DS Porting of the cult doujin shooter!

Rom download: TouhouDS_0.9.7z

(via Destructoid - Kotaku) Sano DG announced that in september the new version of the best selling music software for Nintendo DS will be released!

Today Genterprise released Super Auto Salon for Nintendo DS: pimp my ride for gamers and otaku!    Takuya and Erika Hayama are two tuning freaks who try to be on top of the tuning community. Looks cool but I still have to find out if there are any itasha mod in this simulation game...

Amazon Japan has just started preorders for the Nintendo DS Korg DS-10. This card will be released on 24th July in Japanese shops.

LoneWofl DS is an homebrew that looks like a professional release. I think F. Calendini made a great work and I'm curious if there is any non-Japanese videogame company that would ever pay someone to create a game like this.  Actually I think Salendini  created a game that could  be marketed like a European Professor Layton and the Curious village. This is a perfect example of the planning problems that make non Japanese videogame companies unable to produce a true DS game: this is a videogame based on old game books and if you speak to any "professional" videogame producer outside Japan I think they would never think about a project like this since a project team that is specialized in 3D realistic games don't have the skills to create  a simple game book like this (of course Calendini used an already written paper Game Book andused the work from the Aon Project to adapt it to the DS.).


"This project has begun as a way to learn how to program on the Nintendo DS. After seeing how the DS was used vertically as a book by some famous games, I thought it would be really cool to have some old gamebooks converted on this system.

For those who didn't know about Gamebooks, they were novels which had a nice success during the 80's, and which were allowing the readers to choose their own path by jumping from one numbered section to another, in a fun and interactive way. They were introducing the concepts of inventory, enemies fights, random dice results, and other nice ideas which were the precursors of what we find today in role playing video games.
The philosophy behind the port of the LoneWofl to the DS is to let the console handle all the rules related to combats, stats and so on, so the player can be really immersed in the story and doesn't need to bother with the gameplay elements.

For now, only the first volume of the series, called "Flight From The Dark", is available. If people show enough interest in this first book, other volumes will be ported too."

Download: If you are an happy owner of a flash card you can download the LoneWolf DS game rom here (this is a free game but if you like it please donate via paypal: all the money will be sent directly to one of the non-profit organizations Calendini is supporting).

The Japanese magazine "Hoshi Navi" (published by Astro Arts) has just announced that this summer they will release "Starry Sky Navi": a stars observation software for Nintendo DS. The card will have a built in tilt sensor so that it will be easier to locate planets and stars and identify constellations. Both occasional or passionate stargazers and serious amateur astronomers will consider this card like a dream come true (no more laptops to carry with your telescope to run tracking programs).


In addition, there is a build in astronomical encyclopedia and it's possible to change time or place to simulate different sky views (like for example next year's solar eclipse in Hawaii).
A playable version for this software will be exhibited during the Photoimaging Expo that will be held in the Tokyo Big Sight from 19 to 22 march. I'm sure this will be a pretty popular card among Japanese boys who want to get the chance to watch the sky with a nice girl...

Today Alchemist posted a really crazy page for Higurashi DS: seems that "viral marketing" is getting into the bishoujo games market or this is just a  place holder created by Alchemist webmasters?!

If  you want to make your own DS videogames without spending countless hours learning C++ and Assembler then XtenDS is for you. InvisionSoft has created a really this interesting homebrew that runs under Windows and let everybody create simple DS games that can be played on a real Nintendo DS trough a flash card. OK, you will not able to create the next Zelda but XtenDS is still really fun and it's a great software especially since it's free! Click here for a XtenDS  tutorial.

Today Bandai Namco has released Game Center CX for Nintendo DS. The game is based on the omonimus japanese cult TV show.


Akiba OS posted a series of photos of the package  and  manual: I love the retro design that resembles the old Famicom and PCEngine user manuals!
This month's Wired magazine has a feature on Game Center CX (tv show) written by Brian Ashcraft from Kotaku fame. Instead Wired game guru Chris Kohler has just posted his first impressions on the game (with a very usefull walktrough if you can't read Japanese at all).


from Crunk Games:

"Japan has given us a few television gems over the years. A lot of memorable anime series, sure, but a fair share of live action programming as well (what, you want me to make a list?). But for the country that redefined "game culture," not a lot of interesting game-related programming has come through. Can we blame them? Just like the rest of the world, most of the video game stuff that’s been produced are kids shows, a TV news story every so often or, these days, nerdy Famitsu DVD segments — nothing really, truly memorable.

Game Center CX is different. It’s comedic, dramatic, even a bit mental, but altogether it’s an unforgettable show about what sounds like a forgettable concept: a guy trying to beat old Nintendo games. I was late to the party when I saw it, but once I did, I had to see all of it. After that, I decided I had to share it the best way I could, and this episode guide is the result. You could call it "spoiling," also "insane," but I’ll gladly wear those badges if anyone else finds the show and loves it as I have." –Ray Barnholt

Don't miss Crunk Games Game Center CX Episode Guide: simply the best and most complete guide out there!

There are many You Tube videos here.

TV NIHON is hosting a fansubbed episode (torrent).

Dead Frog is hosting some torrents of the latest shows (RAW) 
 

Sabato è uscito Zelda Phantom Hourglass per DS: l gioco che potrebbe fare vendere ancora più DS (anche se la cosa sembra impossibile visti i livelli di vendita attuali).
Durante il World Hobby Fair le postazioni di prova nello stand della Nintendo sono state letteralmente prese d'assalto e i negozi giapponesi sono letteramente tappezzati da Zelda Phantom Hourglass  (tanto che ormai i giochi PS3 sono relegati nelll'angolo che una volta competeva al GameCube... curiosa legge del contrappasso).
Voti Famitsu: 10 - 10 - 10 - 9

In Giappone,  mentre il DS Lite ha superato i 17 milioni di pezzi dal lancio (e 163.000 pezzi nell'ultima settimana), la Playstation 3 è scesa sotto le 10.000 unità vendute in una settimana! (Magic Box)