Play-Asia-Rulez

Garden of Sinners - Kara no Kyoukai

2009-12-15T02:57:00.008Z

Ryougi Shiki is one of the most stylish action heroines. Actually, it might not be right to call her a heroine as there is a man residing within her, either way, women with a masculine side is cool, and most importantly, characters voiced by Maaya Sakamoto could do no wrong.

Set in a dystopic, futuristic world, Kara no Kyoukai shows the other side of Tsukihime. The vampire princess deals with the socialites, Shiki deals with paranormal and violent activities hidden in the darkest crevices in the city. There's nothing more fun to watch than a girl beat thugs up in a kimono!

Of course there are peaceful moments, but the movie series is hardly pure light and fun, it explores fully the darkside of humanity. Sometimes the killed deserves what happened to them and the killers are the true victims, this is especially true with Fujino in the third movie.

There's quite a bit of blood gore and graphic scenes, and many more excitement. The animations are beautiful, the soundtrack is haunting, although there are confusing plotlines, Ryougi Shiki alone makes up for everything.

Or let's say, Maaya Sakamoto makes up for everything.

We get a glimpse of the power of Ryougi Shiki and her powers in the first movie, we get to know how Shiki and Mikiya met in highschool in the second. We fall deeper into the darker depths of the society in the third movie. From then onwards, everything gets darker.

The fourth movie is about Shiki's recovery from her fatal accident and her discovery of her powers. Aosaki Tohko shows us her stuff here. She is another one of my personal favourites, not only is she a powerful magician, she is two faced. When she wears her glasses, she is like an office lady, although quite a bit more forceful than the rest, when she took her glasses off, she is the reincarnation of a demon lord.

The fifth movie was a complete confusion to me. Others might have better luck, but the amount of high speed action that involves Shiki and Tohko is enough to make me a happy watcher. Blood and gore level goes pretty high in this installment too.

The sixth movie is the last one I have seen and is perhaps one of the lighter and sweeter movies in the whole series. Kokuto Mikiya's sister Asaka steals the show in this one. Shiki and Asaka, rivals for Mikiya's affections, teamed together to solve the mystery in the all girls catholic school. The whole of class of 2-D gets amnesia, fairies are robbing people of their memories. Fairies are very much in vogue these days, let's see them crushed.

Shiki is too cool, Nendoroid makers decide to make her cuter, softer. Although shortened and rounded the kimono clad girl still shows that she is not to be messed with, especially when her package comes with her dagger and her lighted up eyes. Those who are more interested in quirky comedy, though, could put her cat ears on her and have her pose with cat Arcuied.

Rocket Knight Retro Game Sequel

2009-10-23T09:47:00.007+01:00

It's great to see some classic retro games getting remakes or sequels with updated graphics and sound on Xbox Live and PSN. Apart from the new sonic game which looks to possibly be a real direct sequel to Sonic & Knuckles on the Genesis, we now have Sparkster from Rocket Knight Adventures to look forward to, 15 years after the original sequel. The game is set 15 years later and you'll enter the Kingdom of Zephyrus once more. The gameplay looks good, but the art style is a little different of the new game, I prefer the retro look. Anyway, check out the trailer and prepare for a 2010 release!

Uncharted 2 - As good as it gets?

2009-10-30T09:56:00.003Z

So yeah, I'm a big Uncharted fan and I've managed to have some time to play the sequel lately, and it is superb. It does top everything from the first game. Graphics, story, music, gameplay, you name it! Not an easy job when the first game was so good. I remember when I played the first Uncharted, I thought it was the closest thing to playing a Hollywood movie and the bit with the German U-boat really amazed me and not many games do. Well, the sequel is even better and you have the added bonus of multiplayer added into the mix when the single player game alone is worth the admission price.

Modern Warfare 2 will really need to impress to dethrone Uncharted 2 as my game of the year. And please don't forget to pick up the first Uncharted if you haven't already, it's a classic at a budget price. I wonder if they'll be able to top this one with another sequel...it's gonna be tough. I thought Gears of War had a better single player experience than the first game, but if anyone can keep churning out better games, you can count on Naughty Dog to do it!

Call of Duty: Classic (the first one) available this week at PSN and XBL

2009-12-02T09:36:00.005Z

The re-release of the first game that started one of the biggest franchises ever will be available this week on PSN and XBL. I started my journey with Call of Duty 2, which is still my favorite, so I'd like to play this one and see what I missed out on.

Graphics have been improved, although I'm sure the difference won't be that big. The re-release also contains a multiplayer mode, but only for 8 players at a time. My only major complaint is the price, at $14.99 or 1200 MS points, it's not an essential purchase.

Happy birthday, cup noodles

2009-11-24T06:40:00.005Z

No food is quite as convenient as cup noodles. To celebrate the product's birthday, fans get a fun, even somewhat bizzare birthday gift. Turn the wheel at the bottom of the cup to set the time, press on the kettle and do all you can to return the noodle pieces into a neat circle within three minutes, otherwise, everything will burst out of the cup.

Putting everthing back is deceptively easy, afterall, there aren't that many pieces ot put together in the first place, yet you really need an eye for detail if you are to follow the curve of each of the noodles.

You can choose between three flavours, seafood, plain and curry. Seafood is the easiest, plain is normal and curry is the most difficult. Try out the different flavours and see what side dishes you can put into your noodle cups. As shown in the picture, shrimps, corn and barbequed pork goes quite well with plain noodles.

You can make use of the timing device in these toys. Pour hot water into your edible cup noodle and use the three minutes to play the puzzle. When the pieces exploded all over the table, you'd know that your noodle is ready to serve.

For those who are more interested in the food than the puzzle, please check here for the full list flavors available.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 possible spin-off title

2009-11-17T02:22:00.006Z

With Modern Warfare 2 sales exploding around the world and breaking records in various countries, I guess it doesn't come as much of a surprise that there's already talk of a new spin-off title based off the character "Ghost" in the game. He's the guy with the skull mask, just like in Army of Two.

Voice actor Craig Fairbass let slip that Ghost will be getting his own comic book and possibly another game to go with it. Considering the popularity of the series, it's surprising it hadn't been exploited more until this point. But it's happening now, so prepare to see a whole lot of Call of Duty spin-offs in the future, especially if this one becomes a success. Looks like Grand Theft Auto is no longer the king on the block.

"I did in the last game a voice for a character called Gaz and in this game I’m now voicing a guy called Ghost, who now just got a spin-off comic of his own and they’re talking about another little game to go with it, so, I’m quite excited about it. It’s grown and grown and grown."

Source

From Battle Royale to Death Note to Kaiji

2009-11-11T02:53:00.006Z

Kaiji is one of the newest and hottest Japanese films in the cinemas right now. Starring Fujiwara Tatsuya and the former Takaratsuka top star Amami Yuki, this is one film that movie fans cannot miss, especially those who enjoyed Battle Royale and Death Note.

Ito Kaiji was his friend's guarantor, so when his friend bolted, the loan shark Endo Rinko came to him for the money (2.02 million yen, with interest piling up by the minute as they talked). Without the money to pay and intimidated by the violence this lady is capable of, Kaiji agreed to board the gamble cruise Espoir, to earn his freedom and a fortune...

Or to fall into the depths of hell.

Everyone who has watched any movie about gambling knew that the games on the ship or in the rest of the movie are not about luck, it's about cheating. After being the game master in Death Note, Fujiwara now plays the pawn and is just as convincing as ever.

Perhaps even more so, since Kaiji is a much more human character, it gives Fujiwara more opportunities to display his acting talents and portray his growth as an actor. He is one of those actors who could play any role and bring out the essence of his character.

To make things even more interesting, Matsuyama Kenichi, L in Death Note, also makes a brief appearance. Those who live in Japan or any where near a cinema which is showing the film, go get a ticket today, those who are not, the DVD or Blu-ray disc will surely come soon, we'll keep you posted.

Spoilers from this point onwards, click at your own expense.

Without watching the film, Yui's It's All Too Much probably won't make that much sense. You actually feel the indestructible force of Hyoudou Kazutaka, the emperor who controls Teiai. No matter how much you want to stick a knife into that hateful old man, you'd feel that he won't die, because he is JUST SO RICH.

And you know, money just might be more important than life in such a society.

Still, after ripping a huge chunk (500 million yen) out of that old man, he didn't seem all that invincible anymore. But if you have read the manga, you'd know that 500 million have merely made a dent in his pride, he's still the super antagonist, the dictator with absolute power.

Because of his dictator, the embodiment of all the bad things in a capitalistic society, people are split into the group of winners and the group of losers (or the junks), we lesser humans, of course, are in the junk group.

So welcome, junkies, here is a trailer of the movie, enjoy.

30 minutes - impression on P3 PSP

2009-11-02T07:20:00.007Z

With Memento Mori as its theme, Persona 3 is one dark, stylish treat and one of the games that breaks the Shin Megami Tensei/ Persona title from a niche series into to a big commercial title.

All those who have played the old P3 on the PlayStation 2 should be familiar with the game, those who are not, get the game, play it and post your impressions on your own blog or some message board!

This PSP port has a new OP and the pictures are still as attractive as ever, the song has a bit more 'fire' than the last one, which is both good. However, I could not help but miss the opening animations in the old PS2 version! I remembered feeling Yukari's fear when she first held the Evoker to her head. There are no texts and no dialogue, but that brief sequence of her sweating and trembling and dropping the gun already explains everything.

Another thing about the animation is that it gives you such a deep impression of the game world and the trendy people who live there. Just seeing how the girls' school bag accessories jingle as they giggle and the MP3 screen flash already remind gamers of urban Japan.

Now, instead of the animations, we have some stills that are visibly brightened and contained more visual details. The sequence with Yukari is replaced by a picture with the voice over saying something like "I can do it... (sob)... no I can't..." It's very explicit, but I like the old representation better.

I need to play on to see how many animations survive the cut, and before I lament on about how much I miss the old PS2 version, I have to say that the battle system of the PSP Port makes P3 so much more playable.

I'll admit that I have never finished the old PS2 version, the highest floor I have gone up to was 5 or 6 (pathetic, isn't it?). Party Characters get exhausted easily and the AI, although quite intelligent (or so I've heard), wastes SP, which makes the battling aspect very difficult.

Now that I have control over all my characters, the battles aren't as annoying and I am so much more willing to go on. Even if I get a game-over at the end, I've only got myself to blame.

Actually, there are more reasons I can't finish the old PS2 version, click "read more" to be spoiled. Or leave it to order, or even better, play your game now.

Memento Mori - remember that you will die... means that you will die no matter what. There are three ways of dying, gameover during a battle, selecting a wrong path during a game event and... well, winning the game.

You just, die.

Actually, this is a selling point, I don't remember where I've read it, but on some guide/art book, the director said that parting is a big thing that teenagers are going through and this is one of the games that gives you the most realistic experience. (take this with a grain of salt, as I've read it a year ago and I no longer have the book near me.)

Going through all that trouble, battling all those shadows just so you can die (or fall into a coma) on a pretty girl's lap just doesn't add up. If its about death and rebirth, fine. However, it's not, in P3 FES, you're officially dead and the spotlight goes to Aegis (the pretty girl whose lap you fall "asleep" on).

I don't mind sad endings, I do read some tragedies, I just like to have a choice to live if I could.

Now I'm not sure if the girl-MC route in P3 PSP will give me this choice, but I'd like to try it out after I beat the game in the original guy-MC route. And at the mean time, I'll stop reading any spoilerific material.

Uncharted 2 Multiplayer Demo Follow up

2009-10-11T11:33:00.002+01:00

I've mentioned I don't play online much if at all. There are the rare exceptions such as Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Motorstorm 2 and of course Uncharted 2 (hah, all sequels!). Anyway, after my brief play previously with the demo, I've now had a couple of hours worth of gaming time with it and I have to say it's really fun stuff. Well, three of the four modes are, there's one I got bored of quickly.

Deathmatch is excellent, but I'm a fan of team deathmatch and since I was in a party, I was automatically put in a team with my party members. First team to get the set number of kills, wins. Simple and fun.

Next on the list is objective. Again, being in a party led me to be in a team objective match, I'm not sure if this can be played with everyone being independent, I'm guessing not. There are two different types of objectives that I encountered, but there may be more in the full game. One is to capture nodes on the map. You need to stand at a node until it is captured with no enemies within range of the nod. This is the same as in Battlefield games. If your team captures all nodes, you win. It's a fun tug of war type objective. The other objective is capturing treasure and bringing it back to your treasure chest at your respective base. This is basically capture the flag and was very fun to play. You can throw the treasure (like a grenade or propane tank) if you need it to get across a gap or to a higher level and of course, you can't shoot if you're carrying it. But unlike capture the flag, where there are two flags (one for each team), the treasure is neutral and gunning down the carrier doesn't mean you can run up to the treasure and return it to it's original post. It lies on the ground waiting to be picked up again.

The third mode is my favorite. It's three player co-op in which you need to get to a certain area to find treasure and you'll fight bad guys together and do simple puzzles. It's like playing the singleplayer game and is excellent.

The final mode is the weakest of the lot. It's another three player co-op mode with an objective. As with the capture the treasure mode, you'll need to find the treasure and bring it back to your chest to complete the round. Waves of bad guys try to stop you from reaching your goal and each round gets progressively more difficult, but I find it much to repetitive and it gets boring quickly. It's a mode that I wouldn't bother playing ever again. In the co-op modes, you can also heal your partners if they've been mortally wounded, but you have a limited time to do so.

My only complaint is that unlike Killzone 2, players can't just jump in mid game if there are spots open from people quitting or there not being a full amount for that particular match. You need to wait to find and join a fresh game everytime, just like in Resistance 2. This wouldn't be so bad if there was something to do while you wait, but there isn't. And wait you will (at least in the demo), sometimes up to a few minutes before you join a match, but it's not too bad and maybe it will be shorter times in the full game. So there you have it, all the multiplayer modes in more detail.

Weekly Special - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen for Xbox 360

2009-09-22T12:35:00.003+01:00

Here we go again! An Xbox 360 special for everybody (yep it's region free too!). If you're wanting a game with robots that transform into cars, planes and tanks (among other things), look no further! Join Optimus Prime and his gang of Autobots as they fight the evil decepticons over earth...or was it something else? Anyway, you can pick this game up for the very nice price of half price. How much is that you ask? Just $29.90! This time you're not limited to one copy but three, so buy you everyone in your family a copy or your car, I bet it transforms at night and wages war with other robots. It's based on the live action movie and not the 80's cartoon, so if you're wondering, no, there aren't that many similarities between the two.

"The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game, based on the upcoming live-action feature film from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures in association with Hasbro, lets players take on the role of their favourite AUTOBOTS or DECEPTICONS, picking from the largest, most diverse range of playable Transformers – each with their own distinct abilities and weaponry.

Set in unique environments across the globe such as Cairo and Shanghai, the game allows players to instantly switch between vehicle and robot modes as they drive, fly, fight and blast their way through intense, pressure-packed levels. After engaging in single player action, for the first time ever players will be able to go online and battle friends in all-new multiplayer modes."

PS3 Slim - To upgrade or not to upgrade?

2009-09-25T12:18:00.003+01:00

I think I'm in a unique position when it comes to the PS3 slim. I'd say I have mixed feeling about it. On one hand, I'm happy that it's been slimmed down, weighs less and is double as power efficient (an important point this one). On the other, I don't play my PS3 much at all these days and even though I'm a sucker for the latest technology, I don't think it's worth the money and effort to trade for the new slim.

One reason I don't play it much is because I don't have much time these days, I don't play online and the final reason is that I was tired of getting the short end of the stick with multi-platform games. I've got an Xbox 360 too, which I'm quite fond of.

Many games that are available on both systems are almost always better on the 360 than on the PS3. This isn't always the case, but 95% of the time it is. Usually the Xbox 360 version has better graphics, faster loading times, more polished and has no massive GB's install before you can play the game! If the Xbox version is better, I grab it instead. So I only play the PS3 exclusives (the good ones) and my PS3 doesn't get much love. I'm looking forward to Uncharted 2 though, it looks amazing.

If I played the PS3 a lot, I could probably earn my dollars back on the electricity bill, but really, it's practically gathering dust. While I like the slim, there's no reason to upgrade for me, my PS3 works just fine, even if it is power hungry. But if you've been holding out on buying a PS3, there's never been a better time to get one, so grab one now if you don't have one, there's plenty of excellent exclusives to play through.

Xbox 360 HDD

2009-09-28T12:22:00.006+01:00

Yep, until today, I didn't have a hard drive for my 360. In my opinion there was no need, I don't play online and I had 256MB of memory with the arcade pack I bought, it was plenty for save games. That all seemed to change when my 360 came up with a read error. I keep my discs clean, but it might have been the extreme heat and length of time it was on, which cause it.

Another factor is the noise from the DVD drive, it's pretty loud, don't you think? While the PS3 is almost silent, the 360 sounds like a mini lawnmower. It's loudest when it's loading data off the disc at full speed. It started to annoy me while playing Guitar Hero, it's distracting and doesn't make the music sound better. Then I heard that with a hard drive you can install the whole game from the disc and it the 360 reads it off the hard drive.

There, I kill two birds with one stone. By installing the games onto the hard drive, I'll be saving the lens of the DVD drive, and yes, they do wear out over time. Instead of the drive reading the disc for hours on end, I just need to install the current game I'm playing and after it copies the files to the hard drive, I only need to insert the game disc into the drive to start the game. Once I've booted up the game though, the drive is silent and the disc is never read. It's excellent, you'll be surprised by how quiet the 360 is without the DVD drive going nuts. But not only that, the game was loading much faster, bonus!

The game I installed took up about 5gb, so it's best to get at least a 60GB HDD or higher if possible, but of course a 20GB one will suffice for two or three games. Did I mention that installation is quite quick too? It's a very nice feature on the Xbox 360

Weekly Special - Terminator Salvation for Xbox 360

2009-09-29T12:49:00.005+01:00

Did everyone see the movie? It wasn't the glorious return of Terminator people were hoping for, but I guess it was better than the crappy Terminator 3. Anyway, now's your chance to play as John Conner for the first time in a video game and at a bargain price to boot! Get it now for the low price of $24.90, that's a whole $20 saving!

It's region free and will work on all Xbox consoles and includes English, French, German, Italian and Spanish languages, so you can kick Skynet's ass in your own native language of choice. So get to it and start taking down those terminators. Oh and it's limited to two copies, so you can buy one for a friend to join the fight against our biggest threat.

"In Terminator Salvation the videogame, based on the upcoming Terminator Salvation film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Sony Pictures, players assume the role of John Connor, a soldier in the resistance, battling for survival against the far superior forces of Skynet.

Terminator Salvation the videogame is an intense action-packed third-person shooter featuring concentrated armed combat against all of the Skynet enemies from the film and new killer machines specifically designed for the game. Taking place two years before the events of the upcoming film set in a post apocalyptic, decimated Los Angeles, players will be lead through a visceral, story and character driven gaming experience.

Featuring intense third-person action, Terminator Salvation the videogame will take combat to the next level with iconic enemies, cinematic fight sequences and advanced weaponry, drawn directly from the film, as well as an innovative, multi-layered cover mechanic."

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Multiplayer Demo

2009-10-04T01:37:00.013+01:00

I tried the demo of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on PSN. It's multiplayer only but is very generous with what you get to try out. There are four different modes and all of them were fun. My favorite being the co-op mode where you need to find treasure. It's like playing the actual game, except you've got two other players and need to work together to take out the bad guys and get past certain places. There's deathmatch in there too of course. The game looks fantastic and the multiplayer mode is excellent from what I've played.

I highly recommend downloading the demo. I'm sure it will be a purchase for most PS3 owners.

"Fortune hunter Nathan Drake returns in UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves™, a pulse-pounding third-person action-adventure/shooter created by award-winning developer Naughty Dog. Down on his luck, Drake is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers he had sought to leave behind. When a mysterious artifact propels Drake on an expedition to find the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse against a fugitive war criminal who’s after more than just the fabled riches of the lost city. Caught in a web of deception and plunged into an increasingly deadly pursuit that tests the limits of his endurance, Drake will be forced to risk everything – but has his luck finally run out?"

All Japanese Music CDs are discounted at 10% in Play-Asia.com

2009-10-06T08:50:00.003+01:00

This is as good a chance to try out some new music genres as ever. All Japanese music CDs on Play-Asia.com are available at a 10% discount. So get the new Arashi CD or try out some exotic Enka music. Who knows? you could be addicted to it after your first go.

All products that are available, including those that are currently , are discounted. As long as it's not a sold out Limited Edition, you can enjoy the price cut. Don't worry if you cannot grab the last Limited Edition of your favourite artist, you can preorder the next one, this deal applies to all preorders as well.

Browse around for things you like, to help you distinguish the products that are discounted, we will place a 10% off logo on the product page. Get the best out of the deal, use the credit card that gives you the most points and your Play-Asia coupons. No strings attached.

Please be aware, however, that the discount does not apply to shipments to Japan.

Play-Asia Affiliate Program

2009-09-19T14:20:00.000+01:00

So, you like Play-Asia and you want to grab a bunch of cool stuff from the site, but in these pressing economic times, you wish you had some free money in your Play-Asia account. Well, maybe I can help. Let's look at how you can use Play-Asia's Affiliate Program to earn some extra buying power.

First of all, if you're already using Play-Asia's affiliate program, this article won't help you out much. In a later article, I will get more into tips on how to work the system a bit, but for now, I'll just detail the process of getting started with the program.

I am going to assume that you already have an account at Play-Asia.com. If you don't, that's step 0. Head over to Play-Asia, and look at the top of the browser. You should see a link to create a new account.

Step 1 would be to browse to the Play-Asia affiliate program page and sign up for an affiliate account. It should be hard to miss. Just click on the big button that says "Sign up here!" Actually, to tell you the truth, I think that if you didn't have an account already, it would ask you to create a new account before signing up for the affiliate program.

Well, that was entirely too easy. I suppose we could talk about what to do now that you're an affiliate. I suppose if Step 1 was signing up, then Step 2 can be making a profit. It's even easier than the underpants gnomes 3-phase process.

When you're logged in to Play-Asia.com, take a look at the very bottom of any of their pages. You should see a little block labeled "Your personal affiliate link to this page." This is set up for you to easily copy and paste anywhere you like. You could use it in an email, your own personal website, a web forum, a bulletin board, or whatever.

For example, if you were on a forum that was talking about Pokemon, you could mention Pokemon Heart Gold and paste in the BBCode found at the bottom of Play-Asia's Pokemon Heart Gold product page. It would look something like this.

[url=http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-e-71-hk-49-en-84-j-70-3guk.html]Buy Pokemon Heart Gold (Nintendo DS) at Play-Asia.com>[/url]

If the forum accepts BBCode, then that's all you'd have to do. Then, when someone clicked on the link, they would be using your affiliate version of the Play-Asia page for the product. Then, if they bought anything, your account would receive a credit based on the following commission rates.

It really is that simple. You can even track your affiliate links and products that people buy from them under your Play-Asia "my account" "my affiliation" page. It's quite slick.

Once you have earned some commission, you can cash out the money if you want, but better yet, you can use the funds to purchase products from Play-Asia. I say "better yet" because if you use the funds at Play-Asia instead of transferring them to PayPal, then you will automatically receive a bonus of 5% on top of your balance when using your affiliate funds as store credit at Play-Asia.com.

What are you waiting for? Give it a try.

Need for Speed Shift returns NFS to fomer glory?

2009-09-18T11:52:00.005+01:00

When did Need for Speed fall to the depths of mediocrity? Was it with Most Wanted, Carbon or maybe even further back with Underground or even Hot Pursuit 2? I actually like Need for Speed Underground, it was a nice change from the previous games and I thought the sequel was even better, so I think the downward spiral started around Most Wanted, which was still pretty fun, but not as good as Underground 1 & 2.

NFS Carbon was even worse and the whole "Let's copy Midnight Club's open world setting" blew up in its face. The open world sucked and so did the tracks. What's wrong with regular tracks, why did it need to go open world like Midnight Club (great games, by the way). The Burnout franchise went the same route and I think it was much worse than the very awesome Burnout 3: Takedown and Burnout: Revenge. If you haven't played Burnout: Revenge, you owe it to yourself to find a copy and play it, it's one of the best and most fun arcade racing games ever.

But I'm getting off-topic. After crappy Carbon (hehe), came piss poor Pro Street (see what I did there?). Now Pro Street was offensively bad, it was the lowest point of Need for Speed EVER. It tried to be all Street and cool, but was lame and lacked in the gameplay department. Mainly because of the terrible handling of the cars. They didn't feel much like cars, but more like boats. Did I mention the tracks were poor too? No? Well, they were. Still, it sold really well. I don't know why, but it did. GRID and Dirt were much better driving games in everyway.

Anyway moving on, NFS reached the bottom of the barrel with Undercover. A terrible plot about an underground cop being a street racer to stop some drug shipment or something, I dunno, I wasn't paying attention. Terrible c-grade acting in the live-action videos telling the story and again the actual driving wasn't satisfying or much fun. Also, it was open world again and the tracks were (you guessed it), not much fun.

I have no love for EA, that much is true, but I've always been a fan of the Need for Speed series. Seeing it butchered more and more with each release was very dissapointing. Interestingly, EA decided it was time for some quality control and this was due to bad reviews and not sales figures. Yep, Undercover sold well even though it wasn't worth wasting time on. For NFS Shift, EA handed the development to a new studio (good move) and with a little quality control have brought back the series from a near brink of death with hardcore gamers. I will post what I think of it as soon as I give it a go, but sites like IGN and Gamespot have given it a 9 out of 10, so it must be a huge improvement over the previous titles. Stay tuned.

Weekly Special - The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for Nintendo DS

2009-09-15T13:29:00.003+01:00

We've had a whole bunch of Xbox 360 specials, but this week it's onto a new Nintendo DS special. Zelda fans will be happy to pick this one up, it's the Japanese version of Zelda Phantom Hourglass slashed to less than half price for just $19.90. A very cool saving of $29! So if you haven't got it already, now's your chance to grab a bargain. Yes it continues the story of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, which was one of the more controversial titles around, due to the cutesy cartoon type look. Well it's back here again!

As always, it's in Japanese so make sure you can read it or get by and it's region free, so it will work on all DS consoles worldwied. Well, start buying, only one per customer.

"he epic story of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker continues as Link finds himself lost and alone in unknown seas in a new adventure. Featuring intuitive touch-screen controls and innovative puzzles, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass offers new challenges for fans of the series and an easy-to-grasp introduction for gamers new to The Legend of Zelda. But time grows short, and only the Phantom Hourglass can buy Link the minutes he'll need to survive.

Many months have passed since the events of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Link, Tetra and Tetra's band of pirates have set sail in search of new lands. They come across a patch of ocean covered in a dense fog, in which they discover an abandoned ship. Tetra falls into danger when she explores the ship alone, and Link falls into the ocean when he attempts to rescue her. When he washes up unconscious on the shores of a mysterious island, he is awakened by the sound of a fairy's voice. With the aid of this fairy, he sets off to find Tetra – and his way back to the seas he once knew."

Weekly Special - Midnight Club Los Angelas for Xbox 360

2009-09-08T12:13:00.003+01:00

The Visa sale at Play-Asia was extended until the 9th, so there's still one day left to grab yourself a 20% off bargain. In the meantime, we also have a new weekly special and it's another Xbox 360 title. Racing game fans will get a kick out of this one, as it's Midnight Club Los Angeles and it's quite a good racing game indeed. Certainly beats the pants off the Need For Speed releases lately.

Using the GTA IV Rage engine, Midnight Club lets you race in an open world environment, in true street racing fashion. Earn cash, buy new cars, bling them up and go for the top in this adrenaline fueled racer. All this for the astonishingly low price of just $18.90! That's a a whole $31 off!. But wait, there's more. It also qualifies for the Visa 20% off promotion. Need I say more? Your only excuse is if you own a North American Xbox 360, as this version only works on Japanese and Pal machines. It includes English, French, German, Spanish and Italian languages.

"The best way to see Los Angeles is at 245mph.

Race at breakneck speeds through the streets of modern-day L.A. recreated in stunning detail. Drive the hottest range of real-world tuners, muscle cars, exotics and superbikes on the streets today. Customize your vehicle with the best after-market performance parts and custom kits. Illegal street racing with no track, no load times, no rules: Welcome to the Midnight Club."

Weekly Special - Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs for Xbox 360

2009-09-01T12:28:00.000+01:00

Apart from the great 20% off visa sale available at the moment, we also have a weekly special. And it looks like it also qualifies for the 20% off visa sale, how cool is that?

Another region free Xbox 360 game that will work on any console. I'm sure that anyone who's a fan of the Ice Age movies will want to grab this game right now. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is available as a $20 off the regular price bargain for only $24.90. If you add the extra 20% discount with a Visa card, it comes to under $20! It's got multiple language options and is limited to one copy per person. So what are you waiting for?

"Join Ice Age's unlikely herd of prehistoric pals for their most exciting adventure yet!

Embark on a rescue mission across melting snow to the mysterious Dinosaur World - an all new, fur-raising jungle of carnivorous plants, lush foliage and fierce dinosaurs!"

Play Asia Coupons: Who needs 'em?

2009-08-28T17:42:00.002+01:00

Wow, with a sale like this, who needs coupons? Until Sept. 6th, items at Play-Asia (except the ones released in the last 30 days) are 20% off. Yeah, I said TWENTY, and not just for some clearance junk. This is just regular, in-stock items. What's the catch? The catch is that you have to use your VISA card. Yeah, you were probably going to do that anyway, so what's the problem?

I did steal some text from their site, so if you want to read more specifics, keep reading. Otherwise, if you want more details or just want to start shopping, head over to Play-Asia.com and claim the discount that is so rightfully yours!

In partnership with VISA, from now until September 6th, all in-stock items except those that have been released during the last 30 days, are discounted by 20%. Please be reminded that this is a VISA exclusive promotion, only valid for orders paid with your VISA card directly at Play-Asia.com. Make sure to watch out for the 20% off discount logo on the final payment page.

So go badger the bank or latch onto a friend who has a VISA card if you don't have one already! All products eligible for the discount will be marked with a VISA icon. The icon will remain on the product page for as long as the item is in stock. Some products are restocked steadily so the icon comes back every once in a while, others have limited availability and might not get restocked.

To avoid disappointment, have your VISA card ready and don't hesitate, you might be not the only bee out in the garden.

Weekly Special - Golden Axe: Beast Rider for Xbox 360

2009-08-20T13:13:00.000+01:00

This week we have another great Xbox 360 special. Yes, it's a huge bargain like last week. Remember the Golden Axe games on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive? The first one being awesome and each one a bit worse than the last but still enjoyable? Then there was the spinoff title on the Sega Saturn, which I never had the chance to play unfortunately. I did have a Saturn, but never found the game, it was a rare launch title.

Anyway, the Golden Axe franchise was unfortunately ignored for many years and now returns with Beast Rider, which is also very different from the original brawler titles. You can grab yourself Beast rider for Xbox 360 for the bargain price of just $14.90. A whole 50% slash off the listing price. The game is region free and works on any 360 console worldwide. Only one per customer, so get in quick to grab yourself this special now.

"One of SEGA's most popular franchises storms onto the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system with Golden Axe: Beast Rider™. As the unstoppable Tyris Flare, engage in vicious melee combat both on foot and atop massive mythical beasts, savaging enemies with blades and magic on a quest for vengeance."

Weekly Special - Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 for Xbox 360

2009-08-11T12:35:00.000+01:00

This week we have a great Xbox 360 special, which is a nice break from all the DS games. Now Real Time Strategy games have a tough time on the consoles, missing the keyboard and mouse and all, but Red Alert plays pretty well on the 360 and its a pretty darn fun RTS. It's always fun building a big army of troops and crushing the opposition and did I mention the B-grad live action movies inbetween? They're a whole lot of fun as well. It would be cool if more games used them.

You can grab yourself Red Alert 3 for Xbox 360 for the bargain price of just $14.90. A whole 50% slash off the listing price. The game is region free and works on any 360 console worldwide. Only one per customer, so get in quick to grab yourself this special now.

"The desperate leadership of a doomed Soviet Union travels back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. The time travel mission goes awry, creating an alternate timeline where technology has followed an entirely different evolution, a new superpower has been thrust on to the world stage, and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making World War III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weapons and technologies like Tesla coils, heavily armed War Blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.
Limited to three copies per customer, while stocks last...you know the drill."

Optional Installs the Mandatory Standard?

2009-08-09T12:26:00.000+01:00

Isn't it strange that both Microsoft and Sony don't have any rules when it comes to installations of game data on the hard drive? And isn't it even stanger that all games don't let you play the game with and without installations on the PS3, just like the Xbox 360? Why is it mandatory in some games on the PS3 to install usually GB's of data?

I can understand if for multiplayer the data isn't installed, then everyones game will load differently and require synching, but there's no excuse for the single player part of the game. I'm on the 40GB HDD PS3 and it's definately not much space to work with, I know that 80GB is the standard now, but even that can get filled up quick when many games install more than 4GB onto the HDD. Add in downloadables from the PSN store, some, like the ones you buy which take up permanent space on your hard drive and it will fill up quick. Bought a new game with a mandatory install and your hard drive not have enough space? Tough, you'll have to delete something to play it. Then wait while it installs and finally get to play the game. It reminds me back to the old days when I used to play PC games and the waiting for the new game to install...

So what if it takes longer to load? Let me install the game data if/when I want to. Then there's the opposite end of the spectrum, being unable to install any data to make the experience more enjoyable. Let's take Killzone 2 for example, what the hell is up with that? There's no manual install option and what's the result? When playing the single player game, the checkpoints often stutter and the game needs to load the next section off the disc. If installing data on the hard drive would have made it a seamless experience (which I'm sure it would!), then why wasn't the option there? I think this is even worse than a mandatory install. At least let us have the option, if we want faster install times.

Weekly Special - Shining Force Feather for Nintendo DS

2009-08-04T13:41:00.000+01:00

There's been one Shining Force weekly special for the DS before and now here's another! Shining Force Feather is another RPG in the Shining Force series of games and as the wielders of the Shining Force, you'll be fighting hollows. Sounds a bit like Bleach eh?

It's a Japanese RPG and most likely has no english option, but as all DS games are region free, it will work on all systems. Only one copy per person and at the very big reduction of $33 to just $19.90, you're getting a real bargain so get in quick!
"The battles between the hollows and the wielders of the Shining Force were fierce eons back, however all power dissipates in the course of time, and soon the Shining Force is replaced by newer technology.

Although the wars between humans and hollows have ended, strife between countries never did. Within this chaos, treasure hunters reaped the benefits.

During an expedition in one of the Shining Force historical sites, the hero Jin unsealed the artificial life form Alfin from her sleep and gained her powers. Yet, he is not the only one, for the ambitious second prince of the empire has also awakened his own source of power.

To prevent the claws of evil sinking into the land, think strategically during battles and employ your forces wisely."