Attention owners of SMT: Strange Journey:

Due to a manufacturing error, the bonus soundtrack CD bundled with SMT: Strange Journey does not play properly. We are moving quickly with our manufacturing partner to replace defective soundtrack discs, launching a fulfillment site into which customers can input their information and receive a new soundtrack CD in 2-4 weeks.

We apologize for this issue, we appreciate your understanding and patience, and we thank you for your current (and hopefully continued) support.

Please follow the below link to formally submit your replacement request and for official details.

www.atlus.com/strangejourneycd

In the future, a growing, black void appears over the Earth’s southern pole. Unable to determine its cause, humanity sends an elite team of explorers into the heart of the phenomenon. Strange Journey’s look and feel represents a return to the heart of Shin Megami Tensei, bringing to mind the all-time classic Nocturne. Strange Journey promises over 300 demons to bribe, coerce, and negotiate with to gain assistance in battle.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is scheduled to release on March 23rd  with an MSRP of $34.99. Each and every launch copy will be a premium boxed set with a bonus CD featuring music from the game.

Developer’s- website

Metal Slug is an over-the-top, run-and-gun shooter full of explosions, weapons, and mechanized machines to ride. The cartoon mayhem has kept hardcore and casual gamers entertained for over a decade. Relive the glory and charm of old school arcade play as you team up with a comrade via ad-hoc multiplayer to outshoot and outrun hundreds of enemies while rescuing prisoners.

Purchase Leona, a seventh playable character with her own abilities, via Playstation Store for only 99 cents.

3D Dot Game Heroes Trailer Preview (Playstation 3)

SMT: Strange Journey is the continuation of the hit RPG series that started many many years ago (my first exposure to it was on the PSOne and that was sparked thanks to a great article in, now defunct, Gamefan Magazine).  If you are wanting an RPG that is slightly different and interesting and are tired of Orcs and Half Elfs running rampant in your RPG, give SMT: Strange Journey a chance.

For more information on SMT: Strange Journeys, why not check out our previous coverage available here.

Trauma Team by Atlus – website
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rated: Rating Pending
Due: April 20th, 2010

Eri Kasamoto
Character Specialty: Double the normal quantity of grenades as well as grenade replenishment.
Eri began life as an orphan abandoned on the steps of a church. Once she caught on to the ways of the world, she left the church behind and became leader of a band of street kids. At that time, she was recruited by the Army’s Intel Division who saw promise in her innate ability for combat. After being heavily trained in the art of subversive activities, she became a first-class assassin and saboteur. In the following years, she completed numerous dangerous missions, but ultimately grew tired of doing dirty work, which left her only with a terrible sense of remorse. She requested a transfer to the SOG (Special Operations Group) known as the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. Normally, such a request would be ignored by the top brass, but in Eri’s case, they decided to make an exception because of her exceptional service record. She demonstrated unparalleled ability by quelling General Morden’s second coup and was promoted to Staff Sergeant.

Marco Rossi
Character Specialty: Doubled handgun power
An Italian-American computer whiz, Marco entered Special Military Engineering college after graduating from an industrial trade school. Once he graduated, he joined a special forces unit known as the Peregrine Falcons. Marco is generally a good-natured man, but the mere mention of General Morden’s name causes Marco to fall into a rage after having lost countless family and friends over the years to the General’s various attacks.
Although he is one of the top combat agents in the special forces unit, Marco has a rather quiet hobby: computer programming. One of his biggest shames is that a computer virus he initially created as a joke ended up infecting the DoD mainframe and nearly caused a nuclear launch. This is a secret that Marco will never share with anyone.

Tarma Roving
Character Specialty: Slugs will be stronger and carry double the normal amount of cannon shells.
The son of a distinguished serviceman, Tarma joined the Army’s Special Warfare academy right out of junior high. When he was 20, he rescued the President and used this success to arrange for a transfer to the Peregrine Falcons. During the onset of the Great War, Tarma learn that his best friend Marco had enlisted to serve his country. Tarma immediately resigned from the Peregrine Falcons to serve on the frontlines with Marco, and together they fought bravely until the conflict ended. Both Tarma and Marco were promoted to Captain because of their actions in the war.
Away from the battlefield, Tarma is known to play practical joke or two on the over-serious Marco but pays his brother in arms the highest respects as a soldier. His hobby is creating customized motorcycles with a devotion to craftsmanship that puts professionals to shame. After the first major conflict with General Morden’s forces, Tarma planned to retire and start a cycle shop of his own, but he was persuaded to come out of retirement by his superiors.

Fio Germi
Character Specialty: Begins with a Heavy Machine Gun available
The only daughter of the wealthy Germi family in Italy. The Germi family has always had a tradition of having at least one member of each generation in the military, and after Fio’s birth her mother was unable to bear any more children. After graduating from college, Fio was enlisted in the Regular Army by her father in order to uphold this tradition. Fio’s upbringing, filled with unconditional love and a lack of hardship, has given her an easy grace and a kind heart. Fio studied Chiropractics and Acupuncture in college, and hopes to become a sports doctor in the future.

Ralf Jones
Character Specialty: Performs Close-Quarters Combat twice as fast as other characters. He also has a super move.
Ralf is known only as “Colonel” in the mercenary group. Other than this, the details of his career are shrouded in mystery. Rumor has it that he may have come from some other nation’s Special Forces unit… or that he single-handedly brought down a secret criminal syndicate… Most of these rumblings can be dismissed as idle gossip or jokes. Ralf himself has never shown any interest in these rumors.
It would appear that Colonel Ralf is a good friend of the the unit’s commander, but nobody knows how or when they first met.
Ralf is also good buddies with Major Clark, true comrades-in-arms who have fought together in fierce battles. It’s widely known, though still unconfirmed, that Ralf occasionally attends martial arts tournaments, and his hand-to-hand combat abilities easily overwhelm those of regular soldiers.

Clark Still
Character Specialty: Earn bonus points by repeatedly throwing enemies using his special moves.
The details of Major Clark’s service record are unknown, though it seems that he’s been in the mercenary group for several years. An old war buddy of Colonel Ralf, the two of them have fought alongside each other on any battlefield you could name. Like Colonel Ralf, his mysterious past is subject to lots of imaginative speculation, but his existing battle records are exceptional and the results of the martial arts tournaments he attends with Colonel Ralf speak loudly of his true combat ability.
On the battlefield, his fighting style is slightly different from Ralf’s, but both of them are highly trained melee fighters. Enemy soldiers unlucky enough to encounter Major Clark in battle soon find themselves airborne, followed by a helpless face-first plummet into the ground.

Leona Heidern
Character Specialty: Powerful close range slash attack, plus faster jump speed than other characters.
(More info to come!)

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Look for METAL SLUG XX to deploy for PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) on February 23, 2010!

Have more questions? Visit the official game site: http://www.atlus.com/metalslugxx

This time we have a production diary from Mr. Nich Maragos, lead editor of SMT: Strange Journey for your enjoyment with some great screen shots below.

SMT: Strange Journey by Atlus – Production Diary