[XBOX360][JAPAN] Ace Combat 6 screen captures

Image linked from Dengeki Online

Dengeki Online recently posted screen captures for “Ace Combat 6″, an exclusive title for the XBOX360.  The game will be released in the US on October 25th.

View more of the screen captures from the game

 

[VIDEO GAMES] Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo® HD Remix is now available on PLAYSTATION®Network for $10.00.

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo® HD Remix is now available on PLAYSTATION®Network for $10.00.

One of the most addictive games of all time has just gotten better! Capcom’s incredibly popular puzzle game is updated for the new generation with newly created 1080p HD graphics, several new games modes, improved game balance, new stage background courtesy of Udon Entertainment, online play and more.

In Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, players compete in intense versus battles of wit and speed. As a linked pair of gems descends from the top of the screen, players move and rotate them to form groups and piles of the same color. By destroying these groups of gems with either a crash or rainbow gem, players can send counter gems to fall onto their hapless rival. When the opponent’s screen is filled up and no more moves are available, the player wins the game.

Features:
· Three different gameplay options:
o X-Mode: play in classic Puzzle Fighter style

o Y-Mode: gems automatically break when three or more gems of the same color line up in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally

o Z-Mode: players move a 2×2 cursor around the screen rotating the positions of the highlighted gems; more gems are added from below, moving all the current gems toward the top

· Game balance options for X-Mode
o Original X-Mode or a newly rebalanced X’ mode that makes every character a compelling choice

· Counter Gem Edit – allows players to create their own drop pattern

· Multiple online gameplay options:
o Ranked Match – using the TrueSkill system players are matched 1-on-1 based on their ranking points

o Player Match – non-ranked, casual Quarter Match setup allows players to view ongoing matches and stand by to become the next challenger

· Worldwide rankings and leaderboard

 

[WORLD GROOVE] Listening to Dakota Star – “Dakota Star”

BAND: Dakota Star / ALBUM: Dakota Star / CATALOG #: NFCT-27029 / DURATION: 57:14

 

LABEL: Avex Entertainment, Inc. / Website: http://www.dakotastar.net

1. T-13
2. Never Fall from Grace (album version)
3. Together Alone (album version)
4. So Real So Numb
5. Love Won’t Stand Still
6. I’ll Be There for You
7. Go (original mix)
8. Crash -instrumental-
9. Tremolo
10. Touch What’s Real
11. L.A.
12. Dessert Boots -instrumental
13. Stay featuring Glen Scott

bonus tracks

1. What to Believe (album version)
2. Soul Surfer (album version)

CD CONTENT:

MPEG videos of the actual promotional videos for “I’ll Be There for You” and “Stay featuring Glen Scott”.

The first full length self-titled album from Japan-based Dakota Star has been out and with their music creating interest in music listeners for their song “Break Down” (used on the PlayStation 2 video game “Gran Turismo 4″) but what is interesting about this band is that despite being based in Japan and part of the Avex Entertainment Inc. label, their music is very Western and sung completely in English.

Dakota Star consists of Alan Brey (bass and guitar), Chiaki (vocalist) and Tasuku (guitars). The band got its name from the state South Dakota where Chiaki studied English and with so many bands in Japan going the all-English route, I can safely say that “Dakota Star” is a band that does it right.

That is, you can understand what the vocalist is singing and very good pronunciation for the English words in the lyrics.

As for the music of “Dakota Star”, the music on the album is mainly rock. And if you were to ask how their music is like? That’s a tough one because listening to the music, the first impression was… hmm…similar to a Sheryl Crow, Avril Lavigne or Kelly Clarkson with less angst.

Listening to the music of “Dakota Star”, the truth is that the music is a Western feel but the band is in Japan. The music is rock with melodic guitars but you sometimes get the record DJ scratching that I often felt was out of place, especially on the song “Never Fall from Grace”.

But the music of “Dakota Star” is not all rock because then you will encounter songs such as “Go” that throws in electronic beats and all of a sudden you get the Madonna (the current music from Madonna) type of feeling and then there are songs such as “L.A.” which incorporates a contemporary beat with buzzing electric guitars. And that’s not all, the instrumental track such as “Desert Boots” gets very electronic and you start to realize that perhaps Dakota Star is not a group that one can pigeon hole as an all-out rock band. Perhaps they embrace experimentation of their music and for me, I enjoy bands that can attempt such things on their album.

If one is truly more into their rock music, fortunately, the majority of the tracks are rock-based and the majority of the songs are sung by Chiaki but there is a track which are sung by Alan Frey or a combination of both Chiaki and Alan on vocals.

The album is packed with 15 tracks (two which are bonus tracks) and after giving both this album and their CD single “together alone” a chance, I actually enjoy it.

Unlike current Avex album releases which may have an accompanying DVD, for this album, their is a CD-EXTRA which features two mpeg videos of the actual promotional videos for “together alone” and “Stay” .

The CD insert features the lyrics (the English lyrics to the left and the Japanese lyrics to the right) while the CD booklet is yellow and Dakota Star is imprinted on the actual CD case.

I actually enjoyed the band’s first full-length album. I also enjoy that fact that for being a group that features a Western style of sound and songs that are mostly in English, it is good to see that it’s done well.

Now, whether or not Japanese music fans (outside of Japan) have interest in a Japanese band that sings in English, it’s a no-brainer that groups such as Cibo Matto, Shonen Knife and a few others have done quite well and have its good share of American fans. But with those bands, they target a certain niche demographic of people who enjoy Shibuya-Kei to a very Japanese style of rock music.

Dakota Star sounds very Western for a Japanese band and it’s really difficult for me to ascertain if music listeners in the US would appreciate that. The same situation with another popular band in Japan that sings both in English and Japanese but with their English songs with a North American feel to it is MONKEY MAJIK.

But from what I listened to, I have to say that Dakota Star is among one of top bands from Japan that sings all English. The music is well done, Chiaki’s English vocals are well pronounced and the album is jam-packed with a good variety of music and the CD+EXTRA. Unfortunately, the song “Break Down” (from “Gran Turismo 4″) is not on this album.

So, if you want to try something new, you may discover that Dakota Star is a band that may be to your liking.

 

[PR] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: EIGOMANGA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF NEW PUBLICATION

San Francisco, CA – (August 29, 2007) ˆ eigoMANGA is pleased to announce an all new full color manhwa (Korean comic book) 64 page publication, “PALBOT And Mr. Kim Come To America”. This publication will be available on store shelves September 15, 2007.

‘PALBOT’ comedy series follows the adventures of Mr. Kim a Korean businessman and his robotic guide Palbot as the two head to America where the robot teaches Mr. Kim lessons on proper business etiquette in Corporate America. The two have good intentions but they constantly end up in mischief due to the fact that Mr. Kim behaves in a Don Quixote-like fashion and Palbot isn’t at times the well-mannered robot he was intentionally programmed to be. This could be a challenge for Mr. Kim and his attempt to fit in with the strict and structured world of Corporate America.

The full color 64 page publication will now be available in Diamond’s September Previews catalog (Order number: SEP073615).

Publication Information

Frequency of Publication: Quarterly
Intended Audience: 13+
Format: Soft Cover 64 pages, Color, 8.5×11
ISBN: 978-1-60402-950-5
Diamond Item Code: SEP073615
Street Date: 10/15/2007
SRP: $10.95
Website: http://www.MyPalbot.com

Product specifications and content configuration subject to change.

 

[VIDEO GAMES] THE INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON CONTINUES AS CAPCOM® RELEASES MONSTER HUNTER FREEDOM 2 FOR THE PSP® (PLAYSTATION®PORTABLE) SYSTEM

Sequel to One of the Most Popular PSP System Games in Japan Comes to North America

SAN MATEO, Calif — August 28, 2007 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today released Monster Hunter Freedom 2 for the PSP system. Monster Hunter has quickly become one of the most successful series for Capcom, with sales in excess of four million units worldwide. Capcom’s previously released Monster Hunter Portable was a runaway hit, with an attach rate of nearly one game sold for every five PSP systems in Japan. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd, recently released in Japan, has already surpassed sales of more than one million units, cementing its position as one of the most successful series on the PSP system. Monster Hunter Freedom 2 is rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and is now available for a suggested retail price of $39.95.

“Monster Hunter Freedom’s incredible graphics, deep gameplay and compelling multiplayer quests represent the very best that the PSP system has to offer,” said Mark Beaumont, executive vice president, officer and head of Capcom consumer software publishing in the Americas and Europe. “In Japan, we’ve seen the Monster Hunter phenomenon take off based on players coming together for face-to-face multiplayer ‘hunting parties,’ which we will foster with our own community here in North America.”

The non-stop epic hunt-or-be-hunted adventure continues with more content and options than ever before. Monster Hunter Freedom 2 builds on Monster Hunter 2 (Dos) for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system (previously released in Japan only) and contains more than 50 percent more content than the original Monster Hunter Freedom. In this unique action-adventure game, gamers increase their play skills as they battle through breath-taking environments while defeating bloodthirsty creatures.

As mighty hunters, players can face a variety of quests alone, but the true spirit of the game comes from playing with others. Multiplayer cooperative battles for up to four friends via wireless ad hoc mode foster team building and strategy for the ultimate battle of man vs. beast. Players can fully customize their characters, building up their abilities with armor and weaponry as they make their way through hundreds of quests. With the addition of infrastructure functionality, players will now be able to download even more content and quests.

To learn more about Monster Hunter Freedom 2, please visit HTTP://www.capcom.com/monsterhunter/

 

[VIDEO GAMES] NINTENDO’S EPIC TRILOGY CONCLUDES WITH METROID PRIME 3: CORRUPTION

First-Person Controls Immerse Players Like Never Before

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 27, 2007 – Today’s launch of Metroid® Prime 3: Corruption for Wii™ marks the end of a trilogy – and the start of the most active and dynamic Metroid adventure yet.  With the motion-sensitive Wii Remote, you become one with heroine Samus Aran’s powerful arm cannon, while the Nunchuk can literally yank armor off enemies.

“Metroid Prime 3 has a revolutionary control style that makes it easy for anyone to immediately jump into the action,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “Now, an entirely new audience can experience this amazing first-person adventure.”

The rich story requires players to use their heads as much as their hands. Complex puzzles, tough enemies and new challenges put players inside the visor of the story’s heroine. As deadly Phazon threatens to corrupt Samus, she harnesses its power and attacks her enemies with superpowered weapons. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption features voice acting, new bounty hunters and three adjustable control settings for players of all skill levels.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, rated T for Teen, launches today exclusively for Wii. The game’s launch represents the culmination of Nintendo’s “Month of Metroid,” which has featured free Metroid Prime 3: Corruption videos available for download in the Wii Shop Channel and the release of the classic Metroid® and Super Metroid® for the Virtual Console™. For more information about Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, visit www.Metroid.com.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

 

[JAPAN] Internet and manga cafes attracting the unemployed and homeless

Mainichi Shimbun reports a staggering number of unemployed and homeless people who stay at Internet and manga cafes.

According to the article, “The number of “Internet cafe refugees” — people who have no home and sleep overnight at places such as Internet and manga cafes — has reached about 5,400, a government survey has found.”

“The survey, conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, found that about half of the Net cafe refugees are people without steady employment, such as day laborers and temporary workers.”

More on this article 

 

[VIDEO GAMES] WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Aug. 27, 2007 It’s Sequel Week on the Virtual Console™. You won’t have much time to reminisce though, as each of these three titles adds a scintillating chapter and new elements to their storied franchises. Whether you’re into run-and-gun, role-playing or action, this is the week for you.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

Super C™ (NES®, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): In this action-packed sequel to the popular Contra, players have little time to think. Experience run-and-gun game play at its best as you take control of Mad Dog or Scorpion and once again battle the forces of Red Falcon. Stages feature a combination of perspectives (side scrolling, top down, etc.) and intense battles against huge bosses. Use a variety of powerful weapons and tap into your killer instinct to survive the deadly waves of enemies. And if you’re scared, recruit a friend to help you. Because if your trigger finger lacks stamina, then Earth will lack a future!

BREATH OF FIRE™ II (Super NES®, 1 player, rated E for Everyone – Mild Violence, 800 Wii Points): Featuring a wide range of characters and personalities and a vast, endless world to explore, Breath of Fire II is the sequel to the original smash-hit role-playing game. In a world set 500 years after the previous installment, in a frontier village known as Gate, the father and sister of a young boy known as Ryu are suddenly abducted. Strangely, all the villagers appear to have completely forgotten everything about the incident, and Ryu has instantly become an orphan. At a church, Ryu meets Bow, another orphan in a similar predicament, and they slip away from town together to begin their adventure. Take advantage of the multiple game-play viewpoints found in the game (such as the quarter-view perspective during battles that made the original game so popular) to use exciting abilities like shaman fusing and dragon transformations and help these two heroes complete their mission.

Ghouls’n Ghosts (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone –Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Ghouls’n Ghosts is the sequel to the popular action game Ghosts’n Goblins, originally released in the arcades and later ported to the Genesis. One full-moon night, three years after the battle with Astaroth, a ray of light shoots through Princess Prin Prin, and her soul is stolen right in front of Arthur’s eyes. To save his bride’s soul, Arthur the knight must battle all manner of evil undead creatures with a variety of weapons, powerful magic and new actions.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

 

[GALLERY] Nisei Week Festival Concludes in Los Angeles

The Nisei Week Court and Aki, the Nisei Week mascot, pose in front of the samurai from the nebuta float on the second weekend of Nisei Week in Los Angeles.  The festival concluded on Sunday.  Activities for the second weekend included an anime festval, a carnival, taiko and pop music performances, a summer matsuri, and a community dance celebration in the streets of Little Tokyo.

Nergene Arquelada

J!-ENT

 

[VIDEO GAMES] DID YOU KNOW? NINTENDO MOMENTUM PAYS NO HEED TO INDUSTRY PRICING SHIFTS

Aug. 23, 2007 Wii™ emerged as the month’s best-selling video game system of any type in the United States and achieved its highest weekly sales rates since December, despite pricing shifts in the industry, according to the independent NPD Group and internal Nintendo figures. Wii and Nintendo DS™ remained the two best-selling video game systems in the United States, with Nintendo hardware outselling all other systems – combined. But behind every great game platform are a lot of great games—and that’s certainly evident from Nintendo’s momentum: Nintendo remained the top U.S. game publisher for the sixth consecutive month. So far this year, Nintendo titles claim six of the industry’s top 10 best sellers, including the top three: Pokemon® Diamond (overall No. 1) and Pokemon® Pearl (No. 3) for Nintendo DS, and Wii Play™ (No. 2) for Wii. Nintendo DS, with more than 300 titles available, has the largest game library for any current generation system. Wii has added new titles (averaging nine per month since launch) at a faster rate than any other new home system. Including an ever-increasing library of classic titles available for download on the Wii Shop Channel, American owners of Nintendo DS and Wii will have a combined selection of nearly 800 games to choose from by year end. Nintendo expects momentum for both systems to continue, given the Aug. 20 launch of Brain Age™ 2: More Training in Minutes a Day for Nintendo DS and the upcoming Aug. 27 launch of the hugely anticipated Metroid® Prime 3: Corruption for Wii. For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.nintendo.com

 

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