Tag Archives: Koei Tecmo

Waifu Wednesday

Waifu Wednesday: Tiffani Hildebrand

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One of the things the Atelier series has always done well is infuse its secondary characters who are of minimal importance to the main narrative with just as much personality as its leads.

A good example of this is Tiffani Hildebrand from the Atelier Arland series, who first appears in Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland and sticks around for its follow-up Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland. In mechanical terms, she’s a shopkeeper. In personality terms, however, she’s so much more.

There’s also a disappointing lack of fanart of her online. Someone get to work, quick! In the meantime, though, let’s take our time to celebrate Atelier Tiffani: The Mom of Arland and her official art.

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Atelier, Atelier Arland

Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland – A New Generation of Alchemy

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In the previous part of this feature, we took a high-level look at how Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland represented a return to the Atelier series’ roots, after Gust experimented with the formula quite a bit throughout the latter days of the PS2 era.

Today, we’re going to examine one of the main ways that the game combines this “traditional” feel with more complex, in-depth and modern mechanics: its revamped alchemy system. As the centrepiece of the Atelier series as a whole, this has always been where Gust has been at its most experimental and iterative, building on the best aspects of what had come before while casting aside the things that didn’t work quite so well or which couldn’t practically be fleshed out any further.

While Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland’s alchemy system is distinctive in its own right, it also clearly learns a lot of lessons from what immediately preceded it. So get that fire lit under your cauldron, and let’s get cookin’!

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Atelier Arland

Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland – A Matter of Time

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A year after Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy bid a fond (and very late) farewell to the PlayStation 2, the Atelier series finally entered the high-definition era with the 2009 Japanese release of Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland for PlayStation 3.

Since the original release of the game and its 2010 localisation, we’ve seen a few other versions. In 2013, Atelier Rorona Plus revamped the entire game for PlayStation 3 and Vita with the graphics engine and alchemy mechanics from Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland, the third game in the Arland trilogy. In 2015, Japan got a peculiar chibified remake for Nintendo 3DS. And then in 2018, Atelier Rorona DX, a port of Atelier Rorona Plus that included all its downloadable content, was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.

From hereon, we’ll primarily be looking at Atelier Rorona DX, since that is the most readily accessible version at the time of writing — but most of what we’ll talk about applies to all the different versions. So grab your Basket and let’s begin a whole new adventure!

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Videos, Warriors All-Stars, Warriors Wednesday

Warriors Wednesday: A System of Headslapping – Warriors All-Stars #24

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Today, we manage to bang out quite a few missions, including recruiting everyone’s favourite mechanical marvel from Toukiden.

Horo also believes she has the answer to the widespread amnesia problem certain members of the party have been dealing with: surely a good old-fashioned bump to the head will quite literally knock some sense back into them.

And when that’s all over and done with, we have an important choice to make. Did I choose wisely? We’ll just have to find out next time!

Videos, Warriors All-Stars, Warriors Wednesday

Warriors Wednesday: Return of the Hungry Caterpillar – Warriors All-Stars #23

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In today’s episode of Warriors All-Stars, we once again discover that The Alchemist of Kick-Ass still isn’t quite ready for Chaos difficulty. Give it time!

One thing you’ll find on multiple playthroughs of Warriors All-Stars is that you’ll encounter the same battles, but perhaps approach them under different circumstances. This can also end up leading the plot in different directions depending on the combination of characters that end up in your party.

Today, we once again recruit hungry, hungry Horo to our cause… will she help lead Tamaki’s forces to victory?

Warriors All-Stars, Warriors Wednesday

Warriors Wednesday: To the Future – Warriors All-Stars #22

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Today, among other things, I ponder the future and what’s next, and I’ve reached a conclusion for now.

At the end of this current playthrough of Warriors All-Stars, the series will be retiring for now. I haven’t yet decided if I will bring it back yet, but I need a bit of time back in my week, especially now I’m taking on some paid freelance assignments as well as everything that’s already happening here and on YouTube. Sorry to those of you that have keenly tuned in each week to see my hack-and-slash adventures! I’ll make an effort to write more about some Warriors games here on MoeGamer to make up for it.

We’ve still got a few episodes left in us yet, though, so let’s enjoy them! Today we see how despite having multiple starting points, Warriors All-Stars’ various narrative paths tend to intertwine with one another, as we once again encounter the demonic (and devilishly handsome) Darius…

Videos, Warriors All-Stars, Warriors Wednesday

Warriors Wednesday: The Young Dragon – Warriors All-Stars #21

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Clearing the game in Warriors All-Stars once unlocks the hardest difficulty: Chaos Mode.

In Chaos Mode, you’re presented with high-level, tough enemies but offered the possibility of better drops, plus a nice big multiplier of the rewards you get at the end of a mission. Sadly, Sophie and company aren’t quite ready for the primetime on this difficulty just yet, but they’re getting there!

At least they would be if Sophie didn’t go and get herself in trouble while picking catnip, forcing Mitsunari Ishida and friends into action to  save her alchemist ass…

Videos, Warriors All-Stars, Warriors Wednesday

Warriors Wednesday: Redhead Tactician – Warriors All-Stars #20

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Our second playthrough of Warriors All-Stars gets well and truly underway as we get to grips with Sophie’s moveset, and look at expanding Tamaki’s forces.

On today’s agenda is Mitsunari Ishida, a vibrant-haired, brilliant tactical mind with his own strong opinions on how best to wage war. How will he get along with the rather flighty Sophie… and the somewhat more grounded Plachta?

Better punch a whole load of dudes in the face to find out!

Atelier

Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana – Life at 45 Degrees

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Last time, we talked a bit about how Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana is a lot more of a “traditional RPG” than many of its stablemates in the rest of the series as a whole.

We looked in particular at how the game’s combat and progression mechanics are based on the conventions of turn-based, menu-driven console RPGs, but how it adds a few twists onto that formula — with an appropriate emphasis on item usage and alchemy.

Today we’re going to explore the overall game structure and presentation a bit further, with a particular eye on how protagonist Klein and his companions can explore their world over the course of their adventure as a whole. Let’s jump in!

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Videos, Warriors All-Stars, Warriors Wednesday

Warriors Wednesday: The Alchemist of Kick-Ass

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Having beaten the game last week, today it’s time to start a whole new Warriors All-Stars adventure!

This time around, we’re taking Sophie from Atelier Sophie as our leading lady, which puts us into Tamaki’s story route rather that Setsuna’s, which we explored last time around.

This should mean we get the opportunity to encounter and recruit some different characters and see some brand new story scenes… as well as getting to throw Punis at people. What’s not to like?