Neon Genesis Evangelion has inspired a tremendous number of video games, from action and fighting games, to simulations and pachinko games. There have even been educational trivia and typing games. Rebuild of Evangelion: Sound Impact takes a brand new approach, by taking the series into the world of music games. Even more surprising is the fact that Grasshopper Manufacture, Suda51′s development company, is making it.

Rebuild of Evangelion: Sound Impact is inspired by that new line of Neon Genesis Evangelion movies…

Video game publishers often team up with other companies for promotions to highlight their newest games, a practice that’s seen throughout the world. However, games and drink partnerships are much more common in Japan. They’re also more diverse.

Game and drink promotions in North America most often amount to a soda company, like Mountain Dew, teaming up with a developer. In Japan, coffee, energy health drinks and soda companies all work with publishers to get specialized products out there.

This week, Important Importables is taking a look at some of the more notable Japanese video game and drink collaborations…

Shin Seiki Evangelion: Ayanami Ikusei Keikaku DS with Asuka Hokan Keikaku, or more commonly known as Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ayanami Raising Project DS with Asuka Supplementing Project, is quite a mouthful to say as well as a game that presents itself as an interesting simulation set in the Evangelion universe.

The game mechanics can only be closely compared to that of thePrincess Makerseries, where players are in charged with the responsibility to raise a young girl to become as the title states – a princess. However, this Evangelion game will focus on raising Rei (or Asuka) in order to help her become the intended Eva Unit pilot that she is meant to become. Previously released on the…

Originally I was going to review Otometeki Koi Kakumei: Love Revo DS!!, another DS girl’s dating game, this week. However my bid for the blue-haired guy Shouta is taking a bit longer than I thought, so it will be delayed until next week.

Instead, I’m going to talk a bit about the cultural phenomenon that is Neon Genesis Evangelion and some of the strange video game offspring it has produced. Evangelion is undoubtedly one of the most well known Japanese anime series. This is probably because it possesses most of the essential anime staples: Big robots? Check. High school drama? Check. Cute girls occasionally dressed in revealing/form fitting outfits? Check. Occasionally twisted storyline? Double check.

Frankly, you have to invest a lot of time to truly understand the series. Just watching the End of Evangelion movie one weekend (cough) isn’t going to cut it. Thankfully, many of the video games inspired by the series have nothing to do with the whole tangled storylines and hidden truths which permiate the series. So let’s look at Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ayanami Ikusai Keikaku with Asuka Hohan Keikaku, Shinseiki Evangelion: Typing E-Keikaku, Neon Genesis Evangelion Magokoro wo Kimini and Puchi Eva: Evangelion @ Game, four games loosely based on the whole Evangelion experience.