It is one year after the conclusion of Final Fantasy XII and Vaan wings through the air in his own sky pirate ship. To his side is Penelo while orphans from Rabanastre serve as crewmembers. Early in the game, Vaan is exploring the Glabados Ruins and looking for a legendary treasure when he meets up with Penelo and then Balthier and Fran.
Revenant Wings is a tactical adventure game which can be controlled entirely with the stylus. To move Vaan, tap on him and then tap on a location on the touch screen. To attack an enemy creature, tap on Vaan and then tap on the creature to initiate hostilities. Instead of switching to an alternate encounter screen, Vaan swings immediately upon reaching the beast and all fighting takes place on the same world screen. «more»
The Dog is a popular toy series in Japan and we've seen "The Dog" rendered into various plushes, keychains, and other trinkets. To capture some more of the consumer dollar, Yukes programs 48 pooches into an action-adventure game where a dog explores a lush island in search of a flower with potent medicinal uses. The game starts off on Dog's home island where the protagonist receives dire news about his brother who needs the healing properties of a special curative flower. The only problem is the flower is only found on a far off island. Luckily, a pirate dog has recently docked at the wharf and he's happy to take Dog on a trip to get him closer to his destination.
Throughout the game, friendly dogs and assorted animals will help your dog hero traverse various obstacles and impediments. For example, to scale higher heights, a giraffe serves as a sort of living crane while hippos and elephants provide platforms to cross rivers and crevices that a mangy dog would not be able to cross otherwise. When traveling from island to island, some dangers may appear such as snakes. To scare one away, the Dog may bark to send it on its way. Movement is controlled entirely through the Wiimote. Press the "B" button and a paw print appears which is a directional pointer which leads the dog to and fro. «more»
Luffy and friends are back for an action-packed jaunt where the pirates are caught in a tidal event which dumps them on a lush island. Luffy lands first and creates a small impact crater upon reaching earth again. His first task is to find his comrades to make his party whole again. One Piece Unlimited Adventure features 3D exploration and puzzle solving where barriers on the island must be broken or unlocked before reaching new pathways and areas. Early in the game, Luffy fishes up a blue orb from the depths of the ocean which factors mightily in breaking the barriers.
Luffy may also obtain other tools on the island including a pick axe to dig deep for buried artifacts and shatter rocks which are marked with an "X" scattered around the terrain. To swing the pick axe like a wizened digger, players move the Wiimote in an uninterrupted forward arc - sort of like when you're chopping an apple to slice it into two pieces. General movement is handled through the analog thumbstick on the Nunchuk while the "A" button on the Wiimote attacks enemies. Pressing the "B" button on the Wiimote makes Luffy and friends jump up to higher levels and crags. A character can also commit suicide by standing near the edge of a ravine and jumping into the abyss... «more»
Brain games took Japan by storm a couple of years ago thanks to the pioneering efforts of Nintendo's "Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training" or "Brain Age" as it is known in the USA. As is routine when a new product finds a massive audience, clones and copycats hit the market with alarming speed. Yawaraka Atama Juku is one such clone that was originally released on the Nintendo DS where the software teased young minds with simple brain games. The Wii update is targeted at a general audience from children to teenagers to adults who can all partake of the exercises.
Upon starting the interaction, five categories are presented which test skills such as language comprehension, relative analysis, memory skills, perception, and simple arithmetic. Presented in a colorful and attractive environment, the questions should prove more enticing to young and old minds than a non-interactive book. Exercises are broken up into five main categories as mentioned above. Under the threshold of each category is a subset of four games for a total of 20 brain challenges. Up to 8 players may join in the action and individualized Miis may be used to differentiate players from each other. «more»
Japanese manufacturer Musashiya has started preorders for a 1/5 scale Iroha 2 cold cast which was sculpted under the watchful eye of producer Ushio Karumagi. Iroha hails from the Samurai Spirits game series and made her first appearance in Samurai Spirits: Tenkaichi Kenkakuten. Ever since her debut, toy manufacturers have sculpted Iroha in a number of renditions.
The new cold cast is fixed-pose and Iroha holds her blades Hourin and Ousai above her head. Iroha is dressed in her regulation-issue black and white uniform. The height of the figure measures 36cm tall and the production is limited to only 200 pieces total. Pricing is set at JPY23,800 or US$229 from NCS. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late July 2007.
