Danball Senki (/The Little Battler Experience)-- (PSP)

[Turquoise_sandwich]

http://i53.tinypic.com/14slkhz.jpg

Name: Danball Senki
Developer: Level 5
Genre: Action/RPG
Release date: June 16th 2011
Platform: PSP

Official Website:
http://www.danball-senki.jp/

--
In short the game could be summed up as a modern version of Metabots.

The game is an Action RPG which focus lies on creating your own tiny fighting robots and fighting other robot raisers. Of course it wouldn't be Level 5 if things were just that simple, in true Level 5 spirit there is a heavy plot to even the smallest and innocent things and soon enough some shady people use these small robots to assisinate people!

The story is presented fantastically with a bunch of high quality anime cutscenes (on par with various OVAs) and cutscenes rendered by the games neatly crafted engine. It also helps that the world and the characters that inhabbit it are designed to look really awesome.
http://media.animevice.com/uploads/0/4/134228-danball3_super.jpg

Event fight with the boss of the first chapter (coupled with event sequenced mid-battle):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r28MSwtePSk

Me myself have only played 6-8 hours in, and I must say that, so far it definitely holds true to what you have come to expect from Level 5.
The game has recieved a lot of positive feedback both in Japan and from people who have important it (outselling even Ocarina of Time on the 3DS on its first week), praising its high production values, its robot costumizing features, and fun and varied fighting system.

The game is really one of the best, most polished and immersive PSP games I have ever seen on the platform. Thanks to all of the care the creators put into the game, it really feels like a console game rather than a Portable game. Rarely do you see such a well crafted game.

http://www.mechadamashii.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/danball_pv_new1.jpghttp://www.andriasang.com/blog/2011/02/13/lbx_delay/2132389117.jpg

It's one of those games where a moment comes up where you just tell yourself "this game needs to be in English!"

Finally, here's some trailers for the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6swVMPmxS14&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cily3eQ7tg&feature=related

Please somebody, just localize this game! This is THE PSP game.

[marco]

I was really hoping Level-5 would localize the game and that maybe they'd have their offices here doing some work on stuff, but it'd be awesome if Xseed could pick up the game. It does look fantastic.

[Takao]

Not to be rude to XSEED or anything, but they're not a publisher suitable enough for this game. To succeed it would need the anime on TV, and a massive marketing push. Too things XSEED can't provide.

XSEED is more appropriate for a Medabots DS, or 3DS localization than this.

[Alkaiser]

XSEED is more appropriate for a Medabots DS, or 3DS localization than this.
A little biased, aren't we?

[Wyrdwad]

Too things XSEED can't provide.

We can, it would just be very risky to do so. We'd have to be absolutely certain of success to sink the kind of money we'd need into localizing a game and anime and giving them high-end marketing, because that kind of thing that could completely break the bank and kill us off if it failed.

We've been known to take risks in the past, though, and I'm sure we'll take risks again in the future... so you never know!

-Tom

[Takao]

A little biased, aren't we?

Oh I am more than a little, haha.

It's just that from a licensing factor I view these two as this:

Medabots was a franchise already introduced into the US, and had some degree of success, but not enough to continue localizations (though time did pass between iterations). The latest game (DS) became the highest selling entry in years at over 100k. It has no anime tie-ins, and while there are manga, toys, and card games, they do not need to be released here.

Cardboard Senki just became a franchise, and is from a very reputable, and expensive publisher. So expensive that prior to White Knight Chronicles 2, every game they made was published in the west by either Nintendo, or Sony. It has extensive media-tie ins, and unlike Medabots, part of it is integral to the brand. It also has a considerably higher budget than the Medabots games, with production values to show for it.

This means the licensing fee for Cardboard Senki likely would be pretty high compared to Medabots DS/3D. Which makes sense, as in Japan MDS' entire life of sales were overtaken by one week of Senki's. It would require a massive risk for someone of XSEED's size to take on the game, and despite what Tom said, given the Falcom plate they've been served, the PSP's software market in the US, and the landscape for anime on TV it's very difficult to see them bringing it over.

Does this mean the game has no chance at coming over to the West? Not at all. I'd say the game's pretty amazingly marketable because of the trouble Level-5 went through with media tie-ins. I just don't necessarily see a publisher of XSEED's size, or a platform such as the PSP being the one to sail this ship to the West. SCEA, or Level-5 USA? Certainly possible, though I'd be wondering if they'd still want to publish PSP titles (given the platform's almost no-show status at E3).

[Alkaiser]

Cardboard Senki just became a franchise, and is from a very reputable, and expensive publisher.
I dunno. When I read this statement, I get the impression that you're assuming that Cardboard Battlefield only "became" a franchise after the game came out, when the original plan was a simultaneous three-pronged assault on the wallet to begin with, which was only delayed by the game's own delays. "What do you mean, 'three-pronged'?" you're probably asking yourself. In which case, I bring up the one thing that never crossed your mind:

Bandai's LBX model kits. The cheap $10-$15 kits that you can even play a game with.

If I read that wrong, I apologize. I've been sperging out over on another form due to some guy rubbing me the wrong way, causing me to unlock my Inner Idiot.

[marco]

Cardboard Senki just became a franchise, and is from a very reputable, and expensive publisher. So expensive that prior to White Knight Chronicles 2, every game they made was published in the west by either Nintendo, or Sony.
I'm not entirely sure about where you were going with this, but technically, most (or all?) of those games published/localized here by Sony were also published by Sony in Japan (and they're listed in the development, but I don't know how much they did, if much).

On the otherhand, Level-5 hasn't opened an office here yet and Prof. Layton was a big success as it was, so NoA and NoE taking care of it wasn't a surprise.

But Medabots is kind of where Danball Senki is to me. Not many people remember Medabots (except for fandom), and by this point, Danball Senki's fandom pretty much mirrors Medabots in a way (different times, availability of anime w/the internet, etc.). But there's plenty of people looking forward to both games as it is, but Danball Senki is the newer game and thus has more hype right now. (From what I see anyway.)

I personally figured that Level-5 USA might try to publish it themselves, but they've yet to publish anything (and we don't know how good or bad their localization might be).

[Takao]

I dunno. When I read this statement, I get the impression that you're assuming that Cardboard Battlefield only "became" a franchise after the game came out, when the original plan was a simultaneous three-pronged assault on the wallet to begin with, which was only delayed by the game's own delays. "What do you mean, 'three-pronged'?" you're probably asking yourself. In which case, I bring up the one thing that never crossed your mind:

Bandai's LBX model kits. The cheap $10-$15 kits that you can even play a game with.

If I read that wrong, I apologize. I've been sperging out over on another form due to some guy rubbing me the wrong way, causing me to unlock my Inner Idiot.

I mention in the post that the series is a media franchise, and that does indeed include the model kits (which of course one is included if you purchase the video game). It's just that all of theses things - the anime, and the model kits were all things that appeared after the game's announcement, and thus could be seen as marketing tools for the game. I know as much, because Medabots did the exact same thing (well, except Medabots had its anime based on the second video game).

[Takao]

http://i.imgur.com/gIMjs.png

On Level-5 USA's Facebook page, there is currently a poll (https://www.facebook.com/LEVEL5IA) up to see how many people are excited in their Japan-only games. Obviously a lot of excitement would help towards getting said game localized.

[recording]

Just voted. Shame the game is so low on the poll, but atleast they filed a trademark for the USA (although that didn't help Last Ranker at all).

[Megamixer]

Shame their only means of communication with fans is social nonsense. Do they have an english e-mail addy setup?


The game is an Action RPG which focus lies on creating your own tiny fighting robots and fighting other robot raisers.

Sounds like Angelic Layer for boys :p

[Takao]

Seems that poll meant nothing, as it has been confirmed that the anime (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-08-01/little-battlers-experience/danbo-senki-anime-offered-in-u.s) will be heading to the US, and with it I imagine the game will closely follow.