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First vestiges of a Trace Memory sequel discussed

by JC Fletcher { Sep 16th 2009 at 5:30PM }

Another Code R, the Wii sequel to Trace Memory, isn't out in North America yet (and nobody's mentioned anything about it ever coming out), but the gears are turning at Cing regarding storyline elements for a sequel. Cing's Rika Suzuki told Cubed3 that the character "Matt" still has a story that has yet to be finished, and that the character has "a grand future ahead of him from which to use as source material."

Suzuki also said that all of this story would be "expressed through the world of Another Code, including how his friendship develops with Ashley and more on the story of his father, Michael." While that could mean spinoff novels or something, the likeliest explanation is more video games!

[Via GoNintendo]

Little Burger King's promotion for Little King's Story

by JC Fletcher { Aug 21st 2009 at 3:00PM }

Marvelous is taking an extra step in Japan to market the upcoming release of Little King's Story, and it's one that makes a lot of sense: the company is partnering with Burger King to promote the strategy game. Burger King restaurants in Japan are displaying the poster depicted to the right, and will also have LKS placemats. According to Andriasang, Burger King's mail magazine will also include Little King's Story information. In addition, a small army of Burger King employees, led by a real little king, will lead an assault on a nearby McDonalds in an attempt to take down Ronald. We may have made that up.

It's pretty amazing that Little King's Story is a big enough game to get this kind of promotion, which is reserved in the US for huge franchises. Either that, or Burger King is a small enough operation.

Marvelous planning a 'Super Little King's Story'

by JC Fletcher { Jul 30th 2009 at 1:15PM }

Little King's Story creator Yoshiro Kimura had previously said that he's interested in making a sequel to his strategy title. Now, speaking to Siliconera, Kimura explained that he is in the early stages of working on just such a thing. "We are planning to make a sequel to Little King's Story, like Super Little King's Story," Kimura said, "but we're still in the process idea phase."

At the moment, Marvelous is looking for funding for the sequel, as well as "partners" to help make it. The first game was developed by Cing and Town Factory, along with some high-profile freelancers. While we don't want anyone involved with the first game excluded from this potential sequel, we can understand the appeal of having a single team make a game, if that's Kimura's intent.

Gallery: Little King's Story

Review: Little King's Story (Wii)

by JC Fletcher { Jul 23rd 2009 at 5:15PM }

When I started Cing/Town Factory's Little King's Story, I expected to find a cute, very charming little strategy game whose flaws prevented it from greatness, like most games this heavy on the quirkiness factor. I was blindsided by how much fun I continued to have through hours of play. It's rare for a game to be this cute and odd, but also this good. I found this game utterly magical, and I hate strategy games.

Gallery: Little King's Story

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Little King's Story sequel could have multiplayer

by JC Fletcher { Jul 22nd 2009 at 11:45AM }

Yoshio Kimura, producer on Little King's Story, originally planned to include multiplayer in the strategy title, according to an interview with 411mania. "This game used to have a 2-player mode," he explained, "but we couldn't make the QA and debug in time, so we had to take it out. And this is one of the things that I really wanted to have."

If setting competing armies of townspeople against one another, or collaborating to expand your shared kingdom, sounds great to you (like it does to us), you know how you can make your voice heard. "But if Little King's Story does well and a lot of people get to play it and if I have a chance to make a sequel, that's definitely something I want to implement."

Aside from gameplay-focused matters, Kimura had a lot to say in this interview. Check it out for discussion of the character designs and how, uh, a talking squirrel inspired him to create the game.

Gallery: Little King's Story

[Via GoNintendo]

Europe to learn 'Little King's Story' first

by JC Fletcher { Feb 19th 2009 at 5:00PM }

Marvelous is still assuring everybody that Little King's Story is coming out, announcing yet another release date. Unless another delay is in the forecast, the latest news should make European Wii owners happy: European publisher Rising Star Games is planning to release the game on April 24, before it comes out anywhere else.

The last announced North American release date for the town-building RPG was February 17, but XSEED said even before then that the game was likely to be delayed -- which it obviously has. GameStop currently has a May 15 release date -- not to mention an adorable pre-order bonus!

Gallery: Little King's Story

Another Trailer R

by Chris Greenhough { Jan 22nd 2009 at 5:20PM }

Here's another look at Another Code R, courtesy of the official Japanese site. This is the lengthiest clip we've watched yet, and is a useful summary of everything we've seen to date: the point-and-click mechanics, the puzzles, the cut-scenes (that also utilize the rest of the game's cel-shaded style), and heroine Ashley doing her hilarious miming thing.

We could contentedly watch this game all day (and probably will when we finally acquire a copy, and are forced to stare at the screen for hours, frustrated by our lack of puzzle-solving smarts), but you know what would be even nicer? A localized version. Get on it already, Nintendo!

Gallery: Another Code Wii

Continued →

Another Code R trailer a treat for the senses

by Chris Greenhough { Jan 14th 2009 at 7:30PM }

Our lack of Japanese skills meant we lost the thread pretty quickly in this Another Code R story trailer, but heck, sometimes it's enough to just look and listen.

This was found on the official site, which currently also has the videos we posted recently, and some character profiles, all in (sadly impenetrable) Japanese. If it wasn't for the small issue of gender, we'd almost be tempted into indulging in some Another Code R cosplay. Yeah, we actually just typed that -- live with it.

Gallery: Another Code Wii

Source: Story trailer
Source: Official Japanese site [Via Go Nintendo]

XSEED warns of possible Little King's Story delay

by JC Fletcher { Jan 12th 2009 at 9:56AM }

NeoGAFfer "Hero of legend" periodically sends emails containing other forum members' questions to XSEED's Ken Berry, and actually gets substantive responses! Most of the questions are in the area of "would XSEED localize (game)?" -- and those are illuminating -- but occasionally a question about the company's existing lineup slips through, as was the case in the last round.

In a response to a query about the Little King's Story release date, Berry mentioned that the company has been "shooting for a February release date, but good chance that it will be delayed past that right now." The question related to Canadian stores, but we would expect the release date to be the same across North America. So, yeah. That February 17 release date on Nintendo's Q1 releases list? Don't count on it.

Gallery: Little King's Story

Another Code Resplendent

by Chris Greenhough { Jan 5th 2009 at 7:00PM }

With the release of Another Code R just one month away, Nintendo has started posting brief clips of the game in action. It seems every bit as relaxed and laid-back as the DS titles, though we suspect the soft-focus visuals and mellow soundtrack are a cunning facade for some brutally hard puzzles. The 3D character models look great, and we are officially amused by protagonist Ashley miming all of her actions.

Another three videos follow the break, and we've a dozen new screens in our gallery. Also after the jump, because we've not yet had an opportunity to post it: the amaaazing Japanese boxart.

Gallery: Another Code Wii

Continued →

Japan waits another two weeks for Another Code R

by JC Fletcher { Dec 26th 2008 at 10:00AM }

If Another Code R, Cing's Wii sequel to the DS adventure game Another Code (Trace Memory) is going to make the trip overseas, and we firmly ~~hope~~ believe it will despite no announcement to that effect, we'll at least have to wait another two weeks for it beyond the hypothetical unknown release date. Nintendo has announced a delay from the original January 22 release date to February 5.

The two-week delay is intended to allow extra development time, which suggests that publisher Nintendo wasn't happy with the quality of the game -- although a delay of just two weeks means that it's probably more a matter of a couple of bugs than the actual game design.

Gallery: Another Code Wii

First details of Another Code R

by JC Fletcher { Dec 11th 2008 at 5:32PM }

We've seen very little of Another Code R, Cing's Wii sequel to Trace Memory/Another Code, but it's coming out in Japan next month, published by Nintendo! Famitsu has new screenshots of the adventure game, and they look really good to us. The in-game 3D models look exactly like the character art!

1up's Kevin Gifford has translated the article and provided details of the setting, which comprise huge super spoilers if you haven't played through the first game. Just a warning. The new game has series protagonist Ashley exploring a lake campground, which, of course, stirs up ~~trace~~ important childhood memories.

We wholeheartedly endorse the movement to put new adventure games on Wii. Hopefully it doesn't pull them away from the DS, but the Strong Bad series has already made the Wii a destination for pointer-controlled pointing-and-clicking.

Gallery: Another Code Wii

Little King's Story to be told in Europe

by Chris Greenhough { Nov 17th 2008 at 4:25PM }

Where would Europe be without Rising Star Games? Answer: in a very, very dark place. The European publishing arm of Marvelous has already announced localizations of Muramasa: The Demon Blade and No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, and has now confirmed plans to bring Cing's hat-obsessed strategy title, Little's King Story, to the region next March.

You can watch a trailer for the game here, if you like, and make yourself queasy with the cloying cuteness of it all. Not only that, but nine new screens (sadly not wearing adorable hats) sneaked into our gallery!

Gallery: Little King's Story

TGS 08: Hotel Dusk devs reveal 'Again' for the first time

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 10th 2008 at 12:58AM }

Hotel Dusk and Trace Memory developer CING is teaming up with Tecmo to deliver another atmospheric adventure on the Nintendo DS, this time in the form of a supernatural murder mystery. Again: Eye of Providence follows FBI special agent Jonathan Weaver as he investigates his family's death and its connection with a series of murders that occurred 18 years earlier. Again's title is derived from Jonathan's ability to see into the past and experience crimes -- you know, again.

Producer Koichi Yamaguchi walked us through a very early build of the game, demonstrating how this helpful hindsight would help us piece together the events that occurred in a given crime scene. In what is essentially a game of spot-the-difference, you'll view the environment in a first-person perspective on both DS screens (in book orientation). The touch screen allows you to interact with the scene, while the screen to your left displays the same area, but as it was in the past. As Yamaguchi noted, it makes sense to confine history to the non-interactive screen. You can't change the past, you can only learn from it.

Gallery: Again: Eye of Providence (DS)

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Little King's Preview

by JC Fletcher { Sep 11th 2008 at 1:45PM }

We've stared at Little King's Story for a while, so we're quite familiar with the look of the tiny monarch and his populace of multifariously-hatted thralls. But, partially as a result of being stood up at E3, we have only the faintest notion of what playing it entails.

Like its contemporary tiny-king-building-a-town game, My Life as a King, Little King's town uses different buildings to determine what can be done. In Little King, the buildings serve to train the occupants in different skills, including fighting and farming. Unlike the WiiWare title, every townsperson is called into combat at your command, and their skills determine their abilities on the battlefield.

Your population doesn't seem to be able to diminish; according to the preview, when someone dies, a new resident washes up on the beach, though this new person will have "no loyalties and no relationships." And when someone does die, you have to attend his funeral. It's a strangely personal touch for the strategy genre.

You must also participate in hand-raising votes about the growth of the kingdom. If you fail to vote along with the majority of your constituents, your popularity will decrease and people will be less likely to do what you ask.