NIS America's 2020/2021 Video Game Showcase

In a recent press event, NIS America gave us the opportunity to take a look at some of their biggest releases planned for 2020 and 2021. The primary focus for the presentation was their 2020 lineup, which included gameplay demos of some of their games. Their showcase had a little something for everyone, whether players enjoy side-scrolling action, grid-based tactics, or even creating their own games.

 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV comes to the West

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV marks the final entry in this arc of Falcom's Cold Steel series of JRPGs. Originally released in 2018 with the subtitle The End of Saga, the game's English translation will hit our shores on Oct. 27 for the PlayStation 4, with a Steam and Nintendo Switch version releasing next year. Cold Steel IV features the biggest roster in the series yet, new and returning features for the game's polished combat system, and a variety of mini-games to relax between epic battles.

 Mad Rat Dead

Representing one of the newer IPs in NIS America's library is the rhythm-based platformer Mad Rat Dead. After succumbing to a laboratory experiment, a lab rat is given a chance at revenge by the Rat God to fight the humans who experimented on him and his fellow rats. The game plays like an action-platformer version of Crypt of the NecroDancer, requiring players to input commands to the music to dash, jump, and attack. Featuring a wide variety of jazzy tunes and a unique punk aesthetic, Mad Rat Dead will be releasing on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on Oct. 30.

RPG Maker MV (for PS4 and Switch)

Receiving a port for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on Sept. 8, RPG Maker MV is the newest entry in the line of game-making programs. The RPG Maker software allows anyone of any skill level to design their own RPGs and share them with the world. It can be easy to write off the games made with this software, but RPG Maker also gave us some high-quality gems, such as the miserable journey of a broken man, the dreams of an 8-year-old boy, or a surreal quest of purification. RPG Maker MV has already been on Steam for nearly five years, but this new release will give console fans the chance to make their own RPGs.

Disgaea 4 Complete+ (for PC)

Originally released on the PlayStation 3 in 2011 as Disgaea 4: A Promise Unbroken, Disgaea 4 Complete+ is an updated re-release featuring all of the original game's DLC as well as an extra bonus story. Players will take the role of the vampire Valvatorez, who leads a campaign of reformation against the corrupt government of the Netherworld. With the help of a ramshackle team of werewolves, angels, failed final bosses, and more, players will lead a bloodless (but not very peaceful) coup by fighting in turn-based battles against their enemies. Disgaea 4 Complete+ will release on the PC sometime this fall. 

Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded

Time to be a hero, dood!  Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded is a remastered collection of the two Disgaea spin-offs (Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? and Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood!) featuring the Prinnies, the souls of murderers and other sinners reincarnated as penguin-like creatures that suffer at the hands of their demonic masters. They're so expendable, Etna is willing to sacrifice up to 1,000 of them to get what she wants in these hard-as-nails platforming games. The collection also features the bonus story featuring Asagi. Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded will release Oct. 13 for the Nintendo Switch.

NIS America's 2021 releases

While plenty of the NIS America showcase focused on their 2020 releases, the company also had some information to share about some games releasing in 2021.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is getting an English release for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam in 2021. Originally released in Japan in 2019, Ys IX takes place in the prison city of Balduq, where recurring protagonist Adol gains supernatural powers and teams up with five similar people known as Monstrums. The party-based combat is similar to the previous entries but introduces Monstrum powers that can be used in combat and while exploring.

Fallen Legion Revenants

Fallen Legion Revenants, developed by YummyYummyTummy, is a sequel to the action-based sidescrolling RPG from 2017. The world is covered in a deadly miasma, and the survivors live in a castle ruled by a madman. Players will swap between Lucien to manipulate events in Welkin Castle and Rowena to fight monsters in the wastelands below. Fallen Legion Revenants releases in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited

Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited is a two-pack of dungeon-crawling games in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch and Steam. In Saviors of Sapphire Wings, a fallen hero returns 100 years after being defeated by Ol=Ohma, the Overlord of Darkness, and must lead a new generation of heroes to reclaim the world. Players will explore dungeons, defeat monsters by using combat prowess and traps, and bond with their allies to unlock their true potential. The game also comes with Stranger of Sword City Revisited, a remaster of the classic RPG with additional content such as expanded character creation options and new events.

What NIS America titles are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below!