What’s in the Box: Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal Bountiful Beauties Edition

Senran Kagura is a longstanding favourite here at MoeGamer, so there was no way I was going to miss out on a shiny new limited edition for a reimagining of the game that started it all.

Marvelous Europe’s limited editions have been consistently good quality in my experience, and they’ve really outdone themselves with this one. The overall packaging quality is excellent, and there’s a variety of really cool goodies in the box just waiting to be enjoyed.

Without further ado, then, let’s take a look inside.

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Here it is, all virginal and shrink-wrapped, just waiting for me to defile it. Well, games are meant to be played and limited editions are meant to be opened, so I make no apologies to those of you who keep the shrink wrap on everything… I’m going in.

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After a quick look at the back, of course. This is a slight difference from Marvelous’ previous limited editions; past Senran Kagura limited editions have either had a blank underside or an alternative design. (Estival Versus had a different group of girls on the back, for example.)

The overall box is nice quality, made of glossy card rather than the more conventional cardboard of past limited editions. It also has a separate lid that can be removed entirely rather than being one you need to open by the flaps.

Hee, flaps.

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And here’s what you’re greeted with upon opening the box. Yomi and a big pile of beansprouts on one side, and a box of little… thingies on the other. Crammed with content.

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Yomi adorns the front cover of “The Girls’ Secret Files”, which is pretty much an artbook. It incorporates content from the original Senran Kagura Skirting Shadows and Burst in the front half, with some Burst Re:Newal unique content towards the back, including showing younger versions of a number of the characters.

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There’s a cool little mini-manga sequence in the middle, but it’s just these two pages. I’d say it’s pretty representative of what to expect from Senran Kagura, though.

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Both the front and back parts of the book include character profiles, including sketches and concept art, quotes and vital statistics. The quotes are quite interesting; remember that Burst Re:Newal is a reimagining of the very first game in the series, so these girls have not yet really established their relationships with one another, nor have they “softened” out of their rigidly defined roles as “good” or “evil” shinobi within ninja society.

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Some lovely full-colour illustrations are peppered throughout the book, including promotional artwork and event images from the games. That includes the lovely Christmas one with Yagyuu and Hibari that I wasn’t quite brave enough to put up at my desk for Christmas.

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Beneath Yomi’s tome is Kagura Onsen: the Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal Limited Edition Soundtrack CD Set. This comes in a clear DVD case with this rather fetching artwork on the front…

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…and a full track listing on the back. There are two CDs, and those who enjoyed the original Burst’s soundtrack will be pleased to hear that the original tracks return, including Ikaruga’s distinctly Phantom of the Opera-esque track, one of my all-time favourite songs from the series. Take the time to listen to these tracks, Senran Kagura soundtracks are some of the most underrated in the biz, particularly if you like Japanese rock.

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The inside is relatively unremarkable, but there is at least a subtle design on the inside of the inlay. The two discs complement one another well with the now-iconic shots of Homura and Asuka from the chin down. Because however you may feel about the cast of the broader series at large, these two are absolutely the “leads” here.

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Here’s the game package itself. A nice, action-packed design — though I keep thinking the red “swish” in the background of the logo is actually a “2”. I wonder if we’ll get a similar remake of Deep Crimson?

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No double-sided inlay this time around, sadly. The limited edition also comes with a PSN voucher for some additional DLC, including Yumi as a playable character, much to the consternation of those who complain about there being too much Yumi in Senran Kagura these days.

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After that, we’re on to the mystery box. What could this be? That’s a rhetorical question; if you looked at the back of the box, you’ll already know what these are, but humour me for a moment, if you will.

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They’re keychains! Six of them, to be exact, each depicting a “pair” of characters — rivals who become close friends. These are super-cute bits of moulded “quasi-3D” stiff rubber, and it’s great that they pay attention to the narrative context of the games — while all of the girls do interact with one another at various points throughout the series, there are definite “pairings” that are first established in Burst and developed further throughout the subsequent games.

You’ll notice Yumi managed to sneak in here along with Miyabi, despite neither of them technically being part of the series until Shinovi Versus.

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Along with the actual little scenes themselves, you’re also provided with six coloured bases and six bead chains. The former can be used to stand them up for display, while the latter allow them to actually be used as a keychain. I’ll be doing the former.

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And here’s the whole set! All in all, it’s a very nice set indeed, and I’m glad I picked it up. It’ll look great on my shelves alongside the other installments in the series. I have all the European limited editions now, with the exception of the original Burst (which didn’t have one, though I do have the physical release on 3DS).

I’m very behind on this series — I still need to play Peach Beach Splash — but it’s been a while since we’ve done any Senran Kagura stuff in depth here on MoeGamer, so I might have to make some time for them soon!


More about Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal

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2 thoughts on “What’s in the Box: Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal Bountiful Beauties Edition”

  1. The keychains look cute. I bought the PC version to make a stance on the censorship. Fans who are going to buy on console may as well get this edition. It helps out the localizer and comes with good swag.

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