RATINGS:
3 Kingdoms DS 2 8787
* Tries hard to overcome the series's famous learning curve
* Smoothly constructed and well-thought-out
* Difficulty is all in scenario, not in controls
* "Turtle's Challenge" scenarios make good breaks from main game
* Tutorial is long but welldone
* Icons are too small
* Improves in tempo with added strategies and abilities
* Not always fun, but always pleasant.
Dragon Tamer 8767
Warhawk 7777
MotoGP 08 7778
Scramble Commander 2nd 8877
* Fixes what was broken with the last one
* Special attacks are usable too rarely, and not worth upgrades; it helps to think of them as special.
* Forgiving of mistakes
* Movements sharpened up
* Movement takes a bit of adjustment
* Too little money and EXP to keep units up to date
* "Pursue" command makes it easier for the player to keep up
Opoona 8887 PLAYTIME: 15-20 hours to clear, 75 to do everything
* Cute characters hide oldschool difficulty
* Ball-based battles are difficult
* Plot progression based on talking to people in the right order; reviewer finds this nostalgic but thinks you may not
* Music: "INCREDIBLE"
* Lots of subsystems
* To the extent where jobs and licences get confusing
* Battles don't really hurt the tempo, but encounter rate boosts the difficulty
Mario Galaxy 109910 PLAYTIME: As long as you damn well want
* Keeps up the feeling of "I wanna see what's in the next level!"
* Gladually builds up things available in game, keeping a good difficulty balance and level design.
* Gravity change gimmicks and special actions improve boss fights.
* Wiimote controls work almost too well
* Tempo is abnormally good
* Just being able to point and gather star pieces in exhilerating.
* Game everyone can enjoy.
AC6 9999 PLAYTIME: 15-20 hours for mission, online matches starting from 5 minutes
* Base play hasn't really changed, but still works; sensation of being in a massive dogfight is even better now
* Motion is balanced between "realistic" and "arcadey"
* 16-player mode is a plus
* Doesn't cause motion sickness as much :lol
* Great visuals
NEWS:
Family Ski (Wii/Bandai Namco/und)
* Use remote and nunchaku as sticks
* Talk to AIs on the slope and become involved in races
* Beginner, Medium, Expert ranks; over 10 courses
* Character customization
Word Puzze Mojipittan Wii (Wii/Bandai Namco/08/03)
* WiiWare
* Adds 20000 phrases to the dictionary for a total of 120000
* In-game prizes; "Moji-kun Collection" mode
WWE 2008 Smackdown vs. Raw :lol :lol :lol :lol (PS2/PS3/360/Wii, THQ Japan, 08/02)
* Career "WWE 24/7" mode
* Tries to get closer to stars' actual fighting style
* Animation improvements
* Over 90 match types, including ECW rules
* Expands arena to backstage and audience seating
* Upgraded news system, complete with talking commentator heads
* Redone voice samples
Idolm@ster Live for You! (X360, Bandai Namco, undetermined date)
* Switches things up; you're now in charge of and judged on coordinating members, clothing and props, music for her live performances.
* Packaged with original animation DVD and remixed song versions
* Completion 60%
"Afterschool Boy" (DS, Konami, 08/01/31, \5229)
* Nostalgic ADV reliving boyhood in mid-1970s rural Japan
* Hero is an elementary school boy whose family will move far away in a month
* School, parks, candy shops, etc. will be available on the map; they contain nostalgic activities like swingsets, super car erasers, menko (card game similar to pogs), a particular board game where the object was to travel to space.
* Uses nostalgic music from the era
(vocal)
A Younger Guy/Candies
Cotton Hankerchief/Ohta Hiromi
Swim! Taiyaki-kun/Shimon Masato
Beautiful Sunday/Tanaka Seiji
Romance/Iwasaki Hiromi
(instrumental)
Tell Me, Space Battleship Yamato, Go! Goranger, Yamaguchi's Tsutomu
Days that Can't Be Returned To, G-Men 75 Theme, Youthful Days, Theme of the Big City
かけめぐる青春、学園天国
the Perplexion of Haruhi Suzumiya (PS2/Banpresto/08/01/31)
* Preorder bonus is a redo of the ED theme dance in CG, including Hero-class Haruhi/Thief Nagato/Mage Mikuru.
* Simulation RPG mode---looks a lot like SRW, we think?
* Looking at the scan the only way this stuff makes ANY sense is if it's a big ADV sequence first where the SOS group "makes a game" and then that game's the ending. Wonder if you actually get to -play- it.
G-Generation Spirits (PS2/Bandai Namco/11/29)
* Char Custom Zaku II, Gouf Custom, RX-78-4, Deep Striker, Qubeley MkII, F-91, ν, Mother Vanguard appear
* "Chance Step" occurs when defeating an enemy, allowing another move
* Up to 8 units can participate in group attack
* Preorder bonus is "G-Gene Spirits Disc"; game PV and video of Moriguchi Hiroko
DATES:
<NDS>
08/01/24　The Sims 2: Survival <EA>
08/01/31　Afterschool Boy <Konami>
08/03　Sudoku DS Complete <Hudson>
08 Spring　Ys DS <Interchannel Holon> (\5040)
08 Spring　YS 2 DS<Interchannel Holon> (\5040)
08 Digimon Championship <Bandai Namco>
??　TokiMemo Girls Side Second Season <Konami>
<PSP>
12/20　MAPLUS Portable Navi 2 <Edia>
<Wii>
12/20　Crazy Climber Wii <Nippon System>
Winter　Family Ski <Bandai Namco>
08/02　WWE2008 Smackdown vs. Raw <THQ>
<PS3>
08/01/31　Disgaea 3 <N1 Software>
08/02　WWE2008 SvR <THQ>
<PS2>
08/01/31　Tales of Destiny DC <Bandai Namco>
08/02　WWE2008 S/R <THQ>
08　Night Wizard the Video Game <5pb.>
<Xbox360>
12/06　VF5 Live Arena Stick <Hori>
08/02　WWE2008 <THQ>
<CANCELED>
Xbox360　Sangokufuujin (tentative) <Idea Factory>
NEXT WEEK:
Strategy) Mario Galaxy, FFTA2, Ar Tornelico 2
Feature) To Make Games More Fun
Coverage) DQ4
Extra) FINAL FANTASY Festa!
3 Kingdoms DS 2 8787
* Tries hard to overcome the series's famous learning curve
* Smoothly constructed and well-thought-out
* Difficulty is all in scenario, not in controls
* "Turtle's Challenge" scenarios make good breaks from main game
* Tutorial is long but welldone
* Icons are too small
* Improves in tempo with added strategies and abilities
* Not always fun, but always pleasant.
Dragon Tamer 8767
Warhawk 7777
MotoGP 08 7778
Scramble Commander 2nd 8877
* Fixes what was broken with the last one
* Special attacks are usable too rarely, and not worth upgrades; it helps to think of them as special.
* Forgiving of mistakes
* Movements sharpened up
* Movement takes a bit of adjustment
* Too little money and EXP to keep units up to date
* "Pursue" command makes it easier for the player to keep up
Opoona 8887 PLAYTIME: 15-20 hours to clear, 75 to do everything
* Cute characters hide oldschool difficulty
* Ball-based battles are difficult
* Plot progression based on talking to people in the right order; reviewer finds this nostalgic but thinks you may not
* Music: "INCREDIBLE"
* Lots of subsystems
* To the extent where jobs and licences get confusing
* Battles don't really hurt the tempo, but encounter rate boosts the difficulty
Mario Galaxy 109910 PLAYTIME: As long as you damn well want
* Keeps up the feeling of "I wanna see what's in the next level!"
* Gladually builds up things available in game, keeping a good difficulty balance and level design.
* Gravity change gimmicks and special actions improve boss fights.
* Wiimote controls work almost too well
* Tempo is abnormally good
* Just being able to point and gather star pieces in exhilerating.
* Game everyone can enjoy.
AC6 9999 PLAYTIME: 15-20 hours for mission, online matches starting from 5 minutes
* Base play hasn't really changed, but still works; sensation of being in a massive dogfight is even better now
* Motion is balanced between "realistic" and "arcadey"
* 16-player mode is a plus
* Doesn't cause motion sickness as much :lol
* Great visuals
NEWS:
Family Ski (Wii/Bandai Namco/und)
* Use remote and nunchaku as sticks
* Talk to AIs on the slope and become involved in races
* Beginner, Medium, Expert ranks; over 10 courses
* Character customization
Word Puzze Mojipittan Wii (Wii/Bandai Namco/08/03)
* WiiWare
* Adds 20000 phrases to the dictionary for a total of 120000
* In-game prizes; "Moji-kun Collection" mode
WWE 2008 Smackdown vs. Raw :lol :lol :lol :lol (PS2/PS3/360/Wii, THQ Japan, 08/02)
* Career "WWE 24/7" mode
* Tries to get closer to stars' actual fighting style
* Animation improvements
* Over 90 match types, including ECW rules
* Expands arena to backstage and audience seating
* Upgraded news system, complete with talking commentator heads
* Redone voice samples
Idolm@ster Live for You! (X360, Bandai Namco, undetermined date)
* Switches things up; you're now in charge of and judged on coordinating members, clothing and props, music for her live performances.
* Packaged with original animation DVD and remixed song versions
* Completion 60%
"Afterschool Boy" (DS, Konami, 08/01/31, \5229)
* Nostalgic ADV reliving boyhood in mid-1970s rural Japan
* Hero is an elementary school boy whose family will move far away in a month
* School, parks, candy shops, etc. will be available on the map; they contain nostalgic activities like swingsets, super car erasers, menko (card game similar to pogs), a particular board game where the object was to travel to space.
* Uses nostalgic music from the era
(vocal)
A Younger Guy/Candies
Cotton Hankerchief/Ohta Hiromi
Swim! Taiyaki-kun/Shimon Masato
Beautiful Sunday/Tanaka Seiji
Romance/Iwasaki Hiromi
(instrumental)
Tell Me, Space Battleship Yamato, Go! Goranger, Yamaguchi's Tsutomu
Days that Can't Be Returned To, G-Men 75 Theme, Youthful Days, Theme of the Big City
かけめぐる青春、学園天国
the Perplexion of Haruhi Suzumiya (PS2/Banpresto/08/01/31)
* Preorder bonus is a redo of the ED theme dance in CG, including Hero-class Haruhi/Thief Nagato/Mage Mikuru.
* Simulation RPG mode---looks a lot like SRW, we think?
* Looking at the scan the only way this stuff makes ANY sense is if it's a big ADV sequence first where the SOS group "makes a game" and then that game's the ending. Wonder if you actually get to -play- it.
G-Generation Spirits (PS2/Bandai Namco/11/29)
* Char Custom Zaku II, Gouf Custom, RX-78-4, Deep Striker, Qubeley MkII, F-91, ν, Mother Vanguard appear
* "Chance Step" occurs when defeating an enemy, allowing another move
* Up to 8 units can participate in group attack
* Preorder bonus is "G-Gene Spirits Disc"; game PV and video of Moriguchi Hiroko
DATES:
<NDS>
08/01/24　The Sims 2: Survival <EA>
08/01/31　Afterschool Boy <Konami>
08/03　Sudoku DS Complete <Hudson>
08 Spring　Ys DS <Interchannel Holon> (\5040)
08 Spring　YS 2 DS<Interchannel Holon> (\5040)
08 Digimon Championship <Bandai Namco>
??　TokiMemo Girls Side Second Season <Konami>
<PSP>
12/20　MAPLUS Portable Navi 2 <Edia>
<Wii>
12/20　Crazy Climber Wii <Nippon System>
Winter　Family Ski <Bandai Namco>
08/02　WWE2008 Smackdown vs. Raw <THQ>
<PS3>
08/01/31　Disgaea 3 <N1 Software>
08/02　WWE2008 SvR <THQ>
<PS2>
08/01/31　Tales of Destiny DC <Bandai Namco>
08/02　WWE2008 S/R <THQ>
08　Night Wizard the Video Game <5pb.>
<Xbox360>
12/06　VF5 Live Arena Stick <Hori>
08/02　WWE2008 <THQ>
<CANCELED>
Xbox360　Sangokufuujin (tentative) <Idea Factory>
NEXT WEEK:
Strategy) Mario Galaxy, FFTA2, Ar Tornelico 2
Feature) To Make Games More Fun
Coverage) DQ4
Extra) FINAL FANTASY Festa!
