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Weekly Famitsu July, 2006 Cover Collection

2006-08-29T09:14:41Z

Boy, time sure does fly! July came and went, and now August is almost over too. I've fallen behind on uploading the July covers for Weekly Famitsu, but here they are.

This month's first two issues finishes off the 5-issue 20th Anniversary celebration. These last two covers features some memorable characters, and there's some nice humor to found on the final issue. For instance, Necky dressed as Leon from Biohazard 4 (Resident Evil 4) escorts Kasumi from Dead or Alive fame while an irritated Ashley tries to get Leon's attention. A Katamari Necky rolls up Animal Crossing characters as well. Putting all five Anniversary covers together to form one big picture will be quite a task, so I hope someone else has done it already...if not, I'll give it a go. Anyway, read on for the issue by issue breakdown!

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Weekly Famitsu 7/7-14 2006 No.916

Cover: Necky as game characters from 1998-2001.

Extras: Hi-Complete Bible Vol.98 - New Super Mario Bros., PC Game Revolution booklet. Fold-out Bullet Witch mini-poster.

Features: 4th of 5 Anniversary issues. A look back at the years 1998-2001. RPG Scoop!! In Summer - previews of Summon Night 4, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Phantasia, Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology, and Trusty Bell. Game Theory of Evolution: PC Gaming - looks at the evolution of PC hardware and PC game genres such as RPG's to MMORPG's, FPS games, and adventure games such as Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.

Cross Review Highlights: Parfait - Chocolate Second Style- for PS2 gets (8,8,7,7), Atelier Iris: Grand Phantasm for PS2 gets (8,8,8,8), Call of Duty 2: Big Red One for PS2 gets (8,8,7,8), Super Dragon Ball Z for PS2 gets (8,8,7,8), Chrome Hounds for Xbox360 gets (9,7,8,9), Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter for Xbox360 gets (9,8,8,9), and Gurumin for PSP gets (8,8,8,7).

Weekly Famitsu 7/14 2006 No.917

Cover: Necky as game characters from 2002-2006.

Extras: Cross Review Perfect Catalog 2003-2005, Monster Hunter 2 Online Player booklet. Project Sylph fold-out mini poster.

Features: Final issue of 5 Anniversary issues. A look back at the years 2002-2006. Game in the Future - what future game systems might be like, and a look back at mock-ups of older systems compared to how they really turned out. Game Theory of Evolution: Role Playing Games - covers all the big ones from Dungeons and Dragons to Final Fantasy and strategy rpg's like Tactics Ogre. New Super Mario Bros. guide: World 8. Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria guide.

Cross Review Highlights: Xenosaga Episode III for PS2 (9,9,8,7), Brave Story: Wataru's Adventure for PSP (8,8,8,9), Tekken: Dark Resurrection for PSP (8,8,7,8), and Rockman ZX for Nintendo DS (8,8,7,8).

Weekly Famitsu 7/21 2006 No.918

Cover: Risa Kudo (model and stars in her own Finder Love game by Capcom)

Features: Wild Arms: the Vth Vanguard preview. Enjoy DS Life!! - new games, accessories, and info about the most popular game system at the moment. Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria guide section. Xenosaga Episode III guide section. Atelier Iris Grand Fantasm guide section.

Cross Review Highlights: Persona 3 for PS2 (9,8,8,8), Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 13 for PS2 (8,8,8,9), bit Generations dotstream for Game Boy Advance (9,6,7,8), and LocoRoco for PSP (9,8,9,8).

Weekly Famitsu 7/28 2006 No.919

Cover: Necky and Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 13.

Features: Previews of Everybody's Tennis, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd, Shining Force EXA, and Shinobido Homura. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 13 guide section. Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria guide section. Persona 3 guide section. Xenosaga Episode III guide section. Atelier Iris Grand Fantasm guide section.

Cross Review Highlights: Out of the 12 games reviewed, only one scored a 30 or higher: Touch! Bomberman Land for Nintendo DS got (7,8,8,7). The not-so-great games that scored less than 30? Among them were Battle Stadium D.O.N. for PS2 and Gamecube which both received (7,6,7,6). Bomberman Portable for the PSP got a (7,7,6,8).

Whew! That takes care of the July issues. August issues should be coming up soon!

Weekly Famitsu June, 2006 Cover Collection

2006-07-21T21:17:04Z

The month of June brought us five issues of Weekly Famitsu, and with it came the landmark 20th anniversary of the magazine. To celebrate, Famitsu devoted five issues of Weekly Famitsu to cover the past 20 years of gaming and how Weekly Famitsu involved itself in the gaming world. The first three of those five anniversary issues are presented here.

The covers for the anniversary issues are also special. The artwork shows the Famitsu mascot (Necky) dressed up as notable game characters such as Mario, Ness, Link, Ryu, etc. All five covers sort of connect to create a long parade of game characters from 1986 to 2006. I say "sort of connect" because when you lay the issues side by side, they don't really line up correctly. Anyway, there are tons of great features in these issues, so if you have a Japanese bookstore in your area you might want to see if they still have some issues in stock.

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Weekly Famitsu 6/2 2006 No.911

Cover: Necky and .hack//G.U.

Features: There's a Final Fantasy section devoted to FF XIII: Fabula Nova Crystallis, FF XIII, FF Versus XIII, and FF Agito XIII.

Cross Review Highlights: Mystereet for PS2 (7,8,7,8), Kimikisu for PS2 (8,8,7,8), Tsuyo Kiss ~Mighty Heart~ (8,9,7,8), Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable for PSP (8,8,7,9), and New Super Mario Bros. for Nintendo DS (9,9,9,9).

Weekly Famitsu 6/9-16 No.912

Cover: Necky as Mario in New Super Mario Bros.

Features: E3 2006 coverage. Kimikisu guide. New Super Mario Bros. guide (maps of Worlds 1-3).

Cross Review Highlights: Metroid Prime Hunters for Nintendo DS (7,7,7,8).

Weekly Famitsu 6/16 2006 No.913

Cover: Necky as game characters from 1986 to 1989. The Famitsu logo is a holographic foil, hence the strange look.

Extras: Cross Review Perfect Catalog 1986-1998 - A booklet featuring all cross reviews that scored 32 or higher from 1986 to 1998 plus summaries of cross reviews that scored 30 or 31.

Features: 1st of 5 Anniversary issues. A look back at the years 1986-1989. Dragon Quest Memories looks back at the history of Dragon Quest games. Game Theory of Evolution: The Arcade Game - with the use of flow charts, Famitsu breaks down the evolution of the arcade game by genre and cabinets. New Super Mario Bros. guide (World 4). Kimikisu guide. .hack//G.U. Vol.1 guide.

Cross Review Highlights: There are only two cross reviews: Tensei Hakken Fuumoroku for PS2 (7,7,7,6) and Gouma Reifu Den Izuma for Nintendo DS (6,7,6,8).

Weekly Famitsu 6/23-30 2006 No.914

Cover: Necky as game characters from 1990 to 1993.

Extras: User's Eye Special Book 1999-2005

Features: 2nd of 5 Anniversary issues. A look back at the years 1990-1993. Game Theory of Evolution: the Sports Game.

Cross Review Highlights: Prince of Persia the Two Thrones for PS2 (7,8,8,8), Call of Duty 2 for Xbox360 (8,8,8,9), Doko Demo Issho: Let's Gakkou! for PSP (9,7,7,8), Kaitou Rousseau for Nintendo DS (8,8,8,8), Digimon Story for DS (8,7,8,7).

Weekly Famitsu 6/30 No.915

Cover: Necky as game characters from 1994-1997.

Extras: Cross Review Perfect Catalog 1999-2002.

Features: 3rd of 5 Anniversary issues. A look back at the years 1994-1997. Gyakuten Saiban 4 preview. Zegapain XOR for Xbox360 preview and fold out poster. Game Theory of Evolution: Heroin Games --evolution of games featuring females from Street Fighter II to dating sims. New Super Mario Bros. guide (World 6).

Cross Review Highlights: The King of Fighters XI for PS2 (7,7,7,7), Valkyrie Profile 2 Sylmeria for PS2 (9,8,8,9), Magical Vacation: 5-tsu no Hoshi Ganarabutoki for Nintendo DS (8,8,7,8).

That concludes the covers for June. check back later for July's covers!

Famitsu Wave DVD August 2006

2006-07-19T05:19:41Z

The August issue of Famitsu Wave DVD features Lei Fang from Dead or Alive Extreme 2. If you've got a region 2 or region-free DVD player, then you can enjoy watching game videos, interviews, and Famitsu antics on your TV. For Dead or Alive fans, the trailer shown at E3 is presented in DVD quality, not to mention the lovely DVD's themselves, which have some nice images of Lei Fang and Hitomi printed on their surface.

So take a gander at the images by accessing this dandy flash-driven gallery HERE.

Limited Edition Final Fantasy III Nintendo DS Lite Revealed

2006-07-12T20:21:36Z

Famitsu.com reports today that a limited edition Nintendo DS Lite featuring Final Fantasy III graphics printed on the outer shell will be available August 28, 2006 for 22780 Yen (about $197.23). The DS Lite appears to be the standard white version with four characters from the game along with the Final Fantasy III logo appearing on the front. It seems these will also be stamped with a serial number, though production quantity is unknown at this point.

Follow the link for the article (in Japanese) and to see the full photo:

http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2006/07/12/103,1152678634,56678,0,0.html

Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright) Houtei Figure Collection Photo Review

2006-06-17T08:09:02Z

I'm finally getting around to photographing some stuff I've had for a while and one of them is this: the Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright) Houtei Figure Collection. I bought a case of these figures so I could get the whole set. There are seven different figures in all (six normal plus one variant).

I didn't know what to expect from these; I mean, I don't buy too many trading figures because it's sometimes hard to tell if they're gonna look really good or come out really bad. This set is somewhere in the middle, but I suppose I should've suspected that because their pricepoint is on the cheaper end of the trading figure spectrum...

]]> Let's start with the case and individual boxes. The case is basically cube shaped and the graphics are printed in black and white.

The 8 individual boxes inside are color of course, and have some nice artwork from the game.

Phoenix Wright/Ryuuichi Naruhodou came out pretty nice. His hair is appropriately spikey and he's in his trademark objection pose. By the way, the lawyer's podium/desk comes with every figure, except for Maya Fey/Mayoi Ayasato who comes with the witness stand. The figures are pretty small--from 7.5cm to about 9cm (about 3 inches to 3.5 inches).

Mia Fey/Ayasato Chihiro looks a bit...not like herself. The figure has quite a large forehead.

Maya Fey/Mayoi Ayasato actually came out with a pretty good likeness to the artwork. From the prototype photos, I thought this was going to be a bad likeness.

Miles Edgeworth/Reiji Mitsurugi came out really bad. He simply doesn't have a very good likeness at all. The attitude is right though. What's up with the purple paint above the eyelids?!

Franziska von Karma/Mei Karuma has a very dynamic whip-toting pose. The likeness is pretty good on this figure I think.

Godot/Godou also seems to have a good likeness, though I'm not too sure since I haven't played the game he's in. There are two versions of him--one with mask and one without. His facial hair is well painted.

And here's a shot of everyone and a simple courtroom scene.

That about wraps up the photo review! Hope you enjoyed the photos!

These are still available at Play-Asia for $4.90 each.

Mon-Sieur Bome Collection Vol. 14 and 15: Dead or Alive Kasumi

2006-06-16T18:37:43Z

Mon-Sieur Bome Collection Vol. 14 and 15 have been revealed as C1 and C2 Kasumi from Dead or Alive! Set to ship in late August, each figure will cost Y4500 (around $49). For those who don't know, the Mon-Sieur Bome Collection is a collection of pre-painted, pre-assembled PVC figures. These are basically aimed towards those who like garage kits but don't have the skills or time to paint and make them. The collection is known for it's nice sculpts and reasonable prices, and is perhaps the most well-known PVC figure maker. While I like the fact that Bome is doing Kasumi figures, I'm not quite sure I like the pose. Ah well, I'll probably get them anyway.

Continue reading for preorder info, better photos and info about a third version of the figure (Kasumi's black costume, anyone?)!

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Kasumi's C2 costume is Vol. 14:

The C1 costume is Vol.15:

It also appears that Tecmo's Online Shop in Japan will have a special White and Black Set, which may be the only way to get the black version:

You can get your preorder in for the C1 or C2 versions at National Console Support at $49 each.

Sources: NCS and Toys Daily

Weekly Famitsu May 2006 Cover Collection

2006-06-14T01:13:00Z

May has come and gone and so has three issues of Weekly Famitsu. What's that? Three issues? Shouldn't there be four? Technically yes, there should be four issues in the month of May since there are four Friday's. But in reality, the month of May has one of Japan's longest holidays--Golden Week. Many companies shut down completely for one week, and I'm assuming that's what happens over at Famitsu. So because of Golden Week, Issue No.909 covers the weeks of the 12th and the 19th. Interestingly, they skip an issue number from 907 to 909.

]]> Weekly Famitsu 5/5 2006 No.907

Cover: Mascot and Mother 3 characters.

Cross Review Highlights: Dragon Quest: Shounen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon gets 35/40 (9,8,9,9), World Soccer Winning Eleven 10 gets 36/40 (9,9,9,9), 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany for PS2 gets 31/40 (8,8,7,8) and the Xbox360 version gets 34/40 (9,8,8,9). Nobunaga no Yabou DS for the DS gets 30/40 (8,8,7,7) and Tetris DS gets 35/40 (9,9,8,9).

Weekly Famitsu 5/12-19 2006 No.909

Cover: Kaho (model)

Extras: Famitsu Online and Community Type Game Guide booklet - Showcases various online and wifi games.

Features: Famitsu Awards 2005. Grand Prix winners: Kingdom Hearts II, Resident Evil 4 (GC and PS2). The Best Hit Grand Prize goes to Oideyo Doubutsu no Mori (Animal Crossing WW). Rookie Grand Prize goes to Shadow of the Colossus and Rogue Galaxy for PS2. The All Generation Prize goes to Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training (Brain Age). The Role Playing Game Prize goes to Tales of the Abyss. The Frontier Prize goes to Ryuu ga Gotoku. The Innovative Prize goes to Nintendogs. The High Quality Prize goes to Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence. The Super Visual Prize goes to Dead or Alive 4 for Xbox360. The Portable Prize goes to Monster Hunter Portable. The Most Valuable Person is Tetsuya Nomura. The Most Valuable Maker is Nintendo. And last but not least, the Most Valuable Character is Professor Kawashima from Brain Age.

Cross Review Highlights: There is actually only one cross review for this issue - Eureka Seven New Vision which gets a 28/40 (7,7,7,7).

Weekly Famitsu 5/26 2006 No.910

Cover: Yui Aragaki (model) See more of her at DramaWiki. Please note that some of the colors in this scan of the cover are not accurate. The flesh-colored text is in reality a very bright orange. Apparently, my scanner couldn't pick up this color's intensity.

Features: E3 Special report which covers games like Metal Gear Solid 4, Dead or Alive Extreme 2, and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Cross Review Highlights: Jikkyou Powerful Pro Major League for PS2 and GC both get 34/40 (9,9,8,8). .hack//G.U. Vol.1 Rebirth gets 30/40 (8,8,7,7). Soccer Team Building: Calcio Bit for the GBA gets 32/40 (8,8,8,8).

Well, that's it for another month of Weekly Famitsu covers. Tune in next month for another roundup!

The HuBee Network USA Newsletter (Winter 1993)

2006-05-31T03:37:49Z

Here it is, the last issue I have of the The HuBee Network USA newsletter. Released in the winter of 1993, this issue shows an incredible change in layout over the past issues. Gone is the use of cheesy clipart and crude layout design; this issue actually looks quite professional! This issue also utilized red ink to add a bit of color to what would otherwise be a drab, black and white newsletter. It really helps make the newsletter more appealing and eye-catching.

But enough about my general thoughts on this newsletter--let's get to the info inside! Read on for the page by page breakdown...

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Page 1
Queen Bee Corner - The Queen Bee gushes over Super Bomberman for the SNES. Who is the Queen Bee? I have no idea. There's a nice disclaimer warning the reader to "make sure your homework is done" before you play Super Bomberman.
Super Multitap Alert!!! - Announcement for the Super Multitap accessory for the SNES which allows four people to play at once. Included in the Super Bomberman Party Pak ($69.99) or separately for $39.99 (available January 1994).
Page 2
Hot new Hudson Soft games! - Four games are showcased here: Beauty and the Beast for the NES, Dig & Spike Volleyball, Super Bomberman, and Bonk's Adventure for the NES.

Page 3
Inspect This! - This page is devoted to Inspector Gadget for the SNES. A blurb about the game accompanies a maze activity. Four features of the game are listed at the bottom, one of which is finally being able to see what Dr. Claw looks like (in the cartoon, he was always shown from behind, usually sitting in a huge chair that hid everything but his arm). There is also an offer for a free Inspector Gadget watch with the proof of purchase from the game.

Page 4
Hudson's Secret Codes - A stage select code for Inspector Gadget and a code for Super Bomberman.
Hudson's Game Tips - Tips for Inspector Gadget and Super Bomberman.
Direct Sales - This is interesting; you had the opportunity to buy games direct from Hudson Soft. You could even buy demonstration versions of the games for a cheaper price.
Credits: The editor for this issue of The HuBee Network USA was C.M. Lazarich.

Well, this concludes the set of Hudson Soft newsletters that I own. I have a lot more newsletters that will be uploaded later from companies like Sunsoft, Acclain, and Enix! Stay tuned!

Keys Factory Lovely Boston DS (Blue) Case/Purse

2006-05-26T00:31:56Z

Girl gamers are growing in number and the Nintendo DS has shown to be pretty female-friendly. Enter Keys Factory's Lovely Boston DS--perhaps the most feminine DS carrying case in exsistence. Now, I'm not a girl, but my girlfriend is, and she owns a DS. So when I noticed this being sold at Play-Asia, I asked her if she'd like to have one over the Hori DS pouch she currently had. She chose the blue one (it comes in three colors: pink, black, and blue).

About a week later it arrived, and I took some photos for review purposes before handing it over to its new owner. It's a small, pleather purse-like case, with feminine graphics printed on it. The word "girl" is printed on it to make it completely obvious that this product is for the female persuasion. A metal chain with little heart charms on it dangles on one side. So cute! At least, that's what I'm sure most girls would say.

]]> But what about functionality? How well does this thing work as a carrying case? It has a zipper opening, and inside there is a sewn in pouch for the DS to slide into, and another smaller pocket for games or other small items. There is also ample room for the DS charger. The size of the bag is just a bit larger than the DS and is about twice as thick. So as a carrying case, it works well.

But what about a girl's perspective? I asked my girlfriend to give her thoughts on it and she likes it because "it's like a purse" and that the chain "is cute". The only thing she doesn't like is that there isn't quite enough room to also put in her wallet or other necessary girly items. So there you have it, this seems to be a pretty good bag to hold your DS if you're female, and it comes in three different colors: black, pink, and blue.

Where can you buy it? The best places are probably Play-Asia.com or good ol' National Console Support. Play-Asia only has the blue one in stock at the moment, but NCS has all three. Play-Asia is the cheaper choice at $14.90, but it will take a bit longer to receive if you are ordering from the US. NCS charges $20 for each bag.

Additional Links:

Lovely Boston Official Site

Photos:

Rare Games...That Aren't Rare Anymore

2006-05-23T06:10:19Z

I've been tracking two "rare" games for quite some time now: Capcom's Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and Konomi's Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. These two games were fetching high prices on eBay thanks to their notoriety as being "rare", but have recently become...well, not so rare. So what happened?

Let's look at Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. This game is great for what it is- a zany courtroom/detective style game with a great sense of humor and melodrama. It was a sleeper hit for Capcom, who didn't press a lot of games because of its niche-style gaming. The game's reputation in America started growing, mostly through various discussion boards. And then one fateful day, people started to realize that they hadn't seen the game in stores for a while, and upon further searching, this game couldn't be found at any stores! If I remember correctly, it was toward the end of January of this year that this realization had dawned on people that the game they had repeatedly passed up was now no where to be seen.

Mad searching for the game ensued with success stories popping up here and there. People who had never had an interest for the game were now asking if it was worth buying. Prices for the game on eBay kept going up and up. Sixty dollars...seventy dollars...when would it stop?

March 13th. NCS gets a new shipment of Phoenix Wright and sells the game for $35. The crazy eBay prices fall back down to a normal $35-$45 range and life is as it should be...or is it??

]]> April 14th. NCS sells out of their stock of Phoenix Wright. NCS assures people that Capcom is continuing production of the game and that it will be back in stock sometime in May. EBay prices are still normal. Life goes on.

January 2006. I notice an auction on eBay for Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix going for over ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS! Quickly checking all my favorite online stores confirms the fact that this game is nowhere to be found. I had seen the game on store shelves prior to Christmas of 2005, but have since not been able to find it. Was I worried? At first. But then I heard good news from an unlikely source: Nintendo Power magazine. Unlikely because...well, I don't really read Nintendo Power, but I had gotten three free issues for registering some games. Anyway, someone had written in asking why it was so hard to find this game, and the editors actually had some nice information that the action pack was being produced again and would be back on store shelves sometime in March.

March came and went. Then came April--still no sign of Mario Mix. Finally, this week at my local Target I find it-- two new boxes of DDR Mario Mix. Searching online, the game is now available at practically every major game retailer. Amazon. Gamestop. GameExpress. They all have it. The prices on eBay literally dropped overnight. This auction ended on May 21, 2006 at $97.00. Today, similar auctions are ending at retail prices or even below retail.

So what can we learn from these two games? The biggest thing we can take away from this is that today's video game companies are more aware of the demand for their titles than they ever have been before. Supply actually can keep up with demand. Don't overpay for a game by a major company, unless very few people want it. And buy what you like; don't let the market dictate what you should buy.

Don't be a "suck-sore".

Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright) Figure Collection

2006-05-19T19:50:06Z

Phoenix Wright fans, here are some toys for you! Relive all your favorite moments from the game with this set of figures! Yell "Objection!!" and "Take That!" whilst knocking over rival action figures. The 6 figure set has figures from a range of Gyakuten Saiban games, some of which I don't know since I've only played one of the games so far.

With the popularity of Phoenix Wright rising in the US and with the next game in the series being localized, these figures will surely be sought after in the future. Get em now for $4.90 per figure (blind packaged - you won't know which character you have until you open it) at Play-Asia.com. Figures are made by a company called Ensky; check out the official webpage here. Or if you just want to see better photos, check out this website.

The HuBee Network USA Newsletter Vol.1, Issue 3 (December 1992)

2006-05-19T09:51:17Z

Here it is, the next issue of Hudson's The HuBee Network USA newsletter! Volume 1, Issue 3 was released in December of 1992 and thankfully, they improved the layout and design over the last issue. It still looks a bit cheesy and um...homemade, but at least they were improving! This issue is mostly about all the games they were releasing at the time, but there's also some extra tidbits about...TTI's 32-bit Ironman! Read on for the page-by-page breakdown! ]]>

Page 1 - In The Beeswax: This section is all about rumors and upcoming products. The Super Multi-tap for the SNES and Super Bomberman is announced and planned for June or July of 1993.

In the next paragraph is something interesting: they talk about the 32-bit IronMan system and even attach TTI (Turbo Technologies, Inc.) to the console. Interesting stuff indeed. It is believed that the IronMan eventually became the PC Engine FX. Read more about the IronMan at the bottom of this page: PC-FX World - Facts & Rumors and also here.

Worker Bee: Sachi Interviews Sachi. ...Who the heck is Sachi? And why is she interviewing herself? I actually don't know if Sachi is a woman, but I'm guessing she is based on her answers and the ambiguous clip art. It'd be nice to know what Sachi does at Hudson Soft.

The bottom half of the page has announcements for three games scheduled for the fourth quarter of 1993: Beauty and the Beast, Inspector Gadget, and An American Tail II: Fievel Goes West.

Page 2 - Red Hot Titles to "Bee" Released: This section covers pages 2 and 3. The games featured on this page are Bonk's Adventure, Felix the Cat, and Milon's Secret Castle, all for the Nintendo Gameboy.

I had totally forgotten that Bonk made an appearance on the Game Boy.

Page 3 - Red Hot Titles to "Bee" Released (continued): Page 3 has three more games: Dig and Spike Volleyball!, Super Bomberman, and Battle Grand Prix, all for the SNES.

Wow, I have never even heard of Dig and Spike Volleyball or Battle Grand Prix.

Page 4 - Mailing area and Crossword Contest.

Complete the crossword and mail it in to Hudson for a chance to win a leather backpack, t-shirts, or mugs. I like how the crossword was obviously drawn by hand with no regard for having the boxes be a uniform size.

Well, that completes this issue of The HuBee Network USA! Stay tuned for the last issue!

New Kotobukiya DOAX Hitomi PVC Figure Available For Preorder

2006-05-19T00:27:52Z

Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball fans may want to get in their preorders for an upcoming Hitomi figure. Due on August 31, 2006, this 1/6th scale figure features the cute karate master in her Reticulum outfit. The likeness to her virtual counterpart is pretty good, though her hair seems a little too dark and it's hard to tell if she's wearing her trademark hairband.

Interested parties can preorder the figure at CDJapan.co.jp and will eventually be charged around $70 when it ships (not including shipping). ~~I don't know who is producing this figure and I haven't found another website with more info on this fig.~~ Kotobukiya is the company behind this figure, which should have been obvious to me because of their history with Tecmo creating PVC figures of Ninja Gaiden characters, and producing some DOAX "One Coin" trading figures. Follow the link to preorder this figure and check out some additional photos. You can also preorder it from Hobby Link Japan.

Dengeki Nintendo DS Magazine June, 2006

2006-05-17T02:06:22Z

Japanese magazines are great because they usually come with some pretty cool stuff. Take the latest issue of Dengeki DS (formerly Dengeki Game Cube) for example. It comes with an Oide yo Doubutsu no Mori (Animal Crossing) neckstrap, a double-sided poster, an Animal Crossing Schedule Book, and Animal Crossing stickers! That's a lot of extras! It's possible that they're trying to better Famitsu DS by putting out more extras, and if that's the case then I'm all for some friendly competition.

But before we take a look at the extras, let's take a look at the actual magazine. It's always interesting to see how different the Nintendo magazines are made as opposed to the Famitsu Xbox or Dengeki Playstation magazines. The Japanese Nintendo mags look almost like the thick manga magazines with their overly complex covers. You can tell that this magazine is aimed at children. The inside of the magazine is no different from the cover, and it's very colorful and busy. Magazines like this are perfect for hyperactive kids.

]]> Anyways, there's a two-page preview of Final Fantasy III for the Nintendo DS, and it looks fan-flippin-tastic! I am betting that this will be the most beautiful 3D game for the system as the screenshots so far look incredible. There is, of course, coverage of New Super Mario Bros. which came out today in the US, and plenty of strategies for games like Mario Kart and Dragon Ball Z. Animal Crossing Wild World is still wildly popular and a running feature in Dengeki DS is an Animal Crossing section that has a calendar of events for the current month, as well as town tunes and patterns for you to try.

But what about the extras? This issue comes with 4 extras, and the best one is easily the Animal Crossing neckstrap/lanyard. Packaged in a cardboard frame, this neckstrap has a loop at the end of it so you can attach things like your cell phone or Nintendo DS to it. There is also a clip so you can attach your keys or other items. Printed all along the green colored strap are Animal Crossing characters. The matierial used for the strap is somewhat soft and thus, the printing isn't very sharp-looking.

Packaged with the neckstrap is the double-sided poster. One side features New Super Mario Bros. and the other side shows all of Animal Crossing characters! It's a pretty cool poster no matter which side you like. Also included with the magazine is an Animal Crossing Schedule Book which has a schedule of events from April 2006 to March 2007! It even has all of the characters' birthdays listed! In addition, it contains a list of all the items including fossils, bugs, and fish! It's a handy little book to say the least. Last but not least, you get a set of Animal Crossing stickers of some of the characters in the game. See below for more photos!

Additional photos:

Weekly Famitsu April, 2006 Cover Collection

2006-05-15T22:10:08Z

Another month has passed and that means more Weekly Famitsu covers to archive. Interestingly, all four covers this month features a human. Final Fantasy XII is still getting major coverage, as is Monster Hunter 2.

]]> Weekly Famitsu 4/7 2006 No.903

Cover: Angela Aki - Angela sings the song, Kiss Me Good-Bye, the theme song for Final Fantasy XII.

Extras: Hi-Complete Bible Vol.97 - Monster Hunter 2

Cross Review Highlights: Another Century's Episode 2 gets 33/40 (8,8,9,8). Fight Night Round 3 for the Xbox360 gets 30/40 (8,8,7,7). Rumble Roses XX gets 32/40 (9,8,8,7). Contact for the Nintendo DS gets 33/40 (9,7,8,9). Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable for the PSP gets 32/40 (8,8,8,8).

Weekly Famitsu 4/14 2006 No.904

Cover: Roberto Baggio - Italian football (soccer) player. Was named best player in the world in 1993. Seems to be featured in Sega's Pro Soccer Club o Tsukuruu! Europe Championship for the PS2.

Cross Review Highlights: Black for the PS2 gets 32/40 (8,8,8,8). Pro Yakyuu Netsu Star 2006 for the PS2 gets 32/40 (8,8,8,8). Pro Yakyuu Spirits 3 for PS2 gets 34/40 (9,8,8,9), while the Xbox360 version gets 36/40 (10,8,9,9).

Weekly Famitsu 4/21 2006 No.905

Cover: Rosa Kato (model).

This issue features a massive 100 page section devoted to Final Fantasy XII.

Cross Review Highlights: Odama for the Nintendo Gamecube gets 31/40 (8,8,7,8). Densetsu no Stafi 4 for Nintendo DS gets 33/40 (9,8,8,8).

Weekly Famitsu 4/28 2006 No.906

Cover: Hiroko Sato (model).

Cross Review Highlights: Okami for PS2 gets 39/40 (10,10,10,9). Ninety-Nine Knights for Xbox360 gets 31/40 (8,8,8,7). Mother 3 for Game Boy Advance gets 35/40 (10,8,8,9).

Well, that's it for now! Tune in a month from now for the May covers!