Due to licensing issues for different Jump characters over at the States, an official English language version of Jump Ultimate Stars will not see the light of the day. What I have loaded in my R4 is a fan-lead translation project and while some stuff remain untranslated, it is much more enjoyable than having a game guide lying around for reference.

I for one should know as I have the original game sitting pretty on my shelf. I balked after the first 10 minutes because referring to a guide was quite a chore.

Here’s a video of unofficial English translation of Jump Ultimate Stars!

I tip my hat at the person who embarked on this mission to translate Jump Ultimate Stars. Thanks! Now.. if only Nintendo were to release Mother 3 in English. I can has Mother 3 in English? Danke..

ShareThis

Anyways, I share the same embarassment found in Bangai-O Spirits in Unknown Soldier, whereby I couldn’t get past the tutorial levels. It’s a shame because the game is actually quite good looking and boast a couple of unique features such as backing against the wall and the camera actually pans out to show you what’s going on around the corner. You can then shoot your weapon one-armed to take out anyone around the corner.

I don’t know whether it is a feature in the tutorial levels or one that is found throughout the game but your HP replenishes over time, when no one is shooting at you (or you shooting back).

The game, or at least the tutorial, takes place in a European town. Funny you should hear combat chatter and explosions as the only people in the level are your character and a bunch of respawning enemy soldiers. Mission objectives are given over your radio and I’ve so far made a hash of them, running around the level and getting particularly annoyed at an enemy respawn point that never seems to stop churning out foot soldiers.

Any hints here? By the way, if you are wondering how I got past the menus… they are all in English. The mission objectives are in Japanese though.

Interested? Unknown Soldier is available at Play-Asia. Click here for details.

ShareThis

Q: What ever happened to the perp right after he bumped into Lego Batman?
A: He was shitting bricks.

Not funny eh? Anyways, can I have a show of hands on how many of you use video game guidebooks? By the rate I’m going with Lego Batman DS, I would probably need one, or at least a good GameFAQs guide, which is not available at the moment.

I’ve never really gone about completing the Lego Star Wars games on the DS, but Lego Batman has me hooked. And despite playing quite abit, with just a level or two left, it still shows that I’ve completed a paltry sum of the game… I need a good guide.

The premise of the game is simple, go around levels as the Lego-lized version of the Dynamic Duo (Batman and Robin for the less comic-book inclined crowd) bashing Lego-lized goons and the entire gamut of Batman foes,  from Clayface, The Riddler, The Penguin, Two Face, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, The Joker and many more.

Come Running After….

There are also chase scenes whereby you control the Batmobile, Batwing and the boat-thing, chasing after more goons in their vehicles. Each level is rife with destructible items (and power ups) and collecting a whole lot of them Lego stubs (as the consequence of destroying those items) will garner you “True Hero” status. More often than not you’ll find secret items (and unlockables) by destroying items as well.

While the Lego Star Wars games always carried about a rough look and feel to them, Lego Batman looks really slick and polished; say goodbye to the boring grey of starship interiors and embrace the glorious, I’m sorry, dark, night.

Roam About

Completing each level will also unlock their respective free play modes. The cool part about this is that you can use characters unlocked from the story mode (essentially, the villains such as Clayface, etc) to partner alongside Batman in the free play mode. These characters lend an extra touch as they can provide access to previously unaccessible areas.

As mentioned earlier, I hit a number of stumbling blocks in the game. If you do too, don’t fret as there’s always some kind soul with an answer online. So even though there’s no guide yet on GamesFAQ, check out their bulletin board for tips.

The Sound of Muisc

Rounding up the game is the soundtrack, and the most familiar piece used in the game is from the oldie but goldie Animated Series, which I think is way nicer than the colourful “The Batman” currently showing on CN.

So what’s next for these bunch of Legos, Lego Superman perhaps? Personally I would prefer Lego Captain America but hopefully his shield wouldn’t be a recycled and painted over Lego tyre.

Interested in getting Lego Batman for the Nintendo DS? Click here for further details.

ShareThis

Click here to check it out. Original article: Time.com.

ShareThis

The game comes with a microphone that is used to communicate with the in-game Seaman. Interested in this weird title? Click here for purchasing details.

ShareThis

Featuring not one, but two Evas (Eva Unit 00 and Unit 01) and a whole slew of weapons and shield, this officially licensed set from Gainax is detailed and features high poseability.

Interested? Click here for purchase information.

ShareThis

Sokoban (which means warehouse keeper) is a transport puzzle in which the player pushes boxes around a maze, viewed from above, and tries to put them in designated locations. Only one box may be pushed at a time, and boxes cannot be pulled. The puzzle is usually implemented as a video game. (Wikipedia source)

The definition above basically sums up the gameplay mechanics of Sokoban DS. It’s quite a challenge pushing crates around an obstacle course without any means of pulling them.

Some of the courses have quite abit of trial and error going on but needless to say, if you need something to wrap around your head on a Saturday afternoon, Sokoban DS would be it.

The obstacle course is rendered on a 3D isometric perspective, with the player controlling an on-screen character that does all the pushing. There’s nothing much to shout about sound-wise, as the focus is on the puzzle elements of the game.

Having said that, there’s also a level editor (this seems to be a precedence in most puzzle games I play… I wonder why), which allows you to create your own levels, and send to other DSes. Pretty cool eh?

This European release is available on Amazon UK, click here for further details.

ShareThis

The DSi gets:

• Bigger screens at 3.25 inches each.
• A slimmer profile, 12% thinner compared to the Nintendo DS Lite.
• Dual cameras!
• SD card slot
• Built in Web Browser and MP3 function

But at the same time, it looses the GBA slot and apparently the battery life takes a hit as well. It’s a pity loosing the GBA slot as I can imagine using the bigger screen to play Digidrive.

Now, regardless of what I’ve to say about the DSi, you would only want to know one thing: where to get it this November? My favourite video game retailer will be accepting pre-orders soon, so make sure u book mark the following links and check back often: Nintendo DSi (White) / Nintendo DSi (Black)

ShareThis

Pretty cool huh? The videogame will be available at retail at the end of October, will retail for $29.99 and will be rated E for Everyone.

ShareThis

With OpenTTD, I get to relive my addiction to Transport Tycoon Deluxe with a whole new slew of updates bringing it to the 21st-century, including multiplayer! My one gripe about the game is the lack of tooltips as, correct me if I’m wrong, there are more menus to go through, and I would certainly like to know what I’m about to click.

Installing OpenTTD is pretty simple. You’ll need two prerequisites, OpenTTD itself (which is available here) and a copy of Transport Tycoon Deluxe. OpenTTD grabs the graphics resources from the original game; and if you do not have it, don’t fret. Transport Tycoon Deluxe has long since slipped into abandonware status, and is available for free download at sites such as Abandonia.

On a side note, one cool game that you  should really really check out at Abandonia would be Crusader: No Regret. Strangely, its prequel is not listed as abandonware.

ShareThis