There's, like, a whopping one new gameavailable this week. So, unless you're down to play the puzzle game on your DS (or happen to live outside of the U.S.), you've got nothing new to play. What a shame.
But, you've got to play something (don't even try to tell us you aren't playing anything, 'cause that's bull). Maybe you're just getting around to playing Phantom Hourglass? Maybe you're finally seeing what all of the fuss is about in Puzzle Quest? What are you playing?
When (if) Lost in Blue 3arrives on our shores, you may be surprised at its appearance. Konami has changed the art style used for the character portraits, from normal human proportions to more of a chibi look. In fact, the simplified characters look more like the avatars found on Japanese livedoor blogs than anything else. Hopefully the change in appearance won't ruin the grave atmosphere of the game during those dolphin chats.
We would be surprised if we got a deluxe pack for the game like Japan is getting on the 20th. The Survival Kids Original Gloves and Towel Compressed Set includes -- you guessed it -- a towel and some gloves. We're guessing that they're vacuum-sealed and compressed like those football-shaped t-shirts. The idea, we think, is for you to be able to fit them into a bag in case you encounter a survival situation requiring ... a towel and some gloves. At the very least, a tiny, compressed towel would make it easier for you to identify as a hoopy frood.
We do love our limited-edition DS systems -- even (maybe especially) when they're Phat. There's nothing like the combination of out-of-production hardware and extremely rare colorways to drive our interest and eBay prices. This "Hot Summer" Yoshi DS was part of a series of six wireframe-emblazoned systems available only in the summer of 2005, and only to Club Nintendo members. Only 200 of these Yoshi systems were produced.
And now it's available to anyone with $500. If you truly want to be rebellious and rock the Phat, this is totally the way to do it. By spending a ridiculous amount of money.
Looks like the Blue Dragon DS game will get a limited edition for its Japanese release. While that certainly comes as no surprise, it does remind everyone else that our limited edition quota is somewhat unfulfilled. Sure, we got the Zelda and Nintendogs Lites, and that's great, but we'd love to see a few more game-specific bundles. Which game's logo or characters would you like to have emblazoned on your DS?
It's not complete. And it's pretty well hidden. But, it's there. If you're anything like us, you've been dying to get your hands on Dragon Quest IV. Now, importing it looks like a more viable option to getting our fix and to put a calm on these shakes, now that this has been discovered.
What you'll need is an Action Replay and the game (natch). By inputting code 02106404 00000001, you'll be able to enjoy some nice, readable text. Of course, this isn't perfect, so those of you who want to experience the full game as it's intended for your language region might want to wait. But, of course the problem is that waiting is hard.
Games Radar's choices for the worst examples of boxart in 2007 don't necessarily coincide with ourown, though even we would be hard pushed to dispute the inclusion of the above travesty in this hall of shame. Of the fifteen titles listed by GR, five are to be found on the DS, with OMG 26: Our Mini Games (#2), Julie Finds a Way (#4), John Deere: Harvest in the Heartland (#6), Touch Detective 2½ (#11), and Etrian Odyssey (#14) all charting.
Jump past the break for more boxart that only a mother could love. Just remember that DS boxart can also be hellaawesome.
Before you get carried away with fantasies of playing Magic: The Gathering matches with your Nintendo DS, try to remind yourself that this is only a simple homebrew application for viewing the game's cards. As far as we know, Wizards of the Coast has no plans for turning the king of collectible card games into an online-supported release for the DS, further confirming our suspicion that life isn't really worth living.
Even if you can't actually make a deck and play with the cards in this dressed-up GIF viewer, it's still a useful resource that allows you to look up artwork and information for over 1800 cards. Displaying everything book-style, the program fills the top screen with the selected card while icons on the touchscreen sort everything by color, type, set, and rarity. Developer Sylus101 promises to add more cards and features, but, at the moment, the card library is limited to sets from the Ravnica, Time Spiral, and Lorwyn blocks. Core sets and older sets have yet to be added, so you might not be able to find some of your favorite cards, including the best Magic: The Gathering creature of all time, Phelddagrif.
Spike has updated their Fist of the North Starwebsite with a couple of new screens showing the varied input methods in the game. The gameplay is not entirely limited to tapping things, but sometimes involves tapping and then dragging. We might not know too much about Fist of the North Star, but we know that any game involving using the stylus to cut a guy's face all criss-crossed is something we want to play.
Also revealed in the latest update: you'll be able to play as characters other than Kenshiro. Raoh is mentioned by name, but there will certainly be more.
A listing for Lost in Blue 3 (when are these folks going to be found already?!) has emerged on EB Games' website, causing many to believe the game is bound for a North American release sometime soon. As it stands right now, the game is currently set to release in Japan next week.
Regarding a proposed release date outside of Japan, the listing at EB Games (which has since been pulled down) states the title will ship in March of 2008. Odds are this will happen, of course, considering the first two titles graced retail shelves in other territories. The real question is: do you care?
Posted Dec 13th 2007 5:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News
... for cell phones. In February, Square Enix will release Final Fantasy IV: The After -- Return to the Moon for FOMA 903i and better cell phones on NTT DoCoMo's network, with a release on au's phones to follow a month later. The game stars Theodore, a descendent of reformed Dark Knight Cecil, and takes place on the moon. None of the things we just said matter, because those cell phones are way more powerful than anything we've got outside Japan, and we are approximately 0% likely to see this game, ever.
Yes, it is a crime and an insult that this game is not on the DS. Like it or not, cell phones are pretty much the only mobile device that Japan has more of than DSes, and the only device for which Square Enix could farm out a cheapo sequel to a major Final Fantasy game and get away with it.
The last train-related training software we saw was marred by a bunch of weird dating-sim nonsense. It was only a matter of time until another, more purely train-oriented educational game came along. A matter of two days, to be more precise. The latest train-training game from Taito couldn't be less dating-oriented.
Tetsudou Zeminaru JR-hen (JR Railroad Seminar) is a program designed to teach you about Japan Rail's trains and railroads. It contains over 1500 quiz questions, along with a huge database of information about the trains, as well as an encyclopedic glossary of railway-related terms. You know, just in case you accidentally bought this game but weren't insane about trains.
Well, it may not be the entire house, but reader Chris B. has enough quirky gaming gear to fill a house, that's for sure. When readers send in pictures of their enormous collections, we just can't resist showing them off, and this one is definitely worth an ogle. We've loaded up a gallery with a selection of his gear, but he also has a Flickr account showcasing much, much more. Head on over, but take a rag and mind the drool.
Got something that makes you particularly proud? We like thingamabobs and doohickeys and swag of all sorts, as well as food and furniture and anything fun ... so long as it's related to Nintendo! Just take some pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest.
We recently discussed some of the other new elements in Final Fantasy IV, but the math mini-games and the event theater aren't the only things we have to look forward to (besides an awesome game). This time around, options are being throw in; for example, if you don't like the voice acting? Turn it off! There's a setting in the configuration screen. And for those gamers who hate rewatching a cut-scene ten times (I doubt I'm alone in this), they're skippable if you so desire. Anyway, you can always rewatch them at your leisure in the event theater!
Even with the DS breaking sales records in the U.S. last month, the consistent rise of value in Kyoto-based Nintendo's stock has hit a ceiling lately. Analysts are stating that until the conclusion of the holiday season, the stocks are likely to stay this way, halted in their tracks.
Over the past two years through this October, Nintendo's stocks have risen exponentially, but lately have seen a small fall. Nintendo's stock value has dipped 8% since November, which isn't good if Nintendo hopes to maintain its place as the third most valuable company in Japan. We're fairly certain, however, that the stocks will continue their rise as Nintendo emerges victorious this holiday season.
Oh, how we love you DS. Your sleek, sexy design is so cherished that we often feel like a mother bear protecting her cub, clutching you tightly against our body as to keep you from harm. And, what sleek device doesn't deserve as equally snazzy a case?
These latest pieces of DS armor presented by Famitsu look quite nice ... on the inside. As for the outside, they're pretty plain and black. But, their job is to protect and they look like they do just that.
The cases are manufactured by Suono and available for purchase via their website here. Each retails for 4,100 Yen (or, about $36).
When (if) Lost in Blue 3 arrives on our shores, you may be surprised at its appearance. Konami has changed the art style used for the character portraits, from normal human proportions to more of a chibi look. In fact, the simplified characters look more like the avatars found on Japanese livedoor blogs than anything else. Hopefully the change in appearance won't ruin the grave atmosphere of the game during those dolphin chats.
... for cell phones. In February, Square Enix will release Final Fantasy IV: The After -- Return to the Moon for FOMA 903i and better cell phones on NTT DoCoMo's network, with a release on au's phones to follow a month later. The game stars Theodore, a descendent of reformed Dark Knight Cecil, and takes place on the moon. None of the things we just said matter, because those cell phones are way more powerful than anything we've got outside Japan, and we are approximately 0% likely to see this game, ever.
The last train-related training software we saw was marred by a bunch of weird dating-sim nonsense. It was only a matter of time until another, more purely train-oriented educational game came along. A matter of two days, to be more precise. The latest train-training game from Taito couldn't be less dating-oriented.
We recently discussed some of the other new elements in Final Fantasy IV, but the math mini-games and the event theater aren't the only things we have to look forward to (besides an awesome game). This time around, options are being throw in; for example, if you don't like the voice acting? Turn it off! There's a setting in the configuration screen. And for those gamers who hate rewatching a cut-scene ten times (I doubt I'm alone in this), they're skippable if you so desire. Anyway, you can always rewatch them at your leisure in the event theater!
