We still get occasional comments from confused readers who can't decipher which Gyakuten Saiban games correlate to which Ace Attorney games. This has been especially confusing recently, as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (based on Gyakuten Saiban 3) was announced for the US at the same time as Gyakuten Saiban 4 was being released in Japan.
4cr must have gotten similar confused comments, but, unlike us, they decided to do something about it. Well, we're doing something about it now, but it's just linking their article, which is much easier. They've written a history of the series, detailing exactly which games were ported from the GBA, and the US and Japanese titles of each game. If this is too academic, you can always buy every lawyery-looking game you see, and figure it out when you get home.
We're well aware that the gaming press couldn't care less about Hissatsu Kung Fu: Kanji Dragon; interest for a kanji-training beat 'em up is niche at best, and to be honest, this whole kung fu theatre advertising push is a bit silly. But are we going to let that stop us from inundating you with every single scrap of Kanji Dragon news that we come across? Of course not!
Success Corp. will be celebrating the educational brawler's June 7th release with a special event this Sunday at Akihabara's Sofmap amusement complex. Attendees will be able to play the game and will even receive a limited edition T-shirt if they pre-order a copy. The title's fumbling mascot will also be making an appearance, handing out Kanji Dragon Director's Cut DVDs. Make sure to check past the post break for a larger version of the disc's explosive cover.
To say we're disheartened by the fact that we won't be able to attend is an understatement. We wept bitter tears as we read the press release's jumbled Google translation, yelling out in grief when we learned that we'd miss out on free souvenirs. Rod Stewart poignantly sang "So Far Away" as a montage of us drowning our sorrows with too many drinks and loose women played right before fading to black.
The Japanese Postal Service released a set of Mario stamps last year in a nice collectible binder. Somehow, NCSX has gotten a small shipment of these stamps, which carry a postage value of 80 yen ($0.66) each. The markup for this set ($105) is pretty severe, but if you are a desperate Mario collector, this is one of the coolest things you could have. They have fewer than 50, and of course we just publicized the item, so go go go buy buy buy.
We want the US Postal Service to get in on the act. We're afraid that there's a short moment before opening mail from us that someone might not be able to determine that we're huge nerds.
Made by Su-Yin of The Journal of a Girl who Loves To Cook, we don't think we could bring ourselves to eat such a work of art. Seriously, the only thing we can think of is that Joe Esposito song from The Karate Kid when viewing this cake. It is the best around and nothing is ever going to keep it down. It looks like a cake that would just punch itself right out of your stomach, escaping your body so that it may realize its dreams of being free. This cake is so good it's sentient.
Here's something for the grown-up Pokémon fans: after checking out Pokémon Battle Revolution at the Nintendo Media Summit, Gabe and Tycho were struck by a sudden bout of Pokémania (the uncontrollable compulsion to be the very best, like no one ever was). They both became hooked on the latest DS Pokémon. As it turns out, they often draw comic strips about video games they enjoy playing. It's a hobby of theirs.
Their resulting Penny Arcade strip, titled The Coming Apokélypse, illustrates the sadistic hatred that drives every Pokémon trainer to imprison and abuse his or her adorable little creatures. We recommend it for the more seasoned trainers out there (read: not children) because dropping F-bombs is another hobby in which Gabe and Tycho dabble.
Reader Núshio is never one to hold back (just check out his comments!), and when it comes to painting his DS with his love of Nintendo, that's a good thing. He and his friend Kiwii undertook a project of epic proportions that turned this DS into a monument to fanboyism -- and that's something we can get behind.
This paint job (which looks so sweet next to New Super Mario Bros.) isn't quite finished -- the pair plans to redo the whole thing, as they noticed some discoloration after the application of a coat of gloss -- but Núshio had some great tips to offer up for those who are considering a similar project:
Get decent paint. I used 'Vinci.' Never again!
Be patient.
Be careful when disassembling the DS (he used tutorials from YouTube).
Don't get mad, get even. Keep track of every single bit and piece of plastic.
Once complete, it's a real rewarding experience.
And we'd like to add #6 -- it probably helps when you have a friend with spare artistic talent just lying about (Kiwii), and the patience to actually keep up with all those tiny pieces (our own Núshio). The finished product certainly looks rewarding, and there's nothing like displaying your love and loyalty right on the back of your favorite gaming device. Of course, now we expect all of you to go forth and pretty up your Phats and Lites, so we can ogle your work. Until then you can watch Núshio's DS undergo its metamorphosis in the gallery below.
Nintendo's iconic characters and systems make excellent fodder for the funniest of the funny that this series of tubes can offer. O rly, you ask? Ya rly, we reply, let us show you them. From the head of Dr. Kawashima to the DS and its inherent money-printingabilities, Nintendo is a big part of the image macro canon. Even the execs don't escape unscathed. In this world, Iwata is a pimp, Reggie will beat you down, and Miyamoto? Well, he's just the man. Did you get your ass kicked and your name taken when a bom zal droppen? Not our problem.
And then there are the Pokemans -- the personal power animals (after cats) of all Photoshop users, leading them all on a spiritual journey into lolz. Your favorites: show us them.
BigZeldaFan14: omg omg
BIGGESTZeldaFan14: omg wut?
BigZeldaFan14: check it out theres a contest 4 nintendo movies http://www.dsfanboy.com/2007/05/15/your-elite-beat-agents-screenplay-a-video-camera-an-easy-10/
BIGGESTZeldaFan14: 4realz ?
BigZeldaFan14: yah click teh link
BIGGESTZeldaFan14: omg i have 2 make sumthin about link he's soooooo kewl
BigZeldaFan14: lol have u ever made movie b4?
BIGGESTZeldaFan14: no but i look @ utube everyday XD XD XD and i have mac
BigZeldaFan14: o ok
The above is a re-creation of (our assumption of) the circumstances behind the creation of the very first entry in Nintendo's Short Cuts Showcase. Let us warn you: if you weren't convinced before that Link is the #1 coolest game character EVAR ... well, you'll probably be exactly the same after watching this video. But you'll have laughed, at least. It may not be the best video we'll see in this contest, but its heart is in the right place.
We here at DS Fanboy would like to encourage everyone to enter the contest, if only so we can watch your videos. But if one of you guys wins after seeing it here, you so owe us a dollar. Remember, we're here writing because we fail at making movies. Let us live vicariously through you!
When we last checked in with Acid Mods forumer Rocky, he had outfitted his DS Lite with a clear shell and several LEDs, wowing all the ladies and fellas with its electric blue brilliance. His latest experiment adds a sound amp chip that floods the LEDs with light in time with the handheld's audio. Don't feel like driving out to the dance club tonight? Just find yourself a dark room, load up Darude's "Sandstorm" on your DS Lite, and you've got the same experience right in your hands! Sort of.
Rocky has posted a photo tutorial of the installation process, but we're much too squeamish to replace our stock casing or do any sort of soldering. If that seems like too much hardware hacking, you can settle with just watching a video of the jazzed up DS Lite flickering along with music tracks and video game sounds after the post break. Though we can't condone his use of a flash cart to load backed up games, we won't let that get in the way of imagining how cool it'd be to play our favorite rhythm titles with this mod.
Japanese manufacturer Suono has got their finger on the pulse of trendy DS Lite cases, manufacturing some of the most visually appealing cloth cases we've ever seen. Sure, they're not as functional as the case we already use, but we can't deny the sheer pleasure we'd feel as we whipped our DS Lite out from within the stylish confines of one of Suono's smooth cotton cloth cases. The addition of a velcro strip only makes us want one even more.
The price for the case is really the only thing we can imagine would deter one from ordering, as each one will cost you over $30 USD, not to mention the addition of shipping. But with the variety of styles available, price can't get in your way forever. So, with that in mind, any of you out there planning on ordering one of these up?
Remember when we talked about those special download kiosks that were littered around Disneyland for the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End premiere? Well, it didn't take long before one fine reader, who is known on these vast internets as "Jesus," took a picture and sent it in. Honestly, we're unimpressed and were thinking these download spots would be more in-line with the theme, like swashbuckling us away lest we download their precious booty. Oh well, chalk that up to another instance where our imagination outclasses reality.
Bathroom gaming and portable gaming have always gone hand in hand -- after they've been thoroughly washed, of course -- so it's fitting that the private pastime go public with a "best of" list. Not sure which restroom releases to play while planted on the porcelain pot? The Tanooki has ten suggestions that'll bring you some relief.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney tops the lavatory list, though you might have to hold it for a while if you're planning to see an entire court case through to its end. Elite Beat Agents, everyone's favorite rhythm game, actually gets negative marks for its soundtrack: "Being forced to listen to Avril Lavigne and Hoobastank during your time of peril does far more harm than good."
We were upset to see Puzzle Quest missing from the tally, but not every bathroom gamer shares our love of puzzle/RPG hybrids, shocking as that may seem. Which games do you take along with you to the loo? It is imperative that you tell us.
It's been too long since we last took a sip from China's rum bottle of personalized DS Lites; it's time to get back on that wagon with a buccaneer-themed skin.
YYJoy forumer Pikapika shivered our timbers, decorating his handheld with a crossed-cutlasses pattern and Julius the Monkey decked out in full corsair regalia. Now that's piracy we can get behind! Walk the post break plank for more photos of the shipshape DS Lite.
Animal Crossing is more interesting than we thought, it seems! Whereas we (read: I) found the improvements in Wild World a poor trade for NES games, and not enough to hold our interest after a year or so of Gamecube Crossing, academics are speaking out in appreciation of Nintendo's pointless-by-design communication game.
The latest essay on Henry Jenkins' blog, is an excerpt from a thesis by Kristina Drzaic, about "secrets" in Animal Crossing. The idea is that other games feature glitches that allow the player to redesign the game in small ways and alter the basic experience, whereas Animal Crossing features such "glitch-like" abilities as part of the natural design of the game, and allows even more customization than the engine was designed for. One example showed a player creating a narrative conflict between herself and Tom Nook just by trying and failing to buy some candy.
We were just wondering aloud why customizable content was so compelling! Good thing there are people smarter than us out there.
If you happen to be a Seattle Mariners fan, and you're in the area, rush down to Safeco Field to pick up one of these bad boys -- this is a US-exclusive Lite with the team's logo embedded into the shell. This is exactly the kind of thing we need to see more of in North America if Nintendo wants to continually rock out US sales like those in Japan. More cool stuff like this, less commercials during kiddie cartoons. Mainstream, here we come!
There are only 2000 of these special edition Lites, and this is everywhere on the 'net today, so we expect a few fans may end up trolling eBay with tears in their eyes in a few weeks. It's too bad Nintendo doesn't own a sizable interest in the St. Louis Cardinals -- then we'd finally be able to convince a certain mother unit that the DS is even more awesome than the Wii!
We're well aware that the gaming press couldn't care less about Hissatsu Kung Fu: Kanji Dragon; interest for a kanji-training beat 'em up is niche at best, and to be honest, this whole kung fu theatre advertising push is a bit silly. But are we going to let that stop us from inundating you with every single scrap of Kanji Dragon news that we come across? Of course not!
Here's something for the grown-up Pokémon fans: after checking out Pokémon Battle Revolution at the Nintendo Media Summit, Gabe and Tycho were struck by a sudden bout of Pokémania (the uncontrollable compulsion to be the very best, like no one ever was). They both became hooked on the latest DS Pokémon. As it turns out, they often draw comic strips about video games they enjoy playing. It's a hobby of theirs.
Nintendo's iconic characters and systems make excellent fodder for the funniest of the funny that this series of tubes can offer. O rly, you ask? Ya rly, we reply, let us show you them. From the head of Dr. Kawashima to the DS and its inherent money-printing abilities, Nintendo is a big part of the image macro canon. Even the execs don't escape unscathed. In this world, Iwata is a pimp, Reggie will beat you down, and Miyamoto? Well, he's just the man. Did you get your ass kicked and your name taken when a bom zal droppen? Not our problem.
Japanese manufacturer Suono has got their finger on the pulse of trendy DS Lite cases, manufacturing some of the most visually appealing cloth cases we've ever seen. Sure, they're not as functional as the case we already use, but we can't deny the sheer pleasure we'd feel as we whipped our DS Lite out from within the stylish confines of one of Suono's smooth cotton cloth cases. The addition of a velcro strip only makes us want one even more.
Bathroom gaming and portable gaming have always gone hand in hand -- after they've been thoroughly washed, of course -- so it's fitting that the private pastime go public with a "best of" list. Not sure which restroom releases to play while planted on the porcelain pot? The Tanooki has ten suggestions that'll bring you some relief.
Animal Crossing is more interesting than we thought, it seems! Whereas we (read: I) found the improvements in Wild World a poor trade for NES games, and not enough to hold our interest after a year or so of Gamecube Crossing, academics are speaking out in appreciation of Nintendo's pointless-by-design communication game.
