#torakapu

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And now for Christmas present #2 in the form of a second Dengeki PlayStation 2 disc!

This disc is notable because it features a playable version of Capcom’s PS2 version of Catan, which never officially got past an online beta test held in 2003 before being quietly cancelled. Based on the German board game of the same name and with art by Susumu Matsushita, the man of a million Famitsu covers, what makes this rendition interesting beyond the online functionality was the fact that it was planned to be a freely distributed game. As this Japanese article describes, the client would be free to download to the PS2 hard drive, with actual gameplay accruing a monthly fee. (So far as I can tell, no actual price was ever announced due to the game’s cancellation, however.) Beyond basic multiplayer functionality, players would be able to use coins that they would receive monthly for things like bets on matches, as well as items to decorate their avatar. Notably, a PC version was also in development by Capcom and players from both versions were planned to be able to play against each other. It even appears that Capcom was considering bringing this overseas, judging by a video posted on IGN circa 2002, which features its fair share of visual and UI differences with what’s seen on this disc. While obviously this business plan isn’t without its flaws, bear in mind that this was at the dawn of free-to-play-looking business models even being conceived within Asian markets within the PC space, let alone for the rest of the world and for consoles especially. Things might not have obviously panned out for this game, but it wasn’t without its ambitions for the time, at least.

Based on this article and other research, it seems that the beta itself was only distributed online through the PS BB Navigator, meaning that the chances of finding that data on a Japanese hard drive in 2017 are pretty slim. While this demo does have an install option present in the main menu, I can’t get it to activate, even when emulating a PS2 hard disk; whether that’s deliberately by design for this demo, I can’t entirely say for certain. It’s not completely without any functionality, however! There is an offline component that teaches players how to play Settlers of Catan, as well as a “test” mode that more or less functions as a way to play a full 4-player game with three AI opponents. Parts of the UI are clunky, but otherwise it seems perfectly playable as it is, provided that you’re literate in Japanese.

All of this is to say that, to my knowledge, a dump of any version of this game hasn’t existed online in wide circulation and while it might “just” be for an adaptation of a board game that you can through plenty of other means at this point, it’s not every day that a cancelled Capcom game shows up in this manner, let alone one that was experimenting with the business side of things, so in that regard, I’m content.

Beyond that, the most notable demos for readers outside of Japan are bound to be ones for Silent Hill 3 and Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, although the former had been out for several months by the time this issue of Dengeki PS2 was rolling around and the latter was just around the corner, meaning that you probably shouldn't expect too much content that’s different from their respective retail releases, if at all. That said, in I believe a first for this blog, the Silent Hill 3 demo does feature a language toggle that lets you play it in English, which, hey, as somebody who works in game localization, I find that to be pretty neat!

For the full content listing, check out the breakdown below.

Magazine Name: Dengeki PlayStation 2 (Dengeki PS2) Issue: D61 Publication Date: 2003/8/22

Demos (Red): -Catan (cancelled game) -Atelier Viorate: The Alchemist of Gramnad -Torakapu/Trouble Capture: Dash -Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution -Private Nurse Maria (movie included) -Silent Hill 3 (movie included)

Special (Green): -Capcom New Game Footage Special.   -Monster Hunter   -Onimusha 3   -Resident Evil Outbreak   -Onimusha Blade Warriors   -Gregory Horror Show   -Mega Man X7   -Auto Modellista: US-tuned

Movies (Blue): -R: Racing Evolution -Castlevania: Lament of Innocence -Altered Beast -Nightshade/Kunoichi -Nobunaga no Yabou Online -Kikou Heidan J-Phoenix 2: Joshou-hen -Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly -Monster Rancher 4 -Hungry Ghosts

Save Data (Yellow): -Memory card files for various games.

Happy holidays!