Wii Toshinden - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis Update: December 10, 2009 «©NCSX» When the first round of 32-bit console wars kicked off roughly 15 years ago, the Playstation had Toshinden in its corner and the Saturn had Sega's very own Virtua Fighter. If we were to judge a console's potential success solely on the quality of its first fighting game, we would have awarded the trophy to the Saturn. Toshinden was decent for its time but Virtua Fighter had depth. As it turns out, depth didn't mean squat.    Fast forward a few years and Toshinden reached four volumes in its canon along with a couple of gaming adjuncts but it was just one face in a crowded field of fighting games from every publisher. Even Square released a fighting game (Tobal) to test the genre. In those years, the Playstation became the 800-lb juggernaut of the gaming industry which mowed down our beloved Saturn like a combine slashes innocent stalks of wheat.     Fast forward many more years and Toshinden makes a re-appearance on the Wii. We're somewhat puzzled by its revival since the game never attracted the hardcore player and it never stood out once everyone started making fighting games back in the day. The new Toshinden is described as an "Easy Operation" fighter which means the controls are rudimentary without complicated moves or combos to bog down casual gamers. A new cast of characters is featured in the game including a blue-haired lad named Toji Shindo who slashes at foes with an ornate tapered blade, a pixie-ish pink-haired girl named Lilith, and a blonde dude named Carmine who fights with a sword in each hand. The action runs fast with most characters wielding some sort of bladed weapon. One girl fights with a book and battles are replete with aerial juggling, cinematic super attacks, character transformations, and evasive maneuvers where a fighter swivels in a 180˚ orbit around an opponent.  Bonus Schwag    All preorders will ship with a bonus Toshinden DVD-Video (Region-2 NTSC) which is packaged in its own Wii case as shown below. While supplies last, we'll include the bonus with news orders. Product Specifications Product SKU: RVL-P-RO4J JAN Code: 4904810318293 Japanese Product Name: 闘真伝 Compatibility: Nintendo Wii (Japan-Only) Format: DVD-ROM Disc (Single-Layer) Publisher: Takara Tomy Language: Japanese Site: http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/gamesoft/catalog/toshinden/      NCS Game Notes » The game's cinematic introduction seemed rigid and stilted both in appearance and execution. The song that plays isn't bad as long as you're attuned to the J-Pop generation. » Press any button on the title screen to reveal the Mode Select options which are: 1) Story Mode - Take on the role of Toji Shindo and interact with oppponents before fighting them in best-of-2 matches 2) Versus Mode - Go head to head against the COM or a second player in bouts that are 3) Survival Mode - Select a fighter from 9 choices and battle through the ranks in rounds that last 99 seconds each 4) Practice Mode - Choose one of 9 characters (4 locked) and practice fighting against a dummy opponent 5) Combo Make - Choose a character and create attack combos which require credits (which you don't have at the outset). 6) Option - Game option (level, save, sounds, time), Sound volumes, Collection (gallery which is locked) » Please note the menu cursor is only controlled with the D-pad on the Remote. The Nunchuk's analog thumbstick doesn't register on any of the menu screens which proved to be very annoying.    » The Controls are as follows: Nunchuk Analog - Movement Nunchuk C - Forward dash Nunchuk Z - Block Remote D-Pad - Strong sword slash attack Remote A - Medium sword slash attack Remote B - Jumping action / Attack (depending on character) Remote A+B - Power burst (gauge must be lit) » The game features 10 stages to fight upon including one stage that looks like old west town with a huge statue of a lion in the background. » Voice acting accompanies the dialog in the Story Mode. » The Story Mode takes us on an adventure with Toji as he travels the world and interacts with fellow travelers and warriors. You'll be longing for some action after viewing the introductory sequence which is about 10 minutes long. If you don't want to sit there and slog through the conversation (we didn't), press and hold the "B" button on the Remote to blaze through it. The first battle in the Story Mode pits Toji against a brown-haired bruiser named Shouki. He has what appears to be a pencil-thin mustache on his mug and wears a pair of gauntlets along with a sash around his waist. Shouki has a backward flip-kick ala Sarah Bryant as well as a short-distance helicopter kick in the style of Ryu. The action runs surprisingly fast and fluid with the ability to chain together 9-hit combos without much effort (or need for skill). A player who's mastered the controls will be able to dodge, roll, dash, and then start swinging with a dizzying attack sequence in seamless fashion. » Juggling's the name of the game. » There's a character named Mamoru Fujimi who can transform into a purple demon that's almost unstoppable. A green-haired girl named Idabel is accompanied by a cat-like creature named Florabel who apes all of Idabel's attack moves. They're synchronized perfectly which makes for comical visuals. » Every fighter can perform a power burst attack (Remote A+B) which damages an opponent if he's close enough. A horizontal gauge attached to the fighter's circular life gauge determines if a burst attack is possible. If all three bars are lit, three burst attacks may be performed. Power balls appear randomly on the stages which will replenish the power burst gauge.      This document and photos are ©NCSX 2009. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.