Hurry, Before the Sale Ends!

There's just about 1 hour and 45 minutes left till the end of Play-Asia's Easter Egg sales where all in-stock items are applicable to a 20% discount! Quickly grab your hands on video games (including those Japanese ones), toys, figurines, various collectibles and HD DVDs (I bet they are really cheap now) before it's too late.

Imported Japanese Video Games Shopping Spree

For the latest highlights on bargains and discounts for the Nintendo DS, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.



Most readers of Nine Over Ten 9/10 would know that I'm import-friendly. That would mean I'm not adversed to buying and playing Japanese games, especially for my Nintendo DS and GBM. And I just bought 2 Japanese games, Arkanoid DS (with Paddle Controller) and Love and Berry (with card reader) for just USD 55!

Since Play-Asia is having it's Easter Egg sale (20% off all in-stock items), here's a list of imported Japanese Nintendo DS games that you might want to check out, given the cheap prices:

• Oto o Tsunagou! Gunpey Reverse (USD 7.12) ~ Ridiculously cheap. I even bought one for a friend not too long ago when it was selling at USD 9.90
• Ryusei no Rockman: Dragon, Leo, Pegasus (USD 7.12)
• Kimochi Chiyosa Rensa Puzzle Trion Cube (USD 11.92)
• Kouchuu Ouja Mushi King: Greatest Champion e no Michi DS (USD 11.92)
• Zoids Battle Colosseum (USD 11.92)
• Platinum Sudoku (USD 13.52) ~ US Release
  
• Ash: Archaic Sealed Heat (USD 15.92)
• Oshare Majo Love and Berry (DS Collection) (USD 15.92)
• Slide Adventure: Mag Kid (USD 15.92)
• Theta (USD 19.90)
• Prince of Tennis 2005: Crystal Drive (Konami the Best) (USD 23.92)
• Rockman ZX, Rockman ZX Advent (USD 23.9
  
• Subarashiki Kono Sekai: It's a Wonderful World (USD 27.92)
• Arkanoid DS with Paddle Controller (USD 39.90)

As mentioned in my earlier post, the sales period ends on the 31st of March. So better hurry! Click here to read about GBA games that you should buy during Play-Asia's Easter Egg sale.

GBA Games to Buy During Play-Asia's Easter Sale (Ends 31st March)

Play-Asia's Easter Egg Sale is probably a good time to stock up on the following GBA titles (if you haven't already done so, or if they are not sold out or no longer applicable for the 20% discount). All are imported Japanese titles unless stated otherwise:

• bit Generations: Boundish (USD 7.92)
  
• Famicom Mini Series Vol. 12: Clu Clu Land (USD 10.32)
• Famicom Mini Series Vol. 07: Xevious (USD 15.92)
• Famicom Mini Series Vol. 10: Star Soldier (USD 7.92)
• Made in Wario (USD 11.92)
• Donkey Kong: King of Swing / Bura Bura Donkey (USD 11.92)
• Mario Golf GBA Tour (USD 11.92)
• Wario Land Advance (USD 11.92)
• Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (USD 23.12)
• Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (USD 23.12)
• Final Fantasy 5 Advance (US) (USD 27.92)
• The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood (USD 31.92)
  

The sale period ends on Monday, the 31st of March, but titles are getting sold out pretty quickly, so hurry! For more details on the sale, read all about it here.

Fan Mail - How to be a Pirate on the Nintendo DS

For the latest homebrew articles for the Nintendo DS, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

I occasionally get fan-mail, mostly on Nintendo DS flashcarts such as the R4DS and what can these devices do. However, I seldom get a laundry list of questions, but since I did get an e-mail with one (list) yesterday, I thought it would be nice to share to my readers, so here goes:

Hi there- I've been surfing the web, hoping to find a straightforward answer to my questions, but with no luck. Maybe you could help me. I'm still unclear which card will work best for me and my Nintendo DS Lite. Maybe you can help me out. Here is what I want to do, in order of importance, and hopefully with as few extra gadgets as possible:

1. Not Break my Nintendo DS Lite
2. Play GBA Roms- specifically the upcoming fan translation of "Mother 3"
3. Edit my Retail cart Save Game- specifically, Pokèmon Diamond
3b. If I can't edit my save, can I at least use cheat codes?
4. Play SNES Roms
5. Play MP3s, and maybe some video
I hope you can help me figure this outt.

Here are my answers:

1. With flashcarts, you need not reach for a screwdriver or a sledgehammer as a matter a fact.
2. You'll need something like an EZ-Flash V, which I don't have. Read the review, here.
   
3. Cheat? Yup. But editing saves? I don't know.
4. Yup, just run SNemulDS, a homebrew SNES emulator
5. Yup, just run Moonshell.

To sum it up, I think you are better off getting the EZ-Flash V. For the last 2 items, check out my whole bunch of R4DS guides on my blog, over here. Nine Over Ten 9/10 shall not be responsible for loss of data or reduced user experiece that might stem from playing pirated games on the Nintendo DS. Support original games.

Play-Asia's Easter Egg Sales - 20% OFF In-stock Items

Just in case you missed the previous sales on Play-Asia, here's your chance to redeem yourself with Play-Asia's Easter Egg sale. There will be 20% off of every "in-stock" item so here's your chance to grab video games, especially Japanese import games, limited edition consoles, figurines, gashapons at discounted prices!

For further details, visit Play-Asia's sales page over here. Sales period ends on the 31st of March, so hurry!

Takara G1 Music Label Convoy iPod Speaker with Dock, Available Now!

Transformers fans, you know you want one of these Music Label Transformers G1 Convoy iPod Speaker with Dock. You guys can rejoice as the wait is now over! Takara's G1 repaint of the Music Label Convoy is now available at Play-Asia.

Feast your eyes on the pictures of this really cool looking re-paint (pictures obtained from amiami.com):


Here are some technical details for this limited edition item:

• Official Transformers Figure
• Official "Made for iPod" product
• iPod Speakers comes in grey colour with Convoy strip on the side
• Height: approx 15cm (Convoy in robot mode)
• Compatible with all iPods except iPod shuffle

Interested? Transform and roll out....I mean head over to Play-Asia.com and order now (click here for further details).

The Touch Pen Way To Fighting

Hokuto no Ken, otherwise known as Fist of the North Star, sits near the top of my list of favourite manga series. A violent and often graphic martial arts manga, it's probably the only comic book which has the Bruce Lee-like protagonist going a-ta-ta-ta! all the time, just like the legend himself.


Anyways, I wouldn't be at a lost of words to describe the latest Hokuto no Ken game for the Nintendo DS, Hokuto no Ken: Hokuto Kami Denshoumono no Michi. To put it succinctly, the game is like Ouendan and its ilk (Ouendan 2, EBA).

Take the manga panel style gameplay of Ouendan, replace the panels with scenes from the Hokuto No Ken manga, and substitute the soundtrack with kungfu yells and screams, and there you go.

Fans of Hokuto no Ken will know that Kenshiro fighting style involves hitting an opponent's acupuncture points and this game indulges in that. Most of the time, enemies will be occupying the manga panels, and you'll have to tap on dots (representing those acupuncture points) appearing on those enemies within a time limit.

Hitting all the dots within a panel will get you a "Perfect" rating (and "shattering" the enemies at the same time, we wouldn't have it any other way, of course) while missing one or two, will earn you a "Great" rating. Sometimes, it is only possible to advance by getting a "Perfect" rating. The game will also have you sliding the stylus furiously back and forth in some segments.

There's plenty of voice work going on, which is cool and if you do read Japanese, it's like reading the manga itself (while tapping on dots). The artwork in the manga panels is a visual treat because unlike the manga, which is normally B&W, the game is in full colour (yay!).

One of the problems I foresee is that the game might get boring in a while. After all, the game has no catchy soundtrack to speak of (unless you consider Bruce Lee as a songbird); it's mainly about tapping dots before the timer runs out.

Even so, I like the game. And fans of the manga would probably lap it up. Hokuto no Ken: Hokuto Kami Denshoumono no Michi is available at Play-Asia with free international shipping to certain countries. Click here for further details.

What I'm Playing, And What Would I Like to Play on the NDS.

Just a short post in this morning. What I'm currently playing now on my Nintendo DS and Game Boy Micro? Here goes*:

• Prince of Tennis: Crystal Drive
• Sega Superstars Tennis
• Tony Hawk's America Sk8land
• Space Invaders Extreme
• Digidrive

What would I really love to play*?

• Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword
• Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood

I wonder whether would I be able to accomodate a PSP while there are so many games on the DS to play. What about you guys?

*Titles listed here are available at Play-Asia. Click on the links for purchase details. Play-Asia ships for free to certain countries.

Japanese Import Review: Bakusou Dekotora Densetsu BLACK

For more video game reviews, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

Mention Bakusou Dekotora Densetsu Black and most people would go a wa wa what? It's a truck (or lorry, if you are a Brit) racing game for the Nintendo DS.


I don't really like trucks. They are akin to adding fuel to fire that is rush-hour traffic. The sight of them clogging up the Kesas highway is usually accompanied with a lot of finger tapping on the steering wheel while inching along a 3 kilometer stretch.

Bakusou Dekotora Densetsu Black is anything but a traffic jam. In fact, it has more in common with Burnout! You race AI-controlled boss trucks who in turn have an endless supply of henchmen cars who would try to thwart you. Just use your truck to ram into these cars and the boss trucks. You win a race by destroying the enemy boss truck.

It's a pretty simple premise backed up by a simple looking 3D engine. Since you are mainly racing on straight roads with a jump or two thrown in for good measure, the graphics do not stop the onset of sleepiness when you are playing this game. Couple this with forgettable audio (I don't even remember whether the game has a soundtrack), you are much better off playing Mario Kart...or Burnout on the PS2.

Hardcore Japanese import fans can probably satisfy their curiosity by buying the game. It is available at Play-Asia for USD 48.90 (click here for details). But for the rest of us (and that applies to yours truly as well) stay well away.

Sega Superstars Tennis for Nintendo DS - A Review

For more video game reviews, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

In retrospect, Sega's decision to quit making consoles and instead focusing on making games for other consoles is a good one for gamers in general. Otherwise we wouldn't be enjoying such an excellent tennis game for in the Nintendo DS in the form of Sega Superstars Tennis.


I admit that I approached this title with rather high hopes, as the previous tennis game I played, Prince of Tennis: Crystal Drive, although GBA-ish, delivered quite an enjoyable experience. I'm happy to say that Sega Superstars Tennis has exceeded even my expectations and probably is one of the better games I've played this year.

Almost every part of the game screams excellent production values and from the start you are greeted with a FMV sequence which would probably give the Crystal Chronicles or Revenant Wings developers a run for their money.

With its player roster being a showcase of Sega icons such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Nights, Amigo, Dr. Egghead and Ulala, the developers have set out to provide just that, and then some. Gameplay is realised in 3D, not unlike another Sega title, Virtua Tennis for the PSP.

While the DS is not much of a pixel pusher compared to the PSP, character models and the various courts that they play on are jaw droppingly pretty, and look Ma, no lag! As a nice touch, the tennis courts in the Sega Superstar Tennis are based on past Sega titles. Among those titles featured include Curien Mansion (House of the Dead), Space Channel 5, Samba de Amigo with more to be unlocked.

The usual suspects are here when it comes to gameplay options. There's the Quick Play mode and the Single Player mode which allows players to have a match against the computer opponent in either singles or doubles matches. If you are up for it, there's a tournament mode within the Single Player mode as well.

As mentioned earlier, the player roster reads like a who's who list of Sega icons and while you have 8 characters to choose from the start, there are 8 more waiting to be unlocked! Each character has his/her/its own style of play, some are power players while some are spin or all-rounders. In addition to that, characters such as Nights handle differently then others as she floats instead of being grounded.

Each character has also a special ability which can be triggered during gameplay with the right-shoulder button. Abilities work like those featured in Crystal Drive and can only be triggered when the star on the character's feet starts glowing. It is not a convulated as Crystal Drive and while the number of abilities are noticeably lesser, at least you don't need to remember combos :).

Multiplayer mode is confined to local WiFi, which is a little bit disappointing, as I planned to take my A-game online :).

One of the more interesting aspects of Virtua Tennis for the PSP was its collection of mini games and likewise, Sega Superstars Tennis doesn't disappoint. Accessible from the Single Player mode screen, these mission games are themed according to various Sega games such as ChuChu Rocket!, Super Monkey Ball, Virtua Squad and Curien Mansion (House of the Dead).

For example, the House of the Dead mission will have you hitting tennis balls at zombies crawling out from the ground amongst other things. The Virtua Squad mission will definitely give fans of the arcade game a pleasant surprise. I wouldn't spoil it for you; get the game and find out for yourself!

I am so getting this game. Sega Superstars Tennis is available at the following online retailers, click on them for further details:

• Play-Asia ~ USD 34.90 (Free International Shipping)
• Amazon UK ~ £24.98 (Super Saver Delivery - within UK)
  
• Amazon.com ~ USD 29.95 (Super Saver Shipping - within US)
  

I would recommend International buyers to opt for Play-Asia. Never failed me once.

Space Invaders R4DS Theme

For more homebrew guides for the Nintendo DS, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

I had a bit of time to kill last night, so I ended up making a theme for the R4DS. And guess what is the theme of that theme (pun intended or not, it's irrelevant :P)? It's Space Invaders!

It's a little rough around the edges, since I'm a little lazy at editing the theme.ini. So this is how my first masterpiece actually looks like:


I would probably come up with a set of 12, featuring retro games. But in the mean time, here's the theme, available at YouSendIt.com.

This is not Potty Training

I don't think I have a PC Engine emulator on the Nintendo DS, even if I did have one, I wouldn't want to check out this dubiously titled game...Toilet Kids.

Japan is probably the number one offender for producing games with utterly silly or ridiculous names... but Toilet Kids? Come on.


Anyways, it's a vertical shooter, and you can read the reviews on Destructoid and PC Engine Software Bible. On the plus point, this might be a collector's item. If you think the prices on Ebay for this game are exorbitant (here), check out Play-Asia's over here. It comes along with free shipping too.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Thank You Problem Fixed!

For the latest R4DS articles for the Nintendo DS, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

Okie dokie. Looks like some people are listening to the cries of despair of folks who are trying to run Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on their Nintendo DS/R4DS combination. The new R4 v.1.17 kernel fixes among other things, the "Thank You for Playing" screen appearing when playing FFCC.

Looks like the problem has been resolved, all equilibrium restored to the universe, so please continue being cheap because you don't want to dish out money for a 128MB game.

Those looking to try out Powerplay Tennis on the older firmware might find themselves disappointed but don't fret since the latest firmware fixes the problem as well.

I bet you can't wait anymore so here's the download link for the new v.1.17 kernel for the R4DS, or visit the R4DS kernel page for more details. Now be grateful, thankful even, and no nasty comments. Go play your game.

As a Video Games Blogger, what's in your bookshelf?

For the latest articles, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

I just got around finishing The Hobbit. Very good read indeed despite the book being meant for a younger audience than that of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.


On the subject of books, what do video game bloggers read? In terms of non-fiction material regarding video games, my bookshelf has the quintessential John Carmack/John Romero biography and therefore id Software's, the aptly titled Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created An Empire and Transformed Pop Culture (David Kushner, 2004, available at Amazon UK and Amazon US)


The book has company in the form of GAMEplan's The Encyclopedia of Consoles, Handhelds & Home Computers 1972-2005 (Winnie Forster, 2005, available at Amazon UK and Play-Asia (cheaper)). This console bible (as I would call it) contains a lot of stuff, particularly on retro video game consoles and their games.


Magazines wise, I used to read quite a bit of PC Gamer, before I grew bored of it. Now the shelf is populated with issues of EDGE. The highlight here is the EDGE Presents the Art of Video Games. An extra thick issue with lots of artwork from video game artists.

In terms of fiction, I've not gone about buying and reading all those Diablo, Starcraft or even Warhammer 40K books, but I do have quite a bit of science fiction books. There's almost the entire Dune series sitting on my bookshelf along with a bunch of Star Wars and Halo books. And that's pretty much it.

So what about you guys? What do you read?

Iwaver FM 1/28 Digital Propotional RC Cars with ABS Brakes

Play-Asia has been serving up some rather interesting toys lately, namely the Iwaver FM 1/28 Digital Propotional range of remote-controlled (RC) cars.

Like the Bumblebee car that I saw in a Radio Shack in Dubai, these RC cars can be upgraded with various parts. The backlitted FM digital transmitter is a sight to behold in itself and this device is also upgradeable.


A little bit of technical specs for those who are RC-inclined...and wau...ABS brakes!

• Ready To Run
• FM Transmission
• LCD Display
• Proportional Throttle
• Proportional Steering
• ABS Brake
• Available Optional Parts
• Full Function
• Adjustable Steering Trim
• Adjustable Throttle Trim
• 130 Motor
• 4 Different Pinion Gears
• Exchangeable Tires
• Adjustable F / R Suspension

A variety of car models is featured, including the Ford GT, Ford Mustang, the Saleen S7 and various Mini Cooper variations. Click on the links for purchase details, or click here for the entire list.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles On Your R4? Read this first.

For the latest R4DS articles for the Nintendo DS, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

Name a game from a really popular video game franchise that behaves like a piece of shareware on the Nintendo DS. Stumped? The answer would be a pirated copy of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.


Stumped even more? Now, if you are an owner of a R4DS, M3, TTDS, or whatever Slot-1 flashcart with a fancy acronym for a name, you would probably be in for a surprise should you play the ROM (a.k.a pirated) version of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

According to a commentor on this particular GoNintendo post, the guys at Square Enix probably built in some form of copy protection into the game which checks the game's file size from time to time. Since Slot-1 flashcarts require ROMs to be DLDI-patched, the patching process actually alters the ROM's file size.


In the case of Crystal Chronicles, the copy protection will trigger a "Thank you for playing!!" page after 10 minutes of play with the pirated ROM on a Slot-1 flashcart. Smart readers would probably realize that this doesn't affect Slot-2 users at all.

Now, pirates being pirates, they are actually a really persistant bunch. Apparently there's now a solution to the problem. The guys at FR actually highlighted a tool (which I think patches the game) and a little bit of Googling wouldn't hurt your chances of finding that site.

Anyways, my advice would be to get the original game. Saves you a whole lot of trouble, and it's guaranteed to work, unlike the pirated one. The original Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is available at Play-Asia for USD 44.90. Click here for further details.

Mario Kart DS Merchandize: Mario Kart Race Sets

Still moaning/crying/weeping over the fact that "snaking" is not available in Mario Kart Wii (click here for details)? Well don't, because here's a piece of Mario Kart merchandize that probably wouldn't snake but promises to be quite fun.


It's an officially Nintendo licensed Mario Kart DS Mario vs Yoshi Race Set, complete with scenery. I guess you can control the speed of the karts with the supplied controller and this thing would probably need a power socket to work.


Anyways, if you don't like that green dinosaur (I'm one of those who don't), there's a Mario vs. Donkey Kong race set too.

Just don't expect blue shells to come with these things. Banana peels are entirely optional on your part :).

Really nice stuff, click here to preorder the Mario vs. Yoshi race set or here to preorder the Mario vs. Donkey Kong race set.

Mr. Bean on the Nintendo DS - A Game Review

For more video game reviews, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

Throughout my entire TV-watching life, Mr. Bean is probably the funniest character on TV who no one would dare associate with. Come on, being called or compared to Mr. Bean isn't funny at all even though his silly/funny antics kept us tuning in week after week.

One spin-off from the live-action Mr. Bean TV series is the animated (duh) series by Tiger Aspect, which is currently being shown on Astro's Disney Channel. Animation probably adds more effect to Mr. Bean's already absurd behaviour. According to the Wikipedia article on the series, Mr. Bean's animated actions are taken from Rowan Atkinson (the guy who plays Mr. Bean in the live series) himselft!

Anyways,Pinnacle has just released a video game based on Mr. Bean: The Animated Series, and it is actually quite a bit better than most tv-show/movie tie-ins. Remember The Golden Compass on the Nintendo DS? I don't think so.

Mr Bean for the Nintendo DS surprises by being quite an adept platformer. Graphics-wise, it adopts a cell-shaded look while retaining the character designs from the animation series. One thing that makes the game stand out is unlike The Simpsons game which took a 2D approach, Mr. Bean is actually in 3D but the game restricts you to the X and Y planes on a linear path. Hence, a 3D 2D platformer...if such a thing existed in the first place.

Like any platformer worth its salt, there is a Story mode. Mr. Bean's teddy has been kidnapped by that dratted cat. Mr. Bean must collect cat biscuits in order to free him. Mr. Bean encounters a lot of enemies along the way, including frogs, bees, guard dogs and moles! To assist Mr. Bean in his endeavours, there're some items such as bug spray, cooking pans and a weird looking hat that renders him invulnerable for a few seconds.

The game will have the player jumping onto moving platforms (it's a platformer alright), pulling and pushing crates, and avoiding environmental obstacles such as explosives(!), pits, garden hoes, water hazards and pointy stuff that come up from the ground. If it does sound daunting, rest assured that the gameplay caters for children and it is rather forgiving.

Finishing levels provides not many incentives except for unlocking mini games such as "whack-a-mole" and jigsaw puzzles. Replay value is limited in the Story mode as the only other thing you can do is to play as Mr. Bean's girlfriend.

Despite that, this game would most certainly appeal to children and fans of the TV series. Currently an European release, Mr. Bean for the Nintendo DS is available on Amazon UK. Click here for purchase details.

Space Invaders Extreme (Japanese Import) - A Review

For more video game reviews, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

"Toto, I've got a feeling that we are not in 1978 anymore, and this ain't our daddy's Space Invaders we're playing here". That is exactly what sums up the experience of playing Space Invaders Extreme on the Nintendo DS.


Space Invaders Extreme presents a 21st century update to one of modern video gaming's pioneer titles and is released by Taito to mark the 30th anniversary of the classic title.

Don't mind the rather staid/retro cover box as the game really is colourful and the gameplay is much faster compared to that of its 30 year-old predecessor. Taito has put in place a rather nice techno soundtrack to complement the psychedelic interface/gameplay and I feel it's like someone converted Planet Puzzle League into Space Invaders!

There's quite a bit of strategy involved when playing Space Invaders Extreme. You'll need to shoot down enemies of the same type or colour in order to get temporary power-ups and also create chains to help boost your score.

Gameplay is divided into 3 types, whereby there's the ubiquitous arcade mode, the ranking mode and as well as a stage mode. The game also supports single cart and multi cart local multiplayer for up to 2 players. Tired of playing face to face and losing? Try the Nintendo WFC multiplayer option which is also available in Space Invaders Extreme.


I'm currently playing the Japanese version of the game, and language is really not a barrier here as in-game instructions and menu items are entirely in English. There's an incentive to purchase the Japanese version as the game double-ups as a collectible item (in my opinion), with the nice looking sticker on the shrink-wrap.


Anyways, Space Invaders is a pretty good time-killer and the variety of stages should keep you entertained for short periods. I wouldn't recommend playing too long because the animated backgrounds (yup, you read that right), even though they are a nice touch, can give you a headache after extended periods of playing.

Space Invaders Extreme is available at Play-Asia, for both the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP. The soundtrack will be on sale from March 19th for anyone who is interested. Click on the links for further details!

Electronic Art's EA Play: 15th to 16th March, Marina Square, Singapore.

I got an invitation earlier today to cover Electronic Art's EA Play event which is going to be held this weekend (15th to 16th March) at the Marina Square in Singapore. I would love to go, but since it such short notice, I couldn't make it. However, I would make an exception for return flight tickets and paid-for accommodation. Just kidding (no, seriously...drop me a line).


Anyways, more about the event. EA Play promises to be big, and probably is the biggest "consumer gaming event" in this part of the world. Primarily the showcase of the latest and highly anticipated titles of EA's stable of multi-platform video games, gamers and the public will also get to experience hands-on demo sessions of Command and Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath as well as witness to a working demo of Will Wright's opus, Spore.

For those who are less interested in previews but are more in the business of kicking virtual rivals in the head (or shooting them for a matter a fact, or driving them off a virtual race track..you get the idea), EA Play 08 plays host (pun intended) a variety of tournaments featuring Crysis and Command and Conquer 3 for the PC, FIFA 08 and NBA Street Homecourt for the PS3, and not forgetting Skate and NFS: Prostreet for the Xbox 360.

Yup, EA Play 08 is the a perfect convergence between the general public, casual and hardcore gamers. Now, I wish someone would get me flight tickets and accomodation to Singapore this weekend. Failing which, bring EA Play to Malaysia!

Games To Go With Your Limited Ed. Game Boy Micro

Since the Game Boy Micro Famicom Edition is on sale at Play-Asia with a massive discount (click here for details, it's a bona fide bargain!), you can make full use of the savings for games and accessories!

When it comes to games, nothing beats Play-Asia's selection of imported games. These titles are probably a rarity nowadays, but like the GBM Famicom Edition they are being sold at bargain bin prices! Check out the following games, which mostly cost less than USD 20 each:

• bit Generations: Dialhex
• bit Generations: Boundish
• bit Generations: Dotstream
• bit Generations: Digidrive
• Pokemon Pinball Ruby & Sapphire
• Mario Tennis Advance
• Mario Golf GBA Tour
  
• Wario Land Advance
• Made In Wario
• Super Mario Advance
• Famicom Mini Series Vol.06: Pacman
• Famicom Mini Series Vol.o3: Ice Climber
• Famicom Mini Series Vol.12: Clu Clu Land
• Famicom Mini Series Vol.05: The Legend of Zelda
• Famicom Mini Series Vol.01: Super Mario Bros (20th Anniversary Edition)
• Mother 1+2 (Value Selection)
• Chocobo Land: A game of Dice
• Donkey Kong: The King of Swing

Not forgetting accessories such as the wireless adapter, communication cable, screen protector, earphones, and the multitudes of bags/cases for the Game Boy Micro. With the exception of the communication cable, these accessories are priced under USD 10.

40 Bucks Off Limited Edition Game Boy Micro Famicom Version

For the latest highlights on bargains and discounts for consoles, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.



You know you want one. I'm talking about the Game Boy Micro Famicom Edition. I bought one of these babies not too long ago, and I wouldn't hesitate to show off pictures of it (more pics here)


Well, don't fret if you don't have one, yet, as Play-Asia is now selling this limited edition item with a huge USD 40 discount. Now you can get it for just USD 59.90. Click here for purchase details.

Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer: The First Hour Review

For more video game reviews, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.

I managed to try out Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer, a turn-based dungeon crawler for the Nintendo DS yesterday. Fans would know that this is a remake of the old Japanese SNES title, Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Fuurai no Shiren. In fact, both games practically look the same.

If you must know, the SNES ROM for Fushigi no Dungeon 2 runs excellently on the SNEmulDS, a SNES emulator that runs on the Nintendo DS.


So, another day, another dungeon crawler. Turn based gameplay aside (more on that later), Mystery Dungeon share some of the same gameplay elements as the perennial PC favourite, Diablo. Maps are randomly generated, and you'll never play the same map over again, should you restart the game. There's also an option in-game to regenerate a map in which you are currently playing on.

This flexibility results in quirkiness, such as the exit being right next to your starting point, being commonplace. Walking around a map, you'll encounter monsters, items, spell scrolls, money and another RPG staple, traps.

Gameplay, as mentioned earlier, is turned-based. Each movement, or hit on an opponent, constitute a turn but thankfully you'll never really feel the grind as the game takes a rather fast pace at almost anything, except conversations. Maybe it's because of your talkative companion, a weasel (!).

2D-graphics are the order of the day for Shiren, and the game looks like it hasn't aged a day since its SNES days. Fans of the old classic will find themselves at home while new gamers will have an opportunity to play a classic that was previously available only in Japanese.

Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer is available at Play-Asia for USD 34.90. Click here for purchase information.

Where to get Malaysian Election Results?

Malaysia's shocker of an election has made it the main news on BBC. With local printed media unseen at news stands, Malaysians will just have to get their election results fix from television and the Internet.


In order to get results, visit Aaron's blog at http://undebug.org/general/malaysia-general-elections-2008/ or visit the Malaysiakini results page at http://malaysiakini.x10hosting.com/. Or just sit back and watch the idiot box for the results interlaced with snippets of sore Barisan National losers vowing to "investigate" the loss. Just get back to work boys and girls.

Latest Malaysian Election News

While Samy Vellu and the rest of the MIC leadership are drowning in their sorrows (probably singing "We are family, I got all my losers with me), both BBC and CNN have the following on their front pages: Election setback for Malaysia PM and Malaysian PM suffers election shock. The CNN article is a popular news item among the readers, ranking at number 2.

As of 2.42 a.m., the unofficial news is that while Barisan National (National Front) has won the general elections by a simple majority, it has been denied the crucial 2/3 majority by the Opposition.

Other interesting bits of election news, courtesy of Malaysiakini:

• MIC is having a straight flush of loses, with president Samy Vellu going down along with his deputy president, youth chief, and women's wing chief.
• Khairy Jamaluddin being indignant, vowing that "We will fight back". Shouldn't he be saying stuff like "We'll work harder to regain the trust of the rakyat (people)"?
• Jeff Ooi is heading for the Parliament.
• Lim Guan Eng is going to be the next Penang Chief Minister.
• PAS gets Kedah, but doesn't get Terengganu
  
• DAP gets Petaling Jaya Utara
• Victory parades are banned
  

Pirate Piggy Banks From One Piece - On Sale!!

Previously I blogged about the One Piece Piggy Banks featuring Luffy and Chopper (that post garnered alot of Diggs, click here). Play-Asia is currently selling the One Piece Piggy Bank Figure: Chopper Type B and Type C at a discounted price of USD 14.90 each! Essentially the same, the only difference between the two types is the colour of coat that Chopper wears.

Here are some photos (of Type B) for you to feast at:



So hurry before stocks run out. Play-Asia ships with free shipping to certain countries so don't forget to take advantage of that. Click here for Type B purchase details and here for Type C purchase details.

Selamat, Aman, Makmur OR sama-jer lah!

Selamat, Aman, Makmur. That's Barisan National's (BN) tagline for their election campaign. Apply a bit of creativity, and you can come up with the acronym: SAMA. Add a -jer behind, you'll get SAMA-jer, which translates into English as "more of the same".

More of the same allegations of corruption, chronism, more of the same chauvinist Members of Parliment, more of the same AP scandals, more of the same above the law attitudes, more of the same price hikes, due to more of the same petrol price increases, more of the same rhetoric, more of the same Keris displays, more of the same geriatric ministers who don't know how to step down.

Do you vote for the same old same old, or for a fresh change in this nation of Malaysia?

9/10 will be voting! What about you?

I'm waiting for the Java Runtime Environment installation to complete, so that I can get some Literati action on Yahoo! Games. There's nothing really casual about the game, I actually feel quite stressed, especially against tough opponents. However, I only lost 1 out of 5 games this past couple of days (sneaking in games during lunch time).

I was asked by a friend of mine on who would I vote for, come polling day this Saturday. In my locality, it's PKR vs. MIC, which naturally translates to a choice between the Devil and the deep blue sea. The BN government has been slow, one such example is the recent election addition of street lights on a stretch of road that was completed for some time now.

They really do not know how to take care of their own. The incumbent in this area is MIC, but I don't see them addressing the issue of Indian youths making a nuisance of themselves, hanging about in front of HOUSES, on their motorbikes late at night. There's alcohol, gambling, fighting and according to my neighbours, drug running.

Here's my take on the political parties, which had my friend laughing, but I believe some people would share the same idea too:

• UMNO - Malay Chauvinists
• MCA - Weak (Lembik)
  
• MIC - Thugs (Samseng)
• Gerakan - Tak Gerak (Not Moving)
• Prime Minister - NATO

And here's somemore for the Opposition parties:

• PKR - Liars, or so their leader is made out to be, by the Government of course!
  
• DAP - Jumpers
• PAS - Malay Chauvinists, but less of Religion Fanatics these days (they make a good foil for UMNO)

Come election day, many of my friends will put in a vote for the opposition, simply because giving too much power to Barisan National (the ruling party), has made them bigots, pushing their weight around. Don't vote with emotion? Bullshit. BN should be thankful for the lesson that the people of Malaysia would be giving them this Saturday. Malaysians will school you in the fact that power lies in the people.

I would probably have my Gameboy Micro in hand while waiting inline this Saturday. What about you guys?

Bargain: Elements of Destruction at USD 16.90

Get ready to be an unstoppable force of nature with Elements of Destruction for the Nintendo DS. EoD is now available at a discounted price of USD 16.90 at Play-Asia with free shipping to certain countries. So make like a tornado and get it now!

Click here for further details.

Rockman 20th Anniversary Merchandize

Video games have always been an excellent source of iconic characters. On the Nintendo side of things, you have Mario and Link. The Xbox produced Master Chief and Sega gave the world Sonic the Hedgehog. Capcom gave us the entire line-up of Street Fighter II and Mega Man.

Say who? I'm not much of a Mega Man fan but he is that robotic boy in the blue suit with a cannon for an arm. The Mega Man (Rockman in Japan) franchise has been around since 1987 and just recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in December 2007.

To commemorate this milestone, Capcom has released a whole bunch of merchandise, ranging from keychains to stationery and t-shirts, and a whole lot in-between.

• Keychain Gashapon (Capsule Toys)
  
  
  
• T-Shirts
  
  
  
• Jerseys
  
  
  
• Windbreakers
  
  
  
• Towel
  
  
  
• Art File
  
  
  
• Clear Folder
  
  

Pretty cool eh? Click on the links or pictures above, for purchase details.

Mario Kart DS Gashapon Figurines Back In Stock!

These Mario Kart DS Gashapon figurines are now back in stock at Play-Asia. The Mario Kart DS Racing Collection EX from Yujin consists of Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Wario, Bowser, Donkey Kong and Princess Peach.


Retailing at USD 2.90 each, Play-Asia ships the figurines randomly, so you wouldn't know what you'll be getting, although previously specifying 7 figurines in an order would yield a full and complete set (no duplicates).

Interested? Check them out over at Play-Asia. Check out my gashapon section for my completed collection.

Plagiarisers, We Hates Them...

It's weird, this plagiarising business. I've got one chap who even decided to make a blog consisting entirely of my posts, all without acknowledgments or link backs (not that I allow this sort of behaviour, even if he'd asked).

Since there are no acknowledgements or link backs, how do I find out in the first place? Some of my posts contain self-referencing links to other parts of my blogs, and that particular genius copied lock, stock and frigging barrel. This includes the product links to Play-Asia. So if anyone buys from his side, I get money (which is a good thing, but I don't like plagiarisers).

Anyways, I gotten to know the chap's Advertlets' User ID. Now lets see what Josh Lim and co can do for me...

Playstation 2 Game Pads - Where do I get them?

I played Burnout: Revenge on the PS2 with a gamepad covered with drool several nights ago. My dog was in the living room and immediately took a liking to the almost brand new gamepad (I hardly used it since last year).

Drool aside, the gamepad that I'm using is actually a replica of the Dual Shock 2. Don't get it? Well, try "knock-off". It looks the part, feels the part and in my opinion, almost indistinguishable from the real thing and it costs less than RM 30.

But before you jump off your seat and head off to the nearest video games shop (or stall for that matter), most shops carry two types of knock-offs. The first type, is probably the worse but cheapest of the two. With analog buttons as stiff as rusty bicycle chains and buttons with the response times of bricks, you would be better off getting the second type, which I'm using.

But of course, knock-offs do come with general drawbacks. They kaput faster, buttons wear off faster and the response times can be a little suspect. The one that I was using previously had its R1 and R2 buttons stuck. I'm guessing too much SSX.


Original Dual Shock 2 gamepads come with a price variance that is bound to boggle the mind. It retails at RM 95.00 on the Sony website. Too expensive? Play-Asia sells the same thing for just USD 16.90 (RM 54) and the site stocks a variety of colours too.

• Black
• Crimson Red
• Crystal
• Slate Gray
• Ocean Blue
• Lemon Yellow
• Ceramic White
• Midnight Blue
• Emerald
• Satin Silver

I would probably go for the traditional black, or perhaps the Slate Gray, but the Emerald does exude some "Master Chief" glow.. So what about you? :)

Bargain: Namco Museum at USD 6.99

For the latest highlights on bargains and discounts for video games, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.


I blogged about this title a few days ago, and now Namco Museum for the Sony PSP is being offered at a super low price of USD 6.99 at Play-Asia. This is a time-limited offer, so don't miss out on it. Click here for further details.