Square Enix has been giving Japan periodic updates on Dragon Quest IX, but until now, these have all been focused on the gameplay side of things. Today, the company detailed one additional area of gameplay and also shared some preliminary character and story details.

Your adventure in DQIX begins in the world of angels. Angels work to gain thanks and appreciation from the residents of the ground below. These feelings are turned into Star Aura, which can be offered to the World Tree, eventually opening a path to the land of the gods.

You happen to be an angel yourself. Dragon Quest IX's story begins when something goes awry as you make your offering of Star Aura. The identity of that "something" will presumably be revealed only once you've played the game.

Joining this initial report on DQIX's storyline is a look at one of the first named characters in the game. Named Sandy, this blond-haired fairy has dark skin and speaks like a "Gal," or a young girl. Square Enix is being a bit vague at the present, and will only say that Sandy has a major role in the game's story.

On the gameplay side of things, Square Enix offered first details on a "quest" system. Quests are mini-adventures that you attempt to tackle apart from the main story. You find and take on quests by speaking with people around town. Quests that you've accepted are added to a quest list and can be dealt with in whatever order you like. Clear a quest, and you earn rewards, and may even unlock related quests.

While Square Enix didn't specifically mention this, it's presumable that quests will tie in closely with DQIX's multiplayer mode, offering groups of players something to actually do when adventuring together.

With Dragon Quest IX's March 26 Japanese release date just a couple of months away, we can probably expect a constant flow of new information over the coming weeks. This is, after all, likely to be Japan's biggest game of the year.

http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/941/941372p1.html ...

News via Nintendomax


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What is GrafX2? ?!

It's a bitmap paint program that allows you to draw in more than 60 video resolutions (from 320x200 to 1024x768, including most of the standard Amiga resolutions : 320x256, 320x512, 640x256, 640x512, etc... provided your videocard knows how to handle them). It was written to run under DOS, but the code you'll find here was modified to use SDL and modern operating systems.

This program is dedicated to everybody who knows what a single pixel is. Its layout is not very different from the famous Deluxe Paint or Brilliance, so it will be quite easy to handle it if you know at least one of these programs. If you aren't used to the art of drawing with up to 256 colors, it will be a little more difficult for you, but you should give it a try (or more, because most of the power of this program won't show up on the first try). Then, you might eventually like to draw the oldskool way with GrafX2?.

The program, although still unfinished (but perfectly operational) offers all the useful tools you can expect from a bitmap paint program (if they aren't already available, they will be). We took most of the best ideas from other paint programs and added many other original and very useful tools, just to try to bring you the best 256-color bitmap paint program for PC. It's up to you to decide if we have succeeded, so please download it, try it and make your own opinion. By the way, it's FREEWARE and open source !

The gp2x port is actively maintained by the Grafx2 project team, so please report bugs to us so we can improve the program !

http://archive.gp2x.de/cgi-bin/cfile...0,0,0,0,8,2722 ...

News/release from yohanes via wiibrew




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SimonKagstrom has tooday released a new port of Frodo the Commodore 64 Emulator to the Nintendo Wii, heres some details:


Download and Give Feedback and Compatability reports at the release thread here at DCEmu --> http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=178591 ...

Of all the big players, Nintendo is in the enviable position of not actually needing to worry about releasing a new console – after all, when you’re selling Wiis faster than stores can stock them, why bother spending more money on another console? Having said that, we believe, given Nintendo’s past hardware release trends, that a Wii 2 (or 1.5) may come sooner than expected.

Nintendo has shown that it’s not afraid to tweak existing products – just look at all the Gameboy and DS iterations. This approach sees small innovations added to existing hardware. It’s entirely possible that the Wii will receive similar treatment, particularly given that it falls somewhat behind the 360 and PS3 in terms of HD compatibility.

The Wii 2 will undoubtedly include DVD support, higher resolutions and more memory. Possibly a camera, microphone (although the recent Animal Crossing game introduces chat already) and much better online integration. So really, we’re expecting a Wii upgrade rather than a fully fledged console.

However, and this is the kicker, Nintendo are never entirely predictable. When they revealed the Wii, most people thought it was doomed to fail. In many people’s eyes it has, but it certainly hasn’t from a financial perspective. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has been quoted thus when asked about Nintendo’s next console (taken from several interviews): “We are always preparing for the next hardware. We are under development…

But the hardware is a kind of box that consumers reluctantly buy in order to play our games… Every hardware needs some revolutionary features. This time around, it happened to be we had a revolutionary user interface. Will it be the same for the next generation? I really can't tell… It's natural for the current customer to expect Nintendo is going to once again do something different. If the people are expecting so many different things from Nintendo, it's going to be difficult for us to go beyond that expectation again."

So a Wii 2 is definitely in production, Nintendo aren’t sure if they want to/need to surprise people anymore (rolling in money will do that to you) and…they’ll probably just release an upgraded Wii like we’re all expecting them to.

The question Nintendo need to answer is will the so-called casual gamers actually be interested in an upgraded version of the Wii? After all, old people and families are hardly going to care that much about HD resolutions and DVD playback – they just want to use this Wii Fit thing everyone’s talking about on Today Tonight. It really then becomes a case of trying to claw back the loyal gamers, many of whom now believe Nintendo has abandoned them in search of, well, profit.

Nintendo can continue to sell bucketloads of consoles, as well as concentrate on their handheld output, and still be in a very comfortable position. We think that they will upgrade the Wii, possibly even release another console sometime down the track. But for now their focus is on riding this current wave of success – and really, who can blame them?

http://www.gameplayer.com.au/gp_docu...i2.aspx?Page=2 ...

Patients are able to practice using their prosthetic limbs with the help of Wii Fit and the balance board.
Seacroft Hospital in Leeds England recently garnered attention for utilizing the Wii in conjunction with Wii Fit as a means of rehabilitation and physical therapy.

Physiotherapists at the hospital are among the first in the country to incorporate sessions of Wii Fit into the schedule of patients learning to use a lower prosthetic limb. Senior physiotherapist Lynn Hirst states that many times patients have trouble "getting their weight through the prosthetic limb." However, with the aid of the balance board, Wii Fit allows patients to see "where they are taking their weight."

Many of the Wii Fit games are similar to actual physical therapy exercises, and Hirst adds that there are many "lively games" that help "[improve] their core stability and their balance." For example, Wii Fit's skiing helps patients learn balance, control, and cooperation between a real and prosthetic limb.

For many patients, coping with an amputation can be difficult and frustrating. Prior to having tools such as Wii Fit, patients would only have the word of the trainer to depict their progress. Now, using the Balance Board, patients are able to visually see their center of gravity and rehabilitate themselves with games rather than tedious and strenuous physical therapy. Regardless of age, patients seeking rehabilitation have connected with the colorful game and are inspired to push their hardest in order to return to their normal lives.

Sixty year old David Crossland, a patient at Seacroft Hospitalm serves as a prime example. As a result of complications relating to an old accident Crossland's leg recently needed to be amputated. He describes the therapy with Wii Fit and the Balance Board as "marvelous" and adds that "it makes sure you have got your balance," which is important when "learning to walk again." Furthermore, it has allowed him to do things like "ski down a mountain or head a football during sessions using the machine – even though he has a prosthetic leg."

Hirst, Crossland's physiotherapist, states that the Wii Fit therapy has been "absolutely fantastic" for Crossland and all of her other patients. Being the first institute in the country to adopt the system, Hirst hopes that others will follow suit with similar programs.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/n...fm?artid=17484 ...

Shadow and the jcpsp team has posted a new release of the PSP Emulator for Windows written in Java, this release plays some commercial PSP Games.

Download and Give Feedback and Compatability Reports Via Comments

thanks to http://www.aep-emu.de/ for the news tip ...

New special offer from Play Asia:



An American TV crew has arrived in Japan to film an expose on the legend of the “vanished village.”

Controlling seven different playable characters, the player must uncover the mystery behind the curse that grips the eerie village of Hanuda.

The unique “sight jack” system allows the player to see from the point of view of the Shibito, or living dead, to avoid their detection or watch as they close in on the player and companions.

Intense graphics, realistic character animation, and a gritty film-like graphical presentation add to the horror of Siren: Blood Curse.

All twelve episodes of horror are included in this one Blu-Ray Disc. Sick of getting them off the network bit by bit? Get this disc and taste the true meaning of horror. Siren: New Translation is voiced and subtitled fully in English, and is chosen as this week's special product.

Set at an unbeatable bargain price of US$ 24.90 only, Siren: New Translation is available on PlayStation3 as a region free Asian version.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...-1x6-84-n.html ...