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Battle Beaster |
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Ask developer Wonder Effect what lies ahead and they'll point
towards a Pokemon-esque horizon. In the far-flung reaches of
the future,
trainers are replaced by 'Beast Tamers' who adopt newly minted
metal monsters and rally them into battle. Beasts ranging in phylum
from arthropods (insects, spiders) to chordata (mammals,
vertebrata) are yours to control and goad into battle in this
action-simulation game. All tamers pay homage to the Beast
Factory, an institution which teaches basic skills, offers
guidance, and establishes the tamer credo. DC microphone support
grants monster guidance by way of utterances. Simple Japanese
commands such as "Attack - 攻撃"
and "Defend - 守りなさい"
work well but fancy, schmancy special attacks are possible with all creatures. A healthy selection of tamers and
attendant beasts continue the monstrous tradition of Pokemon,
Monster Farm, etc.
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Battle
Beaster US$53
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| PS
Dance Dance Revolution 4th Mix |
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The coin-op
version of 4th Mix collects over 140 songs into one
dancing mega-mix, effectively gathering together the complete DDR song
compilation. Home dancers have to make do with a much scaled
down posse of 48 tunes. Is this an eviscerated conversion and
a discography interrupted? Absolutely, but the new
tracks and some oldies make it home, updating your dancing
library with freshly picked tunes. Giving too much would
dampen enthusiasm for previous mixes...
Favorites: Olivia Project returns and covers
"Mellow" and "Xanadu", smile.dk bleats "Boys", and Captain Jack powers a groovy beat with
"Only You" and "Dream a Dream". Dig up 3rd
Mix if you want CJ's "In the Navy
'99". Catchy pop deliverance comes from Ni-Ni's
"1.2.3.4.007", from the playful "Hero" by Miss Papaya, and "Young Forever" sung by Rebecca. Bambee's "Bumble Bee" makes the cut
while her similarly flavored "Typical Tropical" gets
playtime on
Dance Maniax.
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DDR 4th
Mix US$60
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| PS
Tokimeki Memorial 2 Matching Puzzle |
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Whenever a new group of Tokimeki girls get together, three
things are sure to transpire afterwards. First up,
merchandising in the form of pillows, mugs, watches, and other
random products are rained upon the Japanese market. Mercilessly.
Two, dramatic side stories featuring the girls in mini
episodes pepper the marketplace and explore new storylines.
Third, a puzzle game, rudimentary to the point of banality,
is foisted upon the fanbase. The third hinge of the Tokimeki 2
chain gang swings open today and concludes Konami's T2 franchising.
Color matching puzzle gaming featuring the Tokimeki 2 cast of girls,
their expressive actions, and vocal skills is expected to sell
well to Tokimemo intelligentsia. Match colored spheres
horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, all the while
watching for special chain reaction formations that can only
further your cause.
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Tokimemo
2 MP
US$60
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| PS2
Densha de Go! 3 |
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Commuters
rely on timely train service to carry them to their appointed
rounds and duties. As we saw in last week's A-Train
2001, whole cities operate around the railroad and
rely on it's services. Your job as a cog in the
wheel of society sounds deceptively simple: Drive a train and transport workers
and players within a timely schedule so they can work and
play.
When cruising along in a megaton vehicle,
signs must be obeyed and routines followed in order
to ensure safe passage through miles of track. Go on full alert and react like Pavlov's dog when signals
flash. Speed limits are posted throughout a given route and you'll
oblige them by beating down your velocity. Crossing
intersections and entering tunnels compel you to blast your
train whistle. This procedure serves as a precautionary measure to ward
off other trains. Sliding into a station demands just the right amount of
deceleration and braking to hit the platform line properly.
It's a trial of inches.
Exemplary PS2 visuals
and animation qualities grace the latest version of Densha.
Day and night runs provide stark contrast, with evening
scenarios proving both engaging and exciting to play. The Shinkansen bullet trains are recreated faithfully here
with a blistering top speed of 270 km/hr. The famous Tokaido route may be
played where you run
westward from Tokyo through Osaka, cross Hiroshima and
complete your route in Hakata on the island of Kyushu.
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Densha
de Go! 3 US$68
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| PS2
Para Para Paradise |
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Dance
Dance Revolution works the lower body, taking care of your
feet, legs, and hips. Some dance maniacs slap the mat with
their hands but in general, it's all leg exercise. Para Para
Paradise goes north and takes care of the upper body, working
your arms and shoulders. For the overly daring, wild gyrating head
movements may also be attempted to trigger the cues.
Prediction: the next revolution from Konami will work the entire
body and laser scopes will ring the player, top to bottom.
In the Para coin-op, a radial set of sensors located
in front of the dancer register arm and hand gestures. Your
job is to watch the arrows on screen and motion towards the
corresponding sensor as each cue is up. Players may stand
perfectly still and only work the upper body but that would be
dull. Dancing a couple of steps won't hurt, as long as you
don't stray too far from the center of the platform and skew
your arm movements and positioning. The soundtrack is comprised entirely of
fast paced euro-beat mixes from Konami and Avex. Some frenetic
examples include "Boom Boom Fire", "Tora Tora
Tora", "Speedway", and "Night of
Fire". All supply HI-NRG and set you off, swinging and
flailing your arms to the fierce tempo. Players who haven't exercised
in ages will tire quickly since your arms move constantly as you mirror the cues. For fitness pros, the Endurance Mode
pounds out tough and funky love.
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Para
Para Paradise US$68
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| PS2
Shutoko Battle Zero |
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Tokyo's
Metropolitan Highway was apparently built for night racing
since you can't do much during the daytime. Similar to New
York City, traffic snarls and winds during the waking hours
and speed racers would be hard-pressed to find open road or
much opportunity to burn rubber. Those who crave death defying
velocity wait for the night to fall, when the regular folk
vacate the roads and traffic thins to a whisper.
Genki's popular racing series migrates to the PS2
and reaches a pinnacle in this latest outing. From the superb
control, selection of cars, to the outstanding visuals, Genki
nails it. The lush presentation, down to the lighting and
illumination shining from your car as street lights rush
overhead, can only impress and evince the care and detail that
went into Zero. Immaculately detailed Tokyo supplies the
background and the cityscape recreation is excellent and
accurate as you rush the length of TMH. The gameplay remains
the same as previous Shutoko games, you versus another
hashiriya, blazing through the night. Flash him with your high
beams to provoke the challenge and you're off. Spurt in front of
your adversary to gather spirit points but fall behind and
you'll get sapped. Reality bites in the form of toll gates
which dot your erstwhile circuit, fettering your fierce racing
spirit, but
only for a little while.
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Shutoko
Battle Zero US$68
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| PS2
World Soccer Winning Eleven 5 |
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Americans
don't seem to take to soccer in the same way their European
cousins revel in it. Perhaps the low scoring games and the
possibility of draws don't appeal to the winner takes all
mentality in the USA. Television channels are busy with baseball in the
summer, football in the fall-winter, and basketball from
October to April. There is little opportunity for another
sport to make much headway when the mind space is all
taken up, along with broadcasting schedules and advertising
dollars.
Konami pays this no heed, they have enough of a
domestic and international audience to propel the fabled
Winning Eleven franchise to it's fifth edition. Teams from 28
countries and their marquee players pummel the soccer ball and
WE5 is there to recount the action. Exhaustive player and team
data are compiled in the background, resulting in realistic
soccer matches and plays. The control scheme affords a variety
of maneuvers to the player, including jumps, dribbles, and
loop shots. Old hands familiar with WE should have no problems
adapting to some of the new moves afforded. A World Cup mode
recreates a full season of tourneys while the standard Master
League Mode does it all from team formation, player trading,
and going for the gold.
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Winning
Eleven 5 US$68
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E-mail
NCS
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