Sakura Taisen

SEGA Talk #137: Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (2005)

by

Calling all Imperial Combat Revue fans! This week on the SEGA Talk podcast, we’re setting a course for 1920s New York City in the unforgettable Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love. We’ll dive deep into the tactical RPG combat and charming visual novel romance that make this game a unique gem. Join us as we discuss piloting giant steam-powered mechs, building relationships with the captivating heroines of the Flower Division, and facing off against a dastardly villain who threatens the world!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – RSS – Download]

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

No Comments

Sakura Wars GB Go Forth, Young Cadet! Gets English + Cut Content Restoration Patch

by

Another Sakura Wars game called Sakura Wars GB Go Forth, Young Cadet! has been translated into English by diligent fans. This project was helmed by @burntends2, with the assistance of @matto_bii, dan_jia, Neko, @The_Opponent, and comicmaster, with the goal of not only making Sakura Wars GB accessible to English readers, but to also restore unused content such as being able to view the miscellaneous character portraits, unlockable secret photos, and unused voice clips for the endings.

Sakura Wars GB Go Forth, Young Cadet! was originally released for the Game Boy Color, developed by Jupiter and Published by Media Factory under the license of SEGA and Red Entertainment. Taking place between the events of Sakura Wars and Sakura Wars 2, you take on the role of an unnamed temporary recruit who was recently enrolled in the Flower Division. You’re task is to train with six members of the Imperial Flower Division, both to gain a stronger bond with each member and to also get stronger, with the ultimate goal to complete an exam by the end of the month. Unlike other titles in the series, Sakura Wars GB is a mixture of a raising simulator and a minigame collection, where you must participate in different training sessions that tackle different subjects like accuracy and intelligence, play different mini-games, and have turn based battles to test your wits.

The patch is readily available here. For official PR post and trailer, click here.

No Comments

Sakura Wars: Columns 2 English Fan Translation Patch now available to download

by

Sakura Wars fans and Dreamcast gamers rejoice as the english fan translation patch for Sakura Wars: Columns 2 launches today! This fan translation of the puzzle game spin-off sequel features every mode, menus, and VMU images translated to english for players to experience one of the few spin-off games of an iconic franchise in english for the first time. The translation team even worked hard on a english cover art and disc of the game for those who are interested in customizing their own Dreamcast cases.

Originally titled Hanagumi Columns 2 in Japan, this title takes place during the events of Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die where the members of the Imperial Assault Force – Flower Division must compete with each other to be casted the main role of Shonen Red through a game of Columns.

The patch for Sakura Wars: Columns can be downloaded through here with instructions attached to the link. For more information on patch notes for the latest version game and VMU images, hit the jump to check them out. For in game screenshots, you can check them out on the previous article.

Continue Reading ➜

3 Comments

Sakura Revolution is available now in Japan for iOS and Android

by

Sakura Revolution, a Dramatic RPG mobile game and spin-off of the Sakura Wars series, is now available for download in Japan for iOS and Android devices!

The game takes place in an alternate version of Tokyo, in the year Taisho 100 (2011 CE). In the year Taisho 84 (1995 CE), disaster struck the capital in a calamity known as the Great Imperial Capital Disaster. The nation was able to rebuild and recover, thanks to the discovery of a new energy based on spiritual power, known only as Mirai.

Sadly, with the activation of the New Imperial Tower, the cherry blossoms stopped blooming. Moreover, demons known as “Koki” began to increase in number, lashing out to attack people across the nation. To protect the people, the government formed the Great Imperial Combat Revue B.L.A.C.K., who protect the people from evil while bringing light to their hearts with unmatched live performances.

While peace reigns among the people thanks to Mirai and B.L.A.C.K. and many have put their trust in the government, some have come to realize that it is but a false prosperity.

These brave souls are known as the Imperial Combat Revue, and their mission is to uncover the government’s conspiracy and retake Japan!

If you want to try the game yourself but don’t live in Japan, Combat Revue Review has a guide available (for Android users) to use over on their website.

 

1 Comment

SEGA announces Project B.L.A.C.K as Sakura Revolution -Flower Blooming Maidens-, an action RPG for iOS and Android smartphones

by

 

Seems like the recent Sakura Wars trademarks that were filed months ago are coming true as SEGA has officially announced that Project B.L.A.C.K and Nippon Dakkan will be called Sakura Revolution -Flower Blooming Maidens-. an action RPG smartphone title presented by SEGA and Delightworks during their official live stream.

We are shown an animated story about the game and it’s characters.. As we all know, the Great Emperor Group B.L.A.C.K is a team of young female artists who want to help fight for the future of Japan. Among them, the performances of song and dances by 12 aces called “Noble 12” are supreme and mesmerizing. The acronym of B.L.A.C.K stands for Brilliant Legislative Artistic Celebrity Knights. which features a modern day setting starring Shino Sakura was born in Aogashima, a remote isle in the Izu island chain. She’s an innocent and unfinished maiden whose mother is [redacted].

Sakura Revolution -Flower Blooming Maidens- is set to be release for iOS and Android smartphones this year in Japan. We’ll keep you updated with more information on the game as more details are released. Here is some gameplay footage of the upcoming smartphone title. (Special thanks to HDKirin for capturing it during the stream)

No Comments

Sakura Wars Acoustic Music Concert “Sakura Evening” to feature live streaming

by

The Sakura Wars Acoustic Music Concert “Sakura Evening” will be held at the Asakusa Hana Theater in Japan on September 25th and October 2nd. The concert will be performed by none other than Chisa Yokoyama, known as the voice actress for Sakura Shinguji of the main games in the series along with Yaksha in the latest entry. The concert will also have Kazue Ikura (Leni Milchstrasse VA), Ai Orikasa (Ayame & Kaede Fujieda VA), and Urara Takano (Maria Tachibana VA) performing at the event.

Due to concerns of the conoravirus, viewers will have the option to watch the concert via live stream with two performances each day, 4 performances in all. Tickets for the live stream will be available on August 29th for 3,000 yen. Click here for more information on the concert with Google Translate.

No Comments

Sakura Wars developers are open to a sequel and comment on additional platforms – remasters of classic games in mind

by

Twinfinite had recently interviewed with Sakura Wars director, Tetsuya Ootsubo, and asked him several questions regarding Sakura Wars (2020). The first question asked was if the team would be interested in developing another sequel, Ootsubo-san responded with:

” The development team would love to continue the series, and we’re pushing to make it happen. We appreciate all your support.”

The next question asked was if the game would be ported to other consoles beyond PS4, such as Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The director said:

“We’d love to expand the audience for the game! We’re actively researching to see where there is high demand and determine what actions will be feasible.”

Lastly, Ootsubo-san was asked if there will be remakes/remasters of the original games in the series in the works soon? Ootsubo-san answered that he and the team are “open” to revisiting the original games as those titles can’t be played on modern equipment and as long as there is sufficient demand for them. He also responded to a question regarding going back to turn-based gameplay. He stated that while the combat in the new game was indeed more action-focused, the developers understand that many still enjoy tactical RPGs, so they’re “continuing to research” what the “next steps should be in order to give fans the best possible experience.”

With recent trademarks made for the Sakura Wars brand and the survey SEGA posted on their social media last month, we may see the series expand further outside of Japan. Would you be interested in a sequel to Sakura Wars (2020) and try out remasters of the original series? Please let us know your thoughts on the comment section below.

 

5 Comments

Rumor: SEGA files trademarks for several Sakura Wars related projects

by

The recent release of Sakura Wars (aka Shin Sakura Taisen) has had a solid enough release, with it generally receiving mixed to positive reception and a slew of multi-media adaptations such as a manga, anime, and stage play. But if you’re still on the fence about this new take on the series, read this review by writer Kori-Maru.

However, it seems like SEGA is not quite done with the Sakura Wars IP. SEGA of Japan has recently filed several trademarks, for the purposes of multiple things such as miscellaneous types of physical media and software. This includes Sakura Taisen B.L.A.C.K., B.L.A.C.K., Sakura Ishin (Restoration), and Sakura Kakumei (Revolution). What these titles would be is not clear, but it’s likely Sakura Ishin is some type of remake or remaster of a past title and Sakura Kakumei is a spin-off. Currently nothing has been officially announced, but considering the recent Sakura Wars project has had a positive response from consumers so far, it would make sense to continue expanding on the brand in the near future.

2 Comments

Sakura Wars (aka Shin Sakura Wars) releasing in western territories on April 28th

by

SEGA’s latest entry in the Sakura Wars series, Shin Sakura Wars (aka Project Sakura Wars), has finally gotten a release date for those in western territories. Simply titled Sakura Wars, the game will be available on April 28th for the PlayStation 4. In addition, initial copies of Sakura Wars will be the “Launch Edition”, which includes a reversible cover and stickers. It’s also confirmed that there will be no dub; only Japanese voice acting and subtitles in languages such as English, German, French, and Spanish.

This game focuses on a new Flower Division, a theater troupe that doubles as a protective service in case of emergancy, as you take on the role of Seijuro Kamiyama to prevent the Flower Division from being shut down and to stop a demonic invasion from destroying Tokyo. Like predecessors, the game focuses on interactions between the cast of characters using the iconic LIPS dialogue system, which is encouraged to improve the combat capabilities of each pilot and also learn more about each member of the Flower Division. Unlike past installments which used strategy elements for the combat, Sakura Wars is more action packed where you have to destroy enemies using your arsenal of attacks by piloting special steam-powered mechs called Spiricle Armor, with each pilot having their own characteristics.

 

No Comments

Sakura Wars Fan Translation Completed – Play Sakura Wars in English on Emulator and Modded Sega Saturn

by

With Project Sakura Wars released in Japan (as Shin Sakura Taisen) and on it’s way to the West for next year in Spring 2020, you can finally get the chance to play the first title with an english patch for the SEGA Saturn version on a SEGA Saturn emulator or a modded Saturn console.

Sakura Wars is a cross-genre video game developed by Sega and Red Company, and published by Sega in 1996. It is the first game in Sega’s Sakura Wars series, created by Oji Hiroi which become a hit in Japan overtime and produced many sequels, spin-offs and media franchises. Defined by Sega as a “dramatic adventure” game, Sakura Wars combines overlapping tactical role-playing, dating sim and visual novel gameplay elements. You can download the English patch and instructions here.

Huge thanks to CJ_iwakura, NoahSteam, Crouching_Mouse, and MatatabiMitsu for making the patch and trailer from the Saturn Commerical in English.

6 Comments

Project Sakura Wars Release Date announced for Japan and more info on gameplay

by

SEGA has finished their recent Sakura Wars Imperial Theater Propaganda Department Report stream by showcasing character theme songs, new characters (Shanghai Kagekidan members, Shaolong and Yui), and a battle system vastly different from the original Sakura Wars games.

While the previous entries used a traditional turn-based battle system, Project Sakura Wars seems to use a different approach with more of a platforming and hack/slash combat style game play. You can check out the game play in action here.

SEGA has also announced that the game will be released in Japan on December 12, 2019 with pre-orders to be available with a special PS4 Theme, and the limited edition will have a soundtrack with over 60 songs from the whole series, and an artbook.

A upcoming fan event will also take place on August 21st for Japanese players to get their first hands on Project Sakura Wars. Check out screenshots of the new characters and battle system right after the break!

Continue Reading ➜

1 Comment

New Sakura Wars will be shown soon, in “surprisingly good quality” according to Toshihiro Nagoshi

by

For a while, New Sakura Wars (aka Shin Sakura Taisen) has been in limbo since it’s initial April announcement back at SEGA Fes 2018. Since then, there’s been nothing concrete over what the game is about, with only rumors such as a planned Q1 2019 release date and possibly appearing on Playstation 4 and Xbox One being the closest things to concrete information. But it seems like a proper reveal will happen soon. According to SEGA’s Toshihiro Nagoshi, development on New Sakura Wars has been positive so far, specifically noting how the staff have been “fired up” over the project and how the game is in “surprisingly good quality”. Because of this, it won’t be long until something is announced in the future.

While the reassurance is always welcome, nothing specific has been dropped at this time. So we’ll still need to wait just a tad longer for what New Sakura Wars will be about.

[Source: SEGA Nama, Gamestalk]

2 Comments

Job Listing for the New Sakura Wars Game hints on PS4 & Xbox One release.

by


After SEGA CEO, Haruki Satomi, announced a new Sakura Wars game in the works a few months ago during SEGA FES in Japan, there has been a new job listing for the game that just opened up recently focusing a release on Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles. New job listings were posted at Creative Job by SEGA that state that a staff is required for the New Sakura Wars game which includes:

  • Background Designers
  • Character Designers
  • Mecha Modelers

Each staff member would also need prior experience with developing on Playstation 3/4 and Xbox 360/One console hardware along with using high-end game engines. The new Sakura Wars game does not currently have any confirmed platforms or release date but SEGA has stated that the game will released by the end of the current fiscal year.

[Source: Siliconera]

…

…

1 Comment

Sakura Wars 20th Anniversary event coming to Japan in September

by

Sakura-Wars-20th-Anniversary

The Japanese SEGA franchise Sakura Wars is turning 20 years old, and to celebrate it, a special event will be hosted in Japan. Titled “Chisa Yokoyama’s Sakura Wars 20th Birthday Party”, it will feature a total of five talk events from the varies voice actors who have been involved with the franchise in both the games and the special OVA Sakura Wars: The Radiant Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms. This event will span between September 23rd to September 25th, which is coincidentally a few days before the release date of the SEGA Saturn version of Sakura Wars that started it all.

Sakura Wars has not made a presence for itself outside of Japan, but in Japan it’s one of the most beloved franchises from SEGA. Combining strategy RPG and visual novel elements, the series has had the longevity to produce 5 mainline titles, several prequels, gaiden, and spin-offs titles, and anime and manga. Most games take place in an alternate universe in the early 1900’s after the first World War, with the key difference from our timeline is that it involves advanced steam powered machinery and the concept of spiritual power or reiryoku (霊力).

For information on pricing, talk events scheduling, and location, click the Read More tag.

Continue Reading ➜

4 Comments

GranBlue Fantasty X Sakura Taisen Collab Event

by

662890
GranBlueFantasy developer CyGames has published details of the collabration event just in time for the Sakura Wars series 20th Anniversary this year titled “Maiden Kakeru Sakura Wars ~ sky ~ loaded with new character designs by series illustrator, Kosuke Fujishima, and story for the event. The event will be implemented on to the servers from May 13th to the 23rd.

When you participate, Sakura Shinguji, the main series heroine & title character, will be your temporary companion and continues to follow you even after the conditions are met. Erica Fontaine can be unlocked by obtaining the Tresure during the event along with a weapon. Gemini Sunrise has also been included in the event. For more inside look of the designs which includes Ichiro Ogami & Shijiro Taiga, be sure to hit the jump!

Continue Reading ➜

2 Comments