Into the Labyrinth

Final EOII comics and wallpapers added

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:33:35 EST

Sorry about the delay in this, but I've been rather busy enjoying the Etrian Odyssey II game. As such I also have not written up my review, yet, despite my promise. It will be up this week, though... probably.

So, the Official English EOII website finally launched the last of the media it was holding back. We'll start first with the eigth and the ninth Developer Comic. Click here to check them out.

And finally the last of the wallpapers, displaying the Ronins, Survivalists, and Beasts! As always, check them out in our Media Gallery.

*Wipes away a tear* ... No more comics... How sad. *Sigh* My life will be empty without checking the official site every Monday. Oh well... it gives me more time to spend with Izuna and Shino.

And one last plug that I promise this time has more to do with Etrian Odyssey: Our Etrian Odyssey Forum RPG is finally starting! Don't miss out on all of the fun! Sign up to play at Role Play: Radha Hall and enjoy the game in the lower boards, Role Play: The Odyssey!

Atlus addresses password bug

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:26:30 EST

Finally! After months of waiting, Etrian Odyssey has officially launched. If it's not already in stores near you, it will soon be arriving. Please, check with your local store and see if/when they will be getting in copies. Atlus games aren't out for long, so don't miss your chance.

More importantly, though, Atlus has addressed a major password bug. While some games are able to easily read the passwords from the first game (given only when the player has completed the fifth stratum of Etrian Odyssey), there are a few games that have been experiencing problems. If you are one of these unlucky players, please read this thread on the Atlus Forums: Atlus Addresses Password Bug.

Also, be sure to hop over to our forums for other help in the game - or to simply just rant about your experiences (all of it spoiler free or marked). I have also started compiling solutions to Quests which can currently only be found at the forums. So hop on over there!

Scheduled for this weekend: my review of Etrian Odyssey II!

Early release for GameStop afterall?

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:34:24 EST

Update: It seems that the below article is only true for CERTAIN Gamestops. PLEASE, call and verify with your store before you make any rash decisions, and again, this information is not completely verified.

You probably remember our retracted statement about early release for Gamestop. Well, it seems like the retraction is incorrect. Much to the surprise of everyone, Gamestop really has released the game early. Unfortunately for some people, like myself, Gamestop did not even give me the call to inform me that the game is in.

While I still have not received official confirmation on this, and will update this entry if necessary, this early release ONLY applies to Gamestop. EBGames is NOT included. However, I strongly encourage everyone to give their stores a call and to just double check and verify when the game will be in.

I know I'm psyched that I will be getting my game tomorrow as opposed to waiting until Tuesday!

Comic, Wallpapers, and Interviews

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:00:25 EST

So, seeing as how yeseterday was Monday, of course the Official English EO2 Site updated with content.

First we have a new comic, which makes this the seventh comic in the set. Only two more left to these... how depressing! - View the comic in our gallery.

Also, the Protector wallpaper series have been added. So many wallpapers, so little time, huh? - As always you can view them in our gallery.

And, don't forget that we have our Ask Atlus Session with Nich Maragos going on. He's already answered a lot of good questions. Feel free to sign up and ask yours. Surely there's something on your mind that you wanna ask the localization team before you purchase the game next week (which you should have already pre-ordered).

Last but not least, we have a few interviews that we want to point out that are focusing on Etrian Odyssey. Sorry we didn't get these mentioned sooner. First we have 1Up's interview with Etrian Odyssey story writer Shigeo Komoroi. And lastly, an Atlus Production Diary entry on the official site. Not an interview but Nich Maragos, Project Lead shares some of his insight in the game with the naming of things. (Yes, this is the same person who's answering questions on our fourms as a guest.)

With that said and done, if you are interesting in some more media, click the read more link as I've got a wonderful youtube video a fan of the site sent to me. I have another as well but, one at a time, right?

Etrian Odyssey II on Piano

This guy is great and even more, I just can't wait to hear the tracks from Etrian Odyssey II so that I can appreciate this video that much more.

Ask Atlus Session - Nich Maragos

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:16:04 EST

Much to our delight and pleasure, we at ItL have put together a special treat for our viewers. Starting tomorrow, there will be a special announcement thread in our Etrian Odyssey II boards called "Ask Atlus Session".

From there you will be able to post any questions you have about the EOII game (and any you may have from the first one) to have them answered by none other than: Nich Maragos.

For those who are clueless about who Nich Maragos is, he is the Atlus USA Editor and Project Lead for both the Etrian Odyssey games.

As always, you must remember that ItL is in no way affiliated, endorsed, or connected by Atlus USA. We are an unofficial fan site. Because of this, Nich Maragos is only joining us as a temporary guest from tomorrow until the launch of the game. There may be questions he will be unable to answer, but don't let that stop you from asking them. Also, remember, he is busy, so his time is limited. Ask now or miss out!

Both Archaic Sage and I, Maxine MagicFox, are honored to have him over on our forums, and we hope everyone will have a great time with this Q and A session!

Etrian Odyssey I ONM Review

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:22:40 EST

Etrian Odyssey has only just been released in the United Kingdom, in fact, it was released on the 6th June, so make sure that you go out and pick a copy up. We all know that Atlus games disappear faster than you can believe!

Anyway, as usual, there are reviews being written across all major websites and magazine. The Official Nintendo Magazine, which is the UK equivelent of Nintendo Power in the US wrote a fairly lengthy article on it, which we now have available to you.

You can see the ultra high resolution version of this review in our Galleries; however, be advised that each file is well over 4 megabytes, so that's about 12 megabytes for three pages in total.

Alternatively, you can look at the smaller versions below:

Click for full view
Please Note: Javascript needs to be activated to view this files correctly.

Enjoy

New EOII Comic and Wallpapers

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:34:47 EST

From the Official USA EOII Site, we have new wallpapers and a new comic. And even more exciting is that there is now less than two weeks between us and the release of Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard.

Remember, if you haven't already, PLEASE pre-order the game. Not only does it help promote Atlus, but it will ensure that you get the game. Atlus games have a way of disappearing VERY quickly off the shelfs and are hardly ever re-stocked. This is the Atlus-way. Don't let it come back to bite you!

Now, to the updates! First, we have the release of the Troubadour Wallpapers. - View them in our Media Gallery.

Also the english translated #6 EOII webcomic (which is one of my personal favorites for some reason). - Definitely might wanna read this one.

We also have a little more news that deals with our forums, click the Read More link below to read what's happening.

ItL's EO Forum RPG

Ghai, a member of our forums has been hard at work putting together our first ever EO RPG. Now, I don't play these myself but this definitely looks like a lot of fun and he's certainly put a lot of hard effort into it. And everyone is invited to play it!

To get started, hop over to this forum and simply follow the instructions written by RPG-Mod, Ghai. We look forward to seeing you there!!

New EOII Release Date - FALSE

Thu, 29 May 2008 11:24:31 EST

If you've already pre-ordered your EOII game, chances are you've been notified about something very exciting. The release date for Etrian Odyssey II has jumped from June 17 to June 12!! w00t!

To reflect this change, I have updated our site's Countdown Timer and the EOII page.

Remember, if you have not already done so, you should DEFINITELY pre-order the game. Not only does it help support Etrian Odyssey game series but it helps to support the Atlus company itself. PRE-ORDER NOW!!

Update: It seems that the update in the release date was an error by Gamestop. The release date, as officially stated by Atlus, remains June 17th. ...... *Re-updates everything*

New Comics, Wallpapers, and a Contest

Thu, 29 May 2008 11:18:48 EST

So, I've kinda gotten behind on the updates released on the Official English EO2 Site. My apologies. Here we go! Let's catch up now, shall we!

For wallpapers, we have added up three series. We now have the Hexer, War Magus, and the Medic wallpapers up for your viewing and downloading pleasure! - Check them out!

Also, we have two new Etrian Odyssey II web comics!! As humorous and enjoyable as always. - Check them both out!

Also released on the website was an avatar pack. These avatars are alot smaller than the ones we host here at ItL and since we have our own that we'd like everyone to us, we think we'll just keep them off this site and let it be one of those things you'll just have to get by going over there.

Oh, and we also want to mention that Atlus is having yet another contest with even BIGGER prizes that you should all check out. The contest ends June 13! I'm debating on whether or not I want to try for this contest yet. Those prizes do look awefully good and there are prizes for second and third runners up.

Winner Announced for Atlus Contest

Wed, 14 May 2008 19:23:25 EST

After the competition finally ended as of yesterday, a winner of the competition has been announced. A warm hand of congratulations goes out to Wavedash, winner of the official Etrian Odyssey II Soundtrack!

It was a wonderful story, too, that was constructed. So wonderful in fact that I went through and editted the story, tacked it together, and put it up on our own website! - To read the whole story, click here!

At this moment and time, while there is no reward or anything, the thread remains open so that all participants can attempt to rally and put together an ending for this wonderful story. Check it out if you are interested in contributing.

Wavedash, personally, was my second choice. I was cheering for Tivor who got a very honorable mention as a "second place". *Sigh* Aww well.

Twenty new screenshots added

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:24:00 EST

The Official English EO2 WebSite updated today. Along with twenty new screenshots, they placed up the official game trailer (available for download on our own server), and the labyrinth mapping simulation.

Twenty new screenshots from the game have been added to our own gallery. This makes all fifty of the screens that we will see coming from the official website! So, be sure to enjoy them! - Click here to view the screens in our gallery.

Also, we would like to remind anyone who hasn't about the importance of pre-ordering the game. While many of you might simply shrug it off and say "I'll purchase the game without pre-ordering" please remember how the Atlus game company works. A game's success and popularity, as well as how many are put into print, is based off how many copies have been pre-ordered! Please! Support Atlus anyway you can.

At the top of this page we have a quick link to the Amazon.com with which Atlus has a partnership. However, you can also pre-order the game from any retailer that plans on supplying the game.

In other news, don't be afraid to jump over and register at our forums. We are currently trying to get a Forum RPG put into the works and would like to hear all the feedback we can get! Thanks.

Now isn't this a little odd...

Check out the bottom screen map. ... :P Someone wasn't paying attention to what they were doing. I suppose the last one is a possibility with the second, but... LOL, sorry, it just gave me a laugh. Thanks for the screenshots anyways, Atlus!!

EOII Gets Rave Previews

Thu, 08 May 2008 05:31:21 EST

Etrian Odyssey II is out in a little over a month, so it's natural that many of the bigger gaming website out there are starting to get preview copies of this brilliant little title. As was updated on earlier this week, Nintendo Power have a three page spread regarding the title, and this media furore has been extended to two of the biggest gaming sites out there.

IGN and 1-UP have both release their own previews of this title, and they're both coming back with an incredibly positive message.

Quoth IGN:
"Think of it like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon from a different perspective, trading in the pocket monsters and embracing far more depth. Battles are random though, and the game is punishing to say the least, so this one is for hardcore gamers only."

This is only a small preview from IGN, but it's very positive considering how niche the title is.

With 1-Up, they got a little further with their positive attitude:

Quoth 1-UP:
"seems to recapture everything that made the original so addictive...while switching things up just enough to keep fans on their toes."

You can read IGN's preview here.

You can read 1-UP's preview here.

Which is a brilliant response to a sequel that initially only had a 30K circulation in the USA.

EO now on Facebook

Thu, 08 May 2008 05:08:05 EST

Facebook is a way of life for many millions of people across the world, for some it's a convenient and easy way to communicate with friends, for others they use it to find love. However, in the gaming world it's used to show how much you may love a franchise.

To continue with the celebrations the imminent launch date of Etrian Odyssey 2, Atlus USA have set up an official "fan of" page for Etrian Odyssey 2.

Become a fan today and click here.

P.S.
The first person to figure out who I am on there (and I am on there) wins a cookie.

With the EO Soundtrack

Thu, 08 May 2008 05:03:25 EST

To celebrate Etrian Odyssey 2 nearly reaching shores across the United States of America, Atlus USA have decided to launch a writing competition. This competition is very similar to Interactive Fanfiction, or round robins as they are sometimes known as.

Atlus provided us with a great example of how they're looking for things to be done:

Poster A:
"You see a bubbling brook. Your parched lips tremble from the promise of sweet, refreshing rejuvenation. What do you do?"

Poster B:
"You drink from the brook. As you rise from the ground, an FOE leaps out from in front of you. The creature has ambushed you!"

So as you can tell, it's fairly simple really.

To participate and for full rules, click here.

New Images and a Rumor

Thu, 01 May 2008 13:06:35 EST

I dearly apologize deeply for not having updated sooner when these things were released on the official english EO2 Site. However, classes are ending and it was only today that I finally finished my final 'test' exam. The only thing I have left is my PR assignment.

BUT! Enough about me. Let's have some updates!

The Dark Hunter wallpaper series was released. - Click here to view our Image Gallery.

A new EO2 Comic was also released. - Click here to view it.

There is more news, but because it is a mere rumor at the moment (a very plausible one, but a rumor still), please click the Read More section to read it.

Reports have been going around that in the June edition of Nintedo Power there will be a three page article review Etrian Odyssey 2: Heroes of Lagaard.

I will certainly keep my eyes out for it (I am not a NP subscriber, however)! I don't think it is permittable to scan the pages of the magazine, however, I will consider typing up the article!