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Level-5 announces new titles on weekend press conference

By Jonathan Leo Toyad

Highlights include "cross media" Yokai Watch, Time Travelers for PSP and PS Vita, and Layton Brothers for iOS.

During Level-5's world press conference on October 15, president Akihiro Hino announced a plethora of new titles, ranging from sequels to the soccer title Inazuma 11 for the Wii and DS, as well as new franchises. One of the new titles is Yokai Watch, an upcoming "cross media" title similar to the company's Danball Senki and Inazuma 11 franchise.

One of the new games stars Professor Layton's son.

One of the new games stars Professor Layton's son.

Players control a kid who can see spirits and ghouls ("yokais" in Japanese) through his new watch. Accompanying him is a white ghost that acts as a guide. Players have to solve unusual problems caused by the invisible spirits by summoning other tamed yokai to fight them.

These ghosts include tiny ones with arms on their chins that can put thoughts into unwary victims and mid-sized mosquitoes wearing robes that can fly and inflict the feeling of depression and weariness onto others. While there was gameplay footage for the title on the show floor, Level-5 has yet to announce a platform and a release date.

Hino also announced the platforms and release year for adventure game Time Travelers. The title will be out on the 3DS, PSP, and PlayStation Vita, and it is slated for 2012.

The adventure game takes place in 2031, where Tokyo will experience a future disaster. Players will control five different characters whose stories tie in together, thanks to the schoolgirl Mikoto, who can somehow predict future events in the timeline. Director Jiro Ishii said that the game plays out like an interactive movie.

The president also announced a spin-off of the Professor Layton adventure game series: Layton Brothers Mystery Room for the iOS. The main character is Alfendy Layton, the son of Professor Layton, who owns his own detective agency. Gamers will root out suspects and find clues in a crime scene to solve different kinds of cases. The game will use the touch screen for navigation and puzzle-solving. Helping Alfendy is his assistant, Lucy Grey.

There is currently no release date announced for the title. Originally, the game was known by a different title, Mystery Room, and starred two detectives, Sly and Poccio, as they rifled through evidence and solved cases. The game was originally supposed to be on the DS.

Hino also revealed more details on the upcoming fantasy role-playing game simulation Fantasy Life. The game will feature over 20 different character classes, ranging from a fighter to a blacksmith. The soundtrack will be scored by Nobuo Uematsu, while the game's title artwork will be done by Yoshitaka Amano. The simulation is slated for a 2012 release.

33 comments
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kithirris
kithirris like.author.displayName 1 Like

Rogue Galaxy remake, re-release or sequel please.  Level 5's best game imho.

munchlax99
munchlax99 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Professor Layton has a son? what?

tsunami2311
tsunami2311 like.author.displayName 1 Like

nope i just like DQ and all the good rpgs are on freaking handhelds. and yes i liked Toriyama art style. and yes I want dbz rpg game on a console not a freaking handheld. Almost all rpg to come out on console this gen has been crap imo

tomertop
tomertop

@tsunami2311 I don't play DQ (played the one with the guardian angels on my DS, but that all), the gameplay in Ni no Kuni is less retro than in DQ but I can see a lot in common in them. And there was a DBZ rpg that came out for the DS, too, something like a year or two back. It was a really good one, 2. If you're only playing the games cuz you love Toriyama or something then you're just too picky with your JRPGs, mister.

tsunami2311
tsunami2311

@tomertop Yes I am cause I been wanting another DQ since 8 that isn't on a freaking handheld Other then the only only thing from Namco I want to see is a DBZ RPG

metalkitten
metalkitten

level 5 has pretty much been the only studio for me that been going forward during the last years (always love atlus though) dark cloud 2 made me fall for them i see them as a very high quality studio and the games i got from them have not dissapointed dragon quest 8 was not my thing though - but i think level 5 only did the graphic for it? and that was awesome

s0l1dsnake
s0l1dsnake

Dark Cloud 3, Dark Cloud 3, Dark Cloud 3.

tomertop
tomertop

@tsunami2311 what? White Knight Chronicles II (PS3 exclusive) came out last month (and had the first game within it), Ni No Kuni (PS3, 3DS) was just annouced to be release in the USA next year (it was delayed because of the earthquake in Japan), and Youkai Watch is a new JRPG that Level 5 announced this press conference, which is a PS3 exclusive. are you srsly asking that?

tsunami2311
tsunami2311

sigh where is the jRPG love from ps3 from Level 5

gavachotrece
gavachotrece

A Rogue Galaxy sequel would make me so happy. Loved that game.

Raeldor
Raeldor

How about some of these 'more details' on Fantasy Life? Sounds intriguing.

Discomaster
Discomaster

It's nice to see that they've grown as a company and is pumping out quality games in high numbers, but it does make me sad they're not working on Dragon Quest anymore. Journey of the Cursed King is what truly drew my attention to their work. A lot of western gamers found the game was too slow, but I absolutely loved it.

pcty
pcty

Yoshitaka Amano is my favorite illustrator. Great artist.

Setho10
Setho10

I remember ten years ago when Level 5 put out a game a year at most. Now they have more than a dozen games in development and have opened branches in the US and Europe. If there is one success story from Japan this generation it is Level 5.

3KindgomsRandy
3KindgomsRandy

Man, I could really go for Rogue Galaxy 2. I think my chances are slim though...

Ovirew
Ovirew

I don't understand why it's called 'Layton Brothers' when apparently Professor Layton only has one son.

nitzan_z
nitzan_z

gamespot forgot about "Guild 01"

zelda0412
zelda0412

too bad there were no details on phoenix wright vs. professor layton :(

JeKeJo
JeKeJo

Love Level 5 RPGs, looking forward to more information on that last one.

tomertop
tomertop

@BillyColeman or [input over 9000 other animes about youkai].

taddia
taddia

.____. they're going iphone as well.. this is so sad.

DaIamar
DaIamar

All Level-5 games, except Professor Layton, are way too japanese for me.

BillyColeman
BillyColeman

kid who can use yokai sounds like nura rise of the yokai clan lolll but ok i can dig it

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