This is the fourth Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) game, and since the 5th one came out recently (the Miles Edgeworth game), I thought I would hurry up and play this one before tackling that!
This was the first one that doesn't have Phoenix Wright as the titular protagonist, so that is something that I know puts a lot of people off. Perhaps it put me off? I can't say. I just know I only play a new game when I feel like playing that kind of game. I really like these games, they are about the only visual novel style games that have really become mainstream in English, and the stories are usually good mysteries to play through, and the characters funny and memorable. But, I have to be in the right mood to play them.
So, Apollo Justice was a really really good game.
Apollo's special gimmick in court is... a bit ridiculous really, and staring at people to look at their sweaty armpits is not my idea of good fun, but those moments are thankfully rather few.
There was really only one investigation I could consider weak in the whole game, but it was still a lot more fun than most of the stories in the second game. All of the stories seemed logical, maybe even more than in previous games where you know what is going on and you know what you need to say but are not sure what evidence to present in the given situation.
In the end, everything tied together really well. The story is really tight, loose ends are tied up well. The only thing I had a problem with at the end was that one character's back-story didn't really fit together and seemed artificially included at the end to making a happy ending. Still, overall it was really really good.
I don't think I'll start up the Miles Edgeworth game just yet; I may well start up one of the remake Pokemon Gold/Silver games as soon as the end of next week.
Showing posts with label Nintendo DS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nintendo DS. Show all posts
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Retro Game Challenge
I've been playing a Nintendo DS game which I imported from North America: Retro Game Challenge.
I haven't actually completely finished it; I have completed 7 of the 8 games available - just the long-drawn-out RPG to grind my way through, but I think it's enough progress for me to comment on the game!
So. This is a game that contains several other games, all in 8-bit console style. It was originally tied into a show on Japanese TV called Game Center CX. I don't know how far the localisation has gone with this game, but you wouldn't really know it was tied in with a TV show other than having Arino as a character (twice). The voice from the game speaks English and the photos of people in magazines do not look like typical Japanese people. Even if the localisation is heavy, it doesn't detract from the game at all, because the atmosphere in magazines is right and you are primarily here to play retro games.
I would say that if you have a hankering for mid-to-late 1980s console games, are about 30 years old and want to feel like a kid again, or liked Megaman 9 but thought it was too hard, this game is likely to suit you.
The overall story is that a guy (Arino) zaps you and sends you back to 1984 to play video games with him as a kid (I guess he was lonely). There, you have to play the games he orders you to, fulfilling the criteria he sets before you get to play a new game, hoping to eventually return to the present day.
It's very nostalgic even though the games you play are actually new. They are classic 8 bit style in graphics and audio (generally Famicon/Namco arcade style), they come with a manual to read (rather than in-game tutorials), and contain secrets and cheat codes which you can discover and enter if you need to. As you play, this little kid (also Arino) sits next to you watching, getting excited over new games that look ancient... and he buys magazines for the news and cheat codes. It really helps the authentic feel, having an excited kid next to you (until you hear him speak, due to mis-casting - he sounds like an adult).
The games are...
Cosmic Gate - A game that's a lot like Galaga. But, with warps to later levels, and not so fast but more bullets.
Robot Ninja Haggleman, which I quite like; you're a ninja and you swivel doors or jump on enemies' heads to kill them.
Rally King - An overhead-view rally game where you drift/boost and look for shortcuts to win. It reminded me of a game for C64 which I played, but with far more basic graphics. I wish I could remember the name...
Star Prince - a fairly easy mid-1980s style shmup (though the requirement that you play through it twice to complete it makes it harder)
Another edition of the rally game (zzzzz...)
Haggleman sequel (bigger levels, harder)
Guadia Quest - A simple RPG, Dragon Quest style
Haggleman 3 (more of a Shinobi type game than the other Haggleman games - or maybe I should say it's more Metroid as you progress through the game.)
I get the feeling that the games would be actually technically slightly too complex for an actual 8-bit console (especially Star Prince's later levels which give the DS slowdown), and there are lots more secrets to discover in a smaller space of game than would be normal, and yet the games seem overall simpler in content than actual 8-bit games.
They really do give the feeling of games of the year each game is supposed to be released, though. There are certain ways that these games play which have died out in games for years. The progress between games and their sequels seems really natural, like they were real games of the era. The feeling of anticipation for tips on a game you're currently playing in next month's games magazine was familiar and something I haven't felt in years; cheat codes are so old-style and you never have to wait long now we have the internet. There are also some classic comedy bits in the letters page of the magazines.
The interface to the game has you playing the games on the top screen, and you can pause as you play, and take out a manual or magazine or notepad to put on the bottom screen as you play, so it's like having a magazine on your lap to enter a cheat code or draw yourself a dungeon map or whatever.
All very nostalgic.
Drawbacks to this game:
* If you can't feel nostalgia for 1980s gaming, this game won't appeal.
* Comfort has been sacrificed for nostalgia. Remember before they invented useability? Yeah.
* You have to play through each challenge before getting to the next game even if you hate the current game. i.e. the racing game is pretty mediocre and you have to play it twice. Oh well, it didn't take long. It's really easy.
* There's not enough of a selection of games. Only 8 games and a few are very similar.
* The perceived depth to the games is more down to finding hidden secrets than it is to the number of levels.
* The games are way easier than your average 1980s game. No way a game would have been so popular in those days if it could be beaten by a person of my skills in the first playthrough! XD
* The kid sitting next to you while playing is a bit annoying, which is expected as he grew up to be the "villain" of this game. I wish the people who dubbed it would have got a kid to play the kid, as I think he's supposed to be about 6 by his attitude, but it's clear his voice has broken.
Although I thought I would like the RPG the most when I started playing, it turns out that my favourite games are the Haggleman games. (Guadia Quest isn't terrible - it's generic and very grindy / random battle heavy, but most of all I wish it had some more info on the items you can get than is available in the manual...)
Overall, I'm glad I bought this game. I wish it was a budget game at 1/2 the price though! It was quite short, as I started the game on a Saturday and had completely finished most of the games by Tuesday.
It's been fun, and relaxingly nostalgic. Somehow capturing something about the feeling I had about gaming pre-internet era way more than having the dozens of actual retro games in the recent Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection. :D
I haven't actually completely finished it; I have completed 7 of the 8 games available - just the long-drawn-out RPG to grind my way through, but I think it's enough progress for me to comment on the game!
So. This is a game that contains several other games, all in 8-bit console style. It was originally tied into a show on Japanese TV called Game Center CX. I don't know how far the localisation has gone with this game, but you wouldn't really know it was tied in with a TV show other than having Arino as a character (twice). The voice from the game speaks English and the photos of people in magazines do not look like typical Japanese people. Even if the localisation is heavy, it doesn't detract from the game at all, because the atmosphere in magazines is right and you are primarily here to play retro games.
I would say that if you have a hankering for mid-to-late 1980s console games, are about 30 years old and want to feel like a kid again, or liked Megaman 9 but thought it was too hard, this game is likely to suit you.
The overall story is that a guy (Arino) zaps you and sends you back to 1984 to play video games with him as a kid (I guess he was lonely). There, you have to play the games he orders you to, fulfilling the criteria he sets before you get to play a new game, hoping to eventually return to the present day.
It's very nostalgic even though the games you play are actually new. They are classic 8 bit style in graphics and audio (generally Famicon/Namco arcade style), they come with a manual to read (rather than in-game tutorials), and contain secrets and cheat codes which you can discover and enter if you need to. As you play, this little kid (also Arino) sits next to you watching, getting excited over new games that look ancient... and he buys magazines for the news and cheat codes. It really helps the authentic feel, having an excited kid next to you (until you hear him speak, due to mis-casting - he sounds like an adult).
The games are...
Cosmic Gate - A game that's a lot like Galaga. But, with warps to later levels, and not so fast but more bullets.
Robot Ninja Haggleman, which I quite like; you're a ninja and you swivel doors or jump on enemies' heads to kill them.
Rally King - An overhead-view rally game where you drift/boost and look for shortcuts to win. It reminded me of a game for C64 which I played, but with far more basic graphics. I wish I could remember the name...
Star Prince - a fairly easy mid-1980s style shmup (though the requirement that you play through it twice to complete it makes it harder)
Another edition of the rally game (zzzzz...)
Haggleman sequel (bigger levels, harder)
Guadia Quest - A simple RPG, Dragon Quest style
Haggleman 3 (more of a Shinobi type game than the other Haggleman games - or maybe I should say it's more Metroid as you progress through the game.)
I get the feeling that the games would be actually technically slightly too complex for an actual 8-bit console (especially Star Prince's later levels which give the DS slowdown), and there are lots more secrets to discover in a smaller space of game than would be normal, and yet the games seem overall simpler in content than actual 8-bit games.
They really do give the feeling of games of the year each game is supposed to be released, though. There are certain ways that these games play which have died out in games for years. The progress between games and their sequels seems really natural, like they were real games of the era. The feeling of anticipation for tips on a game you're currently playing in next month's games magazine was familiar and something I haven't felt in years; cheat codes are so old-style and you never have to wait long now we have the internet. There are also some classic comedy bits in the letters page of the magazines.
The interface to the game has you playing the games on the top screen, and you can pause as you play, and take out a manual or magazine or notepad to put on the bottom screen as you play, so it's like having a magazine on your lap to enter a cheat code or draw yourself a dungeon map or whatever.
All very nostalgic.
Drawbacks to this game:
* If you can't feel nostalgia for 1980s gaming, this game won't appeal.
* Comfort has been sacrificed for nostalgia. Remember before they invented useability? Yeah.
* You have to play through each challenge before getting to the next game even if you hate the current game. i.e. the racing game is pretty mediocre and you have to play it twice. Oh well, it didn't take long. It's really easy.
* There's not enough of a selection of games. Only 8 games and a few are very similar.
* The perceived depth to the games is more down to finding hidden secrets than it is to the number of levels.
* The games are way easier than your average 1980s game. No way a game would have been so popular in those days if it could be beaten by a person of my skills in the first playthrough! XD
* The kid sitting next to you while playing is a bit annoying, which is expected as he grew up to be the "villain" of this game. I wish the people who dubbed it would have got a kid to play the kid, as I think he's supposed to be about 6 by his attitude, but it's clear his voice has broken.
Although I thought I would like the RPG the most when I started playing, it turns out that my favourite games are the Haggleman games. (Guadia Quest isn't terrible - it's generic and very grindy / random battle heavy, but most of all I wish it had some more info on the items you can get than is available in the manual...)
Overall, I'm glad I bought this game. I wish it was a budget game at 1/2 the price though! It was quite short, as I started the game on a Saturday and had completely finished most of the games by Tuesday.
It's been fun, and relaxingly nostalgic. Somehow capturing something about the feeling I had about gaming pre-internet era way more than having the dozens of actual retro games in the recent Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection. :D
Friday, 20 June 2008
Master of the Monster Lair - Dungeon Maker for DS
Yay, Atlus have licensed a new DS game for North America - it's the sequel to the Dungeon Maker game for PSP that I enjoyed playing last year. This DS game was originally titled "Dungeon Maker: Mahou no Shovel to Chiisana Yuusha", but for some reason the US release will be called "Master of the Monster Lair", I don't know why they wouldn't want to associate it with the previous game.
It features a talking magical shovel! The character designs look very cute too, as opposed to the serious look and feel of the PSP game.
I really liked the PSP Dungeon Maker game, it was kind of like Dungeon Keeper crossed with one of those 3rd person hack-em-up RPGs. Lure them in, murder them, I couldn't help but think that sometimes maybe I was being more evil than the monsters...
3rd person 3D hack-em-up seemed a very PSP style of gameplay, I expect the DS will have a different type of gameplay but with the same kind of dungeon making. ^_^
It comes out in September 2008, and you can preorder it on Play-Asia already. It's priced well at $34.90 US dollars (under £18 GBP), which will probably be well worth it.
It features a talking magical shovel! The character designs look very cute too, as opposed to the serious look and feel of the PSP game.
I really liked the PSP Dungeon Maker game, it was kind of like Dungeon Keeper crossed with one of those 3rd person hack-em-up RPGs. Lure them in, murder them, I couldn't help but think that sometimes maybe I was being more evil than the monsters...
3rd person 3D hack-em-up seemed a very PSP style of gameplay, I expect the DS will have a different type of gameplay but with the same kind of dungeon making. ^_^
It comes out in September 2008, and you can preorder it on Play-Asia already. It's priced well at $34.90 US dollars (under £18 GBP), which will probably be well worth it.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
DS Visual Novel Reader
There's a visual novel reader for Nintendo DS, you know. I had heard of the demo of Fate Stay Night and some of Tsukihime (English translations) being ported to the DS, but had not looked into it.
The site for the reader is here: http://digital-haze.net/vnds.php
That includes the reader, and ports of that demo of FSN and Tsukihime, as well as Narcissu (which I hear is good from the PC version), and something called "Anon's Nice Day" which I admit I haven't heard of before.
It seems to use its own format - some .scr files that describe the background image to use, sound files, music, text, choices etc, as well as needing those visual/audio files separately.
EDIT: Wow, this Fate Stay Night DS download is 73MB whereas I thought the demo for DS was under 10MB... maybe it's the whole game after all!
The site for the reader is here: http://digital-haze.net/vnds.php
That includes the reader, and ports of that demo of FSN and Tsukihime, as well as Narcissu (which I hear is good from the PC version), and something called "Anon's Nice Day" which I admit I haven't heard of before.
It seems to use its own format - some .scr files that describe the background image to use, sound files, music, text, choices etc, as well as needing those visual/audio files separately.
EDIT: Wow, this Fate Stay Night DS download is 73MB whereas I thought the demo for DS was under 10MB... maybe it's the whole game after all!
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
My new crimson & black Nintendo DS
Hee~~~~ I bought myself a present! ^___^
It's a "crimson and black" Nintendo DS Lite, and I bought it and got it shipped to me from North America! The total price including shipping was actually cheaper than I could get a UK one, but I got this mostly because I like the colour scheme. My old silver DS has served me well, but it makes an annoying high-pitched sound, which is worse when using headphones. My old DS is so worn out that you can't even see the serial number on the back anymore - all the writing wore away!
The crimson and black DS Lite has a shiny metallic crimson surface, and is matt black plastic on the inside and back.
This comes with one (only one!) spare stylus, a recharger (very compact, with an American plug, of course), instructions for the console and instructions for Pictochat, a health-and-safety booklet, a product registration card I can't use, and subscription offer to "Nintendo Power" magazine which I can't use.
I'm recharging my DS by plugging the charger into a stepdown converter!! ^_^;; I think I need to get a new charger when I can...!
It's a "crimson and black" Nintendo DS Lite, and I bought it and got it shipped to me from North America! The total price including shipping was actually cheaper than I could get a UK one, but I got this mostly because I like the colour scheme. My old silver DS has served me well, but it makes an annoying high-pitched sound, which is worse when using headphones. My old DS is so worn out that you can't even see the serial number on the back anymore - all the writing wore away!
The crimson and black DS Lite has a shiny metallic crimson surface, and is matt black plastic on the inside and back.
This comes with one (only one!) spare stylus, a recharger (very compact, with an American plug, of course), instructions for the console and instructions for Pictochat, a health-and-safety booklet, a product registration card I can't use, and subscription offer to "Nintendo Power" magazine which I can't use.
I'm recharging my DS by plugging the charger into a stepdown converter!! ^_^;; I think I need to get a new charger when I can...!
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Meccha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS: 7tsu no Shima no Daibouken
There's a new Taiko No Tatsujin game out for DS! My copy is in the post, it hasn't arrived yet. There's a list of songs on Wikipedia here, though it says it's incomplete and I don't know how accurate it is.
Oh no! Not "Linda Linda", that's an annoying song... (though the cover versions seem to be better than the original song!)
Some of the songs seem to be repeats of tracks from other Taiko no Tatsujin games.
The official Japanese site is here.
It took a very long time to load for me, as it's in flash, but at least it sings to you. ^_^ I only watched one trailer because my internet connection is being quite slow. It seems to have a big story mode and some extra instruments... I hope it's not too distracting with the visual effects and things while I'm trying to play. I find these games hard enough as it is!
Oh no! Not "Linda Linda", that's an annoying song... (though the cover versions seem to be better than the original song!)
Some of the songs seem to be repeats of tracks from other Taiko no Tatsujin games.
The official Japanese site is here.
It took a very long time to load for me, as it's in flash, but at least it sings to you. ^_^ I only watched one trailer because my internet connection is being quite slow. It seems to have a big story mode and some extra instruments... I hope it's not too distracting with the visual effects and things while I'm trying to play. I find these games hard enough as it is!
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Dramatic Dungeon: Sakura Taisen DS
It's an upcoming game for Nintendo DS, featuring characters from all the previous Sakura Taisen games. Looks somewhere between a Sakura Taisen game and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (a roguelike with party-forming).
Info:
http://uk.ds.ign.com/objects/906/906344.html
Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehXdnx4VQmA
Official Site:
http://game.sakura-taisen.com/ds/
Info:
http://uk.ds.ign.com/objects/906/906344.html
Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehXdnx4VQmA
Official Site:
http://game.sakura-taisen.com/ds/
Monday, 11 February 2008
Mystery Dungeon Shiren DS game heading for the US
I found out that the Nintendo DS "Shiren The Wanderer Mystery Dungeon" game is being translated into English to be released in North America at the beginning of March, so I placed a preorder. ^__^
Shiren is a "graphical roguelike" game which I've heard a lot about but haven't actually played. I could have, since there's an English translation patch for the 2nd Shiren game on Super Famicon released by Aeon Genesis. But, I haven't gotten round to trying it. I'm fond of roguelikes like Angband and games like "Izuna: Legend Of The Unemployed Ninja" and "Azure Dreams" (and to a lesser extent, it's sequel Tao's Adventure for DS). My first was "Sword Of Fargoal" for the Commodore 64 - I think it was one of the best games out at the time! Randomly generated dungeons and the drive to fight all the way through, challenging and unforgiving, I like it.
I bought another 2nd hand Gameboy Advance SP over the weekend, a battered old 2nd hand Charizard flame red one, scuffed everywhere on the outside and with "KYLE" scratched into the back, presumably by its previous owner. Cute. But, it has a perfect screen and that's what's important. It came with a copy of Advance Wars, but I started playing my copy of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team instead. ^_^ I bought the game a few months ago (when I got into the Izuna game) but never tried it out. It's by Chunsoft, same as the Shiren games, and I have to say it's lots of fun, I'm really enjoying it. This game blends Pokemon and roguelike gaming together pretty well. You can recruit friendly Pokemon to join you on your quests, and I haven't played any roguelike where you take a party into the dungeon before; that's new to me. I also like that you can collect friend pokemon - I don't think there's an actual pokedex so you know how far through you are, though.
It's pretty easy compared to most of the roguelikes I've played, but it is a Pokemon game after all. There's a personality test to decide which Pokemon you will be throughout the game, and I turned out to be a Charmander. ^_^ I tend to be fire type in personality tests...
I haven't played any Shiren games before, but I've played "Izuna Legend Of The Unemployed Ninja" for DS, and I was amazed how much the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game looks and plays like Izuna. The Izuna game looks graphically very similar (including the size of sprites how much you see of the map), plays almost the same way (just the weapon / armour / scroll powering up system is different), and even assigns the same buttons to commands - right trigger to easily maneuver diagonals, left trigger for easy access use your projectile/trap weapons, B button to dash in a direction until you bump into something interesting.... So I guess it's a complete rip-off of Shiren. But, at least that means it's a rip-off that's complete. ^_^
I also only found out today that a game I bought on Play Asia years ago super-cheap (like, a fiver or something) - Dragon Quest: Shonen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon - is another roguelike. I never even took it out of the box yet, though, hehe. You see, I heard that the Dragon Quest game it spins off from wasn't too great, so I didn't start that, so I never looked into the spinoff game...
I'm really looking forward to Shiren DS. Shiren is famously good and infamously difficult and unforgiving. There's a 50 second trailer for it here. It starts off "From the makers of Pokemon {R) Mystery Dungeon"... ^_^;;
Shiren is a "graphical roguelike" game which I've heard a lot about but haven't actually played. I could have, since there's an English translation patch for the 2nd Shiren game on Super Famicon released by Aeon Genesis. But, I haven't gotten round to trying it. I'm fond of roguelikes like Angband and games like "Izuna: Legend Of The Unemployed Ninja" and "Azure Dreams" (and to a lesser extent, it's sequel Tao's Adventure for DS). My first was "Sword Of Fargoal" for the Commodore 64 - I think it was one of the best games out at the time! Randomly generated dungeons and the drive to fight all the way through, challenging and unforgiving, I like it.
I bought another 2nd hand Gameboy Advance SP over the weekend, a battered old 2nd hand Charizard flame red one, scuffed everywhere on the outside and with "KYLE" scratched into the back, presumably by its previous owner. Cute. But, it has a perfect screen and that's what's important. It came with a copy of Advance Wars, but I started playing my copy of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team instead. ^_^ I bought the game a few months ago (when I got into the Izuna game) but never tried it out. It's by Chunsoft, same as the Shiren games, and I have to say it's lots of fun, I'm really enjoying it. This game blends Pokemon and roguelike gaming together pretty well. You can recruit friendly Pokemon to join you on your quests, and I haven't played any roguelike where you take a party into the dungeon before; that's new to me. I also like that you can collect friend pokemon - I don't think there's an actual pokedex so you know how far through you are, though.
It's pretty easy compared to most of the roguelikes I've played, but it is a Pokemon game after all. There's a personality test to decide which Pokemon you will be throughout the game, and I turned out to be a Charmander. ^_^ I tend to be fire type in personality tests...
I haven't played any Shiren games before, but I've played "Izuna Legend Of The Unemployed Ninja" for DS, and I was amazed how much the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game looks and plays like Izuna. The Izuna game looks graphically very similar (including the size of sprites how much you see of the map), plays almost the same way (just the weapon / armour / scroll powering up system is different), and even assigns the same buttons to commands - right trigger to easily maneuver diagonals, left trigger for easy access use your projectile/trap weapons, B button to dash in a direction until you bump into something interesting.... So I guess it's a complete rip-off of Shiren. But, at least that means it's a rip-off that's complete. ^_^
I also only found out today that a game I bought on Play Asia years ago super-cheap (like, a fiver or something) - Dragon Quest: Shonen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon - is another roguelike. I never even took it out of the box yet, though, hehe. You see, I heard that the Dragon Quest game it spins off from wasn't too great, so I didn't start that, so I never looked into the spinoff game...
I'm really looking forward to Shiren DS. Shiren is famously good and infamously difficult and unforgiving. There's a 50 second trailer for it here. It starts off "From the makers of Pokemon {R) Mystery Dungeon"... ^_^;;
Friday, 3 August 2007
Nintendo DS flashcards on Amazon
I was really really surprised to notice that Amazon UK sell the M3 and
R4 devices. As in, my eyes popped out of my head.
They're flashcards for the Nintendo DS that let you play homebrew, movie files, MP3s, and downloaded .nds roms! Just stick the files onto a micro-SD card, put it into the flashcard, and play.
They're very popular items, too. The M3 is ranked #16 in the NDS bestselling list, and the R4 is #43, at the moment.
I didn't think Amazon would dare to sell such things. Especially not directly with free shipping (which is what they offer for the M3).
I suppose Amazon could argue it's like selling MP3 players. You might play music from some download shop, or you could be playing illegal MP3s. Or maybe they just don't understand what the product does and why it's popular.
Meanwhile, today's news is that there's been a huge crackdown on US mod chip sellers! It seems customs were doing the raids, so maybe it's just for imported modchips; the ones developed within the US were ok? [shrug]
R4 devices. As in, my eyes popped out of my head.
They're flashcards for the Nintendo DS that let you play homebrew, movie files, MP3s, and downloaded .nds roms! Just stick the files onto a micro-SD card, put it into the flashcard, and play.
They're very popular items, too. The M3 is ranked #16 in the NDS bestselling list, and the R4 is #43, at the moment.
I didn't think Amazon would dare to sell such things. Especially not directly with free shipping (which is what they offer for the M3).
I suppose Amazon could argue it's like selling MP3 players. You might play music from some download shop, or you could be playing illegal MP3s. Or maybe they just don't understand what the product does and why it's popular.
Meanwhile, today's news is that there's been a huge crackdown on US mod chip sellers! It seems customs were doing the raids, so maybe it's just for imported modchips; the ones developed within the US were ok? [shrug]
Friday, 27 July 2007
Taiko No Tatsujin DS
Yay! Taiko No Tatsujin DS Touch de Dokodon! is out! The first Taiko No Tatsujin game that UK gamers can happily import to play without having to get round region restrictions or trade restrictions (grr Sony, I'm the only person in the world who still wants to buy PSP games and yet you don't want me to...!). Comes with 2 cute mini drumstick stylus (styli? stylee? styluses?) too. ^_^
So... what does Taiko No Tatsujin DS have that the other Taiko No Tatsujin games don't?
* You can enter your name in katakana.
* there's the option to play with touch screen and with direction / shoulder buttons.
* There's a daily play dojo, presumably in the vein of other self-improvement DS titles
* You can dress up your taiko drum. It's so cute! (*^_^*)
* 4 player wireless multiplayer (apparently; I haven't tried it)
* There's an option to make the faces fly across the screen fast, and an option to make them fly super-fast!
* Mekadon no longer explodes!
Entering your name in katakana is not important, but is something I always wanted to do. I'm a foreigner, after all. ^_^;;
Being able to use the touch screen and control pad both at once means you can play it the way you want to, switching back and forth whenever you want. So, for example, you can play the main tune with the touch screen and then use the control pad / buttons for the rapid-hit score-boosting parts (the long yellow strips where you just get as many hits in as you can).
Some of the songs available:
Anime:
* Touch - 1st OP theme from "Touch" ^_^
* Together - Pocket Monster Diamond Pearl Opening Theme
* Gekiranger OP theme ^_^
* Smile go go - Yes! Precure 5 OP theme
* Doraemon no uta (1st OP - the Oosugi Kumiko song) ^_^
* Meitantei Conan Main Theme
* Anpanman no theme
Game Music:
* Super Mario Brothers <- this is lots of fun!
* GO MY WAY!! - THE IDOLM@STER
* Namcot Melody <- this made me feel happy & nostalgic T_T
Classical:
* Beethoven's 7th
* William Tell Overture
* um... the "Can Can", I forgot it's real name
* Flight Of The Bumblebee
* Classic Medley - contains Wagner's "Wedding March" & Grieg's "In The Hall Of The Mountain King".
I'm not going to go through and list the J-Pop, Namco Originals or the children's songs... I want to go back to playing... ^_^
(BTW you can get a copy from either YesAsia or Play-Asia, my copy comes from YesAsia because they were slightly cheaper)
Sunday, 20 May 2007
weekend update
It turns out I managed to buy a duplicate game in my huge-pile-o-stuff there! I have two copies of "Lake Masters Ex"! Hmm, what can I do with that? It's not exactly a well sought out game or good quality game that I can give away in good faith...
What else happened? Not much. I started playing "Diner Dash" for Nintendo DS. I've been playing a lot of NDS games recently... it's a good little portable system, I don't have to borrow a TV to play anything, and I don't feel like I'm distracting my brother from studying for his exams. So... how is Diner Dash? Well, it's quite fun. It's based on a game for mobile phones, I gather... I'm stuck on the last level of the "Retro" restaurant, though. It's a relentlessly hard game - the amount of points you need to pass a stage is very high and it means you need to chain everything, but you're also relying on luck so it's not always possible... makes it feel unfair. I might give up with this one. I got a bit bored with Puzzle Quest, btw. My character is level 35 and I'm feeling that the game could do with some variety...
I started Theme Park for NDS, then thought... "I've already done this so many times..." and stopped again.
So I've started playing Etrian Odyssey. Yeah, I'm spoilt for choice with NDS games. It's fun getting back into 1st person RPGing. It's the normal moving forward square-by-square type affair. Takes me back to the days of "The Adventure Game" on TV and "The Bard's Tale" for C64, even though I've played a few 1st person RPGs since (Lands Of Lore, Dungeon Master, etc). It's also quite difficult to start with, not quite as unfair as Diner Dash, but I'm often finding my party is short of money. The amount of money they make on each expedition is not much more than the cost of board for a room to sleep in, and the price goes up as they level up! I'm thinking of creating a load of... whatever the Ranger type is called in this game, and farm with their "chop" skill, use the hotel to forward it to the next day, rinse & repeat, just to make money... which seems like abusing the game, but only as much as it's abusing me...
Um... listened to my new (old) Crystal King CD - "Daitokai" and "Ai Wo Torimodose" are definitely the stand-out songs of their discography, the CD doesn't seem to have "Yuria ~ Towa ni" on it (the 1st ED theme for Hokuto No Ken), otherwise it would seem complete, to me. A lot of their stuff is generic to that time period. They look kind of like gangsters in tuxedos on the cover of the album, too... I so love Daitokai! I'm glad I bought the CD just for that song!
Also listened to my new (old) Kushida Akira CD - "I AM THE ONE!" ^__^ It's a great CD! All the way through! Lots of songs I always wanted on CD, my brother comments that they seem to be slightly different versions of the songs than he's heard before, too. We've got other versions on some super sentai CDs and remix CDs and so forth... I've also got 2 other Kushi CDs on order at the moment; "Soul of Kussy" and his upcoming "Best & Live". ^__^
What else happened? Not much. I started playing "Diner Dash" for Nintendo DS. I've been playing a lot of NDS games recently... it's a good little portable system, I don't have to borrow a TV to play anything, and I don't feel like I'm distracting my brother from studying for his exams. So... how is Diner Dash? Well, it's quite fun. It's based on a game for mobile phones, I gather... I'm stuck on the last level of the "Retro" restaurant, though. It's a relentlessly hard game - the amount of points you need to pass a stage is very high and it means you need to chain everything, but you're also relying on luck so it's not always possible... makes it feel unfair. I might give up with this one. I got a bit bored with Puzzle Quest, btw. My character is level 35 and I'm feeling that the game could do with some variety...
I started Theme Park for NDS, then thought... "I've already done this so many times..." and stopped again.
So I've started playing Etrian Odyssey. Yeah, I'm spoilt for choice with NDS games. It's fun getting back into 1st person RPGing. It's the normal moving forward square-by-square type affair. Takes me back to the days of "The Adventure Game" on TV and "The Bard's Tale" for C64, even though I've played a few 1st person RPGs since (Lands Of Lore, Dungeon Master, etc). It's also quite difficult to start with, not quite as unfair as Diner Dash, but I'm often finding my party is short of money. The amount of money they make on each expedition is not much more than the cost of board for a room to sleep in, and the price goes up as they level up! I'm thinking of creating a load of... whatever the Ranger type is called in this game, and farm with their "chop" skill, use the hotel to forward it to the next day, rinse & repeat, just to make money... which seems like abusing the game, but only as much as it's abusing me...
Um... listened to my new (old) Crystal King CD - "Daitokai" and "Ai Wo Torimodose" are definitely the stand-out songs of their discography, the CD doesn't seem to have "Yuria ~ Towa ni" on it (the 1st ED theme for Hokuto No Ken), otherwise it would seem complete, to me. A lot of their stuff is generic to that time period. They look kind of like gangsters in tuxedos on the cover of the album, too... I so love Daitokai! I'm glad I bought the CD just for that song!
Also listened to my new (old) Kushida Akira CD - "I AM THE ONE!" ^__^ It's a great CD! All the way through! Lots of songs I always wanted on CD, my brother comments that they seem to be slightly different versions of the songs than he's heard before, too. We've got other versions on some super sentai CDs and remix CDs and so forth... I've also got 2 other Kushi CDs on order at the moment; "Soul of Kussy" and his upcoming "Best & Live". ^__^
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Etrian Odyssey
This is supposed to be out today, another NDS RPG... this one's a turn-based 1st person one...
"All-star production staff! Direction by Kazuya Niinou ( Trauma Center: Under the Knife ), story design by Shigeo Komori ( Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner ), and sound design by Yuzo Koshiro ( Actraiser , Streets of Rage )."
http://www.atlus.com/etrian/
The articles on the official website, under "Columns" -> "Director's Diary" and "Localisation Stories" are both interesting.
"All-star production staff! Direction by Kazuya Niinou ( Trauma Center: Under the Knife ), story design by Shigeo Komori ( Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner ), and sound design by Yuzo Koshiro ( Actraiser , Streets of Rage )."
http://www.atlus.com/etrian/
The articles on the official website, under "Columns" -> "Director's Diary" and "Localisation Stories" are both interesting.
Monday, 30 April 2007
Taiko No Tatsujin DS
I forgot to post about this a few days ago...
Taiko No Tatsujin DS hs been announced by Namco-Bandai via Famitsu magazine. Source.
There are also magazine scans and a partial tracklisting on this site:
Taikods1 J-Pop:
Natsumatsuri (Summer Festival)
Won't Be Long
Mata Aimashou (Let's Meet Again)
Dance2 Featuring Soy Sauce [Pocky Chocolate Commercial Song]
Children's/Folk Music:
Mori no O-Kumasan (Bears in the Forest)
Inu no O-mawarisan (Dog and the Policeman)
Game Music:
Super Mario Bros.
Taikods2_2 Classical:
Beethoven's 7th (partial)
William Tell Overture
Heaven and Hell (Offenbach)
Flight of the Bumblebee (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Classic Medley (Wedding Songs)
Namco Originals:
Kimi ni Touch!
Mojipittan Medley
Kagekiyo
Pachi O-Sensei
and more hit songs!
--
No external (to Namco/Nintendo) licensed music, I guess they need to sort out the licenses before any further announcements...
Taiko No Tatsujin DS hs been announced by Namco-Bandai via Famitsu magazine. Source.
There are also magazine scans and a partial tracklisting on this site:
Taikods1 J-Pop:
Natsumatsuri (Summer Festival)
Won't Be Long
Mata Aimashou (Let's Meet Again)
Dance2 Featuring Soy Sauce [Pocky Chocolate Commercial Song]
Children's/Folk Music:
Mori no O-Kumasan (Bears in the Forest)
Inu no O-mawarisan (Dog and the Policeman)
Game Music:
Super Mario Bros.
Taikods2_2 Classical:
Beethoven's 7th (partial)
William Tell Overture
Heaven and Hell (Offenbach)
Flight of the Bumblebee (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Classic Medley (Wedding Songs)
Namco Originals:
Kimi ni Touch!
Mojipittan Medley
Kagekiyo
Pachi O-Sensei
and more hit songs!
--
No external (to Namco/Nintendo) licensed music, I guess they need to sort out the licenses before any further announcements...
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