Tokyo Game Show 2011 - Day 1

PALGN Feature | The first day, direct from the show floor.

Japan in September is a hot place. No, literally, the humidity is a real killer in summer. While the locals may have been telling us that the current temperatures were unusually high for this time of year, there was no cooling down the atmosphere at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. The premier gaming show piece from the land of the Rising Sun is a fascinating blend of unique culture and relentless efficiency, as everything runs like clockwork and you’re treated to some wonderful sights and sounds. E3 is probably bigger, Gamescom had more announcements, but for exotic gaming flavour, not much can top TGS.

Here are some of the experiences from the first day of the show from 2011.

Despite some minor difficulties and confusion regarding entry into the hall, Japanese efficiency got things processed quickly and quietly, and all was well. The first section upon entry was dedicated to smaller companies involved with gaming, mobile games and gaming projects from Japanese universities. Development may be a tough gig anywhere in the world, but it’s clear that these guys have many more options when it comes to practical learning in the field. While there were some really good efforts on show, no one really had the vibe of creating the next Portal, as many took safe and established genres and options.

The entrance is inbound.

While browsing this section, I met an Australian lady who had setup shop in Japan, creating a company called ‘Dag Music’ specialising in providing voiceovers and music for games in Japan. And the CV was pretty impressive, topped off with work on Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, where she sung the final song. Following this, the next available stand was for mobile games. I played some horror title that required you to find medallions and avoid the Ring-like ghosts in the allotted time limit. It was genuinely freaky.

Ah, time to come home!

First up from the bigger publishers was EA, whose games are published and distributed in Japan by Sega. Believe it or not, Shadows of the Damned actually hadn’t been released in Japan yet, so it took up a huge space at the EA booth. Along with a Paula or two. Aside from SotD, we got to check out the rest of EA’s showing behind closed doors, including Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3 and FIFA 12, which we’ll detail in a future article.

Can I play?

On the way back from EA’s room, the first major stand was for Square Enix. The first title I checked out was Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 3: The Great Pirate Ship and Tails Troupe for 3DS (part of the Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime series), which had some cute ideas and was easy to play, despite being in Japanese. The top-down perspective didn’t really make for compelling 3D viewing though. Next up was Kingdom Hearts 3DS: Dream Drop Distance, which just like the title, didn’t make sense and was pretty much the same as most of the previous titles, but in 3D. And your team consisted of a Piñata and a giant yellow Panda… It made good use of the graphical fidelity of the 3DS, but the 3D had a very narrow angle of viewing.

Still don't know that it's about?

Last up, I got to have a go at Bravely Default: Flying Fairy… And again no, the title still doesn’t make any sense. While there wasn’t much to ‘play’ in the demo, it did showcase some interesting use of the VR capabilities of the 3DS. After scanning a particular icon, a girl appeared on the screen and proceeded with what seemed an overly dramatic monologue. However, to keep up with her, you had to move to 3DS to see her properly. That, and of all the titles at the show, this game had the more accomplished aesthetic use of 3D. Other titles at the Square Enix booth includedFinal Fantasy XIII-2, which had some very long queues, as well as a host of Western titles such as Skyrim, Rage and Assassin’s Creed Revelations.

What could this be?

The Tecmo booth wasn’t anything particularly impressive, what with titles like Dynasty Warriors and GI Jockey. There was one title that stood out though: Ninja Gaiden 3. The accompanying trailer outside of the hands on area showed off an interesting sidestep in direction, where your enemies are mainly humans now, and the developers have taken out the dismemberment to make sure the game actually gets a release. A core concept yet to be fully revealed revolves around the consequences of killing these humans. Unfortunately, the game was essentially the same demo from E3, though maybe with a little more polish.

This wasn't at E3...

Following an interview with the major development cast of Sonic Generations and some hands on time with the PS3 and 3DS versions of the game, it was time to check out the rest of the Sega booth. The first title there was… Puyo Puyo! 20th Anniversary, which I checked out mainly because the girl that beckoned me to come in and see it was actually cute and kind enough to fan me while I waited. Now that’s service! Following this, I saw Anarchy Reigns. Being the unique title that it is, the complicated controls weren’t easy to figure out… especially since the instructions were in Japanese. I started off pretty well, but proceeded to get my back side handed to me once the other players found out how to play and my button mashing luck failed. Finally, there was some time to see Shinobi 3D, which looks to rekindle the popular ninja in his original side scrolling ways. The game was tough, with an unforgiving combo system and the need to be quick and acrobatic. While everything worked well and kept you on edge, it seemed that the movement controls felt a little slow and sluggish.

Highlight of the Sega booth.

There was very little time left in the day after this, but I managed to squeeze in 15 minutes of Ico. It looked like there had been a fair bit of polish since the last showing at E3 and it was definitely ready for release. Uncharted 3 was on show too, but only the multiplayer was being showcased. At closing time, one of the most amazing sites was witnessed. At each booth, all the booth babes came out and bowed to thank everyone for coming out on that day. And when you saw the extensive line ups from some of the bigger stands such as Sony and Sega, it was quite the sight.