NEWS: Princess Maker gets a massive update!

Standalone masterpiece

July 29th, 2022, Bliss Brain Corporation, who jointly released the iconic Wonder Boy Collection in the West recently, is pleased to announce a big and pivotal update for "Princess Maker Refine", which is  available now on Steam as a stand alone game.

Building to Perfection

"Princess Maker" pioneered the social simulation genre, with an innovative system in which the player raises a young girl. The player takes care of a 10 year old girl, raising her to maturity with love and devotion. The title has been highly praised for its original, unprecedented ideas and content, and it remains popular to this day.

About Princess Maker Refine - Colourful

The  impressive Refine edition features a repainted version of the graphics, which were limited to 16 colours in the original. It also features voice acting for all characters in the game, not just the adopted daughter. Spend happy days with your daughter, who is cuter than ever before with full voice and colour.

Raise her in the palm of your hand

You are a war hero who saved the kingdom from the brink of destruction by a demon army. Weary of death and destruction, you decide to raise a war orphan as your own daughter.

Her dream is to become a princess. You must educate this innocent girl and raise her to be a respectable woman. Her future happiness and prosperity are dependent on your efforts.

The love you give to her and her dreams will eventually become something beautiful...

 

Her dream is to become a princess.

Added updates:

 

Features an added opening cinematic sequence by designer Takami Akai.

An original opening cinematic sequence has been added to "Princess Maker", produced by Yonago GAINAX under the leadership of the original GAINAX "Princess Maker" designer: Takami Akai.

As a war hero, the player will see their anxious daughter come to visit, watch her look forward to their life together, and envision her future. These are some of the scenes in the cinematics  that appeal to the player's fatherly instincts.

Message from Takami Akai - ‘I'd like to thank everyone who has shown so much love for "Princess Maker" since its release in 1991. I am very pleased that you will be able to enjoy the world of "Princess Maker" on a deeper level with this new, comprehensively-improved translation. I also had a wonderful time drawing familiar characters for the opening animated cinematic sequence that was added to this version. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed drawing it.’

2. Revised localizations in Chinese and English

Players who experienced the Chinese (traditional or simplified) and English localizations of the game in the past have given us some stern feedback. Accordingly, we have comprehensively revised and retranslated the localised versions.

All of the "fathers" who once enjoyed playing this game in English or Chinese now have a chance to raise their "daughters" in a whole new environment.

3. Optimised for the latest OS

A version of "Princess Maker Refine" based on the package version re-released in 2003 is currently available online. This version exhibited problems, including unreliable gameplay and poor graphics display on some systems. To address the issue, we have rebuilt the game so that it can be played reliably in the latest operating environments.

The latest and most detailed information about the Steam version of "Princess Maker Refine" is available on blissbrain.co.jp. 

 

About Bliss Brain

Bliss Brain Corporation is a Japanese game publisher. Bliss Brain revives high quality games for the modern day and distributes them to the world in downloadable format. Currently, they offer "Princess Maker 2 Refine", "Princess Maker ~Faery Tales Come True~", and "Princess Maker 5" for download on Steam. "Wonder Boy Collection" (not yet released in Japan) will be released for the first time on PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Bliss Brain plans to release more new games in the future.

For details, visit https://blissbrain.co.jp

 

About Yonago GAINAX

Takami Akai started this entertainment company in 2014, in his hometown of Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture. It does business based on the theme of contributing to the local community. With a small team of just 10 members, it works on unique jobs, including anime, games, and events.

For details, visit https://yonago-gainax.co.jp.

 

About Takami Akai

Born 1961. While still enrolled at Osaka University of Arts, he made his debut with the DAICON III Opening Animation. As one of the founding members of GAINAX Co., Ltd., he has worked on anime and tokusatsu shows, as well as games and events. His most noteworthy works include the "Princess Maker" series, Gurren Lagann, and Dai Tokusatsu Negiman.

©YONAGO GAINAX ©Bliss Brain

Wonder Boy Collection Switch Review

Wonder Boy Collection (Switch)

Developed By: Bliss Brain

Published By: ININ Games

Date of Release: June 3, 2022

Price: $29.99

Long ago in the arcade dominated era of 1986, a small company named Westone released a game called Wonder Boy, published by SEGA in the arcades. Starring a blonde caveman on a quest to save his girlfriend, it was a decent hit. It spawned a whole franchise of sequels and spinoffs, and even got a port to home consoles by Hudson as "Adventure Island", spawning an entire new franchise. From there the rest is history.

Wonder Boy Collection on the Nintendo Switch contains the 4 most iconic entries in the series. The original Wonder Boy is a platforming title which will of course feel familiar to anyone who has played Adventure Island, as it is pretty much the same game. Wonder Boy in Monster Land was the second game, and it's very much an action RPG rather than a straight up platformer (it also has some of the most horrifying boxart on the Master System). The third title, Wonder Boy in Monster World, is actually the fifth title and is a metroidvania-lite action RPG. as for the fourth title in this collection? Monster World IV is the only game in this collection that doesn't star the titular Wonder boy, and instead stars a newcomer Asha. it's a full on metroidvania and arguably the best title in this collection.

There is definitely a lot of gameplay here in this set, and unfortunately you don't get much more than that. Each game is well emulated, however some of the graphics settings are a bit odd, with the last two games in the set having forced bilinear filtering with the CRT emulation that muddles the image. All that's really on offer here is a barebones gallery that has boxart and manuals and not much else. On top of that, some of the best games in the series (next to MWIV) are missing, and are instead only available in the limited set from strictly limited games, which raises the question: why are digital fans getting the shaft here? Still, this is a decent and functional collection, with four games that are definitely worth playing. Still would have made more sense to have just one collection with all the games.

News: 80 Days & Overboard Coming physically to the Switch!

 

Travel the world, and get away with murder in inkle’s 80 Days and Overboard!

Two captivating narrative adventures for Nintendo Switch™ bundled together for the first time in a boxed edition

 

Stuttgart, Germany - 07 July 2022: ININ Games is happy to announce a partnership with inkle to publish two of their most-beloved titles in one bundled boxed edition for Nintendo Switch™. 80 Days & Overboard! are both award-winning narrative adventures. In 80 Days, a steampunk reimagining of Jules Verne, players must embark on a journey around the world to win a hefty wager. Meanwhile, the reverse whodunnit Overboard! takes place at the end of a journey, as players attempt to find a way off a cruise ship after committing murder!

 

ININ Games is happy to honor these beloved next-generation interactive adventures with a well-deserved boxed edition for Nintendo Switch™ – soon available for pre-order at selected retailers.

80 Days

In this steampunk retelling of Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, players set out on a journey to circumnavigate the globe. Playing as Passepartout, long-suffering valet to Phileas Fogg, you must set the route, manage the budget, oversee the health and well-being of your master, and get back to London before the clock runs out. The game has been critically-acclaimed and was one of the best games of 2014, according to Time Magazine!

 

 

Features:

• Visit over 170 bespoke cities on your journey around the world.
• Discover creative ways to travel - by train, airship, moving city, ice-walker, hydrofoils and much more…
• Lose yourself in a richly imagined, diverse alternative-history steampunk world created by award-winning writers Meg Jayanth and Jon Ingold.
• Experience a unique journey with thousands of choices for endless possibilities.
• Enjoy striking Art Deco-styled visuals by Jaume Illustration.
• 80 Days is not the end - can you do it in less?

 

Overboard!

Your husband has been murdered! There’s just one problem - you killed him. Now you have eight hours to cover up your crime and get away without being caught. Frame other passengers, conceal the evidence, and figure out how to get away with it before the time runs out in this Writers' Guild Awards-winning game in the category "Best Writing in a Video Game".

 

 

Features:

• NPCs have their own agendas, and remember everything they see and hear.
• Choose every line and every action. Go where you want, when you want.
• Some characters are friendly, and some are out to get you. Who will you befriend? And who will you betray?
• You only have eight hours to escape justice, and the clock is always ticking.
• Play once for a thrill, or multiple times to uncover all the secrets and achieve the ideal ending.

 

Make your journeys even more unforgettable with these limited special editions

As big fans of interactive adventures, ININ Games created special editions for 80 Days & Overboard! (Nintendo Switch™) in limited quantities to further appreciate these unique games. Collectors can look forward to a Limited Edition (€29,99, limited to 2.000 copies) and a Special Limited Edition containing exclusive collectibles (€49,99, limited to 999 copies). Pre-orders are now available via our friends at Strictly Limited Games - only while stock lasts.

 

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined Switch Review

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined

Developed By: Natsume

Published By: ININ Games

Date of Release: June 24, 2022

Price: $29.99

In the vast world of the shoot-em-up (SHMUP) genre, a theme that often pops up is Japanese mythology. From the likes of Touhou to the classic Guwange, it's a topic that seems to fit quite well. And in the case of today's game, Pocky and Rocky Reshrined, it's clear that this title wears it's influences on it's adorable sleeve. Reshrined is essentially a reboot/sequel of the classic cute 'em up series, Kiki Kaikai.  Playing as the titular shrine maiden Pocky and her tanuki friend Rocky, it's up to the player to eliminate a host of mischievous Japanese spirits that are running amok.

It definitely helps that the gameplay in Reshrined is just as refined as in the original games. It's a scrolling shooter where you can fire your attacks in 8 directions while running around on foot as the stage scrolls about in different directions. It's definitely an effective gameplay system, and with the enemies coming from all directions it can get pretty hectic. Thankfully the fun factor is there. The graphics and soundtrack also do not disappoint, with lush visuals and rearranged tracks from the classic games. The presentation is well worth the price of admission alone.

Sadly not all things can be perfect. Pocky and Rocky Reshrined is only about 40-60 minutes long depending on your skill, though it is worth replaying again to improve on your score. There's also a bit of censorship on one of the characters outfits but seriously it doesn't detract from the gameplay in the slightest, and if you're going to skip the game/harass the devs over some missing cleavage, that doesn't speak very highly of your logic (seriously I've seen people wish bodily harm on the devs/localization team over it. What the hell?). All in all, Pocky and Rocky Reshrined is a worthy addition to the series, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of either the series or the genre. Diehard fans should also check out the physical versions of the game at Pocky & Rocky Reshrined (gamesrocket.com)