A Flash cartridge that can be used to store pirated Nintendo DS games has publishers up in arms and a group of them are suing the companies that make the devices.

Nintendo, Capcom and 53 other publishers are taking legal action under Japan’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act, targeting four companies that make the R4 cartridges.

In February 2009, Tokyo District Court placed an injunction on the cart manufacturers making it illegal to sell R4s in Japan. But, as is often the case with legal issues, a court saying people can’t have something hasn’t stopped people from getting it.

The setup is almost comical. Countless retailers in Japan’s Akihabara electronics district stock the R4 but, because of the legal heat, clerks have been forbidden from discussing exactly what it does. Also, there has been another company making a pirated version of the chip primarily used for pirating. Sigh.

Because the R4 is still a fixture in electronic stores, the publishers are keeping the legal pressure on and likely paying a pretty penny to do so. Capcom said in a statement that vendors have “continued to ignore our warnings” and “did not show any sincere response.”  As the battle between publishers and pirates continues, Nintendo has gone so far as to enlist help from its customers.

Nintendo has posted a web form (in Japanese) that can be filled out anonymously should you want to report anyone selling the gadgets.

Read [Gamasutra] Via [Videogamer.com]

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Poor Sony. The original PSPs have been a favorite of pirates and hackers for a while. They’d create custom firmware and then go nuts with homebrew, emulation and piracy. Sony probably thought going download-only with the PSPgo would keep that from happening. Sorry to say, that isn’t the case.

A hacker going by the moniker FreePlay has found an exploit in an unknown game downloadable from the PlayStation Store. That’s right, a hacker has found a way to start to crack the PSPgo using one of Sony’s own PSN games. FreePlay hasn’t been able to do much other than get into user-mode and tinker around. So, at the moment, no custom firmware. But, as FreePlay states in his video, it does provide hope that the PSPgo can be cracked and could eventually run custom firmware.

Let’s watch FreePlay’s video showing the initial attempts at hacking the PSPgo:

FreePlay has a series of videos on his YouTube channel, showing this universal PSP hack in action on both the PSPgo and a standard PSP.

FreePlay has stated that he is not going to reveal the game which could act as a gateway for hackers, for fear of Sony altering said game so it couldn’t be exploited. As long as Sony doesn’t know what game he’s using, it can’t remove or patch the game.

After seeing this news, it probably won’t be long before we see a PSPgo running custom firmware. I’m going to guess hackers will accomplish that task by Christmas.

Read [QJ.net] Also Read [eXophase.com] Site [YouTube - FreePlay’s Channel]

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A press release sent by game product distributor Innex today (May 14, 2009) announced the upcoming release of the Komodo Adapter, a “3-in-1 Virtual Retro Adaptor [sic] that allows gamers to connect NES, SNES, and N64 controllers directly to the Nintendo Wii video game console.”

Now you can put your old controllers back in action and get that truly old school retro feel when you play those old-system games on your current gen console. Think of it as a cord to the past or, more current/green, a device that lets you reuse old tech. Me likey.

The adapter will utilizes the GameCube controller port on the Wii be available in time for E3 2009, cost about $20 and will even support third-party controllers. It will also be on display a the company’s E3 booth (Booth # 2547, South Hall), when we’ll probably start to get images of it.

Here’s a bullet list of the highlights provided in the release:

• Compatible with Nintendo Wii Virtual Console
• Connects Through GameCube Port
• Compatible with 1st and 3rd Party Controllers
• Compatible with NES, SNES, and N64 Controllers
• Analog Function Available for N64 Controllers
• Suggested Retail Price: $19.99
• Launch Date: Mid June

UPDATE: May 26, 2009 - The company sent me a photo of the adapter, below. Note the words “temporary photograph” on the image, indicating that may or may not be the final design. What is cool, though is that it shows all three adapters connected at the same time. “Battle of the Retro Controllers,” anyone?

Read [Innex]

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Fan-designed PSP units offer a variety of things. They show us how creative and Photoshop-adept some Sony fans are. They make PSP owners wish for additional features. They give video game blogs something to write about.

One of the most important things the fan designed PSP units tell us is what PSP owners want. These fan designs are more than just “what if” scenarios and an attempt to make some sort of uber-handheld. It’s a means of showing what users want, and how they’d like it to be executed. The exposure given to the more ingenious and innovative designs make it just a little more likely that the people who matter at Sony might see them and listen.

If you look at a few of the fan designs for PSPs and PSP 2s, you start to realize it isn’t all about looking cool. Upon closer inspection, you can see how the designers are or aren’t satisfied with the current unit, and suggestions he or she is making to improve it.

BluezPS’ PSP design

BluezPS’ PSP fan design was picked up by IGN shortly after it debuted on the internet. The thin system looks similar to a cell phone or portable DVD player when it comes to presentation, and looks like it has a PlayStation 2 controller built into the bottom of the unit. The backside of the unit can’t be seen, making it difficult to discern if a UMD drive is part of the deal, but a memory card slot can clearly be seen on the right side and a headphone/headset jack can be seen on the left.

Three things stand out when looking at BluezPS’ design. The first is the large, clear screen. It appears to offer a larger display than the current PSP, suggesting bigger is better. It also displays images when the screen is in place over the controls, suggesting the option and ability to play movies would still be in effect. The second defining feature is the control pad. There are two analog sticks, as opposed to the one on the original PSP. The controls are also set up in a manner identical to the original PSX or PS2. Finally, the system can collapse shut so the controls are completely covered. This suggests that more portability is desired, as well as a means to protect buttons from being pressed when the PSP isn’t being used.

Suggested improvements based on the image:

• Larger screen.
• PSX/PS2 style control pad with dual analog sticks.
• Ability to protect face buttons when not in use.

Sony Ericsson PSPhone design

The next PSP design was created for a foreign magazine and immediately gathered quite a bit of attention at
NeoGAF. The Sony Ericsson PSPhone design combined two Sony products, the PSP and the Sony Ericsson cell phone. When playing games, the device would be held length-wise and a directional pad with mini analog stick would slide out the top of the phone. When a call is incoming, the base could slide down to reveal a keypad and the game could be interupted to answer. The article notes mention that there is no UMD slot, and that games would be downloadable or cart based instead.

The main, and most important, thing people come away with after seeing the Sony Ericsson PSPhone mock-up is the cell phone features. Skype compatibility isn’t cutting it for people, and if a future version of a PSP is going to have phone features, it needs to have an actual cell phone built into it. Another, more subtle point is the lack of UMD drive. The designer here is suggesting that downloadable games or cart based games are the future for this system.

Suggested improvements based on the image:

• Cell phone functionality added.
• No UMDs.

Samuel Lau’s Sidekick PSP design

Almost a year ago, Gamertell took a look at Samuel Lau’s PSP Sidekick design. It was a fairly simple and straightforward approach which took the current PSP and ever so slightly tweaked it. It still uses UMD games, and looks identical to the PSP units available today. There were two differences, a built in camera and a screen that slid up to reveal a full keyboard.

Samuel Lau’s design is basically calling on Sony to do two things - add in a camera and keyboard. A camera peripheral was already released in Japan, Singapore and Europe as Chotto Shot and Go!Cam. A keyboard peripheral was promised, but never appeared. So this design could be seen as a bit of a reminder - to let Sony know fans haven’t forgotten those two peripherals and would really like to see them sometime soon. Another feature which could be inferred by the full keyboard is the ability to instant message people via the PSP and it’s Wi-Fi abilities.

Suggested improvements based on the image:

• Full keyboard
• Built in camera
• Instant messaging

Paul Tobeck PSP II design

Kotaku‘s discovery of Paul Tobeck’s PSP II design led the site to set up a PSP2 Concept Design Challenge, and it’s no wonder, seeing the ambitious approach Tobeck took to his vision of the PSP II. The PSP II features two screens, a touch screen on top that flips open to reveal a standard screen and full control pad. The design also features a UMD drive and a relocated power switch.

Paul Tobeck’s PSP II sets out to fix quite a few problems users have ahd with the current PSP, as well as add in an extra feature. First, the power switch is on top of the system, no longer in danger of being accidentally flicked during play. It also is embedded into the top of the system, instead of sticking out. The system also allows for a better and more comfortable grip, getting thicker on the ends where hands will grab. Dual analog sticks return, as they did in both BluezPS and Tai Chiem’s designs, and Tobeck also goes with a traditional PSX/PS2 control pad like BluezPS. The screen also flips down over the unit, protecting the inner screen and the face buttons. The final touch is a touch screen on the top screen.

Suggested improvements based on the image:

• Touch screen
• Flip screen
• PSX/PS2 style control pad with dual analog sticks
• A wider base with side grips
• Power switch on the top of the system

Tai Chiem’s OLED PSP2 design

Yanko Design highlighted one of the more unusual, recent PSP2 designs, an incredibly high tech concept from Tai Chiem. The PSP2 of Tai Chiem’s dreams looks like an incredibly advanced and expensive fruit roll up while in storage mode. This design would use an OLED screen that would unroll and stiffen when the unit is turned on. There don’t appear to be any face buttons, but two analog sticks are visible on the front side of the bar and L and R shoulder buttons can be clearly seen on the back. Two volume buttons and two buttons for start and select can be seen on either side of the PSP2 logo. A camera icon appears on the right end of the system, suggesting a built in camera.

The Tai Chiem PSP2 could be seen as gimmicky. It is supporting a new form of technology as the main draw for the system - the OLED screen. It also seems to suggest a desire for a simpler PSP, perhaps one with touch screen controls since the base of the system only seems to have room for analog sticks and shoulder buttons. There’s no need to worry about carrying UMDs. Most likely, the games would all be downloaded onto internal memory. When rolled up, the screen is protected and all of the face buttons are hidden away. It also would have a built in camera, eliminating the need for a seldom-used peripheral.

Suggested improvements based on the image:

• Large, flexible OLED screen
• Simplified control scheme
• Built in camera
• Portable
• No UMDs.

Read [IGN] Also Read [NeoGAF] Via [MAX CONSOLE] Also Read [Yanko Design] Also Read [Kotaku] Also Read [Gamertell]

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Seriously, this is the coolest, funkiest videogame gadget I’ve seen in quite a while - a fully portable, fully functional Nintendo 64. Called the Nintendo Sixtyfree Lite-R, and created by Ben Heck’s “disciple” SifuF, this puppy will play all of the crucial N64 classics. According to Joystiq, the system

“sports all the buttons of a standard N64 controller, a 5” display (yoinked from the PSOne LCD screen), and an unobtrusive cartridge slot. Unfortunately, its petite framework didn’t leave room for an internal battery - it requires an external infolithium (or other 7.2v) power supply to run.”

I totally want one - if anybody out there is looking for a late gift idea for me, this would be it, friends. You know, if it were for sale. I’m not advocating theft. Not at all.

Read [Joystiq] Site [Ben Heck forums]

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As many people know, video game companies will often send out promotional copies of games to certain media outlets, so said outlets can review, preview and just generally get the word out about the games. In the case of Animal Crossing: City Folk, Nintendo decided to send out a few pre-played copies of Animal Crossing: Wild World, so the press site could try importing a character from Animal Crossing: Wild World to Animal Crossing: City Folk.

MTV Multiplayer‘s Stephen Totilo decided to explore the Animal Crossing: Wild World town before copying the data to his Wii game, and was met with a surprise. Apparently, Baabara the sheep had picked up some foul language from one of the villages she had inhabited, prior to settling in the preview copies distributed by Nintendo. Her customized greeting was the somewhat racist, “[heart] u long time!!” and her catchphrase was the objectionable word “Ñ___a,” as seen in the screenshot from MTV Multiplayer at right.

In all Animal Crossing games, players have the ability to customize their animal neighbor’s speech if they befriend them. Apparently, the person from the town where Baabara originally lived had decided that Baabara needed to be a hip-hop/rap-loving sheep, who maybe listened Fergie’s “London Bridge” a few too many times. Nintendo does have some built in censors in the game, designed to prevent phrases like this from being inserted, but Baabara’s previous human neighbor had gotten around this by using a “Ñ” instead of a “N.”

GameSpot reports that Nintendo has issued an apology for Baabara’s objectionable and racist language. It turns out that Baabara was an immigrant from another town who stealthily moved to the 14 pre-played press copies of Animal Crossing: Wild World. Nintendo is recalling all 14 DS game cards with the offensive character.

Read [MTV Multiplayer] Via [GameSpot]

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If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times; You can never find enough ways to kill a zombie. We’ve all been conditioned to believe the best defense against the living dead is a firearm or some kind of explosive device. Those are great items to have during the zombie apocalypse but what about chainsaws? What about guns with chainsaw attachments? Yes it does sound like a Lancer from Gears of War and it actually exists.

A member named SOC on the AR15.com forums has Macgyver-ed himself a fully working chainsaw that essentially makes the automatic rifle an afterthought. Since it’s labeled as a Firearm Mounted Anti Zombie Device, I don’t think this guy had Marcus Fenix in mind when he created it. However if there’s a new and exciting way to slay a few zombies I’ll be all over it.

Check out this video of the gun in action taking on some unwieldy pumpkins…

Read [AR15] Via [The Firearm Blog]

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Back in 2000, Radio Shack (and Digital Convergence) gave away free barcode scanners called the CueCat (aka :CueCat) that connected to your computer. You’d use it to scan stuff and then it would open a web page based on whatever you scanned. It was a nice idea that simply flopped.

A lot of those little scanners are still around (heck, I have three) and operational so, naturally, people want to use the cute little scanners with more modern applications including home collection software made by Collectorz. Particularly, gamers can use a barcode scanner to scan their collection of video games for a complete and easy-to-browse catalog using Game Collector.

Although Collectorz sells that and other software (for music, movies books, photos, MP3s and comic books) bundled with a laser barcode scanner ($199.90 for Game Collector with laser scanner), you can also use your freebie CueCat and save some money, making the software $29.95 (or Pro version for $49.99 or Pro on CDC is $69.95).

Collectorz also sells USB CueCats along with the software for $100 less, at only $99 for a CueCat scanner with CD software. You can also find CueCats online for about $10 to $15 each.

A recent email sent by Collectorz indicated that the company gets “lots of questions” concerning how to use a CueCat with its software. Here’s the email and quickie How To:

TIP: How to setup your CueCat scanner
======================================
...How do I setup my CueCat to work with my Collectorz.com software?

So here it is, a complete step-by-step guide on how to do that:

Step 1: Plug its USB connector into a free USB port.

And that’s it! Just plug it in and start scanning barcodes!

Our software has integrated support for the CueCat, so there’s no need to install drivers or anything. Also, you don’t need to use the Initialize or Find Scanner commands in our software, those are for Flic and Opticon laser scanners.

The CueCat will work straight out-of-the-box! That’s the beauty of it!

It’s probably about that easy if you have the early 2000s freebie model that has the PS/2 connectors. The nice thing about that pricier laser scanner is that you can remove it from the PC connector and scan things on your shelf (or in the store) and it stores a bunch of codes. The CueCat, however, has to remain corded, though it does work with Windows and Mac.

Product Page [Game Collector]

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I, like many gamers, am particularly fond of the Dreamcast. I still have mine hooked up to a VGA monitor in the corner of my pseudo-office. So you can understand why I had a big smile across my face when I saw that someone had the ambition to convert the Dreamcast into a PC mod. Sheer awesome.

What makes things even more interesting as that the enthusiasts of Akiba PC in Japan, the people who put this thing together, actually kitted this machine with some fairly impressive specs, including:

• Sony NEC BC-5500A Blu-ray drive
• AMD mini-ITX mainboard with 780G Chipset
• ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics
• HDMI output
• 4GB RAM
• 160GB storage
• Four USB ports

It uses an 120W AC adapter, runs Windows XP Service Pack 2 and keeps itself cool thanks to 100mm fans on the bottom of the case. If only Sega had these specs when the Dreamcast was still a contemporary video game system rather than an enthusiasts trip down memory lane.

Engadget points out that this mod was made for roughly $1,045 and probably won’t be available at Best Buy ever.

Read [Watch.Impress.JP] Via [Engadget]

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Guys using videogames to propose to their girlfriends is nothing new but this story officially raises the bar for nerdy romantics everywhere. 1UP is reporting that a man on YouTube, who goes by the username “TheRealPfhreak,” recently decided to use the Square-Enix classic Chrono Trigger as the vehicle for his marriage proposal.

Only he didn’t just hack the game to make it display a special message but created an entire new area in the game for his girlfriend to explore, filled with references to their memories together. Said the groom-to-be:

“On October 17, 2008, I proposed to my (now) fiance. Originally I wanted to return to the site of our first date, Mount Baker, near Bellingham, Washington. Sadly, there was no discrete way to get her out there. So I turned to the next best thing, digitally recreating the mountain!

But why stop there? I figured I’d try and recreate many of our other favorite memories - stargazing, dancing, even her favorite song lyrics (from the Princess Bride). I’m a college student who is studying Computer Science, and I wanted to do something unique that used my talents, so I did some research on rom hacking, as she was playing through Chrono Trigger.”

He goes on to say that his girlfriend didn’t know what to make of all the strange coincidences at first. That is, up until the end of the secret area when a character in the game pops the question addressing his girlfriend’s full name. For those wondering, she did say “yes,” although only after calling her boyfriend a “huge nerd.” 

For those who want to check out, here’s the full video of the Chrono Trigger proposal:

Read 1UP Also Read [Gamertell]

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A new mod has just been created for the PC game Crysis, by the HaptX Team, and it involves the Novint Falcon controller. The Falcon controller provides force feedback and allows players to really feel every action and attack in a game. The latest mod will make this controller compatible with Crysis, and will be released for download on October 24, 2008.

Apparently the highlight is that the Nano Suit will affect what players feel with the controller. Different modes will make the controller more or less sensitive. The controller will also allow players to feel actions - the ability to feel water resistance when swimming and impacts when falling to the ground are both mentioned in the official press release.

The Falcon controller is pretty pricey though, so it won’t be worth purchasing the controller for this mod alone. The basic controller costs $189.99, and that doesn’t even include any custom, Falcon designed games. If you’re a PC gamer with a lot of extra money to spend, then it may be worthwhile. Otherwise, this mod is just an interesting development.

Read [MCV] Also Read [Spawn Point] Site [HaptX] Site [Novint]

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In these troubled times in which we live it’s good to have dreams. I’m talking about things that are just so cool the chances of them ever happening are too small to measure. Take this PSP2 concept art brought to us by DVICE for example. It reminds me of an extremely expensive fruit roll-up that just so happens to play videogames. The design begs us to consider the future of gaming and how most, if not all, electronic devices will eventually rest comfortably in our pockets.

The concept PSP2 features a flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen, built-in camera and Wi-Fi connectivity. Sure it seems outrageous now but flexible OLED technology does exist.

One thing that’s puzzling about the design is the lack of, well, buttons. Unless that OLED is touch sensitive there’s no way to control the games that I’m aware of.  The L and R buttons are also placed on the back of the device which is also kind of odd. It’s just a concept though and frankly it’s still impressive regardless.

Check out the video below to see a flexible OLED screen in action. The future is now!

Read [DVICE] Via [Bextim] Also Read [Gamertell]

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The primary means of travel in World of Warcraft is running. You run pretty much everywhere, and some fans became curious as to what it would be like to physically experience that same amount of running in real life. The result was Aaron and Elijah’s RL Race Across Azeroth.

These guys even worked out the how the running in WoW would correspond to running in the real world. They built a treadmill which would work with WoW, set it up so they would run at six mph and prepared to run from the gates of Shadowglen to the sentries of Darnassus. They also dressed up like their characters - for scientific purposes of course.

Elijah and Aaron’s Treadmill Race Across Azeroth video:

The result was an experience that taught them that running in WoW doesn’t even compare to real world running. This is probably one of the more interesting game mods I’ve seen in a long time. My favorite part of the whole experiment had to be “Step 7: Do stupod things on the treadmill,” where they decided to try performing actions while running, just like their WoW characters. (You can see a sample of that part at the 3:20 point of the video.)

Read [:Mana Energy Potion:] Via [Gizmodo]

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Import games are a bit of a delicacy for gamers. They’re almost like a hidden treasure, something you might normally have the opportunity to play. So many people will take the plunge and purchase a game, even if they don’t have the language skills necessary to play it.

This is when the Action Replay DS (AR DS) can be useful. It certainly can come in handy when you need to purchase potions or weapons in an RPG or make decisions to unlock CG scenes in a game, but can’t tell what the items are. Adding a cheat code to unlock all the CG images, or provide infinite money or perhaps give infinite recovery items. Suddenly, the game became a bit more bearable.

So in Important Importables today, we’re going to see just how easy it is to find AR codes for your recent import DS purchase.

Checking the Action Replay Code Manager

The absolute first first step is to find your game ID. Plug your AR into your DS. For purposes of this tutorial, we’re going to use Hana Yori Dango -Koi Seyo Onago as our game. Once it is inserted into the DS, we learn that its game ID is CHDJ-F007CF15.

Now, your first move might be to check your Action Replay Code Manager. There is a Codejunkies JP Games catagory in the manager that lists the code names. There’s only one problem - it can’t display Japanese characters. So Japanese game titles don’t display properly. For example, 13-sai no Hello Work DS will look like this 13??? ??????DS. If your Japanese game has some English in the title, like 13-sai, any Bleach game, any Naruto title, Jump Ultimate Stars or either of the Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side games, then you’ll be able to find your game. Otherwise, you’ll have to resort to the internet.

Checking out Datel Japan

Since Hana Yori Dango DS has no English in the title, the AR Code Manager isn’t really an option for us. Instead, we have to search the internet for our information.

The first spot to check is Datel Japan‘s DS code section. It may look intimidating at first, but clicking each section will allow you to sift through all of the available AR DS codes. A quicker way to search is to plug in “Datel Japan” and the game ID CHDJ-F007CF15. Google will take us directly to the Datel Japan page for Hana Yori Dango DS. You can have Google translate the page for you then as well. We discover two codes - one for max coins (999) and one that instructs you to push select to get some sort of reaction.

Since Hana Yori Dango DS is a dating game with CG images you can collect, you might want to unlock all the CGs and voices. Datel doesn’t offer any codes like that, so let’s check the regular internet. This time, just google the game ID. When I initially did this (before August 9, 2008), there was a Chinese web forum that came up in the search results that had Wiindsbbs in the title. This fan forum features a wide selection of codes that unlocked all the game music, voices, CG images and some other codes. Unfortunately, when I redid the Google search to find the site again, I received a “404 Not Found” error. So we’ll have to make due with the two official Datel Japan codes.

Discovering what the codes do

The next part involves some trial and error. We know that the first Datel Japan code for Hana Yori Dango DS gives you unlimited coins, so you can purchase all the recipes, clothing and make as many special lunches as you want. However, the second code has a strange translation whether you attempt to translate it yourself or let Google translate it. You have to try it in game.

Once you start Hana Yori Dango DS with the second code activated, you’ll notice no change. Wait until you’ve loaded a save file, then press select. The flower stem on the right side of the touch screen will suddenly grow to its full height. During the course of the game, when an option comes up, you can press the stem to narrow down to the correct answer. Before, you’d have limited chances. Now, you always narrow down multiple choice options to increase your chances of winning the guy you like and getting a good ending.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Important Importables offers five reasons to import video games. If you don’t miss a single installment of Important Importables, or want to know right away when the next column is up, then sign up for the Gamertell Newsletter and RSS feed.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Important Importables reviewed Audition Portable for the PSP.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [JBox] Site [Datel Japan] Site [Hana Yori Dango Koi Seyo Onago]

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Mount&Blade may not be the most eye-catching title of all time but, hey, what’s in a name anyway? The important thing is the gameplay which you can experience by signing up for the final beta at Gamespot.

The M&B beta will be going on for the next two weeks and will end on August 25, 2008. The final game will be available for PC via retail on September 16, 2008, in North America and September 19, 2008, in Europe.

Mount&Blade is an first/third-person action RPG that takes place during the medieval age. When the game starts you’ll be prompted to create a character to explore the land of Calradia. There’s no need to worry if the physical characteristics of your character start to get on your nerves because the face and hair can be changed at any time. After the creation stage, you align your character with a faction to excel attributes including as mercantilism, archery, armor, and cavalry strength. The game tends to rely on working as a unit instead of the traditional one man army role.

Combat is affected by the type of terrain you happen to be on once the conflict starts. Adverse weather conditions such as rain, fog, and snow and help or hurt you in the long run. Like most strategy games each unit has strengths and weaknesses to discover. The key to victory is using your cavalry troops to gain an edge in battle. For each battle won you are given the option of taking enemy soldiers who haven’t been killed and convert them to your side or sell them into slavery.

Mount&Blade also supports an active modding community. There are already some mods that drastically change the environments and character models long after the initial story is complete.

Site [Taleworlds] Read [Gamertell] Also Read [RPG Watch]

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Jube808, a Pspzproject member, has created a PSP modification that is a step closer to some sort of strange DS-PSP hybrid. The user created a touchscreen PSP. Jube808, an electronic engineer by trade, has decided that his PSP was nice, but could be nicer. So he has set out to make it into the gaming device he knows it can be.

Jube808 has uploaded videos to YouTube to show the touchscreen PSP’s concept keyboard in action. He also hopes to see homebrew PSP games that make use of the touchscreen feature.

The PSP touchscreen development video from Jube808:

The PSP touchscreen concept keyboard video from Jube808:

I would love to have a touchscreen on my PSP. Then I could finally use the internet browser. Yes, I know I can use it without a touchscreen, but I just get so frustrated with the typing process. This would be a great official feature as well - Sony should take note and perhaps include this function on new versions of, or the next, PSP.

Read [Pspzproject] Via [Engadget]

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Some of you may have caught the article about the hacked PSP made into a phone and it appears the Sony system hacking hasn’t come to an end.  This week, someone has made a Playstation 3 into a laptop. 

Even though it appears to run, I’m not certain whether you could practically use it as a laptop. It is quite large at 16 in. x 10.5 in. x 4 in. when closed and heavier than most laptops, weighing 15 pounds.  I wouldn’t want that on my lap for computing purposes. 

However, I do admire what it does have: keyboard, built-in speakers and a headphone jack. It also has an 80GB SKU with 320GB HDD and a 720p HTV LCD Monitor. 

Let’s hope this is yet another step closer to real laptop-console hybrids. I’ve been wanting to play Wii games on my Toshiba for quite some time now.  If this is the only way, then hopefully slimmer and lighter ones will be made. 

If you would like to see it for yourself, check out this video below.  The modder, who’ goes by the completely unclever moniker Pirate, has appropriately given his video a soundtrack very reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Read [PS3 Fanboy] Akso Read [Engadget]

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If you enjoyed The Dark Knight as much as I did, then I know you’ll enjoy this gem. This rare Dark Knight Xbox 360 was spotted at the Microsoft game exhibition in Taiwan.

You want one?  Well good luck getting your hands on one of these rare beauties because Microsoft only made 110 of these and it seems the only way to get one is on eBay (unless you can go back in time and win one from IGN or some other promotional giveaway). 

I hope you’re ready to drop some serious coin on this bad boy because the starting bid on it is $1,799 USD.  As cool as it seems, the asking price is still a bit high, considering it only comes with a 20GB hard drive and the same accessories that come in the $300 USD bundle. 

So, unless you have a money tree in your backyard or you just happen to have two grand laying around, your best bet would be to mod your Xbox yourself and brag about how much cooler yours looks.

Read [IGN] Via [Krunker] Bid [eBay]

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It has been a year since our sister site Gadgetell ran a story about a PSP Phone patent.  Back then, all that we had for an illustration was in the form of a blueprint but now we actually have a prototype.  Of course, this is a hacked PSP Phone not related to the previously mentioned PSP Phone. 

It appears that some hacker (who my sources fail to name) has put a Haier handset onto a PSP, which turns one of the most popular portable gaming systems into a cellular phone.  Not just any cellular phone but one with a full touchscreen.  In other words, the PSP and iPhone have mated and produced this offspring. 

Of course, this is really a love child more than anything.  No doubt Haier and Sony did not approve of his measure, but I think we are all glad that no abortion occurred. 

Unfortunately, a feature was sacrificed for the sake of this union.  To make this phone, the UMD drive had to be removed which means no more watching UMD movies. Then again, is anyone watching UMD films these days?

As you might have guessed, this PSP Phone is by no means official, and who knows when Sony will get smart enough to market one.  However, this hacked gadget definitely sends a loud message to Sony comparable to Djimon Hounsou’s character in Amistad: “Give us a cell!  Give us a cell!”

Read [Just Another Mobile Phone Blog] Via [Engadget] Read [Gamertell]

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Initially, StreamMyGame allowed users with Windows or Linux systems to play PC games on the PS3. And people who would be able to do it downloaded the free program from StreamMyGame and rejoiced. Now StreamMyGame has a new software that allows people to use a PS3 SIXAXIS controller to play PC games.

The StreamMyGame PS3 player and SIXAXIS pairing tool are free downloads. Once everything is installed, there is configuration option which allows users to set PC game controls to buttons on the SIXAXIS. Also, the program will let you set the SIXAXIS to work by being connected to the PC with a USB cable, or use it wirelessly with Bluetooth.

Here’s a video from StreamMyGame showing how to set up the program and set up SIXAXIS:

It seems like a lot of work to me, but I suppose if you own a PC and PS3, and want to stream games, it could be worth it. The standard 640x480 resolution program is free, but premium HDTV 720p is $9.99 and the unlimited 3200x2400 is $19.99.

Read [MAXCONSOLE] Also Read [Digital Spy] Via [Engadget] Site [StreamMyGame] 

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The team behind the R4 slot one flashcarts think piracy is wrong. Well, at least when it effects them. They’ve had enough with knock-off R4 flashcarts, and have decided that, after September 15, 2008, they will change the programing in the R4 kernels so they will only work on official R4 carts.

Let’s say you already own a fake R4 cartridge. Well, you better not update the firmware for it after September 15. The new update will not only not work with the fake card, it will also turn your DS into a very expensive brick. R4’s development team has issued a firm statement that owners of the fake carts who ignore their warnings and render their DS units useless will have to complain to the shop they purchased the fake cart from.

Its ironic that the creators of a product causing tons of piracy issues are also being plagued by piracy as well. The R4 team is certainly taking an aggressive stance. I think it is a bit overkill - especially since unaware people might end up destroying their handhelds. The picture at the right from HKCC shows what official and fake R4s look like, so if you own a fake one, don’t go updating the firmware after September.

The fake R4 DS looks more like a solid rectangle, seems to have a navy blue case and the sticker has “2GB” emblazoned on it. The official R4 has a black case, a small indentation in the upper left corner for the memory card and no “2GB” on the sticker.

Read [HKCC] Via [GBA Temp] Via [DS Fanboy] Site [R4DS]

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Portal fans may remember that GLaDOS dictated directions to the player at all times. GLaDOS was, of course, evil and misleading, but the haunting voice was somewhat mesmerizing. You can now have GLaDOS order you around in your daily life as well, thanks to the GLaGPS created by Ryan VanMiddlesworth.  Where GLaDOS stands for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, GLaGPS stands for Genetic Lifeform and Global Positioning System.

GLaGPS is a fan project, and not endorsed by Valve, the makers of Portal, but I’m sure they’d find it pretty darn cool. The voice pack only works with the Garmin Nuvi GPS so far, though VanMiddlesworth is also working on a TomTom version.

The GLaGPS in action:

The most intriguing part of the website is the download page. Rather than just providing a download link and a donation button, there is a short answer portion where people can state whether they’d like to immediately donate, donate later or not donate at all. The first option provides Amazon and Paypal links, the second allows you to enter your email address to be reminded later and the last option chastizes you and provides a download link.

Read [Engadget] Also Read [Phil Nelson] Site [GLaGPS]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Nintendo has effectively secured the region-protected Wiis. The latest Wii firmware update 3.3, released June 16, 2008, has rendered Datel’s Freeloader discs useless. See, all Wiis are region-protected. They can only play games released in their region, forcing people who want to play import games to either buy a Wii from that other region (too expensive), mod their systems (void the warranty) or buy the Datel Freeloader program (just right).

The Wii Freeloader was a special disc created by Datel which allowed Wiis to play Wii and Gamecube games from different regions without modding the system. People simply load the Freeloader disc, then remove it and insert a game from a different region to play. It costed only $19.99 - a much better deal than a whole extra system.

The firmware update also kills the Wii homebrew scene. Previously homebrew creators had used a hacked The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess save to allow users to run homebrew games and programs on the Wii with programs on an SD card. Some hackers had even created a “Homebrew Channel” on the Wii with this backdoor. Of course that’s all gone. For now at least - Wii owners are resourceful, and I’m sure that, at the very least, people will find a way to run games from other regions on their unmodded Wiis.

Read [Kotaku] Also Read [Nintendo Wii Fanboy] Site [Codejunkies]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Make magazine makes me want to make more stuff. The most recent issue of this DIY mag has three juicy game goodies in its pulp-based publication: The Multari handheld Atari 2600, Pixelmusic 3000 video generator a la the Atari 2600 and four WiiMote hacks for making audio tracks (and involves Macs).

The Multari (Make, issue 14, p 12) is a handheld version of the Atari 2600 built by teenager Marshall H (pictured above). The case is vacuum-formed styrene plastic and houses a 5 in. LCD screen as well as plenty of buttons (even a control pad). The good part - or bummer for some - is that it has 32 built-in ROMs and doesn’t use carts. The article isn’t as in-depth DIY-y as the others, but might at least provide some inspiration for your next project.

The Pixelmusic 3000 (Make, issue 14, pp 114-123) is a “music visualizer” created by Tarikh Korula that shows Atari 2600esque images generated by any plugable music source. The great thing about the article is that it shows you step-by-step how to build your own, from soldering several wires and a few chips on a breadboard, building a groovy 1970s box (complete with faux wood panels) and installing some free software (Propeller Tool IDE from Parallax and pixelmusic.spin) The author calls it a weekend projects, so go to it. Beep boop, oh yeahz!

While those both rule, the coup de gras is the article by multimedia artist Bill Byrne titled “Wii Will Rock You” (Make, issue 14, pp 145-148). Despite the overused headline, the article offers four music control setups that use the WiiMote (no consoles required) and downloadable Mac software to generate some funky tuneage of your own. The first, Loop Machine, uses the WiiMote and $20 Mac software to warp sounds on three channels.

The second, the Wiintrument and can be used as a “stand-alone instrument.” In requires Wiintrument software and Garageband ($79 from Apple). It can also be used with the Nunchuck attachment and work in cooperation as drum sticks. Ni-i-i-i-ce.

The third is OSCulator which, according to the author, “is the ultimate tweakable gateway between your WiiMote and MIDI-controlled audio.” Buttons can be assigned to ON/Off note states and motions to pitches or other effects.

The fourth, using the WiiMote and Nunchuk as Outboard MIDI Hardware, is a bit more complicated and also incorporates a GameBoy Color, a blank cart and a linnk cable. When you are done flashing the cart, building a circuit and installing Pushpin (free software). The author even uses the WiiMote with a Speak & Spell.

I bet there’s even a way to connect the Pixelmusic and one of the WiiMote hacks for a live music//video show.

Read [Retroactive.be] Site [Make Magazine]

(Images lovingly borrowed from Make.)

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I bet you never thought your favorite childhood toy could suit-up to fight the Covenant, but the incredibly talented AnimeAmy has made it a reality. The Master Chief My Little Pony is wearing Halo 3 Mjolnir IV armor, took second place in a Kentucky custom pony contest and sold for $151.57 to a lucky fan in an eBay auction that ended April 7, 2008.

AnimeAmy’s My Little Pony customizing talents seem limitless, as she has a whole stable of customized ponies in her deviantART gallery. She also states in her deviantART profile that she does take commissions, however at the moment there are no open slots.

Some of her other video game ponies worth noting include Shiva (FFX), Epona (Legend of Zelda), RedXIII (FFVII), Yoda (Star Wars) and Rinoa (FFVIII). Of course when I say worth noting, I mean they just happen to be my personal favorites from her gallery. Frankly, every single pony she has customized is an amazing work of art.

I can’t wait to see her Buckbeak (Harry Potter) and Godzilla ponies that are listed as current commissions in her profile. Her art is amazing and I am just floored by her creative genius. Just look at the detail in that Shiva pony! It is just amazing.

Read [Tech Digest] Via [Gizmodo] Product Page [eBay] Site [AnimeAmy’s deviantART]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

In a weird turn of events one of the most iconic characters on the Xbox 360 console, Master Chief from Halo, is making appearances on one of its bitter rivals, the PS3. Unfortunately for PS3 owners and Sony execs they are not getting a Halo port any time soon but Spartan 117 is nonetheless a playable character thanks to a very clever mod for Epic Games’ Unreal Tournament 3.

The Unreal Tournament franchise has had a very strong following along with a heavy dose of interesting mods that includes new levels, character models and even tweaks to the physics engine.  In this version of the popular shooter, PS3 owners can download user-generated content for the PC version including the Master Chief model, which is in a beta stage at the moment but will be available soon (according to comments on the the model’s original creator’s webpage).

Everybody expected an uproar by Microsoft and swift legal action due to copyright issues but apparently the model doesn’t break any rules because they aren’t selling it so everyone’s happy about The Chief’s cameo appearance. This move (or lack of it) by Microsoft is very positive for the gaming community as it encourages the development of content and it can only help with the popularity of the Halo franchise, if such a thing is possible. Along with the Spartan there are also models for Cloud from Final Fantasy VII and a Locust from Gears of War. All the models are very detailed and incredibly similar to the real deal.

Read [GameDaily] Also Read [Evil Engine]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Morlotte for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Half Life 2 mod DIPRIP is car combat with your mouse and keyboard. Let’s break that down for a second: It’s a Half-Life 2 mod, so it should have all the rendering and physics power of the Freeman adventure, and it’s on mouse and keyboard, so it should have all the pinpoint accuracy and diverse weapon sets that PC shooting embodies.

Those benefits are in there somewhere, but you have to work a bit to enjoy them. You’re laying the pedal on pretty thick most of the time, so whatever benefits you might have gotten from mouse seems a wash at first. And it’s not just that the cars feel a lot like the unresponsive set in the Half Life 2 games, but there’s a lag that stalls your input from your car’s reaction that feels like a half a second. It makes for some pretty frustrating driving, especially when the combat areas get a little tight.

And that’s a shame because the cluttered urban map in this game is a real stunner. Driving into shops and knocking over a bunch of racks has that great nihilistic feeling all good car combat games need. All of the maps look great in the game, and it’s fun to drive around and scope things out. It really shows off how the Half Life 2 engine, now nearing its fourth year in circulation, stands the test of time. It also shows how dedicated to detail the mod team is.

But that’s not what the game’s really about. It’s about blowing cars up. Right now, there’s three cars and four guns. The different cars have varying degrees of handling, shields and speed, but there just didn’t feel like that much of a difference between the rigs I picked. Where the play got interesting is what you brought to battle between the machine gun, minigun, mortar and missiles. When you first pop into a map, it’s just like the old days: The first thing you do is go looking for your favorite weapon.

A few rounds, I took some high ground and fired mortar onto multi-car pileups below. But often you’ll wanna tail someone, hit them with a few missiles, and, when they finally think they know what’s going on, circle around them with a ton of minigun fire. Most of that wouldn’t have been as easy without a mouse to control the turret separately from the WASD of the car. But, then, when steering without analog input, a lot of the fun of driving gets lost to frustration or meticulous tapping.

It’s a promising proposition with a few technical holdups. DIPRIP is probably worth an afternoon. It’s free, anyway.

Site [DIPRIP]  Read [SteamFriends]

Full Story » | Written by Neil Barbour for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Many know that video game pirates roam the internet, dumping roms of games shortly after they are released. Those who unwittingly downloaded the rom of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates encountered an unexpected surprise. After a short period of play, the screen depicted at the right, with two moogles saying “Thanks for playing!!” appears and the game ends. Game pirates have reported that only some flash carts encounter the problem. Also reports at GBA Temp state that the screen will pop up randomly at latter points throughout the pirated copy of the game. This is a phenomenal measure on Square Enix’s part to deter illegal distribution of a quality game.

DS Fanboy offers an interesting take on why Square Enix might have designed it this way. Eric Caoili, author of the post at DS Fanboy, suggests this is a good way for pirates to sample a game, see how phenomenal it is and then do the right thing by purchasing it. It makes a lot of sense. Reports from GBA Temp users state that the game stops after 20 minutes of playtime, a reasonable amount of sampling time.

This is an incredibly smart move on the part of Square Enix. I hope that their future big releases, like Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift and The World Ends with You also have the same protection. The company makes quality games, and it isn’t right that some internet pirates would be able to sneak in and get them for free. Even moogles agree, piracy is bad.

Read [GBA Temp] Via [DS Fanboy]

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Product: Ultra m998 ATX mid-tower PC case
Price: $199.99
Rating: 8/10
Pros: A lot of room to work, very sturdy construction, finished interior and incorporated power plugs.
Cons: Unclear instruction manual and a few crucial difficult-to-reach screws and non-existent “tabs.”
Overall: Great for anyone looking to piece together a rig from scratch and load it up with drives and extra cards.

Gathering the best computer guts means little without a place to put it in. Doesn’t matter if you’re building a word processing PC for your grandmother or a high-end gaming rig, the most important and looked at part of a computer is the case.

If you are putting together a PC and need a few more than the standard two drive bays and three or or for card slots, Ultra has a mid-tower ATX case that might suit your needs.

The m998 ATX PC case not only looks nice sitting on your floor but also offers extra drive bays, a sliding motherboard tray, a hefty and well-supported metal core and three independently removable sides for easy access.

Design – This mid-form case measures 9 3/8 in. wide, 21 13/16 in . deep and 17 13/16 in. tall (18 1/8 in. including rubber feet).

The left side (when looking at the front) has a clear plexi panel that measures 15 in. wide and 14 in. tall set back 2 in. from the back of the case. It has a 3 1/2 in. circular vent (with internal coupler) built in as well as a 4 3/4 by 3 in. rectangular vent.

The core. interior and supports are all finished black metal.  The front has a black plastic facade that can be removed to reveal the upper drive bay fronts. The back has a large shiny silver panel and is pre-cut for two 2 1/2 in. ports (with pop-out metal guards), 8 card slots (covers are internally attached with thumbscrews) and a 6 1/4 x 1 3/4 open slot. The back panel is attached using five thumbscrews and, once unfastened, can be pulled out along with the motherboard tray.

The top and both side panels can be separately removed by unscrewing two thumbscrews for each panel.  In fact, most everything in the system is attached using thumbscrews, with only internal components such as the fans being fastened with flat screws.

The case also ships with two boxes of extras including an extender power supply face plate. The smaller box contained four plastic casters (wheels) with mini brakes and a metal fastening plates. The other included four bags of screws (three of various sized black screws and one with various sized silver screws and a few washers), a silver plate for the back panel (precut and etched for the following ports: mouse, keyboard, ethernet, USB x2, printer, monitor x2, three 3 mm audio and one joystick/auxiliary port) and 13 internal power cables of various lengths and configurations

It also comes with a User Manual with 3 pages in English. Each page has small photos that show how to install drives, the motherboard and a power supply.

Features – There are two built-in 4 1/4 in. fans, one in the back panel and anther in the front panel. The front panel ports are all pre-wired and only need to be plugged into the motherboard. An internal board mounted on the left/motherboard panel includes a raised section with 6 male 4-pin ports and 4 female 6-pin ports. This is helps make managing the power cables quite a bit easier especially if you plan to install a bulk water colling system.

The drive bays include enough room, from top down, 4 long 6 in. drives,  2 short 4 1/4 drives and 4 long 4 1/4 drives. The front system fan is in front of the bottom 4 bays and the rest of the bays have metal pop-out panels so the drive can extend into the plastic facade after removing the standard plastic panels.

The front of the system has a hinged mini cover that swings open to expose 2 USB ports, 1 SATA port, 1 FireWire port and two 3 mm. audio ports. Above the hinged panel are three lights and two switches.

Performance – The only real way to judge a case is how easy it is to take apart and how well stuff fits into it. Since I didn’t have any spare motherboards to fiddle with, I put in a power supply (the 850 watt StarTech WattSmart reviewed earlier) and slid in different size drives in each by to make certain they fit.

The power supply was pretty easy to put in, though it did require the extra silver faceplate included with the case. Removing the top and side panels was the easiest, since it only took removing two thumbscrews per panel.

There were two parts that, according to the manual, should have been incredibly easy to remove but were instead frustratingly difficult. The first is the front facade. The manual simply states, “Gently lift tabs to remove m998 front panel.” The tabs are, however, inside the case and cannot be gently lifted. Instead, you need to remove the right side panel, locate the three tabs and push (with a bit of force) to pop out each one from the left side. Then the face can be tilted so the three tabs on the other side will come out. Unfortunately for me, it took me about 30 minutes to find the tabs and remove the front panel the first time.

The second major obstacle was removing the internal motherboard tray. The case does offer a nice feature that allows the tray that houses the motherboard to be slid out like a shelf from the back of the case. Unfortunately, the manual does not mention the three tiny, hard-to-get-to screws that lock the tray in place. One is a bit easier to see at the top of the tray (near the top of the case). The other two screw are under the lip of the tray and pretty much impossible to see. You’ll need to feel your way to the screws and find a short enough Philip’s head screwdriver to fit into the case and remove the screws. Chalk up another 20-30 minutes of frustration trying to figure out that one.

After you figure those out (and I hope I saved you the hour of cranky searching it took me), removing panels and putting in parts is be a breeze. There are 33 screw holes positions along the motherboard try to accommodate pretty much any size ATX motherboard. All the bays have plenty of screw slots (instead of holes) along the side to fit various drives, although you may want to make sure you have some extra side mounting panels for your drives if they don’t offer side screw holes.

Overall – The manual for this case did not do it justice at all, causing far more frustration than necessary especially for considering the price of the case.

Also, the three screws securing the motherboard tray in place may have been meant to keep things in place during shipping (I assume since they want you to be able to slide out the tray), but it was a wrist-wrenching chore to remove them. Once the face plate is figured out, it takes only a minute to remove.

The three removable panels, many bays, card slots and internal array of power ports helps to make this case great for piecing together a custom rig with lots of extra components. Of course, you’ll need a hefty power supply to make certain everything gets the juice it needs and a few extra lights to make the guts look cool. Sending wheels with it is a nice touch especially since the m998 is a bit larger and heavier than the average PC case.

Editors Note: The categories were weighted in the following manner to reflect the importance of some features over others (in our humble opinion). Design 40%, Features 40%, and Performance 20%.

Product Page [Ultra m998 ATX Mid-Tower PC Case] Also Read [Overclocker Cafe] Also Read [Legit Reviews]

Full Story » | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

For hardcore gamers a rare, imported game could make their holiday extra special. The only problems are that there are tons of games out there and they can be pretty pricey. Also the key is to find a game which is easy to play even if the only Japanese you know is “Domo arigato Mr. Roboto.”

So, for this installment of Important Importables, I’ve put together a small compilation of Nintendo DS, PSP, Playstation 2, and Xbox 360 import games which are sure to delight any gamer. You’re probably wondering why there aren’t any Wii or PS3 games listed here though. The fact is that there really aren’t that many games for those two systems in Japan that aren’t already available here. If there is a game that isn’t available here yet, it will be in a few months. Its pointless to import something when waiting two or three months will yield the same game, only in English and probably $20 cheaper.

In an attempt to keep things fairly simple, I’ve picked three games for each system and are either really easy to get into or have walkthroughs available online. Each game is from a different genre, so you should be able to find at least one game on this list which will appeal to either you or a friend.

Remember, the Xbox 360 and PS2 are region-specific. If you want to play the games I’ve recommended for those systems, you need to have a Japanese system or risk modding your US model. DS and PSP games are region free though, so import away. That being said, on with the gift guide.

Nintendo DS

We’re going to start with the DS, not because its my favorite, but because I’m most familiar with these games. Jump Ultimate Stars, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 and Subarashiki Kono Sekai: It’s a Wonderful World are three great games to import as gifts.

Jump Ultimate Stars is a fantastic fighting game along the lines of Smash Brothers, only its portable and features 300 characters from 40 different Japanese mangas. It also features battles online over Nintendo’s WiFi Connection. You can typically find it online for about $49, but sometimes a site will have a sale and reduce the price to $39. A guide is necessary for determining what to unlock in the story mode, but Gamefaqs has a great one.

Ouendan 2 is the sequel to Ouendan, the game which Elite Beat Agents was based on. It features more of the music puzzle goodness that was found in both of the previous games. Like Jump Ultimate Stars, expect to pay around $49. No knowledge of Japanese is necessary to play.

Subarashiki Kono Sekai: It’s a Wonderful World is a fairly new RPG from Square-Enix which features a story set in Shibuya, Japan, and battles that cover both screens. It is a strange hybrid of rhythm game and RPG, but it works. Rumors are swirling involving a US release, but I’m recommending it anyways. It is text heavy, but there’s a guide at Gamefaqs so never fear. Due to the size of the game, it costs $59.

PSP

Our second import-friendly handheld also has quite a few importable games that are delightful, but I managed to narrow the list down a bit. The three best import game gifts for this system are DJ Max Portable 2, Bleach: Heat the Soul 3 and Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street.

DJ Max Portable 2 is the best known of the three. It is a music game where you press various combinations of buttons to play over 70 songs. The best part is that there’s an English language option, so everyone can enjoy it. Many of the songs are in English as well. There’s no reason not to get this game for a PSP owner. It can be found online for $49.

Bleach: Heat the Soul 3 is probably one of the best fighters for the PSP. It features 70 different characters and a variety of game modes. The best part is that it is a PSP the Best title, which means a huge price drop. You can pick this one up online for about $29, the same as a domestic game. Since its a fighting game, the language barrier isn’t really an issue.

Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street is my final PSP choice and is a great party game for Monopoly and Mario Party fiends. The game is all about buying properties and building shops on them to get a certain amount of money. You get to choose your favorite Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy character as your avatar as well. This game is kind of old, so it may take a week for the store to find it for you. Like DJ Max Portable, it’ll be around $49.

Playstation 2

The Playstation 2 is an importer’s dream, as it has tons of games which were only available in Japan. Of course you have to own a Japanese system, or void the warranty on your American one by modding it, to play the games. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+, Bleach: Blade Battles 2nd and beatmania IIDX 13 DistorteD are my picks for the PS2 stocking stuffers this year.

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ is one of those games where you wish they’d translate it and bring it overseas. Yes, it is essentially Kingdom Hearts II, but really, its better! This one has extra scenes, an English voice option and a PS2 version of the DS game Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Sadly it will never be released outside of Japan, but you can pick up a Japanese copy for $69. Yes, it can be text heavy, but there are guides so it isn’t an issue.

Bleach: Blade Battles 2nd, like the PSP game, is a fighting game featuring characters from the Bleach anime/manga. Like the PSP game (and the DS games) it is totally worth the money and is loads of fun. You don’t even need to know what the series is about to enjoy it. It’ll cost you about $64 . Don’t worry, language won’t be an issue.

My final PS2 choice is beatmania IIDX 13 DistorteD. Its a music/rhythm game similar to the PSP game DJ Max Portable, only without the English option. There are tons of songs and its pretty entertaining as well. Another plus is the only reading necessary is to sort through the menus. You can probably expect to pay around $64.

Xbox 360

I’m going to start off by admitting that I don’t own an Xbox 360, and I have no desire to. Nonetheless, a few of my friends do, and through them I’ve been educated about a selection of games. Hopefully The Idolm@ster, Operation Darkness or Oneechanbara vorteX will appeal to the import Xbox gamer on your list.

The Idolm@ster is both a music game and a simulation, and is probably the most well known Japanese Xbox 360 game. In it you create an idol and manage her, trying to make her famous for her singing and dancing in just a year. You can also chart your progress and compete with others over Xbox Live. Since this game is part of the Platinum Collection, you can find it online for $34. Yes, there is a lot of Japanese text here, but there are also guides online so it shouldn’t be too difficult to play.

Operation Darkness is an RPG for the Xbox 360, but don’t let that scare you away. There is an option to change all of the text to English, and there are even English subtitles for all of the cutscenes. The game is a fantasy, strategy game with a storyline thats a tad cliched, but still enjoyable and cute graphics. You can find it online for $64. Oneechanbara vorteX is a button-mashing hack and slash action game where you guide the heroines through oodles of zombies. I suppose a good way to describe it is an unholy mashup of Resident Evil, Devil May Cry and Soul Caliber. Since the whole point is to kill zombies, and kill them good, language isn’t really a problem. Its gruesome in a way, but in a good way. Like The Idolm@ster, this game is part of the Platinum collection and will set you back $34.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Next week I really will discuss the Must Import game for the Nintendo DS.

Also in case you missed it, last week’s column covered reliable websites that sell import games. If you’re looking for a place to pick up any of these titles, try checking there for a store that suits your needs.

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Physics are a really important aspect of any game whether it is a platformer, an RPG or a first-person shooter. Our world and every kind of interaction we have in it are ruled by the laws of physics so any kind of world that intends to resemble our own must abide by those same rules.

Applying physics to a game represents a challenging task because it involves a series of very complex rules and calculations that must happen very quickly in order for the world to react and behave realistically. Huge amounts of computational power are needed for this task so in the world of computers where resources are never enough, administering the hardware available to any gaming machine is essential.

Ageia Technologies, a company dedicated to the production of physics processors and engines, recently announced its PhysX Mod-Kit for Unreal Tournament 3 on the PC. This kit will allow modders and developers to create new levels for Unreal Tournament 3 that employ Ageia’s advanced physics engine allowing for fully destructible environments with lifelike debris and particles, realistic explosions and a full fledged tornado thrashing through the level. All the debris and particles from the explosions behave realistically and are affected by the forces around them, including the tornado’s vortex, which will pull them in turning them into deadly projectiles. The mod kit will also include new weapons and multiplayer capabilities.

Ageia’s PhysX Mod-Kit for Unreal Tournament 3 can be downloaded for free from Ageia’s webpage, but PhysX Accelerator hardware, which starts at around $99, is required for a smooth play. These are the system requirements:

• OS: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista
• Processor: 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6400 or equivalent
• System RAM: 1 GB
• Video Card: NVIDIA 7900 GT or equivalent
• Hard Drive Space: 1 GB free
• Physics Card: AGEIA PhysX 100 Series*
• PhysX Driver: AGEIA PhysX System Software version 7.09.13 or newer

* The AGEIA Extreme Physics Mod requires an AGEIA PhysX Accelerator to run at a sustainable playable frame rate on most systems.

This sounds like great news for all UT fans and from the looks of a video on Ageia’s webpage (the tornado looks awesome) it should be great news for any fan of gaming. It seems weird when there’s a wall that resembles tinfoil and when you shoot a rocket at it, it doesn’t even get bent. Destructible environments add a layer of realism and help in creating a more enjoyable experience. Technologies like this drive gaming further by creating a more realistic world and giving the player a more immersive experience.

Read [Digital Battle] Also Read [Gamedaily] Download [Ageia]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Morlotte for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

A poster at a Spanish modding forum called “El otro lado” has gutted his Xbox 360 console in an effort to prevent the dreaded Three Lights of Death, or The Red Ring of Death (RROD) as others know it.

In case you haven’t heard of this phenomenon, it basically is a harbinger of doom for any Xbox 360 console. Three red lights appear forming a ring around the console’s power button informing you of its demise. Some people say it happens when some components melt inside the Xbox. Others say it’s just that the processor overheats. Many versions have circulated the web but the main point is that these failures have been so common that Xbox owners have developed any number of fixes for the problem. Recently a boy got electrocuted while submerging his console’s power brick in water in an effort to cool it down and keep on playing.

What this modder did was cut one side of the console open and attach two huge PC fans to the motherboard just over the processor and as a final touch he added a temperature gauge using an LCD display. According to him, the mod cost him 60 Euros and that’s going to rid his console of the Ring of Death.

Aside from his Xbox looking like a bomb from a Die Hard movie, it might prove to work and I really hope he never sees those lights. I’ve had friends who’ve seen the lights even after having a fan next to the console so maybe it’s some other type of flaw that’s just unavoidable in some cases. In my case I decided to just keep on playing.

When my Xbox died I went through the process of replacing it, but for me, aside from having a $400 dollar machine become a paperweight, it really wasn’t much of a pain. I had to move as far as my front door to deliver my busted Xbox and I just waited about four days to get a new one. I’m not excusing Microsoft in any way, the console has a serious flaw, but I was pleasantly surprised by the replacement process of my Xbox. Of course I would curse out loud if it happens again but I would rather wait ten days than attempting some weird fix I found on-line.

I don’t get why some people would risk electrocution rather than stop playing for a couple of days but I guess it’s just part of being a gamer. In the old days we used to blow our lungs out into the NES to keep it working so maybe this is the modern equivalent to that. As consoles evolve, gamers have to become more resourceful and come up with fancier and sometimes riskier solutions so maybe we will be seeing much more of this. I guess in this age, as sad as it is, blowing into the console just won’t cut it anymore.

Read[Xboxer] And for the mod [Elotrolado* ]

NOTE: *The webpage is in Spanish, but the images show the process

Full Story » | Written by Christian Morlotte for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

For those of you who dig retro games - and those who have retro gaming gear like the X-Gaming Tankstick - you might want to download these three Tron homebrews.

Each of the games has a slightly different take on the infamous light cycle segment of the movie. FLTron2.0 Onlineis Flash based game you can play online and GLTron is available as a download for Mac, Win32 and Linux. Armagetron Advanced may be the best all, a 3D version also available for Mac, Windows and Linux with a multiplayer local network mode.

You basically speed around a grid, laying a temporary solid trail that you hope you opponent will hit and avoiding their trail. It’s kewl, it’s futer-y and it’s fun. Give them each a try and let us know what you think.

Read [The Think Blog] Via [X-Gaming]

Full Story » | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »