The Last Story is out?

[Vyk]

This game was released a month and a half ago, and nobody was on top of it??

Just on a random quirk I realized I hadn't heard anything about it and decided to look it up again. Released January 27th in Japan, to fairly favorable reviews according to wikipedia (which is also extremely lacking on the information)

The game received a score of 38/40 in Famitsu magazine, with two critics giving the game 10/10 and two giving the game 9/10.

I don't ride the Japanese gaming circuit so I know little else. Anyone have any further information regarding specifics and critiques the Japanese gave? Is it reasonable to start looking for review information from importers? (I'm guessing probably so)

[Wolf Kanno]

I've heard mostly good things about the game and the video demos for the game have been promising. I have been keeping my ear out for a western release but so far Nintendo has decided they don't want my money.

[Vyk]

Wait wha? They're not even openly planning on bringing it over yet? That's pretty ridiculous. How many good RPGs are there on the Wii? This seems like a no-brainer decision. It might even convince me to buy a Wii

Edit: Upon further investigation, I found this -

"With all the conversions, when we do it in Europe we've got to do the whole of Europe," Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton told Eurogamer. "So it's multiple languages. It has to be viable.

"We've got so much on our plate at the moment. The most important one is in the first quarter this year. Kirby's Epic Yarn is the most important title. We've got some great product coming out.

"On top of that, when we add in 3DS, it's just so much."

Nintendo disappointed many European and North American Wii owners when it revealed it's decision to keep The Last Story Japan exclusive

So it's all Kirby's fault

[nirojan]

No plans currently for a US release is what I heard last. Also important to note is that sales for TLS tapered off really quickly so they might not see it as a viable option to release it outside Japan. The Wii isn't really the best sytem for RPG's and most 3rd party publishers hate it, cause it's impossible to make good sales on the software (only Nintendo games really break through).

[Vyk]

Nintendo's had that third-party problem since the Super Nintendo. Maybe Atlus or someone will pick it up... Damn

[Wolf Kanno]

Third party support would work if third parties got off their asses and actually tried to utilize the technology instead of just creating crappy knock-offs of Nintendo's games, that or just stick to their guns and make normal games and ignore the motion controls, maybe actually try to one up the system makers. Course it's too late now, even if the Wii started to get some great third party support, the "hardcore" gamers would still call it a kiddy system and deny the quality profusely, Nintendo has spent too much of the consoles lifespan making party games, and alienating traditional gamers.

On topic, Nintendo will have to publish it cause they also helped Mistwalker make the game, I can't really imagine they would let someone else publish it, it's also why there is no chance it will get a port. Personally, I feel they should publish it outside of Japan cause it just seems to me like Japan is no longer the consistent revenue they used to be unless its Pokemon or DQ. They might as well release it and get some extra money. Hell, all they really need to do is translate it, I don't think most of the people actually looking forward to the game would mind the dialogue being purely Japanese, that right there would cut down on hiring VA, and studio work, making an extra percentage of any profits in the West, go straight to their wallets.

Edit: It's close to 150,000 untis sold which is pretty good considering Metroid Other M hasn't even sold that many units in Japan yet. Hell, even Demon's Souls was only 2/3rds of the way to that number by this point and most of that games major success is from U.S./PAL region support. Nintendo and Mistwalker would have to be crazy not to release it here, but then again its not like both companies have always made wise decisions...

[Vyk]

Sadly that's true. But I've never known Nintendo to not want to expand something that's good for them. That's just weird. I mean if they shot Metroid out, this seems like a pretty easy decision. And you're right, they don't have to voice it over. Probably close to half the RPG crowd are anime nuts who play games in Japanese when given the option anyway. And I'd be willing to be a good portion of the left overs wouldn't care one way or the other, since you'd still get to read it, and that's what most RPGs are about in dialog anyway. So they really wouldn't be alienating a lot of RPG fans by going that route

[DMKA]

Those anime-esque character designs make me want to puke.

Aside of that the game looks like it has potential.

[Jiro]

I'm disappointed they're keeping it Japan only. I was interested at the first glance however long ago. Too bad, I guess.

[Yeargdribble]

Sadly that's true. But I've never known Nintendo to not want to expand something that's good for them. That's just weird.

I guess you've never heard of a little game called Mother 3 and the legions of fans that begged, in quite a literal sense, to have it ported over.

[ljkkjlcm9]

Sadly that's true. But I've never known Nintendo to not want to expand something that's good for them. That's just weird.

I guess you've never heard of a little game called Mother 3 and the legions of fans that begged, in quite a literal sense, to have it ported over.

Or a large number of fire emblem games, or professor layton.

Yeah nintendo can be annoying sometimes

THE JACKEL

[Vyk]

Touché

They ever translate a rom for Mother 3? I know a lot of groups have actually started working on Playstation games (so I was finally able to play Policenauts in english), so the games we're denied are no longer exclusive to pre-32-bit games (there's also a couple of groups taking on the monumental challenge of translating Sega Saturn games too)

[Yeargdribble]

Yeah, there is a fan translation. Mother 3 is an example of why I'm willing to pirate some games. I'm actually agitated at the people who felt that they should be good and import a copy before playing the translation. But they were just rewarding the publisher for NOT putting it out over here.

[Depression Moon]

Why Nintendo? Why?

[Vyk]

Just finally got an N64 emulator for my PSP. Too bad neither of the 2 working emulators can really efficiently play N64 games yet. But I should get an actual N64 emulator and find this translated Mother 3 rom

Maybe in a few years they'll have a Wii emulator and get the last story out for us. Considering I know they've hacked the Wiimote to be playable on PCs long ago, it could work out. Lots of effort though, hacking game code..