Japanese Import: Doki Doki Majo Shinpan 2 Duo for DS
Released on July 31, 2008, SNK Playmore’s Nintendo DS game Doki Doki Majo Shinpan 2 Duo (DDMS2) stars middle school student and resident bad-boy, Akuji Nishimura, who returns as the now infamous girl groper witch hunter with a mission. Watch out girls (and boys - he discriminates not). With such a racy theme, it’s pretty safe to say that this title won’t make it outside of Japan.
While this game may look very cute, fluffy and, most of all, bouncy, it is very text-heavy. Those unfamiliar with Japanese kanji may feel a little intimidated but it would definitely help someone to practice determination, discipline and tenacity, all very admirable qualities. Since there is…
Final Fantasy XIII demo comes with Final Fantasy Advent Children Complete
It was obvious that Square Enix’s 2008 DKΣ3713 event would bring news concerning Final Fantasy XIII - the event even had a “13” in the title to refer to the compilation of titles. The company didn’t disappoint, and the event showed off trailers, gameplay footage and announced a demo release date.
The FFXIII demo will come with Final Fantasy Advent Children Complete when it is released on Blu-ray in March, 2009 in Japan. As The Washington Post points out, Japan and the US have the same Blu-ray disc region code and the PS3 isn’t region-locked. So importers could purchase the Japanese version Final Fantasy Advent Children Complete and play it. Trailers for FFVersusXIII and FFAgitoXIII will also be on the Blu-ray FFACC release.
Important Importables: Simple Series DS games
The Simple Series is a staple in Japan and are a line of budget-priced games released by D3 Publisher for the Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, DS, Wii, PSP, PS1 and PS2. The games are typically by smaller developers and all of the DS titles are bargain priced at ¥2800.
This makes them a great way for people who normally don’t import video games to give them a try (especially since the PSP and DS are region-free.) Simple DS Series Volume games for the DS usually start at $28 and older entries can be as cheap as $19. For people who have never imported before, this can be a way for people to test and see if they could play a game filled with…
Nintendo sues Japanese firms over R4 and similar devices
Today (July 29, 2008), Nintendo and 54 Japanese software makers filed a lawsuit against five Japanese companies which have been distributing R4 DS units and similar slot-1 devices. The five companies have reportedly been importing the devices and selling them to the public.
This news comes on the heels of retailers in the UK asking for R4 cards to be banned. According to MCV, retailers in the UK are noticing a decrease in DS game sales and are blaming the use of piracy devices like the R4. Sure, its the fault of pirates. It isn’t because games are much more expensive in Europe than in the US so people may be a bit more choosy concerning purchases. For example, Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training aka Brain Age is £14.98/$29.87, Mario Kart DS is £24.98/$49.82 and Harvest Moon DS is £28.48/$56.80.
Japan to get digital mangas via Wii
Japan always seems to get the coolest things. Besides the fact that most of its technology makes Westerners look downright primitive, it also brings more innovative support for videogame consoles for the territory. Earlier this week Nintendo announced that it has partnered with FujiFilm to bring a digital photo service to the Wii. A few days later we learn plans are being developed to bring digital comics to the Wii and DS.
Four of Japan’s biggest manga publishers…
Important Importables: Organizing Jump Ultimate Stars anime inspired decks
The DS game Jump Ultimate Stars is quite an elaborate fighting game. After all, 300 characters from 40 different manga series appear in the game either as fighters or support characters. With all of those options, creating a deck can be a daunting feat - especially if you’re a beginner and you don’t speak Japanese.
So today in Important Importables, we are going to offer a few Jump Ultimate Stars theme deck suggestions. Since even that could get a bit long (there are loads of possible creation options and everyone’s fighting style may vary), we’re going to focus on three anime series - Bleach, Naruto and One Piece.
Important Importables Mini: Bully’s tardy in Japan
I suppose it’s better late than never in the case of Bully, which is finally going to be released in Japan on July 24, 2008. Bethesda Softworks will be publishing the PS2 Bully and the Xbox 360 Bully: Scholarship Edition overseas.
In case you’re curious, the PS2 version of Bully was released in the US, Europe and Australia in October, 2006. Bully: Scholarship Edition for the Xbox 360 hit those same countries in March, 2008. So it isn’t too bad a delay for the Xbox 360 edition, but very belated in the case of the PS2 one.
I wonder how this game is going to do overseas. It may sell well, but it might also touch a nerve. Bullying in schools in Japan is a sensitive issue…
New Wii, Fujifilm photo service lets Japanese gamers immortalize their Miis
While Sony and Microsoft decided to take the downloadable movie route in expanding consoles content, Nintendo thinks pictures are the way to go. Fujifilm and Nintendo have joined forces to bring an online photo service to Wii owners. Currently it’s only available in Japan but it could find its way stateside depending on the success rate.
The service works similarly to other…
Important Importables: Gackt
As any Japanese video game fan knows, video games and popular music have very close ties in Japan. Singers will have their songs featured in the games. They will be used in advertising campaigns. They may even be called upon for character modeling.
Two weeks ago Important Importables talked about Hikaru Utada, one of the most popular female singers in Japan and her video game connections. This week Important Importables looks at yet another Japanese superstar, Gackt Camui. Gackt is well known for his music, his acting and his contributions to the gaming worldwide. (He’s also incredibly pretty, multilingual and one of my favorite singers.)
Japanese Import: Amorous Professor Cherry bishoujo PC game
The latest Japanese dating-sim (aka bishoujo or hentai) game to be released by G-Collections is Amorous Professor Cherry. Available for PC CD/DVD (Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista; $39.95), the sexy sim includes English text with Japanese voiceovers so you get to enjoy the essence of the acting while being able to understand what the heck they are saying.
What they are doing, however, is graphically clear in any language.
In the game you are a young school boy named Kouta who has a crush on his appropriately-named and uber busty teacher…
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RE: PS3 firmware 2.42 causing isolated problems
#### playstation #### playstation my 40 gig ps3 doesnt work because of the ####### update " MORE »
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RE: Enforcing game ratings may be a waste of time
Yeah and there are also parents who make the unfortunate get “M” rated games for children younger than 13. Since you likened it to movies,…" MORE »
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RE: Enforcing game ratings may be a waste of time
A 15- or 16-year-old playing an M-rated game is just like a bunch of teens watching an R-rated movie, but should we throw these rating…" MORE »
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RE: God of War PSP demo at the Playstation Store
Ah, that’s because the demo is no longer up at the Playstation Store. If you check the demo section, it isn’t listed there. " MORE »
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