ds
New Tales DS Footage
Posted by Luke Plunkett at 7:30 PM on July 8, 2008
Announced earlier this week, here's some footage of the latest Tales game for the DS, Tales of Hearts. Glad they went to the trouble of including some CG stuff for a DS game. Also glad they've gone to a lot of trouble for the rest of the graphics, because for a 3D game on the DS, this is looking nice.
[via Go Nintendo]

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
yun
Posted 8:06 PM 8/7/08
look at how many great rpg games are coming for DS
1.world of destruction
2.sigma harmonics
3.chrono trigger
4.FF4
5.Wind of Nostalgia
6.Valkyrie Profile: The Accused One
7.now tales of hearts? geez ds is beating psp like crazy!
yun
crunks
Posted 8:01 PM 8/7/08
Holy shit, that looks GORGEOUS.
crunks
everybest
Posted 7:45 PM 8/7/08
@jacksonmc: just reload the page and it'll play fine or else click here:
+ Watch video
everybest
jacksonmc
Posted 7:44 PM 8/7/08
Video seems to be gone
jacksonmc
pewpewlazer
Posted 7:40 PM 8/7/08
I love how Japan gets all the sweet tales games for psp, and they even throw the Eternia remake out in Europe and we get the crappy Radiant Mythology with no story and stupid MMO fetch quests.
pewpewlazer
Lateralus63
Posted 7:40 PM 8/7/08
The combat in this looks incredible.
Lateralus63
pewpewlazer
Posted 7:39 PM 8/7/08
Great Another Tales game not coming to America.
Sweeeeeet
pewpewlazer
mr_dimsum
Posted 7:38 PM 8/7/08
I'm aware the in-game characters are, but it's interesting they've decided to go the route of more realistic characters for the cut-scenes.
mr_dimsum
mr_dimsum
Posted 7:38 PM 8/7/08
I find it odd Tales games have CG like that.. Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but hasn't Tales games been predominantly kiddish in looks?
mr_dimsum
everybest
Posted 7:34 PM 8/7/08
Yeah, that actually looks better than I imagined the DS being capable of. Might have to pick it up for kicks.
everybest
Diesel_Power
Posted 7:33 PM 8/7/08
It's from Japan and it's anime which means North American and English kids will eat it up.
Diesel_Power
Achenar
Posted 8:31 PM 8/7/08
Oh, do want. :D
Achenar
Chrinkster
Posted 8:20 PM 8/7/08
DS TALES FTW!!!....No but seriously it looks great.
Chrinkster
Velops
Posted 9:29 PM 8/7/08
@mr_dimsum: There tends to be more experimentation with the less important Tales games. The big profile games in series always use the famous Kosuke Fujishima as the character designer for his signature art style.
The Tales games have traditionally stuck with anime cutscenes so it was a surprise that completely CG cutscenes are being use here. I find it clashes with the character art which will probably be used for the status screen and and dialog.
Velops
Guild_Navigator
Posted 9:19 PM 8/7/08
I like the sprite characters on the 3D backdrops.
Guild_Navigator
Barts
Posted 9:15 PM 8/7/08
@yun: You wish.
They are not out there yet and PSP has a ton of RPG titles right now. Including too many "Tales of ..." for me to remember them, Crisis Core, FF1 & 2 (and 6,7,8,9 via emulation).
Barts
Ixistant
Posted 9:11 PM 8/7/08
So this is Tales for the DS, the Wii and the 360? That's a whole lot of Sony hating going on there.
Ixistant
Scuba Steve
Posted 9:08 PM 8/7/08
They are making them faster than I can beat them!
Scuba Steve
Asmodeal
Posted 9:43 PM 8/7/08
It's really nicer than tales of tempest, it reminds me of old ps1 rpg.
Asmodeal
mustang
Posted 9:38 PM 8/7/08
One moment you're in CGI heaven and then you're slapped in the face by DS graphical capabilities.
I'm somewhat of tales fans and know graphics were never their thing but that still feels kinda disappointing.
At least if they kept things 2D with great artstyle instead of this 2.5D monstrosity.
mustang
PerswAsian
Posted 9:35 PM 8/7/08
I still think Tales of Innocence looks better. Additionally, that game was great and needs to be translated, oh, I don't know, about last fucking year.
I played through the game in Japanese last December. I'd kill to play through it again and know what the hell was going on. It was tons of fun just bumbling my way through the game.
I imagine this is another Tales game that I'll bumble through. I don't much care for the CG, though, and would have preferred the beautiful animation they usually use.
Also, the models are far more "super deformed" than they were in Tales of Innocence.
PerswAsian
marmidukestank
Posted 10:13 PM 8/7/08
Didn't I read somewhere that they were going to have a version with all the cutscenes in CG and another in anime? Seems like a waste of resources.
marmidukestank
crescentfresh
Posted 10:44 PM 8/7/08
@Ajax:
Did N64 carts have more space than a DS cart??? That would explain the lack of big epic games on the DS like you are requesting.
crescentfresh
smartpatrol
Posted 10:44 PM 8/7/08
I'm glad they stuck with 2D sprite characters instead of polygonal ones. I'll take nice, high-quality sprites over crappy Nintendo DS 3D any day.
Also, those character names are ridiculous. I hope they change them if/when this game comes out in the US.
smartpatrol
Casemarqui
Posted 10:39 PM 8/7/08
looks nice
Casemarqui
Ajax
Posted 10:25 PM 8/7/08
Wow, that in-game footage is amazing. I always said that the DS needs more games that push the limits with graphics. If the N64 was able to host Ocarina of Time, a beautiful 3D epic, so early in its lifetime, and the DS was running Super Mario 64 the day it came out, why aren't people making large, beautiful games? This is the only game that has come close so far (well, maybe MPH). I know big, beautiful games are possible, Nintendo! Make it happen! Or give me a sequel to the DS that can.
On a slightly more related note, I've never played Tales games, but this movie might make me start. JRPG's are such a hit or miss thing with me. If the battle system and story don't suck, though, it has a good chance.
Ajax
Revenge_of_Nekojin
Posted 10:25 PM 8/7/08
The still in the video before you play it looks just like Squall from the original FF8 trailer (the one that showed them storming that town in their 'street clothes' and not the SeeD uniforms that came on the demo disc).
Revenge_of_Nekojin
Solertia
Posted 10:54 PM 8/7/08
Woah, were those GOOD 3D environments I just saw? On the DS? Am I in a parallel universe?
Solertia
Syril
Posted 10:50 PM 8/7/08
@Ajax: The battle system in Tales is its signature aspect. It even has its own Wikipedia entry. [en.wikipedia.org]
The stories don't suck, but they almost always end up with you traveling the world to gather the support of the elemental spirits and/or major nations to save the world from a villain who wants to destroy it to make it better due to some almost, but not quite understandable motivation.
The characters usually pretty solid, though. The games tend to feature a lot of scenes of the party members interacting with each other to develop their character.
Syril
Nekusagi
Posted 10:47 PM 8/7/08
Wow, awesome footage.
Definitely will want. US release, plz, Nintendo.
Nekusagi
Aethyr
Posted 11:50 PM 8/7/08
Her last name is Hearts. Kill me now.
Aethyr
PsycheE
Posted 12:42 AM 9/7/08
@Lateralus63: Its what it always has been.
I, for one, do not welcome the semi-ATB, MMO-lite, 3D roam-fest that has become the new JRPG combat system.
There is STILL nothing like a 2/2.5 isometric 1000 hits+, combo, sore thumb, Tales of ..., that is sorely lacking in current gen.
PsycheE
JenovasWitness
Posted 1:44 AM 9/7/08
Looks a lot like Tekken.
Is the Tekken team making it or something?
JenovasWitness
Project Thanatos
Posted 1:42 AM 9/7/08
Wow that looks really impressive graphic-wise.
Project Thanatos
FISSURE
Posted 1:31 AM 9/7/08
Man, this game looks nice. I am really annoyed that this will most likely never come here.
FISSURE
Chanaluss
Posted 1:25 AM 9/7/08
@crescentfresh: DS can accept up to 2 gigabit (256MB) cards so far, and according to wikipedia, the n64 cartridges were 1/4 this size at maximum
Chanaluss
Bluejuan85
Posted 2:54 AM 9/7/08
It looks and plays awesome but I have a feeling we won't get it since there are two DS Tales game already available and we have yet to play any of them so I really doubt we might get this one and anyways its being made by Team Destiny so there's an even less chance of getting it. We are sure missing out on great Tales games like Tales of Destiny 2, Tales of Destiny: Director's Cut, Tales of Rebirth, Tales of the Tempest, Tales of Innocence and now Tales of Hearts.
Bluejuan85
Dragon_Warrior
Posted 3:39 AM 9/7/08
@yun: You forgot the Dragon Quest games. But still, the PSP has a lot of RPGs. Check this site out. [www.tlrgames.com]
Dragon_Warrior
CutePuppyz
Posted 5:50 AM 9/7/08
That game is very pretty. VERY.
CutePuppyz
Thorax
Posted 7:12 AM 9/7/08
More RPGS for the DS. MOAR I SAY!!!
Thorax
AznSlackerType
Posted 8:56 AM 9/7/08
This game looks like a Team Destiny game, but maybe thats only cuz I've seen the combat, which looks to be in 2D yay =3, man still beating innocence though =(.
The fact that its using CG might give it a chance to come over to North America, but the 2D sprite based combat kicks it down a nouch
AznSlackerType
Allosteric
Posted 8:41 AM 9/7/08
I love the Tales games, I really do, but having so many clashing art styles within the same game seems like it'd be... off-putting. I kind of feel like as a whole, the Tales games prevent themselves from reaching their full potential by stylizing themselves in order to pay tribute to the older games in the series (for example, even Tales of Vesperia is still using synthesized music), but whatever, I'm still looking forward to this.
Allosteric
Mecharine
Posted 9:14 AM 9/7/08
Yah, when I saw the world view, I instantly knew they were using 2D sprites. I believe this game may be more in the vain of Tales of Phantasia. Thats not a bad thing, Phantasia was mighty fun.
Mecharine
MetaKz
Posted 12:00 PM 9/7/08
Way interesting graphics :P Old school 2D battle system eh? nice.
CG looks kind of gross.. not liking Ms Heart's hair.. but hey, whatevar, the game looks nice.
MetaKz
Ryodestined
Posted 12:40 PM 9/7/08
For a DS game, that looks pretty good. The contrast between the realistic CG characters and the anime art renditions is upsetting.
Ryodestined
surft
Posted 4:50 PM 9/7/08
Will they release this in English?
They haven't even released the first one they made for the DS:(
surft
Superstar90
Posted 1:24 PM 10/7/08
@surft:
They released 2 for the DS, Tales of the Tempest was decent, Innocence was excellent. Neither of them will come here, and I doubt this one will either.
This game looks really nice though, the 2D combat is very appealing.
Superstar90