| Cha
Cha Amigo |
More EMS |
| EMS'
Maracas set is now in stock for the Dreamcast. The artwork on the packaging is horrible.
Had we never heard of EMS and their good work, we would never pick this up if we passed it
in a Hong Kong shop. The artwork reeks and in other scenarios, would probably be
indicative of the quality of product inside. It's too easy to judge a book by it's cover.
Nevermind though, the quality of the product is very good and provides a suitable
replacement for the official Sega Maracas controllers. The sensor detection is fairly
sensitive and EMS touts 3-D detection of the Maracas compared to Sega's 2-D detection by
the control box but this sounds iffy. We'll continue testing the Cha Cha Maracas but our
initial impressions are that this product is an acceptable alternative that should fill
the need for Samba de Amigo fans in the market. Pricing is set at US$75.
For those who prefer the official product, Sega Maracas are also in stock at US$105.
|
The Total Control 3 converter for
the Dreamcast to use Saturn controllers, including the Virtua On Twinstick, has been
restocked today at US$25. Nexus 16M memory cards utilizing non-volatile and
"safe" uncompressed memory are also available at US$35. The
memory card includes 16 banks of memory for the user to switch amongst in order to
paginate data and saves. A transfer cable for PC to DC data feeds is also available again
this morning. |
| GBC
Koro Koro Kirby |
US$49 |
Kirby
follows your every move in his latest excusion on the Color Gameboy. An overhead and
side-scrolling roaming platform game at heart, Koro Koro Kirby ships in a motion sensitive
cartridge which registers the direction that you point the Gameboy unit towards. Roll
Kirby to the left by tilting the Gameboy slightly to the left. Move him in other
directions by pointing the GBC appropriately. A "pop" move where you flip the
color Gameboy forward quickly will make Kirby perform a jump in the game to avoid danger.
The aim is to collect all of the stars in a level by rolling over them, all the while
avoiding enemy boobs and blobs.
Pre-orders for Koro Koro will ship today while new orders are welcome
on-line. Pricing is set at US$49. The USA version of this particular game
should ship sometime this quarter. |
|
| PS
Blackjack vs. Jun Matsuda |
US$53 |
| Play
blackjack against an animated anime representation of sexy Japanese idol Jun Matsuda as
she takes on different personas from swimsuit model, waitress, schoolgirl, and Las Vegas
dealer, among others. Those familiar with Jun Matsuda's photographic work may recognize
some of the characters from photo sets taken from her Japanese books. There is no
stripping involved (this isn't Saturn) and it's all for winning money or losing it. The
raciest that Jun Matsuda gets is wearing a two piece swimsuit. Standard poker rules apply
with the usual hands in play. Pre-orders will ship today. |
|
| PS
World Soccer Winning Eleven 2000 |
US$58 |
| Konami
are kings when it comes to soccer. The latest World Soccer Winning Eleven
builds on it's legacy and puts itself out as a culmination of all that has come before on
the Playstation. Perfect ball handling, perfect player control, good graphics and superb
animation all build up to a near seamless game of soccer. Fans of previous World Soccer
games and/or the sport of soccer in general will enjoy this new version. PS2 owners
enamored with EA's Fifa 2000 or Konami's Jikkyou Live World Soccer 2000 should make a
point of seeing what the lowly PS can still pump out in this age of 128-bit flash. |
|
| Handheld
Bemani |
Bemani 2000 |
Two
new rhythm games have been announced by Konami for the handheld market. The first is Bemani
Pocket Guitar Freaks which includes 7 pieces of music to jam to, earphones and
carrying strap. Guitar Freaks will ship on September 28 at Y2980 or US$39.
The second Bemani chaser is the sequel to Dance Dance
Revolution on the Gameboy which includes a finger controller and provides
portable dancing for gamers on the game. DDR GB2 ships on November 16 at Y4800 or US$49.
|
NCS expects the new Bemani 2000 handheld game from Konami
tomorrow morning. Sporting 5 buttons and a mini turntable, portable DJs can scratch and
practice their beats anywhere. The shell of B2000 is a smoky transparent plastic that
allows visibility of the circuits. |
| New
Controllers |
DC DDR |
Hori
announced a new Pocket Controller for the Playstation and Playstation 2
shipping on September 7. Basically a one-handed controller or "jogging
controller" that is perfect for use with role playing games. Three colors are
expected in blue, light gray, and pink. Pricing is expected to be US$20.
Konami expands the Dance Dance Revolution controller
options with a hand held keypad that gives the player four cardinal arrows to finger dance
upon. The ship date for the controller is September 28 at US$30. |
Konami's official Dancing controller has been restocked this
morning at US$75. DDR Manner cushions for stability and soft dancing are also in stock at
US$35. Pre-orders and any new orders will ship this afternoon. The PS dancing controller
is due next week. |
