We love Atlus Software, the darling publishers of cult favorites like Etrian Odyssey and Odin Sphere in North America. The company recently announced that they will be bringing a localization of Irem’s R-Type Tactics to US shores, under the inspiring new moniker R-Type Command.

Like a number of other PSP titles, this game takes the established space shooter genre in an entirely new direction, veering into turn-based strategy for the first time. On one hand, this is somewhat of a disappointment given the relative lack of solid space SHMUPS on the PSP. On the other hand, no-one can accuse Irem of releasing an uninspired or unoriginal game, since Command has been designed from the bottom up to fit the particular strengths of the PSP platform. Early reviews from Japan suggest that the company has been more or less successful at making this transition from action to strategy gameplay. The notoriousy hard-to-please Famitsu Magazine rated R-type Tactics a solid 31/40 when they reviewed the game back in September.

If you are intrigued by the tactical gameplay challenges of R-type Command, you have nothing to lose by downloading the free demo of the game, which was released today on the Playstation Store. You can grab a copy of the demo, weighing in at 119 MB HERE.

According to the latest issue of Nintendo Power (May 2008, Volume 228), a direct sequel to the hit Trauma Center: Under the Knife is on its way to the Nintendo DS. Improved gameplay mechanics, surgical tools, and the return of Derek Stiles and Angie Thompson are present. New characters with some old ones combine for a brand new story, focusing on the aftermath of the deadly GUILT virus from the first TC title. Also, as with the newest installments of the franchise, an Easy difficulty setting will be offered for easy accessibility. Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 is set to release sometime this summer.

The first Trauma Center title for the DS was released in late 2005, and offered a fantastic mix of adventure-style story progression and intense, challenging gameplay as you operated patients suffering from various diseases. An expanded port was released for the Wii around the system’s launch, and a new adventure subtitled New Blood was released last year for the Wii as well. DS fans have reason to rejoice once again, with a much anticipated sequel that brings back the doctor’s touch to the franchise. Keep checking back for more info as it becomes available.

Thanks: [NeoGAF]

As our loyal readers know, every month here at PVG we keep a running list of the most promising upcoming games on both the PSP and DS. For the first time this month, the unexpected happened: there are absolutely no upcoming games worth getting excited about for the PSP in April. For the record, fanatical PSP owners in North America have a poker sim and a somewhat promising arcade compilation from SNK to look forward to this month (but nothing else!). Granted, the release of blockbuster games God of War and Final Fantasy: Crisis Core last month may help to explain the drought, as publishers are unwilling to go up against — or fall under the shadow of — those two monolithic franchises. However, looking down the pipeline, there are a few potential surprises, but otherwise very little to get genuinely excited about. So, what does this current situation mean? Are we simply in the midst of mid-life doldrums, or does this actually signify the beginning of the end for Sony’s impressive handheld? Instead of the usual rundown of hotly-anticipated games, we have compiled a list of signs that we may be entering the twilight years of the PSP’s existence.

A lack of highly-anticipated games

What PSP games are you most looking forward to as we slowly approach the 2008 holiday season? If you find yourself scratching your head with difficulty trying to come up with a single title, you can understand why this is worrying. Some of our favorite games around the office happen to be the kind of under-appreciated gems that continue to populate the PSP catalogue, so there will be plenty of titles for us to play (and review) this coming year. However, it is less certain whether Joe gamer is as excited as we are about upcoming cult hits like R-Type Command from Atlus, or Atari’s quirky ninja platformer, N+.

Murmurs of a hardware revision/update

There have been unsubstantiated but steady rumors that Sony is considering the release of a new hardware revision, a Sony-Ericsson branded gaming phone, or an entirely brand new handheld. We are not sure what improvements Sony might make in order to breathe new life into the current PSP platform (it already has GPS, for goodness sake) but certainly the prospect of a PSP 2 might make developers reluctant to pour resources into a costly PSP title. If Sony has something new in the works that they are not telling us about, it would help to explain the reaction of developers such as Ready at Dawn, who recently stated that they will not be working on another PSP game any time soon.

Touching is good

Nintendo has a winner on its hands with the DS, and their handheld has handily won in every possible category during the current round of portable console wars. That said, Nintendo’s success in no way diminishes the very real gains made by Sony in the handheld gaming market, which have been significant (it is estimated that Sony has sold 32 million PSP systems worldwide, to Nintendo’s 68 million). With the addition of a third contender, Apple, the field is now dominated by machines that make touch input the primary interface for playing games. That means that important third-party developers are more likely to invest in touch-screen gameplay mechanics for future titles, leaving Sony’s current console out in the cold as we move toward a touchy-feely world.

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*sniff* Ahh, spring is in the air. When was the last time you saw beautiful green flowers like these? Anyway, April is just around the corner, blossoming flowers and allergens aplenty. Not so much on the DS, though; there are only a handful of titles to keep an eye out for during this month. We have a weird platformer, a promising RTS, an expanded dungeon crawler and a very unique RPG. Let’s take a deeper look at these titles, shipping for the Nintendo DS throughout April 2008:

Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys! – April 15: Zombies have taken over the world as, um, ‘space thingys’ invade the planet; it’s up to a trio of undead teens to save the Earth. Using each character’s unique abilities, you will explore various town locations to exterminate the invaders. Interestingly enough, comic-style cut-scenes depict the progress of the story and use the ‘book-style’ sideways DS position to do so.

Rondo of Swords – April 15: This real-time strategy title aims to revolutionize the genre. Although it retains typical features of similar titles, such as character classes, leveling up and attack / defend weapon equipment, the way you combat enemies is clever and sounds promising. Instead of attacking one character at a time as it’s usually done, you must trace a path for each character to go through, damaging multiple enemies at once. You also have to consider the location of your party members; if they all cluster together, opponents can charge through your party with ease. No multiplayer aspects here, but a decent story and a unique battle system have us hyped.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time / Darkness – April 20: The first Mystery Dungeon title featuring the many critters of Pokémon was a nice spin-off for the series. This time around, both versions are available on the DS, each with a small amount of exclusive Pocket Monsters. Wi-Fi Connection is introduced and allows for friends to rescue each other with ease, as well as having the ability to send and receive messages. Of course, more Pokémon are introduced, mostly from the latest versions Diamond and Pearl, and there’s a bit more emphasis on story on this sequel. Pre-order either title at participating stores and receive a neat collector’s guide with more info on the game.

The World Ends With You – April 22: This title is as unique as it gets. Formerly known as It’s a Wonderful World, this urban-themed RPG features side-scrolling, 2D missions with real-time combat. Fashion plays a big role in fights; your stats and skills vary depending on what clothes and accessories you wear. You can also collect pins and use them in pog-like battles, even over Wi-Fi. During combat, you will control two characters, one per screen, using both the stylus and either the D-pad or the system’s face buttons. Developed by Square-Enix, this title could very well be the big hit for the month.

An Internet-sleuthing PSP fanboy has found evidence of a possible upcoming revision to the PSP, however we don’t know much about Sony’s plans to update their handheld hardware at the current time. In fact, there is some speculation that the “discovery” of the PSP 3000 label in an online user manual represents nothing more than a miscommunication between Sony and a third-party web developer. So far, the only scrap of evidence, is a tiny GIF image found buried within Sony’s online technical documentation. Nevertheless, the potential existence - no matter how unlikely - of a new PSP revision, has us quite intrigued.

We have already outlined some of our own ideas about improvements we would like to see in a future PSP model, but we are curious to hear what our readers think. Is it too soon to consider yet another PSP revision?

Sonic RPG will evidently look like 3D Blast “done right”.

This month’s EGM has hit shelves and it contains some nuggets of definite interest to fans who have been following the development of Sonic RPG on the DS. Bioware has been relatively hush about the details of their innovative take on the franchise, but the well-connected journalists at Electronic Gaming Monthly were able to dig up some dirt on this mysterious title.

Firstly, the game will reportedly feature a turn-based, random combat system similar to Super Mario RPG (something that we consider to be a good thing). Secondly and predictably, there will be allocatable skill points, similar to many other Western RPG franchises. So far, there is no word on what the available skills will be, or whether certain ones will be necessary to complete the main story. On that note, the developers also revealed that they will be focusing on one central, linear narrative for the game (no branching plotlines or multiple endings in this game). On the other hand, the magazine cited a Mass Effect -like branching dialogue and “mood system”, which promises to add some complexity to the experience. Finally, EGM reports that the title will feature graphics similar to the 1996 Sega Saturn title, Sonic 3D Blast.

All in all, we are excited by these new tidbits of information. At the very least, we know that Bioware is taking this project seriously, and they are definitely keeping the level of complexity fairly high, something that many people were concerned about when this game was initially released.

European publisher Black Bean today announced the development of Evolution GT for the Nintendo DS. This new (presumably) 3D racing game is set to hit store shelves in North America on June 26th 2008. If nothing else, this looks like yet another nostalgic ride for racing fans.

Evolution GT will feature five different modes; Quick Race, Time Attack, Career, Championship, and a local multiplayer option (for single-card download play). In addition to this, expect a roster of licensed cars like the Corvette and Mercedes-Benz, and tracks from all around the world, including the likes of London, Berlin, and much more. Evolution GT is promising a bold, fast, fun-filled new racing title on the go for racing fans. If you’re looking for a rush this summer, Evolution GT looks like the way to go.

PVG will bring you more updates on this thrilling new racing game for the Nintendo DS as it nears its June 26th release date. Until then, continue to check back for more portable news and reviews courtesy of our top notch staff.

So you’ve purchased the many Final Fantasy titles on the DS already, and you’re still not content? Well, maybe this will help fill in that gap. Square-Enix recently announced that Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift will hit North American store shelves on June 24th… just in time for summer vacation.

Grimoire of the Rift is a direct sequel to 2003’s Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GameboyAdvance. The star of this game, however, is Luso Clemens, who like the previous hero winds up in a whirlwind adventure thanks to his peaked curiosity after finding a dusty old book (gee, how intriguing). Alas, you’ll find yourself in the world of Ivalice, putting your strategic skills to the test in this tactical grid-based adventure. Grimoire of the Rift features 400 new quests, and an all-new stylus feature for North America that allows you to control the game with touch input. With similar (but heavily refined) gameplay mechanics from the past game and colorful enhanced graphics, you’ll find a lot to enjoy with this game come June.

Stay tuned for more news and previews for Final Fantasy Tactics A2 courtesy of PVG as its June 24th release date approaches. Until then, look forward to our upcoming reviews of the latest in the Final Fantasy universe, including Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Ring of Fates and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.

It’s time to continue our journey through the GBA’s Best, a list of the 30 best Game Boy Advance titles, many of which offer great single-player quests for DS owners. In the first part of the series we checked out a few stellar franchises including Zelda, Castlevania, and Golden Sun, as well as the overlooked yet surprisingly good Drill Dozer, among others. We have a bunch of series and individual titles to go through still, so come along as we check titles 16-30 on our list!

Fire Emblem Series: The intricate stories and deep tactical gameplay of Fire Emblem brought two GBA installments. The first, called simply Fire Emblem, was the first FE title to be released outside of Japan and was designed with newcomers in mind, offering intuitive introductory levels. The second GBA title for the series, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones offers some unique gameplay elements to the franchise and is not related to other FE games in terms of story or location. This is a great strategy franchise for the GBA, alongside Advance Wars. Speaking of which…

Advance Wars Series: There are two AW games for the Nintendo DS…and two initial ones for the GBA as well. Advance Wars and its sequel, Black Hole Rising, were developed by Intelligent Systems, the team behind the Fire Emblem titles mentioned above. This being the case, both series share a few similarities, although some changes make them unique. In Advance Wars, for example, players control multiple army units instead of specific characters, and the missions are clear; either destroy all the opposing units or capture the enemy headquarters. Like in FE, this series features a ‘rock-paper-scissors’-like battle system, with multiple units and primary / secondary weapons for each. These two titles offer a ton of value and are great single player recommendations for GBA and DS players alike.

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In a welcome announcement, developers Vicarious Visions today publicly revealed that they are indeed working on a handheld version of the uber-popular Guitar Hero franchise for the Nintendo DS. We already knew that such a thing was in the works, yet we had no official word on gameplay or touch screen use. Surprisingly, the company has gone a step further, and will be including a wicked hardware add-on with fret buttons that they are calling the “Guitar Grip” (check out a prototype shot below the jump). The game will be played in portrait orientation, with the DS on its side like that electonic book from Inspector Gadget (this is also the control scheme favored by the Ninja Gaiden devs).

In an exclusive interview with IGN, company president Karthik Bala said that Vicarious Visions has put a lot of thought into the development of this handheld title:

“We began prototyping ideas for Guitar Hero on DS in early 2007. We quite frankly didn’t know whether it would be possible to bring the core essence of the franchise to handheld and have it actually work. It was 20-something gameplay prototypes that were built, all trying different mechanics and uses of the hardware. Some were pretty cool, others were total disasters!”

Perhaps the most impartant news to come out of the interview for fans of the game is that the DS version will keep both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes intact. These will both use local wireless connection and allow two players to connect in the same room. There is no official tracklist yet, but the company says that we can expect about 20 songs in total when the game ships “later this year”.

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