I bought my Nintendo DS a year ago and I thought an impulsive buyer like me would have been bored with it by this time. I’m surprised I’m still  enjoying it as games get better and better. I was about to buy PSP back then but pulled out the DS in the end after seeing the available games out there. Don’t get me wrong, I love Tekken and God of War, but that just about it. DS, on the other hand, has a horde of games that really suit my taste and style.

My officemate recently introduced me to Time Hollow. This was released last year and I don’t know why a great game like this just passed me by. The game is like a visual novel about Ethan Kairos who has a Hollow Pen that can pierce a whole in time and change the past. The point and click gameplay was a delight for a lazy player like me. The storyline, which reminds me of the movie “The Butterfly Effect” is very entertaining and engaging. There’s an overall anime feel to this game, from the character art, manga-like panels, to the anime cutscenes. The opening anime scene was nothing special but it was fun to watch.

Dragon Ball Origins is also one of the recent games that made its mark in the industry. The game follows the story of young Goku and Bulma in their quest for the dragon balls. It likewise features all the other adorable characters in the anime – Oolong, Chi chi, Yamcha, and my idol Master Roshi. The gameplay is simple and gets monotonous in time. What makes this game click, though, is how it almost accurately relives the wonderful moments of the classic anime and any fan would definitely appreciate it. Go Flying Nimbus!

As for homebrews, VNDS is so far the best app out there. The guys at digital-haze are just brilliant and I thank them for letting me play the ported Tsukihime and Fate Stay Night VNs on my DS. I’ll give Saya no Uta a shot pretty soon.

These games have pretty much occupied my playing time and some more exciting ones will be coming this year. I’m particularly looking forward to the English version of Lux Pain. The game features  ”Atsuki, who by wielding the power of Lux-Pain tries to unravel the mystery of the ‘Silent’; a worm that has infected humans and forced them to commit horrible crimes” (1up.com).  How cool is that? I hope someone could also translate the Higurashi DS series; that would really rock.

I’m still alive! Just came back from a 2-week seminar on capital markets and derivatives. Interesting stuff actually but it got exhausting later on. At least I now know how to hedge hehe.

Anyway I’ve been playing this old GBA game on the side. It’s entitled Love Hina Advance and I’m sure otakus have already played this a long time ago. The game is basically a visual novel following the same story as the anime (which was one of the best love comedies during its time). It was fun reliving the story through a game. This time I get to play Keitaro and go for the girl I like. Yes my hidden desires finally found their way hehe.

The game starts with Love HIna’s original OP with a rundown of all the characters with whom you can interact. It even includes Keitaro’s aunt Haruka and Sarah Macdogal. I knew right away what my noble task is… make all the girls fall in love with me!! Game proper contains mainly still images from the anime. There are events where Keitaro has to choose a response and then wait to see if the female character liked it or not. If someone’s heart points reach the top, lucky, she’s yours!^^

So I guess I got too kind to Shinobu and won her heart.^^

Speaking of games, I’ve been playing NDS a lot lately. The World Ends with You and Dragon Quest Monster: Joker are so darn addictive!

Blood-Over is a side-scrolling game from 9thNight. It is a 3D game way back in Comiket 70, focusing on Shou, a female “Free Hunter” and her Maid Akari as they battle skeletons and monsters. This game is quite popular among doujin gamers. I think I know why – a trigger-happy ojousama, a cute maid with a gatling gun and a lot of monster-shooting action.

Shou’s gun tricks are sloppy compared to Dante’s in Devil May Cry but she has some moves of her own that are easy to execute and fun to do. This variation in moves and possibility of combos help increase the game’s replay value. There is nothing special about the background images but the character designs are nice to look at. They lack detail but attractive just the same. Boss fights are not so difficult but still challenging. You can easily think of a good combo when the boss reveals his/her ability. I had the hardest time with that boss with a samurai who does some kind of Hiten Mitsurugi moves.^^

The game is not the best action/adventure game I’ve played but still fun to play. I really enjoy summoning Akari and watch her pulverize everyone with her big gatling gun. Cool!^^