This week is actually a big one, as not only are we getting sequels to massive franchises, but Namco Bandai is also releasing the latest entry in their The IdolM@ster: Gravure For You! expansion packs. Everyone loves expansions right? Especially when they're over $100.

Wait. What?

Join me after the break as I face palm over Japanese game prices, look at some big names, and try to get you to import an awesome scifi/action game.

Releases for the week of January 22-28:

The IdolM@ster: Gravure For You! Volume 4 (Playstation 3)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Online Price: 9,680 yen ($124.49)

Let's just get this out of the way, shall we? First up is volume 4 of the gravure expansion packs that Namco Bandai has been releasing for IdolM@ster. I'm actually not sure if the original game is required to play, seeing as the gameplay is composed entirely of photo shoots and making the idols pose in various costumes/swimwear. This is the sort of thing that I'd expect to see as downloadable content, not as a separate release. The worst part is the price. In some kind of ironic twist, each expansion costs significantly more than the original game. I can't wrap my mind around why someone would pay 9,680 yen for content that should be much cheaper or simply included from the start. This is the sort of milking of fans that really frustrates me when it comes to the Japanese game market. I know we have some hardcore IdolM@ster fans reading the site though. Have any of you folks been grabbing these? 

Armored Core V (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Online Price: 7,580 yen ($97.49)

Armored Core brings back some fond memories for me. Back during the PSX era, I used to be a huge mech nut and the series did a lot to satisfy my robot urges. I drifted away from the franchise after 2, hearing that it started to get stale and the controls failed to evolve with the times. Why would V be any different? First of all, From Software has been on a roll as of late with Demon Souls and Dark Souls. I'd like to believe that they knocked this one out of the park. I'd also be lying if I said that I wasn't interested in the ridiculous customization options the game provides. Am I the only one out there looking forward to this?

Biohazard: Revelations (Nintendo 3DS)
Publisher: Capcom
Online Price: 5,790 yen ($74.49)

As if the Nintendo 3DS wasn't having an amazing winter to begin with, along comes another massive title that's bound to do well here and over in the west. Being treated like a mainline Biohazard title means that Revelations is going to be a heavy hitter. I picked this up just the other day, and after having played around two hours so far, I can say that it feels as though Capcom has really returning to the series' horror routes. For the most part, it's much more carefully paced and focused on trying to make the player jump. This release also marks the first time that a game in the series was dubbed in Japanese. The games are always subtitled in Japanese here, so this comes as a bit of a surprise. To further sweeten the deal, Japanese copies have the same voice options as the English version. I'm definitely interested in seeing the sales numbers for this one.

Tales of Innocence R (Playstation Vita)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Online Price: 7,400 yen 

Vita's big release this week is Tales of Innocence R, the director's cut-esque rerelease of 2007's DS Tales title. Last week saw Wipeout 2048 hit shelves, so it's nice to see a steady, albeit slow, stream of new games for the young system. All things considered, I'm quite happy to have a traditional JRPG and a Tales game so early in the system's life. I'm hoping that the new additions to Innocence help to make it a more fully rounded experience, but I'm keeping my expectations low. I would expect this to release in the west sometime in the coming year, if only because the original Innocence never saw an English language release save for the fantastic fan translation from a few years back. I imagine if Abyss sells decently, Namco Bandai will see the worth in bringing this forgotten title overseas. Fingers crossed. I recommend holding off on importing for at least a couple of months.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Mokuba no Kiseki (Playstation Portable)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Online Price: 6,010 yen ($76.99)

I think a lot of people would be surprised to find just how many Mobile Suit Gundam games release in Japan any given year. The franchise literally has a game series for every single possible genre at this point. Mokuba no Kiseki is a brand new strategy title centering on the use of the White Base as a primary hub. The visuals look relatively plain, but I'm sure strategy nuts would find something to like here. If you're planning to import, I'm going to warn you ahead of time that if you don't have a solid grasp of Japanese, playing Mokuba no Kiseki is going to be a huge chore. Stick to the action stuff, folks.

Bullet Butlers (Playstation Portable)
Publisher: Boost On
Online Price: 5,820 yen ($74.49)

You'll find that I'll sometimes post games of interest here that I literally know nothing about, just because of a name or a trailer. In Bullet Butlers' case, it's very clearly the name that makes this game awesome. Screenshots and trailers seem to reveal a pretty typical visual novel with a fantasy-esque premise. Apparently the game is stylish and well known for it's crazy battle scenes. It takes place in a world that's been split into two: Bureshigrand and Goltrock (the katakana is horrible). This occurred after a war between different races took place and ravaged the lands. The best part of this tale? The screenshots reveal a game that looks to have absolutely nothing to do with that synopsis. If there's anyone out there with an interest in this game who knows more, please sound off below. A game with a name like this deserves to be the greatest thing ever made. For you importers out there, take the jump only if you are fluent in Japanese. Visual novels are probably the least import-friendly genre.

Overlooked gem of the week:

Terror of the Stratus/Senritsu no Stratus (Playstation Portable)
Publisher: Konami
Online Price: 5,820 yen ($74.49)

This section of the column is meant to highlight a game from the last ten or so years that was cruelly overlooked for localization, but is still worth taking a look at. This week, I wanted to take a brief look at developer Nude Maker's (Infinite Space) latest title, Terror of the Stratus. Released on October 27 of 2011, Terror is a 2.5D side scrolling action game that blends some light RPG elements with an episodic narrative, making for an exciting, albeit brief experience. I picked up the game the same day I grabbed Final Fantasy Type-0, and while I expected to play a few minutes before devoting my time to the latter, I ended up glued to Terror until I completed the game a few days later. It wasn't a perfect experience, for sure. The game suffers from repetition and a lack of variety. Fortunately, the narrative and overall care put into the presentation helps to bump it up a few notches.

Those of you familiar with the Sakura Wars/Sakura Taisen series might recall how the games are formatted almost like a season of anime. You have an opening, an ending and a preview for the next 'episode'. Terror of the Stratus uses this exact same format. There are also animated cut-ins for the special and group attacks. The character models used for dialogue seem pretty standard, but they're actually fully animated when moving to their next position. It also helps that Baccano! character designer Katsumi Enami worked on the visuals. The whole project seems as though Nude Maker was trying to make a playable anime. 

Gameplay is relatively standard. You have a main central hub where you can talk to NPCs and teammates and take missions. After accepting a mission, you exit out onto the field and are allowed to explore at your own liesure, fighting enemies and gathering information about the next boss. Each mission is designed around the idea that you're going on recon to discover the enemy's weak point. A mission is cleared when you've gathered enough info (and sift through it) to defeat the boss of the 'episode'. Each boss is a gigantic alien creature, and the gameplay shifts from human to giant robot combat. These sequences are handled from a mostly isometric perspective, but are a nice change of pace from the hacking and slashing. 

The story itself is crazy and filled with twists and turns. It didn't always make much sense, but there were a lot of plot points where I felt the writers were really pushing the boundaries of what I would normally expect from a game like this. If you import or already have, let me know how you felt after chapter 2/3. I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Is Terror of the Stratus worth importing? Most definitely. Is there a chance that one day the game will be brought out west? Not likely. The game did absolutely terrible numbers its opening weekend and I suspect that Konami will not be returning to the IP anytime soon or ever again at that matter. It's a crying shame too. The IP has a lot of room to grow and I really believe a sequel could be amazing. As it stands, we're left with a great action game that will likely go ignored. My verdict? Take the plunge. If nothing else, you'll find it to be a very different experience than what you're used to.