What they said about:
DS: Perhaps the hottest thing going in all of gaming right now is the DS, which is selling by the truckloads in both America and Japan. It appeals to pretty much everyone, with casual fun titles, graphically-improved remakes of classics like Final Fantasy IV, plenty of anime games and even a slew of study aids that, believe it or not, make learning fun.
There are plenty of games worth buying, like multiple Naruto and Bleach games if you want a standard fighter, but also more creative outings as developers experiment with the stylus and touch-screen. The hit Ace Attorney series has produced four games (and counting) plus an original manga series. Even some of the really wacky stuff has come to the U.S., like when the rhythmic Osu! Tatake! Ouendan became Elite Beat Agents. The DS is also region-free, so you can import Japan's crazier offerings without a problem.
From wholly original concepts (Professor Layton) to awesome rereleases (Chrono Trigger) to new sequels in classic series (Mega Man ZX), for otaku, the Nintendo DS is the gaming machine to beat -- and that's not happening anytime soon.
Rating 5 out of 5
Standout Games:
The World Ends With You -- An engrossing and exhilarating tale of survival with a creative, multi-task combat mechanic.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney -- Defend the defenseless as a brand-new lawyer in an unpredictable courtroom.
Professor Layton and The Curious Village -- Triumph over brain-busters with an ultra-charming cast in this artistic puzzler.
XBOX 360: Microsoft's American gaming machine is finally finding success in Japan. Unlike the original Xbox, the 360 has been almost universally accepted by most major Japanese game developers, including the juggernaut Square Enix, which decided to bring Final Fantasy XIII -- previously a PS3 exclusive -- to the 360.
Square Enix isn't the only company unleashing its big guns for the 360. Capcom's Resident Evil 5 offers stellar survival horror, Street Fighter IV brings classic arcade-style fighting with modern tech specs and Namco Bandai's Tales of Vesperia is a quality RPG that breaks out of the FF mold. Although Microsoft has a reputation for being the home of first-person shooters, there are plenty of stories to be told on the 360, including the RPGs Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, both developed by Mistwalker, itself created by the father of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi.
After years of tiptoeing around Japan, the 360's made improvements -- and we like what we see.
Rating 4 out of 5
Standout games:
Blue Dragon -- A bright, cheerful and fun RPG that proves HD can enhance cartoony graphics as much as the photo-realistic stuff.
Street Fighter IV -- The new installment of the greatest fighting series in ultra-high-res glory.
Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad -- American otaku finally get a taste of the scantily clad zombie-slashing action they've longed for.
Wii
The little gaming system that could keeps on going, despite the fact that there aren't as many high-profile titles to play other than whatever the big N's putting out. Casual gaming is hot, and so far, it's working out financially, and this has even produced some standouts, like Cooking Mama.
But this leaves the fate of many long-standing franchises up in the air. Not helping is companies' habit of retrofitting old games with a few motion-sensitive bells and whistles. In some cases, such as the excellent Okami, that's been a very good thing. In others like Dead Rising, which lost a lot of its edge, the less said the better.
But some companies are getting creative, like Konami's recent Castlevania Judgement, the first series fighter. Shonen fans can enjoy fighters like Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution, Bleach: Shattered Blade and One Piece: Unlimited Adventure.
Rating 3 out of 5
Standout Games
No More Heroes -- It's Grand Theft Auto, Japan-style, with a giant otaku as the lead character.
Major Minor's Majestic March -- Instead of just mindlessly waving the Wiimote, Minor requires skill -- and brings fun.
Fragile -- Currently Japan-only, this post-apocalyptic ghost-hunting adventure combines creep and human drama. We demand a U. S. release.
