With the Xbox 360 on life support in Japan (it's performing even worse than the original Xbox there), Miscosoft desperately needs a game that will connect with the nation's gamers while still appearing to role-playing fans worldwide. That tasks falls on the shoulders of Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square Enix's legendary Final Fantasy franchise.

His new company, Mistwalker, is hard at work on several original role-playing offerings. The first one to reach gamers will be Blue Dragon, a whimsical RPG featuring character designs by revered artist Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z).

It appears to be standard-issue fare with perky anime kids battling monsters in a Technicolor fantasy realm, but these tykes harbor a killer secret--each character's shadow transforms into a powerful beast. these magical shadows reflect each hero's personality and offer unique skills and attacks.

For example, the game's lead protagonist Shu busts out a valiant blue dragon (hence the title) that handles all the heavy lifting and monsters slaying in the game's battles.

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