This year though, NIS America will still be bringing a good number of games to Sony's PlayStation 3 so fans will still have a number of things to look forward to. One game that was mentioned in development last year, The Witch and The Hundred Knights, is nearing completion but had no footage ready to show at the event. For those who were wondering, The Witch and The Hundred Knights will also have a Limited Edition version for release worldwide, according to President Niikawa.
Previously mentioned by NIS America at their panel at Anime Expo, Character Chowdown, will be releasing a Disgaea character pack this spring. Available for iOS, Character Chowdown is a simple mobile app made to help players learn Japanese characters with purchasable packs for both kana and kanji while katakana is free. Not only will the Disgaea pack be available to play as Laharl or Etna, but the pack will also allow players to use their own music from their devices in the background.
This year, NIS America have several games lined up for release this year for the PlayStation 3. One game is definitely to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the beloved Disgaea series, which is Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness. A direct sequel to Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, D2 will feature fan favorites Laharl, Flonne and Etna as playable characters as well as nods to the series as a whole. Due to the time-consuming nature of Disgaea games, D2 will feature many streamlined elements to allow both new and old players a chance to enjoy the game at their leisure. Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness will be available in the fall of this year.
Another game, which was announced exclusively at the event was The Guided Fate Paradox, which is the spiritual successor to the Zettai Hero Project, a rogue-like RPG that was released on the Sony's first handheld the PlayStation Portable (PSP). Guided Fate Paradox will be released exclusively on the PlayStation 3 in the fall. With artwork done by Noizi Ito, the character designer of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Guided Fate Paradox features full customization of weapons, armor, items and other things, random 3D generated dungeons, special super attacks for weapons/items and much more. Despite the nature of the game being a rogue-like, it will be a bit more forgiving as you can retain certain items but only when in 'Burst Mode'. When asked if Guided Fate Paradox will feature Dengeki cameos that were available in Japan, we were told that they are looking into it but really do want to include the cameos as well.
The final game announced at the event is Time and Eternity, which is known as Toki to Towa in Japan. Created by both Imageepoch and Namco Bandai, Time and Eternity is an RPG that features 2D hand drawn characters over 3D generated backgrounds to give the presentation of playing an 'anime' as all actions are controlled in real-time. Leveling up either of the characters Toki or Towa will automatically switch to the other, though there is an item that will allow one to switch as well; the protagonist's body will inhabit the body of a small dragon when traveling within the game. Players can use either ranged attacks or melee in battle as well as skills to aid them in battle in this action RPG. Time and Eternity will be released this summer exclusively for the PlayStation 3.
As many fans are clamoring for more news about the long-announced PSP title, Black Rock Shooter, rest assured that the game is still in production though there is no concrete date just yet.
With the year just starting, NIS America is continuing to bring quality games for all to enjoy and may they enjoy many more years doing so.
