Chuukana Janshi Tenhoo Painyon

Chuukana Janshi Tenno Painyon Special was originally released on the PC in 2005 and the character-driven mahjong game makes its way onto portable handhelds this week. The game is a mash of mahjong, pachislot, cheerful characters, and voice acting. The setting is a meshing of the Western world and Meiji-era Japan where the Tokugawa Shogunate has been overthrown and the Meiji Restoration is well underway. However, dark forces are conspiring to disrupt the government and the only way to allay the political drama is mahjong. That's right, mahjong where cute characters test their MJ handling skills against other adorable players. New features include animation sequences and speech that takes place throughout the table top action. «more»

Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Tsunayoshi Sawada is a first year student at Namimori Middle School with bad grades, zero athletic skills, and an ill repute amongst his peers. Luckily for him, Tsuna's destiny isn't in the hallways of learning. No, his destiny is with the mafia. More specifically, the Vongola mob based in Italy where Tsunayoshi is the great-great-great grandson of the patriarch that started the "business." With everyone else in succession prematurely expired, Tsunayoshi is the last remaining Vongola heir and his birthright is eventually taking the position of the 10th Vongola mob boss.
The cast of the Katekyo Hitman Reborn animation is brought together in a 2D fighting game where their special abilities and talents are used to battle each other and achieve primacy in the gangland food chain. «more»

Busou Renkin

Kazuki Muto is an average high school sophomore who plays the part of hero and pushes a girl from the striking blow of a slavering homunculus. In the process of saving the girl however, the monster plunges its tentacle through Kazuki's heart and kills him. Kazuto wakes up screaming and clutching his chest. His roommates in the dorm burst in and tell him to keep it down. Kazuki assumes that it was only a dream but he really died trying to save the girl who in turn resurrected him with the power of alchemy. The girl's name is Tokiko Tsumura and she affixed a Kakugane Medal on Kazuki's chest which was then absorbed into his body to grant him new life.
Along with his new heart and vitality, Kazuki is also gifted with a unique Busou Renkin (Arms Alchemy) weapon. In his case, Kazuki's Busou Renkin is a massive lance that's shaped like an arrowhead which can be used to destroy homunculus. In the animation, both the homunculus and Arms Alchemy were born from the practice of alchemy with the former being the artificial life created from techniques and the Arms being the product of weapons research. Tokiko's Arms are sort of like Doctor Octopus' arms except they're bladed and are called a Valkyrie Skirt. «more»

Evangelion Battle Orchestra

The Evangelion and Angels go to war once more in a pseudo 3D fighting game where the combatants punch, kick, and jump their way through the ranks. We term Evangelion Battle Orchestra a pseudo 3D fighting game because the action takes place on a 2D plane ala Naruto Narutimett Hero but the world is rendered in 3D which twists and turns with the action on screen. There's also a collection of cut-scenes that are shown during a fight when a special attack or weapon is triggered. The animation serves to break up the flow of the battle and perhaps energize the gamer with a feeling of power and authority.
The Evangelion are not tethered to any power source and they're free to ramble around the battlefield like free men. An EVA mech can attack with conventional blows, bladed weaponry, and firearms for distance attacks. Wooden crates that appear on stage may be cracked open to reveal power-ups and weapons for use in the battle. The Rumble Mode of the game features four-player fighting which gets a little cramped when all four combatants are in each other's faces and punching like felons. The D-pad or L-Analog can be used for movement; the controls are somewhat floaty but acceptable for an Evangelion game from Broccoli. «more»

Evangelion Battle Orchestra DX Pack

The Deluxe Pack Edition of Evangelion Battle Orchestra includes the following bonus items in addition to the game software:

» An exclusive mini wind-up music box which plays the EVA theme
» Three cards which feature the three Evangelion in the game
» Tenth Angel Sahaquiel cellphone strap
» Micro-fiber miniature towel
» Evangelion sticker sheet

The Evangelion and Angels go to war once more in a pseudo 3D fighting game where the combatants punch, kick, and jump their way through the ranks. We term Evangelion Battle Orchestra a pseudo 3D fighting game because the action takes place on a 2D plane ala Naruto Narutimett Hero but the world is rendered in 3D which twists and turns with the action on screen. There's also cut-scenes that are shown during a fight when a special attack or weapon is triggered. The animation serves to break up the flow of the battle and perhaps energize the gamer with a feeling of authority and power. «more»

Super Robot Wars Original Generations

Banpresto gathers together two Super Robot Wars games that were originally released on the Gameboy Advance and completely overhauls the graphics, adds hundreds of battle animations, and upgrades the games with new features. The two games contained on the DVD are:

» Super Robot Wars Original Generation (Debut: Nov. 22, 2002)
» Super Robot Wars Original Generation 2 (Debut: Feb. 03, 2005)

In addition to the games, an OPTION setting on the main menu contains a BGM library, a movie gallery, and a useful Q&A section which answers any questions you might have concerning the game play in either title.

A large contingent of new characters and ships have been added to the roster along with a Weapon Change System preview and the mega mighty Twin Battle System. To trigger the TBS, move one unit right next to another unit and then combine your attacks on an enemy target.
Bonus: Approximately 1/2 of our preorders will ship with a bonus Super Robot Wars booklet Sadly, we didn't receive enough to include one with every preorder. «more»

Tales of Fandom 2: Luke fon Fabre

The original Tales of Fandom discs were released in early 2002 and featured characters from Namco's Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, and Tales of Eternity. Per the game title, the content was designed to appeal to fans of the Tales releases with an interaction game, a puzzle game, character skits, and a gallery of images.
Fast forward five years later and Namco issues another Tales of Fandom which features core casts of characters from Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Symphonia, and Tales of Abyss. Unlike the first Fandom which allowed the different games to be chosen from a menu, Fandom 2 takes an interactive approach where the games and interaction sequences are selectable from a world map. At the outset of the game, the parties from all three Tales games have been transported to a central location where they're holed up in their respective bastions. Players move a cursor around the world map to select the different adventures as well as a casino located to the north which features Black Jack, Poker, Baccarat, and Slots. A purse of 1000 credits starts the player off but note that playing Baccarat requires an ante of 1000 credits. Lose once and you're wiped out. To bolster the fan service, copious amounts of voice acting are featured in the game. «more»

Tales of Fandom 2: Tear Grants

The original Tales of Fandom discs were released in early 2002 and featured characters from Namco's Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, and Tales of Eternity. Per the game title, the content was designed to appeal to fans of the Tales releases with an interaction game, a puzzle game, character skits, and a gallery of images.

Fast forward five years later and Namco issues another Tales of Fandom which features core casts of characters from Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Symphonia, and Tales of Abyss. Unlike the first Fandom which allowed the different games to be chosen from a menu, Fandom 2 takes an interactive approach where the games and interaction sequences are selectable from a world map. At the outset of the game, the parties from all three Tales games have been transported to a central location where they're holed up in their respective bastions. Players move a cursor around the world map to select the different adventures as well as a casino located to the north which features Black Jack, Poker, Baccarat, and Slots. A purse of 1000 credits starts the player off but note that playing Baccarat requires an ante of 1000 credits. Lose once and you're wiped out. To bolster the fan service, copious amounts of voice acting are featured in the game. «more»

Chuukana Janshi Tenno Painyan

Chuukana Janshi Tenno Painyon Special was originally released on the PC in 2005 and the character-driven mahjong game makes its way onto portable handhelds this week. The game is a mix of mahjong, pachislot, cheerful characters, and voice acting. The setting is a meshing of the Western world and Meiji-era Japan where the Tokugawa Shogunate has been overthrown and the Meiji Restoration is well underway. However, dark forces are conspiring to disrupt the government and the only way to allay the political drama is mahjong. That's right, mahjong where cute characters test their MJ handling skills against other adorable players. The ultimate mahjong contest will be fought against a mighty nine-tailed fox demon but before that, lower ranked opponents must be beaten.

New features in the portable versions of Chuukana Janshi Tenhoo Painyan include updated animation sequences and new snippets of speech that take place throughout the mahjong action. The PSP port features a new opening cinema with ebullient theme song. Four new characters designed by renowned manga artist Kenichi Sonoda also make their way onto the NDS and PSP ports. A total of 12 characters are featured in the game including a Meiji-era waitress wearing a cherry-blossom smock, a samurai warrior, a delightful shrine maiden, a fox girl with tail, and two pink-haired moppets with extreme moxie. «more»

Secret of Evangelion Portable

Originally released on the Playstation 2 in December 2006, the Secret of Evangelion makes its way to the Playstation Portable half a year later. The game's background is Tokyo-3 and the subterranean Geofront where the threat of Angels with devastating offensive power is always present. Since conventional weaponry is ineffective against the Angels, superior forces are called into action. To combat the random invasions, a team of teenagers is trained to pilot mighty mecha known as Evangelion which are capable of halting the assault of the Angels.

Players take on the role of a NERV operative named Kyoya who wears shades at all times. Early in the game, it's established that Kyoya is an old school chum of both Misato and Ritsuku and the two women are comfortable with him. Misato expresses some reservations about Kyoya's assignment but brushes it off....

Exclusive features in the PSP version are as folllows:
» New in-game scenes which are interspersed within the storyline

» A new Evangelion Quiz Game which offers three levels of difficulty for beginners, average EVA students, and highly obsessed devotees of the workings of NERV, the characters, and plot points. Fifty questions are collected in the database and each quiz session contains 10 randomly selected questions. «more»

Secret of Evangelion Limited Edition

The limited edition of Secret of Evangelion includes three bonus items as follows:

» Black PSP carrying case with a red NERV logo design on the front
» Screen filter for the Playstation Portable

In Secret of Evangelion Portable, players take on the role of a NERV operative named Kyoya who wears shades at all times. Early in the game, it's established that Kyoya is an old school chum of both Misato and Ritsuku and the two women are comfortable with him. Misato expresses some reservations about Kyoya's assignment but brushes it off. Throughout the adventure, Kyoya will come into contact with Shinji, Rei, and Asuka and his goal is to raise their level of trust in him so that information about the inner workings of NERV can be gleaned. «more»

Exclusive features in the PSP version are as folllows:
» New in-game scenes which are interspersed within the storyline
» A new Evangelion Quiz Game which offers three levels of difficulty for beginners, average EVA students, and highly obsessed devotees of the workings of NERV, the characters, and plot points. Fifty questions are collected in the database and each quiz contains 10 random questions.

Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race

Donkey Kong and friends strap a pair of rocket bongos to their waists and go on races. To reach maximum speed, the bongos must be banged by moving the controllers up and down in steady fashion. The motion scheme is sort of like smacking bongos and the game would work well with the Donkey Konga controller if one was made for the Wii. The maneuvering in the game is also handled entirely through the Wiimote and Nunchuk. For example, to sidle to the left of the race course, simply move the Nunchuk up and down by its lonesome and Donkey Kong will tilt leftwards to reach bananas or navigate curves. Since the controllers are always in motion to maintain speed, the game engine occasionally interprets the rhythmic beat of the controllers as a jump move which is performed by jerking both controllers upwards momentarily.

Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race features a total of 16 courses across seven worlds with the first race taking place in a jungle setting that features a breathtaking waterfall. The second stage starts off on a beach but quickly dives into the ocean for an underwater excursion through the glittering depths. The game is suitable for solo players raring to race but up to four competitors can join in the action. «more»