Working Designs

[kainemaxwell]

Recommend any Working Design games to try to look into other than the Lunars and Popful Mail?

[Wraith Storm]

I absolutely love Albert Odyssey on the Saturn.

Certainly a divisive title, but it has, in my opinion, Working Designs most entertaining translation. Its funny, quirky and for better or worse has "your mama" jokes. lol. But at the same time it carries a good story.

Its a basic JRPG by any standard but the charming translation and beautiful Naoki Kodaka soundtrack kept me playing until the very end. It was one of the last games that Naoki Kodaka scored and not only is it one of his best, but its also one of the best of any game I have ever heard.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Working Designs was just a western translator and publisher, not a developer.

The actual developer of those games was GameArts, and almost everything GameArts ever made was excellent, wither attached to the Working Designs label or not.

One that springs to mind is Urusei Yatsura for Sega Mega CD. It's a Japanese adventure game that absolutely requires understanding of written and spoken Japanese, but if you can do that and you're a fan of the greatness that is Urusei Yatsura (where I get my avatar from) it's a must-have.

btw, Wraith Storm, your sig is from that Xbox 360 From Software game Bullet Witch right? How IS that? I've owned it for a good amount of time but never really played it.

[gameofyou]

Working Designs brought over quite a few great games for the Saturn including Dragon Force, Albert Odyssey, and Magic Knight Rayearth. But they converted other games besides RPG also, like the Sega Ages game.

Other notable Saturn games were Shining Wisdom (which some people didn't care for, but I thought was quite fun). They converted a really good strategy game called Iron Storm, also.

[FieryReign]

Other notable Saturn games were Shining Wisdom (which some people didn't care for, but I thought was quite fun).
I enjoyed that game myself, don't understand some of the hatred spewed in that game's direction. If you're into shooters, there's their Spaz label of games. I thought Elemental Gearbolt was quite a fun and original Guncon game.

[Wraith Storm]

Working Designs was just a western translator and publisher, not a developer.

The actual developer of those games was GameArts, and almost everything GameArts ever made was excellent, wither attached to the Working Designs label or not.

btw, Wraith Storm, your sig is from that Xbox 360 From Software game Bullet Witch right? How IS that? I've owned it for a good amount of time but never really played it.

I LOVED GameArts, but they were really at their best when they had a relationship with SEGA. Games like Alisia Dragoon, Silpheed, Lunar 1 & 2, Gungriffon 1 & 2, Grandia 1 & 2 were classics. GameArts really shined with Sega and when Sega dropped out of the hardware market GA seemed to loose a lot of their creativity, innovation and talent. This coupled with the passing of one of their founders a while back really hurt them.


As for Bullet Witch... Yep that is what my signature is from. I started a thread about it on here years ago. I am by far in the minority and I am well aware of this, but Bullet Witch is THE reason that I bought and still own a 360. Most current gen games that I play, I enjoy, but I don't have a strong passion or love for them like I did back in the 8/16/32 bit days. Bullet Witch is one of the best games I have ever played and easily one of my favorite games of all time. I love everything about it and it really embodies what I love about Japanese games.

It got terrible reviews, but I personally think they are unwarranted. I love how fluid the controls are and it makes all the acrobatic moves and spell casting of Alicia that much more fun to perform. Its got great graphics, destructible environments, awesome level and character designs, a dark story and a very well done soundtrack. I also love how over the course of the game you slowly upgrade and unlock your guns and spells. This carries over each play through, so by your third play through your like a goddess slinging spells left and right and mowing down the enemies with your arsenal of weapons. It's an awesome feeling to bring down a lightning bolt or a tornado and destroy a giant building and have it crush the enemies. I absolutely LOVE it! It's just so much fun...... for me. Like I said. I am certainly in the minority.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

sounds right up my alley. Pretty much my reason to own a 360 early on was f̶o̶r̶ ̶b̶o̶o̶b̶ ̶p̶h̶y̶s̶i̶c̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶D̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶A̶l̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶4̶ ̶ was for Earth Defense Force 2017.

I friggin LOVE Earth Defense Force 2017, and it inspired me to seek out the earlier PS2 versions, the PSP version of 2, Insect Armageddon, and has me eagerly awaiting EDF4.

[JakeM]

Recommend any Working Design games ......Popful Mail?

So theyre the fuckers who localized it and made it way more hard? *CENSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSORED* THEM!

[BlastProcessing402]

I absolutely love Albert Odyssey on the Saturn.

Certainly a divisive title, but it has, in my opinion, Working Designs most entertaining translation. Its funny, quirky and for better or worse has "your mama" jokes. lol. But at the same time it carries a good story.

Its a basic JRPG by any standard but the charming translation and beautiful Naoki Kodaka soundtrack kept me playing until the very end. It was one of the last games that Naoki Kodaka scored and not only is it one of his best, but its also one of the best of any game I have ever heard.

The load times are atrocious and frequent, be warned. According to the Translation Notes in the manual, they were even worse in the Japanese original.

[SparTonberry]

They said that people who tried to commit retail fraud by finishing games quickly and then return them to the store as "broken" made them make the games harder.

[Wraith Storm]

I friggin LOVE Earth Defense Force 2017, and it inspired me to seek out the earlier PS2 versions, the PSP version of 2, Insect Armageddon, and has me eagerly awaiting EDF4.

I have EDF 2017 but haven't played much of it yet. I heard it was a lot of fun and I managed to snag a copy for real cheap a few years ago. I need to spend some time with it.


The load times are atrocious and frequent, be warned. According to the Translation Notes in the manual, they were even worse in the Japanese original.

The encounter rate in Albert Odyssey is pretty high, sometimes just a few steps, but I never thought the load times were that bad. Other than boss battles, I felt everything loaded and went by fairly quick. Then again people usually fault Skies of Arcadia for its high encounter rate, but I enjoyed the game so much I never noticed nor did it bother me when I played it.

[otaku]

I enjoyed their games on my saturn. magic knight rayearth got my attention being a fan of the anime. quality collectible titles

[kupomogli]

While Working Designs published a lot of great games, their games go to 11 after all, I think Arc the Lad Collection is the best that they've released.

The first Arc the Lad is average at best but it's worth playing prior to Arc the Lad 2. It's got likeable characters that will eventually return in the second game, it lays down the story foundation to the series, and it's one of the few games you can convert your data over to for a few bonus' a third of the way into the game.

Arc the Lad 2 is the entire reason you want this collection. It's a massive improvement over the first game and an absolutely amazing game. The collection also includes Arc Arena which is an arena or coliseum like area that allows you to load your character into the game and use your monsters, later both monsters and human characters, to fight and win equipment or monsters that carry back over to the main game.

Arc the Lad 2 is less like your average TRPG, and more like a regular style RPG with TRPG gameplay at its core. You've got a world map which is one of many continents that serve as your general hub that while you can walk around on it, you don't get into battle but rather go to different selected zones, whether they're towns on that content or dungeons. In towns you can rest at an inn, purchase or upgrade weapons and items, talk to people and progress story, or complete quests at the hunter's guild. You're only required to accept quests one time from the hunter's guild, after that it's completely optional, but you go to the guild accept a quest, complete it, and get paid. If you progress through the story, many of the quests, even if you've accepted them, can be completed by other hunters so it's best to take them as you see them. Each hunter's guild also has a wanted board you'll wanted board you'll want to look when you first enter a new guild as wanted monsters can also be killed by other hunters as you progress through the story. Dungeons aren't just battlefields, a lot of them being large dungeons that can actually be explored, open treasure boxes, etc, with decent amount of option dungeons in the game. One of the characters, Lieza, can tame weak monsters to join your party and fight with you. Later on these monsters can change classes to more powerful versions of their specific breed and learn new skills as well.

Arc the Lad 3 was a disappointment after coming off playing the second game. It's a good game and has good ideas to the gameplay, like Theo being able to turn monsters into summons, but it's a worse game than the second. The decide to turn the hunter's guild, a side quest system in Arc the Lad 2 into what progresses the main game on Arc the Lad 3 and it just feels a bit weak in comparison. There is no movement penalty in the game if enemies are in the way. If you can move four spaces up and you can't jump, but have to walk around the enemy, you'll still overall be able to move your maximum distance as if the enemy isn't there. You're able to combine weapons and armor in this game but it's broken and can be easily exploited. Aside from those flaws, it's a good game though.

[Haoie]

I miss them! Their translations were always so funny. Some people didn't find it so amusing, I can't see why. Don't take games so seriously!

[retroman]

Exile games, and Cosmic Fantasy games are good for the Turbo.

[Tron 2.0]

Exile games, and Cosmic Fantasy games are good for the Turbo.
Also cadash,vasteel and parasole stars as well.Hmm it's some thing nobody has mention alundra,yet a damn good action rpg there and done by the same team that did landstalker.

[JakeM]

Exile games,

They must really like making normal challenging games more hard I guess.

[Tron 2.0]

They must really like making normal challenging games more hard I guess.
Only for exile wp for the u.s version at least a line of code got screwed up making it more difficult.

[JakeM]

Only for exile wp for the u.s version at least a line of code got screwed up making it more difficult.

And Popful Mail as I mentioned up there.

[InsaneDavid]

And Popful Mail as I mentioned up there.

Popful Mail is not overtly difficult in any way, shape or form. It's challenging and the first time you encounter some bosses you'll probably be wiped out immediately, however once learning their patterns all can be defeated. They're still not easy but squeaking by bosses with just a little energy left makes overcoming them even more rewarding. There's a reason the game has a shops that sell life replenishing fruit.

Popful Mail will always be my favorite game on the platform (Sega CD / Genesis / 32X), and of course, then there's my favorite boss...

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

[Aussie2B]

Don't forget all the controversial changes made to Silhouette Mirage to make it more difficult. The worst of which being the draining of power when weapons are used which renders some all but worthless and the increased costs in the shops, forcing you to tediously grind for cash.

[Tron 2.0]

And Popful Mail as I mentioned up there.
That it is i know the japanese version is easier.Still i never had a problem completing popful mail,sure it's hard but it's not a impossible game.

[Tron 2.0]

Popful Mail will always be my favorite game on the platform (Sega CD / Genesis / 32X), and of course, then there's my favorite boss...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvP_gNgEWXQ
Haaa,that boss fight beside the actor going out of his way to do a impression of arnold schwarzenegger.

[xelement5x]

And Popful Mail as I mentioned up there.

I am pretty sure you are out of your mind, since Victor Ireland himself detailed the changes he made to Popful Mail here, and specifically mentions there were no changes in difficulty that he can remember:
http://www.gaijinworks.com/interact/showthread.php?55-Popful-Mail-(Sega-CD)-Why-was-this-game-made-so-difficult-for-the-US-version&p=1663&viewfull=1#post1663

Like others have said, it's got a learning curve if to it which can be bad if you don't understand the gameplay mechanics, but it's not that bad once you play for awhile. If you just pop it in and hope to breeze through without any effort then you will be disappointed.


That said Popful Mail is one of my favorite releases from them, though Lunar takes the top spot. Almost every other game they've released has been mentioned, but besides the Turbo stuff an often overlooked one is Elemental Gearbolt. If you've got a CRT and a GunCon you will be in for an awesome time. Alundra is also a very well received game, many people compare it to Zelda style games.

[SpaceHarrier]

Thirdsies on Elemental Gearbolt, with guncon, of course.

[Greg2600]

I own Alundra and RayStorm on PS1, great games, they also released RayCrisis.

[scaryice]

I am pretty sure you are out of your mind, since Victor Ireland himself detailed the changes he made to Popful Mail here, and specifically mentions there were no changes in difficulty that he can remember:
http://www.gaijinworks.com/interact/showthread.php?55-Popful-Mail-(Sega-CD)-Why-was-this-game-made-so-difficult-for-the-US-version&p=1663&viewfull=1#post1663

He's wrong, I've played through both versions. Almost every boss takes fewer hits in the Japanese version, you take less damage, the gold bullion sells for more money, and so on.

[MetalFRO]

I own Alundra and RayStorm on PS1, great games, they also released RayCrisis.

RayCrisis is alright, but I much prefer it's predecessor, RayStorm. Not quite as much as it's predecessor, but RayStorm is a good time and has a fantastic soundtrack. Glad WD brought it over. I'd also say Thunderforce V, but unfortunately I was never smart enough to pick up a copy when it was cheap to do so, and now most places want near-full retail for it. *SIGH*