parodius
Latest
Japanese Nintendo downloads: Parodius, Genius Personal dictionaries
Though today is a fairly low-key day for downloads on the Japanese Wii and DSi Shops, there are a few things available that we'd love to see in North America but never will. The Virtual Console has MSX releases of two wonderful shooters, the Gradius/Twinbee/octopus mashup cute-em-up Parodius, and Salamander, which we know as Life Force. The MSX ports are inferior to most other versions, so maybe we can live. The other programs we desperately want but won't have: the Genius Personal series for DSiWare, which allow you to write a word in English or Japanese (depending on which version you download) and get a translation and definition. Perfect for people who have to read and translate Japanese DSiWare titles all the time! Parodius (MSX, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Salamander (MSX, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) atChess Battle Spirits (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) G.G. Series D-Tank (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Artist Ni Narou! MInna ni Nurikai Jukyuu-hen (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points) Pinball Attack! (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points) Genius Personal English-Japanese Easy Dictionary (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points) Genius Personal Japanese-English Easy Dictionary (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
AOU 2007: Konami shows Otomedius shmup
Konami's Otomedius, revealed today at Japan's AOU 2007, is the 21st Century successor to legendary 2D shoot 'em up series Gradius and Parodius. Otomedius is said to preserve the spirit of Parodius, which sounds pretty sexy, but it also introduces a brand-new touch-screen feature as well as networked multiplayer modes. We're just a bit hyped about the prospect of Otomedius, and we'll do our best to bring you screens/movies as quickly as you can enunciate "Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius." (That is to say, you might have to wait a little while.) [Photo via Impress Watch]
Konami's shooter collections, reviewed
You may remember that Konami released three shooter compilations in Japan a few weeks ago. These games may never see the light of day outside of Japan, meaning hardcore gamers will have no choice but to import these titles. Of course, one only has so much money to spend. Thankfully, Modojo has reviewed and ranked all three games.There are three collections: Salamander, Twinbee and Parodius. The relative ease of Twinbee makes it the one that you can avoid out of the three. Also, while Salamander might be the most accessible title, only one of these games has something called "Sexy Parodius.""Is it worth a purchase? Absolutely. Twinbee and Parodius work on the same wacky level, but Parodius seems to have the pure challenge nailed down that most shooter fans will be frothing at the mouth over. Plus, it's so damn weird that it'll be hard to keep the smile off your face. Just wait until you face the perils of Sexy Parodius. Sexy indeed!"
Konami's retro shooter collections, in video
Konami recently released three different retro shooter collections in Japan: Parodius, Twinbee, and Salamander. Although Konami eventually released Gradius Collection in the States, it seems highly unlikely that these hardcore shooters will leave the land of the rising sun.Because the PSP can play games from any region, importers may want to seriously consider getting these games. Siliconera has some detailed videos of the three games in action. Some of the footage is certainly bizarre, but that's part of Konami's unique charm. The videos are provided, after the cut.
Japanese release day highlights: 01.25.07
Today is an expensive day for the import crowd, and only slightly less expensive for gamers living in Japan. Thanks to Namco, Konami, From, Taito, and Nintendo, we have no choice but to blow a stash of Yen on these excellent new releases: Idol Master (Namco's 'teen girl pop sensation management sim', pictured, is possibly not as dodgy as it seems; Xbox 360) Parodius Portable (Konami's definitive collection of witty shmups, which includes the sublime Sexy Parodius; PSP) Salamander Portable (more Konami love, including Xexex; PSP) Twinbee Portable (thank Konami this includes Pop'N Twinbee; PSP) Enchant Arm (so good that From Software released it twice; PS3) Taito Memories 2, Vol. 1 (obscene love from Taito, ending with Bubble Memories; PS2) Picross DS (it's Picross, but cleverer; DS)
Import game releases for the week of 01/21/07
Your PSP plays import games and every week we let you know what's coming out from Japan. This week's game amount is huge, so without further delay, here's this week's list: Continued after the jump ...
Konami offers skins with new shooter collections
Konami's upcoming trio of shooter collections is coming with a surprisingly cool bonus: skins for your PSP. The Salamander one (pictured above) is clearly the coolest, but Twinbee and Parodius ain't too shabby either. The games will arrive in Japan on January 25th, and shooter fans may want to import these classics. The remaining skins can be seen, after the cut.[Via Siliconera]
Salamanders, TwinBees and more
Former blogger Rafael once said excited about Konami's classic compilation Gradius Collection: "We likey!" Well, it looks like Konami's planning to make Rafael likey for a long, long time, with new compilations of their other classic shooter series. The Salamander Collection and Parodius Collection will contain four titles each (with one bonus *secret* title for each compilation... ooh!). I'm personally psyched for Twinbee Collection, because it's by far the most recognizable of these hardcore shooters (it also has one more game than the other collections, for the budget-conscious).All three collections are planned to hit Japan in January for 4179 yen (less than $40), so importers should keep an eye out. Until then, educate yourself on these classic series by visiting Wikipedia.[Via 1UP; thanks, steve!]
