The ladies and lassies of various SNK properties are battle-hardened fighters capable of beating even the manliest of men. Tough and sometimes surly, the likes of Mai Shiranui and King suffer no fools. Until now. Explore the feminine side of SNK's stable of beauties in a romance game where conversation and interaction are the keys to a gal's heart.
The Days of Memories software titles were originally released for mobile phones in Japan but SNK collects all three games together for some summer love on the Nintendo DS. In addition to the dating action, players may also check out an Album which features event scenes from the games, endings for the assorted girls that you've completed, and BGM for some aural reverie. Update: Please check your email if you placed a preorder.
Join the ranks of Japanese white-collar workers in what's probably the first ever business-oriented visual novel and educational software. As a young up 'n coming employee in an electronics conglomerate, players learn how to schmooze the clients, wear the right business attire, play golf with upper management, and act the part of a loyal corporate salaryman. In addition to the seriousness of the day-to-day drudgery, there's also trips to Vegas, vacations, and the chance to go to wine tastings and learn the differences between Reds and Whites.
Gamers will read lots of dialogue and watch the scenarios play out. At the end of each sequence, a question and answer session opens up which tests your knowledge of professional business practices and courtesies.
In the world of Shinkyoku Sôkai Polyphonica, musicians known as Dantists play compositions called "Commandia" which are used to appease the spirits and provide them with sustenance. The hero of the Polyphonica tale is a fledgling Dantist named Phoron Tatara who works at the Tsuge Divine Music Player Office. Phoron partners up with a red-headed spirit named Corticarte Apa Lagrangres. Phoron refers to her as "Corti" to avoid elocution issues when sputtering her convoluted moniker.
The Polyphonica visual novel games were originally released on the Japanese PC in 2006 and were adapted for the Playstation 2 in two separate volumes in 2007. To capitalize on the same games once again, publisher Prototype collects all five Polyphonica games and masters them on a single DVD. For the uninitiated, a visual novel is basically an interactive story that is told through lush artwork panels, voice acting, and copious amounts of dialogue. Gamers read, watch, and occasionally make a decision that affects the storyline.
Bonus item: All preorders and new orders shipping today will include a bonus Special DVD which contains a preview of the next Polyphonica game titled Shinkyouku Soukai Polyphonica: The Black.
A Wii Handle is already included with every copy of the Japanese version of Mario Kart Wii but if you need additional wheels for your friends and family, Nintendo also sells the Handle by its lonesome.
Please note the Wii Handle isn't actually a working controller but rather an ornamental accessory in which the Wiimote is slotted into for tactile driving action. Once the Wiimote is bolted onto the front slot of the Wii Handle, grab the wheel and twist and turn it in mid-air like a steering wheel. Welcome to the magical versatility of the Wii.
Preorders will ship today and new orders are welcome at US$22.90 per wheel. Note: Mario Kart Wii will be restocked on Monday of next week.
Just another update on Wii Mario Kart (JPN) and Datel's Freeloader. We updated our USA Wii console to the 3.2U firmware and it still works with the Freeloader and Japanese Mario Kart. So... the rumors of the update breaking Freeloader functionality are unfounded.
Of course, there's always the chance that the next firmware update from Nintendo will bust up the Freeloader but until then, Datel's boot disc is holding up rather well. As an aside, our U.K. partner who supplies us with European goodies like Freshly Picked has confirmed that the European version of Mario Kart Wii also works on a USA Wii (3.1U or 3.2U firmware) + Freeloader. If we had known that earlier, we would have imported the European (English language) version instead of the Japanese version.
NCS heard news about Mario Kart Wii [JP] working and then not working on USA consoles from different sources. Since second-hand information can never be trusted 100%, we tested the game ourselves this morning on a USA Wii with v3.0U firmware and the Freeloader boot disc.
1) Powered up the USA Wii and loaded the Freeloader. Waited for the two color bars to appear and then inserted Mario Kart Wii. The game appears on the Wii Channel but upon choosing it, the screen goes black and the system locks up. We suspected newer firmware was needed.
2) Inserted Smash Bros Brawl into the USA Wii and upgraded the firmware to 3.1U. Reset the system and then inserted the Freeloader. The color bars appear and we plugged Mario Kart Wii into the drive once again. Mario Kart showed up on the Wii Channel and we booted it. This time:
THE GAME WORKS
3) As usual, we have to test everything for ourselves instead of relying on wonky third party information but here it is again:
If you have a USA Wii with 3.1U firmware and the Freeloader, you will be able to play Japanese Mario Kart Wii. Our MK Game Notes linked below were taken on a USA Wii running the game this morning.
Mario and friends ride again in the Wii version of Mario Kart which is bundled with a driving wheel called the Wii Handle. Please note the Wii Handle isn't actually a working controller but rather an ornamental accessory in which the Wiimote is slotted into for tactile driving action. Once the Wiimote is bolted onto the front slot of the Wii Handle, grab the wheel and twist and turn it in mid-air like a steering wheel. Welcome to the magical versatility of the Wii. Despite the magic however, we still prefer playing the game with the nunchuk and Wiimote for better accuracy.
In addition to standard karts, players may also ride upon motorbikes for added variety to the racing action. The Wi-Fi online mode allows up to 12 racers to compete against each other. «NCS Game-Notes»
When it comes to the robot gaming realm, Sunrise has been nipping at Banpresto's heels for nearly a decade now. The original Tales of the Sunrise Heroes was released on the Dreamcast in late 1999 and proved to be a humble challenger to the Super Robot Wars throne. Sunrise went on to release four sequels on the Playstation 2 and the fifth game makes it to market today. The eight Sunrise animation series featured in Battle of Sunrise should be familiar to anyone who's played the previous releases but one new franchise is featured in the game: Panzer World Galient.
Battle of Sunrise is a tactical-strategy game where robots are marshaled against other robots on grid-laced maps. Unlike previous entries in the series, the battles are shown in fluid 3D sequences where robots dash and shoot at their targets while taking return fire. Robots may be seen flying, taking aim, and firing at their enemy targets in 3D arenas. This new style of presentation is in stark contrast to the 2D engagements found in the SRW games. Some attacks are made up of only a single strike but others can go on for multiple rounds. «NCS Game Notes»
