Armored Core 3 Portable English Release?

Joystiq has recently reported that the US based ESRB has rated an English version of Armored Core 3 Portable, and this may hint a possible English release. However, no other details have emerged aside from this particular stub; there is no word on which publisher has taken the task of distributing the game in the US or in other countries outside Japan. All that’s left is to hope for an English localization of the game and its sequels Silent Line Portable and Last Raven Portable.

[via Joystiq]

Armored Core Championship Tournament Season 1 Results

The officially sanctioned Armored Core 3 Portable tournament by From Software has finally ended and just in time prior to the release of Silent Line Portable. The results are up as well as tournament videos from various tournament locations all over Japan.

Not much has changed when it comes to part selection among participants compared to the initial release of AC3 for the PS2. The RF/220 is still the easiest weapon to use in the game, and is widely present in the tournament. Another prevalent weapon appearing on the top rankers is the OC/15 orbit cannons and the Multi-missiles. Overall the designs are well varied despite the usual domination of bipedal ACs.

An Unkindness of Ravens

A Nest for Ravens

Armored Core has always been something of a niche catering to the already-niche genre of mecha simulation. The Armored Core trilogy for the PS1 provided mech fans everywhere with the rare chance to build and battle with their very own customized mechs. As players got to know the game better, their skills improved along with their ability to design ACs. It got to the point where bashing the AI rankers wasn’t enough any more and nothing other than an equally skilled human opponent would suffice for competition. But as most AC players surely realized, finding people to play against, let alone skilled ones, was just as challenging as learning to play Armored Core itself.

Armored Core Portable Controls

One of FROM’s biggest hurdles in converting their PS2 Armored Core titles to the PSP was the control scheme. The inherent difference in the number of buttons on the dual shock and the PSP meant that the controls simply couldn’t be the same. This is evidenced by how FROM’s first portable Armored Core game, Formula Front, was initially an AI arena only. FROM eventually did implement player control, but with automated vertical aiming due to the absence of the L2 and R2 buttons on the PSP. This made for what enthusiasts considered a dumbed down Armored Core experience.

With the release of Armored Core 3 Portable and the announcement of Silent Line Portable, many players wondered how FROM would work around this button handicap. The image below shows how they decided to lay out the default controls.

Armored Core 3 Portable – New Parts

Here’s a gallery of the new parts that appear on AC3P as well as their stats. Most of the frame parts and weapons are remakes of older AC parts not included in the recent games such as in Last Raven.

Silent Line Portable – New Parts

Recent screenshots of the upcoming Armored Core Silent Line Portable game for the PSP have revealed a variety of new parts to be included in the next AC game as well as some new features.

1. Shortened load time thanks to some of the game data being installed in the memory stick.
2. Data from AC3P can be carried over, though only 1/10 of the credits will be ported over aside from all of the parts.
3. A.I. training seems to be back as well.

On to the new parts:

AC3 Matsuri 2 Match Videos

Long time AC fan Naitoh, who has been an excellent source of information on the Japanese Armored Core scene, has recently uploaded videos of “Matsuri 2”, a Japanese Armored Core 3 tournament held back in January of 2003, on his YouTube account. Sadly, we have no further information regarding the tournament such as its rules and part restrictions. Beyond that, the only information we can confirm for sure is the slight lag with the 2nd player because of the i.Link connection, as mentioned by Naitoh himself, a given problem in the AC3 and SL editions of AC.

Names in Armored Core: Nine-Ball

Anyone familiar with the game of pool will be familiar with the “nine-ball” format. Unlike other pool formats, nine-ball is generally played one-on-one, and remains to be a popular event in major pool sporting tournaments. The primary appeal of a nine-ball game is its mano-a-mano format, offering spectators a duel of fates between two competitors whether it is in the spirit of friendly competition, or bitter rivalries. It is this very same format and emotionally charged atmosphere that surround Armored Core’s defining attribute – the arena.