Atlus holds up 3 new games

Irvine-based Atlus USA today announced three games that will be hitting North America this year. All three games have been released in Japan and will be published by Atlus USA, who previously brought games such as Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Disgaea: Hour of Darkness stateside.

Samurai Western comes west in June 2005 for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed by Spike, the team behind the original Tenchu and The Way of the Samurai series. The North American version will add enhanced graphics and new gameplay features, such as first-person mode, to the Japanese version. In the game, players will mosey into town as Gojiro Kiryu, a stranger wielding a katana and dead set on bringing justice to the Old West.

Popular puzzler Puyo Pop Fever will premiere on Nintendo's portable this April. The DS game, developed by Sega, will use both screens for game information and the stylus for Puyo manipulation, and it will feature the series' colorful visuals. The DS version will feature wireless Puyo-popping action for up to eight players with just one copy of the game. For more on Puyo Pop Fever, check GameSpot's previous coverage.

Riviera: The Promised Land--known as Yakusoku no Chi Riviera in Japan--brings its role-playing action to the Game Boy Advance in June. The epic storyline of the game sees an ongoing war between gods and demons land squarely on the shoulders of two warriors known as the Grim Angels. The sacred island of Riviera holds the power of the fallen gods, and the resurrected demons are hell-bent on attaining said potency. It will be up to the two Grim Angels to destroy the heavenly realm of Riviera, the demons, and possibly themselves in the process. The game features more than 30 hours of gameplay and five hidden minigames that unlock new items and areas.

Samurai Western will retail for the MSRP of $39.99, and Puyo Pop Fever and Riviera: The Promised Land will sell for $29.99. Puyo Pop Fever has been rated E for Everyone, and the other two games are awaiting rating from the ESRB.