Made In Japan

One of the longest and most persistent lines at E3 was for the grab-box display Working Designs featured in their booth. What was everyone grabbing for, you say? Well, those Goemon dolls were all the rage. Who is Goemon, you say? Just the coolest 3D Action game to come out of Japan in a long time. We got some playtime with the game and it reminded us somewhat of 'MegaMan Legends,' but with a setting in medieval Japan that makes for more of a 'Tenchu' or 'Way of the Samurai' feeling. Not only does the spunky Mystical Ninja Goemon carry what looks like a big pipe (take that any way you'd like) but he's also partnered with a white tiger that acts as a fighting ally. If you haven't heard of the franchise, which has been enjoyed ageless popularity in Japan, it came from Konami and we all know good things come from Konami. A great dose of humor seems to infuse the game on all levels, and Working Designs never fails to work wonders in translating cultural particulars over to an American audience and amplifying the things that made a game great overseas. So, especially for fans of this style and those who may have enjoyed Goemon through the import market, get ready to thank Working Designs yet again.

The other WD game showcased at E3 was Growlanser II and Growlanser III for PlayStation 2. What happened to Growlanser, you say? Well, that's an interesting question and we don't have the answer, but all of these games have been released on the Japanese market to much acclaim. Deep RPGs, as you might expect from Working Designs, the two games have close to 100 hours of gameplay in a genre roughly defined as Strategy/RPG, set in fantasy landscape with plenty of swords and sorcery. One very appealing thing to Anime fans is that these games include the work from 'Plastic Little' of Satoshi Urishihara, which should make for some very appealing ladies. Although we didn't have as much time with these games as Goemon they look very nice and will be sold separately sometime in the near future on a shelf near you.