Finally, greatest hits of Square Enix games

Even though we foresee that this is gonna happen sooner or later, it seems like Square Enix has finally decided to release greatest hits(or ultimate hits in this case) of some of their NDS games. Those games include Dragon Quest Monsters Joker, Dragon Quest Heroes:Rocket Slime, Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings. All 4 games are slated to hit the stores on 23rd October and each game is priced at merely 2980yen only.

Although some maybe annoyed by the "ultimate hits" words slapped on the cover(each time when I think of those who will be irate over cover art, I would always think of why_79), personally I dont mind it as it still looks cool and the best part of it is I can get a whole new game at a cheaper price.

If only Square Enix decides to release greatest hit in USA too..... But if they really do that, I would suggest them to release only the greatest hit version of Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings and replace the 3 games with other games(The World Ends With You and Final Fantasy Tactics A2 anyone? Haha, too early I guess) as those games are seeing a great price cut in USA and could be purchased for under usd20 at Amazon currently. I really do hope that Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wing could see a price cut as I have been eyeing on this for a while.

New Suikoden game announced for NDS

Nintendo DS has been getting a really big slice of cake in terms of the numbers of Rpg appearing on this platform. Now, there will be another RPG that is going to pave its way to Nintendo DS.

As the title suggests, Nintendo DS will be seeing a latest entry in Suikoden series, which is Suikoden Tierkreis DS. This game is just like the Dragon Quest series, where the company decides to release the latest iteration on portable gaming console instead of the current next gen home consoles. I guess that is because Nintendo DS is currently the king of the gaming market and marketing a game on it may have a greater chance of selling more copies? Anyway, it is another great news for us, the Nintendo DS owners.

Looking at the scans of the latest Famitsu here, it seems like the game is similar to FF 3 and FF4 in terms of graphics style(developed by a same company? Who knows?). The battles scenes are just reminiscent of what I saw in FF3, it might be a good news for those who like cutting edge graphics on Nintendo DS. But I am not sure whether this game is related to the previous entries because I cant read japanese, so we will have to wait for someone to translate it later.

Even though the only Suikoden game that I ever played was Suikoden 2 on Play Station(and never managed to complete it), I am still excited for it as this game is famous for its grand storyline and 108 characters whom you can recruit(if not mistaken). Hopefully this game can make it to USA. Release date for this title in Japan still hasnt been announced yet.

PS. Wow, not long after I posted this, it appears that the info of this game has already popped up at neogaf. I will be listing out the additional info here for those who are interested.

- 50% complete
- Characters are 3d
- Backgrounds 2d
- Traditional rpg it looks like
- You tap the touch screen, making battles move at a fast pace
- The main headline of the article is "The Chosen 108 heroes have been destroyed?!" so maybe this game will be different from other Suikoden games in that regard?
- Only 4 party members in battle? Support characters return.
- New race. They're a race of porpoises.
- Apparently the game begins with the 108 heroes engaged in their final battle with the villain, and all the heroes being taken down except for four. This game's hero is not one of them, and his quest involves reassembling the 108, as opposed to discovering them.

Chrono Trigger is finally dated for USA

Anyone excited for this game? I know I am as I have been hearing many praises of this timeless masterpiece and yet I never have the chance to play it be it on Snes or Play Station. Now that this is going to make it to Nintendo DS, I guess it is time for me to pick it up and experience it (without having to pay premium price for the used snes copies circulating at ebay or endure the unbearable loading times while playing the ps version)

This title has finally received a confirmed release date, which is November 25th 2008. I guess even without major graphical overhaul, every rpg fan is still going to gobble up this remake. I am glad that it hasnt received the same major graphics update like Final Fantasy III on Nintendo DS did because apparently grinding seems to be longer and more tedious than ordinary rpg games on portable gaming systems(forget PSP, every game on the system will have to load due to its umd format). I guess Square Enix decision to stick with the original graphics really reverberates what I have been hoping for their remakes of rpg games all this while. For this remake, Square Enix will just add brand new dungeons and also an Arena mode for multiplayer, where its details are still unknown. It may sound unjustified for those who have already played this game for countless times to pay usd40, but definitely it is not gonna bother since I never played it before and the the price itself is indeed much cheaper than a used Snes copy on Ebay.

I just cant wait to go through the multifaceted story and listen to the soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu woven intricately into the game. This game seems to be perfect in every aspect, be it storyline, the soundtrack, the characters and the art style. I guess the dream collabration of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Kazuhiko Aoki and composer of soundtrack, Nobuo Uematsu known for their works on the Final Fantasy series and Yuuji Horii and artist Akira Toriyama, freelance designers for Dragon Quest series is something that is not going to happen very frequently and when it does, a legendary caliber of product will be born and here we are being treated to a timeless classic which is Chrono Trigger.

So what are you waiting for? It is better for you to head down to your local Gamestop stores to make a preorder so that you can guarantee yourself a copy during its launch day for those who live in USA. For us in Malaysia, we might not be fortunate enough to get it on the first day and we might not even see local retailers bring it in looking at the rampant piracy scene here but I guess you can still try. If it really doesnt work, I guess Play Asia is the only way to go and you can head here to preorder it. The earlier you preorder it, the earlier you will ensure your copy getting shipped first(but whether it will reach you earlier, it is another issue depending on shipping methods that you choose). I am sure andy_lhc has already preordered it. He is such a huge fan of Square Enix games.

Pokemon Limited Edition NDSL bundle details.

Since it is already 17th August in Usa, some gamers have purchased the Pokemon limited edition NDSL bundle. Too bad for us in Malaysia like Blue Berry, you guys might have to wait a few days before getting your hands on this bundle.

Like I mentioned before, there are several things included in this bundle. Now more details could be found of the freebies since the details has popped up at gonintendo.

DS:
Hinge and inside are a slightly metallic looking onyx.

Poster:
Front has grovyle from Mystery Dungeon stealing a Time Gear
Back has Pokemon game information (from left to right: Diamond/Pearl, Mystery Dungeon 2, Pokemon Ranger 1 and 2)

Case:
Holds system and 3 DS games

DvD:
Slip includes password for special mission in Mystery Dungeon 2 (code: 78SR -H2m PO+4 Y6FY 1&Y+ #R9S Prize:Luxray Fang)

The info above was submitted by Deadmen to gonintendo.

Haha, code in the dvd was originally meant for those who are interested in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2 to get the bundle. But it seems like for those who dont really feel like spending on the bundle, you guys get the code for free because of Deadmen. Let us thank Deadmen, shall we?

Maggie Q and Need For Speed Undercover?

Maggie Q is one of my favorite Asian actresses around. I first saw her acting in Gen Y Cop and her exotic look managed to make me go ga ga for her. However she has now rarely acted in Chinese movies anymore since she has already advanced her career to Hollywood and could be seen in several blockbuster movies like Mission Impossible III alongside with Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis's Live Free or Die Hard(it was known as Die Hard 4.0 in Malaysia though). She is also rumoured to be involved in the Edison scandal but fortunately there was no clip of her making out with Edison leaked in internet(even though we cant be too sure whether the tape itself really exists or not). She has been doing quite well in Hollywood and it seems like she will have another thing to add in her resume.

Recently she has signed with EA to be their Need For Speed Undercover' cover girl. Wow, quite a surprise as there is no Asian girl in history ever that ever made it to be Need For Speed cover girls. I guess she is really famous in USA now. Hopefully EA wont screw up her models in the game, or else it is just gonna make the whole game ruinous and mar the experience. But whatever it is, I dont think I am going to get this game even though how much I like her as racing games on Nintendo DS dont take off quite well(except Mario Kart DS of course) and the fact that racing games are not my cup of tea doesnt help. So I guess I can just pray for the success of the title here. This game will appear on almost every console out there which includes PS3, PS2, Xbox360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP and PC. So for those who are into arcade racing games, dont forget to support this game and buy it when it is out during November 2008. I would then try to search for clips of how she looks like in the game at Youtube when it is released later. Here is an interview between Maggie Q and Gamedaily regarding the upcoming Need For Speed Undercover.

How to afford games when your cash flow is low?

Admit it, as original gaming supporters, sometimes we just dont have enough dough for games that we want. Even though how eager we are to get our hands on the latest games, sometimes it is just not gonna happen because of the rising living cost that makes our already expensive hobby(expensive to me at least) seem like a harder task to accomplish. Also, being a working adult does not make you have more money to burn on games simply because you will have more commitments now.

Duh, the fact that our ringgit Malaysia is weak compared to US dollar doesnt help....I am lucky that I am single now since all my pocket money could go to my personal interest, but i foresee that to change soon enough once I get myself a special mate. It has been hard to keep up with my gaming hobby since it seems like every month there are lots and lots of interesting games that make it to the game shops.

Here is an interesting article letting you know how to budget to finance your expensive gaming hobby(the article itself is quite long but I am sure you wont regret after reading it). Never did the writer realize that when he moans that he is already having troubles coping with the escalating living cost while he is ACTUALLY earning his wage in USD, we here in Malaysia are definitely having harder time when it comes to supporting original gaming in Malaysia. (Sorry but for those who simply dont give a damn to intelectual property and think that supporting original gaming is plain stupid, please stay out of this) However, I do already employ one of the many methods suggested in his article, which is waiting for some games to drop in price or just wait for the used copies to pop up instead of getting them at full retailed price. I guess by doing this, I can get more games at the usual usd35 I would have to pay for a single game. But looking at the rampant piracy NDS scene in Malaysia, practically waiting for used copies is harder than getting myself a brand new copy. Not that I intend to gobble up everything used just because they are cheap as not all of them are good. Duh, now I wish my friend in USA can help out with securing some bargains there(be it getting something when it has price drop or just trying to get some good deals at ebay) but it seems like this is impossible now as she is buzy with her new boyfriend and simply doesnt have time to entertain my request. The only suggestion mentioned in the article that I never(or rarely) use is selling off my already completed games. I always think that by getting rid of things you buy, you might be losing some bucks and it doesnt really worth it. So unless the games are what I think I will never complete it, they will likely remain idly in my cupboard.

So guys, what will you do to support your gaming habit? Please your comments here.

Konami Style Limited Release of Castlevania Order of Ecclesia

While those USA gamers got themselves a sweet deal when they preordered Castlevania Portrain Of Ruins at Gamestop and EBGames, it looks like now it is time for Konami to give away some sweet preorder goodies for Japanese gamers who preorder the upcoming Castlevania Order Of Ecclesia at Konami Style.

For those who preorder this game at Konami Style, they will get the game itself, an original soundtrack cd and a leather jacket notebook.


This is how the notebook looks like. I bet you wont even write anything on it if you own this. I know I wont.

The only letdown of this preorder thing is it will set us back a whopping 8410 yen if you plan to get it. The preorder price of Castlevania Portrain Of Ruin was just only the normal retail price, USD29.90 and if you take this into comparison, you might find that the Castlevania Order of Ecclesia might be a little pricey.

This is what I get thanks to my friend help in USA. An original soundtrack CD, a stylus, timeline poster, deluxe art collection and a DS game case. Very nice limited release(and cheap too) and now I regret why I never get 2, one for collection sake, one for me to unwrap and go through everything inside.

But I guess for every Castlevania hardcore fan out there, they will just gobble up everything related to Castlevania, even if they have to pay premium price for it. For those who are interested, dont worry too much if you dont stay in Japan as Play Asia currently has a listing for this already here. Just prepare some dough for it as it is currently priced at usd119.90. I wont get it as it is too expensive and not to forget this is a Japan version, which is less tempting for me to get it. I guess I will just root for the USA version and keep my fingers crossed that the limited edition may head to USA.

Another limited edition(s?) of Nintendo DS Lite

Another limited edition of Nintendo DS Lite that is slated to release on August 17, which is only 5 days away(Malaysia time at least). This time it is a Pokemon limited edition that features a black Nintendo DS Lite emblazoned with the images of 2 legendary pokemons in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Palkia and Dialga. It seems like this is just the same Nintendo DS Lite like the Pokemon Center Special Edition Nintendo DS Lite that was previously only available in Japan in limited quatity.

Not bad huh? For those who were interested in this limited edition, I guess it is now time to preorder it. Good things about this USA limited edition is that it comes along with a special Mystery Dungeon DVD, a Dialga and Palkia carrying case, a collectible poster and best of all the whole package is just priced at a normal retail price, usd129.90. Not a bad deal right?
The carrying case.

The special DVD.


I just check at Amazon, Gamestop and Play Asia and I found out that only Amazon has it up for preorder currently but I guess eventually they will have it for sale too when it is released. For those who are interested, you might wanna inquire your local retailers. Hehe, Blueberry is already excited for this and plans to sell off his current Nintendo DS Lite just for this baby.

PS: Not sure whether I should list another limited edition of NDSL here but since I bumped into it while searching for the pics above, I cant resist to post another limited edition of Nintendo DS Lite.

This exclusive High Gloss White Giratina limited edition is even rarer than the one I posted above. Basically, if you dont live in Japan, you are out of luck for this baby. And even if you are staying in Japan now, the chance of getting is still rare. You need to be a member of Pokemon Dai Suki Club then only you will stand the chance to win this! This baby will be given out free for those lucky winners during September along with the release of Pokemon Platinum and the new Summer 2008 movie.

Still interested in it even though it will be extremely limited? Then just prepare to burn a hole in your pocket for it. This baby is available here at usd374.95 excluding shipping(it does ship to Malaysia, but just prepare for exorbitant shipping fee). Perhaps later it will pop up at Play-Asia, so just keep your fingers crossed if you hope to get it there.

Maybe soon enough in the future this NDSL will see its light in USA and just like the latest Pokemon NDSL in USA, it may come with more neater stuffs? Never say never! For those who are dont want to risk and just have a whole lot of cash to burn, just head to the respective site that I posted above to purchase it.

PS again: Hehe, this post is wholeheartedly dedicated to PM, which is the big fan of Pokemon series. PM, are you interested to get them?

Annoying non gamers.

Non gamers and gamers. Indeed, they are easy to differentiate and most of the time, we would label those who never play games as non gamers. I dont mind helping non gamers who are interested to get into the seemingly unfamiliar gaming realm by informing them some important info regarding gaming(and most of them I am happy and willing to since there will be more people to share same interest like me) but recently I just encountered lots and lots of stupid non gamers that I find it ridiculous and I decided to post the one of the conversations between one non gamer and me below.

A: Bid, you are a gamer right? Do you know Wii?

Bid: Sure I do, why?

A: I am interested in it. It seems to be a different consoles than the other consoles available in the market now. Do you know how much is it now?

Bid: I dont really know the exact price of the wii console but for a US modded Wii, it should be more than rm1k.

A. Are you serious? I found it somewhere else that it is just rm500 brand new.

Bid: Wtf, are you sure? Rm500? Even now in US it is still usd250 excluding tax. There is no way it could be rm500 here brand new. The cheapest second hand I could find here is around rm700.

A: I am sure it is rm500 brand new. Since Wii is not a graphic powerhouse and most of its games are kiddy, not to mention it has been released for some time, it is reasonable to see that it is priced at rm500 now.

Bid:.......

At that time I just feel like slapping him. It is great to be adamant sometimes but in this case I would rather ask him to shut the hell up and listen to me(I am not boasting or flaunting but I am sure I am more experienced than him). So guys, do you have any unpleasant experience with non gamers?

PS/In case you are interested, Gameradar has recently posted an article of 25 annoying things about non gamers. I am sure some of you may have encountered any situations listed in that article. One of the famous ones should be "Can I play Mario on Playstation?"

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia boxart

Finally, a glimpse at the latest NDS castlevania boxart. Not too shabby huh? At least it looks nicer than the previous 2 games boxart on NDS. Even though I am not a fanatic boxart fan, I am glad that that it has taken the old drawing style and drastically changes the boxart of this iteration. I never think that the boxarts of Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruins are ugly, it is just that the whole package looks nicer if the they decide to go in the old direction for boxart. The game now itself certainly has the creepy and gothic feelings, which are nowhere to be found in the previous NDS games. I wonder what the inclusion of Wifi symbol means? Does it mean that we are still getting the same boss rush co op mode and buying stuffs online or there will be another tricks up in Konami sleeves? I guess we will never find out until the game itself is released and it is rumored that this may have something to do with Wii connectivity. Dont tell me it has anything to do with the upcoming Castlevania Judgment please!


Hehe both the boxarts above will never freak the hell out of you and you might think these maybe some anime games if you are just mere casual gamers but luckily the games still have the same solid gameplay. Definitely recommend for long time Castlevania hardcore fans.