KLab Finds Chinese Partner to Bring World Fantastic Eleven to Asia

Posted 20:15 EST on 26FEB2014 by: indie navi news staff in features, previews » KLab, kunlun, world fantastic eleven

KLab today announced it is teaming up with Beijing Kunlun Technology to bring its soccer title World Fantastic Eleven to Asia. Kunlun will handle localization, publishing, and promotion of the title in China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea.

Kunlun is a leading publisher of PC and smartphone titles in its homeland of China. The company operates koramgame.com, the largest social games platform in mainland China. This partnership with KLab is seen as a part of the company’s efforts to expand into the development and publishing of native smartphone apps.

World Fantastic Eleven is presented by KLab as a combination card collecting game and sports title. For World Fantastic Eleven, KLab procured licenses from the Japan Football Association and FIFPro, allowing the title to feature cards with the real names and likenesses of over 2,000 footballers from around the world.

Going beyond the typical “fantasy football” fare, World Fantastic Eleven also allows players to directly participate in matches. The promotional video (shown below) indicates players will be able to direct their players using touch-based commands. KLab’s promotional site describes the matches as being presented in a “digest style”, giving players ample opportunity to make choices that dictate the outcome.

As seen in the below video, the matches are fully 3D, which will likely be a selling point with smartphone owners.

World Fantastic Eleven is slate for a spring release in Japan, with an Asian release through Kunlun shortly thereafter. KLab intends on publishing the title worldwide, although it has not clarified whether it will take on additional partners to do so.

News source: 4Gamer

GungHo Reveals P&D Follow-Up Puzzle & Dragons W

Posted 17:27 EST on 20FEB2014 by: indie navi news staff in news, previews » gungho, puzzle & dragons

To celebrate the two-year anniversary of the release of Puzzle & Dragons, GungHo held an event in Tokyo and released information regarding the future of the tremendously popular series.

GungHo CEO Kazuki Morishita and Puzzle & Dragons producer Daisuke Yamamoto took the stage to release details about the biggest story of the day: Puzzle & Dragons W, the semi-follow up to Puzzle & Dragons.

From left: GungHo CEO Kazuki Morishita, Puzzle & Dragons producer Daisuke Yamamoto

Image source: 4Gamer

Not exactly a sequel, P&D W is a combination of two play modes. The original P&D will be available as a play mode from within P&D W, and GungHo will continue to introduce updates and collaborations as it always has. The second mode is less dragons, more puzzles, stripping away the dungeon exploration to focus on puzzles.

GungHo’s press information refers to this mode as Tamadora Mode, in reference to the monsters that will serve as player avatars. By beating puzzles, players are awarded “avatar items” of three categories: head, arm, and (given the tamadora‘s anatomy) “egg”. These pieces of armor can be combined to customize the player’s avatar, changing the appearance of the tamadora and granting skills to help the player solve progressively complicated puzzles.

GungHo’s official Puzzle & Dragons W site claims players can combine avatars, presumable to form a party, which will likely play a role in overcoming increasingly difficult puzzles.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

4Gamer had people on hand at the demonstration, and describes the game play demonstration given by Yamamoto:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Morishita explained that this new game mode was aimed at people who enjoyed the puzzles in Puzzle & Dragons, but who weren’t interested in collecting and raising monsters. Since Tamadora Mode uses a time gauge that amounts to “stamina”, the mode will be monetized by allowing players to spend “magical gems” (in-game currency) to regain stamina and purchase continues. These magical gems can be shared between Tamadora Mode and the classic mode.

GungHo is keeping mum on what updates classic mode will receive, saying only that they’ll be an “evolution” for the series.

For classic mode, GungHo stuck to announcing upcoming collaborations with the Evangelion films and Taiko no Tatsujin, as well as a tie-in with McDonald’s.

The update turning Puzzle & Dragons into Puzzle & Dragons W is slated for this spring. GungHo promises further details of the update are forthcoming.

News and images source: 4Gamer

Smartphone Eva Title Looks… Suspiciously Familiar

Posted 16:27 EST on 14FEB2014 by: indie navi news staff in previews » DeNA, evangelion: catharsis of the soul

Following the successful release of its smartphone title Attack on Titan, which takes heavy inspiration from Clash of Clans, DeNA has released details of its other licensed title: Evangelion: Catharsis of the Soul, and it… looks a lot like Clash of Clans.

In this “simulation RPG”, SEELE’s latest scheme has been successful and NERV has managed to mass-clone angels. Naturally, players crank ‘em out and send them to attack other players’ Tokyo-3s.

It would be a real bummer if other players turned around and did the same thing to your Tokyo-3 though, right? Fortunately, you can produce Evangelion units to hold down the fort when opponents’ angels come a-knockin’.

Look, here’s some pictures:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Release of Catharsis of the Soul is slated for “this winter”, so pretty soon we guess.

News and images source: Social Game Info

Famitsu Goes Hands-On With GungHo’s Latest Title

Posted 15:40 EST on 12FEB2014 by: indie navi news staff in previews » gungho, summons board

On February 10th GungHo released the Android version of its latest title, Summons Board. Famitsu App has published its hands-on report, which sheds light on the title and its play systems. Below are some of the highlights.

GungHo: a “board game for the smartphone generation”

Summons Board uses a stamina system, allowing players to “refill” their stamina once every ten minutes. By clearing dungeons, players gain crystals which can be exchanged for continues, stamina refills, and chances at the “rare monster” gacha. Crystals can also be exchanged to increase the size of the Monster Box in which collected beasts are stored.

Similar to Pokémon, monsters belong to one of five types, which have negative and positive interactions with the other four types. The five types are fire, water, earth, light, and darkness.

Image source: Famitsu App

Players level up their monsters by combining them with other monsters earned through battle or otherwise collected. How players combine their monsters will determine the outcome, with clever combinations resulting in particularly powerful creatures.

Monsters have individual skills sets, which can be used once per some predetermined number of battle turns. Some monsters also have “leader skills”, which grant skills and boosts to the player’s party when one of these creatures is placed in the role of leader.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Battle System

The battlefield is a 4 x 4 square. When entering battle, four of the player’s creatures and a handful of enemy creatures will be distributed throughout the battlefield, along with obstacles as well as beneficial items such as HP-restoring “heart crystals”.

The battles are turn-based, although players may only move one of their four creatures per turn. Fortunately, this limitation also applies to opponents (computer-controlled or otherwise), leading to a game of thought and strategy. Monsters are also limited in which directions they can move and attack, as indicated by small arrow icons.

When an enemy creature is in one of the squares the player’s creature can attack, it will automatically do so. If the player is able to position his creature such that several enemy beasts are in its attack “range”, they will all fall under attack. Also, if the player is able to line up his creatures so that two or more are able to attack an enemy creature, they will all do so, resulting in a combo attack. Aiming for these effects is the formula for success in Summons Board.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Multiplayer elements

Summons Board allows players to pit their team of monsters against those of other players in “ranking battles”. The more opponents a player defeats the higher his ranking, and the better the prizes he receives for each victory.

Players less interested in going online can take on AI-controlled parties of monsters. Victories will still net BP (battle points) which can be used toward in-game purchases of powerful and useful items.

Aware that not all players are keen to compete, GungHo has also prepared a guild system. Players can create or join guilds. As guild members are successful in battle, the guild’s clout rises, and all members of the guild are granted stat bonuses and power-ups. Guild members can also team up to take down tough dungeons, thereby leveling up their parties and further strengthening their guild.

With its emphasis on simple but deep game play, online competition, and social elements like guild membership, GungHo is hoping to have another mainstream hit on its hands. The Android version is currently available for download, with an iOS version slated for release within the next few weeks.

Story and images source: Famitsu App [ 1, 2 ]

Ex-Sega Devs Announce Smartphone Roguelike

Posted 19:17 EST on 16JAN2014 by: indie navi news staff in previews » dragon fang, roguelike, toydea

Staffed mainly by ex-Sega developers, Toydea cites “offering pure game experiences for mobile platforms” as its corporate vision. In keeping with that vision, Toydea has announced its development of Dragon Fang (full title: Dragon Fang: Dolan the Dragonkin and the Maze of Time), a roguelike dungeon crawler meant to give its console cousins a run for the money.

Players take on the role of Dolan, a young descendant of a dragon-like race in a swords-and-sorcery setting. Toydea’s official Dragon Fang site describes Dolan as “serious and reserved”, seeking out the treasures of the dragons in accordance with the laws of his tribe. Helping Dolan in his quest is a fairy companion, a spirit who has watched over Dolan’s kind since the distant past. This immortal fairy companion has the power to recover Dolan no matter how many times he falls in battle. Unfortunately for Dolan, she is also described as being a bit overbearing, with a tendency to treat the protagonist like a child.

True to roguelike form, the dungeon is randomly configured each time the players return. To fulfill his quest, Dolan seeks the Maze of Time’s deepest reaches. Naturally, a gallery of monsters stand in his way. In addition to swords, bows, and sorcery, Dolan can fall back on his heritage when the going gets tough: by using one of the titular dragon’s fangs, Dolan can transform into a proper dragon. What’s more, by collecting the fangs of vanquished monsters, Dolan is able to take on their forms, as well. Toydea also explains that monsters may be tamed and raised, adding one more popular element to the mix.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Toydea is projecting a January 30th Japan release for the Android version of the title, with an iOS release shortly to follow.

News and images source: 4Gamer

Additional image source: official Dragon Fang site

Dragon Quest VIII Smartphone / PS2 Comparison

Posted 19:20 EST on 20DEC2013 by: indie navi news staff in previews » dragon quest 8 for smartphones

Japanese games news and media outlet 4Gamer.net has released a brief but informative comparison of the smartphone and PlayStation 2 versions of Square Enix’s Dragon Quest VIII.

The comparison first focuses on the differences in the control scheme, as this is the largest departure from the original PlayStation 2 version of the game. Different from the “virtual game pad” that is the de facto norm, particularly among ports, DQVIII offers a simple virtual control stick, similar in function to the analogue stick standard to modern game pads. The user places his thumb over the pad, then slides his thumb in the direction he’d like for his avatar to head. Moving the thumb slightly away from the virtual stick causes the avatar to walk then trot, while sliding further away causes the avatar to break into a dash. For simplicity, there is an on-screen representation of the eight degrees of movement surrounding the virtual stick in a compass formation.

In towns and dungeons, players need only approach characters or interactive items to summon a “talk” or “!” icon. Rather than a button press, the user clicks this icon to talk or to interact with the on-screen element of interest. Clicking the onscreen “auto” icon causes the avatar to advance in a sprint in the direction he was facing. This also brings up a ribbon at the bottom of the screen with left and right icons to adjust the avatar’s trajectory. In this way, large swaths of the world map or large dungeons can be traveled without need to hold down the virtual control stick. (The “auto” icon can be moved to the left or right of the screen, though no further customization is possible, different from the smartphone release of Dragon Quest I.) Also, a “Zoom” spell icon is available directly from the play screen, so users can activate this frequently-used spell to travel between visited locations without navigating menus.

The camera is controlled using swiping motions anywhere on the screen where there is not an icon or interactive game element. Like Dragon Quest I for smartphones, DQVIII can only be played in vertical screen mode. To compensate, the camera is pulled back to reveal more of the avatar’s surroundings.

Oddly, despite this being a release for mobile platforms, the save system has not been significantly altered from the PlayStation 2 version. There are still three save slots, and one “in progress” save slot. Saves to one of the three slots can be made at save points within towns, churches, etc. Players can also save to the “in progress” slot from anywhere on the world map. Players still may not save during battles or from within dungeons or towns, unless at a designated save point.

One addition, though, is an auto save feature which is triggered following battles or when moving into a new area of the world map. The auto save is wiped immediately once activated.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

A few changes the author of the article notes:

• The “brewing time” for the alchemy pot has been done away with, and it’s now possible to create multiples of the same item in one go.
• Skill points can be saved up and distributed from the appropriate menu, rather than just at level up.
• There is no need for a dungeon map, as the dungeon’s layout is displayed in the upper-right corner of the screen, even when entering a dungeon for the first time.

In summary, the author of the comparison indicates that once the player has grown accustomed to the controls, they work quite seamlessly, and that his largest impression was of how similar the title remains to its original version. For fans of the original PS2 version looking to play through a gaming favorite once again, or for those who never had the opportunity to try out the PS2 version, Dragon Quest VIII for smartphones sounds like a safe bet.

News and image source: 4Gamer.net

Because If You’re Going to Raise a Village, It May As Well Be a Ninja Village

Posted 18:37 EST on 10DEC2013 by: indie navi news staff in previews » kairosoft, ninja village

Flat-cost sims for mobile platforms may be a rare breed, but there are a few good ones out there. Case in point: Kairosoft’s Ninja Village. The Android version is currently available in Japan as well as the West; the iOS version became available in Japan the 9th of this month, with Western release expected shortly.

Ninja Village is unique in combining village-growing sim elements with strategic battle segments. Players set up shops and small industries, turning the ore and wood their villagers have gathered into tools and items to sell to travelers. Players can also have their villagers engage in training, leveling up their stats. Yes, each of your humble peasants have their own stats because, secretly, they are all ninjas! Using the money gathered through commerce to bring on more secret assassins and to improve the equipment of the ninja ranks, players gradually take over larger swaths of land as they are victorious in battle. (Let’s see your dumb corn do that.)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Ninja Village is available for Android for a flat cost of $4.99. indie navi will keep an eye open for the English-language iOS release, reporting as news becomes available.

News source: Famitsu.com

Kritika: An MMO For Action Gamers

Posted 17:09 EST on 05DEC2013 by: tim walker in previews » allm, bayonetta, GameOn, kritika, pc

Have you ever felt like you wanted a little more Bayonetta in your World of Warcraft? If so, it looks like Japan has just gotten a game that should be right up your alley.

Kritika Online (known simply as Kritika in Japan) is described by publisher GameOn as a “Super-Action RPG”. While the toolbar at the bottom of the screen should look familiar to MMO players, the flashy, fast-paced gameplay makes it feel more like a console game than a PC title.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Players choose from three different character classes (Warrior, Mage, and Rogue; a fourth class has also been uncovered, though not officially announced yet for Japan) and battle through hordes of monsters in a manner similar to the aforementioned Bayonetta or Platinum Games’ more recent effort, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. There are magic spells to wield and macros that can be assigned, but there are also mid-air combos and finishing moves that can be unleashed. It includes a PvP mode as well.

Although the game is rather violent, some of the edge has been taken off by the cel-shaded-style graphics, adding to the over-the-top anime feel that the creators seem to be going for.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Kritika was originally released in South Korea earlier this year by NHN Hangame and was developed by allm, creators of Lunia: Record of Lunia War, another game that attempted to bridge the gap between consoles and PCs. After completion of closed beta testing last month, it has finally been released in Japan as well, and can be downloaded for free from the game’s official website. The game is currently free-to-play, but it looks like it has in-game purchases as well (we should have more information on the pricing structure soon).

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Check out the official teaser videos below to see the game in action, and check back with us for more information on this promising-looking title.

WonderFlick: What Level 5 Has Revealed So Far

Posted 03:04 EST on 27NOV2013 by: indie navi news staff in previews » iOS, level 5, wonderflick

With the full iOS release of Level 5′s multi-platform title Wonder Flick just over a week away, we thought we’d summarize what information Level 5 has released so far.

Battle System

Wonder Flick owes its name to its unique battle system: as can be seen in the most recent preview video (see below), players use a flicking motion to send magical and physical attacks toward foes. Icons hovering over monsters match the icons lined up along the bottom of the screen. By flicking the appropriate icons toward enemies, the player brings them to a state of “guard break”. At this point, the player enters “attack fever”, where he is asked to flick as many attack coins as possible at the enemy within a set period of time, to maximize damage.

Following battle, players will sometimes be greeted with a “drop fever” mini-game, wherein the goal is to tap the dazed monster as quickly as possible to gain a maximum loot payout.

Character growth and skill acquisition is handled through a job system. At first, players will only be able to select from one of four classes: knight, mage, thief, or ranger. Characters of these classes wield as their default weapon a broadsword, wooden staff, short knife, and wooden bow, respectively. Level 5 alludes that leveling up will result in skill points that can be distributed to different stats.

As shown in the above clip, the skill tree branches out into more individualized classes, allowing for a large degree of character customization.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Character creation

Players create their individual avatars from scratch, selecting from a large combination of individual physical features. To narrow down the options, users can input certain key words, such as “gallant”, “tough”, or “cute”, and be presented with physical features matched to that description.

Equipment is also depicted in-game as wielded or worn by the user’s avatar, allowing for further customization of the avatar’s appearance.

Users are also able to lend their avatars out to people they befriend in Dragon Quest IX-esque pubs and other gathering places. Level 5 states that you can “go into battle with the users you’ve befriended”, although whether this means cooperative play, or simply fighting alongside a computer-controlled version of their avatar, Level 5 has not clarified.

Level 5 does make clear that as a user’s avatar is borrowed more frequently by those the user has befriended, the user will receive increasingly desirable rewards and items. level 5′s promotional material also frequently uses the phrase “befriend other users’ avatars”, which gives reason to believe that rather than full-blown co-op, users will make use of CPU-controlled versions of other users’ avatars.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Equipment creation and reforging

In a unique twist on the “combine different items to make new weapons and armor” formula, the creation and reforging of equipment and items is done via a mini-game that Level 5 describes as “the real deal”. Players choose from one of four categories: blacksmithing, woodworking, alchemy, or magical blacksmithing. For each of these, different levels of the item creation mini-game (with different backgrounds appropriate to the creation category) are presented. Players must match three or more same-colored panels horizontally or vertically to clear them away, releasing items into the forge within the set time limit. Level 5 alludes that other game modes and clear requirements will be presented players.

The items for forging are obtained primarily by defeating monsters and taking on quests. By heading into the bustling city centers, players will encounter NPCs who will request the completion of specific quests. By completing these quests, players will be rewarded with a variety of rare and useful items which can be reforged into powerful weapons and armor. Level 5 adds that quests will continue to be added following the title’s release.

Players can also seek out base materials for use in forging through interacting with the environment. There are four primary methods: mining, excavation, logging (of timber), and, mysteriously, “magical luminescence”. Each of these modes of searching for materials will be accompanied by mini-games, as seen in the below screenshot which depicts “mining”.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The “prince(ss) system”

Although Level 5 is being tight-lipped about the implementation of this system, the company has revealed that players can enlist princes and/or princesses to join them in their adventures. What Level 5 has revealed so far is that players will bring “puridama” [loosely: royalty gems] to the Church at the Cape (presided over by Miss Misaki, depicted in the below screenshot wearing a black and white wardrobe similar to a habit), where they will presumably be able to exchange these gems to enlist a prince or princess as a companion.

These royal companions will have a variety of personalities, strengths and weaknesses. So far, Level 5 has revealed three archetypes: the studious Natalina Gulguran, the quiet and mysterios Nayla Gatie, and the coquettish and playful Latley Recondale. (Note that these are provisional translations of the names provided in Japanese.)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

UNIPLAY and other extended features

Wonder Flick boasts a unique multi-platform approach it has termed “UNIPLAY”. Ultimately, Wonder Flick will be released for 7 platforms: iOS, Android, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and Xbox One. Because game data is saved on the cloud, players can download the title to multiple systems, with save data shared cross-platform. This means a player could feasibly play the game for a few hours in the evening, then play on iOS on the train ride to work, using the same save data.

What’s unclear is how the eponymous “flick” system will be implemented on controller-based systems like the PlayStation 3. The below screenshot shows a cursor hovering over one of the circular icons, giving reason to believe the general mechanics will remain the same, although selection will be handled through a more traditional cursor system.

Additionally, Level 5 will continue to update its Wonder Flick Continental Newspaper, which provides game news and updates. The newspaper can be accessed directly through an in-game menu, or by visiting http://np.wonderflick.jp/ via browser.

In addition to information regarding game updates and in-game events, the Wonder Flick Continental Newspaper will also offer:

• An item and monster index. However, Level 5 makes clear that certain rare items and monsters will not be included in this list.
• An account page for player characters. This page will also allow users to exchange messages with those they’ve befriended in-game.
• Player message boards.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Wonder Flick is currently slated for release to iOS on December 9th, with release to other platforms to follow.

Image source: Level 5′s official Wonder Flick site