Newly released today;



features
The Ys series for Nintendo DS is not a simple remake of the previous series, but it utilizes the potential of the DS by using one of the screens to show the playing field and the other to show detailed information on the characters.
The players are presented with an option of controlling their characters in the orthodox way by making use of the buttons or the touch pen to execute combos and other secret attacks.
Because of the DS's capabilities, a maximum of four people can play together now and enjoy an unforgettable adventure.

description
The Ys series is said to be the mother of the fantasy RPG genre. This 2D RPG series features not only an exciting game play, engaging plot, dazzling magic and a set of charming characters, but also promotes traditional heroic qualities like innocence, compassion, chivalry and gallantry. With these attributes, the remake of this classic title is a refreshing change from the trendy games these days that celebrates graphic depictions of debauchery.

Once upon a time the world was blessed by the twin goddesses. Because of their power, the world prospered and the land was filled with greenery. People have used the black pearl that embodies magical powers and created the precious metal Cleria. However, during its creation, side effects such as demons and evils emerged.

It was already too late when the high priests discover the connection between evil and Cleria, although they have buried the metal deep into the ground, evil that stemmed from it has already infested the land. Under the terror of rioting demons, the people escaped to the shrine of Sermons, and using the powers of the black pearl, the priests cut the chains of gravity that ties the shrine to the earth and takes it away from the turmoil.

Centuries passed peacefully, the people have forgotten about the twin goddesses and the shrine. When they discovered Cleria from underground, they dug it up as silver without truly fathoming its power, and once again, evil emerges.

It is amidst this chaos that a young traveler Adol left his home to journey through the land, the sixteen year old has no idea what awaits him in his journey.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2foe.html ...

Newly released today;



features
Transmitter: 8 x AA batteries (not included)
Chassis: 4 x AAA batteries (not included)
Frequency: FM 27 MHz
Height: approx. 30mm
Length: approx. 120mm
Width: approx. 70mm
Speed: approx. 13km/h
Limited availability

description
IWAVER 02M features an upgraded FM backlit LCD digital transmitter equipped with EPA, ATL, EXP, ABS and 10 models memory functions that is the new standard of hobby R/C RTR.

New Chassis upgraded PCB comes with standard micro servo allowing players to upgrade or exchange.

One piece bottom plate provided highest traction and flexibility to the chassis.

- Ready To Run
- FM Transmission
- LCD Display
- Proportional Throttle
- Proportional Steering
- ABS Brake
- Available Optional Parts
- Full Function
- Adjustable Steering Trim
- Adjustable Throttle Trim
- 130 Motor
- 4 Different Pinion Gears
- Exchangeable Tires
- Adjustable F / R Suspension

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2nh2.html ...

Newly released today;



features
Transmitter: 8 x AA batteries (not included)
Chassis: 4 x AAA batteries (not included)
Frequency: FM 27 MHz
Height: approx. 30mm
Length: approx. 120mm
Width: approx. 70mm
Speed: approx. 13km/h
Limited availability

description
IWAVER 02M features an upgraded FM backlit LCD digital transmitter equipped with EPA, ATL, EXP, ABS and 10 models memory functions that is the new standard of hobby R/C RTR.

New Chassis upgraded PCB comes with standard micro servo allowing players to upgrade or exchange.

One piece bottom plate provided highest traction and flexibility to the chassis.

- Ready To Run
- FM Transmission
- LCD Display
- Proportional Throttle
- Proportional Steering
- ABS Brake
- Available Optional Parts
- Full Function
- Adjustable Steering Trim
- Adjustable Throttle Trim
- 130 Motor
- 4 Different Pinion Gears
- Exchangeable Tires
- Adjustable F / R Suspension

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2nhq.html ...

In these classic gaming news updates you will find a frequent summary of all classical titles which were added to our site. Availability is subject to frequent changes and fast decisions are recommended as we usually have only very few copies of those titles that are listed below. As always we are trying to expand our catalogue regularly.

In case a title is already listed as sold out, we recommend you use our Track it Down! feature or subscribe to our Personal Agent on the item's product page. We are monitoring your subscription and try to restock the title if possible. Once the game is back in stock, you will automatically receive an e-mail notification from us.

Further, if you are looking for any title that is not listed on our website yet, you are always welcome to contact our customer service with your request. We will try our best to track down the requested title and add them to our website with one of our next major updates.

If you are interested in Classic Games, and you wouldn't read this otherwise, we know you are interested in The Encyclopedia of Game.Machines. Covering 33 years of video games history on 224 full colour pages. Ships within 24hrs as well and makes a good addon to an order of any classic game.

Also you might take a look at the Classic Game Room DVD. "Classic Game Room" was the first classic video game review show on the Internet in 1999 and 2000. It returns as a feature-length comedy film about the triumphant story of online success, failure, obscurity, resurrection and success again! It features hillarious reviews of lots of interesting classic gaming titles.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...9-en-84-n.html ...

via Gamasutra

[In this informal opinion piece, Gamasutra publisher Simon Carless looks at the 'hardcore game renaissance' on the PlayStation 2, thanks to an influx of Japanese imports and the apparent willingness of Sony to concept approve quirkier titles.]

Having just received the new issue of Game Informer magazine with Alpha Protocol on the cover, I was very interested to spot an ad for O3 Entertainment's Chaos Wars, which SiliconEra has been discussing for a while.

It's coming out in April now for PS2 - there's a pre-order page on GameStop's website. This is actually a pretty obscure product - as the Wikipedia page explains:

"Chaos Wars is a crossover between several companies' console role-playing game series: Aruze's Shadow Hearts, Atlus's Growlanser, Idea Factory's Blazing Souls, Gakuen Toshi Vara Noir, Spectral Force, Spectral Souls and Hametsu no Mars, and RED Entertainment's Gungrave and Samurai Police/Shinsengumi Gunrouden."

But yet it's managed to get a U.S. release on PlayStation 2, and that's part of an interesting trend. As the PS2 hardware has matured, but continued to sell (heck, it managed 350,000 units in the U.S. in February), we seem to be seeing SCEA relax its concept approval on casual titles and Japanese niche games alike.

Time was it that standalone 2D games wouldn't make it out on PlayStation 2. It's difficult to work out what was actually permitted, since there are some extravagant rumors, but it certainly seems that titles like Arcana Heart wouldn't have made it out previously. And now it has.

With that in mind, I've assembled a brief list of some North American PS2 titles of recent and upcoming vintages that seem oriented specifically for the so-called "hardcore gamer."I have almost certainly missed some, so that's what the comments are for:

- Arcana Heart (PS2, Atlus, April 2008)
"A 2D arcade fighting game developed by Examu (formerly Yuki Enterprise)... the game features an original all-female cast (each a variation of the moe Anime-Girl archetype), and after choosing a character the player chooses an "elemental alignment" which determines the character's special moves."

- Taito Legends 2 (Destineer, May 2007)
"Taito Legends 2 is a follow-up collection of... Taito arcade games for the PlayStation 2 [including Cameltry, Cleopatra Fortune, Elevator Action Returns, and a host of others]... Bonus content includes hints, cheats and tips for most games, original game flyers, and one interview with Taito."

- King Of Fighters XI (SNK, November 2007)
"The latest installment of The King of Fighters series. The game continues the story of The King of Fighters 2003." But also see a host of others, including Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, World Heroes Anthology, Fatal Fury Battle Archives, and more. SCEA sometimes allowed compilations of SNK 2D titles before, but it definitely seems like they are getting more friendly as resources shift to Wii and next-gen consoles.

- Heavenly Guardian (UFO Interactive, February 2008)
"The successor to the cult favorite Kiki KaiKai series, known more commonly as Pocky & Rocky in North America. It is not precisely the Kiki KaiKai 2 sequel that had previously been announced and canceled - however it is developed by the same company, Starfish SD, and has been described as a "spiritual successor" and is allegedly "very similar" to the cancelled game according to Kiki Kai World's publisher, UFO Entertainment."

Some other alternative titles to mention might include Baroque, Mana Khemia, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, Persona 3 FES and a host of others. Again, it's not as if these titles all wouldnt have been released before.

But in a time that a lot of people are concentrating on the 'next-gen experiences', it's great to see some exquisitely niche PlayStation 2 titles - often with wonderfully crafted gameplay - flowing into the West.

Sure, these are niche games which may only sell 10,000 or 20,000 copies, but with the titles already produced for the Japanese market, and with Japanese game developers increasingly targeting the Western market, we may well see more in the future. ...

We know there have been a couple of crappy videos here and there on the web, but we finally got our own grubby paws on the yet-to-be released iPhone 2.0 beta, which isn't officially due until this June. It isn't exactly awash with changes, but here's what you need to know:

Exchange is so on! Changes are pushed over the network, but over WiFi it does check-ins, so it's not as instantaneous.

There's no contact search that we can see, so far. Maybe that only gets turned on if you have thousands of contacts (which we definitely do not).
There's a new button in the calendar, but we don't know what it is and can't make it do anything.
The App Store is there, of course, but doesn't do anything yet (except error out that it can't connect).
Wondering when Apple will make good on its agreement to license Cisco technology? Well, the branded Cisco VPN screen has definitely been added to the VPN settings. We couldn't really test this one, but assume it works as advertised. We don't yet know if it supports SecurID or other hardware token authenticators.
Parental controls most certainly work. Marvel as we turn off YouTube!

You can now order your preferred WiFi networks.
In addition to having a new sideways scientific mode(!), the basic calculator now does commas and has new, useful functions for the math nerds; both the calc and the iTunes icons have changed.
By far our favorite new feature is multi-select in mail, though. Now when you hit edit you can select as many messages as you want and delete or move them as a group. Friggin' finally. Now where's that two-pane client?
Definitely encouraging stuff in here. We'll have some video up of this thing a little later; in the mean time, there anything you want to know? Big ups to our source(s) for hooking us up with this!

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/18/i...-2-0-hands-on/ ...

via IGN

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system has shipped to retailers nationwide. Featuring the original Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation game console, the director's cut of Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3, fans and newcomers have the chance to get fully immersed in the Metal Gear Solid universe before the release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Additionally, the title comes in a commemorative package with artwork by renowned Metal Gear Solid artist Yoji Shinkawa.

"The Metal Gear Solid series created a unique stealth action genre within videogames, and subsequently became one of the most popular game franchises in the world," said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. "Now gamers have the chance to experience the evolution of a groundbreaking series in one collectible package. Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection is an amazing value for gamers.

Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and sells for a suggested retail price of $29.99. For more information visit the website at www.konami.com. ...

via IGN

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) announced today the release of SingStar '90s, the latest installment in the ever growing multi-million selling SingStar franchise, available exclusively for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's Worldwide Studios, London Studio, SingStar '90s brings a hit list of Grunge, R&B, Rap and Pop music from artists that defined the decade including Paula Abdul, En Vogue, Vanilla Ice, Boyz II Men, Nirvana and more.

Available both as a stand-alone disc and packaged with two high-quality USB microphones, the addition of SingStar '90s as the fifth installment to the SingStar catalogue provides PlayStation fans with over 150 chart-topping songs and music videos to sing, compete and have fun with friends and family. Players can easily access any of the song lists while playing from SingStar '90s, SingStar Rocks!, SingStar Pop, SingStar '80s, or SingStar Amped with the disc swap feature which allows for seamless transition between titles.

"The SingStar franchise has been instrumental in making PlayStation 2 a social entertainment hub in the home. SingStar '90s will build on this success and provide fans with the songs and videos that made boy bands and flannel shirts all the rage," said Jeff Reese, director, software marketing, SCEA. "This year will be landmark for SingStar as we continue to deliver compelling content on PlayStation 2 while also revolutionizing the franchise as we bring it to PlayStation 3 on May 20 by giving players access to purchase hundreds of songs and videos across multiple genres, build and customize party playlists, and build a community of user-created performances."

Regardless of music or gaming ability, aspiring rock stars can select from 30 hit songs to sing along with while watching the actual music video on screen. Performing to such crowd pleasing favorites as "U Can't Touch This", "Pump up the Jam", and "Ice Ice Baby", players can take their turn in the spotlight solo-style or share the spotlight with multiplayer modes, including cooperative Duet Mode, one-on-one Battle Mode, and the team-based Pass-the-Mic which accommodates up to eight players. In addition, SingStar '90s is compatible with the popular EyeToy USB camera which allows players to watch themselves belt it out as the main act and record their performance for playback. Players can also save their favorite vocal performances onto a Memory Card for future audio playback and customize and enhance playback with numerous effects.

SCEA will support SingStar '90s with a media advertising campaign, full promotional support including in-store demonstrations, retailer supported Social Gaming Areas, merchandising support, broad-based public relations support, and an immersive and interactive SingStar website at http://www.us.playstation.com/singstar/.

The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has rated SingStar '90s "T" for "Teen". For more information about the ESRB, please visit www.esrb.org.

...

More progress on the upcoming homebrew game for Dreamcast.

From the official website:

Hello dear Giana-Fans!

First of all, let us tell you that the project is not abandoned and we won’t abandon it

Everyone has already read the story about the graphics artist issues severall times already and you boys and girls are probably already sick about it - which would be pretty much understandable. A pixelgraphics artist from France named [thUg] who was also active in the Amiga demoscene offered his help, which we will glady accept - things should move on soon.

So this was the status about Giana’s Retun itself… now time for something new…

We got hands on a very talented (but unfortunatly not free) graphics artist who is currently drawing sprites and tiles for a new Sci-Fi Jump’n'Shoot. We are taking essences from “Hard’n'Heavy”, “Metal Slug” and “Turrican” and mixing it up into a brandnew game, based upon the Giana’s Return engine. Of course we could have got that graphics guy also for our main project, but the background of this story is a bit more difficult and would probably fill a few pages to explain.

We have the main sprite “Little Bastard” ready and animated, white a nice and proper gun in his hands. Within the next three to four weeks, we should have everything ready to start. The game itself will be less complex than Giana’s Return as we want to head towards “Hard’n'Heavy” which was dealt as “The Great Giana Sisters II”.

We don’t have a music artist for this, as Operator is still busy with the Giana’s Return music and sound FX. Our organizer is already having some artists in mind, who could provide proper chipmusic. This time it might not be “exclusive” tracks as for Giana’s Return, but be sure that the music will rock the house - or better said “chip” the house.

Kudos!
Your’s Giana’s Return Team

PS: We answered most of the people who offered help, but most of them didn’t reply, did you guys checked your spambox folder? ...