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Shining Ark PSP RPG's 3-Minute Preview Streamed

Sega began streaming a three-minute promotional video for the Shining Ark role-playing game for the PlayStation Portable on Friday. The video introduces the game's main story, gameplay elements, and the new characters Viola, Levin, Velvet, and Bucchus. The video also features the character songs from voice actresses Houko Kuwashima, Saori Hayami, and Nana Mizuki.

The masked Viola is voiced by Mizuki (who also sings the game's theme song), the pirate Velvet is voiced by Chiwa Saito, the viking treasure hunter Bucchus is voiced by Chikao Ohtsuka, and the noble pirate Levin is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita.

The Shining Ark "RPG that connects hearts" revolves around a young man named Fried (pronounced "freed") and a one-winged girl named Panis, voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya (Polar Bear's Café's Penguin, Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei's Nozomu) and Kuwashima (Slayers Try's Fillia, Shining Hearts: Shiawase no Pan-'s Kaguya) respectively.

In the story, Fried, a resident of the island of Arcadia, finds a girl in danger and saves her. The girl named Panis then recovers thanks to his efforts, and his freshly-baked bread. Although Fried thought it would be very difficult to get the villagers to accept Panis, they eventually agree to let her in the village. Soon, Panis begins to show signs of mysterious powers: her singing voice can make plants grow and gather birds and fish around her. The villagers, seeing this, call her an "angel." However, there are those who come to the island who target the angel, and one day, on the night of the red moon, a large shadow appears to attack Panis.

Hayami will play the dual-gun-wielding sharpshooter and exorcist Kirumaria. Unlike the others, she believes Panis to be the devil and pursues her. Kazuya Nakai will play Adam, the dormant guardian deity slumbering in the holy island's ruins. He is awakened by the arrival of the angel to protect the villagers. The game will also star Mai Aizawa as Shannon, an elf who works at a bakery, and Tetsu Inada as the warrior Zynga.

The game is slated for release in Japan on February 28, 2013. The UMD version will cost 6,279 yen (about US$78), while the downloadable version will cost 5,600 yen (US$70). Those who pre-order the game will receive the bonus "Tenshi no Fan Disc" (Angel's Fan Disc), which includes a 45-minute audio drama, guest character product code, full soundtrack compilation with music by Hiroki Kikuta, character song compilation, a character design booklet, an exclusive Shining Ark promotion card for the Victory Spark trading card game, and a digital content collection (with bonus voices, wallpaper, icons, and other extras).