Within the past week, Atlus USA has had quite a bit going on, and all of it has turned into nothing but good news for us gamers. Showing that support for the PS2 is still going strong despite the start of the so-called next-gen console cycle, Atlus’ most exciting recent development definitely has to be its acquisition of the North American publishing rights for the artistically beautiful role-playing game Odin Sphere, set for a stateside release later in the spring. From Princess Crown developer Vanillaware, Odin Sphere is an action-RPG featuring intense action, stunning hand-drawn graphics, full voice acting, enchanting music, five playable characters, epic bosses and in-depth alchemy and cooking systems. Shortly following the game’s announcement, Atlus has also just launched the official website for Odin Sphere at www.atlus.com/odinsphere, where you can currently find screenshots and details regarding the story and characters.
In another new development, Atlus has announced a PSP version for Riviera: The Promised Land, which you may recall from its original GBA release back in 2005. Scheduled to ship in June, Riviera will utilize the higher capacity of the UMD and power of the PSP to enhance what was seen on the GBA, promising higher-res graphics, all-new event sequences, new CD-quality music, fully voiced dialogue (in dual-language no less), and a brand new dungeon introducing a new episode to the story. The game was already fantastic on the GBA, so I can’t wait to see what they can do with it on the PSP.
And finally, this week has also been met by the anticipated retail release of Monster Kingdom Jewel Summoner, the all-original PSP-exclusive RPG from the mastermind behind the brilliant Shin Megami Tensei series. Monster Kingdom is in stores now and has turned out great from what I’ve played so far, so give it a look the next time you stop by your local game shop. You’ve gotta love Atlus!
Matt Litten is the full-time editor and owner of VGBlogger.com. He is responsible for maintaining the day to day operation of the site, editing all staff content before it is published, and contributing regular news, reviews, previews and other articles.
Matt landed his first gig in the video game review business writing for the now-defunct website BonusStage.com. After the sad and untimely close of BonusStage, the former staff went on to found VGBlogger.com. After a short stint as US Site Manager for AceGamez, Matt assumed full ownership over VGBlogger, and to this day he is dedicated to making it one of the top video game blogs in all the blogosphere.
Matt is a fair-minded reviewer and lover of games of all platforms and types, big or small, hyped or niche, big-budget or indie. But that doesn't mean he will let poor games slide without a good thrashing when necessary! 
