Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Reprints - Get 'Em While They Last!

Despite being highly acclaimed upon release in late 2004, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne quickly fell into obscurity shortly after release due to being largely ignored by the game playing public. After fetching insane amounts of money on eBay due to later demand and a lack of adequate supply, GameQuestDirect took notice and gained permission from Atlus to sell reprinted copies of this title in 2008. Selling on an average of $35-$50, even those were quickly snapped up and the game once again became highly sought after.

GameQuestDirect has once again reprinted Nocturne in solid quantities for its original retail price of $49.99. While that may still seem a bit steep in price for those who are only mildly interested in playing a last-gen RPG, if you enter in coupon code GPNOCTURNE on their websiteit will bump the total price down to a mere $29.99. Add in their free shipping option and you have a deal that’s not too shabby, especially considering the fact that Nocturne is bound to explode in value once this next batch of reprints are completely sold out.

Nocturne is definitely a title I’ve had my eye on for years now but avoided due to the absurd prices it was going for on online auction sites. Here's hoping my $30 copy lives up to the hype!

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One Expensive Wooden PS2

If you're strapped for cash (and who isn't in today's poor economy?), then perhaps you can make a few extra bucks by shaping and painting a block of wood to make it look like an actual PS2 and then returning it to a store. For added realism, add a serial number so it'll scan in their store system like a normal PS2 would, earning you back $130 and tax.

At least that's what some money-hungry trickster did.

This wooden unit actually made it all the way to Sony's distribution center, which is the source of this photo. I'm thinking that the employee at the store merely scanned the bar code through the box opening and didn't even give the actual system a look. The person who duped the store also put dumbbells inside the unit to make up for the otherwise low weight. Truly, it's amazing that someone got away with this ordeal. And in terms of all the wooden PS2 consoles I've seen, this ranks among the nicest by far. Wait, I haven't seen any non-plastic PS2's prior to this date...

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PS2: The Games You Missed

The PS2 has one of the largest and most diverse list of titles of any console ever released. I still play last generation's dominating console on a regular basis - sometimes even more so than the more recent batch of consoles. Due to it having such an unusually enormous game library, there were unfortunately many titles released that failed to get the recognition they deserved. These titles, despite being great experiences, were largely ignored by the gaming public during the time they were released and faded into obscurity as a result. Check out a bargain bin near you to see if you can track down any of these releases.
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (2001)
Klonoa 2 offered the beauty of a 3D game with the rock solid game play of a 2D classic. Old school in game play but new school in look, Klonoa 2 is a simplistic blast from the past with tried-and-true 2D platforming and intriguing puzzles. Also, even though the length of Klonoa 2 was a bit on the short side, the level design was so great that you wouldn't mind playing through this a couple of times. If this was released by Nintendo it would have unquestionably garnered more respect.

Victorious Boxers: Ippo's Road to Glory (2001)
Whether you're familiar or not with the original Japanese manga is irrelevant. Victorious Boxers is simply a fun boxing title and the first noteworthy one on the PS2. Due to to this being based off of an unfamiliar property in the U.S. (and the lack of marketing), Victorious Boxers flopped horribly when it was originally released in 2001. So while it's a bit tough to track down in stores due to its limited print run, it's well worth it if you're in the mood for an enjoyable boxing title with Japanese flavor.

Viewtiful Joe (2004)
Capcom's Viewtiful Joe found mild success on the Nintendo Gamecube but was sadly ignored on Sony's platform. Which is a shame, because the PS2 version not only featured a new difficulty level but the ability to unlock Dante from the Devil May Cry series as well. Despite its sometimes unfairly hard difficulty, Viewtiful Joe is still among the most stylish and flat out entertaining brawlers found on the PS2. Henshin a go go baby!

Taiko Drum Master (2004)

Any fan of Japan, rhythm games, or random, cute, colorful crap would be doing themselves a disservice not giving Taiko Drum Master a try. Although the overly poppy soundtrack was slightly disappointing in some regards (Britney Spears? Blech.), the included drum peripheral made Taiko a multiplayer blast.




Street Fighter EX3 (2000)
Street Fighter EX3 was among the best of the PS2's launch games. Featuring unique tag-team combat that separated this from the rest of the series, EX3 is the most underrated entry in the Street Fighter franchise by far. Being released during the same time period when 3D fighters like Tekken Tag Tournament and Dead or Alive 2 dominated the scene probably didn't help its commercial fate though...

Steambot Chronicles (2006)

Steambot Chronicles proved that an RPG didn't have to be an epic experience ala Final Fantasy to be enjoyable. While the visuals were a bit lacking, the nonlinear game play and lighthearted dialogue made Atlus' overlooked title a true role-playing treat.


And so that wraps up this list. However, this is by no means the definitive assortment of missed PS2 titles, and I'm definitely going to have to complete a part two in the future to get such excellent games like Ico and 50 Cent Bulletproof in. Wait, maybe you should scratch that last title out...

Related article:
PSX: The Games You Missed

Games That Never Were: Fear and Respect (Xbox 360, Playstation 3)

What do you get when you mix Midway, ‘hood film director John Singleton, Snoop Dogg, and Max Payne? Fear and Respect, the third-person action title that was originally revealed for the Playstation 2 and Xbox in 2004 and then was being re-tooled for the next generation of consoles. However, Midway put this title to rest over two years ago due to a crowded market of urban-themed action games.

This title starred Snoop Dogg and was set in South Los Angeles. John Singleton (of Boyz ‘n the Hood fame) added his talents to this release in terms of direction, and the game play was supposed to be similar to the Max Payne titles.

Beyond starring one of the most successful gangsta rap artists of all time and having a big-time director underneath its belt, Fear and Respect appeared as if it had little to offer compared to the other numerous urban third-person action titles released through the years. No matter how good an album Doggystyle was, I still can’t find myself excited to play as Snoop in a videogame (whether it was in the original True Crime as an unlockable character or in this).

Past entries in this series:

#1 - Capcom Fighting All-Stars
#2 - Frame City Killer
#3 - Vectorman

Exploring the Underwater Digital Ocean

When it comes to game genres, underwater exploration games are near the bottom of the popularity chain… in fact, it wasn’t until Nintendo’s Endless Ocean has the genre had any sort of mainstream appreciation at all. Here’s some history to the obscure genre, and a little bit about the three main games of this type released in the Western market.

Aquanaut's Holiday (PSX)

Chances are, you’ve never heard of this game. Like Tail of the Sun, also published by Sony, this is one of those titles that basically appealed to no one. However, years later it is interesting to look back on Aquanaut’s Holiday just because of how unique it is. Released in 1996 during the original Playstation’s early life, this game starred a marine explorer who explored an underwater ocean. In this title you also had to attract fish to achieve your goal of filling up your fish meter. Although the graphics are rather archaic now, it is one of those intriguing niche titles that looks to be worth tracking down simply because there’s not much else out there like it.

Everblue 2 (PS2)
Capcom really gave this title no chance of survival in the U.S. Combine absolutely no advertising with a micro-sized print run, and you have a title that was destined for commercial failure from the start. A sequel to Everblue, a game exclusive to Europe and Japan, Everblue 2 had you exploring the Caribbean as – you guessed it – a scuba diver. There was more of a plot here than Aquanaut’s Holiday, but the game play, similarly, had you searching around for items and interesting sights beneath the ocean. I am still trying to track down a copy of Everblue 2, but I have yet to find one in any game store I’ve visited, near or far.

Endless Ocean (Wii)
Nintendo’s Endless Ocean was the first title in this genre to appeal to a mass market audience. Developed by Arika, the very same company responsible for the creation of Everblue 2, Endless Ocean had a larger budget, more advertising, and way more critical acclaim than the two titles previously mentioned. A relaxing and gorgeous experience, Endless Ocean appears to be a solid title for those who are sick of online FPS death matches.

Neo Contra and the Empty Game Case Blues

Back in 2002 I rented Contra: Shattered Soldier for the PS2. Besides the swanky new visuals, the game play was a pure blast from the past: an excruciatingly hard difficultly level and nothing but pure action. I never made it through the entire game (I’m not overstating anything when I say it’s difficult).

So I was thrilled when I found a copy of Neo Contra for the PS2 in the bargain bin at a local electronics store. Although I’m aware that they changed the game play up a bit for this version, I was still rather excited to play it.

So I get in the mood to play, set up my Playstation 2, and then proceed to tear the shrink wrap off of the game case.

“Hmm, it feels a little lighter than most cases”, I though to myself.

And then I stare in horror at what I find inside. A bloody tampon!

Oh, wait. Never mind. No, that’s not it. That might have actually been preferable to what ultimately was in there. Nothing but the manual and a spot for where the disc should have been. Yep, that’s right – there was no disc inside.

Oh well. Maybe someone out there doesn’t want me to play this. The funny thing was that it was brand new and factory sealed – even with the old style plastic strip on top.

At least it was only a few bucks. And I now have a very nice case to look at.

Games That Never Were #3: Vectorman (PS2)

Back in 2003 Sega had plans to resurrect the fan-favorite Vectorman series onto a new generation. Only this entry wasn't produced by the original developers and was a first-person shooter, a departure from the side-scrolling action Genesis classics.

Although the early screen shots looked decent enough, the game had a poor reception at E3 2003. Here's what popular gaming magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) had to say about the new-gen Vectorman during this time period:

"It's still early, but ol' V-man isn't looking so hot. The visuals were dull and lackluster, and the gameplay felt like a garbled mix of Ratchet & Clank and Red Faction."

Ouch. Possibly not wanting to harm the series's otherwise sound reputation, Sega quietly canned the project a few months later.

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Past entries in this series:

#1 - Capcom Fighting All-Stars
#2 - Frame City Killer

New PS2 Bundle Set for November Release

While original Xbox consoles are long out of production and Gamecubes are being phased out of stores, thousands of brand new Playstation 2 consoles are still finding their ways into homes every week. Yep, that’s right – even after being on the market for nearly seven years and moving millions of units, the Playstation 2 is still selling like hot-cakes, even outselling it’s more technically advanced brother, Playstation 3, each month.

To celebrate this, Sony will be releasing a fresh new Playstation 2 bundle in November. Available for a limited time only, this upcoming bundle will not only come with Sony’s highly-praised karaoke game Sing Star (along with two microphones), but will introduce a slick new color to the system as well: white. This bundle could be yours for the reasonable sum of $149.99 next month.

I’m perfectly content with my slim silver Playstation 2 (and I don’t dig karaoke), but if you’ve waited this long to purchase Sony’s little box of joy (or just want yours in another color), maybe this will finally convince you to do so. You’d really think everyone would have a Playstation 2 at this point, but if the sales charts are any indication, plenty of you are still buying ‘em every month.

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One Year Ago This Month in Pro-Gamer... (October 2006)

At the beginning of each month I will take a stroll down memory lane and see what incongruous subjects I was writing about at this time last year.

On this particular month last year, I was speculating on whether the 3D Sonic demo Sega originally unveiled for the DS in 2004 would eventually become a full-fledged game.

I also found time to review Luxoflux's shockingly-good Grand Theft Auto inspired game, True Crime: New York City.

Oh, and did I mention that I wrote about reprints of highly demanded Playstation 2 games like Disgaea, Zone of the Enders: the 2nd Runner, and Suikoden III?

Last, but certainly not least, I shed some light on a mostly unknown boxing game inspired by a manga series.

Review: Resident Evil 4 (PS2)

Platform: Playstation 2 (also on: GC, PC, Wii)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release: October 2005

Action packed and suspenseful, Resident Evil 4 is one title you will remember for a long, long time.

Ah, Resident Evil 4. With its staggering amount of Game of the Year nominations from various game media sources, high sales and even a very successful port to the Wii, you undoubtedly have heard a thing or two about Capcom’s latest entry in the Resident Evil series. But perhaps you haven’t given it a try yet; maybe you haven’t found the time to do so, or are just skeptical because you didn’t enjoy previous games in the series. Don’t wait any longer: play this excellent title now. While I found previous entries in the series to be woefully flawed and completely uninteresting, Resident Evil 4 remains one of the best games I have played all year.

I can’t ever say that I’ve really enjoyed any survival horror title. I’ve given the old-school Resident Evil games a chance (I even own the first title), and even tried a release in the Silent Hill series. However, the much-criticized tank controls and bad pacing killed those titles for me.

Resident Evil 4 fixes these problems with a whole new control scheme and well-placed save points. Not to mention, the characters, settings, and story as are much more interesting as a whole this time around.

You play as Leon and must go in a mysterious location in Europe to save the president’s kidnapped daughter. What you find, however, are things beyond your worst imagination. Spanish-speaking zombies, hideous creatures, and tons of unusual places await you.

Resident Evil 4 is very action-packed compared to the conventionally slow survival-horror game. Every time you think you’ve seen all this game has to offer, it always unveils something new and fresh, whether is be a new weapon, new enemy type, or a startling boss fight. The best part of all of this is that the game never seems exceptionally hard. Sure, much of it is very challenging, but it’s excellent pacing and natural-feeling progression means you won’t ever be stuck on a boss or a particular part of Resident Evil 4 for an exceptionally long amount of time.

Visually, the game gets the job done. I’ve certainly seen better looking games in my time, but the environments and enemy-types are very well done. The character models are the best aspect of the graphics by far. The sound effects compliment the release well.

Many games drag on too long, others end way too soon; Resident Evil 4, on the other hand, feels just right. I clocked in about 18 hours on my initial play-through. The best part is, once you finish the game, there are oodles of fun extras to play with. Many of them are new to the Playstation 2 edition (though they also appear in the Wii release, too). I won’t spoil any, but just be prepared to play with Resident Evil 4 for several more hours after completing it.

Resident Evil 4 is one of those titles that’ll captivate you the whole way through. This is easily one of the best titles released in the past few years, and even though I’m not traditionally a fan of the genre, I still couldn’t get enough of it.. Action packed and suspenseful, Resident Evil 4 is one title you will remember for a long, long time.

Rating: 8.8 (out of 10)

Japan's Most Beloved Wrestling Franchise Finally Returns to the U.S.

Although the Fire Pro Wrestling made two quick U.S. pit stops in 2001 and 2002 (both on GBA), us American gamers who didn't want to go through the hassle of importing didn't get to experience the best games in this great series.

First, a quick history lesson (for those of you not familiar with the series). Fire Pro Wrestling is Japan's most beloved wrestling series. Although the series may not feature flashy visuals or recognizable stars (though you can put 'em in yourself), it's game play is far deeper than that of any other wrestling game. Also, the editing tools in the franchise are so wondrous that you can edit any wrestler to look - and even play (you can edit moves, taunts, specials, etc) like many popular wrestlers - either current ones or ones of the past. Wanna put the Rock in the game? No problem! Just pick a pre-made wrestler, edit his look, appearance, moves, and name, and you pretty much have who you want.

FirePro Wrestling is also well known for its unique match types. An actual mode called 'Electrified Barbed Wire Ropes Exploding Deathmatch'? 'Nuff said!

Most likely set for an early 2008 release, FirePro Wrestling Returns is often hauled as the greatest game in the series (and the best wrestling title of all time). Even better, Agetec, who is bringing us this title, will be releasing it at a budget price.

Hmm... I'll be solving a little math problem here.... The sheer depth on the series + the tons of replay value + the budget price = one of the best PS2 bargains ever! Once it's released you better snap it up quick, because like last year's other great bargain game, Victorious Boxers 2: Fighting Spirit, this will most likely be seeing a limited U.S. release.

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Tenchu Is Back! Wait... Where Did Everyone Go? Anyone Care?

Tenchu Z, the next title in the Japanese-developed stealth-action franchise is soon to be released. Published by Microsoft Game Studios and developed by From Software, this could be another attempt by Microsoft to try to get the Eastern market interested in the Xbox 360. However, save for a few Xbox-exclusive hits with Japanese flavor (The cult-classic Phantom Dust on the original Xbox, for example), Microsoft’s attempts to get the Japanese market to plunk down the cash for their systems have failed.

It’s not to see why, either. Although some of the Japanese games published by them were decent, titles like Blinx: The Time Sweeper aren’t exactly what most would consider system sellers (let’s also forget about half-baked released like Whacked! and the ill-fated Kakuto Chojin, shall we?). Titles like Blue Dragon, which recently helped move some 360’s from Japanese shelves are a step in the right direction, but are people really excited about a new Tenchu?

While I’m actually moderately eager to play it (I have fond memories of the original game back on the Playstation), the Tenchu games haven’t exactly made great strides to modernize themselves. Although this may have been acceptable for the last two generations, now that we’re in the next-gen people aren’t going to overlook many of the problems the series has had in the past, such as the dim-witted A.I. and clunky controls. Sadly, it seems as if the developers have not bothered fixing these problems, because a Japanese demo was recently found on Xbox Live Marketplace and it has been garnering much criticism for problems that the series should have fixed long ago.

To add injury to insult, the Tenchu series has been receiving worse and worse reviews every title, with last year’s DS-exclusive title Tenchu: Dark Secret earning an abominable 39.2% average from GameRankings. Well, Tenchu Z will be hitting U.S. shores shortly (June 12^th, to be exact), and while I hope it turns out decent I have my doubts. In the meantime, here’s a breakdown of how the Tenchu games have been rated through the years (look at how the ratings have progressively slid downhill)

Tenchu: Stealth Assassins - 83%

Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins - 79%

Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven - 79%

Tenchu: Return From Darkness - 70%

Tenchu: Fatal Shadows - 60%

Tenchu: Dark Secret - 39%

Ratings are based off of GameRankings. The source for the Tenchu ratings can be found here

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Although this only happens once in a blue moon, game publishers will sometimes change the covers of games that were already released. Sometimes it’s necessary – legal rights might prevent a certain athlete from appearing on the cover of a sports title, but in most cases it’s a total mystery. Here are some games that received unique covers after already being released for awhile (note: the original release is on the left, while later releases are on the right):

Dead or Alive 3 (Xbox)

NHL 2004 (multi platform - pictured: PC)

Street Fighter Collection (PSX)

Sly Cooper (PS2)

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Nintendo DS)



And there are plenty more that exist, but they are not pictured because I either don't know about them or pictures of them were excruciatingly tough to come by.

Great Games for Great New Prices

It always feels good to pick up a stellar title for a reasonable price, and several decent-to-great titles have recently dropped as much as half price. Titles include the enjoyable Xbox 360 cult hit Viva Piñata (which you can read my review of it here) and the adequate Xbox 360 party game Fuzion Frenzy 2 (which I’ve played a demo of, and, while it’s not an utterly amazing game, it seemed better than the poor reviews would suggest). Both can now be had for a mere $30 each.

Two of the most highly regarded PSP games have now received the ‘Greatest Hit’s’ treatment as well. In addition to the new standard Greatest Hits packaging that everyone seems to hate, the games (Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Daxter) will also see a new popular price - $19.99. Kingdom Hearts II, quite possibly the most popular Playstation 2 game in the last year, is now also available for the bargain-basement price of $20 (too bad the ‘Greatest Hits’ version lacks the shiny cover that original prints had). You might want to hold off purchasing it, however, as Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix will eventually make its way to the U.S. (possibly by the end of the year).

Since these are universal price drops you’ll be able to walk into any major store that sells games and score ‘em for these low prices.

Custom Consoles: Why Not Let Your Console Stand Out?

Sure, game consoles usually look great and are well-thought out in design (let’s just forget about some of those forgotten “classic” console mishaps and the original Xbox, shall we?) but if you’re ultimately not satisfied with how your shiny new console looks, you can either put a whole bunch of work into it and make it look unique, or just pay an outrageous sum of money on eBay for some schmo to do it for you! Here are some custom console designs found through the listings of eBay, and even an Xbox 360 prototype as well (have you ever wondered what a 360 would look like if it was black? Well, wonder no longer, you curious bean). Enjoy.

Zelda Triforce Wii:

That's one swanky looking Wii, eh? You can bid on this custom-made Wii here. The current bid for this one-of-a-kind Wii is over $1,000! Hey, it's worth shelling out a thousand bucks to impress your relatives and make your friends jealous, right?

This prototype Xbox 360 is quite cool looking as well. Although the beautiful whi

te current Xbox 360 was a nice change of pace from the standard black console, I wouldn't mind if this was the one originally released at retail. There are actually rumors of a fresh new black Xbox 360 hitting retail sometime before the summer - as always, I'll keep ya posted on that...

White PS2: How classy!

Wait, so maybe the original Xbox isn't so ugly after all! This green Xbox, known as the 'Halo Xbox' (because it came packed in with a copy of Halo) was sold at retail for a limited time. Now the only way to purchase this stylish Xbox is off- you gussed it- eBay.