Ignition and Tecmo announce Nostalgia for DS
Ignition and Tecmo announced today that Nostalgia will be heading to DS in September.
Gaming veterans Keisuke Kikuchi (Fatal Frame, Tokobot), Naoki Morita (Sakura Taisen), Yoshiteru Tsujino (Far East of Eden), and Takuhito Kusanagi (Grandia, Blue Submarine No.6, Samurai 7) have all had a hand in it.
Set in an alternate-reality version of 19th-century Earth, Nostalgia casts you as Eddie who along with his motley bunch of companions travel the globe in a steampunk-inspired zeppelin.
“I knew this game had such potential when I saw Mr. Morita’s project book. It is an adventure game set in another Earth, offering an enjoyable story that involves various different cultures in many diverse locations," said producer Keisuke Kikuchi.
"The key element that brings the game together is the airship, the conveyance which fits its game system and world-view. I wanted to make this idea into a product for everyone to play.”
The game features anime-inspired art direction, many different locales to fight monsters, and large-scale airship battles.
More on the game after the break.
Glendale, CA – April 28, 2009 – Ignition Entertainment Ltd., a UTV Enterprise, a worldwide publisher and developer of videogames, and Tecmo, in conjunction with Matrix Software and Red Entertainment, invite gamers to takeoff on a nostalgic journey through time and space with Nostalgia for Nintendo DS™ - launching September 2009. Set in an alternate-reality version of 19th-century Earth, Nostalgia casts you as Eddie, a headstrong Londoner who amasses a group of memorable companions to traverse the world
in his steampunk-inspired zeppelin. As you navigate the open skies, you’ll explore mysterious foreign locales, slay all manner of fantastical enemies, complete a variety of thrilling quests, and ultimately, save the world from unfathomable evil.
Developed by Matrix Software (Dragon Quest V PS2, Final Fantasy III-IV DS), in association with Red Entertainment (Gungrave, Bonk, Thousand Arms), Nostalgia brings together a powerful think-tank of old-school Japanese RPG development talent to present a stunning new vision in gaming. Produced by
Keisuke Kikuchi (Fatal Frame, Tokobot) and directed by Naoki Morita (Sakura Taisen), with art direction by Yoshiteru Tsujino (Far East of Eden), airship design by Takuhito Kusanagi (Grandia, Blue Submarine No.6, Samurai 7), and enemy design by Keita Amemiya (Iria- Zeiram the Animation, Kamen Rider), Tecmo has amassed an all-star dream team of industry veterans to forge a brand new DS adventure that hearkens back to the classic glory days of Japanese role-playing games.
According to Nostalgia producer, Keisuke Kikuchi, “I knew this game had such potential when I saw Mr. Morita’s project book. It is an adventure game set in another Earth, offering an enjoyable story that involves various different cultures in many diverse locations. The key element that brings the game together is the airship, the conveyance which fits its game system and world-view. I wanted to make this idea into a product for everyone to play.”
“We feel deeply honored for the opportunity to bring Tecmo’s esteemed Japanese Nintendo DS role-playing game “Nostalgeo no Kaze” to an entirely new audience as Nostalgia,” said Shane Bettenhausen, New Business Development Director of Ignition Entertainment. “Amid a sea of remakes and rehashes, this endearing adventure blazes its own unique path with deeply engrossing gameplay systems, but it also hearkens back to the classic RPGs of yesteryear with its unforgettable characters and universal narrative
themes.”
Key Game Features:
• Ambitious, fully 3D polygonal graphical engine offers dramatic, sweeping camera angles and impressive vistas rarely seen in a DS title.
• Cohesive, anime-inspired art direction that effectively captures the game’s turn-of-the-century charm.
• Travel to incredibly unique, non-traditional RPG locales via airship including London, New York, Cairo, Africa, and Russia.
• Features two distinct combat engines: One is a brisk, turn-based close-quarters melee between your party members and monsters; while the other offers thrilling, large-scale airship battles. In addition, your
battle skills are scored at the conclusion of each conflict, inspiring strategic mastery.
• Handy in-game notebook feature keeps track of people, monsters, airships and items you've run across.
• Plenty of user-defined customization, allowing the player to trick out his or her airship with various weapons, armor types, and special skill attacks. The player can also choose character-specific skills from a branching tree for a more personalized experience.
• Explore a variety of diverse, engaging dungeons that include brain bending puzzles and tricky Indiana Jones-style traps.
• Optional quest system inspires players to approach the adventure from a less linear perspective, extending the life of the gameplay experience.
For more information, visit www.nostalgiads.com