ASH features pre-rendered videos and backgrounds. Actual gameplay is displayed on the bottom screen, while the top screen shows a full motion video depicting the battle.
Characters
Aisya (アイシャ,Aisha): The crown princess of Milinear, and the main character. After her parents were killed 12 years ago, she was raised by Bullnequ. She was to be crowned the Queen of Milinear when she turned 17, but the ceremony was interrupted when the capital was attacked and burned by the Flame Snake, at the start of the game. She is trusting and naïve, but can be decisive. She has the ability to take other people's hatred, sorrow, and regret into her heart and carry them with her. Voiced by: Satomi Akesaka.
(Bullnequ (ブルネク,Buruneku): The leader of Milinear's military, and Aisya's bodyguard and father-figure. When the Flame Snake attacked the city, he, along with the rest of Milinear's population, was burned into ashes. However, he came back to life, albeit with a body made of ashes, due to his dedication to protecting Aisya. Besides his military prowess and bravery, he is surprisingly well-informed about other topics, such as archaeology. In combat, he fights with a sword, specializing in melee combat. He can also heal himself and his allies. Voiced by: Takeshi Aono.
Dan (ダン,Dan): The captain of the 4th Sealing Squad in Sumnelthia's army, he was ordered to chase the Flame Snake that attacked and burned Milinear and seal it, as well as to take one of the Forest People from the Hidden Moor, and bring both the sealed snake and the child back to the capital. He succeeded in sealing the snake and securing the child, but he was attacked by soldiers from the Iron Legion, and the Flame Snake escaped from his Sealing Box. He was saved from the Iron Legion by Aisya and Bullnequ, and decided to join them. He is rash and has a quick temper, but is fiercely loyal to both his friends and his country. He fights with a claymore, and specializes in attacks that lower his target's stats and raise his own. Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu.
Emu (エミュ,Emyu): A child from the Hidden Moor, he is one of the few Forest People who possess very powerful magic. He is quiet and shy at first, but acts like a normal child among company that he feels comfortable with. He is very good friends with Cootrolan. In combat, he has no physical attacks, but uses very powerful earth-element magic. Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto.
Cootrolan (クットロラン,Kuttororan): The "latest model" of the Iron Legion, he was a minor officer in the Iron Legion of the future until he was infected with the Logic Bomb, which changed his reasoning and personality, so that he realized that the Iron Legion had to be stopped, or the world would be destroyed. He claims to be unable to attack humans, but shows no qualms about killing Sumnelthian soldiers. In combat, he fights with a pole, like all of the Iron Legion. Voiced by: Masaya Onosaka.
Maritie (マリティ,Mariti): The princess of Aceshin, she was captured by Sumnelthian soldiers shortly after the war began, and kept in the dungeon of Sumnelthia Castle. It is implied that she was raped by the Sumnelthian emperor. She is rather cold at first, and speaks offensively of the Sumnelthia Emperor, accusing him of creating the Iron Legion and the Flame Snake, which prompted Dan to nearly kill her and then leave the party, but when it became clear to him that these accusations are true, he forgives her and rejoins. Soon afterwords, it is revealed that the two of them are in love. For unclear reasons, she dislikes Jeekawen, and objected vehemently when he decided to join the party. She fights with a katana and a spear. Voiced by: Kana Ueda.
Jeekawen (ジーカウェン,Jiikawen): A quiet and mysterious man, apparently with no loyalties, he initially serves the Sumnelthia Emperor, but leaves him when he decides that it no longer fits in with his interests. His only guiding influence seems to be a hatred for the Iron Legion, but it is later revealed that he is one of the Forest People, and was raised by Gaga. He still looks up to her as a master, as well as feeling that he owes her, as he accused her of abandoning everything and running away when she left the Hidden Moor to live with the Legendary Creatures. When he discovers that Gaga's spirit is inside Emu, he decides to stop hindering the player, even if it means going against his orders. He fights with eight knives, five of which combine to create a sword. He also has a certain amount of control over the air, and uses it to control his knives as he throws them, allowing him to guide them towards his target. Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano.
Aceshin XV (エースシン15,Eesushin 15): Maritie's mother. She cares deeply about both her daughter and her country. In combat, she wields all the magic from both the Black and White magic schools. Voiced by: Yoshiko Sakakibara.
Release
ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat was released on October 4, 2007 in Japan as the first DS game released on a 2 gigabit game card. Nintendo of America was working on an English version of ASH which never materialized, despite English voice actors being hired and an ESRB confirmation. Though there was a translation attempt by psycoblaster it is unclear if it is still being worked on as there have been no updates on progress since 2010. A ROM of an unfinished version of the translation was eventually leaked to the public.
Reception
ASH received a review score of 33/40 from Famitsu. The game sold 67,000 copies in Japan as of October 22, 2007.
