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Posts with tag Training

Bandai Namco cheats on their own video game test

Our Video Game Certification is a collection of minigames based on old 8-bit Namco games, designed to test your skill in very focused retrogaming tasks. Therefore, you'd expect the old 8-bit Namco games to be old 8-bit Namco games. They've got a lot of the things, from Cutie-Q to Wonder Momo -- one of the largest libraries of classic games ever. So why the heck did they have to put together a fake 8-bit version of The Idolm@ster?

Well, okay, we're not actually upset by the development. In fact, it's pretty cool that they mocked up a whole new scene for the collection when they really didn't have to. Do you think you can "grab her heart" (according to our awesome translation skills, but you get the idea) in thirty seconds?

Other newly-revealed games in Our Video Game Certification include Xevious, Youkai Dochuuki, and Star Luster.

All of the news DS Fanboy saw fit to print in 2007


Well, not all of it. This is more about the highlights, the big news of the year. The kind of stuff that we should look back to and highlight as being memorable in 2007. It's been one hell of a year; a roller coaster ride of hits and misses. So, grab your admission ticket, buckle yourself in and join us for this look back at the news of 2007.

Continue reading All of the news DS Fanboy saw fit to print in 2007

DS Daily: Muscle memory

While we do in fact find the idea of a video game training game hysterical, we think that Namco Bandai has actually hit upon something clever in the way they're justifying their take on WarioWare (and let's not kid ourselves, that's what this is).

As evidenced by the severe pain caused by Contra 4, our retrogaming skills have atrophied as we've spent more time with modern games. Of course, Contra 4 is quite a bit harder than previous entries, but part of our constant failure could still be attributed to lack of practice.

Newer games require different skillsets, and unless we were to cherrypick only the twitchiest games (like Geometry Wars), our abilities to play arcade-style games would continue to deteriorate. Which means that a collection of condensed retrogaming challenges is a great idea, and one that could maybe allow us to keep sharp in a variety of vintage game types.

Do you feel like your arcade gaming skills have gotten worse over time? Have modern games with their save menus and tutorials and careful difficulty curves spoiled you?

Bite-sized retrogaming in Our Video Game Certification

We love the concept of Our Video Game Certification: WarioWare-style microgames based on Namco classics. Coincidentally, we love Namco classics. So even though screens of Our Video Game Certification screens are technically just screens of old games with some Japanese text on the bottom, we don't care. Metro-Cross is as great a futuristic foot-racing game in a tiny chunk on the DS as it was in its original full form. Actually, it's probably better: once you've played a few seconds of Metro-Cross, you get it.

That may sound like an indictment of the game's quality, but it isn't. The transparency of arcade gameplay is what makes something like Our Video Game Certification possible. If you didn't understand how to play an arcade game within the first few seconds, you were out a quarter.

These are technically the same screens found in the original scan, but those were very hard to see and these are nice and clear.

Duke Saraie's Healthy Buying Extra Stuff Navi


We were idly browsing Amazon.jp when we happened upon four special-edition bundles for Duke Saraie no Kenkou Walking Navi, the adorably insane walking training game (which, coincidentally, just came up in discussion this afternoon). The Special Duke Set includes the game, two Duke Saraie towels, a zipper pouch, a Dukes Walk wristband, a pochette (basically a little plastic pocket, but pochette is so much more euphonious), and, best of all, a Duke t-shirt. The bundles are divided into "pink" and "gold" versions: the pink version includes a pink shirt and pochette, and the gold version includes a gold pochette and a black shirt.

The bundles are further divided into "face" and "torso" versions, which differ in the design on the shirt. The "face" version, featuring Duke's face and an I <3 WALK graphic, is nice, but we prefer the dandy pose and "Beauty Smile DUKES WALK Health Willingly Body" on the "torso" version.

These bundles are all available on Amazon for 11,550 yen ($102.45) though they're limited to 100 bundles in each variety. Meanwhile, the standalone game is available at a discount, which leads us to question the wisdom of releasing the expensive bundles.

2007: A year in OMGWTF


2007 is almost over, and the end of the year brings joyous tidings of List Season. It's the time for taking stock of the last 12 months of gaming, and trying to make sense of it by putting things in numerical order. Join DS Fanboy for our best-ofs, worst-ofs, and other categories-ofs.

Our favorite system has two screens, is controlled with a stick, and features extremely popular games about petting dogs and doing math. What we're saying is that it's not that surprising when something weird related to the DS comes along, because everything about the DS is weird.

But the things on this list are above and beyond the baseline DS weirdness. Nothing has made us go "hmm" this much since the Phil LaMarr-ious C&C Music Factory: Make My Video. Turns out, it was a banner year for crazy junk happening. Join us after the break as we look at some of the most bizarre DS stories of 2007.


Continue reading 2007: A year in OMGWTF

Ubisoft quickly preparing yoga training

In Japan, Square Enix and Konami are battling (serenely) for domination of the DS yoga training game market. Konami has released their Doko Demo Yoga as Let's Yoga. But in the U.S., it's anybody's game. Literally -- any yoga game that comes out will be the best yoga game available. Ubisoft likes those odds.

A listing has appeared on GameStop.com for a game from Ubisoft called Quick Yoga Training, to be released on March 28th. They had better be quick about their yoga training if they want to make sure to beat Konami, who (we assume) will release Let's Yoga over here ... at some point. As for us, we don't care who we get our yoga training from, as long as it allows us to stretch our limbs several times their normal size, breathe fire, and teleport.

[Via Siliconera]

Video Game Training has a micro-site and micro-trailer

Namco Bandai's crazy retrogaming training minigame collection thing, Bokura no Terebi Game Kentei (Our Video Game Certification) now has its own tiny site. We expect more updates in the future, but for now all that's on the site is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it video and some release details about the game.

However, it's important to note that every modicum of content available on this tiny site is wonderful. The teensy arcade cabinet mascot they're using for the game is super-huggably cute, and the music in the little demonstration video (both that belonging to Family Stadium and the actual new music) is bouncy and cute. Most entertaining is the game's listed genre, which we're pretty sure is a new invention: Certification-style Short Game Medley.

Train Training -- for real this time

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.

Training, retro collections and minigames converge, form a DS singularity


After Namco Bandai's Our Video Game Exams, most DS games will just be redundant. The game, coming March 20th, is a series of WarioWare-style micro-challenges based on classic Namco games. According to a translation from GAF's duckroll, the featured games include "Xevious, Mappy, Galaga, Tower of Druaga, StarLuster, Sky Kid, Valkyrie, Family Stadium, Metrocross, Dragon Buster, Shadow Land, Wagyan Land, Idolm@ster."

The challenges include activities like perfectly completing a Challenging Stage in Galaga and getting a home run in Family Stadium. At the end of each session, you're graded on your gaming performance. Normally we're pretty down on minigame collections, but this sounds awesome. The best games in Wario Ware were the concentrated versions of classic NES games anyway, and that's all this is. And if any task is worthy of a training game, it's playing old games. We love it.

Continue reading Training, retro collections and minigames converge, form a DS singularity

Learn kanji, math, and breakdancing with Masu x Masu 2



With the trickle of DS training games from Japan well on the way to becoming an avalanche, it was always likely that publishers would push their products in increasingly novel ways. At least, that can be the only explanation behind this lovably bonkers advert for Shogakukan's kanji and math trainer Masu x Masu 2.

We haven't the faintest idea about how the creators linked breakdancing with kanji and math, but we do know this: we now very strongly believe that more games should be advertised with breakdancing. Don your helmet and windmill your way past the post break for a second trailer.

Continue reading Learn kanji, math, and breakdancing with Masu x Masu 2

Train training game not really about trains

This week's awesomely bad DS trailer features Chishiki-Ou Series: Train Master, the game you may remember us referring to oh-so-cleverly as "train training." Alas, we shouldn't be surprised that this Japanese game has seemingly turned into nothing more than a dating sim, and yet, we are.

We're also disappointed. Now, at cocktail parties, we can no longer flaunt our DS knowledge with crowd-pleasing statements like, "There are training games galore. Why, there's even a train training game!" We suppose we can always say, "There are so many dating sim games around, even one based on trains!" Of course, we actually want to keep our friends and not scare them away, so that doesn't work out nearly as well.

Metareview: Master of Illusion


Since it popped up on Amazon's sale yesterday, and since it's an intriguing title (at least, to this blogger), even though it's been out for a while, we thought we would take a critical look at Master of Illusion -- or at least, a look at what the critics are saying.

Game Informer: 80% -- At GI, they dig the freebies and the attention. "You might think the Wii is perfect for parties at your house, but this game and its magic tricks will make you and your DS the center of attention. Master of Illusion not only shows you how to perform tricks of various stripes, but also has practice exercises and performs some of its own magic tricks on you (the game also comes with a specialty deck of cards)."

IGN: 70% -- At IGN, they see Master of Illusion as the new magic kit: "Visit any toy shop and you're faced with a few "magic kits" that will teach kids how to perform feats of illusions using the props that are included in the box. That's exactly what Master of Illusion is: this generation's magic kit. But instead of the trick hankies, cup and balls, and collapsible wands, you use the Nintendo DS as the tricks' "prop." Master of Illusion is easily one of the most unexpected products on the Nintendo DS. Use your Nintendo DS to perform magic tricks? All right! It's certainly unique, and there's entertainment value in Master of Illusion, but keep in mind it's not a game; most of what you get out of this product is what you put into it."

Game Daily: 70% -- At Game Daily, it's all about performance. "The most enjoyable mode is Magic Show. Here, you can take your practice and tricks on the road, so to speak. While a lot of these tricks are pretty nifty, especially the ones where you pretend to be psychic, most verge on a tad obvious. Luckily, Master of Illusion's manual instructs you on how to deal with mistakes you might make or problems you might have with your illusions without spoiling the atmosphere or the show. Your deck of cards will soon become your best friend."

Get your kana on with an obscure license from D3

Ojaru-maru: Ojaru to Okeiko Aiueo DS isn't necessarily made for adult learners of Japanese as a second language. In fact, it isn't. It's made for children. But the first thing you learn from trying to learn a new language is that being illiterate is pretty much the same experience whether you're 4 or 40. Materials designed to help kids learn to read in their first language are pretty useful for adults learning it as a second language. Unless they're too hard.

Ojaru-maru DS helps you learn to speak and read very basic Japanese. It contains games that train kids on how to read and write the kana syllabaries, and pick the correct numeral classifier for counting different varieties of objects. There are also speaking exercises that require you to pronounce phrases into the DS mic. It's made for Japanese native speakers, but this vaguely approaches the idea of a My Japanese Coach. It could come in handy for at least learning how to read the Media Create listings every week!

Sega bites the DS on the butt


Sega's Oshiri Kajiri Mushi Rhythm Lesson DS offers us some lessons from a wise individual who has much to teach the world: The Butt-Biting Bug. The What-Whatting What?

The Butt-Biting Bug, or Oshiri Kajiri Mushi, is a character in a little animation played between NHK children's shows, who sings a song about biting people's rears. The people he bites are then roused into some action that ends up making them happy. The bug became a surprise hit, getting his own show on the NHK, as well as CDs and DVDs. And now Sega is publishing a DS game featuring the character! An educational game that teaches you how to chomp on asses -- oh, no, sorry, it teaches you rhythm.

The site for the game doesn't have any specific information yet, and all that is known about the music-education game is that it will involve playing cymbals, castanets, drums, and other percussion instruments to the tune of not just the Oshiri Kajiri Mushi song, but over 100 others. In the absence of game screens (and because we want to), we've embedded the original Oshiri Kajiri Mushi video. The tune will be clamped tightly onto you for the rest of the day.

[Via GAME Watch]

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