Product A: IntelliScanner Mini
Price A: $179 (scanner), $249 (scanner plus all programs)
Product B: Opticon OPN-2001
Price B: $139.95 (scanner); $179 (plus one program)
Rating: Two thumbs up, 90/100; A-; * * * * out of five.
Pros: Easy to install, easy to use, wide beam and nice design. Very portable, stores a massive number of codes and works with most, if not all, barcode software.
Cons: The price. So small and light it might be easy to lose in a purse.
Overall: Worth the price if you have hundreds of items to scan, especially if you have more than one type of media collection.

This was originally going to a two separate reviews, one for the Opticon OPN-2100 handheld laser scanner and another the IntelliScanenr Mini handheld laser scanner. After using both with Collectorz Game Collector (and Movie Collector) software, however, I could not find any discernible differences in physical design or performance.

The only differences between the products are tiny cosmetics, the accompanying accessories and the prices.

Gettin’ Physical

Both weigh exactly 1 oz (30g) and measure 2 3/8 inches tall, 1 3/16 in. wide and 9/16 in. thick.

Coloring is the same: black plastic main body, action button and mini reset button with silver edging with identical size, shape and placement. The sticker on the back of each is the same shape and even the screws are identical.

The only physical difference is the printed logo on the front and the text on the back label.

The Opticon scanner ($139.95), sent from Collectorz, came with in a small, plain white box packed tightly with the basic necessities: Scanner, mini CD-Rom (manuals and basic software), a 6-foot long USB cable and a silver-gray lanyard to wear it around your neck.

The IntelliScanner Mini ($179) shipped in a larger box due to the cube-shaped tin (4 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 in) that the scanner was in. Items inside the tin include: Scanner, 6-foot USB cable, a silver-gray lanyard, quick start guide, 20 sample labels (10 blank and 10 pre-printed), On-The-Go Card (for quantity scans) and small pouch. The rest of the tin is black foam padding.

Nice Beams

Both scanners claim to store up to 10,000 UPC codes (sorry, there’s not enough time to test that limit) and have USB interface. The USB port, on the right side of the scanner(s), fits the standard USB plug found with most digital cameras although both scanner shipped with a cable. You can then plug the scanners into a PC (Windows or Mac) and use software to grab the codes.

The scanners are considered wireless as they do not need to be connected to a computer to scan although you can do that, too.

Both scanners project a red laser beam when the scan button is pressed, with the beam lasting 5 seconds or until it reads a UPC code. The button blinks green while scanning and red when the scan is over and unsuccessful. The beam can easily be seen six to eight feet away and will successfully scan UPCs on non-reflective surfaces up to 2 feet away from he device. When a scan is read, the devices give off a tone (a double “bee-beep” going from a higher pitch to lower pitch) and the scan button stays green for an extra second.

The scans are very accurate, grabbing any UPC code to toss the beam at and store it in order that it was acquired. Because of this you need to make certain you only scan the media you want to record, otherwise the codes will be mixed together and un-cataloged codes are usually deleted when extracting codes from the device. This may be the only real flaw of these scanners but also a current cost limitation since onboard media recognition would likely require another button or software inside the device.

The scanners performed equally well with no misread codes out of approximately 1000 scans each. I tested both scanners with two Collectorz applications: Game Collector and Movie Collector. I scanned a maximum of approximately 100 items at a time (from experience using scanners and losing track of where I left off scanning).

Issues only occurred when the UPC bars were obscured, cut or wrinkled plastic got in the way and those were not misread codes but, instead, unread codes. The scanners were precises enough that even a tiny sliver of the complete car code could be read and, in the case of annoying reflections, using an alternate angle - even turning the scanner up side down - resulted in a clean scan. In the case of the Collectorz applications, you can manually enter UPC codes or search the company’s database by media (game or movie) title.

Side Note: There is free software online that will allow you to simply regurgitate gathered UPCs into a flat text file or even Excel. The matter becomes translating those codes into useful date. A few web sites have UPC databases and a simple web search will often find your product but ready-to-use database-based software significantly cuts down the hunt-and-peck time.

The scanners have built-in rechargeable batteries that are charged whenever they are plugged into the computer via USB cable. Recharging takes little time (manual reports 2.5 hours) and works for a lot of scans 9manual claims 1000 but you will likely plug it in to download UPCs before then).

Scansalot

If you have a large collection of videos, books and games, either scanner will certainly save a lot of time and prove very useful. Both scanners, along with appropriate software, will save you a lot of time – often hours if not days – and are easy to use

The only downfall will be the price. If you plan to utilize more than one application or simply have a huge collection you need to organize, one of these hand scanners will be a blessing. That’s where you need to do you own time-to-cost evaluation.

As a loose guideline, if you have only a couple shelves of games, save the money and just get some organizational software. If, however, you have a couple shelving units filled with movies or games and don’t plan to stop buying physical media, consider this a useful investment.

The Opticon is less expensive scanner and comes with essentially the same accessories as the IntelliScanner. So if just buying the scanner, buy through Collectorz first. A scanner with software, however, you’ll need to figure out exactly what you need (and want).

Site [Intelliscanner Mini] Site [Opticon OPN-2001]

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

This is probably the sparcest Casual Friday since Gamertell started running it’s weekly Casual Friday casual game update. Only four new casual games made their debut this week, and of the four all but one are hidden object games. Plus, there are no Mac games this time around, only Windows titles. So if you’re not a hidden object fan, you may want to check a previous Casual Friday for a new game to play.

The only big news this week is that Big Fish Games is once again running its Novemberfest promotion. If you purchase six games from the site by November 30, 2009, you’ll get one free game. If you purchase nine games, you’ll get two free games. The free game credits will be awarded after December 1, 2009.

This week’s best bet is: Tropical Farm (PC)

Hidden Magic
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Pick a mage to play as, and then go on to search for your love who has been kidnapped and taken away to an undisclosed location in a forboding forest.
Demo Available: Yes

Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow, PlayFirst
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Valerie Porter is one of the few female journalists in the 1920’s, and she’s just stumbled upon an amazing story where an innocent man is being framed. You must help her find the truth behind the story and make a name for herself.
Demo Available: Yes

Tropical Farm
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Alawar Entertainment
Retail Price: $9.95
Platform: Windows
Premise: Help revitalize a hurricane ravaged island by running a successful farm.
Demo Available: Yes

The Return of Monte Cristo
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Help Edmond Dante discover who killed his lover Mercedes in a game that acts as the sequel to The Count of Monte Cristo
Demo Available: Yes

Editor’s Note: Due to so many casual games sites offering game plans or preferred member prices, which can cause a game to have multiple price-points, the games’ average retail prices is mentioned in Casual Friday.

Site [Big Fish Games] Site [PlayFirst] Site [GameHouse] Site [eGames] Site [Alawar Games] Site [Amazon] Site [Reflexive Arcade] Site [Harmonic Flow]

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

Title: Half-Minute Hero
Price: $29.99
System(s): PSP
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher (Developer): XSEED (Opus)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone 10+” for Animated Blood, Language, Mild Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes.
Pros: Four game modes which each represent a different game genre. Branching paths in Hero 30. A gallery and collection mode to see what you’ve unlocked in Hero 30. Unique art style. Very easy controls. Pretty simple to play, once you figure out the basic formula. Can submit your scores/rankings online to see how great a hero you are. Multiplayer lets you play Hero 30 against friends to see who’s the best.
Cons: You have to unlock Knight 30, Hero 300 and Hero 3. Even though the box claims 20 hours of gameplay, the modes other than Hero 30 are pretty short. Can be overly easy at times. Princess 30 is disappointing.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 90, A-, * * * * out of 5

Half-Minute Hero has rather humble beginnings. It began life as a brief, 1mb freeware game by developer UUE. Marvelous Entertainment saw the potential for a full game there, expanded it and turned it into Yuusha 30. The Hero 30 mode is nearly identical to the original game, and additional Evil Lord 30, Princess 30 and Knight 30 modes have been added in to flesh out the story and make the overall game more substantial. Now XSEED has picked up this quirky game for a North American release.

Only thirty seconds to complete your quests.

An ultimate evil lord by the name of Noire has been tormenting the land for hundreds of years. With the help of the Time Goddess, a series of heroes will face off against Noire throughout time in the hopes of destroying him and bringing peace.

Chronologically, the game begins with Hero 30, an RPG where a hero must face off against numerous evil lords who have been given a spell that will destroy the world in 30 seconds. It continues with Evil Lord 30, a real time strategy game where a vile man called Noire has placed a curse on the evil lord’s love Millenia and is placing Noire statues that warp the mind around the country. After that comes the shoot-em-up Princess 30, where the princess must retrieve medicines that could heal her father, who has mysteriously fallen ill. The next chapter is Knight 30, an action game where a lone knight must protect a sage with the power to save the world. Finally, it all ties together in Hero 300.

Not all game modes are created equal - Hero 30 steals the show.

Half-Minute Hero is probably one of the better on-the-go PSP games available. Since there are six game modes available (once you unlock everything) that cover four different game genres and typically take only a minute or two for each mission, it offers a lot of variety and a perfect portable game experience. It also has wonderfully retro graphics and a clever script filled with little jokes to make you laugh.

The title is a little misleading though. While it is true that at the start of every mission or adventure in each of the modes you are given 30 seconds to complete it, you can get more time. In Hero 30 or Evil Lord 30, the Time Goddess can grant you more time in exchange for money. In Princess 30, you can ride on a special carpet to slow down time and speed up. In Knight 30, you can put the sage on a spot where he casts faster.

The real problem with Half Minute Hero is that the game modes aren’t all at the same level of quality. If you play two adventures/missions of each of the four main modes, you’ll find that Hero 30 is easily the shining star of the bunch, Evil Lord 30 and Knight 30 are the passable mid-tier modes and Princess 30 lags behind and is formulaic, button mashing and repetitive. The unfortunate part is, you must finish the worst mode, Princess 30, if you want to unlock Knight 30, Hero 300 and Hero 3. Its understandable why the unlocking feature is there, given that the stories in all the modes culminates in Hero 300, but that doesn’t make the unlocking any less tedious.

One of the PSP’s most unique games.

Half-Minute Hero is certainly innovative, funny, unique and great to play on the go. It does have its faults, like how the game can be too easy and some modes (Hero 30 and Evil Lord 30), are better than others (Princess 30 and Knight 30). It’s a great game, but also one of those that could end up being a hit or miss, depending on the personal preferences of the person playing it.

The best advice I can give is go to the PlayStation Store and download the demos. Demos for the Hero 30 and Evil Lord 30 segments are both available immediately. Test both out. If you like them, then chances are you’ll love the full game. Be advised though that the Normal difficulty level of the full game is much easier than both of the demos available. An even better suggestion is to make a Japanese PlayStation Store account - there are demos for each mode of the game available there.

Site [Half-Minute Hero]

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

Title: Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga
Price: $39.99
System: Wii
Release Date: September 29, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Xseed Games (K2)
ESRB Rating: “Teen” for alcohol reference, blood, fantasy violence
Pros: Long adventure, numerous side quests, robust class and character system, online co-op multiplayer.
Cons: Bad graphics, horrible audio, terrible melee combat control, clumsy UI and dumb AI.
Overall Score: Two thumbs down; 58/100; F; 1/2 out of 5

Boy, Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga sure sounds impressive, doesn’t it? The title makes it sound like a game that shouldn’t just be played but conquered. There should be figures and books and a movie. It just sounds epic.

Sadly, it’s not.

This is a game that sucks the joy out of gaming and that’s too bad because there probably is something great buried under the many layers of muck.

Layer One: You’ve Been Here Before

The story is fine, if not typical. An ancient meteor shower awakened foul creatures in what becames the age of chaos until humans, elves, dwarves and halflings banded together to drive them back. That alliance fell apart and the races settled back into mistrust.

Things are getting wonky again, so, guess who gets to try and save the world?

Nearly everything about this adventure is typical of every role-playing game you’ve played before. Eldar Saga brings nothing new to the table and, normally, that’s fine. RPG fans want and expect certain things. There’s a decent mixture of story and combat. There’s plenty of “dungeon crawling.” There’s a massive world with plenty of non-player characters to engage and enemies to fight. There are swords and magic. There’s a robust character control system with plenty of options for leveling up, assigning your skills and choosing a class. There are dudes with ugly hair and women in thigh-high boots. What else could we possibly want?

Well, controls that work would be a nice start.

Layer Two: You’re Not Ready to Fight

There are two major problems with the controls. First, they’re sluggish to the point of slow motion. Your character moves so slowly that, without exaggeration, you’ll hit your action button three times before you can even tell he’s moving. That’s bad enough but combine that with combo attacks and you’re stuck swinging at nothing but air for three attacks while your enemy has jumped behind you, hit you and probably gotten in a few stabs at your partner as well. This is completely unforgivable. I tried to compensate by swinging early as my enemy charges but that doesn’t work. It seems that if the game can’t figure out who I’m attacking, it won’t let me attack.

Adding to that problem is that you can call up your menus while the battle is progressing. I think this is supposed to be a feature but it only gets in the way. Hit the wrong button, and you’ll find yourself shuffling through potions instead of attacking. Don’t back out far enough and guess what? You’re shuffling through potions instead of attacking.

Layer Three: Your Friends are Idiots

You can hire NPC mercenaries to help you on your adventures but they’re not much help. They’ll constantly get stuck behind walls or ledges and, when you think someone has your back, he doesn’t. He’s not smart enough to walk around a rock. So, you die. Or he dies. If he does, you can stand still for ten to fifteen minutes while waiting for his health meter to reach the point where he comes back into play. If you die, you can go back to the beginning of the level and try again but for half the reward. Whether you do that or just reset and start over, you’re stuck trudging through the same bland scenery and listening to those relentless footsteps and fighting the same respawning enemies.

Layers Four Through ?: Your Adventure Feels More Like Work

The graphics in this game are drab and without detail. When it rains or when it’s nighttime, the color palate doesn’t change or dim. Instead the details just disappear. It’s like you’re playing the game on a PC that can’t handle the graphics, so you’ve turned them down as far as they can do in order to get a playable frame rate.

As bad as the graphics are, the audio is worse. Something as basic as footsteps are so loud and fake sounding—like someone whacking a shopping bag with a tennis racket over and over—that it’s painful to even move in this game.

To make things even more difficult to take, enemies respawn. Considering how painful combat is, it’s almost unbearable to kill some goblins, orcs or whatever they are, run down a hallway, figure out you ran down the wrong hallway, turn around and fight the exact same enemies. Spend to long lining up your potions and the the enemy you killed only a minute or two ago gets retribution. You’d love to just keep running but you can’t because the sound of your footsteps is giving you a headache.

When you are lucky enough to kill an enemy, it’ll often drop an item for you to pick up. Let’s say it’s a pair of boots and you appraise them to find out they’re better boots than the one you have. Can you put them on? No. Because that would make sense. Rather, you’re stuck carrying them around until you get home because you can only change your armor and such when at one of your bases.

Layer Five: Just Stop Digging Already

I could go on but I won’t. I feel as guilty asking you to read about Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga as I would asking you to play it. Once you finish the game, you can play through it again as a female character but chances are great you won’t bother finishing it the first time unless you have to review it.

There’s a multiplayer component but don’t do that to your friends or to complete strangers. Just avoid this game. If you’re in desperate need of an action RPG to hold you over until The Crystal Bearers comes out then remain desperate.

Site [Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga]

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

**Fair Warning: This will be VERY SPOILER HEAVY. Read of your volition!!!**

The Human mind is very interesting piece of biological equipment. The way we think, interpret, and create. How our brains use electrical impulses to make it all happen. And yet, the Human mind is also one of the most terrifying things in existence. The way our mental psyche can succumb to an emotion, creating fantastic and frightening events, manipulated by memories and nightmares, an inescapable fear.

Silent Hill 2 isn’t a horror game in the classic sense of the genre; sure it has demons and plays our fears of the dark, but it goes beyond that by becoming truly scary through its playing with the mind. It’s a haunting video game twist on the plot device used in many works such as the short story, An Occurrence at Owl Bridge Creek , and the Adrian Lyne film, Jacob’s Ladder.

The inescapable fear described in the beginning paragraph has pulled in a widower named James Sunderland (who looks an awful lot like Keifer Sutherland’s character from the movie, The Vanishing, which I might is also about a man relentlessly looking for his wife). His wife, Mary, succumbed to unknown disease or so he thought. He received a letter from her telling him to meet her in their “special place”.

Silent Hill.

It was there that the two shared the last special moments together before Mary became hospitalized and pass on. It now is the place where James will confront Mary… and himself.

Silent Hill 2 isn’t a particularly good “game”, it instead is carried fully by its story, one that, to myself, remains good enough to go back through over and over again despite the horrible design choices the game’s designers made. Having to open the menu whenever you wanted to use items or view the map and notes was the most notable pain, though if you imagine Resident Evil controls plastered on a PlayStation 2 game that gives you a better idea of what your dealing with. The graphics weren’t anything spectacular either, even though the rough, grey and grainy visuals helped with the game’s atmosphere. Still, I love every bit of it. If Team Silent would ever get off their behinds to remake this game, I would only demand better sound quality.

Akria Yamaoka was at the top of his game when creating the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack. It’s something that any lover of video game music needs to experience. Promise’s guitar work is haunting and the piano work on it’s reprise is equally matching. Laura’s Theme is the standout track with its heavy rhythmical use of electric guitar.  Even its reprise does a fantastic job with a fusion of a piano and violin dancing a duet. Laura’s Theme is the track that just sucks you into the entire story. Too bad the original version never got released. For our protagonist James however, too bad a lot of things never got released.

After washing his face in a public bathroom that confirms why I’ll never use one, James sets off down a long pathway into a fog-covered, seemingly deserted Silent Hill. He meets his first encounter, Angela, in the graveyard just before the entrance to town.

Angela is mentally ill and is searching for her mother. She was abused by her father and has a fear of men. Further along James finds Eddie, a obese man who also is mentally ill but only wants to have a friend. Eddie killed someone and is on the run from the law. There’s also the little girl Laura, who was in the same hospital as James’ wife Mary. Finally there’s Maria who looks exactly like Mary but doesn’t share the same attitude.

If you play the prelude story on the Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams re-release, Born From a Wish, you find out that James is a “bad man”.

You see; James Sunderland did something terrible. His visit to Silent Hill isn’t to find his wife, but to confront what he has done. His journey through the town is merely a creation of his own guilt, the people he meets are figments of his own desires and misdeeds. His sins. The monsters are his aggressions and his own fear fighting back, trying to keep him from realizing what he did. The legendary Pyramid Head, James’ personal punisher.

As James puts the pieces together the town and its inhabitants go mad, falling apart, crushed under the power of realization.

Angela representing the way James treated Mary, with disdain over her illness, walks up through a burning staircase after James comes to terms with his hatred of Mary for burdening his life. Eddie is killed by James in a shootout, confirming James to be a murderer and a glutton. In contrast, Laura is James’ remaining innocence. She has committed no sin and therefore isn’t haunted by the demons. She is the little girl that Mary asks James to adopt, his only unselfish link to Mary. Maria, much like Angela and Eddie, is a representation of everything James wanted from Mary. James wanted to be with another woman, someone more outgoing, sexual, and not burdened by an illness.

That’s why James Sunderland killed his wife. James killed Mary. His guilt blocked the horrific event from his mind for years. He smothered her with a hospital pillow to free himself from her burden.

How it all ends after the final realization is a mystery. Future Silent Hill games would only make reference to James going into town and disappearing, his fate unknown to the outside world. Did he kill himself by driving into Tuluca Lake? Did he come to terms with what he did only to repeat the cycle with his imaginary girlfriend Maria? Did he adopt Laura? Does he ever get Mary’s forgiveness? Was it a dog all along? Or did James get abducted by aliens like Henry Mason (the protagonist from the first Silent Hill) before him? We will never know for sure. But what we do know is that no matter the official outcome, Silent Hill 2 remains the best in the series and a game that should definitely be our your Halloween gaming list.

Purchase [Gamestop / Amazon]

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Looking for something to play while you’re out tricking and treating this Halloween? Then we have just the list for you, because who says the iPhone and iPod Touch can’t get in on the Halloween fun? There are plenty of Halloween apps out there but below are our top 5 gaming apps to download that are sure to raise some hairs or at the very least raise your Halloween spirits. Have better options? Then list them below!

1. Silent Hill
What’s a Halloween list without a Silent Hill game? Unfortunately, this entry into the series doesn’t present a gripping story but instead offers a first-person view of a exploratory frustration. So why is it on the list? Because it’s still creepy hearing sounds in the distance as you clamor to find the exit to your flashlight lit dungeon. At $4.99 it is a bit pricey but then again you should be fully aware of what you are buying with a Silent HIll game.
2. Inkvaders
This just in, aliens are invading!!! No this isn’t Orsen Wells reading War of the Worlds, it really is a war of the worlds!!! It’s up to you Generic Marine (literally the guy’s name) to fight them from the moon to the earth and save what you can of humanity. Seriously though, Inkvaders is a lot of fun and very challenging if you want it to be. It’s kinda like a poor man’s Metal Slug without the POWs or crazy Independence Day references, instead just simply being a trial to see how many aliens you can cap before either reaching the end of the stage or death. This one’s $0.99 and well worth it.

3. Crush the Zombies
What do you do when an alien virus turns your fellow human friends into zombies? That’s right, you jump onto your nearest road roller and start crushing some zombies! Of course, you should also search for non-zombies and lead them to safety, but you know, doing donuts while making zombie mash is both fun and important too! Fair warning, the controls are a little loose but for $0.99 how can you not afford not to go for a ride?
4. Resident Evil Degeneration
Much like Silent Hill what’s a Halloween list without a Resident Evil game? The decision to go with Degeneration is based purely on the fact that you are probably burnt out on Resident Evil 4 because you know, it’s on EVERYTHING! Zombies, assisted laser tarting, PDAs, and full-fledged 3D models, all for $4.99 coupled with the fact that Capcom has yet to release Resident Evil 2 on the PlayStation Network Store and I’d say this is about the best you are going to do for a portable Claire and Leon tale.

5. DOOM Resurrection

Last but not least, especially in price, is DOOM Resurrection. I’m sure what else to write here other than it’s DOOM. Howabout, it’s an on-rails, first-person shooter, with lots of guns and exploding demons, set in the DOOM universe? It’s $6.99 and an all new chapter in the DOOM saga? Wait, there’s a DOOM saga? Nevermind, if you like crazy mayhem on Mars with demons from Hell, DOOM is well worth your money. 

Full Story » | Written by Kris Rosado for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Halloween is almost over and soon everyone will be preparing for the following holiday season. More and more children will begin begging their parents for pet-related games and toys for the holidays, then eventually beg for a real pet. A pet based on their virtual or toy pets that turn into more responsibility than they can handle or become aggravated with because the pet is nothing like their virtual ones, leaving the animal’s fate in their parent’s hands.

But one game company, Spil Games, created a game to help educate young girls about the importance of caring for a pet through their free online game Animal Shelter at GirlsGoGames.com.

It’s not as simple as pointing at the readily available food and toys on a screen or playing with a virtual pet that is always happy and healthy. Real pets can get hurt or sick and need attention that can’t be clicked on with a tap of a stylus or finger.

I was given an opportunity to interview Peter Hofstede, Games Director for Spil Games, about Animal Shelter and what he shared was his hope to educate girls that pets are not toys that you can just toss aside when you’re bored. A pet owner, it takes a lot more responsibilities to raise an animal than giving hugs and petting them on the head and I think this game expresses that responsibility.

I asked Hofstede what he hopes young girls learn from this cute game.

“We hope to increase our players’ awareness of the important fact that animals need good care. Unlike toys — which you can throw out or give away if you get fed up with them,” he said. “Animals need a lot of time and attention, and lots of TLC. We also hope that our players learn about the hard work involved in running an animal shelter. That’s something many people take for granted.”

And he’s not joking.

When you first play the game you’re given a list of tasks you must perform on top of making sure the animals in your care are given proper medical attention, fed a nutritional meal and exercised daily based on their health charts. For example, in my care I have a few dogs, cats, bunnies, turtles and even a hamster in my adoption center (see image on right). Each animal has its own needs much like a real pet. I have a turtle that is sick most of the time and requires more medical attention than the rest as well as a dog that’s often bored and hungry.

You also have to keep the areas clean to prevent their conditions from worsening and to keep your center from being closed.

Hofstede added that animal care alone just isn’t enough when they created this game so I asked what was the inspiration behind this game and what makes this virtual pet game different from the rest already out for handheld and console gaming systems.

“We know that cute animal games are very popular with our GirlsGoGames audience, so the idea of making a game about an animal shelter came up pretty quickly. However, it took some time to figure out the game’s core design and how to make it stand out from similar games,” he said. “Animal care by itself wouldn’t have been enough. That had already been done. But the advertising and ‘photography aspects hadn’t been done in other animal care games, so we added those two popular elements. We decided it was important for players to learn about the importance of keeping to a budget, so we added that element too. Lastly, we added movie events to build awareness about how commercials and movies can trigger people to get a pet, something our players may not have considered before. By combining these fresh and informative features, we ended up with a fun, successful, and unique game with an educational twist.”

Photographing the animals is not as easy as it seems. The camera moves and so does the animal. You have to take the right photograph of a pet and find the right words to use in your advertisement that will draw potential pet owners to your shelter. Patience is a virtue here because the animal moves around, looks away and even growls at the camera. If you’re patient enough you may be able photograph an adorable pose to post in the newspaper, fliers or even a television ad. Once the right photo is captured, then you must provide a decent description about animal you want to advertise for adoption.

Based on your success of getting the animals adopted as well as keeping the animals and the center in good condition, you are given donations that can be used to upgrade the food, medical care and toys for your animals. Just watch your budget because you don’t know when the next animal will be adopted or when the center will receive the next donation.

The game is adorable but takes strategy to get all the animals adopted and raise the donations needed to keep the animals fed, clean and healthy.

I asked if this game would eventually be made for a console or if there were any other educational games they are about to launch.

“We launch new games every single week but it’s really heart-warming when we can also take part in spreading awareness and educating our players with games like Animal Shelter,” Hofstede said. “We hope our players will enjoy the gameplay, of course, but we also hope that they enjoy learning about proper animal care and the process involved in animal adoption. Also, we want to let your readers know that they can expect a lot of new, exciting features and content in the near future. Our team here at Spil Games is working hard to develop ever richer and ever more entertaining online gaming experiences!”

Site [Spil Games] Site [GirlsgoGames.com]

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When your friendly neighborhood delivery person (hey Tim) comes to your door with a wooden crate in tow and you didn’t order anything, you know it’s going to be fun.

It’s been a while since I’ve received notable swag from a game company - I blame the economy - but this one proved to be especially interesting.

Prying open the nailed down wood lid to the small wooden crate revealed a dozen plush (read: stuffed) SqueeBalls Party creatures. Each is about 6 to 8 inches tall and variable widths. They feature large eyes and, as my almost-3-year-old can attest, they are “so cute.”

SqueeBalls Party by Aksys Games and PDP is a family party game that stars twelve wacky toys. You control the cute and creepy SqueeBalls in minigames including bowling, golf, cooking and a bunch of other button-mashing tasks. It’s rated “Everyone” with cartoon violence and is currently available for Wii, DS, Xbox 360, iPhone and iPod Touch.

Site [SqueeBalls]

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With the spookiest night of the year on tap, Gamertell thought we would take some time to talk with the most famous vampire in, really, all of pop culture.

With the spookiest night of the year on tap, Gamertell thought we would take an interview with the most famous vampire in, really, all of pop culture. As the villain in Castlevania , Count Dracula has been keeping gamers up late into the night since the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System. With that series’ popularity not being as high as it used to be, we wondered what sort of spirits (heh heh, spirits, get it?)... Oh forget it.

Gamertell’s Brian Allen had a cautious sitdown with the man, myth and legend that is Count Dracula.

Gamertell: First, let me say it is an honor sir. I’ve been a lifelong fan of the Castlevania series.

Count Dracula: I did it for the cash. I’ve never even played one of those nerdy things. I’m the Prince of Darkness, here!

Thanks for your brutal honesty, sir.

No reason for anything else. Life’s too short - at least for you mortal schlubs - to beat around the bush. Are there gonna be some hard hitting questions or you gonna keep blowin’ smoke up my cape?

No, no. Let’s get right to it. The Castlevania series has taken on a unique spin in recent years, even including a fighting game.

Hey, hey! They said there wouldn’t be any Castlevania: Judgment questions. Me and Simon Belmont needed the cash, OK? We used stuntmen. The whole idea was ridiculous. I still have nightmares about that controller waggling.

Wasn’t going to get into that until later but how is Simon? There was a rift between you two..

There was a rift in how much we got paid. I was the icon in this series. Who was Simon Belmont before Castlevania? Some game hero! The guy couldn’t even swim!

You sound a little bitter. You appeared to battle other heroes even after Simon left the series, so why the animosity?

Look, I kid the guy. Who didn’t after that Captain N fiasco? But you know, we had a chemistry. The games weren’t the same without Simon. We went together like Fred and Ginger, Batman and Robin…

Sonic and Tails?

What are you, trying to get me to turn into a bat and fly out of here?

In truth, Castlevania has lived an entirely new life on Nintendo’s DS. Those are among the highest rated games in the series.

Yeah, I’m still big. It’s the consoles that got smaller. The old days were great, though. Even other games referenced our work. Remember Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear, when he read the memory card? “You like Castlevania, don’t you?” Now Psycho Mantis, that freak was creepy. But it’s great to be respected by your peers.

That’s why it’s funny you see your Simon Belmont partnership as the pinnacle of Castlevania history. Many feel Symphony of the Night, in which you battled your son Alucard, was actually the best game. No love for that one?

Do not even get me started on that whiny brat of a son of mine! He’s all, “I hate my dad and I’m so tortured,” yet that never stops him from using the pale skin and vampire charms he inherited from me to pick up an endless assortment of goth chicks at raves!

Simon was more of a son than me than that punk and he’s killed me two, three, I don’t even remember how many times! You want to know about Castlevania Judgment? Not only was Alucard a full participant, the whole thing was his idea. Kids love fighting games, dad. Maybe in 1992 they did! You know what’s more out of style than Castlevania? Freakin’ fightin’ games! Hello Tekken! The panda thing was cute three games ago, now it’s just weird.

What do you think of today’s crop of vampires? Twilight, for example?

Those vampires are even more wussy than that no account son of mine. It’s embarrassing. This is supposed to be the hottest exclusive club in the world. You get past this velvet rope, you get to live forever! Why the 902010 nonsense? You’ll be around in 300 years and she won’t be. Trust me, first time she needs Botox and you’re still standing there looking the same way you did at 16, she won’t be able to get rid of you fast enough.

What’s your take on today’s horror games?

I’ll tell you this, zombies are done. I talked to one of the original cast members of Living Dead and he said if he’d known how it would have turned out, he wouldn’t have done the movie. What kind of a villain is a slow, shambling brainless cretin anyway? Give’ em a rest, game industry. I defy Frank West to survive the weekend in a shopping mall full of vampires, I don’t care how many wars he’s covered.

Interesting. Well, what is the world’s most famous vampire doing these days?

Reality TV, baby! My agent’s got a lot of irons in the fire. We’re talking with VH1 about a dating show, Fox wants me to hang out with the Octomom, and we’ve got our fingers crossed about Dancing With the Stars. Reaper’s jazzed about that one.

Reaper as in the Grim Reaper from the original Castlevania?

Yeah, he’s been in TV production for years.

Well, there’s a stretch. Thanks for taking some time out of your Halloween weekend.

There’s another rip! I don’t see a dime from those knockoff costumes!

Any-hoo, happy Halloween and thank you.

Thank you. By the way, what blood type are you?

Uh, gotta go. Thanks again.

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Halloween is only a day away, and what better time to continue thinking about how the spooky and extraordinary can tie into our daily lives. Monstrous creatures are a mainstay of the holiday, whether people watch horror movies starring them or dress up as said characters to frighten and impress. If you think about it, some of those monsters have quite a bit in common with some well known, established and perhaps even loved video games.

To help you all get in the holiday spirit, Gamertell’s gone through the massive library of games available to see what they would be if they were monsters.

Imagine/Ener-G/Dreamer/Charm Girls Club/Petz = Zombies

It started out with just one game line, Imagine, and now look what it has become. Step into a DS game section and you’ll be overwhelmed by a sea of pastel, substandard games for girls. And, even though you may never actually see anyone buying them, they keep appearing! The section grows larger and larger. I wouldn’t be surprised if those games even rotted your brains. Just like zombies!

World of Warcraft/Everquest/Warhammer Online = Vampires

Frankly, it’s easy to compare any MMO game to a vampire. With an MMO, people get drawn into a whole other world and environment. Slowly but surely, playing that game becomes their sole motivation in life. They can’t live without it. Then, they recruit their friends! So not only are the MMOs time vampires, they turn the people playing into them as well.

Pokemon/Mario Party/Dokapon/Soul Calibur = Wolfman

Think about it, Pokemon, Mario Party and Soul Calibur games have the ability to turn people into something that they’re not. A normally respected and intelligent man can suddenly be transformed into a person with an uncontrollable urge to “get ‘em all,” even if it means skipping work to get to a special Toys ‘R Us event for a rare pokemon. Mario Party and Dokapon, two adorable-looking board games, can quickly and easily turn friends against one another - often resulting in a violent debacle. The same can be said for Soul Calibur - the most unexpected people can turn out to be harbingers of doom.

Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad/Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers/Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball/Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 = Witches

Witches are supposedly able to seduce, charm and allure - casting spells on people to do things they wouldn’t normally do. Sounds a lot like video games where companies purposely insert a lot of unrealistic, scantily clad women to try and get men to play, doesn’t it? And normally, those games are the kind people would probably overlook, but because the women are half-dressed, guys will flock to play and buy them.

101-in-1 Explosive Megamix/WarioWare/Rayman Raving Rabbids = Frankensteins

Any mini-game collection can be considered a Frankenstein monster of sorts. All kinds of short games are tossed in, that wouldn’t work on their own. Many times, the games will be based on old classics which haven’t been popular in years. Yet all together, the collection of games work. Sometimes they come out good, sometimes bad. All in all, they’re strange amalgamations - just like a Frankenstein monster.

A.S.H.: Archaic Sealed Heat (DS)/Dirty Harry (Xbox 360)/Winter (Wii)/Eight Days (PS3)/Earthworm Jim PSP/Mother 3 (GBA) = Ghosts

Ah, the poor games trapped trapped in limbo or cancelled altogether. People may have had high hopes and expecations for them, especially for games like Earthworm Jim PSP, A.S.H. and Winter, but it wasn’t to be. Now, the gamers are haunted by the wonderful games that they will never get to play.

Read [Gamertell]

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Somehow I expected more scary and spooky casual games to be released this week, since Halloween is Saturday. Four isn’t too bad - Fort Zombie, Trapped: The Abduction, Night of the Scarecrows and Sters all debuted but somehow I expected more than that. Of course, when you combine those with the other Halloween-esque casual games that were released throughout October 2009, there’s a nice assortment to choose from.

This was definitely a week where puzzles ruled among the new releases. If you’re a fan of hidden object, match-3 or picross puzzles, you’ll be set. If you’re not, there’s a shooter and action RPG you can play instead. 

This week’s best bets are: Trapped: The Abduction (PC, Mac) and The Tudors (PC).

Hidden Expedition: Devil’s Triangle
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: You and your team are trapped in the Bermuda Triangle on a strange island while searching for one of your missing members. Your goal is to find out where you are, what’s going on and then how to escape.
Demo Available: Yes

World Riddles: Animals
Genre: Puzzle
Availability: Funny Bear Studio
Retail Price: $9.95
Platform: Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista and 7
Premise: It’s a collection of over 120 nonogram (picross) puzzles with an animal theme. There are also some mini-games tossed in, and some informative facts about the animals that appear in the game
Demo Available: Yes

Fort Zombie
Genre: Action RPG
Availability: Fort Zombie
Retail Price: $9.99
Platform: Windows PC
Premise: You have to survive the zombie outbreak. You must travel towards a safe stronghold, while also saving other survivors, collecting supplies and hunting down zombies along the way.
Demo Available: Yes

Trapped: The Abduction
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, PlayFirst, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows Vista and XP and Mac 10.5
Premise: A young woman has been abducted by a serial killer, and you must carefully look for clues and play mini-games to survive.
Editor’s Note: Due to the premise and dark tone of the game, I’d say it’s best for ages 16+.
Demo Available: Yes

Night of the Scarecrows
Genre: Puzzle (Match-3)
Availability: GameHouse
Retail Price: $5.99
Platform: Windows 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: Living scarecrows are lumbering towards the village, bent on destruction, and the only way to stop them is to play match-3 puzzles.
Demo Available: Yes

Sters
Genre: Shooter
Availability: Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: Sters, little ghosts, goblins and monsters, are causing trouble around the world. It’s up to you to use your cannon launcher to dispatch them.
Demo Available: Yes

The Treasures of Montezuma 2
Genre: Puzzle (Match 3)
Availability: Alawar Entertainment
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Match tokens to make then disappear and earn points. This time around, there are three levels of difficulty to make the game more enjoyable.
Demo Available: Yes

The Tudors
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, PlayFirst, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: The game based on the Showtime series The Tudors. Here, you play as a spy for King Henry VIII, revealing and preventing all kinds of threats to England’s safety.
Demo Available: Yes

Big City Adventure: New York
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Go on a virtual vacation, exploring New York City. Search hidden object puzzles to find items and souveniers, collect postcards, play mini-games and learn more about New York.
Demo Available: Yes

Editor’s Note: Due to so many casual games sites offering game plans or preferred member prices, which can cause a game to have multiple price-points, the games’ average retail prices is mentioned in Casual Friday.

Site [Big Fish Games] Site [PlayFirst] Site [GameHouse] Site [eGames] Site [Alawar Games] Site [Amazon] Site [Reflexive Arcade] Site [Harmonic Flow]

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

Hey everyone! This is a momentous day for Important Importables. Today marks the 100th column. Who’d have thought, right?

Anyways, to celebrate today, I’m listing my 100 all time favorite games that you can only get by importing. These are titles that aren’t available in North America, and you have to import from either Japan or Europe if you want to play them.

Remember, this isn’t a comprehensive list and is based on my personal picks. It’s a general guide to some great games you should be aware of. It’s also a bit biased in terms of systems, because it was formed based on games that I’ve either played or taken an interest in over the years. So, since I’ve imported quite a few DS games and that’s one of my favorite systems, there’ll naturally be more DS games represented.

If there’s a great import game you know that isn’t on the list and should be, tell the world in the comments. Also remember, many consoles have region protection! If you have a Game Boy, Game Boy Color, DS, PSP or PS3 you should be region-free, and if you have a Dreamcast you can buy or make a special boot-disk which makes your console region-free.

Dreamcast

• Bomber HehHe: It’s a puzzle game with some action elements. The goal is to place bombs to take down buildings.
• Capcom vs SNK 2: A fighting game, of course. The first one did get a US release, but this one didn’t.
• Cosmic Smash: It’s sort of like Arkanoid/Alleyway, in that you have to destroy blocks. Except you’re playing as a human trying to smash them with a ball, and racing against the clock.
• DUX: A side scrolling shoot-em-up (the Dreamcast was known for them) that has the distinction of being one of the most recent DC releases. It came out in 2009.
• Last Hope: Pink Bullets: Again, one of the more recent DC releases and shoot-em-up. It’s an updated and adjusted version of the Neo Geo game Last Hope.
• Napple Tale: Arisia in Daydream: A platformer where a girl named Arisia is tasked with returning the lost seasons to Napple Town.
• Pop’n Music: A fun, bright and colorful music game.
• Princess Maker Collection: You get Princess Maker 2 and Princess Maker 3 in one game.
• Rainbow Cotton: A shoot-em-up (cute-em-up) that’s the first 3D entry in the Cotton series.
• Puyo Pop Fever: It was the last Sonic Team DC game, but was never released outside of Japan.
• Any Sakura Taisen game: They’re all fun blends of visual novel, strategic rpg and dating sim games.
• Shenmue II: Only Europe and Japan got the sequel to Shenmue. I recommend importing the European version, since it’ll be in English.
• Shinseiki Evangelion: Ayanami Rei Ikusei Keikaku: Think Princess Maker, only with Rei Ayanami from Evangelion as the potential princess. Its also available on the DS, PC and PS2.
• Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles: A recent Dreamcast puzzle release.

DS

• 100 Classic Book Collection: Basically an e-reader program with 100 classic books built in and an additional 10 that can be downloaded. It’s available in Europe, but not North America.
• Arabian’s Lost: An otome/RPG where the main character is an Arabian princess of a land filled with thieves, gamblers, assassins and crooks who must earn 10 million in 30 days to keep from being trapped in an arranged marriage. Its also available for the PS2.
• A.S.H.: Archaic Sealed Heat: A strategic RPG from Nintendo that was supposed to come to North America, but never did.
• Daigasso Band Brothers / Daigasso Band Bros. DX: A music game where you play songs using the DS face buttons. You can also create your own songs in both games and download songs in the sequel.
• Dokidoki Majo Shinpan!: A somewhat-perverted game which has gained fame and notoriety for the fact that players touch girls on the touch screen to determine if they’re witches.
• Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland: An RPG starring Tingle from the Legend of Zelda series and revolves around his quest to get money and get to Rupeeland. It received a Japanese and European release, but never appeared in North America.
• Game & Watch Collection 2: A Japanese Club Nintendo promotion that includes the Game & Watch titles Parachute and Octopus.
• Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2: The sequel to Retro Game Challenge. Since the first game wasn’t a huge seller in North America, we probably will never see an English version of the sequel.
• Hirameki Action: Chibikko Wagyan no Daiki na Bouken: This is a side-scrolling action game where players guide a little dinosaur with a mighty roar through levels.
• Idolm@ster: Dearly Stars: The first Idolm@ster game where players act as the idols instead of a faceless producer. It’s also the first game in the series with a male idol (though he’s in disguise as a girl).
• Itadaki Street DS: A monopoly-esque board game from Square Enix starring characters from Super Mario and Dragon Quest. It also has Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support so you can play online.
• Jump Ultimate Stars: A Smash Bros style fighting game with 300 characters from 41 Shonen Jump mangas. Unfortunately, it’ll never get a worldwide release due to licensing issues.
• Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten: A Japanese-English dictionary that’s perfect for people studying Japanese. A few Game&Watch games are also hidden in it.
• Katekyoo Hitman Reborn DS Flame Rumble X: Mirai Chou-Bakuhatsu!!: A 2D fighting game starring the characters from the manga/anime Katekyoo Hitman Reborn.
• Ketsui Death Label: An impressive shoot-em-up from Cave.
• Love Plus: A Japanese dating sim that’s gained a massive following in a short period of time. It takes place in real time and players are actually able to date, then marry, one of three girls they choose.
• Meccha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken: A Taiko no Tatsujin drum game that even has an adventure/story mode.
• NANA: Live Staff Daiboshuu! Shoshinsha Kangei: A life sim based on the Nana manga/anime/movie where the player can make a life in Tokyo and try to get a job with one of the two bands from the series.
• Ochaken no Daibouken: An adorable and enjoyable platformer starring the Ochaken dog and Ochaneko cat characters.
• Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo DS!!: A hilarious and occasionally touching otome simulation where the main character is a fat girl trying to lose weight so she can get a boyfriend.
• Any Ouendan game: They’re like the Elite Beat Agents game, only better.
• Sigma Harmonics: A Square Enix adventure RPG where players must time travel to prevent murders and preserve the present.
• Slide Adventure: Mag Kid: An action/puzzle game where players attach a peripheral and slide the DS around to make the main character, Mag Kid, move.
• Soma Bringer: A gorgeous action RPG from Nintendo that may never get a worldwide release.
• Tales of Innocence: A good DS entry in the Tales of series that Namco Bandai never released outside of Japan.
• Tales of Hearts: Again, another good DS Tales of entry. It’s available in two versions - one with CG cutscenes and one with animated ones.
• Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 1st Love and 2nd Season: These two DS games are otome life sims where players guide a girl through high school and hopefully help her find a boyfriend.
• Vampire Knight DS: A DS otome simulation with visual novel elements that is based on the Vampire Knight manga/anime.
• Xenosaga I + II: A DS adaptation of the first two Xenosaga games.

GameCube

• Doshin the Giant: a god/life simulation where players determine how Doshin interacts with island natives. It was available in Japan and Europe.
• Kururin Squash: An action/puzzle game where players must navigate through mazes.

GBA

• Any bit Generations game: They’re a nice variety of stylish, simple puzzle and action games.
• Densetsu no Starfy: The first game in the Legendary Starfy series.
• Densetsu no Starfy 3: The last Starfy GBA game and the first where Starpy is a major character.
• Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi: The only GBA Fire Emblem game not released in English. It’s the first GBA Fire Emblem, but the sequel to the Fire Emblem GBA game released in North America.
• Genso Suikoden: Card Stories: Suikoden II with card battles.
• Mother + Mother 2: The original Mother and Mother 2/Earthbound in one cartridge.
• Mother 3: The RPG Earthbound sequel. It’s main character, Lucas, appeared in Smash Bros Brawl.
• Rhythm Tengoku: A music game and the prequel to Rhythm Heaven.
• Super Mario Ball: A Super Mario pinball game.
• Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 2: A Tales of mash-up action-RPG. It’s mainly about fetch quests and quick missions.
• Tomato Adventure: An adorable Nintendo RPG designed for beginners. It has some elements found in the Mario & Luigi RPGs.

PC

• Any and every Touhou game ever released: They’re fantastic shoot-em-up (cute-em-up) games.

PS2

• beatmania IIDX 16 Empress: A fantastic music and rhythm game.
• Bleach: Blade Battles 2nd: A fighting game with the Bleach characters.
• Espgaluda: A Cave shooter that’s a prequel to ESP Ra.De..
• Fate/stay Night: Realta Nua: An all ages version of the popular visual novel Fate/stay night.
• GuitarFreaks & DrumMania Masterpiece Gold: The original guitar and drum music video game. This is one of the best entries in the series.
• Melty Blood: Actress Again: A fighting game starring characters from the visual novel Tsukihime.
• Namco x Capcom: An RPG with action and strategic elements that has characters Namco and Capcom games making cameos as either allies or opponents.
• Nana: A life simulation game based on the Nana anime/manga where the player moves to Tokyo and gets to interact with characters from the series.
• Tales of Destiny Director’s Cut: A PS2 remake of the PS1 classic Tales of Destiny, with additional content.
• Tales of Symphonia: A PS2 port of the GameCube game with additional content.
• Tian Xing: Sword of Destiny: A hack-and-slash game Devil May Cry fans would love.

PSP

• Audition Portable: A portable version of the PC MMO. The gameplay is similar to the Bust-a-Groove games.
• Any Bleach Heat the Soul game: Great PSP fighters starring Bleach characters.
• Breath of Fire III: A PSP port. It was released in Europe, so you can import it and play it in English.
• Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable: A PSP port of a PS2 game with extra characters. It’s a monopoly-esque board game with characters from Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.
• Hatsune Miku Project Diva: A Sega music game starring the Vocaloid Miku Hatsune that lets you import your own .mp3s and create your own songs and music videos.
• Idolmaster SP: Available in three versions, Perfect Sun, Missing Moon and Wandering Star, it was the first portable version of Idolm@ster.
• La Corda d’Oro: A PSP port of the PS2 and PC otome/simulation where players attempt to become a great violin player and win competitions while also making friends or possibly finding a boyfriend.
• Macross Ultimate Frontier: An action game that lets players fight pretty much every battle in the Macross anime series.
• Maplus: Portable Navi and GPS Receiver: turns your PSP into a GPS.
• Parodius Portable: A port of the side-scrolling shooter.
• Persona 3 Portable: A port of the PS2 game Persona 3 with a second storyline where the main character is a girl. It’ll probably get a US release, but for now it’s Japan-only.
• Princess Crown: A port of the VanillaWare Saturn game that’s the spiritual successor and prequel to Odin Sphere.
• Princess Maker 4 Portable: A port of a Princess Maker game that’s very similar to the cult classic Princess Maker 2.
• Suikoden I + II: The PS1 games on one UMD.
• Tales of Eternia: A port of Tales of Eternia/Tales of Destiny II. It’s available in English in Europe.
• Tales of Rebirth: A port of the PS2 Tales of game that never made it outside of Japan. It isn’t available in English.
• Tales of VS.: A fighting game featuring characters from the Tales of games.
• Twinbee Portable: A port of the classic shoot-em-up.
• Ys VII: The latest entry in the Ys action-RPG series. It may see a US release, but for now it’s Japan-only.

SNES

• Der Langrisser: A strategic RPG with multiple endings based on decisions the player makes.
• Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu: The fourth Fire Emblem game and regarded as one of the best. It introduced the romance/relationship element into the series and is multigenerational - if two characters get together in the first part, their child will appear in the second.
• Live a Live: A Square Enix RPG with seven storylines that unexpectedly all end up being connected.
• Sailor Moon: Another Story: An RPG inspired by Sailor Moon with an original storyline that has become a cult classic and is unexpectedly spectacular.
• Seiken Densetsu 3: An entry in the Square Enix Mana series that was never released outside of Japan.

Wii

• 428: Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de / 428: In a Blockaded Shibuya: A highly acclaimed visual novel. It’s been ported to the PS3 and PSP.
• Captain Rainbow: It’s an action/adventure game from Nintendo where a character named Nick, aka Captain Rainbow, goes around helping people on Mimin Island trying to either grant his wish or the wishes of islanders. It features many little known or forgotten Nintendo characters.
• Disaster: Day of Crisis: An action/adventure game released only in Australia, Europe and Japan. Players help Raymond Bryce, who works for the government, survive and save people during natural disasters and stop a terrorist group called SURGE. It will likely never receive a US release.
• Sukeban Shachou Rena: A mini-game collection featuring cats working at Cat Queen, Inc. Your goal is to start out as an entry level cat. You work your way up to the head of the company and earn respect of the CEO, Nekopunch mascot Rena.
• Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: The Taiko drum game series comes to the Wii.
• Zero:Tsukihami no Kamen / Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse: The fourth entry in the Fatal Frame series.

Xbox 360

• Idolm@ster: The original Idolm@ster game, where players help an idol, or group of idols, become a success.
• Death Smiles: A new Cave shoot-em-up with a gothic theme.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Important Importables takes a one-week break, but will return November 13, 2009 to talk about Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last weekImportant Importables looked at six Japanese gadgets that exist only to be adorable.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]

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

Title: Ju-On: The Grudge
Price: $29.99
System: Wii
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Xseed Games (Feelplus)
ESRB Rating: “Mature” for blood, violence
Pros: Some decent “scares,” jump right into the gameplay, quite immersive (for a while).
Cons: Rigid and awkward controls, ridiculously short, no checkpoints on levels, blocky graphics, linear, pointless battery system, no story to drive the game
Overall Score: One thumb sideways, one thumb down; 68/100; D+; * 1/2 out of 5

Ju-On: The Grudge is faulty on many levels - and I’ll discuss these below - but I’m willing to forgive many of them because of the subtitle “Haunted House Simulator” thrown across the box.

Have you been to any of the haunted houses that spring up in wooded areas and old schoolhouses at this time of the year? Ju-On gave me more scares than they do, so I at least have to give it credit for that.

Although, I want to clarify that being scared and being startled are two entirely different things. When a movie or game unexpectedly runs a cat in front of you with a really loud screech just to make you jump, that’s being startled. When a movie or game has you so frightened that you’re hiding under the afghan, barely able to peek out through the holes to look at the screen, that’s being scared.

Ju-On: The Grudge startled me on occasion. It never scared me.

When a Person Dies…

If you’ve seen the Ju-On movies (or it’s American counterpart titled The Grudge), you know the routine. If someone dies violently in a house or something, all who come into contact with its spirit will also die violently and the cycle continues. I’m not sure if that’s what happened in this game.

In each level, you play a character in a different location: abandoned factory, abandoned hospital, abandoned apartments, etc. Each level begins with a character name and most display the same family photo. Okay, so we assume these are all family members about to face the same terrible circumstances but that’s it on story. You don’t know why you’re there, you just are.

On each level you’re only usable object is a flashlight. This is permanently on and always frustrating because it uses batteries like a Hummer uses gas. Considering each level can be finished in under 25 minutes, that you have to find and replace four or five batteries per level is absolutely ridiculous. I get the sense of urgency that this creates, but why have that at all? The game is supposed to be about exploration, and if you’re forced to tear through each level for fear of being trapped in the dark (and promptly killed), you don’t have time to trigger all the frightening moments.

...With a Deep and Burning Grudge…

Even worse, in order to unlock the fifth and final level to complete the game, you’re going to have to play through the previous levels multiple times in order to find all the hidden objects, facing the same ghosts and dealing with the same bad batteries. I’m assuming this was done in an effort to prolong the game, which can easily be completed in two to three hours. Forcing you to replay levels can push it up to around 10, perhaps, but you won’t do that. It’s not worth it.

Making matters worse, the game crawls at a terribly slow pace and the flashlight control is horribly unresponsive. You use the WiiMote to point the flashlight at the screen and, to control direction, you press the B button. Hit down on the D-pad to back up. That’s easy enough to learn but annoying to use. The flashlight never seems to go where you want it to, making it cumbersome to even turn around or line up with a door so you can open it. This is acceptable when you’re exploring an area for the first time but it’s a game killer if you have to go through more than once.

If you want to play that fifth and final level, I highly recommend using a walkthrough so you can find all those hidden objects the first time.

After a couple levels, you know what’s going to happen. The triggered events never really change much and they’re telegraphed by the sound of the game disc being read. “Oh, the Wii’s clicking, here comes and yep. There it is. Doll fell from the sky. Scary.”

I’m also not sure I get the “scare meter” at the end of the game. Sometimes it calls me a sissy, sometimes it tells me I have no emotions. I’m never sure why. The two-player mode, in which player two conjures up random “scare moments” with the press of a button is fun for a bit, but both you and player two will quickly get bored with it.

...A Curse is Born.

Some elements of Ju-On: The Grudge do work. First, by making the screen so dark, you have no choice but to play it at night with the lights off; there’s simply no way you can make it through this game with any sort of glare on your screen. I think I like that decision.

Second, it really can be pretty spooky, especially early on. The creepy girl from the movies is used throughout and, although you’ll likely get bored with her hair, the use of that guttural clicking noise in the WiiMote’s speaker is quite effective.

Also, I’ve learned that horror “movies” are much harder to get through when you’re the one holding the flashlight. I had my wife try it and she couldn’t deal with the tension. However, she enjoyed watching me play it for a while. Either she couldn’t handle being the one facing the threats or she hated the control/battery system. Either way, objective achieved, Xseed!

Or something like that.

There’s no way I can recommend someone purchase this game, at least not at $30. With only four short levels (five if you’re persistent), it would’ve made more sense as a 1,000-point WiiWare download or a $4.99 iPhone game.

I do, however, highly recommend you rent it. Ju-On: The Grudge is certainly more effective than the majority of the horror movies out there there today (I’m looking directly at you, Saw). You’ll get your money’s worth out of an evening rental, provided you pay attention to those three words on the box: Haunted House Simulator.

This is not a game. Like horror movies and haunted houses, it’s simply a way for a teenage boy to scare his girlfriend into sitting a little closer to him on the couch and hopefully lead to a little bit of lovin’ when it’s over and that deserves some respect.

Site [Ju-On: The Grudge] Read [Gamertell]

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Sony’s PlayStation 2 console may have just turned nine but for fans in the know that may seem to mean there’s only one year left to the system’s life.

Sony has often mentioned a 10-year life cycle for its hardware including a comment made by President of Sony Computer Entertainment Jack Tretton to Fast Company earlier this year about the PS3.

So when Sony sent out a press release earlier today touting the PS2’s ninth birthday, I contacted Sony to find out whether or not this is the system’s final year.

Well, never fear Soniatics.

According to Abby Reyes, Sony’s Senior Public Relations Specialist:

“There’s no set date for when the life cycle of PlayStation 2 will end. As long as people keep playing, and publishers keep putting out great new titles, the console’s life cycle will continue. The longevity of the PlayStation 2 can be directly attributed to its versatility. Because it’s not only a game console, but a home entertainment hub, it has found its place in one out of every three U.S. households. That huge install base has resulted in consistent developer support and a huge library of titles along with strong retail presence, all of which allows PlayStation 2 to remain the console of choice for years to come.”

Of course no one at Sony indicated exactly how long they will continue to support the hardware or license development but that certainly reads like a positive commitment. I’m not exactly certain how the PS2 - now selling for $99 -  is an “entertainment hub” but there certainly is a lot of life left in the system.

Here’s hoping for a few more good years, PS2.

Read [Gamertell] Site [PlayStation 2]

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Title: Game Collector 3.2 Pro
Price: $29.95 (Standard), $39.99 (Pro with rebate)
System(s): Windows
Publisher (Developer): Collectorz
Pros: Very easy to input game names and UPCs, exhaustive and customizable fields, generates multiple exportable lists and included with access to game database to quickly import information and box art.
Cons: Database has some small gaps and is only as accurate as the person who submitted the information. Some menus are a little confusing. iPhone and iPod Touch app is an extra cost. Scanners can be expensive.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one thumb sideways; 87/100; B+; * * * 1/2 out of five.

If you’ve been gaming for longer than five years, you’ve likely amassed an impressive collection of games so large your friends and significant other complain about not being able to find that one game they always like to play.

That’s where Collectorz’s Game Collector application can come in rather handy.

The Basix

The whole concept behind Game Collector is to put your collection in order (thus the name). It’s a fairly simple database solution with a graphic interface that can operate with (or without) a UPC scanner and accesses an online database.

The software is available only as a download and installs quickly. After launching, you can then input game titles or UPCs through the menu system either by typing it in via scanner. Then you go online to download core information, box art and credits for a wide range of games to populate your local database. You can then go in and edit each entry - or groups of entries - with a combination of person information about the game including ratings where you bought it, how much you paid and personal notes.

Over the years the software has evolved to allow for more personalized fields and the ability to export the list as HTML files or, in truncated form, to various handheld devices including the iPod, iPhone and iPod Touch (the latter two require an additional purchase via iTunes). You can also upload your own box art and upload images and information to the common database for others to use.  Once you populate your collection, everything is stored locally so you can create HTML pages or various portable lists.

The interface is not entirely intuitive with a few of the fields not making sense until you have used the software for a while. Once you get the hang of it, it then becomes a speedy process to catalog your collection. You can then reorder it according to just about any criteria: genres, developer, release year, system, rating and even custom fields.

Game Face

The scanner interactivity is about as easy as plugging it in, syncing with the software and pressing a button. If you have ye olde QueCat (remember that PS/2-based scanner radio Shack gave away years ago?) you can download a Windows application that will make it work in no time. Otherwise, you can get scanners through Collectorz: a mini wireless USB laser Opticon ($140), a wired USB Opticon laser scanner (currently unavailable) or a USB CueCat scanner ($20). All three will work but the more pricey “wireless” version is the easiest to use.

The nice thing about the scanners is that they significantly cut down input time if you have numerous games and will immediately interface with other Collectorz software:  Music Collector, Movie Collector and Book Collector (except applications including Comic Collector that catalog products that do not have UPCs).

Unless you acquire a lot of products – DVDs, books and games – you may want to simply manually enter game titles or UPCs to save the extra dough. If you have several hundred – or thousand – products, a scanner is definitely the way to go. It can reduce days of typing to an hour or two of scanning. The only issue will be when a UPC is not found, then you have to manually enter data (and then you can submit it ti the Collectorz online database).

The Collectorz database as certainly improved in the past year, being more complete and up -to-date than before. The percentage of missing titles is probably less than 5% and even then the issue might be that someone misspelled a game title, you have a weird version of a game with an uncommon UPC or your internet connection timed out. Some of the box art is also not the best, although you can add your own to your personal, local database or even submit it to Collectorz and hope they update it with your superior image.

As for organizing, the ability to reorganize and display games as either text lists or image thumbnails makes it super easy to personalize your list for convenient printing, scanning and browsing.

The ability to sync the list with your iPhone or iPod Touch is also nice although that app will set you back another $10. It is rather nice to have a digital list in hand and many forms of your list - HTML and iPod Notes for non-Touch iPods – are bundled with the software. Those are limited to 1000 entries so, if you are a true collector, you may have to create an alternate list system.

Since the main software includes customizable fields, you can also use it for archives and even create a box number field. Those boxes of NES games, for example, can more easily be alphabetized using the software and then you can tag games according to the box they are stored in.

Downloadable?

This software is certainly helpful for the serious game collector. If you have hundreds of games, a scanner will certain be a time saver, especially if you acquire many games at a time (and have a lot to archive). The cost for the hardware won’t be nearly as justified when you have only a shelf or two of games.

Collectorz offers enough database information to give you a reason to browse your collection and enough customizable fields to add the information - box, shelf or other custom organization – to help you get truly organized. It even has a section for loaning so you can essentially become a library to your friends and not forget who has which game.

The portability interface is most helpful for those who plan to finish collection or simply cannot recall all the games they own. Otherwise, most people can save the cost of the Game Collector iPhone app (comic collectors getting Comic Collector, however, will find the iPhone/iPod Touch app be supremely useful).

If you are a collector, own seemingly countless of games and like to keep organized, Game Collector is a no-brainer investment. Likewise, anyone who loans out a lot games will benefit from the software’s library style recording system.

Check Gamertell later this week for a review of the Intelliscanner laser scanner used in this review and Collectorz Game Collector for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Site [Game Collector] Photo Gallery [Gamertell: Game Collector on iPhone/iPod Touch] Photo Gallery [Gamertell: Game Collector Pro]

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Title: Avenue Flo
Price: $19.95
System(s): PC (Also available on Macs)
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Play First (PlayFirst)
ESRB Rating: N/A. I’d say it is appropriate for all ages.
Pros: Nice assortment of mini-games. Familiar characters from the PlayFirst Dash series. Colorful and clear environments.
Cons: For the most part, very easy. Lots of tutorials. Game often tells you what to do instead of letting you do it yourself. Set off alerts and had registration issues with Kaspersky Internet Security 2009.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; 85/100; B; * * * 1/2 out of 5

PlayFirst’s Avenue Flo is unquestionably a good and interesting addition to the Dash series of games. Thanks to titles like Diner Dash, Wedding Dash, Diaper Dash, DinerTown Detective Agency and DinerTown Tycoon, fans have been able to enjoy classic casual game genres like time management, hidden object and stategic simulation. With Avenue Flo, the Dash series moves into the realm of point-and-click adventures.

Quinn’s the wedding planner, but Flo’s the only one who can save the wedding.

Quinn, star of the Wedding Dash games, is having an absolutely horrible day. She’s working on a huge wedding that’s supposed to be happening today. Supposed is the key word. The problem is, absolutely everything is going wrong, and it’s too much for her to handle alone. Thankfully Flo, star of the Diner Dash games, is her best friend and willing to help out so Quinn isn’t humiliated and the wedding can go on.

So, players must assist Flo in her endeavor to set things right. Basically, she’s an errand girl. She has to find lost items, or even animals in the case of Snookums the poodle, the bride Ms. Big’s errant dog. She’ll also have to replace damaged items and cater to the needs of others. Along the way, she develops the suspicion that all the mishaps aren’t coincidental - someone in DinerTown is sabotaging the event - and she also has to talk to residents, all familiar characters from Dash or DinerTown games, to find out what exactly is going on.

Quit telling me what to do!

Avenue Flo is bright, colorful and welcoming. The characters are voiced, a first for a DinerTown or Dash game, practically every character from the series makes an appearance and players get to explore most of DinerTown while attempting to save the wedding. It sort of feels like it’s designed to be an adventure game for beginners, which is great if people haven’t ever played a point-and-click adventure. The tutorials are comprehensive, a map is available to see where you are and who you have, or haven’t talked to, you can constantly consult a task list in case you think you’ve missed something and, to break up monotony, puzzle mini-games like matching items, finding hidden objects or taking part in an aerobics class.

However, Avenue Flo can also be compared to an overprotective parent. It is constantly holding the hand of the player and never letting go. While there was never a moment where I was left wondering what I was supposed to do next, there also never seemed to be a moment where I actually had to think and figure something out for myself. If Flo needed to find an item, or go to a different area, she’d often say to herself (and the player) that she should visit x location to get y item. The whole point of an adventure game is to use your brain to find solutions to troublesome situations. Avenue Flo never gives the player the opportunity to do that - it’s constantly doing it for you.

Also, if you’re running Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 on a Windows Vista computer, you may encounter conflicts with Avenue Flo. When I installed it, it labeled the game as a high risk. Normally, that’s no big deal. I’ll just install the game and let Kaspersky label it as such and enable its precautions. But with Avenue Flo it ended up giving off a stream of alerts and I found myself unable to register the game. I had no problem installing, registering and playing Avenue Flo on a Windows XP computer with no anti-virus program.

A better title would be, My First Point-and-Click Adventure: Avenue Flo.

Avenue Flo is cute. Very cute. It’s well executed, filled with familiar Dash series characters and incredibly easy to play. The problem is, it’s far too easy. The only real challenge comes from the mini-games, and even some of those are pretty easy. So the people who’d be most interested in the game, adventure fans, could very likely be turned off by the fact that the game is constantly holding your hand and even telling you what to do.

If you’ve never played an adventure game before, want a game you where you don’t really have to think to play or are a child, Avenue Flo is the perfect pick. If you’re someone who enjoys a challenge or is an older gamer, then look elsewhere.

Site [Avenue Flo]

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Title: Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble
Price: $39.99
System(s): PSP
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Atlus (Spike)
ESRB Rating: “Teen” for Animated Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes and Violence
Pros: Fantastic script, translation and localization. Simple controls. Lots of clothing and character customization options. Funny storyline. Night Out option allows you to play with friends or build up your character’s stats and funds. You can dress the main character as a giant banana.
Cons: Loading times are too short (not enough time to read the awesome definitions). Game is somewhat short.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 98/100, A, * * * * 1/2 out of 5

I think it’s fair to say that I’ve been captivated by Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble ever since I had the opportunity to play it for a hands-on preview. It is by far the quirkiest hack-and-slash style game I’ve ever played, and I never expected it to provide players with such freedom over their banchos’ actions. This has been a banner year for Atlus PSP games, and the amazing Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble easily belongs among great releases like Shin Megami Tensei: Persona,  Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament, Class of Heroes and Crimson Gem Saga.

Surviving school trip banalities by becoming the ultimate high school badass.

Takashi Sakamoto’s on a school trip. Not by choice, mind you. A school trip to Kyouto’s the last thing he’s interested in experiencing. But his teacher threatened horrible things if he didn’t go, so he’s trapped.

Once he arrives in Kyouto, he learns something that may make the whole trip worthwhile. 47 high schools are all on their high school trip in Kyouto at the same time. It turns out this happens every year, and every year the banchos (top badasses) of each school battle it out to see who’s the best. Takashi decides he’s in, and declares he will be the ultimate bancho.

Players have seven days to help Takashi beat all 46 other banchos. He has to beat up their minions to find school schedules, then make sure he’s at the appropriate location at the right time to take down their leaders. If he manages to prove himself, he’ll be challenged by the Kyouto bancho, the reigning ultimate bancho, before he leaves. There’s more to do than fight though, Takashi’s father’s tasked him with collecting souvenirs, there are class trip activities and there are a few possible girlfriends for Takashi to woo.

You know a game’s great when even the loading screens exude awesomeness.

First, I must mention how incredibly cool the Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble loading screens are. After all, they’re the first thing you’ll see when you start the game. Each loading screen offers a definition of a term that you’ll find in the game, or a brief description of one of the game’s locations or more unique characters. They’re usually quite quirky, often funny and even informative. This is the only game where I think I’ve anticipated loading screens. The only bad part is that the loading times are too short, meaning you might not get enough time to read them.

The loading screens also set the tone for the writing of the entire game. Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is often silly, funny and clever, all at once. The quips exchanged before and after fights are always different. It’s a very well translated and localized affair. Moreover, it succeeds in making even the strangest characters likable.

The whole fight structure is interesting as well. You’re given complete freedom over how to make Takashi the top bancho, but there is a general and accepted way of fighting. First, you unleash your menchi beams with your opponent. (Note: A real bancho only fights other banchos.) Once he accepts, you start a trash talking duel. You’ll see a phrase flash in front of you, then you must push the correct buttons to recreate that phrase. If you do so correctly, you’ll get the first hit in. Then, you fight. Bare hands only - only a shabazo (lowlife) fights with weapons. If you proceed like this, you’ll end up respected and revered.

Of course, it’s also fun to break those rules. I dedicated a whole playthrough to making Takashi a shabazo king. He’d use his menchi beams to steal from innocent passersby. He’d go into a fight carrying wooden swords or lead pipes. He’d ambush opponents, going in swinging.

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is short, but even that’s a good thing. There’s no possible way to do everything in the game - complete the journal, unlock titles, get girlfriends, find items, on the first playthrough. You have to replay it to experience everything. Also, since there are quite a few little side stories and paths to see, depending on where Takashi is at certain times during the week, the story will also be slightly different each time you play.

Quite possibly the funniest, quirkiest and most entertaining PSP game of 2009.

The moment I saw Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble‘s protagonist beating up opponents while dressed as a giant banana, I was sold. Hack-and-slash action games can often get repetitive or seem lifeless after a while, because all you’re really doing is just endlessly attacking enemies. Kenka Bancho never feels repetitive or lifeless. There’s always something to do, whether you’re trying to complete the school trip storyline, get a girlfriend for Takashi, become the ultimate bancho or even just collect all the game’s souvenirs. In addition, the script is fantastic and the characters are interesting.

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble may look like a niche game, but any PSP owner would love it if they gave it a chance. It’s a pleasant surprise.

Read [Gamertell] Site [Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble]

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Hey Gamertell readers. The weekly Nintendo Downloads update has been absent for a while. Did you miss it? Well, its back!

This week, if you own a Wii, you can get into the Halloween spirit! Two of the four games released are guaranteed to get you in the holiday mood. I’m talking about Ghost Mansion Party and Zombies Ate My Neighbors. If you’re going to get one, go for Zombies Ate My Neighbors, its one of my personal favorites.

No Halloween-y games on the DSiWare store though. You’ll have to make do with last week’s Domo games.

Gamertell’s Nintendo Download picks for the week are Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3 and Zombies Ate My Neighbors.

WiiWare

Ghost Mansion Party
Price: 1,000 Nintendo Points / $10
Publisher: Gameloft
ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Mild Cartoon Violence
Players: 1-4
Description: It’s a board game that will most likely be appreciated by younger children. The goal is to completely explore a haunted mansion, exorcising the ghosts. You can work with the people you’re playing with, or against, it doesn’t matter. As long as you manage to clear out the house for the original ghostly resident, Fazzy.

Tales of Monkey Island - Chapter 3: Lair of the Leviathan
Price: 1,000 Nintendo Points / $10
Publisher: Telltale Games
ESRB Rating: “Everyone 10+” for Comic Mischief, Language and Mild Suggestive Themes
Players: 1
Description: Actually, Gamertell has a review of this episode! It’s for the PC version, but the differences are negligible. This chapter continues the Tales of Monkey Island adventure, where Guybrush Threepwood has been swallowed by a gigantic manatee while searching for La Esponge Grande so he can save Elaine from LeChuck’s Pox. It’s a point and click adventure game that relies solely on the remote.

Virtual Console

Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Price: 800 Nintendo Points / $8
Original Appeared On: SNES
Publisher: LucasArts
ESRB Rating: “Everyone 10+” for Cartoon Violence
Players: 1-2
Description: This is my personal recommendation. If you’re going to get one Nintendo download this week, this is the one to get. It’s essentially a run-and-gun game, not unlike the Contra titles, presented from an overhead view. You play as one of two teenagers named Zeke or Julie, and must rescue your neighbors from all sorts of monsters (zombies included). Thankfully, the monsters seem to be weak against water pistols. There are 48 stages and six bonus levels. Save all 10 of your neighbors in each level and stay alive if you want to progress and survive!

Golden Axe
Price: 900 Nintendo Points / $9
Original Appeared On: Arcade
Publisher: Sega
ESRB Rating: “Teen” for Blood and Fantasy Violence
Players: 1-2
Description: We’ve had run-and-gun today, now it’s time for hack-and-slash. This game may look familiar, but it’s not. See, the Sega Genesis version of Golden Axe is on Virtual Console already. This is the arcade version, which actually came first. The story’s the same though. You choose the warrior, amazon or dwarf to try and cut through tons of enemies to reach Death Adder and bring him down. There’s also co-op multiplayer, if you’re having difficulty doing that alone. Quick tip: The Genesis version of Golden Axe is 100 points / $1 cheaper and basically the same thing.

DSiWare

PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff
Price: 500 Nintendo Points / $5
Publisher: Nintendo
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Players: 1-4
Description: A strategic board game on your DS. You basically try to decide the number of colored chips your opponents have laid out, and call them on it. The goal is to try and earn the most points.

Sudoku
Price: 200 Nintendo Points / $2
Publisher: EA
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Players: 1
Description: It’s the number puzzle Sudoku on your DS. Can’t get any more descriptive than that. There are five levels, plus you can add in your own puzzles you’ve found in newspapers, magazines and books to boost the number you can do on the go.

Image Source for Zombies Ate My Neighbors screenshot: GamePro

Site [Nintendo]

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While watching horror movies on Halloween is a perfectly acceptable way to celebrate the holiday, it’s also a hands off approach. You’re a spectator, not an active participant in the action. You could always go out to a good haunted house, but those can be far away and quite expensive. Perhaps the best approach would be to gather a handful of your closest friends and have a horrific video game marathon. The beauty with the horror game marathon is that it has the thrills and occasional scares of a horror movie marathon, but also the excitement and personal involvement of a haunted house.

Here’s how to set it up right. Invite only a handful of people over. A number between three and five is perfect, but anymore than seven and it may not be as frightening. Where ever you’ll all be playing the games will have to be dark, save for the light of the television screen. A few candles wouldn’t hurt as well, but make sure they’re set up so they don’t drip, cause a mess or perhaps burn your place down. If anyone has to leave the room, set it up where there are no other lights on, and they have to take a flickering, ready to burn out flashlight, to light their way.

If you have enough time, you can also set up some optional decorations. I’m not talking about the stuff you can find at Walmart or your local dollar store. Try to purposely arrange things in your home or room that look otherworldly or out of the ordinary. Make sure a coat rank has a sufficient number of coats so it looks like a menacing individual in the moonlight. If there’s a scary tree outside your window, leave the shades open. If you ever had a furby or incredibly creepy American Girl doll, now’s the time to leave it in a shadowy corner, watching. Another tip - if there are creepy household noises that you can amplify, do so. Or, claim that you’ve never heard that sound before.

Now, for the games. I’d recommend going with a five hour, five game marathon. From 9pm to 2am works well. You can adjust the schedule as you like though. Also, if you don’t have five games, perhaps just one or two really good, scary ones, then focus on the games you do have and use the marathon to try and complete them in a single night. In case you’re wondering how to proceed, here’s four schedules PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii owners could use.

PS2 owners

9pm - 10pm: Clock Tower 3
10pm - 11pm: Silent Hill 3
11pm - 12am: Rule of Rose
12am - 1am: Fatal Frame
1am - 2am: Fatal Frame 2

Note: The PS2 had a wide selection of horror games. If you don’t think the schedule above would work for you, some good games you can substitute in are Haunting Ground, one of the other Silent Hill games, Siren, Fatal Frame 3 or a Resident Evil game.

PS3 owners

9pm - 10pm: F.E.A.R.
10pm - 11pm: Resident Evil 5
11pm - 12am: Siren: Blood Curse
12am - 1am: Silent Hill: Homecoming
1am - 2am: Dead Space

Xbox 360 owners

9pm - 10pm: Left 4 Dead
10pm - 11pm: Clive Barker’s Jericho
11pm - 12am: Silent Hill: Homecoming
12am - 1am: Condemned: Criminal Origins
1am - 2am: Dead Space

Wii owners

9pm - 10pm: LIT
10pm - 11pm: House of the Dead: Overkill
11pm - 12am: Resident Evil 4
12am - 1am: Dead Space: Extraction
1am - 2am: Ju-on: The Grudge

One final note, should you make your own schedule, try to arrange the games in order of scariness. Leave the most unnerving and frightening game for last. And also, bear in mind, that the schedules above are just suggestions, and don’t cover all horror games available for those systems.

Also Read [Gamertell]

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The Love

The Hate

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There’s a pretty nice selection of casual games making their debut this week. For probably the first time every in a Casual Friday update, hidden object games don’t completely overwhelm the other genres!

If you’re a Big Fish Game Club member or have a PlayFirst PlayPass, you’ll be a little disappointed this week. Both sites really didn’t have any new games making their debut. A few old favorites were added to those sites though, so there may be some games that are new to you. Some independent game developers are picking up the slack.

There are also quite a few holiday themed games. Notice I said holiday, and not Halloween. There are two Halloween games, Zombie Bowl-O-Rama and The Dracula Files, which is completely natural, given Halloween is only about a week away. However, this week marks the first appearance of a Thanksgiving-themed casual game - Fishdom: Harvest Splash.

This week’s best bets is: Picket Fences (PC)

The Three Musketeers: The Game
Genre: Action RPG
Availability: Dingo Games
Retail Price: $24.98
Platform: Windows and Mac (Requirements aren’t specified at the site, so try the demo before buying.)
Premise: Help d’Artagnan become a Musketeer, then join the Musketeers as they endeavor to protect the king, the queen and the country.
Demo Available: Yes

Grappling Hook
Genre: Action and Puzzle
Availability: Speed Run Games
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows and Mac. OSes aren’t specified, so download the demo and test before playing.
Premise: You must get through 22 levels using only a grappling hook to progress and solve puzzles.
Demo Available: Yes

The Dracula Files
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: eGames.com
Retail Price: $19.99
Platform: Windows XP, Vista and 7
Premise: Dracula has returned, and Michael and Quinn Harker must find a way to vanquish him forever, saving the world and their friend. You have to look around the world to find clues and items to dispatch him for good.
Demo Available: Yes

Fishdom: Harvest Splash
Genre: Puzzle (Match 3)
Availability: Playrix Entertainment
Retail Price: $19.95
Note: It is on sale at Playrix for $9.98 until November 30, 2009
Platform: Windows NT, 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: Solve match 3 puzzles to put together a Thanksgiving themed aquarium.
Demo Available: Yes

Danger Next Door: Miss Teri Tale’s Adventure
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Miss Teri Tale has to search to find clues and learn who killed her neighbor, Monty.
Demo Available: Yes

Picket Fences
Genre: Card/Board game
Availability: GameHouse, RealArcade
Retail Price: $19.99
Platform: Windows 2000, Vista and XP
Premise: A card game where you try to acquire cards to make sets to make your home the best, biggest and most beautiful.
Demo Available: Yes

Zombie Bowl-O-Rama
Genre: Sports (Bowling)
Availability: Harmonic Flow, Reflexive Arcade
Retail Price: $7.99
Platform: Windows 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: Attack and dispatch zombies by bowling them over. It’s essentially a bowling game where zombies are the pins.
Demo Available: Yes

Editor’s Note: Due to so many casual games sites offering game plans or preferred member prices, which can cause a game to have multiple price-points, the games’ average retail prices is mentioned in Casual Friday.

Site [Big Fish Games] Site [PlayFirst] Site [GameHouse] Site [eGames] Site [Alawar Games] Site [Amazon] Site [Reflexive Arcade] Site [Harmonic Flow]

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One of the best things about Japan are the unexpected gadgets that find life there. You know what I’m talking about, the cute, tiny things whose sole reason for existance seems to be that they’re utterly adorable. These kinds of treats typically don’t fufill any necessary need, but they do make our lives a bit brighter.

Thankfully, you don’t have to live in Japan to have access to these items. Many online retailers stock some of the cute and unusual gems, so you can own one no matter where you live. And even if you don’t really feel like spending money on one of these charming items, it’s always fun to window shop.

The USB Robot Owl

It’s an owl. An adorable, tiny, owl that is powered by being plugged into a USB slot on your computer or game system. Once plugged in, it sits there and stares it you. Occasionally it will tilt its head, as if it’s judging you to see if you are truly worthy of owning its cute self. It comes in four colors - white, brown, gray and pink. Thanks to fellow Gamertell writer Lucy (who’s fortunate enough to actually own one) for the heads up on this sweetheart. The image you see at the right is a picture of her USB owl that she took.

Available at ThinkGeek for $19.99

Robo-Q Tiny R/C Robot

They’re remote controlled little robots, only much, much, much smaller. Think about the size of a child’s pinky. You get a little robot, its remote control and its toy soccer ball. You can then control the robot yourself with the controller, or let it run on its own, chasing after the ball. It’s batteries are rechargeable, which makes things easier. There are two different styles of robot, future or retro, and each style comes in two different colors.

Available at ThinkGeek for $39.99

Edamame, Bubble Wrap and Beer/Soda Can Pull Keychains

There are few things so simple, fun and satisfying than popping bubble wrap, pushing soybeans out of their casing or pulling the opener of a can. And yet, these are all fleeting pleasures. One you perform the action, it’s all over. That’s where these keychains come in! The Electronic Popping Bubble Wrap feels and sounds like popping bubbles, the Edamame soybean pod feels like popping out beans and the Electronic Beer/Soda Can Pull feels and sounds like opening an aluminum can of soda or beer.

Available at Strapya World, The beer can pull is $8.68, the edamame is $6.92 and the bubble wrap is either $8.57 or $5.33, depending on the model you choose.

Sega Toys Almost Living Cutest Twitter Chick

What’s the perfect gift for someone who can’t have a pet in their apartment and loves adorable things? A robotic chick! This toy is the size of a real chick and looks a lot like one too. It’s covered in soft yellow or blue fur. It will peep and flap its little wings. How cute is that? If you prefer, Sega Toys also makes Robotic Rabbits and Yume Hamsters.

Available at Strapya World for $28.02

Nohohon Zoku Hinatabokko Pochama

Nohohon Zoku are fairly well known, solar powered bobble heads created by Tomy and sold mainly in Japan. One of the latest designs is the pokemon Piplup, the water starter pokemon in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl. The Piplup sits happily on a tree stump, and if you place the solar panel in direct light, its head will glide back and forth. I don’t actually own this exact Nohohon, but I have a similar one with a lucky cat design that moves its head and paw. It’s sort of soothing to watch, like a lava lamp.

Available at Play-Asia for $9.90

Pecha Kucha Ku Cha

With a Pecha Kucha Ku Cha, you’ll never be lonely. It’s a brightly colored, wide-eyed, electronic bear sitting in a chair. It recognizes your voice and is happy to engage in small talk with you. It’ll greet you, tell you the time and even tells you what your horoscope looks like for the day. It’s available in four varieties/color schemes - a blue bear in a yellow chair, a yellow bear in a green chair, a pink bear in a blue chair and a brown bear in a pink chair.

Available at Japan Trend Shop for $67.00

Important Importables is coming up on its 100th column! If you have any suggestions as to what you’d like to see the 100th column cover, let me know in the comments!

COMING NEXT WEEK: It’s Important Importables 100th column!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Important Importables talked about the Haruhi Suzumiya phenomenon.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]

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Halloween is swiftly barreling down on us but, due to monetary situations, creating an elaborate costume is probably out of the question. A more practical, inexpensive and easy alternative is probably best.

The thing is, video game fans can still show their allegiance to their favorite games without breaking their budgets. It isn’t too difficult to dress up as some of the more famous characters out there and, with a little creativity and common sense, come up with a pretty decent costume. Even if it doesn’t turn out well, who cares. Halloween is all about having fun.

So, for budget-conscious individuals, Gamertell has 15 video game costume suggestions for you.

For Men:

• Mario: Blue overalls, red shirt, gloves and hat, construction paper and double-sided tape. The construction paper is to make a moustache and the M insignia for the hat and I’m pretty sure you can figure out what the double-sided tape is for.
• Luigi: See Mario. Substitute the word “green” where ever you see the word “red”. Make sure the hat insignia says “L.”
• Disguised Solid Snake: Here’s one where you could go one of two ways. You could just grab a cardboard box and crawl around under it all night. Or, grab some cheap fatigues from Goodwill or an Army surplus store and a mullet wig to go with your cardboard box.
• Ryu: Head to Goodwill and search for a Karate outfit. You’ll probably actually find one. If anything, settle for the shirt and a pair of white pants. Grab a long, red ribbon or strip of fabric and tie it around your head and you’re all set. If you can find the outfit in red, you could go as Ken.

For Women:

• Princess Peach: Pick up a floor length pink dress. Again, Goodwill is great for this and they usually have a special Halloween section. Also, grab some costume jewelry and one of the Burger King free gold crowns (add spray paint if you want to avoid promoting any one company). If you’re not blonde, you’ll need a wig or can of cheapie, temporary hair color as well.
• Princess Daisy: See Princess Peach, and substitute “yellow” for “pink.” If your hair isn’t brown, pick up a brunette wig or spray color as well.
• Terra or Rydia (FFVI or FFIV: Here’s one that could go either way. Both need a green wig. Both also need a strapless swimsuit - go magenta if you want to be Terra, or green if you want to be Rydia. Pick up some patterned tights as well. Again, green for Rydia, and paisley for Terra. You have some freedom with footwear, matching boots would be best, but you can get by with green or magenta shoes. If you want a cape as well, get some red (Terra) or green (Rydia) fabric and string. Costume jewelry is optional. You could also pick up a magenta (Terra) or green (Rydia) skirt, or a sword/staff if you’d like.
• Lara Croft: Green or black tank top, khaki shorts, wig (if necessary), scrunchi, cheap glasses (frames only) and two water pistols. Boots would be best, but black sneakers could work as well.

Gender Neutral:

• Red Ring of Death: Sure to strike terror into the heart of any Xbox 360 owner. You can do this two ways - the really cheap way, or the sorta cheap way. For the cheap way, grab a white T-shirt and a red sharpie. Draw an oversized RROD symbol on the shirt with markers. If you want to class it up, get a narrow, flat piece of cardboard, white paint, some appropriate colored sharpies and some string. Make the cardboard look like the front of an Xbox 360. Draw the RROD on it. Attach string and wear it.
• Harvest Moon Farmer: You have a bit of freedom here. All you really need is a backpack and some kind of hat. Baseball hat for guys, bandanna for girls. Overalls are a nice touch, but optional. Jeans work just as well.  If there’s a particular entry in the series you’re fond of, use that farmer’s look as your model.
• Pokemon Trainer: Normal clothes and a stuffed Pokemon toy (check Walmart or Goodwill). If you really want to go all out, stop by Michaels or your local craft store. Pick up some small, styrofoam balls and a red sharpie. Make them look like pokeballs, and tape them to an old belt.
• A Sims 2 or Sims 3 person: Get a headband with a spring already attached to it. These antenna headbands are everywhere around Halloween. Get one in a color you like. Also, pick up a black sharpie and green construction paper. Make two large, green diamonds out of the construction paper. Glue or tape them to the antenna, so that you don’t see what was on there before, just the diamond on the front and back. Use the sharpee to add accents to the diamond. Put it on, and you’re set.
• Lost in Blue survivor: Take some old clothes and tatter/fray the edges a bit. Put on a pair of old, comfortable gym shoes. Grab a stuffed monkey, backpack and a large stick from outside. Now you’re a shipwreck survivor, trying to find a way back home.
• Pac Man ghost: Buy a red, pink, teal or orange sheet. Cut holes for your eyes. Follow around your friends. I’m pretty sure Pinky is the only girl but, really, they’re ghosts. Does gender really matter?
• Animal Crossing avatar: Grab a cheap watering can or slingshot, some gold paint, a brown paper bag and a darker brown marker. If you’re a girl, you’ll have to wear a dress. Paint the watering can or slingshot gold. Decorate the brown paper bag with the bells symbol.

Do you have an idea for a cheap and easy to make video game costume? Let us know in the comments below!

Read [Nothing Corporate] Also Read [Gamertell]

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Title: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
Price: $34.99
System(s): DS
Release Date: September 14, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Nintendo (Alphadream Corporation)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Comic Mischief and Mild Cartoon Violence
Pros: Clear and bright worlds and characters, funny script, could be a good first RPG for people, interesting gameplay, lots of areas to explore, can see the map at any time and makes great use of the top and bottom screens.
Cons: No save anywhere. Bros items are gone. Not a lot of side quests.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 98/100, A, * * * * 1/2 out of 5

Nintendo’s Mario RPGs never seem to get the attention they deserve. While they are popular games, they always seem to be overshadowed by other entries in the series, like the platformers, sports or party games. It’s a shame, because they tend to always surpass players expectations.

The Mario & Luigi series of portable RPGs has already received quite a bit of support from Nintendo. The spectacular GBA entry, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and equally awesome DS entry Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time were critically acclaimed, and rightfully so. Surprisingly, DS owners didn’t have to wait until the next Nintendo handheld for a new entry. Nintendo has recently released the third entry, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story. Don’t let the unremarkable box art fool you, it’s just as entertaining and perhaps even better than the preceding entries.

An unlikely alliance and the exploration of Bowser and the Mushroom Kingdom

An awful plague is spreading throughout the Mushroom Kingdom and infecting Toads. Strange Blorb Shrooms are being distributed by an unknown individual, and anyone who eats a Blorb Shroom develops the Blorbs. They essentially puff up and expand. Remember that part of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where Violet Beauregarde grows into a giant blueberry? It’s like that, only the Toads don’t turn blue.

During a conference being held at the Mushroom Castle, where Peach, Mario, Luigi, the Star Sprite Starlow and a number of influencial Toads are discussing the Blorbs and a way to find a cure and save the kingdom, Bowser storms in. He declares he is going to kidnap Peach. Mario trounces him thoroughly.

After that, Bowser wakes up in a nearby forest and isn’t in a very good mood, as you can probably guess. While finding his way out with Kamek, he runs into a mysterious figure who gives him a Lucky Mushroom. Said mushroom makes Bowser inhale everything in sight. The figure, who turns out to be Fawful, sends Bowser back to the castle, where he then inhales everybody. When it’s all over, Bowser awakes in a cave with no memory of what happened, Mario, Luigi and Starlow find themselves journeying through Bowser’s body to find the Toads and Princess Peach and everyone’s trying to find a way to stop Fawful.

An example of a handheld RPG at its finest.

A consistant hallmark of the Mario & Luigi series of RPGs are clever, imaginative and genuinely funny story and script. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story doesn’t disappoint. It’s laugh out loud funny in parts. Even better, it’s funny for players of all ages and skill levels, no matter how familiar they are with the Super Mario universe. Crafting a game which can appeal, entertain and reach all audiences so perfectly is an extraordinary challenge, and Alphadream and Nintendo should be applauded for their effort and hard work that resulted in this wonderful title.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is also just a beautiful game, in terms of graphics, soundtrack and overall presentation. The Mushroom Kingdom is presented in a way where depth is hinted at, based on the way things are laid out and organized, even though the world is essentially still presented in 2D. The world inside Bowser is presented in true, straightforward 2D. In battle, Bowser can inhale enemies, and then Mario and Luigi can deal additional damage from the inside. Sometimes, Bowser can even power up, so the DS is held sideways in book-fashion to look at the battle in a whole new way. It’s just presented in a very innovative, colorful and inventive manner, something you don’t expect in a standard RPG.

Not only that, it’s very easy to play. The controls are intuitive, and every action performed feels comfortable. Plus, there are multiple short tutorials, most of which can be skipped in case you’ve played a Mario & Luigi game before, that ensure no one gets lost along the way. Another nice feature is, when you go to load up a save, there’s a brief description helping you catch up on where the story left off in case you haven’t played in a while.

There’s only one thing wrong with the Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, and it involves saving. You can only save at designated save points. While there are quite a few save points scattered throughout the game, you can often find yourself at a point in the story where you’re five to ten minutes away from a spot where you can save. If this were a console RPG, it wouldn’t matter. But this isn’t. When you’re playing on the go, you may unexpectedly have to stop playing. If that happens while playing Bowser’s Inside Story, you either have to abandon your progress, or close the DS lid to put it in sleep mode and hope the battery doesn’t run out or the power switch doesn’t get nudged.

The Mario & Luigi RPG series remains fresh and strong.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is nearly the perfect portable RPG. The characters are iconic and identifiable, the script is funny and well written, the soundtrack is a joy to listen to, it looks bright and clear and it is easy to get immersed in the tale. Even better, it manages to be the kind of game that beginners and veterans can get into and enjoy, the tutorials are clear and gameplay is intuitive, but there isn’t any overbearing hand-holding. It also offers unique perspectives and viewpoints as well. It’s probably one of the best games available for the DS.

Even if you’ve never played a Mario & Luigi RPG, don’t worry. As long as you’re familiar with the characters, you’ll be fine. While I wholeheartedly recommend the other entries in the series, you won’t miss anything or be left out if you decide to start with, or only play, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story. If you have played a Mario & Luigi RPG before, get ready for more of the same, high quality gaming experience.

Site [Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story]

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Title:Ion-Assult Football Genius: The Ultimate Quiz
Price: $10.00 (800 Microsoft points)
System(s): Xbox Live
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Publisher (Developer): I-Imagine Interactive
ESRB Rating: "Everyone"
Pros: A fun trivia game, 6 different games, leaderboards, achievements, and online play.
Cons: You can't choose what games you want to play and it may get repetitive after a while.
Overall Score: Two Thumbs up, 96/100; A; * * * * 1/2 out of five.

Jump On the Field and Kick It Hard

Throw in the Hat Trick

GOAL!

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Today marks yet another week where hidden object puzzles are king. This is also the second week in a row where PlayFirst is kind of letting down its regular customers. Only two brand new game made its debut there, Avenue Flo, an adventure/hidden object game starring the characters from the famous DinerTown series, and Agatha Christie: Dead Man’s Folly, a hidden object game where you have to solve a murder. Hopefully, things will pick up next week.

There are also two new spooky casual games to help people prepare for Halloween. Both are hidden object games, Ghost Town Mysteries: Bodie and Campfire Legends: The Hookman.

In other big casual news, the PC version of the WiiWare and iPhone/iPod Touch game Equilibrio has been released as a free download this week. You can pick up it and a level editor to make your own mazes! It’s a welcome surprise.

This week’s best bets are: Avenue Flo (PC, Mac) and Equilibrio (PC).

Reincarnations: Awakening
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Jane has been tasked with writing an article for a famous magazine on reincarnation. So now she has to do the research for it. Help her explore hidden object puzzles to learn more about her past lives.
Demo Available: Yes

Millenium Episode 1: A New Hope
Genre: RPG
Availability: Big Fish Games, Millenium - The Official Website
Retail Price: $13.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: There is no equality in the city of Myst, where the rich hold all the power. So Marine decides to aid her father in his effort to change things for the better after he’s been seriously injured. She starts out on her quest to find 12 companiosn to help her take down Mystrock’s 13 legendary warriors. Episode 2 will be out in December, 2009 and Episode 3 will be out in March, 2010.
Demo Available: Yes

Avenue Flo
Genre: Adventure and Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, PlayFirst, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista and Mac 10.5
Premise: There could be a wedding disaster in DinerTown, if Flo doesn’t do something to prevent it. Quinn’s wedding isn’t going as planned, and Flo will have to talk to everyone, collect everything and complete challenges to set things right.
Note: If you buy it at PlayFirst with PlayPass, you’ll also get Dairy Dash.
Demo Available: Yes

Ghost Town Mysteries: Bodie
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $9.99
Platform: Windows 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: The ghost of Evelyn Byers has been appearing in Bodie, and the gravestones of the 12 witnesses to her murder have disappeared. You must solve the mystery behind the murder of this little girl and hopefully give the ghosts peace.
Note: This game is for mature audiences.
Demo Available: Yes

Jojo’s Fashion Show 3: World Tour
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.99
Platform: Windows 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: Help Jojo Cruz with her Las Cruces fashion line as she goes around the world showing off and designing the latest clothes. Also, help her find a new partner, as her daughter Rosalind has decided to set off on her own.
Demo Available: Yes

Evoly
Genre: Puzzle and Simulation
Availability: Alawar Entertainment
Retail Price: $9.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Make matches to make money. Once you’ve completed levels, you can create unique planets and bring them to live by purchasing foliage and creatures.
Demo Available: Yes

Little Things
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: You search through the items making up collages with a magnifying glass, looking for specific items.
Demo Available: Yes

Equalibrio
Genre: Puzzle
Availability: DK Games
Retail Price: Free
Platform: Windows
Premise: You guide balls through maze levels by rotating the environment. It’s a PC version of the WiiWare and iPhone/iPod Touch games of the same name. A level editor, which allows you to create and share your own levels, is also available to download.
Demo Available: No

Campfire Legends: The Hookman
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: GameHouse, RealArcade, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista, Mac 10.4 and 10.5
Premise: A scary puzzle game where players must help Christine survive in the wilderness while the rban legend, the hookman, may be lurking in the woods waiting for her.
Demo Available: Yes

Insider Tales: The Secret of Casanova
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Search through hidden object puzzles to learn all about Giacomo Casanova.
Demo Available: Yes

Hostile Makeover
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: GameHouse, RealArcade
Retail Price: $19.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Ellen Byerrum’s Hostile Makeover: Crime of Fashion Mystery has been turned into a casual game. Find out who’s killed the famous supermodel Amanda Manville by inspecting scenes and investigating suspects.
Demo Available: Yes

Agatha Christie: Dead Man’s Folly
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: PlayFirst
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP, Vista and 7
Premise: Hercule Poirot has been invited to take part in a Murder Hunt game, only to discover that there could be a real murder instead of a fake one. Search hidden object puzzles to find the truth behind what’s going on and discover a murderer.
Demo Available: Yes

Editor’s Note: Due to so many casual games sites offering game plans or preferred member prices, which can cause a game to have multiple price-points, the games’ average retail prices is mentioned in Casual Friday.

Site [Big Fish Games] Site [PlayFirst] Site [GameHouse] Site [eGames] Site [Alawar Games] Site [Amazon] Site [Reflexive Arcade] Site [Harmonic Flow]

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

One of the most popular icons and characters in Japan is a brown haired girl with yellow ribbons in her hair named Haruhi Suzumiya. People mimic the opening dance from her anime, dress up like her, collect toys that look like her character, read about her and even play video games where she is the star.

Thanks to companies like Bandai Entertainment, Little Brown Books and Yen Press, people in North America can start to read and watch Haruhi Suzumiya’s adventures. However, no video game publisher has taken a chance on her eclectic games.

Before we look at five video game adventures, lets take a brief look at what Haruhism is all about.

Who’s Haruhi Suzumiya?

Haruhi Suzumiya’s the star of a series of light novels, manga volumes, anime, movie and video games. The series began in June, 2003 with the light novel The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Pay close attention to the title, because it’s the start of a trend. All the Haruhi Suzumiya media are titled in a similar manner. Two manga series followed shortly after in the spring of 2004 and winter of 2005. The anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ran in 2006, and was expanded and rerun in 2009.  Another manga series began in 2007.

Right now, the new run of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is going on with additional episodes, there’s a new spin-off manga called The Vanishing of Yuki-chan Nagato and a movie, The Vanishment of Haruhi Suzumiya is being prepared for a 2010 release.

Haruhi Suzumiya is an etcentric high school girl with an interest in the extraordinary. In order to find these strange phenomena, like espers, aliens, robots and the like, she creates a school club called the Spreading Excitement All Over the World with the Haruhi Suzumiya Brigade, or SOS Brigade. She convinces/badgers/drags her classmate Kyon, the only person she talks to, into joining. Three other people, Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina and Itsuki Koizumi, also end up joining as well. It turns out that the three other people didn’t join because they’re interested in the supernatural.

Instead, Yuki, Mikuru and Itsuki join because they are supernatural. Apparently, Haruhi somehow holds, or developed, the ability to change reality at her will, and the three of them have been sent by different organizations to monitor her and sort-of keep her in check. So, out of everyone, Kyon’s the only normal person. He also tends to be narrator for the events.

So, each form of media deals with a new adventure that Haruhi and the SOS Brigade gets into. Currently, the following Haruhi Suzumiya media is available in English in the U.S.:

• The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Complete Collection DVDs of the anime series.
• The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya manga volumes 1-4 by Nagaru Tanigawa.
• Haruhi Suzumiya Yearkbook: A Guide to the Many Moods of Haruhi Suzumiya fanbook by Kazuhisa Fujie
• The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya, the first two volumes in the original light novel series by Nagaru Tanigawa.

The video games of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Not surprisingly, the success of the Haruhi Suzumiya series has spawned a number of video games. Here’s a brief overview of what’s available, in chronological order. Keep in mind, the games all contain quite a bit of fanservice.

Suzumiya Haruhi no Yakusoku aka The Promise of Haruhi Suzumiya (PSP)
This is essentially a visual novel/adventure game with occasional mini-games thrown in. This game follows the part of the light novel/manga/anime where the SOS Brigade is creating The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina. It’s the only Haruhi Suzumiya video game to not have an original storyline. Mainly it’s a visual novel, but there are some mini-games. Warning to importers: Text heavy!

Suzumiya Haruhi no Tomadoi aka The Perplexity of Haruhi Suzumiya (PS2)
This is essentially a visual novel/adventure game with occasional mini-games thrown in. Haruhi wants to make a video game, and gets the SOS Brigade involved. There are quite a few different games you can make, like an RPG, card game or Princess Maker clone. Warning to importers: Text heavy! Also, the PS2 isn’t region-free, so this only works on Japanese PS2s.

Suzumiya Haruhi no Gekidou aka The Excitement of Haruhi Suzumiya (Wii)
Dance along with Haruhi Suzumiya and the SOS Brigade. Haruhi’s found a flier for the dance competition, and has decided that she and the SOS Brigade are entering. There are Story and Free Play Modes. Remember, the Wii isn’t region-free so don’t buy it unless you have a Japanese Wii.

Suzumiya no Heiretsu aka The Parallel of Haruhi Suzumiya (Wii)
Yet another visual novel adventure game. Haruhi’s won a cruise trip, and she’s bringing the SOS Brigade with her. Once they set sail, a number of improbable and unusual adventures take place. Warning to importers: Text heavy! Also, like I mentioned before, the Wii isn’t region-free.

Suzumiya Haruhi no Chokuretsu aka The Series of Haruhi Suzumiya (DS)
This is an adventure game, along the lines of Lux Pain or Phoenix Wright. Haruhi, Kyou and the SOS Brigade use the summer to investigate the school’s seven, unexplained mysteries. Warning to importers: Text heavy!

COMING NEXT WEEK: Important Importables looks at five Japanese gadgets which exist for no other reason than to be absurdly adorable.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Important Importables suggested 35 video games you could play on Hello Kitty’s 35th anniversary.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]

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Title: Obscure: The Aftermath
Price: $29.99
System(s): PSP
Release Date: PSN Download: October 1, 2009, UMD: September 29, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Playlogic (Hydravision)
ESRB Rating: “Mature” for Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Mild Suggestive Themes and Violence
Pros: Characters and environments look good. Is sufficiently scary and unnerving. Fantastic and appropriate soundtrack. Controls are comfortable. Storyline and presentation is reminiscent of a B-movie. Loading times aren’t that bad with downloadable version. Can have a friend join in to help at any time.
Cons: Costs more than the PC, PS2 and Wii versions. Doesn’t really matter which two characters you choose to play as. Loading times can be annoying with the UMD version. Never seem to have enough ammo to fight enemies. Aiming to attack mutants is difficult. Camera is annoying and often fixed into awkward and unhelpful positions. The downloadable copy that I had froze twice while playing.
Overall Score: Two thumbs sideways, 70/100, C-, * * out of 5

There aren’t that many horror games on the PSP. There’s Silent Hill: Origins. Manhunt 2 and Undead Knights cound technically be counted as well, though they aren’t really scary. Resident Evil Portable is in development, but we probably won’t be seeing that until sometime in 2010. So, in the meantime, we have to appreciate the few horror games there are on the handheld. Fortunately, the port of Obscure: The Aftermath should offer an additional alternative looking for a portable scare.

Some young adults lead normal lives, others become unintentional targets for unexplained, scary phenomena.

Stanley Jones, Kenny Matthews and Shannon Matthews, the stars of Obscure: The Aftermath, have the worst luck. In the original Obscure, they happened about strange and unnatural experiments being carried out in their high school’s lab, and then have to save themselves and their classmates from the infection and mutated students. Compared to that, college should have been easy.

Kenny and Shannon both attend Fallcreek University now, while Kenny delivers pizzas. Things aren’t quite right on campus though. Black flowers have been appearing at the school, and the students have been using them as drugs because they cause incredibly lucid, yet strange, dreams. As you can probably expect, things take a turn for the worse. Mutants pop up again, and new friends Corey, Sven, Amy, Mei and Jun join Stan, Kenny and Shannon in the fight to survive.

You can’t make it on your own. Well, you can, but it’s easier with a friend.

Obscure: The Aftermath‘s defining features are the ability to play as two characters and co-operate with another player to make your way through the game. It reminded me a bit of Maniac Mansion. There are six playable characters, and you get to choose two to work with. Each have special talents and abilities that make certain tasks easier. Then, while playing, you can turn on ad-hoc multiplayer at any time to have a friend control one of the characters. It’s an interesting concept which you don’t see implemented in many PSP games.

I did notice that if two people are playing together over ad-hoc wireless, the game will drag a bit. So it’s a toss up - work alone and get things done at a fast, consistent pace, or work with someone else and see a noticeable drag. Also, if you’re playing with someone, you don’t have to worry about the extra character roaming around and getting in your way when you aren’t directly controlling him or her.

Obscure: The Aftermath is also a bit of an homage to B-movies. The plot is kind of ridiculous, and the dialogue is occasionally as well. The acting by the voice actors seems to purposely be done in a manner that borders on melodramatic and is occasionally stilted or ill suited to the situation at hand. Players will either enjoy and find the presentation entertaining, or think its annoying. It all depends on your personal preference. Most likely the fantastic graphics and soundtrack will help make acting or script issues seem like a small price to pay.

There can also be loading issues. If you’re playing the UMD version of the game, the load times seem longer than the downloadable version, and can disrupt the flow of the game. So this may be one of those cases where the PlayStation Store version is supearior to the UMD. There’s still loading, but the times are brief.

A good game for B-movie fans looking for a new horror game for Halloween ‘09.

Obscure: The Aftermath isn’t the best PSP game, or even the best PSP port, ever made, but it still can be fun. If you’re a horror fan and you’re looking for something scary to play on the go, it’s worth the investment. I’d also recommend it to people who enjoy playing with their friends, as the co-op is pretty well executed. It’s a game that has its issues, like UMD loading times, multiplayer lag, camera issues, aiming malfunctions, but also has redeeming factors like realistic graphics, a soundtrack you’d even want to listen to in your spare time, pretty well implemented co-op, a few great scares and B-movie goodness.

There is one other thing to note. If you have a PSPgo, or decide you’d rather directly download Obscure: The Aftermath from the PlayStation Store, there are a few things you’ll need. First, older PSP owners may need a larger memory card, since it’s a 828mb game file. Second, you’ll need a speedy and stable internet connection. Otherwise it could take you an hour or two to download the game or, heaven forbid, there could be a problem with the connection which would require you to start downloading the game all over again from the beginning. I have an internet connection that is typically fast, and it took over 137 minutes to completely download Obscure: The Aftermath.

Site [Obscure: The Aftermath]

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Title: Scribblenauts
Price: $29.99
System(s): DS
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (5th Cell)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone 10+” for Cartoon Violence and Comic Mischief
Pros: Lots of levels to solve. Level creator. Can change your avatar. Can play around on the title screen and test new words/items. Tons of items available.
Cons: Touch screen controls sometimes fail you. Items may not behave realistically. Timer and “par” hamper creativity in levels. Easy to fall into a lull, using the same items over and over. Physics are off.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; 88/100; B+; * * * 1/2 out of 5

Maxwell is a young boy who’s been charged with finding starites. They’re scattered throughout a number of locations. But Maxwell can’t just walk right over to a starite and pick it up. Typically there’s some sort of challenge involved. There are 220 included levels, 110 which require you to solve a real-life puzzle and 110 which require you to complete go through what’s more like a side scrolling level. Players receive awards and points for solving problems creatively, and earn ollers that can be spent on unlocking new areas or extra features.

Scribblenauts definitely has its moments.

The amount of words you can plug into Scribblenauts to generate items is massive. Occasionally, you’ll find words which, in reality, would generate different objects, but in the game create the same item. But still, it’s staggering just how many items there are included. You get to put that massive dictionary to good use, as you can get a special gold star for completing the same level three times in three different ways.

5th Cell also obviously had a sense of humor about Scribblenauts, because some words generate funny and unexpected items. For example, inputting “virgin” results in a white man wearing a t-shirt with a video game controller on it. Internet memes are included: “loituma girl” spawns a leek spinning girl and “lol wut” spawns a huge Maxwell head which can be equipped like a mask. Maxwell can ride the “NeoGAF” symbol.

The place place to put that massive collection of words and items to the test is the title screen. I, for one, can say that it’s probably my favorite part. You can play around, changing the background and plugging in words all you like. There’s a sense of freedom and fun here that isn’t present in any of the levels in the game. It truly gives players an opportunity to explore and experiment.

Inputting these words is also effortless. I’m very glad 5th Cell chose to allow people to write in words by either actually writing with the stylus on the touch screen, or using the stylus to type on a miniature keyboard. The keyboard helps eliminate any character recognition problems that may occur. Also helpful are the word suggestions, in case the exact word you enter isn’t in the game. It’ll offer a suggestion of two or three other, alternative words.

And, in case you happen to get bored with or tired of the 220 included levels, there’s also a level creator with Nintendo WiFi Connection support which is a great additional feature. The only downsides is there isn’t an online database of levels you can puruse and choose from, and occasionally the tripwires or switches set up here won’t work properly. Even so, it’s a welcome addition and can be quite fun to use, provided you find other Scribblenauts enthusiasts to swap friendcodes and puzzles with.

But, Scribblenauts also has some glaring weaknesses.

While Scribblenauts has a rather impressive in-game dictionary of over 20,000 words, it sadly doesn’t make very good use of it. In certain puzzle situations, I attempted to use common-sense items to complete challenges, and found that many didn’t work. For example, in Shoreline puzzle 5-2 you have to get a candy bar from a vending machine for a young girl, but a bully is in the way and will kill Maxwell if you get close. I attempted to use mace to stun the bully and get past. It had no effect and Maxwell swiftly met his end. In The Gardens puzzle 1-11, Maxwell has to collect flowers and place them in a basket. A bee is near one and will again, attack and attempt to kill poor Maxwell. I dispatched a Beekeeper to deal with the bee. The bee immediately bested the beekeeper.

Speaking of sending Maxwell off to his doom, it can happen even when you’ve summoned the correct items. The exclusive use of touch screen controls can be quite a burden. If you click the wrong way when attempting to arrange a new item on screen, you can inadvertently send a vulnerable Maxwell off to a dangerous situation.

I found myself routinely using some words over and over. Like “tank,” “sword,” “helicopter,” “tranquilizer dart,” “cage,” “plank,” “ladder,” “pegasus,” “vending machine”, “handcuffs” and “leash.” There’s a reason for this though. My first time playing through levels, I felt an incredible sense of pressure. You’d think a game like Scribblenauts would encourage creativity, but you find out early on that levels have an item “par” and are timed. Players’ points and ollers are docked for using too many items or taking too much time, precious ollers you need to unlock new levels. The notion seemed counter-intuitive to me, giving players access to a staggering number of items, and then not allowing them access to as many items as they may want to use.

Lastly, the physics are also a bit screwed up. Let’s say there’s a ledge or cliff in the level. If you place an item, let’s say a car, at the edge, then attach a chain/leash/rope to it, then allow the chain/leash/rope to dangle over the edge, it will magically drag the whole car over the cliff. It doesn’t make sense. Another example is Ancient puzzle 4-3, where you have to get a unicorn to druids. I gave Maxwell a motorcycle, and attached the unicorn to the back with a leash. That unicorn must have been made out of cement, because he’d actually manage to drag Maxwell back. There are times when you can use this to your advantage, making a puzzle much easier than it should be, but more often than not it’s annoying.

Depending on your expectations, it may or may not live up to the hype.

Scribblenauts is an impressive game and there’s nothing else like it out there. It’s a lot of fun to play and it does make you think. However, it isn’t the life-changing experience that was lauded before its official release. It is a good game, with a lot of entertainment and replay value, but its not quite perfect. It’s a good start though, and hopefully there’ll be a sequel that will fix all of the Scribblenauts imperfections.

It is definitely a hallmark DS title, and will likely be one of the classic games for the system. Its ingenuity and uniqueness have definitely secured Scribblenaut‘s place in history and the hearts of its fans.

Site [Scribblenauts]

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Companies like to brag about good sales figures. When a new system - or new iteration of an existing system - is released on the market, companies want consumers to know how successful it is. It isn’t a bad idea, really. If people see a system or a console is a winner, then they’ll be more likely to jump on the bandwagon as well.

The thing is, we aren’t seeing that with Sony’s PSPgo.

The PSPgo debuted October 1, 2009. It’s been out for nearly two weeks and Sony has yet to start gloating about the system’s sales. There were no first two- or three-day sales figures reported. Sony hasn’t even released first-week sales figures. This leaves consumers to wonder whether or not the PSPgo is really doing all that well.

The first statement was one given to Gamasutra by Sony Computer Entertainment America on October 7, 2009, six days after the PSPgo’s debut. Sony indicated that PSP sales, in general, were up 300% and purchases from the PlayStation Store were up 200%. However, Sony did not mention any PSPgo-specific figures (at best they bundled it with the non-go PSP numbers). It’s odd, considering the handheld is new and one would think Sony would want to take any opportunity to build it up in the eyes of consumers.

Here’s what probably happened. PSP-3000 sales probably rose because people saw it as a better deal than the PSPgo which costs $249.99 and only plays downloadable games. A PSP-3000 Rock Band Unplugged or Gran Turismo bundle is $199.99, comes with a game, voucher and memory sticks, plays all existing UMD games and can play the downloadable games. The PSPgo suddenly made the existing PSP deals much more appealing.

As for the PlayStation Store’s sudden surge of popularity, it likely rose not because of new PSPgo owners, but because of existing PSP owners. 100 PSP games were added on September 30, 2009, and people who already owned a PSP most likely saw games that appealed to them and went on a buying spree.

A statement issued to GamesIndustry by Chart-Track, a European company that monitors the sales of music, videos, hardware, peripherals and software sales, also gives readers pause. When GamesIndustry asked Chart-Track for PSPgo sales figures, Chart-Track claimed that it wouldn’t reveal any information since “it’s a new format”.

A funny response, because it isn’t. The PlayStation Store has been offering PSP owners downloadable games for years and the PSP has been around since December 2004. And, even if one did attempt to claim that it’s a new format as a means to hide data, it seems like all the more reason to release sales data on it. That way, people can see how consumers are reacting. Sales data could even tell the world if a download-only handheld is ready to be accepted by the masses. It seems a bit suspicious that Chart-Track isn’t revealing the PSPgo sales data it has collected to the public, and perhaps a bit telling.

Then, there are the PSPgo sales figures that have managed to come to light. For example, there’s the information that Jeux Video Network dug up. In a recent story, the site proclaimed 8,000 PSPgos were sold in France in the three days after the system launched. The news from VGChartz is slightly better, as it reported the sale of around 30,000 PSPgos in America during the system’s first three days on the market.

Let’s compare that to the DS Lite. A GameSpot story from June 14, 2006 states that over 136,500 DS Lites were sold in the first two days after the system launched in the US. Of course, it’d probably be more appropriate to compare the PSPgo to the DSi, since both are fresh takes on existing systems. Edge Online reported 435,000 DSis were sold in the US in the first week the system was on the market. Quite a difference.

All of this information, put together, suggests that the PSPgo may not by the superstar Sony expected. What Sony isn’t the world about the PSPgo’s exact sales figures is the most damning evidence of all.

Read [Jeux Video Network (French)] Also Read [Gamasutra] Also Read [GamesIndustry]

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It’s October, which mean video game publishers are making sure that any spooky or Halloween-themed games they have are ready to make their debut. While horror games, or games with spooky themes and characters, aren’t unusual, there tends to be a surge in their release as October draws near. After all, we saw Dead Space Extraction (Wii) and Undead Knights (PSP) both make their debut on September 29, 2009.

It makes sense, if you think about it. If you don’t have plans to attend a party or attempt trick-or-treating on October 31, then there’s a good chance you’ll be sitting at home with nothing to do. You could always watch one of the many horror movies that will likely be airing, but playing a brand new game is certainly a better alternative.

So, let’s look at the games that have been, or are being, released in October, 2009. We’ll try and keep this list updated throughout the month, in case another new release sneaks in.

Undead Knights
System: PSN
Price: $39.99
Genre: Action
Release Date: The UMD came out September 29, 2009, but it debuted on the PlayStation Store as a download on October 1, 2009. So it technically counts.
Premise: You’re an undead knight who was brought back to life by a corrupt and evil king. So, you decide the best course of action is to strike back and take him down. You get to summon your own zombie army to help you accomplish this goal, of course.

Obscure: The Aftermath
System: PSP
Price: $29.99
Genre: Horror Adventure
Release Date: Like Undead Knights, the UMD was released at the end of September, 2009, but it appeared on the PlayStation Store on October 1, 2009
Premise: The sequel to Obscure, this follows the high school survivors from the previous game in their new life in college. Black flowers that can create lucid dreams start appearing all over campus, and spawn terrible things. You have to help the survivors make it through alive again.

The Jolly Gang’s Spooky Adventure
System: Windows PC
Price: $6.99 at Big Fish Games.
Genre: Adventure
Release Date: October 3, 2009
Premise: The Jolly Gang has a mystery to solve. Apparently, there’s a ghost inhabiting a psychic’s apartment, and they have to investigate it and figure out what is going on.

Fishdom: Spooky SplashFishdom: Spooky Splash
System: Windows PC (Though a Mac version is reportedly on the way.)
Price: $19.95 at most sites. Playrix Games has it on sale for $9.98 until November 1, 2009.
Genre: Puzzle with some simulation elements.
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Premise: You play Match-3 puzzles so you can purchase fish and accessories for a Halloween-themed aquarium. Not exactly the most chilling game on the list, unless you pretend the fish are all like the one from that South Park Halloween episode.

Creepy Slots
System: iPhone/iPod Touch
Price: $0.99
Genre: Puzzle (Slot Machine)
Release Date: October 7, 2009
Premise: It’s a slot machine game, only creepier. Instead of trying to line up cherries, bars or 7’s, you’re trying to line up ghosts, eyeballs and black cats.

A Witch’s Tale
System: DS
Price: $29.99
Genre: Action-RPG
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Premise: Apprentice witch Liddell has accidentally unleashed the Witch Queen, most evil witch ever in an attempt to become an amazing witch without studying. Now, with the help of a vampire guardian and magical dolls, she has to journey throughout the magical world to seal the Witch Queen up again.

Ju-on: The Grudge
System: Wii
Price: $29.99
Genre: On-rails horror simulation
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Premise: It’s a haunted house on your Wii. But not just any haunted house, the one from the movie The Grudge, known in Japan as Ju-on. A second player can join in to make scary things happen quicker to the person playing.

Campfire Legends: The Hookman
System: Windows and Mac
Price: $19.99
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Release Date: October 14, 2009
Premise: A hidden object game where you must help a woman who’s stuck in the woods where the Hookman, the figure from urban legends, is lurking about..

Goosebumps Horrorland
System: DS
Price: £19.99
Genre: Casual horror-themed mini-game collection
Release Date: EU: October 16, 2009. It isn’t out in North America until November, 2009.
Premise: Players get to experience and explore the Goosebumps Horrorland, going on all 30 rides either alone or with friends.

Dreamkiller
System: Xbox 360
Price: $39.99
Genre: Shooter
Release Date: October 19, 2009
Premise: Not exactly Halloween-themed, but creepy none-the-less so it works. You guide a psychiatrist through her patients dreams and nightmares to help save them and make them better.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated October 14, 2009 at 1:13pm CST to add in the casual game Campfire Legends: The Hookman.

Product Page [Big Fish Games] Product Page [Playrix Games] Product Page [Software Amusements]

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Product: PSPgo
Price: $249.99
Rating: Two thumbs sideways; 70/100; C-; * * out of five.
Pros: Gorgeous design, comfortable controls, convenience.
Cons: High price, no real improvements, 802.11b wireless for a download-only device is not fast enough.
Overall: Designed with a specific consumer in mind, not the average gamer.

Some of the reviews of Sony’s PSPgo may leave you with the impression that the system is actively killing puppies, ponies and everything nice in the world. The venom that pours from the words of some of these reviews bewilders me and yet, at the same time, I can sort of understand way someone might be so negative about the device.

At the asking price of $249, the PSPgo is a Siren of game devices, offering a lot of sexy style without a lot of substance. There’s no UMD backwards compatibility at this time, leaving anyone with a large collection out in the cold or having to be re-charged admission.

There’s no second analog stick, which is something we have been asking Sony for a long time to include. Finally, Sony is asking consumers to give up physical retail shopping for the convenience of only using the Playstation Store at retail prices

It’s very clear that the PSPgo is aimed at a certain type of consumer and I just so happen to be one of those consumers. I don’t have a UMD collection to speak of, I dislike the UMD format and I’m attracted to new, shiny gadgets.

Design

Opening the box of the PSPgo almost feels like unboxing a cell phone especially since the device is much smaller than the previous PSPs and is about the size of an iPod Touch. You flip open the top and there the device is, looking back at you in all it’s $249 glory. Truth be told, love it or loath it, the PSPgo is one sexy piece of hardware and you definitely get that feeling the first time you set eyes on it.

I went with the piano black model which, like the original Playstation 3 and iPhone, is super shiny and heavily prone to finger prints. In only a couple days my fingers have subdued the plastic sheen and trying to wipe them away has proven futile.

Sliding the screen upward reveals the device’s controls. It is a smooth glide and securely locks in place. To enable such motion, the buttons have all been recessed into the device but they all still feel comfortable and responsive without having to mash them down.

The single analog stick has been moved from the awkward corner of the PSP-3000 to the just right of the D-pad, which makes more ergonomic sense. Despite the stick being smaller, I never felt that my thumb was going to slide off during hours of play. I prefer it since the PSP-3000’s analog stick cramped my thumb up whereas the PSPgo doesn’t. 

The L and R, volume and display buttons have been moved to the top of the back of the device, which is initially a bit awkward to control. These buttons are recessed as well, making it somewhat difficult to press. However, after training my fingers to find them, it became an easier feat. The Home button remains up front for easy access.

The PSPgo’s smaller form also shrinks the screen down to 3.8 inches (roughly iPod Touch territory) from the PSP-3000’s 4.3 inches. The PSP bezel could’ve been left out to give more screen real estate but whatever Sony. The combination of the downgrade in screen size and retaining the 480x272 screen resolution actually makes things look better on the PSPgo than the PSP-3000, especially since Sony fixed the ghosting issues. 

Features

The removal of the UMD drive and the missing removable battery is what really allows the PSPgo to have a similar size of an iPod Touch, though I would have preferred some bulk if I could change the battery, especially on long trips. The current battery inside the Go has given me roughly 4 and a half hours of battery life before the green power light started blinking. This is in line with the PSP-3000’s battery life, which features a removable battery. The PSPgo’s battery also takes a little longer than an hour to fully charge which you will discover when you try to install your first firmware upgrade out of the box (it requires a fully charged battery).

Also missing is a stronger wireless signal. The PSPgo still features a 802.11b wireless, which is the same as the PSP-3000’s. To put that into perspective, your iPod Touch has a wireless-G, which can download media much faster. For a digital download-only device at this price to feature what is pretty much a dinosaur of a wireless radio is mind-boggling. Even the knock offs include wireless-G.

Further putting this issue into perspective is trying to download a 836MB game onto the PSPgo. Total time: 60-120 minutes. That’s an hour to two hours that you can’t use your device.

Luckily, Sony offers a few solutions to this problem. The PSPgo comes packed in with Media Go software, which is Windows compatible (no Mac support). From there, you can download what you want to your PC and copy it over to your PSPgo. You can likewise do this from your PS3 if you own one. You can also theoretically tether your PSPgo to your cell phone thanks to the addition of Bluetooth.

Speaking of Bluetooth, the PSPgo has new feature that allows PS3 owners the opportunity to sync controllers up with the handheld device. This comes in handy when playing for a longer period of time or simply when the device is hooked up to the television. The process takes about a minute but because this takes away the sync to the PS3. I suggest using a back up controller.

As for hooking up your PSPgo to the television, you remember all those fancy cords and accessories the PSP-3000 offered? Those are now useless (thanks Sony) since the PSPgo used proprietary cables. There’s no backwards compatibility with accessories either. That’s a real shot in the foot for potential upgraders. In fact, Sony has made things more complicated by increasing the number of cables to charge your PSPgo from the two it took to charge the PSP-3000 to three. Lose a part and you are screwed.

Bottom Line

The PSP Go is clearly a device that was never intended to replace the PSP-3000 but instead offers consumers another option – UMDs or digital distribution. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has listened to Sony speak in the last three years, they are big proponents of the digital distribution model and my hat’s off to them for making the ballsy move to be the first to offer such a device for mainstream gaming. However the execution was badly flawed, even if it is gorgeous, and that can’t be ignored.

It’s not so much that it takes the benefits of shopping for physical media out of the equation (I picked up Prinny for $10 bucks on PSN as opposed to $40 at GameStop), it’s offering a device with no real change in functionality for a much higher price that is a bit ludicrous even if you can justify the extra hundred dollars for 16GBs of memory – the iPod Touch is $299 for 32GBs in comparison.

If nothing else, Sony did at least get the PSP word of mouth spreading if the 300 percent increase in sales says anything.

If you already own a PSP-3000, I highly suggest sticking with that. If you are really thinking about purchasing a PSPgo, then I implore you to actively seek out discounts such as the one Dell was offering because $249 is a bit hard to swallow. Well, at least you get a pre-loaded demo of Patapon 2 and a voucher for Rock Band Unplugged. That’s worth something, right?

Site [SonyStyle] Read [Joystiq] Also Read [Gamertell] Photo Gallery [Gamertell: PSPgo]

Full Story » | Written by Kris Rosado for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

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]]> Reviews, Originals, Features, Opinions, Handhelds, PSP, Gear, Hardware, Updates, Playstation-Store 2009-10-09T15:21:15+00:00