Famicom’s 30th anniversary campaign here in Japan, Fire Emblem: Manshō no Nazo is now available at a heavily discounted price on the Wii U Virtual Console! Not only that, but a few interesting Konami titles have hit the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, too. Here’s a look at everything that was released digitally this week in Japan:

3DS

Downloadable Titles
Magi Hajimari no Meikyū (retail title) – 5,800 yen (from 02/21)

Virtual Console
Getsufū Maden (never released outside of Japan, Famicom) – 500 yen
Salamander (Famicom) – 500 yen

Wii U

Virtual Console
Fire Emblem: Manshō no Nazo (Super Famicom) – 30 yen (from 02/20 to 03/21, then to 900 yen)

Video Content

Aside from the entire Luigi Direct from last week (which is up in its entirety, along with a downloadable 3D video for Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D), a few interesting videos were added to the eShop this week. First up is a video for Getsufū Maden (or The Legend of Getsu Fuma). Having never seen the light of day outside Japan, this game was originally released on the Famicom in 1987. It is somewhat similar to Zelda II in the fact that it has the player explore an overworld and then engage in battles and dungeons as a side-scrolling platformer. What makes this game even more bizarre is the inclusion of first-person dungeons later in the game. I don’t know if this is game is an exciting addition if you have a Japanese 3DS, but still, the concept and the video made the combat look fun and engaging.

The other 3DS Virtual Console title, Salamander, was originally released in North America as Life Force. The game is a side-scrolling shooter from Konami and a spin-off of Gradius. If you’re into Gradius or games like it, Salamander seems to be true to the formula. While the video on the eShop didn’t show much of the game’s features (such as download cooperative play), it still looked fun.

Among other things, there is a video for the recently released Fire Emblem: Manshō no Nazo on the Wii U virtual Console, a commercial for Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission (3DS), a new HD episode of Game Center CX with Arino tackling the the latest Wii U Virtual console release (Fire Emblem), and a new preview video for Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies (launching in Japan next week on February 28). The preview video mainly shows a lot of the in-game animated cut scenes, but also gives a peak at a few different puzzles. One of the puzzles has you navigating Layton across a lake by choosing different boats to ride in. The top screen shows this in a stylized, layered set of waves, with each boat being on a different plane. After choosing a nearby boat with the touch screen, Layton boards it, and then the boats all move, leaving you to decide which will lead you to the goal. 

Talkback

xcwarriorFebruary 20, 2013

Fire Emblem... Japan is so lucky.

DAMN good week for Japan's VC. I'd be over Mystery of the Emblem for 30 cents like a hobo on a hand sandwich. you add to that Life Force and one of Konami's hidden gems that I'd wish would get more fanfare than being a simple http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Getsu_Fuhma http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Ryu_Kokki Yugioh Card References, or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu2Q7ivk36E a silly Easter egg-ish DLC episode for a pretty cool Castlevania game. Seriously, they could have reinvented Getsufu Maden as a competitor to Onimusha in the early 2000's or re-purposed the sword cutting mechanics of Metal Gear Rising and made a totally bad ass demon hunting samurai game re-imagining of this classic or... or...!


*ahems* Sorry, I let my nerd slip out there. I'd also like you folks to keep in mind that I'm in the weird camp who thinks Konami is long overdue to put out a new Konami Wai Wai World or Parodius. at least then there'd be a newer Mystical Ninja game becides the kinda weird DS game.

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