Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Bokujou Monogatari: Kimi to Sodatsu Shima

After being shipwrecked and stranded on an island, the hero of the latest Bokujou Monogatari teams up with a small family of survivors to make a new home. By developing the land and creating a vibrant island economy supported by agrulcture, trade, and livestock, the newfound home away from home might become a teeming commercial jewel. At the outset of the game, players may select a male character named Mark or a female character named Chelsea.
With the promise of a better life, immigrants will visit your pristine shores and possibly settle down. The game mandates a population limit of 100 people but inhabitants aren't set in stone and may leave and arrive at any time which allows for a constant state of flux. «NCS Game Notes»

Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06

Guitars generally have a pear-shaped body, a long neck, and head stock. Thanks to clever programming and a simple control mechanism, software developer Plato redesigns the acoustic guitar and puts it inside the squatness of the Nintendo DS.
Meet the strangest axe ever in the annals of guitar technology. With 16 chords to use at any time from a library of 120, users may strum out a song relatively easily if you're familiar with basic guitar playing. We were able to play the Main Riff I for "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman and "Torn" from Natalie Imbruglia this morning by following guitar tabs found on the web. In addition to its function as a guitar, the software also includes a library of 20 songs and a listening-then-repeating exercise. «NCS Game Notes»

Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades + Bonus

The glittering knights of Saint Seiya face off against each other in 3D battles that hew closely to the Hades Saga from the Sanctuary to the Inferno arcs. The storyline is based on the manga original although the game is peppered with animation spooled from the televised series. Two main game modes are featured at the outset:

1) Story Mode: Join Pegasus Seiya and Mu in the first chapter where they face off against Death Mask and Specters.
2) Versus Mode: Choose a fighter from five possible characters (at the outset) and battle through a total of 26 combatants.

Three additional game modes are hidden by question marks. Along with the two game modes, a Gallery Mode which contains exactly one available piece of artwork may be viewed but additional works, animations, and BGM may be unlocked by meeting certain conditions while playing the game. All orders for the Saint Seiya Meiou Hades game will ship with a collapsible Saint Seiya Memory Card holder which features Dragon, Phoenix, Pegasus, Cygnus, and Andromeda on its five viewable sides. «NCS Game Notes»

Silicon Cover DS Lite

The Silicon Cover DS Lite consists of a top and bottom portion which are connected with hinges. Installation is very simple and once installed, the cover wraps around the entire NDS and provides a pliable and protective skin to guard against potential dangers. Openings that are cut into the cover allow for easy access to the various ports and inputs on the NDS Lite unit.
NCS stocked white, pink, and black Silicon Covers earlier this month and Hori releases light-blue and light-green versions this week.

Hori Fighting Stick 3

As the default supplier of gaming accessories for the Japanese marketplace, Hori releases the first joystick for the PS2. Thick, sturdy, and fitted with candy colored buttons, the Fighting Stick 3 is a digital controller which connects to the PS3 by way of USB cable.
The standard face and trigger buttons are located in two rows across the face of the base while the following buttons span the top portion of the stick: TURBO, HOME, L3, R3, SELECT, and START. Three gradations of turbo-fire are available with speeds of 5, 12, and 20 shots per second.