E3 news is still trickling in, but we wouldn't be the DS Fanboy you know and love if we neglected to tell you how to buy cheap games.
The latest hot sale is something we've seen before -- The World Ends with You at Amazon for $29.99. Yet, that offer quickly went out of stock way back when, and many of you poor, unfortunate souls didn't get a chance to nab it at the time. In fact, from what we understand, the game is still hard to find at certain locations.
You can still get the title minus the "Square Enix tax," though, thanks to Amazon's revisiting of its previous sale price. This is a game that's actually worth all $40, too, so $30 is definitely a bargain.
[Update: Well that lasted a good ... half hour. Those of you who are set on the sale, it might be worth it to keep checking in at Amazon throughout the day. As of this moment, though, it seems that the price has gone back to $39.99.]
[Update 2: Well, what do you know, the price has gone back down to $29.99 again. That's one small step for man, and one giant "woot" from mankind. Once again tipped by supa_s -- we think he must have the magic touch.]
We posted a trailer a few days back that let us bask in the glory that is Chrono Trigger DS, and it was wonderful. There was just one, teensy weensy problem, though -- it was in Japanese.
Yet, now you can enjoy the trailer in English by watching the video above, or head on over to the official (North American) website to see it in higher quality. Normally we'd say it's not worth the effort for a few text changes here and there, but then again, we're not normally writing about Chrono Trigger DS.
We recommend that those of you who find yourselves chronically obsessed with Chrono Trigger sit down and give it a watch.
Some of you may be tired of hearing us moan and groan about Square Enix's inflated game prices, but that doesn't mean we're going to stop -- paying $40 for a DS game is a cruel practice. Now, though, you can pick up Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates at an almost normal DS game price, since it's currently on sale (or perhaps marked down) at Amazon. The game will still set you back a cool $33.99, but when it comes to Square Enix, we'll take whatever deals we can get.
A few watchful CAGers have also noticed a handful of other titles that were marked down a dollar, mostly from Atlus. One dollar isn't immense savings, we know, but in case that's enough to push you over the edge for a purchase, check out Amazon's listings for Rondo of Swords, Drone Tactics, Luminous Arc, Summon Night: Twin Age, and Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. Strangely enough, we think Amazon might be having a bizarre $1 off sale throughout its gaming department, as we noticed this "mark down" with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, too. That leads us to believe you can probably find more goodies slashed down a dollar, if you feel so inclined to look -- after all, one-hundred pennies saved are one-hundred pennies earned.
While we're waiting for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift to release (verysoon), we're pretty much powerless to do much but look at screens and websites. Now, though, we can at least immerse ourselves in some videos of the upcoming game. Unfortunately, most of them are only short (and tiny) clips teasing the battle system, but it's still nice to get a sense of what the gameplay will entail.
Above, the video delves into a part of the story, although put out of context it's not very telling. After the break, you can watch a few forty-second battle clips, showing three different characters using their attacks, skills, or summons.
The latest trio of games announced for the continent are none other than the Dragon Quests. We only reported this morning that Dragon Quest IV, V, and VIwere North American bound, so hearing about a European (and other PALs) confirmation so soon afterward was a pleasant surprise. Not only that, but DQIV will be releasing in PAL nations this September, too -- maybe Square Enix really meant it when they said they were aiming for simultaneous worldwide releases. (Yes, we know it came out in Japan ages ago.)
Taking a look at these new Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid DS screens, it's clear that the games are going to be nothing short of trippy. We can't wait. It's unfortunate that those of us outside of Japan will have to import the paddle controller, but that's just a small price to pay for such a tantalizing pair -- we're just grateful we don't have to import the software, too.
Square Enix also announced the European release date for these titles, which is July 4th. Luckily (for this blogger), those of us in the U.S. and Canada won't have to wait as long to get these in our greedy little hands, as the North American date is June 17th.
Browsing through our galleries will give you a taste of the craziness that is SIE, while the Arkanoid DS pictures will show you some of its cool-shaped levels. We're definitely more stoked for the former, but maybe that's just us. How about you? Which revamped Taito classic are you looking forward to more?
Our parental unit site Joystiq published a rather in-depth look at all of the upcoming Square Enix titles set to grace the DS. The piece not only details each of the eight upcoming games, but also provides trailers and other tibits of interesting info. Seriously, it's a great read and demands your attention.
[Update: Gamasutra reports that the presenter was Ichiro Otobe, and that Tadashi Tsushima is leading the project. Also, and this is the best part, rather than designing it from the outset as an internal-only project, SE has yet to decide whether or not to release this to the public when it's finished. So there's a chance!]
One of our loyal readers is at the GDC Serious Games Summit, where he sat in on a Square Enix presentation about their "serious game" for the DS, called Project GB, used to teach game design. The game was developed by a small team, and allows "players" to first mod a Space Invaders-type shooter, then develop their own simple games that can then be shared with other players over the internet. Presenter Tadashi Tsushima Ichiro Otobe indicated that this had a negative effect on productivity.
We all need to get jobs at Square Enix so we can play this thing. It sounds absolutely amazing. Famitsu has some washed-out pictures of the game. Check the link if you'd like to go squint at them.
Some new screenshots of Square Enix's bizarre action-RPG It's a WonderfulWorld (Subarashiki Kono Sekai) have surfaced, and they are ... interesting! We think that this game is the best use of Tetsuya Nomura's distinctive style yet. We're actually getting something of a Jet Set Radio vibe from the near-future Tokyo/kids in baggy clothes theme, and we love getting Jet Set Radio vibes.
The control scheme is pretty clearly on display here, we think-- the arrows represent commands given to the character on the top screen, while the bottom screen is stylus-driven.
We're excited! Much more than we ever were about Kingdom Hearts, and not just because that's a mainly-PS2 franchise. Wonderful screens are posted after the break to test your Action-RPG Excitement Potential.
For all of you that got a real kick out of the game, these figurines here might be right up your alley. With a total of seven available (with three of them pictured, natch), we imagine many a cubicle area or home desk could be spruced up (or even defended from ne'er-do-wells) by these awesome figurines. Play-Asia supposedly sells them, but they're currently sold out with no signs of replenished stock coming.
A trailer for the upcoming Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings has hit the 'net and, in watching it more times than a person honestly should, we've seen some interesting gameplay and characters who will join Vaan and Panelo in their adventure. The video quality doesn't do the game's graphics justice, in our eyes, so we assume to be blown away even more upon getting our hands on the title.
The official Japanese DS site has a slew of videos up for Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker. The first video is pretty short, showing some of the 3D environments. The second video shows the player roaming around some more before engaging in a battle. The third video, which we find a bit more interesting than the previous two, shows the player using the previously announced splicing feature. Finally, the fourth video really doesn't make much sense to us.
Last, but not least, we've got some Japanese commercials here, here, and here. One could argue that the commercials hold more worth than the other videos, offering up a cornucopia of footage for the various parts of the game, but we'll leave such a discussion for the comments section.
As the most-watched video today on You Tube, the embedded video footage covering some of the financial backlash of Square's announcement that Dragon Quest IX is to be a DS exclusive shows some of the past entries in the franchise as well as some footage of the upcoming Wii-based title. More importantly though, is the footage of the unveiling of the title, something that sends shivers down our spine in anticipation for the game.
Taken from Nintendo World 2006, this embedded video reveals more on the battle system for Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker. Featuring a turn-based system, it appears that the player will have a roster of 3 monsters that are out, in battle, by default. Also, is it just us, or does this game look amazing?
We haven't had muchnews on the game as of yet, mostly due to a lack of official word from Nintendo and Square on the game's contents. Now we know, for example, that there are over 180 magic gems that players can use to customize their characters.
Turns out, in the game world, 10 years before the start of the game for the player, a great catastrophe has struck the land of Illusia and monsters have taken over the land. This, in turn, causes the Mana Tree to become corrupt with its own power and mysterious Mana pillars to have erected across the world. With the aid of the Sword of Mana, the player must free the locked guardian spirit within each pillar and restore Illusia back to its original status.
The main characters of the game are Ferrik, who was saved as a child by a nameless swordsman and has spent the entirety of his saved life trying to become a great swordsman himself. He lost his parents and older sister during the catastrophe. Tess is a more scholarly type, spending all of her time studying the Mana Tree and its Mana Goddess. Poppen is a magician from the desert of Jadd. Tamber is a young dancer who lost her brother and parents during the catastrophe. Finally, Wanderer is an outcast of the niccolos race and is described as loyal and compassionate.
E3 news is still trickling in, but we wouldn't be the DS Fanboy you know and love if we neglected to tell you how to buy cheap games.
Some new screenshots of 
The official Japanese DS site has a slew of videos up for Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker. The first video is pretty short, showing some of the 3D environments. The second video shows the player roaming around some more before engaging in a battle. The third video, which we find a bit more interesting than the previous two, shows the player using the previously announced 
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