Oriental Blue: Ao no Tengai
Tactics Ogre Gaiden: The Knight of Lodis
Magical Vacation

Mother 1 + 2
Ougon no Taiyou (Golden Sun)
Ougon no Taiyou: Ushinawareshi Toki (Golden Sun 2)
Shining Soul
Shining Soul II
Summon Night
Summon Night: Craft Sword Monogatari 2
Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan Advance
Namco Museum
Pac-Man Collection
Mr. Driller Ace: Fushgi na Pactelia
Family Tennis Advance

Click here for the official Value Selection webpage.

“We heartily thank those who bestow their patronage on our humble company.

Over the New Year season, demand for our portable game system “Nintendo DS” has vastly exceeded our predictions. It has gone out of stock, which we know has caused a great deal of trouble to our honored customers and retailers. For this we apologize from our hearts.

We will begin to ship our product by air mail, as this will help it get to retailers a bit faster. We are shipping product every week, but as supplies will not be fully replenished until the end of January, we humbly supplicate ourselves before you and beg your favor.”

Capcom and Sourcenext are partnering up for Biohazard 2 PC, a re-release of the personal computer edition of Biohazard 2 first released in February 1999. The difference between the original and Biohazard 2 PC is that Biohazard 2 PC will come on a DVD-ROM versus two CD-ROMs, and will be compatible with Windows XP. Also, thanks to the DVD-ROM, the quality of the FMVs will be much better. All features from the original version, such as 4th Survivor, Tofu Survivor and Extreme Battle Mode, as well as USA Version mode, will be included in the re-release, scheduled for 17 February, 2006 for 1980 Yen, over eight years after the original release on the PSone in 1998.

Capcom and Sourcenext are partnering up for Biohazard 2 PC, a re-release of the personal computer edition of Biohazard 2 first released in February 1999. The differnece between the original and Biohazard 2 PC is that Biohazard 2 PC will come on a DVD-ROM versus two CD-ROMs, and will be compatible with Windows XP. Also, thanks to the DVD-ROM, the quality of the FMVs will be much better. All features from the original version, such as 4th Survivor, Tofu Survivor and Extreme Battle Mode, as well as USA Version mode, will be included in the re-release, scheduled for 17 February, 2006 for 1980 Yen, over eight years after the original release on the PSone in 1998.

The latest issue of Famitsu Xbox360 features interviews with a number of Japanese publishers, on what they think about the current state of the Xbox 360 on the Japanese market, as well as their future plans for 360 support. Some snippets from the interviews follow:


Konami
Basically focusing on titles that will sell in the west, but that’s not enough, so they’ll start to develop titles to make the 360 appealing in Japan. First up is Rumble Roses in March, followed by baseball and soccer games in April onwards. Call of Duty 2 has been successful in the west, so they’d like Japanese players to try it out too. They’ll also proactively localize some foreign titles for the Japanese market. The 360 market has yet to take off, but Konami intends to proactively support the platform.

Namco
Frame City has been delayed due to development issues. Once they’ve been overcome, it should go on sale straight away. Love Football is intended to be released before the World Cup in June. A new RPG is being developed which should be a 360 flagship title. In one or two months, the new RPG and another new title should be announced to the public.

Capcom
Dead Rising is in the second half of development. Lost Planet is also coming into its own. They want to release both games some time this year. Biohazard 5 still lacks form and work will continue until it’s worth of a next-gen Biohazard title. Although Capcom never expected the 360 sales to explode from the start, it has performed less well than the expected. They admit this in, in part, the responsibility of developers, however.

Success
Operation Darkness is a military RPG with big production values. It’s turning into something very unlike their typical games. It will be released worldwide some time after Autumn this year, but some information will be revealed in the next 2-3 months. Regarding other titles, they are watching how the market develops. With big titles like Blue Dragon and other third party games, the company believes that the 360 can still see success in Japan.

Sega
Games released overseas such as Full Auto and Condemned are basically ready for Japanese release too, but they are waiting for the right timing before releasing them. Since Japan is a difficult market for the 360, they will start with Chrome Hounds. It will come out before Blue Dragon. Sonic will be released at a typical Sonic time. Some new titles will be announced at E3, and after targetting the western markets Sega will start to release some Japan-centric titles. Since the
western market is doing well, Virtua Fighting etc will be considered. This year, Sega will also be preparing some of their classic IP for the next generation of consoles.

cvxfreak’s choice


biohazard 4
biohazard 4 takes place in 2004, six years after the previous game, CODE: Veronica. Leon is pressed with rescuing the president’s daughter, who was kidnapped by an unknown organization. He discovers not zombies, but deranged former human beings who are able to communicate in some form of Spanish, and can wield weapons and use their environments against Leon. However, he’ll stop at
nothing to save the president’s daughter… biohazard 4 was a long time coming.
Developed for several years and going through several phases, when it arrived, it truly revitalized survival horror. Featuring stunning graphics, fast, smooth and action-packed gun-shooting, puzzle solving gameplay, excellent music and sound effects, and unparalleled production values for a horror title, it also brought the series in a new direction, proving that old ties can lead to new achievements. In addition to a big main game, there are a few side games as well
that provide more value to the overall package, and PS2 gamers get "Another Order" which sheds much insight on the storyline thus far. A real winner that everyone should beat once.

  DCharlie’s
choice

Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
Inis’s Ouendan combines amusing back story, manga-style graphics, J-Pop songs you’ll love or hate, and simple gameplay - tap or trace the stylus on the numbered blocks in the correct order in time with the music. The actual action of playing the game with the stylus is fun, but where the game’s real appeal lies is in its difficulty levels and adapting to the increased skill requirement. Many gamers will play this and simply give up after the first few levels of the normal difficulty, but perseverance is truly rewarded and players will go from thinking "there is no way I could ever do that level!" to "Unbelievable! I did it! I DID IT!". The fiendishly difficult final level is a punishing challenge, but again with practice it is not impossible. I believe that testament to how fun this game is the fact that, initially, I played this game every day for three months and despite having cleared all the levels, I still play through levels to this day just for the fun and the workout of the experience. One of many great games on the DS, but for me a standout classic regardless of platform.  

JonnyRam’s
choice


Wander and the Colossus
Developed by the same team that brought us Ico in 2001, Wander and the Colossus shares many ideas with its predecessor but the overall experience is wholly different. The protagonist in this game, known as Wander, seeks to revive his dead companion and is lead to believe there is a chance to restore her life by slaying all the Colossi in this forbidden land. The path which lies ahead is full of excitement, adventure, a couple of plot twists, and more importantly, it never once feels tired, from start to finish. The graphics are, perhaps, a
little more than the PS2 can handle, and at times the frame rate suffers as a result, but when it’s performing well, it’s a true sight to behold. Each Colossus feels huge, and figuring out how to climb each one can be taxing on the brain as well as the fingers - a formidable combination for all but the most hardcore of gamers. Coupled with one of the most beautiful soundtracks a game has witnessed, Wander and the Colossus is an unmissable treat and worthy of far more than just a Game of the Year award.  

LEOsh’s choice


Famicom Wars DS
Famicom Wars DS is a simple but tactical, turn-based simulation game. New additions to the DS version are the combat mode (a real time game with a dash of strategy), the use of the dual screen, experience points for shoguns, and tag battles. The stylus is not really needed in the game and most of the controls work better with the pad. Unfortunately the game does not have a very strong
story line - if you are a lover of hardcore war games filled with military
conspiracy and betrayal, then the Famicom Wars DS story will be a
disappointment. However, if that is not an important factor, the player can enjoy a simple but not necessarily easy, simulation game. Each mission is of comfortable length, and the addition of experience points allows the player to level up and customize their favorite shogun. Deploying two shoguns in a battle, and switching between the two to use their strengths against the enemy is also a new feature in the DS version. Overall, a very good game and a definite buy for people who have enjoyed Advance Wars 1 and 2 on the GBA.