Homeland GCN

[andymol21]

Has anyone heard of/seen/played this game? It looks amazing in the extremely limited coverage of it I have seen.

According to the interweb, it was the only online game on the Gamecube that was not a PSO game. It also used the GC as a server, so does not have to connect to a central server like the PSO games! It's a dungeon based RPG by the look of it and the player who makes the server controls how the people who enter his dungeon play through it...

I don't really understand...???...

Anyway, the only copy I see for sale is a sealed one from japan for £50, too rich for my blood at the moment. Anyone got any experience, I'd love this to be the biggest hidden gem of the Gamecubes library!

[Dakinggamer87]

Yep, I've heard of it.. It was a role-playing video game for the GameCube by Chunsoft only released in Japan...

You've become quite the GC collector..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_(video_game)

[lotekindustries]

It looks like a cross between Animal Crossing, Earthbound, and Mystery Dungeon.
Since Chunsoft is responsible for the Mystery Dungeon engine, that makes since.

[HellHammer]

I've seen this game a few times before in a game shop in L.A.

I came across http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jasonmuir/homeland/Main%20page.html while I was looking up some info.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Isn't this game supposed to be mega rare?

[equalsign]

Isn't this game supposed to be mega rare?

Not at all. It's listed on amazon.co.jp for 5-10 USD depending on whether you want it used or new. All you'd have to do is contact a Japanese eBay seller or something to get a hold of it for you. In the end I don't think it'd cost one more than 25 USD shipped to get it.

I've known about this game for years, but very little has ever been said about it. If I'm too be honest, I think we would have heard by now if it was actually that good. I think it's famitsu scores were 8 / 8 / 7 / 8 - (31/40), although I have seen a score of 34 floating around. I've sighted both scores in multiple locations, so I can't really say for sure which it is. Neither score is bad though.

According to what I've been able to gleen from the game's Japanese wikipedia site through Google Translator, how the online play worked was that one Gamecube acted as the host/server and sent it's data to a matchmaking server run by Chunsoft. Because this data was so small, Chunsoft was able to provide online play for the game at no additional cost to consumers.

However, whatever matchmaking server they had is closed now and the game can no longer be played online - link to closing announcement.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

[andymol21]

However, whatever matchmaking server they had is closed now and the game can no longer be played online - link to closing announcement.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

My bubble is certainly not burst. I read somewhere that by typing in a string of Japanese characters into a settings page you can enter a direct IP address that is listed somewhere on the internet. You can then connect to a server in Japan and play! I wish I had the link but I'm afraid I closed the link just 10 mins ago!

Edit: Found it http://gamecube.onlineconsoles.com/phpB ... php?t=1471

I really want to get this now. I just ordered Kururin Squash from Play-Asia for about $10 so my Japanese collection is off to a start! When my next paycheck comes in I will start looking for this much more seriously!

[equalsign]

However, whatever matchmaking server they had is closed now and the game can no longer be played online - link to closing announcement.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

My bubble is certainly not burst. I read somewhere that by typing in a string of Japanese characters into a settings page you can enter a direct IP address that is listed somewhere on the internet. You can then connect to a server in Japan and play! I wish I had the link but I'm afraid I closed the link just 10 mins ago!

Edit: Found it http://gamecube.onlineconsoles.com/phpB ... php?t=1471

I really want to get this now. I just ordered Kururin Squash from Play-Asia for about $10 so my Japanese collection is off to a start! When my next paycheck comes in I will start looking for this much more seriously!

That's a really interesting find. If you really do decide to get into it I may come along for the ride. It looks a little text heavy and my freeloader garbles up all the Japanese text AND I would need a network adapter... but still. Keep us posted.

[andymol21]

Luckily, my first Gamecube was a Japanese one modded to play US games, although I live in the UK... A complicated story. Means I can use some of the limited guides on the net to match Japanese characters. I shall keep people posted, anyone have any experience with buying off amazon.co.jp? Seems you can get a used copy there for about 600yen, very cheap in my books.

[equalsign]

Luckily, my first Gamecube was a Japanese one modded to play US games, although I live in the UK... A complicated story. Means I can use some of the limited guides on the net to match Japanese characters. I shall keep people posted, anyone have any experience with buying off amazon.co.jp? Seems you can get a used copy there for about 600yen, very cheap in my books.

I believe there are some things you can buy from it that can be shipped to the US, but without a Japanese address buying video games from it is not possible/not allowed. It's weird.

In honesty, going to a Japanese eBay seller, telling them what you want (including the condition), and telling them how much you're willing to pay (include shipping) has worked for me in the past. It's been a couple years, so I can't remember any sellers I'd recommend. Sorry.