(http://xs226.xs.to/xs226/08154/935689_98195_front905.jpg)
The World Ends With You
(previously titled Subarashiki Kono Sekai: It's a Wonderful World
and changed for copyright reasons)
The Developers: Square Enix/Jupiter
Genre: Action/RPG (touch screen combat done right)
The Rating: T for Teen
The Release Dates:
07/27/07 JP
04/22/08 US
04/18/08 EU surprising!
04/17/08 AU also surprising!
The Official Sites: http://www.theworldendswithyou.com/ (you will loop that ;) )
http://www.theworldendswithyou.eu.com/?lang=select
The Story: Neku Sakuraba, a 15 year-old boy with a hobby for music and graffiti, wakes up in what seems to be the Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, Japan. With no idea why he's there, he opens his hand to realize he is holding a strange black pin. After flipping it with his hand, the thoughts of the people surrounding him began to flow into his head at once. Surprised, Neku discovers he is able to read the minds of others, and assumes it has something to do with the black pin he is holding.
A cellphone starts to ring in his pocket, and he can't tell whether it is his or not. A text message appears: "Reach 104. You have 60 minutes. Fail, and face erasure. -The Reapers". After discovering he can't delete the message, a timer of 60 minutes imprints onto his right hand. Neku is in Shibuya to play the "Reapers' Game" ,which spans a total of 7 days. All participators of the Reapers' Game have a black pin with a skull embedded on it. The Reapers' Game has certain rules, which prevent him from leaving the Shibuya district. If Neku doesn't complete the game, he will be stricken from existence along with Shiki Misaki, a girl who is another participant in the game. Shiki and Neku forge a pact to work together with her for the week.
The Reapers monitor the duo's actions and invite them to dangerous and difficult tasks. In order to survive, Neku and Shiki have to defeat the "Noise", physical manifestations of people's negative thoughts and feelings. The Noise are based on animals such as pigeons, wolves, and bears and can also take the forms of objects and historical monuments in Shibuya. Neku's psychic talents are essential not only to gather clues and hints from the people, but to also detect the Noise that sweep through the roads of Shibuya. During their week in Shibuya, Neku and Shiki run into other people who have become involved in the Reapers' Game.
-stolen from ze wiki
The Characters
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r318/vizOA/twewy/neku.jpg)
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r318/vizOA/twewy/shiki.jpg)
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r318/vizOA/twewy/beat.jpg)
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r318/vizOA/twewy/rhyme.jpg)
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r318/vizOA/twewy/joshua.jpg)
old stolen text: spoiler (click to show/hide)
Neku Sakuraba
Neku is a detached and apathetic boy who is forced to play the game. He is distrustful of others and does not want to risk himself for other people's sake. His hobbies include listening to music and creating stylized graffiti. When first introduced, Neku hated his world to the degree of wishing to be the only person in it. When Neku wakes up in Shibuya, he realizes that he has amnesia and is unable to remember how or why he's there. He slowly regains his memory through each passing day.
His talent of tapping into people's minds to gather clues is essential to complete his ordeal in the game. He is able to dish out attacks by using a series of pins, which can be leveled up by acquiring pin points (BP for "badge points" in the Japanese version), shutdown points (SP), and access points (AP).
Shiki Misaki
Shiki is a stylish girl who makes a contract with Neku. She is outspoken and can easily befriend others. She has an avid interest in the latest fashions, and had a dream to become fashion designer. Shiki keeps a photo of her best friend, Eri, and herself on her cellphone and looks at it frequently.
Her fighting style involves magic attacks; her actions in battle are executed by a stuffed toy cat named Nyan-tan that she carries with her everywhere. Like Neku, Shiki can use psychs, which she uses to control Nyan-tan during battle.
The main character looks kind of like Sora from kingdom hearts but their are zero connections in this game to that series.
The Gameplay:
Most of the gameplay focuses on finding clues and battling enemies called Noise. Players can use Neku's mind reading abilities to hear people's thoughts by using the touch screen of the Nintendo DS. The game's combat system, called the "Stride Cross Battle System", uses both screens of the Nintendo DS. Battle actions take place simultaneously between both characters. The touch screen is used to move and attack with Neku, whose abilities depend on the pins equipped. On the top screen, movement can be controlled with the D-pad, which is also tapped for specific techniques.
A pin collection system allows players to use new abilities by collecting pins scattered throughout Shibuya, obtainable either through defeating Noise or purchasing them in stores. Different pins allow Neku to use a variety of abilities. Players can buy clothing and food for Neku and his partners in the stores located all across Shibuya, to increase their Brave points, offense and defense points, or synchronization percentage.
HP between Neku and his partner is shared, and when Neku and his partner lose all their HP during battle, the game is over. The player is taken to a selection screen to choose an action: retry the battle, retry the battle on Easy Mode, flee from battle (unavailable for key boss battles and when black Noise symbols are chosen for battle), or return to the title screen.
Players can also play a mini-game named Tin Pin Slammer, a game similar to the Western marble game ringer. This is played by dragging and clashing pins to knock off the opponent's pin off of the arena. Each pin a has different weight and special attacks.
misc. notes:
There are 4 difficulty modes: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Ultimate. You can switch these at any time in the game unless already in battle.
There are around 304 badges/pins to collect which you get from beating monsters at these varying difficulty modes (one for each mode per monster)
HOWEVER each monster has a percentage of these item drops, which vary from .001% to 100%
There is a bestiary that tells you the percentage of each drop per difficulty. Some might seem impossible to get,
HOWEVER you can also change the drop rate by purposely lowering your characters level. There is a bar in the main menu to change your level at any time (say your level ten, you can bring it back down to level 1 thus multiplying the drop rate ten fold). This makes it even easier to get new badges. Also you can battle up to 4 groups of enemy's at one time, multiplying that base number even more.
That said, even after beating the game I still have trouble getting some LOW percentage drops. I haven't even unlocked ultimate mode yet!
Anyway to explain further, unlike other rpgs, you choose when to battle or if to battle at all. When running around shibuya you see no monsters. activate your mind reading badge and the "noise" will appear. Here is where you tap up to four groups of monsters to attack. They attack in waves or "rounds". Beat one round and up comes the next. At the end you are given a Rank D through S, this multiplies the experience you get after a battle. This experience levels up your badges, which can evolve or get stronger.
You get money to buy new clothes (think armor) by selling badges.
The Music
The music in The World Ends With You is another factor that sets it apart from other RPGs. You wont find any Nomura orchestra scores in here though. The music in the game is composed and produced by Takeharu Ishimoto. It includes a large variety of music with an influence of hip hop and techno. The main theme of the game is "Lullaby For You" by Japanese pop artist, Jyongri. Various vocal artists featured in the game include:
* SAWA
* Makiko Noda
* Leah
* Ayuko Tanaka
* Mai Matsuda
* WAKAKO
* Hanaeryca
* Cameron Strother
* Andy Kinlay
* Nurlie Nurly
* Londeil "Taz" Hicks
Note THE ENGLISH VERSION OF THE MUSIC HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM (some hilariously awesome engrish) to actual english by other artists. I do not have a list of the new artists but its pretty apparent from the official English site. The song playing there is called "twister" and has about three in game remixes all of which are awesome. The difference is in the English version is by some black guy and the jap version is sung by a girl. Anyway both are awesome. ALSO on the IGN vids I saw they slowed down a song from insane fast japanese rapping to a slower English rap, but it DID sound like the same artist. A number of the japanese songs have english so I'm not surprised if some of the same artists do both versions
Also the game will have English voice acting.
IMAGES / VIDEOS
images:
spoiler (click to show/hide)
http://media.ds.ign.com/media/856/856776/imgs_1.html
(http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/865/865109/the-world-ends-with-you-20080408050352939.jpg)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gameplay_screen.PNG)
(http://ds.ign.com/dor/objects/856776/the-world-ends-with-you/images/the-world-ends-with-you-20080314035944659.html?page=mediaFull)
(http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/859/859808/the-world-ends-with-you-20080314035942519_640w.jpg)
(http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/865/865109/the-world-ends-with-you-20080408050352127.jpg)
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videos:
http://media.ds.ign.com/media/856/856776/vids_1.html
CURRENT REVIEWS:
8.9/10 from IGN - http://ds.ign.com/articles/865/865109p1.html
9/10 from ThunderboltGames - http://www.thunderboltgames.com/reviews/article/the-world-ends-with-you-review-for-ds.html
9/10 from Gamepro magazine
8.25/10 +Handheld GOTM -Game Informer magazine
Final Stuff...
Anyway I hope this thread got you interested! I have beaten the Japanese version and found it to be quite awesome overall. Its got style, a surprisingly fun battle system (I usually hate touch screen crap) and a cool story with plenty of twists. Who can you trust in the afterlife?
Finished the game. Holy fuck @ difficulty spike during the last week. >:(
spoiler (click to show/hide)
"The World Begins with You". :)
Sequel confirmed? :omg
By far my favorite DS game. :D
Anyway since I figure some of you are getting close to the end I should alert you to the fact there is indeed a bit of extra stuff after the ending, including an optional BOSS RUSH MODE, so to speak.
spoiler (click to show/hide)
SEMI SPOILERS FOR REALZ
Once you beat the final boss you unlock a new option in the phone menu where you can revisit any day of any week at any time. This is the way to get all hard/ultimate drops for all the monsters/bosses you fought before you unlocked that difficulty. Also you can choose which partner gets to fight with you at anytime.
Also unlocked (if you got some secret reports or something) is ANOTHER DAY, which has the hardest enemies in the game. Here you can challenge most of the characters to a game of "tin pin slammers" (marble slash was such a better name :( ) and get some REALLY good pins, like the best of the best. Vortex Slash :bow :bow
Anyway there are also 2 optional challenges in another day:
one, while looking for everyone to play the tin pin minigame with you, go down to near where the end of the game took place (sewers) use your mind reading badge (black skull) and you should see a door appear much like before. Enter it (no turning back unless you use the phone menu and redo another day) and you should see a certain familiar someone.
Talk to this person and you will enter a boss rush mode. It is damn near impossible so be very prepared... you fight like 9 bosses or something in a row. Bring a healing badge!
I think you get one of the best pins for beating it, and maybe some other stuff.
lastly, if you think you want an even harder challenge, go to PIG CITY (its to the very left of that soup shop area) and fight your way to the highest floor. On each floor you are limited to a certain brand of pins + the unbranded ones.
At the top floor is an optional boss who is supposedly the hardest in the game. He gives you a pin which evolves into the best pin after a while. I dunno I cant make it to the top :(