Thursday, October 04, 2007

ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat - In Stock

Nearly a year after Mist Walker shipped Blue Dragon for the Japanese Xbox 360, producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, designer Hideo Minaba and music composer Hitoshi Sakimoto team up to release Archaic Sealed Heat for the Nintendo DS. The game represents the company's second release and ASH falls comfortably into the tactical S-RPG genre.

At the outset of the game, Queen Aisya is conducting a ceremony in her castle when a blazing dragon swoops in and destroys her kingdom and all of her subjects. Things are looking grim until she realizes that everyone's been crisped by an ancient flame that turns people into ash but they're able to be resurrected and revived into their former selves. The warrior Bullnequ (no typo) is the first one to be revived who joins Aisya... «more»

Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Meteor - In Stock

From the Publisher
Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Meteor (aka
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3) takes the lightning fast fighting, flying and action that made its predecessor, Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Neo last years #1 fighting game and takes it to a whole new level with exciting new features. The Playstation 2 system version of Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Meteor will be the final installment of Dragon Ball Z Sparking! series on this playform. A Disc Fusion System will be available exclusively to the Playstation 2 System, allowing players to use Dragon Ball Z Sparking! and/or Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Neo to unlock exclusive game modes available only on the Playstation 2.


Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor delivers an extreme 3D fighting experience, improving upon last year's game with over 150 playable characters, enhanced fighting techniques, beautifully refined effects and shading techniques, making each character's effects more realistic, and over 20 battle stages. The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 25 different games and over 10 million units sold since May 2002.

GuitarFreaks & DrumMania V3 - In Stock

Konami takes the GitaDora franchise into the edge of space where metallic themes and starry heavens serve as backdrops for the game's interface. True to Bemani convention, the latest GuitarFreaks & DrumMania allows axe handlers and drummers to express their rhythm skills (or lack thereof) in the comfort of their living rooms.

GitaDora V3 features songs from arcade version of V3 along with original CS tunes, revivals, and V4 previews for a total of 78 tracks to groove to. Songs of note include "Circles" from Thomas Howard Lichtenstein, "Riff Riff Orbit" by Mutsuhiko Izumi, "Keiko My Love" courtesy of Jimmy Weckl, "WANNA BE YOUR BOY" by Dennis Gunn, and "O JIYA" from ASMAT & emi. Perhaps living up to its name, "Black Sheep" has been alienated and omitted from V3 but maybe it'll break the barrier when V4 rolls around.

The list of game modes read like previous versions of GuitarFreaks with Arcade, Battle, Free, and Training in attendance once again. Players may also check out the Practice mode to get their bearings before plunging into the meat and potatoes of the game. The first production of GitaDora V3 includes a booklet from
Takayuki Ishikawa (aka the prolific DJ TAKA aka D.J. Amuro.) which features a V4 illustrations but there is no e-Amuse card.

Jikkyou Powerful Pro Major League 2 - In Stock

The stylized Pawafuru Pro baseball players that made their mark in Japan cross the Pacific and make a new home in the USA. There are no Japanese professional baseball teams featured in Jikkyou Powerful Pro Major League 2. Zilch. What you will find are all 32 American and National League teams represented with updated team, player, and stadium data that's current as of June 2007. A game option modifier allows the play-by-play announcer to rattle off the course of the game in either English or Japanese but be aware that the menus and text are only in Japanese.

Most casual players will immediately head for the Season Mode or the Exhibition Mode but those who dig deeper will find a Home Run Derby, a Baseball Life interactive simulation game, and a General Manager Mode where players sit in a back office and manage the day to day affairs of a professional baseball team. Old hands to the Jikkyou Powerful Pro franchise will find the same refined control system which allows for precise spotting of pitches when on the mound and equally precise positioning of the bat when standing in the batter's box. We found the pitching system improved because the targeting reticule stays where you spot it instead of drifting once the ball is thrown and on its way to the plate. «more»

Shinseiki GPX Cyber Formula: Road to the Infinity 4 - In Stock

In an alternate anime reality, the year is 2000 and technology has progressed to the point where environment friendly "Cyber Vehicles" have become available to the general populace. Computers known as "Cyber Formula" are also readily available for installation into racing vehicles which improve their handling and performance in motor sports. Yes, even in alternate anime realities, the passion for fast cars and speedy racing is alive and kicking.

In the new Shinseiki GPX, players hearken back to the origins of the anime franchise and get a chance to drive the various cars featured in the four OVAs - Double One, Zero, Saga, and Sin. The different vehicles handle somewhat similarly but each one is gifted with a special effect such as time-slowdown or holographic image "protrusion" which gives them an edge. Features in the game include six new vehicles and snippets of voice effects during the racing action and interaction scenes. Depending on the game mode and series played, a drifting mechanism is available where players may tap the brakes lightly and then swerve the vehicle to match the curve of hairpin turns. If the other racers try to muscle your vehicle out of contention, there's always the Aero Boost
for breakaway velocity.

Gundam Battle Chronicle - In Stock

Slide into the frame of a Gundam mech once more and thrust into battlefields where enemy Zaku units are dismantled with beam weapons and buckshot. The latest and greatest 3D Gundam action game on the PSP features superb control. Repeat: superb control where the d-pad is used to jet a mech in all four cardinal directions with pinpoint accuracy. Attacks are also be triggered quickly once a corresponding face button is pushed for lightning fast sword slashes and follow-up gunfire if so desired. To test the fluidity of the game engine, we had our Gundam jetting, firing all three types of artillery, and orbiting a target without a single hiccup or slowdown from the game. It's all very impressive and demonstrative of how far Bandai has come along with the Gundam games since the original gray Playstation days when Gundam v1.0 was a humbling lesson in futility.

Gundam Battle Chronicle features two game modes: the Campaign Mode which links together 120 missions of varying difficulty and the VS Operation Mode which pits the player against three rampaging opponents. The default VS mode pits you against three COM-controlled mechs but up to three human players may link up wirelessly for some local area fireworks. The mech roster is impressive with over 140 robots to pilot, destroy, or use as support. The third mode of interest on the main menu is the Gallery which features five sections where players can view the mech suits, pilots featured in the game, and other fan-centric material.

Minna no Golf Ba Vol. 3 - In Stock

The third volume of Minna no Golf Ba takes players to 32 courses located in Gunma, Kanto, Saitama, and Tochigi. Similar to the first two Minna no Golf Ba releases, the courses are spread across two UMDs with 15 courses on the first disc and 17 courses on the second disc. Two 18-hole courses based in Kawana Hotel are also playable - the lovely Fuji Course (6691 yards, par 72) which overlooks Sagami Bay with Mt Fuji in the background which was designed by C. H. Allison and Oshima Course (5711 yards) which was designed by Otani Koumyo. The hotel and both courses are located in Kawana, Ito City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Old hands to the Minna no Golf franchise will find a friendly game interface manned by affable characters as well as a challenging golf simulation. Select one of four possible virtual golfers (2 guys and 2 girls) to use as your onscreen agent and modify their appearance with different hairstyles, clothing, and accessories such as glasses or bows. Players may also decide to play on a sunny course or a rainy one to mix up the atmospherics. Once the golfer has been created, mosey onto the golf course and swing your way to eagle or maybe just bogey.

For players who utilize the virtual caddy GPS function of the software, the distance to a hole from your current position on the golf course may be calculated in real time to determine which club to use.

Minna no Golf Ba Vol. 3 + GPS Receiver - In Stock

The third volume of Minna no Golf Ba takes players to 32 courses located in Gunma, Kanto, Saitama, and Tochigi. Similar to the first two Minna no Golf Ba releases, the courses are spread across two UMDs with 15 courses on the first disc and 17 courses on the second disc. Two 18-hole courses based in Kawana Hotel are also playable - the lovely Fuji Course (6691 yards, par 72) which overlooks Sagami Bay with Mt Fuji in the background which was designed by C. H. Allison and Oshima Course (5711 yards) which was designed by Otani Koumyo. The hotel and both courses are located in Kawana, Ito City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Old hands to the Minna no Golf franchise will find a friendly game interface manned by affable characters as well as a challenging golf simulation. Select one of four possible virtual golfers (2 guys and 2 girls) to use as your onscreen agent and modify their appearance with different hairstyles, clothing, and accessories such as glasses or bows. Players may also decide to play on a sunny course or a rainy one to mix up the atmospherics. Once the golfer has been created, mosey onto the golf course and swing your way to eagle or maybe just bogey.

For players who utilize the virtual caddy GPS function of the software, the distance to a hole from your current position on the golf course may be calculated in real time to determine which club to use.

Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Meteor - In Stock

From the Publisher
Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Meteor (aka
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3) takes the lightning fast fighting, flying and action that made its predecessor, Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Neo last years #1 fighting game and takes it to a whole new level with exciting new features. For the first time in Dragon Ball Z history, the Wii platform will feature online gameplay, connecting DBZ fans around the country.


Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor delivers an extreme 3D fighting experience, improving upon last year's game with over 150 playable characters, enhanced fighting techniques, beautifully refined effects and shading techniques, making each character's effects more realistic, and over 20 battle stages. In addition, an improved control system for the Wii will allow players to easily mimic signature moves and execute devastating energy attacks as they are performed in the Dragon Ball Z animated series. The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 25 different games and over 10 million units sold since May 2002.

Jikkyou Powerful Pro Major League 2 - In Stock

The stylized Pawafuru Pro baseball players that made their mark in Japan cross the Pacific and make a new home in the USA. There are no Japanese professional baseball teams featured in Jikkyou Powerful Pro Major League 2. Nada. What you will find are all 32 American and National League teams represented with updated team, player, and stadium data that's current as of June 2007. A game option modifier allows the play-by-play announcer to rattle off the course of the game in either English or Japanese but be aware that the menus and text are only in Japanese.

Most casual players will immediately head for the Season Mode or the Exhibition Mode but those who dig deeper will find a Home Run Derby, a Baseball Life interactive simulation game, and a General Manager Mode where players sit in a back office and manage the day to day affairs of a professional baseball team. Old hands to the Jikkyou Powerful Pro franchise will find the same refined control system which allows for precise spotting of pitches when on the mound and equally precise positioning of the bat when standing in the batter's box. We found the pitching system improved because the targeting reticule stays where you spot it instead of drifting once the ball is thrown and on its way to the plate. «more»