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Sony PSP - Ships Dec 12, 2004

Price: Y19800 or USD185.74

NEWS Sony Announces Pricing for PSP - Shipping Dec 12

Sony unveiled the price of the Sony PlayStation Portable overnight and set the ship date for December 12 in Japan. Defying industry predictions of $300-$500, the Sony PSP comes in at a reasonable Y19,800 (USD185.74). In a 2-hour press event in Japan, Ken Kutaragi of Sony cited consumer feedback as a strong determinant in setting the price of the PSP. Kutaragi also mentioned that SCE does not expect to turn a profit on the PSP until the fiscal year which starts April 1, 2005. A total of 12 games will be available on December 12 and another 8 will ship by the end of December.
Since the news is fresh, Japanese distributors for Sony have not started preorders for the Sony PSP yet but we expect them to open up in the next few days. We're fairly certain that price gouging will be kept to a minimum this time around but supplies in the market will be the deciding factor on final export prices. Sony plans to sell 200,00 PSPs in the debut shipment and a total of 500,000 by the end of the year. More updates soon.

Baldr Force EXE

Killing time

DC Baldr Force EXE - New Import

Equal parts interactive adventure and mech shooter, Baldr Force EXE takes players through a dramatic story which is interrupted by fast-paced blasting action. The strengths in Baldr Force are the high adrenaline shooting action scenes where mechs battle other mechs in close quarters as well as wider fields of battle. Before each fight, players select the attacks that the mech will use in the encounter and assign the various weapons to each button. Each button will then perform up to four attacks which vary depending on the proximity of the enemy target. Close in for a slash attack or increase the distance for a long-range missile bombardment. A scoot move is available for closing the distance to and from an enemy. Special attacks are effected by hitting all three attack buttons to throw out monstrous blows.
At the outset of the game, a base arsenal of weapons is available to the mech cadet but heavy usage of arms will evolve new extensions and forms of base weapons. For example, using machine guns extensively leads to the evolution of the powerful gatling gun. All weapons have three gradations of intensity which are upgraded by continued use. Special attacks on the other hand are only unlocked by defeating bosses or by besting team members in one-on-one skirmishes. The amount of attacks in Baldr Force is fairly expansive but players may find themselves sticking to certain weapons in order to evolve them into the most powerful form. The variety of regular attacks when accompanied by the number of special attacks basically makes a mech an incredibly powerful one-man-army capable of throwing out massive amounts of damage on opponents by way of furious combo attacks.

Suigetsu Mayoi Gokoro

Surf's up

DC Suigetsu Mayoi Gokoro - New Import

   Awakening in darkness, the protagonist strains his eyes and a blurry image appears. Struggling further, a gentle voice breaks the silence the image soon resolves into a brightly lit hospital room. A feisty brunette named Karin Miyashiro immediately shows up and engages the fallen hero in light conversation. More friends such as petite blonde Izumi Shinjyou and Yamato Shoichi eventually appear to check up on the protagonist and ask a number of questions. In the midst of interrogation, the interactive adventure proper begins.
   As the story slowly unfolds, the lead learns that he is a victim of amnesia but a cast of close friends are by his side to help him regain his memory and some semblance of normalcy. A recurring nightmare also gives some hints about his past where a beautiful but somber gal appears and may hold the key to unlocking lost memories... Characters that may be encountered include Nanami Makino, a long-haired girl with a somber attitude about life, Yuki Kotonomiya, the white-haired mystery girl in poofy maid's outfit, and the pink haired sisters Maria and Alice Kousaka who appear as the covergirls for the game.
   Suigetsu Mayoi-Gokoro is a fully voiced interaction game where the text located on the bottom of the screen is accompanied by professional voice acting. Occasional sound effects punctuate the drama onscreen and faint music permeates through the game for some added mood enhancers. In outdoor scenes, crickets chirp and footfalls may be heard as a visitor approaches. As in all other interactive adventure games, the amount of reading is prodigious and the storyline is fairly linear.

Mario Tennis

Mini Game Madness

GC Mario Tennis - New Import

   The misfits of the Mario world swing once again in Nintendo's latest take on the sport of tennis. Players may choose from various members of the Mario family such as Mario and Luigi (all-around versatile players), Yoshi (the fleet footed one), Waluigi (awesome defense), Donkey Kong (power player, what else?), Boo (tricky serves and swerves), and other familiar faces. A number of theme courts may be selected to play on including Luigi's Mansion Court which appears to be haunted, Peach Dome Court - a girlishly painted design, DK Jungle Court, and a number of other colorful venues.

   As expected of Nintendo's Gamecube offerings, Mario Tennis oozes with quality. The control is superb with the players running and swinging perfectly in response to one's joypad input. The tennis ball leaves a light trail as it is batted back and forth which makes it easy to spot during frenetic matches. Since Mario Tennis is a whimsical type of game, every character has special moves which enhance the game with a little bit of fantasy. Wario, for example, may pull out an extendable boxing glove which he uses to smash a volley while Waluigi does a tornado spin attack which sends the ball swerving across the court and causes anyone to hit it to whirl like a twister. While the hapless opponent is in the midst of spinning, Waluigi will have hit the ball again to win the match. Donkey Kong launches himself in a cannon and the mischievous Boo serves a gang of miniature ghosts along with the ball to confuse and befuddle players.

   The visuals are hot, the gameplay is superb, and the sound is similarly very well done. The smacking pop of the ball as it hits each racket sounds off in sharp retort and like true tennis players, the Mario crew make utterances when returning serves. Donkey Kong grunts especially loud with each and every stroke while Bowser croaks out a little "Ack" with each swing. The light-hearted music blends in perfectly with the pastel colors to make Mario Tennis a feast for the eyes and ears. Kudos.

Apocripha/0 LE

PS2 Apocripha/0 - New Import

   A fallen angel builds a kingdom in The Abyss and makes it magnificent. The angels in heaven see the utopia and become resentful of their fallen brother and launch attacks against the kingdom's people. Aged and tired, the fallen angel fathers twin sons who soon grow up to become powerful. Since there can only be one ruler to lead the kingdom against the angels, the king charges that Prince Alex and Prince Platina fight in a duel to the death. The winner becomes the next king of The Abyss and the loser helps Mother Nature push up daisies.
   Before the big fight however, the two Princes venture forth into the world to train, gain new allies, and steel themselves for the eventual confrontation to decide the next lord of the Abyss... Apocripha plays in interactive action form with battles which are fought by using cards to decide attacks, magic, and defense. The latest PS2 boys love game may be played from either Alex or Platina's perspective and storyline. New to the PS2 version is enhanced animation, a new opening animation movie, and a new scenario that was made exclusively for the console conversion.
   NCS also stocks a limited edition of Apocripha/0 which includes a special drama and voice CD, a "Making Of" booklet, and a slipcase box.

Armored Core Ninebreaker

PS2 Armored Core: Ninebreaker - New Import

The mighty constructible mechs of Armored Core return for more garage craftworks and merciless 3-D battling runs. The new game is split into Training Mode and Arena Mode where Ravens learn their craft by going on practice runs and testing their skills live on the field. The goal of every aspiring Raven is the title of "Nine Breaker" which refers to the ability to defeat the all-mighty ultimate mech known as "Nine Ball" who rules the battleground with Transformer skills, flight capability, and powerful laser cannon firepower. Up close, Nine Ball attacks with a Gundam-like laser blade which causes massive damage. Only true hustlers with fluid attacks, quick cornering movements, and chain-gun weaponry are able to take down Ninebreaker. Brains and brawn are requisite to join the ranks of the Raven echelon.
Training mode allows players to get comfortable with a mech and go on strafing runs or learn various shooting skills. Running 'n gunning are important skills to master in order to reach the level of a Ninebreaker. Along with the mech parts found in previous Armored Core games, a host of new parts are added to the AC arsenal for a more balanced collection of performance enhancers and additional bolt-ons.

Ever 17 Premium Edition

PS2 Ever 17 Premium Edition - New Import

Originally released in 2002, the PS2 game Ever 17 was then ported over to the PC where additional graphics were added to make it a "Complete Edition." Since the game has sold well and there's the potential for further profiteering on existing intellectual capital, Success reissues the game once again. Ever 17 comes full circle this week with the PC conversion being converted back to the PS2. Essentially an interactive adventure brimming with graphical cut scenes and storyline, players engage in various episodes which take place at a theme park.

Similar somewhat to prequels of sorts called Infinity and Never Seven, Ever 17 is what we would describe as an situational interaction game which takes place at a futuristic sea-based theme park called LeMU. Ever 17 presents a collection of five dramatic anime episodes featuring a character who is connected to LeMU in some way. The character is then confronted by an obstacle or a mystery at the theme park which sets the backdrop and poses the conflict to overcome. The player must then help the onscreen actor handle the dilemma and eventually finish all five episodes to find that common thread that binds everything together. Profound.

King of Fighters 2003

PS2 King of Fighters 2003 - New Import

The self-proclaimed Mother of All Fighting Games, that's MoAFG, rises again on the Playstation 2 after successful forays in the arcades and at home on the Neo Geo AES. As per the norm in the KOF series, players take control of a trio of fighters and bout against other trios in fast-paced tag team action. Choose from 11 teams containing a total of 33 rim-rocking fighers who battle on newly rendered 3-D backgrounds. The new Multi-Shift System gives fighters substitution of comrades on the fly during battles. New to the PS2 conversion of KOF 2003 is a Survival Mode and an art gallery. For old school players who prefer their KOF team battles fought in conventional style, the multi-shift system may be toggled off.

Kita He: Diamond Dust Plus

PS2 Kita He: Diamond Dust+ - New Import

   According to lore, if two people should happen to see the diamond dust together, they are fated for everlasting love. It is under this premise that Kita He: Diamond Dust explores the relationships between the lead protagonist and seven lovely lassies from Hokkaido prefecture. Taking place directly after the events of the first Kita He: Diamond Dust, the sequel ships the protagonist to Hokkaido for a continuation of potential love. Over the period of seven summer days, players interact and commingle with the girls in order to get to know them better. Perhaps if one girl is more appealing than the others, true love and marriage will blossom.
   A new conversation system is introduced in DD+ called the Communication Break System where conversations may go off in tangents (as they do in real-life) if the player interjects when keywords are spoken by the girl. New conversations may then lead to alternate events which draw the couple closer together or at least more congenial towards each other. Like previous Kita He games, photographs of actual locations in Hokkaido are used for the backgrounds as the protagonist roams the city in search of true love.
   Along with the new Kita He: Diamond Dust+ game, NCS also stocks "the Best" reissue of the original Kita He: Diamond Dust today.

Stella Deus

PS2 Stella Deus - New Import

The refinement of the genre made popular by games such as Final Fantasy Tactics and most recently, Phantom Brave, continues unabated with Atlus' new contribution. Akin to previous efforts in the turn-based tactical strategy space, movement is performed on overlaid grids where party members shuffle one by one and face off against enemy troops. As the characters move to and fro, one will marvel at how solid the game looks and feels. The heroes animate as if they have substance within them and attacks carry weight. The animations and actions are expertly followed by a camera which swivels around with jumpy, fast motion as it seamlessly captures the game from different angles and perspectives. Little spot animations and special effects also look spectacular - capes roil, clothing sways, and tousled hair bobs. Magical attacks shake the screen as if the effects of the magic were powerful enough to cause the entire virtual world to rattle. Combo attacks may also be ignited by joining the skills/magic of two or more heroes for impressive blows which knock off thousands of enemy HP. Character classes in Stella Deus are an interesting lot. They include:

Alchemist | Archer | Bigot | Cleric | Elementaler | Fighter | Iron-Fist | Thief

and others. The Bigot class looks awfully like the Fighter class except its hunched over a little and wears a loosely drawn cape. The menu and options are a mix of English and Japanese which makes the game fairly friendly for the kanji-caped. Major battlefield moves such as "Move | Attack | Skill | Item | Finish" are in English. Upon choosing the Move command, grids light up in blue which show the distance that a hero may roam. The various menu commands may also be hot-keyed to the joypad so that pressing the various buttons effects Attack, Item, Skill, etc. As an added bonus of sorts, Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata composed the majestic music for the game which adds warmth and depth to the already substantial atmosphere.

Psyvariar Extend Edition

XBX Psyvariar 2 Extend Edition - New Import

After successful forays in the arcade and on the Dreamcast, Psyvariar 2 invades the Xbox with an Extend Edition which expands the buzz-chain-combo phenomenon to yet another console. Players choose from a pair of Medium Drive Suits (read: mecha) driven by a male and female character - the M.D.S. Five Ascetics is ridden by Kei and the M.D.S. Maitreya is manned by Yuhei. New to the Psyvariar series is the "Rolling Input System" where the mechs "twirl" in the direction that the joystick is pointed in continuous fashion and special attacks may be blasted out by spinning the mechs. Fast rotation also helps to stylishly grab buzzes on the fly. New to the Xbox edition of Psyvariar 2 is Xbox Live connectivity and a new difficulty level that we'll have to explore further today.

Playstation Magazine Vol 1
185 pages, NM condition
Price: US$6.50/copy

MOTD Playstation Magazine Vol 1 (Jan 01, 1998)

COVER Heroes from some RPG that we have sold...but have now forgotten.
p18-21 Top scoop on Atelier Marie 2 and creator interview.
p22-33 Article on Tales of Destiny which includes character profiles, many game scenes, weapon and armor stats, and fan artwork submissions. On page 33, someone who looks awfully like Sean Connery dresses up like a king and stars in an advert for the game.
p34-37 Hot Heat! mini-feature which checks out the Tekken 3 game and a music CD which shows two fighters in uncommon circumstances.
p46-55 This week's RPG Paradise inspects Xenogears, Star Ocean 2nd Story, and Blue Breaker.
p68-81 Some eye-catching 2-page ads for Tomba!, Blue Breaker, Tenchu, and Mad Panic Coaster.
p85-89 Meltylancer Re-inforce mini game guide.
p96-97 Gran Turismo race tracks and tips on manhandling them properly.
p121-152 Black and blue tinted fan pages which exhibits reader artwork submissions and updates the latest news from publishers such as Banpresto, Capcom, Compile, Taito, Tecmo, and others.
p169-175 News Flash on upcoming games shipping soon.

Summary of the Week
Monday	NEWS Import outlook - DC Baldr Force EXE leading preorders, Transformer Collection 17 and 18 preorders
Tuesday	NEWS Dead or Alive Voice Clock and scant information on a Nintendo DS TV Tuner
Wednesday	DC Baldr Force EXE, Suigetsu Mayoi Gokoro GC Mario Tennis PS2 Apocripha/0 Regular and LE, Armored Core: Ninebreaker, Ever 17 Premium Edition, King of Fighters 2003, Kita He: Diamond Dust+, Stella Deus XBX Psyvariar 2 Extend Editions NEWS Sony announces price and ship date for PSP
Thursday	PS2 La Pucelle Seijo no Hikari XBX Street Fighter Anniversary PREORDERS Sony PSP, Game Sound Museum Namco Collection, GC Biohazard Special, Dragon Quest VIII Controller, Sony PS2 Racing Pack
National Console Support, Inc ° Your Import Specialist Phone: (718) 523-5774 Fax: (718) 523-7069 Shop: www.ncsxshop.com E-mail: ncsx@msn.com Design Services provided by Jimmy Z Studio/Atelier. Content © 2004 National Console Support. All rights reserved.