Nintendo DS Review: The World Ends With You

9.0

By Pierst179

For companies like Square-Enix that have a huge group of gaming series that are known worldwide and generate incredible hype among fans whenever a new installment is coming, it is fairly easy to create a new game. All the developing team needs to do is to use most features and characteristics that make those critically acclaimed series so amazing and bring them to a "new" game that will present a new world, a different group of enemies and a nice storyline. The result will obviously be a great package that unfortunately won't contribute neither to the growth of the industry nor to the genre itself.

The true challenge behind the developing process is taking the risk to create something so fresh and authentic that even people who are supporting the project will doubt its success. And when Square-Enix is willing to take such a leap chances are fans all over the world will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the experience. The World Ends With You is exactly that, a game overflowing with a unique vibe that appears on a moment where titles that are way too similar dominate the market.

The game takes place in Shibuya, one of Tokyo's wards, a place filled with many young people where big brands are fashion centers are the most popular subject among the local dwellers. It is in this vivid and vibrating place where we first encounter the main character of the story. Neku Sakuraba is a teenager with the "I don`t care attitude" that has many doubts about the world and people who live around him.

He wakes up in the main area of the district unable to remember anything about his life besides his own name and a couple of minor details. He has no idea how he got there but a few minutes later his whole world will change dramatically once he discovers that he is part of a game controlled by The Reapers – a mysterious organization – where in order to survive the players have to accomplish each one of the missions that are received via a cell phone on a daily basis during an entire week. Failing on a mission will lead to erasure.

In order to survive on this game players need to team up in duos. Neku quickly meets a young girl named Shiki and both of them form a partnership despite the fact that Neku somehow refuses to befriend with anyone. Basically that is all the information you will get in the beginning of the adventure, so questions like: Who are the Reapers? What is this game all about? Who Neku truly is? And what is the backstory of some of the characters? will be constantly hovering over your head as you progress through the game. The storyline therefore is extremely compelling because of the mysteries the game presents to the player as soon as the game kicks off and will be one of the main reasons you won't be able to put the game down.

In order to get through the game Neku and his partner will have to advance through Shibuya to solve the missions. Most of them are pretty straightforward as you will be battling your way to certain locations until you reach a big bad boss but some others require some more investigation and exploration. In certain occasions – those are rare though – you will feel like you are simply moving from one place to another while fighting enemies because the game can get very linear sometimes.

The battle system is one of the highlights of the game. Players who dislike random battles will be glad to know that you will only face enemies in Shibuya when you want to. This is accomplished by using the "player pin" which is displayed on the screen as an icon. By touching it with the stylus Neku will use his senses to scan the area where you are located. When you do so you will be able to read the minds of people who are nearby – except for other players – and also locate the "noise", which are the enemies of the game. Touch the noise icon and battle will ensue.

In batlle Neku will take the botton screen while his partner will fight on the top one, to suceed you will have to control both of the characters. In the beginning you will be fumbling with the controls a little bit since fighting on two screens at the same time can be confusing but after a few missions you will naturally perform movements with both characters. For those who are not able to master the dual battles there is an option that permits the CPU to take control of your partner automatically.

Both of the characters have different battle controls. Neku uses different pins for attacks, each one of them has a different function such as sending bullets towards the noise, generating an earthquake or dragging objects on the screen to attack the enemies. There is an endless variety of moves all of them being activated by different actions with the stylus like tapping the enemies, slashing neku or scrathing the ground. Sometimes the system will not identify those actions properly causing the character to perform the move incorrectly which can become frustrating sometimes.

Another minor flaw is that when you equip two pins that are activated by the same move the game will randomly choose one of them to use first, and you will only be able to use the other attack once the other pin has alread been used to its limit and is recharging its power for another usage.

Meanwhile, the partner faces the same enemies on the top screen by atacking them with moves made by pressing one of the directions of the D-pad. Once you press one of the directions a combinations of arrows will appear on the screen and by following them correctly you will land a combo. By succesfully performing many combos you will activate the fusion move which is a powerful attack performed by the duo that will heavily harm the enemies and recover a little bit of your HP.

Another noteworthy detail during battles is a green light puck that is passed from one character to the other. Whenever you land a combo one character will hand the puck to the other one this will temporally increase the attack of the one that received it, kepp the combo going and the puck will keep being passed and its attack boost will subsequently increase.

The battle system is very solid and it creates some truly memorable battles. It has some minor setbacks that could have been fixed but overall it is very original and most importantly a lot of fun. During the battle your character will receive some EXP points and his level will raise, improving a few stats automatically.

As on most RPGs out there, on The World Ends With You your characters should be well equiped to conquer the challenges but in the modern Shibuya there are not swords or iron ammo. All you are going to find are many stores that sell clothes from certain brands, buying them may make your character stronger.

One of the most interesting aspects of the game is the fact that brand charts rule this place. Most of the pins and all clothes acquired during your adventure belong to a certain brand and if this brand is on the top-3 of the brand chart your stats will gain a very good boost – especially if the brand is on the top of the chart – however, if the brand is the least popular of the area your stats will be halved. So taking a look at the chart is always a good idea if you intend to enter a battle.

The presentation of the game is absolutely astonishing. Everything here transpires originality from the graphics to the stylish menus. The different locations of Shibuya are close to perfect reproductions of the actual place and when playing the game youi can actually feel how alive that corner of Japan is. The character models are very nice and the storyline is shown via text boxes and steady characters with a few impressive cutscenes appearing on some dramatic moments of the plot. You can easily see the producers were very careful when polishing this product to this level.

The only thing I think is missing is a map of the Shibuya. On most missions you have to visit some certain locations but since the world is pretty big sometimes is easy to get lost while looking for your destination, still a map is nowhere to be found and if you don not have a good memory chances are you will eventually go through the wrong path at least once.

The soundtrack is one of the things that makes this game so thrilling, you may not like some of the music genres that the game uses but truth be told you will probably end up enjoying them when you are caught up in a battle or simply because the songs perfectly capture the young and brand-new feel that the game has.

The World Ends With You also has an incredible replay value because during your first playthrough – which must take around ten to fifteen hours - you will find out the solution to all questions I listed in the beginning of this review but your curiosity about some details of the plot and some rather obscure characters will make you replay the game since some pieces of information can only be acquired by playing the game once again. Do not worry though, the first ending explain enough to satisfy all players who do not feel like going through an extra adventure.

In the end, The World Ends With you is as original as an RPG created by Square Enix can be. The game may have its share of problems but none of those will make you forget about how big of an accomplishment this game is truly is, because adventures with such a perfect storytelling and refreshing gameplay do not appear as often as we would all like nowadays.

NINTENDO THRILLS POKÉMON FANS WITH NEW DS LIMITED-EDITION POKÉMON PACK

Anyone who loves Pokémon® knows a rare treasure when they see one. A treasure that is sure to be sought after is Nintendo’s new Nintendo DS™ Limited Edition Pokémon Pack, which includes a Pokémon-themed Nintendo DS game system and exclusive Pokémon premiums.

Available on Aug. 17, the Nintendo DS Limited Edition Pokémon Pack features a custom Onyx Nintendo DS emblazoned with images of Dialga and Palkia, two of the most legendary characters from the Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl games. The set also includes a never-before-released animated special – Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness (based on the story of the two newest Pokémon DS titles) – plus a cool Dialga and Palkia carrying case, and collectible mini-poster.

The Nintendo DS Limited Edition Pokémon Pack will be available at a suggested retail price of $129.99. For more information about Pokémon, visit www.Pokemon-Games.com.

Nintendo DS Review: Final Fantasy IV

By Ethenia

A masterpiece from the SNES era have been reborn on the Nintendo DS with full 3D Graphic and some voice over. Has Final Fantasy IV lost its charm or it is still same as before or even better on the Nintendo DS? Read on to find it out.

The story of Final Fantasy IV has been given a new translation from the Japanese version rather than using the old translation. The new translation are better in the sense that it fit into cut scene, it manage to give cut scene more feeling as there are voice over. With the new translation Final Fantasy IV is still able to retain it storyline without changing much. However in Final Fantasy IV, there are more storyline which usually tells what happened in the past. So here is another reason to get the DS version of Final Fantasy IV as it tells more story when the Gameboy Advance or SNES don't.

In Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy IV standout as one of the better one where many fans will agree. I will give a short summary of the story without spoiling anything. The story started with a young guy name Cecil, who is the captain of the Baron's Red Wings, who is seeking for crystal for the king. However, innocence people have involved in the situation and those people claim that the crystal will have impact of the world. The story have mixed of love, betrayal and sacrificial. With so much feeling in one game, you might think that it will be bad or complicated. But don't worry, it fits the story perfectly. Final Fantasy IV offers a good storyline but not all will enjoy it, but the story should appeal to most of the people who have played this game.

Music of Final Fantasy IV is being composed by Nobuo Uematsu. Nobuo Uematsu is famous for composing music for the Final Fantasy series, so Final Fantasy IV is no difference. Final Fantasy IV soundtracks have been remixed by no other than Nobuo Uematsu himself. However, due to the slight remixed of the original soundtrack, some fans claim that it is awful. But, me myself and I believe many fans that found that the remixed version of the soundtrack is a lot better.

Final Fantasy IV offers awesome soundtrack during the SNES era and now the soundtrack on Final Fantasy IV still retain it awesomeness. The soundtrack itself is very epic which totally fits itself into the environment and carry a lot of feeling. For example, the most popular music in Final Fantasy IV which is Theme of Love. Therefore when playing this game, remember to use a headphone to have the best effect for soundtrack in game.

During important cut scenes, there will be voice acting. The voice acting is something new for Final Fantasy IV DS which all the previous version of Final Fantasy doesn't contain. The voice acting together with the new translation which totally made the cut scene a lot better. With voice-acting, character now have more personalities than before. Sound effect is also one important aspect in game, which is nicely done on Final Fantasy IV DS. In battles skills and magic have different sound effect, with sound effect the game itself is better as the sound effect will not feel out-of-place.

Final Fantasy IV is one of the many DS games that are able to have really good 3D graphic. All the older version of Final Fantasy IV is all 2D base where 2D character on 2D map. However, Final Fantasy IV DS is the first Final Fantasy IV to have a full 3D graphic. You might think that 3D graphic on the DS will be all pixilated, but no. Final Fantasy IV uses both the top screen and the bottom screen where the top screen usually displays the gameplay as for the bottom screen, it is usually use for maps.

Final Fantasy IV starts off with a FMV as the opening video for the game where all character looks a lot better than the in-game graphic which lasted for around 3 minutes. As you should know, most FMV does by Square Enix are top-notch. Enough with FMV now lets move on to in-game graphic. During game, there are no FMV present, the cut scenes are represented by normal game graphic. There are plenty to cut-scene so it actually covered up for no FMV in the main story itself.

Final Fantasy IV is a 3D game as stated before where the characters, towns and maps are all in 3D. During battles, there is a difference between the normal battles and boss battles, normal battles the camera are shown from the side where the monsters in on the left while you are standing on the right. But during boss battles, the camera is shown from the back of the character meaning that you will be seeing only the back view of your character.

Now I am going to talk about sprites. Firstly the character sprites have 2 versions, one is the FMV type while the other is in-game type. The in-game character sprites are just a step down of the FMV sprites so they look similar but do not look as great as the FMV sprites. The character also looks exactly like those from the previous Final Fantasy IV where the sprites are 2D, however in the DS version it look bigger and clearer but in 3D. During game, when you changed your weapons, your sprites will change as well. However, it only applies to weapon. Secondly is the monster and the non-playable character (NPC), both the monster and NPC sprites look exactly like those in 2D but bigger and clearer and of course in 3D. Lastly is the town and map, the map and town still retain it same old structure but it have been remake graphically where now it look clearer and is in 3D.

Lastly about graphic, I am going to talk about skills and magic animations. During battles, skills and magic are very important, if the animation for both skills and magic is bland it would be very bad. However, in Final Fantasy IV for most of the skills and magic animation, most of them look very awesome and some of them can even give you a "wow!" expression. In skills and magic, summons stand out the most as the animation is being supported by a cut-scene then followed by the damage.

Final Fantasy IV is a Role Playing Game (RPG) where there is story to follow and need level to proceed further into the game. As you know that most Final Fantasy, the party only allows 3 or 4 members only. However, Final Fantasy IV allows 5 members in the party. You might say that it is unbalance but enemies party can be up to 6. Final Fantasy IV have higher difficulties compare to the other versions as boss battle need strategy now.

Final Fantasy IV uses the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, where there is a bar to charge and if the bar have charge finish you can input commands for your character to perform. The speed of the battle is determine by the setting you made in game, it can be fast or it can be slow and more importantly there is slow and active mode. In slow mode, when you input commands, the enemy bar will stop charging while in the active mode even if you are choosing what are you going to do the next turn the enemy bar will carry on charging. So the difficulties can be control but the boss battle is still tough.

Like in most RPG genre, leveling and buying equipment in always there and Final Fantasy IV is no difference. You would need to level up and buy better equipment to kill stronger monster to advance into the story line or to make the game easier. Monster in Final Fantasy gives experience point and gil where is needed to level up and buy equipment. To encounter monster, you will need to walk around the map and random monster will pop out, this is called random battle. There are others way to encounter monster as well like using items.

Final Fantasy IV does not have job system that is similar to Final Fantasy III or Final Fantasy V. Final Fantasy IV already have a specific job for each character, so you need not have to worry of changing too much on the job. In the DS version of Final Fantasy IV, it has something call augment which allowed you to use other character skills. I won't elaborate on it as it contain major spoiler. Also in DS version of Final Fantasy IV character abilities have been revamped. For instant certain character is not longer useless as they are useless in the previous version of Final Fantasy IV.

Some nice addition to Final Fantasy IV has improved the gameplay for Final Fantasy IV such as the auto-play features. This features allow help players who are doing grinding, with this features players need not need to input commands as the computer itself will choose to attack for you, all you need to do is to press the "x" button to activate or deactivate the features. There are other features such as if you explore 100% on this particular map, you will be awarded with prize. There are other extras where you can find in the DS version of Final Fantasy IV

Final Fantasy IV does not have wifi so there is nothing to comment here. But Final Fantasy does have multiplayer support but it is pretty useless. The multiplayer for this game is basically to have some sort of battle with your friend. Not with your party member but with a summon. In multiplayer, you need to do some games to get scores and these score will affect the summon stats.

Final Fantasy IV offers player up to 30 to 40 hours in their first play through. Final Fantasy IV enable players to play New Game+ after their first play through. However, the New Game+ is only there for 3 play through. This game has side quest and mini games which will occupy more of your time on this game.

Final Fantasy IV overall gives us a relaxing time to enjoy such great game. Final Fantasy IV offers a lot of thing for players and many new extras where all the previous version of Final Fantasy IV doesn't. This game can also be enjoyed by players who haven't played Final Fantasy IV before. Therefore I end my review with this; Final Fantasy IV DS version, by far is the best version of all the Final Fantasy IV.

DS Trailer: Spore

DS Trailer: Kirby Superstar Ultra

DS Trailer: Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

Wii/DS Trailer: Marvel Ultimate Alliance II

NINTENDO AGAIN REDEFINES GAME CONTROL, PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY BUILDING

Nintendo Unveils Wii Music, Wii Sports Resort, Animal Crossing: City Folk for Wii and Exclusive Grand Theft Auto, Guitar Hero Games for Nintendo DS

LOS ANGELES, July 15, 2008 ? At the E3 Media & Business Summit today, Nintendo unveiled an enhancement for its iconic Wii Remote? controller and new games that promise to further enrich and engage players around the world. These offerings build on Nintendo's ongoing efforts to remove the barriers between expert and novice video game players, an approach that has been instrumental in creating a paradigm shift for the industry since the advent of the Nintendo DS? portable system and the Wii? home console.

"Much has been reported about the 'expanded audience' for games, but what's really at play is an expanded experience," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "People of all ages having fun together-whether in the same room or from remote locations-puts smiles on faces and drives millions of new players into video game entertainment."

Wii Sports? Resort is not just a simple sequel to one of the world's most popular console games, Wii Sports. It is the first title to make use of another Nintendo advance, the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which plugs into the base of the Wii Remote controller to provide an incredibly realistic motion experience. Scheduled for release in spring 2009, Wii Sports Resort includes new game experiences such as Sword Play, Power Cruising on a water scooter and Disc Dog, along with the new Wii MotionPlus accessory and Wii Remote Jacket at no additional cost. The Wii MotionPlus enhances precision and player immersion for the Nintendo-pioneered motion-controlled gaming trend that has drawn millions of new people to the world of video games.

This holiday season, Animal Crossing®: City Folk lets players move into a fun community populated by quirky animals. Players can improve their community, chat with the locals or just spend the day fishing and collecting fossils. There is also the opportunity to catch a bus into the new urban city area. Though you'll never see other players in the city, you can connect with them in new ways using WiiConnect24?, such as bidding on your friends' items at the auction house or visiting the Happy Room Academy headquarters to see the top-rated player house. Another new feature in Animal Crossing®: City Folk is the ability to visit friends' towns and chat with one another using the new WiiSpeak? microphone. The WiiSpeak microphone is sold separately at an MSRP of $29.99 and allows Internet voice chat among Wii Friends ? not just from person to person but from room to room.

Wii Music? makes it easy for people to jam to tunes, even if they don't know anything about music. Wii Music transforms the Wii Remote and Nunchuk? controllers into more than 60 different instruments, including a violin, steel drums, electric guitar ? even a cowbell. Players strum, shake, tap and drum along to the music in a pressure-free musical playground where there are no mistakes. They can improvise on their arrangements by skipping a note ? or adding 10. The music always sounds great, but it's up to players to come up with creative arrangements that they can then send to friends and family who have Wii Music. Those Wii Friends can then put their own spin on the arrangement and send it back and forth over WiiConnect24. Wii Music will be available in the United States for the holidays.

In the portable category, Nintendo DS remains on top. Nintendo DS has sold more than 20 million units in the United States and more than 70 million worldwide. Third-party publishers continue to take advantage of that installed base. Coming this winter exclusively to the Nintendo DS is Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, a new entry in Rockstar Games' award-winning and hugely successful Grand Theft Auto franchise. Activision's exclusive Guitar Hero® On Tour: Decades makes its anticipated debut this fall, as does a collection of wild and wonderful critters from Electronic Arts' Spore? Creatures.

To view a video of Nintendo's E3 2008 media briefing, please visit e3.nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii? and Nintendo DS? systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2.7 billion video games and more than 460 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario?, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda? and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.

Press Release from Nintendo of America's Media Site.

Feature: Nintendo's E3 2008 Media Briefing

Nintendo's Media Briefing just wrapped up and we saw a couple of things at Nintendo's E3 of 2008. Shaun White appeared and played a Wii Snowboarding game and some creepy lady was telling us about how she got hurt snowboarding one time. Hmm... Wierd. Nintendo showed us charts that The Nintendo DS and the Wii are the top selling consoles for both home consoles and the handheld market.

They showed us a trailer for Animal Crossing Wii and that it owuld be compatible with a Wii Microphone (?). Animal Crossing enables us to talk to people all over the world. Yay for voice chat!

As for the DS, there will be another Guitar Hero: On Tour Game coming out (like it hasn't been too soon, right?). It will be called Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades and will feature "song sharing" between the two DS Guitar Hero games. It will be out in Fall.

A surprise was the announcement of a Grand Theft auto for the Nintendo DS handeld system titled "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars". This will take place in Liberty City. A bit of a surprise from me, as Nintendo is very kid-friendly. Of course this game is going to be rated M.

Along with Guitar Hero and Grand Theft Auto, we got to take a look at Spore, the monster creator.

Nintendo showed us three videos to come on the Wii: "Star Wars: Clone Wars", "Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party", and "Call of Duty 5: World at War". As many of you know, Rayman Raving Rabbids will feature use of the Balance Board.

There will also be a new Pokemon Ranger game to come out on the Nintendo DS in Novemeber. Along with Pokemon Ranger, there will also be a Cooking Navi, a cookbook that works with your DS, to also come out in November.

Reggie comes out to talk about the Wii Motionplus that will come included in the Wii Sports' sequel, Wii Sports Resort. What we saw was some dueling (with swords), frisbee throwing (where a dog catches it), and Reggie jetskiing. Pretty slick. There will be the global launch next Spring.

Miyamoto also comes out, but not before some dude air drums using the Wiimote, Nunchuk and Balance Board. I think we all knew what this was... Wii Music. Miyamoto shows up holding a lone Wii Remote, playing the saxaphone. Miyamoto is one Jazzy Japanese. Wii Music features over 50 musical instruments including: the piano, guitar, drums, cow bell, violin, and more. Miyamoto also mentions that there will be a drum lesson mode, where you can learn to play the drums. After that, Miyamoto and the gang start jamming to the theme tune of Super Mario Bros. Nice!



Reggie and that same (creepy) lady comes back up on to stage to wrap everything up. All in all, I'm pretty dissapointed at this year. We didn't see any Zelda, Pikmin, Kirby or even Wario Land! I'll try to stay optimistic and hope that they say more later on in this year's E3.

Call of Duty: World ar War Wii and DS Details

Some new info on the Wii and DS version of Call of Duty: World at War have emerged via Nintendic. Rich Farrelly and Noah Heller, are Creative Director and Senior Producer of Treyarch, and talk about the Wii and DS version of Call of Duty: World at War. Hit the jump for all the info.

Wii

• ”The Wii has not been push to it’s limits yet.”
• The Wii version will support everything that has been put into the 360 and PS3 versions.
• There is a secret concerning the co-operative play mode, which is to be revealed at a later stage;
• World at War for the Wii will be using a revised version of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine. Call of Duty 4 with Wii controls? Sounds pretty damn good to me.
• Camera and controls are taking a top priority “For example, if you are climbing on a hill, in a game, you would have to adjust the point of view manually…but that is not as in reality, where you would instinctively look a bit higher over your head. That is the kind of adjustment we have obtained working on cameras on the Wii version;”
• There will be much more fluid movements for the shooting aspect. Sounding any better yet?
• -Once again, Wii Zapper support has been confirmed, although details are currently unclear, yet there will be a case of players doing typical Zapper movements, such as aiming off-screen to reload weapons;
• -The main game runs at a solid 30FPS, with the online element being set at 30FPS as well.

DS

• There will definitely be online play included. Finally. Last years version should of had it!
• The combat system will be improved over last year’s Call of Duty DS title. I never got a chance to play the last one, but I heard some good things about it.
• In terms of the Nintendo DS touch-screen interactions, “We cannot tell you anything, but let me tell you: it is NOT just about cutting the right cable, turning off a device or a bomb… we want you to put your hands in the real war!” Sounds good to me. I might have to buy the DS version with the Wii versions!

DS Trailer: Tales of Hearts

DS Trailer: Sigma Harmonics

Nintendo DS Review: Animal Crossing: Wild World

Review by: Drizzt

This is one the most addicting games out, not only for DS, but it can match and beat many other games out there. With a whole load of stuff to do, it's hard to get bored of this game. Welcome to Animal Crossing: Wild World.

Gameplay is all about fishing, bug catching, finding dinosaur fossils, furnishing your house, expanding your house, making loads of money, going online and hanging it with your friends, making friends with the neighbors, designing your own clothes, flags, umbrellas, your house's flooring and wallpaper and even decorating the town with your own designs. There's always something to do here and it’s all easy to control. Stylus control is as easy as tapping on things. You tap the ground to move. You tap yourself to use whatever item your carrying, tap villagers to talk to them, and so on. You can also just use the d-pad to move around and the buttons to do everything else.

There are special events that come from time to time such as the fishing tourney and “yay day”. There are also many different people that come that need your help, sell you something (such as insurance) and people who want something to eat. Wild World keeps you coming back with lots of new activities everyday and new people to meet. It can get repetitive after a while (a long while) but it still somehow wants you to come back and see what's new. Wild World has an undeniable charm.

The graphics are well done. They are quite fitting for the DS. It shows some of the power the DS can do although nothing to spectacular. It's fairly simplistic and has a humurous art style. Some things are 2D and most 3D and it mixes quite well. Character models are nice. Again nothing mind blowing but the art style is where it shines.

The music and sound is also quite fitting. Get music from K.K. Slider or Totokeke (whichever one you call him) and play it at your own house to listen to anytime free of charge. His songs aren't exactly the greatest but it's a lot better than having a large house with no sound except your awkward footsteps. The animals talk in their "Animalese" language which is quite a load of gibberish and can get a bit annoying at times. If you listen close enough, they are saying the letters of each word really fast making it sound like the actual word but it's rather odd. You can change how they talk to you so it's pretty customizable. The music is nice and changes every hour. Simplistic as they are they are still nice to listen to.

All in all, it's a very fun game with lots to do and lots to see. The Wi-Fi component can feel limited at times but it's nothing big and it's one of the stronger points of the game. Online trading is quite fun and you can really get some cool stuff. There are lots of websites that allow you to share friend codes and go to each others town to trade and socialize. There are very few people that enjoy ruining other towns. I have not encountered one yet and even if you don't like what someone did to your town, you can power off while the other person is still there, kicking the person out, not saving any changes and best of all, that darn mole, Resetti, won't show up to lecture you. But people do indeed hack. Many have insane amount of money lying around, several town gates, and so on.
I recommend this game to anyone looking for some non-violent fun that’s packed with things to do.

DS Trailer: Castlevania Order of Ecclesia

DS Trailer: Chrono Trigger

Hmm... It looks as if it's a straight port from the SNES. I mean no 3d remodeled characters and it doesnt sound like any remixed music...

Elebits Sequel Announced for Nintendo DS

PRESS RELEASE - July 8, 2008 - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, the sequel to Elebits, is currently in development exclusively for Nintendo DS™. The exciting game of hide and seek allows players to find, capture and befriend the tiny creatures known as Elebits who serve as energy sources in a far-off world where energy resources have been depleted.

In Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, players seek out the mischievous omega Elebits who hold magical powers and the ability to complete puzzles and quests while embarking on a magical journey. Utilizing each of the Elebits’ special powers, players can solve puzzles, reveal hidden paths, freeze flowing water, turn darkness into light, levitate rocks, and much more. As an added bonus, players are also able to compete head-to-head using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection™ and battle up to four friends simultaneously.

Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero will be released in Fall 2008 on the Nintendo DS™. For more information, please visit: www.konami.com.

Natsume To Show Off New Harvest Moon Games At E3 2008

Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness (DS):
In the largest portable Harvest Moon experience ever, Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness for the Nintendo DS tasks players with building their own paradise as they find themselves shipwrecked on a deserted island.

Starting off with an abandoned farm, a handful of seeds, and the determination to start a new life, it's up to the player to attract settlers by making their farm robust and the island prosper, By harvesting crops, raising animals, and mining for precious gems, gamers will help the island grow into a vibrant town filled with people, businesses, and eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. Players can take on the role of a boy or a girl while falling in love and starting a family. For a competitive feel, gamers can also play against other ranchers via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility (Wii):
In Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility for the Nintendo Wii, you find yourself in a troubled island town which once prospered with life and energy, but is now in serious trouble. The mystical Mother Tree that once watched over the island has disappeared, and the Harvest Goddess is nowhere to be found! The island has lost its connection with nature and the inhabitants don’t know what to do – it’s up to you to save the island!

You must help to rebuild the island by tending to the earth, befriending and raising animals, nurturing friendships, and creating a family. When the giant Mother Tree is reborn, the Harvest Goddess will return and bring prosperity to the island once again. Long-time Harvest Moon fans as well as new players will find an exciting, involving storyline and plenty of activities including cultivating crops, caring for animals, and participating in festivals. All-new controls for the Nintendo Wii Remote give players the chance to feel like they're really farming!

Nintendo DS Review: Sonic Rush Adventure

Review by: Drizzt

A few years ago, in 2005, Sonic Rush came into existence. Developed by Dimps, it proved that Sonic was faster than ever and had some new tricks up his sleeve. Two years later, Sega and Dimps release Sonic Rush Adventure. Of course, it was the "Adventure" part that most fans and gamers were hesitant about. Their fears were proven empty and the adventure portion provides good pacing and a nice amount of 3D fun.

The presentation of the game is very well done. It starts you off watching a high quality cut-scene where Sonic and Tails, in a plane, are getting swept away by a large storm over the sea. They wind up waking up on a beach where a character named Marine shows up and helps them (sort of). A rather different character, Marine speaks with an Australian style dialect, which is also rather stereotypical. She's also the most annoying character in the game. Obviously, her intended role was for comedy relief but unfortunately, it clearly didn't work as she turns out to be mostly a nuisance. Dialogue and character speech is handled through text and 2D art animations. It's not anything really special, but it gets the job done and progresses the story nicely. Occasionally, when something exciting is happening in the story, instead of the text boxes, stylish 3D cut-scenes are used and are very well done. Although there isn't any voice acting during these parts, text serves well enough. Unfortunately, there are very few of these cut-scenes. Overall, the presentation is very stylish and well made by Dimp and Sega.


It's even got a stylish menu!

The meat of the game is in the action stages. The gameplay here is high octane speed with some platforming mixed in. Although the platforming isn't quite prominent until the later levels, the Sonic Rush series, as can be derived from the name, focuses more on speed. This is not a bad thing, however. It's a lot more stylish this way and if your platforming needs aren't satisfied, play the missions! The second part of the game is the sea travel stages. These are surprisingly well done and a lot of fun to play. The first sea vehicle you get is the water bike. This is built for speed but it can't travel very far. You also later get a ship, hovercraft, and submarine. Each of these play rather differently. These sea travel levels are controlled by the stylus. For example, the water bike must be maneuvered by the stylus. The ship and submarine move for you while you shoot enemies and coins and the hovercraft is similar to the water bike, except you can shoot. These levels really nicely pace the game so that you don't get tired of the actions stages. Plus, by creating these sea travel levels, you can travel to different islands to progress the story. Since there is a fair sized map, there are also several hidden islands which you can find. This increases the replayability of the game overall. Along the story, you face different bosses. These boss battles are all epic and completely 3D. They are very well done and the difficulty for them feels just right. The game overall, though, has a great learning curve that starts off as it should: with a tutorial. As you progress, the levels increase in difficulty and so do the bosses.

There are additional modes that you should want in a Sonic game. These modes include time trail mode, mission mode, online racing and battling, as well as local wireless multiplayer. These modes can be a lot of fun and they're all done very well. The time trail mode has it's own online leaderboards so you can compare yourself to players all around the world. Online mode has a nice ranking and points system as well. Local wireless is both single card and multicard play so even if your friend doesn't have a copy of the game, you can still enjoy the full multiplayer experience. There are also 100 extra missions you can do to unlock many new things that not only increase the replayability, but can further expand on the story. These missions can range from passing through flags in the proper order on a snowboard, collecting 100 rings in the time limit, or doing a certain amount of tricks in the time limit. These missions can unlock several extras such as music in sound test or give you medals.


Sea levels provide great pacing to the game

The graphics are also very well done. The 3D models look clean and polished and the environments blend in with everything without a hitch in the frame rate. Everything goes together smoothly and it just feels right. The backgrounds consist in creating a nice environmental theme for each level and each level contains different hazards that suit them rather nicely. The audio is great too. Although there are some songs you can question in their quality, others are great and the game has a great original soundtrack. Some songs that stand out are the Blizzard Peaks songs and the interesting boss battle theme. Sound effects are also exceptional. Voice acting for both Sonic and Blaze is well done and their sound effects for running and jumping are reminiscent of their Sega Genesis predecessors.


Sonic and Blaze both play fairly differently

Overall, Sonic Rush Adventure proves to be a reminder as to how great Sonic can be and how fast he can go. Action stages are well done in providing a great sensation of speed while the sea travel stages provide good pacing to the game and are a lot of fun to play. The graphics and sounds are all great and make proper use of the DS's capabilities. Multiplayer and time trail modes also make full use of the DS's capabilities with leaderboards and rankings. In the end, Sonic Rush Adventure is one of the best platformers for the DS and a fine game overall.

Chrono Trigger DS Press Release

LOS ANGELES, July 2 /PRNewswire/ — Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix(TM) interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that it will release CHRONO TRIGGER® in North America this Holiday season. Remastered exclusively for Nintendo DS(TM), this marks the first time that the groundbreaking RPG will be available on a handheld console.

Originally released in 1995 on Super NES® and shipping more than 2.5 million copies worldwide, CHRONO TRIGGER has been hailed as one of the greatest games of all time by critics and fans alike. With a unique and multifaceted storyline, the game revolutionized the world of RPGs with never-before-seen features, including an unprecedented soundtrack and multiple endings determined by side quests and the player’s actions.

With artwork by famed manga artist Akira Toriyama and an unprecedented and inspiring musical score created by Yasunori Mitsuda, CHRONO TRIGGER represents the best-in-class of the video game world. This newly revamped edition maintains all of the game’s original elements and spirit while introducing the portability, dual-screen presentation and Touch-Screen functionality of Nintendo DS. Players will soon be able to rediscover the exhilarating RPG experience, breathtaking storyline and innovative gameplay in the palm of their hands.

STORY

When a newly developed teleportation device malfunctions at the Millennial Fair, young Crono must travel through time to rescue his misfortunate companion from an intricate web of past and present perils. The swashbuckling adventure that ensues soon unveils an evil force set to destroy the world, triggering Crono’s race against time to change the course of history and bring about a brighter future.

FEATURES

– A masterpiece with an engaging and unparalleled storyline, leading to the discovery of multiple epic conclusions to a journey that transcends time

– An unprecedented and inspiring musical score created by Yasunori Mitsuda

– Intriguing battle system made possible by the unique combination of the Active Time Battle system and Tech skills

– Famed character designer Akira Toriyama lends his signature art style to create the vibrant world that has captivated gamers around the world

– Taking advantage of the Nintendo DS hardware, CHRONO TRIGGER makes its way onto the portable platform with all-new dual screen presentation and Touch-Screen functionality

– A brand new dungeon and a Wireless Play mode adds exciting new dimensions to this timeless classic

CHRONO TRIGGER has not yet been rated. Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board website at http://www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ctds.

DS Trailer: Miles Edgeworth: Perfect Prosecutor