Treasure Hunter – The Holiday Season Approaches. Command? (Part 2 of 2)
The prelude to the holiday season continues with the final video game and anime releases for the month of September. If you missed part one of this month’s Treasure Hunter it can be found right here.
Solatorobo: Red the Hunter is the latest RPG to be released by Xseed Games. This charming game is the spiritual successor to the 1999 release of Tail Concerto. Many fans feared the game wouldn’t be released outside of Japan. Solatorobo was then announced for a summer release in Europe by Nintendo of Europe. Just as North American fans geared up to import the game Xseed announced it would release this niche title. Hopefully you pre-ordered your copy of the game as it was released on Tuesday. All first run copies of the game will release with a bonus soundtrack CD at no extra charge. Expect to drop $35 dollars on this unique RPG.
Atelier Totori: The Adventure of Arland is the latest game in the Atelier series. This gorgeous niche RPG was developed and published by Gust in Japan. NIS America is publishing the game in North America. As usual with NISA expect a number of goodies to be included with your purchase. The bundled version of the game costs $60 dollars or ten dollars more than the standard edition of the game. For the extra money you’ll receive a special box, a 30-page softcover artbook and the game’s soundtrack. If you order the game directly from NISA a double-sided 18 by 24 inch poster will also be included with the game at no extra charge. Unfortunately the game’s release date has been pushed back to September 30th due to supply problems on the publisher’s end. GameStop’s website has been updated with the new release date while Amazon.com still lists the 28th.
If RPGs aren’t your thing and you prefer hunting wild animals Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2012 has you covered. For $60 dollars or $30 more than the standard edition of the game you’ll receive the Top Shot Elite and stickers. The prices only refer to the Wii version, if you prefer to game on the 360 or PS3 the Top Shot Elite will cost you $80 while the standard version costs $40. I can’t imagine too many self-respecting gamers opting to pay double the price for a plastic rifle but I’m sure someone will buy it. Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2012 was released on September 27th.
If you’re a fan of driving games you probably already had your eye on Driver: San Francisco. This action driving game has one of the weirdest plots I’ve ever heard of outside of a niche Japanese game. In this Ubisoft developed and published game you take control of John Tanner, a San Francisco cop. At the start of the game he’s involved in a crash that leaves him in a coma. While in a coma he’s able to roam the city as a “ghost.” Using his powers you possess and take control of other drivers in order to take down the city’s notorious crime lord, Charles Jericho. If you pre-ordered this game from GameStop this ordinary travel mug was included with your game as a bonus. The game was released on the 27th and the bonus is no longer being offered. If you didn’t pre-order this game you’re probably not missing much– unless you were in serious need of a travel mug. If you’re interested in Driver: San Francisco the game is reasonably priced at $40 dollars.
Normally when I seek out video games with included bonuses sports games rarely make the cut. Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 bucks the trend with the inclusion of these penalty cards. I’ll freely admit I’m not a fan of soccer but these cards don’t seem very interesting. Perhaps if the cards weren’t designed with a giant hand holding them they’d be a little more stylish. If you pre-ordered your game from GameStop before September 27th the PES 2012 branded cards were included as a bonus. This latest iteration of Pro Evolution Soccer was released on September 27th and will cost you $60 dollars.
Last month I made mention of Aniplex of America’s planned release of the Rurouni Kenshin movie and OVAs on blu-ray. On September 21st Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection made its way out to various online retailers. Included with the blu-ray is a deluxe booklet from the original Japanese version and an English translation for the booklet. The booklet itself appears to be quite nice and should please collectors. This deluxe release isn’t cheap and has a MSRP of $70 dollars. Fortunately Rightstuf is currently selling Reflection for a more reasonable price of $55 dollars. Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal was released on August 24th (there wasn’t a Treasure Hunter for that month). The release also saw a collector’s booklet along with an English translation. Trust & Betrayal has an MSRP of $82 dollars and Rightstuf is currently selling it for $65. Collecting import blu-ray releases from Japan certainly isn’t a cheap hobby.
October brings us closer to the holiday season and looks to be even more crowded than Septembe
r when it comes to games and swag. Hopefully you’ve begun saving up for those big holiday releases.
About The Author
Angela
Executive Editor | Angela has had an addiction to video games and cartoons since she was young and impressionable. She enjoys writing long articles about these subjects and whatever else catches her eye. Mastodon