What can we say? Koei likes their Warriors formula. There's something different about Warriors Orochi though. Even though we've sifted through similar games, nay, almost identical games in the past, this title stands out. Perhaps it's the fact it's not lifted from the pages of history. Perhaps it's the sheer size of the character roster. Maybe we were just bored. Still, for Warriors fans, Warriors Orochi is the best of the franchise on the PSP, but everyone else will find the game repetitive and just like the others.

Koei is rather "comfortable" with the hack 'n slash formula they've refined over the years. In fact, their upcoming PSP title, Warriors Orochi is a blend of their most successful button mashers: Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. As you can tell by this gameplay footage, if you've seen any of these games in action before, this will look awfully familiar ...

Check out the rest of the vids here.

For all those impulse-importer Europeans out there, hold off your orders for just a second because one more PSP title will be heading your way. That title is Warriors Orochi, scheduled to hit the European continent on March 28 -- three days after the game's North American release.

Warriors Orochi is the amalgamation of Koei's two huge action franchises: Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors; the game takes all the familiar faces from past games and tosses them together for some fanboyish team-ups and storylines. We can't wait to rip it up on the PSP, even if we already did so on the PS2 version. Anyway, it's nice to know that Europeans can share in the 500+ combo kills at the same time we do.

Fresh from yesterday's announcement of Warriors Orochi is this first-ever English trailer. The PSP port brings all the hack 'n slash action of the PS2 original, with complete battlefields. Fans of the Warriors series of games need not fear: it looks like nothing much has changed in this long-running franchise.

Koei has just announced the PSP version of Warriors Orochi will be heading stateside. According to the press release, "Warriors Orochi for PSP boasts the massive seamless battlefields of the console versions ... The handheld release includes all 79 playable characters, and features 2-player co-op play via wireless (ad-hoc)."

The hack and slash is about the Serpent King Orochi who somehow manages to use his powers to alter time and space, thereby fusing the worlds of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. Warriors from Ancient China and Feudal Japan will have to team up together to fight this supernatural menace.

Check out the very first English language screenshots in our new gallery below.

The first images of the PSP version of Musuo Orochi have surfaced on Japanese gaming site, Famitsu.com. They showcase Koei's inherent knack for giant combos and big slash effects. This mishmash of Chinese and Japanese mythology won't provide a history lesson to anyone -- just a button-mashing good time. Will Koei be able to fix up the game for the portable audience, or will it suffer the same flaws that its PS2 and Xbox 360 predecessors had?

[Via PSPHyper]

Koei's hack and slash adventure, Warriors Orochi is heading to PSP. Originally on PS2 and Xbox 360, Orochi combined the worlds of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors into one super-ultra-warrior-fest. The PSP version will hopefully receive some significant changes -- the original game was bashed by the critics.

Expect this historical time-bender in Japan next February.

Every week we pray to the import gods and ask them to give us more import games to enjoy. This week we have an anime based game, a sports game and a ton of budget re-releases. Keep reading to see what's coming from Japan this week.

Continued after the jump ...

While the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series never really was a huge commercial success in the US, over in Japan it's a hit. So much so, that in march there is going to be a bundle of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII port and the metallic blue PSP. As with most of the game specific PSP bundles, it will also feature a special PSP case, this time with a Koei theme. I'm not really looking for a RotTK bundle over here, but it would be smart for Sony to start having more game specific bundles outside of Japan. The pack-in game has always been a great way to help spur interest in a system. Are any of our readers hardcore enough to actually buy this Japanese bundle?

[Via Game Watch]

Stephen Bailey takes you through the latest Japanese import releases every Sunday in our new feature.

The PSP allows you to play import games without having to solder toaster parts to it and hook it to a car battery. This ease of use surely deserves to be rewarded with a list of the import games of the week.

Gunpey-R

We may have had Gunpey on our PSPs for a while, but Japan is just getting their version of the puzzle music game. As previously reported, this is probably the version to get simply because of the sexy box cover. If the cover does sway you into purchasing it, know that the game has the style you'd expect from a Q Entertainment release and the gameplay consists of flipping lines to connect them to other lines (it's more exciting than it sounds). For the curious, the "R" stands for "rebirth". This makes sense since the whole Gunpey thing is nothing new in Japan.

Nobunaga no Yabou: Shouseiroku (Koei the Best)

This is the re-release of this game as a "Best" version, which in Japan just means the game sold well. That or they're re-releasing it to try and get it back on store shelves. This is a Koei history strategy game, so it's likely that it isn't a good import idea if you don't speak japanese. On the other hand, it never came out in english, so if you're hardcore or brave enough, import away.

And that's it for this week, but don't fall into a lack of import depression, we'll have more import games next week

I have a sad confession to make. I never bought the original Gitaroo-Man. However, the gaming gods have been kind enough to forgive such a sin, and they've ported the game to the PSP in the energetically-titled Gitaroo-Man Lives! I became interested iNiS's games ever since Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! landed in my DS, and I have to say that this handheld offering is just as good and stylish. There's a reason why the original PS2 game was nominated for an "Original Funk" award from SCEA.

Gitaroo Man Lives! plans on burnin' down the PSP come November 14th, and if you pre-order the game online at Gamestop, you'll not only secure yourself a copy of the game, you'll also get a 5-pin set (which looks suspiciously like the ones given away in Europe a while back). Although the game is merely an updated port of the PS2 cult classic, there are tons of people out there that haven't had a chance to play this rad game from the creators of import-favorite Ouendan. It received some rave reviews, so don't be afraid to break out the dough.

It appears as if you'll be able to pre-order Pimp My Ride and NFL Street 3 and get some swag too, but I stopped reading 'round there. You can head over to Gamestop Gamespot (why are they named so similarly???!) to get all the details.

If you were hesitant to pick up the extremely cheap Gitaroo Man import last month, then you may be excited to know Koei is shipping the rhythm game to our shores come Nov. 14.

IGN has already released a Gitaroo Man review giving it an 8.8 and says it's "one of the finest games the genre has ever produced." Pretty lofty words indeed.

And to make sure there is at least a few things new in the port, Koei has included an ad hoc Duet mode.

[Via Joystiq]

Speculation of Gitaroo-Man making the trip to the PSP were confirmed yesterday when a listing on Sony Japan's retail site noted the rhythm-based title, called Gitaroo-Man Live!, would be released on the 25th of May. While there still is no official word from the title's developer, Koei, the rumors that have been circulating about the game appearing on the PSP suggest that Koei's announcement may be little more than a formality. There's also no news if the game will ever be released outside of Japan. However, if Gitaroo-Man on the PS2 was any indication, there's always a chance it could see some action on US soil.

Strange as the game may be, it does have its share of fans, all of whom we're guessing are already drooling at the thought of taking their Gitaroo on the road. Yeah, we always assume that gamers are that desperate. We're mean that way.

When first glancing at screenies of Koei's historical hack-and-slash title Samurai Warriors: State of War, it's easy to see the resemblance with their other historical hack-and-slash game, Dynasty Warriors. Although that would probably be due to the fact that it's essentially the same game, only revised for the handheld market. And despite the fact that this franchise has already been done to death, there are a few improvements (aside from, yes we said it before, a portable version) that would warrant this at least a look-see.

Overall reviews for this game put it in the "okay, but not quite there" category, with statements like GameSpot's complaint of the title's bland gameplay and Worth Playing's mentioning of Samurai Warriors' "under-decorated backgrounds". Gamebrink's observation may at least appease long-running fans of the series by saying that the game is an improvement over the disappointing Dynasty Warriors for PSP.

GameSpot (6.5 / 10) - "No doubt, if you enjoyed Samurai Warriors on consoles, you'll take at least something positive away from State of War. It's very much the same formula translated reasonably well onto a handheld platform. The trouble is that the formula itself is no better off in handheld form than it was on consoles, and the action becomes utterly stagnant after a short while."

WorthPlaying (7.9 / 10) - "Samurai Warriors: State of War often reminds you that you're participating in some trumped-drama for the sake of justifying mass slaughter, but it benefits more than it suffers from its familiar setup. With a large cast of warriors and a diverting map system, character-building and charm-casting effectively replace storytelling to encourage continued combat, even if a slow-to-react camera and under-decorated environments make it a less-than-perfect execution of the huge-clashing-armies formula."

Gamebrink (76% / 100%) - "[Samurai Warriors] is KOEI’s honest attempt at mopping up that former mess and their efforts are very visible with this worthy addition to the PSP’s library. For those that felt that the original Dynasty Warriors for PSP felt a bit lacking and would have liked a game that did justice to the beat em’ up fighter that was Dynasty Warriors for the console then Samurai Warriors is here to pave the way."