NEW Area 88 anime and goods!!!!!!!!

A place where you can chat about anything that isn't to do with games!
Post Reply
User avatar
greg
Posts: 1851
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:10 am
Location: Gunma-ken, Japan
Contact:

NEW Area 88 anime and goods!!!!!!!!

Post by greg »

My wife works at a Japanese grocery store, and she noticed Area 88 in the order list from a distribution company named PAXS. She's ordered some cool Snoopy gummy candy and is trying to get some Relakuma collection that comes with little figures. She told me she saw Area 88 listed for new items. This warranted a Google search, by golly.

Apparently, Area 88 has a new anime!
http://avexmode.jp/animation/area88/
It still retains its 70's style manga look, but some of the planes look a bit different. Apparently Shin is flying a new plane called the X-29 with forward swept wings. Apparently Mickey is still flying an F-14 Tomcat and Greg is still flying an A-10.

For 525 yen, you can pick up the 1/144 scale fighter jet toys!
http://www.cafereo.co.jp/area88.htm
They'll be available in April.

Is this cool or what? It's making us want to watch the original OVAs. Gives me a good reason to play the Area 88 Capcom shmup, too.
Undamned is the leading English-speaking expert on the consolized UD-CPS2 because he's the one who made it.
User avatar
Jon
Posts: 1114
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:46 pm
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Post by Jon »

Pretty neat stuff there Greg. Might have to get you to order me one of those X-29 models if you are going to be buying. Definitley one of the top SNES shmups available. Anyone who hasn't done so should check it out.
No_not_like_Quake
Posts: 772
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:22 pm

Post by No_not_like_Quake »

Now if only Capcom would make a new Area 88 game.
User avatar
aurang
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 11:11 pm
Location: Bullhead City, AZ
Contact:

Post by aurang »

It has been out for quite some time and I think there is US distributor in line. The new TV series was all right, nothing special, but not nearly as good as the original OAV's or Manga. Shin only flew his F-8 and F-5 in the new series. No F-20 or X-29 to be found.

The bastards at Viz are sitting on the Area 88 Manga, they only released like 1/2 of it in the first run, that was a long time ago though. Now that Japanese style mangas are popular, they ought to retranslate it and release it in it's original form. It's one of the best Mangas I've ever read.
In space, no one can sink your battleship!
User avatar
greg
Posts: 1851
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:10 am
Location: Gunma-ken, Japan
Contact:

Post by greg »

Thanks for the input, Aurang! I figured you might know about this new series, given your avatar.

I think Viz only puts out the manga they know they can sell. I was eating up the Patlabor manga they were translating, but after all these years I've resigned myself to giving up hope that they will ever continue this series. They put out up to two graphic novel volumes of Patlabor. I don't remember them even putting out one graphic novel volume for Area 88. I have one single issue, where Boris dies. The OVA series was great, but the ending sorta cut off abruptly. I presume that everyone dies... sometimes I don't really understand why Japanese anime and video games are given such abrupt endings that leave me empty inside.

BTW, it's highly doubtful of there being another Capcom Area 88 game. Even if one were to be released, it would not likely be another shmup.... The goofy Carrier Airwing shmup was the spiritual successor to Area 88, but it certainly wasn't as cool.
Undamned is the leading English-speaking expert on the consolized UD-CPS2 because he's the one who made it.
User avatar
zimeon
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2005 2:32 pm
Location: Sweden

Post by zimeon »

They actually did one Area88 book. But only one.

About the OVA, a friend of mine completely despised it because "the planes don't move like they should". Hm. He wasn't impressed by the TV series either.

I could actualyl do with a new Area88 game. But I'd like it to be more of a 3D mission based action simulator sort, instead of a 2D shmup. But maybe that's just me.
Enthusiasm without skill
User avatar
greg
Posts: 1851
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:10 am
Location: Gunma-ken, Japan
Contact:

Post by greg »

zimeon wrote:About the OVA, a friend of mine completely despised it because "the planes don't move like they should". Hm. He wasn't impressed by the TV series either.
That's true, but you can basically say something similar any time you see an anime character use a gun. It's obvious that most animators in Japan haven't had the opportunity to fire a gun, and it shows. Then again, American action movies are to blame as well for that, since they rarely show firearms used properly. Seeing people fly backwards when shot is a silly Hollywood stereotype, just like how cars that fall off of cliffs or get into bad accidents mysteriously burst into flames.
Undamned is the leading English-speaking expert on the consolized UD-CPS2 because he's the one who made it.
Post Reply