Mr. ESC lives for the thrill of saving hapless souls stuck in dangerous situations. From fires to floods to earthquake induced emergencies, the intrepid hero dashes to and fro while leading survivors to safety. In Kangaeru Exit, Mr. ESC reprises his role as rescuer extraordinaire and takes his stock in trade to disaster areas around the world including the South American jungle, the pyramids of Egypt, a sinking luxury liner, an oil refinery in the Middle East, and other exotic locations.
In the original Exit game, Mr. ESC used ropes, keys, fire extinguishers, and stretchers to help accomplish his various goals. The old items return in Kangaeru and are joined by new items such as abseil rope (used for rappelling down), barrels, floating buoys, doors that only allow one-way entry, and platforms that rotate to add new techniques to ESC's repertoire. One condition of successful completion in the original Exit was the rescue of every survivor in each stage. Kangaeru is less strict in this regard and only requires a certain number of rescued individuals before the level is cleared. Character archetypes that may be saved from danger include the kid, teenager, adult, and patient. Two new characters in the game consist of a dog that can wade through water and a muscle-bound he-man who lends his power in scenarios that require brute strength to climb ropes. In addition to the 100+ stages included in the retail UMD, Taito promises a total of 300 stages that may be downloaded from the Exit2 website and saved to Memory Stick for use in the game.
Take to the skies and pilot 100 years worth of planes and learn a little history while you're at it. The main portion of Pilot ni Naru! is the Mission Mode where players use various planes to fulfill targeted objectives and tasks. In one mission, players are assigned courier duties where secret documents are delivered to an airbase. In another mission, virtual pilots take control of a crop duster and spray an expansive field with pesticide to clear it of hungry insects. Military missions include night bombing runs, destruction of an enemy fleet, and strafing enemy forces on the ground. Civilian missions are more varied with tasks such as avoiding an oncoming hurricane, observing an erupting volcano, and tracking animals from the air. Over 40 missions may be enjoyed with a little bit of something for everyone.
In the Academy Mode of the game, players are trained to become a pilot by an accommodating and forgiving software tutor. Finally, Challenge Mode features death-defying aerial missions and stunts. The game features a total of 21 planes which were used in the past century including the Sopwith Camel which was in rotation during WWI, the Fokker Dreidecker I Triplane which was piloted by German forces, Mig-29 Fulcrum, F117 Stealth Fighter, C-130 Hercules, A10 Thunderbolt, and the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet. Two flyboys may link up through the PSP wireless communication function and compete against each other in missions which involve dogfighting and trials of enemy plane destruction.
The first Taiko no Tatsujin (Bataburu) game for PSP featured a measly 38 songs. Add the 7 downloadable songs to the mix and players made do with a total of 45 tunes in Bataburu. Namco's a little more generous with the second PSP Taiko release and throws in a total of 62 songs - 40 of which are new along with 22 tunes culled from Bataburu. Also new are four mini-games where the Taiko participate in foolhardy exercises. In one of the games, players control a Taiko who sits upon a paper airplane and goes airborne. As the ebullient Taiko flies through the air, provide guidance so that it dodges obstacles. In another game, players are prompted to rotate the PSP 90° counterclockwise for stacking action. Taiko's friends are sequentially dropped on top of one another with the goal of reaching a target height. The challenge is keeping the tower stable as it grows ever taller.
For beginners to the Taiko mirth, gamers may practice their skills in the "Donko Mode" which ratchets the difficulty down for children and players without rhythm. Experienced gamers who need a refresher course on the nuances of PSP Taiko control may check out the Taiko Classroom which offers training exercises. Up to four players may link up for a cooperative game or a competitive communication battle by using a single game UMD. When playing the mini-games, up to two players may compete for the rank of top Drum Master.
Originally released for the Super Famicom in 1995, the Full Voice edition of Tales of Phantasia represents the fourth rehash of the game since the first release. At the outset of the adventure, four heroes are fighting a feathery-blond-haired wizard named Dhaos. One of the heroes has already fallen and things are looking bleak until a magician casts a powerful spell that transforms Dhaos into a ball of energy and sends him sailing. He soars for a while until he plummets back to earth in his natural form. There, the heroes lock the evil wizard away inside a sarcophagus by using the power of two magic pendants. With the evil sealed from the world, peace returns and all is well. That is, until a knight is deceived into using the two pendants to break the seal and release Dhaos into the wilds once again.
Players take on the role of 17 year-old Cless Alvein, a knight-like warrior in shining armor who teams up with Chester Barklight, Mint Adnade, and other kindred spirits. When the game proper starts, Cless is speaking to his father Miguel when Chester comes by so the two boys can go hunting. After mama gives Cless some Apple Gel, the hunters head out for South Forest where they chase a boar and battle some giant bees... As indicated by the title of the game, Namco fleshes out the voices in the PSP version of Phantasia with new voice samples and sequences. Professional actors and actresses lent their vocal talents to the dialogue for added theatrics and an enjoyable listening experience. Cut scenes and updated graphics also add value to the new Phantasia.
After the release of Shutoko Battle X in Japan earlier this summer, Genki shows love for the Xbox 360 once again with a 3D samurai simulator. The developer/publisher takes the Kengo series all the way back to the beginning and then some. Billed as a prequel to the first game, Kengo Zero features sword fighting action that's bolstered with an engaging story line. Players take on the role of a broad-faced swordsman who roams the countryside and mixes it up with famous figures from feudal Japan. Interesting characters that may be encountered include the legendary Musashi Miyamoto, Ryoma Sakamoto Ryoma, Kojiro Sasaki, and Jubei Yagyu.
Fighters in Kengo may adopt different stances to attack and defend during an encounter. When defending, an oncoming sword slash may be parried and followed up with an immediate counterattack. Skilled killers may also strike single death blows to terminate enemies posthaste in addition to gradually carving an opponent up with strategic slices. Kengo Zero features an online mode but note that it is only a ranking system where gamers may upload their best scores to compare against other players. Please note that Kengo Zero does not boot on USA Xbox 360 consoles.
Arcade distributors in Japan have started preorders for three upcoming kits which ship in the fourth quarter as follows:
» Mushihimesama 2 (Futari) from Cave
Includes Cave SH3 kit, marquee header, and side panel artwork. Delivery is scheduled for late October and pricing is set at JPY248,000 or US$2300 which includes shipping directly from Japan.
» Karous from Milestone/Sega
Includes Naomi GD-Rom disc, marquee header, and side panel artwork. Delivery is scheduled for mid November and pricing is set at JPY158,000 or US$1580 which includes shipping directly from Japan.
» Melty Blood Act Cadenza ver. B from Ecole/Sega
Includes Naomi GD-Rom disc, marquee header, and side panel artwork. Delivery is scheduled for mid December and pricing is set at JPY158,000 or US$1480 which includes shipping directly from Japan.
Japanese manufacturer Sol International makes use of their Animal Crossing license by announcing two types of pouches which ship in November. First up, face pouches where the lovable mugs of an AC character serve as barely functional carrying bags. Since each face pouch measures a mere 10cm in diameter, we're guessing Sol wanted potential customers to store coins and candy since that's all that'll fit. Next up, Nintendo DS carrying pouches decorated with the images of various AC figures. Throw an NDS or NDS Lite unit in the case and lug it around in sweet Animal Crossing style.
After gobbling a greasy pork sandwich, your mitts might find themselves dredged in oil and saliva. If the supplier of the sandwich was particularly generous with the mustard, the yellow condiment might also be slathered on your fingers. The cell phone rings. Absent-minded and delirious from the meal, you greedily grab the phone and smear the unholy mess all over it. A lesser mortal would grab a Kleenex and do a quick wipe. But you're no lesser mortal. You are a Nyanyan paw carrying international player who slides the paw from your pocket and waxes the phone in even strokes until it's like new again. Five styles are on offer and preorders ship in Nov.
