The third installment popular Japanese high-school gangster series Kenka Banchou is headed for the PSP. In Kenka Banchou 3: Zenkoku Seiha, the player will have the ability to fight rival gangs, participate on training trips, as well as meet some beautiful ladies. The game will retain many of the trademark mechanics of its PS2 predecessors, such as branching storylines and a peculiar battle system that involves picking lines of dialog to determine who will attack first. New additions to franchise include online play via ad-hoc mode and the ability to change the protagonist's name and place of birth.
The game will arrive in Japan on November 27th. Since the first two games were never made it to our shores, this appears to be an unlikely candidate for localization. For more information, check out the scan of Famitsu magazine, screenshots, and the official website.
Oh, yeah... it would be a kinda nice game. But I really doubt it, that this game will see the western parts of the world. I mean... Sony seems to dislike its own handheld.
I'm not a big fan of fighting games, and I've never heard of this one, but I liked this trailer a lot. The music was very unique and catchy, and I totally dug the various design touches. Like the squatting while talking and especially how the "hero" and his buddies walked around with their hands in their pockets while slouched over. Sets the game apart from the cookie-cutter designs of so many games.
Too bad I never import. (Don't speak Japanese.) :-(
If you like the music from the Kenka Banchou demo video, I think it is a band called Blue Hearts. Check them out on youtube, they are great. Not your typical J-Pop.
Yep, trwdad is correct in pegging the music as being from the Blue Hearts.
Imagine a Japanese version of the Clash, mixed in with a dash of the Ramones.
However, while it's a far cry from the "cookie-cutter designs of so many games" we see in the West, it is *very* cookie-cutter for the Japanese market. Hell, the Kunio-kun series alone has been around for, what, over twenty years?
Thanks for ID'ing the band, guys! I'm checking them out on Youtube, and I like their sound. Too bad they broke up so long ago. :-(
Strike Man,
I'm far from a Japanese game authority, but compared to the heroes of every other import game I've seen discussed, these guys look different. Not radically so, but definitely different. What other games have similar heroes?
Trust me, I'm also far from being an expert on Japanese games or culture, but I can say this: the delinquent high school student storyline is at least cliché to the point where anime parodies like Cromartie High School have no shortage of sources to pull their material from. It may not be the most common theme in videogames, but I was referring to the theme in Japanese media in general.
Shows like Be-Bop High School or Gokusen feature the same sort of yanki/juvenile delinquent style in the above video. Comics such as Rokudenashi Blues or Worst ran for many years with similar storylines (the latter may still be ongoing too). Musical acts like Kishidan also adopt the same style (it's worth noting that Kishidan have a track in each Ouendan game, while The Blue Hearts also have a track in the first one).
The Kunio-kun series I mentioned above has probably had at least a dozen or two titles, not counting the multiple variations of each (ie Renegade or the Kunio-kun title that ended up being turned into a Double Dragon game for the old school Game Boy). Characters from other games like Daigo in Rival Schools will also fit this stereotype.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-16-2008 @ 10:28PM
Gurbinder said...
The graphics from that first clip on the train could have been better, but i expect it to be as long as gta :lcs , kinda reminds me of that. also...
"and a peculiar battle system that involves picking lines of dialog to determine who will attack first."
Interesting...
Reply
9-16-2008 @ 10:35PM
lonesomefolly said...
woah, looks seriously cool
Reply
9-16-2008 @ 10:45PM
RushX said...
So this is like GTA in Japan? Needs NA release.
Reply
9-16-2008 @ 11:09PM
Vicelus said...
I smell tenjou tenge.
Still, thumbs up for customization and battle system. And let us hope the battle doesn't lag.
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 1:02AM
cafecito said...
Looks sweet as hell. Sorta like Shenmue or Yakuza, but more action oriented. I bet it won't get localized tho, will it? =(
And what's with those japanese delinquents' squat-talking?
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 8:05AM
lonesomefolly said...
no, see, if they localized this sales would go up and sony wouldn't be able to keep whining about piracy
9-17-2008 @ 9:25AM
Leimrey said...
Oh, yeah... it would be a kinda nice game. But I really doubt it, that this game will see the western parts of the world. I mean... Sony seems to dislike its own handheld.
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 2:09PM
s.mario said...
Project Justice: Rival Schools....
this is the best fighting series ever!
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 8:28PM
Zippon said...
I'm not a big fan of fighting games, and I've never heard of this one, but I liked this trailer a lot. The music was very unique and catchy, and I totally dug the various design touches. Like the squatting while talking and especially how the "hero" and his buddies walked around with their hands in their pockets while slouched over. Sets the game apart from the cookie-cutter designs of so many games.
Too bad I never import. (Don't speak Japanese.) :-(
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 10:11PM
trwdad said...
Zippon
If you like the music from the Kenka Banchou demo video, I think it is a band called Blue Hearts. Check them out on youtube, they are great. Not your typical J-Pop.
9-17-2008 @ 10:24PM
Strike Man said...
Yep, trwdad is correct in pegging the music as being from the Blue Hearts.
Imagine a Japanese version of the Clash, mixed in with a dash of the Ramones.
However, while it's a far cry from the "cookie-cutter designs of so many games" we see in the West, it is *very* cookie-cutter for the Japanese market. Hell, the Kunio-kun series alone has been around for, what, over twenty years?
9-18-2008 @ 12:50AM
Zippon said...
Thanks for ID'ing the band, guys! I'm checking them out on Youtube, and I like their sound. Too bad they broke up so long ago. :-(
Strike Man,
I'm far from a Japanese game authority, but compared to the heroes of every other import game I've seen discussed, these guys look different. Not radically so, but definitely different. What other games have similar heroes?
9-18-2008 @ 8:20PM
Strike Man said...
Trust me, I'm also far from being an expert on Japanese games or culture, but I can say this: the delinquent high school student storyline is at least cliché to the point where anime parodies like Cromartie High School have no shortage of sources to pull their material from. It may not be the most common theme in videogames, but I was referring to the theme in Japanese media in general.
Shows like Be-Bop High School or Gokusen feature the same sort of yanki/juvenile delinquent style in the above video. Comics such as Rokudenashi Blues or Worst ran for many years with similar storylines (the latter may still be ongoing too). Musical acts like Kishidan also adopt the same style (it's worth noting that Kishidan have a track in each Ouendan game, while The Blue Hearts also have a track in the first one).
The Kunio-kun series I mentioned above has probably had at least a dozen or two titles, not counting the multiple variations of each (ie Renegade or the Kunio-kun title that ended up being turned into a Double Dragon game for the old school Game Boy). Characters from other games like Daigo in Rival Schools will also fit this stereotype.
Hopefully that helped a little.
9-20-2008 @ 11:35AM
Billy Añonuevo said...
Blue Hearts FTW!
Reply