New Game Releases: February 14th-20th, 2014

Earth Defense Force 2025

Information leaks are customary for the game industry. As such, it’s common to attend an E3 press conference and not encounter a single surprise. So it’s gratifying to know that at least one publisher can keep a secret, as evidenced during this week’s Nintendo Direct broadcast. After years of speculating whether any entry in the Inazuma Eleven franchise was ever coming stateside, the company shrewdly mentioned it was available for download in the eShop right now. Too bad the same type of bombshell marketing method wasn’t used to announce the release of Bayonetta 2. Instead, we wait.

PlayStation 3
Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag: Freedom Cry (PSN, $14.99)
Earth Defense Force 2025 (Also on PSN, $49.99)
Forest Legends: The Call of Love (PSN, $14.99)
Mr. Driller (PSN, PSOne Classic $5.99)
Neo Contra (PSN, PS2 Classic, $9.99)
Strider (PSN, $14.99)
Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return (PSN, PSOne Import, $9.99)

PlayStation 4
Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag: Freedom Cry (PSN, $14.99)
Rayman Legends (Also on PSN, $39.99)
Strider (PSN, $14.99)

Wii U
Super C (Virtual Console, $4.99)

Xbox 360
Earth Defense Force 2025

Xbox One
Rayman Legends (Also on XBL, $39.99)
Strider (XBL, $14.99)

3DS
AeternoBlade (eShop, $TBA)

Inazuma Eleven (eShop, $19.99)
Spot the Differences (eShop, $9.99)
Steel Diver: Sub Wars (eShop, Free-to-play)

PS Vita
Gunslugs (PSN, $2.49, 1.99 PS+)

PC
99 Levels to Hell (Steam, $TBA)
Banished (Steam, $19.99)
C-RUSH (Steam, $TBA)
Disciples 3: Reincarnation (Steam, $23.99)
Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition (Steam, $11.99)
Eschalon: Book III (Steam, $17.99)
Ikaruga (Steam, $9.99)
Journal (Steam, $8.99)
LocoCycle (Steam, $9.99)
Metal Slug 3 (Steam, $7.99)
NASCAR ’14 (Steam, $49.99)
Strider (Steam, $14.99)
The Plan (Steam, Free-to-play)

Robert’s Pick: Although sports titles such as FIFA 14 and NBA 2K14 have steadily increase the number of role-playings at their core these games are still very much athletic simulations. This week’s release of Inazuma Eleven cleverly combines soccer rules, a bevy of hyperbolic special abilities, and of course, a healthy helping of RPG elements. Originally announced, then retracted, and most recently, give a spontaneous release, the downloadable title should be appreciated by 3DS owners seeking a bit of originality.

Inazuma Eleven
Jeremy’s Pick: Of all the Kairosoft games I’ve played, something about Pocket League Story, the chibi mobile soccer simulator, worked for me more than any of the others. In fact, if the jocks and nerds of the world could only learn some empathy, they’d realize that the difference between sports and RPGs is really just the style of armor.

In any case, when Nintendo announced that soccer RPG Inazuma Eleven from Level-5 is available RIGHT NOW on the 3DS eShop, it got my attention. The game has been out for a few years in Japan and Europe, and perhaps the time is right to capture the growing North American soccer-RPG crossover market. Way to carpe that diem, guys. Joking aside, I’m genuinely interested to see how a traditional developer of hit RPGs will handle the natural marriage of sports and RPGs on a dedicated gaming platform. Also I was pretty good at Demon’s Souls, so I think I can handle the offsides rule.

Inazuma Eleven (2)
Eric’s Pick:
 Out of all of the games I played during the now-previous generation, very few could even touch the amount of time I spent with Earth Defense Force 2017. When the last achievement was unlocked and I finally put the game down, the clock read well north of two-hundred-and-ten hours. 2017 nailed the B-movie vibe of classic Japanese sci-fi cinema and Godzilla movies. The American-developed sequel, Insect Armageddon, was comparable to a made-for-TV movie on the SyFy Network. As a result, Insect Armageddon lacked the charm of 2017. Now, much to the delight of long-time fans, the Earth Defense Force series is back in the hands of its true developer, Sandlot. Earth Defense Force 2025 is the proper follow-up to the Xbox 360 and PS Vita cult-classic. In addition to new enemies and missions, 2025 sports online co-op (with split-screen plus online co-op on 360, apparently). Word out of Japan is that the PS3 version has some performance issues. Then again, would it truly be an EDF game if it ran properly?

EDF 2025

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

29 comments

  1. Waffles for Supper

    I hope Earth Defense Force 2025 gets tag-teamed by Robert and Eric. Review that is. But know those guys anything is possible. Now let me get that thought out of my mind.

    • Ask and ye shall receive. ^_^

      I might live-stream some Earth Defense Force 2025 tomorrow (Wednesday). It’s not a lock, but I have the means to and am considering it.

  2. That’s a lot of TBA this week. What’s up with that?

  3. Strider is one of those “wait for the reviews before committing remakes”.

    Any early buzz on it?

    • This gameplay tailer makes it look pretty good, but we don’t know about lengths, controls, etc. so yeah- I’m waiting for the reviews as well.

  4. Is LocoCycle as bad as most people say? I liked TwistedPixel’s other games.

  5. I’m mad I missed the sale on Metal Slug 3. Hopefully, they’ll be another.

  6. Layton's Apprentice

    I’m excited to play Inazuma Eleven and I’ll even give Steel Diver: Sub Wars a play if the IAPs aren’t too bad.

  7. Which Inazuma Eleven did Nintendo localize? Is it the latest one?

  8. “Also I was pretty good at Demon’s Souls, so I think I can handle the offsides rule.”

    ????

  9. No Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry for the Xbox?

  10. For anyone that bought 99 Levels to Hell on Desura, the developer is supplying Steam keys.

    http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/updates/92942433/1391857643

    From Bo Blond:

    “Hi everyone.
    A lot people has been asking about Steam keys.
    So to break it down, it works like this. If you have the game on Desura or have a Desura key from a bundle you can get a Free Steam Key.

    All you have to do is redeem your Desura key on Desura and go to http://www.desura.com/collection and get you your Steam key. This won’t work till the game is released, so check Steam to see if the game is available first. “

  11. Anyone else thinking that Strider will be a disappointment?

  12. Anyone who pays $10 for a “Spot the Differences” game should probably be committed.

  13. If Inazuma Eleven was just a bit cheaper, I’d bite.

  14. If Ikaruga is less then 10 Euro, its mine.

  15. Please let soccer RPG localizations be a thing now. I still want this in my life.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2WMLUR8p2Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  16. It is truly a great and helpful piece of info. I am glad that
    you shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this.
    Thank you for sharing.

    my web page: Free Psn Codes (http://Www.Youtube.Com)

  17. I have been reading out many of your posts and i must say clever stuff.
    I will surely bookmark your site.