«©NCSX» Previous video games inspired by the Fist of the Northstar (Hokuto no Ken) franchise have invariably placed Kenshiro in the position of main protagonist. Interchannel's new Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden Ten no Haoh scraps Ken and casts his older brother Raoh into the hero role.

   The new game is based on Yuko Osada's manga serial of the same name which follows the adventures of a young Raoh as he travels the badlands of the future. The game features a Story Mode which is all Raoh all the time fighting a procession of enemies including Ryuga, a Versus CPU Mode (Free Battle, Survival, Time Attack), and a Practice Mode for beginners to get acquainted with the play mechanics. When fighting in Practice Mode, the bottom of the screen constantly shows the D-pad and button combinations being pressed in sequence so you can see what you're hammering out.

   A total of 13 characters are in the fighting roster but only twelve are playable at the outset. A question mark blocks the thirteenth character who must be unlocked by meeting certain conditions during the game. The fighting action is straighforward with the "X" button performing a kick, the "O" button for punch, "Π" for block, and "Δ" for jump. The game engine also features an attack cancel facility where a player's punch or kick is canceled if the opponent punches or kicks at the same time so the only result is a circular illumination on screen. Background objects are breakable including a jail cell which can be entirely demolished. In addition to the primary game modes, a Network option allows players to link up wirelessly.

«©NCSX» The future is a dark and forlorn place. Humanity has been waxed from the surface of the planet after civilization collapsed into a steaming pile of rubble. Amidst the darkness and ruins of the world, something stirs with steadfast determination. It's not a roach nor a rodent but rather a waifish boy named Seto.
   Seto has survived Armageddon but it's not much of an existence since he doesn't have anyone to talk to and the future literally looks bleak. Despite the dystopian environment that he lives in, Seto trudges on and serves as the hopeful protagonist in Namco's Fragile action-adventure game. At the outset, Seto is inside an observatory that's dark, possibly dank, and filled with dusty objects. Control is handled through a combination of the Nunchuk and Wii Remote where the Nunchuk moves Seto around the world and the Remote moves a targeting cursor on the screen. To look around and/or change Seto's orientation, simply move the cursor in the direction desired and he'll obey without hesitation. The first objective is to scale the winding stairs to the second floor and retrieve a flashlight. Once in hand, the light illuminates a fairly big area in front of Seto so that the world isn't so murky anymore. Seto starts the game with a battle-stick which he uses to smack enemies and spooks that appear during the adventure. «Notes»

«©NCSX» What do you get when you mix Suzumiya Haruhi with Idol Master? Conjure up images of dancing girls backed up by ear-piercing J-Pop and you have the general idea behind both games. In the case of the new Suzumiya title, it's one to three girls on impromptu stages with choreographed moves that's strangely mesmerizing. Once you begin watching, you can't take your eyes off the theatrics. Sort of like watching a car accident or a drunken bum fight in the middle of some metropolitan nowhere.
 
   The dancers are Yuki Nagato, Suzumiya Haruhi, and Mikuru Asahina and their moves are basically syncopated together with Suzumiya or another girl serving as the lead superstar. To succeed in the game, players watch the cue area on the bottom of the screen and wave the Wii Remote at the right time to control Haruhi so she dances in time to the music.

   A Free Mode in the game allows gamers to choose the music, the high school background where the girls dance, and the costumes that they wear. A Gallery Mode features character models of the girls along with animations that you can select to watch them perform moves. «Notes»

«©NCSX» What do you get when you mix Suzumiya Haruhi with Idol Master? Conjure up images of dancing girls backed up by ear-piercing J-Pop and you have the general idea behind both games. In the case of the new Suzumiya title, it's one to three girls on impromptu stages with choreographed moves that's strangely mesmerizing. Once you begin watching, you can't take your eyes off the theatrics. Sort of like watching a car accident or a drunken bum fight in the middle of some metropolitan nowhere.
 
   The dancers are Yuki Nagato, Suzumiya Haruhi, and Mikuru Asahina and their moves are basically syncopated together with Suzumiya or another girl serving as the lead superstar. To succeed in the game, players watch the cue area on the bottom of the screen and wave the Wii Remote at the right time to control Haruhi so she dances in time to the music.

   The limited edition includes a posable Revoltech Fraulein Haruhi figure which is dressed in a school uniform. Haruhi's expression is somewhat maniacal since her mouth is as wide open as her eyes. The quality is excellent however as is typical of Revoltech toys. «Game Notes»