Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Video: (Approximately) 10-second Theatre: Do You Like It Like This?
Today's new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi video clip highlights two of Maria's R2 special moves while she speaks provocatively over the top. The next video is scheduled for Friday.
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
News: Today's Nico Nico relay broadcast showed off a new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi stage
I managed to watch the time shift of Sentosu's contribution to the Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi relay after getting home from work and decided to record my observations again. Weirdly, it was hosted by Gatchman - he seems to be everywhere.
A lot of the commenters seemed really excited when the Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi PV started playing after an hour and a half of handheld gaming discussion - which I skipped. Sentosu was introduced and the hosts fooled around with a green screen and joked about how he was playing 'Sentosu' No Rikyuu.
I wasn't expecting much from the broadcast but for once, they showed a different new stage instead of just spamming Kawanakajima again. I got to see Sakon's Sawayama Castle: Chouhan Defense!
The rest of this post contains mild gameplay spoilers so if you want the stage to be a surprise please stop reading here.
A lot of the commenters seemed really excited when the Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi PV started playing after an hour and a half of handheld gaming discussion - which I skipped. Sentosu was introduced and the hosts fooled around with a green screen and joked about how he was playing 'Sentosu' No Rikyuu.
I wasn't expecting much from the broadcast but for once, they showed a different new stage instead of just spamming Kawanakajima again. I got to see Sakon's Sawayama Castle: Chouhan Defense!
The rest of this post contains mild gameplay spoilers so if you want the stage to be a surprise please stop reading here.
News roundup: A Sengoku Basara 10th Anniversary broadcast and KobaP at SDCC
A special live stream is planned to celebrate the series' tenth anniversary
The Internet was ablaze with excitement this morning after Capcom announced a special two-hour Sengoku Basara anniversary broadcast would be taking place on Nico Nico Namahousou. It will start at 20:00 on 21st July 2015 and the time shift link is already up. A free Nico Nico account is needed in order to watch the stream.
The guest list is pretty good! Host Kobayashi 'KobaP' Hiroyuki will join director Yamamoto 'YamamotoD' Makoto, seiyuu Nakai Kazuya (Date Masamune), Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura), Morita Masakazu (Maeda Keiji), Morikawa Toshiyuki (Katakura Kojuurou) and singer T.M.Revolution. There will be Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi gameplay, a look back at the last ten years and information about the latest Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi collaborations.
It's like a mini Basara Matsuri!
Series producer KobaP is in the US for San Diego Comic Con
It seems that KobaP is visiting the US for a signing event at SDCC this week on 9th July 2015, in conjunction with Udon Entertainment. If you happen to go to the con and meet with KobaP, please report on how things went. I'm really curious.
Thank you to fan VegaManX4 for the news!
The Internet was ablaze with excitement this morning after Capcom announced a special two-hour Sengoku Basara anniversary broadcast would be taking place on Nico Nico Namahousou. It will start at 20:00 on 21st July 2015 and the time shift link is already up. A free Nico Nico account is needed in order to watch the stream.
The guest list is pretty good! Host Kobayashi 'KobaP' Hiroyuki will join director Yamamoto 'YamamotoD' Makoto, seiyuu Nakai Kazuya (Date Masamune), Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura), Morita Masakazu (Maeda Keiji), Morikawa Toshiyuki (Katakura Kojuurou) and singer T.M.Revolution. There will be Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi gameplay, a look back at the last ten years and information about the latest Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi collaborations.
It's like a mini Basara Matsuri!
Series producer KobaP is in the US for San Diego Comic Con
It seems that KobaP is visiting the US for a signing event at SDCC this week on 9th July 2015, in conjunction with Udon Entertainment. If you happen to go to the con and meet with KobaP, please report on how things went. I'm really curious.
Thank you to fan VegaManX4 for the news!
News roundup: A few minor tidbits spotted in the NGC gameplay demonstration
A brief summary of today's NGC Nico Nico Game Jikkyou Channel show
As mentioned earlier today, this week was the first in a series of NGC episodes featuring gameplay from Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi. I was at work when the video aired so I caught up later with Nico Nico's time shift version.
Hosts Edosan" and Fumiichi started off by talking about the latest Dai Gyakuten Saiban and Devil May Cry updates for a while, then the show finally began its Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi coverage with the most recent full-length trailer.
This kicked off around an hour of gameplay demonstrations, starting with Yoshiteru and Rikyuu on the Battle Of Kawanakajima Intrusion stage. They joked about Yoshiteru's time stop being like The World from a certain popular manga title.
The hosts were less cautious than Capcom so we got to see a few new screens from the game, like the title screen here.
Pressing the touchpad takes you to the standard mode selection screen. Their version of the game had all of the characters unlocked at around level 100 but only the first two difficulties were available, so this isn't necessarily the final version of the mode selection; they went straight into Free Battle Mode so it was impossible to see more.
(I apologise for the terrible colours for my annotations today, it's not a very subtitle-friendly picture with the tools I have to hand.)
Personally speaking, I think it would be weird to have so much empty space on the mode selection screen when there aren't even any pictures on the left aside from the stylised map of Japan. There have to be some more modes, right?
I'm screengrabbing everything I can to make updating my guide easier when I finally get around to it (I'll update it tonight). There were lots of small details shown, like confirmation of the buttons for each of Rikyuu's moves and the addition of a description for his Hold Square move.
This picture also confirms the skill revision controls I mentioned a couple of days ago. You can see the skill revision shortcut highlighted in red.
They cycled through the stage list a few times so I managed to pull out these details for a total of six confirmed stages exclusive to Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi.
The two listed as unconfirmed didn't load the enemy commander portrait before they were skipped past, but I'm reasonably sure that my guesses are correct. The others are 100% confirmed. In addition, I noticed that all but six of the stages from Sengoku Basara 4 are still there. The missing six are probably included too, it's just that the hosts never scrolled that far down the list in this particular video.
At one point a trophy message popped up. The trophy is called Acting Invincible and I would guess it's earned by transforming into Kanetsugu during the battle (and possibly achieving something with him).
There was also an interesting kind of chest on the battlefield when Battle Roulette was switched on.
When the player broke this chest, a message appeared explaining that it would increase the chance of earning a particular result in the next roulette. The first one they broke promised a higher chance of a Transform (black) result, while the second gave Tenka (red). In both cases, the skulls and opposing colours were removed from the next Battle Roulette wheel, so it was completely black/gold or red/gold.
For people not painstakingly writing every detail down to create a guide the show was probably not essential viewing, yet I had fun listening to how much the hosts seemed to be enjoying the game. Their enthusiasm was infectious.
There will be another of these broadcasts at 19:00 Japan time next Monday, and the time shift version can be reserved now. Don't miss out if you'd like to watch.
Animate reveales a new Sengoku Basara tote bag
The Nipponbashi, Osaka branch of Animate has tweeted about a ¥2,500 Sengoku Basara rope tote bag with a design inspired by Date Masamune. It's being released to commemorate the second year since the shop was renovated. The bag will go on sale on 31st July 2015 in very limited quantities so reservations are highly recommended when they open in the morning.
As mentioned earlier today, this week was the first in a series of NGC episodes featuring gameplay from Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi. I was at work when the video aired so I caught up later with Nico Nico's time shift version.
Hosts Edosan" and Fumiichi started off by talking about the latest Dai Gyakuten Saiban and Devil May Cry updates for a while, then the show finally began its Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi coverage with the most recent full-length trailer.
This kicked off around an hour of gameplay demonstrations, starting with Yoshiteru and Rikyuu on the Battle Of Kawanakajima Intrusion stage. They joked about Yoshiteru's time stop being like The World from a certain popular manga title.
The hosts were less cautious than Capcom so we got to see a few new screens from the game, like the title screen here.
Pressing the touchpad takes you to the standard mode selection screen. Their version of the game had all of the characters unlocked at around level 100 but only the first two difficulties were available, so this isn't necessarily the final version of the mode selection; they went straight into Free Battle Mode so it was impossible to see more.
(I apologise for the terrible colours for my annotations today, it's not a very subtitle-friendly picture with the tools I have to hand.)
Personally speaking, I think it would be weird to have so much empty space on the mode selection screen when there aren't even any pictures on the left aside from the stylised map of Japan. There have to be some more modes, right?
I'm screengrabbing everything I can to make updating my guide easier when I finally get around to it (I'll update it tonight). There were lots of small details shown, like confirmation of the buttons for each of Rikyuu's moves and the addition of a description for his Hold Square move.
This picture also confirms the skill revision controls I mentioned a couple of days ago. You can see the skill revision shortcut highlighted in red.
They cycled through the stage list a few times so I managed to pull out these details for a total of six confirmed stages exclusive to Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi.
| Stage | Japanese Name | Enemy Commander |
| Battle of Kawanakajima: Intrusion | 川中島の戦い 乱入 | Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin |
| Battle for the Nation's Peace | 国家安康の戦い | Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu |
| Itsukushima Sanbee Occupation | 厳島三兵衛占拠 | Takenaka Hanbee, Gotou Matabee, Kuroda Kanbee |
| Naotora Women's Dojo | 直虎女道場 | (Unconfirmed: Ii Naotora) |
| Oushuu: Ushuu Annexation | 奥州・羽州併合 | (Unconfirmed: Mogami Yoshiaki) |
| Sawayama Castle: Chouhan Defense | 佐和山城・丁半防守 | Shima Sakon |
The two listed as unconfirmed didn't load the enemy commander portrait before they were skipped past, but I'm reasonably sure that my guesses are correct. The others are 100% confirmed. In addition, I noticed that all but six of the stages from Sengoku Basara 4 are still there. The missing six are probably included too, it's just that the hosts never scrolled that far down the list in this particular video.
At one point a trophy message popped up. The trophy is called Acting Invincible and I would guess it's earned by transforming into Kanetsugu during the battle (and possibly achieving something with him).
There was also an interesting kind of chest on the battlefield when Battle Roulette was switched on.
When the player broke this chest, a message appeared explaining that it would increase the chance of earning a particular result in the next roulette. The first one they broke promised a higher chance of a Transform (black) result, while the second gave Tenka (red). In both cases, the skulls and opposing colours were removed from the next Battle Roulette wheel, so it was completely black/gold or red/gold.
For people not painstakingly writing every detail down to create a guide the show was probably not essential viewing, yet I had fun listening to how much the hosts seemed to be enjoying the game. Their enthusiasm was infectious.
There will be another of these broadcasts at 19:00 Japan time next Monday, and the time shift version can be reserved now. Don't miss out if you'd like to watch.
Animate reveales a new Sengoku Basara tote bag
The Nipponbashi, Osaka branch of Animate has tweeted about a ¥2,500 Sengoku Basara rope tote bag with a design inspired by Date Masamune. It's being released to commemorate the second year since the shop was renovated. The bag will go on sale on 31st July 2015 in very limited quantities so reservations are highly recommended when they open in the morning.
Monday, 6 July 2015
Video: (Approximately) 10-second Theatre: Pursuer, Miyamoto Musashi
Today's Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi video is the same one featured in the weekend's long report, so it's not quite as exciting as usual. At least we get to see Musashi with slightly better video quality.
Another new live stream will take place later today
Tonight is the first of the NGC Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi broadcasts on Nico Nico, which will showcase more gameplay. It start at 19:00 (Japan time) so if you happen to be around then, you can take a look here.
A Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi strategy guide is on the way
It's not a big surprise but a listing has now appeared for Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi: The Complete Guide. ASCII Media Works will be releasing the book on 31st July 2015 and the price is still unconfirmed. Amazon Japan is charging ¥2,160 for preorders.
Another new live stream will take place later today
Tonight is the first of the NGC Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi broadcasts on Nico Nico, which will showcase more gameplay. It start at 19:00 (Japan time) so if you happen to be around then, you can take a look here.
A Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi strategy guide is on the way
It's not a big surprise but a listing has now appeared for Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi: The Complete Guide. ASCII Media Works will be releasing the book on 31st July 2015 and the price is still unconfirmed. Amazon Japan is charging ¥2,160 for preorders.
Sunday, 5 July 2015
Event report: Japan Expo 2015 (Paris)
 |
| Iconic yuru-kyara Kumamon in the flesh |
Paris - like much of the rest of Europe - is extremely hot this week, and gathering together with thousands of excited fans is never an effective way to stay cool. The organisers had done what they could to warn people to dress appropriately and bring plenty of drinks yet we still witnessed several people passing out in the entry queues and the lines at the stands selling slush drinks and other refreshments were impressive. I dread to think how hot it must be this weekend when even more people will have been descending on the convention halls to see the biggest guests. The dilapidated RER trains back to central Paris were stifling, too. It was almost unbearable.
Saturday, 4 July 2015
News roundup: More suitcases, website updates and another short video
I've been away for two days so this is a rather belated general news bulletin as I catch up on all of my Twitter and website info.
The latest new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi video clip
Yesterday's new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi video was (Approximately) 10-second Theatre: Dojo Challenge. More specifically, it's a type of challenge often shown in martial arts stories where someone enters a dojo and defeats the members before taking or destroying the dojo's sign board as the ultimate show of power.
Naotora is clearly shown to be the one attacking the Takeda dojo. We'll get another new video on Monday morning. If you've missed a video, there's an official playlist with all of them here.
The official website updates, adding more character profiles
Capcom's Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi website updated on Friday and the character profiles for several characters were added. These have caused a lot of amusement due to the silly descriptions. There are also a few pictures and voice samples (Masamune's quote has a small spelling mistake, which a number of Japanese fans have pointed out).
Date Masamune: Bilingual Dragon
Ishida Mitsunari: Stoic Toyotomi
Shima Sakon: Latin-style Gambler
Shibata Katsuie: Negative Thinker
Sanada Yukimura: Hot-blooded Young Man
Tokugawa Ieyasu: REVOLUTION of Tanuki and Bonds
Ii Naotora: Fastidious Maiden Hero
Yamanaka Shikanosuke: Boy Detective of the Land of Deer
Gotou Matabee: Crazed Hitman
Maeda Keiji: The Festival Kabuki-Man
Katakura Kojuurou: Mastering the Path, the Right Eye of the Dragon
Ieyasu fans are very confused. Kojuurou's incorporates two kanji used to denote yakuza and is probably a pun on a series called Gokudou Meshi ('Gangster Food'), hence its awkwardness.
A few additional details from today's Dengeki PlayStation Premium Event
There was a special event today in Japan for 100 fans selected by lottery, giving them a hands-on preview of the game and a stage presentation with producer KobaP. Dengeki posted a couple of articles about it. The rules against taking photographs and videos of the footage seem to have been enforced less strictly than usual so there are a lot of fan reports from the people lucky enough to attend. Here are a few points I personally found interesting.
There are more interesting points of note in the video. Musashi appears in a new (Approximately) 10-second Theatre: Pursuer, Miyamoto Musashi at around 22:29.
They start showing previously-unseen Tenka Medal costumes at 24:20, including Shinsengumi-style Kingo and Mitsuhide (who is still wearing Tenkai's mask for some reason).
The confirmed costumes continue - I like golden Yoshitsugu and I really like Magoichi's new look, even if it does seem to resemble a maid outfit.
Another new video played at around 29:05, this time showing off the first three sets of tie-in costumes with short gameplay clips. This is the video which was shown to fans at the in-store demo events a while back. It's taken a long time to become public! I like how they showed Ieyasu on a boat as a tribute to the famous HOT LIMIT music video.
It's missing from the official footage but the game's opening sequence was also shown at the event (and a couple of the play testers let their game play it again so they could take pictures). Most of it has found its way online now, and if you want spoiler pictures you can check these tweets. One fan even took a low quality video in two parts (thank you to alica for the alert).
Two new Sengoku Basara suitcases can now be preordered
Two new 31L Sengoku Basara carry cases will be joining the Masamune one released some time ago. The Mitsunari and Yukimura designs will each cost ¥30,000 before tax, and the planned release date is 24th September 2015.
The latest new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi video clip
Yesterday's new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi video was (Approximately) 10-second Theatre: Dojo Challenge. More specifically, it's a type of challenge often shown in martial arts stories where someone enters a dojo and defeats the members before taking or destroying the dojo's sign board as the ultimate show of power.
Naotora is clearly shown to be the one attacking the Takeda dojo. We'll get another new video on Monday morning. If you've missed a video, there's an official playlist with all of them here.
The official website updates, adding more character profiles
Capcom's Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi website updated on Friday and the character profiles for several characters were added. These have caused a lot of amusement due to the silly descriptions. There are also a few pictures and voice samples (Masamune's quote has a small spelling mistake, which a number of Japanese fans have pointed out).
Date Masamune: Bilingual Dragon
Ishida Mitsunari: Stoic Toyotomi
Shima Sakon: Latin-style Gambler
Shibata Katsuie: Negative Thinker
Sanada Yukimura: Hot-blooded Young Man
Tokugawa Ieyasu: REVOLUTION of Tanuki and Bonds
Ii Naotora: Fastidious Maiden Hero
Yamanaka Shikanosuke: Boy Detective of the Land of Deer
Gotou Matabee: Crazed Hitman
Maeda Keiji: The Festival Kabuki-Man
Katakura Kojuurou: Mastering the Path, the Right Eye of the Dragon
Ieyasu fans are very confused. Kojuurou's incorporates two kanji used to denote yakuza and is probably a pun on a series called Gokudou Meshi ('Gangster Food'), hence its awkwardness.
A few additional details from today's Dengeki PlayStation Premium Event
There was a special event today in Japan for 100 fans selected by lottery, giving them a hands-on preview of the game and a stage presentation with producer KobaP. Dengeki posted a couple of articles about it. The rules against taking photographs and videos of the footage seem to have been enforced less strictly than usual so there are a lot of fan reports from the people lucky enough to attend. Here are a few points I personally found interesting.
- KobaP remembers how the first game performed well, which meant they had a really hard time making Sengoku Basara 2. They had just nine months to prepare more than 20 characters, as well as adding stories. It was a rough time.
- As for the future, YamamotoD wants to keep trying out brand new things. The Sengoku Basara series has become a media mix project with things such as anime and stage plays on top of the game series, but there are still plenty of things out there they haven't tried yet.
- KobaP would love to see a live action Sengoku Basara movie one day, or an anime adaptation of Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi.
- A self-proclaimed Setouchi fan asked a question about why the Toyotomi characters had so many updates, wanting to know what Motonari was getting (lol). KobaP said it was a difficult question and the storyline of Sengoku Basara 3 made it necessary to expand the Toyotomi side. He said that Motonari had received some special treatment as well in terms of improvements to his moves and getting an anime scene (the way he said it still didn't really clarify whether it's Motonari, Motochika or both getting the anime route).
- Characters can now be levelled up to level 999 in Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi.
There are more interesting points of note in the video. Musashi appears in a new (Approximately) 10-second Theatre: Pursuer, Miyamoto Musashi at around 22:29.
They start showing previously-unseen Tenka Medal costumes at 24:20, including Shinsengumi-style Kingo and Mitsuhide (who is still wearing Tenkai's mask for some reason).
The confirmed costumes continue - I like golden Yoshitsugu and I really like Magoichi's new look, even if it does seem to resemble a maid outfit.
Another new video played at around 29:05, this time showing off the first three sets of tie-in costumes with short gameplay clips. This is the video which was shown to fans at the in-store demo events a while back. It's taken a long time to become public! I like how they showed Ieyasu on a boat as a tribute to the famous HOT LIMIT music video.
It's missing from the official footage but the game's opening sequence was also shown at the event (and a couple of the play testers let their game play it again so they could take pictures). Most of it has found its way online now, and if you want spoiler pictures you can check these tweets. One fan even took a low quality video in two parts (thank you to alica for the alert).
Two new Sengoku Basara suitcases can now be preordered
Two new 31L Sengoku Basara carry cases will be joining the Masamune one released some time ago. The Mitsunari and Yukimura designs will each cost ¥30,000 before tax, and the planned release date is 24th September 2015.
Streaming: Spring 2015 anime final impressions
Is it the end of the anime season already?! I found the latest series of Game Of Thrones dreadfully disappointing, so it's a good thing that there were some gems in the spring anime season to keep me entertained.
Access to streaming still continues to be a mess in the UK, and most other countries outside the US. It was necessary to juggle Crunchyroll, Daisuki, Viewster and Nico Nico in order to keep up with the shows I deemed worth watching this time around. I should stop mentioning Wakanim as it's plainly lost interest in the UK market, while Animax is still clinging on despite its apparent contempt for its audience.
There were few stand out titles this season with everything being reasonably entertaining. The only real surprise was that I fell more in love with Arslan Senki with every passing week; it's a great show. My ranking would look something like this:
1. Gintama
2. Arslan Senki
3. Shokugeki No Soma
Nothing can compete with Gintama.
Access to streaming still continues to be a mess in the UK, and most other countries outside the US. It was necessary to juggle Crunchyroll, Daisuki, Viewster and Nico Nico in order to keep up with the shows I deemed worth watching this time around. I should stop mentioning Wakanim as it's plainly lost interest in the UK market, while Animax is still clinging on despite its apparent contempt for its audience.
There were few stand out titles this season with everything being reasonably entertaining. The only real surprise was that I fell more in love with Arslan Senki with every passing week; it's a great show. My ranking would look something like this:
1. Gintama
2. Arslan Senki
3. Shokugeki No Soma
Nothing can compete with Gintama.
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
News roundup: Weekly Famitsu news updates and a summary from Capcom TV #24
Today's new announcements from Weekly Famitsu magazine
I planned for this update to be a short one summarising the new announcements in this week's magazine, but it turned out to be just as long as this morning's post. There's so much new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi information to think about!
As usual, my Weekly Famitsu summary is split into numbered sections to match the magazine (and the official website when it updates tomorrow).
37. The most stories in the series - experience a total of 89 Sengoku Dramas!
(Raindrops' note: This doesn't mean there are 89 drama routes, just 89 different stories.)
Katakura Kojuurou's drama route: Kojuurou doubts Masamune's plans, and the two of them end up clashing violently.
Sarutobi Sasuke's drama route: Sasuke enters Iinoya Castle as part of an investigation, and an ominous shadow is lingering in the background...
Mogami Yoshiaki's drama route: Having decided to leave Yoshiteru and work under Nobunaga, Yoshiaki invades Oushuu in search of a gift.
Kuroda Kanbee's drama route: Kanbee meets his former subordinate, Matabee, in an underground passageway. From this he learns the location of the key to his shackles, and sets about aiming to recover it.
Date Masamune's anime route: When Oushuu is snatched away while he's away from his territory, Masamune's determination to seize the whole country is renewed.
Sanada Yukimura's anime route: Captivated by Yoshiteru, Yukimura heads towards the land where powerful warriors are gathered, his heart overflowing.
Ishida Mitsunari's anime route: Sakon has gone missing. When Mitsunari goes to look for him, he ends up clashing with Matabee in an underground passage.
Tokugawa Ieyasu's anime route: Ieyasu visits the land of Kai in order to request a ceasefire, and exchanges words with the warriors of the Takeda Army. The picture shows him fighting with Naotora (and Tadakatsu).
38. Even Miyamoto Musashi is intruding on the battle!
This feature is all about the 'bad' results from Battle Roulette.
1. Of all of the bad outcomes when the Battle Roulette lands on 'Punishment From Heaven' (skull), Musashi's intrusion is especially dangerous. He'll pursue the player for a set time and force you to choose between fleeing and continuing to battle in spite of the risk.
2. The second possibility is that you'll be hit by a falling golden tub and recruited as a Xavist. Waggling the sticks will save you from the Xavi angels who fly down to take your soul away to heaven.
3. Finally, there's the traditional bomb shower. Giant bombs rain down from the sky for a set time.
39. Movesets have been tuned and improved!
Much of the gameplay has been refined since Sengoku Basara 4. With things like moves becoming usable in the air and the system becoming easier to use, there are more strategic possibilities than before. The article shows some of the moves which now work in mid-air.
40. A new difficulty level! 'Heaven' is harder than 'Basara' difficulty
Since the player can become so powerful after levelling up and boosting their weapons, a new difficulty has been added to keep the game challenging.
--
Reporter Giant Kuroda added some of his hands-on play impressions throughout the article. He's interested in all five of the 'restored' NPC characters but especially Kasuga - and not just for her sexiness or high-speed moves (although he complimented both). He recommended playing through her story modes with Kenshin!
Kuroda also praised seiyuu Genda Tesshou (Takeda Shingen) for his incredible performance. It was that and the sheer power of Shingen's moves when in 'Fuurinkazan' status that left a lasting impression on him.
He also made a few comments on the other three newcomers except they revealed nothing (Kenshin is still overwhelmingly strong, Toshiie is still hungry and Matsu is still fun and unique with all her animals). The magazine advises that a full report with hands-on gameplay impressions will be posted online in the near future.
--
Hey, there are no Tenka Medal rewards this time.
The game is sitting in 36th place (PS3) and 39th place (PS4) in this week's chart of most wanted upcoming games.
This next piece of information has absolutely nothing to do with Weekly Famitsu, it's just there's nowhere better to put it. I know a lot of people are curious about the new skill revisions. My copy of Sengoku Basara Magazine arrived today and while I won't have enough time to read it properly and write a review until next week, YamamotoD confirmed in an interview that the skill revisions will be activated with L1 + Square. It's not necessary to replace an existing move. KobaP added that the new skills are neither strong nor weak; they're simply designed to give you a chance to change the way you play.
I'm sure that there will be a few more interesting tidbits deeper in the magazine, so please look forward to the full information soon.
A brief summary of today's episode of Capcom TV (#24)
As promised, Gatchman appeared during the broadcast and demonstrated Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi for the hosts as the show's main feature. Capcom staffer Hashimoto Kenichi operated the menus and explained everything that was happening.
Gatchman was playing as Shimazu Yoshihiro with Fuuma Kotarou as his tag partner, and they had selected Keiji's festival stage from Sengoku Basara 4 for the show. I thought that it was a little strange to see them showing off the game using a stage and characters from its predecessor, though it was the PlayStation 4 version so perhaps people can spot some differences.
After fooling around a little, they took the hosts into the Tenka Medal shop and showed off a few additional rewards we haven't seen before.
Here's what I spotted:
Once you buy a reward from the Tenka Medal shop, you see the following screen. They purchased Yoshihiro's personal inscription so there are instructions for attaching it to a weapon (it's the same as Sengoku Basara 4). There's also a description of the inscription's effect: Yoshihiro's R2 abilities can be triggered more quickly, and his movement speed is increased while he's using the Jigenryuu: Tenrai (R2 #1) skill. The inscription has no effect if the required skills have not yet been acquired.
It's not possible to combine personal inscriptions, or set more than one on the same weapon.
They tried to cut away from it but the stage list was shown for a fraction of a second when they left the Tenka Medal shop. My screenshot button was ready!
I can see one new stage in the list: Itsukushima Sanbee Occupation. If the 'Sanbee' (i.e. Matabee, Kanbee, Hanbee) have invaded Motonari's domain then it gives some additional context to that Betrayal video we saw a few days ago...
As you can see the video quality was horrible at this point so please forgive any errors. Incidentally, you press L1 on the stage select screen to enter the Tenka Medal shop, and R2 to toggle Battle Roulette on/off. The Play Book interface has been moved slightly.
On the march screen, you press R1 to set your Play Books and R2 to configure your tag partner. It's very similar to before, just rearranged.
It looks as though each character can store 40 weapons this time. There's also an option in the game's settings to have the camera dynamically focus on your moves (was that there before?). You can set it to 'off' to have the camera stay in its usual position. I've called it 'move-based camera' in the picture below.
After a little more fiddling, they equipped the new weapon with its inscription and demonstrated how it affected Yoshihiro's moves back on the battlefield. Expert players will probably find this section the most interesting but it doesn't come across well in static pictures.
Next came a demonstration with Ashikaga Yoshiteru on the increasingly familiar Battle of Kawanakajima: Intrusion stage. Gatchman did a pretty good job demonstrating all of the different outcomes of his moves.
It looks as though the controller settings have been tidied up a little in the new interface. I've annotated screenshots of both settings screens to show exactly what you can adjust.
The gameplay videos will probably appear unannounced on the Capcom YouTube channel at some point in the next few days if the live stream link goes dead.
Plans are revealed for a series of Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi broadcasts
Capcom posted a schedule today which outlines a series of live Nico Nico broadcasts they have planned to promote Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi. They've gathered 20 popular presenters to demonstrate all 40 characters in a gameplay 'relay'.
All times are for Japan so please adjust for your local area. Most links go to the presenters' Nico Nico community pages as only one has posted their direct livestream link ready so far.
2nd July 2015 (20:00-21:00): ⭐︎Kami⭐︎, Saishuu Heiki Oretachi Kosuke
7th July 2015 (21:00-22:00): Sentosu
9th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Sepia, Neko Maguro
10th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Parumira, Purukogi T
14th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Shima
16th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Ojogiri Daa, Dogma Kazami
24th July 2015 (19:00-20:00): Makkusu, Ereko
28th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Akaishi-sensei
31st July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Yaha, Soisyu
5th August 2015 (20:00-21:00): Kamakubi, Ayatan
6th August 2015 (20:00-21:00): Kenny, Pikuto
10th August 2015 (20:00-21:00): Gatchman
Don't forget that there will also be a weekly Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi broadcast on the NGC Nico Nico Game Jikkyou Channel starting at 19:00 next Monday, as announced back in April. The link for the first episode is now live so you can book a Timeshift viewing if you won't be around to watch the show when it airs.
I planned for this update to be a short one summarising the new announcements in this week's magazine, but it turned out to be just as long as this morning's post. There's so much new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi information to think about!
As usual, my Weekly Famitsu summary is split into numbered sections to match the magazine (and the official website when it updates tomorrow).
37. The most stories in the series - experience a total of 89 Sengoku Dramas!
(Raindrops' note: This doesn't mean there are 89 drama routes, just 89 different stories.)
Katakura Kojuurou's drama route: Kojuurou doubts Masamune's plans, and the two of them end up clashing violently.
Sarutobi Sasuke's drama route: Sasuke enters Iinoya Castle as part of an investigation, and an ominous shadow is lingering in the background...
Mogami Yoshiaki's drama route: Having decided to leave Yoshiteru and work under Nobunaga, Yoshiaki invades Oushuu in search of a gift.
Kuroda Kanbee's drama route: Kanbee meets his former subordinate, Matabee, in an underground passageway. From this he learns the location of the key to his shackles, and sets about aiming to recover it.
Date Masamune's anime route: When Oushuu is snatched away while he's away from his territory, Masamune's determination to seize the whole country is renewed.
Sanada Yukimura's anime route: Captivated by Yoshiteru, Yukimura heads towards the land where powerful warriors are gathered, his heart overflowing.
Ishida Mitsunari's anime route: Sakon has gone missing. When Mitsunari goes to look for him, he ends up clashing with Matabee in an underground passage.
Tokugawa Ieyasu's anime route: Ieyasu visits the land of Kai in order to request a ceasefire, and exchanges words with the warriors of the Takeda Army. The picture shows him fighting with Naotora (and Tadakatsu).
38. Even Miyamoto Musashi is intruding on the battle!
This feature is all about the 'bad' results from Battle Roulette.
1. Of all of the bad outcomes when the Battle Roulette lands on 'Punishment From Heaven' (skull), Musashi's intrusion is especially dangerous. He'll pursue the player for a set time and force you to choose between fleeing and continuing to battle in spite of the risk.
2. The second possibility is that you'll be hit by a falling golden tub and recruited as a Xavist. Waggling the sticks will save you from the Xavi angels who fly down to take your soul away to heaven.
3. Finally, there's the traditional bomb shower. Giant bombs rain down from the sky for a set time.
39. Movesets have been tuned and improved!
Much of the gameplay has been refined since Sengoku Basara 4. With things like moves becoming usable in the air and the system becoming easier to use, there are more strategic possibilities than before. The article shows some of the moves which now work in mid-air.
- Oichi's Kizameku No Kizu is where two of her dark hands come together to deal damage at range.
- Yamanaka Shikanosuke has a move called Megurimawaru Seishun where Oyassan swings him around by the foot to hit the enemies. Now that it works in the air, it's much easier to use it safely.
40. A new difficulty level! 'Heaven' is harder than 'Basara' difficulty
Since the player can become so powerful after levelling up and boosting their weapons, a new difficulty has been added to keep the game challenging.
- Enemies attack more aggressively, without giving you a chance.
- Bosses can use their Basara moves.
- Healing items appear less often.
- The enemies' abilities are improved, starting with their attack power.
- Enemy foot soldiers look different.
--
Reporter Giant Kuroda added some of his hands-on play impressions throughout the article. He's interested in all five of the 'restored' NPC characters but especially Kasuga - and not just for her sexiness or high-speed moves (although he complimented both). He recommended playing through her story modes with Kenshin!
Kuroda also praised seiyuu Genda Tesshou (Takeda Shingen) for his incredible performance. It was that and the sheer power of Shingen's moves when in 'Fuurinkazan' status that left a lasting impression on him.
He also made a few comments on the other three newcomers except they revealed nothing (Kenshin is still overwhelmingly strong, Toshiie is still hungry and Matsu is still fun and unique with all her animals). The magazine advises that a full report with hands-on gameplay impressions will be posted online in the near future.
--
Hey, there are no Tenka Medal rewards this time.
The game is sitting in 36th place (PS3) and 39th place (PS4) in this week's chart of most wanted upcoming games.
This next piece of information has absolutely nothing to do with Weekly Famitsu, it's just there's nowhere better to put it. I know a lot of people are curious about the new skill revisions. My copy of Sengoku Basara Magazine arrived today and while I won't have enough time to read it properly and write a review until next week, YamamotoD confirmed in an interview that the skill revisions will be activated with L1 + Square. It's not necessary to replace an existing move. KobaP added that the new skills are neither strong nor weak; they're simply designed to give you a chance to change the way you play.
I'm sure that there will be a few more interesting tidbits deeper in the magazine, so please look forward to the full information soon.
A brief summary of today's episode of Capcom TV (#24)
As promised, Gatchman appeared during the broadcast and demonstrated Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi for the hosts as the show's main feature. Capcom staffer Hashimoto Kenichi operated the menus and explained everything that was happening.
Gatchman was playing as Shimazu Yoshihiro with Fuuma Kotarou as his tag partner, and they had selected Keiji's festival stage from Sengoku Basara 4 for the show. I thought that it was a little strange to see them showing off the game using a stage and characters from its predecessor, though it was the PlayStation 4 version so perhaps people can spot some differences.
After fooling around a little, they took the hosts into the Tenka Medal shop and showed off a few additional rewards we haven't seen before.
Here's what I spotted:
- Yoshihiro's third costume (shown in the picture) is called the Red Oni Ver.
- It looks as though both Yoshihiro and Kotarou only have one medal costume each, as expected. Both are listed as their third costumes.
- Yoshihiro's personal inscription is called 示現 ('Jigen', the name of his combat style) while Kotarou's is 疾風 ('Gale').
- The prices match what we've seen recently: costumes for 1,000 medals, skill revisions for 800 medals, personal inscriptions for 5,000 medals and the limit-breaking inscriptions for 2,000 medals.
Once you buy a reward from the Tenka Medal shop, you see the following screen. They purchased Yoshihiro's personal inscription so there are instructions for attaching it to a weapon (it's the same as Sengoku Basara 4). There's also a description of the inscription's effect: Yoshihiro's R2 abilities can be triggered more quickly, and his movement speed is increased while he's using the Jigenryuu: Tenrai (R2 #1) skill. The inscription has no effect if the required skills have not yet been acquired.
It's not possible to combine personal inscriptions, or set more than one on the same weapon.
They tried to cut away from it but the stage list was shown for a fraction of a second when they left the Tenka Medal shop. My screenshot button was ready!
I can see one new stage in the list: Itsukushima Sanbee Occupation. If the 'Sanbee' (i.e. Matabee, Kanbee, Hanbee) have invaded Motonari's domain then it gives some additional context to that Betrayal video we saw a few days ago...
As you can see the video quality was horrible at this point so please forgive any errors. Incidentally, you press L1 on the stage select screen to enter the Tenka Medal shop, and R2 to toggle Battle Roulette on/off. The Play Book interface has been moved slightly.
On the march screen, you press R1 to set your Play Books and R2 to configure your tag partner. It's very similar to before, just rearranged.
It looks as though each character can store 40 weapons this time. There's also an option in the game's settings to have the camera dynamically focus on your moves (was that there before?). You can set it to 'off' to have the camera stay in its usual position. I've called it 'move-based camera' in the picture below.
After a little more fiddling, they equipped the new weapon with its inscription and demonstrated how it affected Yoshihiro's moves back on the battlefield. Expert players will probably find this section the most interesting but it doesn't come across well in static pictures.
Next came a demonstration with Ashikaga Yoshiteru on the increasingly familiar Battle of Kawanakajima: Intrusion stage. Gatchman did a pretty good job demonstrating all of the different outcomes of his moves.
It looks as though the controller settings have been tidied up a little in the new interface. I've annotated screenshots of both settings screens to show exactly what you can adjust.
The gameplay videos will probably appear unannounced on the Capcom YouTube channel at some point in the next few days if the live stream link goes dead.
Plans are revealed for a series of Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi broadcasts
Capcom posted a schedule today which outlines a series of live Nico Nico broadcasts they have planned to promote Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi. They've gathered 20 popular presenters to demonstrate all 40 characters in a gameplay 'relay'.
All times are for Japan so please adjust for your local area. Most links go to the presenters' Nico Nico community pages as only one has posted their direct livestream link ready so far.
2nd July 2015 (20:00-21:00): ⭐︎Kami⭐︎, Saishuu Heiki Oretachi Kosuke
7th July 2015 (21:00-22:00): Sentosu
9th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Sepia, Neko Maguro
10th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Parumira, Purukogi T
14th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Shima
16th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Ojogiri Daa, Dogma Kazami
24th July 2015 (19:00-20:00): Makkusu, Ereko
28th July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Akaishi-sensei
31st July 2015 (20:00-21:00): Yaha, Soisyu
5th August 2015 (20:00-21:00): Kamakubi, Ayatan
6th August 2015 (20:00-21:00): Kenny, Pikuto
10th August 2015 (20:00-21:00): Gatchman
Don't forget that there will also be a weekly Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi broadcast on the NGC Nico Nico Game Jikkyou Channel starting at 19:00 next Monday, as announced back in April. The link for the first episode is now live so you can book a Timeshift viewing if you won't be around to watch the show when it airs.
News roundup: A new video, a mini review and some miscellaneous Kenshin trivia
I suspect that I will be posting twice today as there will be even more news from Weekly Famitsu in the evening.
(Approximately) 10-second Theatre: The Twin Dragons' Differences
Another new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi video has been posted on the official website. It shows a short excerpt from a tense-looking confrontation between Masamune and Kojuurou.
The next video clip will be posted on Friday. I won't be around a computer that day so I'll catch up at the weekend!
Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi will feature on today's Capcom TV #24
Today's episode of Capcom TV is scheduled to include a segment with Gatchman - the young man who was demonstrating the title at the Nico Nico Choukaigi 2015 event. There will be content about the game's system and characters and it's very likely that there will be some live gameplay. The show begins at 20:00 Japan time so if you happen to be around, I recommend checking it out! If you miss it, don't worry - the video will probably be posted on the Capcom YouTube channel later on.
Capcom TV can be watched live on YouTube, Twitch or Nico Nico.
Want to exchange letters with other international Sengoku Basara fans?
Tumblr user amazingferret is arranging a letter exchange called the Starlight Starbright Post 2015 to help connect Sengoku Basara fans as part of the series' unofficial anniversary celebrations. I think it's a fun idea, so don't be shy and go check it out if you'd like to spread your love of the series further (and possibly, make some new friends).
Mini review of The Sengoku Basara Qualification: Official Exam Questions
My copy of Sengoku Basara Kentei: Koushiki Mondaishuu ('The Sengoku Basara Qualification: Official Exam Questions') arrived lightning fast and since I already read it, I may as well write a short review. I don't think it will have wide appeal so it's not really worth making a full-length post about it.
This 127-page book is a tie-in for the upcoming Sengoku Basara qualification, a gimmicky formal national examination taking place later this year for hardcore fans. It includes 306 sample questions to help people study (or fool around with their friends). There's also a marking system so you can see how well you did; you have to get every single question correct to be able to call yourself a true 'Basaramono'!
The first section introduces all of the characters, though Rikyuu and the absent veterans from the older games (including Ujimasa) only have tiny pictures without full profiles. The rest of the book is divided into chapters for every game in the series, other than Sengoku Basara X (Cross), arranged in chronological order of release. Finally, the complete list of answers is printed at the back. The answers obligingly include full explanations so you can see where you made a mistake.
The main problem with this book is that I was expecting some seriously difficult questions - and to be honest they're all rather easy. They test on all aspects of the series, from obscure kanji readings to game mechanics, but I can't imagine that any hardcore fans will have trouble scoring reasonably high, especially if they study. I wanted to find questions so tough I'd have to look things up, like some of YamamotoD's weird references in official interviews...
The other problem is that I bought it hoping for some interesting Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi trivia yet it only covers information from the official website and press releases - how mean! That's my fault for being overly optimistic, admittedly.
If you want to test your Sengoku Basara knowledge, the book was released on 25th June 2015 priced at ¥1,000 before tax. It can be purchased from all good import book stores such as Amazon Japan, CD Japan and Yesasia. Please note that the book is entirely written in Japanese and the pictures are quite small, so it's not really worth picking up if you don't speak the language. There are better guidebooks out there for people looking for a more visual experience.
Bonus: Another of Yamamoto Makoto's BASARA Sengoku HERO columns
My ongoing quest continues. It's interesting to get series director YamamotoD's comments about the characters so I've tracked down a few more of the extra articles from Dengeki Maoh to gradually summarise and release.
Uesugi Kenshin's column is from the most recent Dengeki Maoh #8 2015. Please note that the final bullet point contains a story spoiler for Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi; YamamotoD seems to be getting increasingly relaxed about giving hints about the game's stories as we get closer to the release date.
(Approximately) 10-second Theatre: The Twin Dragons' Differences
Another new Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi video has been posted on the official website. It shows a short excerpt from a tense-looking confrontation between Masamune and Kojuurou.
The next video clip will be posted on Friday. I won't be around a computer that day so I'll catch up at the weekend!
Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi will feature on today's Capcom TV #24
Today's episode of Capcom TV is scheduled to include a segment with Gatchman - the young man who was demonstrating the title at the Nico Nico Choukaigi 2015 event. There will be content about the game's system and characters and it's very likely that there will be some live gameplay. The show begins at 20:00 Japan time so if you happen to be around, I recommend checking it out! If you miss it, don't worry - the video will probably be posted on the Capcom YouTube channel later on.
Capcom TV can be watched live on YouTube, Twitch or Nico Nico.
Want to exchange letters with other international Sengoku Basara fans?
Tumblr user amazingferret is arranging a letter exchange called the Starlight Starbright Post 2015 to help connect Sengoku Basara fans as part of the series' unofficial anniversary celebrations. I think it's a fun idea, so don't be shy and go check it out if you'd like to spread your love of the series further (and possibly, make some new friends).
Mini review of The Sengoku Basara Qualification: Official Exam Questions
This 127-page book is a tie-in for the upcoming Sengoku Basara qualification, a gimmicky formal national examination taking place later this year for hardcore fans. It includes 306 sample questions to help people study (or fool around with their friends). There's also a marking system so you can see how well you did; you have to get every single question correct to be able to call yourself a true 'Basaramono'!
The first section introduces all of the characters, though Rikyuu and the absent veterans from the older games (including Ujimasa) only have tiny pictures without full profiles. The rest of the book is divided into chapters for every game in the series, other than Sengoku Basara X (Cross), arranged in chronological order of release. Finally, the complete list of answers is printed at the back. The answers obligingly include full explanations so you can see where you made a mistake.
The main problem with this book is that I was expecting some seriously difficult questions - and to be honest they're all rather easy. They test on all aspects of the series, from obscure kanji readings to game mechanics, but I can't imagine that any hardcore fans will have trouble scoring reasonably high, especially if they study. I wanted to find questions so tough I'd have to look things up, like some of YamamotoD's weird references in official interviews...
The other problem is that I bought it hoping for some interesting Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi trivia yet it only covers information from the official website and press releases - how mean! That's my fault for being overly optimistic, admittedly.
If you want to test your Sengoku Basara knowledge, the book was released on 25th June 2015 priced at ¥1,000 before tax. It can be purchased from all good import book stores such as Amazon Japan, CD Japan and Yesasia. Please note that the book is entirely written in Japanese and the pictures are quite small, so it's not really worth picking up if you don't speak the language. There are better guidebooks out there for people looking for a more visual experience.
Bonus: Another of Yamamoto Makoto's BASARA Sengoku HERO columns
My ongoing quest continues. It's interesting to get series director YamamotoD's comments about the characters so I've tracked down a few more of the extra articles from Dengeki Maoh to gradually summarise and release.
Uesugi Kenshin's column is from the most recent Dengeki Maoh #8 2015. Please note that the final bullet point contains a story spoiler for Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi; YamamotoD seems to be getting increasingly relaxed about giving hints about the game's stories as we get closer to the release date.
- The first thing the interviewer wanted to know about was how the team first came up with their version of Kenshin, since he's appeared in every game to date. YamamotoD explained that since they were making a Sengoku-themed game, he believed that including Kenshin and Shingen was an absolute necessity.
- He started researching the real-life Kenshin by reading numerous historical records, in order to be able to bring the character to life.
- YamamotoD knew about the hypothesis that Kenshin might actually have been a woman, and that's the reason why the Sengoku Basara version of Kenshin ended up being androgynous.
- The interviewer joked that it was a huge leap to go from the 'Kenshin was a woman' theory to a Takarazuka theme. YamamotoD acted surprised, explaining that he grew up in Hyougo and when he went to college he lived in the Takarazuka area. The Takarazuka Revue was a familiar presence in his life.
- When it comes to 'androgyny', you think about the Takarazuka Revue. And when you think about Takarazuka, the famous series The Rose Of Versailles is what comes to mind. So that's how Kenshin came to life, surrounded by fluttering rose petals. (Raindrops' note: For those who don't follow anime, manga or theatre, The Rose Of Versailles is about a beautiful woman who has been raised as a dashing man.)
- One of YamamotoD's favourite anecdotes about the real Uesugi Kenshin is how he sent salt to his rival Takeda Shingen for the sake of the common people when the Imagawa clan blocked the supply routes. It's the source of a Japanese proverb which is still used today to remind people to play fair: "Send your enemy salt".
- He also finds it deeply interesting that Kenshin went back to Kyoto to have an audience with Ashikaga Yoshiteru, and that they hit it off well enough that Yoshiteru later offered Kenshin a character from his name. Kenshin is part of the Ashikaga faction in Sengoku Basara 4 because the two of them had such a friendly relationship in real life.
- In the game, Kenshin considers Yoshiteru to be almost perfect with just one thing missing: knowing what it's like to be a regular human being.
- He thinks that the world would be fine under Yoshiteru if he's able to come to understand this, so Kenshin strives to give him a chance to become that 'perfect being'. That's where the encounter with Keiji (mentioned in his story summary) fits in.
- The interviewer observed that Kenshin often seems to interact with Keiji. In Sengoku Basara 2 Eiyuu Gaiden (Heroes), Keiji wandered by idly and then got talking to Kenshin. In Sengoku Basara 3, Keiji was freeloading in the Uesugi Army. The reason is that the real-life Keiji eventually served the Uesugi clan; this led to them including various encounters between the characters in the game series too.
- Speaking of Kenshin's connections, there's also Kasuga to consider. She's obviously deeply in love with Kenshin so the interviewer was curious about the way Kenshin viewed her.
- YamamotoD answered that Kenshin addresses Kasuga as his 'beautiful blade'. When he calls her 'beautiful', Kenshin isn't speaking as though they're in a relationship. It signifies that he's viewing Kasuga from another perspective - well in any case, part of this is deliberately kept vague. After all, we don't know whether Kenshin is even a man or a woman. (Raindrops' note: YamamotoD chuckled at this, after having dodged the original question with his rambling.)
- Moving on, YamamotoD said that although Kenshin and Shingen are rivals they mutually recognise one another as daimyo, as warriors and as individuals. Each of them is the only opponent who can match the other in every respect.
- With the exception of Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Kenshin and Shingen are high ranking warriors who stand out in the world of Sengoku Basara. Even Nobunaga and Hideyoshi fall short in comparison. That's why these two people, who acknowledge one another, are finally going to settle things in Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi.
- There will be an outright winner in their showdown but the outcome will differ depending on the route; we'll see both sides of the story.
- It's a little sad to imagine one of them losing the other when they're the only people who truly acknowledge one another. However, because they're both adults they're unable to share the same kind of relationship as Masamune and Yukimura, and that's why they end up having to settle things.
- In Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi, Kenshin's drama route is fully devoted to his relationship with Shingen while his creation route is a story with Ashikaga Yoshiteru.
- Describing it as a 'massive spoiler' (so please skip past this line if you don't want to read it), YamamotoD mentioned that in the ending of the route "Kenshin ceases to be Kenshin". He urged fans to check it out if they want to know what he means by that hint.
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