Atlus is going to be adding in a little something extra with your pre-order of their new upcoming first-person sci-fi RPG for the DS: a mini-poster.

You know, some people scoff at exclusive or limited offer promotions like this, calling it gimmicky. Well, it is. But it’s awesome. Call me a sucker, but I love getting this stuff. But only or games I really love, like RE5. So for those fans out there of the franchise, this maybe a promotion not to be missed!

The story of Shin Megami Tensei goes like this:

When the black spot appeared in the Antarctic, mankind became nervous; when it began to spread, that anxiety turned to panic. The Joint Project, convened to discuss how to deal with the expanding anomaly, decided to send in four ships carrying humanity’s finest soldiers and most cutting-edge technology. The mission: to investigate what lay on the other side of what had been dubbed the Schwarzwelt and find out if there was a way to stop it from eventually covering the Earth.

You are an elite soldier hand-picked for the Strike Team, outfitted with a Demonica environment suit and posted to the Red Sprite under Commander Gore. Upon entering the Schwarzwelt, the crew finds itself forced to deal with harsh conditions, supernatural interference, and throngs of demons populating the bewildering world. What exactly is the Schwarzwelt? What awaits at the end of this strange journey? It is entirely in your hands to find out…

This is quite exciting, not only for the fact that its the latest installment of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, but also because its rated M for “Mature with Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, and Sexual Themes”. Not that I’m saying the rating makes a game good, but I’m interested to see how a DS game with this rating, and all of the suggested themes above. Definitely looking forward to it.

Key Features
• Shin Megami Tensei goes beyond – Strange Journey’s game mechanics represent a return to the proud tradition of the all-time dungeon-crawling classic SMT: Nocturne, while its story takes players into the near future on a mission to save Earth and to understand humanity’s position within the larger universe.
• A dark turn into science fiction – Who or what is causing the black hole that is engulfing the Earth? A mission to investigate the cause uncovers a whole world of demons that humans knew nothing about. Do they seek your destruction or will you seek theirs? Will you decide to save Earth or choose another path for humanity?
• Team up with demons – Demons may be friends or foes depending on your ability to negotiate, bribe, and coerce them to join your party. With more than 300 types of demons, you’ll have a huge variety of battlefield encounters and an equally large base of options on which to build your party strategy.

Sometimes I miss the good ol’ days. When gameplay was simple, graphics were even simpler, and it was just fun and simple. Simple yeah? Well Atlus has attempted to recreate this magical feeling of simple fun with 3D Dot Game Heroes. Interesting name.

Welcome to the Kingdom of Dotnia

I’m actually really stoked about this game. To put it concisely, this game is like a next-gen, LEGO infused concoction of Zelda and DragonQuest. It has the storyline of DragonQuest with the action/puzzle scheme of Zelda. For retro gamers, this is, to put it in simple terms, AWESOME!

Some classic Zelda slashing

As far as presentation goes, it looks sweet so far. It’s all about pixels in this game; 3D pixels. As you’ll be able to see from the trailer at the end of this article, the game has a very distinctive visual feel to it. And the sound! It’s a great fusion of retro music and next-gen sounds. 

This is sure to be an epic quest of 8-bit proportions

The story goes like this: A long, long time ago, the Dark King Onyx brought an age of darkness upon Dotnia Kingdom. Only by the bravery of a hero with a legendary sword was Onyx sealed in an orb, restoring peace to the world. But Fuelle, a powerful Dark Bishop, has stolen the orb, and with it, peace. Dotnia requires a hero once more!

Can't you just feel the retro-magic coming back?

Naturally, you take control of the hero as you embark on this epic psuedo-8-bit adventure. Here’s the features list:

• Ultimate retro love letter – Seamlessly fusing new and old, the golden era of gaming is felt in every detail of this lovingly-crafted adventure. Eye-popping visuals capture the nostalgic charm of pixel graphics in cutting edge 3D. Simple, but deep action-adventure gameplay is a throwback to the 8-bit era. Veterans will find references and jokes that pay homage to the great games of yore.
• Awe and adventure live again – Embark on the next generation of classic exploration and discovery in a grand story-based quest. A hero sets out to gain the power of the six sages and the six orbs that protected the kingdom of Dotnia, which now stands on the verge of destruction.
• Customize your hero – When pixels are your building blocks, the possibilities are unlimited. Freely edit the look of your character, or design one completely from scratch, and then trade designs with friends via a compatible USB storage device. Your hero’s blade is also upgradeable, letting you add length and width to create a sword that fills the whole screen!

Atlus USA, Inc. anounced that the Deluxe Edition of Demon’s Souls, it’s award winning action RPG for the PS3, is now considered out of print in North America and will not be remanufactured. The Deluxe Edition came packed with the game’s official 160-page strategy guide and collectible embossed slipcase. Let’s see how far the prices on these Deluxe Editions sky-rocket on e-bay.

They also anounced that additional stock will be hitting North American shelves this week in response to the overwhleming demand. Manager of PR and Sales for Atlus Aram Jabbari stated, “We’re thrilled at the level of interst and acclaim gamers are showing for Demon’s Souls, one of the best reviewed games of the year and one of the highest rated role-playing games of all time.”

Wow, this game seemed to come out of nowhere and explode. Hope to get my hands on it soon too!

I know it’s a bit late, but I just had to squeeze this in. Demon’s Souls, an award-winning action RPG for the PS3 is now available in North America!

This game looks awesome! Many have claimed it to be the best RPG this year, and you’ll see why when you look at some of the features and the innovation that’s been put into this game.

For those of you not familiar with this game, it’s basically an action RPG game. The story goes that the last king of Boletaria, King Allant the XII, in his thirst for might, awakened a long forgotten evil: the Old One. Now hordes of demons have overtaken Boletaria, plunging the once prosperous kingdom into darkness and fog. Summoned by a mysterious maiden in black, you must make your way into Boletaria and become the last hope for humanity in a place lost to demons and darkness. Sounds like fun!

As I mentioned above, the game incorporates a lot of innovative ideas, espeically in its online features. One little feature not mentioned in the list below, which I thought was cool was the fact that as you’re playing along, you can see the ghosts of those players who are currently in the same area as you are. I thought that was pretty cool. But enough from me, check out the key features list:

• Ultimate hardcore RPG challenge – In this brutal land, death is inevitable, but not final. Combining the best features of an action game and RPG, you’ll slice, smash, shoot, and ensorcel some of the most horrible, vicious enemies ever encountered. Are you strong enough to face the impossible and win?
• Groundbreaking online capabilities – Network features go far beyond any previous RPG, allowing players to leave hints for each other, replay death scenes, cooperatively revive dead players, or invade another player’s game to wreak havoc. Not merely an add-on feature, multiplayer options are vast, and uniquely focused on changing and intensifying the single player experience.
• Freeform and flexible – The open-ended structure of the game means that there is no single path, but rather a wealth of options. Set your own pace and progress as you like. Build exactly the character you want by creating a detailed avatar, nurturing the right stats, and customizing your skills and equipment.
• You act, the world reacts – The World Tendency system changes the aggressiveness of monsters and the rewards for killing them based on players’ actions. Different events and NPCs may be triggered, as well.

If you’re into hardcore gaming and RPGs (ooh! me! me!) this looks like a good one to check out.