One special ability allows the player to refill ninjas' health by humming into the mic while they are on screen. Another gives Ol' Master Ninja a magnifying glass that can be directed onto enemies with the stylus. Ninjas aren't helpless on their own, of course: Forest Ninjas shoot barrages of arrows, and Business Ninjas can ... smack dudes in the head with cell phones.
Ol' Master Ninja's ol' magic
One special ability allows the player to refill ninjas' health by humming into the mic while they are on screen. Another gives Ol' Master Ninja a magnifying glass that can be directed onto enemies with the stylus. Ninjas aren't helpless on their own, of course: Forest Ninjas shoot barrages of arrows, and Business Ninjas can ... smack dudes in the head with cell phones.
Bother the Final Fantasy IV team
If you're curious about changes made to the Final Fantasy IV story or gameplay for the remake, or about the development of a DS game in general, this is a good opportunity! Just try not to submit five thousand questions (or one, even) about a Final Fantasy VII remake. They know.
Gallery: Final Fantasy IV
[Via Square Enix Members Blog]
Izuna 2 QA causes a lot of pink hair pulling
Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns is about more than mini-posters and sexy ninjas -- a lot of work goes into getting a game like this localized. Not only does a good localization team have to focus on the translation, but they also need to fix any bugs or problems that gamers found in the Japanese release. Apparently, fixing bugs for a roguelike is especially hard and frustrating, as you might have guessed.Here's the Quality Assurance stat breakdown, according to Atlus:
- Number of testers on Izuna 2: 6
- Number of DS systems almost thrown against the wall: 6
- Number of system-type bugs our testers reported: 104
- Number of text bugs our testers reported: 259
- Number of times the testers nearly gave the project lead a heart attack with a fake system bug: 3
- Number of bugs our testers reported to which we responded: "That's not a bug, that's the way this game works:" 17
- Number of monkeys we could have hired to do their job: 0
Gallery: Izuna 2
Step into Viva Pinata video paradise
Gamespot has uploaded five new videos from Rare's upcoming DS romp, Viva Pinata Pocket Paradise. The videos focus on what matters most: gameplay. While they are brief in length, the combination of all five make for a nice little diversion in the usual rigmarole of your day. We suggest you take a break and check out the rest of the videos past the break.
Rhapsody release date announced, Disgaea date confirmed
The American boxarts for both games have also been revealed. While the Rhapsody art (found after the break) is a simplified version of the original, Disgaea uses a different piece of artwork and a baffling "CAUTION: PLAYERS XING" road sign.
Continue reading Rhapsody release date announced, Disgaea date confirmed
DS Fanswag: Heroes of Fanswag
- Grand Prize: HappyFunBall, who found the latest Advance Wars challenging, will be taking home Etrian Odyssey II, as well as a Monaco aluminum case.
- First prize: Aaron, who considered Elite Beat Agents and the Ouendan games among the most difficult DS titles, picks up a copy of the game.
Mega Man Card Force 2
Looking to extend your Mega Man Star Force 2 experience? You're relatively in luck! In Japan, a series of 279 Battle Cards was released in packs, and also collected into a "Perfect Guide" book. The cards, meant to fit over the DS touchscreen, feature patterns of holes that, when pressed, unlock items, characters, bosses, and other content. The book contains pictures of these cards, allowing players to see and use the patterns.Strategy guide publisher Prima got the license for this book in North America, publishing it as the Mega Man Star Force 2 Wave Command Card Kit. Stuff like this rarely comes out stateside, and never for $10.19 (Amazon's current price)!
Gallery: Mega Man Star Force 2
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[Via Capcom-Unity]
DS Daily: Choosing a favorite
When looking them over, it's hard for us to choose a favorite. With so many great handhelds in one place, you can understand the difficulty we're having in choosing one. So, why don't you? What's your favorite limited edition DS Lite? Fan of the Zelda-themed handheld, or more for the simple style of the metallic blends? Which is your favorite?
Motocross Challenge rides back from the sunset for another go
We couldn't pay Motocross Challenge enough compliments when indie developer DHG Games released the Excitebike-inspired GBA racer last year. For those of you unfamiliar with the game's history, it never saw a commercial release after its publisher backed out of the project due to declining sales for GBA titles.Not letting its code go to waste, DHG eventually released Motocross Challenge to the homebrew community as a free downlodable ROM and a limited edition flashcart. As great as the game was, we thought, with a tear in our eye, that we would never see it again.
The Montreal-based studio wants another crack at getting its game in stores, however, and has announced a DS remake! The graphics look mostly unchanged, but there are a lot of additions to get hyped about -- a track editor, three new game modes, a skinner mini map on the bottom screen, more AI opponents, a new Challenge Mode mechanic, and a new soundtrack.
DHG is still looking for a publisher, so make sure to direct your industry friends to this arcade racer! Turbo boost your bike up a ramp and fly past the post break for a trailer of Motocross Challenge DS. If you'd rather try it out yourself, you can still download and play the GBA ROM, too!
Continue reading Motocross Challenge rides back from the sunset for another go
Popular manga Blazes way to DS as an RPG
World Destruction isn't the only RPG Sega is cooking up for the DS right now. The company is also slaving over a DS adaptation of Blazer Drive, Seishi Kishimoto's popular manga set in a futuristic Tokyo where society has developed "Mystickers," adhesives which contain various elements (electricity, ice, light, etc.) and assist in day-to-day life.Certain individuals -- known as "Blazers" -- can activate Mystickers on their skin, and this plot mechanism plays a role in the Blazer Drive game. In the title's turn-based battles, Mystickers can be applied to characters using the stylus to let them attack, use special skills, or generate combos. Players fill the boots and spiky hair of Shiro and Tamaki, two Blazers.
A localization of Blazer Drive looks unlikely, but to be honest we're surprised that it's even getting a game of its own -- the manga can't be more than three months old! Check out more screens beyond the break.
DSVision card available for import this week
Unless you have access to a Japanese credit card, you won't be able to buy any of the content that AM3 is selling through the system. And who knows if the thing will be usable for any kind of homebrew? It'll take experimentation from homebrew developers before anyone knows. Feeling adventurous?
Fungi rises on the DS this October
Red Fly also went into more detail about the storyline of the game in a recent press release, since the DS version is a prequel to the Wii title. Both will cover different parts of the Mushroom Men's history, with Rise of the Fungi detailing a time when they first got their special abilities. The Bolete tribe must stave off attacks from hostile insects and other creatures, until the Amanitas Empire becomes an even bigger threat to their survival. Mushroom Men fighting amongst Mushroom Men ultimately leads to the Spore Wars, which are covered in the Wii game.
We really like the idea of one game's story leading into another's in such a short period of time (as in, you won't have to wait long between releases). While we're still not sure when the Wii game will follow, you can expect it in November or December if Red Fly sticks to the original plan.
Gallery: Mushroom Men
Nippon Ichi duo dated for North America
Apparently, Disgaea will be sending us crazy with its complexity on September 23rd, while the latter will be in U.S. stores from July 22nd. That's really soon and sudden, especially considering how many delays Puchi Puchi has suffered! The question is: did you remember to pick up your free Anti-Virus Stress Reliever?
MillionHeir breaks out the puns
French site Wiiz has several screenshots of Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir, Big Fish Games' new detective adventure game and leading candidate for most groan-worthy pun-based title of 2008.As we know next to nothing about the game (typically for a Nintendo-published title, little has been revealed, despite its release date of September 8th being really close), these allowed us to indulge in some detective work of our own. Grabbing our deerstalker and magnifying glass, we discovered that the game's shameless punnery extends to the characters (see: Cole Minor, a gem prospector), and that the DS's microphone will come into use. Whether you're for or against implementing the mic in games, it doesn't look as though developers are ready to give up on it yet.
Check past the break for more shots.
There's plenty to do in Dragon Quest V
Dragon Quest V is going to be one of the most feature-packed games on the DS. Don't try and argue with us, for Famitsu's recent look at the title only cemented that fact in our mind. There is a lot going on here.Famitsu's article highlights not only a DS-exclusive character, Deborah, but also documents some of the other timesinks available in the game, should you wish to take a break from the main story. You can enjoy some Poker or Slots over at the casino, or partake in one of the other many mini-games available. You can even enjoy some combat in the Fight Field.
If you want to check out some new screens, head on over to Famitsu.
Gallery: Dragon Quest V
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