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News: Fun With Shadowbane Hacking
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May 30, 2003 1:31 PM PST
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Wired / VD
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Hacking MMORPGS isn't cool...but that doesn't mean it can't be done in a cool way. Earlier this week, Shadowbane players experienced a hack that, quite literally, changed their world.
"At first, players started speculating that there was a really bad bug in the game code," player Tim Wheating said. "Then we realized that somehow an insane god had taken control of our world and was out to kill us all."
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Play-Asia: Shikigami no Shiro
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May 30, 2003 10:44 AM PST
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Play-Asia.com / VD
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Looks like the guys at Play-Asia have got a refresh of the many versions of Shikigami no Shiro: PS2, Xbox, and the Evolution version for Xbox in both Blue and Red packaging. I'm very glad to see the Red packaged Evolution back in stock (I've wanted this for a while...hard to find these days), and doubly glad to direct people somewhere other than XS Games if they're in need of a current gen shooting fix...
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Download: Yumeria for Windows demo
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May 30, 2003 10:44 AM PST
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Watch Impress / VD
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Thank to Rid Hershel for pointing this out. Namco has released a Windows demo of their latest 3D graphic adventure game, Yumeria. It looks like it's supposed to be a system benchmark, so you know exactly how many hundreds of dollars you're going to need to spend to display these girls at 1600 x 1200. It's a bit slow-going, as of the time of this posting, so you better get started.
Note: You might need a new video card if your screen looks like this.
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E3: Jak II Preview
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May 29, 2003 1:22 PM PST
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TR
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Two levels. Four hours and sixteen minutes. Inside is the story of two gamers, Jak II, and the meaning of lives.
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News: New SvC characters
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May 28, 2003 11:39 AM PST
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MMCafe / VD
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Looks like the Mad Man in his Cafe has made a lot of people happy with his discovery. The four new characters introduced via Arcadia magazine include Vega (M. Bison), Sagat, Kim Kaphwan, and Genjuro! Check out images at his site...
In other news, he mentions the plans for To Heart 2...above the SvC headline, strengthening the argument for the eventual transformation into the Misato Mitsumi Cafe. Not that I would mind the change... :)
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Download: Ragnarok Battle Adventure
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May 28, 2003 1:09 AM PST
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VD
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If you want to take your favorite RO characters (well, swordsman and acolyte, at least) into a beat'em up game for up to four players, Ragnarok Battle Online is your best bet. Recently updated to version 3.0 (which adds a useful save feature), this is a fun little download, whether your an RO or beat'em up genre fan. If you're not sure where to go on the Japanese page in order to download it, check the link right below the space between RESEARCH and ORGANIZATION...
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News: Arcturus downloads
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May 26, 2003 4:54 PM PST
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VD
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Falcom has a bunch of stuff available for those awaiting their version of the hit Korean RPG, Arcturus: The Curse And Loss Of Divinity. Check out their downloads section for a new promotional video and music samples. If you want a higher quality video, Watch Impress has just what you're looking for.
Update: The movies above are nice, but you don't see either the full animated intro or extended periods of gameplay footage. Well, we've got a solution to that. Check out the intro movie (1:21 - 10 MB) and the gameplay trailer (2:52 - 14.5 MB). Gotta love those Korean pop ballads...
Update 2: Why movies when you can just play the game? There was an English demo presented at E3 two years ago, and there are still quite a few places that have it. Check out FilePlanet to download the 137 meg playable demo. Thanks Gabriel...
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Review: Eternal Fighter Zero
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May 26, 2003 11:40 AM PST
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GL
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Back to the doujin game scene we go (and on the heels of E3, no less) as Gabriel Leung tells us why you should run out and play Eternal Fighter Zero.
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News: Princess Holiday downloads
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May 23, 2003 4:16 PM PST
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Alchemist / VD
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The web site for one of the last Dreamcast games to be released, Princess Holiday, has been updated with new movies. More specifically, every day, from today to the release of the game on May 29th, a new compilation video for an individual character from the game will be made available. The site is a bit slow at the moment, so modem users, be glad knowing that your broadband peers are downloading just as quickly as you are!
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E3: Bandai's Daisuke Uchiyama...and the Linda
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May 23, 2003 3:05 PM PST
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TR
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Sometimes, interviews give you far more than you bargained for. Even before a word was said, Tim knew that the producer of .hack is: a punk-rocker.
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Site News: Brandon goes to Japan
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May 21, 2003 11:13 PM PST
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BS
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Indeed, I’m off to the land of games and rapid technological advancements. This is supposed to be a ‘vacation.’ As a result, I will not be posting news for the next two weeks. This task will be undertaken by Vincent Diamante, with assistance from Rid Hershel. So please do not be surprised if updates are a bit fewer, further between, or change slightly in terms of content. All will return to normal around the 7th of June or so. In the meantime, I’ll keep you all updated with some sort of Japan chronicles feature. See you all in June!
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E3: Thanks to EntDepot
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May 21, 2003 11:13 PM PST
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The Entertainment Depot
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We would just like to publicly thank Ryan of Entertainment Depot for assisting us in the aquisition of several of the contacts interviews for this year's E3. If you've never visited his site, it's worth a look.
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News: 8-button GBA
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May 21, 2003 11:13 PM PST
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Mash / BS
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A poster at the Sector: NGP board has constructed an 8-buton GBA for himself, in which two extra buttons on the face share the same function as the L and R triggers. Pretty fantastic work, check it out here, along with some words from Mash, the man himself.
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News: SvC Chaos Location test
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May 21, 2003 11:13 PM PST
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Sun Amusement / BS
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Sun Amusement has announced that the location test for SvC Chaos will begin in select arcades on the 6th of June, two days after I leave Japan. Not cool Sun, not cool.
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News: Soul Stone Screens
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May 21, 2003 11:13 PM PST
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BS
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Blue Wind, creators of the best snake port for GP32, have updated with some screenshots of their upcoming ARPG Soul Stone. Looking extremely nice – this will be an official game, sold through MegaGP. Thanks to GP32 Notebook for the news.
 
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E3: SNK Interview
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May 20, 2003 11:56 PM PST
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BS
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Hear everything that happened in our interview with SNK... all 35 minutes of it. While there was plenty said during our time with SNK, what wasn't said proved just as interesting.
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E3: Sammy Studios
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May 20, 2003 11:56 PM PST
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BS
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Sammy has a strong lineup this year. Besides the aforementioned Seven Samurai 20XX, and other console games, they're also prepping three games for the Atomis Wave arcade system later this year. Extremely exciting stuff for all.
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E3: Video: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
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May 18, 2003 9:14 PM PST
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VD
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Some more video footage for you this weekend. This trio of videos (each ~1 minute long and 10 MB in size) shows off some gameplay footage from Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. Square seemed to be rather annoyed when we unleashed our video camera prowess, so rather than provoke them further, we pulled a Metal Gear Solid and covertly captured footage at a remote location. (Read: captured video at the Nintendo booth.) A full preview to follow later this week.
Gameplay 1, Gameplay 2, Boss Intro
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E3: a new direction for metal gear solid
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May 17, 2003 7:51 PM PST
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TR
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For all the disbelievers, Tim Rogers has a message for you. That's right: you. Are you ready? Are you truly prepared? Are you sure?
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E3: Say "Guh"
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May 17, 2003 4:36 PM PST
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EJRW
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This year's E3 saw a Sega that wasn't the force it was in previous shows. Regardless, Sega continues to flaunt a solid lineup. Eric provides his thoughts...
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E3: Weekend Video Update
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May 17, 2003 3:44 PM PST
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VD
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The Weekend Video Update is now! Keep on checking back as we update our E3 coverage with more video straight from the show floor. Our latest victim: Seven Samurai 20XX. Previous updates: Gradius V
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E3: Tapwave's Helix
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May 17, 2003 7:58 AM PST
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BS
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And you thought we were done with portable gaming news at E3. While Tapwave's Helix product wasn't available for public scrutiny at the show, there were plenty of bits and pieces floating around for Brandon to comment on. Behold another entry in the tight race for second place.
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E3: Shadow Over Bethesda
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May 16, 2003 5:40 AM PST
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EJRW
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It's always satisfying to see properties that we love getting the respect that they deserve in a video game format. Eric-Jon found himself in the bowels of Bethesda Softworks' meeting room and found the experience: satisfying.
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E3: B'ngo
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May 16, 2003 3:40 AM PST
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BS
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With n-Gage, PSP, and thirty other handheld system announcements (very slight exaggeration), it takes a lot for a system to really distinguish itself. B'ngo does just that.
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E3: Playphone
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May 16, 2003 1:51 AM PST
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BS
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While it's easy to get caught up in all the hustle and bustle happening abroad in the grand SNK drama, events like E3 do a great job of revealing the strangest things from ever closer to home. Witness Playphone, purveyors of cellular phone entertainment and, surprisingly, SNK properties.
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E3: SNK vs. Capcom Chaos
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May 16, 2003 12:25 AM PST
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EJRW
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Well...what everyone's been waiting for: SNK vs. Capcom! Videos and impressions inside for your viewing and reading enjoyment.
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E3: Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
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May 15, 2003 3:41 AM PST
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EJRW
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Lament of Innocence. It's a Castlevania game. It's an experiment in 3D execution. It's a power metal band from Sweden. Which of these doesn't belong? Eric-Jon has the answer.
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E3: Seven Samurai 20XX
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May 15, 2003 2:44 AM PST
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BS
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With the blessing of Kurosawa's son and gameplay courtesy of the masters at Dimps, Seven Samurai 20XX looks to be a smooth and stylish action game with music and story in spades.
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E3: SNK - The future is now...again.
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May 15, 2003 1:08 AM PST
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EJRW
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While we'll take a more in-depth look at the new SNK tomorrow, a conversation between our own intrepid Eric-Jon and Ben Herman, president of newly reformed SNK NeoGeo USA, revealed details no SNK fan should go without.
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E3: Gradius V
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May 14, 2003 11:45 PM PST
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VD
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After seeing a lot of 3D shooters based on World War II, Tom Clancy, and other miscellaneous conflicts that touch a little too close to home, it was rather comforting to see fond memories of video games past revived. Yes, Konami: you are great.
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E3: Sony's mobile foray
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May 14, 2003 3:47 AM PST
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VD
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Sony has finally announced a handheld console. As usual, it boasts some impressive specs. But this may be nothing more than fancy jargon for a hardware that simply does not yet exist. Take a look at Vince's thoughts on the device, the newest attempt to threaten Nintendo's throne.
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E3: Nokia N-Gage preshow
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May 14, 2003 3:47 AM PST
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BS
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Nokia throws a mean party. We saw this during the GDC, but the ridiculous level has been raised to astronomical heights. In between the mumbo-jumbo and the dancing could-be-preteens, several precious nuggets of raw information can be gleaned. The full story, shots of the show, screens of the games - all can be found within.
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Review: Iridion II
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May 13, 2003 12:53 AM PST
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insert credit / N. Rambutan
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Iridion II fixes the faults of it's predecessor, making for one fine bundle of shooty goodness. Is this the best shooter you can get on the GBA for $14.99?? N. Rambutan might say yes.
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News: Doujin - Hikoza'n-chi, Bio 100%
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May 12, 2003 11:47 PM PST
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Namco / BS
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Theo of MultiPLAY! Magazine wrote me today, with some interesting Doujin shooter info:
"I'd like to recommend
Hikoza'n-chi Software's shmup, WARNING FOREVER. Yeah, it's a bit old (2002/08/11), but
still, one of the most original PC freeware shooters ever. The gameplay contains only boss encounters (thus the title) and a countdown on your neck. When you're hit, you loose seconds instead of lives - just like in Bio 100%'s twist on the classic Galaga, CARAX 95. It's even older, the original creator's page is down since 2001. Both games are for Windows 9x+."
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News: Yumeria Desktop Clocks
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May 12, 2003 11:47 PM PST
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Namco / BS
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Desktop time pieces are available from Yumeria, Namco's 3D dating sim/RPG. Get them here. Thanks to Rid Hershel for the link.
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News: Mr. Monar in alpha .01
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May 12, 2003 11:41 PM PST
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Tailzone / BS
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The first Japanese GP32 amateur game Mr. Monar is in alpha stages now. Check Tailzone for a new shot, including one of the game running on the system. Excitement mounts!
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News: Tales of Destiny 2 in Korea
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May 12, 2003 11:37 PM PST
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Sony Korea / BS
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Tales of Destiny 2 is now released in Korea as well. Looks like the west is the only area to lose out! Keep your fingers crossed! Thanks to Rid for the news.
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News: New 2600 RPG
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May 11, 2003 8:33 PM PST
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Paul Slocum / BS
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Here's something interesting for you. Good old Paul Slocum (of 2600 Synthcart fame) is developing an RPG for the 2600. It will basically be a traditional RPG, with passcode saving, story/text, turn based magic/melee traditional battles, and enemies from classic 2600 games! Looks great so far, go pay him a visit!
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News: Bobo~bo GBA TVCM
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May 11, 2003 8:15 PM PST
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Hudson / BS
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The game has been out for a while now, but the commercials are still worth checking out. Pocket Domain has uploaded the commercials to their server on the corresponding page.
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News: Super Robot Taisen Compact 3
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May 11, 2003 8:09 PM PST
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Bandai / BS
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The Magicbox writes that Bandai will release Super Robot Taisen Compact 3 for SwanCrystal on July 17th. If this is true I'll be glad, but there's no announcement on Bandai's Wonderswan Web yet.
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News: MxS sale location
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May 11, 2003 8:07 PM PST
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Abogado Powers / BS
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Abogado Powers has released the sale locations for the 5.16 release of the S&M Hotel sim MxS. Check the list here.
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Review: Ikaruga: Appreciate DVD
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May 11, 2003 1:33 AM PST
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Dr Ian
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You can't simply purchase the skill needed to master a game like Ikaruga, but thanks to Treasure, you can see just what you need to do in a single, region-free DVD. Reader Dr Ian shares his thoughts on this magical piece of performance art.
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News: Doujin group Inudon Empire
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May 10, 2003 11:59 PM PST
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Inudon Empire / BS
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The Doujin software group Inudon Empire has made some new updates to their 1 on 1 fighter Dogma. And while you're at it, check out their really, really excellent stg - Radio Zonde. Radio Zonde has several modes of play, with different ships and attack combinations. When playing keep in mind that there is a Radiant Silvergun style button config - different couplings of buttons produce different attacks. Great stuff. Thanks pending staffer Gabriel Leung for the news.
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News: Mario for CD-i
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May 10, 2003 11:47 PM PST
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The Blackmoon Project / BS
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Devin of the The Blackmoon Project (CD-i retrogaming site) has posted some interviews and info on the development of the scrapped Mario game for the Phillips CD-i, Super Mario's Wacky Worlds. Some screen caps await, as well as a short movie demo. I've played the game, and it really is pretty impressive. Eventually I may have to put up the video we captured playing it...
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News: Starscape
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May 10, 2003 11:42 PM PST
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Moonpod / BS
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Here's an interesting PC shooter from Moonpod - their first game in fact. Download the demo if you're curious. Not the most amazing, but something to pass the time. Thanks to Comic-Kaze for the news.
Update! Link fixed - thanks to Theo for pointing this out.
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News: Kung Fu Panic
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May 10, 2003 11:35 PM PST
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Xbox / BS
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In other news - this guy. A bizarre promo sort of thing for Kung Fu Panic in Japan. Better check it out for yourself.
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News: Metal Slug 3 postponed
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May 10, 2003 11:29 PM PST
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Playmore / BS
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In light of more pressing news, I neglected this on the 8th. Metal Slug 3 for PS2 has been pushed back once again, from May 22 to June 19th. What are they doing to it??
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News: Her Knights RPG
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May 9, 2003 7:59 PM PST
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Byulbram / BS
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Byulbram's first game was an RPG for the PC in Korea. The game is a prequel of sorts for the GP32 All For Princess game. Her Knights: Et in tera pax hominibus bonne voluntatis was until very recently an incredibly difficult game to find. However, at long last Byulbram has made the game freeware. It's a large download, but well worth your time. Get it here, linked from his forum post. Thanks to GP32 Notebook for the news.
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News: Sprint, Yankee Spirit
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May 9, 2003 7:52 PM PST
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SquareEnix / BS
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Here comes a new game from SquareEnix - Sprint, Yankee Spirit (my rough translation). Some images and info can be found on Impress Watch, but here are the basics: it's a team-based Massive Multiplayer Online Scooter Race for PC. You battle other teams, and can use magic, et cetera. Clothing, scooter customization and levelling is possible. Very, very strange. Here's the official page. It seems as though there's a promo movie out and a demo to soon follow, but I've not been able to find the movie just yet. More as it comes.
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News: Sexy Beach 2 screens
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May 9, 2003 7:48 PM PST
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Illusion / BS
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Sexy Beach 2 work-in-progress game screens have been revealed at Illusion Soft, in addition to character bios. Check the official site for the goods. All work safe this time, but borderline.
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News: MGS3 promo
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May 9, 2003 7:42 PM PST
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Konami / BS
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A promo trailer has been leaked for the upcoming game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Check it out here. Thanks to Leon's MGS site for the news. Incidentally, it's a nice site with an interactive flash topbar.
In my opinion, this game could have easily been retitled: Rambo - War is Fun. But who am I to judge.
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News: Sega Sammy
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May 9, 2003 7:40 PM PST
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Bloomberg / SM
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here's an interesting article about Sega leaving Sammy in the lurch. The merger will not go through of course, as they seem to now favor Namco. But an interesting extra bit of info - After the announcement that Sega would not merge with Sammy and turn to Namco, Namco's stock fell 3.7 percent. Curious!
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News: Infogrames MP3
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May 9, 2003 7:35 PM PST
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Infogrames / BS
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Infogrames has become Atari. The name and the licenses have been appropriated. To celebrate, listen to this mp3. The most ridiculous thing you'll hear this week. Well - before E3 at least. Thanks to Chakan for the link.
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News: Capcom 4-koma
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May 9, 2003 7:30 PM PST
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Capcom / BS
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Some 4-panel comics have been uploaded to Capcom's Fun Club. Rockman and miscellaneous. Thanks to Satishi Miwa's MMCafe BBS post for the link.
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News: Playmore news
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May 8, 2003 9:59 PM PST
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Playmore / BS
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Lots of great stuff from good old Playmore today. First up, the cover art for KOF 2K2 has been revealed. I like it, I care not what anyone else says.
The big news is that the official SvC Chaos page has been updated with full character art. Most characters have actually been redrawn - check the MMCafe section for reference to the older designs. It should also be noted that there is now (at least physically) more room for additional characters, something Trieuminator rumors to be in the works.
Last bit - the 'English' page has been updated with NPI homecart info. I'm glad to see that SNKglish is alive and well in Playmore: "You will be admired by the spectacular graphics, and the BGM."
Well, I do think that it's about time the graphics gave me some credit.
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News: GP32 updates
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May 8, 2003 9:35 PM PST
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Various / BS
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What the heck, I'll start with the good stuff this time. Article Seezak has released more screens of their upcoming dating sim Story of Bug Eyed Monster. Click the link and read the last five posts. It seems that Mill made it into the game! Here's some further info: The story is about an alien who comes to earth and possesses a human body - he does this in order to study human love. There are three types of minigame revealed: puzzle, shooting and timing. The one you see to the left is a timing fighting game (ala Battle Heat). Very cool. Still no release date or price though. Thanks to GP32 Notebook for the news.
A few new games have been released - Momie and GP Art - check out screens at GP32 News.
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News: SFII sequel clarified
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May 8, 2003 9:29 PM PST
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Madman's Cafe / BS
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Moriarty has clarified the Street Fighter II sequel announcement - essentially, the potential exists for one, and the 15th anniversary of the game would be a good time to expect news in this regard, were any to be released. Check the Madman's Cafe for more. Translation screwups - they happen to the best of us.
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News: Web for Namco fans
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May 8, 2003 9:29 PM PST
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Various / BS
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Two interesting websites for fans of Namco's work. One is a Namco web museum of sorts, with images and descriptions of their Japanese games from the 70s and 80s. The site's a bit slow, but worth enduring. The other is Namcomaniax, a site with reviews of namco's soundtrack CDs. Several MP3 and midi files are available for download as well. Thanks of course to Rid Hershel for the news.
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News: Arcturus sale out
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May 8, 2003 9:26 PM PST
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Falcom / BS
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Falcom has opened up the order forms for their June 30th release of Arcturus in Japan. And with that comes news of the goodies they invariably include. This time round we've got a full OST with 83 songs, including three bonus tracks and some karaoke versions. Three hours of total music. The other extra is a guide booklet - unusual to include with an RPG, but when it's been released in a neighboring country for so long, I suppose it's acceptable. The DVD and CD versions both run at 7,800 yen.
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Hardware review: GB Player
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May 8, 2003 4:44 AM PST
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insert credit / brandon sheffield
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I have a love-hate relationship with the Game Boy Player for the Gamecube. Sure it lets me play GBA games on my TV, but at what price? Answer: $54 dollars, and my dignity. Find out the good, the bad and the ugly of the best console accessory I've ever frustrated myself with.
Addendum: I have added a piece to the review, to reflect the concerns of several readers. Hopefully this will appease the beast, so to speak.
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Site news: Email and RISC
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May 7, 2003 7:58 PM PST
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insert credit / brandon sheffield
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Just to let you know - we're going through an email server change. Several emails have not gone through, but we don't know just how many we've lost. If you have sent anything to any of us in the last two days, please resend it in a couple more. Sorry for the trouble!
In other news, I'd like to ask publicly if anyone knows the whereabouts or status of RISC, the game musicians. They were about for some time as competitors/contemporaries for the Minibosses, making very above par game related rock. Here's a sample of their work. Their site is now down, so I'd love to host their songs in memorial, but need permission of course. Contact me with info, and we'll hope it gets throught to the new server!
On second thought - strike that. Email me in two days with the info. I'm not confident enough that I'll receive your mail.
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Review: Amplitude
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May 7, 2003 7:45 PM PST
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Aaron Meyers / BS
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I don't usually do off-site links to reviews, but here's a fantastic review of Amplitude from Aaron Meyers, the photographer for our topbars. He's considering writing for insert credit - send an email if you like his work!
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Play-Asia: Hordes of classic, new games
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May 7, 2003 7:25 PM PST
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Play-Asia.com / BS
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This is the motherload! Play-Asia.com has gotten ahold of five Megadrive CD games (sealed), eight new NGPC games (sealed), and a whole slew of new releases for PS2 and GC. Check out some highlights:
For one thing, they've got two games from Wolf Team; Sol-Feace, the shooter and the platformer Earnest Evans. Also two fighters, Heavy Nova and Fatal Fury Special. These games are all $8.90. Bear in mind that you need a Japanese Megadrive or a converter in order to play these titles.
The NGPC stuff is just fantastic. They finally got boxed Gals Fighters (14.90) and Puzzle Bobble Mini (12.90), as well as several more games for under $8.90, restocks of loose carts, and a NGPC system+7 game bundle for $75.
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Rumor: SF II sequel
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May 7, 2003 7:12 PM PST
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Capcom / BS
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Gamefront has mentioned a Dorimaga report that Capcom is planning a direct sequel to Street Fighter II (as opposed to three, which took place years later, but eventually wound up re-incorporating popular SF characters). File this under rumor for now, as this is the same combination of sources that brought us the Capcom All-Stars cancellation - which was not true. Keep your fingers crossed.
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News: Megaman X7 movie
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May 7, 2003 6:59 PM PST
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Capcom / BS
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A video of the wip Megaman X7 game has been released on Capcom's site. Go get the stream here. Update: A downloadable version was found by White Sword - I was a fool not to see it myself. Grab it here. Thanks to Riskbreaker's MMCafe BBS post for the news.
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News: IGN gets purchased
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May 7, 2003 6:51 PM PST
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IGN / BS
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The site known for it's bought reviews...gets bought. IGN has gone private at $12/share - now owned primarily by a new corporation under the wing of Great Hill Partners LLC. Thanks to the Madman's Cafe for the news. There's some supplemental info on IGN's site here, though it's all very mysterious.
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News: Psyvariar hits Europe
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May 6, 2003 11:59 PM PST
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Xplosiv / BS
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Europe is receiving a port of Psyvariar: Complete! Looks to be a fine port, with vertical/horizontal modes intact - but here's the best bit. The game will support 50/60 Hz modes. Unless I'm misreading things, this means the game will work on both PAL and NTSC televisions! Rock on. The game will retail for £14.99 - check out the website; the game appears to be on sale now. Thanks to Trigerzone for the link.
OK - Vince tells me that the 50/60 Hz modes don't necessarily mean NTSC compatibility. I'll check into it.
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News: MxS demo
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May 6, 2003 11:45 PM PST
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Abogado Powers / BS
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Abogado Powers has released a playable demo of their S&M shop simulator! Get it here - though be warned that it's 95 megs in size.
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News: Ikaruga competition
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May 6, 2003 11:35 PM PST
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Triggerzone / BS
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Our friends at Triggerzone are putting on an Ikaruga scoring competition in conjunction with Infogrammes Germany. Here's the entry form as well as the prize - a quite nice Ikaruga T-shirt. The trouble is, you've got to live in Germany for this one.
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News: T-Zwei to Dreamcast?
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May 6, 2003 11:21 PM PST
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Dreamcast-Petition / BS
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The obsessive cats at Dreamcast-Petition never miss a beat. The Italian game company Atlanteq SRL has announced plans to bring their popular (among the cultish stg fans) PC shooter T-Zwei (demo here) to consoles. The petition requests that Atlanteq SRL bring the game to our old pal the Dreamcast. Couldn't hurt to try!
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News: Shirachuutankenbo
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May 6, 2003 11:09 PM PST
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Taito / BS
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There's a new AVG from Taito, with animated event scenes, full voice and interesting character design. Not too much info just yet, but the story and character sections are up for your perousal. The game is planned for an august release on PS2 for 6,800 yen.
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Feature: Sega Stillbirth
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May 6, 2003 3:25 AM PST
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insert credit / chris kohler
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Here's an odd piece for you. Chris Kohler of Shonen Jump/Animerica/Wired fame, originally composed the bulk of this article in 1999 as an effort to chronicle Sega's failures - past, present and future. Sega Stillbirth has not been published until today, and has now been annotated with various bits of commentary. A portentous writing it was, and so it remains today. Certain to spark controversy, given that this comes from a man who plays the Gamecube intro jingle on his homepage.
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News: Helix game system announced
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May 5, 2003 7:04 PM PST
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Tapwave / BS
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Yet another system to add to the heap! Silicon Valley based Tapwave has announced (via the San Jose Mercury news, of all publications) that they will be making an entry into the handheld market. Their system, the Helix, will have PDA functionality, a 3.8 diagonal horizontally oriented screen, and 3D processing based on software from Fathammer. Their plan is to target the older market - the businessmen specifically. Interesting tactic. They are backed by a mysterious 'corporation in Asia' the identity of which they were not at liberty to divulge. There will be no shortage of companies vying for second place in the handheld market, that's for certain. Read the full article for more! Thanks to Rockman Pocket of the Sector: NGP forums for the link.
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News: GPJewel v.9 update
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May 5, 2003 3:45 PM PST
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Valken Lee / BS
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Straight from the mouth of The Sexy Thief himself, Valken's GPJewel v.9 is going to incorporate elements of Zookeeper. This will be called Stage mode, and will not replace, but rather supplement the classic GPJewel mode. In Stage mode, there are more types of jewels available, and you must connect certain numbers of each type in order to advance to the next stage. At a certain point you can receive a bomb to clear a location and grab up a bunch of jewels. This will be released on GPzigi, Valken's own site, and likely Mega/JoyGP. The only hitch is that the stage timer is not properly implemented yet, so we must wait a while longer!
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Download: Viewtiful Joe
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May 5, 2003 3:45 PM PST
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various / BS
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Good stuff! There's a new Joe commercial out, and it's a very silly one. Well worth a download. I'll say that it makes interesting use of the zoom feature, the rest you must discover for yourself. This news from Quiter. And there was recently a promotional event held in Japan, with mock puroresu and sentai fighting galore! Check the images at Dengeki. Thanks to Highlandcattle from our forums for the links!
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News: Tailzone's first GP32 game
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May 5, 2003 2:29 PM PST
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Tailzone / BS
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In case you missed it, the image to the left is Tailzone of Japan's first GP32 project. It's a trial game/demo based on the character from 2Channel. No release yet.
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News: Doujin group Monolith
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May 4, 2003 11:59 PM PST
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Monolith / BS
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Here's another doujin software group for you - Monolith has two games for your amusement; the shooty UFO and demolition fueled Smash Set. If you're having trouble locating the downloads, they're here (UFO), and here (Smash Set) respectively. Thanks to soon-to-be staffer Gabriel Leung for the news.
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News: Rhythm game from ainc
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May 4, 2003 11:59 PM PST
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Scene / BS
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According to ic forum member Pie, this rhythm game (Dance Dance Calodox) was released at the same demo party/competition as the ainc games; namely Breakpoint. Here are the results of this year's contest. And this is the archive section. Words from Pie: "Its worth trying the winners from the PC 4k, and PC demo categories, and the runner up in the PC 64k (which is a better demo than the winner). The winner of the console competition is a very impressive GBA demo, also worth looking at."
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News: GP32 Euro release
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May 4, 2003 11:59 PM PST
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Gamepark / BS
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The GP32 will finally make its debut in Europe at the end of this year! So says the representative of Gamepark Europe, Sebastien Perrier. There's an interview in french at Push-Start. It's in audio format. My own interview should follow shortly.
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News: Reversible Face characters
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May 4, 2003 11:59 PM PST
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Illusion / BS
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The character page is up for the DVD re-release of Illusion Soft's famous Reversible Face game. The guy on the lower right is you. And yes, the game is as disturbing as it looks.
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Review: Zelda: Wind Waker
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May 3, 2003 5:59 PM PST
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insert credit / eric-jon rossel waugh
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The most brilliant review ever written by eric-jon, Zelda: Wind Waker takes issue with the entirety of the Nintendo development machine. Very worthwhile read for those interested in game structure, narrative, or simply the game itself. You cannot go wrong with this one.
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News: GP32 update
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May 3, 2003 5:57 PM PST
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Various / BS
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First of all, someone has been releasing rom/hacked imaged of commercial GP32 games around the net. This is really quite terrible, Gamepark cannot take a hit like this. I will support GP32 anti-piracy agendas in any way I can.
Some good news from GP32 Notebook: Japanese doujin developer Tailzone (most known for his work with the GBA) has switched over to near exclusive development for GP32! He's also proposing a coding competition for GP32 in Japan. This is great news for doujin fans!! Another news bit - the new version of Tomak is selling to retail now, in a new box. Not on JoyGP yet though!
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Play-Asia: New PS2 titles
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May 3, 2003 5:55 PM PST
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Play-Asia.com / BS
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Here's the latest import goodness from Play-Asia.com:
Magical Pachinko Cotton - Pachislot - Success - $US 49.90
Konohana 3 - Detective/Galget - Success - $US$ 39.90
Elysion - AVG/Ecchi - NEC Interchannel - $US 49.90
Releases will be few for the next several days, as it's almost Golden Week in Japan. For more info, check out the official pages of Cotton, Konohana 3 (quite popular series), and Elyysion (port/update of the DC version - hentai game PS2ified.).
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News: Nuon Dev
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May 3, 2003 5:50 PM PST
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Nuon Dome / BS
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More amateur development goings on in the Nuon front! There's a Pacman game called Chomp, now in version 1.4, and a breakout game that's coming along. Head over to Nuon Dome for the downloads/info. Thanks to Othernews for the info.
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News: Doujin group ainc
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May 2, 2003 4:15 PM PST
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Apocalypse Incorporated / BS / TR
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German amateur group Apocalypse Incorporated are well worth taking a look at. Tim recently found their Tempest 2K knockoff game Tsunami 2010, and we were both extremely impressed. Ainc has three games available for download, all of which are of top quality, and downloads of under 1 meg each, in spite of being graphics intensive and aurally impressive. Hot shooty action! Puyo Puyo homage! You cannot ask for more.
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