Eric Caoili
Articles by Eric Caoili
Basically, Order of Ecclesia looks rad
There's a lot of truth to the complaints many have made about producer Koji Igarashi's direction with the Castlevania series -- mainly that every new entry seems like a slight update to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night's (1997) template -- but we've never let that get in the way of us taking in every bit of vampire-slaying media each new Castlevania title. As a team focused on digging up news on Nintendo DS games, we sift through dozens of videos and screenshots, glossing over most of them. With IGN's hands-on impressions and direct-feed clips for Order of Ecclesia, however, we took in every word, every second of animation. They're all embedded past the post break for you to do the same, of course!And, for those of you who are still grumpy about Order of Ecclesia possibly feeling too much like previous installments, you'll be happy to hear this bit from IGN's preview: "Between the glyph system's reliance on magic, the 'out of the castle' feel of the game, and the all new enemies, this is the first time since Symphony of the Night that a free-roaming version of the game hasn't felt like a direct clone of Symphony of the Night."%Gallery-22992%
The whereabouts of Saihai no Yukue's screenshots
Advance scouts on the field have reported back their findings on Koei's approaching force, Saihai no Yukue (The Baton's Whereabouts). In addition to receiving valuable intelligence on the army's troop strength and supply routes, we have also learned that the Omega Force-developed title will be an "adventure" game!According to intercepted communications, Saihai no Yukue will see an overseas release in Q3 2008 and will focus on 17th century samurai Ishida Mitsunari as he leads Japan's Western Army against rival and Eastern Army commander Tokugawa Ieyasu, also known as "the portly dude with the pipe."Our spies have send back photos of the game's formation, which we've filed in our classified gallery below! Is it just us, or does it look like Ishida, the guy in the background, has been wading through a knee-high river of blood? The way he's raising his fist, it looks like he's pretty angry about it. "These pants are dry clean only!"%Gallery-27407%[Via Koei Warriors]
Luminous Arc 2 radiates to the U.S.
Clearing up doubts on whether Image Epoch's bootytastic SRPG sequel, Luminous Arc 2: Will, would ever come stateside, Atlus has announced that it is localizing the game for this fall.Why would you want to buy a lower budget Final Fantasy Tactics Advance knock-off, especially when you could just get Song Summoner for the iPod instead, you ask? We have an easy answer for that: online multiplayer battles. Also, big butts.Luminous Arc 2 will retail for $39.99, significantly higher than most other DS titles, but each copy will come in an oversized box containing a CD with selected songs from the soundtrack. Presumably, it's the same CD that was released with the SRPG's preorders in Japan.Enjoy three video clips from the English-translated game after the break! Interestingly, the voices are still in Japanese; we wonder if Atlus will leave the Japanese audio track intact?%Gallery-15251%
The DS Life: Domo
Wikipedia describes Domo -- the brown, open-mawed creature depicted above -- as "a strange creature that hatched from an egg." Other details: he lives in a cave with Mr. Usaji, he dislikes apples, and he loves Guitar Wolf, a Japanese garage punk band. From what my wife tells me, they used to put on some really wicked shows.For this week's installment of The DS Life, we will examine Domo's life in three different acts: Domo as a DS gamer Domo as a DS case Domo as a pianist If you've never taken the time to learn more about the "internet meme" figure, here's your chance! There's more to Domo than just his cavernous mouth!
The Expendables: Guns blazing, everything exploding
Following Most Wanted Entertainment's unveiling of Mechanic Master, IGN investigated the Hungarian studio's site and dug up an interesting squad-based shooter in development -- The Expendables. Using the touchscreen, players guide "the world's lamest international private army" through 35 missions, blowing up almost everything in sight. As you can see in the trailer and screenshots, this doesn't look like the most polished game, but the character sprites (and the buzz-saw tractor) definitely have some charm to them. The Expendables actually reminds us of a faster-paced Syndicate. You remember Bullfrog's Syndicate, right? That series was tight. MWE hasn't yet announced whether it has managed to pick up a publisher for the title. We have a feeling that if the studio ever does find one, it will have to find a more useful implementation for the top screen. Not that skulls laughing and machine guns spitting out bullet casings aren't totally awesome.%Gallery-27212%[Via IGN]
Wark! Two Chocobo trailers waddle into view
Making sure that you get the message -- the message being "Chocobos are really cute; buy our Chocobo games" -- Square Enix has posted trailers for its two recently revealed fall-bound Chocobo titles, Cid and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: Maze of Time DS+ and Chocobo and the Magic Storybook: The Witch and the Girl and the Five Heroes.As you might be able to tell in the promotional clip and the game's title, Cid and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon is an enhanced port of Chocobo's Dungeon (released in the U.S. for the Wii this week) with more focus on Final Fantasy regular Cid. Given the nature of roguelikes, this DS release doesn't look like that much of a "downgraded" experience compared to the Wii version!The Chocobo and the Magic Storybook clip isn't nearly as epic, but if you're enough of a Chocobo fan to have read this far into the post, you'll likely want to watch it anyway. Jump past the break for more of the flightless, chubby bird.%Gallery-27055%
Archaic Sale Heat: SRPG import for $11
Now might not be the best time to order a Japanese copy of Archaic Sealed Heat, what with E3 right around the corner and a U.S. localization likely, but Play Asia is doing its best to convince us otherwise! The import online shop is selling copies of the gorgeous Mistwalker-developed title for only $11.90 (plus s/h). The deal lasts until next Monday, too, so they're giving us a lot of time to talk ourselves into it.As far as SRPGs go, you really can't find anything cheaper! Well, unless you pick up Square Enix's iPod-exclusive Song Summoner for $4.99.
Rock out with your Guitar Grip out
Considering Guitar Hero: On Tour's required accessory, pirates without access to the Guitar Grip shouldn't be able to play the game, right? Incorrect! As they did with the Nintendo DS Browser and its Memory Expansion Pak, hackers have developed a workaround making the game playable even without the extra hardware. If you skip to the 1:30 minute mark in the above clip, you'll see Youtube user tinymonkeyt demonstrating his patched copy of On Tour -- instead of using the four-fret controller to hit notes, you can use the directional pad or ABXY buttons. Of course, it's possible for people who legally own the game to apply the patch enabling button controls, but it looks much more awkward than using the Guitar Grip. In other related news, according to the video, tinymonkeyt's mom isn't letting him buy Guitar Hero: On Tour. He is considering purchasing it anyway, however, and will probably "just hide it from her or something." We'll make sure to update you on any new information that comes up for this developing story. %Gallery-19362%[Via GBAtemp]
Square Enix announces new Chocobo Tales, Chocobo roguelike
As a promotion for its Virtual World -- yes, it's a virtual world titled Virtual World -- Square Enix held a special event in the beta 3D space unveiling two new Chocobo titles for the Nintendo DS -- Cid and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: Maze of Time DS+ (fall 2008) and Chocobo and the Magic Storybook: The Witch and the Girl and the Five Heroes (winter 2008). Cid and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: Maze of Time DS+, as you can guess, will be a roguelike starring Final Fantasy figures Cid and Chocobo. This will actually be Square Enix's fourth Chocobo Mystery Dungeon entry, an enhanced port of Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon for the Wii, now with new jobs and a storyline told from a new perspective (Cid's).The chances of this one coming to the U.S.? Given the current "surge" of roguelikes hitting the States, it's very likely we'll get this one! You can preview some of Cid and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon's first screenshots in our gallery below.The second title, Chocobo and the Magic Storybook: The Witch and the Girl and the Five Heroes, follows 2007's Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, a minigame collection with RPG and card-battling elements. If you remember our favorable review for the original game, we called it "just about the cutest thing ever." Screenshots below!%Gallery-27055%%Gallery-27058%[Via Duckroll]
iPod's new Square Enix SRPG better than FFTA2?
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Square_Enix_s_new_iPod_SRPG_might_be_better_than_you_think'; Out of nowhere, Square Enix has simultaneously announced and released Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes, a new SRPG exclusive for the iPod challenging players to rescue their brother from the Mechanical Militia.The game has you controlling Ziggy, a Conductor that can create Tune Trooper warriors out of your iPod's music tracks, similar to Monster Rancher's CD-generated creatures. Further integrating your All-4-One MP3s, Song Summoner will boost the "groove level" of your Tune Troopers every time you listen to the songs that birthed the units. Now you actually have an excuse for listening to "I Swear" several dozen times a day!So, why are we talking about this iPod game on DS Fanboy? We thought it would be interesting to compare this new title against the other portable strategy RPG Square Enix recently released (in the U.S.), Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift.As we're sure you'll let us know, there are some features that Song Summoner can't compete with, such as FFTA2's 400+ quests and other multitudinous offerings, but, for the purpose of outlining what publishers can learn from a game release such as this, let's look at the five points in which the iPod title outshines the DS epic.%Gallery-27035%
Man uses Cooking Guide to seduce cougar
Need to put together an impressive meal to wow the girdle off an older lady friend? As demonstrated in the above commercial with Hamish (of Hamish & Andy fame), Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? might have just the recipe you'll need to get your Golden Girl giddy. Older women go wild over yakitori, apparently.Nintendo has several of these commercials for the cooking training game airing in Europe and Australia, three of which we've embedded past the post break, but none of them are nearly as saucy or entertaining. Do you have a secret, sensual dish that girls (or guys) can't resist? Let us know! We've always prided ourselves in our ability to cook a mean leche flan. %Gallery-22839%
Sega provides soundtrack, commercials for World Destruction
Making the most of its multiple media production, Sega debuted two new commercials for its forthcoming World Destruction DS game during the Japanese premiere of its accompanying World Destruction anime series. The videos are blurry, and there's less than fifteen seconds of actual in-game footage between the two clips, but you can still see a preview of the JRPG's combat! Plus, one of the girls totally kicks a prison door off its hinges. Sega has also announced that it will throw in a "premium soundtrack" for anyone who puts in a preorder for World Destruction's September 18th release in Japan. The CD will contain five tracks picked out by composer Yasunori Mitsuda, whose name you should recognize from his work on Chrono Trigger and the Xenosaga series. Jump past the break for the album cover and second commercial!%Gallery-24031%
Promotional Consideration: Play to lose
As it did with My Word Coach, Ubisoft sees a lot of potential in My Weight Loss Coach (My Health Coach in Europe), putting enough money behind the nutrition and fitness trainer's marketing budget to support several print and television advertising campaigns worldwide. The publisher has timed the title's release and its promotional push perfectly, too, riding the exercise-game wave set in motion by Wii Fit.In this edition of Promotional Consideration, we look at several of those My Weight Loss Coach advertisements to pick out the goofy details and voice our trivial complaints. Eat a light lunch, run up a flight of steps, and meet us after the break for the ads!%Gallery-15787%
Bargains on Bully and bullet hell
If you're the type to never pay retail on anything, especially video games, the like-minded misers at the Cheap Ass Gamers community have found two worthwhile Wii deals for you: Bully: Scholarship Edition - $26.99 (Amazon) Castle of Shikigami III - $19.99 (GameStop) If you haven't looked into shoot-em-up Castle of Shikigami III before, make sure you check out the videos we posted a couple of months ago -- there's a flying butler! Amazon also has CSI: Hard Evidence on sale for $19.99, but we have a feeling that not many of you will be too excited to pick up this video game adaptation of a poor man's Law & Order.[Via CAG]
Video Game Hero has the guts, glory
The release of Guitar Hero: On Tour might make homebrew games like Video Game Hero seem obsolete, but this project has two great things going for it: Unconventional music tracks like "Eye of the Tiger" and the Inspector Gadget theme (after the post break) It's free (provided you have the hardware to run homebrew programs)! The touchscreen controls are nice to have, but we'd really love to see Video Game Hero support On Tour's Guitar Grip, especially since we've already seen one other homebrew application utilize the slot-2 accessory. Whether or not programmers Sumiguchi and Daydream decide to add that option, we'll make sure to check this game out when they release it this August 20th!See also: Music Monstars rocks Europe
Super Smash Bros. Rumble in the DS jungle
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Super_Smash_Bros_on_the_DS'; Building your homebrew project off an already popular franchise has the danger of raising expectations too high for your low-budget production, as was the case with Super Mario Galaxies, a 2D shoot-em-up interpretation of Nintendo's grandiose 3D platformer. Though Super Smash Bros. Rumble has the potential to one day be a satisfactory portable alternative to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it still has a long way to go!So far, the demo includes only a solo mode, a few stages, and Mario as the lone playable character. Fuzzy, the game's 19-year-old programmer from Germany, seems to have a lot planned for the project, however, as he already has a WiFi button in place and waiting for online support. Just a quick suggestion -- maybe choose another typeface for the top-screen logo on the menu screen? Though it's resident blogger David Hinkle's favorite typeface, Super Smash Bros. designer Masahiro Sakurai would never sully the series with Hobo. [Via GamerTell, GBAtemp]
Marble game accessory modeled after Goatse
If you've managed to get this far in your internet life without running into Goatse, congratulations! Do yourself a favor and keep it that way -- trust us on this one.It has been months since Chinese accessory manufacturers last entertained us with inane Wii remote attachments; we were beginning to fear that they had run out of wacky ideas! But here comes the Ball Bearing Maze Special Salver [sic] to cure our accessory doldrums!With this handy, Kororinpa-branded product, all you need to do is drop your remote into that center compartment, and you'll have more exciting, immersive experience playing marble/labyrinthine games such as Kororinpa: Marble Mania and, uh, that's it. Similarly designed games like Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, Mercury Meltdown Revolution, and Dewy's Adventure all require easy access to the controller's buttons, so this accessory wouldn't work well with those.Couple that limited support with the Maze Special Salver's pricing, $27.99 plus shipping/handling, and this attachment looks almost as unattractive as the terrible image its design alludes to. You would be better off taping your remote to a cafeteria tray![Via Go Nintendo]
Princess Maker 4: Implicitly erotic parenting sim coming to DS
Gainax's (Neon Genesis Evangelion) Princess Maker series seems harmless at first, a cute "life simulator" in which you raise an orphaned girl to womanhood. The dominant/submissive undertones in the games aren't obvious until you realize the absolute control you have over every aspect of your devoted ward's life.You can train her in combat to have her fight at the Harvest Festival, put her on a diet so that she can wear fashionable outfits, or send her to work at a bar to raise her "Sinfulness" stat while lowering her "Morals."Depending on your guidance, your daughter can grow up to be the queen, lead an army, or marry the butler. If you raise her wrong, however, as we assume many gamers will do intentionally, she could become the king's concubine, work as a sleazy barmaid, or even marry her adoptive father! Originally released for PCs and the PSP in 2006, Princess Maker 4 is also coming to the DS with a Special Edition subtitle this September in Japan. Publisher Cyberfront has a few improvements and additions planned for the port -- three new endings, stat details moved to the bottom screen, and, of course, touchsceen support.According to the official site, using your stylus, you can "pat your daughter's head, pinch her cheeks, and etc." Etc., indeed. Try out a very brief and somewhat NSFW demo after the post break! See also: More Naughtiness on the Nintendo DS%Gallery-26854%
THQ picks up Dropcast for a September release
Puzzle games lacking online functionality are a hard sell these days, but as Puzzle Quest has proven, if you can deliver something with a new spin and addictive mechanics, people will still flock to your title.Mikoishi's Dropcast, possibly the first DS game developed by a Singapore studio, is trying its best to make up for its missing online support with its distinct gothic/cartoon style and a lot of character. As the story goes, Ingrid, an eccentric young girl, has brought her cadaverous stuffed animals to life and has taught them an array of destructive spells.Dropcast offers two different modes, Ingrid's Curse, which is a mix of Tetris and Collapse utilizing both screens, and Battle Royale, which fuses puzzle and battle mechanics for "cut-throat head-to-head puzzle combat." Here's a quick list of additional features: "Book-style" gameplay 8 playable characters 24 "devastating" spells to use and abuse Single-cart download play for up to four players THQ will be shipping this one out to U.S. stores on September 22nd. If you're at all interested in the game, make sure to visit the official site, as it's already teeming with information and downloadable knickknacks -- mobile backgrounds, screensavers, and even a 2008 wallpaper set! Unfortunately, the only gameplay trailer available at the site is terribly uninteresting, but we'll wait for more video before writing this one off.%Gallery-26797%
Future R4 firmware to sabotage clones, brick DSes?
It's a funny twist that the R4DS, a product used mostly for pirating games, has found itself now battling it out with counterfeits carts that have infiltrated the market, but we assume that's just how Chinese flashcart companies roll.Seeking to eliminate its knock-off competition, Team R4 has announced that as of September 15, it will release firmware that will only work on genuine R4 flashcarts, according to a statement translated by GBAtemp. As an added deterrent, users attempting to load the firmware on illegitimate carts could potentially damage their DS permanently, leaving their system unusable. What if you've unknowingly bought a fake R4 (for running homebrew software, of course) and brick your DS after trying to install the updated firmware? Team R4 has stated that it will not accept responsibility, advising that you contact your "unscrupulous" shop to complain. Thanks, Team R4!We understand that it's annoying to have all these companies drinking their milkshake, but is this really necessary? Won't this drive away potential R4 customers, not to mention people curious about experimenting with DS homebrew? Make sure to look through our (semi) ultimate homebrew guide if you're interested in finding flashcart alternatives that won't leave your system bricked.See also: Homebrew Glossary[Via GBAtemp]