Gamertell

Title: Pet Shop Monogatari DS
Price: $48.90
System: Nintendo DS
Release Date: July 8, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Taito (Dream Age Collection)
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Pros: Simple controls, huge selection of pets to discover, variety of items to accessorize pets, many locations to explore, not having to clean any pet dander
Cons: Simple game play may become repetitive, trial and error pet catching can become frustrating, lack of ability to actually pet animals
Overall Score: One thumb up, one thumb sideways; 88/100; B+; ***1/2 out of five

With Taito’s infamous Mama making the leap from cooking (Cooking Mama) into gardening (Gardening Mama), it was only a matter of time before Mama would spread her bountiful cheerfulness and optimism into yet another game. Pet Shop Monogatari DS (PSMDS) revolves around the newly opened pet shop in Greentown where you, the player, and Mama are in charge.

Click through for the full review…

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Taito has just announced that Exit DS is going to be a bit tardy. Well, more than a bit - a month late. Originally, Exit DS was scheduled to be released October 7, 2008. Now, Taito and Square Enix have pushed back the release date to November 4, 2008. Everything else, including the budget $19.99 price, will remain the same. You’ll just have to wait a while to save virtual people’s lives.

Exit DS is very similar to the other versions of Exit already available. You play as Mr. Esc and save people from dangerous buildings by finding them and leading them to exits. The DS version features touch screen controls and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection compatibility that allows you to see who can escape buildings the fastest…

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During the 2008 Leipzig Games Convention, which ran from August 20-24, 2008, an artist named Douglas Stanley chose to create an artistic installation called Invaders!. It was to be part of a Space Invaders: Die Jubiläumsshow! exhibit at Berlin’s Computer Spiele Museum, in honor of Space Invader’s 30th anniversary. Stanley’s Invaders! involved Space Invader aliens destroying New York’s World Trade Center Twin Towers, from the 9/11 terrorist attack, with people able to interact with the exhibit by destroying the aliens and protecting the towers.

The game caused quite an outcry from Americans, especially those directly affected by 9/11, and Taito, the creators of Space Invaders. Upon hearing of Stanley’s Invaders! exhibit, which Taito was not informed of, Taito immediately stated that it was going to end the installation and its unauthorized use of Space Invaders content. The company also stated that it would be willing to take legal action against Stanlet and the Leipzig Games Convention exhibitor which allowed the “Invaders!“ exhibit to run…

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Square Enix, Inc., has released its E3 2008 lineup of games that will include, according to its press release, “remastered classics to brand-new IPs.“

The company, which also owns Taito, promises playable kiosks at the Expo of the following games: Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, Final Fantasy IV, Infinite Undiscovery and Song Sommoner: The Unsung Heroes.
Click through for Square Enix’s and Taito’s complete lineup…

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Title: Space Invaders Extreme
Price: $19.99
System(s): PSP (DS)
Release Date: June 17, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Taito/Square Enix
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Pros: Beautiful graphics, frantically fun soundtrack and all-round innovative take on an arcade classic. A decent ad-hoc multiplayer mode.
Cons: Some boss levels overly difficult and some elements may be lost on the long screen. No online or single-UMD multiplayer modes.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 90/100; A-; * * * * out of five.

This not just the same old Space Invaders arcade game with a fancy schmancy new skin. This is mother-Space frackin-Invaders Extreme, dammit. It’s beefed up with enough elements to be fun even for those who have never played the original and familiar enough to be fun for those who have.

Click through for the full review…

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Check out the gallery: Space Invaders Extreme PSP screen shots

Title: Space Invaders Extreme
Price: $19.99
System(s): DS (PSP)
Release Date: June 17, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Taito/Square Enix
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Pros: Chaotic graphics, frantically fun soundtrack and all-round innovative take on an arcade classic. Nice multiplayer features including a simple yet fun online mode. Rumble pack compatible.
Cons: Some boss levels overly difficult, compounded by two-screen split.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 97/100; A; * * * * 1/2 out of five.

I’ve become a bit jaded by supposedly revamped classic games with an exciting word tacked at the end of the name. In most cases, such as the “Deluxe” line Xbox Live games, it means they simply took an old ROM, juiced up the graphics, added a new soundtrack, created a leaderboard and dialed up the speed to 11. It’s not so much “Deluxe” as the same ol’ game in a pixelated tux.

Space Invaders Extreme, however, is so much more than it’s arcade and early console predecessors that it actually deserves its “Extreme” moniker…

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Check out the gallery: Space Invaders Extreme DS screen shots

Title: Arkanoid DS
Price: $19.99
System(s): DS
Release Date: June 17, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Taito/Square Enix
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Pros: The classic arcade game with multiplayer and online modes, touchscreen controls and twice the height. Also a decent price.
Cons: The tiny gap between screens and a few extra frustrating levels.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 90; A-; * * * * out of five.

Arkanoid DS is all shades of old school arcade style videogame fun.

This 1980s arcade game (an evolution of the classic Breakout game) has received a handheld makeover with more modes, cute unlockables and decent use of the DS’s two screens and touch control scheme.

Click through for the full review…

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Exit DS will be coming stateside, thanks to Square Enix. The Taito developed game was previously release in Japan in January 2008, but a NA release has only just been announced. Square Enix hasn’t made an official announcement, but the ESRB has given Exit DS a rating of “Everyone.“

It is practically the same Exit that appeared on the PSP, only with touch screen controls and Wi-Fi capabilities. Players, as Mr. Esc, have to save people from buildings that are about to fall apart. There are 100 levels to conquer, so it should keep you busy for quite a while. Players can also upload their times to an online scoreboard to see who is the best savior.

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On January 8, 2008, Taito Corporation released the cell phone adaptations of Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2, Space Invaders Pinball and The Legend of Kage. All three titles are T-Mobile USA exclusives. If you’re interested, each game costs $2.99 monthly or can be purchased for unlimited use for $5.99.

Rainbow Islands and Legend of Kage are both remakes of the classic arcade titles from the 1980’s, while Space Invaders Pinball is a rerelease of a 2005 title. Rainbow Island features the dinosaur Bub as a boy going through levels to beat enemies and bosses with rainbows. Legend of Kage stars the ninja Kage going through levels fighting enemies to rescue a princess. Space Invaders Pinball is basically a pinball game with a Space Invaders theme. No additional material has been added to any of the games.

Normally I’d suggest kudos were in order for reviving old classics, but the circumstances are a bit different here. Space Invaders has practically been done to death and the last few Rainbow Island ports (ex: Rainbow Islands Revolution DS)  have been abysmal. In this case, resurrecting the games could tarnish happy memories.

Read [The TestMarket Evolution] Site [Taito]

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