Shin Akai Katana Confirmed for North America

[iconoclast]

I hope RSG decided to run a score contest in NA when SAK is released. That would be awesome.

Yes. The game is criminally underplayed right now, I think it would be a good way to motivate people.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

That's great news to hear of SAK finally coming stateside...in proper English this time around for the in-game menus & instruction manual.

Yeah, that'd be interesting to see if RSG will release the LE PCB version of SAK for the USA in addition to the regular SAK plain-vanilla version, that'd be one for the ages. The JPN 360 LE PCB ver. of SAK came with some cool swag indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[TrevHead (TVR)]

I hope RSG decided to run a score contest in NA when SAK is released. That would be awesome.

I would be cool if they did a similar thing as the DS score contest. I had no intrest in playing DS for score but AK will probably be different (i wont know until i play it)

BTW What was in the Japanese original in regards to gameplay modes and DLC? Was shin on disk or DLC?

[AntiFritz]

I hope RSG decided to run a score contest in NA when SAK is released. That would be awesome.

I would be cool if they did a similar thing as the DS score contest. I had no intrest in playing DS for score but AK will probably be different (i wont know until i play it)

BTW What was in the Japanese original in regards to gameplay modes and DLC? Was shin on disk or DLC?

On disc. I don't think they would release the game has "akai katana shin" and then have shin mode as dlc.

[Casper<3]

I hope RSG decided to run a score contest in NA when SAK is released. That would be awesome.

I would be cool if they did a similar thing as the DS score contest. I had no intrest in playing DS for score but AK will probably be different (i wont know until i play it)

BTW What was in the Japanese original in regards to gameplay modes and DLC? Was shin on disk or DLC?

Shin Mode, Arcade Mode, Zetsu Mode. (Arcade and Shin have Novice modes but Zetsu doesn't)

DLC was "full voice" aka utterly worthless.

Shin mode IMO has the best scoring system and an added stage.

[k*d]

i give this news two thumbs up

[Thjodbjorn]

Shin mode IMO has the best scoring system and an added stage.

Doesn't Zetsu also have that additional stage?

[Chaos Phoenixma]

Zetsu also has it. I do not know if Zetsu also has the TLB for no missing like Shin does.

Zetsu sounds like it'll be the best mode, but I'll have to play them all to see.

[mesh control]

Which mode plays like a cheap Giga Wing knock off?

[Chaos Phoenixma]

Arcade/Zetsu.

[Iaks]

I am in the U.S. and have had one Japanese 360 for years now. I haven't been region locked out of hardly anything with a J360.... have had zero reason to want a USA model. There may have been 3 or 4 titles but even then I just had to order the asian english version that wound up being cheaper than paying the U.S. plus tax.

Totally agree with this. Of course, it's great that the game will finally be officially available in the US, but what's the point to pay more for it...

[tommyb]

This is amazing news, never thought I'd get to play it.

I wonder what the price point will be upon release? I can't see them charging $60 for it, they should know the American market better than that.

Fingers crossed for DaiOuJou to make it here...someday.

[Estebang]

It'll probably be $40, which was the equivalent DFK PAL went for at release, I think.

Though, keep in mind they could easily bypass a retail release and go straight to GoD in the US.

[mdsfx]

Though, keep in mind they could easily bypass a retail release and go straight to GoD in the US.

RSG confirmed a boxed disc release on twitter

[StarCreator]

I hope RSG decided to run a score contest in NA when SAK is released. That would be awesome.

That's great news to hear of SAK finally coming stateside...in proper English this time around for the in-game menus & instruction manual.

Holy crap dudes it's Akai Katana Shin, not Shin Akai Katana

[mdsfx]

Holy crap dudes it's Akai Katana Shin, not Shin Akai Katana

This has had me confused as well, but i just figured there was something I didn't know about the title

[Estebang]

Curious how the US retail distribution of AK will turn out. Hopefully it'll be better than DFK PAL's.

Though, a lot of upcoming niche games here are going to be Amazon exclusives at launch (Phantom Breaker, Grand Knights History), so it might be months before we see it in Gamestops.

[BulletMagnet]

Though, a lot of upcoming niche games here are going to be Amazon exclusives at launch (Phantom Breaker, Grand Knights History), so it might be months before we see it in Gamestops.

Hm, those first two are going to be Amazon exclusive at the start? I hadn't heard...

[Illyrian]

I personally think they're mad to call it Akai Katana instead of Crimson Katana.

If a shmup newbie looks at a shelf and sees a game called "Crimson (like fire, fire is cool! fire burns stuff! yay fire!) Katana (Katana is the one japanese word I know! Yay, swords!") with the chick from the game aiming her sword out of the box, people are more likely to buy it than if they see Akai Katana, in which case I reckon lots of people will just think it looks like some incomprehensible JRPG or something.

[BPzeBanshee]

I personally think they're mad to call it Akai Katana instead of Crimson Katana.

If a shmup newbie looks at a shelf and sees a game called "Crimson (like fire, fire is cool! fire burns stuff! yay fire!) Katana (Katana is the one japanese word I know! Yay, swords!") with the chick from the game aiming her sword out of the box, people are more likely to buy it than if they see Akai Katana, in which case I reckon lots of people will just think it looks like some incomprehensible JRPG or something.

I can definitely see that happening to be honest.

Makes me wonder if maybe it might get more sales by tricking people though - MMOs get more sales than shmups. Wouldn't be good for long-term reputation however, but then neither is *not distributing to multiple countries* and that hasn't stopped Rising Star Games from success. /mrcynical

[Obiwanshinobi]

No need to trick anybody into anything. Just make the cover art good if you want your game to stand out on the shelves in a good way. Say, Ōkami (the PS2 original) was impossible to overlook (certainly took me by surprise).

[Illyrian]

Okami barely sold any copies and was a major factor in Clover Studios closing down, despite being one of the best video games of all time.

[MR_Soren]

I personally think they're mad to call it Akai Katana instead of Crimson Katana.

I agree. Use a name people can pronounce and relate to.

[Deca]

I don't care where I have to buy from or what it's called, I just want to know as soon as it's available for preorder :p

[Jon]

Awesome news. I have the import and will happily shell out the domestic release.

[tommyb]

I don't care where I have to buy from or what it's called, I just want to know as soon as it's available for preorder :p

This

[MR_Soren]

I don't care where I have to buy from or what it's called, I just want to know as soon as it's available for preorder :p

This

Missing the point. Obviously we'll all buy the game whatever it is called, but RSG needs to sell this game beyond just dedicated shoot-em-up / Cave fans.


Imagine me posting on Facebook and Twitter: "Now playing: New Cave Shmup, Akai Katana"

Seriously, every single person I know would glaze right over that.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Eurogamer has fantastic reviews, tbh. I live in America, and that's where I check for reviews. Their news and previews are spotty, but their reviews are well-written and I very often agree with their scores.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_contrass_ps2

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_shinobi_ps2

While the first one is kinda fair (except for the charged weapons misinformation) if whiny, the second one is no less abominable than the IGN God Hand review. Both are nearly decade old, sure, but you can still find them up there.

[dunpeal2064]

Quick question. Do the Shin and Zetsu modes only work in 16:9?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I tried to see if I could find a 4:3 mode but alas, no such mode is available with the JPN 360 version of AKS. So it'll display in 16:9 mode on a 4:3 aspect ratio RGB monitor setup with the obligatory top & bottom black bars as usual.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~