Jump Ultimate Stars for Nintendo DS (Japanese Language Import) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm not going to get in to the nitty gritty of how the game plays and such since it's essentially the same as the original.I do have a full review of the original game if you feel like learning the ins and outs of the game, I encourage you to read that review and others for a more in depth look at the game.

PROS:
+ There's more characters and series featured in this game.On the plus side there seems to be more of a diversification of usable characters.In the previous game it seemed as if there was more of a focus on the popular series (Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball...) featured in the game were as this one seems to have some more obscure things taking a front seat.

+ Koma Evolution vs. Koma Completion.I'm not going to lie, in the original game having to fill in the blanks was down right annoying without having a fluent understanding of Japanese.I have a decent grasp on Japanese and it still grated my nerves considerably.In this game you simply earn the one square koma via certain objectives and from there you can purchase the larger versions of the given koma by spending points which you earn from fighting.They also use this system to unlock new levels, new evolutions for other koma, questions for the quiz mode, info about various series, unlocking new worlds, and a couple of others I'm probably forgetting.This is probably the best addition in my opinion.

+ More intuitive menus.This is probably arguable, but I like the ways the menus are layed out and the way you can sort and access your deck building options much more in this one.The filters for deck building are better organized and use more English which makes for a much more pleasant deck building experience.

+ The comboing works out a lot better in this game in my opinion.Only certain characters were particularly good melee fighters in the original but here it seems that just about every character has at least one respectably useful combo now.

CONS:
- While some may like the decreased difficulty, and that really doesn't take away from the game, it does as a side effect make for a shorter game.Fully clearing the orignal was quite a task and in this itteration it's far more feasible.

- It seems to me, and I'm pretty sure on this but can't entirely prove it or back it up, but special moves in general have been nerfed.Just about anything can knock you out of a special move now which generally I wouldn't care about but the AI as always spams support characters which at the very least will require you to basically relearn or evaluate how and when to use specials.

- The levels are far more annoying in this game.This is probably my major gripe with this game.There's tons of new environmental hazards and a large number of the level layouts are just stupid and lack good brawling areas.In some instances the level is a greater opponent than the character you're actually fighting.

- The AI seems to either be incredibly intelligent or obtusely stupid.Characters seem to have a bad habit in this game of avoiding fighting you the player, but don't hesitate for a second to brawl amongst themselves.This is particularly annoying because the AI seems to "kill steal" you far more than was the case in the original.This could just be my perception of things due to the general down grading of special skills so maybe I'm just used to whomping the computer a bit harder.

GIVE OR TAKES:
+/- The way you travel around is now series to series in a planet to planet kind of way.Personally I don't like this method quite as much but I can't really call it a knock against the game since some people will probably really like this.I really like the way the map looked and everything in the original and having planets floating in space just seems kind of bland.

+/- Some of the general challenge of the game is gone.It's easier to unlock all of the pieces, and navigating the map is more simple.I'm not positive but I think some of the harder objectives have been removed and some of the original hard objectives are now considerably more easy, especially the avoid getting hit ones.

+/- Some characters have been sufficiently retooled to the point where characters you liked from the original are no longer going rub you the right way.Naruto stands out in my mind, the Rasengan isn't as quick as it used to be and doesn't launch nearly as much but then you have characters like Kenshin who now have some far more practical specials.

And there you have it, my quick thoughts on the original vs. the new version.It's a great game but I'm kind of torn between which game I like better.I highly recommend this game as long as you are willing to deal with the Japanese in any way you see fit.

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Product Description:
Jump Ultimate Stars is the sequel to one of the best selling games of 2005, Jump Super Stars. It is the second collaboration between Nintendo of Japan and Jump magazine, this time incorporating 300 characters from 40 Shonen Jump properties.The "Koma" battle system will still be used in this sequel with the original 4-by-5 grid and touch screen support. However a number of improvements have been made, including calling support characters into battle via L/R button, without using the touchpad. Characters can now cling on to ledges when falling adjacent to them and some of the stages include areas that can be reached by destroying walls, even the floor and ceiling.As another major improvement, Jump Ultimate Stars now supports Wi-Fi battles, which allows gamers all around the world to combat against each other.

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Bleach : Heat of the Soul 4 for PSP Review

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(More customer reviews)For a Bleach fan, you can't get much better.TONS of characters, lots of different modes, looks superb, and menus in English!!If you can't read Japanese, you'll have trouble in some modes...but their are good translations and guides online.

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Product Description:
Get ready for Bleach: Heat of the Soul 4 in your PSP. The fourth installment of the popular anime series is back, and this time it is even bigger than before! Bleach: Heat of the Soul 4 features over 70 characters that would allow players to spend endless hours to see which character is the best fit for them. The fighting game will offer players the opportunity to play as Hollow Ichigo, the Vizards, and many others. Beside its massive library of characters, it also features about 30 missions in its Mission Battle Mode and a new battle system. The graphic and special effect is even better than the other three installments. Bleach: Heat of the Soul 4 has so much to offer, it will definitely be the hottest and greatest fighting game for the PSP!!

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My Japanese Coach Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me start by saying that I have been studying Japanese off and on for many years now. I learned some of the basic words and simple sentence structures as well as to read and write Katakana. However, I've never made a serious attempt to go beyond that, until now.

I have used many computer Japanese learning programs and found all of them to be totally inadequate. I was cautiously optimistic about this DS title, but for under $[...] I decided to give it a try. Wow, I am impressed! The lessons are well structured and introduce around 10 words per lesson (from what I've seen so far), unlike books which want you to remember dozens and dozens of words right from the start. The voice quality is superb and (unlike most other recordings I have heard) does not speak so fast that you can't follow it. I love the feature where you can record your voice and compare it to the native speaker's, including comparing the wave forms. This helps you learn the correct timing and pace when speaking. The games are fun, but you need pretty fast reflexes for the whack-a-mole game unless you set it on easy.

This program does have a few flaws. The stroke order for a few of the kanas is off (stroke order is VERY important in writing Japanese correctly). Also, hiragana is introduced too slowly in my opinion, but this is probably intentional as to not scare off people who have never written in Japenese. That being said, if you are serious about learning Japanese this shouldn't be your only resource anyways. I highly recommend Easy Hiragana: First Steps to Basic Japanese Writing (Passport Books) and especially Easy Katakana.

Despite these minor issues, I think that any serious student of Japanese will benefit immensely from using this program. Motivation and determination are required to learn any language since it takes a huge investment of time and study. Using something that is as engaging as this will keep you interested. Plus, it is a game system after all, so if you need a break you can always pop in Zelda for a while! ;)

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Musashi Samurai Legend Review

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(More customer reviews)This is definately a hack and slash game, meaning you have numerous enemies that you rapidly mash the button to defeat. Not that much strategy in the actual battle, although Musashi's duplication techinique may require some strategic timing, and can prove to be a bit frustrating at times.
The story is that a young man named Musashi from Earth's Japan, who will grow to be Miyamoto Musashi, is summoned to another world by Princess Mycella to aid in the battle against Gandrake Interprises. He's taken in by Master Mew and is trained in swordsmanship and battle. When Princess Mycella is kidnapped for Gandrake's own purposes, it's up to Musashi to rescue her and bring down the evil corporation so that he can return to his own world.
I personally adored this game because of the graphics and gameplay. The gameplay is similar to Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel's gameplay, and that's probably because both were Square Enix games. A lot of the square button mashing, and not so much of the "Slash, defend, slash, defend, backflip over the weapon, and a slash to finish it" stuff. The graphics are cel shading, which I find to be pretty darned cool when Musashi's doing his slashing thing.
Overall this really is a game worth getting because of the storyline, the characters, the gameplay, and the graphics. I must also say that the music done by "The Surf Coasters" was very cool, making it worth also gettting the soundtrack. Of course... the guidebook is also always a help in getting all the items and saving everyone also.

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Product Description:
Musashi: Samurai Legend helps the legend live on, as you experience Musashi's latest journey! Called across space & time, Musashi mus save Princess Mycella and the Mystics to return home. But he's not alone -- with help from an eccentric but brilliant martial arts master, Musashi will become the greatest samurai ever known. With an entire world to save, he has his work cut out for him!

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Okami Review

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(More customer reviews)Today's video game market is a stagnant one for the most part.Publishers rely on franchises and proven formulas to make their money.Meanwhile when something creative and original comes along publishers don't want to take a chance on it in fear of lousy returns on their investment.While this does make for a great business decision, it makes for poor gaming experiences.Thankfully Okami made it to fruition.

This game is reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda.The cell shaded graphics harken back to The Wind Waker, and inevitably any third person adventure game is going to merit a Zelda comparison.However, this is definitely not a Zelda clone.It merely takes the genre and builds on it to produce something extraordinary.

The gameplay is relatively simple.You can run around, fight baddies, talk to villagers, etc.The real innovation here is the use of a "paintbrush" that you activate with R1 to alter your environment.If you run up on a bridge that's broken down?No problem, activate your paintbrush and paint another one onto the landscape.Bad guy getting you down?Simple, just activate the paintbrush, draw a slash through the enemy, and he's down for the count.I've only progressed through the first hour of the game, so I have not collected all of the paintbrush techniques.But there is no doubt that the paintbrush is a big part of the game.

The graphics are nothing short of beautiful.You do a good bit of running around in this game.Fortunately it never gets old because the scenery around you is just so awesome to look at.I never thought a Ps2 game could look so good.

The story takes on the guise of Japanese folklore (I've read that the basis of this game is an actual legend, but I would assume some liberties have been taken with the story to fit the game).The story is interesting, although nothing groundbreaking (at least as far as I have progressed).Still, it is enough to keep you interested.

There are some small things that annoy me.The text comes with a gibberish voiceover (like Animal Crossing).Its bearable at first, but tends to grate on your nerves the farther along you go.The intro is about ten minutes too long, and I never found a way to skip past it or make it go faster.The big gripe I have is that there is no widescreen support, which would have made this game really shine on TVs that supported it.

This game might be the last great game on the Playstation 2. I'm happy that Capcom decided to break the industry mold and publish a title that displays a lot of creativity and beauty without it being a proven franchise.I consider this game to be in the same mold as Psychonauts, Shadow of the Colossus, Katamari Damacy, etc.Games that displayed a ton of creativity and were fun.Unfortunately games like this often go unnoticed by the majority of gamers and they don't sell well.Hopefully Okami will be an exception, and it needs to be if we ever want developers and publishers to release more original and "unproven" content to us.

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Product Description:
In Okami, the legendary monster Orochi has come back to life and turned the world into a veritable wasteland. Players become a wolf, an embodiment of the sun god Amaterasu -- the world lies in gamer's hands as they fight ominous beings and reclaim the earth from a curse that plagues it. It is crucial to help Amaterasu make the world a place where all living creatures can dwell once again.

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