Newly released today



features
Use over 17 ninja weapons and tools, each with its own unique Wii motion
Move silently and use your environment as a camouflage to assassinate your targets
Fight your way through enemey territory and complete thrilling missions as the ultimate ninja

description
Fight your way through dangerous territory and complete thrilling missions as the ultimate ninja!

Tenchu 4 continues the saga of Rikimaru and Ayame, elite ninjas who must use their lethal skills to keep the peace in feudal Japan. As loyal servants to Lord Gohda, Rikimaru and Ayame have seen much blood shed throughout their master's territory. Now an evil enemy has kidnapped Kiku-hime, Lord Gohada's daughter. It is up to Rikimaru and Ayame to save the daughter and unmask the face of the enemy behind this treachery.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-33ge.html ...

Newly released today



features
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is the first to offer players a chance to test their skills against other players in combat. Using your broadband connection, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and wireless play modes, players are able to send units they've trained into battle against those of another player. Collect optional cards to give your team a unique tactical bonus that can help you clench victory. During Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection matches, friends can talk to each other using the built-in Nintendo DS microphone
Touch-screen controls, multiple save options and an easy-to-follow tutorial allow novice players to jump into the action, even if they've never played a Fire Emblem game before
Borrow units wirelessly or through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and use them in your own battles with the Loan Unit feature
Six levels of difficulty ensure that even seasoned players can find a challenge in this new entry into the Fire Emblem series
Purchase rare and powerful items using the gold you've acquired during your single-player campaign with the Online Shop feature. You never know what items you might come across, because new items rotate in and out of the armory on a daily basis
Play through the events that brought Marth to the beginning of his quest through a new set of prologue chapters that were specially added to the game for its Nintendo DS release

description
Medeus, the king of the dragonkin, has been revived and is forming an alliance with a fearsome sorcerer named Gharnef. Together, they threaten to the throw the entire continent of Archanea back to an age of chaos and war. Now, it's up to young Prince Marth and his small band of loyal followers to rise up and rally all those left in the land to make one last desperate push to free Archanea from the tyranny of the Shadow Dragon.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy setting. Players alternate turns with opponents, moving their pieces (units) and attacking enemy units on the battlefield. There are dozens of units and different weapons and magic spells, each with its own strategic benefits-high-flying Pegasus knights move effortlessly over varied terrain, fast-moving mounted cavaliers can use swords and lances, unarmed curates use healing staves to mend the wounds of other units and so on.

Many groups play a part in a story but undoubtedly the story's protagonist, Prince Marth, will be the focus for most. Marth has been featured in the Super Smash Bros. series and has been extremely popular within those games, but this is his first time starring in a Fire Emblem game in the United States. At Marth's side is a support of fearless fighters, including the brave Caeda, a princess of the Talys kingdom. Other major characters include the evil sorcerer Gharnef and the sole surviving descendant of the royal House Archanea, Princess Nyna.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-37sr.html ...

Newly released today:



features
Official Super Mario Plush Doll
Height: approx. 21cm
Limited availability

description
Mario has turned himself into a ghoul in this plush toy collection. Presenting himself as a great white ball with a little puff of a tail and his iconic mustache and cap, he is cuter, funnier than terror inducing. Roll him across the sofa in moments of idleness and throw him as a projectile during pillow fights.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-30x3.html ...

Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 320 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.

Who decides that you are dead?

When a high ranking military man sensed that Elemental Dolls from the past are tempering with time and history to change the present, to protect humans and the military's power, he sent his men through the dimension gates.

Once again, the war starts for the Elemental Dolls, who needs to fight between the urge to change their fates and their inherent purpose, to aid humans.

The music will take you to the battlefield itself. From the instant you board your fighter craft to the point you beat the final boss. Feel the determination that washes over you as you listen to the battle themes from the Do Don Pachi Original Soundtrack.

Echoes of Time from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles features the love between family and friends, therefore the tracks in its Original Soundtrack is much gentler and heart warming with a hint of nostalgia hidden in it. Both the game and the music are works of art that offers comfort, listen to it nightly to calm you down for bed.

Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, February 14th and Friday, February 20th. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.


J-Pop Music releases (178)
ENKA Music releases (20)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (15)
Video Game Soundtracks (5)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (9)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (30)
Anime & Animation (31)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (17)
Japanese Movies (9)
J-Pop DVD releases (14)

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

Yosumin begun its life as a humble flash game before Square Enix retooled it for the Nintendo DS and Xbox Live Arcade. Crawlian might be the next Yosumin.

In Crawlian you control a green block. The goal of the game is to roll over and collect all the pink spots before time runs out. It sounds easy and it is when your level is a square. Things get trickier when maps are uneven and designed with holes that you can’t roll the block over. Curious? Then give it a try.

Right now the flash game is part of NicottoTown, a partially Square Enix owned virtual world. However, it looks like Square Enix has bigger plans for Crawlian. The publisher registered a trademark for Crawlian in Japan and the USA. Square Enix pulled a similar move with other downloadable games like Yosumin and Crystal Defenders. You know, a WiiWare version of Crawlian could be pretty neat if players rotated the remote as if it was the green block…

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/02/20...game-overseas/ ...

Good question! When NIS America introduced A Witch’s Tale last summer their plan was to release it around Halloween… 2008. It’s 2009 and we haven’t seen anything new about Hit Maker’s Nintendo DS game.

A Witch’s Tale, however, has not been buried. An official site popped up in teaser mode. A full reveal is scheduled for next week, but the Japanese page in its skeletal form gives us a few details. The game will be known as A Witch’s Tale: The Seven Princesses and the Apprentice Witch in Japan. Also, it is on target to come out this year.

Since NIS America is lending a hand in the development process we should hear more about a domestic release in the future. Perhaps, we’ll see A Witch’s Tale in stores around Halloween 2009?

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/02/20...a-witchs-tale/ ...

Americans may not be fully up to speed on the details, but know that nearly half of all PlayStation 2 consoles sold have been sold in Europe.

A big part of that popularity has been down to what's now known as Sony's "Party Starter" lineup: SingStar, Buzz! and EyeToy.

These were all developed by first-party studios in the UK (and driven by ex-Sony man Phil Harrison), and all were aimed at expanding the appeal of gaming beyond its traditional market. So Buzz! was aimed at families and parties. SingStar was aimed at the girl's night in, the gay lad's night in and drunken parties in general. And EyeToy was aimed at, well, everyone.

And all three have been a success. None more so than SingStar, however, which to date has sold an astonishing 17 million copies, again mostly in Europe. So what's the secret to the success of these games?

Sony Europe's Mike Haigh knows. It's the controllers. Speaking at DICE, Haigh says it's that each of those games uses a unique controller. Non-gamers are often terrified of control pads, so - as we've seen with the success of the wavy-wavy Wii - giving them a simple substitute (like Buzz's quiz-show controllers, EyeToy's camera and SingStar's microphones) can work wonders.

So Microsoft, take note! Oh, sorry, you already have.

Oh, and speaking of microphones, that picture up there? It's of the long-awaited wireless microphones for SingStar, which were promised to appear close to game's launch in late 2007 but will instead be out in the UK on March 20. 2009.

http://kotaku.com/5157075/sony-uniqu...t-for-business ...

Americans may not be fully up to speed on the details, but know that nearly half of all PlayStation 2 consoles sold have been sold in Europe.

A big part of that popularity has been down to what's now known as Sony's "Party Starter" lineup: SingStar, Buzz! and EyeToy.

These were all developed by first-party studios in the UK (and driven by ex-Sony man Phil Harrison), and all were aimed at expanding the appeal of gaming beyond its traditional market. So Buzz! was aimed at families and parties. SingStar was aimed at the girl's night in, the gay lad's night in and drunken parties in general. And EyeToy was aimed at, well, everyone.

And all three have been a success. None more so than SingStar, however, which to date has sold an astonishing 17 million copies, again mostly in Europe. So what's the secret to the success of these games?

Sony Europe's Mike Haigh knows. It's the controllers. Speaking at DICE, Haigh says it's that each of those games uses a unique controller. Non-gamers are often terrified of control pads, so - as we've seen with the success of the wavy-wavy Wii - giving them a simple substitute (like Buzz's quiz-show controllers, EyeToy's camera and SingStar's microphones) can work wonders.

So Microsoft, take note! Oh, sorry, you already have.

Oh, and speaking of microphones, that picture up there? It's of the long-awaited wireless microphones for SingStar, which were promised to appear close to game's launch in late 2007 but will instead be out in the UK on March 20. 2009.

http://kotaku.com/5157075/sony-uniqu...t-for-business ...

Oh, my God! February is insane! Not only do I have to try to finish Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon for an upcoming review, but try to play through 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.

That doesn't even include my personal interest in playing Street Fighter IV and Noby Noby Boy, both of which hit this week. Things don't slow down next week either, as copies of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection and The House of the Dead: Overkill are expected to find a home at Kotaku Towers West.

Of course, it doesn't stop there, but lists are boring and no one sympathizes with someone who gets games shipped to them direct from publishers. Enough about my problems of game overindulgence... what are you playing this weekend? Hit us where it hurts — in the comments!

http://kotaku.com/5157359/what-are-y...g-this-weekend ...