Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - A Short Review

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If there's a game on the Nintendo DS that can (and will) make you miss your baths and is the epitome of the "just-one-more-turn" addiction normally found turned-based games on the PC, that game would be Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords.

Puzzle Quest plays a little bit like one of those Heroes of Might and Magic games on the PC. There's the game-world map whereby the hero moves around and there's also the hero's starting location, a city which can be upgraded with player-specific buildings.

The similarities with the HoMM end at combat. While there's also experience to be earned from combat, actual combat takes place as a Bejeweled game between the player and the AI. Where else can you say that you got pwned by a giant vampire bat in a game of Bejeweled?

Being an old title, Puzzle Quest would probably have dozens of reviews to its name, each would also be probably recommend that you get it. My sentiments exactly, having played the game. I got this game as a used copy a couple of weeks ago with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for a paltry RM 90 or USD 28 for both!

If you need to get a new copy, the US version is available at Play-Asia for USD 24.90 (click here) whereas the Japanese import version, Simple DS Series Vol. 23: The Puzzle Quest: Agaria no Kishi (quite a mouthful) is also available at a cheaper price of USD 19.90 (click here).

P/S: Both titles are at bargain prices.

Bleach DS: The Blade of Fate (Eng. version) for Cheap!

This is nice. Not only the Japanese version of Bleach: The Blade of Fate is selling for a discount, the English version is now being sold at a bargain price of USD 29.90 at Play-Asia. Click here for further details.

Bleach DS Titles at Bargain Prices

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

Hmm. This is the 666th post in my blog. Pretty freaky. :) Anyways, value-priced versions (read: cheap, bargain bin) of two Bleach titles for the Nintendo DS went on sale today.

Bleach DS: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei (Best Version) (a.k.a Bleach: The Blade of Fate) and Bleach DS 2nd: Kokui Hirameku Chinkon Uta (Best Version) (a.k.a Bleach: Dark Souls) are selling for USD 29.90 each.

Pretty good value for money eh? Interested? Click here to purchase Bleach DS: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei (Best Version) (a.k.a Bleach: The Blade of Fate) and here for Bleach DS 2nd: Kokui Hirameku Chinkon Uta (Best Version) (a.k.a Bleach: Dark Souls)

Super Mario Stink Bombs - Yuck

If you are a gashapon collector, and a Mario fan at that, there's one thing that you shouldn't buy and that's one of those Super Mario Galaxy W Mascot Super Balls. A pair of these came in the mail earlier this week, having ordered them the previous week.


The same material that makes them bounce gives off a horrible stench, one that is rubbery + plastic-ky at the same time. It's so horrible that even if one of those balls were removed from the plastic packaging they come in, the nausea/migraine inducing stench will engulf the entire room.

I've placed the two balls in a sealed container and will get rid of them on Monday when the garbage man arrives. What a waste of 5 dollars and 40 cents.

But if you want to get them as stink bombs, be my guest. They are available at USD 2.90 each at Play-Asia.com. Click here for purchase details.

DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!

Retro Consoles: Nintendo Micro VS System

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



Now this really looks interesting. Released in 1984, Nintendo's Micro VS System is a portable console that doesn't look like a typical Game N' Watch unit. The Micro VS System came with a screen measuring slightly lesser than 16 centimeters and brought about 2 player action with the supplied pair of controllers.


You can find used Micro VS System units selling for more than USD 30 on eBay whereas new ones are going for USD 70. However, collectors are in luck since Play-Asia is selling brand-new factory sealed units of the rare Micro VS System: Donkey Kong Hockey for just USD 49.90 each

Here are some pictures:

These are the technical specifications:

Official Nintendo Portable Game

LR44 (AA) Micro Alkaline Batteries included (1.5 V)

Play modes: vs Computer or 2 Player mode

Extendable controllers (upto 48cm)

Battery life: 5 months (an hour play per day)

Time display: 12-hour system

Alarm: Set in 1-min intervals

Limited availability

And the description taken from the Play-Asia product page:

Nintendo has revolutionized the gaming industry in many ways, the systems they have developed are often truly innovative. It widens the gaming communities and bring gaming experiences to new heights.

Arcade consoles have long been linking players together for fighting and sports games, and the Micro VS System was released in 1984 and is one of the earliest consoles that makes such gameplay portable. With the console's two handhelds, two players can join a game by sharing the screen between them.

This console is one of the rare artifacts that tells the historical development of the gaming industry, a true collector's item that any serious gamer must own and Play-Asia.com is lucky to get hold of a limited quantity of brand new factory sealed consoles.

Interested? Click here for purchase details.

Bargains: Mega Man Games Going For A Song!

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


Mega Man fans! Play-Asia has a lot of Mega Man titles on sale at just USD 16.90 each including the newest Mega Man ZX Advent. Not only that, RockMan titles are going for a cool USD 9.90 each. Click here for the entire list of Mega Man and RockMan titles on sale for the Nintendo DS.

Speed Racer: The Video Game - A Nintendo DS Review

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I must say that with WFC Connectivity, Speed Racer: The Video Game would have been up there contending with Mario Kart DS for the best racing game title on the Nintendo DS.


Admittedly, that thought didn't cross my mind before I started reviewing the game. Likewise for many movie tie-ins and in-fact many Nintendo DS games these days, I approached this title with trepidation thinking that hey, at most its gonna be something a little less crappier than M&M's Kart Racing.

Yup, the market is full of shovelware these days that a little pessimistic thinking is acceptable. Are we looking at another video games crunch ala the 80's? That's enough material for another article.

Back to the game. Boy, was I glad to be proven wrong. The game started off with a nice FMV, with the backstory being set after the events of the movie. Without further ado, I jumped into an arcade mode race and the graphics were the first thing that caught my attention.

Someone better create a digital video output expansion set for the DS so that I can view this on my widescreen..this is really good!

It was a really trippy experience going through the first race and the excellent graphics were accompanied with excellent controls and gameplay. Some portions of the track are like half pipes, and if you were to drive off the sides, a tap of a button will bring the car right on to the track. This user friendly approach is extended to situations where you might find yourself driving backwards, and a touch of a button will right the car.

All these stunts, which also include flipping the car during jumps, drifting through corners and executing Car-Fu, which is a mini game that can be executed during overtaking, will help you fill your boost meter which can be expended to provide a timely boost of speed.

However, fill the boost meter to the brim and you'll have access to the Zone. It's abit hard to describe the "Zone", it's like a mega boost of sorts and pretty much worth the effort to fill the boost meter.

More importantly, stunts also win fans. Fans are to Speed Racer as currency is to RPGs. the more fans you win over in a race, the more cars, drivers and game modes you can unlock!

Aside from the Arcade Mode, there is also an expansive WRL league mode, which is divided by difficulty level. Each level has its own sets of cups and special events and is the place to be to gain fans to unlock the goodies mentioned in the previous paragraph.

The Options menu provides quite a bit of flexibility. You can choose between three different control schemes, adjust race variables such as number of opponents and laps, and whether to use the metric system or the imperial system for your speedometer (lol..jargon? that's just MPH or KPH).

Speed Racer is like a breath of fresh air among the other racing games I've seen lately on the Nintendo DS and I highly recommend it. Speed Racer: The Video Game is available at Play-Asia with free international shipping to most countries. Click here for purchase details.

Click here to purchase the game at Amazon.com.

Good Vibrations - Make Mine A DualShock 3

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


For all you PS3 owners still stuck with a SuckAxis, I mean Sixaxis controller, it might be beneficial for you to know that the Dual Shock 3 is selling at a discount at Play-Asia.com, and it comes with free international shipping to some countries.

Yup, ditch that motion controlling/rumble-less thingamajig for some rumble goodness. You know you want one. Click here for purchase details.

Super Mario Galaxy Collectibles: Super Ball Gashapon!

Now these Super Mario Galaxy collectibles look really interesting. The Super Mario Galaxy Mascot Super Ball Gashapon collection consists of 8 different kinds of gashapon, based on the power-ups found in the game, all of which are encased within clear plastic/rubber balls.


And they are pretty big too, with a 4 centimeter diameter. I just hope they are contained within rubber balls, which would be fun to bounce around!

The Super Mario Galaxy Mascot Super Ball Gashapon is available at Play-Asia at USD 2.90 each with free shipping to most countries. Click here for purchase details.

Devil May Cry Collectibles: Darts & Flights

Now, these are some things a pub-going video game fanboy wouldn't mind being caught with. These Devil May Cry Darts from Capcom come in a set of three with 3 pieces of interchangeable flights. Click here for the Dante set or here for the Nero set.


Additional flights can also be purchased separately in sets of 3 as well, each set depicting a character from the DMC games. Click here for purchase details for these flights.

A Package Full Of Video Game Collectibles and Accessories

A "care package" arrived from Hong Kong today, bringing with it a whole bunch of video game collectibles and an accessory.

Here's a mug shot of the contents of this delivery:


Interested in knowing what I bought? Here's the list:

• New Super Mario Bros. Soft Magnet Collection (click here for purchase details)
• Namco Dotgraphics Figure with Sound (click here for purchase details)
• Hori Display Stand Portable for both the Sony PSP-1000 and PSP-2000 (click here for purchase details)
  

Club Nintendo Super Famicom Classic Controller for Nintendo Wii

Here's your chance to own a limited edition Club Nintendo Super Famicom Classic Controller for the Nintendo Wii. That's right, this retro-throwback of a gamepad hooks up to your Nintendo Wii and is ideal for playing Virtual Console games.


No details on pricing yet, but Play-Asia will be opening pre-orders for this gamepad soon, so you'd better bookmark the following link: http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-47yl-71-10u-49-en-84-j-70-2f4f.html

Grand Theft Auto Central

This week marks the release of GTA IV, and over here at Nine Over Ten 9/10, this post is dedicated to all things GTA, from where to get the game, guidebooks, and even a trip down memory lane to great granddaddy GTA and grandma GTA 2.


So, all geared up for GTA IV? If you haven't got a current-gen console, you'd probably need one in the form of an Xbox 360 or a Playstation 3. Yup, it's a release across the board but if you own a Wii, go play Okami instead.

Where to get your copy of GTA IV? Folks living in the States, Canada and even the U.K are fortunate to have good video game distribution networks (retailers, stores) and they are also spoilt for choice in terms of online options.

One way of purchasing GTA IV is via Amazon.com; the game is available for pre-order for both the Xbox 360 (click here) and Playstation 3 (click here) versions and are eligible for Super Saver Shipping.

For us over here at Malaysia, it would seem that we have to rely on parallel importers to get our GTA fix, or purchase from online sites such as Play-Asia. Like Amazon, Play-Asia has both versions of the game available for pre-order. Click here for the Xbox 360 version and click here for the PS3 version.

GTA 4 Guide Books are available at Amazon.com (click here) and Play-Asia (click here) as well.

While you won't see Rockstar Games release GTA: Vice City as freeware, you can take a free walk down memory lane on the original Grand Theft Auto and GTA 2, courtesy of the said developer. Where to get them? Head over to this link.

Now, if I just can get a PS3...

Weirdest/Coolest FMV on the Nintendo DS

The use of full motion video is getting pretty common place among Nintendo DS games, with the usual suspects such as the Final Fantasy series of games leading the way. Even the boxing game, K-1 World GP (Japanese import) utilizes FMV for its intro.

Most of the time, these FMVs are CG spectacles, designed to awe more than anything else. But have you seen anything that actually have you chuckling?

Here's one:

That's the FMV intro for Hissatsu Kung Fu: Kanji Dragon and it references old Chinese Kung Fu movies and even the Karate Kid, but look out for the Nintendo DS Lite in some scenes. The game requires knowledge of Japanese kanji characters (you write them on the touch screen) and when done succesfully, translates to kungfu moves to defeat your on screen enemy. Think Street Fighter where you have to write your combo moves instead of mashing buttons.

As you might expect, I couldn't go far with the game since I'm handicapped by my lack of kanji knowledge but for those of you out there with written Japanese knowledge, this is an interesting game to check out.

Hissatsu Kung Fu: Kanji Dragon is available at Play-Asia, click here for purchase details.

New Sony PSP Slim & Lite Colour and Official PSP Cradle with Remote, Out Now!

Head's up, there's a new Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) Slim & Lite colour in town, Mat Bronze (PSPJ-2002). The Value Pack is now available at Play-Asia and it comes with the Battery Pack, AC Adapter, Strap, Cleaning Cloth, Pouch, 32MB Memory Stick Duo and D-Terminal AV Cable. Interested? Click here for details.


Also just recently released is the new official Sony PSP Cradle with comes with a (cue collective gasp), slim card type REMOTE CONTROL! According to the official website, the Remote Control allows the user to view movies, pictures and some other stuff on the PSP when it (the PSP) is attached to the cradle.


The Sony PSP Cradle comes in two variants, the first one without a bundled D-Terminal Cable and another version that comes with it. The Sony PSP Cradle is selling for USD 49.90, without the D-Terminal cable (click here for details) and for USD 69.90 with D-Terminal cable (click here for details).

GameCube Controller, Now In White!

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



Out of the 4 previous gen consoles, I own two of 'em, a Sony Playstation 2 and a Sega Dreamcast. While I feel that the PS2 Dual Shock 2 controller is superior to that of the Dreamcast, there's one controller that never fails to keep me in awe and wonder on how it would be to use it.


This particular controller belongs to the Nintendo GameCube. While the Dual Shock 2 is rather utilitarian with its industrial and symmetrical design, the GameCube controller looks like a piece of art. Previously available in purple, silver, spice orange, and platinum, the GameCube controller is now available in White, to match the sleek and also white look of the Nintendo Wii.

Get the new White GameCube Controller for USD 24.90 (+ USD 10.40 shipping) at Play-Asia, which coincidentally is still cheaper compared to the same controller in other colours! Click here for further details.

bit Generations Coloris for the GBA - A Game Review

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

If you have a game title that rhymes with chorela, you would be chuckling like me every time you see the box art for the game Coloris. Even the colour scheme reminds you of something related to the disease (diarrhea, anyone?). But one shouldn't judge a game by the title or box art or a combination of both.

Part of the 3 bit Generations games that I purchased earlier this month, Coloris presents a rather unique experience not unlike the other titles in the bit Generations series. First timers would do well to pay attention to the colour spectrum thingy in the first level.

The level is represented with rows upon rows of multicoloured tiles. The game plays a little bit like Tetris, whereby players will have to get a line of 3 tiles (horizontally, or vertically, or both even) or more in the same colour in order to make them disappear. How to change the colour of a tile depends on the tiles surrounding that particular tile. Remember the colour spectrum?

You can change the colour of the tile, in sequence to the colour of the surrounding tiles! Pretty interesting eh?

Here's a couple of gameplay videos that I shot earlier this evening so have a look:





Coloris is available at...scratch that, it's no longer in stock at Play-Asia, but you can keep tabs on it just in case the game comes back in stock. Click here for further details.

Hori Portable Display Stand for the Sony PSP

Last year, I purchased a Magnet Stand for my Nintendo DS which helped in keeping the console upright and I need not hold the machine all the time. It's a pretty nifty device by Hori, with very strong magnets at its base. I can attach it, along with the DS, unto the fridge door without worrying about the entire contraption falling off.


I didn't know that there was something similar for the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), but minus the magnets. Turns out to be that the Display Stand Portable (available in Black and White) is also manufactured by Hori. It supports both the original PSP (PSP-1000) and the new PSP Slim & Lite (PSP-2000).

Have something like a silicon skin or armour protecting your new Slim & Lite? No problem as the display stand will take on all comers as it will accomodate the extra protection in its PSP-1000 mode.

The Hori Display Stand Portable is currently available at Play-Asia in two colours, black and white, at a discounted price of USD 4.99. Click here for further details.

The Nintendo DS Magnet Stand is also available at Play-Asia, for a price of USD 14.90. Click here for further details.

Star Wars Lightsaber 3 Keyring Gashapon with Pics and Video!

A package arrived today from Play-Asia, and after opening and assembling the contents, all I can say is that the Force is strong in the Star Wars Lightsaber 3 Keyring Gashapon collection from Yujin.

If only reviews are so simple. Feast your eyes on the following pictures of my collection of Star Wars Lightsaber 3 Keyring Gashapon, and look out for the video at the end of this post showing how to assemble these lightsabers. Luke Skywalker would be proud indeed.

These things come with batteries included, so once you remove the safety peg on each lightsaber's on/off switch, you are ready to light it up. Here's the video as promised (I've got trouble uploading it to Youtube, so switching to Blogger instead):

Interested in purchasing one or more lightsaber keyrings? Head over to Play-Asia (click here) for purchase details.

What Games to Play With the Nintendo DS Paddle Controller?

Jon posted an interesting question on my previous article on how to get the Paddle Controller to work with Mario Kart DS: What other games does the Paddle Controller support (a.k.a what other games can you play with the Paddle Controller)?

The two games which I know that officially support the Paddle Controller are Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid DS.

The one game that has unofficial support for the Paddle Controller, courtesy of a cheat code, would be Mario Kart DS. Unfortunately for us, the guy that provided the cheat code to do so has not produced any other cheat codes to enable Paddle Controller support on other games.

Keep this page bookmarked, as I'll be updating it as soon as new games that support the Paddle Controller show up.