Nintendo 3DS Specs Leaked?

Apparently a source close to IGN has leaked the specs of the Nintendo 3DS handheld. While one can take a lot of rumors with a grain of salt, the fairly low specs seem very plausible and the hardware seems in line with what one would expect as the follow up to the DS.

266MHz ARM11 CPUs
133MHz GPU
4MBs dedicated VRAM
64MBs of RAM
1.5GBs of flash storage.

As expected, once again we see two ARM CPU's, although newer editions with a higher clock speed. It was rumored Nintendo would use the superior Nvidia Tegra chipset, but that was confirmed false even before E3. Apart from that, the other specs also seem fairly inline with the slightly better graphics than the PSP, if the Kid Icarus game shows us any indication.

The paint brush and the sword: Okamiden: Okamiden: Chisaki Taiyou sequel to the award winning Okami!

See the unique blend of bold and delicate brush paintings in Okamiden: Chisana Taiyou, the sequel of the award winning fantasy action adventure Okami. The game picks up immediately at the end of the first game and introduces two new protagonists: Chibiterasu, the fluffy wolf pup and the cute Kuninushi.

Just when Issun, the new ruler of the country thinks that Amaterasu and Susanou have restored peace over Nakatsunokuni, new monsters start popping up. More numerous, and powerful than ever, these monsters are turning humans into boulders or dinner.

But hope is not lost, for the new wolf Chibiterasu is here to save the day. Pick up your stylus and start drawing. The touch screen on the Nintendo DS makes painting even more handy. And this time, you're not going alone, Kuninushi, the self-proclaimed son of Susanou will accompany you with his big sword.

The delicate brush paintings and Sakura blossoms are back. Come with the super cute Chibiterasu and his partner Kuninushi to a brand new action adventure. Okamiden: Chisaki Taiyou is coming in September.

Breathing fire and electricity - Meet Reshiram and Zekrom in Pokemon Black and White! - Available for preorder today!

Visit the Isshu Region and venture onto the center island where new and legendary Pokemon wait for their new masters. The two powerful Pokemon you can tame in these latest versions are the white, fire breathing Reshiram in Pokemon Black and the black electric user Zekrom in Pokemon White.

Pokemon Black and White connects all the games in the series and brings you even more fun. Aside from Reshiram and Zekrom, you can meet Pokemon with new associations such as the dream controller Muna and the earthquake making Meguroko. Be sure to catch'em all and build your dream team.

Hiyun City is trendy and ultra-modern, explore it as the smart and cool protagonist. Get new Pokemon balls and tools in the Pokemon Centers. You can also get drinks from the handy vending machines around the corner of every street.

There are more 3D graphics and dynamic camera movements to give you the full view of the city, your Pokemon and your enemies. Invite your friends into the game and show off your collection. If you want to connect to the players from other areas, you can upload your game data onto the internet and see if anyone could beat your records.

Pokemon Black and White will come on 18th September, preorder yours to ensure that you get to play it before everyone else does.

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

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 - Shining Force Feather for Nintendo DS

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."

Weekly Special - Slide Adventure: Mag Kid for Nintendo DS

Fancy a new DS game to keep you entertained? This weekly special should do the trick! A fun game with a wierd name for a bargain price. Get yourself a copy of Slide Adventure: Mag Kid for one of the biggest discounts since this blog started. How big? Slide Adventure will set you back a mere $9.90, a whopping $49 discount off the regular price! It doesn't get much better than this, really.

While it is the Japanese version, it will work on any DS console worldwide and many previous buyers say that the game is easy to navigate and play even without being able to read any Japanese. Join Mag Kid in this tilting adventure as you use the slide controller to move him into enemies to defeat them and solve puzzles. Only one per person, so get in quick to avoid dissapointment, this one's gonna sell fast!

"Follow the wacky adventures of Mag Kid as he slips and slides into enemies while solving puzzles. Use the slide controller peripheral to make a stand for your DS and slide it around a smooth surface, making Mag Kid move around the screen with it."

Weekly Special - Super Robot Taisen K for DS

Last week's special sold out, don't miss out on this one! Another DS game and a strategy one at that. It's Super Robot Taisen K this week, a new game in the popular Super Robot Taisen series of games, also known as Super Robot Wars. It's available at the Super Robot Price (see what I did there?) of $24.90. You save a massive $40!

Please note that this is a Japanese strategy game, but will work on any DS and I'd assume there is no english language option. If I remember correctly, the Super Robot Taisen games are still easy to figure out and fun to play even if you can't read the language. It's kind of like Advance Wars, with Robots, but no building capabilities. What you've got is what you fight with. Limited to one copy per person, don't miss out!

"A large war is whipping the world into a whirlwind, destroying numerous planets and lives. Although civilization allowed people to live in cities scattered across the universe, violence never stopped.

50 years ago, the demon queen led her invasion, and later came the virtual beasts. Both menaces were taken care of, however, the troubles with humans carries on.

Science and technology allowed people to alter their off spring's genes. Coordinators are people who are genetically adjusted and seemed to have better physical or mental attributes than normal natural borns.

The differences in abilities set the two types of people apart and grudges, as well as envy is the source of current strife.

Each camp, the Naturals and the Coordinators, has their military force and war is about to start. Board your robot and get ready to enter battle. The mechas come from a multitude of series, from the relatively new classic Gundam Seed to King Geiner."

Weekly Special - Phantasy Star Zero for Nintendo DS

Hey hey! It's another weekly special. This week we break away from the Xbox 360 to bring you a DS game special! RPG fans will especially like this one, it's Phantasy Star Zero, another great new addition to the popular Phantasy Star universe. It's available at the super low price of $14.90. That's $34 off!

Please note that this is a Japanese RPG game and I'd assume there is no english language option. All DS games are region free and will work on any DS, so if you can read Japanese, are willing to learn or don't care about the story...well, what are you waiting for?

"Phantasy Star Zero is a highlighted production by Sega, the fruit of the combined efforts between the anime producer Kobooka Toshiyuki and the mystery novelists Shiwasu Tooru and Arai Teru. It inherits the exciting gameplay and adopts a completely new storyline.

Three races are present in this installment, the Humans, the androids Casts and Newmans, a new type of beings that descended from the moon. Depending on what strengths you value and what weaknesses you can afford to have, decide your player character's race and profession.

The game takes place two centuries after a great war which destroys everything. To rebuild civilization, the humans, the only race left on the crumbling world did all they could and constructed cities. Within the city everything remains peaceful, but once they step out, the people are accosted by enemies.

To keep their cities safe, the humans formed the hunters organizations and joined forces Casts to combat the enemies' aggression. However, there is another race which humans have forgotten for they have disappeared even from the history books. When the Newmans descend from the moon, new opportunities for adventures and conflicts opened."

Random Flavor: Lego Star Wars

If you've been keeping up with "Flavor's Random Pick" (which I'm toying with renaming "Random Flavor" as in this post's title) you may have noticed that I tend toward two things: hand-held games and games I can play with my kids. In a weird way, this pick breaks both molds while actually adhering to both.

Lego Star Wars came out back in 2005. It allowed you to play through episodes 1, 2, and 3 which was actually very cool because episode 3 hadn't even come out in theaters yet. I remember watching Ep3 on the big screen and recognizing certain scenes from playing the game.

When I first got the game, I didn't intend to play it with my kids. I thought it would be something okay to play while the kids were around, but it wasn't thought of as something they would play. I do remember letting my oldest (and the only one that was alive at the time) play it a bit, but she just pushed buttons and such. It was a great game then, and now that the kids are a little older, it's a great game for them to play. The animated violence consists of characters breaking into lego bricks, so it's not real graphic. You can easily play cooperatively with a 5-year-old, and a 3-year-old could still tag along if you help them a lot.

Oh, and as I mentioned, this game was not a hand-held game. I played it on my XBox (not 360) back when it came out. Now, though, it is available for almost every game system. If you want it on the go, you can get it for the DS or PSP. If you want it on a home console, pick your favorite and I'm sure you'll find it.

It's also worth noting that, even if you're not into Star Wars, you may find a Lego videogame that you are into. The franchise has branched out to other movie franchises, so you can now find Lego Batman, Lego Harry Potter, Lego Indiana Jones, etc.

If you're looking for a fun game, and you haven't tried any of the Lego games, check one out. If you're looking for something to play with your kids and they're into any of the movie franchises that have a Lego game, go for it. You can't really go wrong with any of them, and if you're reading this blog you already have one of the systems to play it on.

E3 Conference Summary Part 2 - Nintendo

In part 2 of the E3 conferences, I'll be talking about Nintendo's conference which was shorter than the other two, but much better than last years presentation which was, well...crap. I was also much more on the moeny with my previous predictions on what would happen here. For all your Wii and DS news, read on.

As I mentioned before, I was sure that a certain plumber would be getting a new game on Wii and I was right on the mark. Luckily for gamers, Mario games are good and don't suck like the Sonic games, so while the plumber is starting to outstay his welcome (how about a new platformer?), I'm sure it will be a good game. It won't be like Galaxy though, this Mario game plays like a 2D Mario just like New Super Mario Bros. on DS. It will be 3D graphics of course. Also, the game has four player co-op, which is an interesting idea. Personally though, something new would have been my preference, but maybe Sega will take notice and make Sonic in the same way.



Next up was Wii Fit Plus. As someone who was bewildered by the success of Wii Fit, I can't really say this made me jump up for joy. Anyone heard of going OUTSIDE for excercise? Playing a sport, socializing, going to a gym, running etc. It contains 15 new balance "games" (I use the term loosely), calorie tracker, six new strengths and Yoga activities. Last time I checked, Yoga was a form of meditation and watching a screen and listening to sound isn't part of it. Meh, whatever.

Wii Motion Plus was shown, with plenty of demos showing the sensitivity. Lucky for Nintendo they were on the ball here, since Microsoft and Sony have come out with motion controllers that seem to have much better precision than the standard Wiimote.



A trailer of Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers. Not much new stuff here. It sure doesn't compare to FFXIII, but it might satisfy a Wii owners RPG needs.



After that there was a new trailer of Kingdom Hearts for DS, which is coming in September. A big seller no doubt.



Another DS game shown. This one's called Bowser's Inside Story and features Mario and Luigi going inside Bowser's "pipes". Ah, plenty of joke possibilities here. Anyway, it's coming this fall.



The sequel to the two Golden Sun GBA games was announced. I thought this series was dead. Luckily it's not! The Golden Sun games were some of the best on the GBA and the best RPG's.



DSi Facebook integration. No prizes for guessing if I skipped this bit. Do you really need Facebook on your DSi? As predicted, a new Zelda game was announced, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and mentioned along with DSiware.

Okay, now we have something that left most people baffled. There was a big hype up for this add-on product. It's called the Wii Vitality Sensor and it reads your pulse from your finger. Boned. It's useless, 'nuff said.



Plenty of people were probably happy to hear about the Super Mario Galaxy sequel. Looks like Nintendo has learned from the Gamecube to release more than one proper Mario game. It looks like more of the same to me.



Announcements of third party titles. Nintendo trying to appeal to the more mature and hardcore gaming market with The Conduit, Resident Evil: Dark Side Chronicles, and Dead Space Extraction.

The surprising and most interesting title for last. A new Metroid game being made by Team Ninja of Ninja Gaiden fame. It's called Metroid: Other M and will feature an M rating. Whoa, prepare for the ketchup to go flying! It'll be interesting to see if it plays better than the flawed Ninja Gaiden 2.



Overall a good presentation. Couldn't compete with Microsoft or Sony, but much better than the one in 2008.

Weekly Special: Tales of Hearts (CG Movie Edition) for DS

Welcome back to another weekly special. This week it's a DS game, sorry PSP fans, maybe next time! Prepare yourselves for Tales of Hearts (CG Movie Edition), sounds sexy, no? Available at a fantastically low price of $19.90. That's $43 off!

Although please be aware that this is a Japanese RPG game and I'd assume there is no English language option. DS games are region free and work on any DS, so if you can read Japanese, wanting to learn or just play the game and ignore the text, this game is for you!.

By CG edition, I'm guessing CG videos have been added into the game like many DS games lately. I've played a few of the "Tales" games and they are solid RPG's and fun to play. Here's more info taken from the description:

"Under the twin moons and the rule of the great empire, people have been leading peaceful lives albeit unsettling legends about a sleeping princess, dream eating monsters and the falling moons continue to pass around.

No matter how unsettling, people have been seeing these legends as mere stories to scare children, until the day a mysterious plague started spreading and the culprit of the illness seems to be the dream eating monsters. Under the onslaught of these evil forces, a special substance in people's hearts, spiria gets contaminated.

The only thing to counter the monsters is Soma, hidden within the Spire Maze.

All these strives of the land are unknown to the hero, Shing until he rescues a mysterious girl Kohaku from the monsters. Together, the two set off to find the mysterious substance Soma, save the land and find out the truth about the legends."

Sounds good, enjoy!

Weekly Special - Lux-Pain for DS

Another handheld bargain and again a Nintendo DS game on special this week. I'm sure DS fans will be happy! Don't fret PSP fans, I'm sure you'll see a special for your system soon too. Lux-Pain is the new weekly special, at the great price of $14.90. That's $34 off, less than half price!

Again please be aware that this is a Japanese action game and I'd assume there is no english language option. But if you enjoy a challenge or you're learning Japanese, then this will be a good buy. Of course the game will work on any DS, so you might want to play it for the gameplay instead of the story, it's a bargain price after all.

"The historical Kisaragi City is plagued by mysteries. From small mishaps to murders, there is no logical explanation as to why these events occur. Silence, or worms borne through hate and sadness infects a human and forces them to commit atrocious crimes. The hero, Atsuki's parents are victims of such crimes. To avenge his parents, Atsuki goes through a dangerous operation to acquire Lux Pain, a power that allows him to see and destroy the Silences.

To learn more, and effectively destroy the worms, Atsuki joins the special forces Fort, which is established by a group of youngsters with special powers called Zigma. Throughout this text based adventure, the player, as Atsuki, gathers information about Silences and utilize the full potential of Lux Pain. After destroying a Silence, he has to fill in the gap left in the infested victim's heart with a new memory. Learn about the troubles that disturb the people in the city and destroy the worms. Be careful though, and do not to destroy the people's hearts in the process."

Weekly Special - Hercules no Eikou: Tamashii no Shoumei for DS

There's been a lot of Xbox 360 and PS3 weekly specials, hasn't there? Well, don't fret, this weeks weekly special is a DS game called Hercules no Eikou: Tamashii no Shoumei, at the attractive price of $14.90. That's $34 off, less than half price!

Although everyone should be aware that this is a Japanese RPG game and I'd assume there is no English language option. But if you enjoy a challenge or you're learning Japanese, then this will be right up your alley. Of course the game will work on any DS, so you might want to play it for the gameplay instead of the story.

I've never played or heard of this game, so I'll paste the information that can be found on the product description.

"The RPG sets stage at Olympus, from the Greek myths, and tells the adventures of an amnesiac youth whom the fairies recognizes as Hercules. The youth has been wandering around aimlessly after being washed up the shore. One by one, he came across allies and some vital information about himself.

He is an immortal, and so are his allies. To find his source of immortality and come to terms with his own fate, he travels toward Olympus with the help of his friends.

The game displays a map with locations of shrines, villages and cities.
Fight monsters to gain EXP and/or money.
Make use of both the touch pen and buttons as methods of control."

Sounds interesting for sure, you might as well check it out.

Hatsworth DS = Metal Slug + Pokemon Puzzle League ( = Flavor's Random Pick)

"Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure" is a great game. It seems like the sort of title that most people would simply pass over or never hear of. Hopefully, I can do my bit to change that.

Imagine, if you can, the best possible outcome if you took a game like Metal Slug or Alien Hominid and mixed it with a game like Pokemon Puzzle League, Bejeweled, or Zoo Keeper. My guess is that your imagination falls short of what developer Tiburon has created.

The game has a silly wittiness about it. On the top screen, you play Henry Hatsworth, and run through levels searching out treasure and vanquishing enemies to the puzzle world. On the bottom screen, you must use your puzzle skills to completely vanquish those enemies from existence. All this is set to music that seems appropriate for an episode of Cowboy Bebop. At this point, you should be thinking, "How can this all possibly fit together?" Your brain ought to tell you that this equation does not compute, but, just this once, it might be wrong. The correct answer is that it fits together incredibly and surprisingly well.

I usually don't do "reviews" of games, because I figure that anyone can Google the game and see that IGN gave it a 9.0 and GameSpot gave it an 8.5. My intent here is to simply spread the word about a game that you might not otherwise consider even reading about. Here's EA's official trailer for the game. Though, be warned. If you value your real life, you might not want to get this game, as it will eat up loads of it.

Don't Break your DS Screen - Lux Pain

Like many adventure games, Lux-Pain stars a cast of absolutely beautifully drawn characters typical of Japanese games and a soundtrack full of mysteriously eery melodies, but the main attraction is its full use of the touch screen facilities of the Nintendo DS.

Doubtlessly, the Nintendo DS gets a lot of good games, but I could not help but think that some of them might actually be nicer when played on the Sony PSP. Tales of Hearts, and Final Fantasy III and IV, for example, have some stunning movies and its gameplay doesn't require the use of a stylus much.

Lux Pain, on the other hand, exploit this facility to the point where you might accidently leave scratches on your screen. Your objective in the game is to get rid of worms called "Silence" within people, find the culprit of a string of murders and gather clues as you read people's memories as well as emotions.

You do this through using your stylus to erase a person's shell and pretences and delve straight into their heart within a time limit. See the string of yellow dots? That's the memory, or the worm you are after, be sure to catch it as soon as you spot it as pretenses build up very quickly and the these yellow dots slither around fast.

So, excitement and adventure with a wonderful cast, this is not a visual novel that simply makes you want turn page after page, but a game that makes you sweat adrenaline.


Before you get your game, you really should get some screen protectors just in case you can't control your strength and leave blemishes on the screen. It's really useful for this game.

The atmosphere was somewhat dark and eery, but hardly bloody, yet scenes of cruelty are hinted at. After all, the "Silence" worm brings out a person's darkest sides, so it's not surprising that the plot has to include these scenes.

Another wonderful thing about Lux-Pain is the voice acting. I have only played the Japanese version, so I am in no position to comment about the English version.

Miyano Mamoru, the voice behind Light Yagami from Death Note and Tamaki Suou from Ouran High School Host Club. Starring as Atsuki, the lead character with a traumatic past and a quiet personality, his performance is an inch closer to Light than Tamaki, so for those who adore his darker voice, here's a treat. Although its a DS game, it has quite a bit of voice clips, so that's some candies for the ears.

While the gameplay differs greatly, Lux-Pain reminds me of the Persona series that delves into a person's dark side. So people who loves the great RPG series and gloomy/mysterious plots, this game is definitely worth a try!

Bokujou Monogatari / Harvest Moon - Soil a large corporation's plans through a hoe and a water can

A huge company is threatening to take over your plot of farmland and your way of life, so as a farm boy and a law abiding citizen, what are you to do? Make your land prosper and get it back through constructive ways.

Marriage and farming have always been centerpiece in the Harvest Moon series, however, the addition of the task to soil a big corporation's project has come at a very suitable time.

Anger and blood lust have reached its peak in the last few days and taking up fire arms is not a very sane way to relieve it. The whole finance/economic system is in need of a restructuring, and farming is one of the best places to start.

If bringing a large corporation down by hoes, water cans, cows and chickens could not sate your blood lust, come take up a sword and slay some monsters in Rune Factory Frontier on your Nintendo Wii system.

Given the violent crimes that are happening within the last 365 days (some involves shootings, other include knifes and other sharp instruments) government officials as well as moral groups that may know nothing about the array of genres available are all too ready to propose the banning of games and police media in the name of protecting the young.

Not only are the connection between violent games and crime difficult to prove, and in addition to that, not all games are violent, as I'm sure a lot of people may have noticed already. Harvest Moon is one of the many games that encourages creation and a series that parents will not be afraid to let their children play.

Although the act of farming is highly idealized in the series, it could be a way to inspire people to get closer to nature and have some fun in a more peaceful way.

And admittedly, engaging in violent acts in games can be very liberating and stress relieving at times. Most people have the ability to contain their frustrations in the virtual world and those who released it in the real world may not be gamers at all, so why not try to understand the community before proposing bans?

Peggle DS (Flavor's Random Pick)

PopCap Games' Peggle has finally made its way to a proper hand-held gaming platform. Q Entertainment is to thank for developing the Nintendo DS version of Peggle, and if their name doesn't ring a bell for you, think of Meteos, Lumines, and Rez HD. So here we have one of the most addictive games around brought to the DS by the developer of some of the best hand-held puzzle games around.

To me, this is the type of game that really should be on the DS and/or PSP. PopCap Games has made a good living out of bringing casual games like this to a wide audience on the PC, but, to me, this is the sort of thing that just feels at home on the go. I think that's the first time I've purposely worked an oxymoron into one of my posts.

I've played Peggle on the PC, and it is a very well made, fun, and addictive title. I was a bit skeptical, though, how well it would translate to the small, mouseless, dual-screened handheld of mine, so I took it for a bit of a test drive this past weekend. I have to say that I was not disappointed in the least. In fact, I don't think I'll be playing Peggle on the PC, anymore. If you've read any of my posts, you can probably tell that I've got a thing for the DS, PSP, or any other handheld games. If a game is just as fun on both platforms, I'd rather put it in my pocket (or backpack as it may be).

To me, Peggle DS has all the fun of the original. There really is only one screen of gameplay, because the other is mostly just used for status information like how many balls you have left. Of course, that means that you can't get the same level of graphics as you would on the PC version. The lack of a mouse is a minor drawback. On the PC it's very natural to use the mouse. On the DS, you can use the stylus to control the game (and even zoom in to make tight shots). Personally, I didn't feel like I needed the stylus control. I used it for a while, and then I got good at using the d-pad and shoulder buttons.

If you don't know what Peggle is, then, first of all, I'm surprised you read this far into my article. Second, you need to check this game out. As you might have guessed, I'd recommend the Nintendo DS version. If you're not yet convinced, check out a review at IGN. If demos are you thing, you can find a free trial of the PC version at PopCap Games' website.

If you already know what Peggle is, then you should already know if you like it. If you do, then I think you'll like the DS version. If you don't, I don't expect that you would find anything new to excite you about the DS version. It's as easy as that. Go pick it up. You know you didn't need all those extra hours of your life, anyway.

RPGs that are cute - Mana Khemia, Annie no Atilier

The idea of magic schools has existed long before Harry Potter comes into being, but the popular franchise seems to have brought about the rise in a number of these academic institutions, and Mana Khemia is one of them. Although strictly speaking, alchemists are neither witches nor wizards, the idea of turning soil in to gold is nothing less appealing (especially in an age where gold turns into soil).

Let's all go back to school and find our bearings again. There is something very attractive about schools, it signifies innocence, friendship and adventure and Mana-Khemia is exactly this, an ideal school life.
After graduating, with your life intact, think about your future, depending on what ending you get in Mana Khemia, you can either end up with a partner, or a rival for life.

Either way,even for the lazier of you, you still need to find something to do after graduating. Put your skills in alchemy into use, and your grandfather is suggesting that you help up with setting up a resort area.

Just work hard this once, As soon as you ace the game, you can marry the prince and laze around for the rest of your life.

Life is hard enough nowawadays, so play something fun and relaxing, with a bit less tension. Things that can be broken apart are already shattered. Start restructuring things through alchemy, at least in the game world.

Mana Khemia is pretty fun. Everything seems to be under a layer of pastel colored gauze, simply speaking, the whole game is innocent and cute. The character design adopted a shojo manga style (i.e. large eyes, small mouth, delicate limbs). It's truely a game suitable for both genders and players of every age.

The game proceeds at a relaxed pace with the first few chapters focusing more on mundane and comedic situations and character growth and the last few chapters on the truth about the main character's birth. While significantly heavier than the first parts, it's hardly ink black.

Wonderful for first time gamers as the fights ease you gently through the system, by the time you finish the game, you would be adequately equipped to deal with battles in other turn based RPG. There are usually no punishment for losing, you won't have your items plundered or money taken away, you will wake up in the infirmary, fully restored, ready for the challenge again.

Since we are talking about alchemists, I decided to tag the newest installment in the atilier games into the post. Still using shojo styled artwork and a storyline that makes you smile, Annie's Atilier is a good place to spend your time, and a stimulus for you to learn Japanese.

Pokemon Platinum Cheap

Here's a game franchise that I'm sure you've never heard of. Oh, whoops. I think I bumped the SARCASTIC LOCK button on my keyboard.

"Wahoo! The Pocket Monsters are back!"

Just about everyone should be uttering that phrase right about now. The question is whether you have your sarcasm turned on or off. Because Pokémon is so well known, it seems that people either love it or hate it.

Truth be told, I was always a Pokémon lover. I watched the cartoon. I bought a GameBoy Color so I could play Pokémon Blue. I was ranked near the top of Pokémon Trading Card players in my area for a while. I posed with hot women in front of a giant Pikachu trading card. The list goes on.

Over the years, I've fallen away from playing the Pokémon games. I have played a little bit of Pokémon on each of the handheld systems: GameBoy, GameBoy Advance, and Nintendo DS. I had fun with them, but I wasn't as interested in the whole experience as I had once been.

Recently, though, I pulled out an old GameBoy Pocket with Pokémon Yellow. My daughter is learning to read, and I thought that if she got into playing a game like this, she would want to learn to read all the words so she could play on her own.

It's been a good experience thus far. In fact, the reading has come very quickly. It's now parts of the actual gameplay that are holding her back a bit. She gets lost in the caves and gets stranded in areas where she can't easily get back to a Pokémon Center to heal her team. That's when she asks for help. She rarely asks what a word means, anymore. I even started teaching her how to play the Pokémon Trading Card game with some of my old cards. It's actually quite good for teaching some simple math skills and game rules.

The GameBoy Pocket isn't exactly a modern marvel, anymore. What happens when she's done with that game? Well, I'm thinking that Pokémon Platinum happens! If you're looking for an English version of the game to import, Play-Asia has a great price on preorders of Pokémon Platinum right now. From what I know, it's due out on March 22nd, which is just over a week away. If you're a PokéManiac like me, you'll want to check it out whether it's for you or your kids.

Maybe you'll hear more from me about using Pokémon as a learning tool (or should I say Pokémon as a teaching tool) for my kids. It's been really enjoyable reliving some of my old fun games and memories while teaching new skills to my daughter.

Nintendo DS Games For Toddlers (Flavor's Random Pick)

If you're a parent, like I am, that's into handheld gaming, you might want to check out UFO Interactive's line of Smart Games for kids. This line includes titles such as "Smart Kid's: Gameclub," "Smart Girl's: Playhouse," and "Smart Boy's: Gameroom." Having 3 daughters, I am most familiar with the "Smart Girl's" line of games, but really it's mostly just the art style that's specific to girls. Boys (especially those in the 2 to 6 year old range) would get just as much out of any of the games as would girls, but I can completely understand why you might not prefer to have your son seen playing "Smart Girl's: Magical Book Club."

I know that Nintendo is trying to target the younger kids with a lot of their DS titles, but, from what I've seen, most of the good games start at about age 6. If you have a kid younger than that, there really isn't a whole lot that they can do that will keep their attention and challenge them. I have found the "Smart Girl's" games to be great for my daughters. My 2-year-old is really starting to learn stylus skills (which seem to translate fairly well to mouse skills on the PC). Of course, she can't read, but she has, fairly quickly, learned how to navigate the entire game. There are puzzles, matching games, drawing pages, musical games, etc. that keep her occupied whenever we are out somewhere that she can't run around. My 5-year-old is just starting to outgrow the game a bit, but she still likes to play it, especially if she can show her little sister how to do things. She still plays it, but she has started getting into games with deeper story lines, now that she's learning to read. Still, any of the Smart games will keep the girls occupied and learning whether it be just for a couple minutes or a couple hours. If you have kids in the 2-6 year-old range, I highly recommend that you look into these titles.