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Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir |OT| Over in a Flash

T

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
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Japan: January 12, 2012 · North America: April 13, 2012 · Europe: Twentyninthember 6, 2012​

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir is a Nintendo 3DS-exclusive spinoff of the Fatal Frame horror series. It uses the 3DS camera and augmented reality (AR) techniques to induce fear and loathing in Japan. The game also comes with the "Diary of Faces," a 16-page booklet that uses AR to make ghosts pop out of it and stuff. The game is basically divided into two parts: the AR part and the Fatal Frame part. In the AR part, you're looking around in "real life" using the 3DS camera and talking to the ghost girl, Maya. In the Fatal Frame part you're guided through an old Japanese house, using the 3DS accelerometer to look around and fighting off ghosts with the Camera Obscura by taking their pictures.

The game is a full price ($39.99 MSRP) Nintendo 3DS game even though it's kind of short. Still, it's nice we got it localized so quickly, especially when the previous Fatal Frame game (4: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse) never made it over. A European release has been announced but no date has been set (you guys get to play Pandora's Tower in the meantime, so don't complain.) Nintendo of America apparently couldn't resist the PR boost of launching this game on Friday the 13th (OMG how scary!)


More OT enhancements to come~
 
Nemesis_

Nemesis_

Member
Oh shit! It's out!

I so want this, but PAL 3DS =(

Will have to wait.

*goes back to playing Pandora's Tower.*
 
D

Dascu

Member
A European release has been announced but no date has been set (you guys get to play Pandora's Tower in the meantime, so don't complain.)
Click to expand...
June 29th, I believe. Same date as the FF2 remake.
 
S

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
This is the stupidest pricing model I have ever seen. There is no reason anybody should have to spend over $19.99 on this.

I won't bite until it's that price (if it is findable then).
 
V

vid

Member
I want this, I'm so tempted to go pick it up tonight, but I feel like the price tag is too high for what it is. At the same time, I worry that a lack of support will reflect poorly on the future of the series in North America.

...agggggh.
 
W

wrowa

Member
Andrex said:
I've heard three hours.
Click to expand...

That's just 13$ per hour, sounds like a great deal!


... I don't understand why they even bother to release this game. Actually, it's quite dazzling even; NoA passed on Xenoblade for half a year, they passed on Last Story, they'll likely pass on Pandora's Tower and Fatal Frame 2. But even though all of these games are already translated and just need to be distributed, they decide to release this game instead? I don't believe for a second that Spirit Camera will have the potential to sell better than any of the other games would, lol.
 
T

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
S

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
wrowa said:
That's just 13$ per hour, sounds like a great deal!


... I don't understand why they even bother to release this game. Actually, it's quite dazzling even; NoA passed on Xenoblade for half a year, they passed on Last Story, they'll likely pass on Pandora's Tower and Fatal Frame 2. But even though all of these games are already translated and just need to be distributed, they decide to release this game instead? I don't believe for a second that Spirit Camera will have the potential to sell better than any of the other games would, lol.
Click to expand...
I disagree. I think Spirit Camera has enough casual appeal that it easily could become a small hit. Selling around 50-100k will net Nintendo a lot more money then Pandora Tower or Fatal Frame would. And let's face it, Pandora Tower or Fatal Frame are very unlikely to sell >100k.

BTW, Pandora Tower was semi-confirmed to be coming over here.
 
olimpia84

olimpia84

Member
I was very interested in getting this but I was always under the impression that this was a budget title from the get go. At $40 there's no way I'm getting it. Will wait until it drops in price...
 
T

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
Skiesofwonder said:
I disagree. I think Spirit Camera has enough casual appeal that it easily could become a small hit. Selling around 50-100k will net Nintendo a lot more money then Pandora Tower or Fatal Frame would. And let's face it, Pandora Tower or Fatal Frame are very unlikely to sell >100k.

BTW, Pandora Tower was semi-confirmed to be coming over here.
Click to expand...

I think this'll sell 40k max, would be nice if it even got that much I think.
 
S

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Andrex said:
I think this'll sell 40k max, would be nice if it even got that much I think.
Click to expand...
I think it will be a slow burner. I could also see it getting a nice bump around Halloween. I personally see 50k+ LTD.

It might be short, but it's one of titles that could really grow with word of mouth because the idea/tech/concept is do cool.
 
T

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
It has a steep hill to climb, especially coming out of the gate at that price. It would need some serious advertising to make it past 40k IMO.

But it can still be successful at 40k. It's a short game, probably not that much went into translating it. Nintendo won't be rolling in the money but it should end up being worth it in the end.
 
Gameboy415

Gameboy415

Member
That Destructoid review is downright awful - it just sounds like some Nintendo-hating dude-bro trolling for hits.
It sickens me that one crappy review could make people skip a game they could really like.

I picked up the game this morning and *just* finished playing through the story mode.

It was great!
I had a helluva time getting the game to recognize the AR book at first, but once I moved to a brighter room it was smooth sailing.
It is a bit odd playing a horror game in a brightly lit room but the AR works extremely well and a few parts actually made me jump! (I won't spoil anything)

My only complaint is, as many others have mentioned, that the game is pretty darn short.
However, I haven't touched the other modes/mini-games and there is a New Game+ option too.

While I do agree that it should have launched at $29.99 MSRP (considering that it's quite short and a very niche title), if you're a Fatal Frame fan, definitely pick it up!
At the very least, it'll let Nintendo know there's a market for FF: Deep Crimson Butterfly outside of Japan...
 
kunonabi

kunonabi

Member
Also picked the game up today. I might wait to play it since I'm actually in the middle of Fatal Frame 4 right now.
 
Z

Zornica

Banned
Andrex said:
Um there are only 12 months in the year dude, not 29. Silly Euro people.
Click to expand...

Still stuck in the past with that antiquated 12 month system? thats soooo 2000&late, go with the times, silly us people :p


Isn't this game supposed to be budget priced? at least in japan it was... I guess US paper is more expensiv then japanese paper...
 
C

Colonel Mustard

Banned
Doesn't deserve a 1/10.

Game is a goofy kind of good. (Nothing is broken? I don't understand that?)

Still can't reccomend this for anything over $20.
 
kunonabi

kunonabi

Member
Played a bit of it today.

The lipsynch and lack of full VO really hurt the immersion quite a bit. The lighting demands are pretty high and I had a ton of trouble getting the thing to recognize my hand. I also ran into a battle where I couldn't kill the ghost. I got one shot in and then it just sat there and did nothing and I couldn't die or progress. Well give it another go tomorrow since I liked everything else.
 
F

friskykillface

Banned
are you talking about the hand fight on page 4?
, though i dont know why i spoiled filtered the sentence lol, not many people have it :p



i was lost too until i moved around and got it, but yeah the lighting demand is really :/ so far
 
Jinfash

Jinfash

needs 2 extra inches
There was a Nintendo rep at my local GS promoting this today, which I thought was slightly weird. I had no idea it was getting released already if it wasn't for him. I'll probably pick it up at bomba price, just like how god intended.
 
kunonabi

kunonabi

Member
friskykillface said:
are you talking about the hand fight on page 4?
, though i dont know why i spoiled filtered the sentence lol, not many people have it :p



i was lost too until i moved around and got it, but yeah the lighting demand is really :/ so far
Click to expand...

yup, that was the one.
 
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