Play-Asia Missing Game

In an attempt to beat the Christmas rush, I decided to do all my shopping online this year and who better to buy my games from, than the very site advertised here 'Play-Asia'. I have been an avid buyer of there site since mid this year. However, I have been disappointed by this last order, as an item was obviously forgot to be packed into the parcel. So, here I am online to their helpdesk, having sent about 15 photos of the box and awaiting their reply.

Will Play-Asia honor there buyer's protection and customer service, or will they pass the buck and blame the me for the mysterious missing game. Only time will tell. :(

Dead Powerbrick: Returned

Ok, I have been away awhile due to work commitments. However, over the course I was fortunate enough to have my PSU returned to me from Microsoft about 2 weeks ago. For those of you who are curious about the process. I had to wait roughly fifteen days for the PSU to arrive back from the day I sent it in.

On a side note, I did not recieve a brand new PSU, but infact a refurbished model which was of an older make. That said, I sent in a 175 watt PSU and recieved back a 203 watt PSU. I guess they have to recycle old parts somewhere, but the good news is that it functions all the same with no apparent issues. In conclusion, I did not have to wait as long as I dreaded beforehand for my PSU to be returned to me, the process was a little tedious with all the procedures and tests to perform, but 15 days was nothing short of a minor setback.

There you have it, although I am not completely happy with the ordeal I am glad that MS honored there part of the deal and sent me back a functioning PSU without a prolonged delay, props to the technical staff who were very helpful and informative.

Red Powerbrick of Death

After only 3 months of usage my XBOX 360 has experienced problems with not the Red ring of death, but instead the PSU. Who would have thought that the PSU would die after only three months of usage and being kept well elevated from the ground in a cool environment. Fortunately, I was still within the 3 month warranty for supplied accessories as the PSU oddly enough is categorised as an accessory. Therefore, after trying everything on the MS help page for the PSU, I was on the phone to a MS representative presenting my case of dead powerbrick.

Having called the support line, I was greeted with a helpful representative who got me to try a number of things before telling me that my PSU would be replaced by MS free of charge given it was within the warranty period. Soon after they present you with a case ref# and an email with details as to where to send the faulty part to. Fortunately, it was a 'reply paid' address else shipping would have been a good $20 or so given the weight of this thing. Now along with many other customers I am playing the 'waiting' game. I have nothing ill to say about MS' tech support line, as the staff have been most helpful. However, I am heavily disappointed with such a poorly made product given the hefty price tag of the elite console. I will post again with status on the 'waiting period' and customer satisfaction report once I recieve the new PSU. MS, I really like the 360, but you guys need to get your product together if your going to stay ahead in the console department. Looks like Sony has a bright future if MS does not resolve these problematic issues surrounding their flagship console.

Gears of War 2

Alright, I've been busy with all the new releases on the XBOX 360 and honestly it has been quite the challenge to simply keep up with acquiring these games. There have been so many good titles released within a week of each other that, like many of you guys, I believe that our pockets have taken a massive toll.

Gears of War 2 is one of those action packed games that is sure to impress any gamer that is remotely interested in FPS shooters or just feel like being immersed in an awesome experience. Marcus Fenix returns to wage war on the Locust Swarm, likewise he is joined by returning heroes (Alpha Squadron) and Dom Santiago. In contrast to the likeable cast, there are also a number of new faces to add the the lightning fast-paced adventure.

Gears of War 2 will feel similar to returning players, although various factors of the games dynamics have been reworked to make the game run even smoother and feel more realistic than ever before. By pressing the 'X' button your character is able to 'take cover' and in Gears 2 this system has been refined to feel even smoother and more responsive better allowing you to interact with the environments. Players will be happy to know that the arsenal is more extensive this time around, introducing new weapons and finishing moves on downed opponents. One of the nicer touches I have noticed is the ability to use a downed opponent as a shield at pistol-point.

For those of you who are yet to tackle the gears of war experience, now is as good a time as any. In fact, if you own a 360 and remotely like FPS games, or occasionally suffer from an itchy trigger finger you need look no further. Gears 2 is an awesome sequel and enticing game that will keep you occupied for hours on end.

Diablo 3: Wizard Trailer

Ok, new news from Blizzard regarding Diablo 3 is always good welcome news. Blizzard has released a teaser trailer concerning the revamped wizard class. I must say that watching the sheer power of this class sends all sorts of tingling sensations down my spine as I highly anticipate the release of this game. Blizzard sure knows how to tease their players and they've definitely captivated myself with that display. The wizard looks powerful to say the least, the spell effects look fantastic and the way they interact with the physical environments looks simply amazing. Honestly, I am not the biggest fan of magic wielding classes, but blizzard has surely changed my mind with the introduction of this class. What can I say? I can barely wait... For those of you yet to see the trailer, you can view it below. Enjoy :)

- E

360 Vs PS3

So I decided to pickup a 360 elite on the weekend, performance wise this machine rocks it as hard as it's PS3 competition. However, I do have to give hats off to the PS3's build quality in comparison to the Xbox offering. Here are my comparisons:

The 360 console looks pretty sleek and modern, although in comparison to the PS3 it loses out aesthetically due to the fact that the power brick is large and external, there are no touch buttons and last but not least the controllers do not come with the battery charge pack.

I will definitely give heads up to the PS3 in the design department. The PS3 is simply a better thought up product designed with much innovation in mind. Naming only a few of the features: Bluetooth, BluRay and an in built PSU etc. However, I will mention that the 360 did lead the pack having released it's console signifcantly before Sony, therefore the PS3 was expected to be the sharper console.

I bought the 360 mainly because I wanted to play it's vast offerings of exclusives, the diveristy on games on both consoles make both an equally tempting buy. Especially, with the 360 price cuts and bundled deals appearing on the market further adds to the 360's attractiveness. Finally, if I were a first time buyer I would follow my heart and research the current offerings I'd like to play more. Although, I do see the Playstation 3 as having a slightly brighter future with a stronger aspect of longevity.

Infinite Undiscovery : Xbox 360 Exclusive

Without a doubt, despite the flakiness of the Xbox 360. Owners of the system will be pleased to know that Square's answer to Final Fantasy XIII 'Versus' on the Xbox will see another exclusive RPG title known as 'Infinite Undiscovery'. The teams behind the game's creation consists of a mixture of staff from 'Valkyrie Profile' and 'Star Ocean'. A quick view of the trailer and you will immediately realise the depth that has gone into this game's production, a more than action packed battle-system and an engrossing plot that is based around the moon being chained to the earth.

The art-style looks very promising as the roster spans over 17 characters. I particularly like the look and feel of how this games play out, the style carries a fun yet serious and dire imagery about it. Players will not be able to tackle puzzles in a conventional way if they keep their guard down. Furthermore, as seen in the trailer you will battle vicious boss characters whilst displaying your grace and finesse by dodging a massive chained dragon in the Background. All these kinds of aspects including the new guard/counter system add to the original aspects of Square-Enix's newest RPG title.

Fanboy or not, you are definitely not going to want to miss this one! watch for it as it hits store shelves sometime around early September. I can barely wait, as this title looks so beautifully engrossing. Without further delay, click to view the trailer below if you haven't already done so.

-C

Play-Asia.com - Order Infinite Discovery US ver.

Xbox 360 - The Many Faces

Many of you will know that Microsoft have landed a very questionable product with the release of the Xbox 360 in late 2005. Consumers were quick to complain that the console was very loud and suffered from imminent heat problems that later gave birth to the plague known as the 'Red Ring of Death'. To address this issue, MS was forced to extend their warranty to a period of 3 years toward consumers who experienced the horrific three red rings. 2 Years later in September 2007 MS further addressed the problem by changing the chipset code named 'Zephyr' and prior "Xenon" to the new 'Falcon' motherboard. The main differences was shrinking the cpu core from the old 90nm found on the Zephyr to the newer 65nm core that can be found on today's falcon spec Xbox 360.

Why was falcon more effective at preventing the RROD? mainly due to the extra heat spreader included on the motherboard to mitigate heat from the core components. Secondly the smaller CPU die required less power to function and therefore released less heat to maintain stable operation. Whilst Falcon was a sure improvement, MS has yet to perfect their console as users of the new chipset reported RROD issues. These extended to the newly release limited edition 'Halo' Boxes and the 120gig Elite offerings. Therefore, malfunctions had been reduced significantly with the falcon chipset, consumers would accept nothing short of a perfect product, which lead many consumers who were on their 2nd or 3rd XBox to turn to Sony's PS3.

This leaves us at where we are today, many currently anticipating the coming of the 360's newest incarnation codenamed 'JASPER'. Jasper not only includes the current improvements seen in the falcon release. MS has opted to shrink the size of the GPU to the 65nm form factor like previously seen with the CPU. This change promises to further reduce heat production and thus limit the chance of melting components. Hopefully, we can expect no more RROD from the new 'JAPSER' chipset which was rumored to be released sometime in September 2008. Having entered into late August, and witnessing the release of the new 60gig model. A man by the name of 'Ben Heck' has confirmed that there were improvements to the memory placing on the new release. However, other than this fact, the board remained a 'falcon' with 'JASPER' still nowhere to be found.

Most people would also like to know where all the returns have gone to and, what MS plans to do with these parts. The word on the street is that MS has plans for another chipset that will make use of the older Xenon cases. This chipset dubbed 'Opus' will apparently include factors of the falcon board, although it will not include an HDMI port, as the slot is absent on the older Xenon case. Good to know that MS is being proactive towards recycling their broken parts. However, why someone would buy a console without an HDMI port especially in the coming future really eludes my current train of thought. Then again, I am one person with a single opinion :)

Finally stepping back to reality, the million-dollar question: is the 'JASPER' chipset still something of myth, or are we likely to see it on our shores sometime in the near future? More-so, what about countries outside of the USA? Perhaps only time will tell, stay tuned...

-C

Fable 2

With the near coming of Fable 2 and it recently being dubbed the most anticipated game at the E3 conference this year by Gamespot, Fable 2 is ready to do some damage amongst the big names of games within the next few months. With its original concept and highly interactive game mechanics, the Fable series forces players to make decisions that influence the flow of the story and tilts the evolution of your character. Lionhead's Creative Director Peter Molyneaux has once again promised to offer us the best RPG ever created and went so far as to mention that this statement was rather bold and unfulfilled with the first game. However, this time around Lionhead studios will likely display a change in the direction of gameplay. Therefore, changing the way the game plays out and forcing players away from a linear storyboard.

One of Fable 2's most promising aspects is the free environment it will offer, you will have many opportunites to express how your character will develop, you can be an adventurer or even opt for a wife and children. It is aspects and gaming innovation such as these that will make Fable a sure winner amongst other more common games of this genre. Finally, a big feature will be it's cooperative mode that will allow a second player to take part in the adventure. Unlike the first game, Fable 2 promises to offer more to the players, something to look forward to is a revamped comat system and social options that help your character interact with other characters in game.

Having been an avid player of the first title I am eagerly awaiting the release date of Fable 2, surely it may not be the most mature/dark themed RPG but it will promise to retain all it's originality and flair that will make this title a sure 'Win' on the Xbox 360. Stay tuned for it's release date on October 23rd 2008 :)

Check out the Fable 2 Trailer @ Gametrailers.com

Fallout 3 gets the thumbs up in AU

Good News for all Australian Gamers, I am thrilled to announce that the OFLC has removed the ban on Fallout 3. Yes, we will all be experiencing the Fallout 3 experience down-under once more. Apparently Bethesda was able to resubmit a slightly toned down version of the game that will now carry a MA 15+ classification. This is a proud day for all us gamers in Australia, for we have won a great fight to keep Fallout 3 on the shelves!

Unfortunately, we will not know the details of this toned down version as distributor 'Red Ant' had 'no comment' to give when Gamespot attempted to pry details of this recently submitted version. I am just greatful that we will still have access to the game. In contrast, due to the Ban being lifted we probably will be able to import the US release. Keep your fingers crossed!

-C

Final Fantasy: Dissidia (PSP) Pre-Roster

When the name FF:Dissidia is mentioned, I am reminded distinctly of the fighting game long past known as Erhgeiz. Dissidia has been confirmed to be an all out brawl-fest that sports characters created by Tetsuya Nomura in a highly anticipated deathmatch for the PSP console. This title is sure to impress FF fans world-wide, but will it be enough to stand up to other great fighting titles that have graced our shores. One thing for certain is atleast we will have access to some of our all-time favourite RPG heroes of all time. The Roster is still yet unconfirmed, although it can be said that the following characters will be making an appearance:

FFI: Warrior of Light, Garland
FFII: Firion, The Emperor
FFIII: Onion Knight, Cloud of Darkness
FFVI: Kefka
FFVII: Cloud, Sephiroth
FFVIII: Squall, Ultimecia
FFIX: Zidane, Kuja
FFX: Tidus, Jecht

The line-up is looking to be pretty solid, although it could still do with many major additions to add to this title's fine polish. In the meantime, we will all have to be patient and wait for more news on this title.

Megahouse Queen's Blade Nanael PVC

For all you figure collectors out there, Megahouse has announced a new figure addition to their Queen's blade PVC range. This time around we are graced by the highly detailed and innocent looking 'Nanael' She is the angelic character of the Queen's Blade role playing game. As we can see from the photos, this figure is definitely a must have for collectors and those of you who love the character, as it is a nice addition as opposed to the more expensive cold-cast variant that retails for around 18,500 yen. She has been carefully sculpted toward an in-motion pose with her floating sword suspended in mid-air via the included base. The figure is available for pre-orders and you can follow the link to order it online at PlayAsia. This figure is highly popular and reservations have already closed on a few sites. Numbers will be limited, so don't miss out!


Play-Asia.com - PRE-ORDER EXCELLENT MODEL QUEENS'S BLADE NANAEL HERE

Dawn of War 2

Coming to our shores soon enough, another E3 teaser... 'Dawn of War 2' Who?, when they were growing up wasn't influenced by some kind of Gamesworkshop product either being simple Warhammer or 40K. Most avid gamers would have atleast heard of the strategic based miniature action game. Fortunately enough, for us guys with sparing cash THQ, Relic have been generous enough to create the Real-time-strategy Dawn of War series based on the Warhammer 40K universe. Clearly we can see that the teaser really portrays the grim warfare of the space marine chapters. As a kid I have always loved the Warhammer universe but could only imagine how it would look if it were a virtual reality. Therefore, I think this trailer is worth a very special honorable mention. Let's just hope for us guys in AU that the OFLC don't get their grubby undeserving mits on this title before it hits our shores. Enjoy!

Dawn of War 2 Trailer @ Gametrailers.com

Castlevania: The Order of Ecclesia

Konami revealed more details on their upcoming Castlevania game which will once again make an appearance on Nintendo's DS console. Fans of the series will be glad to know that Koji Igarashi will personally foresee the development of this project this time around. Igarashi has decided to excuse the anime style seen in the late 'Portrait of Ruin' and adopt the classic style of artist Ayami Kojima, whose beautifully haunting style most will remember from Castlevania 'Symphony of the Night".

This installment takes place sometime after Symphony of the Night, whereby Richter Belmont has vanished and it is up to the Sacred order of ecclesia to take up the vampire hunting reigns and make an attempt to disrupt the resurrection of the darklord. Some people will be excited to know that the protagonist is a female character who goes by the name of Shanoa. As you guys can see, she is already looking bada$$! :) Not to mention, that the game will have a worldmap feature that will also allow players to wonder from town to town and not be stuck in just the castle. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this title, surely it will be a worthy addition to the classic series.

Below is the trailer at Gametrailers.com -

A brighter Diablo III?

Despite an online petition being signed by fans that accumulated over 52, 000 signatures for the redevelopment of a darker themed Diablo. Blizzard has come forth and stated that it was too late to change the current palette unveiled at the E3 demonstration this year. A vast majority of fans were displeased with the new-art style and feel of the demo with much crtiscism towards the cartoony look and brighter palette.

Blizzard does however, ensure that the game will possess the same dark feel as the previous installments and that the color change was to help differentiate a vast number of on-screen sprites. Personally, I feel the new change in direction is for the better as the dark themed setting was getting a little old. Furthermore, the game will still maintain it's dark storyline even though the art-style has been changed accordingly. On a lighter note, the current demo looked very refreshing and it did demonstrate that the game maintained it's original game mechanics of bird's eye view playstyle. Much to my delight, I was afraid with all the new 3d action-rpg's on the market that Blizzard decided to stay true with the game's original workflow. As a fan of the series I will place my faith in Blizzard's hands, so far I am more than impressed with what I have seen. Additionally, it is much too early on to be making any major criticisms on any part of the game, let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope it continues to impress.

The Screenshot is a taste in what we will expect from Diablo III.

My thoughts (Soul Calibur IV)

After finally getting an AU release on the 31st of July. The raving fans were finally able to get a taste of action from the highly anticipated 3D fighting game. Having played the game for about 5 hours straight now, I can say this game is highly addictive and lots of fun. I am aware many reviewers have given the game much flak for the poorly integrated story-mode and personally I am not all too fond of it myself. However, this is only a minor setback toward what the game is suppose to portray. The game mechanics are great, it plays familiar to the previous installments but are also kind enough on new comers to the game. A newly integrated soul system allows players to beat at each others armor and prevents other players to drag a match on by constantly blocking. Furthermore, this system has been integrated to reflect this by adding 'battle damage' to the players armor as the gauge decreases. To add to the excitement, once the player's soul gauge runs empty you are given an oportunity to release I devasting finishing move by pressing all attck buttons. For those of you familiar with 'Mortal Kombat', the finishing montages are much like the MK fatalities only the execution is slightly different. Although, many have argues this system is flawed it is nonetheless a very nice addition to already good game mechanics and it gives players a diversity to their playing style.

Players are able to customise their characters by completing battle missions which allow special armor sets and weapons to be unlocked given the specific requirements are met. This can become slightly frustrating as some goals can become quite cumbersome to achieve. Nevertheless, the armor sets are elaborately animated and further add to SC4's power to impress gamers.

The graphics are flawless and the character movements/animations are fluid to the inept realism of integrated game physics. Adding to this, the models are simply stunning, more simply put... the game itself is a 'visual orgy' and guaranteed to impress the most hardcore gamer critiques. Finally, the STAR WARS touch is a nice gimmick that further adds to the ever growing concept of the 'Dream match' concept. Personally, I have always wanted to pit 'Darth Vader' against another fighter of a 3-D genre and NAMCO in collaboration with Lucas Arts Ent have gone out and made this possible.

To all the people who were against the addition of these characters: The developers did it for the consumers... yes, we may argue it was unecessary, but nonetheless we all must agree that it was a nice bonus.

Diablo III

Blizzard has come to us with goodnews involving the release of Diablo III. Like many of you would know Diablo is an RPG which allows a player to choose their character class and play through the game increasing in power as they level up and acquire fantastic items. The items are scaled in terms of the game's difficulty setting. The difficulties could only be unlocked as a player reached certain levels, and the last setting being a real challenge for players who did not spec their characters well enough for the challenge. Now with the coming of Diablo III, I am sure many of you have rekindled your spirits to once again traverse the highly addictive dungeon hack and slash environment to reach the highest ranks of Battle.net. Even though many people will argue that diablo and WOW are two different games and peers of the same company, I do believe Diablo will make it's rightly deserved mark once more.

For you guys who have yet to see Diablo III in its prestages, here it is on gametrailers.com, ENJOY! :D

Fallout 3 Banned in AUS

I have been trying to avoid the subject, as it brings me much grief to accept the fact that Fallout 3 had been refused classification in Australia, due to drug-use. The game apparently inhibits drug use in the form of power-ups and buffs, mind everyone I do not see drug-use as a daily accepted common practice. However, I do believe such strict guidelines to prevent a game being released to many fans of the series is ridiculous. I am speaking on behalf of many gamers that have been waiting for this title since finishing the sequel back in 1999. News of an old-school favourite not reaching our shores due to something as trivial as drug-use in game, is like denying us gamers an important part of our heritage. I am not against the OFLC, I simply do not see eye-to-eye with them on this subject. Is it not possible to create another level of classification for this particular kind of issue? Many gamers are well over the age of 21, and by right are responsible enough to take control of their own decisions in life. Regulations such as OFLC classifications forces the public to live within a controlled environment no different to a cage. You guys may as well just BAN film media all together, as TV/Movies has an equal impact on youth as does games.

Kanaru (Shunya Yamashita) PVC

A new release comes from Shunya Yamashita in collaboration with Artstorm to produce a stunningly designed PVC figure of Kanaru from the Lilics series. This figure will be released sometime in October, As seen on the PlayAsia preorder site. You can all see from the detail of this figure this is definite must have for collectors and Yamashita fans. Kanaru has been carefully crafted with stunning features and a most captivating expression. This feature looks absolutely beautiful and like many other people I know, can hardly wait for it to hit the shelves in October 2008. Yamashita has a vivid artstyle, and is best known for his lavishly designed expressions and captivating eyes like those found on Kanaru. Being an ex-NPC designer for Square-Enix and having worked on titles like FFXII, his talent never ceases to amaze me and will most likely continue for future PVC releases. Stay-tuned right now...!!

For those interested you can reserve your Figure here online at PlayAsia, just follow the link :)

Play-Asia.com - Your One-Stop-Shop for Asian Entertainment

Soul Calibur IV AUS release

Gamespot has stated that AUS gamers can expect the release date anywhere between 28th-31st of this month. That's only days away :)

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Soul Calibur 4 - Critical Finishes @ GameTrailers.com

With Soul Calibur IV just around the corner, I am sure everyone is a little too eager to know how it will fair on release day. One thing to be sure is it looks very unlikely to disappoint, Gametrailers.com have a compilation of some of the characters special finishing moves.

Before you guys go clicking the links to watch it, I just want to add how stunning this game looks. The character models and fluid motions are absolutely amazing, this is definitely not a game to be overlooked by anyone.



And for those of you wanting more, the second part:



I am sure most will agree that this will be an awesome game :) FOr those of you who want to order it online (US ver.) please follow the link below.

-C


Play-Asia.com - Your One-Stop-Shop for Asian Entertainment

Kotobukiya Superman

Kotobukiya in collaboration with DC comics has brought their incarnation of the 'Man of Steel' to their range of hobby accessories in a powerful PVC combination. The sheer size of this figure further adds to its imposing stature of mid-flight gesture. Superman is excellently crafted and easy to assemble and ready to be displayed right out of the box. His masculine pose in mid-flight is stunning and his posture and poise has been very well recreated to bring this figure to life. Superman hovers a stunning 14" high. His red cloak drapes down his body, and this figure is also quite heavy it feels around 2+ kg. From the production run, it was said that only 3000 Kotobukiya Superman ArtFX statues would be available outside of Japan. THe only problem I can see with the figure is the crafting of Superman's face, I believe more attention to detail could have been addressed here. Finally, The paint job is even and there are little areas to fault on this figure that makes it a winning combination for Superman fans. This is a quality figure release by Kotobukiya and should not be overlooked.

Superman comes packaged in three pieces, figure, cape and stand. The box carries enough detail and a large window packaging for collectors to display within the box.

-C

Queen's Blade Shizuka Hobby Japan Limited Ver.

Fedex arrived Friday morning with my imported Shizuka figure from PlayAsia. The figure came extremely well packed amidst bubble wrap and packing foam to ensure the box would not be crushed if it expereinced excess weight from other packages in transit. PlayAsia did an excellent job in ensuring the package stayed nice and in mint condition. On to the figure itself, it has been beautifully crafted by ALTER especially the attention to detail of her body. :D This Limited version sports Shizuka in a white costume as opposed to the previously released standard black version. The figure comes with two weapon accessories, a kunai and what looks to be something similar to a tainto. This is a PVC model and is ready to be displayed straight out of the box, the paintjob has a complete finish and very few flaws, the careful details to her face brings out her demonic beauty. Overall, this figure is a great addition to ALTER's Queensblade range, with fully removebale clothes I would recommend this figure to any fan of the series or collector. This figure contains nudity and is not suitable for children under the age of 18.

-C

Follow the link to buy Shizuka (Hobby Japan Limited Ver.) from PlayAsia:


Play-Asia.com - Your One-Stop-Shop for Asian Entertainment

Haruhi Suzumiya PVC (Gothic Lotita ver.)

Just recieved my order from hobby-link Japan - the PVC Haruhi Suzumiya (Gothic Lolita ver.) release. I have to say that it is a very lavishly designed piece and I am more than impressed with it. Colors are bright, paint job is more than satisfactory and the tassles and ribbons have remained nicely intact. I gotta really recommend the guys at Hobby-link Japan for their fast and efficient service, not to mention their excellent packaging. The packaging came in nearly perfect condition, so props to the guys there for their effort. In summary, for fans of the anime or people who simply appreciate a pretty object, with great detail and cuteness about it, you have to check this figure out. Although, I believe stocks are low if not already sold out.

For image reference details, see Right hand Column.

follow the link to visit Hobby-link Japan:
Hobby-Link Japan

Final Fantasy Tactics Review

I've decided to port another review of mine over from Gamespot:

This game is what earns the credit of an 'instant classic' as soon as the opening thunders in with its beautifully animated cell-shaded opening. Originally Final Fantasy Tactics, was a PSX title that was released in the mid 90s after the soaringly popular FFVII title. Over a decade later the game still retains its playability and flair. In fact, the game itself is so engrossing that it redefines the 'instant classic' to most players whom never played the title probably would not even second guess it to be a decade aged title with such technical mechanics.

The strong-point about final fantasy tactics is its epic storyline, you play as Ramza, protagonist and hero of the FFT storyline as he gets entwined in a family struggle and plays a critical role unsung in the war of the lions. The story itself takes place in the kingdom of Ivalice, those new to the title could relate it to the stunning FFXII theme, although Tactics is believed to be later on in the time-line period than FFXII itself.

Furthermore, the newly cell-shaded animations adds further depth into the storyline further glorifying its beauty and immortality amongst some of the most 'show-stopping' events in console strategy based-RPG games of all time. The markings of such cutscenes make the epic story-line even more gripping and immersing as you journey through strategic combat with Ramza and comrades.

Now for the main event, the game plays 'turn-based' strategy with similar elements to games like 'vandal hearts' (konami) although the system allows for much more customisation with the job system which introduces JP (Job points) as well as the ever common EXP (experience points) As you accumulate enough job points you are able to unlock new abilities for your characters in his/her specific job. There are many jobs to choose from and the ability to add a secondary job-talent to your character endorses the feel for multi-classing and further enhances the strategy elements and depth of the game. As you level and 'master' (max out abilities) in certain classes you gain access to new job classes with certain jobs being a real 'feat' to unlock. The new classes in the PSP release of the game include Dark and Onion Knight (the latter which starts weak and becomes ridiculously strong as you level other jobs and progress through the game)

The major downside of the game is in retrospective to new players, the combat system can be confusing to begin with and the difficulty will feel fairly hard to inexperienced players. However, this should not be a setback to player who are willing to implore timed judgements and really get involved with learning the combat system, grinding for JP where needed. For the player who loves to 'grind' (level for EXP /JP) this downside will only increase playability and longevity to an already great game. The problem of 'LAG' most fans of the old game would cry would be barely noticeable for someone new to the game, certain battle animations are slowed down in comparison to the existing PSW title. However, this should not be an issue great enough to deem the game broken or unplayable.

In Summary, FFT is a great game for those who love challenges and are big fans of strategy-based RPGs coupled with an epic storyline. This game has a little of 'this and that' for everybody and the engine retains its playability with nostalgic sound effects that will bring a tear to most veteran gamers eyes.

Click the link below to buy FFT (US)

Play-Asia.com - Your One-Stop-Shop for Asian Entertainment

Arcana Heart Review

This is a port of my review over at Gamespot:

This game is simply what redefines the term 'FUN' in 2D fighters. Just when most people thought 2D fighting games were long superceded by their next gen 3D counterparts, AQ interactive blasts on to the scene to resurrect the genre and bring back the fun and flair of old school 2D fighters.

Now a simple analysis of the cast leads us to realise that the game's selectable characters all have one thing in common~ they are all female, yes, whether AQ was specifically targeting a female audience by using an all female cast or simply smartly tickling the senses of the SHIM. They have managed to put together an interest line-up of all female characters.

The character designs are very original to say the least in the sense that there is a little bit for everyone to enjoy in this game. The games version of a 'Grappler' (Zangief type from Street Fighter) is a 12 year old girl, who uses a water sprite in which she rides to fight for her. Beware, innocence does not Piledrive you into the cement pavement :)

To add to the creativity of the characters are the colorful sonic effects generated by the characters performing their special unique abilities, the animations and sprites really bring this game to life, and needless to say the battle arenas and environments are generously colored and detailed to keep you engrosses in this 2D fight-fest. The environments are large and tall, that give the players the chance to launch their opponents skyward and perform devastating air combos mid-flight to further lay the smackdown to your unsuspecting FOE.

Interestingly enough, Arcana Hearts plays similar to most other 2D fighters, most players will reflect with games like Capcom Vs Marvel and the like. However, to add to the ferocity of an all out smackfest, they smartly introduced the DASH system. Hitting 'X' on the controller will allow the players to perform DASHES to intercept, cancel combat moves that would otherwise leave your butt open for a full-scale combo assault. In addition, to act as a cancel/combo starter. The DASH gauge consists of three bars that depletes when you use the DASH command. TO those anticipating, fear not, for when your character is not utilising this ability, the gauge will replenish itself so you may use it again and again. The best part of this mechanic is that it adds more strategy and intensity to the already fast paced battles you will partake in Arcana Heart.

The other aspect that turns heads in Arcana Heart, is the ability to customise your characters 'SUMMON' ability, each character is able to choose a 'SUMMON' ability that can be performed once per round in a battle, that acts as a super ability in addition to the characters individual special attacks. Each 'SUMMON' also has their own variety of special moves, so if your opponent is frying with pestering lightning attacks, or rooting you with the PLANT summon, there is no excuse for you not to select the same ability summon and join the fight with tide-turning abilities of your own. This game system further adds depth and customisability to what some may consider a limited cast of characters. You are likely to spend hours tailoring your characters play style with restrospective as its supporting ability, this adds really great replayability to an already enjoyable game.

The game itself has the same features as most 2D fighters, an Arcade mode, STORY mode, VS mode, Special features and Training mode. One of the few drawbacks to Arcana Heart is its lack of secrets to unlock and no unlockable characters, for those who loved the challenge of unlocking multiple characters like in the Tekken series, this aspect of the game may disappoint. However, rest assured the characters are likeable and more than well-thought of to deem the game very much complete.

The sound effects are more than decent and majority are 'OH so cute' the musical score is also enticing and plays very well with the majority of colorfully themed stages. All in all, Arcana Heart is a 'MUST' buy for FANS of the 2D fighting genre... Heck, even if your not a FAN its just so whacky and fun that most people will enjoy something about the game's overall flair for surprises. Definitely an IMPORT title, to watch for those 2D girl crazy fighting fanatics and those who do not shun or cry at the defeat of a 10 year old girl played by your middle-aged neighbor :P

Now this game is innovation brought to you from JAPAN, are we all not glad we got developers who have thought of everything :)

Thank you for reading :)

-C

Please follow the links to buy the US release version at PlayAsia:

Play-Asia.com - Your One-Stop-Shop for Asian Entertainment


And the Japanese Version here:

Play-Asia.com - Your One-Stop-Shop for Asian Entertainment

My Drill will Pierce the Heavens!~

Today I will write an article on my thoughts of GAINEX's whacky meets space opera adventure known as 'Tengan Toppa Gurren Lagann' My initial thoughts when the story first played out was that this was a light hearted comedy adventure that was a timid remake of the confusingly dealt anime FLCL. The anime and character Ideas vastly reminded me of the crazy Furi Kuri released back in 2001. The art style is lavishly drawn with crazy expressions and possesses the same feel as FLCL's initial design team. I was decently impressed with the evolution of the art style as the story progressed as the plot became more dire.

The story is focused around the anime's protagonist known as 'Simon' accompanied by his new found friend 'Kamina' who Simon refers to as 'Aniki' (Japanese Older brother) embark on an adventure to escape the village of Giha located below the world's surface makes up a subterranean civilisation. Kamina who is forever dreaming of the 'surface world with no roof' fills Simon with visions of glory that a bigger and better world exists beyond the confines of the underground village. Simon who is vastly impressed by Kamina's resolve and further influenced when he discovers a large 'face' as well as the 'key' a turn of events that will change his life and begin this epic adventure.

GAINEX has really redefined the 'unexpected' with this title as it characterizes a more than memorable cast with an epic story. For those of you who enjoy Sci-Fi space adventures look no further as Gurren Lagaan has all the niches and makings of a fantastic story of adventure and Super Robots. Fans of the genre will appreciate the crazyness of mecha designs and how the Laganns interact and play a large role in the outlay of the story. For those viewers who are simply looking to experiment or just wanting something 'new', Look no further! for there is something for everyone in this action packed series.

The message behind the plot and the sheer inspirational feeling you get from watching the protagonist 'Simon' subject himself to a dangerous life on the surface world is a great contrast to the development of the other characters who tie and meld his future.

This anime is not to be missed and has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. Pick this one up, chances are you'll really be missing something special if you do not.

-C

Follow the link below to buy Tengan Toppa Gurren Lagann online.

Play-Asia.com - Your One-Stop-Shop for Asian Entertainment