Princess Crown was an Atlus/Sega co-production for the Sega Saturn which became famous for its high-end 2D animation and sprite detail. What you may not know is that the man behind it is Jouji Kamitani, which later formed up Vanillaware, a company devoted to 2D graphics-based games which, to our knowledge, hasn’t developed a single game in its whole history. But the wait is over, since Famitsu Magazine has just revealed a brand-new production from Nippon Ichi Software directed by Mr. Kamitani and developed by Vanillaware.

Grim Grimoire will take the form of a “mahoutsukai [magician] simulation game” for the PS2 where the player will have to assign different actions to the characters in real time using an icon menu. The combat system is indeed described as something “unique” by Famitsu itself, and will be presented in a side view not unlike Princess Crown’s, only with much more detailed 2D graphics and animation, they say. Best of all, this is not the only Vanillaware game currently in development for the PS2. 2007 will be the best year for Princess Crown fans after all this time of silence. Stay tuned.

Type-moon has announced Fate/Zero, a collaboration novel(this is where novel means a real book, not a PC game) with Nitro+. It serves as a prequel to the popular bishoujo game Fate/stay night, describing the events that happened 10 years before. The art will be done by Type-moon while the actual storyline will be written by Urobuchi Gen from Nitro+, who’s best known for writing the scenario for Saya no uta, which many fans believe to have one of the best written scenarios in the Nitro+ lineup. The novel will be released at Comic Market 71 at the Type-moon booth.

Fate/Zero was actually already hinted at in Fate/Hollow Ataraxia, where it was featured as one of the movie posters with the words “Coming Soon”.

For those that don’t live in the UK, we have a current affairs TV program by the name of Newsnight. Towards the end of some shows they have Newsnight Review, which normally consists of various culture pundits desperately trying to sound clever. Over the weekend they cast their gaze towards the release of the Wii and the PlayStation 3.

As you’d expect, the hosts are mostly dismissive but remain begrudgingly positive about gaming (to the point they actually admit having fun, quite a large step for the stuffy British media). It is amusing to see egotistical critics out of their depth though, especially on national televison.

Someone was kind enough to upload the terrifying spectacle to YouTube and I thought it worth sharing. Enjoy!

So we must accept it – if there’s a really promising title announced these days it has to be for mobile phones. It’s not actually different to getting it for a handheld, after all, and much cheaper. You’ll need a Foma 903 i for this one, though, which may well be worth it, since you don’t see a multiplayer, Valkyrie-no-Bouken-inspired game made by Cave every day. Check the official site out, it’s coming next month.

These things happen lately, you know. And Marvelous Interactive already killed Bubble Bobble, so it’s not surprising at all. Seems that if it’s for the PSP, it needs a 3D makeover. Oh well.

James from the forums linked me to this video, which shows a scene from Sonic the Hedgehog for 360, what with all the creepy realistic people in it, and some GIANT hedgehogs. Anyone who’s been following the game could guess that the following scene would take place, but it’s still horribly disappointing. It’s basically the end of childhood. You’re all adults now, and your parents don’t love you, and neither does jesus or sega.