J!-ENT
Asian Entertainment News and Pop Culture

VIDEO GAME: PATAPON

CONSOLE: PSP

ESRB RATING: E for Everyone - Mild Cartoon Violence

INFO: 1 Player, Memory Stick Duo

DEVELOPER: Pyramid/Japan Studios

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

JAPANESE WEBSITE

Personally, I didn’t know much about this game until the week before it came out. Partly because of all the buzz that I have been hearing from video game reviewers who received their advanced copy of the game and also because it’s a rhythm-based game.

The story goes: “Fierce monsters and an evil army standi n the way of the brave Patapons. To regain their honor, this brave tribe will follow any command and fance any enemy. But you can keep the rhythm in the heat of battle? Turn your PSP system into a “war drum” and lead the tribe in over 30 missions with your beat. Build an army and collect over 100 weapons and items. The patapons destiny lies in your hands.

Artistically, the game is unique as the Patapon tribe look like big eyeballs who are equipped with spears. As you continue to do well in stages, you then are able to access warriors skilled with axes and bows and arrows.

The main premise is that you are the one who can lead the Patapons to victory. In a 2D landscape and going from left to right, the Patapons only move by the button commands you give. To advance, you click square, square, square, circle. To attack, you click on circle, circle, square and circle.

Of course, this is a rhythm game, so timing is important. You make the command, they repeat the command, time it well and input the command that you would like them to follow. By doing well, you put the Patapons in fever mode, giving them specialized attacks and creating miracles.

The actual levels are very fun as one level, you can be hunting for food and you must choose the right army to bring with you, while another has you going against the enemy and another fighting a dragon.

At first, the game seems easy but as you progressed past the tenth level, the more it becomes important for you to get into fever mode and not messing up, and trust me… messing up is easy to do.

But so far, I’m on the eleventh level which requires me to go onto the desert, the problem is that once you reach a certain section, the ground is on fire. I would need to get a perfect groove of fever mode to get a rain miracle with no mess ups. Sure, easier said than done.

So, I find myself backtracking to earlier stages I have beaten, building up items and earning “ka-ching stones” (think of it as money) to grow my army.

The more you progress and pick up items, you get some interesting versions of Patapons, better weapons and also learning more rhythm based drums such as defensive attack moves (I’m sure there are more, just haven’t gotten too far yet in the game).

All in all, I’m actually quite pleased of the simple but cool illustrations and the overall gameplay. But also making things much more attractive and worthy of the price which the game sells for $19.99.

All in all, the game is actually fun, addicting and unique. Even a person like myself who tends to be uncoordinated when it comes to musical rhythm based games is enjoying “PATAPON”.

So, overall, for it’s gameplay, it’s cool and crazy look and it’s price point, it’s definitely worthy of picking up.

TITLE: DISGAEA: Afternoon of Darkness

PLATFORM: PSP

BY: NIPPON ICHI SOFTWARE, INC.

DISTRIBUTED BY: NIS America

GAME INFO: 1 player, Memory Stick Duo 408KB, PSP Headset Compatible, Wi-Fi Compatibnle (Ad Hoc) (2 players)

RATING: TEEN (Mild Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

A few years ago “Disgaea” from Atlus came out for the PlayStation 2 and because there were so many other games coming out, I passed it up. Then next thing you know, the game had the buzz online of being one of the games that are difficult to get and the cost for a new copy shot to like over $50 and used prices weren’t any cheaper.

So, I figured I’d wait… and wait I did. I bought #1 and #2 when it went down to like $24.99 and was going to spend one of the holiday weekends to sit down and play.

That was until I heard the game was coming out for the Sony PSP and would come with extra levels, characters and other cool things. But the selling point was mainly portability and not having to hold the TV hostage.

So, after beating “Final Fantasy Tactics” on the PSP, I started playing the game and it took me a while to get into it because I was so hooked on “Final Fantasy Tactics” that I had to get used to the overall system and the characters.

It has been nearly two months now since I started playing and what do you know, I have put in dozen of hours playing “DISGAEA: Afternoon of Darkness” and loving it!

The main storyline of the game features the character of Prince Lahari who has waken after many years of sleeping. Lahari wakes up to find out that this kingdom of demons have gone array since his father’s passing and people are fighting to become the overlord and leader. Lahari, who is a brash young demon and his friend/vassal/rival Etna go on missions as the storyline unfolds to show how Lahari comes to take control of his kingdom and become the overlord. The other character focuses on Flonne who is an Angel Trainee who comes to the Netherworld to assassinate the overlord but her belief in love changes her mission.

What I like about the game is the fact that you can choose Japanese or English dialogue (and I love that NIS America has continued to give us this option), the animation is anime-like stills but the storyline is hilarious, engaging and very good.

The game is turn-based strategy where you control each character, send them out on the map and place them on a square and use an attack, a special move, an item, etc.

In these missions are orbs which can alter the playing field. Some orbs will allow characters to do two attacks, another will make a person standing on a certain panel called Geo Panels with a certain color invincible or fairly weak and more. So, some areas you will need to destroy a Geo Symbol to eliminate the Geo Panels.

The game is literally hardcore on level grinding (that is playing and fighting enemies over and over again to build up your level and to earn money to purchase better weapons and armor). I have been playing many hours by using creating a variety of new characters (you can select monsters, demons, archers, fighters, gunner, ninja’s, magicians, etc.) and building them and literally just increasing my army for missions.

Before and after each mission, in the overlord’s castle you are offered a store that sells weapons, another that sells items. A Netherworld Hospital that allows you to replenish health and SP (magic) but costs money and then there is the Dark Assembly.

The Dark Assembly is like the Board who decides if you can get more funding, more expensive weapons or items, etc. But most of the time, this board of high level monsters pretty much loathe everything you request, so you either have to bribe them with gifts or trying to beat them. Through the Dark Assembly, you must earn “mana” which is the energy required to bring together the Dark Assembly to session. So, this adds hours to gameplay, you can take a promotional exam and try to beat monsters to earn mana and level up your ranking. Level up and more bills can be earned and brought up to the board. For example, level 2 allows you to ask for more expensive weapons. Level 3 allows you to request for better eyewear or footwear, etc.

Also, the Dark Assembly is important and it allows you to create a disciple (an ally) such as an archer, warrior, demon, monster, ninja, mage, etc. The more you level them, the more you open up more classes or by defeating a certain enemy in battle.

Also, there is an “item world” which allows you to build a weak weapon or item and level it up. This alone will add hours to the gameplay because you need to go through ten levels of fighting and beat everyone on the map for each level, to go up a level. Also, by getting and killing off a certain demon, you can earn something special for that weapon. Some levels require thinking because you can be on one area of the map and then the enemy on another side and between you, nothing. So, you have the option to lift an ally and throw them to the other side.

Another thing about “item world” is that it’s not easy. In fact, you may beat the first ten levels but continuing on and beating more and more levels, it gets more difficult but the more you play to level up, the more things specialized things you can earn. Also, once you get into the “Item World”, you will need to earn an exit, otherwise if you don’t, you will need to continue fighting until you earn it.

There are also several other saves in the castle such as the Collection and Dark Record (records your stats), a music shop to purchase BGM and Longinus who gives you details about weapons.

As for multi-player mode, there is multi-player mode which you can host a new game or play against a friend or buy/sell items. Multi-player battle allows you to battle another player and host it. Dealing allows you to shopping items from another person’s warehouse and vice versa.

All in all, because there are so many factors of building.  Your army, your funds to get better weapons and armor, item world to level up your items, better ranking to confront the  assembly but fortunately, what could have been a boring game, fortunately is enhanced by interesting characters and a very fun storyline.

For the storyline, it’s played out almost like a trailer for an anime with Etna (and sometimes Flonne) doing a trailer introducing each chapter.

As for the differences from the console version, there are extra characters from “Disgaea 2″ and “Makai Kingdom” in the game.  Extra levels and also a way to play through Etna’s levels and give an alternate storyline.  Awesome!

I’m now at Episode 11 and in this mission, a Buck Rogers (or Flash Gordon) style of character has made it into the Netherworld with his robot and beautiful female partner to assassinate the overlord and for Lahari. I’ve been playing the same level over and over again for hours in the past week or two, to build my character.  I usually grow tired of repetitiveness but for some reason, not for this game.  I think because the fact, you can grow your army and just building them and leveling them up, it’s a little bit more interesting than the grinding missions for like an RPG.

I’m really loving this game right now and I know some people have a hard time finding it, though I have seen it up and down California, I feel it’s a bit more plentiful and easier to find than the PS2 game when it first came out.

There’s so much going for this game for gameplay that it’s just worth recommending.  I loved “Final Fantasy Tactics” for the PSP and highly recommend it but for “DISGAEA: Afternoon of Darkness”, you’re getting your money’s worth with this game with so much to it and the fact that this intense, enjoyable game is now portable.

I’ll update this review after completing it but for now, so far, I can tell you that this game is highly recommended!

VIDEO GAME TITLE: FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS

PLATFORM: Sony PSP

COMPANY: SQUARE ENIX

RATED: T for Teen - Blood, Drug Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes

INFO: 1 player, Memory Stick Duo 512KB, Wi-Fi Comaptible (Ad Hoc - 2 players)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

One of the best known tactical RPG’s that was released on the original Sony PlayStation was released for the Sony PSP.

“Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions” is the latest of the new Ivalice Alliance Project that first started with “Final Fantasy XII” for the Sony PlayStation 2 (note: the actual latest from the project since the release of the PSP FFT is “Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings” for the Nintendo DS) which are games that take place in the world of Ivalice.

But before we get into all that, let’s do a little rundown of the history of the game.

“Final Fantasy Tactics” is a game that came out on the original Playstation back in 1998. The game was unlike previous “Final Fantasy” video games which were RPG but in this case, the game was strategy and only allowed movement on an isometric plane and your character could move up, down, left or right on tiles. Also, the video game was turn-based but what people loved about it was the fact that it was a game that featured a cool storyline, cool gameplay but also something very unique and different in the “Final Fantasy” series. And it also helped that the game included obtaining Cloud of “Final Fantasy VII”.

Throughout the series, you control Ramza and other fighters which can specialize in different jobs. From squires, they can become knights, archers, white or black mages and much more. And the game is not for the squeamish because for those who love grinding and building their character levels, FFT required strategy because as you advance in level, your enemies also advance in level. You end up spending time finding ways to level up your characters, learn new jobs and finding ways to beat the opponent which is not easy at all.

The storyline is about royalty, kidnapping of a princess and helping Ramza who comes from a power family go on the search for the kidnapped princess. Throughout the game you meet characters but at the same time you can enlist characters and build their levels and whatever job you select them to be, take them on battles and help grow their abilities by earning JP points which allows you to obtain certain abilities from a job. Also, by partnering with other people in your group, the other characters learn other jobs as well, so you can help different characters, learn other jobs.

So, the game was amazingly fun and addictive and it was no surprise that many people clamored for a new sequel to the game and five years after the first Final Fantasy Tactics game was released, came the spin off for the Game Boy Advance titled “Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced” which featured a simpler version of the popular tactics game. Then several years later, another Ivalice inspired game titled “Final Fantasy XII” which was an RPG game and not Tactics related was released.

In 2007, we have the release of “FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS”, a remake of the popular PlayStation games which feature hand drawn animatics with voice acting, 16:9 widescreen and and jobs (Onion Knight from “Final Fantasy III” and Dark Knight which is now available to learn for all characters instead of one character as in the previous game). The game also includes “Final Fantasy XII” character Balthier and “Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift” (for the DS in Japan) character Luso.

I have been addicted to this game for the past few weeks since it’s release and I’m just enjoying the game. But would you?

If you enjoy games such as “Warcraft”, “Starcraft” and other PC turn based strategy games and also enjoy games such as “Advanced Wars” for the GBA or DS, you’re definitely going to get into this game.

Not only does it feature cool characters, a cool storyline and awesome jobs, the certain chapters that you have to take on is fun and addictive and very challening. No gameshark on this one people. Get prepared for hours of grinding and building your characters.

One thing that you will notice on message boards are discussions of deleveling. For those who are wondering about this, by deleveling gives people a chance to go down a level because if you are level 1-20, your chances of increasing your abilities increase and by using a powerful character that has deleveled to level 1, gives you an opportunity to bring other characters in your team to a higher level and increase abilities as well with their new jobs.

Personally, I have chosen not to delevel and just playing this game for the first time through it. I’m now beginning the fourth chapter and certain final levels for the early chapters have been interestingly challenging that I won by luck at times by one shot. But at some times frustrating that I win a level but I lose a character.

Yes, unlike other games which if you character dies, you can still use them. Not on “Final Fantasy Tactics”. Similar to a “Fire Emblem” game, once your character dies, they’re dead. Granted, you can take that hard earned money you win and create another character with a similar job and build them up but it’s not the same for me, so I end up playing the level again and again until everyone lives.

This is an update to my first glance and blog while playing the game.

After finally beating the game, I found “Final Fantasy Tactics” definitely one of the most enjoyable “Final Fantasy” video game experiences that I’ve had in a long time.

In the beginning, I felt that this game was a bit difficult but one I started to grind (a term for playing for hours and getting into random battles to level up a character) away by having characters get to dragoon/samurai/ninja level, beating the game became much easier. Also, once you get the secret characters and the extra characters in the game, the damage caused by someone like Cidolfus Orlandeau or Meliadoul Tengille is devastating.

I was getting like easy one hit kills and with Cid getting one hit kills, some three at a time. So, granted, I didn’t want to spoil my gaming experience by using him all the time, but spending the time to grind and build everyone’s levels.

Granted, I was grinding long hours to get my characters to learn several jobs and build their levels but the overall experience was enjoyable as you strategize on how to defeat the opponent and know that you prepared a battle well with the characters you selected.

Is there room for extra gameplay when completing the game? Yes, definitely. Because there is room to build a character to get more secret characters, to get other jobs and so forth.

But here’s the thing, I highly recommend saving two saves of your game when you are not on a major mission. Especially at the end. Because once you get to the final level, you can only save during that battle and can’t go back to the map. So, you want that one save at the map and then the other used as a primary save.

Speaking of saving…definitely save often. No one likes playing for hours and leveling up to find out you didn’t save when your characters die and have to restart over from an earlier save. Don’t make that mistake!

But all in all, this game was fun but what negatives do I have to say about it? Not much, nitpicky if anything. With the release of “Disgaea” on the PSP which comes with an extra segment, definitely will entice someone who has played the game before to play it again. With “Final Fantasy Tactics”, we get multiplayer, new cut scenes with voices and new jobs but those who have followed the story would like to have some closure with the character of Delita. (Something happens after the credits end that will either make you feel hatred for him or feel that the character was pretty much expected to do what he did).

But that is the main nitpick if any that I could find. I’ve always wanted to see a final battle between Ramza vs. Delita but it is not meant to be.

I really didn’t mind the graphics and was not expecting any revamp ten years later. As much as I have been spoiled by awesome graphics with next gen consoles, I prefer to take gameplay over graphics and that is where “Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions” delivers.

It’s not the easiest game for noobies but if you are an RTS or tactics fan, I definitely recommend this game! You’ll put a lot of hours into it but all in all, it was worth it!

Now for those wondering what strategies I used to beat the game without using deleveling or getting the Dark Night Job:

• You want your characters to get to dragoon, samurai or ninja level. For Dragoon and Archer, DO NOT waste your time getting any level except the last one. Yes, grind away and have something powerful as a secondary power. For Ramza, I used Dragoon but mastered Samurai and had Samurai’s Idio powers as secondary. For another character, I had dancer as primary to get forbidden dance (and eventually all dances since it wasn’t so hard) and then while dragoon as a primary, used dancer to get extra JP during battles.
• Learn Teleport! You will need to have a character learn Time Mage’s “Teleport”. This let’s you get around the map easily with no restrictions. Granted you could only teleport at certain distance close by but in battles indoor or in castles, works great! Works great if you are a samurai, ninja, chemist or white or black mage. I’ve used teleport for Ramza and used his samurai idio to cause damage. Also, a few knights to get in different areas for quick kills and chemists or white mages to heal people in my team who are farther away in the map.
• Learn Dragonheart - Some like Shirahadori from the Samurai class but for your main characters, dragonheart (Dragoon) is great because the characters cast reraise. In other words, enemies kill your character, your character will come back to life. They won’t come back to full HP but by coming back to life, you can do that final hit or teleport somewhere else and heal yourself or have someone heal you. Works great on a character who can do multiple damage.
• Grinding - Yes, you will want to get into random battles to get JP to increase your level for each job. To get certain jobs especially completing missions at the taverns, you’re going to need extra characters. You can buy extra generic characters and build them up. This works great especially in later levels because once your highest level character starts gets into a random battle, the enemies also are stronger. Thus I don’t use the main characters and use generics and build them up to learn teleport, chemist abilities for healing and then a powerful offensive move. Also, you will be grinding away for many hours in random battles.
• Mustudio - He is very important because this machinist is integral in getting secret characters such as Final Fantasy XII’s Balthier, Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud and Final Fantasy Tactics A2 Luso to name a few. So, when you get into a battle that is marked in red on the map, make sure Mustudio is there. In the end, I had Mustudio as a dragoon and secondary as a chemist (Item). So, make sure you don’t lost him in battle.
• What to do with the money? - For all Final Fantasy games I have played, I have always bought potions and anything that can heal and have 99 (the maximum) of them in my posession. In Final Fantasy Tactics, your chemists will need these items. So, have a lot of X-Potions, Hi-Ether, Remedy and Phoenix Downs. As a chemist, you want to learn Phoenix Down and X-Potion first. As you win more battles successfully, you’re going to have more than enough money for armor. But if you are going to survive, you need a good defense as well as an offense and in order for that to happen, you want your characters alive. So, have all your characters become a chemist earlier on just enough to level up and learn those skills.
• Save Often - I said it before and I’ll say it again, save often. Save after each battle on the map. Have two saves which you will need before heading to the final battle. One save created on the map and one before you go into battle.

VIDEO GAME TITLE: FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS

PLATFORM: Sony PSP

COMPANY: SQUARE ENIX

RATED: T for Teen - Blood, Drug Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes

INFO: 1 player, Memory Stick Duo 512KB, Wi-Fi Comaptible (Ad Hoc - 2 players)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

One of the best known tactical RPG’s that was released on the original Sony PlayStation was released for the Sony PSP.

“Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions” is the latest of the new Ivalice Alliance Project that first started with “Final Fantasy XII” for the Sony PlayStation 2 (note: the actual latest from the project since the release of the PSP FFT is “Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings” for the Nintendo DS) which are games that take place in the world of Ivalice.

But before we get into all that, let’s do a little rundown of the history of the game.

“Final Fantasy Tactics” is a game that came out on the original Playstation back in 1998. The game was unlike previous “Final Fantasy” video games which were RPG but in this case, the game was strategy and only allowed movement on an isometric plane and your character could move up, down, left or right on tiles. Also, the video game was turn-based but what people loved about it was the fact that it was a game that featured a cool storyline, cool gameplay but also something very unique and different in the “Final Fantasy” series. And it also helped that the game included obtaining Cloud of “Final Fantasy VII”.

Throughout the series, you control Ramza and other fighters which can specialize in different jobs. From squires, they can become knights, archers, white or black mages and much more. And the game is not for the squeamish because for those who love grinding and building their character levels, FFT required strategy because as you advance in level, your enemies also advance in level. You end up spending time finding ways to level up your characters, learn new jobs and finding ways to beat the opponent which is not easy at all.

The storyline is about royalty, kidnapping of a princess and helping Ramza who comes from a power family go on the search for the kidnapped princess. Throughout the game you meet characters but at the same time you can enlist characters and build their levels and whatever job you select them to be, take them on battles and help grow their abilities by earning JP points which allows you to obtain certain abilities from a job. Also, by partnering with other people in your group, the other characters learn other jobs as well, so you can help different characters, learn other jobs.

So, the game was amazingly fun and addictive and it was no surprise that many people clamored for a new sequel to the game and five years after the first Final Fantasy Tactics game was released, came the spin off for the Game Boy Advance titled “Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced” which featured a simpler version of the popular tactics game. Then several years later, another Ivalice inspired game titled “Final Fantasy XII” which was an RPG game and not Tactics related was released.

In 2007, we have the release of “FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS”, a remake of the popular PlayStation games which feature hand drawn animatics with voice acting, 16:9 widescreen and and jobs (Onion Knight from “Final Fantasy III” and Dark Knight which is now available to learn for all characters instead of one character as in the previous game). The game also includes “Final Fantasy XII” character Balthier and “Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift” (for the DS in Japan) character Luso.

I have been addicted to this game for the past few weeks since it’s release and I’m just enjoying the game. But would you?

If you enjoy games such as “Warcraft”, “Starcraft” and other PC turn based strategy games and also enjoy games such as “Advanced Wars” for the GBA or DS, you’re definitely going to get into this game.

Not only does it feature cool characters, a cool storyline and awesome jobs, the certain chapters that you have to take on is fun and addictive and very challening. No gameshark on this one people. Get prepared for hours of grinding and building your characters.

One thing that you will notice on message boards are discussions of deleveling. For those who are wondering about this, by deleveling gives people a chance to go down a level because if you are level 1-20, your chances of increasing your abilities increase and by using a powerful character that has deleveled to level 1, gives you an opportunity to bring other characters in your team to a higher level and increase abilities as well with their new jobs.

Personally, I have chosen not to delevel and just playing this game for the first time through it. I’m now beginning the fourth chapter and certain final levels for the early chapters have been interestingly challenging that I won by luck at times by one shot. But at some times frustrating that I win a level but I lose a character.

Yes, unlike other games which if you character dies, you can still use them. Not on “Final Fantasy Tactics”. Similar to a “Fire Emblem” game, once your character dies, they’re dead. Granted, you can take that hard earned money you win and create another character with a similar job and build them up but it’s not the same for me, so I end up playing the level again and again until everyone lives.

All in all, I’m enjoying “FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS”. The gameplay is awesome, I love games that are like a game of chess and you are just playing over and over until you find the best strategy to beat the opponent. It’s not a game that you can finish each level quickly but nevertheless, this game has all the components that what makes a great game.

Also, the benefits of it being portable on the PSP is awesome (no more hogging that TV from a family member and loved one) and if you are a “Final Fantasy” or RTS fan, definitely give this game a try.

Now, I’ve been praising this game throughout this first glance review but are there any negatives? Well, for one, this game might prove to be very difficult for those who are not familiar with tactical/strategy based games. It’s a thinking person’s game and that also means it is not a short game. Expect to put in hours into this game and once you become addicted, playing for a half hour can end up being two hours or more for the busy gamer.

Also, I did notice some slowdown in some parts. Nothing as bad as “WWE Smackdown vs. Raw” slow. I’m also using an original PSP, so not sure if it runs quicker on the newer PSP.

For some, the look might be a bit old school as the original Final Fantasy games in terms of chibi characters but if you are staunched on games that need to look as good as a next gen game, then you may be disappointed by it. Personally, gameplay is more important and this game is great when it comes to gameplay!

I can’t say too much but to buy this game! It’s the game that makes owning a PSP so worth it! Highly recommended!

GAME: syphon filter: LOGAN’S SHADOW

ESRB RATING: T for TEEN (Language, Violence)

GAME INFO: 1-8 Players, Memory Stick Duo, PSP Headset Compatible, Wi-Fi Compatible (Ad Hoc and Infrastructure)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

This is a first glance review of “syphon filter: LOGAN’S SHADOW” for the Sony PSP, the second game continuing the storyline of Gabe Logan on the portable system.

The “syphon filter” games feature a game similar to the Metal Gear Solid and Tom Clancy “Splinter Cell” games but not too intense on the stealth but yet still features a very cool storyline and a game that has you controlling Gabe (or his partner) by taking down enemies ala 3rd person shooter and using a bit of stealth to accomplish your mission.

One of my favorite games on the PSP is the first syphon filter game “DARK MIRROR” which was an enjoyable game because of its cool storyline and was critically acclaimed for its gameplay, visuals and what was packed into a single UMD at the time.

With “LOGAN’S SHADOW”, so far I have completed the first three chapters and near the end of the fourth and loving it! In the first game for the PSP, the game was intense and a drew you in as the storyline was intense and emotional as characters from the original game are in it and the game was a bit had an emotional side to it as Gabe’s former love is involved.

In the second game, Gabe Logan is brought in for a secret mission by the government but it appears he has been setup. Gabe learns that his partner maybe a double agent and he goes out to search for her to find out the truth. The game is more action-based and the AI are not as dumb as the previous game.

One thing that you will notice is that many missions take place underwater in the first two chapters. Also, a bit more complex than the previous game. Graphics are the same but still look good in game and the cut scenes still look awesome. Audio is similar and still sound great!

Controls are the same. use the R to shoot. Use the analog nub stick to control. Use the directional pad (press left to go to the mode where you select a flashlight or specific goggle - night vision, infrared, etc. and press right to select a weapon). You can stock up to four types of weapons and grenades. L button is used for camera viewing.

The featured modes are:

SINGLE PLAYER MODE: In this mode, you start out with training and when beating the training mode, the game begins in which you play as Gabe and complete missions.

MISSION MODE: Mission mode is where you can play the missions that you have beaten in Single Player Mode but by replaying it, you can improve your career ratings. This will allow you to explore different play styles and experiment with alternate stealth paths, discover environmental skills and unlock more darts for use with the MB-150 Agency Sniper Rifle.

The benefit of replaying is to find the hidden files which will unlock concept art, audio files and bonus movies.

CAREER RATING: This menu displays the status of Agency Ratings. This keeps track of stats for stealth kills, combat knife kills, elite weapons kills, survival skills (ability to complete a mission without dying), tactical weapons (dart kills) and sharpshooter skills (head shots). Each rating has four ranks.

INFRASTRUCTURE and AD HOC ONLINE PLAY: There are different types of online gameplay. Ad Hoc allows two or more individual PSP systems to communicate directly with each other. Infrastructure allows you to go into a lobby, host a game, join in on hosted games and be part of a community. Games available are:

- TEAM DEATHMATCH - Team based. Be the first to reach the score limit or have the most kills when time expires.

- RETRIEVAL - Team based. First team to reach the capture limit.

- SABOTAGE - Locate the detonator code, arm and detonate the emy team’s nuclear warhead.

- ROGUE AGENT - No teams. Capture the rogue agent credentials and eliminate the opposition.

- DEATHMATCH - No teams. Be the first agent to reach the score limit.

I don’t really play multi-player (which are the big reasons people like first-person or third-person shooters) but I’m more of a single player (love it for the storyline) gamer but from what I’ve played, the developers turned up the notch for each mission.

One mission has you trying to sneak on pirate boats and eliminating everyone on the boat and blowing up the ships with C4. Another has you underwater and taking on an enemy underwater vehicle. Definitely more intense and the enemy AI, they are ready for you and you need to keep on your toes.

So, far I’m enjoying the “syphon filter: LOGAN’S SHADOW” and I’ll be back with a final review after completion.

“Mobile Train Simulator + Densha de Go!” is another train simulator game released for the PSP but how does it rank among the many train simulator games out for the portable console.

Let me just say that I enjoy these train simulator games. I enjoy DDG for the gameplay, the ambience and the fun of obtaining chain combos and earning money to open up new routes.

With “Mobile Train Simulator + Densha de Go!”, this game is quite different with the fact that instead of 3D environments and train, this time around, it’s full motion video. The following game is published by Ongakukan and in conjunction have teamed up with Taito’s “Densha de Go!” team (for the video) to provide you two games. Same tracks but different presentation. Where DDG has focused on Japan Railways, this game focuses on Tokyu Corporation and lines in Southern Tokyo (Den’en Toshi Line, Toyoko Line and Oimachi Line).

One may assume that because the game utilizes full motion video that it’s a better game. So, is it?

GAMEPLAY:

Before I compare this game vs. the difference with the other Densha de Go! Titles on the PSP, here are the differences between the two games:

MOBILE TRAIN SIMULATOR is like an arcade game. Unlike the bells and whistles of graphics that are seen on DDG games, your treated by numeric counters. Without having to worry too much about passengers getting injured or falling over, the benefit is that you have a little more leeway when it comes to speeding up and braking. Unfortunately, you don’t have as much leeway in the actual game because several errors and the game is over.

DENSHA DE GO! Is similar to the other previous DDG games but with a different control scheme for braking and gas, the indicator of speed and station nearing you is on the bottom and you get to see the mascot and and passengers voice their concerns about your driving skill more.

This version of MOBILE TRAIN SIMULATOR + DENSHA DE GO! versus the DENSHA DE GO! Series on the PSP:

This differences between this DDG versus the other DDG games on the PSP.

- One thing missing is the map indicator (showing you how many stations you will be visiting per route). There is no map indicator in the game.
- No chain combos or money to purchase new routes. This game is based on your skill of doing well and earning points.
- In the DDG games, you lose when 10 of your passengers are all lost. But you can continue a new game. You can continue on DDG but not on MTS.
- Controls are much more different. This version of DDG is up for brakes and down for gas on the D-Pad.
- The indicators are on the bottom and not as good as the indicators on a DDG game. You guess a lot more in this game of when to brake and you need to get the train within a meter or exact.
- When preparing for the next station, some want you to wait close to two minutes before you can get off and go. Sure, maybe in real life, a conductor or driver may have to wait but I didn’t want to wait just to start playing again.
- The mascot pops up if you mess up where in a tyical DDG game, mascot/host shows up only on tutorial.
- No ENJOY MODE in this version of DDG.

GRAPHICS:

I have to admit that I was very excited to hear that a train simulation was incorporation full motion video. What I can say is that when you are moving at a fast speed, the graphics look very nice. It’s just when you are driving at a slow speed or slowing down, things start to get laggy and instead of fluid video, it becomes frames of video and it can get ugly. Also, with DDG, since it’s 3D, they have more creativity to work with in terms of weather conditions and riding night and day, cloudy, rainy or sunny. You don’t have that in this game. My biggest complaint on DDG games are the cardboard cutouts of photos of people in the station, in this game you get to see people moving around. Which is nice!

SOUND:

Missing are the sounds that I enjoyed from the DDG games. The music at the stations, the ambience. Also, there is weird sound distribution of some audio coming from the right earbud and not the left and this happened quite a few times.

GAMEPLAY:

All in all, “Mobile Train Simulator + Densha De Go!” is a good buy for train simulator fans. The use of full motion video is nice and I can see fluidity on the console versions but to do this for the PSP was rather ambitious and when it works, it works and looks great. When it slows down, then the problems of using video is very evident when it slows down by frame or lag. I do like the utilization of the characters who are shown to vent out their frustration when you do something wrong.

All in all, the graphic presentation and having it in video was amazing, unfortunately the lines are more residential than metro and you may find yourself driving underground in tunnels quite a bit.

I like the fact that you get two different versions of the game using the same line. Different presentations for each game and I enjoy that there are two different games which adds to the replay ability.

What I have a problem with this Ongakukan Densha de Go! Version of this game is the fact that it’s too different from the Taito DDG games on the PSP in terms of gameplay. I enjoy the DDG games a lot and the new interface and how things were laid out were not too my liking.

With DDG games having the indicators on the right, it made it easier to navigate and enjoy the scenery. By putting it into the bottom, you miss out on the scenery if it’s a short ride to different stations. With this game being video based, you want to see the scenery.

I felt that the DDG games on the PSP was much better in predicting where to brake and speed up. I felt that the brakes were not as responsive as I would have liked. And the fact that you need to be within a meter or exact was not to my liking.

Last, the user-friendliness of this game is friendly for non-Japanese readers. You can figure it out the controls easily but what is missing is the tutorial found on Taitou DDG games. This game does not have a tutorial route.

So, overall, the interface of “Mobile Train Simulator + Densha De Go!” was too different for me that I didn’t enjoy it as much. There is a lot of potential for a full motion video densha game but what can be done on the PSP is quite limiting and the slow frame rate during slower speeds combined with a different style of interface for the Densha de Go! Version was too different from the other DDG versions that I couldn’t get excited for it.

OVERALL SCORE: 79%/100

PROS:

+ Game is in full motion video
+ Two games in one
+ Simple gameplay and easy to figure out

CONS:

- Video has glitching during slow down
- Limited to the video captured which there are no weather conditions, night driving or other sights that the other DDG Pocket games on the PSP have.
- No ENJOY MODE for newbies.
- Audio is not exciting compared to the other Densha de Go! PSP games.
- Controls and interface is to be desired
- Arrival indicator on the bottom instead of the side of this DDG version is just bad.

Reviewer’s Score: 7/10

The third PSP game for the “Densha de Go! Pocket” series is here and this time it leaves the Tokyo kanto region and goes to the kansai area with the Osaka Kanjousen-Hen, which you get to be part of West Japan Railway Company and drive the passengers to their destination through the Osaka Loop Line to 20 stops such as Tennoji, Ashiharabashi, Noda, Osaka, Tenma, Kyobashi, Teradacho and more.

Densha de Go! Games are games that are an acquired taste. In a million years would I ever thought I would be into train simulators but since playing the original Playstation game and the other two PSP releases and enjoying them, I figured that I’d give the third game a try and also see how things look in Osaka through the game, since I have not traveled to the Kansai area.

MODES:

DRIVER’S WORK: Your role is to drive the train to each destination and taking care of your passengers New to this game is the ENJOY MODE where you don’t worry about timing or arrival schedule but you have control to select two items to either boost/slow down your speed x2. double your points or stop the timer and more.
CONDUCTOR’S WORK: Your role is to make sure the train goes to the right destination and you signal the correct time for the announcement. More or less a way to watch the train drive to destination from outside of the train in different camera modes.
DRIVER’S ROOM: Your stats
BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE: This will allow you to trade business cards (think of it as a trading card) with others who own the game to play different trains they have accessed via wireless.
MUSEUM: Train Introduction and videos that you have opened
OPTIONS: Sound, Display and Controller settings

GAMEPLAY:

The gameplay of “Densha De go! Pocket – Osaka Kanjousen-Hen” is the same as the other games but interesting enough much more challenging than the other two.

The goal is to transport passengers to different stops and in Driver’s Work mode, your goal is to control the speed and the brakes. By having the correct speed and timing your stop at the station, you gain points which translates to money to buy more sections. Better stops translates to bonuses which you can open things up in the game.

Like the second “Chuou Line” game, there are lights which dictate a speed you must go by. In “Osaka Loop Line”, what will make things more challenging to people is that the speed is not displayed as much in this game. Using your experience from the previous two games helps. Fortunately, when you go faster, the indicator will tell you to slow down but there is a lot of guessing of what speed you have to go by and also, looking at the slights (look at the manual to see what km/h you must drive in, when you see these lights)

Also, this version seems to be strict on arrival times and stopping at the station. Where in the previous games, I had the luxury to slow down early and coast to the stop line and use the brakes to get a fantastic rating. Now, in this game…slow down early and I go past the arrival time and get docked big points. Thankfully there is ENJOY MODE to stop the arrival time.

Also, a big difference than previous games is the Osaka Loop Line. Imagine having to go through every station and playing for nearly an hour. Thankfully, the PSP has sleep mode but too bad you can’t save where you last left off.

Conductor’s Work Mode works the same. Your main goal, choose the map and close the doors at the right moment. Gives the game the outside look of the train as it travels to destinations, if you prefer this mode.

YAMANOTE & CHUUOU vs. OSAKA KANJOUSEN-HEN:

Gameplay is more challenging in Osaka Kanjousen-Hen as mentioned above. There’s a lot more precision and focus involved in this game and with arrival time being strict, getting those Fantastics are a little more complicated. If you want to choose one game to start off with, I highly recommend Yamanote but if your preference is more to Kansai surroundings, then this third release is what you want.

GRAPHICS:

The graphics are improved it seems in this game. The buildings look more sharp and nice. Also, it’s nice to see the dark rain clouds moving. I looked at the other two games and the clouds are moving but for some reason, I guess it looks nice in the third release.

SOUND:

The audio in this game makes the game very much appealing and if you are nostalgic of the voices. I will say that the Osaka Kanjousen-Hen features more male voices in the announcements rather than female, if that matters to you.

CONTROLS:

In Driver’s Work: Controls are actual very simple. Directional pad up and down to control speed and square button to break and X button to release breaks. That’s pretty much it. In Conductor’s Work, direction pad selects the stops you are announcing and the shoulder buttons will be used to play the audio needed when riding the train.

USER FRIENDLINESS TO NON-JAPANESE READERS:

The game is actually very user-friendly for Driver’s Work mode. Although the tutorial is an animated character explaining the game, diagrams and arrows telling you to press a button to break or to speed up is pretty self-explanatory. For Conductor’s Work mode, it may seem unnerving at first if you have to select a city when the map comes on. Fortunately, you have seconds (enough time) to quickly guesstimate the stop that you are going to next by selecting stops on the map as quickly as possible. I do highly recommend looking at the manual since there are lights which indicate a certain speed you need to go by.

All in all “Densha de Go! Pocket – Osaka Kanjousen-Hen” is a very enjoyable but much more challenging than the previous games in my opinion. Although, I was able to get “Fantastic” a few times, this third release is very strict on arrival time. Moreso, that instead of slowing down early on and coasting until you get to the final stop, this game requires you to time your brakes right when going full speed and getting close to the stop and then utilizing a lot of the brake and then moving on. To make matters worse, those lights that determine slow down speed are there and you will find yourself going 80 to 45 km/h and thus really putting pressure on you to make it to the stop on time.

So, all in all, this game is challenging and I recommend this game for those who played the game before or have played any of the first two PSP games. They’ll help you prepare and understand what to do, otherwise, newbies may become frustrated. Fortunately, it’s not a hard learning curve to get things right in this game, so newbies may learn it quickly. Again, if you are frustrated, the good news is you can go to ENJOY MODE and eliminate the arrival time.

OVERALL SCORE: 86%/100

PROS:

+ A train simulator going through major stops through the Osaka Line or the entire Osaka Loop.
+ Graphics seem sharper and nicer in this latest version.
+ Addition of ENJOY MODE to make the game easier for people who find the game challenging.
+ According to the case: Opening characters from EXIT And Rakugaki Oukoku.
+ For people wanting more of a challenge, this is the most challenging of the Densha de Go! Pocket series
+ You can play the driver or the conductor
+ Ability to open up new routes and bonuses
+ Business cards allow trading of trains with people who have the game
+ Driver’s Work mode is pretty user-friendly for non-Japanese readers
+ Quick load up time

CONS:
- Although the control scheme is simple, maintaining happy passengers and breaking exactly in the stop areas of the station is a challenge.
- With a greater emphasis on arrival time, it may make the normal mode for some people a bit more unforgiving. (fortunately there is ENJOY MODE)
- Even less use of speed monitor in this game makes guessing speeds a challenge.
- The most challenging game of the three. Not entirely difficult but a more challenging to get bigger points and a fantastic rating.
- Wireless trading is great but chances of finding people living outside of Japan owning the game may be a bit rare.
- Conductor’s Work mode maybe a challenge for non-Japanese readers or people familiar with the stops.
- In Conductor’s Work mode, I wish there are people moving around instead of photo cutouts of people in line waiting for the train.
- For people who want negligence in the forms of bad accidents, you are not going to find it in this game. This is not Burnout Legends.
- BEING NITPICKY: Taito’s opening theme sounds and looks like it came from a Japan Railways training video and yes, uses the same theme as the first game.

The second PSP game for the “Densha de Go! Pocket” series is here with the Chuuou-Sen Hen, the line that bisects the Yamanote Line (the first PSP DDGP release) in Central Tokyo. The goal is to drive the orange densha (train) aka Kaisoku and the white train (futsu) through Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, Kanda, Ochanomizu, Yotsuya, Kunitachi and over 20 more stations.

And now, the drive through Tokyo is through areas where you see more homes, warehouses, store buildings as opposed to the major concrete jungle in Tokyo that is on the first PSP release.

Densha de Go! Games are games that are an acquired taste. In a million years would I ever thought I would be into train simulators but since playing the original Playstation game and for nostalgic reasons, remembering the “riding the densha in Tokyo” experience, I have enjoyed the games. But how does the second game compare to the first?

Since I prefer the city locations and more excited driving through the busy concrete jungle in the heart of Tokyo as such in the first release, I score this second release a bit higher than the first because it has a lot more features than the first game.

MODES:

DRIVER’S WORK: Your role is to drive the train to each destination and taking care of your passengers New to this game is the ENJOY MODE where you don’t worry about timing or arrival schedule but speed and brake.
CONDUCTOR’S WORK: Your role is to make sure the train goes to the right destination and you signal the correct time for the announcement. More or less a way to watch the train drive to destination from outside of the train in different camera modes.
DRIVER’S ROOM: Your stats
BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE: This will allow you to trade business cards (think of it as a trading card) with others who own the game to play different trains they have accessed via wireless.
MUSEUM: Train Introduction and videos that you have opened
OPTIONS: Sound, Display and Controller settings

GAMEPLAY:

Starting off as a driver, your goal is to maintain the speed of the train (a indicator on the bottom right screen tells you of upcoming speeds (KM/H) that your train will need to be and also utilizing the brakes. The goal is to make it to your destination (the next stop) and stop exactly where the indicator says you have to stop. Go passed it or way before the stop area and you will receive negative points. Brake to hard and do something crazy and you will injure your passengers.

You start off with figures that represent your passengers (a total of 10) and you have to make sure you don’t lose them all. By missing a stop or by braking too quickly, you will lose passengers and when you lose them all, your game ends. Fortunately, you can continue and start over.

You start off with three levels. The first is a tutorial and when you scroll through the list, you see several opened levels which you can test your speed and braking skills through several stops on the Chuuou Line.

By successfully completing your stops and beating a stage, you earn money which can be used to buy new levels in the game. Otherwise, you replay the stages you played to earn the money needed to access the next level.

Also, by doing well, you will be able to access several bonuses and videos.

As conductor, it is very different. It’s actually quite easy. The main goal of the conductor is making sure you announce the right stops. This may be difficult for non-Japanese readers or those not familiar with the Japan because you are told where to go, then given a map, you will need to select the area where you are going. Fortunately, the instruction booklet has the translation of the city stops (or you can select via direction pad and guesstimate the cities quickly). Otherwise, the main reason for this mode is to watch the train from the outside (overhead or sideways) as it is driving towards a destination.

YAMANOTE vs. CHUUOU: Gameplay is a little more challenging in Chuuou because there will be times you will be guessing the speed that you must go (more than likely 80-100 kmph). Where the first game kept an indicator of how fast you go, for some reason Chuuou does it a bit less. Also, since you are going at faster speeds, you will definitely need to time your braking to the stops much sooner than Yamanote Line. Also, you will notice hills that increase your speed when going downhill, so fine tuning with your speed decisions come in to play much more in this game. Also, arrival time in certain points of the game is even more important.

Also, new to the Chuuou Line is the light indicators (similar to stoplights) which you will see a few times when going through the line. Seeing a yellow light means you go 45 km/h, 3 white lights at 25km/h

Last, with the addition of ENJOY MODE, people who want things easier can now just worry about just the basics…speed and braking.

GRAPHICS:

The graphics are very well done. I played the original PlayStation version and the PSP version is such a big leap in terms of graphics. How they captured the buildings, trees and local areas around the station while riding the train is beautiful. Only in Conductor’s Work Mode, will you see something which I didn’t like which was the people at the station. They are photo cutouts of people waiting. I wished that Taito would add possibly several 3D characters waiting or moving around the station like real life than just photo cutouts of people that are just standing there.

The difference with this game versus the last is that you get more scenery and you see more homes and warehouses, whereas the first game (Yamanote Line) features many buildings. Also, marker indicators have changed in this game and you will see more light indicators now on your indicator.

Also new is museum mode which if you do well, you unlock weird things such as UFO’s and other Taito trademarks (Space Invaders).

SOUND:

The audio in this game makes the game very much appealing. Hearing the music of the station before boarding to the female voice explaining about procedures for people to leave the train and much more. Also, the conductor talking about upcoming stops and much more. Just like riding a real train around Tokyo.

CONTROLS:

In Driver’s Work: Controls are actual very simple. Directional pad up and down to control speed and square button to break and X button to release breaks. That’s pretty much it. In Conductor’s Work, direction pad selects the stops you are announcing and the shoulder buttons will be used to play the audio needed when riding the train.

USER FRIENDLINESS TO NON-JAPANESE READERS:

The game is actually very user-friendly for Driver’s Work mode. Although the tutorial is an animated character explaining the game, diagrams and arrows telling you to press a button to break or to speed up is pretty self-explanatory. For Conductor’s Work mode, it may seem unnerving at first if you have to select a city when the map comes on. Fortunately, you have seconds (enough time) to quickly guesstimate the stop that you are going to next by selecting stops on the map as quickly as possible. I do highly recommend looking at the manual since there are lights which indicate a certain speed you need to go by.

All in all “Densha de Go! Pocket – Chuuou Line” is a very enjoyable game for the PSP. It’s really hard to promote a game like this for American video gamers and will appeal to those who enjoy trains and want a simulator or those like myself who reminisce about being in Japan and riding the JR trains everyday to get to destinations.

The second game adds a little more to the train experience which makes the game a bit more challenging and fun but also the addition of the ENJOY MODE, makes it easier for people who are challenged by the gameplay. Also, the wackiness of MUSEUM MODE and the addition of the Narita Express (yes, that long ride from Narita Airport to Tokyo is in this game and can be earned).

As I enjoyed the first game (Yamanote Sen-Hen) because you ride through the busy Tokyo areas, Chuuou Sen-Hen is more about driving through neighborhoods and warehouses which you see a bit more scenery but nevertheless, if you need to choose one game to get, because this version features less high rises and buildings and more scenery, with two DDGP Tokyo games out, you now have a decision of which Tokyo backdrop that you prefer to drive in.

I still have the same feelings for this game that I had with Yamanote in exact stopping but I learned that the rule of thumb is not to be exact and that stopping before the exact point is still good.

Nevertheless, this game does what the game is intended to do. Operating a major train through Tokyo and stopping around 25 stations while maintaining happy passengers and getting them to their destinations in time. For me, it’s more of a nostalgic feeling of riding a train to various locations and Tokyo (minus the large crowds) and thus making it enjoyable.

OVERALL SCORE: 86%/100

PROS:

+ A train simulator going through major stops through another line of Tokyo but more near residential versus in the metro area makes things different.
+ Addition of ENJOY MODE to make the game easier for people who find the game challenging.
+ Wacky additions to MUSEUM MODE
+ For people wanting more of a challenge, with less reference to a speed monitor and downhill speeding makes focusing on speed a major factor in Chuou Line.
+ You can play the driver or the conductor
+ Ability to open up new routes and bonuses
+ Business cards allow trading of trains with people who have the game
+ Driver’s Work mode is pretty user-friendly for non-Japanese readers
+ Quick load up time
+ Chuuou Sen-Hen is more scenery based with more homes and store buildings and greenery and less concrete jungle.
+ The ability to open the Narita Express route and reminisce of that long ride from Tokyo to the airport.

CONS:
- Although the control scheme is simple, maintaining happy passengers and breaking exactly in the stop areas of the station is a challenge.
- Less use of speed monitor in this game makes guessing speeds a challenge.
- Wireless trading is great but chances of finding people living outside of Japan owning the game may be a bit rare.
- Conductor’s Work mode maybe a challenge for non-Japanese readers or people familiar with the stops.
- In Conductor’s Work mode, I wish there are people moving around instead of photo cutouts of people in line waiting for the train.
- For people who want negligence in the forms of bad accidents, you are not going to find it in this game. This is not Burnout Legends.
- If you prefer city lights and tall buildings, then the first game - Yamanote Sen-Hen is for you because driving through neighborhoods, store buildings and warehouses may not appeal to certain people.
- BEING NITPICKY: Taito’s opening theme sounds and looks like it came from a Japan Railways training video and yes, uses the same theme as the first game.

Reviewer’s Score: 8/10

Initial D: Street Stage is a racer based on the popular manga by Shigeno Shuichi and serialized in Kodansha’s Young. It has spawned several anime series and a live movie.

Many people who have an interest in street racing (especially illegal street racing) have watched Initial D and followed the story revolving Takumi, a guy who is a delivery guy for his strict father’s tofu business. Driving a Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APX to make deliveries in record time, Takumi has driving skills that have surprised (and surpassed) street racer’s who race at Mount Akina and thus rival racers want a piece of this “unknown racer” and the best want only to challenge him.

Although several video games have been released for the console, the game that caught on like wildfire in the arcades was Initial D: Arcade Stage. Many people would go to the arcades and bring their ID cards and spend their money in trying to be the best racer.

Now the game is out for the PSP and Initial D fans are rejoicing for the portable version of the popular arcade game. Note: Not all aspects of the arcade game is included in the PSP version.

The video game allows you to be one of the characters featured in the manga to play as rival, driving their car or other cars or also playing as Takumi.

The game features different modes:

LEGEND OF THE STREETS (which you pick a racer and you challenge rival race teams), TIME ATTACK
THE BUNTA CHALLENGE (Go against Bunta, a difficult character that you will test your skills in the game)
WIRELESS MODE (Ad Hoc and you can go against another racer via Arcade stage, Time Attack and Sudden Death)

and sections such as

GARAGE (which you can use cards to tune your car, switch or purchase cars)
CARD COLLECTION MODE (To view the cards you have earned)
PROJECT D WEBSITE (A place to watch replays and listen to music and audio)
OPTIONS

GAMEPLAY:

With several racing games on the PSP, Initial D is a very enjoyable racing game but unlike Ridge Racer (which you can drift easily) and Burn Out Legends, you make one or several mistakes and you can easily lose the race. You will literally be neck-and-neck with other rival racers many times until you master certain maneuvers. If you played arcade stage, you will know what to expect from this game.

As for tuning your car, this is where it can upset Initial D arcade purists because the game uses a card system not point system. When you win a match, you get three cards faced down ….pick one and you either get artwork or a tuning card. Get enough tuning cards and you can really make some major improvements on your vehicle. What if you get multiple cards? Good news is that you can trade cards with friends who also have the game.

GRAPHICS:

I’ve played variations of this game for different consoles and Initial D has never been a winner in the graphics category in terms of racers. On the PSP, Burnout Legends looks very good…Initial D looks good. Sometimes when racing in the background in the mountains and seeing the trees, you’ll may say the scenery looks nice…but all in all, once you played Burnout Legends…Initial D is not the greatest in the graphics category but still looks good.

AUDIO: Well, although the game utilizes the manga characters, the cut scenes do utilitze the voice actors from the anime series and will interact before and after each match. As for the music, it’s Avex music….you’ll love it if you’re a move fan or JPOP Euro hyper mix fan, but if you are expecting Tokyo Pop hip hop, you are not going to find it here.

USER FRIENDLINESS TO NON-JAPANESE SPEAKERS AND READERS:

Well, if you don’t understand Japanese, the cut scenes won’t matter much to you at all. Fortunately, the anime series and film can be obtained to understand what the series is about. As for the menu’s, they are not too hard to figure out. There are guides available for reading online.

Just a word that there are two versions…the Japanese and Asian version of the game. Asian version comes with the manual in English and a bonus Initial D necklace (or whatever you call it).

All in all, I enjoy the series and I enjoy the game. If you never played Initial D, your mindset will think about playing it like Ridge Racer on the PSP but it’s important to learn advance maneuvers to beat our rival challengers. The biggest knock that Initial D has always received from purists is the mechanics of the actual cars being driven so high performance cars such as a Nissan Skyline or Mazda RX-7 will not outperform many of the cars in the game… so as much as the game tries to be realistic for a racing game, in actuality, it’s not. So, if you are not a purist…each car on the game is fair game. Don’t expect a high performance car to make you the best because this game is all about the person behind the controls…you.

As much as I enjoy Ridge Racer and Burnout Legends on the PSP, there is a certain excitement of playing Initial D especially if you are familiar with the series and the thrill of the competition of taking on your rivals and beating them. But there are some factors that make me score the game down as well. But even then…the game still makes it one hell of a racer on the PSP and I recommend the purchase of this game.

RATING: 84%/100

PROS:
+ Based on an awesome manga/anime series.
+ Initial D is very enjoyable as races are challenging but the thrill of beating a rival racer is awesome.
+ A lot of Arcade Stage (version 3) is in this game…characters, tracks, cars
+ Many songs from the series and arcade are in this game….
+ Tuning is simplified
+ Replay is very good with various modes and the next go around, the rivals come back at you with fury, so you have to be at the top of your game.
+ Utilization of voice actors in the cut scenes
+ Hardly any load time that I noticed.

CONS:
- Graphics are not as detailed as let’s say…Burnout Legends. This is being very nitpicky though. Occasional glitching
- Akina Snow is not featured in this game
- Can be difficult that those who don’t want to take the time to learn the game, may want to pull their hair out of frustration.
- Unfortunately not all songs from Arcade stage are not in this game.
- Hardcore fans who felt the excitement of challenging for points to tune your car may feel slated by the use of a simple card system.
- Car physics makes things a bit unrealistic for purists who expect the faster cars in the game and in reality to out perform the cars on the video game.
- Controlling your vehicle on Initial D is important and may be a bit of a challenge for some on the PSP and may challenge your patience on later levels.
- Being nitpicky: Using the manga as the main basis, so no animated cut scenes but voice actors are used.

Reviewer’s Score: 8/10

GAME: Dragoneer’s Aria

CONSOLE: Sony PSP

Developer: Nippon Ichi/Hitmaker

Publisher: NIS America

When I first wrote my first impressions of “Dragoneer’s Aria”, I have to be truthful that I was not feeling it.

After reading article, after article from Japanese online video game sites, I was very excited due to the character designs by Jun Jeong (of “Lineage” fame) but upon playing the first hour, I was surprised by the lack of any major cut scenes and how difficult the game seemed to be.

But I persevered and I started to really enjoy the gameplay and it seemed that things were coming together for the storyline and having beaten the game after putting possibly around 40 hours, here is how I felt about the game.

STORYLINE:

“Dragoneer’s Aria” is a story about a young Dragoon named Valen who is graduating from his school and preparing to embark in his career to defend the dragons in the world. As Valen prepares for his graduation, the black dragon Nidhogg attacks the city of Grandis and you learn that the black dragon is the legendary evil dragon that is aimed at destroying all the current dragons. Teaming up with an empath named Euphe, both she and Valen go on an adventure to protect the dragons from the evil black dragon.

GRAPHICS:

Compared to the current Japanese RPG’s that have been released for the PSP such as “Jeanne D’Arc” and “Brave Story” which have beautiful graphics, I was a bit surprised by the look of the game. On the Japanese sites, I thought the character designs were stylish and figured the game was stylish. There were no great looking cut scenes in this game, pretty much the main graphics of the game serves as the same graphics for the cut scenes in the game.

Fortunately the game has a bit of humor and an interesting storyline to help keep you interested in the game.

GAMEPLAY:

“Dragoneer’s Aria” is a turn-based RPG game where each character has the ability to use a dragon orb (Fire, Water, Thunder, Frost and Earth) which gives them two dragon attacks. One powerful single attack and one mass attack. Each dragon attack grows in level with each use.

Throughout the game you discover “lusces” which are items such as heal, resurrect, purify, etc. that grow each time you use it.

When attacking (normal attack) or guarding an attack, your character builds “mana” which is indicated by a bar on your top left. Mana is what allows your character to use dragon attacks, lusces or special moves.

As for guarding, guarding features a roulette style of play where you see gray crystals and within those crystals are five red crystals. By stopping the roulette marker on all red crystals makes the opponents attack miss, but whether you mess up or do well, your guarding builds up and the roulette becomes a bit easier.

As mentioned, the game is “turn-based” but not like “Final Fantasy” or other RPG games that when your group attacks, then it’s the other enemies turn. In “Dragoneer’s Aria”, although turn-based, the enemies can make their turn of attack anytime after or before your character makes their move which adds a bit of a challenge to the game.

CRAFTING:

A Nippon Ichi game would not be complete without some kind of fusing, alchemy or crafting of a weapon. In “Dragoneer’s Aria”, the items you get from beating an enemy and opening a chest combined with a weapon or armor can be fused with an item(s) and create an even stronger weapon or defensive gear. The only caveat is to use the higher level weapons and gear is to be at that level and that typically will mean fighting random battles to build your character to that level.

RANDOM ATTACKS OR CAN YOU WALK AROUND THE ENEMIES:

In “Dragoneer’s Aria”, you can walk around the enemy but if your level is weak, the monsters will chase after you.

There is no random battles but truthfully, you will spend time going in random battles because the enemies are tough and you want to build your level and your offensive attacks or defensive moves.

To help your movement in different areas, each character has a field skill. By selecting a character who you will control during the walk through an area of the game, you can activate their field skill. For example, if you have mana, a field skill can allow a character like Valen build up speed and run from the monsters quickly. For Euphe, she can heal the whole party while the field skill is activated. Mary can block monsters from a distance and like a shield, prevents them from coming close. Ruslan sets a transportation field and if a monster goes in it, they are transported somewhere far from you.

STRATEGY:

In “Dragoneer’s Aria”, the battles against certain bosses are long. Possibly the longest battles I have ever had for an RPG on the PSP. Strategy is literally going on random battles to build your character’s dragon attacks, heal/resurrect moves, Mary’s “mana boost” (builds your mana level if a selected character that you select, connects with their normal attack against the enemy) and Ruslan’s “cleanse” (which eliminates status effects).

Part of the problem of “Dragoneer’s Aria” is that because certain chests can be opened if your “lusce” attacks (or magic attacks) are up to a certain level. But the truth is that the “lusce” attacks are really ineffective and you spend hours building something that you will probably not be using all that much.

Also, because the enemies attack at certain moments despite being a turn-based RPG game, you will need to plan how to use mana effectively and what moves your characters uses.

The best strategy to give is spend hours on random battles to build your level and your offensive and defensive moves.

J!-ENT FACTOR:

Well, one of the coolest factors of the game being published by NIS America is that you get the English and Japanese voice acting. So, the option to select the audio is very cool!

One of the things that surprised me is the bishonen factor which many of the male characters look very female. The main character Valen looks very much like a woman in the character designs and is even made fun of and called a “pansy” by one of the characters.

Let me just say that “Dragoneer’s Aria” is a very fun game that I enjoyed playing from beginning to end.

I was a bit surprised of how much leveling up I had to do to build my character to levels that would last against a powerful monster(s) or a major boss or entity. I highly dislike random battles but in this case, you will seek certain monsters and keep attacking and building your level of your character and their attacks.

After beating the game, the thoughts going through my mind is mainly disappointment in the storyline.

“Dragoneer’s Aria” stays true of heroes to the rescue but the game suffers from uneven pacing in the storyline. The storyline of “Dragoneer’s Aria” is fun and lighthearted and also humorous at times but the ending really puts a damper on the game.

There is a relationship factor that draws you in between the two characters Valen and Euphe but at the finale, the build up of the relationship goes nowhere. Instead, the relationship of Valen turns toward his friendship with his best friend.

The build up of relationships disappear and you get storylines that just literally reeks of bad pacing.

Another factor that I didn’t like is how people in the game stay in the same area day and night, saying nearly the same thing over and over and you could only wish that they gave movement to the characters of the game and not have them standing day and night in the same place.

But all in all, “Dragoneer’s Aria” is an enjoyable game. I loved the game mechanics and also enjoyed the challenge of the difficult enemies and holding my own to beat them.

Is it a great game? No. It has its problems when it comes to storyline pacing and the battles are long and for beginning RPG gamers, this game might be too difficult.

Also, when it comes to the use of magic, unfortunately, there is no reason to build your magic after the first few hours of the game (because some chests require you to be at a certain level to open them) and the lusces become obsolete (with the exception of the heal and resurrect lusces) that you mainly focus on building your dragon attacks, your character level or skills.

Unfortunately, with awesome Japanese RPG’s released for the PSP within the past two months, “Dragoneer’s Aria” may get lost in the shuffle but if you do give it a try, the game may be to your liking.