Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 30: Galaxy Force II

The original version of Galaxy Force II was released in arcades in 1988 and the game made its way onto the Megadrive and Sega Master System in 1991. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Galaxy Force II back in 1998, Sega released the game on the Sega Saturn under the original Sega Ages brand which NCS was still peddling as of last year.
Nearly 20 years after the original release, Sega issues another re-release of Galaxy Force II for the Sega Ages 2500 series but this time they bundle together the Mega Drive version, the Master System version, the arcade original, and a "Neo Classic" version which is a remake of the original arcade game with cleaned-up graphics and a 16:9 aspect ratio for a cinematic experience of sorts.

In addition to all of the gaming goodness, a gallery which contains flyers, images, and instruction manuals from the original arcade version as well as the home conversions of the games may be perused.

For Galaxy Force players who enjoy watching expert players do their thing, the Theater Mode under the Archives section features a Master Play recording which features an ace who blows through the arcade game and the Neo Classic remake in a single sitting and one credit.

Minna no Golf 5

Sony's marquee golfing simulation reaches the Playstation 3 today in Japan with high-definition graphics in tow. When standing on the green and preparing to swing, one can't help but be dazzled by the natural sunlight that showers down from above which illuminates everything with a realistic shine that's evocative of the great outdoors. The trees are beautifully modeled and the green is immaculate and rolling. Hazy clouds spread lazily across the sky and distant hills appear shadowy and alluring.

The looks of the courses are high-def but the text effects are from the previous generation. For example, when you hit a "NICE SHOT!" the letters appear across the top of the screen in rainbow colors. The camera then follows the flight of the ball as it sails across the air and as it hits the ground and tumbles in search of a stopping point. Spectators on the course are never too close to the action but they're visible in the distance milling about in their bright colors and warm weather shorts.

Idol Janshi Suchie-Pai III Remix

Sakurai Miyuri and the irrepressible redhead known as Suchie Pai stand on the cover of the PSP version of Suchie Pai III Remix. Originally released in Japanese arcades in 1999 and on the Japanese PC in 2002, Suchie-Pai III finally reaches the Nintendo DS in 2007. Yes, we're aware that a Dreamcast version of the game was released in 1999 but it was so chopped up under Sega's anti-adult policy that the game can't be considered a proper Suchi-Pai release. For the PSP release of the game, Jaleco cleans up the nudity, throws in a new introduction and ending cinemas, and dresses the girls up in new swimwear and costumes. Upon starting the game, you'll be able to choose an opponent and then plunge into the mahjong clacking action. The original version of Suchie-Pai III only featured five characters and one secret character but the new release features a total of eight characters as designed by Kenichi Sonoda to oppose and play as follows:

Sakurai Miyuri / A 9-year old girl who appears in every Suchie-Pai game
Suchie Pai / Heroine of the Suchie series and game center worker
Amano Mai / Manager of Ann Pies who wears a pink and white uniform
Mizuno Yuki / Narcissistic schoolgirl in a blue and white outfit
Milky Pai / An alien bunny girl with rabbit ears and busty frame
Souzu Seira / Progenitor of a new religion who wears a white cloak
Saotome Chiruru / Brunette moppet who has a cobra for a pet
Saotome Nanami / Older sister of Chiruru who leads Saotome Corp.

Dewy's Adventure

During the heyday of the 16-bit era, there was a point where platform games were a dime a dozen and oddly apportioned characters were the rage. There was Bubsy, Earthworm Jim, Sonic, Mario, Yoshi, and many lesser known one-hit-wonders. Fast forward to the current generation and platform games aren't as prevalent now as they were back then but Rayman's a strange one that still makes the rounds and Konami's new hero Dewy is definitely left of center.

Dewy is a drop of water. No troll. Dewy is a drop of water that has facial features and ambulates like a waddling biped. By holding the Wiimote horizontally with both hands, players move Dewy by tilting the controller in four directions. As the story goes, the world that Dewy calls home brims with fresh water, fairies, and an Elder Tree. Peace reigns and all is good. That is, until the day an evil animal named Don Hedron makes his way into the world with his black water. The fairies and the Elder Tree act in concert to fight back against Hedron's machinations by giving life to a droplet of water with magical abilities. After a fierce battle, Don Hedron is beaten back and defeated. Fast forward to the present day and Don Hedron is back and his black water threatens the world once again...

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core

When the Naomi version of the GGXX Accent Core kit was released in December 2006, NCS filled a healthy amount of preorders at US$1850/pop. More orders flowed in afterwards but by that time, our coin-op vendors were already sold out and no stock was forthcoming. Less than six months after hitting Japanese arcades, Arc System shows love to the GGXX elite by releasing a faithful conversion of the game on the humble Nintendo Wii for a measly US$49.

Built on the Guilty Gear XX game engine, Accent Core may be considered the latest and greatest tweak/upgrade of the original game. The cast of 23 default characters all have new moves as well as specials and many of them control differently. The engine also features EX moves aka Force Breaks, Throw Breaks, and Parrying which radically modify the way the game played by seasoned GGXX fans. Arc System also throws in new stages, new character and announcer voices, and new character artwork. Casual gamers may look at the past few GGXX updates as minor in scope but the system updates made in Accent Core are significant and greatly enhance the gameplay experience for the hardcore fan.

Kidou Senshi Gundam MS Sensen 0079

Take control of a Gundam mech on the side of the Earth Federation and take on Zaku warriors in a first person action game where energy blades and guns are fired off in rapid succession. If you're feeling rebellious, you can also choose the side of the Zeon and face off against the forces of the E.F.F. The action runs fairly fast and both the nunchuk and Wiimote are used to control the Gundam and push into battlefields and duel one-on-one against foes. In addition to melee attacks and gunfire, a sniper mode is available where a targeting scope allows players to focus in one the head of an enemy mech and blow it off to disable it entirely. There are times when two energy blades meet and they'll sizzle as each swinger tries to gain the upper hand in the sword face-off. When running and gunning, the Wiimote controls a targeting cursor which may be positioned inside a center reticule to hit enemy soldiers dead-on.

The game features an original story written especially for the game which follows the events of the 0079 storyline. A VERSUS Mode splits the screen horizontally so that each player experiences the game from his own perspective. Players can change the colors of the Gundam from a palette and it's possible to roll with a bright purple or hot pink Gundam.

Mario Party 8

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The party continues for the 8th time, with Mario and friends getting crazy in a variety of mini-games. The world's most popular party video game is getting a lot crazier in Mario Party for the Wii! Whether you're shaking up cola cans or lassoing barrels, you and your friends will be drawn into the action like never before using the Wii Remote.

All new features/boards!
Mario Party for Wii also includes dozens of new mini-games, six new party boards and many new game modes. In a series first, players can transform their characters into many forms, such as player-smashing boulders and coin-sucking vampires. Mario Party Wii includes "extra large" mini games like Star Carnival Bowling and Table Menace. One to four players can play Mario Party, each with a Wii Remote.

Features: Play with Motion Control: Row your way through a river race, punch a statue to pieces, steer race cars, mopeds and go-karts, handle a balancing pole while walking a tightrope. .

Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary

The color-matching antics of the Puyo Puyo games have entertained gamers around the world since 1991 when it was released on the MSX2. Since that first game, Puyo Puyo became pervasive and invaded pretty much every handheld and console with its simplicity, charm, and playability. Sega celebrates the 15th Anniversary of Puyo² on the Playstation Portable with a game that looks like normal Puyo Puyo but there's enough characters, wrinkles and variations to make it a worthwhile investment. For one, there's the water Puyo variant where the familiar blobs with eyes bob up and down in a body of water. Since Puyos are buoyant, they float near the surface of the water and color matches must be made at the top of the screen instead of the bottom per standard Puyo convention. The game features a total of 23 characters but only 16 are playable at the outset - the others require unlocking.

For those who are new to the Puyo phenomenon, a tutorial mode is available to get you up to speed. The gist of the game is quite simple however - Colored jellies fall from the top of the screen in 2-segment configurations and your job is to arrange like-colored Puyos in contiguous groups of at least four blobs.