11.28.07

How would you pronounce ‘Ys’?

Posted in Japanese, News at 4:35 pm by yuka

Both PSP-2000 and DSLite sales are up: the former has reached 1 million in just 2months since coming out, and the latter has reached to over 2million (within Japan). Wonder if Microsoft is thinking of a hand-held to join their ranks yet. As for DSLite, the software that sold most is as follows (as of 25th Nov. ‘07): 1) Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, 2) New Super Mario Bros., 3) Brain Training DS – sequel – , 4) Animal Crossing, and 5) Brain Training DS.

New Wii software on free download called Everyone’s Nintendo Channel started from yesterday. The games you downloaded and played for an hour plus, will enable you to vote (on how much you liked it, what kind of mind frame you were in at the time, etc.) and will help you select future game downloads according to your tastes.

Delayed for reasons unfathomable, is the Super Smash Bros. X – now coming out 24th January in Japan. Expect the UK release date to be moved back too.

DQ IV has downloadables available now – click the button second from right on bottom row to get it.

Apparently, a puzzle game called ょすみん。DS is simple and very addictive, according to this article. Read as ‘Yosumin DS’, ‘yosumi’ means ‘four corners’. Get the idea? Match the four corners of a square in the same colours/icons to go on. It came out earlier this month in Japan, so if intrigued, get yourself down to Play Asia.


Lastly, both Ys DS and Ys II DS will be coming out 28th Feb., for approx. £22 each in Japan. Originally a popular series of RPG on the PC, it has been ported and improved upon for the DS. Their official site is up, but no downloads are available as of yet.

11.20.07

Easier navigation?

Posted in News at 3:08 pm by yuka

Simply amazing… my other half and I were joking about a 10-button mouse only a day ago, and now I find this.

Only Microsoft could’ve come up with something like this – to make your life more complicated than it already was! (Only the other day, my Windows software was telling me I was connected to my wireless connection, only to tell me repeatedly I couldn’t go online because I was offline. Stupidity!) Microsoft SideWinder Mouse will be on sale from 7th Dec. in Japan for approx. £36.

10 buttons including the wheel. 5 of these are customizable (4-8 in the pic above), 1 button (located near your thumb) will run your macros. 74mm (width) x 125mm (length) x 40mm (height), weighing in at 165-95g. Works with XP or Vista.

By the way, the 5 customizable buttons include the wheel, the 2 ‘normal’ buttons, and 2 more located near your thumb… again. Seriously, try playing WoW with such a thing as this monstrosity. You can’t very well tell your raid group: ‘Oh sorry, meant to taunt, not howl’ (when howl scatters enemies and taunt draws them to you).

11.18.07

Wallowing in nostalgia

Posted in Culture/Language, Japanese, News at 12:43 am by yuka

This link will get you to the new DQ IV promo vid. Enter site, click the second button from the left on the bottom row. From left: TGS ‘07 version, TV ad (30sec) version, TV ad (director’s cut – 1min. 14sec) version. The TV ads will only be online until 31st January.

Club Nintendo of Japan has come up with some goodies. Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack (28tracks; 250 points, if you register the game; 400 points otherwise). By the way, that’s only until 15th January. For those who have amassed 400+ points between 1st Oct. ‘06 and 30th Sept. ‘07 will get one of: Wii SuperFamicon Classic Controller, Super Mario Galaxy Soundtrack Platina Version (81tracks, 2CDs), or Official Nintendo Calendar 2008 (x2). To get the latter goodies, you must apply before 2nd Dec.

A rather nostalgic game, this one is. Well, for anyone who spent their childhood between 1975 and 1985, that is. Filled with classic games and keywords from that period, and including picturesque environments from back then that you won’t see these days, not to mention some classic soundtracks that’ll have me and any other of my generation wallowing in sweet, sweet nostalgia… Titled 放課後少年 (Houkago Shounen: After-school Kid), coming out 31st January, approx. £23 for the DS. I think the mention of the tracks, およげ!たいやきくん and 山口さんちのツトム君 has sold me.