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Gintama no Sugoroku Game's 3rd Promo Reveals New Features

Namco Bandai Games' official website for Gintama no Sugoroku, the first Gintama game in five years, began streaming the third promotional video and first commercials on Thursday. In typical Gintama humor, the promotional video begins with the cast arguing about recording the video before diving into the "absurd Gintama board game" itself.

The "slapstick sci-fi board game with laughs and tears" recreates the world of Gintama in which players advance on the board, sabotage rivals, and battle each other with card attacks. The game has several stages devoted to MADAO (flee MADAO with money), Shōgun, "Bakudan-Otoko" (inspired by Bomberman with board-leveling explosives), Kintama' (with the Kintoki imposter), and a Popularity Contest.

The game uses the same Live2D computer-animated technique that Namco Bandai Games has used in Haruhi Suzumiya, Oreimo, Haganai, Tokimeki Girl's Side, Madoka Magica, Macross, and Tiger & Bunny software to animate 2D characters' expressions as if they were 3D.

The game will include an original story mode with new characters, created in collaboration with manga creator Hideaki Sorachi. A downloadable "drama maker" bonus lets players create their own original drama mini-episodes by assembling dialogue, characters, backgrounds, music, and storylines in Live2D.

Namco Bandai Games also began streaming the first commercials for the game:

The game will arrive on the PSP on January 24 for 6,280 yen (about US$79). The download code for "drama maker" bonus comes with the first copies of the game.