Ok, enough moping. Back to reporting last week's Sengoku Basara news.
I've started working on a Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den Reference Materials post
It's that time again! The link to the master post is here. I'll try to keep it updated with all of the confirmed details and translated information so we can all enjoy the game fully the day it's released.
The official website posted quite a few gameplay updates
As expected, last week's magazine reveals made their way onto the official website a few hours later. A video was also posted highlighting the gameplay during the Sanada Trials.
To save some time (and space), I'll be adding the information straight to the main Reference Materials post linked above instead of writing about the individual details here.
It's worth mentioning that fan sixclawsdragon has kindly produced an English version of the new character relationship chart from the official website in order to help fans keep up with the small shifts in relationship dynamics in this latest game.
Initial details about the Asian releases of Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den
We already knew that the game was getting a Chinese-language edition for the first time and this is now available for preorder. It seems that customers in Asian regions outside Japan will have a choice between the Chinese-translated version of the game and the usual Japanese rerelease, so customers who usually purchase the Asian edition to save a little money should be especially careful to check which version they order. The spoken dialogue will all be in Japanese either way, but the text in any translated material might not match in the Chinese edition for obvious reasons. However, there's an active Chinese-speaking Sengoku Basara fan community out there; if you happen to speak Chinese already this is a great opportunity to get a version of the game with better language support.
There's no PS3 edition of the Chinese-translated version of the game. The release date is 25th August 2016 no matter which edition you purchase and the game's name is written slightly differently in Chinese: 戰國BASARA 真田幸村傳 for the traditional spelling. All of the Asian editions come with the exact same preorder bonuses no matter which you buy: a Chinese-translated version of the 32-page Genpuku: Sanada Yukimura ('Coming Of Age: Sanada Yukimura') short story, the preorder-exclusive 'White Cross' costume for Yukimura and a reversible fan.
Please remember that Asian DLC can only be redeemed through an Asian PSN account.
Sengoku Basara costume DLC is confirmed for Gyakuten Saiban 6 (Ace Attorney 6)
It was revealed a little earlier than they planned thanks to fans digging through the game's files, but Capcom formally announced the three paid DLC costumes for the newest Gyakuten Saiban game last week. Naruhodo (Phoenix Wright) can dress up as Date Masamune, Odoroki (Apollo Justice) can be Sanada Yukimura, and Kokone (Athena Cykes) has a Tokugawa Ieyasu outfit.
The DLC comes in a Sengoku Basara Costume Pack bundle which will cost ¥143 before tax when it goes on sale on 23rd June 2016. I'm a big fan of both series so this sounds like an awesome crossover idea!
Broadcast schedule for the next Sengoku Basara live streams
I mentioned the second episode before but neglected to add the full details now available about the future broadcasts.
Episode 1 aired on 19th May 2016 (archive link)
Episode 2 airs on 23rd June 2016 (Nico Nico link)
Episode 3 airs on 21st July 2016
Episode 4 airs on 18th August 2016
Each broadcast will commence at 20:00 Japan time and last for one hour.
Additional store-exclusive bonus items for Sanada Yukimura-den preorders
Animate is a major Japanese anime/gaming goods retailer and they've revealed that customers who purchase Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den from them will receive two A3-sized clear posters while stocks last. The Animate product pages for the PS3 and PS4 versions of the game confirm the details. It's a decent extra incentive for those who are able to purchase from the Japan-only website or their local Animate store.
Meanwhile, AmiAmi have created separate listings (PS3, PS4) for an edition with an 'acrylic multi-purpose stand' featuring the Sanada brothers as their exclusive bonus. Please be careful as they have two sets of listings and only one set includes the stand.
And WonderGOO have a Japanese-style Benmaru/Bontenmaru drawstring pouch on offer (PS3, PS4).
The next Sengoku Basara novel rerelease is confirmed
The next Kodansha BOX novels to be repackaged in a two-in-one edition are Sengoku Basara 3: Chousokabe Motochika No Shou/Mouri Motonari No Shou ('Chousokabe Motochika Chapter/Mouri Motonari Chapter'), scheduled for release on 15th July 2016 for ¥1,250 before tax.
Nonaka-P visits the Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den x Sweets Paradise Sanada Cafe
The Sengoku Basara tie-in at Sweets Paradise will be ending in a few days, so a new report has been published showing producer Nonaka (accompanied by staffers Kana and Goiman) visiting the cafe to sample the dishes on offer. A second article in the series will be posted soon.
Preview pictures are now available for the Sengoku Basara tie in at the Capcom Cafe
The Japanese gaming press has revealed the special dishes which are planned for the new collaboration which starts on 24th June 2016, and they're absolutely charming.
Soft drinks based on Tokugawa Ieyasu (¥680) and Sanada Yukimura (¥730).
Heroes of Setouchi Cobb Salad (¥1,080)
Let's Party: Three-way Battle ~fried platter~ (¥1,380)
Spears Reigning Supreme in the Heavens! Sanada Yukimura! Six Coin Summer Vegetables and Blazing Masala Curry (¥1,380)
Oushuu Hittou! Date Masamune! Lightning Hamburg Plate (¥1,380)
Tokugawa Army Tropical Mango Pancake ~Ieyasu & Tadakatsu~ (¥1,280)
This looks like a cute collaboration. A lot of thought has been put into the dishes and the cartoony illustrations are a nice bonus.
Sengoku Basara illustrations have been added to the official Capcam app iOS or Android users who enjoy the comical Capcam app to take pictures with their favourite Capcom characters will be delighted to learn that Sengoku Basara stamps have joined the options on offer. At the moment, the new stamps are quite limited; you can add the cute Ashigaru-kun mascot to your smartphone pictures and decorate them with Sengoku Basara graphics such as the 'FEVER' text and food power-ups from the game. Perhaps more pictures will be added later on.
In addition, the portraits of some of the Sengoku Basara characters available through the official LINE account will be updated on 23rd June 2016. Users should try requesting their favourite portraits again to see the new images; it looks as though everyone who appears in Sanada Yukimura-den will be updated to show their new character selection screen pose.
This post will be continuously updated with gameplay information and minor translations for Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den, serving as a general reference guide. More detailed explanations of everything in the list can be found on the main blog.
Please note that this is a work in progress; if anything seems to be missing it might be because it was already mentioned in my old Sengoku Basara 4 reference guide or the one for Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi.
I managed to watch today's episode of Capcom TV with coverage of the game and there wasn't much to see. The footage was squeezed in after a massive Biohazard special feature to tie in with the recent E3 news, and the gameplay with producer Nonaka took place on the Tenmokuzan stage like before.
Still, OneSanitarium managed to spot at least one gameplay element which made it across from Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi, so it looks as though the additional skill revision moves from that game are long term additions to the characters who received them.
They're releasing an exclusive LINE smartphone wallpaper in each new episode of Capcom TV until the game is released. To grab this week's group shot of the Sanada family, simply send the word カウコンTV to the official Sengoku Basara LINE account. They also showed that you can get a picture of young Ieyasu by sending the word 少年, which isn't new or exciting except that I wasn't sure how to trigger that particular picture.
About the Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den coverage from today's Weekly Famitsu magazine I can't translate the articles any more because people have been pirating Weekly Famitsu and digital sales are now locked to Japan only.
It was pretty obvious this would happen as long as people outside Japan were buying the digital magazines and sharing the files instantly online instead of everyone buying copies for themselves at the minimal cover price and sharing translations. This is why we can't have nice things. I'm sure other people will provide translations as usual, but the cost and effort involved has made it no longer worth my time; by the time the website updates I'll be asleep due to time zones.
We've had a lot of updates about Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den over the last few days so I'm posting earlier than usual to quickly round the details up. There'll be more information overnight as well.
Capcom TV will feature the game when it airs less than an hour from now
Today's episode of Capcom TV has promised to include some Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den gameplay with producer Nonaka. The episode broadcasts at 20:00 Japan time (i.e. very soon from the time this post goes online) so please check it out if you happen to be around!
Capcom TV can be watched on YouTube Live, Nico Nico Live and Twitch. Highlights are usually posted at a later date on the main Capcom Channel on YouTube.
Details of the second official Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den live presentation
Speaking of live footage, the second official Yukimura-den broadcast is next week on 23rd June 2016 at 20:00 Japan time. The stream link is now live at Nico Nico and you can reserve a Timeshift viewing there if you won't be around when the show airs.
Saaya will be presenting again with KobaP and producer Nonaka there to talk about the game. The special guest will be actor Matsumura Ryuunosuke, who plays Sanada Yukimura in the upcoming stage play. As well as the latest news and gameplay demonstrations we can expect a quiz and giveaways for viewers.
Weekly Famitsu will be announcing more gameplay modes this week
The preview for this week's magazine revealed a few tantalising hints about the new game, with more details to follow tomorrow (and in the usual official website update). As BlackKite has already posted about this, I'll just link to his translation and commentary here.
Fans in Tokyo and Osaka can apply to preview Yukimura-den before release
Famitsu will be hosting a special preview event called Famitsu Presents Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den Summer Early Access Gathering on 2nd July (Tokyo) and 9th July (Osaka). 120 pairs of fans will be invited to hear a presentation about the game then try it out for themselves in the very first hands-on demonstration session. KobaP will attend the Tokyo event while producer Nonaka will be present in Osaka.
Entry is free and applications must be received by 20th June 2016.
Win cute onigiri-eating merchandise in your local (Japanese) arcade this summer
From 23th July 2016, a range of collectible Sengoku Basara prizes from the Kyun Chara Illustrations range will be available in select Japanese amusement arcades. They're oversized decorative 'tags' divided into two sets of twelve designs, representing the Eastern and Western armies, and this time they're fighting over rice balls. Why not? A Twitter campaign will accompany the promotion.
National Sega and Capcom game centres will offer the Eastern Army characters:
While Namco and Capcom locations have the Western Army:
Eagle-eyed fans may notice that Keiji, Motonari and Motochika appear in both armies for the purpose of this promotion. So there are actually fewer than 24 designs in total.
Sengoku Basara costumes will appear in the Ace Attorney series?
Apparently there are signs that there might be some Sengoku Basara DLC in the newest Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney) title! I look forward to future announcements if these plans go ahead.
Not much today, but there's a pair of new videos which highlight the two bonus items that will be included with first press editions of Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den.
First is the exclusive 'White Cross' costume for Yukimura:
And second is the 32-page Genpuku: Sanada Yukimura ('Coming Of Age: Sanada Yukimura') short story:
Cover artwork for the second reprinted Sengoku Basara 3 novel
Sengoku Basara 3: Date Masamune & Katakura Kojuurou No Shou is due for release on 15th June 2016 for ¥1,100 before tax, and we now have the cover artwork to enjoy.
It's almost time for the Sweets Paradise tie-in to draw to an end
The third and final phase of the Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den x Sweets Paradise Sanada Cafecollaboration has now begun and it will run until 26th June 2016.
Coasters (third set):
Stickers (third set):
Fans looking for an excuse to return to the cafe will also be pleased to see there's a new menu item: Benmaru/Bontenmaru: Childhood Promise, a blend of red strawberry syrup and blue 'cider' (please note that Japanese cider isn't alcoholic and is in fact a completely different drink to what westerners might expect).
A new batch of Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den merchandise featuring the game's new renders has arrived on e-Capcom and there might be a little puzzle hidden amongst the listings. Here's what's on the way:
A ten-piece Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-dentin badge collection for ¥3,500 before tax. It's scheduled for release on 25th August 2016 and the characters featured are the playable cast of the game along with some of the more popular NPCs.
Four Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den clear files, available as a set for ¥1,400 before tax or separately for ¥350 each (Yukimura, Masamune, Nobuyuki, Masayuki). The release date for the clear files is 25th August 2016.
A set of twelve mini shikishiillustrations for ¥5,400 before tax. They're scheduled for release on 29th September 2016 (if you want to buy them separately, blind-boxed versions should be available from hobby stores in Japan).
One design is unrevealed - apparently not because it's specifically planned as a secret, but simply because they're not publishing the preview shot yet. They have the new illustrations from last Thursday as part of the range and a fairly broad selection of the game's characters.
The illustration boards look like this up close.
Last but not least, there's a set of ten Sengoku Basara Sanada Yukimura-denacrylic key holders for ¥5,000 before tax. They're also due for release on 29th September 2016.
Again, one design is deliberately unrevealed - though there's a hint in the form of a close up of how it looks.
The latest Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den gameplay details from Weekly Famitsu
The 16th June 2016 edition of Weekly Famitsu magazine was released today in Japan and there was some brand new content for Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den fans. The first page of the article featured a new rendered image of Benmaru and Bontenmaru fighting; not bad.
This led into the gameplay details for the adult version of Date Masamune, which had been strangely absent until now.
Masamune's new gameplay mechanic is similar to Bontenmaru's, which was revealed previously; in fact, it's specifically described as being an advanced version of it.
By powering Masamune up using Mad Drive, you can unleash 'Rampaging Dragon' mode. To use Mad Drive, the player has to hold down the button after each attack. This will add a follow-up attack to the move and gradually, as you chain more of these, a blue aura will start to surround Masamune to indicate 'Rampaging Dragon' status. This status significantly increases his attack speed and allows him to attack the enemy without offering them any chance of a counter.
Details of some of Masamune's other regular moves are also listed. The names are already in English which keeps things simple (and Masamune seems to have discovered lowercase).
Ground Dragon: Thrusting his six claws into the ground with force, Masamune releases a thunder dragon which snakes across the ground. Enemies that it hits will be drawn towards Masamune, allowing for further attacks.
Deadly Cross: Masamune makes a cross in the air and launches the enemy upwards. You can hold down the button to activate Rampaging Dragon mode, and also follow up with another attack.
Kill Shake: A chopping attack while Masamune spins quickly in the air. Holding the button down will increase his rotation speed, and consequently the destructive power.
His Basara move: Masamune draws the surrounding spirit energy into his own body and releases it as an azure wave, resembling a dragon. The rampaging wave brings about a massive explosion on the battlefield.
--
Edit: The official website update a few hours later added a fourth move description for Masamune.
Magnum Dunk: Masamune charges while twirling his six claws, and any enemies caught up in the attack are struck to the ground. With the wide range of this attack it can be used to sweep away enemies standing in a line. Furthermore, by holding down the button you can increase the distance Masamune will cover with his charge.
There are also screenshots showing him with an extra move called Heart Bolt, and we can see the abilities both characters unlock via the Bushin system at Odawara.
Japanese
English
Level
Character
Stage seen
Colour
武心獲得量アップ
Bushin Acquisition Up
2 (弐)
Masamune
Odawara
???
武心伝心延長
Extended Bushin Denshin
4 (四)
Masamune
Odawara
???
大将討伐
Subdue Generals
6 (六)
Masamune
Odawara
???
武心獲得量アップ
Bushin Acquisition Up
2 (弐)
Yukimura
Odawara
Green
武心伝心延長
Extended Bushin Denshin
4 (四)
Yukimura
Odawara
Green
大将討伐
Subdue Generals
6 (六)
Yukimura
Odawara
Blue
The second half of the article focuses on stages and story details as usual. Masamune, still intent on conquering the land and fully prepared for death, heads to Odawara Castle to face Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Ishida Mitsunari, dressed in his white outfit emblazoned with a crucifix. Another panel shows Matabee and Sen No Rikyuu (Sabisuke) who will both be standing in Masamune's way. Meanwhile, Hanbee and Kojuurou are going to be trying to stop Yukimura as he rushes to see what's happened to Masamune.
Stage: Guide Masamune and Yukimura to the honmaru as they advance against Odawara Castle
Masamune is trying to get to the heart of the castle in order to face Hideyoshi, while Yukimura is desperately trying to stop him; the player will control both characters as they work through the stage. Yukimura is shown with a mission of having to break through the cavalry guarding Odawara Castle before unlocking the gate and continuing. A screenshot shows there are fifteen Date cavalry officers to defeat as part of that mission.
(Raindrops' note: I guess that's why there are so many Toyotomi NPCs confirmed - they want to make the enemy seem overwhelmingly powerful for the sake of the narrative, instead of having all of the factions appear to be similarly tough as they are in the main game series.)
Masamune and Yukimura are also shown in their 'classic' outfits for the first time since this game started its promotion, both as new renders and in-game. It seems that they'll be confronting one another at the Osaka Summer Siege that way, some time after the events at Odawara have played out.
--
Edit: The official website has since updated and it shows Wabisuke as well as Sabisuke. Masamune's costumes are labelled the Azure and White Cross versions, while Yukimura's are the Hinokaku ('Scarlet Horns'), Crimson and Phoenix versions.
An extra bonus for fans who preorder the new game from e-Capcom
It has been announced today that anyone who preorders their copy of Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den from the official e-Capcom online store before 24th August 2016 will be automatically entered into a prize draw.
The seven winners of the draw will each receive an exclusive bath towel with one of the designs shown above. The chance of winning is relatively low, but what a unique bonus...
The fifth Basa-ranking fan survey is now online
The time, the survey is asking fans to name the game with the characters they were most interested in by the 30th June 2016. This will be the fifth and final Basa-ranking survey as the tenth anniversary festivities wind down, so don't forget to vote!
More details about the BIC Camera in-store event this weekend
I mentioned the plans for an event in Shinjuku's huge BICQLO store a few days ago and we now have a little more information. Unfortunately, it seems that gameplay demonstrations from Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den won't be available but producer Nonaka Daizou will be attending and talking to the audience about the game.
Kofu City's Sengoku Basara-themed stamp rally returns for 2017
History fans who take a trip to Kofu this summer will be able to participate in an updated version of last year's successful stamp rally activity between 23rd July and 30th September 2016. More details should appear at a later date.
Another cute new illustration is revealed for the Capcom Cafe Sengoku Basara tie-in
A tweet from Capcom has added a (very small) picture of a different mini towel available to fans who visit the Capcom Cafe during its Sengoku Basaracampaign. This is different to the design which fans who attended the Machi★Asobi event were able to purchase.
The team popularity contest earlier in the year leads to some unusual merchandise
Remember that last Ichiban Kuji event where the 'teams' of characters which sold the most pictures would feature on some merchandise in a future lottery? The details of the followup eventIchiban Kuji MINI Sengoku Basara ~Hisshou Kigan!~ ('Inevitable Victory Prayer!') have now been published. For each ticket you buy you'll win a randomly-drawn prize and a code, which you can enter into a second draw for a chance to win one of twenty sets of 'charamide' pictures of the teams which topped the ranking.
There will be fifteen different omamori mascot charms available as A-rank prizes:
And twenty-one different ema mascot charms as B-rank prizes:
Since the teams which ranked highest included niche characters alongside the popular ones, it's brought about an odd situation where characters like Itsuki, Nouhime, Ranmaru, Kennyo, Musashi and Yoshihiro get to appear on merchandise over some of their substantially more famous counterparts. Cool.
This new lottery will run in hobby stores from 2nd July 2016 and each entry costs ¥500.
Read the new Sengoku Basara manga for free (in Japanese)
If you haven't had a chance to read the new Sengoku Basara: DOKUGAN manga yet and are holding out for a legal way to do so, there's good news since Akita Shoten have published the whole first chapter for free in Japanese on their site. Fans with some basic Japanese reading knowledge can enjoy following the insane story but it's also worth it for the crazy artwork alone (or even if you just really, really like Masamune's thighs).
I'm assuming it's available worldwide, because of all of the countries in the world the UK is probably one of the last that would specifically get access to a random Japanese action manga. Please support it so that they continue to publish the chapters for people who can't afford to import the fortnightly magazine!
Another character is confirmed for Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den
Saturday was the date of the two Basara Club Fan Meeting 2016 Spring events in Japan, and according to numerous reports and tweets from various attendees Kuroda Kanbee will be showing up in the new game. He's almost certainly unplayable, but this is still good news!
I think they're still trying to push the three '-bee's by having them appearing in the same game again, which also partially explains Hanbee's presence. There's also the fact that Kanbee himself will still have relatively strong name recognition following the Gunshi Kanbee drama a couple of years ago.
A Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den pop-up shop will visit three major Japanese cities
In Japan over the summer and interested in picking up some limited edition Yukimura-den merchandise? The Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den x Namco Event Shop 'Chara Pop Store'will be at the Aeon Mall Makuhari Shintoshin Store in Chiba between 9th July and 7th August 2016, before moving on to locations in Osaka and Sendai at a later date. Visitors can expect Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den decorations, goodies and prize draws featuring the cute artwork produced especially for this tie-in. Some of the items mentioned include uchiwa fans, pennants and traditional purse-style ticket holders.
Yukimura-den goodies will appear in Osaka and Nagoya this June
Fans in Osaka have to wait a little longer for the Namco Event Shop to travel west, so in the meantime they can enjoy their own specialcollaboration. The main branch of the Hankyu Umeda department store will be hosting an exhibition in the Art Stage area on the ninth floor of the building between 8th June and 20th June 2016. The main purpose of the event is to celebrate Sanada Yukimura's world and the latest NHK Taiga Drama, Sanadamaru, but the Sengoku Basara tie-in is part of a Sengoku Goods Shop which will form one of the attractions. Entry is free and attractions include life-sized Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den standees, videos and photography spots. In addition, visitors who spend more than ¥1,080 on Sengoku-themed goods will be eligible to receive an exclusive Yukimura-den postcard while stocks last.
There will also be a pop-up Capcom Shop in the PARCO department store (south building, eighth floor) in Nagoya between 4th June and 26th June 2016, with displays, merchandise and standees featuring famous leading men from popular Capcom titles. There will be free stickers for those who spend more than ¥1,000 during their visit.
BIC Camera will host a Capcom gaming event later this week
Finally, there's going to be some kind of in-store Capcom event at the Shinjuku East Exit branch of BIC Camera (BICQLO) on 5th June 2016. Full details have yet to be revealed but the games to be featured will be Gyakuten Saiban 6 (Ace Attorney 6), Biohazard: Umbrella Corps, Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den and Monster Hunter Stories and we are being promised some words from the games' producers alongside gameplay - though there's no firm word on which of the games will be on show.
Where do I start? I'll never forgive KobaP for releasing so much information during my business trip; he's had months to do this! Please forgive me for all of the comments I haven't responded to; I've been reading and enjoying them and can't wait to have some free time to write replies.
My previous post has been updated with the last few details from Thursday's big gameplay news reveal and it's probably best to read through that first if you haven't already, otherwise some of these gameplay details won't make much sense.
Preorder details for Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den
The preorder listings are now live and there are a few different versions, though thankfully not as many as there have been for previous games. All boxed editions of the game come with two bonuses so long as you place your order early enough.
The first is an A6 32-page Genpuku: Sanada Yukimura ('Coming Of Age: Sanada Yukimura') short story.
While the second is a DLC 'White Cross Ver.' costume code for Yukimura.
These bonuses are only available while stocks last.
If you purchase the digital edition of the game from PSN early enough, you'll receive the 'White Cross' outfit but not the book. Full details of the PlayStation store preorder schedule will be available at a later date.
Special edition
The special edition of the game is exclusive to Capcom's Japan-only online store e-Capcom (PS3, PS4). It comes with all of the limited quantity bonuses as well as an additional limited quantity 'Yukimura-kun Ver.' mascot costume for Benmaru.
The main feature of the special edition is a pair of exclusive statues from Sentinel. Benmaru is 130mm tall while Bontenmaru is 135mm, and they were modelled by artist Nagashio Kyou. You can see an article about the creation of the figures here. Only a limited quantity of the figures will ever be produced.
Play-Asia are making it easy for fans outside Japan who don't want to deal with ordering through a deputy service. If you want them to buy the special edition on your behalf, they have listings for the PS3 and PS4 special editions available. They also offer a prepaid import tax delivery service with Fedex, though it isn't cheap!
You can buy a standard edition from e-Capcom too which includes the Yukimura-kun costume without the statues. I wouldn't recommend this option unless you live in Japan; the DLC costume has been confirmed to be available later from PSN and some (as yet unannounced) other game stores anyway, so the cost of buying through e-Capcom makes it a bad deal unless you want something truly exclusive like the edition with the exclusive figures.
Standard edition (with store-exclusive bonus)
Amazon Japan (PS3, PS4) has a Masamune-kun costume for Bontenmaru, to match the Yukimura-kun version on offer elsewhere. Please be careful if you want to order from Amazon Japan. There are two sets of listings; one set includes the Masamune-kun costume and the other doesn't. This outfit will also be available separately as paid DLC later on.
Japanese-only retailer Game Tsutaya (PS3, PS4) has a special alternate 'cherry blossom flurry' cover for the novel:
While rival GEO has a 'blue skies' book cover instead:
These store-exclusive bonuses will only be offered while stocks last.
Standard edition (without store-exclusive bonus)
Import-friendly stores listing the game for preorder without any exclusive bonuses include the following:
All of these stores should include the standard limited quantity bonus items (novel and 'White Cross' costume) so long as you order in time. Anyone who preorders before the game's release date should be confident that they'll receive the bonuses.
As for the bonus costumes, the Yukimura-kun and Masamune-kun costumes will be available later from PSN as paid DLC. The 'White Cross' outfit for Yukimura will not be available later, so no matter where you choose to buy the game it's a good idea to preorder if you want all of the costumes.
I'm not sure about the status of the Chinese edition, which is also scheduled for the summer. Will there still be a Japanese-language 'Asian edition'?
The second official Sanada Yukimura-den promotional video is now online
The new video went live on Thursday, giving us clips from some of the story scenes and footage of Ujimasa, Kotarou, Hideyoshi, Hanbee, Matabee, Ieyasu, Mitsunari, Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, Katsuie, Toshiie and Kojuurou.
An alternate version of the video with T.M.Revolution's theme song playing in the background can be watched on the official website. It takes ages to buffer.
A few observations:
That Katsuie/Toshiie introduction scene is great. Still no replacement for Matsu, however - Toshiie without Matsu isn't something I'm going to be able to get used to any time soon.
It looks as though Katsuyori is just a generic background character from the tiny glimpse we get of him at Tenmokuzan. Difficult to tell.
The obvious departures from history don't bother me since they admitted they were going to use some artistic licence in an early interview, but I was still surprised to see Hanbee. They're making it clear that this version of events is completely separate from all previous depictions of Yukimura's dealings with the Toyotomi clan. I guess Sengoku Basara's Hideyoshi and Hanbee always come as a pair (hey, like Toshiie and Matsu!)
The Toyotomi trio play up their role as villains quite well, from the look of the trailer. I like it.
Benmaru is really cute and dainty! I think they've done a great job with the contrast between him and Bontenmaru, which reflects the contrast between their adult selves rather well.
Hoshi's vocal range is, as always, incredible.
Hidara noticed that Gotou Matabee can be seen very briefly at around 1:19! The other newly-revealed characters are obvious but he was well hidden in a fight scene.
Where's Sasuke?
I'm not entirely serious with my consternation over the character choices (though I am serious about missing Matsu). The series has been dropping in popularity precipitously over the last couple of years with fierce competition from Touken Ranbu and other titles which have been successful with the same demographic.
They need to appeal to the devotees who invest in the merchandise and simultaneously attract new fans with solid, intense gameplay, which seems to be exactly what they're trying to do with this game in order to keep interest in the series flowing while they work on the next numbered title. It's important that Yukimura-den does well for the sake of future titles in the Retsuden Series, of course, but I think it's also critical that it keeps the core fans interested for the sake of the series overall. They will also be courting local tourism boards to try to cross-promote with the real-life versions of some of these characters. I can forgive a little pandering if that's what it takes for the series to be a success.
(Sengoku Basara 5 had better be awesome, though.)
The first Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den broadcast showed live gameplay
The broadcast took place on Thursday evening as scheduled, with Saaya joining KobaP, producer Nonaka and guest Shima. Nonaka didn't speak up much, but the main takeaway from this first broadcast is that the gameplay looks fantastic and I really want to pick it up and start playing. I placed my preorder while writing the first part of this post on Thursday night because watching the footage got me so pumped up!
I mentioned in my previous post that the usual kill counter tracks monsen coins rather than K.O.s in this game, and it seems that wasn't quite right. The live stream clearly showed that the monsen counter is something different. The game still tracks K.O.s with pop-up notifications when you get to certain numbers, but the monsen coins are separate to this and seem to be a straightforward currency. You acquire the coins by killing enemies with blue health bars and also from in-game challenges. There doesn't appear to be a persistent on-screen counter for K.O.s alone.
The video was very helpful for showing how the new Bushin ('Braveheart') system from the previous magazine update worked in action. When you're able to activate Bushin Denshin mode ('Braveheart Telepathy') to turn all of the enemy HP gauges blue, you'll see this notification indicating that you can use it:
And the L1+R1 buttons will show up in the bottom left like this. The blue ring around the number kanji indicates the time remaining in Bushin Denshin mode and when it's active it's very obvious, with a blue aura around the screen and sparkling special effects.
I tried making a list of all of the Bushin system bonuses we have seen so far, including from screenshots published in Weekly Famitsu and other sources. It's not clear whether these bonuses are stage-specific, character-specific or randomly assigned, so this list shouldn't be treated as solid information just yet - I simply recorded everything that might be relevant.
Japanese
English
Level
Character
Stage seen
Colour
見切り上手
Desertion Proficiency
3 (参)
Yukimura
Tenmokuzan
Green
見切り回復
Desertion Heal
4 (四)
Yukimura
Tenmokuzan
Yellow
見切り無敵
Desertion Invincibility
6 (六)
Yukimura
Tenmokuzan
Yellow
武心獲得量アップ
Bushin Acquisition Up
2 (弐)
Yukimura
Tenmokuzan
Green
武心伝心延長
Extended Bushin Denshin
4 (四)
Yukimura
Tenmokuzan
???
大将討伐
Subdue Generals
6 (六)
Yukimura
Tenmokuzan
???
武心のオマケ
Bushin Bonus
1 (壱)
Masayuki
Tenmokuzan
Yellow
武心伝心延長
Extended Bushin Denshin
3 (参)
Masayuki
Tenmokuzan
Green
武心伝心強化
Enhanced Bushin Denshin
4 (四)
Masayuki
Tenmokuzan
Blue
バサラ技攻撃力強化
Enhanced Basara Skill Power
2 (弐)
Nobuyuki
Tenmokuzan
Blue
会心率
Kindred Rate Up
3 (参)
Nobuyuki
Tenmokuzan
Green
大将討伐
Subdue Generals
4 (四)
Nobuyuki
Tenmokuzan
Blue
武心獲得量アップ
Bushin Acquisition Up
2 (弐)
Benmaru
Oushuu
Green
武心伝心延長
Extended Bushin Denshin
4 (四)
Benmaru
Oushuu
???
大将討伐
Subdue Generals
6 (六)
Benmaru
Oushuu
???
武心獲得量アップ
Bushin Acquisition Up
2 (弐)
Bontenmaru
Oushuu
Green
武心伝心延長
Extended Bushin Denshin
4 (四)
Bontenmaru
Oushuu
???
大将討伐
Subdue Generals
6 (六)
Bontenmaru
Oushuu
???
Please also note that it's very hard to read the blurred text in some of the screenshots so while I've done my best to provide an accurate transcription, there might be errors.
The video offered an opportunity to see the tegata mission panel in the top right corner in action. Stages seem to have story missions like 'go for the dragon's lone cedar tree', 'head towards Takeda Katsuyori', 'beat Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide' or 'beat Tokugawa Ieyasu', but there are also more general objective-based missions like 'defeat 200 soldiers' which appear during gameplay.
At one point, the mission panel changed to display a 'rainbow chance' with a huge bonus reward. In this case it asked the player to pull off a 500-hit combo within the time limit shown below the box. If successful, they'd be awarded 5,000 monsen coins.
It seemed to enclose the player in a small zone while the challenge was active. The mission was a success and a pop-up message appeared advising that it was the first of three 'rainbow chance' opportunities so perhaps these come up at specific points in each stage?
Another pop-up which appears during the play is a 'six circle challenge'. There seem to be six of these representing the six coins on Yukimura's rokumonsen emblem, though it's very possible there are twelve (one for each side of the coins). The first one shown in the video was simply to defeat 500 enemies while another asked the player to defeat ten enemies using a single Basara move.
One more mystery came in the form of the boss characters' health gauges, which had extra bars above them (two for Nobunaga and Ieyasu, one for Mitsuhide). It's unclear what significance these marks have as the confrontation with Ieyasu ended when the main bar was empty.
Other miscellaneous things I recall from the broadcast:
KobaP was aghast when Shima accidentally called Tadakatsu a 'robot', insisting that he was a (human) warrior. Hehe.
They also confirmed the broadcast was being filmed live, and that they were very anxious about showing the in-game footage since it was the first time fans would get a glimpse of the game being played.
Shima was told to stop before the end of the Tenmokuzan stage. They didn't want to reveal too much.
They have actually been wanting to include the younger versions of the characters for some time, so this was a good opportunity.
Nobuyuki had an extra skill under his bar like Yukimura's Fuurinkazan, but the others didn't. I'm guessing these are acquired after levelling up as usual so they'll probably all have at least one eventually.
Waggling the controller sticks to escape from some moves is still necessary.
It was confirmed that the PS3 and PS4 editions are exactly the same price this time.
A number of the commenters were suggesting that Koyasu Takehito (Sarutobi Sasuke) might appear as a guest in the next broadcast since they didn't confirm who the guest(s) would be. People are still hoping for a big Sasuke reveal soon.
Edit: And while it's not my observation, fan OneSanitarium noticed that the layouts of the stages shown so far have shared some very distinct similarities with stages from Sengoku Basara 3 and Sengoku Basara 3 Utage!
The next live broadcast is scheduled for 23rd June 2016 at 20:00 Japan time. I'll follow up with the stream link once that's been confirmed.
The Sweets Paradise collaboration moves into its second phase
The first phase of the Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den x Sweets Paradise Sanada Cafetie-in came to a close on Thursday, and consequently the stickers and coasters on offer to visitors have changed to a new selection.
Stickers:
Coasters:
Ashigaru-kun's second comical report on the cafe is also now available.
I think we can safely expect the next major update about the game in mid-June given the date of the next broadcast and the fact that the third (and final) update to the cafe's rewards is scheduled for 9th June 2016, with the event closing its doors on 26th June 2016. The second phase of the Sweets Paradise came on the same day the new video was released, and the cafe immediately started playing the new video to its customers when its doors opened that morning.
Is it unreasonable for me to hope for a Sasuke announcement and new video on 9th June, followed by further information during the live stream a couple of weeks later?
A new illustration of Benmaru and Bontenmaru is available through LINE
Fans who follow the official Sengoku Basara LINE account will have received a notification this week with a commemorative picture of the two youngsters playing together with traditional Tango No Sekku accessories. I'm only including a small screenshot; please follow the LINE account if you'd like the full quality version.
The service will also respond with a new picture of the game's box art for fans who send the words for 'release date' (発売日) to the official account.
Results from the fourth Basa-ranking survey
The fourth set of Basa-ranking results have now been published to list the games with the best background music according to the fans who voted.
The special Sengoku Basara 3 smartphone wallpapers can downloaded here.
Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi is to receive a priced-down rerelease in Japan
Some stores are listing a cheaper 'best price' version of Sumeragi for release on 7th July 2016, so fans who haven't picked it up yet can save quite a lot of money if they wait just a little bit longer. Since Yukimura-den focuses on the Yukimura storyline, people who like what they see might be encouraged to try a more fully-featured game with the full set of characters. I hope it does well.
