E3: Natsume announces GBA "Lufia" title, second GBA RPG

[05.18.01] » Never-Land brings the Lufia world to the Game Boy Advance with a new franchise name, along with a second RPG GBA title.

   Natsume today made a preliminary announcement for two new RPGs for the Game Boy Advance: a new Lufia title from series developer Never-Land, and an RPG based in a medival fantasy world. Taking place far in the future past the timeline of current Lufia titles, the new Lufia game will mark the start of a (currently undecided) new name for the Lufia series. All key members at Never-Land behind previous Lufia titles, including the upcoming Lufia: The Legend Returns, are on board for the project. The new series of unnamed titles will retain key elements of the Lufia world -- Sinistrals, story themes, and more -- while still taking the series far enough into the future to allow a large degree of flexibility in story creation. The new title is expected in Q4 2002.

   Natsume explained that the series name change makes sense given that the "Lufia" character has not been mentioned since the first Lufia title. Additionally, a speculated reason behind the change is licensing problems with Taito -- rumors suggest that Natsume only holds a license for three Lufia titles from trademark owner Taito.

   Also expected in the 4th quarter of 2002 is Natsume's second GBA RPG title, tentatively named Sansaranga. The game is said to have a fantasy medieval feel, complete with the usual fare of dragons and swordplay. Like Lufia: The Legend Returns, the game will be released in North America before its Japanese release, despite being developed overseas. Natsume expects to release more information on the title in the coming weeks.