Solatorobo: Red the Hunter announced for North America and Europe

[Vlcice]

Finally - Solatorobo has been announced for Europe under the title Solatorobo: Red the Hunter. :D :D :D It's being planned for some time this year, with Nintendo in charge of marketing and distribution. No announced North American release, so it's probably not happening.

Source: http://www.jeuxpo.com/afficher_news-26251-solarobo_annonce_en_europe.html

[Aussie2B]

So it's been officially confirmed by Nintendo? I had heard about the PEGI rating and the trademark of "Red the Hunter", but I wasn't going to count my chickens before they hatched until a company flat-out announced they were localizing it.

But that's great news. :) I know I'll be importing since I'd absolutely like to play in English. Oh, speaking of that, has the European localization definitely been confirmed for containing an English option? I know when Tail Concerto came out in Europe, it was only in French.

Here's to hoping it'll be a great localization that gives it all the respect it deserves, and I hope it encourages more people, including Americans, to give it a try. It truly is one of the best games in the DS library, and experiencing it is like playing one of the best PS1 games you've never tried, if that makes any sense.

[SEGA_Queen]

Whoo Hoo! Finally there's an official confirmation regarding the EU release! I'm not sure if I'm going buy a copy though. However, if the EU gets some cool special edition of the game, then I might go for it. In the end, all I really want is a script translation, and then I'll be happy.

[kupomogli]

I'll buy it if it's in English and doesn't get a US release.

[Vlcice]

But that's great news. :) I know I'll be importing since I'd absolutely like to play in English. Oh, speaking of that, has the European localization definitely been confirmed for containing an English option? I know when Tail Concerto came out in Europe, it was only in French.

Not 100% confirmed, but the announcement is on Nintendo UK's site so probably: http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/2011/nintendo_signs_distribution_deal_with_namco_bandai _games_for_solatorobo_red_the_hunter_in_europe_326 57.html

Edit: I missed that they mention English-speaking countries like Australia. Definitely going to include English then.

Tail Concerto was a special case because it was localized by Bandai's French division acting autonomously - I'd assume after their other divisions passed on the game. Judging by how it was done (subtitled, possibly without access to source materials) I'd guess it was something of a skunkworks localization.

[Vlcice]

Update already. :D Release date has now been announced for July 1st. Now I just need to find a French game store that will ship to Canada...

Sources:
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/26035
http://www.jeuxpo.com/afficher_news-26274-solatorobo_le_1er_juillet_en_f.html

[joshnickerson]

Sweet, I've heard a lot of good things about this one. Unless Ninty surprises us at e3 this year, I'm gonna try to import the Europe version.

[wingzrow]

I wonder if it's getting a special edition like japan.

[SEGA_Queen]

Update already. :D Release date has now been announced for July 1st. Now I just need to find a French game store that will ship to Canada...

Interesting! Not only are we both Solatorobo fans, were both Canadians too!

Anyway, I'm curious why you want to order from a French retailer. Wouldn't it be easier to order it from Play-Asia or NCSX instead? Last time I checked, they both sold EU games and ship to Canada.

But hey, if you find an alternate retailer to get the game from, let me know.

[Aussie2B]

I wonder if it's getting a special edition like japan.

Extremely unlikely, I'd say. Even if it did come with some kind of bonus item, I don't think it would be on par with the items that come with Japan's limited edition.

Although, had you asked me prior to the announcement of the limited edition in Japan, I would've said that it'd be very unlikely for Solatorobo to get one, given Tail Concerto's relatively low sales and its small cult fan base. I honestly don't know why it got one, other than CyberConnect2's own love and passion for the project, but I'm not complaining. :)

[Vlcice]

Interesting! Not only are we both Solatorobo fans, were both Canadians too!

Anyway, I'm curious why you want to order from a French retailer. Wouldn't it be easier to order it from Play-Asia or NCSX instead? Last time I checked, they both sold EU games and ship to Canada.

But hey, if you find an alternate retailer to get the game from, let me know.

Just from a collectors' POV, I guess. ;) It would feel right to me having the French version of the game, since I played Tail Concerto in French and Solatorobo is filled with so much in-world French. If it's too expensive I'll probably give up on the idea though.

It might give me a decent chance to finally get the Orange Road novels in French if I find a store that also carries books, now I think of it.

Didn't know you were Canadian! Funny coincidence.

[SEGA_Queen]

Just from a collectors' POV, I guess. ;) It would feel right to me having the French version of the game, since I played Tail Concerto in French and Solatorobo is filled with so much in-world French. If it's too expensive I'll probably give up on the idea though.

Ah, so you're bilingual? That's cool!

I still remember having to learn French in high school, back when I still lived in Ontario. Of course that was years ago, so I've forgotten everything.

[SEGA_Queen]

The first English screenshots are online! Click on the link below to check them out:

http://www.nintendo-master.com/xtnews/news-26690_avalanche_dimages_sur_solatorobo__red_t-%20he_hunter.htm

[SEGA_Queen]

The official website is up:

http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/nds/solatorobo_red_the_hunter_33023.html

Also, here's a better quality version of the first trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwtIHNzdXqs&feature=related

[Aussie2B]

Heh, that British narration is pretty awkward. I think the trailer would be better without the lines being read out loud. I really hope this isn't an indication that the game will have English dubbing. It's not like there would be much to dub anyway, but I hope it stays in French. I wonder what actual French people will think of the Japanese butchering their language, though, haha.

Otherwise, everything is looking great. :) Seems very faithful. I've been getting used to games that I care about getting completely awful localizations, so this is refreshing for me.

[joshnickerson]

Well, I had my fingers crossed for a surprise E3 announcement of a release stateside, but looks like we won't be getting it. Anybody know of a good reputable importer of European games?

[Vlcice]

Alas, so it seems. :( A friend of mine seems convinced that Nintendo's waiting to see how it does in Europe, but I'm p. sure that's not how they roll.

http://www.game.co.uk will deliver to North America for £4.95. Not sure if there are other sellers that might be better. They have the game on preorder for £24.99, which is USD$40. Euro games are pricey. (But Solatorobo is worth it.)

[joshnickerson]

I can almost guarantee, the moment I get the import in my hands and into my DS, Nintendo will announce a stateside release, just to piss me off. ;)

EDIT: Gyaah, with shipping it's almost fifty bucks. Stupid weak dollar. I may have to hold off for a while...

Just an observation, have you noticed that Europe seems to be getting a lot of exclusives that are passed over for U.S. release? Is this some sort of karma revenge for Europe getting the shaft in previous generations?

[SEGA_Queen]

Gyaah, with shipping it's almost fifty bucks. Stupid weak dollar. I may have to hold off for a while...

Tell me about it. The price is just as bad in Canadian dollars. If I had the money, I'd gladly double-dip on this game.

Hopefully, someone will transcribe the english script and put it online.

[kupomogli]

Coming to the US now.

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/06/16/solatorobo-red-the-hunter-soaring-to-north-america/

[joshnickerson]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

[SEGA_Queen]

This is awesome news! Now I might be able to afford the english version!

I went browsing online for more info, and found an something very interesting on the Xseed Games forum:

http://xseedgames.com/forums/showthread.php?128-Solatorobo-And-Then-To-CODA&p=7836&viewfull=1#post7836

Basically, someone posted a quote from Corbie Dillard from NintendoLife. Dillard had posted this on his E3 coverage webpage: "Also set up an appointment to see Solatarobo tomorrow. Supposed to be a really cool action RPG coming from XSEED."

Now, if Xseed is indeed the publisher, this would increase the chance of getting a special edition brought out here. Hey, they did it for all of their PSP releases. So why not for the DS as well?

[Aussie2B]

Great news. :) Would love to know the publisher, though. I see some people are suggesting Xseed. Does that mean that the US version will have a different script from the European version, which is being localized by Nintendo?

[Mayhem]

Yeah, I was just gonna report the same, apparently it was mentioned at E3. As Corbie noted.

[Vlcice]

Very, very good news. :D That saves importing, even if it takes a little longer to get here. (Though that probably means no French ;.; )

[SEGA_Queen]

A new trailer with actual gameplay footage is out. Unfortunately, the english version hasn't been uploaded yet.

Here's the link to the French version instead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Uoihxn4_c

[Vlcice]

Also, in further Solatorobo news, Solatorobo.com is apparently registered to:


Registrant:
XSEED JKS, Inc.
21515 Hawthorne Blvd.

Suite 1020
Torrance, CA 90503
US

Domain name: SOLATOROBO.COM

And was registered on May 31. It was pretty much confirmed before, but nice to be extra-confirmed. :D :D

Edit: I noticed in that trailer that they were using the Japanese voices, whereas an English preview I saw from E3 mentioned dubbed voices. Interesting.

[Aussie2B]

I'd think that Xseed would have more sense than to dub the voices, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If they did want to dub them, then they should get native French speakers to record the same lines so as to correct the mispronunciations by the Japanese actors. That would be the only course of action (besides leaving them as-is) that wouldn't be dumb and wrong.

[Kid Fenris]

Edit: I noticed in that trailer that they were using the Japanese voices, whereas an English preview I saw from E3 mentioned dubbed voices. Interesting.

Do you have a link to that preview? Every report I've seen about Solatorobo's E3 appearance is vague, suggesting that Xseed wants to keep it quiet for the time being. Perhaps they haven't finalized the license.

[Vlcice]

Sorry, I misremembered. It's actually from Nintendo's MCM expo, which is a Euro show: http://mcm.gamespot.com/story/6316123/solatorobo-red-the-hunter-hands-on-preview

I did see one site explicitly mention seeing it at Xseed's booth, but they yanked it later. It definitely implies Xseed isn't ready to get the news out yet. (Though if they weren't ready, they probably shouldn't have registered the domain to their company. ;))

[SEGA_Queen]

The game's been officially announced by Xseed:

Press Release:

http://xseedgames.com/news.php?id=126

Announcement Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9smXv1HjjA

Oh, and amazon.com already has it up for preorder:

http://www.amazon.com/Solatorobo-Red-Hunter-Nintendo-DS/dp/B0057VWTS8/ref=sr_1_4?
ie=UTF8&qid=1308947903&sr=8-4


EDIT: I just found some english gameplay footage!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nQTfYw3c1g&feature=player_embedded#at=223

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JFm7Ug9zgk&feature=player_embedded

[Aussie2B]

Great. :) Too bad it's priced at $34.99 instead of $29.99, but, hey, it's still better than what I'd pay to import the European version.

I'm a little disappointed with how Xseed is marketing it, though. It's as if they're suggesting that the only things praiseworthy about Tail Concerto and Solatorobo is that they have anime art and furry characters when there's so much more to the games. These are great platformer/adventure games that can appeal to anyone (if you're not deathly afraid of something cute, at least). It is a lovely world with charming characters and wonderful art, but if the games weren't just plain fun to play, to run and hop around in your mech and grab everything and chuck it around, nobody would care about them.

[SEGA_Queen]

Ooh, I just found some english gameplay footage!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nQTfYw3c1g&feature=player_embedded#at=223

The only thing that would make the US release even better, is if Xseed announces a collector's edition. (I want an english artbook!)

[Aussie2B]

Yay, the French voice snippets are still in there. :D Good move, Xseed.

[Vlcice]

Good news :D And I'm really glad to hear those Flench voices are still in there. Now I just need to bug Xseed about getting a French text option.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Yay, the French voice snippets are still in there. :D Good move, Xseed.

... French voice snippets?

[Aussie2B]

The game doesn't have full-fledged voice acting, but there are little snippets of voice as greetings and exclamations. Rather than to be understood, they're aimed to heighten the atmosphere of the world because the area in which Solatorobo is based is inspired by France. I was worried that the localizers would miss the point of them altogether and dub them in English, but thankfully they get it and left them as is.

[Vlcice]

Speaking of French: http://xseedgames.com/forums/showthread.php?606-French-text&p=8860&viewfull=1#post8860

I begged Xseed to keep the French text, and the response is that they will try to keep all the languages from the Euro release in the game. They'll only leave them out if there's a reason they can't. Awesome! :D

[Aussie2B]

Wyrdwad is working for Xseed now? That's interesting. If I remember correctly, I think I was talking about Solatorobo with him back around when it first came out in Japan. I wouldn't be surprised if Xseed picking up Solatorobo was influenced by him to some extent. Very cool.

And I guess this is confirmation that they'll be using Nintendo's European localization? Although I'm sure they'd make some minor changes, if only to change it from British English to American English.

[Vlcice]

Yes, he confirmed that they're using NoE's script(s) here: http://xseedgames.com/forums/showthread.php?605-Furballs and here: http://xseedgames.com/forums/showthread.php?602&p=8846&viewfull=1#post8846. He said that when they get scripts from external partners, they review them for their own quality standards and may make edits - but the quality of the Solatorobo translation is high enough he doesn't really expect they'll need to do much, if anything.

[SEGA_Queen]

Speaking of NOE, they've updated their official Solatorobo site:

http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/nds/solatorobo_red_the_hunter_33023.html

You can get some nice wallpapers from there. I've currently got the WP with Red & Elh drawn in watercolor as my desktop.

[Aussie2B]

Cool, thanks for bringing it to our attention. :) I like the secret wallpaper for collecting the pieces of DAHAK best, but it is a little busy. I think my favorite Solatorobo wallpaper is still the one from the Japanese site as a reward for participating in their poll. I like the abstract versions of the characters and the green background that kept it from being too busy on the left where my icons are. I've been using that for a long time, though, so it's nice to change it up. It's too bad that's the only official wallpaper that the Japanese site had.

I like how Nintendo of Europe is advertising the game. XSEED seems like they're fixating on the furry and/or weeaboo niche, but NoE seems to be taking a broad approach. Like how one of the wallpapers doesn't even have any of the anthro characters, just airships. It's too bad that they don't have some wallpapers of the island scenery too. The landscapes in Solatorobo are so lovely. I like how NoE is focusing on the gameplay a lot too, and they're giving credit to all of the acclaimed artists behind the game, rather than focusing solely on the character design. I really appreciate how they're looking at the full package and doing the game justice.

[Nz17]

Earnestly, with the price of $35 USD, I figured it just slightly more expensive to buy the import from Game.co.uk for 25 GBP and get the game three months "early." With the Parcel & Post, it was 30 GBP to ship to America, which is something like $48 USD.

The U.S. release is going to cost $35 even at Amazon and won't be out until the end of September. With shipping it'll be $40, or with tax in my state it'll be $37.36. In other words, for $8-$10 more, I'll have the game at the beginning of July even with its shipping time rather than waiting for a version than will only have English as an option ninety days later... not that I *need* the other languages, but I get the feeling that not only will it be nice to have the option of choosing from around five languages (including French ;)), but that Nintendo will have a fancier colour manual than XSEED will.

[Bojay1997]

Earnestly, with the price of $35 USD, I figured it just slightly more expensive to buy the import from Game.co.uk for 25 GBP and get the game three months "early." With the Parcel & Post, it was 30 GBP to ship to America, which is something like $48 USD.

The U.S. release is going to cost $35 even at Amazon and won't be out until the end of September. With shipping it'll be $40, or with tax in my state it'll be $37.36. In other words, for $8-$10 more, I'll have the game at the beginning of July even with its shipping time rather than waiting for a version than will only have English as an option ninety days later... not that I *need* the other languages, but I get the feeling that not only will it be nice to have the option of choosing from around five languages (including French ;)), but that Nintendo will have a fancier colour manual than XSEED will.

To me, this is one of those situations where it's worth it to wait, even if it's the same price. XSEED really went out on a limb here and every sale counts and could actually impact on future US releases of obscure titles. I have no interest in supporting Nintendo of Europe.

[SEGA_Queen]

To me, this is one of those situations where it's worth it to wait, even if it's the same price. XSEED really went out on a limb here and every sale counts and could actually impact on future US releases of obscure titles. I have no interest in supporting Nintendo of Europe.

This is exactly how I feel. Besides, unlike NOE, Xseed is more likely to release a collector's edition.

[joshnickerson]

To me, this is one of those situations where it's worth it to wait, even if it's the same price. XSEED really went out on a limb here and every sale counts and could actually impact on future US releases of obscure titles. I have no interest in supporting Nintendo of Europe.

Yeah, I mean, what's the point of hoping for a domestic release, and when you finally get it, you decide just to import the game anyway.

[Vlcice]

Yeah, I mean, what's the point of hoping for a domestic release, and when you finally get it, you decide just to import the game anyway.

I'm in agreement too. I'm glad Xseed is doing this.

Also, re: the languages - I begged Xseed to keep the other languages from the Euro version, and was told that they'll try to. It's possible they may have to leave them out for reasons beyond their control, but the guy seemed earnest about working to keep them in.

[Press_Start]

The only gray cloud here is the fact Atlus weren't the ones to bring it overseas seeing as they brought its spiritual predecessor (and did a fine job I add), Tail Concerto to PS1 a decade ago.

But nowadays, I'm seeing XSeed more and more taking up the WD mantle of "Niche King" as they're delivering great titles like Ys, LoH: Trails, and Solatorobo I once thought Atlus would definitely pick up in a heartbeat. Which kinda puts a damper on my hopes of seeing SRT OG Saga EXCEED or Grand Knights History shot stateside at this point.

[Nz17]

If those other titles that Press_Start mentioned are the kind of games I'd be supporting by purchasing XSEED's North American release of Sola to Robo, then I'm glad I bought a copy from Nintendo of Europe instead. Besides, what matters most is purchasing a high quality release of this game and supporting the game's original developer so all is well, particularly as I like to imagine that the higher European price means more money goes to the developer, CyberConnect2. The only difference is how long you want to wait or if you wish to support a small-time publisher. Nintendo of Europe deserves commendation for releasing this game in such a timely manner.

My copy of "Red's Adventure" as I prefer to refer to "Red the Hunter" has been shipped as of 28 June and should arrive at my place about 5 July. I will let you fellows know how good it is here on the Retrogaming Roundtable when it does arrive.

[Press_Start]

If those other titles that Press_Start mentioned are the kind of games I'd be supporting by purchasing XSEED's North American release of Sola to Robo, then I'm glad I bought a copy from Nintendo of Europe instead. Besides, what matters most is purchasing a high quality release of this game and supporting the game's original developer so all is well, particularly as I like to imagine that the higher European price means more money goes to the developer, CyberConnect2. The only difference is how long you want to wait or if you wish to support a small-time publisher. Nintendo of Europe deserves commendation for releasing this game in such a timely manner.

My copy of "Red's Adventure" as I prefer to refer to "Red the Hunter" has been shipped as of 28 June and should arrive at my place about 5 July. I will let you fellows know how good it is here on the Retrogaming Roundtable when it does arrive.

It's much BIGGER than just "supporting a small-time publisher." It's about sending a message. A loud and clear message to the guys in Japan to open their eyes and see that a market does exist. That they're actual American gamers like us willing to fork over the 30-40 bucks on Day 1 for a translation of their wonderful work. In hopes of creating a more sustainable and profitable venture here for developers and publishers to feel encouraged and confidant in taking a chance on the likes of Solatorobo, Black Rock Shooting, and other Japan-bound titles.

What you're implying does the opposite, like an anti-"Operation Rainfall". By importing from Europe, all you doing is encouraging developers and publishers alike to ignore US markets cause a) the numbers will give a false indication as a game sale in Europe is a game sale denied in USA and b) tells the industry that we "Amerikanos" are so willing to pay the extra S&H fees from Europe that they'll see little reason to bring to the states, further undermining our chances here.

If it means waiting 3 more months, then so be it, the wait is worth it. But you're free to do whatever you want, nz17. However....if you're really, really want to help CyberConnect2, why not cut the middleman and buy straight from Japan? That way you're helping 2 groups, the ones that made the game and the ones that programmed the software to help ya translate it. LOL

(BTW, you should really check out Fragile Dreams and Half-Minute Hero. If you do enjoy them (and I'm sure you will), don't forget to thanks those "small-time publishers" for saving ya the trouble importing them from another continent.)

[Bojay1997]

If those other titles that Press_Start mentioned are the kind of games I'd be supporting by purchasing XSEED's North American release of Sola to Robo, then I'm glad I bought a copy from Nintendo of Europe instead. Besides, what matters most is purchasing a high quality release of this game and supporting the game's original developer so all is well, particularly as I like to imagine that the higher European price means more money goes to the developer, CyberConnect2. The only difference is how long you want to wait or if you wish to support a small-time publisher. Nintendo of Europe deserves commendation for releasing this game in such a timely manner.

My copy of "Red's Adventure" as I prefer to refer to "Red the Hunter" has been shipped as of 28 June and should arrive at my place about 5 July. I will let you fellows know how good it is here on the Retrogaming Roundtable when it does arrive.

I strongly disagree with this. By purchasing the game from NoE, you are throwing away your vote for more niche games to be released in the United States and potentially hurting a publisher that is taking a significant financial risk bringing this game out here. Moreover, the license fee does not necessarily increase as a result of higher European prices. In fact, NoE was probably able to squeeze the developer harder to lower the per unit royalty as a result of their clout.

[Aussie2B]

It's much BIGGER than just "supporting a small-time publisher." It's about sending a message. A loud and clear message to the guys in Japan to open their eyes and see that a market does exist. That they're actual American gamers like us willing to fork over the 30-40 bucks on Day 1 for a translation of their wonderful work. In hopes of creating a more sustainable and profitable venture here for developers and publishers to feel encouraged and confidant in taking a chance on the likes of Solatorobo, Black Rock Shooting, and other Japan-bound titles.

What you're implying does the opposite, like an anti-"Operation Rainfall". By importing from Europe, all you doing is encouraging developers and publishers alike to ignore US markets cause a) the numbers will give a false indication as a game sale in Europe is a game sale denied in USA and b) tells the industry that we "Amerikanos" are so willing to pay the extra S&H fees from Europe that they'll see little reason to bring to the states, further undermining our chances here.

This doesn't really make sense to me. How is buying a US release sending a message to Japan? CyberConnect2 and Namco Bandai Games of Japan don't make the call if the game gets a foreign release. It's up to a foreign publisher to pick it up (most logically it would be the US branch of Namco Bandai Games, but they passed). In fact, CC2 even programmed English names for all the proper nouns in the game, hidden in the code. They did their part to make it friendly for localization, but that was all that they could do.

Honestly, as much as I think this game is fantastic, I still don't know if much of a market exists for it. I don't know if this game is going to get very good sales. It's a late DS release when most people are thinking about the 3DS now, and the anthro characters are going to scare off a lot of close-minded gamers. We very much lucked out that XSEED is going to be releasing it, but nz17 is right in that, in terms of localization, Nintendo of Europe deserves the real credit here. Now that it's been confirmed that XSEED is using Nintendo's work, I think it's safe to say that if Nintendo didn't pick the game up in the first place and do the localization, XSEED may have never considered the game at all. They may have only picked it up because it's an easy project to tweak Nintendo's localization and ship.

Also, I highly doubt the industry has any way of tracking Americans importing games from Europe.

Just curious, though, where are you getting "Red's Adventure", nz17? o_O Technically, "Red the Hunter" is a made up subtitle too (which I'm still not that fond of since it's got a bit of a simplified-for-little-kids vibe). CC2's chosen subtitle "Sore kara CODA e" translates to something like "And Then to CODA", which only makes sense once you've played the game.

Oh, and if anyone wants impressions, ask away. There are already a few members on the board that have played the heck out of the Japanese version, myself included.

[SEGA_Queen]

It's weird. I just went on the Canadian Gamestop site to see if Solatorobo's available for pre-order. It isn't listed yet, even though the US site already has it.

Oh well, I'm not planning to pre-order it quite yet. I'm still waiting to see if Xseed will release a collector's edition of the game.

[Nz17]

I'm still waiting to see if Xseed will release a collector's edition of the game.

I'm still waiting for XSEED to even put up a Web page for the game! I gotta wonder with a near-future release in September why there are no announcements about the release's specifics nor even a placeholder Web page.


Just curious, though, where are you getting "Red's Adventure", nz17? o_O Technically, "Red the Hunter" is a made up subtitle too (which I'm still not that fond of since it's got a bit of a simplified-for-little-kids vibe). CC2's chosen subtitle "Sore kara CODA e" translates to something like "And Then to CODA", which only makes sense once you've played the game.

Oh I know all that. I just like the sound of "Red's Adventure" much more than "Red the Hunter." :)


In fact, NoE was probably able to squeeze the developer harder to lower the per unit royalty as a result of their clout.

Probable 'nuff, though it is more likely a flat fee rather than royalties.


That they're actual American gamers like us willing to fork over the 30-40 bucks on Day 1 for a translation of their wonderful work.

That's exactly what I did - forked over ~$40 USD on Day 1. I just bought a European copy and ergo what might be considered a vote for Western releases.


a) the numbers will give a false indication as a game sale in Europe is a game sale denied in USA and b) tells the industry that we "Amerikanos" are so willing to pay the extra S&H fees from Europe that they'll see little reason to bring to the states, further undermining our chances here.

To think, one sale worth $40 is dooming the localization scene in North America. Dude, even the P&P was just five pounds!


But you're free to do whatever you want, nz17.

Oh thank goodness gracious, as I already paid for it about a week ago, and I was starting to think that my purchase would be voided.


However....if you're really, really want to help CyberConnect2, why not cut the middleman and buy straight from Japan? That way you're helping 2 groups, the ones that made the game and the ones that programmed the software to help ya translate it.

I would, but I prefer to buy used-and-complete or new and JapanGameStock doesn't carry games for newer consoles. I don't feel obligated to "support" any company as companies are just loose organizations whose ultimate goal is profit, composed of a revolving door of people which can change over time to be something quite different than it/they were in the past. I carry no loyalty to those. If I wanted to truly support a company I would buy its public stock. But I do feel like rewarding those whose work I favor and thus I am buying this game this way.

And if I wanted to understand the game's Japanese, I would use my printed dictionaries and my knowledge of the Japanese language, rudimentary though it might be.


(BTW, you should really check out Fragile Dreams and Half-Minute Hero. If you do enjoy them (and I'm sure you will), don't forget to thanks those "small-time publishers" for saving ya the trouble importing them from another continent.)

I don't own a PSP so no HMH for now, but I'll pick up a used copy of both and Fragile Dreams in a few years.

[Vlcice]

It's weird. I just went on the Canadian Gamestop site to see if Solatorobo's available for pre-order. It isn't listed yet, even though the US site already has it.

Oh well, I'm not planning to pre-order it quite yet. I'm still waiting to see if Xseed will release a collector's edition of the game.

Gamestop might not have it yet, but Amazon.ca and Videogamesplus have it listed:

http://www.amazon.ca/Xseed-81142-Solatorobo-Red-Hunter/dp/B0057VWTS8
http://www.videogamesplus.ca/product_info.php?products_id=18976

[SEGA_Queen]

Gamestop might not have it yet, but Amazon.ca and Videogamesplus have it listed:

http://www.amazon.ca/Xseed-81142-Solatorobo-Red-Hunter/dp/B0057VWTS8
http://www.videogamesplus.ca/product_info.php?products_id=18976

Thanks anyway, but I don't have a credit card to order the game online. So, unless Amazon.ca accepts Visa Giftcards, I'll have to wait and see if my local EB Games has it for pre-order.

Edit: I just checked the Payment FAQs on Amazon.ca, and it states they accept Visa. So I assume that means they accept Visa Giftcards too. If EB Games Canada doesn't have Solatorobo for pre-order by August, I'll might try ordering through Amazon.ca instead.

[Nz17]

As promised, I'm here to tell you all about my experiences with Sola to Robo: Red the Hunter.

First, as I originally stated, I ordered a copy from the UK courtesy of Game.co.uk. The Web site said 4-6 business days... but the actual arrival time was twenty days! But (much to my surprise) it did finally arrive on July 18 after having shipped on June 28.

Along those same lines, I was surprised that UK/EU releases of DS games have the Nintendo logo printed along the middle of the shrink wrap. I wish this was practiced in North America so that we could more easily tell if a game was re-wrapped in non-factory shrink wrap. I was also surprised to see you need to scratch off the Club Nintendo papers to reveal the redemption codes. That's something I'm glad NoA doesn't follow. ;)

And are all UK or EU DS games released in clear cases? - because this one was. I think it's neat, and the quality of the soft, springy plastic is a mark above the hard, resistant plastic used in America for DS games. It actually has an overbite, with one side "taller" than the other of the clamshell. And hey, no GBA cart-holding slot in the plastic of the inside! Then again, Sola to Robo can use DSi features, so this clear case might be a case of DSi casing.

Oddly enough, the instruction manual is only in English. I expected the manual to include all five of the languages advertised on the box like my Dreamcast imports, but I guess only the game is in multiple languages. There doesn't seem to be any options menu to this game, so I suppose that the language is auto-selected based on your console's language setting. In a neat twist, the *inside* of the case's outer insert is printed in color as well as the outside, so you get to see (for some silly reason) instructions for how to join Club Nintendo and redeem your points by looking through the case's clear plastic... or you know, from the printed, scratch-off Club Nintendo insert on the inside. ;)

Speaking of which, yes import fans, this one is using the region lock-out. Like many DSi and DSi-enhanced games (and a few DS games which only use the lock-out for "copyright protection") Sola to Robo is region locked. Sad times for anyone who has only a DSi, XL, or 3DS from another region. I found this out using my own teal 3DS. Though I will be missing out on the game's DSi features (camera, WPA, etc.), thankfully I have a DS Lite and this plays beautifully on it.

So what about the game itself? Well it is a fantastic little number, and I wished that I had played it before today! It's funny too, because numerous elements from the game (the sound effects, parts of the storyline, using mechs to pick up and move boxes, floating ships, operator assistants, the enemies' designs, etc.) remind me of the Mega Man Legends series. That, and Laputa: Castle in the Sky.

The gameplay itself is a mix between Mega Man Legends, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, and Skies of Arcadia. You, an anthropomorphic dog boy named Red, pilot a mech which you ride around in the environments. You interact with said environments both on and off the mecha. Your interactions are different depending if you are on foot or on mech. On foot you can reach things which require the use of ladders and small areas. You'll often also need to go on foot to activate switches. On the mech you can press large switches and lift, carry, and drop boxes. You'll need to fight on the mech to defeat enemies, but you'll also encounter enemies off-mecha in which case you can only stun them with a pistol and you'll need to otherwise avoid them. As you might imagine, the game requires both modes of transportation to complete puzzles and objectives.

Combat is handled with the mech not shooting at the enemies, but rather grabbing them, slamming them into the ground, and then catching them in the air to slam them again. They can be thrown into other enemies to damage both, and combining your attacks into a chain results in more damage dealt. Projectiles can be caught and tossed back at the enemies to attack them and some even require this approach to cause any damage.

The world is made up of floating islands. To go to and fro you'll make use of your home, an air ship. Red's sister, a cat girl, acts as the responsible money manager and Red's (to use a term from the later Mega Man games) operator, helping him by giving him information from the ship via radio.

Much like Phantasy Star Online, you'll take missions from the Hunter's Guild. The Guild offers both missions which advance the story and side missions which are just for fun and profit and experience points. Each successful mission increases your experience and eventually, your Hunter level. Higher Hunter levels are required to take on the more difficult missions.

As far as DS games go, Sola to Robo has an incredible set of visuals! From the main characters to the vehicles to the mechs to even small details in the backgrounds and the unnamed characters, this game is brimming with productions values! The game uses a combination of 3D polygonal mechs and vehicles (even including Red himself) and colorful 2D... "full" drawings of the backgrounds and other characters. By "full" what I mean is, instead of the typical "flat" anime style, these graphics have more of a heft to them, with (for example) grass that looks like it has volume to it instead of just a field of green coloring. And as a nice touch, as this game is set in a European-inspired world, all the signs in the game are in French thus far. There are some cats which speak with a German accent so there might be signs in many languages.

In the beginning of the game during the introductory credits sequence you're even treated to some close-ups of the villagers as they walk by and they look really great. This effect of using close-ups during pivotal or story-based moments really adds to the dynamic of the cutscenes. And like I mentioned, high production values: unlike many games which have graphics, voices, and names for only the most important characters, this game has them for almost every one!

The story scenes themselves are of three varieties. The first and most common is the standard story bits where you have the typical overlay of character portraits in the foreground with the text in dialog boxes on the bottom with the scenery in the background. Each character has several different portraits showing different emotions and these have even more variety given to them by having several different accent marks. So for example, you might have someone looking angry, or yelling, or smiling, and she might also have lightning marks, or vein marks, or sweat drops, or some other effect for added connotation.

Much like Skies of Arcadia, characters emote short word sequences or gasps when certain lines of dialog are shown. These are meant to add emotional punch to the unspoken dialog. These are a combination of non-words (gasps, laughs, etc.) and words, some in Japanese, some in the Japanese take on French (bonju instead of bonjour).

The second and a less common type is the close-up. These are used to highlight various moments of the story or just to show off to cool effect. They feature highly detailed 2D animated drawings of the characters in front of the 3D environmental backgrounds.

The third and least common is the fully animated 2D cutscene. These are actually videos of full-animation anime-style custscenes and they are gorgeous to behold. I've only witnessed one so far and it was great. You can find this first one on the game's official sites and on popular video sharing places like YouTube.

Reminiscent of Sakura Taisen (a.k.a. Sakura Wars) the game is broken into chapters. At the end of each chapter you'll see "To Be Continued" and are given a chance to save your game, but you'll also be offered an opportunity to save after completing any mission. There are also save points scattered throughout the world, so don't expect to save the game and resume it at any point you wish. Thankfully both saving and loading are fast and saving restores your health.

You'll also get to customize your mech with specialty parts. These allow for increased attributes in agility, attack, speed, power, and all the usual aspects. The unique take on this is that each component is fashioned out of a set of squares so you'll need to make room in your mech's customization chamber to fit the part into place. This might even involve rotating the pieces or moving old ones out of the way to fit new ones. And to get more room you'll need to find and collect capsules which unlock different squares depending on the required number of capsules per square.

I've only played the game for an hour or two, but I'm already prepared for more! The more I see the larger bounty the game reveals that it has. There are a whole swathe of things to unlock including cinemas, artwork, songs, and "books," and I'm looking forward to finding them to fill out my collections. There's a multi-player racing mode for up to four players, but it requires one copy of the game per player so keep that in mind. Also each week there will be a new mission released for the game via Nintendo WiFi Connection so there's plenty more in store once the story is completed. So far I've seen three new missions added this way and it makes me wonder if we'll get a whole year's worth like with Professor Layton.

Bottom line: if you like any of the games I've compared this game to, or you played and enjoyed the world of Tail Concerto on the PlayStation (a previous game by the developer), or you're just up for a great action-adventure title, get yourself a copy of Sola to Robo: Red the Hunter. It's an earnest, fun release set apart from the pack in a modern world of games which are grim and take themselves too seriously. Sola to Robo is set in a warm, quaint yet sprawling world filled with genuine, sincere characters. It makes you smile just playing the game and roaming around the islands.

Sola to Robo is already available in Japan and Europe and it will be released in North America in late September.

[Mayhem]

Oddly enough, the instruction manual is only in English. I expected the manual to include all five of the languages advertised on the box like my Dreamcast imports, but I guess only the game is in multiple languages.
Yes, all casings are clear, and larger than the ones in the US because in the past, the manuals were thicker and have all the language variants within. What I believe has happened with time is that in accordance with the coloured region flash on the spine, the games are now only packaged with the manuals in the language(s) for the region they are going to. So if you ordered the game from the UK, then the manual will be in English. It's not uncommon now to find DS games in France that only have French manuals, and DS games in Germany that only have German manuals.

[Aussie2B]

Glad to hear your thoughts on the game, nz17, and that you're enjoying it. :)

For a couple little corrections, Red's sister Chocolat is actually a dog too (yeah, she confuses just about everyone at first; you can tell the cats by their skinny tails and pointed feet). Also, I don't know where you think you're hearing German or Japanese. o_O The full world is inspired by France (although there are some signs like "Parts" in English), so the voice snippets are only in French. Maybe you're confusing Chocolat's "On y va" for "Oniisan"? A lot of people hear that one wrong. But, yeah, the voice acting is all by Japanese people, so their pronunciation isn't perfect and some stuff can be difficult to make out. But since it's just for atmosphere only anyway, it doesn't really matter.

As for the DSi features, the only thing you're missing out on is being able to take a photo to replace the picture of Red on the file select screen. And for the downloadable quests, there are 12 in total.

Yeah, the game does have a Ghibli and Mega Man Legends feel. So does Tail Concerto. That was one of the main things that made me love Mega Man Legends, that it reminded me of Tail Concerto so much. The president of CyberConnect2 has even commented that he's a MML fan and was disappointed about MML3's cancellation, and that if he could work on any Capcom property, he'd love to take MML3.

[SEGA_Queen]

So what about the game itself? Well it is a fantastic little number, and I wished that I had played it before today! It's funny too, because numerous elements from the game (the sound effects, parts of the storyline, using mechs to pick up and move boxes, floating ships, operator assistants, the enemies' designs, etc.) remind me of the Mega Man Legends series. That, and Laputa: Castle in the Sky.

The similarities to Miyazaki's early works is one of the things that made me get this game. The world visuals and various vehicles/airships definitely look like they were inspired by Laputa. However, I noticed that the character designs are similar to a TV series Miyazaki was involved in, Sherlock Hound AKA Meitantei Holmes.

[Nz17]

Yes, all casings are clear, and larger than the ones in the US because in the past, the manuals were thicker and have all the language variants within. What I believe has happened with time is that in accordance with the coloured region flash on the spine, the games are now only packaged with the manuals in the language(s) for the region they are going to. So if you ordered the game from the UK, then the manual will be in English. It's not uncommon now to find DS games in France that only have French manuals, and DS games in Germany that only have German manuals.

Ah, OK, so that clears that up. Good to have learned something new. :)


For a couple little corrections, Red's sister Chocolat is actually a dog too (yeah, she confuses just about everyone at first; you can tell the cats by their skinny tails and pointed feet).

Holy crackers, you ain't kidding when you say that's an easy mistake to make. She looks so much like the cats in the game! If you couldn't see their feet and tails, you would think she's a cat... and most of the time when you see her, you just see her expression, so no wonder so many people are mistaken.


Also, I don't know where you think you're hearing German or Japanese. o_O The full world is inspired by France (although there are some signs like "Parts" in English), so the voice snippets are only in French. But, yeah, the voice acting is all by Japanese people, so their pronunciation isn't perfect and some stuff can be difficult to make out.

See, this is merely a confusion over terminology. When I wrote that they "speak" with German accents, what I meant is that their dialog is written with German accents applied. The group is called something like the Kervas or some such in the UK's English version of the script. The actual small voice clips are clearly not German. Although it is difficult to discern when the "French" being spoken in the voice clips is French or not when you aren't fluent in either the Japanese or French language and what's said sounds so different from the snippets of French you do know.


As for the DSi features, the only thing you're missing out on is being able to take a photo to replace the picture of Red on the file select screen. And for the downloadable quests, there are 12 in total.

Both good to know. I had heard the DSi feature(s) were minor and this certainly verifies that.


However, I noticed that the character designs are similar to a TV series Miyazaki was involved in, Sherlock Hound AKA Meitantei Holmes.

True enough, but when you have anthropomorphic cats and dogs walking about in period Europe, the designs can only be so different - it would be hard not to see similarities even if there are none!

[Aussie2B]

So the text for the Kuvasz members is written with a German accent? Weird. I'd take that as a flub on the part of the localizers. Not to mention that the group's name itself is messed up since it's not spelled as "Kuvasz" as it should be (after the breed of dog). There's some other strange stuff like that, like how Stare, from Tail Concerto, has her name spelled as "Stair". I'm hoping Xseed will fix these little things.

For some more useless trivia, heh, all of the major characters are actually based on real breeds/species of cats and dogs. Here's some of them:

Red: Shiba inu
Chocolat: Pomeranian
Elh: American Shorthair
Beluga: Lynx
Opera: Russian Blue
Calua: Ocelot
Gren: Kishu inu
Merveille: Collie
Bruno: German Shepherd

[Nz17]

For some more useless trivia, heh, all of the major characters are actually based on real breeds/species of cats and dogs. Here's some of them:

Red: Shiba inu
Chocolat: Pomeranian
Elh: American Shorthair
Beluga: Lynx
Opera: Russian Blue
Calua: Ocelot
Gren: Kishu inu
Merveille: Collie
Bruno: German Shepherd

Well I guess this would all go toward explaining why the cats are called Felineko (feline + neko) and the dogs are Caninu (canine and inu). LOL

[Aussie2B]

I think originally they were simply nekohito and inuhito, which translates to cat-people and dog-people. I guess they wanted something a little more creative in English. The strange thing about the game, though, is that there are actually English names for most proper nouns hidden in the code of the Japanese game, so it's hard to know what was actually chosen by Nintendo of Europe's localization team or CyberConnect2 themselves, especially considering, stranger yet, they don't always match. Like take the mission provider, for example. CC2 gave her the name Fromage in katakana, yet right under that, they write out her name in English as Flo Financier.

[SEGA_Queen]

The senior editor of Xseed has been interviewed on GameSpot's On The Spot:

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/solarobo/video/6327364/solatorobo-red-the-hunter-daily-demo?tag=updates%3Beditor%3Ball%3Btitle%3B2

She mentioned that Xseed is including the soundtrack CD with every first run copy of the game.

[joshnickerson]

Oooh... incentive to pre-order now. I wonder if it will be store-specific though.

[Aussie2B]

Nice. Here's to hoping it'll have different tracks than the CD that came with the Japanese collector's edition as, while great, it only had a small fraction of the game's tracks. The closer I get to having the full soundtrack the better, since I don't think the game is going to get an OST release, which is a damn shame as Chikayo Fukuda has improved a lot over the years and produced an absolutely lovely soundtrack for Solatorobo.

[Nz17]

According to this story on Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/solatorobo-ships-with-soundtrack/), "XSEED is bundling a 24-track soundtrack CD with the initial shipment of the DS game."

So Aussie2B, how many tracks were on the Japanese Sola to Robo music CD?

[Kitsune Sniper]

... 24 (http://vgmdb.net/album/20418).

[Vlcice]

Yeah, they've confirmed it's the same CD. Would have been nice to get different tracks, but oh well!

They did say that it's going to have nice packaging. (Which, well, so did the Japanese one.)

[Aussie2B]

Bummer. :( It would be little consolation to myself, but I hope it at least has different packaging than the Japanese one (not like it would make a big difference to me since they'd probably just use art that's already on something else I have). Actually, considering that the US cover of the game is the image that was used on the Japanese soundtrack, I'd be surprised if they didn't change it. Who knows, maybe they'll just swap the two, putting the Japanese game cover image on it.

[Vlcice]

Today in Solatorobo news:

Official website launched: http://solatorobo.com/ Not quite as elaborate as the Euro site, but some very nice wallpapers available for download in the Multimedia section.

Also, a press release published by Joystiq confirms that the game has gone gold (hooray!!) and that Xseed's release is trilingual with English, French and Spanish text: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/09/hunt-down-solatorobo-red-the-hunter-starting-september-27/

September 27 can't get here soon enough!!

[joshnickerson]

Grah! I need to hurry up and pre-order this!

[Vlcice]

Don't miss out on the first-press CD!

[Nz17]

Wow, this Sola to Robo sounds really good! I should have a copy of this game for myself! ;)