Japanese RPG giant, Level-5 announced 3 new smartphone games this week. Polygon reported on the announcement, made in Japanese language magazine Famitsu.
Chikyu Kaimetsu teki B-kyu Kanojo, is described as a “Japan-made smartphone RPG”. It takes place in “a post-apocalyptic world where most of the men have died and the land’s full of beautiful, powerful female mercenaries.” The battle system uses a slot machine mechanic that deals damage according to your winnings.
B-kyu Kanojo is coming out next month for iOS and August for Android in Japan. This one doesn’t seem likely to come stateside However, the other two games, with general 2013 release dates so far, stand a better chance.
The second game, called Majin Station, is being designed by Yusuke Kozaki, who did character designs on Fire Emblem: Awakening, which did well in its US release.
Hino said Majin Station is “a simulation RPG where you fight over territory in the form of Japan’s rail stations.”
Producer, Jiro Ishii added, “You can choose your starting station freely, whether it’s your home station or the one you grew up near. I’d like to get all the local lines and subways in here, too, not just Japan Rail lines. As you’re piloting your demon train around the country, you may run into a powerful demon in X number of stations, or maybe a local celebrity will show up in demon form when you visit certain cities. It’s a command-based RPG that you can control with one hand and enjoy in short periods of time.” Very Shin Megami Tensei.
Third is Wonder Flick, directed by Level-5 chief Akihiro Hino and featuring a soundtrack by composer, Nobuo Uematsu, of Final Fantasy fame. Hino described it as “a game where the theme is searching for treasure. You go on the hunt, find rare items, and trade in your equipment for stronger items. It’s a game that tries to pursue what makes traditional RPGs fun. We’re going to keep adjusting the content with the times after that, with new lands, monsters, items and so on. We’ve got something in mind that goes beyond the traditional boundaries of apps, something that will surprise you.”
For fans of JRPGs, the waiting is always the hardest part. But releasing digitally cuts the overhead down to localization, and the US market has proven itself hungry for pocket RPG experiences with the success of several recent 3DS and PS Vita titles. Square-Enix has done well in the US smartphone market with their popular Android and iOS releases. Give us a shot, Level 5!
[Via: Polygon]