Now I know many of you have been to shows such as PAX, The Old E3, E for All, or something smaller or more regional. TGS is much bigger. So with camera in hand, I tried to share with you the scope of TGS 08, as well as to show you what we had at our booth.

Tokyo Game Show *is* open to the public, and the 2009 edition will take place in September. Start saving your Yen now.

The next day, he introduced Patapon 2 Don Chaka (Japanese title) to the media at Tokyo Game Show. I transcribed the event, which should answer even more questions you may have about the game.

Kotani: We received a lot of requests after the first one, which shaped Patapon 2

• More customization
• Want to create original Patapons
• Want to play Patapon Longer
• Want to enjoy Patapon with friends.

The game takes place on an unknown island after the first game. There, the Patapon are blocked by the Karmen, a mysterious masked clan, blocking the Patapon’s path to the true Earthend. That’s where you come in.

Early on, you’ll encounter a lost Patapon, who is the Hero Patapon. The Hero Patapon features in both single player campaign and multiplayer.

In ad-hoc MP, the missions involve Magical Eggs

Kotani-san brings 3 players up to help, including Andrew Yoon of PS3 Fanboy and Dale North of Destructoid. One controls the new wizard class of Patapon (Mahopon), another takes control of the bird rider (Toripon), another new Patapon class.

The goal of the mission played is to carry an egg to the goal, where the egg can hatch and reveal a mask, which can then be used in the single player campaign. The 4 players cooperatively battle a giant bird boss equipped with a lethal, um, gas attack. When they get into Fever mode, meteors rain from the sky in attack.

Once the players get into the rhythm, they are able to take down the avian monster using Attack, Withdraw, and March commands. The players are then launched a rhythm game (similar to the “make it rain” miracle in the original Patapon), only longer and more complex. At the end, the egg hatches, and they receive a mask, which is equippable in the single player mode.

Kotani-san runs through some comparisons with the original game (basically, significantly more levels, items, Rarepon varieties, classes, and more in the sequel). He also reveals a Game Sharing mode, where 4 players can play missions with a single Patapon 2 UMD.

All of the new features were added due to player feedback, and Patapon 2 is more accessible than the original. He finishes up by saying that he designed Patapon 2 with “the idea of players smiling in enjoyment” as they play.

We’ll continue to bring you Patapon 2 news as we get closer to release, which will be 2009 in North America.

Kentaro Motomura, Producer of White Knight Chronicles, first runs down some key points – Level-5 created this RPG especially for the PLAYSTATION 3, with a key differentiating element of a transforming hero. They’re trying to do something new with this mechanic. You can play solo, or in a group of up to 4 online (more on that later).

Motomura-san gives a quick rundown of the story and then plays a trailer detailing these scenes: During the princess of Balandor’s coming of age ceremony, a group known as the “Wizard” raids the kingdom looking for the power of “Knight.”

A young man named Leonard escapes into a cellar and finds a mysterious set of armor, which transforms him into the White Knight, and he defeates the Wizard’s enormous monster. However, the princess was kidnapped during the battle. Leonard sets off with his newfound power to find the kidnapped princess.

The trailer also reveals a number of other characters, huge beastly monsters, even larger armored creatures, and Leonard’s transformation into the titular White Knight (who is clearly a bad ass). The trailer concludes with a bat-winged airship flapping off into the stratosphere.

Motomura-san now describes the concept of the world – an authentic fantasy world created on an enormous scale. One of the characteristics is that there are lot of enormous creatures in the game, such as a monster so large, it has a town on its back.

Next, character transformation designs are shown – the White Knight, the Black Knight, and the Dragon Knight, which has a pair of wings. All are huge (7 meters high).

More details on who these powerful characters are *before* they transform: Leonard is a young man who works for a wine merchant before being drawn into the events detailed above. Cisna is the aforementioned princess. Yulie and Eldore provide support to Leonard. Yulie is a childhood friend of Leonard, while Eldore is a mysterious warrior lending advice to Leonard.

There are many more major foes shown as well.

OK, now what you were really pining for: the Battle System. Players can freely register commands into the “function palettes”. You can create and name your own combos to be used in an active-time battle using simple controls. Many, many combinations are possible.

Motomura-san talks more about the Knights for which the game is named. Sometimes you (and your friends) are going to come face-to-face with incredibly large enemies, impervious to most of your attacks. But you’ll likely want to transform into one of the huge Knight characters. But it’s possible to fight successfully with a mix of small and transformed warriors.

There will be significant character customization in WKC as well. The created avatar will take part in the epic story Leonard’s companion

Online vs offline mode: When offline, Leonard is the main character and plays through the story. When online, up to 4 players cooperate to battle as their created character. A video demonstrates a number of characters traveling together through the countryside, the customization options. Male and female characters are shown, with vastly different looks. The type of character (warrior, magic user, etc) is customizable as well. Players can invite others from within the game, and another joins.

The group is then shown taking on a huge troll with a giant club. More areas are then shown, countryside, towns and castles, and other vistas and landscapes.

Now Motomura-san explains the fusion of offline and online modes. Players share money, items, and levels that are earned in one mode into the other. Motomura-san mentions that there are many more new elements to this that will be revealed later.

During the Q&A, Motomura-san assures “a huge number” of online quests, and reiterates that it’s different from the offline “story” mode. It’s basically 2 RPGs in one title.

Shirokishi hits Japan on Christmas Day. There’s not yet a set release date for North America or Europe, but you can be sure we’ll announce that information on the PlayStation.Blog when it happens. Look for more on White Knight Chronicles throughout TGS – we’ll be sure to link out to the best coverage. In the meantime, we’ve got lots of screens here.

In a few hours I’ll be at Sony HQ, where we’ll lift the lid on sequels to PSP hits LocoRoco and Patapon. Both of these 2D games were striking in their originality, music, and art style. The sequels are sure to build on the concepts that made these games popular in the first place, but I ask you:

What do you want to know about Patapon 2 and/or LocoRoco 2?

I’ll ask the best questions to the games’ developers later today (or is that tomorrow?), and report back with answers soon. Also, I’ll be asking for more of what you’d like me to show you once Tokyo Game Show kicks off in earnest Thursday – so please keep questions to these two games for now!