The Official Evilbore Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love Thread!

[Bebpo]

That's a lot of extra money to spend on localization for a first pressing bonus....

[Ichirou]

Pretty sure the localization is exactly the same except for the name changes.

[Ichirou]

I want the Wii version because I dont play PS2 anymore. In the closet forever and EVER

Mine is hooked up but never gets used, plus 480i games just look ugly on an HDTV.

The Wii version being 480P would be a big deal for me.

Website doesn't say anything one way or the other.  You don't want the Wii version, though, it's dub only.

I know, but I will be tempted to want it if it's 480P.   

Buy both! It's only $30!

I will likely buy the PS2 premium and maybe rent the Wii version...from the internet store.

Don't pirate Sakura Taisen!

[bork]

I will buy this game for sure.  Always wanted to play one of them in English.  Wish it was a remake of the original though.

[Ichirou]

Not going to deny that I'd probably prefer if this were an English version of Atsuki Chishio Ni (the remake of the first game) instead of ST5, but I figure NIS America feels the New York setting might attract more people, rightly or wrongly.

If it were me in charge, I'd go with Atsuki Chishio Ni since the anime and OAVs star those characters, so those are the ones anime fans would be familiar with in the first place.  Plus, those are my favorite characters anyway!

[Joe Molotov]

I think I figured out why the PS2 version is only available in the premium version right now...from what I'm reading at RPGFan and RPGamer, it sounds like the first run of the PS2 version will all be the premium version, and everything after that will be the regular one-disc version.  So you can only get the JP voiceover disc if you get the very first release.

Premium version box art:

(Image removed from quote.)

[bork]

Not going to deny that I'd probably prefer if this were an English version of Atsuki Chishio Ni (the remake of the first game) instead of ST5, but I figure NIS America feels the New York setting might attract more people, rightly or wrongly.

If it were me in charge, I'd go with Atsuki Chishio Ni since the anime and OAVs star those characters, so those are the ones anime fans would be familiar with in the first place.  Plus, those are my favorite characters anyway!

It's called "Sakura Wars" yet this version has no Sakura!

[Ichirou]

Sakura cameos at the very start of the game, actually.  She helps give the new protagonist his assignment. But the "Sakura" in the title has never meant Shinguji Sakura the character, according to Hiroi Ohji.

[bork]

But the "Sakura" in the title has never meant Shinguji Sakura the character, according to Hiroi Ohji.

LIES

[Ichirou]

They are spelled differently...the 'Sakura' in Sakura Taisen is written in katakana.

[chronovore]

As a closet steampunk fan, this series has always interested me. Sadly, with my existing backlog of Achievment-popping games, it is not enough of a push for me to reconnect my PS2, and I'm unlikely to even grab this on Wii.

...but I'll probably still cave and get it on Wii. Or maybe I'll just go rent the anime.

[Ichirou]

TV series is not representative of the game at all - it was a troubled production that switched directors halfway through.  It ostensibly follows the plot of the first game but the first seven or eight episodes are really dark and angsty (totally unlike the games, but I thought it was an interesting experiment to take the charactes and play with them in that way), and then the new director comes in and it's just a straight, uninspired adaptation of the main bullet points of the game with a number of changes.

The OAVs are great little one-shot character-centric episodes with no overarching story, but they're really for fans who've played through the games first.  I was really surprised they got brought over.  I actually really like them, though, and I think ADV has a box set of all the OAV episodes, probably goes for cheap these days.

You could always get the game and put it in yer backlog. Can't go wrong for thirty bucks.

[Ichirou]

COMES OUT AT THE END OF THE MONTH

EPIC BUMMMMMMMMMP

[magus]

http://www.gamesradar.com/wii/sakura-wars-so-long-my-love/review/sakura-wars-so-long-my-love-review/a-20100323161915832089/g-20090508144827635056

[Ichirou]

Copy pasta plz, Gamesradar is blocked at work.

[demi]

They gave it a 6

[Ichirou]

Gamesradar sucks confirmed.

[Van Cruncheon]

does this game have any serious stats/crafting, or is it straight up japaspank weeaboo feelgood tosh

on one hand, i see srpg and recall the furor around the series in the saturn days; on the other hand, i hate the character designs and the emphasis on apparent moe elements over real gameplay

[Ichirou]

does this game have any serious stats/crafting, or is it straight up japaspank weeaboo feelgood tosh

on one hand, i see srpg and recall the furor around the series in the saturn days; on the other hand, i hate the character designs and the emphasis on apparent moe elements over real gameplay

The game is not particularly stats heavy but the battle system is cool, reminiscent of BoF: Dragon Quarter's.

It's also only thirty bucks.

[Van Cruncheon]

of course i'll buy it, it says srpg, god help me

[Ichirou]

of course i'll buy it, it says srpg, god help me

Re: the stats.  During the adventure segments, you interact with the various characters who make up your party (sort of like Mass Effect's wheel, except timed).  Depending on whether you treat them nicely or like shit affects what their stats will be like during the battle segments.

Each character's personality differs, so the interaction which might encourage one character might make another character angry.

[bork]

does this game have any serious stats/crafting, or is it straight up japaspank weeaboo feelgood tosh

on one hand, i see srpg and recall the furor around the series in the saturn days; on the other hand, i hate the character designs and the emphasis on apparent moe elements over real gameplay

Sakura Wars predates teh moe.  It's just gonna be Ah! My Goddess-style cutesy harem-like dating sim crap instead.   

[Ichirou]

It's not that bad, mayne.  If you consider the conversations with multiple choices "dating sim crap" then by that standard, Mass Effect 2 is a dating sim too.

[bork]

It's not that bad, mayne.  If you consider the conversations with multiple choices "dating sim crap" then by that standard, Mass Effect 2 is a dating sim too.

Come on dude, it's got dating sim elements...that's always been the series' draw.  If Mass Effect had nothing but female team mates including lolis, you might have something there. 

Not trying to call it bad anyway.  I've always wanted to play one of these games in English.

[demi]

All BioWare games are dating sims

[Ichirou]

It's not that bad, mayne.  If you consider the conversations with multiple choices "dating sim crap" then by that standard, Mass Effect 2 is a dating sim too.

Come on dude, it's got dating sim elements...that's always been the series' draw.  If Mass Effect had nothing but female team mates including lolis, you might have something there. 

Not trying to call it bad anyway.  I've always wanted to play one of these games in English.

There are undeniable dating sim elements, but they're very light. None of the stat management of real dating sims like the Tokimeki Memorial series.  In fact, I think there's only one or two actual 'dates' in the series as a whole.  I think the whole dating sim tag got given to it rather unfairly because of the early GameFan coverage.  It's really more accurate to call the adventure segments 'steampunk/fantasy anime sim' than 'dating sim.'

[originalz]

Anyone ever play Thousand Arms?  Man, that game sucked shit.  The dating sections were whack too.

[Ichirou]

Thousand Arms was a terrible game.

[tiesto]

does this game have any serious stats/crafting, or is it straight up japaspank weeaboo feelgood tosh

on one hand, i see srpg and recall the furor around the series in the saturn days; on the other hand, i hate the character designs and the emphasis on apparent moe elements over real gameplay

Sakura Wars predates teh moe.  It's just gonna be Ah! My Goddess-style cutesy harem-like dating sim crap instead.   

I dunno, Iris (green dress, pink bow) seems pretty moe to me:

[magus]

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenLoli
and now you will spend the rest of the day browsing tvtropes
*cue evil laugh*

[Ichirou]

Iris was created waaaay before the Moe fad began (way back in '96).  She's the token little sister stereotype that infested anime of the periods (see: Sasami in Tenchi Muyo).

She's not in the upcoming game, btw.  Instead we get Rikarita Aries, a gun-toting Mexican girl with a penchant for stealing Saturn games.

[chronovore]

It's not that bad, mayne.  If you consider the conversations with multiple choices "dating sim crap" then by that standard, Mass Effect 2 is a dating sim too.

Come on dude, it's got dating sim elements...that's always been the series' draw.  If Mass Effect had nothing but female team mates including lolis, you might have something there. 

Not trying to call it bad anyway.  I've always wanted to play one of these games in English.

There are undeniable dating sim elements, but they're very light. None of the stat management of real dating sims like the Tokimeki Memorial series.  In fact, I think there's only one or two actual 'dates' in the series as a whole.  I think the whole dating sim tag got given to it rather unfairly because of the early GameFan coverage.  It's really more accurate to call the adventure segments 'steampunk/fantasy anime sim' than 'dating sim.'

Yeah, this definitely brings back the bonar.

[originalz]

It's kind of bizarre how the innocent harem animes evolved into moe-blob fests.

[Bebpo]

It's kind of bizarre how the innocent harem animes evolved into moe-blob fests.

I think the guy-fantasy genre has been a non-innocent genre from the outstart.  Even when the original ST games were coming out it was obviously catered at otaku and all types of their female desires (including loli bait). 

There are good games/anime/manga within the genre, but it's a fucked up genre for sure that's based on male desires to be surrounded and loved by many women.

[Van Cruncheon]

yeah, there's nothing innocent about harem anime

[Ichirou]

That's why it's awesome.

[magus]

ehy guys the game is "out" if you catch my drift

[demi]

It's a bad dump, if you get my drift

[Ichirou]

My copy shipped today.

[bork]

Mine too.  Good thing I guess, since I was about to just cancel it.

[Ichirou]

Mine too.  Good thing I guess, since I was about to just cancel it.

lyte edge

Supporting Sakura Wars

[magus]

okay apparently a good dump is out but it's huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge and i'm not going to bother so there...

[demi]

Guess it's time to get a job and buy it

[magus]

dude that would require even more effort 

[Ichirou]

Glad you don't get to play this game, then, you dirty mupepe.

[Ichirou]

[Ichirou]

[demi]

PS2 looks like a better package. Wii version is just a game.

[Ichirou]

PS2 version is $10 more, though.

Extras are:

- Artbook

- Japanese-dubbed version of the game

- Gemini Sunrise (main female character) poster...lyte edge can put it up in his game room

[Ichirou]

The artbook is designed to look like a Broadway theater brochure and the bios are theatrical-style bios that include the characters' theatrical debuts and how they're viewed by fans.

[Ichirou]

This is how you do an animu-based game.  Fuck off, Star Ocean 4.

Almost finished with the first episode.  Game is awesome so far.

[bork]

PS2 version is $10 more, though.

Extras are:

- Artbook

- Japanese-dubbed version of the game

- Gemini Sunrise (main female character) poster...lyte edge can put it up in his game room

Is that in every PS2 package?  I thought it was just some LE version of the game on the NIS store that had that stuff, with the Japanese-language version being the only bonus in all the regular PS2 versions.  The latter is all I care about anyway.

EDIT: Nope, Amazon says it's the Premium Edition, so all that stuff is in there.  Nice!

[Himu]

why the fuck is march rpg month?

[Ichirou]

PS2 version is $10 more, though.

Extras are:

- Artbook

- Japanese-dubbed version of the game

- Gemini Sunrise (main female character) poster...lyte edge can put it up in his game room

Is that in every PS2 package?  I thought it was just some LE version of the game on the NIS store that had that stuff, with the Japanese-language version being the only bonus in all the regular PS2 versions.  The latter is all I care about anyway.

EDIT: Nope, Amazon says it's the Premium Edition, so all that stuff is in there.  Nice!

Those who get the Wii version miss out on all of that awsum extra stuff, but save $10.

The Japanese voiceover disc is dubtitled (like every other NIS game). Gemini speaks tomboyishly in the JP voiceover and they've translated that to a Texan accent in the script.

I need to check to see if you can save your game when playing the JP voiceover disc and then load your game with the dub disc or vice-versa.

[originalz]

Aargh.

Yo Ichiro, where did you order your copy of the game?

[Ichirou]

Play-Asia.

They have both the Wii and PS2 versions in Akiba, though.

[Ichirou]

I had forgotten how fuckin' polished this game is.  It may be getting a low-key release now, but this was a major title when it came out in Japan.

Everything looks and feels so nice.  This is a quality game.  I NIS America for bringing this out.

[Ichirou]

"Noko, you have always been my friend, but now...you are my breakfast."

Fuckin' loving this game.

Prole is going to fucking hate it, tho.

[Ichirou]

Nobody else is playing this game?  You guys suck. 

[demi]

I am about to 1000 Final Fantasy... will pop it in tonite