Xbox Addict

Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage Coming Nov

After strong sales in Japan, the new Fist of the North Star video game is coming to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in the United States on November 2nd and in Europe on November 5th. The official English title is Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage.

Called Hokuto Musou in Japanese, the Dynasty Warriors-esque beat-em-up debuted at the top of the charts this spring. Reviews were generally positive, as Famitsu rated the game 32/40 (9/8/7/8).

Following the reveal of an official overseas release, Hachimaki is reporting that a new "international" edition of the game will be released in Japan on December 2nd for 3591 yen (approx. $43.08 USD). The report includes a list of new features in this edition (a hint of what might be in the actual overaseas version):

• A new "Legend" stage that allows players to use a fully-powered hero from the start instead of gradually increasing strength through the course of the game.
• A second dialogue track so players can hear the "drama of Kenshiro and the other characters speaking fluent English" as opposed to Japanese.
• Enemy types and placements have been rearranged.
• A new "HARD" level of violence can be selected. Fist of the North Star has always been known for its gore, and while the Japanese version is hardly blood-free, players in Japan can see what enhancements have been made for the international audience.

Hachimaki is also reporting that this new international edition is only coming to PS3. The official website makes no such distinction, but Xbox 360 version sold far fewer copies than the PlayStation one. It also suffered from substantial load times.