New Commercial DS Game released:



features
Real-Time Battle Action – Rallen and two allied Spectrobes take on the enemy Krawl in exciting real-time battles.
Excavation – Players will find and collect new Spectrobes and items by searching for fossils.
Training and Customization – The freshly excavated Spectrobes can evolve into more powerful, fully grown versions through training.
Wireless Community and Multiplayer Gameplay – Exchange Spectrobes and items wirelessly with other players.

description
Spectrobes introduces two junior Planetary Patrol officers named Rallen and Jeena who learn of strange, prehistoric creatures called Spectrobes that possess special powers. These Spectrobes hold the key to defeating a vicious and merciless force, known only as the Krawl, that threatens to destroy the galaxy.

The two heroes embark on a mission to save their galaxy – to do so they must excavate, awaken, train and collect all the Spectrobes they can and battle to defeat the Krawl.

Developed in Japan, Spectrobes is a dynamic new anime-inspired action RPG franchise that uniquely combines characters, story and innovative gameplay for kids and audiences of all ages. Spectrobes allows players to excavate, awaken, train and battle with unique creatures -- utilizing every interactive feature of the Nintendo DS.

Buy Spectrobes ...

New Commercial DS Game released:



features
Real-Time Battle Action – Rallen and two allied Spectrobes take on the enemy Krawl in exciting real-time battles.
Excavation – Players will find and collect new Spectrobes and items by searching for fossils.
Training and Customization – The freshly excavated Spectrobes can evolve into more powerful, fully grown versions through training.
Wireless Community and Multiplayer Gameplay – Exchange Spectrobes and items wirelessly with other players.

description
Spectrobes introduces two junior Planetary Patrol officers named Rallen and Jeena who learn of strange, prehistoric creatures called Spectrobes that possess special powers. These Spectrobes hold the key to defeating a vicious and merciless force, known only as the Krawl, that threatens to destroy the galaxy.

The two heroes embark on a mission to save their galaxy – to do so they must excavate, awaken, train and collect all the Spectrobes they can and battle to defeat the Krawl.

Developed in Japan, Spectrobes is a dynamic new anime-inspired action RPG franchise that uniquely combines characters, story and innovative gameplay for kids and audiences of all ages. Spectrobes allows players to excavate, awaken, train and battle with unique creatures -- utilizing every interactive feature of the Nintendo DS.

Buy Spectrobes ...

New REGION FREE XBOX 360 GAME RELEASE



Based on the all-new CGI TMNT movie, Ubisoft’s TMNT™ video game takes place in New York City, a city plagued with fast-moving shadows and attacks from strange creatures. Could the wealthy and mysterious Max Winters be involved? New York City needs the Turtles now more than ever but they face their most trying time both as heroes and as brothers. With the fate of the City and their family at stake, it’s up to Leonardo with Zen Master Splinter to restore unity and ninja discipline to the Turtles. In this highly immersive experience, join the Ninja Turtles team and experience intense acrobatic navigation, collaborative combat and powerful fighting moves. Engage in over-the-top Ninja action to reunite the Turtles and save New York City.

Buy TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ...

News from Play Asia

Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing all new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 750 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.

Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, March 17th and Friday, March 23rd. 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 (172)
ENKA Music releases (13)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (80)
Video Game Soundtracks (23)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (12)
Blu-Ray Disc Movies (9)
HD DVD Movies (1)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (22)
Japanese Movies (80)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (124)
Anime DVD releases (180)
J-Pop DVD releases (22)
Misc. Japanese DVD releases (4)
Idol DVD (21)
UMD™ Video & Music (1) ...

via joystiq

Hey Microsoft! It's me, Adam. Do me a favor, will you? Make Folding@Home available for Xbox 360 users. We saw earlier today how awesome the PS3 is at folding, so why not let your sweet console get in on the action?

While 99.999 percent of fanboy fights end up with everyone being a loser (similarly to how they begin), this battle of the consoles would benefit everyone. Xbox users and PS3 users could compete to see who could complete more Work Units faster, determining which console is superior. And at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter who wins, because it would allow for many, many more people to put what is a dormant computer when not in use into an Alzheimer's curing machine. And heck, since there are many times more Xboxes out there than there are PS3s, you'll start at an advantage and this thing could really take off.

So how about it? You don't want Sony to get all the good publicity that's coming from this Folding@Home business, do you? Let's make it happen. ...

via joystiq



In addition to having an awkward appearance, Thrustmaster's Run'N' Drive gamepad may run (and/or drive) away with the dubious distinction of most awkward name and capitalization schema for a gaming product. Our fingers pause, apprehensively, every time we write a brand name, fearful of mangling some marketing team's carefully focus-grouped formatting. Occasionally, we remain obstinate and refuse to conform (we're looking at you PLAYSTATION 3 and SIXAXIS), but we're at a loss with the Run'N' Drive. So, instead of complaining about the name, we'll talk about the controller.

As luck would have it, the Run'N' Drive (RND from here on out) claims to be "7-axis" making it exactly one more axis than Sony's gamepad ... too bad SEVENAXIS isn't palindromic ... that would be sixaneves. We're not sure where that extra axis comes into play; you see, the RND "does not offer a motion sensor" on the PlayStation 3. What it does offer is compatibility with the PS3, PS2, and PC platforms (note: the RND "only supports PS3 games" on the PS3) as well as an optical wheel for "spot on precision." ...

Xbox Live will be down next Tuesday for 14 hours from 3AM until 5PM EST, so you shouldn't plan any marathon sessions of online gaming with your Xbox ... because you'll be a very unhappy camper. Major Nelson said this is only for internal maintenance, and there won't be any new updates to the Dashboard or anything nifty like that happening.

So prepare for an all-night session on Monday right up until the plug is pulled if you really want to get your gaming on. Fourteen hours seems like a long time for internal maintenance ... could there be something else going on behind the scenes?

via joystiq ...

European PlayStation 3 owners now have something they can tout over their Japanese and North American brethren. Though they did wait months longer for the console's release, it seems that they are privileged to an updated version of Gran Turismo HD Concept, and version 2.0 sports force feedback support for racing wheels.

But force feedback is last-gen, you say? Vibrating controllers of Sony's past have won Emmys, we say. Racing fans who are dedicated to the genre enough to buy a wheel peripheral deserve to have as immersive an experience as possible, even if it's just one race course. This bodes well for future releases (as well as the unknown known Sixaxis with rumble). As of this writing, the U.S. version is still 1.1, but we expect to get our rumble shortly.

via joystiq ...

via gamesradar

In case you hadn't noticed, at 12.01am this morning, PlayStation 3 was finally launched in PAL territories around the world - places like France, Africa, New Zealand, and even our little island of England.

While - thankfully - it didn't trigger the sort of apocalypse-like drama of last year's American launch day madness, there are still more than enough quirky tales to fill your average news ticker. Or, in our creation below, a nice map.

Imagine we're slapping the tip of a lecturer's pointer onto the relevant geographical locations as you read for extra effect...

1 London, UK
Were you one of the 100 people who camped out in the Oxford Street Virgin Megastore for PS3's launch? If so, then well done. And Goddamn you.

Because each of the happy hundred early queue-sitters walked out with a grand's worth of HDTV, as a present from Sony for their "loyalty". They even got a free taxi ride home. The basta...

2 Swindon, UK
Things weren't quite so cheerful in Swindon, though. Well, less so than usual, at least. An unnamed woman there was attacked as she walked home with her newly purchased PlayStation 3.

Admirably, though, she held on to the console, forcing the muggers to abort the crime and scarper. Before being collared by the local Bobbies shortly after. It's not quite the same as "several hit in PS3 launch line drive by" though, is it?

3 Malta
PlayStation 3 sold out in Malta, and was the fasting-selling gaming brand in the country's history, with all 250 of the consoles sent to the small island snapped up almost immediately. Can Xbox 360 make the same boast?

4 Paris, France
Trendy Parisians could get their culture and their gaming in one place last night, as Sony bods in the French capital threw a PS3 launch event in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

There was a small irksome interruption though - by a huge riverboat chugging down the Seine with "Xbox 360 (heart) you" plastered across it. Oh, Microsoft, we love you too.

5 Everywhere, Italy
The Italians have the right idea - instead of waiting like obedient puppies for Sony to toss PlayStation 3 across to European gamers, stores in Italy began selling the next-gen consoles on Wednesday.

Small-scale retailer Darty first broke the barrier two days ago, before other stores hastily followed suit so as not to miss out. Sony is "deeply disappointed". We're just annoyed we don't live in Italy.

6 Sydney, Australia
Early adopters of PS3 got an early showing of Blu-ray's capabilities at Sydney's launch event, with Sony screening James Bond's latest cinema outing Casino Royale for the gamers stood in line. That's all 70 of them - compared with more than a 1,000 who queued up for Xbox 360's beachhead in Australia last year.

With other locations reporting similarly unimpressive gangs of customers, there can be only one answer. The Aussies are obviously displaying their disappointment with the choice of Daniel Craig for the role of England's greatest spy. Or, hang on...

7 Durban, South Africa
Pity the poor people who queued up outside Durban's branch of CNA. Not only was the Sony-sponsored launch party antics restricted to the cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg, but the retailer's PlayStation 3 order didn't even make it to the store, and the whole midnight launch thing was cancelled.

Still, at least the disappointed gamers could play on the many demo units stationed in shops around the city. Xbox 360 demo units, that is, since the PS3 ones haven't turned up yet.

8 Nowhere, India
Finally, spare a thought for Indian gamers. We might have had to wait two years since PS3 was announced, and four months since Sony launched the console in America and Japan, but India won't see the next generation of PlayStation until 27 April.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, it'll then cost a whopping £467, or 39,990 Indian Rupees. Count your blessings, readers... ...