Welcome to this week's toys update. Check out the wonderful collectibles we just got in stock and all the new products made available for preorder.
As toys, especially collectible ones, are produced in limited numbers and are often sold out prior to the actual release date, we strongly recommend to preorder the figures of your desire as early as possible.
A figure of Kousaka Tamaki from To Hearts is chosen as the bargain of the week and the cover girl of this news update. Tamaki is one of the most popular girls both within and outside the famous dating game. She is constantly seen as being surrounded by a group of followers from her school in the game and have a large fanbase in the gamers community.
Her confidence and maturity are one of the few reasons aside from beauty that contributes to her tremendous appeal, and her figure designer HIDE decides to focus on these aspects.
By sculpting her in an alluring pose he portrays her glamour, and by putting details into her eyes that seems to stare straight into your own, he brings out her confidence. To soften the whole package, the designer added layers of frills to her bikini to capture her innocent charm.
Tamaki, in her frilly bikini, is now sold at a bargain price of US$ 19.90 only and the maximum purchase is limited to 1 piece per customer. As usually, this weekly special is valid for exactly 1 week (if not sold out earlier).
Super deformed figures of characters from one of the hottest sci-fi movies came out. The Kubrick series consist of the major characters from Star Wars - The Phantom Menace. After watching their slick actions on screen, it's an enjoyable experience to play with them in the palm of your hand. May the force be with you!
As an aspiring idol, it is important for Amami Haruka to be able to move freely, naturally and gracefully. By having all the minute joints, a special feature of Frauline Revoltech figures, installed into her tiny body, she can bend and twist into the most photogenic of postures.
She comes with a set of accessories that goes with her gothic princess style: butterfly wings, bracelets, anklets, a cat's tail and a tiara. These accessories can be assembled with other characters in the series, so feel free to design the best outfit for your idols.
Quite a lot of interesting preorders are opened this week. One of the newer characters from the To Heart2 universe are joining in the league of collectible figures. Kusugawa Sarara is an eccentric girl hidden behind her French doll facade. Her maker Shiketa Udonko has brought her to life by crafting out her blank expression and the distant look in her eyes.
Naomi, drawn by the renowned figure designer Yamashita Shunya and crafted by Ogasawara Taketo, depicts a woman torn between the two Yakuza codes of conduct, giri and ninjo. While giri demands that she acts like one of the tough men in her gang, she is entitled to enjoy her priviledges as a woman under the ninjo code. By blending both masculine and feminine elements together, Naomi is definitely a collector's item.
The lists below show what has been released this week and what is available for preordering.
Toys & Figures (32)
Carnevale Della Luce Della Luna 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Anna JPN N/A
D.G.P. Yami no Kanata Non Scale Pre-Painted Gashapon toy JPN US$ 5.90
Death Note Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Nendoroid Light Yagami (Re-run) JPN N/A
Death Note Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Nendoroid Ryuk (Re-run) JPN N/A
Devil May Cry Darts (Dante) JPN US$ 29.90
Devil May Cry Darts (Nero) JPN US$ 29.90
Dragon Ball Z Neo A Hot Fight Tenkaichi-Budoukai Non Scale Pre-Painted Gashapon Toy JPN US$ 5.49
Dragon Destiny Ikkitousen 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Kanu (Black and White Version) JPN US$ 84.90
Dragon Destiny Ikkitousen 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Ryofu Housen (Sweet Lolita Version) Shinpo Limited JPN N/A
Dragon Destiny Ikkitousen 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Sonsaku Hakufu (China Dress Version) JPN US$ 99.90
Dragon Quest Non Scale Pre-Painted Soft Vinyl Figure: Monster Estark JPN US$ 19.90
Dragon Quest Non Scale Pre-Painted Soft Vinyl Figure: Monster Gigantess JPN US$ 16.90
Dragon Quest Non Scale Pre-Painted Soft Vinyl Figure: Monster Zooma JPN US$ 19.90
Dynamite Project 001 Dragon Destiny Ikkitousen 1/5 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Kanu Unchou (Special Colour Version) JPN US$ 114.90
Excellent Model Core Queens Blade EX 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Shizuka JPN N/A
Fortune Arterial 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Sendo Erika JPN N/A
Fraulein Revoltech Series No. 005 - Idol Master 1/10 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Amami Haruka JPN US$ 24.90
Ghost in the shell Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Tachikoma (Metal Version) JPN N/A
Ghost in the shell Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: TachiYellow (Metal Finish Version) JPN US$ 44.90
Idol Master Xenoglossia Scale 1/10 Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Amami Haruka JPN US$ 44.90
Nendoroid Death Note Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: L Lawliet (Re-run) JPN N/A
Nendoroid Petit Part 2 Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Trading Figure JPN N/A
Punit Collection Aria The Origination Non Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Aika JPN N/A
Punit Collection Aria The Origination Non Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Alicia JPN US$ 64.90
Series 8 - Stars Wars The Phantom Menace Kubrick JPN US$ 8.49
SIF EX Pretty Cats Show Time 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Lesson B JPN US$ 69.90
Soul of Chogokin Brave Raideen Non Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Raideen GX-41 JPN N/A
Soul of Chogokin Brave Raideen Non Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Raideen GX-41S DX Fade-In Set JPN N/A
Spice and Wolf 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Holo JPN US$ 99.90
Super Mario Key Holder Vol.1 N/A
Tandem Twin Animal Girls 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Dog Alma JPN N/A
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Nagato Yuki (Swimsuit Version) JPN N/A
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Grand Theft Auto IV is released this week and steals the spotlight. Test out your own limits as well as that of your next generation consoles. Become Niko Bellic and roam the streets of Liberty city to search for the lost American dream through constant action and gun fights. Please check out this special news entry for a full reportage on the game and its shipping schedule.
Persona 3 FES proves that school is not very much safer than Liberty City. With monsters roaming about ready to prey on the unaware, it is up to the hero, his persona and the "special extracurricular activities club" members to prevent these monsters, called Shadows from overtaking the city.
The World Ends With You does not feature a sanctuary free of conflicts either. The weight of the world rests on the teenager Neku's shoulders. He has to solve riddles and beat the fatal game in seven days, or else the world will perish with him.
Explore the grand but dangerous fields of Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection and assume a persona of your choice. This multi-platform online RPG constructs a mythical world with magical elements of its own. Learn the history of this parallel universe and join all the others who are absorbed in this massively scaled RPG.
After all the fun of challenging death, monsters and getting lost in the wild, try something less lethal but just as exciting. NBA Ballers: Chosen One is released for both Xbox360™ and PlayStation3™. Step into your pair of cyber basketball shoes and demonstrate your best skills in the most exotic of courts.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week,
Xbox360™:
Grand Theft Auto IV ASIA US$ 59.90
Grand Theft Auto IV US US$ 64.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (Special Edition) US US$ 129.90
NBA Ballers: Chosen One US US$ 64.90
Rock Band Wireless Guitar US US$ 79.90
Sega Superstars Tennis ASIA US$ 49.90
Viking: Battle for Asgard ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™:
Grand Theft Auto IV US US$ 64.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (Special Edition) US N/A
NBA Ballers: Chosen One US US$ 64.90
Sega Superstars Tennis ASIA US$ 49.90
Viking: Battle for Asgard ASIA US$ 49.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Battle of the Bands US US$ 59.90
Heavenly Guardian US US$ 24.90
Mario Kart Wii (w/ Wii Wheel) US US$ 59.90
Pro Yakyuu Family Stadium JPN US$ 54.90
Target: Terror US US$ 44.90
Wild Earth: African Safari US US$ 34.90
Nintendo Wii™ Accessories:
Vertical Illumination Stand US US$ 19.99
Wii Classic Controller with Glove (Special Edition / Black) US US$ 29.90
Wii Classic Controller with Glove (Special Edition / Blue) US US$ 29.90
Wii Classic Controller with Glove (Special Edition / Pink) US US$ 29.90
Wii Gamenizer with Remote (Special Edition) US US$ 59.90
Wii Nunchuk with Glove (Special Edition / Blue) US US$ 29.90
Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training JPN US$ 39.90
PlayStation2™:
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™:
Anpanman to Asobo: ABC Kyoushitsu JPN US$ 44.90
Emblem of Gundam JPN US$ 48.90
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Fate of Heat JPN US$ 48.90
Keikishi Gunzou Presents: Monoshiri Bakumatsu-Ou JPN US$ 39.90
The World Ends With You US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™ Accessories:
Peanuts DS Card Block JPN US$ 10.90
Peanuts Lite Slipon Socks Pouch - Blue JPN US$ 9.90
Peanuts Lite Slipon Socks Pouch - Pink JPN US$ 9.90
Peanuts Lite Slipon Socks Pouch - White JPN US$ 9.90
Peanuts Lite Slipon Socks Pouch - Yellow JPN US$ 9.90
Protector DS Lite (Nintendogs Version A) US US$ 9.99
Protector DS Lite (Nintendogs Version B) US US$ 9.99
Protector DS Lite (Super Mario Bros. Version) US US$ 9.99
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Cassis) JPN US$ 22.90
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Emerald) JPN US$ 22.90
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Gold) JPN US$ 22.90
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Pearl White) JPN US$ 22.90
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Silver) JPN US$ 22.90
Touch Pen Max (Cassis) JPN US$ 3.90
Touch Pen Max (Emerald) JPN US$ 3.90
Touch Pen Max (Gold) JPN US$ 3.90
Touch Pen Max (Pearl White) JPN US$ 3.90
Touch Pen Max (Silver) JPN US$ 3.90
Sony PSP™:
AVP2 Aliens Vs. Predator JPN US$ 27.90
Chameleon US US$ 24.90
Nippon no Asoko de JPN US$ 39.90
Rockman Rockman (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 14.90
Sony PSP™ Accessories:
PSP 2GB Memory Stick US US$ 39.99
PC Games:
Europa Universalis Rome ASIA US$ 37.90
Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection 2008 (DVD-ROM) US US$ 34.90
Off Road ASIA US$ 34.90
Guide Books:
Arcadia Magazine [June 2008] JPN US$ 12.90
Armored Core: For Answer Official Perfect Guide JPN US$ 26.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [June 2008] JPN US$ 16.50
Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Iron Man Official Strategy Guide US US$ 16.90
Lux-Pain Official Guide Book JPN US$ 27.90
Mario Kart Wii Prima Office Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Petit Four Official Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 38.90
Pokemon Pocket Pokedex Vol.2: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 13.90
Riba Hara Art Collection JPN US$ 29.90
Silver Rain Guide Book JPN US$ 14.90
The World Ends With You Official Strategy Guide US US$ 16.90
Vantage Master Portable Capture And Visual Book JPN US$ 27.90
Video Game Soundtracks:
Star Ocean: Second Evolution Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 28.90
Capcom has released some of the nice screenshots of Street Fighter IV, which we think look great. Don't take our word for it though: have a look yourself.
We recognise they're not perfect - in particular Ryu's feet appear to belong to the Incredible Hulk and Chun Li still looks like a bloke - but the sheer style of them has us sold.
The backgrounds also look good and the lighting is quite impressive. In one shot, a setting sun in one shot casts rays over Ryu and Sagat.
If you haven't already seen them, we'd recommend checking out the videos on our Street Fighter IV game page. We want a release date now please, Capcom.
Mario Kart Wii sold another 150,000 units in Japan across the sales week ending April 27, according to the latest data from Media Create, and is on track to break the 1 million mark this week.
That was also enough to keep it top of the software chart, with Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G in second place as Capcom's PlayStation Portable game nears the 2 million boundary.
New entries accounted for the rest of the top five places, with Valkyria Chronicles for the PlayStation 3 in third, Taiko Drum Master DS: Seven Island Adventure in fourth and Summon Night in fifth.
Wii Fit sold another 37,000 copies to take sixth place, and is on track to pass the 2 million mark in the next few weeks, while We're Fossil Diggers took seventh place.
Pokemon Ranger: Batonnage, DS Beautiful Letter Training and Musou Orochi: The Evil King Returns completed the top ten list.
Two Xbox 360 title made their debut in the top 30, with Rainbow Six Vegas 2 taking 11th place and Frontlines: Fuel of War in 26th. Phoenix Wright 4 for the Nintendo DS debuted at a lowly 27th.
The full top ten is as follows:
1. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
2. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PS)
3. Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)
4. Taiko Drum Master DS: Seven Island Adventure (DS)
5. Summon Night (DS)
6. Wii Fit (Wii)
7. We're Fossil Diggers (DS)
8. Pokemon Ranger: Batonnage (DS)
9. DS Beautiful Letter Training (DS)
10. Musou Orochi: The Evil King Returns (PS2)
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, coming this summer, brings us a bevy of Aerosmith tracks. As an added bonus, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry picked some "influential" songs from other artists to round out the collection. Today, Activision revealed that the Orpheum Theatre in Boston is being recreated for the game. You'll play three Aerosmith songs at the Orpheum, along with songs from The Clash and the New York Dolls.
Orpheum Tracks
* "Living on the Edge" - Aerosmith
* "Ragdoll" - Aerosmith
* "Love in an Elevator" - Aerosmith
* "Complete Control" - The Clash
* "Personality Crisis" - New York Dolls
NDS Shock! DS Lite Replacement Case
Manufacturer: Xtreme Enterprises
Site: Buy from Extreme-Mods (Artic Blue) / Buy from Extreme-Mods (Magnum Chrome)
Price: $34.99-44.99
Overview : The saying goes, if everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking each other and the same goes for the Nintendo DS Lite. It's time to Shock! your DS Lite and give it a unique and vibrant look wherever you go via Xtreme Enterprises range of SHOCK! DS Lite replacement cases. Manufactured with the highest quality in mind, SHOCK! are a range of stellar replacement cases for DS Lite suitable for a fantastically aesthetically pleasing makeover of Nintendo's handheld or as a replacement to damaged or defective original casing. Every SHOCK! case is created with rigorously durable ABS material which will ultimately preserve the shockingly wonderful appearance for the entirety of the handheld.
SHOCK! cases included everything required for a complete overhaul of your DS Lite. As standard the following is included in every professionally boxed case:
Top and bottom casing, complete with battery compartment
All buttons (both triggers, left control pad, right buttons, start/select and power/volume)
GBA front cover
Screwpads
Quality/Usability : We have all dreaded the cracked hinges on our Nintendo DS and Lites. It is a known problem and issue with the DS. This is due to the poor quality of the plastic that Nintendo used. My onyx DS Lite and original grey DS phat didnt have this problem but my white DS Lite did. Luckily, I kept it around for desperate moments or for parts. Xtreme Enterprises is known for their replacement cases such as the Chuckii Wiimote Replacement Shell. The NDS Shock! DS Lite Replacement Case comes in a glossy black cardboard box with all necessary parts wrapped in a bubble padded package.
Once the original case is off, the replacement case is a perfect fit. The quality and how sturdy the case is, is on par with Nintendo's own OEM casing. But not everything is the same. At a close look, there are 3 extra speaker holes on each side of the DS allowing better output of sound. There were some stuff that Xtreme Enterprises have left out such as the upper and lower LCD frame, silicone cover pieces that are used to cover up screw holes and matching stylus. Since the shields and LCD frame are not included, you'll have to remove them from your original case.
What I also noticed was that the top of the case no longer has the dual screen logo. This makes customizing whether it be applying skins or painting a lot cleaner. Also, the START/SELECT buttons are slightly different. It's not smooth or flat like the original buttons. It has a slightly raised edge around it.
Conclusion : Overall, the NDS Shock! DS Lite Replacement Case is a great product for those looking to stand out from the rest of the DS crowd or just looking to replace a damaged case. Although the case fits like the OEM, it does really feel like the OEM case. The lack of silicone pieces and other parts, makes the case short of being fully a replacement case. The price of the case is a bit high as well costing almost 1/3 the cost of the Nintendo DS Lite itself. Since the case is plastic, both the clear and chrome will shows scratches if not kept properly.
By removing the faceplate, you void you warranty. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Networks is not responsible for any damages that user may have caused.
The latest firgure for console sales in Japan are in and all machines except one gets a raise from last weeks reading, shown below:
Playstation Portable: 92,411
Nintendo Wii: 48,796
Nintendo DS Lite: 42,435
Playstation 3: 9,107
Playstation 2: 7,108
Xbox 360: 1,283
PSP still tops the list, up by 6,990 while the Nintendo Wii trails behind it, up 4,245. The Nintendo DS Lite is in third place and takes a 1,806 drop. The ones in line are the PS3, up 1,669, PS2 up 563 and Xbox 360 increases by 207.
Press Release
PC Games and Console Hardware Sales Surge in China's Booming Economy
Online game revenue to hit $2.5 billion in 2008; console sales rose by 75% in 2007.
US, May 2, 2008 - Niko Partners, the leading market intelligence firm on China's video game industry, today announced results from its latest report citing China's 46 million gamers spent $1.7 billion on online games in 2007, up 71% from 2006. Advanced casual and casual online games made up 21% of the total, and new flash-based casual versions of popular MMO and RTS games demonstrated the hardcore gamers' appetite to play casual games along with subscription MMOs. Online revenue is expected to reach $2.5 billion in 2008 and $6 billion in 2012, for a 29% compound annual growth rate in the five-year period.
"China's spending on games is up thanks to their booming economy," said Lisa Cosmas Hanson, managing partner of Niko Partners. "14 million hardcore Chinese gamers play online games more than 22 hours per week. They play online, LAN, and single-player offline PC games in China's 185,000 Internet cafés and increasingly on their PCs at home, thanks to falling prices and higher disposable income."
According to Niko's 6th Annual Review & Forecast Report, part of an annual subscription of reports for publishers, hardware makers, service providers, and investors who need to understand China's fast-moving video game industry, gamers are buying consoles with their disposable income as well. "In spite of the regulation that has banned the sale of game consoles in China since the year 2000, gamers are flocking to stores that sell illegally imported Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2 machines to take part in the excitement of console gaming," said Hanson. "While these consoles are expensive for the average Chinese consumer, gamers are willing to spend money on them to supplement their online gaming experience, and unit sales hit 2.48 million units in 2007, up 75% over 2006."
Piracy remains an issue for packaged software via digital downloads and counterfeit copies of games, but legitimate sales of packaged offline PC games surged 56% in 2007, over 2006. Chinese gamers are showing that they like to buy the legitimate copies to ensure quality and to get customer support.
The 2008 Annual Review & Forecast Report on China's Video Game Industry by Niko Partners is a thorough review and forecast of the 2007-2012 PC online, PC offline, console, handheld games and hardware market. Based on 75,000 points of data collected by Niko Partners in 10 Chinese cities in March 2008, the study provides one of the largest and most comprehensive sources of information on gamers, Internet cafés, regulations, online game operators, games, hardware, distribution, retail, outsourced development, and important trends in supply and demand.
Games Criminals Arrested At Bradford Computer Fair
Net closes around two traders selling illegally copied games at Bradford computer fair
A joint operation between West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service (WYTSS) and West Yorkshire Police on Sunday 27th April resulted in approximately 12,000 illegally copied discs and over 150 devices used for ‘chipping’ being seized. Chipping is the process that enables copied games to be played on consoles such as the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3. The operation, carried out at a Computer Fair held at Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford, resulted in two individuals being arrested for selling copied computer software and copied computer games. Further seizures were also made of software and other chipping devices at a number of stalls at the fair.
Following the arrests officers from Trading Standards and the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) carried out a house search in Leeds which uncovered approximately 5,000 counterfeit software, films and music discs.
Further investigations following this operation are being carried out by West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service and West Yorkshire Police.
WYTSS estimate the retail value of the items seized to be in excess of Ł100,000. The equivalent value of original products is in excess of Ł1 million.
Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA said: “The raid at Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford highlights the ongoing commitment demonstrated by local Trading Standards authorities in stamping this kind of operation out. ELSPA would like to thank everyone involved for their work instigating this investigation and helping to protect local traders and the general community from the effects of pirated goods.”
Graham Hebblethwaite, Chief Officer of West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service, said: “The illegal software trade is worth hundreds of millions of pounds in the domestic market alone. Trading Standards have had the power to enforce the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act since April 2007 and the Service is committed to enforcing this Act to eradicate the sale of counterfeit software, music and computer games in the county. The Service would like to send out a warning to individuals involved in software piracy that they will be dealt with severely. The maximum penalty for crimes under copyright and trademark legislation carries a sentence of ten years imprisonment.”
NPT Sergeant Julie Deacon, West Yorkshire Police, said: “We’re always pleased to work in partnership with Trading Standards. Anything that helps to reduce crime in the area is welcomed. If anyone has suspicions about counterfeit goods being sold please contact either your local NPT or Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.”
Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 230 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.
Eason's Moving On Stage 1 Karaoke Live came in this week as a blu-ray DVD. Eason Chan is one of the best known singers in Hong Kong, he can bring out the essense of whatever song he is singing, be they rock music, jazz, or soothing ballads. The lyrics of his songs are often playfully thought-inpsiring, sometimes they even make fun of the absurdities of the society.
The Moving On concert held in 2007 was a phenomenal success. It was a blend of traditional elements with pop culture that dazzled its audience with its visual impact. By getting a karaoke DVD, you are not merely an audience who watches passively at the TV screen, but you get to put yourself in this super star's pair of shoes and feel his dynamic energy on stage.
Aside from the exciting DVD rendition of the Hong Kong pop singer's concert, Star Ocean Second Evolution Original Soundtrack is also released. It does not only contain all the background music tracks that goes with the game, but a DVD that carries the full version of the opening movie from the game that features "Start", the theme song sung by Scandal. Start your voyage across the ocean of stars with this OST and DVD collection.
Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, April 26th and Friday, May 2nd. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.
J-Pop Music releases (78)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (10)
Video Game Soundtracks (1)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (5)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (17)
Anime & Animation (3)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (16)
Japanese Movies (13)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (69)
J-Pop DVD releases (9)
Misc Japanese Movie releases (1)
Idol DVD (9)
UMD™ Video & Music (1)
Yep, yep. Talking time. It's Friday night and that means the TUD Girafe is ready to listen. So let's talk. We've got a feature here on Kotaku called "Tell Us Dammit" or "TUD." How it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interesting in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Today's question:
How many hours do you game a day?
Shit man, with my schedule these days, I'm super lucky if I can get in between an half an hour or an hour a day. Been playing shmups like Mushihime-sama loads at my neighborhood arcade. Really helps me relax.
SEGA America's blog gives gamers a look inside work at Secret Level, which just finished Iron Man for them and is cranking on Golden Axe: Beast Rider. A cool Flickr slideshow shows the team and some concepts, both in hard copy and rendered on computer. And two new screen caps, which is the video game porn you're here for.
Blogger SegaDawg didn't get any looks at the gameplay, but does write:
I did see a demo of Tyris riding one particular beast that will deal some severe swipe damage with its claws. There are several types of beast mounts in the game, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, and my bet is that there will be points in the game where you have to ride a specific beast in order to accomplish certain goals — but that's just a hunch.
Overview : iTouchDS introduce a new concept to NDS gaming. Now you will be able to launch your favorite Homebrew and games with a touch of a button. iTouchDS features a system which will allow you to create custom shortcuts pointing to any homebrews or games. These shortcuts will appear in the iFav menu from here you will be able to access, run and manage your shortcuts.
Features :
Plug and play feature for it is easy to use.
100% Game compatibility.
Automatically detect and generate game save file.
Built in cheat engine.
Fully customizable skin interface.
Supports both the Micro SDHC and MicroSD. (Capacity over 4GB)
Supports homebrew applications.
Supports software reset function.
Supports Multi-Language.
Supports Download Play.
Single-chip solution, highest level of stability & lowest power consumption..
Support Multi-Language: English, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean and Thai Language.
Quality/Usability : M3 Team has a new flash cart for you Nintendo DS users. M3's new product is called iTouchDS. Although the iTouch DS does the same as the M3DS Real, only difference is sticker on the cartridge, packaging, GUI, no RAM/Expansion pakc and quality of the cart.
I love the new packaging design even though it comes in a cardboard box. Inside the cardboard box is a plastic sleeve that holds the iTouchDS and microSD card reader. The card reader is pretty much a standard with flash carts that uses microSD's. If you have a bunch of flash carts like I do, you'll have a lot of them. The back of the box lists the features that you read above. However, no mini-CD is included. Usually the CD contains files to load onto your microSD. You can download the latest files at Simple + Easy.
The quality of the cartridge itself feels cheap and flimsy. Its similar to the M3DS Real and is the same size as the original cartridge. Instead of a screw holding the shell together, there are clips along the side holding them together. Like some flash carts on the market, the PCB chip protrudes from behind the iTouchDS sticker just slightly. At a certain angle, you can see it as well as moving your finger over the center of the sticker. On the back of the iTouchDS, the plastic guides are no longer present like the original cartridges. This can cause potential scratches if not kept and protected correctly.
The iTouchDS automatically boots into the main menu of the iTouchDS. In the main menu, you are unable to change the brightness of the Nintendo DS Lite screen. Some areas of the GUI does not utilize the touchscreen capabilities. The main menu has 3 options: iCard, iFav and iGame.
iCard is your file browser where you can view all the contents on your microSD. It also lets load homebrew files. iTouchDS auto-DLDI patches your homebrew files. All you do is load the file and let iTouchDS do all the work. You can save files as favorites to iFav by simply pressing the X button. This will than place an icon on your iFav.
As mentioned above, iFav is where all your favorites are stored. This directly links you to your games and applications. You'll mainly see icons but once an icon is highlighted, the file name and path of the file is shown at the top of the screen. This is the only menu that allows you to use the touchscreen.
iGame is where the game loading takes place. Here, only .nds files are viewable. Unfortunately, you can not load homebrew files from this menu. As mentioned above, you can only open homebrew files from the iCard menu. You will also need to place your games in a folder and not in the root of the directory. Doing so will result in an error message stating that it can not create a save file. Within the iGame menu, you can choose your cheats, adjust settings such as soft-reset, Normal or Download Play and a reset button.
In the system settings, you are able to enable/disable and choose cheats, enable/disable slow motion, slow motion level, back up save files, Normal or Download Play. The GUI is also skinnable but the icons are not moveable. You can only change the looks but not placement.
Conclusion : Overall, the iTouchDS DS Card SLOT-1 MicroSDHC did what it was suppose to do. Compatibility, auto-DLDI patching, cheats all work great. The new GUI system is very nice looking and user friendly. However, although these budget cards are a cheaper alternative and they work, I feel that the build quality is compromised. The cart feels really cheap in the hands. But those looking to upgrade their M3 Simply or R4 to a card that supports microSDHC, they may want to consider getting the iTouchDS.
Please note that none of the "upgrade" products listed in this site are endorsed by Nintendo, Sony and/or Microsoft. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Network does not condone piracy. The primary functions of a "modchip" and/or "flashcart" are to allow you to play imported games and homebrew software that you legally own or simply just for experimenting with hardware. We in no way endorse piracy, and encourage all users to do the right thing and support the developers/manufacturers that support them. We do not take any responsibilities for any use outside of these parameters or where the use of such a device is illegal.
Today is the aniversary of this project so, here is a beta version of this patch as promised.
Thank you very much for all the support that we received from fans, romhackers and translators. I’m sure that without their help we couldn’t have done all this.
Please, read the “Readme.txt” file within the patch pack. Don’t forget that this is a beta, so you’ll find tons of errors and bugs.
microSD to MS Pro Duo Adapter
Manufacturer: N/A
Site: Buy from ConsoleSource
Price: $12.99
Overview : This adapter converts Micro SD / Micro SDHC / T-Flash into a MS Pro Duo and to be used with the growing number of MS Pro Duo compatible devices such as Sony PSP, PDAs, digital cameras and cellphones.
Features :
Support to 1GB MicroSD to 8GB MicroSDHC
Plug-N-Play
Quality/Usability : With different electronics available comes different media storage. Like everyone, you probably bought a memory stick for a device and the device either broke, got something new or is no longer being used. So what are you to do with those memory sticks? You either let it sit on your shelf and collect dust, try and sell it or reuse it with the help of an adapter.
Sony has their own like of memory sticks and their highly popular sticks right now are the Pro Duo. But the prices are fairly high compared to other cards on the market. A 4GB MS Pro Duo can cost as much as $60. It use to cost over $300 when it was first released and depending on brand. Currently, the 8GB costs just as much as the 4GB when it first released. Within a couple of months, these prices will drop dramatically to a more reasonable price but it would still be expensive.
SD cards are also a very popular and highly used format. With technology advancing, so are the sizes of memory sticks. The TransFlash also known as microSD/microSDHC (SDHC is higher capacity) which usually comes with an SD adapter is proof. microSD's are used in cellphones, PDAs and camera's with the use of the adapter. But the price is what makes it very affordable and highly used in electronics. A 1GB microSD can be purchased for $10 or even FREE after rebate.
Manufacturers are always looking of ways to provide a solution on using other memory cards in other devices. The microSD to MS Pro Duo Adapter is similar to that of the Kingmax microSd to Pro Duo Adapter.
This review was tested with both a normal 1GB microSD card as well as a 4GB microSDHC card. Both cards fit flush inside the adapter. The adapter is the same exact size as a SanDisk or Sony brand Pro Duo. During our tests, we did not notice any slow down during reading and writing to the microSD with the Pro Duo adapter.
Conclusion : Overall, the microSD to MS Pro Duo Adapter worked just as it should. If you have extra microSD's laying around or dont want to pay for the high priced Pro Duo cards, you might want to check this out. However, the quality of the adapter is cheap. The plastic is very lightweight and thin compared to SanDisk or Sony brand Pro Duos.
Someone's knocking on Nintendo's door, and he just drove through seven red lights in a hijacked car with a shotgun in tow to get there. Forbes has published a piece on how Grand Theft Auto IV's success threatens the Nintendo Wii since the console, you know, doesn't have the game. In fact, that's all the article seems to be saying: the Wii is doing great, but because it doesn't have GTA IV, that money-printing success might be at a halt.
While that's how the article is framed, the direction seems to split off from there, with the author talking about GTA IV's success juxtaposed with complaints about the Wii's hardware, online and abundance of shovelware -- he even bring up Chris Heck's duct tape rant. Said the article, "The problem is, it could get tougher and tougher to go the other way. It's hard to imagine how the sprawling world of Grand Theft Auto IV--which already taxes the multicore processors powering the XBox and Playstation--could be recreated on the Wii."
We're not saying Nintendo doesn't have problems with shovelware or appealing to the more hardcore gamer crowd, but we also think the way the article presents its case makes the GTA IV issue feel a little taped on. If the UK Wii Fit launch is any indication, Nintendo's money train is still right on track.
features
Officially licensed by Nintendo
Requires 4 X AA batteries (not included)
Length: approx. 40 - 50 inch
Limited availability
description
Mario Kart is brought to the 3D world in the form of a massive race set complete with two karts that carries Mario and a competitor (either Yoshi or Donkey Kong). The race track contains eighteen pieces and totals up to nine feet long after the assembling procedure.
Actively participate in the races with your friends and family. With the trigger speed controller in hand, you are ready to go and dash across the finishing line. This race set is perfect for hours of family fun either in a leisurely evening or at parties.
For those of you who decides that racing with Mario on the TV screen alone no longer sates your appetites, this super race set is your remedy.
Magic: The Gathering is one of the oldest and most famous collection cards game that requires skills and strategy.
Each card represents a land, summon beast, a weapon or a spell, drawn by the most talented of fantasy artists and by trading cards with friends, you increase your battle power as well as collect all the breathtaking artwork.
The variety of cards are growing regularly as new cards are released four times every year, so be sure to keep your deck updated with these booster packs.
Customize your decks and adjust to your strategical needs, your aim in this game is to reduce your opponent's HP to zero before he/she does it to you. Be careful though, as this game will have you addicted to it in no time.
The booster packs in stock are:
15th Anniversary Magic: The Gathering Fat Pack (English Version) US US$ 39.90
Magic: The Gathering Shadowmoor Booster Pack (English Version) US US$ 6.90
Magic: The Gathering Shadowmoor Booster Pack (Japanese Version) JPN US$ 6.90
Magic: The Gathering Theme Deck (English Version) US US$ 15.90
Magic: The Gathering Theme Deck (Japanese Version) JPN US$ 15.90
Magic: The Gathering Tournament (Japanese Version) JPN US$ 15.90
Wii Fit has shot into the Spanish and German charts - claiming the top spot and knocking Mario Kart Wii down to second place in both instances according to figures from Media-Control GfK International.
The Nintendo Wii and DS continued to dominate both charts, taking eight positions in Germany and six in Spain. Meanwhile, neither chart saw an entry for the Xbox 360.
The Spanish charts saw Gran Turismo 5 Prologue for the PS3 in fourth place, followed by Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for the PSP, Time Crisis 4 for the PS3 and God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP in fifth, sixth and seventh places respectively.
The German charts saw Assassin's Creed for the PC take third place and the Sims 2: Kitchen and Bath Interior Design Stuff in fourth place.
The German Charts for the week ending April 27 are as follows:
1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
3. Assassin's Creed: Directors Cut Edition (PC)
4. The Sims 2: Kitchen and Bath Interior Design Stuff (PC)
5. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
6. Wii Play (Wii)
7. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)
8. Mario Kart DS (DS)
9. More Brain Training with Dr. Kawashima (DS)
10. Mario Party DS (DS)
The Spanish Charts for the week ending April 27 are as follows:
1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
3. Wii Play (Wii)
4. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PSP)
6. Time Crisis 4 (PS3)
7. God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
8. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
9. More Brain Training with Dr. Kawashima (DS)
10. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Wii)
Here, you'll find the latest deals on games whether it be online or instore. If you find any deals or coupons yourself, feel free to post here and let other PSP owners know!
Legend:
AR - After Rebate
B&M - Brick & Motar (store)
BOGO - Buy One Get One...
OOS - Out Of Stock
PM - Price Match
SHIPPED - Shipping included
YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary
**EXPIRED** - Offer no longer available.
To see all the past deals that have expired, visit our Graveyard Game Deals thread.
Welcome to this week's toys update. Check out the wonderful collectibles we just got in stock and all the new products made available for preorder.
As toys, especially collectible ones, are produced in limited numbers and are often sold out prior to the actual release date, we strongly recommend to preorder the figures of your desire as early as possible.
The action figure of the deadly wraith Raziel from the dark fantasy Legacy of Kain series is chosen as the bargain of the week. As an action figure, Raziel are installed with minute joints that allows him to bend and twist into different battle poses.
To emphasize his deadliness, the figure comes with the Soul Reaver blade, torch, wings and an interchangeable hood that are modeled to scale to the smallest detail after the game.
The action figure of the avenging wraith Raziel is now sold at the bargain price of US$ 9.90 only and the maximum purchase is limited to 2 pieces per customer. As usually, this weekly special is valid for exactly 1 week (if not sold out earlier).
Action figures from Fraulein Revoltech series are coming out one by one in a rapid succession. The Strawberry version of the teen idol Amami Haruka from IdolM@ster spots her in an adorable pink dress that brings out the sweeter side of her as opposed to her gothic princess image from last time.
With eighteen minute joints in her body and the figure making technology mastered by Kaiyodo, she can imitate any stylish dance poses idols displays on stage. She is coming with accessories such as her butterfly wings, anklets, bracelets, a cat's tail and a tiara.
Aside from Amami Haruka, other idols from IdolM@ster are coming out on the Fraulein Revoltech series as well. The twin idols, Futami Mami and Ami are scheduled to come out during the summer holidays and they are available for preorder at Play-Asia.com.
A number of plush dolls came out this week as well. A massive Unchi from Dr. Slump, Chopper [A and B] from One Piece, Cinnamoroll and other smaller mascots in Sanrio's prize collection.
They soften the office, decorates the home and are perfect companions for everyone. Please check here for all the plush toys available at Play-Asia.com.
Ibuki the ninja from Street fighter is available as a preorder from Play-Asia.com. Although she complained incessantly about her profession and her outfit, there is no doubt that she looks very stylish balancing on her tip toes in her ninja garments. This figure of her is carefully crafted to scale to the last details.
Rainbow Mika, or R Mika the hot-blooded pro-wrestler is another character from Street fighter who enjoyed a tremendous amount of popularity, but is seldom made into a figure. Both Ibuki and Rainbow Mika are made by the figure designer Melting Neuron who balances the girls' feminine charm with their lethal sides.
The lists below show what has been released this week and what is available for preordering.
Toys & Figures (28)
Another Days To Heart 2 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Tonami Yuma (Maid Version) JPN US$ 54.90
Buttobi Bakusou Sensen Non Scale Pre-Painted Gashapon JPN US$ 2.49
Cinnamoroll Plush JPN US$ 19.90
DBZ Dragon Ball Z Figure: Son Goku JPN US$ 17.90
Dr. Slump Arare Chan Plush Doll JPN US$ 17.90
Food Girls Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Strawberry Fragrance JPN US$ 64.90
Fraulein Revoltech Series No. 005 - Idol Master 1/10 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Amami Haruka Strawberry JPN US$ 24.90
Getsumen To Heiki Mina HG Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Ootsuki Mina (Special Color) JPN US$ 16.90
Getsumen To Heiki Mina HG Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Ootsuki Mina (Standard) JPN US$ 16.90
Hitman Tutor Reborn Mascot 4 Non Scale Pre-Painted Key Chain Toy JPN US$ 1.90
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 Card Builder DX Girl Vol.2 Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Figure A JPN N/A
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 Card Builder DX Girl Vol.2 Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Figure B JPN US$ 14.90
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 Card Builder DX Girl Vol.2 Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Figure C JPN US$ 14.90
Neon Genesis Evangelion Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: EX Asuka School Uniform (Movie Version) JPN N/A
Neon Genesis Evangelion Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: EX Rei School Uniform (Movie Version) JPN N/A
Ore-no-yome Series Koihime Musou 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Tyouun Shiryuu JPN N/A
Project BM! Lelouch of the Rebellion Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Lelouch Rampeluge No.13 JPN N/A
Racing Series Cars Gashapon JPN US$ 2.90
Rilakkuma Pouch Gashapon JPN US$ 2.90
Sanrio Character Prize Plush Doll JPN US$ 9.90
SR Magical Girl Series Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Gashapon JPN US$ 3.90
Super DX High Quality One Piece Plush Doll Chopper Figure A JPN US$ 16.90
Super DX High Quality One Piece Plush Doll Chopper Figure B JPN US$ 16.90
Super Mario Galaxy W Mascot Keychain Gashapon JPN US$ 2.90
Super Mario Galaxy W Mascot Super Ball Gashapon JPN US$ 2.90
To Heart 2 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Kousaka Tamaki Fishnet Tights (Private Version) JPN US$ 119.90
Xenosaga Legend EP3 Gashapon JPN US$ 4.90
Zero no Tsukaima: Knight Of Twin Moon 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Tabasa JPN N/A
* Scrolling Intro (don't press anything for a while and you'll see it)
* Various small graphical things.
Complete:
* Everything else.
Fire Emblem 3 translation patch, I'm hacking, Vincent's translating, and Cleteromagos and AceNoctali provided some much-needed translations as well. Nearly all the text is translated, and nearly everything that's translated is in the game.
New Patch (5/3, version 0.972): CLT Edition:
- CLT to CRT.
- Perfect ending is in, using AceNoctali's translation with some minor edits by Vincent.
- Got rid of "." in "Round.", so now that fits in the arena.
The graphical menus have finally been translated. I actually already have a couple of bug fixes that need to be applied to the graphics, so there may be a new update to the files in a day or so. I will probably only post an update to this blog entry when I upload the updated version.
GTA IV, which sold a record-breaking 926,000 copies over its first five days of release, has - unsurprisingly - captured the top of the UK sales charts.
GTA IV outsold Wii Fit, last week's number one title, by a margin of over 9 to 1. Sales of Nintendo's title were down 58 per cent, which can be partially attributable to low stock.
After GTA IV, however, the remaining top five best-selling titles were Nintendo exclusives.
Just over 61 per cent of the value of all software sold this past week was for GTA IV - which Chart-Track said itself is bigger than the total software market figure of every other week so far in 2008 apart from week one.
The only other new release to reach the All Formats Top 40 chart this past week was Sega's Iron Man: The Official Videogame, which entered at number eleven.
The Top Ten best-selling games in the UK for the week ended May 3 were as follows:
1. Grand Theft Auto IV
2. Wii Fit
3. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
4. Wii Play
5. Mario Kart Wii
6. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
7. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
9. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training
10. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
DCEmu Reviews first launched in 2007 as a PSP only review site. It relaunched a couple months later to incorporate Nintendo DS, Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 reviews and has been a huge success ever since. To help expand the success, DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Networks is proud to present...DCEmu Games Reviews.
DCEmu Games Reviews will feature game reviews by gamers for gamers! So if you like to write or just like to discuss games with other gamers from all over the world, post up your reviews of the games you have played whether it be previously or recently or just even want to share the love of your favorite games. DCEmu Games Reviews will feature Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, Nintendo Wii, DS, Microsoft Xbox 360 and even Classic game reviews.
By the way, excuse our appearance as we're still patching things up. So what are you waiting for!? Start posting your game reviews to share with everyone to enjoy! As you can also see, we moved all previous game reviews to new forum. So if you have any reviews, post them here as this is the OFFICIAL home of Game Reviews at DCEmu Networks!
Don't forget to check out DCEmu Reviews for all your gaming hardware and accessories news and reviews.
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Post ONLY reviews of games.
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Include OVERVIEW, REVIEW and CONCLUSION in reviews.
Admin/Mods have the right to edit any reviews without consent.
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From the WIKI page:
The story is good, but it seems to drag on a little painfully at times. Of course, I'm basing this on a fan translation... Though you can tell that there wouldn't be much difference otherwise.
Most of the back story is "optional". You get to hear more through cutscenes by talking to certain characters. This is good if you want to get straight to the action, but it leaves you a bit unsatisfied if you don't talk to everyone every chance you get.
Where the story shines is in the characters. They each have a distinct personality, which gives you a strong sense of attachment. Matelite and Taicho add some very welcome comic relief, Yoyo is a chick that actually grows on you and Rush really gets you into the action with his upbeat persona.
The music, oh god the music. If you enjoy the music from Final Fantasy 6, Secret Of Mana etc... Then the music in Bahamut Lagoon is gonna grow on you.
The only problem is, that the same songs get played too often. For the most part you hear one song for the enemy phase and one for the player phase. It gets repetitive pretty quick... But it's enjoyable, so I don't really care.
The actual sound effects are top notch too. Sword attacks sound like sword attacks, fire spells sound like fire spells... And there's a great deal of them to go around.
----------------------------------------
GRAPHICS
This is one of those games that make me which they would go back and do some more SNES games. It proves that with the right team, visuals can rival that of PSX games.
Did you think the enemies in Final Fantasy 6 looked awesome? What about the backgrounds? Well, take all of those graphics, add even more polish (doesn't seem possible, but they pulled it off) and animate nearly everything. Yes, I said animate. Probably 95% or so of all the enemies and characters are animated to some degree. You'll take one look at them standing still and say "Holy crap! That looks freakin' sweet!!!". Then once they attack and show off their fluid animation, you'll most likely crap your pants.
It also takes advantage of some awesome MODE7 effects for backdrops during the cutscenes. Probably some of the best I've seen.
The only reason I didn't give the graphics a perfect score, is because some of the animations are a little whacky. If you've fought a chimara, you'd agree that it's hard to tell what the hell is going on with it's legs. This reason, and the fact that Star Ocean/Tales Of Phantasia have it beaten are why it gets a 9.0.
----------------------------------------
GAMEPLAY
This is gonna be a long one...
Gameplay is what makes this game so enjoyable. It's your standard strategy RPG affair (ala Final Fantasy Tactics), but with a few major twists.
First off, each troop consists of multiple characters. When it's your turn you can move, attack, heal, blah blah blah... The thing is, there's two different ways to do everything.
You can attack/heal on the field as in FFT mentioned above (this is mainly done with long range attacks/spells), or you can go straight up to the enemy and begin a turn based battle. Turn based battles net you more EXP, gold, items and are generally stronger... While field attacks get you fewer of said things, but can't be counter attacked.
Another big twist are the dragons. Each troop get's there own dragon, to which they can issue commands (Go!, Come!, Wait! etc...).
That's not the cool part though... In between each battle, you get the chance to feed your dragons items you've won. Each item has a different effect on it's stats. Fire Rods will give your dragon points in "Fire", "Attack" and "Wisdom". Ice Armor will give it points in "Ice", "Defence" and "HP". You get the picture.
The elements cap out at 100. After it gets one point in any element, it will learn an attack in said element... For each 10 points after that, the level of that attack will raise by one. Changing it's animation and strength.
For each elemental attack a dragon learns, it's troop will learn attacks based on that element as well... So if you have a troop with a wizard in it and the dragon is of the fire element, that troop will be able to use a fire base range attack on the field and fire based spells in battles. Also, if your dragons fire element is at level 6, the attacks your troop have will be as well.
This game has another thing I'll call "stacking". Say you have one wizard with a LVL 4 ice spell. Put that wizard in a troop with another that has a LVL 9 ice spell. This will give you the ability to use LVL 13 ice spells (only on the field, as allies take turns in battle). Put a healer with LVL 6 light element in with a LVL 5, a LVL 8 and a LVL 3... You'll be able to use LVL 22 healing spells.
The only reason I gave gameplay an 8.5 as opposed to 10, is the lack of controls over the dragons... This is SERIOUSLY going to piss you off. One dragon has 200 HP missing out of say 4,000. Does it need to be healed? NO!!! But the healing dragon doesn't seem to give a damn. He wants his friend to be in tip top shape. Another thing... Say your dragon has LVL 10 fire skills and LVL 1 poison skills. It'll go ahead and try poison more often then you'd think. Stupid bastards...
----------------------------------------
CONCLUSION
This is seriously one of those gems that needs to be played. If you're not into strategy RPGs, at least check it out for the music or just to gawk at how great the enemies look. Sure the dragons will make you shake your head in sadness from time to time, but this is how it would be in reality (if dragons actually existed). Teaching a dog to use Fire Breath on ice enemies, and Thunder Blow on earth enemies isn't a sure thing... He's bound to mess it up sometimes.
Story 4.5/5 Sound 4.5/5 Graphics 4.5/5 Gameplay 4/5 Score:
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Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Since there are no Japanese game releases this week due to the golden week holidays, things have been pretty calm.
However interesting US games like the Iron Man for [Xbox360™, PlayStation3™, Nintendo Wii™, PlayStation2™, Nintendo DS™, Sony PSP™] have arrived.
With any of the above consoles in your possession and this game in hand, you are no longer a mere spectator, don your armor today and protect the world from evil forces.
Activision released a Game of the Year edition of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Xbox360™ as a region free Asian version. Make use of the third generation console's networking facilities and join the rest of the world in this massive war.
SNK released Arcade Classics Vol. 1, a package of sixteen old NEOGEO games for PlayStation2™ and Sony PSP™. The pack contains famous games like the earlier versions of Fatal Fury and King of Fighters which most of the old time gamers will find familiar. The pack also comes with some lesser known games that even the most hard core of gamers haven't tried out.
Several sports games came out this week, this includes River King: Mystic Valley and NBA Ballers: Chosen One.
River King: Mystic Valley is a fishing game on the Nintendo DS™ where you seek to find the River King to rescue your little sister with the help of the magical features in the forest, and NBA Ballers: Chosen One is one of the most realistic basket ball games ever made.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Game of the Year Edition) ASIA US$ 59.90
Iron Man US US$ 64.90
NBA Ballers: Chosen One ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™:
Iron Man US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Iron Man US US$ 49.90
Wii Wheel US US$ 19.90
PlayStation2™:
Iron Man US US$ 34.90
SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 US US$ 24.90
Nintendo DS™:
Brain Voyage US US$ 24.90
Dream Pinball 3D US US$ 24.90
Iron Man US US$ 39.90
Let's Pilates US US$ 34.90
Let's Yoga US US$ 34.90
River King: Mystic Valley US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™ Accessories:
Chara Pure Seal (Nightmare BL) JPN US$ 9.90
Chara Pure Seal (Nightmare W) JPN US$ 9.90
Chara Pure Seal (Pooh-san G) JPN US$ 9.90
Chara Pure Seal (Pooh-san Y) JPN US$ 9.90
Chara Pure Seal (Princess BL) JPN US$ 9.90
Chara Pure Seal (Princess P) JPN US$ 9.90
Chara Pure Seal (Stitch B) JPN US$ 9.90
Chara Pure Seal (Stitch Y) JPN US$ 9.90
Sony PSP™:
Iron Man US US$ 39.90
PSP Media Manager 2.5 US US$ 24.99
Rockman X Irregular Hunter (Reprint) ASIA US$ 14.90
SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 US US$ 24.90
Video Game Music:
Find The Blue (Chaos Head Intro Theme) (~Kanako Ito) JPN US$ 11.90
Kegarenaki Yume (11 Eyes - Tsumi To Batsu To Aganai No Shojo Outro Theme) (~Asriel) JPN US$ 11.90
Lunatic Tears (11 Eyes - Tsumi To Batsu To Aganai No Shojo Intro Theme) (~Ayane) JPN US$ 11.90
PC Game Clear Original Drama CD JPN US$ 28.90
Sekaiju no Meikyuu 2: Shoou no Seihai Super Arrange Version JPN US$ 29.90
Nintendo's mascot racin' funfest Mario Kart Wii cannot be toppled, even by the crossbow powers of Link. Zelda's constant savior aimed for third on the Japanese sales charts with Link's Crossbow Training, Mario Kart Wii and Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G still holding tight at numbers one and two for the fourth week in a row.
Wii Fit and Monster Hunter for PSP are on the cusp of hitting the 2 million mark, just as Wii Sports prepares to ship its 3 millionth copy in Japan. Impressive. For the rest of the best sellers for the week of April 28 to May 4, keep on kartin'.
01. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 173,000 / 1,120,000
02. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP) - 102,000 / 1,909,000
03. Link's Crossbow Training (Wii) - 93,000 / NEW
04. Wii Fit (Wii) - 52,000 / 1,986,000
05. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS) - 42,000 / 98,000
06. Pokémon Ranger: Batonnage (DS) - 31,000 / 508,000
07. Boura wa Kaseki Holder (DS) - 27,000 / 84,000
08. Valkyria Chronicles (PS3) - 24,000 / 102,000
09. Deca Sports (Wii) - 24,000 / 186,000
10. Wii Sports (Wii) - 22,000 / 2,959,000
Another week passes and another update to sales for consoles in Japan are in:
Playstation Portable: 100,870
Nintendo Wii: 71,518
Nintendo DS Lite: 52,542
Playstation 3: 10,177
Playstation 3: 8,802
Xbox 360: 1,725
PSP tops the list again, up roughly 8,000 or so. The Wii sees a sharp increase by around 32,000 while DS Lite goes up 10,000. PS3 up 1,070, PS2 rises 1,696 and Xbox 360 up 442.
Hereby the Planet Virtual Boy Coding Competition officially starts!
It will run for exactly 5 months, then a secret PVB community vote will find the winners. Prizes are as follows: the third will get a PVB Shirt, the second a PVB Shirt + Mario's Tennis, and the winner will get a FlashBoy (#100, black cartridge) + all the fame of course.
For detailed rules and more info, have a look at the Competition Forum.
This is the first ever coding competition for the Virtual Boy and despite the very small scene, we hope for a lot of participation and want to wish good luck to every future entrant.
Nah, the idea of using a freshly-mushroomed NES controller as your coffee table isn't new, but we've got to give props where props are due on this one. Kyle Downes has just completed a painstaking project that resulted in his very own NES controller table, complete with a removable glass top to protect the unit itself. Best of all, it's way more than just a living room centerpiece. Open it up and you'll find loads of storage room for items any Big N fanboy shouldn't be without. Remove the glass covering and you'll realize that it's a fully-functional Nintendo Entertainment System control pad. Don't believe us?
The Vii (or Vii 2, for that matter) not really providing all the satisfaction you were craving when you first acquired it? Don't hang your head in shame, dear boy, there's another option for you yet! China Shenzhen Firstsing Company Limited, the same company who provided the totally unnecessary cooling fan for the actual Wii, has produced a 7-in-1 gaming console that -- from here, at least -- looks unbelievably similar to Nintendo's latest machine. Still, this rig provides mind-melting 16-bit graphics, sports games that are "similar to those on the Wii, but more cheaper," a wireless gamepad, a battery-powered designed (uh...) and a sweet gift box just in case you're showering someone with kindness pranking your cubicle-mate. We're not even going to touch the pricing issue, and trust us, neither should you.
Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 200 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.
NEWS, a boy band made up of Johnny Entertainment's younger boys welcomed the summer season with another chart topper. Summer Time is their tenth single and the boys' vitality, as expressed in this single is contagious.
Through this song, NEWS hope that all of their fans would have a lovely summer filled with fun, adventure and romance. The limited edition is sold out already, this is just of how popular the band is!
Sheryl Nome, the idol singer known througout the galaxy from Macross Frontier released her single Iteza Gogo 9 Ji Don't Be Late.
Sheryl is a chart topper in the world of Macross and is crossing over from the world of the anime to the actual world by releasing her single. The beautiful anime heroine is securing her position in the hearts of her fans in Macross Galaxy Fleet and in this realm.
Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, May 3rd and Friday, May 9th. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.
J-Pop Music releases (56)
ENKA Music releases (23)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (8)
Video Game Soundtracks (5)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (4)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (10)
Anime & Animation (28)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (11)
Japanese Movies (1)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (36)
J-Pop DVD releases (10)
Misc Japanese Movie releases (1)
Idol DVD (8)
Last night we had a bit of a gaming bender at Kotaku Towers West, a night filled with Wii Fit, We Ski, and Rock Band. The highlight, of course, was a two hour Cruis'n session—the Wii shitware title that was finally freed from its shrinkwrap confines last night to much amusement. It's absolutely the most unintentionally hilarious game I've ever played, with some of the sloppiest game design ever... even for a Cruis'n title. Rarely has a game brought me to tears with laughter, so Cruis'n should at least be lauded for that. Highly recommended for your next game night, especially if booze is available.
This weekend I'll be ditching the Cruis'n as I get back to R-Type Command and continue my Rock Band duties, now with added Boston. How about you? Weekend plans?
Sources tell us that the upcoming Call of Duty 5 game in development is already playable, and currently going through quality assurance.
Treyarch is also said to be the developer, and the title, we're told, is set in a WWII Pacific environment and will be using Call of Duty 4's engine, the same engine on which the upcoming James Bond: Quantum of Solace movie game is being built.
Yesterday, on the company's call to investors, Activision publishing CEO Mike Griffith said CoD5 would be coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and DS, in addition to a return for the franchise to PS2 and Wii for the first time in two years.
Overview : Designed by gamers, for the ultimate gameplay experience, The Shaft for Nintendo Wii is the ONLY Arcade Style Joystick that works with both digital and analog games. The Shaft, our classic arcade-style joystick brings a new dimension of game play to the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console. The Shaft will work with all of the Virtual Console games for NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, TurboGrafix16, and Wii titles that support the Classic Controller.
Test your arcade fighting skills in digital controlled games like Super Street Fighter 2, or test your racing skills in analog controlled games like Super Mario Kart. The Shaft is also compatible with GameCube and Wii titles that support the Classic Controller, giving you the arcade advantage in these games including the recent hit: Super Smash Bros Brawl.
Turbo Mode is available to give players a unique advantage in those classic hard-to-beat games! Each button can be individually programmed to turbo for the most customized gameplay experience available. The Shaft is extremely durable with a high-impact polycarbonate case and a steel joystick core. The Shaft has a classic arcade feel and measures 11 inches x 6 inches.
Features
A Customizable Turbo Function allows you to program individual buttons to be Turbo while leaving others to work as normal.
Full 360 Degree range of motion that works with both digital and analog stick games.
8 Locking points for Awesome response in Fighting Games.
10-Year Warranty.
Quality/Usability : The Shaft Wii Arcade Style Joystick first made headlines back in late 2007. Since than, it has been flying under the radar with no release news. Upon emailing Overline Gaming in regards to availability of product, it wasnt released yet even though it was a couple months since its scheduled release. But alas, its finally available!
Nintendo's Virtual Console games are growing everyday and those gamers who want to relive their childhood of sitting in front of an arcade cabinet and constantly feeding the machine with quarters would like an arcade stick to simulate that feeling. Overline Gaming hopes to fulfill those dreams by releasing The Shaft.
The Shaft tries to replicate the arcade cabinet feel by putting a round ball on top of a stick with six large buttons. Top three buttons are Y, X and L, while the bottom three buttons are B, A and R. The middle also has three buttons; TURBO, SELECT/Z and START. However, this arrangement is uncomfortable if you want to play some Wii games. Accessing the Z button feels awkward and out of place.
Unlike the Wiimote, Classic Controller or Nunchuk, The Shaft is not wireless nor does it connect directly to the Wiimote like the Classic Controller or Nunchuk. Instead, its a wired controller and connects to the Gamecube controller port on top of the Wii. This is great since you dont have to worry about batteries dying on your in the middle of gameplay but you need to sit near the Nintendo Wii. The cord on The Shaft is approximately 6 feet long. I know some gamers have their Wii on top of a shelf so some will need to sit right under the TV.
Having played Super Smash Bros Brawl, the Z button felt really out of place. Having to try and play SSBB with the awkward button arrangement on The Shaft, I can feel that the stick felt rather cheap. The quality of the stick was not on par to that of Hori's Fighting Stick. Arcade sticks always have that clicky feel but The Shaft doesnt even have that. The buttons feels unresponsive and doesnt give that arcade joystick feel. But I was able to set turbo to each individual button.
Conclusion : Overall, the The Shaft Wii Arcade Style Joystick is barely at the level of an arcade stick. The short cord with the use of Gamecube plug, awkward placement of the Z button and poor unresponsive buttons didnt help The Shaft. The price of $39.95 is overpriced for the quality of The Shaft. If it didnt feel so cheap, better placement of buttons, two additional buttons or even using HAPP or similar quality joystick buttons, this may be worth it.
Newman has never had much luck cranking out portable media players that were easy on the eyes, and unfortunately, things aren't getting any better with the M8000. The bulky PMP features a 4-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, support for NES emulation and text viewing, a 1.3-megapixel camera, integrated speaker / microphone, video output, USB 2.0 connectivity and compatibility with a smattering of file formats. Unlike many craptacular rivals, this one comes in black or white and can be equipped with up to 250GB of internal hard drive space. Of course, it's not like anyone with a shred of dignity is going to fork out $388 for the quarter-terabyte edition, but if you've got the coin to roll, you can certainly test the limits of buyer's remorse.
Ready to bend our ear? 'Cause the Tell Us Dammit Giraffe is ready to listen. That's right, it's time for TUD. We've got a feature here on Kotaku called "Tell Us Dammit" or "TUD." How it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interesting in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Today's question:
Sony makes a games machine. Heck, they make three of them that people are still buying. So they're in competition with Nintendo and Microsoft, who also makes games machines, right? Nope! Kaz Hirai told MCV at this week's SCEE event in Europe that Sony have bigger fish to fry than the world's #1-selling gaming company and the world's #1-selling software company:
I think that PS3, PS2 and PSP are all entertainment platforms so I feel that our competition is not Microsoft or Nintendo, but basically any form of entertainment that is competing for the consumers' attention.
So we need to make sure we offer the most compelling entertainment - not videogame entertainment but in entertainment in general. I can't speak for their strategy but I like to think that we've got a very well balanced portfolio with PS3, PSP and you can't discount the PS2.
Hear that, Nintendo? You're so one-dimensional. Maybe put an album together, release a movie or two, then you'll be running with the big dogs.
My current game of play has been CSI:Crime Scene Investigation (Dark Motives)....
After thorough game playing I would personally give I high recommendation on this particular game.
But I do suggest you have a complete read of the instruction manuel before playing, NOT A QUICK SCAN! or you will struggle to progress through the differant stages. I do beleive this game is good in the respect it is has a detailed and fuffiling feel to it, this is no cluedo! On the other hand there are the expected floors, some of the clues are so unobvious and hidden to the naked eye this can almost make certain areas impossible complete, I admit I had to search for a walkthrough to give me hints (not an easy task in it's self so I suggest contacting me if this is an issue). Once i realised all the differant areas of clue detction it was an enjoyable experience, this is why I suggest full manuel reading! There are high quality film sequences, large collection of tools and detection devices, locations and characters which add to that oh so wanted CSI TV SERIES FEEL! I think the game could of been slightly longer but considering the large amount of detail etc and it being a Nintendo Ds game it was satasfactory. This a trully wonderful game to keep going back to, for those of us who like snooping around and solving mysterys!
After who knows how many years, I’ve finally finished a new translation for Tomorrow’s Joe (Ashita No Joe), a semi-awful boxing game based on the famous boxing manga released in the 1970’s. The patch is 99% complete; the only untranslated bit is the scrolling title text that shows up when you first turn on the game. Everything else is finished. Be sure to use a rom with a header!
There may be some graphic glitches in the endings; they might be related to savestates, but I couldn’t verify it at this time. If you have any issues, be sure to contact me at my website.
The console wars are progressing very well for the Nintendo Wii. They are doing OK for the PS3 now as things are picking up. But how are things doing for the Xbox 360? Wouldn't you think that because it had a release that was a year before the PS3 and Wii it would be leading? Well, guess what Xbox 360 fanboys, the 360 is not leading.
It is currently in second place with PS3 approaching rapidly from behind. The PS3 sold more in the first year of it's release than the 360 did. I find this surprising when i think about the great games the 360 has had, like Halo 3 and Gears of War.
According to the article, this may be linked to the exclusive games for each platform going he way of the dinosaur. There have been many game developers lately who have seen how CoD4 and GTA4 did with a multi-platform release. Perhaps they saw the millions of dollars more attractive than a contract with a console developer, who knows? (for those who don't get the sense in that, it's called sarcasm. )
One thing is for sure, Nintendo played it smart with the Nintendo Wii.
The Wii has sold 25 million consoles
The 360 has sold 18 million
and the PS3 is making a comeback with 12 million sold.
Stretch your fingers, blow the dust off on your writing skill! DCEmu Reviews and affiliate M3 Adapter, are pleased to announce the DCEmu Games Reviews REVIEW Contest! To help with the launch of DCEmu Games Reviews, we will be giving away FOUR (4) iTouchDS to 4 lucky winners of the contest. You can read our review of the iTouchDS here.
How to Enter :
To enter, you must be a member of DCEmu. To join, please register. You must submit an original review of your own whether it be hardware, accessories and/or games for the following consoles (Sony PS3, PSP, Nintendo Wii, DS, Microsoft Xbox 360). You may submit as many reviews as many times as you wish. So the more you submit, the more votes you'll get! *WHEN SUBMITTING REVIEW, FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES!
Game Reviews must be posted on DCEmu Games Reviews Game Reviews forum and any hardware or accessories are to be posted in DCEmu Reviews Submit Reviews forum.
Rules :
Please read through all the following rules carefully as failure to do so may result in your entry being disqualified.
Everyone is eligible!
Contest begins on May 12, 2008 and ends on June 14, 2008 at 11:59PM EST.
Entries will be judged by YOU, the forum users, the gamers, to see who is your favorite reviewer via poll.
Poll voting will begin on June 15, 2008 and will end on June 21, 2008 at 11:59PM EST.
You must be a member of DCEmu. To join, please register.
All entries must be of your original work and contains detailed information related to reviewed item. Pictures are optional but preferred.
Game Reviews must be posted on DCEmu Games Reviews Game Reviews forum and any hardware or accessories are to be posted in DCEmu Reviews Submit Reviews forum.
There is no restriction on what you can review. You can review the following console games/accessories/hardwares: Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, Nintendo Wii, DS/Lite, Microsoft Xbox 360.
Multiple entries are allowed, so post as much as you want.
DCEmu has the right to delete/move any submitted reviews. Reviewer will be notified via PM with reason and may resubmit a revised review, if necessary.
Any reviews prior to the start date of contest is eligible for contest.
What Happens After Contest Ends? :
Once contest has been ended, we will gather all the names of reviewers who have submitted a review. We will than make a poll with the name of those who qualified and entered the contest by submitting a review. Registered forum users will vote for the best submitted review. The winning entries will be announced within a week after the closing of poll.
Winners will be announced on both DCEmu and notified via PM. Winners have FIVE (5) days to respond to PM with mailing address. We are not responsible for any lost or damaged packages. DCEmu reserves the right to cancel contest or entries at any time without notice.
Help Promote the Contest :
If you have a web site or visit a gaming forum, you can help promote the DCEmu Reviews REVIEW Contest by adding the below banner to your site. Please link to http://games-reviews.dcemu.co.uk. So tell your family, friends, gaming buddies and have them either enter to win by submitting reviews of their own or have them sign up and vote!
If you're looking for games to review, check out Goozex. Goozex is the new innovative system developed and tested by video-gamers for video-gamers. Goozex provides a unique trading platform that allows peer-to-multi- peer trading of physical goods.
Stretch your fingers, blow the dust off on your writing skill! DCEmu Reviews and affiliate M3 Adapter, are pleased to announce the DCEmu Games Reviews REVIEW Contest! To help with the launch of DCEmu Games Reviews, we will be giving away FOUR (4) iTouchDS to 4 lucky winners of the contest. You can read our review of the iTouchDS here.
How to Enter :
To enter, you must be a member of DCEmu. To join, please register. You must submit an original review of your own whether it be hardware, accessories and/or games for the following consoles (Sony PS3, PSP, Nintendo Wii, DS, Microsoft Xbox 360). You may submit as many reviews as many times as you wish. So the more you submit, the more votes you'll get! *WHEN SUBMITTING REVIEW, FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES!
Game Reviews must be posted on DCEmu Games Reviews Game Reviews forum and any hardware or accessories are to be posted in DCEmu Reviews Submit Reviews forum.
Rules :
Please read through all the following rules carefully as failure to do so may result in your entry being disqualified.
Everyone is eligible!
Contest begins on May 12, 2008 and ends on June 14, 2008 at 11:59PM EST.
Entries will be judged by YOU, the forum users, the gamers, to see who is your favorite reviewer via poll.
Poll voting will begin on June 15, 2008 and will end on June 21, 2008 at 11:59PM EST.
You must be a member of DCEmu. To join, please register.
All entries must be of your original work and contains detailed information related to reviewed item. Pictures are optional but preferred.
Game Reviews must be posted on DCEmu Games Reviews Game Reviews forum and any hardware or accessories are to be posted in DCEmu Reviews Submit Reviews forum.
There is no restriction on what you can review. You can review the following console games/accessories/hardwares: Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, Nintendo Wii, DS/Lite, Microsoft Xbox 360.
Multiple entries are allowed, so post as much as you want.
DCEmu has the right to delete/move any submitted reviews. Reviewer will be notified via PM with reason and may resubmit a revised review, if necessary.
Any reviews prior to the start date of contest is eligible for contest.
What Happens After Contest Ends? :
Once contest has been ended, we will gather all the names of reviewers who have submitted a review. We will than make a poll with the name of those who qualified and entered the contest by submitting a review. Registered forum users will vote for the best submitted review. The winning entries will be announced within a week after the closing of poll.
Winners will be announced on both DCEmu and notified via PM. Winners have FIVE (5) days to respond to PM with mailing address. We are not responsible for any lost or damaged packages. DCEmu reserves the right to cancel contest or entries at any time without notice.
Help Promote the Contest :
If you have a web site or visit a gaming forum, you can help promote the DCEmu Reviews REVIEW Contest by adding the below banner to your site. Please link to http://games-reviews.dcemu.co.uk. So tell your family, friends, gaming buddies and have them either enter to win by submitting reviews of their own or have them sign up and vote!
If you're looking for games to review, check out Goozex. Goozex is the new innovative system developed and tested by video-gamers for video-gamers. Goozex provides a unique trading platform that allows peer-to-multi- peer trading of physical goods.
The world ends with who... me... not uh.... Really?
Information about the game: The World Ends With you is a Single player Nintendo DS Role-Playing Game published by Square Enix and Developed by the Kingdom Hearts Team and Square Enix, Jupiter. Single player Game
Plot Synopsis:You take on the role of Neku Sakuraba as he wakes up with little memory, to find he is a part of a mysterious game constructed by a group known as the Reapers.
Overview: In this game, you are basically thrown into a strange world, with nothing left to do except fight. To beat the game, you have to survive all 7 days with your partner, Shiki Misaki, and do whatever it takes to not get"erased" (there form of getting killed). The Combat system in this game is very unique in the fact that you are controlling 2 characters at once (One character for each screen) And may seem to be overwhelming at first, but in time you seem to get used to it. On The top screen, you got a Dance Dance Revolution style game-play to attack, while on the bottom, you get to slash away "noise" (or enemies) with your stylus. Another interesting feature is the pin system. The pin system is where you collect all types of pins that give you diffrent types of attacks, but you can only have a certain amount working at once. I like the idea, and it is fun to collect all the pins. The Game seems to me like a more modern Kingdom Hearts on the edge. In this game it will cuss and the main character seems to be a little dark himself.
Graphics: Graphics in this game are a little So-So. Character design and just the art in the game is really well done, but when you control the character on the streets, it is VERY pixalated. The thing is, while in combat the game looks like a solid DS game. Nevertheless, Do not buy the game if you are looking for Crazy High-Def amazing graphics, cause you are not going to find it here.
Sound: Well, other then the fact that the music is annoying Japanese songs that will play over and over and OVER again, Sound is good. The SFX are pretty superb in battle.
Replay Value: On a bored weekend and I am craving RPG goodness, I will give it another play through. The game itself is addicting.
Overall: The Game is fun, addicting and new, which will give RPG gamers a new look at what they have seen in RPG's so far. The new combat system makes the game unique by itself, if you guys don't count the Edgy-ness of the game unique too. Though Sound and graphics are sub-par, you will come to look over these things for a solid game with a great story and great gameplay. Despite the few problems in the game, I would say go ahead and buy it!
This stuff:
Publisher: Rockstar
Developer: Rockstar
genre: Action Adventure
Players: 1
Online: 1-16
System: Xbox 360, also on PS3
Who knew crime could pay so well?
Yes...so it has arrived. GTA, possibly the single most controversial (no way! Really?) game series to ever exist adds its fourth entry to its amazingly long list of GTA titles. 4 years in development, it has suffered delays, bans, controversy, and annoying 40 year old who can't get a girlfriend so they have to bash videogames (Jackie T.) Enjoy.
Ahem....
GTA IV has you follow the anti-hero Niko after being called to America by your cousin Roman. Fresh off the boat, Niko soon learns that his cousin's claims to a life of leisure are all but lies. What does the American dream mean to newcomers now days? For this Russian its a life of crime, deception and drugs. Lots of drugs(warehouses full). Niko's dream of getting a fresh turns sour as he learns that you can't escape your past so easily....
Lets get to it then. The story is absolutely awesome. As you play it, the story gets deeper and deeper and ends up being almost movie quality. the story is rich, and each character has so much life and story to them that its truly some the greatest character development I've seen since TF2(lol.) The realism is astounding, which is actually my biggest problem with the game. Rest assures, I won't lower the score because of this, I just despise the uber-realistic gameplay issues. Driving a car is harder then in real life, so I really wouldn't call that realistic, so much as simply annoying. Other then that, characters almost never say the same line twice, and never look the same. Animations are spot on realistic (Thanks Euphoria) and the atmosphere feels just like a big city world.
As for online connections and menus, I have had a bit of trouble joining ranked matches(go figure) and our game rooms are constantly united with other rooms at random points while playing. Frustrating, yes, but just wait till I get to multiplayer...ahem. The cell phone is basically the only menu you use. While innovative, its not exactly cool or fascinating.(Its more boring then Wolfenstein 3Ds menus.) but it works perfectly fine. Which is good....ish.
Now for the graphics portion of the review. Cough....ahem. GTA IV may not sport some of the best graphics around (a la Gears of War) but it certainly sports some of the most spectacular. Explosions from cars and RPGs are simply stunning to watch, as well and the flame effects from the molotovs. The lighting is brilliant; reflections are perfect and the whole engine runs perfectly smooth with practically no framerate issues whatsoever. Well, almost none. Euphoria seems a little less then expected to my end(my friend told me it was so much more realistic then it is), but its still amazing. When you shoot somebody in whatever body part, they react to it perfectly. The problems I found with it are that animations for getting hit by a car are simply terrible. I did a cartwhell through the air and somehow [gracefully] fell with my neck somewhere by my foot with my arm twisted over my back Peter Griffin style. Then my foot was suddenly where it was supposed to be while getting up. beyond Euphoria glitches, animation is spectacular.
The sound is...I'll spare you small talk. it works, great. 200 songs on the radio(even if they all suck, come on? Its 200 REAL songs!) talk shows, comedy clubs, and the voice acting is the best I've heard since Mass Effect. Lip syncing isn't perfect, but with this much dialogue, it would be close to impossible. The crunches of cars, the booms of RPGs, the police sirens(annoying as hell--realistic, no?) all sound effects are great. The little quotes your person can say in multiplayer may fall flat (haha, didn't know you could do that eh? You can. Left Bumper.) but thats about all that does. Little Jacob is so perfectly undiscernable that even the characters in the game can't understand him.
Gameplay. Meh.(kidding, kidding,don't stone me...) Gameplay works very close to how other GTA games before it works. They have autoaim that simply locks on to targets, or a new free look aiming system. (Guess which one sucks?) Glitches are obviously present with the Autoaim, such as it targeting dead enemies instead of living or people 50 yards away rather then 5 feet away. Gunplay itself is great. the western style duels between Niko and thugs or what may come are some of the best moments in the game. Melee combat....hah. Kill me for this, but its extremely unresponsive. (Ok, block when he attacks to dodge...block--WTF?) Maybe thats why Rockstar basically threw that out the window when it comes to multiplayer. For good reason. The environment plays a huge part in most combat, greatly too. In car battles, the cars around you and everything else is absolutely important.
other then combat, theres tons to do. Buy clothes, get food, go to a strip club or just play bowling. Tons I say, and I say only half of it.(Don't forget to go to the comedy club--15 hours of gloriously lame humor!) Don't forget your friends though--they give you missions, money, you can hang out with them, and even get drunk with them. Glorious. My main problem with it--the movement. Why is it so hard to simply make the joystick control running AND walking? The A button is retarded.
Multiplayer...mm. 16 game modes, tons of co-op, free roam, Deathmatches and everything in between, yet it won't take you away from CoD4 or Halo 3. However theres tons of fun to be had here, supposing you won't have a connection issue. Character customization is sub-par, but honestly, it doesn't matter when you have such huge variety of gameplay modes. Talking about them
would simply be a spoiler, since you should already have (or have had) this game anyway. Big story short, multiplayer= good, not great, not bad.
After the game, theres so much to do it'll make your head spin. 155 missions, none of them boring, 15 hours of comedy, games friends, multiplayer, darts, bowling, cub3d, achievements, the list is positively endless. If ever a game in history had infinite replay value, this is that game. Absolutely endless amounts of stuff to do.
Lets get to it then!
Presentation: 4.5/5
The story? Amazing. Atmosphere? Great. Cell Phone menus? Well, alright. Connection? Below Normal. The former beats the latter by a mile, though.
Graphics: 4.5/5
Not the best, but by far SOME of the best. Lighting, Explosions, and character models and animations are great. No 2 characters look the same, but Euphoria has issues sometimes. But nothing to take this down.
Sound: 5/5
The greatest sound effects I've ever heard, coupled with amazing voice acting and 200+ soundtrack. Simply amazing.
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Gunplay is amazing, melee sucks, the interactivity is amazing, the controls suck. Not bad though, and nowhere near to destroy any part of the experiance (Except maybe fighting.) The cover system is so-so. Car driving is fun, if not really annoying at times.
Replay Value: 5/5 (6 if possible)
The undisputed king of replay value. You could spend hundreds of hours on this and not be half-way through.
Overall:
GTA IV has its share of issues, and I wouldn't call it a 10. However, I would easily call it a new benchmark in gaming history, interactivity, and all around innovation. Props to you, Rockstar!
The PlayStation 3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV has overtaken that of the Xbox 360 and assumed the top spot on both the Spanish and German charts, according to the latest data released by Media-Control GfK International.
The German charts saw GTA IV on the Xbox 360 take second place and Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii in third and fourth place respectively.
This was followed by Assassin's Creed: Director's in fifth, the GTA IV special edition on Xbox 360 in sixth place, with the PS3 special edition coming in behind the The Sims 2: Kitchen and Bath Interior Design Stuff at seven, to take eighth place.
Meanwhile in Spain, Wii Fit came in second place followed by the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV in third place and Mario Kart Wii in fourth.
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training and More Brain Training, both for the DS, were fifth and six place respectively, followed by Wii Play at number seven.
GTA IV special edition for the PS3 came in eighth and outsold the Xbox 360 version which was tenth, just below Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for the PlayStation Portable.
The German charts for the week ending May 7 follow:
1. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
2. Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
3. Wii Fit (Wii)
4. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
5. Assassins Creed: Director's Cut (PC)
6. Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition (360)
7. The Sims 2: Kitchen and Bath Interior Design Stuff (PC)
8. Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition (PS3)
9. Wii Play (Wii)
10. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
The Spanish charts for the week ending May 7 follow:
1. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
2. Wii Fit (Wii)
3. Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
4. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
5. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
6. More Brain Training (DS)
7. Wii Play (Wii)
8. Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition (PS3)
9. Pro Evolution Soccer (PSP)
10. Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition (360)
Overview:
In LostWinds you play as Toku, a young boy who finds a piece of the Spirit Stone that contains the spirit of wind Enril, and the two set off on a quest to seal off an ancient evil that has invaded the island of Mistralis.
Gameplay:
In this game the player uses the wiimote/nunchuck combo.The nunchuck is mainly used to control Toku, the little boy. He climbs and reacts automatically. The most you have to do is push Z make him pick up objects. Then comes the main reason this game is so great, the Wind. The Wiimote is used to control the on screen cursor (the spirit Enril) to put the power of wind in your hands. Just move the cursor, and a sudden breeze wisks by anything nearby. This in itself is very amusing as people react, trees sway, and the grass and flowers flow at the mere signs of the wind. Then the A and B buttons come into play. Holding A creates a gust of wind, letting one do a number of things, the first and formost of which is letting Toku jump. Just draw a gust of wind under Toku and he is wisked upwards. Later you can draw what is known as a "slipstream" with B to create a wind current, of which I will let you discover its uses. As one of the first Wiiware games, I just have to say this kind of gameplay is so refreshing. There WILL be moments that you think to yourself " that is just amazing..." when you discover the true power of the wind.
Graphics:
There are some games that have good gameplay but poor graphics, and vice versa. This game on the other hand lets you have your cake and eat it too. What I mean is that while the gameplay goes above and beyond, the graphics are PHENOMENAL! The pictures almost speak for themselves. The game takes place on a 2D plane with 3D graphics with maybe a bit of cellshading. The style seems to be a mix of Native American/Aztec. The closes thing it resemebles to me is LittleBig Planet, a PS3 game for crying out loud! Seriously though, there are many games on the Wii that cost 5 times this much and do not look anywhere near this good. I can only hope other developers take a que from this and start taking advantage of the Wii as such.
Sound:
Another one of my favorites. The sound also takes a que from the Aztec/Native American style as it consists of drums and flutes. There seems to be only this one song through the main parts of the game but it is so beautiful and calming you will not mind. Battles do have a small melody that comes into play when enemies are in the area.
Replay Value:
Alas, every rose must have its thorn. If there was one issue with this game, it is its length. The game time clocks in at about two and a half to three hours, maybe four if you find all the secrets. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT let this turn you off, as this is really only a quality over quantity issue. The time you spend with this game is one of a great experience. Not since Okami has a game inspired me this much. Also remember that the game is only $10. You will more than likely want to play this one again from time to time, so take that into consideration.
Conclusion:
What a game. After playing this, I cannot wait to see what else can be done with the Wii and its WiiWare. The graphics and gameplay are great, the sound is wonderful, and the only reason not to get this game is if you are looking for a high energy, bloody, gory, action intense game. Even if you did somehow mistake this game for one, you would still have a great time.
Score:
I wish there was a way to give a score with only a quarter of a point off (like a 4.75) but I have to work with what I have. Due to the relative short length of the game, which is only a small complaint, mind you, I give this game a:
Well it looks like miniviews had a great run. They're just...game reviews now. Sigh. (You know they're still miniviews in heart though)
Two heads are better then one they say. How about two bona fide badasses? Yes I did just take this idea from ninja. its a good one.
Ahem....
Army of Two 360
Publisher: EA Games
Developer: EA Montreal
Genre: TPS
Players: 1-2
Army of Two promised something very few game had been able to do up to the time, and that was to bring out a game that centered almost wholly around co-op gameplay between two people. (gears was the closest thing to the point, but not quite. Get it?...nevermind...)Most everything about the game centers around your ability to work together in the game. Drop whatever you thought you knew from reviews, and listen up.
This game follows two characters, Salem and Rios, two mercenaries from a privatized military service. They will be forced to work together to overcome a massive conspiracy that very well could change the fate of entire nations.
And thats about all there is to a storyline. Not much (obviously) but this game tends to center more around character development then the center plot. the two main characters in particular have their own traits and qualities, however, they both sure do love to curse and beat down on each other. This isn't bad at all, as it shows them to have more then just a friendship but a brotherhood kinda deal. I don't care what the other reviews said, the characters acted perfectly fine and didn't seem too stereotypical at all, at least, without one of the characters pointing it out to the other. The characters, though, never really get built upon. They stay static and aren't so dynamic (as in, going from silent to emo in half a second. Cough *Cloud* cough.) Other then that, story doesn't exist too much. A big conspiracy threat, but its fine for this kind of game. Connection issues are almost non-existent, and co-op is great and balanced.
The graphics for this game aren't good, but they aren't at all bad. The game has decent lighting effects and gunshot reflections, and the textures are hit-and-miss. I did notice framerate issues, but it may have been due to internet connection errors from me or my friends connection(damn you DSL). Animation is good. its not great though, but for co-op parts the characters sometimes look crunched up with they're animations(such as step jumping and the guys foot goes through my hand.) Character models themselves look great. The faces down to their feet look great quality. No Gears, but still great.
The sound effects are rather on the meh side. Gunshots, rockets, explosions, they all work fine but nothing is memorable. Music works. Adrenaline pumping parts could have benefited from more fitting music, though. There really isn't much to say here, except that voice-overs were exceptionally well done. The dialogue, maybe, maybe not. but the voices were hit.(Who doesn't love Clyde's classic "****-o!"?)
Gameplay. The gunplay works great, thanks in large to a Rainbow 6 Vegas quality cover system. With regenerating health, your gonna need to take cover rather often, and if the cover system were less then good, hard mode would be near impossible. Co-op parts are implemented with great skill and care. maybe not with total innovation in mine, but still well done. Back-to-back gun battles are thrilling and tense, as your teamate has to work with you to make sure you don't die(I'll get to aggro in a sec.) For some of the lesser items, shielding and gunswap works great too. (Don't forget to press A near your teamate to do a praise movement, and the Trigger to smack him upside the head!) Theres one thing that you know was just put in there because they were running out of ideas: Co-op snipe. Total waste. they knew it too because they never make you use it! Also, taking after gears of war, if your partner runs out of life, they go down. You have to make your way over to them before they die. However, once your down, your not totally defenseless. You can shoot to take out close enemies while your teamate heals you.
Onto aggro, one of the biggest things in the game.(Not to mention one of the most successful.) You and your teamate have an aggro meter.(Short for aggresive meter) If you shoot them, you gain aggro and the enemies tend to focus on you, giving you buddy the ability to sneak behind them. Bigger guns means more aggro, so choose carefully. Likewise, if your friend has all the aggro your basically invisible to the enemy. If you or your friend get enough aggro, you can trigger an "Overkill" which temporarily puts things in slow motion for you, but you do 2X damage. Also, your buddy runs at normal speeds against the slow enemies who won't even attack him because they're focusing on you. All in all, co-op is this game great specialty. They scored on this one. Don't have a buddy? Don't worry. Your teamate in storymode is actually smart.(Fancy that, eh?) He acts as close to a human as an A.I. would in the game. The enemies, however, are pretty stupid, at times. Other times they're brilliant, so I don't really understand the A.I. much...
Replay value comes in many forms. The first is (obviously) co-op, and if you've got a good friend, you'll want to run through it again on hard-mode. Multiplayer is so-so. Its no Halo or CoD4, and its rather boring after a while. Buying masks, guns, and upgrades will hold you for a while, especially if you like achievements (who doesn't?) All in all, its a good 8-12 hour campaign and then 5-6 more hours collecting things. Not too huge.
Lets get to it then! (Good Ay!)
Presentation: 3.5/5
The characters are memorable, if very static, and the storyline is meh. Still, no connection issues and great looking menus with little load time.
Graphics: 4/5
They work great, especially character models. A bit of classic FPS frame issues and bland texturing, but thats the only problems.
Sound: 3.5/5
Not much here, except voice acting, and even thats brought down by only decent dialogue.
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Co-op lovers your dream has arrived!...at least, until left4 dead comes out. Great gunplay, co-op segments and fine tuned back-to-back get annoying later when it starts getting a bit repetitive. But only JUST before the end.
Replay Value: 3.5/5
depends on how many friends you have, really. If you've got a few good ones, your in for a good time. Stay away from multiplayer (unless you like....)
Overall: 4/5
Fine tuned Co-op gun play mixed with good to decently tuned everything else. Don't forget though, it centers around the Co-op play!
Viva Pinata
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Rare
Genre: Life Simulation
Players: 1-2
At first glance, Viva Pinata may come off as a kids game, or even a girls game. In reality it is a game that people off all ages can enjoy! For those unfamiliar with Viva Pinata, the game is similar to Animal Crossing. The purpose of the game is to built your garden and attract various Pinata's to the garden by fullfilling various requirments.
The game is controlled through a cursor in a "first person" sense. The gameplay is built for a PC, but it works remarkably well on the Xbox 360. You must build your garden from scratch using various tools at your disposal, later on in the game you will unlock shops that will allow you to buy ornaments, clothing, etc for your garden. Once you attract Pinata's you have the opportunity to breed them by filling certain requirments, once you have enough of one species, you will have the opportunity to send them to parties, or to sell them at the local shops for choclate coins.
The graphics are beautiful, although my only complaint was the frame rate drop when the game decides to auto save. It is miniscule and really dosen't hurt the game play any.
The audio is beautiful, the sound track is amazing like all the audio coming from Rare! The Dolby mix is remarkable and helps compement the game greatly.
Their is a ton of replay value in this game, no two play throughs will be a mirror experince, along with the saying that no two gardens will be alike.
I highly recommend you pick this game up, sadly it is in many bargin bins now.
I though this review would be timely since the sequel was announced this morning for a September release date, I'm suprised how nothing gets leaked from Rare now a days!
Information About The Game:
Mario Kart wii is Kart racing game developed by Nintendo EAD and produced by Nintendo
Overview:
Many gamers (both casual and hardcore) have come to like the Mario Kart series. Can you blame them, it still is a fun racing game with some wacky antics and great replay value. With Mario Kart Wii being the latest in the franchise, fans expected to see a lot, and boy did Nintendo deliver. With new courses, new characters, 12 player online mode, inclusion of bikes, and of course motion sensing controls make the game one of the best in the series.
Gameplay:
In this new edition to the Mario Kart series, you can use 5 controllers to play the game. The 5 being...
Wii Remote
Wii Wheel
Wii Classic Controller
Wii Remote w/ Nunchuck
Nintendo GameCube controller
The Nintendo Gamecube controller and the classic controller being the easiest, the Wii remote w/ nunchuck being the most akward, and the Wii Wheel being the most fun. Being the fact that the Wii wheel was included with the game and that it is a fun way to play, you will probably use that one the most.
Online Play in this game is probably the best online experience you will come to have on the wii. No lag, 12 players, and the ability to play online with 2 players on one console is great. That was one of my big concerns in Super Smash Bros Brawl. In the online mood, you can either race or battle. Each one you have a diffrent point system to show whether or not you are good at the game. It also includes the Mario Kart Wii channel, which is great to use so you can check online stats without popping in your disk. A nice feature is when you see the other players you are about to face, it shows on a globe where they live and there Mii (and the location is fairly accurate)
New Characters include Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Daisy, Baby Peach, Diddy Kong, King Boo, Funky Kong, Rosalina, Dry Bowser, Toadette, Birdo, Bowser Jr, And of course, you can play as your favorite Mii! So THere is a lot to unlock and a lot to enjoy! The new stages are fun and exciting but the "classic" stages are now kinda boring in comparison. THe single players is basically the same thing as Mario Kart DS, but that can be considered not a bad thing. The problem is, on 150cc and on Mirror Mode, It has Rubber Band A.I (If an AI opponent falls far enough behind the rest of the drivers it suddenly receives an enormous boost in speed) Which can make the game very difficult. There Also a lot more items to enjoy that are all fun. But the downside is, this game is more luck then skill, more so than other Mario Kart games.
Graphics:
Look we all know that the game is not HD, but the game looks surprisingly good. The Shadows were vastly improved from the other game and Character design is great.
Sound:
Classic Mario music remixed, and new tracks are what you can expect sound wise in Mario Kart Wii. Of course you will here the occasional WAHOOOO!!!!!, or YIPPIE!!!!!, or LETSAGO!!!!!!!, but other then that no deep phrases, Only complaint is hearing Diddy Kong's saying which sounds very bad, and i have no idea what he is saying. It is like AKILLIE!!!, What the hell is that, and since I play as Diddy Kong a lot, it annoys the hell out of me. I know, I know, I am nitpicking
Replay Value:
A Crapload of replay value considering the new tracks, characters, and a great online mode. You will keep coming back for more and more and more. and more...
Overall:
Mario Kart Wii is a fun game that you will come play over and over again. It has some flaws, but you can get over that to find solid gameplay, a nice online mode, and a lot of new features. One of the best on the Wii, and the best Mario Kart ever (of course, in my opinion).If you got a wii, buy the game.
Platform: PS3
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Genre: Racing Simulation
Players: 1-16
Price -
PSN - Ł25
Blu-ray Price - Ł20-Ł25
Overview :
You all know this game, a platform for all racing simulations. Ever since the first Gran Turismo on the PlayStation 1, people knew this game was going to go far, and my god it did.
This game is somewhat classed as a demo, it was intended to be a little taster for whats to come (isnt that what a demo is anyway).
Right from the greatly respected Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2. This game has quickly gained a vast fanbase, and all the games in the series are a must have for any racing fans.
Gameplay :
Right, this game has always been based on attention to detail with how the cars handle, it really shows. The physics are totally amazing, you need to use your racing lines to get good laptimes. You take a corner too fast, your plowed into a tyre wall.
Each car has there own characteristics (weight, bhp, torque) and you can really tell. The weights of the cars are a big factor in this series, you need a light car to get round suzuka at any speed. The tuned lotus handles like a go-kart!
When you finish the A Class you unlock a section called the Quick Tune, which is needed for the S Class. The a thing called performance points are thrown into play.
A quick runthrough of performance points are, the more powerful, the less the weight and the better your tyres are, the more performance points you will have for that car. In the S Class you will come across races that have a MAX performance points limit. So you can't take a F1 into a low end car race.
The quick tune is very important in the S Class. You need it to sometime downtune your car, or tune it up. While you can tune your car, to your personal prefrences like "toe in and outs" etc.
There are quite a good selection of cars to say this is a teaser. There are sections for Car Brands and a section for the Gran Turismo tuned concept cars.
The track selection is low, the well known real tracks avalible to race on are Suzuka, Fuji and daytona raceway. All of the tracks apart from Suzuka and Fuji, and quite boring. They are all very well made though.
Online play is actually quite well done, while you get the noobs that do not know how to race and knock you off the track at ever given moment. You get the good games with people who can race. One of the recent updates for the game, applys something that makes people flash when they are out of control or about to someone. I dont like this, it takes the realism out of the game. The lack of a ranking/stat system takes all of the fun out of it. But the cash bonuses you recieve for a race makes you forget about it.
The AI are better and more intellegent than ever. There lines aren't always spot on, they try and get out of the way when your stealing the slipstream. They are great.
The penalty system SUCKS. You have the AI bump into the back of you, you get a ramming penality (you slow down for a certain number of seconds) while the offender screams past you. This is always happening, and in a important Class S race its the last thing you want.
Graphics :
What can I say? Ground breaking. Full 1080p, perfect models, perfect lighting. Perfect perfect perfect.
The cockpits of the cars are all detailed as they should be in each car. Not a part out of place. Get into the F1 and try not to be amazed by the detail on the steering wheel. I dare you.
All the tracks are beautifully designed just as they should be. Not a texture out of place, not a sign out of place. Not even a tree out of place. Perfect!
I would go as far to say this is the most graphicly advanced game on the PS3 so far. (Maybe uncharted close?)
Once more, PERFECT.
Sound :
The sound is alot very good in this game. All the car engines sound very realistic. Yet there is 1 problem....
The tyre "squeals". Seriously, did they get this off GT1? They are way to high, to matter what car your in they sound the same. Trust me, around the Daytona Raceway its not fun "EEERRRRRRRRRR" round every corner. This needs a big improvement for the real GT5.
The soundtrack is horrible for my music tasted. Its all plain boring dreery crap. The worst soundtrack out of all of them in my opinion, but it wont be marked down on the overall score because its my music taste.
Replay Value :
This game has little replay value, when the races are done, they are done. You get little eurge to get all gold, because you will have raced the oval about 100 times to get the F1 car that costs 2,000,000 credits. The online play isnt good enough to keep you occupied if its done, but for Ł20-Ł25 who can moan?
Conclusion :
Overall its a good game for its price, a good taster for what is to come.
Online needs work, annoying penalty system needs ironing out, and the tyre squeals need fixing.
Datel MAX Power Battery 1200mAh
Manufacturer: Datel
Site : Buy from Divineo France
Price: 24.90 €
Overview : Your PSP battery can give you up to ten hours of use per charge, but is this enough? When you have fought your way to the last level and are about to face the end-of-game boss, the last thing you want is to have to wait for the battery to recharge before delivering the killer blow. That's where MAX Power comes in…
The MAX Power Slimline is a lithium battery for the PSP designed in a slimmer package to fit the new Slimeline PSP. Keep it charged and you always have a back-up in case your main battery is drained at a crucial moment.
Features :
Special slimmer 1200mAh version of the MAX Power
Up to eight hours of use per charge.
Always have a spare battery handy.
Technical Specifications :
1200 mAh
Lithium-polymer technology
3.6 volts
Quality/Usability : Its always good to have a backup battery. You never know when you'll be in an area with an outlet or USB port to help keep your PSP Slim powered. Sometimes you're so immersed into the game that you dont even notice how much battery life is left until you see the battery indicator blinking or worse...the PSP shuts off in the middle of your game. The Datel MAX Power Battery 1200mAh is Datel's answer to Sony's replacement and backup battery. The size of the battery is practically the same size of that of the Sony PSP Slim battery.
MAX Power takes about 1-2 hours to full charge. Once fully charged, the battery provides 4-7 hours of play depending on the settings on the PSP Slim such as volume and brightness. The lower the settings, the longer it will last.
Conclusion : Overall, the Datel MAX Power Battery 1200mAh is a good replacement whether you're looking to replace your battery or looking for a spare battery. Price however is on the expensive side. Its almost the same price as a Sony brand.
If you're looking for an inexpensive simple solution to getting homebrew on your DSLite I may have what you need.
This all-in-one homebrew solution is as simple as drag and drop you .nds files and play them. Plus if your into ROMS it has near 100% compatibility and in fact I am yet to run across one this sucker wont play flawlessly.
The package contains the flash cart where all the data is stored without the use of an sd or any other memory stick on the 1 GB of internal memory, the "linker" shown above, and a usb cable to transfer your data. Oh and dont worry. Nothing sticks out of the slots either. Everything fits flush like a Nintendo part.
When Mario first jumped into the solo spotlight with his first NES game the gaming world would never again be same. He had a good run and when he hit 3D it looked like it would only get better for him. Sadly however his next game, Super Mario Sunshine, was not up to par with the previous entries and platformers as enormous hits looked like a thing of the past.
Now with the platformer gasping for air we needed something big to save it. Mario Galaxy is just that. This game proves platformers are still alive and with this instance classic we're gonna be seeing a whole lot more.
This game plays, looks and feels just about as good as it gets. Everything is fast, smooth, and most importantly of all FUN. You can almost sense what Miyamoto and Co. were grinning about when everyone called the Wii a gimmick. This game epitomizes Nintendo and the Wii itself.
Nostalgia runs thick in this game with all the foes you've grown to love/hate from the past making their returns along with a few new ones. For any fan on Super Mario 64 this game is as simple as pick it up and start where you left off before on SM 64. Also at times you'll get this fantastic switch to a "2D" mode that couldn't be more like the even more retro SNES Mario games.
Now since we all know how great this game plays (Let me stress this once more. It plays better than ANY Mario game in the past in my opinion.) let me now move on to how it looks. These ARE the best graphics on Wii period. Metroid Prime 3 looked great and all but this game just is gorgeous. The screen shots simply don't do the game justice. To fully appreciate it you need to see it in action. It is gorgeous.
This time around you get several new "suits" for Mario to wear and each one is more awesome then the last. One of my new favorites is the Bee Suite if nothing else because it looks ridiculous. Nothing is funnier than Mario dressed like a bumble bee. Another good one is the Spring Suit. Its pretty much what you think.
Presentation- 4.5
Very high production values, co-op, Wiiconnect24 and its slick to boot.
Graphics- 4.5
Best on Wii period. Everything looks like a dream at a solid 60fps all the time.
Sound- 5
The best music and effects ever on a Mario game. Using a full orchestra for your music is genius.
Gameplay- 5
This is where the game shines. It plays simply perfect. From the controls to just how it feel. Everything is great.
Lasting Appeal- 4.5
More than 40 galaxies each completely different than the last, 120 stars to collect, and Wiiconnect24 support to show off you accomplishments. Can it get much better?
Overall
As close to perfect as you can get..would of given it a 4.9 but there is no star for it. I will never give a game a 5 but man.. this was close..
Lets face it. Mario Kart Double Dash sucked. It was
just too slow and two riders was simply retarded. It added nothing of interest but I guess slower
karts.. Thats why when Mario Kart Wii was announced I was met with mixed feelings. If we
got anything like Mario Kart DS all would be well but if they threw another Double Dash at us
then its a whole different story!
As more details began to emerge and my fears of a slow kart went away by the seeing videos I
found myself with brand new fears of a "family friendly" kart game. A soft-core Mario Kart? No
thanks! The DS didnt get that so why the Wii?
Well now that I've spent some personal time with the game I have determined that while the game
is considerably more "family friendly" than the previous versions it is still very enjoyable. The
single player modes are very fast and locked at 60 frames, as I like it, and as much fun as it
should be. However, the multiplayer is, and will always be where its at with Kart and that is no
different here. Local multiplayer is fun and fast-ish.. The thing is it seems to be locked at 30
frames! Ick! Oh well.. Everything else is as it should be.
Here is where Kart shines. Online. Thats right. A Ninty game that is not only good online its
nearly FLAWLESS. There is literally zero lag and everything is amazingly fast. Connecting takes
seconds and its locked once more at 60 frames. Fan-freaking-tastic! My only complaint is that
Battle Mode forces you to be on a team so that no one loses alone.. LAME. Oh and friend codes
still suck. You can at least make rooms for your friends and even see if they're playing online
without even starting the game via the Mario Kart Channel which is pretty sweet.
Ninty once more has shown the world how to do a few major things on Wii with Mario Kart. Online
here is an enormous step forward and devs should take notice. THIS IS HOW ITS DONE. Thats not all
they did very right here though. Oh no, they also have pulled off waggle steering! While the Wii
Wheel is little more than an extension of the "B" trigger the steering is great. I have had no
interest in using any other control method and am even able to be just as competitive online as
anyone using a joystick.
My biggest complaint with this game is a little something called rubber banding. Basically if
you're in first place get ready to be snapped back to dead last. Don't worry though because soon
you'll snap back to first! Yeah its the family friendly crap again. No matter how good you are
you simply wont win every race anymore like in the karts of old. Tragic.
Intro:
So here we have the M3 DS Real which is meant to replace the aging M3 Simply as their main cart The M3 Real is based on many of the features of the G6 DS Real but has expandable memory and a few other neat things like built in GBA support with expansion pack
The M3 DS which I ordered the perfect bundle edition from www.RealHotStuff.com for $60 USD. The Perfect Bundle version comes with the M3 DS Real as well as 2 expansion paks for the GBA slot designed to fit slim with the DS Lite:
The first pak is the rumble pak which can be used in games that support it such as Meteroid Pinball and Elite Beat Agents. The Second expansion pak is the GBA Expansion Pak which supports the running of GBA game roms and homebrew and also double as a ram pak for the DS Browser and some homebrew that supports it. Both of these carts are very good to have and bring out the full potential the M3 Real. It is recommended that you buy this bundle to be fully satisfied with this product.
Packaging:
Upon receiving my product I was quit surprised at the packaging. It was very small compared to pictures I saw online. However this little box was full of goodies packed tightly togther:
Now newer versions of the bundle wont contain the CD anymore due to it being useless because of outdated firmware and they also changed the MicroSDHC reader to a glossy one. Everything came as expected and seems to be okay, nothing damaged.
The cart is sturdy and doesnt squeak and creek and when bend it. It supports MicroSDHC cards and and slot for the spring loaded ejection for the card is very well built also. Only thing is you can see a bump on the front under the sticker where there is an exposed chip. Many flashcarts these days seem to do this, it does not however effect inserting and taking it out of the DS. Overall very good cart quality, nothing seems to be out of place and everything fits flush.
Installation:
The M3 Real requires a MicroSD/HC card with the firmware installed on the card in order for it to work. Flash carts work by reading the MicroSD card and loading the firmware from the card now, these cards do not need to flashed in order to work and are very easy to update when new firmwares come out.
Setup was very easy only requiring a drag and drop onto the MicroSD card for the firmware and NDS and GBA roms which have their own folders.
(note: it is recomended to get a better MicroSDHC card then the one included which is garbage, the same for every flash cart to be exact, mine broke after 35 uses or so, I replaced it with a Sandisk Mobile Mate MicroSDHC + M2 reader from amazon.com for $2.50)
I then removed the card from the reader and inserted it into the M3 DS Real
Everything fits real nice and flush once inserted into the DS.
I also inserted the GBA expansion pak, which also went flush with the DS and was glossy, unlike other expansion paks like the EZ 3-in-1 that stick out and arnt glossy.
Operation:
I turned on the DS and was very happy to see that it skips "touch the screen to continue" upon boot the M3 DS Real then loaded and was presented with a menu:
the explanation for each icon going from left to right are as follows:
the first option will take you too the current ds games on the cart (play your NDS games)
the second to gba games on the cart (play your GBA games)
third is a file explorer (think of it as windows explorer)
fourth is for cart booting for just playing a gba game with a an actual game cart (gba cart or other 3rd party slot-2 card can also be booted)
fifth is a media player (modded version of moonshell)
sixth is a built in PDA (I felt DSOrganize was a lot better)
and seventh is cart options (just some basic options like boot method, select different skins and such)
Rom Browser
Fairly easy to navigate, no problems, little laggy though
Rom Options
some of the basic ROM options such as soft reset (you hold down a combo of buttons and you will return to the M3 Real menu wihout having to shut off your DS)
Cheat Switch (to activate cheats, can be set to always on and to a button combo) and slow motion (useful and your stuck in a game that requires precision but goes to fast, music wont slow down but game play will, can be set on a button combo and can return back to normal) and also take a look at the cheat tab on the top...
Cheat Menu
Just like owning a gameshark\action replay\code breaker , a cheat system is built into this cart and features many codes for almost all games, simple off and on buttons.
CONCLUSION:
The M3 DS Real is a very sturdy cart with excellent rom compatibility. As far as homwbrew, the only one I got to test is DSorganize which auto DLID patched its self and ran fine. I do recommended this cart for a person that wants both DS and GBA excellent rom compatibility at a low price.
Bioshock
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Irrational games (2K Boston)
genre: First-Person Shooter
Players: 1
I've been wanting to do this review for a while, but its a little outdated. Still, I have alot of friends out there who really aren't sure about the title, so here goes to clear some things up.
The first person shooter genre has just been made.
Where to begin...wow. Eh-herm, Bioshock is a FPS that takes place in an underwater Utopia named Rapture. Built in the late 1940's to escape the threat of another world war and possibly nuclear war, Rapture was once a thriving utopia of brilliant scientist, athletes, artists, and the best mankind had to offer. However, all good things must come to an end, and Rapture proves that statement to be more then simply a saying. With the invention of Adam and plasmids, the world of Rapture grew greedy and lustful, ultimately bringing itself down to the depths it was created in.
Welcome to Rapture
The story behind the game (without revealing spoilers) is that your plane crashes in the mid-atlantic ocean. Upon crashing, you find a building which transports you to the devastated and war-torn land of Rapture. There you embark on a journey of discovery, betrayal, revenge, and get caught in the middle of a feud between two of the most influential powers in Rapture.
The storyline in Bioshock is simply one of the greatest ever achieved in a video game. This epic tale of a once-utopia underwater city is original in itself. However, the true brilliance of the plot comes into focus by the way its told. Its subtle yet obvious mode of story telling creeps to the player through every subliminal way you can imagine-- posters, audio tapes, statues, even the water on the ground to the psychotic quotes from the splicers. Everything about the atmosphere is perfect. The slow leaking of the ocean water into Rapture makes you almost feel as though the city could be under taken any minute. The blood on the wall and corpses propped in horrid positions show that the inhabitants aren't only vicious, but utterly insane-- a side effect due to the bio-engineering that is plasmids and splicing. The entire world of Rapture springs to life in a way of dead silent corners and gives you the feeling that this must have been a truly great place before its fall. The subtitles, on the other hand, are a total mess. They work fine, but appear either too late or too early. Despite this, the world of Rapture is one, if not the, most stunning world ever created in a video game.
Bioshock, the Beautiful
When it comes to visuals, Bioshock is still one of the best out there, bar none. Still lagging behind Gears of War, the visuals for Bioshock are great; everything from the amazing flame effects to the epic water effects. textures are perfectly presented, however, some textures seem to repeat more then others, but only in the most minute of ways. Character models truly show the player just what happened to the citizens of Rapture (heck, if I looked like them I'd be crazy too) It shows the splicing effects it has on regular human beings, and gives you even more clues to Raptures past and present. Character animations are near perfect, no need harping on that. Big Daddies are some of the greatest looking characters in any video game, anywhere. Still, some of the splicers look maybe a bit stranger then they should, and you can find the same splicer on more then one occasion. All gun effects, including plasmids are as best as they could be. The best the FPS genre has ever seen.
The lighting here is simply amazing
Symphony in the Water
The ambiance is Raptures single greatest feature. The drops of water, the psychotic rantings of splicers, or the busted whirring of the sentry bots add perfectly to the tense yet wondrous mood of the game. The sound of pistols firing, tommy guns blazing and rockets exploding into Big Daddie's helmets are spot on. Voice acting for everyone is only second to Mass Effect and GTA IV.(Well, maybe not GTA IV.) The 1940's style music is quite possibly the greatest part of the ambiance of Rapture. While not so subtle, it delivers the message constantly to the gamer that this is based in the early '60s, and that Rapture isn't your space-age utopia, like so many games before it. Even the Little Sisters and Big Daddies talk (and groan) in such ways that you might mistake those jumble of words for an actual conversation between the two. The symphony of Rapture plays without a single instrument (I'm gonna patent that quote)
Expanding the genre
The FPS genre has had a lot of AAA titles before it: Halo, Doom 3, System Shock 2 to name a few. But very few of those titles actually both perfected AND expanded on the genre the way Bioshock has. Bioshock fine tunes perfect gunplay with the strategic elements of plasmids to make one of the best strategy-shooters ever made. You can manipulate everything in Rapture using plasmids; from setting people on fire using the oil on the ground, using telekinesis to catch and throw rockets back at the sender, to even getting a Big Daddy to think your a Little Sister and guard you. The strategic possibilities are uncountable, and the best part, is that no enemies (with the exception to storyline events) are scripted. Not even the Big Daddies, who are essentially walking boss battles. the splicers travel, searching for Adam to buy more plasmids. Some even stalk you in particular, knowing that you are rich in Adam. The A.I. in the splicers ranges from stupid to strategically smart. I've had a splicer electrocute a sentry I sicked on him with his wrench and use it against me! And at other times, I've had splicer run directly into my rockets like a total moron. the explanation for these things is that while some splicers are hopelessly insane, others still can think and process. Onto weaponry. For every weapon, you have 3 types of ammo that all have special uses in the field of battle. Sometimes, choosing the right type of ammo may very well choose the outcome of the battle. other times, its just fun to lay out a trip wire from the crossbow, sick some bees on a splicer, and watch him stumble across the wire electrocuting himself while trying to get rid of the bees. Point is, all the ammo types not only have uses, but are fun to use. Hacking in itself is a mini-game. And if you don't feel like doing the mini-game, you can use an auto-hack if you have one to get an instant hack. The gameplay for Bioshock expanded not only the idea of shooters, but the idea that strategy in a FPS is a glorious thing.
See, not only are you genetically enhanced, you also have the force!
Welcome to Bioshock, again?
While every minute of it is absolutely golden, Bioshock doesn't last forever. The Campaign mode is 15-20 hours long, and it doesn't have multiplayer. However, expect to find yourself going through it at least one more time to get the second ending. Tonic and plasmid collecting is addictive, and achieving all 1000 gamerscore on Bioshock I something you can REALLY brag about. However, the short campaign with no multiplayer and only a bit of downloadable content doesn't add more then 40 hours to the entire game life. Still, for a shooter 40 is a very impressive amount.
Lets get to it then!
Presentation: 5/5
Absolutely top-notch. Amazing. The world of Rapture comes to life with every drop of water and splicer you kill.
Graphics: 4.5/5
While it may not be Gears of War it is certainly the best the FPS genre has ever had. The water effects are unrivaled.
Sound: 5/5
Bioshock has a Symphony with no orchestra(patent pending) and it shows. Sound effects are great and voice acting is over the top.
Gameplay: 5/5
The golden game of FPS arrives, bringing with it the most amazing shooter experience you'll ever have.
Replay Value: 4/10
While 40 hours is a long time, thats only if you play through it twice and die a few times. Multiplayer exclusion was absolutely criminal for a game this stunning.
Overall: 5/5
Bioshock is like one of those amazing things that only happens once in a blue moon. Such as finding a 100 dollar bill in a sewer or something like that. The single most defining game of the FPS genre, no bars held.
EA money results show that its games sold better on Sony platforms for the first three months this year.
You see, those months were the final three in its financial year, which saw the PS2 crowned as the winner by making USD 166 million.
Close behind was its PS3 sibling commanding USD 152 million, while its Xbox 360 rival managed just USD 128 million despite its installed-base advantage.
On the other hand, a meagre USD 75 million was made from EA games sold on Wii, this generation's hardware sales leader.
Sony also dominated the handheld facts and figures; USD 69 million was made from EA games sold on PSP, which gave it 47 percent of the portable market, which is almost double the DS with 25 percent. Mobile accounted for the rest of the pie with 28 percent.
If you're still awake, this all amounts to a massive 192 percent increase in PS3 EA game sales, probably because it didn't launch in Europe until 23rd March.
All other platforms sold more EA games than last year as well, with only the PC going the wrong way by 11 percent. Still, with Battlefield Heroes around the corner, this should change.
Today, aishsha has released his english translation for this nes rpg, where you take control of Christopher Columbus on his historical quest.
Don’t expect the usual known story, because this game has a very interesting story, including zombies and other foes.
Now let’s talk about this one
First, I want to apologize for releasing a beta with that tech/item screen lockup, this error didn’t exist on the private beta patches and was created with our latest hacks.
Don’t worry, I managed to fix that bug, so that annoying error, so it won’t be in the next beta release.
We’d like to get more bug reports before the next beta update, so if you found any lockup and it’s not reported already, then don’t hesitate to post it.
Published by: XGen Studios
Developed by: XGen Studios
Genre: Action
Number of Players: 1-4
price: $5.00
the explanations are simple, but pretty to look at
OVERVIEW:
In this game, your goal is to defend your castle by killing the enemies that will be coming at you from the left, to do so, you need to upgrade you castle's strength, number of healers, mages, archers, and off course, you must have a steady and quick hand to launch up those little demons with their shenanigans.
Gameplay: 4/5
This game has a surprisingly deep game play.
you start out with JUST your square shaped hand (that is what i can make of it, it may be something else ) and you grab enemies and throw them up, or down, fast enough to kill them, so far so good huh? but there is more, as you progress through the game, you will get new powers such as a bucket of paint in which you can drop enemies in, and they will shortly after become your allies, etc.
Tho it is too bad that on the later levels you NEED others to come and join you, otherwise you will be stuck on the same level for hours until you level up one or more of your powers to a certain point.
Graphics: 4/5
This game has horrible graphic, fortunately, they were meant to be bad, so that makes them good
and it DOES fall pretty easy on your eyes, and you will also appreciate the fact that as the sun sets, you get a nice twilight looking effect, the clouds are held by string and they move quite fast, and the characters have pretty good animation.
Sound: 3/5
I enjoyed the song from the title screen, and even tough some sound effects fit perfectly with the games unique art style, when you get farther into the game, a constant screaming sound begins to crawl on your ear, and it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't the same two screams EVERY TIME over, and over, and over. again!
Multiplayer: 4/5
Even tough the first 12 levels would not be hard to a three year old, when you go into the thirties, you WILL need a friend to tag along with you, and if one friend isn't enough, how about two more? that's right! this game can be played with up to four players!
Price: 5/5
This amazing game is only $5! making it one of the cheapest games on the wii right now, yet, has a higher quality then most full priced games on the wii.
Replay value: 5/5
Although not much changes on the second play through, that is not necessarily a bad thing, the game is complex enough to be played in a slightly different way, but simple enough to remind you that if you have ten minutes in the morning before you go to school or work, this game will be your best choice.
Control: 5/5
Not much to say here, unlike the flash version of this game where you can constantly miss the enemie's head or don't throw them hard enough to kill them, this issue has been fixed on the wii version, the only times you might miss your oponent is when you have 25 guys on-screen at once, and you are just wildly swinging your wii-mote up and down while quickly tapping the "A" button hoping to throw some of those little guys around.
CONCLUSION:
This game is worth getting if you are looking to buy a wiiware title, but don't want to spend a whole lot, it has great replay value, and i asure you, it will not grow boring if you have friends to play it with.
Welcome to this week's toys update. Check out the wonderful collectibles we just got in stock and all the new products made available for preorder.
As toys, especially collectible ones, are produced in limited numbers and are often sold out prior to the actual release date, we strongly recommend to preorder the figures of your desire as early as possible.
The HK Comic Fair special edition figure of Ito Noemi from the dating simulation game With You Mitsumeteitai is chosen as this week's special. Noemi is the most popular character in the game, she is a gentle, reserved and fragile girl who is often seen working in her family cafe in a maid's uniform.
With her broom in one hand and the hem of her skirt in the other, this figure captures her efficiency, helpfulness and grace. Ito Noemi's figure is sold at the bargain price of US 19.90 and the maximum purchase is limited to 2 pieces per customer. As usually, this weekly special is valid for exactly 1 week (if not sold out earlier).
The Art of Yamashita Shunya bust statues are the collaboration between the famous illustrator and the craftsmen of Kotobukiya.
The rose fairy Karin displays an ethereal beauty highlighted by the thin shawl she drapes around her body and the intricate rose shaped tattoos on her back.
Aside from fairies, Yamashita Shunya also designed A figure of Noel, a cold blooded assasin who kills without hesitation. However, the illustrator and the craftsmen brought out the contrast between her lethal side and her feminine charms by putting every detail into her weapons and constructing the her bodyline to perfect scale
Nintendo has revolutionized the gaming industry in many ways, the systems they have developed are often truly innovative. It widens the gaming communities and bring gaming experiences to new heights.
Arcade consoles have long been linking players together for fighting and sports games, and the Micro VS System is one of the earliest consoles that makes such gameplay portable. With the console's two handhelds, two players can join a game by sharing the screen between them.
This console is one of the rare artifacts that tells the historical development of the gaming industry, a true collector's item that any serious gamer must own and Play-Asia.com is lucky to get hold of a limited quantity of brand new factory sealed consoles.
Super Mario has long since found his way into every crevice of our lives.
A series of everyone's favourite mascot's plush dolls are opened for preorders this week, they include: Super Mario, Fire Mario, Mario Bee and Obake (ghost) Mario.
The soft toys are suitable companions for everyone. They soften the home and the office, and one of them is bound to go well with the color scheme of your furnishings, bringing a flash of trendiness and individuality to your personal space.
First 4 Figures has used the official game files in order to create an extremely accurate recreation of Samus Aran's Zero Suit. She comes armed with her signature pistol and has curves in all the right places!
Samus Aran from Nintendo's Metroid series is one of the earlier action heroines and her gender is usually kept as a surprise by her Varia Suit until the end of the games.
This polystone figure is as rare as the scenes that shows her true gender, only 2500 pieces are released worldwide and the box comes with a card of authenticity to show her exalted status.
The lists below show what has been released this week and what is available for preordering.
Toys & Figures (17)
Another Days To Heart 2 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Yuzuhara Konomi Swimsuit Version (Re-run) JPN N/A
Armored Core 1/72 Scale Pre-Painted Model Kit: Crest CR-C06U5 JPN N/A
Evangelion 1.0 You are not Alone 1/10 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Kaworu Nagisa JPN N/A
Fate Stay Night 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Black Saber JPN N/A
Fate/hollow ataraxia 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Saber Delusion Elegant (Maid Edition) JPN N/A
Fate/hollow ataraxia 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Tohsaka Rin (Maid Version) JPN US$ 49.90
Magic Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Reinforce Zwei JPN N/A
Raiders Missing Ark Indiana Jones 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Indiana Jones JPN US$ 94.90
Revoltech Series No. 007 - Overman King Gainer Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: King Gainer JPN N/A
Senko no Ronde 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Pec Champo JPN US$ 64.90
Shuraki Trinity Box 04 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Needa JPN N/A
Sky Girls Non Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Ayesha on MMS JPN N/A
Sky Girls Non Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Elise von Dietrich on MMS JPN N/A
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Non Scale Painted PVC Figure - Nendoroid Haruhi Suzumiya (Re-run) JPN N/A
The Art of Shunya Yamashita ArtFx series Fine Art Bust Cold Cast Statue: Karin JPN US$ 99.90
The Art of Shunya Yamashita Fine Art Bust Cold Cast Statue: Noel JPN US$ 99.90
Vinyl Collectible Dolls Doraemon Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Mimituki Doraemon JPN N/A
Despite frequent news of Wii's global sales domination, the Xbox 360 has managed to hit the 10 million sales mark in the US ahead of its competition, according to Microsoft.
Reaching the milestone before both the Wii and PS3 in the States should secure the long-term current-gen victory for the 360, MS senior vice president, Don Mattrick, told Reuters.
"History has shown us that the first company to reach ten million in console sales wins the generation battle," stated Mattrick in a statement yesterday. Interesting fact there trivia fans.
NPD figures currently puts Wii on 8.8 million sales (and closing) in the US, while PS3 is sits on 4.1 million.
Wii of course leads in the overall global race, something MS didn't take into account when doing its sums. "Xbox 360 has the largest global install base of any current gen. high definition gaming console, Wii excluded," the company clarified to ShackNews when asked how Xbox 360 could lead worldwide with 19 million when the Wii has sold 24.45 million.
We doubt the battle's over yet, although the 360 has a strong Christmas line-up ahead of it, and the Wii has.
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. announced last night new titles and additional details for its 2008 lineup. Highlighting this year's releases are all-new versions of blockbuster franchises such as Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania, DanceDanceRevolution, Lost In Blue and Silent Hill. Additionally, the recognized industry leader in the music gaming category announced its latest IP - Rock Revolution for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Wii and Nintendo DS. Below is additional information on the products that were showcased at Konami's 2008 Gamers Night:
Critter Round-Up
Release date: May 2008
Genre: Puzzle/Action
Platform: WiiWare
As Konami's first WiiWare title, Critter Round-Up introduces a fun puzzle game where players are challenged with separating each different critter species into their own area by building fences. Avoid the predators and other mischievous animals as they will try and stop you from rounding them up. Test your skills and get more points by corralling all the same critters into just one area and by using less fence. Four player co-op and a great set of competitive mini-games will have you rounding up critters until the cows come home.
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Release date: Fall 2008
Genre: Action
Platform: Nintendo DS
Following on the success of Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin the legendary Castlevania series is back in its 3rd installment on Nintendo DS. This time you play as a member of the Ecclesia, an organization that has sworn to defeat the evil forces of Dracula. Use the brand new Glyph attack system which has more than 100 different combinations to battle Dracula and his minions throughout 20 explorable areas inside and outside of the castle. Take part in side quests and collect items to power up your character in the next great Castlevania game produced by Koji Igarashi.
DanceDanceRevolution X
Release date: Fall 2008
Genre: Music/Dance
Platform: PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the most popular dance video game! Continuing its evolution on the PlayStation 2 system, DanceDanceRevolution X explodes onto the dance floor with enhanced graphics, fun interactive gameplay, an incredible song selection with 70 awesome music tracks and innovative new game modes. Brand new LAN Battle Mode will let up to 8 players battle simultaneously through the LAN connection on their PlayStation 2 system. Create your own workout and fitness program through an enhanced Workout Mode. Utilize the EyeToy USB Camera (for PlayStation 2) to implement yourself into the game.
DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 2
Release date: Fall 2008
Genre: Music/Dance
Platform: Wii
DanceDanceRevolution celebrates its 10th anniversary with an all-new game for Wii! The best selling dance game returns, with an entirely new soundtrack, game modes and interactivity. DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 2 enhances the series' trademark interactive gameplay by combining the physically engaging, innovative and easy-to-pick-up-and-play mechanics of the Wii console. DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 2 is sure to be the life of the party with 4 player multiplayer, Wii Remote and Nunchuk support, smash hits taken from the last four decades of music, entirely new modes and more!
DanceDanceRevolution UNIVERSE3
Release date: Fall 2008
Genre: Music/Dance
Platform: Xbox 360
DanceDanceRevolution celebrates its 10th anniversary! DanceDanceRevolution UNIVERSE3 dances its way to you with an all new sleek enhanced interface, fun new modes and settings for players of all skill levels, cool smash-hit songs, robust online and offline support and exciting new exclusives! DJ Mode makes its debut on the Xbox 360, allowing gamers to create their own tracks and song lists to dance to! Innovative City Mode lets you compete against bosses throughout the DanceDanceRevolution city to become the ultimate champion.
It's the ultimate sports package! So fun to play and easy to master for casual and hardcore gamers alike! Experience fun filled sports competition across 10 different sporting events. With easy-to-pick up and play controls, Deca Sports™ will make a multi-sport athlete out of everyone in your entire family. Smash, spike and smoke the competition in events like Badminton, Beach Volleyball, and Kart Racing. The spirit of competition never felt this good. Deca Sports takes Wii play to the next level!
Hellboy: The Science of Evil
Release date: June 24, 2008
Genre: Action
Platform: PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system
Hellboy: The Science of Evil will give players the opportunity to experience the epic adventures of the acclaimed comic book hero, fusing action, atmosphere and humor. In his latest quest, Hellboy must rush to defeat the crazed Hermann Von Klempt before he can exert his evil will upon earth. The game lets players unleash Hellboy's superhuman abilities and the Right Hand of Doom as they smash their way through hordes of enemies using their environment for added destructive power and strategy. Just another day for Hellboy.
Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked! (working title)
Release date: Fall 2008
Genre: Survival Adventure
Platform: Wii
The Lost in Blue series makes its console debut with Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked! (working title). Experience a survival adventure like never before through colorful 3D graphics and the uniquely interactive capabilities of Wii. Players will find themselves stranded on a mysterious island filled with lush forests, ancient ruins, and an active volcano. With the help of a trusty pet and a new friend, you'll explore the mysteries of the island to find a way home or make a new life for yourselves there forever.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Release date: June 12, 2008
Genre: Stealth Action
Platform: PlayStation 3 system
Created by the legendary Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid®4: Guns of the Patriots is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake, which sends him around the world in pursuit of his arch nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. Armed with new gadgets and abilities, Solid Snake must shift the tides of war into his favor, using the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his globetrotting final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America, and other corners of the earth to foil Liquid Ocelot's plans for total world domination.
Also included with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is Metal Gear® Online, the ultimate squad based, tactical shooter based on the Metal Gear Solid® Universe. Players can immerse themselves in this next-gen multiplayer experience with various maps, game play type and weapons to choose from.
Rock Revolution
Release date: Fall 2008
Genre: Music/Dance
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, Wii, Nintendo DS
Konami's latest addition to the music category, Rock Revolution will let players release their inner rockstar! Featuring the most realistic drum peripheral available, players can enjoy an immersive and realistic drum experience while allowing friends to accompany them on guitar or bass to mind bending rock and roll tracks. Rock Revolution will also feature an extensive selection of music tracks (including downloadable songs for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system), single-player and multiplayer co-op modes. This is the musical revolution the world has been waiting for!
Silent Hill: Homecoming
Release date: September 2008
Genre: Survival Horror
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system
Silent Hill: Homecoming is the latest entry into the Silent Hill franchise. The story follows Alex Shepherd who returns to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his brother. From Shepherd's Glen to the foggy streets of Silent Hill, Alex must face the darkest of horrors in order to find his brother. Struggling with his own grip on reality, Alex must unravel the mystery behind his nightmares, discover the truth behind his brother's and father's disappearances, and confront the evil that has taken hold of his own flesh and blood.
New International Track and Field
Release date: July 2008
Genre: Sports
Platform: Nintendo DS
The classic sporting game series of Track & Field celebrates its' 25th Anniversary by coming to Nintendo DS. All the excitement and fun of the original titles is brought up to date with a bright and stylish new look, more events and online play.
The hyper-addictive gameplay was developed to take full advantage of the touch screen and stylus, thus providing gamers with a unique experience on DS. Players can either dip into single events or take on the challenge of the sporting career mode. Test your skills against the world via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and see if you have what it takes to become the best in the world. Going beyond mere online play New International Track and Field features online tournaments and worldwide rankings.
For more information about Konami games visit: www.konami.com
GameSpot is reporting that details for Guitar Hero 4 have been released. The biggest news seems to be that the new release will be adding drums and vocals a la Rock Band. The new drums are to offer three pressure-sensitive pads (which can tell if you are just tapping or really wailing), two elevated cymbals, and a pedal.
"The details in Game Informer also clear up the mystery surrounding the 'innovation' which Activision promised was coming to the Guitar Hero series in a recent earnings report conference call. The article outlines the game's studio mode, which will give users a variety of ways to create their own songs. Players will be able to jam along with one of the game's existing tracks, record songs as they're played, or meticulously detail note charts."
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
One of the hottest games that came out this week is Bleach: Heat the Soul 5 [JPN, Asian]. Fight in pairs in this brand new Sony PSP™ game, choose any two from the twenty four characters and take on all the bosses' tag teams. The more teams you beat, the more hidden characters you can unlock.
Special skills from the manga are animated in fully voiced video clips, when you filled up your tag gage, launch attacks that combine both character's powers and deal some massive damages.
Another interesting game for Sony PSP™ players is Irem's Ikuze! Gen-San: Yuuyake Daiku Monogatari [JPN, Asian]. Become this hot blooded carpenter Gen-san and defeat the evil construction company that is harrassing the people in town. Gen-san's powers defy gravity and logic, and the wooden hammer is certainly mightier than missiles and tanks.
Two fantasy RPG that sets stage in medieval European land are released on Nintendo DS™, one of them is Luminous Arc 2: Will and the other is Dungeon of Windaria.
Use the engagement ring system in Luminous Arc 2: Will to form pacts with the witches and explore their powers by letting them transform your armor and weapons in dire situations.
Dungeon of Windaria is an epic tale of fantasy, war and romance. Adventure with Izu, a traditional fantasy hero as he joins in the war effort to save his land, preserve peace for his people and the love between the prince and the princess.
Aside from new games for portable systems, popular titles released new editions for your third generation consoles. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare released a Game of the Year edition for PlayStation3™ when the bloody horror Condemned 2: Bloodshot released an Asian edition for both Xbox360™ and PlayStation3™.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™:
Condemned 2: Bloodshot ASIA US$ 49.90
The Darkness JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Game of the Year Edition) US US$ 64.90
Condemned 2: Bloodshot ASIA US$ 49.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Boom Blox US US$ 59.90
Speed Racer: The Video Game US US$ 59.90
Totsugeki Famicom Wars VS / Battalion Wars 2 JPN US$ 64.90
Sony PSP™:
Bleach: Heat the Soul 5 JPN US$ 48.90
Bleach: Heat the Soul 5 ASIA US$ 42.90
Ikuze! Gen-San: Yuuyake Daiku Monogatari ASIA US$ 42.90
Ikuze! Gen-San: Yuuyake Daiku Monogatari JPN US$ 48.90
Keibatsuu Portable JPN US$ 48.90
R-Type Command US US$ 44.90
Sony PSP™ Accessories:
PSP Headset Kit for Skype US US$ 29.99
Traveler Case US US$ 19.99
Video Game Soundtracks:
The Idolm@ster Master Live 03 JPN US$ 19.90
The King Of Fighters'98 Ultimate Match Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 31.90
A separate Video/Music update containing Japanese releases from this week, including new Anime, J-Pop and Movie releases will follow prior end of the week. So J-Pop, Anime and Movie fans, be sure to look out for that one!
Here is a quick outlook what's expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™:
UEFA Euro 2008 ASIA US$ 44.90
PlayStation3™:
MotorStorm Complete ASIA US$ 44.90
MotorStorm Complete JPN US$ 49.90
UEFA Euro 2008 ASIA US$ 49.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Castle of Shikigami III US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™:
Bleach DS 2nd: Kokui Hirameku Chinkon Uta (Best Version) JPN US$ 29.90
Bleach DS: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei (Best Version) JPN US$ 29.90
Drone Tactics US US$ 34.90
Hercules no Eikou: Tamashii no Shoumei JPN US$ 48.90
Surprise! For the fifth week in a row, Mario Kart Wii finishes first on Media Create's weekly software sales chart. Japanese gamers snapped up another 107K copies of the kart racer as new releases were put on hold for the week. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G continues to settle for second place, with Wii Fit officially passing the 2 million mark overseas. While we've seen a healthy mix of platforms on the charts over the past few months, for the week of May 5 to 11, it's simply saturated with Wii and Nintendo DS titles.
Bear down for even more sales fun throughout the day as the NPD Group releases U.S. sales data for the number starved masses. The list continues after the break.
1. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 107,000 / 1,227,000
2. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP) - 82,000 / 1,992,000
3. Wii Fit (Wii) - 53,000 / 2,039,000
4. Link's Crossbow Training (Wii) - 49,000 / 141,000
5. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS) - 34,000 / 133,000
6. Pokémon Ranger Batonage! (DS) - 27,000 / 535,000
7. Deca Sports (Wii) - 22,000 / 207,000
8. Wii Sports (Wii) - 21,000 / 2,979,000
9. Boura wa Kaseki Holder (DS) - 17,000 / 102,000
10. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) - 16,000 / 1,620,000
Overview : The Next Generation Universal WII CHIP Install Tooling!
Features :
Support for full series WII CHIP, included WIIKEY , D2CKEY , D2CPRO , ARGON , D2PRO, WASABI chips, very high install efficiency, you can finish most jobs in 2 minutes.
Very easy to install. You just need to solder the chip to the 1:1 points. Then push it cover over the D2C chipset on the drive, plug and play, even don't need the extra wires for VCC and GND , 100% ZERO wires need!
Very easy to disable the WII chip, just remove (pull out) the WII-CLIP from the WII motherboard, no need to unsolder anymore. This process will allow you return your WII to its stock configuration, can give back you one 100% original WII immediately.
Next generation HIGH precision design, 100% working perfect and stable.
Use the special IC encapsulation material, whole wii-clip working like a small radiator, without any overheating issue. We have keep it run over 720 hours to confirm this point.
Quality/Usability : Let me start off by saying that I wont be reviewing any specific chips in this review. This is solely based on Wii-Clip and what it can do.
So not everyone is a modder or even handy with their hands or just plain scared to do it themselves. I fall under all three departments. I'm not ashamed to admit it. What Wii-Clip aims to do is not only help those who are scared or inexperienced, but to make installation a lot easier even for the pros.
When modding a Nintendo Wii, the most scariest party is damaging to motherboard. One mistake and it can fry your Nintendo Wii dead! With the Wii-Clip, you dont have to worry about causing damage to your Nintendo Wii. All you do is snap the Wii-Clip over the Nintendo Wii's chipset and you're done! No more soldering wires onto the Nintendo Wii. You dont even have to use wires for the modchips.
There are different Wii-Clips available for each modchip. You have WiiKey, D2Ckey, D2Pro, Argon, Wasabi, even open source such as OpenWii, Wiinja, WiiFree and many more. As new modchips become available or even upgraded ones, Wii-Clip will have one.
As I mentioned above, I'm not handy when it comes to soldering or modifying electronics. But I was able to do it. Of course, I borrowed a friends soldering iron and had an old PC motherboard laying around. Once I felt comfortable and confident enough, I dove right in. Simply line up your modchip to the Wii-Clip and solder the points together. No more need for wires or soldering to your Nintendo Wii. However, to ensure that the modchip will line up with the Wii-Clip, I first soldered on one corner. Once that was soldered, I soldered a corner opposite from my first spot. My method was similar to that of tightening lug nuts on a car tire. With this method, if I so happen to move the Wii-Clip or modchip accidently, it wont be misaligned.
Once all the points are soldered on the modchip and Wii-Clip, it was now time to install it onto the chipset on the Nintendo Wii. But before doing so, you must take the "PROTECT LABEL" sticker and place it under the modchip. This prevents any points on the modchip from touching the Nintendo Wii motherboard. Now take the Wii-Clip, place it over the chipset and push down. Some down force will be needed to make sure that the Wii-Clip is tightly in place and will not fall off. At first, I felt scared because the Wii board was bending but it held up and is sturdy. Once in place, take the decorative Mario looking background paper. Not only is it used for packaging but its also used to protect the modchip from touching the Nintendo Wii. Just rip off the flap in the middle and fit the Wii-Clip through the opening.
As stated above, the Nintendo Wii was only disassembled and none of the components were soldered or tampered with. This keeps the Nintendo Wii's warranty still intact if a problem ever arises. Even if you no longer wanted the modchip, there is no damage to the Nintendo Wii.
Before closing up the Nintendo Wii and to ensure that the Wii-Clip worked, I turned on the Nintendo Wii and it worked. Inserted both an original Wii game and a backup and both worked flawlessly. Once I knew it was working, I closed everything back up and tested the games again and experienced no problems.
When removing the Wii-Clip, it was a bit tough to remove. Wii-Clip suggested using a sharp object but I used a small flat-head screwdriver. They also mentioned to pry from the corners only and from all 4 sides.
Conclusion : Overall, the Wii-Clip Easy Install Modchip Kit is probably the most easiest and safest method of installing a modchip. No damage is done to the Nintendo Wii. Even if you messed up the soldering, its on the modchip and Wii-Clip. If for whatever reason you totally screwed it up and no longer works, you only have to pay for the chip and Wii-Clip. Its a lot better than having to hunt down for a Nintendo Wii and spending $250USD for a new one.
The Wii-Clip comes in an assortment and is available for WiiKey, D2Ckey, D2Pro, Argon, Wasabi, even open source such as OpenWii, Wiinja, WiiFree and many more. So no one is left out! Whats great is that if you have multiple modchips and for whatever reason a game does not work, you can simply open up your Wii and swap the Wii-Clip with modchip.
Please note that none of the "upgrade" products listed in this site are endorsed by Nintendo, Sony and/or Microsoft. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Network does not condone piracy. The primary functions of a "modchip" and/or "flashcart" are to allow you to play imported games and homebrew software that you legally own or simply just for experimenting with hardware. We in no way endorse piracy, and encourage all users to do the right thing and support the developers/manufacturers that support them. We do not take any responsibilities for any use outside of these parameters or where the use of such a device is illegal.
Includes:
dual charging dock
2 rechargeable battery packs
universal HD, S-Video and AV cable
2 remote jeli grips
2 nunchuk jeli grips
2 wrist straps
1 micro racing wheel
Installation:
It's an pain in the ass to put the jeli grips on the remote because they are so tight (it took me 2 minutes to get them on for the first time)
Just put the wiimote in the back of the grip and gently pull it in.
the universal HD, S-Video and AV cable is installed exact like you did with the one that came with the wii, except for the ones who use a HD-TV.
If you have a HD-TV just turn the swich to the left and use the HD cables instead of the s-video and av cables.
The dual charging dock is easy to instal, just stick the power suply of the wii in [1], the put [3] in the charging dock like this:
then put [2] in your wii
So, you have you charging dock ready, now you want to charge you wiimote.
Now comes the crappy part of this bundle, because the wiimote doesn't fit in charging dock with the grip on.
So to charge you have to pull back the grip, charge then pull the grip back on.
That's why I prefer the original Nintendo wiimote protector because it's really easy to pull the bottom back so you can charge your wiimote.(see images above)
Conclusion:
This bundle has only a few good things like the steering wheel and the charging dock, but the dreamgear team didn't thought about people who want to use the chargingdock with their wiimote grip and wiimote strap. >_>
Pro's and Con's: Pro's
Charging dock!!!
cool loocking grip
don't have to buy a official wiiwheel
extra strap if your old one breaks
wii on HD quality
Con's
need to put of the grip and strap to charge
the universal HD, S-Video and AV cable is a overkill of wires
The latest figure for console sales in Japan are in at the same positions of last week's reading:
Playstation Portable: 89,884
Nintendo Wii: 67,308
Nintendo DS Lite: 51,228
Playstation 3: 8,054
Playstation 2: 7,464
Xbox 360: 1,298
PSP still tops them all with roughly a 11,000 decrease. 2nd is the Wii, 4,000 drop. Next is the DS Lite, down 1,300. Last three in order are the PS3, PS2 and Xbox 360 all down 2,000, 1,400 and 427 respectively.
Pop is a very simple game...You pop bubbles to earn points to try to get a highscore while avoiding obstacles and getting power-ups.
Gameplay:
The main point of Pop is to pop bubbles of different shapes, sizes, and colors. You get points and time, added to your time limit, with every bubble you pop. There are different power-ups, such as Nuke, which creates a small explosion ring around the bubble it was in, and Time Warp, which slows down the bubbles' flow, making it easier to pop more bubbles in less time. There are combos/chains, and multipliers to help you get more points for your pops. Multipliers can be found in bubbles, but can also be obtained from chaining bubbles. There is also an advanced mode, where you try to get 9,999,999 points before Wave 16, and multiplayer mode, in which up to four people can play, each trying to get the highest score.
Graphics:
The graphics in Pop are very simplistic, yet stylish and relaxing. Each level brings along a new color of something, whether it be the background color, or a new colored bubble. There are also different shapes and sizes of bubbles. Personally, the graphics are better than some I've seen in other current generation games. Up next is the music section of this review.
Sound:
The soothing, yet sometimes hyped up music in this game adds to the good aspects of Pop. Throughout the Waves, different music plays. This music can be either relaxing and calm, or fast and motivating. Whatever style of music is playing, you will enjoy most of the music in this game. Second to last is the control section of Pop's review.
Replay Value:
Some may think pointing the screen for the length of the game may get agrivating or boring, whether it be from stiffness or pain of the arm or something else. Personally, I think Pop is the opposite. You are so busy busting bubbles that move at high speeds while trying to keep your time limit up, that you forget about the pain. The cursor may jump around a little bit, but it is usually steady and smooth. Last but not, the replay value...
Conclusion:
Pop may seem boring from screenshots or videos, but it isn't. Even though each Wave has the same designs (Background, bubbles, etc.), Pop's addictiveness will block out the slight repetitiveness. Now that I've covered every judging point that most people look at in games, I'll add up the scores and give my final opinion.
Overall Rating:
If you want my recommendation, I say get it...It's a great game, and for $7, it's a steal. I was excited for this game, and that swayed my thought of this game from thinking it's cool, to really awesome. All of my opinions in this review are truthful (Not affected by swaying), and I really do recommend this game to casual gamers (Even though the majority of users here are hardcore gamers) and hardcore gamers alike.
Sega has finally revealed some solid information on the two new characters being added to Virtua Fighter 5 upgrade, Virtua Fighter 5 R.
The first addition, Jean Kujo, is a French Karate practitioner whose angst-filled style has driven many fans to speculate on possible connections to Virtua Fighter 4's gothic Judo fighter Goh.
Additionally, Taka-Arashi (who had been missing from the series since his last appearance in Virtua Fighter 3) will return to the fight, presumably with his sumo wrestling-inspired fighting style intact.
No release date or platform information has yet been released, though you can be sure Virtua Fighter 5 R will hit Japanese arcades well before any consoles.
Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 190 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.
KAT-TUN released their seventh single Don't U Ever Stop this week and aside from the standard edition, they released three limited editions [A, B, C] which carries two songs done by the members in solo.
Although KAT-TUN is a group associated with hard rock music, Don't U Ever Stop is a powerful dance tune that is written to compliment the live performances of the boy band. The strong rhythm of the song robs its listener of their breath and replaces it with fizzy energy.
Aside from KAT-TUN's dance tune other interesting music releases include The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Original Soundtrack and Nobody Knows from XXXholic, Clamp's coolly innovative fantasy anime.
Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, May 10th and Friday, May 16th. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.
J-Pop Music releases (59)
ENKA Music releases (7)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (7)
Video Game Soundtracks (2)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (4)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (11)
Anime & Animation (6)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (19)
Japanese Movies (1)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (66)
J-Pop DVD releases (5)
Idol DVD (7)
When I was talking with the SteelSeries guys about their gear, one thing they were serious about was that gaming is a sport. I scoffed. But, we've shown you how to work out with nothing gaming gear and now PC Mag catalogs eight ways to hurt yourself gaming—like any other athletic activity. Besides sore limbs via Wiitis, there's Rock Band Hand from too much drumming/strumming, WASD wrist for hardcore PC gamers (and bloggers), Burning Bladder for WoWites, and um, something that vaguely resembles epilepsy for puzzle gamers. Not featured, however, is the most notorious of Wiinjuries:
Check your watches, check your calendars. It's TELL US DAMMIT time! Hooray!! How it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interesting in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Whichever!
I haven't been reviewing lately, but you can thank exams for that. Afterward, look forward to a review for Condemned 2: Bloodshot, Ninja Gaiden II, DBZ: Burst Limit and The Bourne Conspiracy.
I really hope feudal Japan wasn't this boring. Onimusha would have a fit.
I remember the glorious days of Dynasty Warriors 4 and 5, their best years ever. Back then they had new ideas, but old executions, which were fine for that time (they weren't overused....yet.) Even the Original Samurai Warriors was half bad. And then KOEI went and vomited out Dynasty Warriors 5: Extreme Legends. Then they excreted DW5: Empires. But they weren't even close to satisfied with rubbing their game's name in mud. They then threw out SW2:E.
These Samurai should commit an "honorable" suicide.
Lets face it: Whenever a game relies on a single gimmick (not console, I said when a GAME does this) it 90% of the time falls straight on its face. Samurai Warriors 2: Empires is no different. However, unlike DW, this SW game doesn't even do that gimmick right; that is, throwing hordes of mindless soldiers that all seem to look like Mexican Matt Damons at you. While its fun for the first 10 minutes, those Mr. Damongonzales's start to get very annoying. Very, Very annoying. Combos hardly even start until late in the "game". And even when they do, all you do is press the X button about 5 times, do it again, do it again...Oh! Musou attack. Ok now then. X5...X5....O....X5... which gets beyond tedious, and extremely unfulfilling. Another part of the game that DW did that SW's crashes (and burns) on is officer fights. While DW manages to make these even slightly challenging (possibly even...fun....) the officers (aka mini bosses) are just as mindless as the pissants you run through the whole game. They simply have more health, and don't look like Senior Damon. Absolutely all parts of the "strategy that the game is thinly based on a complete rubbish. When you issue an order, you comrades follow it, but do about nothing else afterwards. You tell them to guard a base, so they go to the base, but don't defend it. Just kinda stand around looking all Japanese-like. Finally, the idea of governing your territories is boring and unnecessary. And with only 26 characters, all who are absolutely boring to play as (with the exception to Nene and Hanzo), you will most likely lock this game in a crate and throw it to the bottom of a river. To which i say: Please don't. Should in the future some alien race finds this game in that crate and plays it, it will almost surely make them attack and destroy the earth for creating such awful "games".
Hello Mr. Samurai, nice pop-in we're having today!
Onto graphics. The only semi-decent graphical thing in this game is the character models (Excluding Mr.Damon-Gonzales.) While they do their thing (with glitchy animations) on screen, it becomes increasingly obvious that the devs for this game just don't want you looking at backgrounds, and for good reason. This game has less stairs and level elevation changes then Wolfenstein 3D (for those of you who don't know, it didn't HAVE level changes.), so you'll be spending some to all of your time on a level surface. Occasionally there will be some pots of boxes which you can break with an attack, usually resulting in nothing whatsoever. Even when you do, the boxes just kinda fade away and don't even break. Almost every type of 3D building or whatever in the game is simply a texture slapped on the side of a box. Really, theres not even that much to even CRITICIZE in this game. Graphics are below poor.
Japanese style-soundtrack? Honestly, I hope not, for Japan's sake.
SW2: E sports a self-proclaimed Japanese style soundtrack to pummel countless Mexican warriors to. While its not really so bad, its easily forgettable and doesn't really fit the mood at all. That, combines with the ridiculously incoherent dialogue issuing from the NPC's mouths all game long really makes you want to mute the TV. Terrible sound effects. However, once in a blue moon a character or two will have a good voice over for crappy dialogue. Does that compensate? Heres another one: Does ice cream make aliens come to earth and dance the disco every Thursday night at every burger king across the US? If so, then yes, it does compensate.
Even samurai won't play this through again.
If you like this fecies, then you have the ride of your life; tons of story modes that all have the same characters doing the EXACT same thing over and over. If you don't, this game has no replay value.
Lets get to it then! (Thanks for standing still!)
Presentation: 1/5
You wonder why theres no paragraph on this? Because there is no story.
Graphics: 2.5/5
Decent character models offset by terrible everything else. Lame.
Gameplay: 2/5
Mashing the button over and over is fun for a good 10 minutes. Then it just gets repetitive and tedious.
Sound: 2.5/5
Decent songs don't fit with the mood. Voice overs are sometimes less then crap, but dialogue and sound is.
Replay Value: 1/5
What?
Overall: 1.5/5
Bad. Avoid. Shoot with a rifle type of avoid. Yeah, its that bad. If you don't know why you haven't read this review.
Extreme-Mods Disc Repair Service
Manufacturer: N/A
Site: Buy from Extreme-Mods
Price: $5.99 per disc + shipping costs (ships internationally)
Overview : Send us your scratched or damaged Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii, Playstation 2 (PS2), Playstation 3 (PS3), Gamecube, CD, DVD, HD-DVD, BluRay, PC discs and have them professionally resurfaced and promptly returned to you. Using specialized machine(s) we are able to get great results that remove all scratches and restores the disc to "like new" condition.
Notice: We do not guarantee ALL discs will be repairable but we will do our best to repair it to its original playing condition. We are not responsible for discs lost in the mail or in transit.
Attention Xbox 360 Users: If you accidentally scratched a game disc in your console like the disc pictured above, we are here to help! This is scratch ring is easily removed with our special machine(s) and techniques. We will restore your disc to like new condition so you can enjoy playing it again.
Quality/Usability : So I know we all had a bunch of scratched disc whether it be from poor handling of the disc, letting a sibling, child, pet damage it or from your player. Upon trying to play the disc, it was badly scratched that we had to either try and repair it ourselves with a disc repairer, have a store try and repair it or throw it away.
Well, I had Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 for the Xbox 360. Unfortunately, someone sent this to me from a trade. Upon looking at it, I was greatly disappointed at the condition. I thought it would still work despite the condition and the game would not read or load. I tried taking the disc to many stores such as GameCrazy, EB/GameStop, Blockbuster, FYE and many other retail stores that deals with videogame, movies and music. None would repair my disc. They would only repair lightly scratched discs but as you can see by the image above.
I noticed that Extreme-Mods provided a service on repairing discs. Although they state that do not guarantee that all discs are repairable, I was willing to give it a shot. I have nothing else to lose. No other stores would take it and the disc is already useless. I have nothing to lose.
Cost of repair is $5.99 per disc. Shipping starts at $3.38 for First Class. Depending on how many discs you send and how heavy the package is, price of shipping will vary. I sent the disc with a blank DVD case and it costs around $2.00 via First Class, give or take a couple of cents (depending on location). If you add any extra services such as tracking or insurance and what shipping method, it will cost more. So in total, it will cost almost $12 just to ship, have it done and shipped back to you.
Having shipped the package on a Monday via First Class, it arrived within a couple of days. Extreme-Mods had the item shipped back 2-3 days after receiving it. I received the package a couple days later. So in total, from shipping to receiving, it took almost 2 weeks. Again, depending on shipping method you choose, it could be sooner.
As you can see from the picture, the ring scratch is no longer visible. But upon looking at it very very and I mean, very closely, I can still see a little bit of a ring that was left. This is only visible held in a certain way with the right lighting. Other than that, its impossible to see. Also, the machine used to repair the disc left some very very small hairline buff marks. Again, this is impossible to see unless held in a certain position and lighting.
Conclusion : Overall, the Extreme-Mods Disc Repair Service exceeded my expectations. I was expecting maybe a Disc Doctor type of repair where it would leave huge buff marks or Extreme-Mods emailing me and informing me that it was unrepairable. The disc is useless already...so I have nothing to lose. Extreme-Mods repaired a disc that no other store would perform. Even if the stores said that they can try to repair but couldnt guarantee that it can, I would of given it a shot. But they turned me down.
After being denied of repair from stores, I was so close to snapping the disc in half and tossing the disc in the garbage until I found the repair service. Extreme-Mods says they usually ship the disc back in 24-48 hours but it took about 48-72 hours due to them being a little swamped. Now, I am able to trade this game rather than have a coaster on my hand. So is it like new condition? Yes, definitely. However, the cost of repair including shipping costs is a bit too high and may put a dent in the wallet. $6 to resurface a disc? $3 would of been more reasonable. If sending disc(s) to be repaired, use a bubble padded envelope and place discs in a blank DVD case or something sturdy to prevent it from being snapped during transit.
Those enlightened individuals who have experienced the rapidly metastasizing MMO hotel sim/social networking site known as Habbo (formerly Habbo Hotel) are already aware that the community for this "hangout for teens" is sizable, to say the least. Thus, when the Pixelated Nation of Habbonia endorses one of the current-gen consoles as being the "Console of Choice" for the teenaged, it resounds like the voice of a small nation -- albeit a nation of furniture-hording hotel dwellers.
Nearly 57,000 Habbonians took part in the survey late last year, where 69 percent of the pixelated participants gave the PlayStation 3 "great or good" rankings, followed by 64 percent for the Wii, and 58 percent for the Xbox 360. The Global Habbo Youth Survey went on to show that females preferred the Wii and Habbonians located in the Americas were more favorable to the Xbox 360 than their Eastern Hemisphere suitemates. Not exactly new information, but it is an excellent excuse for us to repeatedly type the word Habbonian.
Frontlines: Fuel of War
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Kaos Studios
Players: 1-50 (good lord)
Genre: Tactical FPS
Frontlines: Fuel of War bases around the idea of a third World War that is caused by a lack of oil and gasoline around the world. (sound familiar?) 2 major factions and four countries are included in this war: U.S. and Britain vs. China and Russia, the Western Coalition and the Red Star Alliance respectively. You are in the shoes of a soldier who, like many others, is caught in this war and speculates on all areas of the war, including the idea that the entire war is based on a conspiracy theory. Who knows...
Oil the Glorious
The entire story for this game is base on the idea that soon (in 2008) the world will erupt into a full scale war over the few remaining deposits of oil left on earth. The best part about this story is the possibility that this could happen. The idea of (in todays world) people fighting over oil in a global war isn't totally unforeseeable. Anyway, the story centers on oil, and the two factions (the RSA and WC) are warring over this. Overall, the story is basically another war story, except slightly futuristic and with a small amount of character development. (most of your teamates die fairly quickly) Honestly, there isn't that much to story. Menus work fine, but loading times are sometimes a little long. Multiplayer is glorious. 50 player online matches in massive arena based warfare. The connections for online? So far so good, I haven't ever noticed any connection errors, even in massive battles. A little bit of lag though when the going gets insanely large. Respawning is a pain in the a**.....
All of them soldiers, all of them lifeless
War doesn't look all too bad...
Frontlines certainly does look good sometimes. Explosions are gloriously, well, explosive, and they work nice. The main problem with this game graphically is that in the massive outside arenas seem to actually have no textures on them until you get very close up. In other words, the textures pop up AFTER you get close, which diminishes the spectacular view of massive war greatly. Pop in for buildings and models happen, but the game cleverly disguises this as saying the its due to the fog and the players (apparent) bad eyesight. Character models, while not exactly Call of Duty 4, work fine, but look very bland close up. Rainbow Six vegas this ain't. Bullet effects and fire seem both primitive and well done at the same time. (don't ask how, just watch it.)
Frontlines does have its moments, but for the most part it falls flat
Sorry sir, lip sync is not a-go.
Sound. Dialog among the characters is well done, if a bit choppy in campaign mode. A good bit of the dialog focuses on the characters thoughts about the war and the missions they are doing. but to be honest, none of it is memorable, and lip sync could have been much better. Sound effects are well presented, from bullet firing to explosions. The whir of a sentry coming in for a kill is sometimes a bit annoying, as you hear them as being a good for meters away, then boom. Your suddenly dead. You can't so much trust you ears when it comes to remote controlled vehicles in the game. I don't even remember whether or not there was music in the game (which should tell you something about the soundtrack.)
50 player online battles? GOOD ****!
While story mode is rather unimpressive, multiplayer makes up for it rather well. First off the bat you'll notice the MASSIVE battles of 50 players in equally massive battlefields. Theres so much strategy behind team work in this game that people don't even see. For instance, a Special Ops guy could load your vehicle up with C4 to have you bail out of the vehicle right as it collides into another tank and tell the guy to detonate his C4. Or for a less strategic note, get two of your friends into a well-known hiding spot as close combatants, and basically herd your enemies into the area where your friends do the rest. Now speaking of vehicles. The controls for the vehicles are bad, even worse then GTA IV. other then that, vehicles are also insanely overpowered. If your enemy is in a tank, it doesn't matter if you can get a rocket off on his tank. At best it'll only take a third of his health down and by that time you'll be blown to Jupiter. Same goes for all vehicles. The class system works. The only thing is that you'll almost never see ANYONE playing as close combat, i.e. the shotgun class. People who play as the sniper class are doomed too. The Sniper takes at least 2 HEADSHOTS to kill someone, where as the assault rifle (the machine gun class) has the same accuracy as the sniper rifle with the same damage. Still, all these work in the hands of decent players. Multiplayer is the best part of the game, easily.
1 game mode? Honestly?
As far as replay value goes, it all depends on you love for the multiplayer. As you won't play through single player twice, will the 6-10 maps hold you with only a single online mode? Well, that all depends on you, and Frontlines mode really isn't to be messed with.
Lets get to it then! (Watch above your head!)
Presentation: 3.5/5
Intelligent story combined with meh execution equals meh-ness. Connection is great and menus are fine.
Graphics: 4/5
Texture pop up aside, this game can look pretty stunning at times. Explosive times especially.
Sound: 3/5
Sound and gunfires works, voices are alright, but none of it is really spectacular at all.
Gameplay: 4/5
While singleplayer is alright, multiplayer takes a crown for the thing in this game most worthy of your time. If you can get into it, it may be hard to get out of.
Replay Value: 3.5/5
Do you like the multiplayer? Then you have good replay Value...
Overall: 3.5/5
Frontlines offers some pretty nice war-based ideas for online multiplayer. pitty the storyline is only so-so, but it reminds me of CoD4 in this way...
Wild Tangent's CEO, Alex St. John, made some 'brazen' claims at the ION keynote — one of the boldest being that console gaming is dead and the PC is looking towards a renaissance. It should be noted that St. John has blabbered about this before, so he's just retreading previous ground:
Beginning one of several brazen claims in his keynote, St. John spoke of the death of video game consoles: “Nobody needs a console when a game's value and DRM is defined by community or an input device. Consoles just serve to keep you from playing a game you didn't pay for.”
He asked, “What's Sony and Microsoft's motivation to make another console? It's been so rocky, and it's not about the pretty graphics anymore.” According to St. John, spectacular graphics have become a commodity, and not the platform for games to differentiate themselves. “The Wii is the exception that proves the rule — it's not about the graphics, it's about the input device.
He went on to talk about advertising models and targeting the right audience — but his statements on the console vs. PC pack the most punch.
Overview : Sporting a high speed Actel FPGA running at 350 MHz, this chip is capable of what is known as Intelligent Code Modification(ICM). With ICM this device monitors the Wii's internal communication and patches it when necessary to enable you to unlock the Wii's full potential.
The D2Pro installs with only 15 wires instead of the 30+ wires required by previous Wii Mod Chips. In addition to a simplified installation the D2Pro is fully software upgradeable to ensure future compatibility.
Features :
Compatible with DVD+-R, DVD+-RW and Dual-layer DVD (movies and GCOS)
Direct boot of Wii original and backup games from the same region
Direct boot of Gamecube original and backup games from the same region
Direct boot of different NTSC region Wii and GC games on USA and JAP consoles
Partial region free support on Wii and GC original and backup games with different videomode (ie PAL<->USA, JAPAN)
Improved read settings for recordable media
Supports running GC games at Wii disk speed
GC Audiostreaming Fix
Supports full-size DVD and DVD9 discs for GC homebrew
Supports GC multigame discs
Supports Wii and GC multidisc games
Does not modify RAM, making it virtually undetectable for the Wii
Full command set emulation
Quality/Usability : The D2Pro is Team WiiKey's third mochip. After releasing WiiKey for DMS, D2A and D2B chipsets, they released D2Ckey for the much harder to mod D2C chipset which required 31 wires. Soon after Infectus released their Argon, WiiKey released the D2Pro which only required less than half of the amount of wires as D2Ckey (12-15 wires).
Unlike traditional modchips, D2Pro is upgradeable through an external programmer also known as D2prog. No more having burning discs just to upgrade. As Argon is the first to have less wires for D2C and uses an external programmer, D2Pro follows it. Its normal as thats how it always is whether it be in the gaming industry or any of your household products.
D2Pro comes in a small anti-static bag. For a limited time offer, if you order from ConsoleSource, it comes with a free Tri-Wing screwdriver. If you already have one, no biggie..you'll just have a spare. But if you dont already have one, you'll need this. As mentioned above, you'll need an external programmer to update the D2Pro for when WiiKey releases any new updates. Unfortunately, its not included. Its not even sold on ConsoleSource. Some other sites either include the external programmer or sell it separately.
The D2Pro is the same size as the D2Ckey. This time, there its in a different colored PCB board (red), has a ribbon cable clasp and uses a Actel chip.
As its still hard to find a Nintendo Wii on store shelves, a friend volunteered his Nintendo Wii that he was lucky enough to find in a store. As I'm not as technical when it comes to soldering, I had a friend of ours who works on electronics for a living, help perform this risky mod. REMEMBER, this is only for the experienced and not the weak at heart (noobs). But if you have the experience or want to try it out, you can download the latest diagrams on D2Pro's website.
You can find instructions on how to dismantle/disassemble your Nintendo Wii by doing a Google search. There are numerous text guides and even videos.
Wii Compatibility : Having tested a couple of Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii games, I must say, D2Pro performed very well. We tried both original and backups for the hell of it. D2Pro loaded and booted all games without a problem. We tried Ikaruga which needed a audiosteam fix and it had no problem loading both game and sound. We did not have problems playing with any region free games.
Homebrew Compatibility : Having tried to boot GCOS and a few emulators, D2Pro had no problem running them.
Conclusion : Overall, the D2Pro Wii Modchip worked just like its predecessor, D2Ckey but with less wires. When D2Pro was first released, the external programmer (D2prog) was not included or released at the same time. In order to upgrade the D2Pro, you'll need this external adapter which is available now. If you're going to upgrade, you'll also have to reopen your Nintendo Wii in order to install the ribbon cable. From what I can tell, the ribbon cable is not included with the D2prog so you'll either have to find one on your own or hope that a retailer will include it.
Team WiiKey has also released a new D2Pro that can be installed with only 9 wires but we did the normal 15 wire install. If you dont want to buy a whole new D2Pro, you can purchase a SPI flash update module which is soldered onto the corner of the D2Pro.
Those looking for a cleaner and easier installation may want to take a look at the Wii-Clip.
Please note that none of the "upgrade" products listed in this site are endorsed by Nintendo, Sony and/or Microsoft. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Network does not condone piracy. The primary functions of a "modchip" and/or "flashcart" are to allow you to play imported games and homebrew software that you legally own or simply just for experimenting with hardware. We in no way endorse piracy, and encourage all users to do the right thing and support the developers/manufacturers that support them. We do not take any responsibilities for any use outside of these parameters or where the use of such a device is illegal.
Grand Theft Auto IV remains at the top of the UK sales charts in its third week according to data released by Chart-Track.
Sales of both GTA IV and second place title Wii Fit dropped significantly - 41 per cent and 52 per cent respectively - but such drops weren't enough to remove the games from their places on the charts.
Mario Kart Wii climbed up six places from number nine to number three, thanks to renewed stock. According to Chart-Track, Nintendo games accounted for three of the top five best sellers and twenty exclusives in the top forty.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue fell off the Top Ten chart, dropping from eighth to twelfth place. This gave Guitar Hero III enough room to re-enter the Top Ten, moving up from eleventh to tenth place.
The Top Ten best-selling titles in the UK for the week ending May 17 were:
1. Grand Theft Auto IV
2. Wii Fit
3. Mario Kart Wii
4. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
5. Wii Play
6. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
7. Iron Man: The Official Videogame
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
9. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training
10. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Overview : Play it cool with the Fusion Cooling Fan from JOYTECH. Designed exclusively for use with the PlayStation 3 console, the Fusion Cooling Fan prevents potentially dangerous overheating of console through powerful fan assisted technology. Discrete appearance and safe operation, ideal for long gameplay session!
Features :
Heat Diffusion System draws heat away from console
Silent-Running design for quiet operation during play
Prevents potentially dangerous overheating during sustained use
Quality/Usability : Like the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 produces a good amount of heat. Luckily, you dont hear much of RROD (Red Ring of Death) type display when it fails on the PlayStation 3 but you never know. There can be many factors as to why consoles no longer work. It can be defective, dust or the most common, overheating.
I remember my original PlayStation was like that. I had to put the PS1 on its side. With these nex-gen consoles, they are more powerful and require more energy. With that, they produce more heat similar to that of PCs.
Like Nyko's Intercooler, Joytech decided to enter the cooling fan market by releasing the Fusion Cooling Fan. Unlike its competitor, the Fusion Cooling Fan only goes on the back of the PlayStation 3. There are three fans encased in a plastic housing. To the right, there is a plastic door that covers HDMI port, optical port, etc. and underneath is a USB port. The Fusion Cooling Fan does not cover the power plug or power switch.
Joytech claims the fan to be quiet but it was the same loudness as the PS3 if not slightly louder. Without the fan, the PS3 blew out hot air. With the Fusion Cooler Fan, the air was not as hot and was warm. Whats nice about the Fusion Cooler is that it runs off of the USB power. No additional batteries or external power.
Conclusion : Overall, the Joytech Fusion Cooling Fan did OK. Yes, air comes out from the back of the PlayStation 3 but air also comes out from the right side/top (depending on how you have the PS3 positioned). Like its competitor, Nyko Intercooler, it covered the back and side/top vent. Of course, it made it even more bulky. Price for the Fusion Cooling Fan is a bit on the expensive side. If currency exchange rate was done, it would be about $35USD. $20 would of been a more reasonable price. Since the PS3 does not have as much overheating problems that the Xbox 360 has, I would skip on the fans for the time being unless your PS3 is starting to act up and cause problems.
According to a recent Slate piece, it's... Solitaire? The article says that the various versions of Windows Solitaire are the most-used programs among Windows, and charts in particular the American workplace's ongoing love affair with the time-waster.
The article raises a number of interesting points — how the temptation of playing Solitaire at the workplace, for example, might have trained an older generation of computer-illiterates to use the mouse well, to minimize windows and swap between applications quickly (like you do when the boss is coming).
Grand Theft Auto IV remains on top of the sales charts in Germany and Spain according to data released by Media-Control GfK International.
The PlayStation 3 version topped the charts in both countries. The Xbox 360 version came in second place in Germany and fourth place in Spain.
Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii were near the top of the charts as well, with Nintendo Wii and DS titles accounting for six out of the top ten in both countries.
The Top Ten best-selling games for the week ended May 11 were:
Germany:
1. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
2. Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
3. Wii Fit (Wii)
4. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
5. Assassin's Creed Director's Cut (PC)
6. Brain Training (DS)
7. More Brain Training (DS)
8. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)
9. Mario Kart DS (DS)
10. The Lord of the Rings: Battle for MiddleEarth 2 (PC)
Spain:
1. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
2. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
3. Wii Fit (Wii)
4. Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PSP)
6. Wii Play (Wii)
7. 42 All-Time Classics (DS)
8. More Brain Training (DS)
9. Brain Training (DS)
10. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)
The three console giants have failed a Greenpeace test after they were found to contain a number of toxic and potentially harmful materials.
The Greenpeace "Playing Dirty" report found substances such as polyvinyl chloride, phthalates, beryllium and bromine on the various bits and bobs within the consoles. If they checked the office pads they'd also find the remains of yesterday's KFC feast (on a Monday too, the shame - Ed)
You probably won't be chowing down on the microchips inside your PS3 any time soon (we'd hope), but Greenpeace called for console manufacturers to "design out" toxic substances.
Dr. Kevin Brigden, Greenpeace Science Unit, said: "Whether game consoles are classified as toys or not, they can still contain hazardous chemicals and materials that could harm humans. The technology is available for the manufacturers to design out toxics and produce greener game consoles now."
Casey Harrell, Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner, added: "Our test clearly shows that a greener game console is possible; manufacturers just need to look 'inside the box' of the competition to see which of their own dirty components can be replaced with toxic free materials."
It's not so much that you'll be licking the components of your console, but more about the environmental effects when they're dumped, ending up in recycling yards in developing countries, apparently.
Nothing fits the hand quite like the old school, blockish NES controller, all square and squeaky -- and now the subject of loving merger with an Apple Remote. The NesRemote, not surprisingly, makes use of the D-pad for navigation, A and B play and pause, and Select for the back button. No, it won't make exploring your iTunes collection as fun as collecting Metroid energy tanks, but we might guarantee that watching the video after the break will bring a smile to your jaded, geeky face.
Welcome to this week's toys update. Check out the wonderful collectibles we just got in stock and all the new products made available for preorder.
As toys, especially collectible ones, are produced in limited numbers and are often sold out prior to the actual release date, we strongly recommend to preorder the figures of your desire as early as possible.
Copper, the guard of the town gates in Nintendo's community simulation game Animal Crossing is chosen as this week's special. As opposed to his rugged appearance, he is perfectly helpful as shown in the game. Let him guard your bedroom or office from invasion.
The plush doll of Copper is sold at the bargain price of US$ 6.90 and the maximum purchase is limited to 1 piece per customer. As usually, this weekly special is valid for exactly 1 week (if not sold out earlier).
Mega House released three more figures for their Excellent Model - Portrait of Pirates series. After watching these characters in action on the TV screen or in the cinema, its time to expand your growing collection of figures. The three characters featured are Shanks, Sanji and Nami.
All of the figures are sculpted to scale with attention paid to the smallest of details like finger nails, the folds of their clothes and the cigarette in Sanji's hand.
The Gears of War Action Figure Box Set comes with four action figures and their weapons. Twelve joints are installed into each of the figures so you can form all sorts of postures with them.
With two heroes, the leader of Delta Squad Marcus Fenix and Private Augustus Cole and two Locusts, Drone and Sniper, you can recreate a large number of memorable battle scenes in this critically acclaimed first person shooter.
Preorder the world's tiniest grand piano. Complete with eighty eight keys, each four millimeters wide, this miniature piano is not simply an ornament for your glass case, but a real piano that you can play tunes on, (provided that your fingers are small enough).
With one hundred built in piano pieces and an SD card slot for extra music, the Grand Pianist works also as a music player. As the pieces play, the keys on the piano will be pressed accordingly. For those who want to improve their finger works on the piano, observe this musical instrument in action even if you can't play on it.
Tokyo Tower is one of the tallest self supporting steel structures in the world and a sign of Japan's emergence as a global economic power house. It is frequently featured in popular culture to represent Japan.
This model is fifty centimeters tall and modeled after the original structure to an art form. With a built in led light, switch it on at night and capture a fragment of nightlife in Tokyo.
The lists below show what has been released this week and what is available for preordering.
Toys & Figures (16)
Battle Mode Transformers MA-21 Pre-Painted Figure: Optimus Prime JPN US$ 64.90
Battle Mode Transformers MA-22 Pre-Painted Figure: Bumblee Bee JPN US$ 29.90
Be@rbrick Non Scale 100% Pre-Painted Figure: Elvis Presley JPN US$ 17.90
Be@rbrick Non Scale 400% Pre-Painted Figure: Elvis Presley JPN US$ 54.90
Excellent Model One Piece Neo-4 - Portraits of Pirates 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Nami (Version 2) JPN US$ 49.90
Excellent Model One Piece Neo-4 - Portraits of Pirates 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Sanji JPN US$ 49.90
Excellent Model One Piece Neo-4 - Portraits of Pirates 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Shanks JPN US$ 54.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Figma Suzumiya Haruhi (School Uniform Version) JPN N/A
Gears of War Action Figure Box Set US US$ 54.90
Hell Girl 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Enma Ai JPN N/A
Masterpiece Transformers Pre-Painted Action Figure: Starscream (US Edition) JPN US$ 79.90
Megachu 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Jordh JPN US$ 64.90
Picoo Z Infrared Control Helicopter (Atlas) US$ 39.90
Rambo 3 1/4 Scale Pre-Painted Statue: John J Rambo JPN US$ 64.90
Resinya Toradora 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Kawashima Ami JPN US$ 64.90
Wingmaster: I-Bird US$ 31.90
New Preorders (36)
Bible Black 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Minase Yukiko JPN US$ 64.90
Blassreiter Non Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Blassreiter JPN N/A
Blassreiter Non Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Perfect Piece Garm JPN N/A
Bomboo Blade 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Kawazoe Tamaki JPN US$ 64.90
Cosbaby Alien vs Predator 2 Non Scale Pre-Painted Trading Figure JPN US$ 10.90
Crows & Worst Non Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Osamu Kogawa JPN US$ 34.90
Dragon Ball Z Flat Mini Pouch JPN US$ 4.49
Dragon Ball Z Mobile Phone Pouch JPN US$ 9.90
Dragon Ball Z Mobile Phone Pouch S JPN US$ 8.49
Genshiken 2 Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Ramen Tenshi Pretty Menma Kyutitonko JPN US$ 89.90
Grand Pianist JPN US$ 479.00
Hello Kitty Plush Doll JPN N/A
Kingdom Hearts Formation Arts Vol.2 (Re-run) JPN US$ 9.90
Koihime Musou 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Koihime Musou Caocao JPN US$ 69.90
Koihime Musou 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Koihime Musou DX Ver. Caocao & Xunyu JPN US$ 124.90
Little Busters 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Yuiko Kuruga JPN US$ 64.90
Mospeada 1/15 Scale Pre-Painted Action Figure: Mospeada (Yellow Version) JPN US$ 64.90
Nendoroid Gatchapin Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Ninja No.1 JPN US$ 34.90
Neon Genesis Evangelion 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Ayanami Rei (Plug Suit Version) (Re-run) JPN US$ 69.90
Ore No Yome Series Tsuyokiss 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Yashi Nagomi JPN US$ 69.90
Palm-Z Micro Jets ASIA US$ 27.90
Picoo Z Infrared Control Helicopter (Atlas) ASIA US$ 39.90
Picoo Z Infrared Control Helicopter (MX-1 Extreme) ASIA US$ 34.90
Picoo Z Infrared Control Helicopter (MX-1 Supreme) ASIA US$ 34.90
Picoo Z Infrared Control Helicopter (Tendem Z-1) ASIA US$ 49.90
Pokemon Battle Scene Non Scale Pre-Painted Mini Figure: Fushigibana JPN US$ 2.90
Pokemon Battle Scene Non Scale Pre-Painted Mini Figure: Huraigon JPN US$ 2.90
Pokemon Battle Scene Non Scale Pre-Painted Mini Figure: Kamex JPN US$ 2.90
Pokemon Battle Scene Non Scale Pre-Painted Mini Figure: Lizardon JPN US$ 2.90
Pokemon Battle Scene Non Scale Pre-Painted Mini Figure: Mimiroru JPN US$ 2.90
Pokemon Battle Scene Non Scale Pre-Painted Mini Figure: Netoru JPN US$ 2.90
Pokemon Battle Scene Non Scale Pre-Painted Mini Figure: Raichu JPN US$ 2.90
Shining Wind 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Blanc Neige JPN US$ 69.90
Stage of the Band (Jazz Band Set) JPN N/A
Stage of the Band (Rock Band Set) JPN N/A
To Loveru 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Sairenji Haruna (Coffee Girl Version) JPN US$ 74.90
Tokyo Tower 2007 JPN US$ 129.90
GamePolitics is reporting that a Florida Judge has recommended that Jack Thompson be found guilty on 27 of 31 counts of misconduct and is awaiting a Florida Supreme Court verdict to back him up. Thompson is striking back with allegations against the Judge and others, complaining that loyalty oaths were never signed.
"Tunis made 21 recommendations of guilt in relation to Thompson's participation in Strickland vs. Sony, an Alabama case in which the anti-game attorney represented the families of two police officers and a police dispatcher slain by 18-year-old Grand Theft Auto player Devin Moore. Tunis also recommended that Thompson be found guilty on four out of five counts relating to his 2006 attempt to have Rockstar's Bully declared a public nuisance in a case before Miami Judge Ronald Friedman. An additional two guilty counts stemmed from a non-video game matter."
Microsoft's Shane Kim now sees the end to the console war as a new magic number: first system to 100 million units sold wins, he tells Wired. That's an increase of 90 million over the 10 million mark Microsoft used to promote as the bellwether of victory. Kim believes consumers are still deciding what system to choose and that this console generation is different from the others. (Yeah, it's the first time Microsoft actually has a chance.)
Kim explains that Sony won the last couple generations, but Nintendo is clearly in first place this time around; however, he wonders if Nintendo can keep that momentum going up to 100 million (at Nintendo's rate of supply, it could take decades). He even questions it there'll be a clear-cut winner this generation. Finally, Kim assures that the Microsoft hardware guys are still working on reducing the cost of Xbox 360, in order to hit that "mass market" price point.
With the recent release of GTA IV, a game that allows you to steal cars, kill civilians, and conduct drive-bys, the topic of video game violence is back at the forefront of the media. While most gamers equate the potency of videogames to the violent movies that we've watched for years, the dissenting hand opposes violent video games due to their interactive nature.
The advent of violent video games raises many questions. Has video game violence gone too far? Aren't M-rated games intended for mature audiences? Among the sea of good questions, the quintessential one arises, "Is there any scientific evidence to support the claims that violent games contribute to aggressive and violent behavior?" In the International Journal of Liability and Scientific Enquiry, University of Essex researcher Patrick Kierkegaard answers that query by stating there is no data to support the theory that videogame violence promotes violent crimes. His study interestingly provides the opposite correlation.
Kierkegaard asserts that past studies were predominately biased. His data shows that there is no correlation between the rise of violent videogames and the amount of crimes committed. Despite violent games becoming more mainstream within recent years, statistics show that violent crimes committed from juvenile delinquents have declined since the early 1990s. "With millions of sales of violent games, the world should be seeing an epidemic of violence... Instead, violence has declined," wrote Kierkegaard.
Even though Kierkegaard found no ties between real life crimes and videogame violence, he admits that more research needs to be done. He also doesn't rule out the possibility that videogames can influence behavior and emotion, noting that even books can spure violence in already sadistic individuals.
Team Xtender XCM XFPS Sniper Plus
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Extreme-Mods
Price: $98.99
Overview : Let's be honest, first person shooters just weren't pioneered to be played on a standard Xbox 360 controller. Ask any First-Person-Shooter (FPS) fan out there what method of control they find optimal, and you will find the resounding majority shout out mouse and keyboard! The days of getting your fingers in a twist while trying to grapple with those unfriendly analog sticks are over. The XFPS 3.0 Sniper Plus is here to help Xbox 360 gamers with the ultimate way to play FPS titles – with a Mouse & Keyboard! The XFPS 3.0 Sniper Plus is the latest edition of this amazing device!
The XFPS 3.0 Sniper Plus is an innovative keyboard and mouse adapter for the Xbox 360 which allows you to have an unrivalled First Person Shooter (FPS) experience for the next-generation gaming console. Not only is the XFPS 3.0 Sniper Plus compatible with all standard PS/2 input devices but also modern USB keyboards and mice. The XFPS 3.0 Sniper Plus even makes traditional Playstation 2 Dual Shock 2 controllers compatible with the Xbox 360, as well as a multitude of other peripherals. This amazing device even manages to bring auto-fire to the Xbox 360.
Features :
Compatible with 95% of the PS/2 or USB keyboard and mouse combinations
Instant plug and play technology
Ideal for use with all First Person Shooter titles such as Call of Duty and Halo series and more!
Extremely durable Yellow coloured shell
Brings auto-fire functionality to the Xbox 360
Allows gamers to use Playstation 2 Dual-Shock 2™ controllers on the Xbox 360 ™
Allows remapping of any Xbox 360 controller key (include both analog sticks) to any key of the keyboard.
Compatible with the newest version of the Official Xbox 360 wired controllers.
XFPS Sniper v3.0 Plus is the latest version of the XFPS Keyboard and Mouse Adapter!
Compatible with these PS2 products:
As already touched upon, the XFPS 3.0 Sniper Plus is compatible with Playstation 2 controllers but also the following Playstation 2 peripherals :
PS2 Light Guns
PS2 Racing Wheels
PS2 Dancing mats
PS2 Guitars
Quality/Usability : I lost count on how many XCM XFPS version are there for the Xbox 360. I think theres like 5 of them? Seriously, I lost count. The XCM XFPS Sniper Plus is a slight upgrade to the XCM XFPS Sniper. Before I go on with the review, is there a difference between the two? Other than the new uglier color in my opinion, no. Is it worth to get this if you already have the green Sniper version? No, unless you love to spend money on things and want the latest product.
To configure your keyboard to act as an analog button for movement, simply set the switch from DEFAULT to SET, plug in your wired Xbox 360 controller and unplug your mouse. Press "P" to program. A red LED will light up. Move the left analog stick either left, right, up or down and press the key on the keyboard you want it as. Repeat until you have done this for all 4 directions. For the right analog stick, perform the same procedure.
To configure your mouse as the trigger, simply unplug your keyboard and connect the mouse. Like the keyboard, press "P" to program. Press the right trigger and than press the left mouse click. Now your mouse is configured to be the trigger. You can use the keyboard as your trigger as well. You can configure it however you like and which ever is more comfortable for your gaming style.
To set up rapid fire function, flip the switch, RT for Right Trigger and turbo is automatically enabled. So when you pull the trigger on the controller or press the left mouse click, your gun will fire rapidly.
The same mouse and keyboards will work on the Plus version. As mentioned, nothing has really changed except for color and minor tweaks.
Conclusion : Overall, the Team Xtender XCM XFPS Sniper Plus works like it should but do we really need all these different revisions? They should just make one product and have it be updated via firmware or something unless its a whole new redesign/product. I think XCM might be running out of colors of the rainbow. Clear colored shell would of been a lot nicer looking like the XCM XFPS RateUp for the PlayStation 3. If you already have the original Sniper version, stick with it. Not worth getting this unless you're rich and want the latest product.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few months you've heard off Wii Fit. It was announced at last years E3 convention and has been on everything from the Today Show to the Ellen Degenerous Show. As predicted by many this thing has officially blown up. However we all know that media coverage doesnt make the game good. Thats why I'm here to tell you.
My first feeling about this "game" was that it would be essentially Brain Age for your body. That seems like a good description now after spending some quality time with the game. It gives you an arbitrary Wii Fit Age as well as reading you BMI (body mass index) and weight. I would recommend following your weight and ignoring the rest.. BMI is notoriously inaccurate as it does not take into account body types. Basically a ripped muscle bound freak would be called fat.. On to the hardware.
The WiiBo is a solid piece of hardware. Its heavy and feels very solid. You would have to try pretty hard to break it. Then again what would you expect from a first party Nintendo product? It is even more precise then the Wiimote and the first time you use it you'll see that too. Its pretty amazing. The only issue I see is if your hands get sweaty they may begin slipping off the board in push-up drills or things like that. I haven't had that problem but others have. Wear cloves I guess. Wii Fit gloves.. Crap what have I done?! You watch.. Someone will make those.
The interface on this game is simple and shallow. Just what you would want in a game that is targeting literally everyone. My mother has no issues using it and she has problems emailing people links to web pages. They did a great job keeping everything clean fresh and simple. You can hop on, do your daily optional body test then start doing yoga, aerobics or whatever you want in seconds.
I almost feel odd calling this a game. Yoga, while far more fun then I thought it would be, is typically not a game component. I would have never seen myself enjoying Yoga on a game and yet here I am. It really feels like a Nintendo has made something great here with the WiiBo. The WiiBo is at the center with different branches like Skate It, Wii Fit, We Skii and others. Well We Skii is crap but you get my point. For those of you wondering how much of a workout it can be dont worry. Its a workout. The first thing I did was hit strength training. After 20 minutes of doing lunges, push-ups, and jack knives I was getting tired. Heres the trick. Push-ups generally arent that difficult. However try doing them slowly while keeping your balance perfect. Not so easy now eh? The longer you go it just keeps getting harder to keep you balance perfect and you will get sore. This is not the Wiitis people complained over in Wii Sports. This is a real workout tool.
Dont get me wrong though. This should never replace actual workout. Its just a potential part of a real workout routine. Its something to along side an actual hard workout to keep in shape or get there. That being said its one of my favorite games on Wii and I highly recommend it!
I promised it, so here it is, a 'moderately' in depth review of Condemned 2 (yes, I shelled out the big bucks for you, populace! Be grateful!) I actually haven't played this game on the PS3 as the cover art may imply, but from reliable sources (IGN, Gamespot) they are both supposed to be equal is game. Besides, most reviews I've made have 360 cover art, even though they have PS3 counterparts.
Saying fps horror has a new face would be inaccurate-- how about no face at all?
You are Ethan Thomas, once an SCU(special something something forces) investigator. Now, your an alcoholic, and with a real pissy attitude. Your called back to action when your former partner has gone missing. Not only must you find your partner and solve many more murders, but you must battle your own inner demons as well and discover a truth so demented and sick that you will never see it coming...
The truth is both disturbing and awesome...
For my part I haven't really seen many a horror game that has an interesting story. Or many a horror game in general to be honest (Jericho and Doom 3 aside). So I was reluctant to try out Condemned 2, but the demo won me over. Aaaaannyway, Bloodshot's storyline is probably the most compelling reason to keep coming back to this game 'til the very end. Without revealing too much, the storyline actually seems less of a horror storyline and more of a mystery movie. Don't worry, its plenty scary for more reasons, but I'll get to that. The story is told in a way that makes the player consciously or unconsciously (thats right, it ****s up your mind, fool!) try and guess what happens next in the story. The best part is that your more then likely gonna be wrong, which serves to make the storyline much more compelling as you try to figure stuff out ahead of time (only to be wrong). The storyline itself is wacky, but takes itself so seriously it becomes like Ninja Gaiden-- crazy, but serious enough that it makes the player serious. For instance, in the first game (which I haven't actually played) you track down a serial killer nicknamed SKX. In Bloodshot, you go from solving a crime and trying to figure out whats happening to you and the city to, well....lets just say it goes from 1980's time periods to that of a sci-fi movie. None of this takes away too badly from the story, but it does make it a bit harder to truly get into. Still, it all is great and leaves a great amount of room for the third game. Oh, and did I mention, your steadily going insane in Bloodshot? Must have missed that... Now the atmosphere of Bloodshot is near flawless. it knows the perfect times throw psycho bandits at you and the perfect time to build crazy levels of suspense. Like when you explore the SCU building, and lights flicker while you simply see inhuman shadows for instance. Even the house levels will make you turn every single corner twice before you enter a room. The atmosphere in Bloodshot is a marvel of the horror genre, and a much needed improvement over those lame horror games where they rely on surprise as the sole factor in making a game scary. As far as menus go, your character sees the menus on his pocket computer, a bit of a nice change from the standard 'press start to see the bland, sideways menu' of most games. They are easy to read and navigate as well. I've had connection issues in multiplayer, but its more because hardly anyone playing it then anything else.
Ethan Thomas is no longer the shining beacon of joy he was in Condemned 1
Tar, tar, everywhere...
Condemned sure looks great sometimes. The splattered walls, the psychotic villains and especially the tar monsters (see? Sega made a tribute to Scooby-Doo-- that means some people DO still like that show!) who tear themselves out of the tar covered walls. The lighting effects are great at most times, and the flashlight is much needed. However, there are a few rooms and hallways, specifically in the beginning and end which are stupidly dark. These rooms are very rare, but getting attacked by 3 creatures in the dark sure can be annoying(very). The bloody and torn textures of flesh and blood in the game is sickeningly spot-on. The weapons and textures are great, and the splatting of enemies heads against your feet (or bludgeon) splat gloriously bloody. The enemies differ from one another, and few enemies look alike. The faceless Oros are great looking enemies, although getting close enough to study one without being beat up may be a challenge. However, a lot of times they just look kind of messy, but for the most part they look just like psychotics would-- scars and blood stains included. Environments are very well done, most noticeably being the run down state of the city. You truly get the feeling that the city is being turned onto an absolute nightmare, a home for the insane and not much else. The houses are ruined and broken, wood is rotting and cracks underfoot, and the amount of junk just makes you think that these guys aren't just psycho, but have a severe case of OCD. Each room is cluttered with trash, TVs, meth (laundry machines) and other things. The lights in these houses either flicker or don't work at all. Some areas where lights don't even exist (thank goodness for the flashlight) look absolutely haunted. The chairs are stacked on the tables, and the dust and fog makes you know they've been that way probably for 100 years. Other rooms just repeat themselves, however. Like in the winter cabin many of the rooms are absolutely symmetrical. The framerate does drop at occasions of intense fighting, often when many people are all trying to beat on you at once. And when it does, its pretty painful. But for the most part, Condemned 2 looks great. It just has a few issues here and there.
The Sound of fear
Condemned 2 is a horrific opera. And like all operas, they have the cool parts where the guy is sword fighting the villain, and the bad part where Helga the Viking fatass sings her dues. Condemned 2 is a mixed bag. While it has great effects, its music can sometimes be utterly annoying. Let me explain then...the sound effects are top notch for a horror game. Psychotics scream when you smack them in the face, and gunshots pierce the dead silence of Condemn's freaky atmosphere. Electrical pulses from SKX's torture devices and the lights resonate great, like the, well, resonators in the game. Voice acting is finely done. Ethan specifically-- his new voice serves him sell through the game. Dialogue is hit and miss though, but it all works out well with the story and all its creepiness. Music is a different story. the few times that music is in the background, its more then likely gonna annoy the he** outta you. Especially in the conveyor section of the doll factory. The music is haunting and well placed, but that doesn't stop it from being simply awful. Suggestion: turn music volume to zero when you start. All other sounds are great.
The perfect hand to hand system in a horror game? Awesome!
The gameplay in Condemned 2 focuses mainly on hand-to-hand combat like its predecessor. Only this time around, they absolutely nailed the melee system. Monolith took huge care to approach the suggestions of its fans, specifically regarding guarding fist combat. Tons and tons of weapons, including everything from shotguns to foosball sticks, are a major point of enjoyment in the game. Looking at each weapon and uses each one is a fun trait that lesser collectors might not really care for. Each weapon has 4 stats: Power, Reach, condition, and Speed. Power determines the damage a weapon will do, speed is how fast you can swing it, reach is the length at which it reaches, and condition is the, well, condition its in. They do break if you block too often and don't parry enough (which is easy enough to do). As for blocking, they fixed it in Bloodshot perfectly. Rather then simply doing a fast and messy parry like in Condemned 1, you can simply hold LT and RT to continuous block, or tap it to parry. You attack with each side; left being left, right being right.
Right hook to the face, bi***!
Also, you get upgrades after each mission depending on how well you did in the mission, which is ranked by bronze, silver, or gold. Upgrades range in anything from new sneakers to a stun gun, so they are very helpful. As for some of the lesser action-y parts of the game, there are CSI-type scenes in the game which actually require you to *gasp* think (If was tough for me, you know? When have I EVER thought prier to this?) the crime scenes are very well done, and careful observation of the scene will indeed reveal the right answer, you just need to look close. After each scene you get a grade on how well you solved the mystery scene. To aid you in these scenes you get some pretty nice equipment as well, such as a UV light and spectrometer. Back to combat. Unlike Condemned 1, guns play a far larger role in Bloodshot, although the game is still dominated by hand-to-hand. most gun battles will take place near the last mission though. Gun play works great when you've got the alchohol to steady your aim (after you get the upgrade, its good then too). In other words, for being a game all about melee combat, guns work great. Ammo is also more abundant then Condemned 1, but it still needs to be rationed. Condemned 2 easily has the best melee combat system in any FPS out there.
FPS horror multiplayer scores points for originality
Replay Value. I was a bit reluctant to try out multiplayer, but for RV I needed to for this review. Multiplayer is a mixed feeling--the only really fair mode, team deathmatch, is great fun. 4 on 4, melee combat where you use the shadows to your advantage. In other words, stealth is perfected in this FPS multiplayer mode. Sadly, many of my teamates didn't seem to understand that (which would explain why I was able to best my entire team in my first game...) and so, without strategy its rather boring. I moved onto a mode called crime scene where its SCU vs. Infected. The infected have two boxes, each complete with severed heads inside that they must hide, while the SCU have to search for the boxes. Now heres the downside- SCU gets guns while Infected don't. So to kill an SCU officer, you need to know how to use stealth and be able to dodge bullets, fast. Doesn't always work. More often then not the SCU will win with flying colors (unless they're blind). Then theres bum rush, a great mode to play with friends. There are two SCU with health bars visible to all and 6 Infected. The infected respawn instantly, but die in a single shot from the SCU. So it takes an average of 20 infected to kill SCU officers, rather annoying unless you have friends in the game. other then multiplayer, theres Bloodshot fight club, which is kinda like a series of bloody minigames for the game. I haven't really explored these much. As for the single player story, its fairly short. However, you might want to go back through it another time on hard or FPS mode.
Lets get to it then! (Right on! Right on!)
Presentation: 4.5/5
Brilliant horror atmosphere, and intelligent(mostly) plot tie into one helluva good horror time.
Graphics: 4/5
While they are good and effects are well done, they're rather average in general.
Sound: 4.5/5
Sound effects are something this game going for it, but music is garbage.
Gameplay: 5/5
Great melee combat whose depth is unrivaled by any other FPS out there. Gunplay is great too, but hand-to-hand is exceptional.
Replay Value: 4/5
Tons to do if you like it. Multiplayer is good fun on XBL if you can find anyone actually playing. Especially deathmatch (best melee system in multiplayer rocks)
Overall: 4.5/5
I've met very little horror games that both thrill and chill. Monolith's new entry into their saga of Ethan Thomas does both. best horror game I've played in a long time.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Quite a lot of hot releases came out this week, these include both US and Japanese games as well as OSTs. We have the NTSC J encoded Japanese version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle where you can taste the excitement of becoming a rock legend on your Nintendo Wii™.
A number of sports game are released this week for various consoles. Enjoy some family fun with We Ski and Deca Sports on your Nintendo Wii™, now you can engage in summer and winter sports regardless of the weather or seasons.
Lead your national football team to victory in UEFA 2008 on your Xbox360™, PlayStation3™ and Sony PSP™. If you crave for sports that are less regulated, we bring you MotorStorm Complete [JPN and Asian versions] to your PlayStation3™. This action racer is re-released by Sony with all the expansion packs installed and sold at a very reasonable price.
UBI Soft's FPS HAZE [JPN and Asian versions] for PlayStation3™ are released this week. Get your hands on some state of the art weapons and view a complex storyline. Another shooter, the Castle of Shikigami III for Nintendo Wii™ is just as challenging because the point system requires you to fly as close to the enemies as you can before you pull the trigger.
More fighting games under the Bleach franchise are released this week. The best priced versions of two exciting Nintendo DS™ games are Souten ni Kakeru Unmei and Kokui Hirameku Chinkon Uta. So for those who had missed out these two games when they were released, this is a good chance to grab them.
Aside from all the sports and action, adventure in the land of the Greek gods in Hercules no Eikou: Tamashii no Shoumei. If that is still too much fighting for your tastes, let others do the fighting for you in Hiiro no Kakera [limited and standard edition], where you play the role of a princess protected by six charming bodyguards.
A collection of lovely OSTs from hit games like Senjou no Valkyria, Taiko no Tatsujin and Star Ocean: Second Evolution are published. Make them your background music to your everyday life.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™:
Half-Life 2: The Orange Box JPN US$ 64.90
Stranglehold JPN US$ 64.90
UEFA Euro 2008 ASIA US$ 44.90
PlayStation3™:
HAZE JPN US$ 64.90
HAZE ASIA US$ 59.90
Hori Pad 3 Turbo (Silver) JPN US$ 24.90
Illumination Charge Stand 3 (Silver) JPN US$ 14.90
MotorStorm Complete JPN US$ 49.90
MotorStorm Complete ASIA US$ 44.90
UEFA Euro 2008 ASIA US$ 49.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Castle of Shikigami III US US$ 34.90
Deca Sports US US$ 34.90
Doubutsu Kisoutengai! JPN US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle JPN US$ 129.90
We Ski US US$ 34.90
Wi-Fi Taiou: Gensen Table Game Wii JPN US$ 39.90 PlayStation2™:
Princess Nightmare JPN US$ 64.90
Slotter Up Mania 10: Pioneer Special 3 JPN US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™:
Bleach DS 2nd: Kokui Hirameku Chinkon Uta (Best Version) JPN US$ 29.90
Bleach DS: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei (Best Version) JPN US$ 29.90
Drone Tactics US US$ 34.90
Genmu no Kiri to Ken no Okite JPN US$ 48.90
Hercules no Eikou: Tamashii no Shoumei JPN US$ 48.90
Hiiro no Kakera DS JPN US$ 48.90
Hiiro no Kakera DS [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 69.90
Ochaken no Heya DS 3 JPN US$ 48.90
Pro Yakyuu Team o Tsukurou! JPN US$ 48.90
Shoho Kara wa Hajimeru Otona no Eitango Renshuu JPN US$ 39.90
Simple DS Series Vol. 36: Arc de Minitsuku! TOEIC Test Grammar JPN US$ 28.90
Simple DS Series Vol. 37: Arc de Minitsuku! TOEIC Test Listening JPN US$ 28.90
Simple DS Series Vol. 38: Arc de Minitsuku! TOEIC Test Start JPN US$ 28.90
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™:
Daisenryaku VII Exceed JPN US$ 48.90
UEFA Euro 2008 ASIA US$ 42.90
Game Books:
Devil May Cry 4 - Devil Material Collection JPN US$ 29.90
Duel Love: Koisuru Otome wa Shouri no megami The Second Pocket Diary JPN US$ 23.90
HAZE: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Video Game Careers US US$ 19.90
Video Game OSTs:
Bleach Beat Collection 4th Session - 01 Byakuya Kuchiki & Rukia Kuchiki JPN US$ 13.90
Hajime No Ippo Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 17.90
Mana-Khemia 2 Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 31.90
Mugen Kairo Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Ruri Iro Rinne - Drama x Song x Radio JPN US$ 38.90
Samurai Spirits Sen Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Senjou no Valkyria Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 28.90
Star Ocean: Second Evolution Arrange Album JPN US$ 23.90
Taiko No Tatsujin Original Soundtrack - Soundtrack 2008 JPN US$ 29.90
Unlimited World JPN US$ 11.90
A separate Video/Music update containing Japanese releases from this week, including new Anime, J-Pop and Movie releases will follow prior end of the week. So J-Pop, Anime and Movie fans, be sure to look out for that one!
Here is a quick outlook what's expected to be hot next week. Cool games in a variety of genres are coming out, be sure to check them out!
The homebrew news will resume as normal tonight i was out for the count with a bad dose of hay fever last night, was in bed for 8pm which is unlike me.
But anyway, heres a device that hopefully could be used for homebrew, take a look at the features and a few screens:
Large screen? Check. Vast array of capabilities? Check. Low price? Check. What does this mean? An extremely functional MP4 player that doesn't sacrifice anything at a price. Watch movies on the large 4.3" TFT screen. Listen to music with its dual headphone jack. View movies on the big screen with the included AV cables. Let the Onda VX767 be your all in one Media Center. The 4gb internal memory and MicroSD expandability will let you watch anything anywhere!
Comes with:
Onda VX767
AV Cable
USB Cable
Earphone
Cloth Case
Manual and CD
Free USB Charger!
Gorgeous screen display
The Onda VX767 comes with a large 4.3" 480x272 TFT widescreen display. The VX767's beautiful display will give you the ability to watch movies and view pictures without struggling to make out whats going on.
Tremendous file support
The Onda VX767 supports MP3, WMA, WMA/VBR, APE, and FLAC audio files. The Onda VX767 supports RM, RMVB, AVI, FLV, DAT, ASF, MP4, WMV, 3GP, and MPG video files. Movies do not need to be resized to play on the VX767. Watching movies on the go couldn't get any easier!
MicroSD Expandability
Increase your storage by getting a MicroSD card! The MicroSD is a low cost, easy accessible storage solution making it an ideal card to get.
TV Out capability
With the AV cables that are included, you can watch movies on the big screen! Watch your videos on the TV in either 4:3 or 16:9 ratio. Works with NTSC and PAL television sets.
Listen to the radio anywhere
The Onda VX767 has a built in FM tuner which allows you to tune into your favorite radio station on the go!
Record what you want
Don't ever miss a beat! Don't want to forget something? Use the built in mic to record messages, lectures, or whatever else needed to be recorded.
USB 2.0 high speed
You can get a file at 480Mbps by connecting USB 2.0 to PC.
Rechargeable Li-On battery
The built in 3000mAh rechargeable Li-On battery lets you listen to music for 30hrs or watch movies for 10hrs.
The GP2XStore has em on sale for $139, if homebrew is possible then it would be a sweet device.
More sales data for consoles in Japan have arrived with the situation shown below as follows:
Playstation Portable: 70,536
Nintendo Wii 41,572
Nintendo DS Lite: 34,905
Playstation 3: 7,701
Playstation 2: 7,022
Xbox 360: 1,474
For another week running, the PSP is still king despite roughly a 19,000 drop while the Wii takes a bigger sales crunch by 26,000 in second place . The DS Lite sinks to a new low down 16,300 to 34,905. Last ones up as usual are in orderthe PS3, PS2 and Xbox 360 with drops of 300 and 400, along with an increase by 176 respectively.
The main goal is to get to the mine car. Find the steam valves to turn off the steam flowing out of pipes. Press the button on the steam valves to enable/disable steam from a particular pipe somewhere in the maze (but you'll need to find out what pipes are being impacted). Avoid the construction worker. If he sees you, you'll lose a life. Touch steam and you'll lose a life. If you run out of time, you'll lose a life, and the value of steam valves will reset.
Release notes:
Here's a prototype build where the valve changes. It's just a placeholder now, and no animation.
I'll try to add some animation, and of course, make the valve have better graphics in "on" mode than just a red circle.
Gen Con, the biggest tabletop gaming convention in the world, is coming to Australia in July, and we have the details. Over four days from July 3 to July 6 in Brisbane, Gen Con will feature computer game tournaments, miniature war games tournaments, board game tournaments, card game tournaments, role playing tournaments, cosplay competitions, movie premieres, and lectures and seminars on game development.
A few of the highlights include:
4th Edition D&D showcased for the first time in Australia
Star Wars: Force Unleashed unveiled to the public
Demonstrations by EA of Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and Lord of the Rings Conquest
In-house movie theatres screening anime films
The Australian movie premiere of Dragonlance
Collectable card game tournaments for Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh!, World of Warcraft, Magic: the Gathering and others
Miniature war games tournaments for Warhammer, Lord of the Rings, Mechwarrior, War Machine, Heroclix and others
200 player computer game tournament featuring Counter-Strike Source, Call of Duty 4, Starcraft and Warcraft 3
The latest games from THQ, The Creative Assembly, Pandemic, Fuzzy Eyes and Halfbrick
Gen Con will also play host to a number of special guests, including Tracy Hickman, the author of the Dragonlance trilogy, Sean Williams, who will present on the novelisation of Star Wars: Force Unleashed, Steve Stamatiadas, co-founder of Krome Studios, and Graham O'Neill, the author of several Warhammer 40K novels. Other guests include Chris Sabat (Dragon Ball voice actor), Jason Marsden (Dragonlance voice actor), David Nykl (of Stargate fame), author Marianne dePierres, author Kylie Chan and Mungo McKay (of Undead fame).
Tickets are $16.50 online – during the pre-registration period which closes in mid-June, or $22 at the door. Once registered you can lock in your place for the various competitions and competitive tournaments.
As part of Capcom's recent financial results, the company let loose its to-date sales numbers for all of its million-selling franchises and individual titles, dating back over the past 22 years. The Resident Evil series has done the company best with more than 34 million units sold, trumping both Mega Man and Street Fighter (second and third on the list, respectively).
The numbers essentially speak for themselves, so take a look.
Franchise Sales
Series Units Sold
Resident Evil 34.5 million
Mega Man 28 million
Street Fighter 25 million
Disney Titles 13.2 million
Devil May Cry 9.5 million
Onimusha 7.8 million
Monster Hunter 6.3 million
Dino Crisis 4.4 million
Ghosts 'n Goblins 4.3 million
Final Fight 3.2 million
Breath of Fire 3 million
Ace Attorney 2.8 million
Commando 1.2 million
1942 1.2 million
Individual Title Sales
Title Released System Units Sold
Street Fighter II June 1992 SNES 6,300,000
Resident Evil 2 January 1998 PS 4,960,000
Street Fighter II Turbo July 1993 SNES 4,100,000
Resident Evil 3 Nemesis September 1999 PS 3,500,000
Resident Evil March 1996 PS 2,750,000
Dino Crisis July 1999 PS 2,400,000
Devil May Cry 4 January 2008 PS3, Xbox 360 2,300,000
Devil May Cry August 2001 PS2 2,160,000
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 February 2007 PSP 2,150,000
Onimusha: Warlords January 2001 PS2 2,020,000
Resident Evil 4 December 2005 PS2 2,000,000
Super Street Fighter II June 2006, 1994 SNES 2,000,000
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny March 2003 PS2 1,990,000
Aladdin November 1993 SNES 1,750,000
Devil May Cry 2 January 2003 PS2 1,700,000
Duck Tales January 1990 NES 1,670,000
Street Fighter II Plus September 1993 GN 1,650,000
Ghosts'n Goblins June 1986 NES 1,640,000
Resident Evil 4 January 2005 GC 1,600,000
Onimusha 3: Demon siege February 2004 PS2 1,520,000
Mega Man 2 December 1988 NES 1,510,000
Lost Planet Extreme Condition December 2006 Xbox 360 1,500,000
Final Fight December 1990 SNES 1,480,000
Resident Evil Outbreak December 2003 PS2 1,450,000
Duck Tales September 1990 GB 1,430,000
Resident Evil Code Veronica X March 2001 PS2 1,400,000
Dead Rising August 2006 Xbox 360 1,400,000
Resident Evil March 2002 GC 1,350,000
Mega man Battle Network 4 December 2003 GBA 1,350,000
Devil May Cry 3 February 2005 PS2 1,300,000
Resident Evil 0 November 2002 GC 1,250,000
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition May 2007 Wii 1,250,000
Magical Quest Starring Mickey November 1992 SNES 1,210,000
Resident Evil DC Dual Shock August 1998 PS 1,200,000
Chip'n Dale Rescue Rangers June 1990 NES 1,200,000
Dino Crisis 2 September 2000 PS 1,190,000
Mega Man X December 1993 SNES 1,160,000
Monster Hunter Freedom December 2005 PSP 1,150,000
Resident Evil Code Veronica February 2000 DC 1,140,000
Commando September 1986 NES 1,140,000
Resident Evil Director's Cut September 1997 PS 1,130,000
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts October 1991 SNES 1,090,000
Mega Man 3 September 1990 NES 1,080,000
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles November 2007 Wii 1,050,000
Final Fight 2 May 1993 SNES 1,030,000
Street Fighter Alpha 3 December 1998 PS 1,000,000
Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 630 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.
Quite a lot of hot video game soundtracks are released this week, but before we get to that, let's take a look at Dreams Come True [CD+DVD limited and standard editions] released by Johnny Entertainment's Hey! Say! Jump!, a teenage boy band.
Dreams Come True is the theme song of a TBS TV program Volley Ball World Championship Preliminaries. Complemenatary to the sport and band's image, the song is about youth, dreams and aspirations. Let this be your theme song and fill your days with the same youthful energy.
Enjoy the continental atmosphere in Senjou no Valkyria OST, the jolly Japanese festival music in Taiko no Tatsujin and the rearrangement of the beloved themes in Star Ocean Second Evolution.
A special music CD released by Square Enix came in today to as well. Square Enix Music Original Compilation Album Vol.1 used to be exclusive to members of the Square Enix club. It carries tracks taken from an array of games, from old ones like Chrono Trigger of the SFC period to Chocobo Dungeon on Nintendo Wii. Relive the fond memories and wonders of adventuring in Square Enix games.
Aside from Video Game OSTs, the soundtrack from the feature length animated movie, Evangelion You are (not) Alone is released as well. Listen to Utada Hikaru's version of the series' theme song Fly Me to the Moon and the another new theme Beautiful World.
Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, May 17th and Friday, May 23rd. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.
J-Pop Music releases (152)
ENKA Music releases (41)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (54)
Video Game Soundtracks (11)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (9)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (17)
Anime & Animation (123)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (28)
Japanese Movies (69)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (60)
J-Pop DVD releases (20)
Misc Japanese Movie releases (1)
Idol DVD (42)
Ahoy! Pull up a chair, grab a coffee, let's talk. That's right, it's Friday night, time for around round of TELL US DAMMIT. How it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interesting in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Whichever!
Question: Do you having any game purchase regrets?
I was hoping for something like God of War or ninja Gaiden when I rented Viking. I was hell-a-off....
Viking: Battle for Asgard
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Creative Assembly
Players: 1
Genre: Action Adventure
You are Skarin, a Viking warrior mortally wounded in battle. On the edge of death, you are visited by Freya, a Norse goddess, who summons you to become her champion. You must defeat the goddess Hel and her undead army before they take over all of the land. To do this you must recruit an army, and use it to liberate the land.
Viking mythology was never this boring
The game starts off with a cutscene where you jump straight into the plot. Thats basically it. There is no lead up whatsoever to the general plot, making for an extremely annoying beginning of the game. The story at best is rather shallow, as it never really goes beyond anything except for the classic hero vs. villain mentality that pervaded many a 1970's movie. Thats not unnecessarily a bad thing, though, and could easily be overlooked. However, when you own character is the most static in the game, it becomes amazingly irritating to see no emotion or life from your character whatsoever. At the beginning, you learn of your father's death in the battle that almost claimed yours as well. What does your character say or do to express loss for his father? Nothing. Not a single thing except that you have a new mission. Character development in this game is absolutely gone, and the characters are the most static I've seen in a long time. The game is also uber violent, which may be the single redeeming quality here. I've never really cared much for violence, but when there is so little else to hold this games story and atmosphere up, you have to aim low. Blood and guts will follow you everywhere. This goes beyond God of War and Conan, as you do finishers that could only be replicated in games like Ninja Gaiden 2. However, that barely replaces the messy story and the lost everything else about the presentation. Menus tend to be confusing, and even the achievements are weird (wanna know how I got a gamerscore ending in a 2? This game.)
Bloody mediocre
Onto graphics. To its credit, Viking does sport some nice looking character models, and the magic effects look fine and nice. Environments need lots of work though. Enemies look great, especially when your cutting them to shreds. The blood flying every which way and the entrails (starting to get a little queasy here)splat in full texture. Unfortunately, you'll be seeing the same enemies very, very often. Back to environments for a minute anyway. The main lands and grassy plains that you fight on a plain, boring, and uneventful. Castles and forts actually look interesting, though, but thats only from the distance. Up close they get bland and repetitive, showing good artistic direction, but terrible execution. The ocean water looks like waves of white lines, and caverns all look exactly the same. To clean up the point, none of this necessarily looks bad, it just doesn't look good. Mediocrity rules this games graphical direction in almost every which way you can think of.
It doesn't look bad. It just doesn't look good.
Have I gone deaf? No wait, This game is just dead.
Sound. As far as music goes, there is absolutely nothing. There is basically no music whatsoever. The only music there ever is only happens during fights, so your mind basically blocks it out. Even then there is nothing to hear. Sound effects aren't too shabby though. The fierce attacks of enemies and the slashes that your sword makes into their lower sternums are glorious. Unfortunately, these sound effects repeat themselves over and over and over constantly, and once you've heard some of the sound effects, you've hears all of the sound effects. Voice acting is terrible. Mostly the acting consists of fake British and Norse accents (whats a norse accent sound like, anyway?) spewed to a very badly written script. Some of the Viking warriors have some decent lines to say though. Don't must your TV when playing this, but to be honest there isn't much to hear.
Hack-and-slash is fun, but repetitive
For those of you willing to forgo storyline and sound, and deal with mediocre graphics, you've still got some interesting gameplay going for you. You may think differently when you first begin, though, as your best attacks include mashing the A button over and over (even more then dynasty warriors). If your patient you'll get a few more combos, and eventually some pretty sweet magic attacks. Gathering your Viking warriors is pretty fun for a good while. Getting gold and doing quests extend the fun you have a good deal. Did I mention, the Vikings you release join your army? They do. These utterly massive armies lead to some really awesome epic scale battles in the game, as you and 1000 Vikings battle thousands of Undead enemies (Really think of this--the game can take thousands of enemies and allies on screen at once. Thats one da** good engine!) The epic battles get even better when you get the ability to summon dragons, who tear the battlefield into pieces (not literally) and rip apart undead like a lawnmower in Dead Rising. Like always though, Newton's law of physics comes into play here, and for every good gameplay action theres a bad one. This time, Newton's a little off--there are bad parts to the gameplay, but the good outweighs the bad by a margin. While combat and battling is fun, after a few hours it will get extremely repetitive, and the very thin level of stealth featured in the game is just annoying. After killing the same enemy type thousands of times, it starts to decline significantly. Also, later in the game when your outnumbered 5 to 1 and your Viking teamates aren't doing too well, things start to get frustrating. Enemies block and counter all you attacks, and magic gets useless. Still, for the most part Viking has some good hack-and-slash fun to be had, if very shallow fun to be had.
Slash.
Asgard is a one-trip ticket
Once your done, your done for good. You can easily do most every task the first play through, and afterwards there is literally nothing to do. exploring the island doesn't work because everything is the same, fighting doesn't work because you've done it so much, and powering up doesn't work because most extra combos never do anything at all. Except for the main storyline which is a good 12-15 hours long, replay Value isn't there.
Lets get to it then! (Ya got blood onma knife....)
Presentation: 1.5/5
Confusing menus, bad story, and lack of character development whatsoever deserves to go to whatever the Norse inferno is.
Sound: 2/5
While it has decent sound effects, voice acting is horrific and music isn't there.
Graphics: 3/5
They aren't bad, but there aren't good. Despite decent character models, this game screams mediocrity.
Gameplay: 3/5
Fighting is great fun, but for only so long. Soon repetition sets in, and it becomes a chore to finish the game.
Replay Value: 2/5
Beyond one play through, there is no replay value.
Overall: 2.5/5
This game screams mediocrity. While gameplay and combat is interesting, everything else just either falls or isn't interesting in the least. Creative Assembly had an interesting idea, but it just didn't work out quite right.
Although Oppo's fresh S11 likely has SmartQ's latest beat in the attractiveness department, the 4GB T5-II is the unanimous champion in terms of sheer utility. Not only can this handheld handle MP3, OGG, WMA, FLAC, APE, AAC, WAV, AVI, XviD, DivX, MPEG and MP4 files (just to name a few), it also features a video output, SDHC expansion slot, six-band equalizer and a 600MHz processor. Furthermore, you'll find a 3-inch 320 x 240 resolution display and a built-in emulator that handles GBA and even NEO GEO titles. Not too shabby for $174.99 if we may say so ourselves, but do yourself a favor and peek the preview vid
Following a few weeks in second place behind Nintendo's latest Wii million seller, Mario Kart, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G rubber banded this week back into first place. Media Create reports sales of 53,248 units for the monster PSP hit, which has now crossed the two million mark.
Mario Kart came in at second for the week spanning May 12 to May 18, with 41,739 units sold.
The chart wasn't all old titles, though. Marvelous Entertainment's Luminous Arc 2 Will for the DS placed third in its debut week with 40,753 units. This is a big leap over the original, which sold 26,000 in its first week in February 2007. Below it was Bleach Heat the Soul 5, the latest PSP fighter based off the popular Bleach anime. It sold 39,403 units in its first week.
Following these games, Wii Fit came in at fifth with 34,847 units. It was followed by Famicom Wars VS (Nintendo, Wii, 24,213 units), DS Bimoji Training (Nintendo, DS, 15,477), Link's Bowgun Training (Nintendo, Wii, 14,442), Taiko Drum Master DS Adventure on the 7 Islands (Namco Bandai, DS, 14,182), and Wii Sports (Nintendo, Wii, 10,206 units). Of these, only Famicom Wars was a new release.
Although there was a change in the top spot in software, hardware stayed in the same order for the week. PSP was once again in top with 70,536 units sold. Wii came in second at 41,572 units, followed by the DS Lite at 34,905 units. The Wii has officially topped the six million sold mark, Media Create noted in its sales totals for the week, mirroring a report from rival tracking firm Enterbrain last week.
Closing out the hardware chart this week were, as always, the PS3, PS2 and Xbox 360, with respective sales of 7,701, 7,022 and 1,474 units
Square Enix bossman Yoichi Wada presided over the company's shareholder conference late last week. Dragon Quest IX still doesn't have a release date, but saying that he really wants to release it and thought the game would be ready for sale this year. Wada added, "But I said the same thing last year." Square Enix thinks it's possible that Dragon Quest IX could sell up to ten million copies. (No wonder Wada wants to release the game.)
Also, due to internal loses on development, the company went back and reconsidered in development titles. A mobile game has been shitcanned, apparently. "Concerning the title that connects to the home console," Wada said, "development has been ceased as it is unsuitable at the current time." Wada's remark has lead to some to wonder whether that cancelled mobile game is Final Fantasy Agito XIII as it was supposed to connect to upcoming home console game Final Fantasy XIII.
Hello and welcome to my first audio review,i am fg54.
I hope you enjoy.
Published and developed by: Frontier Developments
Genre: Adventure
cost: $10.00
Number of Players: 1 or 2
OVERVIEW:
One of the first things i would like to point out is that this game looks better then most full priced wii games out there thanks to its beautiful enviorment and artistic look, i still haven't goten tired of just looking at the game and shaking things around with wind.
The point of this game is to explore and solve puzzles with the wind as you get new powers.
SOUND:
this game doesn't have alot of sound effects, but what it does have. is a wonderful and relaxing background song that goes seemeengly with the game.
CONTROL:
you control your character with the nunchuck and the wind with the weemote, both are very responsive.
GRAPHICS:
gorgeous waterfalls, mountains, trees and even caves along with an equally impressive art style. make this game fun to look at.
GAMEPLAY:
this is an adventure game with some puzzle solving on the side.
the main puzzle is figuring out what to do next and where to go. due to the games lack of direction, there is no map or arrows telling you where to go, the only arrow i found was one pointing towards a powerup that was right netx to it, as if i needed it to figure out that the big shining rock was special. the game is also very short, about three and a half hours long and not alot of replay value.
REPLAY VALUE:
Unfortunatley, once you beat this game, there is virtually no reason to go back to it other then to play arround with the wind and to obserbe the beautiful enviorments, it is quite a relaxing experience, specially with the soothing music playing on the background.
CONCLUSION:
This is in my opinion the best wiiware launch title out there, so if you want to dip your toe in a gorgeous and interactive experience brough to you by wiiware, take off your socks and take them to your nearest pawn shop, purchase 1000 wii points, and download this sucker.
Yes, the proper Sega Rally 3, for arcades. Shown off to the press in the UK over the weekend, after being tested under the dummy name "Super Challenge" for the past few months, it'll run on Sega's new Europa-R board, run at 60FPS/720p, share much of the same assets as the recent Sega Rally Revo (nothing wrong with that) and comes with a car seat that's just downright classy. As a bonus, it's even got the desert track from the original Sega Rally. Exciting. It should be turning up in European arcades as you read this (having been developed by Sega's now-gone Racing Studio), with "the team hoping for international releases to follow".
Stanford professor Allan Reiss published an article in the Journal of Psychiatric Research which states that women are not a driven as men in gaming. His research analyzed MRI data that showed activity in brain's mesocorticolimbic center, the area typically associated with reward and addiction, for both sexes. However! There was more acitviy in the male brain. According to Reiss:
These gender differences might help explain why males are more attracted to, and more likely to become "hooked" on, video games than females. I think it's fair to say that males tend to be more intrinsically territorial. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who historically are the conquerors and tyrants of our species.
Certainly, Reiss might have evidence in hard science, but it sure sounds like he's totally underestimating women. Lots of them are "hooked" on games! Some are tyrants, too!!
GTA IV has retained the top spot in the German chart but has been knocked into second place in Spain, according to data released by Media-Control GfK International.
The German chart saw GTA IV hold onto first and second place on the PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively. The PC MMO Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures takes fifth place, with the only other PC title in the chart, Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth 2, coming in at tenth place.
In the Spanish chart, Wii Fit has regained the top spot followed by GTA IV on the PS3 in second place while the Xbox 360 version comes in at number five.
The German chart follows:
1. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
2. Grand Theft Auto IV (XBox 360)
3. Wii Fit (Wii)
4. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
5. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC)
6. Assassin's Creed Director's Cut Edition (PC)
7. Mario Kart DS (DS)
8. Dr Kawashimas' Brain Training (DS)
9. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games ( DS)
10. Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth 2(PC)
The Spanish chart follows:
1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
3. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
4. Wii Play (Wii)
5. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360)
6. 42 All-Time Classics (DS)
7. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PSP)
8. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS2)
9. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
10. Dr Kawashimas' Brain Training (DS)
Four weeks after its release, Grand Theft Auto IV is still at the top of the UK sales charts according to data released by Chart-Track.
The remainder of the Top Ten titles saw a significant amount of movement. Notably, Wii Fit - which had been in second place for the past few weeks - dropped out of the Top Forty list altogether thanks to stock problems.
New to the charts this week is Age of Conan - the biggest launch for a PC title so far this year and the biggest online-only title launch outside of World of Warcraft - which debuted in the second position.
Also new to the charts are the Ubisoft's PS3 exclusive Haze and Rock Band for the Xbox 360 at number three and six, respectively.
The Top Ten best-selling titles in the UK for the week ending May 24 were:
1. Grand Theft Auto IV
2. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
3. Haze
4. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
5. Wii Play
6. Rock Band
7. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
8. Mario Kart Wii
9. FIFA 08
10. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Analyst Opinion - Floating Point Operations Per Second - FLOPS - one of the more obscure processor performance indicators, and one of the oldest ones. Over time, it has been modified with prefixes such as M (mega), G (giga), T (tera) and will soon get a P (peta). “Tera” describes a million millions - one trillion (1012) - which is a whole lot of anything whether it is cycles (Hertz), bytes, dollars, or FLOPS.
Recently I was asked how many TFLOPS are in all the game consoles shipped to date. There are two answers to that question. You can look at it from the perspective of all the game consoles built and you can look at this question with specific consoles in mind.
Let’s look at the combined TFLOPS rating of all game consoles, which actually provides two answers as well.
If you count central processor FLOPS then you have one answer and if you count the FLOPS potential of the GPU and add it to the CPU’s FLOPS, then you have the second answer. This second version is controversial since the FLOPS of the GPU aren’t used in computations and some therefore claim that the GPU should not be counted as it simply represents a theoretical number. Others argue that GPUs are used in computation - the computation of shader operations. Both sides, however, agree that there isn’t yet a benchmark that can measure this discipline. And therefore I conclude that we shouldn’t use them in evaluating the CPU FLOPS of game consoles.
Capcom has confirmed that Street Fighter IV will be coming to Xbox 360, PS3 & PC.
Granted, this comes as no surprise, but it's good to get official confirmation. It'll also come as no surprise that the Wii isn't on Capcom's format list. Soz, Nintendo fans.
As we've seen from previous screenshots, the game will feature classic characters Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile. A number of other characters will also debut in the game, including female spy Crimson Viper, martial artist Abel and wrestler El Fuerte.
Fans will be pleased to know that the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective, but includes extra 3D flourishes. It will also use the traditional six-button gameplay, so all your old-school skills will be transferable.
All in all, it sounds like more of the same with nicer-looking, face-wrecking fireballs. Considering it's Street Fighter though, that's absolutely fine by us.
What isn't fine is the lack of even an estimated release date. But there's a countdown pointing to something happening in a little over three days on the official website. Go take a look.
Have you been dying to play your old NES or Super Nintendo games once again? Perhaps you can't find your system, maybe you have the system, but need all the cables to hook it up, or maybe you are just sick and tired of the old thing never working properly?! With this brand new, top-loading system, you can play all of your favorite Nintendo AND Super Nintendo games once again on the same console, and the best part is, they will work every time!
- Compatible with SNES and NES Video Game
- Saves Space
- Reinforced Cartridge Doors
- Slide-proof Bottom Support
- Compatible with Most Japanese Titles
- Compatible with Original 16-bit controllers
- Sleeker Design
- Lighter in Weight
- Power Switch Button V2.0 (8-bit, Off, 16-bit)
- S-Video Connection Capability
- Air Through Vent to Prevent Overheating
- Dual Controller Ports
- Dual Game Slots
- 5V AC Adapter for Energy-Efficiency
Reuters report revealed that 80s rock gods Motley Crue's new single "Saints of Los Angeles," which was released only in digital formats for Rock Band and on online services, was downloaded 47,000 times in its first week on the Rock Band music store.
Online sales from music stores such as Amazon and iTunes tallied up to little more than 10,000 sales.
"We do research on every artist we have, and the research said that the people who bought Motley Crue music and tickets play Rock Band and video games ... [so] it was our inclination to go there," explained Tenth Street Chief Executive Officer Allen Kovac. "As marketers, it's our job to find the audience. If our audience tells us they're sitting at Xbox and PlayStation, that's our job to do that."
Kovac continued, "The resurgence of rock has happened because of Rock Band and Guitar Hero. And the reason is because of the interaction with the audience. The more music marketing people look at interaction with the audience as opposed to only radio or a video, the more lasting the experience will be and the longer the artists' career will be."
Welcome to this week's toys update. Check out the wonderful collectibles we just got in stock and all the new products made available for preorder.
As toys, especially collectible ones, are produced in limited numbers and are often sold out prior to the actual release date, we strongly recommend to preorder the figures of your desire as early as possible.
This week's special is bound to bring you some feeling of nostalgia, trading figures of Namco's mascots from the dot graphics era, like Galaxian, Xevious, Rally X, Mappy, Digdug and Druaga are chosen as bargain items.
The figures come with a stage modeled after a scene in the games and you are free to place the figure anywhere on this stage. Press the button on the stand and hear the familiar game music as you relive the fun of playing games from that period.
Namco's dot graphics trading figures are sold at a bargain price of US$ 3.90 and is shipped randomly. The maximum purchase is limited to 5 pieces per customer. As usually, this weekly special is valid for exactly 1 week (if not sold out earlier).
An action star Kenshiro from the Fist of North Star is taken by Kaiyodo and included into their Real Action Heroes™ series. Created by Kaiyodo means that this figure has the most carefully designed joints installed into his body and can balance himself in any battle pose.
The pack comes with five pairs of replaceable hands for Kenshiro to launch into any martial arts attack mode. Aside from the most realistic of poses and appearance, the outfit he wears is loyally made from fake leather to enhance his muscular frame.
Plenty of interesting preorders are opened this week, this include the first figure, Shinobu-chan, from the new Masterpiece of Kuuchyuu Yosai series. Kuuchyuu Yosai is an immensely popular illustrator renowned in the gamers circles as his/her works are frequently featured in gaming magazines.
Shinobu-chan is an original character created by the artist complete with her own short story and every detail is careful sculpted to instill this figure with life and energy. Get ready to let her lead an adventure around your dwellings.
Clalaclan, the princess knight from Shining Wind reappears in a black dress. While her white dress version displays her sublime beauty and noble bearings, her black dress brings out a darker sensuality in her.
To go with the black dress, the sculptor Noriyama Houjun readjusted the tones of her skin, her hair and redrawn her eyes to heighten her seductiveness.
Wagaya no Oinari-sama is a monumental work in the genre of heartwarming novels. The figure of the heroine Tenkoku Ugen is based on the cover illustrations of the sixth volume of the novel series. Every part is loyally made, and that includes her semi opaque multi-colored hair.
Since she is a fox sprite, she has a fox form, and her sculptor did not forget to give her a fox head piece to go with the figure so her fans can transform her from fox to girl and back again whenever they want.
The lists below show what has been released this week and what is available for preordering.
Toys and Figures (24)
009-1 1/4 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Statue: Mylene Hoffman JPN N/A
Colors Vol. 1 Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Garance JPN N/A
Creator's Labo #014 Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Arisa Another Color JPN US$ 69.90
Dream Tech Fortune Arterial 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Kiriha Kuze JPN N/A
Excellent Model Limited Queens Blade Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Shizuka (Limited Edition) JPN US$ 79.90
Fate/Stay Night Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Figma Saber JPN N/A
Fewture EX Gokin Series Mazinger Z Pre-Painted Action Figure: Mazinger Z (Repaint Version) JPN US$ 229.00
Gears of War Series 1 Pre-Painted Action Figure: Augustus Cole US US$ 19.90
Gears of War Series 1 Pre-Painted Action Figure: Locust Drone US N/A
Gears of War Series 1 Pre-Painted Action Figure: Locust Sniper US N/A
Gears of War Series 1 Pre-Painted Action Figure: Marcus Fenix US N/A
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's 1/8 Scale PVC Figure: Fate Testerossa (Burst Version) (Re-run) JPN N/A
Picoo Z Infrared Control Helicopter (Tandem Z-1) ASIA US$ 49.90
Real Action Heroes Fist of The North Star 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Kenshiro (Doll) JPN US$ 149.90
Revoltech Series No. 051 - Macross Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Action Figure: Regult JPN US$ 21.90
SR DX Reborn Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Hibari Kyouya JPN US$ 49.90
Shokunyu 2 1/4 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Aizawa Sanae (Black Version) JPN US$ 159.90
Shuraki Trinity Box 02 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Maihou Riyu (Re-run) JPN US$ 74.90
Super Mario Key Holder Vol.2 JPN N/A
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu 1/10 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Suzumiya Haruhi (School Uniform Version) JPN US$ 49.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu 1/4 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Nagato Yuki Bunny Version (Re-run) JPN US$ 129.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu 1/4 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Tsuruya-San Bunny Version (Re-run) JPN US$ 129.90
Tales of Agriculture Non Scale Soft Vinyl Trading Figure JPN US$ 3.49
Venus On The Beach! Series ARTFX Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Statue: Tina JPN US$ 139.90
Ubisoft has unveiled Michel Ancel's next project - a sequel to cult classic Beyond Good & Evil.
A teaser trailer for the game was shown for the first time at tonight's UbiDays conference in Paris. It showed a desert scene with Jade sitting atop a broken down car, using a parasol for shade. The camera panned round to show her piggy friend resting against the back of the car, a magazine on his head, snoring.
A fly began buzzing around the pig's head and he snorted it through his nose before muttering, "50." As the camera panned back out and rose high above the scene more buzzing and snorting was heard, followed by silence and then, "51."
And that's it - no official title for the game, no word on which platforms it's in development for and certainly no suggestion of a release date. Here's hoping more info is released soon.
Sales of Xbox 360 consoles are 18 per cent ahead of the PlayStation 3 in the UK since the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV, Chart-Track told Eurogamer today.
In even better news for Microsoft, official GTA IV sales figures for the first four weeks also reveal that the Xbox 360 is the format of choice for UK gamers, with 57 per cent of the total sales of the game on 360, compared to 43 per cent on PS3.
Current Chart-Track panel figures place sales of the game in the UK at over 1.3 million, meaning around 750,000 copies have shifted on Xbox 360, and around 570,000 on PS3. To put that into context, in under four weeks Rockstar’s opus has shifted almost as many copies as last year’s best-seller, FIFA 08 - a game which launched on every format under the sun.
The effect on driving hardware sales has also been more dramatic on 360 than PS3, according to Chart-Track’s figures. Comparing sales of both consoles for the four weeks prior to GTA IV’s launch to the four weeks since its launch, hardware units have risen on 360 by 47 per cent, compared to just eight per cent on PS3 - though it’s fair to point out that the release of GT 5 Prologue had already given PS3 a significant boost in the weeks leading up to GTA IV’s debut.
Looking at the year to date, the picture looks much rosier for Sony. Taking all 21 weeks of 2008 into account, sales of PlayStation 3 in the UK are 10 per cent ahead of Xbox 360. Prior to the launch of GTA IV, the PS3 boasted a 20 per cent lead on 360, so the gap is narrowing.
With exclusive downloadable content due on Xbox 360 later this year, it looks like this might be the deciding factor for many. But will it be worth the huge sums Microsoft paid Take 2? Let us know what you think.
Nintendo's Wii Fit is the best-selling game in Australia for the third week in a row following its release according to data supplied by GfK Australia.
New releases Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Haze reached the fifth and tenth spots, respectively. Grand Theft Auto IV continues to be a strong seller, with the 360 version outselling out the PS3 version.
The Top Ten best-selling titles in Australia for the week ending May 25 were:
1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
3. Wii Play (Wii)
4. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
5. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC)
6. Hanna Montana (DS)
7. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
8. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock bundle (PS2)
9. Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (Wii)
10. Haze (PS3)
Nintendo platforms have dominated the Japanese software chart for the week ended May 25, with titles for the Wii and DS taking up nine of the top ten places.
Let's make a Pro Baseball Team! for the DS has entered the software charts at number one, selling 59,000 units.
It was closely followed by Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G for the PSP at 51,000 units, dropping from first to second place and pushing Mario Kart Wii down a place to third.
DS titles Glory of Hercules: Proof of Spirit and Scarlet Fragment DS are the only other new entries into the top ten debuting at fifth and seventh places respectively.
The Japanese chart follows:
01. Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team! (DS)
02. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP)
03. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
04. Wii Fit (Wii)
05. Glory of Hercules: Proof of Spirit (DS)
06. DS Beautiful Letter Training (DS)
07. Scarlet Fragment DS (DS)
08. Battalion Wars 2 (Wii)
09. Taiko Drum Master DS: Seven Island Adventure (DS)
10. Link's Crossbow Training (Wii)
A new off-road racing game based on the official Score International Baja license is on the way from Activision, the game publisher announced today.
Score International Baja 1000 is under development by Left Field Productions, a California-based studio whose previous credits include Dave Mirra's BMX Challenge, World Series of Poker: Battle For the Bracelets, and the upcoming Nintendo Wii game Nitrobike.
"No race demands more endurance of both man and machine than the Baja 1000," said Sal Fish, President and CEO of Score International, the world's leading desert racing organization. "In consulting Activision for a video game version, we meticulously explained what's needed to capture the intensity of the Baja. They've nailed not only the look but also the elements of true desert racing."
Activision said the game will feature more than 90 vehicles across multiple classes, including trophy trucks, class I, motorcycles and ATVs. Realistic dirt and damage modeling are promised, as are "unforgiving conditions and blistering speeds."
Score International Baja 1000 is not to be confused with this year's other off-road desert endurance racing game, Baja, scheduled for a September release from publisher THQ and developer 2XL Games. Members of the 2XL team were behind ATV Offroad Fury, MX vs. ATV Unleashed and Motocross Madness.
Score International Baja 1000 is being developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PC.
According to research compiled by Nielsen Games, the European Union is the second-largest videogaming territory in the world.
Gaming generated EUR 7.3 billion (USD 11.4 billion) in the European Union during 2007, compared with EUR 7.4 billion (USD 11.5 billion) in Asia and EUR 6.9 billion (USD 10.7 billion) in the United States.
The average age of a gamer in the UK is 33 - the highest out of the territories surveyed - and 42 per cent of UK game players have children.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Quite a large number of popular games came out this week. These include Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies edition [JPN and US] for Xbox360™.
This game is an upgraded re-release of the critically acclaimed action game. With more content and cross platform gameplay, the war for survival is made even more intense and challenging.
Another war between good and evil is waging in Battle Fantasia on both Xbox360™ and PlayStation3™ [JPN and Asian versions]. This stunning game combines RPG elements, high quality graphics and intriguing characters together with exhilarating fights. Be sure to master the techniques and practice your reflexes as you tackle the tough enemies.
Aside from this refreshingly new fighter, some classic NEOGEO fighting games like The King of Fighters Nests, Fatal Fury Battle Archives 1 & 2 and Fuuun Super Combo are released as best priced editions for your PlayStation2™.
Reflexes and techniques are very important in rhythm games as well. The much awaited music game beatmania IIDX 14 Gold is released on PlayStation2™ this week as well with two special editions (Konamistyle Special Edition and Konamistyle Special Edition Complete) already presold.
Konami released another rhythm game aside from beatmania IIDX 14 Gold. Pop'n Music Be-Mouse is for PC and comes with a specially designed mouse which can double as a handheld device for the game.
A good way to train your reflexes and keep fit is through Family Trainer: Athletic World on your Nintendo Wii™. Use the specially designed Wii mat to have some fun with your family and friends. Work out from beginners mode toward master mode and see your progresses.
Train your mind with strategy and tactic games. Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness for Nintendo DS™ is about teamwork. Gather information, analyze them and customize your mech (Wanzers) for the mission.
Mugen no Frontier: Super Robot Taisen OG Saga is an exciting unorthodox RPG released on Nintendo DS™, travel across worlds as a bounty hunter, meet all sorts of inhabitants and save them from the war.
After seeing all the different sights and admiring the colorful worlds in Mugen no Frontier: Super Robot Taisen immerse yourself in the dark savage world of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures on your PC. Battle alongside King Conan and find your own destiny in this large scale MMORPG.
The US version of HAZE for PlayStation3™ and the Asian version of Iron Man for Xbox360™ are shipping this week along with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots OST.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™:
Battle Fantasia JPN US$ 59.90
Iron Man ASIA US$ 49.90
Lost Planet: Colonies JPN US$ 59.90
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition US US$ 34.90
Overlord JPN US$ 64.90
UEFA Euro 2008 US US$ 59.90
PlayStation3™:
Battle Fantasia ASIA US$ 54.90
Battle Fantasia JPN US$ 59.90
HAZE US US$ 64.90
Iron Man ASIA US$ 49.90
SingStar US US$ 44.90
SingStar Bundle (w/ 2 Microphones) US US$ 69.90
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 JPN US$ 68.90
Turok JPN US$ 64.90
UEFA Euro 2008 US US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Biohazard 4 Wii Edition (Best Price!) JPN US$ 29.90
Family Trainer: Athletic World (w/ Mat) JPN US$ 69.90
The DOG Island US US$ 34.90
PlayStation2™:
Burnout Revenge (EA:SY! 1980) JPN US$ 20.90
D.C. II P.S.: Da Capo II Plus Situation JPN US$ 69.00
D.C. II P.S.: Da Capo II Plus Situation [DX Pack] JPN N/A
Def Jam Vendetta (EA:SY! 1980) JPN US$ 20.90
Fatal Fury Battle Archives 1 (Neo Geo Online collection The Best) JPN US$ 20.90
Fatal Fury Battle Archives 2 (Neo Geo Online collection The Best) JPN US$ 20.90
Fushigi Yuugi - Shigiyuugi Kurotake Kaiden Gaiden: Kagami no Fujo (IF Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Fushigi Yuugi: Suzaku Ibun JPN US$ 64.90
Fushigi Yuugi: Suzaku Ibun [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Fuuun Super Combo (Neo Geo Online collection The Best) JPN US$ 20.90
Hanayoi Romanesque: Ai to Kanashimi JPN US$ 64.90
Hanayoi Romanesque: Ai to Kanashimi [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Mana Khemia 2: Ochita Gakuen to Renkinjutsushi Tachi JPN US$ 64.90
Mana Khemia 2: Ochita Gakuen to Renkinjutsushi Tachi [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun (EA:SY! 1980) JPN US$ 20.90
Need for Speed Most Wanted (EA:SY! 1980) JPN US$ 20.90
SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 KOR US$ 49.90
Shuumatsu Otome Gensou Alicematic Apocalypse JPN US$ 64.90
Shuumatsu Otome Gensou Alicematic Apocalypse [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
The King of Fighters Nests (Neo Geo Online collection The Best) JPN US$ 20.90
Togainu no Chi: True Blood JPN US$ 64.90
Togainu no Chi: True Blood [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
UEFA Euro 2008 US US$ 34.90
beatmania IIDX 14 Gold JPN US$ 68.90
Nintendo DS™:
13-Sai no Hello Work DS JPN US$ 39.90
Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness JPN US$ 48.90
Fushigi? Kagaku: Nazotoki Quiz Training - NazoTore JPN US$ 39.90
Kuukan * Zukei: Hirameki Training - KuuTore JPN US$ 39.90
Mugen no Frontier: Super Robot Taisen OG Saga JPN US$ 58.90
Shokera Renai Otona no Tame no Metabo Dassutsu Training JPN US$ 39.90
Sudoku DS: Nikoli no Sudoku Ketteiban JPN US$ 29.90
SuperLite 2500 Quiz no Tabi JPN US$ 25.90
Tokutei! Metabo Juku JPN US$ 39.90
Touch! Gostop DS KOR US$ 39.90
Zombie Shiki - Eigo Ryoku Sosei Jutsu: English of the Dead JPN US$ 39.90
Sony PSP™:
Clannad JPN US$ 58.90
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 3 JPN US$ 48.90
Memories Off JPN US$ 48.90
Memories Off 2nd JPN US$ 48.90
Memories Off 2nd [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 69.90
Memories Off [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 69.90
PSP Camera ASIA US$ 49.90
UEFA Euro 2008 US US$ 44.90
Valhalla Knights 2 ASIA US$ 42.90
Valhalla Knights 2 JPN US$ 48.90
PC Games:
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures 60-Day Time Card US US$ 29.99
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Collector's Edition (DVD-ROM) US N/A
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle ASIA US$ 109.90
Pop'n Music Be-Mouse JPN US$ 69.90
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 ASIA US$ 34.90
Video Game related Soundtracks:
Famison 8bit Idol Master 04 JPN US$ 22.90
Kaze No Message / Kono Yubi Tomare (Pocket Monster Diamond Pearl New Outro Theme & 2008 Movie Pocket Monster Coloring Contest Theme) [CD+DVD Limited Edition] JPN US$ 17.90
Kaze No Message / Kono Yubi Tomare (Pocket Monster Diamond Pearl New Outro Theme & 2009 Movie Pocket Monster Coloring Contest Theme) JPN US$ 12.90
Last Escort 2 Drama CD - Naze Ni Shiro Bara ? Tsuya Gai Kugatsu No Yoru No Yume & Character Song JPN US$ 29.90
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 28.90
Pachislot Beatmania Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 16.90
Sakura Sakura Nanako Sakura Sakura Kirishima Character Disc JPN US$ 19.90
Square Enix Music Original Compilation Album Vol.1 JPN US$ 29.90
Tales Weaver Original Soundtrack +Plus JPN US$ 37.90
Game Magazines:
Arcadia Magazine [July 2008] JPN US$ 12.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [July 2008] JPN US$ 16.50
Overview : This is the one you've all been waiting for! Wii FreeLoader lets you play ANY region of Wii game on a your Nintendo Wii! At last, you can import games from other territories and play them on your Wii…
Videogamers the world over get really frustrated when games are released in other territories long before they reach the shops in their home country, if they ever get released at all. You want to play that blockbuster survival horror which is out in Japan three months before it hits the shelves elsewhere. What about the soccer or F1 sim which only gets a European release or a gridiron football or NBL baseball game that's never released outside the States? Or maybe you bought an imported Wii because you wanted to get it early, and you now want to play games from your own region without buying a second machine. Well, now you can. With Wii FreeLoader, you can play ANY region of game on your Wii!
Wii FreeLoader is really easy to use. Simply insert your FreeLoader disc and load it in the usual way. When the drive stops, eject the Wii FreeLoader disc and insert the game, which then loads and plays just like it would on its own region of Wii. It's as simple as that!
Wii FreeLoader is 100% unofficial, and requires no modifications to your console. As well as letting you play Wii games from all regions, Wii FreeLoader also works with some imported GameCube games when played on your Wii. It won't work in a GameCube console, though – for that, you need FreeLoader for GameCube.
Features :
Play ANY region of Wii™ or GameCube™ game on your Wii™.
Easy to use.
No console modification required.
Doesn't invalidate warranty.
Play games never released in your region.
Play local games on your imported console.
Suitable ONLY for US/JAP/EUR Version Wii™ consoles - If you have EUR Wii, you need EUR version. If you have JAP Wii, you need JAP version and if you have US Wii, you need US version.
100% unofficial.
Might not work with all games or various firmware versions. Usage at own risk!
Quality/Usability : I know there are a lot of impatient gamers reading this review. There are probably some that just cant wait and have bought consoles or games that have came out in a different country first and a couple months later in their own region. Sometimes, there are situations where you cant even get it in your own country and the only way is to import the game or buy a whole new system from a different region.
We all know Japan and its gamers are usually the first to get game releases and all those quirky games. Once released in the land of the rising sun, its usually released in our own region within a couple months or sometimes never even seeing a release. Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 are all (or majority) region free when it comes to games but there is one system that is region locked preventing you from playing games from other regions. That is the Nintendo Wii.
Sony prevented online importers from selling PSPs to different regions due to sale purposes. Region locks on systems is set up pretty much for the same reason. If gamers buy games from different regions, when that game finally comes out in their region, there will be no sale because the gamer already owns the import. I solely understand the reason for region locks but at the same time, there are games that never see light in other countries and true gamers want to play that specific game but cant due to region lock on their console.
Datel is the first to release a disk that allows you to play import games on your Nintendo Wii without voiding your warranty or opening the Nintendo. The FreeLoader comes in a standard sized DVD case. Inside are instructions and the FreeLoader disc which is the same size as GameCube discs.
Getting it setup to play your import game is very simple. You can either be in the Main Menu or in the Disc Channel. Insert FreeLoader into the Nintendo Wii. WHAT?! What is happening to my Wii? Don't worry. Nothing harmful is being done to your Nintendo Wii. It looks as if half of the right screen was stuck and stretched. Kind of like a trail or a smudge. Your screen will flash twice. This is the FreeLoader working its magic. Eject the FreeLoader and swap it with the import game you want to play. TA-DA! It works! *Not all import games will work with the Datel FreeLoader.
Although the Datel WiI FreeLoader does not mention it, but it is capable of playing some of your GameCube imports. I was only able to try one game and it was Luigi's Mansion. I can't believe I still have this game in my library.
Conclusion : Overall, the Datel Wii FreeLoader works great at loading imports but for how long? No one knows. Nintendo can release an updated firmware for the Nintendo Wii and with that one update, it can make the Datel Wii FreeLoader useless. So you'll end up with a useless coaster and a bunch of imported games that you can no longer play unless you mod your Nintendo Wii. As of this review, FreeLoader has been out a couple months and no problems yet. Not all imports will work but majority do.
Please note that none of the "upgrade" products listed in this site are endorsed by Nintendo, Sony and/or Microsoft. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Network does not condone piracy. The primary functions of a "modchip" and/or "flashcart" are to allow you to play imported games and homebrew software that you legally own or simply just for experimenting with hardware. We in no way endorse piracy, and encourage all users to do the right thing and support the developers/manufacturers that support them. We do not take any responsibilities for any use outside of these parameters or where the use of such a device is illegal.
The latest hardware sales figures are in from Japan today as follows:
Playstation Portable: 64,449
Nintendo Wii: 49,047
Nintendo DS Lite: 37,404
Playstation 3: 9,071
Playstation 2: 7,189
Xbox 360: 1,947
In rough nunbers, PSP drops 6,100 but still tops the list. Second is the Wii, up 7,500. Next in line is the DS Lite, increased by 2,500. PS3 follows, up 1,800. PS2 is 5th, up 167. Last of all is the Xbox 360, up 473.
There is only 2 weeks or so left in the DCEmu Games Reviews Contest - WIN 1 of 4 iTOUCHDS IN REVIEW CONTEST. There have been many review submissions from numerous contributors. Its not too late for you to enter. Register (if you havent done so already), read the guidelines and rules and start posting! Check out other reviews for how reviews are constructed.
Remember, you have until June 14th and you can submit as many reviews as you want! The more reviews, the better chance you have in winning.
If you're not going to enter, be sure to cast your vote for best reviewer when review submission has ended!
There is only 2 weeks or so left in the DCEmu Games Reviews Contest - WIN 1 of 4 iTOUCHDS IN REVIEW CONTEST. There have been many review submissions from numerous contributors. Its not too late for you to enter. Register (if you havent done so already), read the guidelines and rules and start posting! Check out other reviews for how reviews are constructed.
Remember, you have until June 14th and you can submit as many reviews as you want! The more reviews, the better chance you have in winning.
If you're not going to enter, be sure to cast your vote for best reviewer when review submission has ended!
Bethesda's post-nuclear visions for Fallout 3 are apparently so intense that an intelligence services contractor called SITE Intel Group thought that they were images of al Qaeda terrorist fantasies for the fate of Washington.
According to the UK Telegraph, SITE found the Fallout 3 images in a video called "Nuclear Jihad: The Ultimate Terror," posted on two possibly al Qaeda-affiliated, password-protected websites, where it also gleaned chat logs from users discussing nuclear attacks on the West.
SITE primarily monitors possible terrorist communications, activity and propaganda for government, business and media clients. We've contacted them to ask about the mix-up and have not yet received reply. We've also contacted Bethesda to see how they feel about their game images possibly being used as propaganda by terrorists, and are awaiting comment.
In an ironic twist, by the way, SITE is based in Bethesda, MD.
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