|
Sony Playstation (Japan) |
Sony Playstation (Japan) |
|
Vampire from Capcom (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
Asuka 120% Burning Fest from Family Soft (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
| One year late, a jaded public awaits Vampire for the Sony Playstation. It is doubtful that Vampire will be as stunning as the Saturn version of Vampire Hunter but we can always hope. Pre-release versions of Vampire have not received the most glowing of reviews but perhaps Capcom have improved this one enough to receive decent ratings. If Tekken 2 did not come in this week then Vampire might have received more attention but as it stands, Vampire plays second fiddle this week. To the uninitiated, Dark Stalkers is a 2-D one-on-one fighting game in the style of Street Fighter but with very slick animation and a cast of characters straight out of Transylvania such as a vampire, a cat woman, etc. | Another cute girl fighting game. Lets see, there was Pretty Fighter X on the Saturn, Sailor Moon Super S on the Playstation and now Asuka. We will have Advanced Variable Geo soon. Women's lib has come full circle and it would seem that girls (ahem, women) can fight just like the men can fight. But then again, we've seen some fine examples of this in the Street Fighter and the Samurai Shodown series of games already. The gameplay in Asuka won't set any new standards in the 2-D fighter market but no one buys these games for the fighting action anyway. |
|
Daisenryaku Players Spirt from System Soft (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $78 |
Gundam v2.0 from Bandai (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
| World Advanced Daisenryaku on the Sega Saturn and Air-Land Battle on the Sony are both very similar to DPS. They are all war simulation-strategy games with full screen cinemas of the battles in the air and on land. Buyers can look forward to heavy strategy action on hexagonal grids populated with tank armor and aero fighters. | Gundam is a first person perspective run/shoot and destroy the enemy action game. The main attraction here would be the famous Gundam name and the hope that this version is a vast improvement over last year's Gundam also from Bandai. Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon and Gundam all have huge followings in Japan and in the USA and this alone should generate excellent sales. Please note that there is a limited edition of this game available from NCS but it is very expensive. The limited edition set includes an extra computer graphics disc and a Gundam sketch book with artistic renderings of the big lug. Call for pricing. |
|
Tetris X from Banpresto (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
Puzzle Bobble 2 from Taito (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
| Tetris rears its head again with another variant. Puzzle games have always been interesting when done well but there comes a point when a particular theme has been done to death. We'll look for innovation in this latest incarnation but we will probably be looking very hard. The last innovative Tetris variant was Bombliss on the Super Famicon which added the use of bomb detonations to clear the playfield. Hatris anyone? | The popular dragons from Bubble Bobble return in a second offering of puzzle action. The first Puzzle Bobble was a hit in the arcades, on the Neo-Geo and SFC and finally on the Game Gear. The game has you shooting colored bubbles at other bubbles. Your `aim' is to match bubbles of like colors so that they fall off and so that you can clear the screen of bubbles. Its addictive and fun and should be a crowd pleaser. |
|
Killing Zone from Naxat Soft (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
Air Management '96 from Koei Co. (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $74 |
| KZone is a 3-D version of Battle Monsters (originally a 2-D fighting game on the Sega Saturn) which features some wicked looking characters. There is one character that looks like Medusa complete with serpentine body and a face that would probably turn flesh into stone. The graphics look good and have an air of Tekken to them. This would still play third fiddle though to Tekken 2 and Vampire this week. | The prequel to AM'96 was known in the USA as Aero Biz (SNES and Genesis) which put you to the task of building up an airline business. This game is interesting because you try to set up routes and you can decide to deliver people or packages, whichever is more profitable. Like many other Koei games, this one will offer hours of strategy and intrigue. |
|
Tokyo Insect Zoo from GE (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
Tekken 2 from Namco (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $88 |
| Based on a popular Japanese anime, TIZ is an interactive movie where you are presented with different situations that require you to choose a certain action. Once you act, you watch the action unfold and see if you acted properly or errantly. The video in this game looks very clean and the animation quality should be good. | Hm, wonder what this is? Pre-orders for Tekken have topped WELL OVER our entire allocation of 600 pieces. Restock will be available in roughly 1 week's time. This price is higher than most PS titles but as usual a discount schedule will occue over time. |
|
Nupa (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
Sankyo Fever from Koei Co. (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
| Its not just the manufacturer that we know nothing about, its the game itself also. Nupa has been listed on our pre-order schedule as an RPG and we will have to take our dsitributor's word for it. More details to follow as soon as we receive this game and have tried it out. | Pachinko is a popular diversion in Japan that plays somewhat similar to pinball. Both games require skill and precision to get the ball in the right places. Sankyo Fever brings the fun home with five Pachinko video machines, great graphics and realistic sound. Like Pachinko games in the past, a little magnifying class is provided in the game which will allow you to look at all of the details of the pachinko machine up close. |
|
Gradius Deluxe from Konami (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $68 |
Angelique Special from Koei Co. (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $74 |
| The Saturn version of Gradius Deluxe pack turned out very well and the Playstation version should be equally fine. Gradius Deluxe features Gradius and Gradius 2 on one disc. Classics collectors should definitely pick this one up to relive the old days or simply have a go at some good shooting action. A C/G movie begins this game and adds to the charm. | Koei strikes again. NCS recently stocked this title for the PC-FX and have it available for the Sega Saturn also. Angelique is a little super deformed blonde girl (in game graphics at least) who is trying to dominate the world in a Koei-esque resource management/diplomacy game. |
|
Sega Saturn (Japan) |
Sega Saturn (Japan) |
|
Snatcher from Konami (Japanese) Available 3/29 at $58 |
Angel Lips (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $64 |
| Konami's gruesome adventure winds its way to the Saturn. Snatcher sold very well on the Sony Playstation and I would think that it has done very well on the PC-Engine and Mega-CD platforms as well. Since this is the fifth release of Snatcher, you might notice that sales are less brisk than normal but never mind, it is a classic nonetheless. | Another strip majong game but we do not have information on this one yet. The NCS homepage will be updated with more information and pictures of this game when we have them available. |
|
Victory Goal '96 from Sega (Japanese) Available 3/29 at $58 |
Angelique Special from Koei Co. (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $58 |
| This year's version of Victory Goal borrows elements from Fifa and improvises on its own game engine for a great soccer game. The graphics are laden with large bitmapped characters that animate smoothly and crisp stadium scenery. Like the Victory Goal's of yore, this one should be a fine addition to your soccer collection. Soccer nuts take note. | Please check the Playstation box for Angelique Special for a short summary on this game. This version should be the same exact game as the PC-FX version from about 2 months ago. |
|
Virtua Photo Studio from Acclaim (Japanese) Available 3/29 at $59 |
Lupin the 3rd from TMS/NTV (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $58 |
| This title was slated for release about a month ago. It was postponed for a little while but it makes it debut this week amidst a throng of other releases. The aim of VPS is to take photos of attractive girls in different poses, settings, and states of undress. Perfect food for the armchair voyeur. This is an MA18 title so age statements should be taken from customers before being sold to them. Its all very soft-core but some material might be objectionable to youngsters' parents or guardians. | Lupin the 3rd is a gun wielding character from Japanese anime and this disc is a collection of songs, story synopsis', map, pictures and character portraits from the anime series. It looks interesting and should be a nice pick up for fans of Lupin. |
|
Majong Classmate Special from Make Software (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $64 |
NEC PC-FX (Japan) |
|
Super Real Majong PV from Seta (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $74 |
|
| Told ya. The majong games will now come out fast and furious now that spring is in the air and thoughts turn to certain subjects. Your school chums, classmates, if you will are featured in a strip majong game. The great thing about these classmates is that between the six of them, every color in the rainbow is represented in their hair colors. The majong action should be standard fare and the cartoon anime girls are attractive. | The popular majong series from the PC-Engine and Sega Saturn inevitably gets released on the PC-FX. PV is the latest version of the Super Real game. SRMJ Grapphity was a collection of the SRMJ games so that one doesn't count. As usual, PC-FX games are scarce so this one should ease some of the hunger pains for a little while. |
|
Nidoaru Kotawa Sando-R (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $58 |
Miraculum the Last Reveration from Ray Force (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $74 |
| Like Kurin Kurin Pa! from last month, this one is being billed as a puzzle-action game. It looks like another Tetris type game with little extras put into the game for special effects, etc. This one might be the next Puyo Puyo though the name is certainly more difficult to pronounce and less catchy to say than Puyo Puyo. | Believe it. Two PC-FX games in one week. It was bound to happen since Playstation and Saturn games now average about 10 each a week, the PC-FX will suffice with 2 per week. This one is an RPG with the anime quality cut scenes and average looking in-game graphics where you explore the world and do battle with ever present monsters. |
|
Nobunaga Returns from Koei Co. (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $88 |
Super Famicom (Japan) |
|
Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension from Bandai (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $88 |
|
| Koei brings another strategy/war game to home which features the emperor Nobunaga from ancient Japan. Nobunaga's Ambition came out on Japanese computers about 10 years ago and this new version showcases the advances that have been made in graphics and animation since that time. Yes there are still the familiar hexagonal grids where the action takes place but there are now many animation sequences to display the action and polygon figures that indulge in battles and scouting missions. Fans of Koei games will be pleasantly surprised at the nice touches that have been put into the latest Nobunaga game. | The final installment of DBZ on the SFC looks good. After 5 volumes comprised of 3 fighting games and 2 RPGs, Bandai returns to the tried and true fighting game formula. Sales for DBZ games have always been excellent and this one should be no exception. |
|
Horror Tour from Caravan Interactive (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $58 |
Ganbare Goemon V from Konami (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $88 |
| Literally a horror tour where you go through a plethora of gruesome scenes and meet some strange characters in an adventure game setting. The interface is similar to a computer game's interface where you have a little hand that you can use to manipulate objects in the game. The colors are drab but they add to the game's somber atmosphere. | Goemon games are usually very cool with a main character that has a punk hair style, great in-game graphics and a variety of action games. The main game is usually platform based where you run from side to side and knock enemies over the head with your cane. Other action games such as controlling a big robot and a shooting game are usually standard. If you have played Goemon games before, then you will know what to expect. |
|
PC Engine (Japan) |
|
|
Steam Hearts from TGI/GIGA (Japanese) Available 4/1 at $74 |
|
| A nice looking vertical shooter with some racy between-game graphics. | |
|
|