New Games for the Hardcore

If you are like me, then this Summer has been kind of a drag for new Japanese games. Sure we got Catherine and Super Street Fighter 4 Mega Hyper Arcade Fighting Lord edition, but I can't recall much else. In the coming weeks and months, there is some hope on the horizon. Here is a list of games to consider purchasing if you are fucking hardcore:

Solatorobo is a Mega Man Legends-esque action RPG from CyberConnect2. The company worked for nearly 10 years on this game, as a follow-up to the obscure PSX classic, Tail Concerto. Why should you care? This maybe the last good Nintendo DS game that hits American shores. Everyone who has played it says the game is pretty great including 1up's perpetually bitter, Jeremy Parish. Pre-orders get a soundtrack, which is also pretty nifty. The game is coming out 9/27/2011.

Persona 2 Innocent Sin will finally reach the US in the form a PSP remake. The game was originally released in the late days of the PSX, but some issues such as a homosexual party member, kept Persona 2 in Japan, with the US only getting it's follow up Eternal Punishment. If you ever questioned what the hell is going in the back story of EP or simply wandered why Tatsuya is so damn emo, then get this game. The game will be released 9/20/2011.

 

 The King of Fighters 13 is finally coming to consoles after rocking Japanese arcades for the past year. After the abysmal KOF 12, I wasn't sure what to think, but I have heard only good things about this sequel, so I will give SNK one more chance. The story finishes the Ash Crimson arc for people who actually follow the story in fighting games (all two of you.) The pre-order offers an amazing bonus, a 4-CD soundtrack spanning the history of the KOF franchise. Get hyped. KOF 13 is coming 10/25/2011.

 El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron looks insanely cool. The graphics are sort of in Okami's style, but instead of medieval Japan, you go through different angel's versions of an ideal earth, all of which are visually striking. The combat seems lacking from the demo I played, but something this beautiful can't be ignored. El Shaddai arrives 8/16/2011.