Welcome back, anime and gaming enthusiasts! This week, we are diving into a fascinating mix of retro gaming revivals, a legendary studio's hidden gems, and a major anime company's foray into American sports. Let's get into the news.
Valis Games Celebrate 40th Anniversary
The fantasy action series Valis is celebrating its 40th anniversary, bringing us back to an era where women fought monsters in iconic metal bikinis. Inspired by works like Mutsumi Inomata's Leda - The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko, Valis paved the way for many modern character designs. Originally released on the PC-88 in 1986, Valis: The Fantasm Soldier introduced us to Yuko Asou, a teenage student recruited to save three worlds from the evil Rogles, all while donning her distinctive skimpy gold armor. The Valis games were side-scrolling platformers, offering power-ups, new weapons, and even outfits after boss battles. A major draw was their groundbreaking cutscenes, which showcased stunning animation and, in later PC Engine releases, full voice acting – a true visual and audio spectacle for its time.
However, the series' trajectory changed dramatically with Valis X in 2006. Intended for the franchise's 20th anniversary, this official adult visual novel attempted to retell the saga with explicit tentacle and lesbian sex scenes. It was a misstep, alienating both longtime fans uninterested in the genre shift and visual novel fans uninspired by its offerings, effectively halting the series for another two decades. While SNK's Athena continues to appear in modern titles, Valis has largely been confined to history, with only Edia's compilation releases since 2021 keeping the older games available. The compilations thankfully include various ports across Famicom, SNES, and Sega Genesis, preserving the core experience.
The question remains: is there hope for Valis's future? A modern adaptation could easily transition into an action-RPG, drawing inspiration from Nihon-Falcom titles or Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII for combat, and even incorporating a costume-swapping gimmick. The real challenge lies in distinguishing itself. The visual and audio fidelity that once made Valis special is now commonplace. For a true revival, Valis would need to go all-in on unique aesthetics, perhaps collaborating with a top-tier artist like Tomomi Kobayashi or Yūsuke Kozaki for character designs, casting beloved voice actors such as Fairouz Ai or Sally Amaki, and embracing a throwback 1980s anime visual style, akin to the textured 2D look of 2015's King's Quest or Arc System Works' fighting games. The biggest hurdle remains whether a sufficient audience still cares about Valis to warrant such an endeavor.
Battle Skin Panic Arrives on MangaGamer
A true blast from the past, Gainax and War Machine's PC-98 classic Battle Skin Panic, has made its debut on MangaGamer. While previously available on Itch.io and DLSite, this marks its MangaGamer premiere. The game features explicit nudity without actual penetration, serving as an ancient precursor to titles like Senran Kagura, all courtesy of the legendary Studio Gainax.
Studio Gainax is renowned for its monumental contributions to anime, producing global hits like Gunbuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the Blazing Transfer Student OVAs. Many of its talents later formed Studio Trigger (Little Witch Academia, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners), while Hideaki Anno established Studio Khara (Rebuild of Evangelion, Shin Ultraman). Beyond anime, Gainax also ventured into gaming. They produced the beloved Princess Maker simulation games, many of which are now accessible on Steam. Fans might also recall Alisia Dragoon, a Sega Genesis fantasy side-scroller featuring a spell-casting woman and her animal companions. Produced by Game Arts and published by Gainax, this title boasted an innovative magical system and pseudo-pet-raising mechanics, making it a beautiful and unique experience for the Genesis.
Battle Skin Panic, created by Nao Minda, introduces Mimi Bando, a teenager who inherits the Rasshin Kassatsu Ken—a deadly technique where she gains strength as she loses clothing. The plot involves rivals and crab-people from underground. Battles utilize a card-based system where Mimi and opponents attack each other. A unique "Shame" stat influences character performance, while "Undressing attacks" gradually disrobe opponents. Hidefumi Kimura's detailed lingerie designs add another layer to the game's aesthetic, which can also be ripped off during battles. This MangaGamer release is based on the PC-9821 port, the most recent version of the game originally launched on the PC-88 in 1990.
Cygames To Host Dodgers Stadium
Dodgers Stadium continues to embrace anime culture, following collaborations with One Piece and Hololive. The Los Angeles Dodgers will soon open their doors to another major Japanese entity: Cygames. Scheduled for September 2, this collaboration will distribute replicas of Dodgers champion Shohei Ohtani's championship ring. Cygames has also promised an interactive booth where visitors can engage with their content.
Given Cygames' vast array of gaming franchises, several contenders for the booth experience come to mind. Idolm@ster: Cinderella Girls, particularly with Yuki Himekawa's baseball fandom, is a strong possibility. Granblue Fantasy, especially with the recent release of Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok, is another. However, considering the interactive nature and the need for English presentations, the chances of some Umamusume mischief are notably high. We will keep you updated on further details regarding these baseball antics. Special thanks go to Arthur on Twitter, who reportedly requested such collaborations three years ago.
Quick Tidbits
Classic mecha sitcom Patlabor is receiving a video game adaptation titled Patlabor: The Case Files. This new game is set to launch on PS5 and Steam this September 17, and it will include an English translation.
That concludes this week's gaming and anime news. Please keep Colombia in your thoughts and consider offering support; the country has suffered a disastrous earthquake, with death tolls nearing 250, following a recent earthquake in Venezuela. Be good to each other. See you in seven.
