PS2's Mana Khemia to North America (Gust + NISA again)

[May16]

NISA is bringing another Gust RPG over, Mana Khemia: Alchemists Al Revis

NIS America, a publisher known for bringing numerous Gust-developed titles (Atelier series, Ar Tonelico), is bringing North America another for PlayStation 2 on March 18, 2008. Mana Khemia: ~Alchemists Al Revis~ is an Atlelier Iris RPG with more of a simulation focus than previous entries and “Academic Quests” which function like homework — that is to say, failure might result in staying after school.

Bunch of screens and art: http://www.rpgland.com/content/?p=2773

Other features within this new game include many various crafting and alchemy aspects, catering mostly to fans of the other Atelier Iris games.

My take: meh, more Gust stuff. I'll pass.
I'm Gusted out for like...years.

But it is good to see the PS2 still getting some support.

 

[Chromax]

Preorder +1! Loved the Atelier Iris games, didn't play Ar Tonelico yet...

 

[OatmealMu]

Eh, was hoping the game would be somewhat off key.

 

[Labombadog]

I for one am glad that they are still bringing quirky RPG's to the states. This looks a lot like Atelier Iris, which is a good thing.

Good post.

 

[Mejilan]

Great soundtracks. Shitty games.

 

[Chromax]

I hope we're getting Ar Tonlelico 2 still...

 

[I3rand0]

Awesome, now wheres Ar Tonelico 2?

 

[tehbear]

Well I waited for a year... guess I have to turn my PS2 back on... gah.

 

[Emotions]

Ar Tonelico 2 probably will soon follow.

 

[Hours Left]

I just made a noise a human shouldn't be able to make. Needless to say I'm happy.

Hopefully Ar tonelico II follows suit.

 

[May16]

Hopefully Ar tonelico II follows suit.

I hope this too.
I said I'm "Gusted out" last post, but really, Ar Tonelico was pretty cool. I could do some more Tonelico a few months from now.
(But Atelier can wait a while ^^)

 

[Lost Fragment]

I thought Tonelico II as already more or less confirmed. Guess I was thinking of something else.

 

[Vargas]

I wonder if I ever will stop buying PS2 games at this rate.

 

[zoku88]

I like the character design for this. Looks cute.

 

[Greatness Gone]

I hate the character art.

Anyway, are the Ar Tonelico games even good?

 

[djtiesto]

Awesome. Artwork reminds me of TOTA quite a bit. More 2D RPGs are always good but I've only played the first Atelier game. Which wasn't that bad, if not a bit lacking.

 

[FateBreaker]

Anyway, are the Ar Tonelico games even good?

The first was surprisingly good, yes.

 

[Abel]

Awesome I was hoping they would localize this

Hopefully Ar Tonelico 2 isn't too far off

 

[Schopenhauer]

I am much more interested in seeing Ar Tonelico 2 getting localized, but I may pick this up just to show my support for ps2 rpg's.

 

[Shouta]

I hate the character art.

Anyway, are the Ar Tonelico games even good?

They're not bad. Decent gameplay systems and decent length. They're better then the Atelier Iris games as a whole but that's not saying much. I just started playing number Ar Tonelico II and it's showing some improvement over the original, I guess.

 

[Desiderus]

The ingame characters stills look much worst compared to the nice character art. Why not just use the same pics for both?

 

[Scalpel Knight]

I'm pretty tired of games developed by Gust and all I've played by them is Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana. Go figure. All their games look pretty same-y to me, much like Nippon Ichi's. I love the music in that game though.

 

[Lost Fragment]

Some dude came and posted on our forums and was like "why should I believe this after you were involved in the Star Ocean/Ys hoax?"

I don't see how this person confused us with RPGFan, but yeah, that was RPGFan, not us. I know Chibi Cloud lends a lot to our credibility and all, but we don't fabricate stuff.

So I just wanted to throw that out there in case anyone else got us mixed up with the RPGFan debacle from a few days ago.

 

[ethelred]

Some dude came and posted on our forums and was like "why should I believe this after you were involved in the Star Ocean/Ys hoax?"

I don't see how this person confused us with RPGFan, but yeah, that was RPGFan, not us. I know Chibi Cloud lends a lot to our credibility and all, but we don't fabricate stuff.

So I just wanted to throw that out there in case anyone else got us mixed up with the RPGFan debacle from a few days ago.

Okay, but why should anyone believe you after you said that Miyamoto was killed?

 

[Lost Fragment]

Okay, but why should anyone believe you after you said that Miyamoto was killed?

That was your fault over there, was it?

 

[NolbertoS]

Can't wait..Day 1 purchase for me....and good luck for any person trying to find Ar Tonelico..that's like trying to find a Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne game for a reasonable price.

 

[ChaoticBlue]

what's sup with these shitty 2D jap sprite cutesy games? can we get some innovation here?

of course i'd be buying it to add to my collection.

 

[Mr_Furious]

what's sup with these shitty 2D jap sprite cutesy games? can we get some innovation here?

of course i'd be buying it to add to my collection.

So even though this "shitty" game is not made for you, you are still going to buy it just to add to your collection? WTF?

 

[Lost Fragment]

N1 could stand to shake things up a bit in the character sprites department at least. Like all the sprites from all their games look exactly the same.

 

[Wilsongt]

Purchase + 1 on Day 1. Ar Tonelico 2, please.

 

[radios shipping overview]

So are NISA finally inching back toward the style of the original Atelier games (i.e., not Iris)? The real hook of these games is the alchemy, and it'd be nice to see one in the US that didn't have the alchemy and simulation aspects gimped in favor of mediocre RPG elements.

what's sup with these shitty 2D jap sprite cutesy games? can we get some innovation here?

of course i'd be buying it to add to my collection.

This is a Gust thread. Why did you even click it?

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

Looks like NIS has a good relation with Gust. Bodes well for Ar Tonelico.

I wonder if they will try with Atelier Lise (DS). I definitely think they should...could provide a good profit if marketed properly.

 

[atomsk]

happy to see lots of demand in this thread for AT2

i am also waiting patiently for that announcement

 

[Link1110]

There were 2 Gust RPGs in my Top 10 games of 2007. Looking forward to this and Ar Tonelico 2.

 

[Lain]

N1 could stand to shake things up a bit in the character sprites department at least. Like all the sprites from all their games look exactly the same.

N1? What does N1 have to do with the sprites in a Gust game?

 

[Link1110]

N1 could stand to shake things up a bit in the character sprites department at least. Like all the sprites from all their games look exactly the same.

The respective developers of Mana Kehmia and Disgaea have as much in common as the respective developers of Lunar and Magic Knight Rayearth.

 

[Hcoregamer00]

Like everyone else, I want an Ar Tonelico 2 to come out.

 

[Durante]

I'm very happy with this and will buy as soon as possible. GAF's groupthink nonwithstanding GUST's games - especially the more recent ones like Atelier Iris 3 and Ar Tonelico - are among the most enjoyable JRPGs on PS2.

Preorder +1! Loved the Atelier Iris games, didn't play Ar Tonelico yet...

You really should. AT > AI.

Hopefully Ar tonelico II follows suit.

Agreed. Like everyone else. In fact I made the first request for it on "Pram's wishlist" (knowing full well that it's not for localization requests) a few hours after it was announced in Japan. It reached over 2000 votes before it was deleted :lol

 

[May16]

Standalone game box art:

Limited Box Set box art:

New trailer (.mov)
60something screens

 

[schild]

$300 canvas print and very limited (to 1,000) version up at Rosenqueen.

 

[Danj]

Cute girls. Shame about the low res sprites. Even Disgaea 3 has shitty low res sprites, when will sprite based games ever get into the HD era?

 

[Durante]

Items Included:
# Mana Khemia™: Alchemists of Al-Revis
# Soundtrack (comes with mini poster)
# Bundle Set Box
# Exclusive Study Hall Jess Figure (1/8 Scale PVC and ABS plastic alloy)
# Special Collector's Box

For $50? Sold.

 

[BobJustBob]

More alchemy, less fighting plz.

 

[Durante]

More alchemy, less fighting plz.

If the fighting is as streamlined and interesting as AI3 and AT I have no problems. Those were both good battle systems, too bad that most battles were so easy that you didn't have to fully use them.

 

[the_id]

NISA...

 

[radios shipping overview]

If the fighting is as streamlined and interesting as AI3 and AT I have no problems. Those were both good battle systems, too bad that most battles were so easy that you didn't have to fully use them.

more alchemy, less pointless fighting plz

 

[B.K.]

In the standard set, you get everything except that figure for $40.

 

[FateBreaker]

I don't know about this one. Atelier Iris was decently good. Atelier Iris 2 was average. Atelier Iris 3 was terrible. On the other hand, Ar Tonelico was great.

Hmmmm.

 

[Community Forum]

Can I play this without ever playing any of the Atelier Iris games? I mean, do I need to know what is going on? I would think I would be okay, since Atelier Iris isn't even the title of the game.

 

[AtomskEater]

How long has that Ruca figure been in the Rosenqueen shop? Does that seem like a good hint that they'll localize AT2?

In the standard set, you get everything except that figure for $40.

Guess I'll just get the standard set. Not much of a figure collector.