Thursday, May 03, 2007

Rogue Hearts Dungeon

The art of dungeon crawling was perfected by college students in the mid 1980s on Unix machines. Rogue was the game and it set hearts afire across campuses in America. Monsters and dungeon walls made of ASCII characters provided a stark visual presentation of the action on monochrome monitors. Despite the simplicity of the graphics, the strategy involved in the game kept players rapt and ignited a slew of clones and derivatives that would keep dungeon crawling a popular diversion.

Compile reaches back into the early days of gaming and releases a Rogue that looks a lot better than the original but the game play remains pretty much the game. Players start on the top floor of a dungeon and the only way to go is down. Explore the first level, slay a few sleeping monsters, gather treasure, and then find the stairs so you can descend into the depths below. The design of Rogue Hearts Dungeon retains the simplicity of the ASCII-based Rogue where every game begins with a randomly generated dungeon that changes each time you play. At the conclusion of a dungeon run when you've reached the bottom and conquered the beasts within, all of the items and treasure you've gathered are converted into points and tallied up. In the next dungeon, you'll start again at level 1 with only a basic weapon, a suit of armor, and supplies. «more»

Lise no Atelier Regular Edition

Once upon a time, there was a quaint kingdom with cottages and clean streets. In that kingdom lived a red-haired princess named Lisette Lander and an extravagant king in green robes and other finery. One day, the royal treasurer unrolls a parchment and informs the king that the royal family is not only destitute but in debt. Mortified and plunged into a state of angst, the Princess runs away and sleeps in the forest for the night. She continues traveling until she reaches the kingdom of Ordre. Once there, she figures out that the only way to rebuild the family fortune is by learning alchemy and bringing honor back to her kingdom. By deftly using the art of transmutation and reagent mixing, Lise creates objects and items that may be sold for a handsome profit. «more»

Hello Kitty China Set

Fine china from Tiffany is generally desirable. We're partial to the Audobon design pattern versus the Federal or the Birds of the Nile pattern but they're all pleasing to the eye.
Hello Kitty has no pedigree in the world of fine china but maybe the line starts now. Sanrio by way of Eikoh releases a Hello Kitty China set which includes two cups, two saucers, and a creamer. Each item is decorated with a blue Hello Kitty + flowers pattern which may evoke feelings of melancholy or just a little sobriety. The saucers feature sloped edges which ensure that any spilled liquid from the cups will gravitate to the center instead of splashing outwards. Orders are welcome at US$39 per set. «more»