Today, I am excited to talk about Cladun: This is an RPG!… like we have to make sure you know it is an RPG… Hahaha! Anyway, as the subtitle states, it is an RPG, and it is also a classic dungeon crawler game.

There are nine characters, and each one of them can be played as a main character. Cladun’s key gameplay focus is team-work. Or, in other words, the Magic Circle. Let’s take a look at the Magic Circle here…

For this Magic Circle, the character in the center is the main character, Pudding. In a dungeon, you will see only Pudding whacking and slashing enemies, but actually you have all the other characters protecting you and fighting with you. There are more than 10 Magic Circles for each character. Each Magic Circle has different strengths and weaknesses, so depending on what kind of dungeon you are about to go in, you will want to take a moment and see which Magic Circle you should be using. Oh! So you see all these gemstones on the Magic Circle, right? These gemstones have specific attributes, for example, “DEF +3,” “ATK +5,” “SP +25” and so on. Each Magic Circle has different slots for those gemstones, so you want to take a close look at what they offer as well.

Below is another example of the Magic Circle. There are tons of options and choices, so take your time and explore the infinite possibilities! Oh, I cannot forget to mention there are different classes for characters, so depending on your character class, your magic skills, attributes and growth rate will differ. Lots to consider and strategize with!

I also want to talk about dungeons in Cladun. Each dungeon is randomly generated, so even if you go back to the same dungeon, you’ll have a different map every time. So there is no “memorizing” the map! Also, each dungeon has different types of traps and enemies. For example, when you go in a dungeon with fire element traps and enemies, you might want to choose a character and Magic Circle with fire-resistance attributes on them, so you will be well prepared for it! Shall we take a look at different types of dungeons here?

Also, I want to mention that Cladun comes with a multiplayer mode using the ad-hoc WiFi feature! You can play Cladun with up to four players. So hype up your friends about Cladun, and get Cladun on 9/21 together! :-)

Another cool feature in Cladun is that you can create your own characters and play as them. If you are not so into creating new characters, no worries, you can just edit the given characters however you like to!

Prinny, dood! Yeah, we had to have him, right? Also, here is what I created. It is “Fish Man”! Please don’t ask how it is “fish”… anyway… Have fun with “Pixel Editor” to create your own!

Thank you very much for reading my post once again. It is always fun to visit you all here! I will try to respond to your comments as soon as possible! Thank you guys! Check out more about Cladun on our official Cladun website!

P.S. In the very rare case you haven’t checked out our Cladun trailer… here you go! Enjoy the craziness! :-)

Let’s cut to the chase. Here are three titles we will be releasing in Fall 2010 and Spring 2011. First of all, Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel for the PlayStation 3 will be released in Spring of 2011! Nobody saw this coming, right? ;)

Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel is the final entry in the Ar tonelico series. There will still be song magic features, but the battle system has changed drastically. It is now an action-based battle system, and there is an eye popping twist to it as well… literally. You’ll be experiencing some edgy and kinky special moves the Ar tonelico girls pull off in this game! But we’ll talk about that a little later.

The game features all new characters with a new story, so even if you are new to the Ar tonelico series, you won’t have any problems getting into it! And if you have been a fan of the series… thank you for waiting patiently for this announcement! Ar tonelico Qoga will be released in Spring of 2011. Check out some of the Japanese screenshots until we have more to show!

Let’s move on to the next announcement. We will release two Nippon Ichi Software PSP titles in fall! They are… “Cladun: This is an RPG” and “Z.H.P. : Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman”!

Cladun will be released only on PlayStation Network. It is a retro-looking dungeon crawler RPG with (almost) unlimited customization for your equipment, Magic Circle (character battle formation), character features, and even the last boss! The dungeons will randomly change all the time, so even if you re-visit a dungeon, the traps, enemies, dungeon map, and more will be different. It is a PSN-only title, but don’t underestimate its endless replay value! Check out the trailer below. Also, check back on www.nisamerica.com for the official Cladun website, which will launch around 5pm Pacific Time today!

Z.H.P. is NIS’s new strategy RPG. The ridiculously over-the-top story and characters make you feel right back in familiar NIS territory. The story goes something like this: The main character (you) is an ordinary shy young man. One day, walking on the street after getting some stuff from a convenience store, he witnesses a car accident! Oh no! The victim was the hero, the Unlosing Ranger, supposed to be at the Last Boss Battle to save the world… The hero asks the young man to take over his mission to save the world from the Last Boss, Darkdeath Evilman. Unable to refuse the hero’s last wish, the young man became the weakest, wimpiest main character ever in videogame history!!

Z.H.P. will be released this coming Fall on both PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Network! Check out the trailer to see how deep this game is!

I hope you are excited about our new titles! Lastly, I have something very exciting news for Atelier Rorona fans: We have decided to make a premium package including a hard cover art book. The game and art book will come in a premium box with Rorona artwork on it! Yay! Also, we launched the official website for Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland! Enjoy!

Thank you for reading my blog post. Hope you enjoyed it!