RKS Availability

Availability of RosenkreuzStilette in its physical form seems pretty much few and far between. Paletweb, pretty much one of the only places to purchase doujin software without venturing into kanji territory, has been sold out of the game for months now. I've been on their waiting list, trying to snag my own copy of the game, for so long, I had finally decided to ask a friend of mine in Japan to get me a copy from there and send it to me. This is a disappointing turn of events, especially for those of us who do wish to purchase doujin software (and honestly, this number should be higher than it is, especially for a quality game like RosenkreuzStilette). Therefore, I'm currently trying to think of a way to sell copies of RKS through this blog. As long as there are copies (and according to my source, they really aren't super-rare), I would like to get my hands on them so they can be sold to the people that want to play this awesome game, so that [erka:es] can get what they rightfully deserve.

We'll see how this pans out. Do any of the Schwer and Schwer Alike readers support this endeavor?

It looks like sperm.

I wish I was making that line up. Once again, another page of this mysterious doujinshi has appeared on the RKS uploader. Everything is incredibly vague, and honestly, I can't really think of what's going on or who the author could possibly be. Oh well, we'll just be on the lookout for more pages. By the way, WOMI made an update in the staff blog today. Something about enjoying metal music. He also revealed that he updated the page for Spiritia and didn't post about it, because he was feeling lazy. I can stand by this guy.

Oh, also.

Big-Breasted Tia and Why Freudia Sucks

So this one slipped by me. Apparently, [erka:es] updated the last slot of the RKS Freudenstachel character page with a picture of Spiritia. Everyone seems to have gotten a boob job for the upcoming sequel (except for Luste, who is still flat as a pancake of justice, and possibly Schwer, who for all we know could be a boy), and I'm not really sure why. Sex sells, I guess, and I know WOMI's got a thing for enormous chests (featured on his incredibly NWS website), so maybe it's not all that far-fetched.

Everyone who has played the Freudenstachel demo, be they from this side of the Pacific or that, can pretty much agree on one thing: Freudia, as a playable character, sucks. She takes as much damage as Grolla, deals as much damage as the pea shooter Seele Gewehr, and has no special abilities to speak of (such as being Grolla). People on 2ch are currently wondering what in the world Freudia's going to get to make playing as her not a chore. Most of the ideas seem to revolve around special weapons she'll get from bosses, which include clones of weapons like Megaman X's Chill Penguin weapon "Shotgun Ice", Megaman X2's Crystal Snail weapon "Crystal Hunter", Megaman X3's Blizzard Buffalo weapon "Frost Shield", or even Megaman 1's Ice Man weapon "Ice Slasher". Other ideas include a suitable Beat clone (maybe Strudel will prove to be better than Lilli) or a hovering mechanic a la Megaman X4's Boots upgrade. Or maybe she'll just be terrible, and no, Freudenzwinger isn't enough to make her worthwhile. Don't get me wrong, I love Freudia as a character, but let's face it. The surgeon that did her boob job must have taken out something that made her good, because she just doesn't have it. A pity, really. :(

Here's hoping!

RKS, Pixiv, and You

This picture is so badass I had to post it. Found here.

Some of you may be familiar with Pixiv, and if you're not, there are a few tutorials around that show you how to register and work with it. It's actually quite the treasure trove for RosenkreuzStilette artwork in a world of RKS obliviousness, but sadly, there really isn't a lot of it, especially when compared to the ranks of, say, Touhou. Maybe we can do something to send this ship in a different direction.

And so, I encourage Schwer and Schwer Alike readers to try their hand at their own RKS fanart! I know many of you will probably say you can't draw, but seriously, go check out Pixiv. That really doesn't stop a lot of people, and it shouldn't! Be creative with your work. Digital art, hand-drawn creations, even a quick Photoshop like some of the RKS Challenge banners! We need to make the English RKS fandom known, and what better way than through artistic expression! And yeah, this includes fanfiction too. >_> Maybe we can host all this stuff in the inevitable Wiki.

Grollschwert!

RKS: Freudenstachel Rumor Mill

While RosenkreuzStilette's fanbase may be smaller than most, that hasn't stopped some of the more devoted fans from speculating about what the future of the series holds. We here at Schwer and Schwer Alike have been combing the internet for the latest rumors about RKS: Freudenstachel just to bring you the best out there, whether they're all but confirmed or just wishful thinking.

First on the list is just how the four new bosses could be handled. For the record, these are Pamela Arwig, Eifer Skute, Schirach Fühler, and Lecht & Rink Refraktia. One fan believes that RKS:F will involve the Doc Robots in some way. For the uninitiated, after defeating the first eight Robot Masters in Megaman 3, the Megaman 2 Robot Masters came back as ghosts in the form of Doc Robot. Going by this theory, after killing the eight main bosses, the four Doc Robot-analogues will appear. This will give the player one last challenge before finally getting to the fortresses.

Another theory is that [erka:es] is holding back the names of four more bosses. This one is also not without a foundation, since the Doc Robot stages of MM3 came two MM2 Robot Masters to a stage. But where would the other bosses come from? Either [erka:es] is keeping something of their own up their sleeve, or there are more winners of the boss creation contest than we first thought. Both options would lead to a much more challenging game, as the creators have stressed before. And if either is true, there's definitely more speculation to be had.

This brings us to the most enigmatic and strangely persistent of rumors. It all begins with Axelle Blitzdonner, a character created by someone known only as Mint Mania IIDX. Attempts to contact Mint have been unsuccessful, but this has not deterred the fans, who remain firmly convinced that Axelle will appear in the game. RKS fans on 2ch seem to be most vocal about this, saying that it would be unfair if all the winners were Japanese if an American likes the game enough to enter the contest. Could she be one of the unannounced bosses, if indeed there are any? Considering the name Axelle Blitzdonner is positively charged with references to electricity and we haven't had one boss of that nature yet, it's a possibility.

Will the Doc Robots appear once again? Is [erka:es] holding out on us? And what about Axelle? We'll find out as the release date for RKS: Freudenstachel gets closer. If any other rumors surface, we'll certainly bring them to you as well.