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!

I has Speed Racer's Mach 6 on mah desk!

I saw these Hot Wheels Mach 6 cars being sold at the local supermarket and I can't help but get one of them. I haven't gone about watching Speed Racer at the cinema yet, but that should be solved tomorrow :).

Here are some pictures of the Mach 6:


Have you gotten your's yet?

On My Nintendo DS: Super Airwolf for the Sega Genesis

Did you know that there's a replica of the helicopter from AIRWOLF on sale at eBay? Anyways, there was also an Airwolf game released on the Sega Genesis. Interestingly, it was released as Crossfire in the United States, while elsewhere it was known as Super Airwolf.

Also interesting was the gameplay. At first I thought the game was a straight-forward shmup ala 1942, where you shoot down planes, tanks and enemy emplacements with your souped-up helicopter. The subsequent land-based commando mission took me by surprise. It was a break from the norm but at the same time, devilishly hard to play.

I took a video of that sequence:



So what are the differences between Crossfire and Super Airwolf? Both are similar gameplay wise but try to spot the differences between the games with the videos I've taken below:





This write-up wouldn't have been possible without jEnesisDS, a Sega Genesis emulator for the Nintendo DS, and the R4DS, a flashcart used to run homebrew applications on the Nintendo DS.

Ode to D2

Hi old friend. Yes. It's been a while. How have you been doing? Yeah, I know it's hard to be stuck in a shelf for so long, and I apologize for not taking you out for a spin every now and then. But here am I now, looking at you. I hope your current accommodation isn't too harsh on your formerly shiny under side.

You really don't age well do you. But despite all the wrinkles on your forehead, and those large looking lint on your grainy clothes, you still play like a charm. Point, click, run... just like old times. And don't forget the items! But I still don't get the socketed ones.

This time around, I'm taking things a little different. You and I, we used to play long-range, but how bout having playing with a gang of friends (or automatons) of the bony variety instead. They look cool, and surely even out the odds when we're in a pinch. Ah...let the good times roll.

Yes, I'm back in the throes of Diablo II.

Nine Over Ten 9/10 Now on Twitter

This Twitter thing manages to look light weight and overwhelming at the same time. One thing is that you get to post and receive updates via IM and even via your mobile phone!

Anyways, Nine Over Ten 9/10 is now on Twitter! So get updates on what I am doing, review announcements and bargain highlights on your IM or mobile phone simply by following me on Twitter. Click here to do so now!

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.

The Rom Report X: 80s Cartoons and Video Games

For brand new The ROM Report articles, head over to www.nineoverten.com.

The idea for the 10th Edition of The ROM Report came to me when I was talking to a couple of my colleagues about 80s cartoon series. I remember being glued to the tube and being fed a diet of Thundercats, Transformers, Centurions, and Spiral Zone.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was also a favourite series of mine. I wouldn't really call them turtles, they are more like tortoises but like blondes, turtles seem to be more fun. The cartoon came out in 1987 and the NES game was release in 1989.

It's pretty fun to play, as you can see in the video I've taken earlier of the game.



On the otherhand, I didn't really watch Beetlejuice on TV. However, the video game, released for the NES is a little tough and presents a challenge. See for yourselves:



Now, if you think difficulty levels are over-rated, you have not seen Transformers: Convoy No Nazo. Yup, it's based on the Transformers cartoon series and stars Ultra Magnus.

The game is so tough that I can't even get pass the first level. Here's a video of my attempt:



All 80s inspired games featured in this article can be run on the Nintendo DS with the use of nesDS. Check out the rest of The ROM Report for more information on how to run older generation games on the Nintendo DS.

Revoltech Transformers Action Figures: Now in Bargain Bin

For the latest highlights on figurines and collectibles, head over to the brand new www.nineoverten.com.



I rarely blog about figurines/action figures nowadays, but I figure that Transformer fans would be interested in this one. The Revoltech versions of Rodimus (Hot Rod) and Star Scream by Kaiyodo are going for a bargain price of USD 17.90 each at Play-Asia! The prices are cheaper than that of Amazon.com!

Being Revoltech action figures, both are highly poseable and come with additional hands and their respective weapons. Here are some pictures:


Click here for purchase details for the Rodimus action figure, and click here for Star Scream. Here's a tip: Purchase both to get another dollar off the total price.

The ROM Report IX: The Old and the New

For brand new The ROM Report articles, head over to www.nineoverten.com.

NES gamers would probably remember Taito's classic The Legend of Kage which was released in 1987 for the North American NES.

The game was a 2D platformer and even though I've played it as a kid, I remembered distinctively that the hero was a ninja that could jump really high, and one of the enemy types wore a hat and shot flames, and was a tough bastard at that.

Anyways, I got the game to run on the Nintendo DS with the help of the nesDS emulator. You might want to check that out, but before that here's a video of the game running on the DS.


Since the theme of this edition of The ROM Report is "the old and the new", lets talk about the sequel to The Legend of Kage. Yup, Kage Densetsu: The Legend of Kage 2 was released in early March 2008 for the Nintendo DS.

The graphics have become much prettier, and along with it, more forgiving gameplay and a rather nice soundtrack as well. The hero, Kage, can still jump really high and comes with a new special power that allows him to duplicate himself.

I'll let the movie do the talking:


Kage Densetsu: The Legend of Kage 2, is available at Play-Asia at a cheaper price than what other imported Japanese games are sold for. Click here for purchase details.