News

A new twist in Konami's Suikoden series of RPGs arrived in North America today. "Suikoden Tactics" ("Rhapsodia" in Japan) is a significant deviation from the typical style of the rest of the series. The game will feature a tactical scenario style of combat instead of the traditional turn-and-party based system, and is also the first in the Suikoden timeline to cover the same events as another game, namely, Suikoden IV.

Sources:
IGN
SARS

Personally, I'm not sure what to think until I've played it. I really didn't like Suikoden IV, and I think the release of another game with a completely different style is a way for Konami to gauge reaction to gameplay innovations before implementing them in the series proper (and risking backlash like that which accompanied Suikoden III's new combat system). If this is the game that gets the series back on track, it will certainly be ironic.

The first real batch of FFIV Advance screenshots has snaked it's way onto the internet, along with a video of actual gameplay.

You can view the screenshots here

Looks pretty sweet, although i'm not sure if I like Yang's new menu picture, personally.

Mother creator Shigesato Itoi has revealed on his official news site that his much beloved RPG series is far from dead, contrary to some fan speculation. In fact, its third title, Mother 3, is expected to see a release on the Game Boy Advance this coming spring!

This news provides quite a surprise given how long Mother 3 has been in the making, as well as how long it's seemingly been cancelled. Fans no doubt remember the title as the series' formerly intended 3D debut, originally announced for the Nintendo 64 - a few years prior to the console's launch - as a follow-up to the largely successful Mother 2 (known as EarthBound in North America). Hopefully the third chapter will now see the light of day, although no official word concerning the game has yet been made by Nintendo.

Spring 2006 is likely the date reserved for the game's Japanese release - so far there's no mention of a North American or European date.

Source: GameScience

A Nintendo official at the NSider forums has reported that Nintendo will answer any Wi-Fi Connection questions when its Wi-Fi site launches soon. The site will explain the DS's wireless functions work and where U.S. hotspots are, as well as many more things.

Nintendo's Wi-Fi site will launch next Monday, November 7.

Source: Games Are Fun

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Good news for everyone who, like me, is getting incredibly worked up about the Wi-Fi. I've seen a few of the things detailing how the Wi-Fi works, but i'm really hoping the rest of my questions get answered.

Perhaps hoping to spur holiday sales of its handheld system, Sony will be making available a new PSP package this month. The $299 "PSP Giga Pack" will bundle the PSP system with several extras, including an upgraded memory stick, a USB cable, and the new PSP stand, in addition to the peripherals already included in the $249 "PSP Value Pack." Sony also confirmed that the Value Pack will continue to be made available, and that the new 1 GB memory stick will be sold separately later this year.

With this winter being the PSP's first holiday season, a package containing everything a PSP owner needs to get started (except for games and movies, of course) is expected, by some, to sell well. But will a lack of variety and underabundance of games hinder Christmas sales? Die-hard fans of the system may already own one, rendering this new package already obsolete for them, while many interested gamers may be waiting on games instead of peripheral upgrades.

More information about the PSP and its accessories' hardware capabilities can be found at Gaming Age.

Tales of Phantasia, the start to the Namco's Tales series of RPGs, will have it's 2003 Game Boy Advance port hit Europe in the first quarter of 2006, according to Nintendo of Europe. There is no word on a possible future release in the US, but rumors are circulating that a 2006 release is probable, but details are fuzzy thus far.

ToP was first released on the SNES in 1995, then ported to the Playstation in 1998, and most recently ported to the GBA in 2003, all only in Japan. This new release is likely in large part thanks to the popularity of the most recent Tales game, the publicly and critically acclaimed Tales of Symphonia. The Tales series has enjoyed only a small cult following outside of Japan previous to Tales of Symphonia's success with the Playstation games Tales of Destiny and Tales of Destiny II (the latter is known as Tales of Eternia in Japan; this is extremely confusing because a direct sequel to Tales of Destiny was made for the PS2 in 2002, also called Tales of Destiny 2) and widespread emulation of Tales of Phantasia thanks to DeJap Translations' 2000 translation patch. Now the rest of the world (hopefully including the US at some point) can legally enjoy one of Namco and Wolf Team's masterpieces.

Sources: RPGamer.com (news source)
Wikipedia (Tales series background info)