I received my review copy of Shining Soul (European release) this morning 🙂 It appears I can’t save on this demo cart, so I’ll just have to get as far as I can on my battery power and without switching off 😉
I’ll get a decent article about it together ASAP, until then, keep an eye at the Shining Soul forum for anything I might post about it!
It would seem that most of mainland Europe saw the release of Shining Soul today, or will tomorrow! Nice of Infogrames to mention that… I’ve no idea why they’ll not be releasing it here in the UK for another 3 weeks! Oh well, I’ll post my impressions of it as soon as my review copy arrives… perhaps tomorrow morning 😉
If you’ve already picked it up, feel free to email me with comments about the game, for inclusion at SFC 🙂
Well, having conversed (by email) with Infogrames over the last few days, they have confirmed that Shining Soul’s official release date has been pushed to March 7th. I should be receiving my review copy within the next 2 days and will get a review up ASAP. Oddly enough, it’s been reported by an SFC Forum member, Doom3000, that the game is already available in France, perhaps because Infogrames is a French company.
So much for me getting the first look, eh? 😉 *lol*
On a related note, Infogrames state that there are no current plans to localise Shining Soul II, though of course it is early days. There are to be no promotional items for Shining Soul (ie, posters, toys etc) either. Oh well!
In addition, Rei received my official Yogurt plushie today and he’s ready to send it out… apparently it’s very cute! 🙂 I also managed to pick up a bit more fabric today to continue making my Yog toy!
Remember the Jogurt Plushie I posted about, a week or so ago? Well, Sega Direct have put up some new pictures of it, and I must say this one looks even more cute (check out his feet!!)! Unfortunately, I have had no luck in trying to arrange a freebie as a contest prize 🙁 And it looks like there isn’t enough interest for me to pick up a batch to sell on through SFC.
I had, however, been planning on making Jogurt plushies for quite some time… so perhaps I should get a move on with mine (if the fabric isn’t too dusty by now ;)) and use those as prizes instead. Not official, true, but hopefully they’ll be pretty cool.
Infogrames, European publishers of Shining Soul, have updated their website to include details about Shining Soul, including it’s release date (Feburary 28th this year), screenshots and cover artwork! Take a look, here. No doubt my review copy will be arriving soon then 🙂
BTW, take a look at the 5th &7th screenshots… nice typo – discription? Don’t they mean description?!
My first port of call this morning was Sega Japan’s website, where the following page: www.sega.jp/gba/shinsoul2/ would seem to be proof enough that there is going to be a Shining Soul II released in the Summer, this year.
I’ll endevour to translate the information shortly. Meanwhile, there are screenshots and a piece of artwork for you to take a look at on the above link. It looks like there’s going to be a bigger selection of characters to choose from, if nothing else!
…(updated at 10:10)…
Many thanks to Aspartate for translating the info on Sega Japan’s site!
Most of the information on the page talks about and praises the features of the original Shining Soul, but the important details about Shining Soul II are as follows:
From the list of new features it seems like Sega really have made an effort to improve on the areas Shining Soul was lacking in. Oddly, Sega have listed Shining Soul II as being part of the “Shining Soul Series” rather than “Shining Force Series”… I guess that means it’s still a Shining game, but now has a different category within the overall series 🙂
More news as I stumble across it 😉 Then I’ve gotta get a Shining Soul II section added to the site, as well as getting this fortnight’s update ready!
Though there is as yet no information regarding this on Sega Japan’s website, or even at Famitsu’s site, various gaming sites on the web state that Sega have announced Shining Soul II in the latest issue of V-Jump Magazine in Japan. I’ve checked the V-Jump website, but there isn’t anything about it there. I don’t doubt that it’s true, but I have emailed my contact at Sega Japan in hope of receiving further information regarding this.
Apparently, it’s due for release in the next few months. This is, it would seem, the game Sega were referring to last year in May. It seems strange that they should choose to sequel Shining Soul, which sold relatively poorly in Japan and was not well received by Shining fans. However, perhaps they are taking this opportunity to introduce some more traditional Shining features into the game… and maybe then we’ll finally see a new Force-style game released. We can but hope!
I will of course post any further news as I hear it!
Sometimes I really think I should change my sleeping patterns, so that this stuff doesn’t always come up when I’m in bed…
I received a reply from Infogrames to confirm that I will be receiving a review copy of the game as soon as they have the review copies ready. Many sites and shops are still claiming the release date with be February 14th, however, given Sega’s message to me stating that it’s likely to be later than February; the fact that Infogrames have neglected to answer my questions regarding the release date; and finally, the fact that the game Gameplay and Game shopping sites now list the date as being February 28th, I really wouldn’t expect any sign of it on the 14th 😉
Having been hunting around the web for further info on the alleged Shining Soul II, I had a look around Sega Japan’s online store, and guess what I found?! A Jogurt plushie!! The toy is due for release on February 13th, measuring 30cm’s high and costing 2,500 yen (that’s about US$21).
Of course, I’ve already asked Rei to order one for me 😉 I’ve also contacted Sega Direct to ask if they’d be willing to donate a Jogurt plushie as a prize at SFC!
It seems that Gameplay.com are able to ship internationally, and are taking pre-orders for Shining Soul (which happens to be ranked 2nd in their GBA Pre-Orders Chart!). Postage to the United States, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Australia is listed as GBP£8.00 (about US$12.00) per order, while the game itself is GBP£26.99, which is around US$40.00. Sadly, Gameplay have no affiliates scheme, so SFC is unable to receive any comission as a result of your pre-orders.
I’ve still had no news from Infogrames, and no confirmed release date, however Gameplay are listing February 28th as the big day. We’ll see 😉
Shining Soul European Release Date – NOT in February
Well folks, I received a reply from Sega today, here’s what they had to say about Shining Soul’s February 14th 2003 European release date, as claimed by many sites:
“Nice to meet you and thank for your interest in Sega’s Shining Soul. I am the Product Manager for this title and can confirm that we are still negotiating a street date with our distributor but it is likely to be slightly later than February at this stage. Please keep an eye out for further details on Sega-Europe.com.”
They have also provided me with details for the relevant person at Infogrames to contact regarding obtaining a review copy of the game. When I contact him, I’ll also be sure to mention a few ways in which they could correct the storyline in the translation 😉
Shining Soul set for 14-Feb-03 release – it seems to be true!
Many thanks to Edge for contacting me about this! Though there still doesn’t seem to be any official confirmation on Sega’s website, Amazon UK now has Shining Soul up for pre-order at UK£26.99 (about US$42.00).
So, what are you waiting for? The game may not be the greatest in the series, but we need to show that we still love the Shining series… so, go pre-order it! *lol* I’m actually now rather excited about this, and I’m wondering if Sega Europe was inspired by the Campaign’s request to release Shining Soul in English? They were certainly very positive about the Campaign packs!
Remember, if you pre-order Shining Soul through the links here, a small commission will be paid to SFC, at no extra cost to you. This commission helps to pay for contest prizes and the hosting for this site. So, by supporting Shining Soul, you’re also helping SFC!
I’m going to contact Sega now to try to arrange a review copy of the game, and – hopefully – some pre-release materials for contest prizes 🙂 Wish me luck! 😉