FAST6191

SBK_Generations_XBOX360-STRANGE
Region free it looks like (a change from years past)

The SBK series has been consistently good if you want a simulation (ish) superbike game unlike the motoGP series which has had bright parts and less good parts and this looks to be more of the same.

Amazon words
The official game of the FIM Superbike World Championship is back and is now the most complete motorcycling simulation ever created! Play through the last four seasons of the SBK world championships, including the brand new 2012 season to become world champion or test your skills in the brand new SBK Experience mode. With SBK Generations, Milestone has developed a masterpiece: the definitive motorcycle game, crammed with over 220+ riders, 60 bike models, 140+ teams, 17 circuits and up to 16 player online multi-player!

Game Modes

Official Mode: live the glamour of the official Superbike championship! Race as one of the SBK, Supersport and Superstock 1000 riders on the most famous tracks in the world, and rewrite the history of the seasons from 2009 to 2012.
Career Mode: take your rider through the championships from 2009 to 2012, starting in the lower classes and riding your way up to the top, where the title of World Champion awaits!
SBK Experience: a unique and innovative experience that will take you into the world of motorcycling through exciting objective-specific challenges and one-manufacturer races against the best riders in the world, Legends included!
Online: experience all the thrills of a real Superbike race, challenging up to 15 players online.

Rosters

SBK: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009
WSS (SuperSport): 2011, 2010, 2009
WSTK (SuperStock 1000): 2010, 2009
SBK Legends

Tracks

Aragòn, Spain
Assen, Holland
Brno, Czech Republic
Donington Park, England
Imola, Italy
Kyalami, South Africa
Losail, Qatar
Magny Cours, France
Miller Motorsport Park, USA
Misano, Italy (San Marino)
Monza, Italy
Nurburgring, Germany
Phillip Island, Australia
Portimao, Portugal
Silverstone, England
Valencia, Spain
Vallelunga, Italy

10 Motorbike Manufacturers Including:

Aprilia
BMW
Ducati
Honda
Kawasaki
KTM – MV
Agusta
Suzuki
Triumph
Yamaha

Video Teaser unfortunately

Boxart

NFO

        ▄▄
      ▄███
     ███▓█        █
    ██▀█▒█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ██▄▄
   ██ █▓░█ ██████▄▄█▓███████████████▀                ▄▄█████████████▄
  ██  █░ █   ▄▄ ▀██████▀▀     ▄▄                    ██▓▓████▀▀     ▀█
 ██▌ ▄█▄█▀    ▀█ ███▓█      ▄████▄▀██████▄▄  ▀███▄▄▄ ▀█▒░██▌        ▄▄█▀▀▀████▄
████▄▄         █ ███▓█ ▀██▄████████  ▀██▓███  █▓██████▄▀█▄█▌ ▀████▄███▌   ▐██▓█
 ▀▀▀██████▄▄   ▄ ███▒█  ████▀ ▀███████████▓█▌ ██████████▄▀██▄ █████████   ▐█▀░█
      ▀██▓████▄  ███░█  ██▓██  ▐██▀██▀ ▀███▓█ █▓██▄ ▀██▓██ ▀██▄█▓███▓███▄ ▄█▄█▌
      ▄ ██▓▓████ ██▓░█  ██▒██  ▀██▓██▌  ▐██▒█ █▒███   █▓▒██  ▀██▒█▌██▓███████▀
      ▐▌▐██▓▒███▌██░ █  ██░▀█   ▐█░▀█▌   █▀░█ █░▀█▌   ▐█░██   ▐█░█▌ ▀██░▀▀█▄
     ▄▀ ███░▀███ █▄▄▄█ ▄█▄▄█▀    ▀▀███▄▄▄▀█▄█▄█▄█▀   ▄██▄█▀   ▐█ █▌   ▀▀█████▄▄
█▄█▀  ▄█▀▀ ▄▄█▀    ▀█                                        ▄███▀ yule!
 ▀▀███████▀▀     █  ▄                                         █
                ██    ░▄▄                              ▄▄░    ██
               ████   ▒▓█████▄▄▄▄▄            ▄▄▄▄▄█████▓▒   ████
              ██▓███▄░    ░▀▀▀▀▓▓█████▀  ▀█████▓▓▀▀▀▀      ▄███▓██
            ▄██▓ ░███▓▀    ▄▄▄▄▄░▓██▀      ▀██▓░▄▄▄▄▄░   ▀▓███░ ▓██▄
          ▄███▓░ ▄ ▀  ░▓██▀▀▀ ░▓██▀          ▀██▓░ ▀▀▀██▓░  ▀ ▄ ░▓███▄
  ▄▀  ▄▄████▓░  ██▓▄▓██▀    ░▓███              ███▓░    ▀██▓░▓██  ░▓████▄▄  ▀▄
 ▓▌▀██▀▀█▓░░     ████▀    ░▓████                ███▓░     ▀████     ░░▓█▀▀██▀▐▓
 ▐▓▄   ░      ░  ▐██       ░▀██                  ██▀░       ██▌  ░          ▄▓▌
  ▓██▓▓▒░  ▄▄▓▒   █           ▀                  ▀           █   ▒▓▄▄  ░▒▓▓██▓
  ░▓████████▓▀          SBK_Generations_XBOX360-STRANGE           ▀█████████▓░
  ░ ░▒▓████▀                    Black Bean Games                    ▀████▓▒░ ░
      ░▓█▀                                                            ▀█▓░
      ▄▀    Reldate:  24/05/12               Filename: s-sbkr.rxx       ▀▄
   ▄▄▄█▀    Platform: XBOX360                Region:   RF               ▀█▄▄▄
  ░▒▓██▄▄▄  Genre:    Racing                 Files:    74x100MB       ▄▄▄██▓▒░
      ░▒▓███▀                                                      ▀███▓▒░
       ░  ▀                                                          ▀  ░
      ▀▄     http://www.gamefaqs....sbk-generations     ▄▀
      ░▓█▄                                                            ▄█▓░
    ░▒▓████▄      We greet our friends at WiiERD & ACCiDENT ;)      ▄████▓▒░
   ▓█████████▄                                                    ▄█████████▓
  ▓██▓▓▒░  ▀▀▓▒   █           ▄                  ▄           █   ▒▓▀▀  ░▒▓▓██▓
 ▐█▀  ▄▄▄     ░  ▐██        ▄██   S T R A N G E  ██▄░       ██▌  ░          ▀█▌
 ▓▌▄█████▓░░     ████▄    ░▓████                ████▓░    ▄████     ░░▓█▄▄██▄▐▓
  ▀▄  ▀▀███▓▓░  ██▓░▓██▄    ░▓███     2oo7     ███▓░    ▄██▓░▓██  ░▓████▀▀  ▄▀
          ▀███▓░ ▀░▄ ░▒▓██▄▄▄ ░▓██▄          ▄██▓░ ▄▄▄██▓▒░░▄░▀ ░▓███▀
            ▀██▓░░▓██▓▄  ░░▓▀▀▀▀░▓██▄      ▄██▓░▀▀▀▀▀░░  ▄▓███░░▓██▀
              ██▓███▀░    ░▄▄▄▄▓▓█████▄  ▄█████▓▓▄▄▄▄░     ▀███▓██
               ████   ░▓█████▀▀▀▀▀            ▀▀▀▀▀█████▀    ████
                ██     ▀▀         ascii by yL          ▀▀     ██
                 █                           █

Tom.Clancys.Ghost.Recon.Future.Soldier.PAL.MULTi3.XBOX360-DNL
Region locked PAL (Japanese release in Tom.Clancys.Ghost.Recon.Future.Soldier.ASIA.XBOX360-GANT )
NA release was region free, this seems mainly to be for the Italian and German language. http://gbatemp.net/t...s-xbla-and-dlc/ Video
http://www.youtube.c...?&v=U2kPutI7Fe4
Boxart

NFO

                                  ▓▓████████▓▓
                                  ▓█ ▄▄  ▄▄ █▓
                            ▓▓██████ ▀    ▀ ██████▓▓
                            ▓█ ▄▄              ▄▄ █▓
                      ▓▓██████ ▀     ▄          ▀ ██████▓▓
                      ▓█ ▄▄▄ ▄      ▀█▀      ▀    ▄ ▄▄▄ █▓
                      ▓█ ▓▀          ▓█      ▓▌      ▀▓ █▓
                      ▓█ ▄   ▄       ▓█▓    ▄▓▓       ▄ █▓
                      ▓▓      ▄     ▐▀░▀▓▄▄█▓▀▓▌        ▀▓
           ▄▄▄█▀▀▀▄▄  ▀▓      ▓▓▄▄ ▄▓█▄██▓▓▓▀▀▀▀    ▓▓▄▄▄
          ▓▓█████▄▄ ▀▀▄       ▐▓▓▀█▓▓▓▀▀▀     ▄▄▄▄ ▒▓███▓▓▒▄
         ▐▓█████████▄  ▀▄      ▓▓▀▀      ▄████▓▓▓▌░ ▓████▓▓▌
         ▐████████████▄  ▀▄             █ ██████▓▌  ██████▓  ▄
         ▓█████▌ ▀██████▄  ▀▄ ▒▓██▄▄▄▄▄ ▐▌▐██████▓  ██████▓
         ██████▌   ▀█████▓▄   ▓██████▌ ▀█▌▐██████▓ ▐██████▌    ■
         ██████   ▐▌ ▓████▓▓ ▐▓███████▄  ▀ ███████▌▐██████▌▄▓▄
        ▐█████▓   █   ▓████▓▒▓██████████▄  ███████▌▐██████▌ ▀   ▄▄▄▄▄
        ▐█████▓   █▄▓▄▐▓████▓▓██████▌▀▓███▄▐███████▓█████▓    ▄▀▐█████▓▒
        ▐█▄███▓   █ ▀ ▐▓████████████▌  ▀▓████████▀░▀█████▓   ▓  ▐████▀░▀
         ██▀░▀█▌  ▐▌  ▐▓█████▓██████  ▐▌ ▀▓███████▄███████▄▄▄▄   ▓▀░▀█▄▒
         ███▄██▌  ▐█▀ ▓████▓▒▓██████  █    ▀▓▓█████████████████████▄██▓▓
         ▐███▄█▓     ▓███▓▀ ░▒▓███▓▌  █ ▄▓▄  ▀▓▓██▀▀▀▀   cpN/cRo ▀▀▀▀██▓
         ▐▓▀░▀██▄▄▄██▀▀▀      ▀▀▀▓▓▌▄▀   ▀     ▀        ▄▓       ▀▀▀▄▄▀  ▀
       ▀ ■▓▓▄██▀▀▀▀   ▓█           ▀                    █▓             ▄  ■
                  ▓▓████                                ████▓▓
        ▀         ▓█ ▄    Ghost Recon: Future Soldier     ▄ █▓
            ▓▓██████                                        ██████▓▓
            ▓█ ▄▄                                              ▄▄ █▓
      ▓▓██████ ▀           Origin .....: PAL                    ▀ ██████▓▓
      ▓█ ▄▄▄ ▄             Company ....: Ubi Soft                 ▄ ▄▄▄ █▓
      ▓█ ▓▀                Console ....: XBOX360                     ▀▓ █▓
      ▓█ ▄                 Filename ...: dnl-tcgrfsx.XXX              ▄ █▓
      ▓█                   Files ......: 84 x 100 MB                    █▓
      ▓█                   Source .....: XBOX Disc                      █▓
      ▓█                   Genre ......: Shooter                        █▓
      ▓█                   Supplier ...: Team DNL                       █▓
      ▓█ ▀                 Rel.Date ...: 22.o5.2o12                   ▀ █▓
      ▓█ ▓▄                HDD iNFO ...: -                           ▄▓ █▓
      ▓█ ▀▀▀ ▀                                                    ▀ ▀▀▀ █▓
      ▓▓██████     ▄▄▄▓▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█▄▄▄                         ▀██▓▒▄ ██████▓▓
            ▓█  ▄▓██▀            ▀▀▀▓▄▄▄             Info   ▐██▓▓ █▓
            ▓█ ▓▓██▌   Notes           ▀▀▀▓▄▄▄             ▄██▓▀  █▓
      ▓▓██████ ▀▓▓██▄                        ▀▀▀█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█▀▀▀     ██████▓▓
      ▓█ ▄▄▄ ▄                                                    ▄ ▄▄▄ █▓
      ▓█ ▓▀                                                          ▀▓ █▓
      ▓█ ▄       Languages : ENG GER IT                               ▄ █▓
      ▓█                                                                █▓
      ▓█                                                                █▓
      ▓█                                                                █▓
      ▓█ web:www.gametrailers.com/game/ghost-recon-future-soldier/12695 █▓
      ▓█                                                                █▓
      ▓█                                                                █▓
      ▓█ ▀                                                            ▀ █▓
      ▓█ ▓▄                                                          ▄▓ █▓
      ▓█ ▀▀▀ ▀                                                    ▀ ▀▀▀ █▓
      ▓▓████████████████                                ████████████████▓▓
                      ▓█           DNL - 2o12           █▓
                      ▓█ ▀                            ▀ █▓
                      ▓█ ▓▄    Knowledge is Power    ▄▓ █▓
                      ▓█ ▀▀▀ ▀                    ▀ ▀▀▀ █▓
                      ▓▓██████ ▄                ▄ ██████▓▓
                            ▓█ ▀▀              ▀▀ █▓
                            ▓▓██████ ▄    ▄ ██████▓▓
                                  ▓█ ▀▀  ▀▀ █▓
                                  ▓▓████████▓▓

Need.For.Speed.The.Run.Supercar.Pack.PAL.DLC.XBOX360-MoNGoLS
Forza.Motorsport.4.Porsche.Expansion.Pack.DLC.XBOX360-MoNGoLS
Extra cars for recent racing games.

Joy_Ride_Turbo_XBLA_XBOX360-XBLAplus
http://geek.pikimal....-to-the-player/

Sega.Vintage.Collection.Monster.World.XBLA.XBOX360-MoNGoLS
A collection of the wonder boy and monster world titles including the first official translation of Monster World 4 (although a nice English translation has existed for quite a while http://www.romhackin...nslations/1276/ ).
Sega_Vintage_Collection_Alex_Kidd_and_Co_XBLA_XBOX360-XBLAplus
Alex Kidd in Miracle World along with sega collection staples Super Hang-on and The Revenge of Shinobi.

Mushihimesama_JPN_XBOX360-Caravan
Region locked Japan only but Mushihimesama Futari (the sequel to the arcade game the 360 saw a port of back in 2009) was region free

Mushihimesama is the prequel to the quite well liked Mushihimesama Futari (which as mentioned has a nice region free port for the 360)

There is also a limited edition, it looks like it might be a 1.5 version of this game.

Play Asia words
http://www.play-asia...en-70-4kew.html

Mushihime-sama takes place in a world covered by sand. Here, massive six legged creatures roam the earth, and are respected as the forest gods.

Princess Leko has been unafraid of these gods ever since she was a child, because a mysterious boy gave her a bracelet that allows her to understand the feelings of the insects. However, there is something he, and the rest of her people kept from her.

The bracelet is only given to girls chosen as living sacrifices to the gods. And when an epidemic strikes her home town, she is sent to the forest, perhaps for the last time. Intricately beautiful, but exceptionally challenging, Mushihimesama is now in HD. The new game comes with a HD Mode, a Beginners Mode and an Arrange Mode.

Video
http://www.youtube.c...?&v=eS7PLhq7RQg
Boxart

NFO

         ░░░░░    ░░░░░     ░░      ░░░░      ░░░░    ░░░░░      ░░░░░
       ░░░▓█▓░  ░░░▓█▓░   ░░▓░    ░░░▓█▓░   ░░▓█▓░  ░░░▓█▓░   ░░░░▓█▓░
     ░░▓▓███▓░░░░▓███▓░░░▓███▓░░░░░▓███▓░░░░░▓██▓░░░░▓███▓░░░░░░░▓██▓░
    ░░▓██▓░░░░░▓██▓██▓░░▓██▓██▓░░▓██▓██▓░░▓█▓░██▓░░▓██▓██▓░▓▓▓░░░▓██▓░
    ░▓██▓░░░░░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓███▓░▓██▓░
    ░▓██▓░░░░░▓██▓███▓░▓██▓██▓░░▓██▓███▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓███▓░▓██░█▓▓██▓░
    ░▓██▓░░░░░▓███░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓███░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓███░██▓░▓██░██░██▓░
    ░▓██▓▓██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░█░██▓░
    ░▓██▓██▓░░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░████▓░
    ░▓███▓░░ ░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓██▓░░▓██▓░██▓░▓██▓░▓██▓░░
    ░▓█▓░░   ░▓█▓░▓██▓░▓█▓░▓██▓░▓█▓░▓██▓░░▓▓█▓░░░░▓█▓░▓██▓░▓█▓░░░▓▓░░
    ░░▓░░     ░▓░░▓██▓░░▓░░▓██▓░░▓░░▓██▓░░▓░░░   ░░▓░░▓██▓░▓█▓░░░░░
    ░░░        ░ ░░▓█▓░ ░ ░░▓█▓░ ░░░░▓█▓░░░░      ░░░░░▓█▓░ ▓░░░
                ░░░     ░░░░      ░░░              ░░░░
                    ░▒░                    ░
  C a r a v a n      ███░  ░▒█████▒     ░▓███▓        P R E S E N T S
                    ▒███████▒ ░  ▒███▒▓███▒
                 ░▒██▓░▓██░ ░████▒ ▓█████░        ░░▒▒▓█████░
               ████▒▒▒▓███▒  ░████▒ ▒█▒░▒███▓░█████████▓▒▒░
            ▒██░ ▒███▒ ▓██        ▒██▒▒████████▓▒░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░
           ░██░  █████░▒███▒░   ░█████████████████▓▓▓▓▓▓▓████████▒
            ██░   ░▒░  ██▒░████████▒░███████████▓▓▒▒▒░
        ███████▒░   ░▒██████▒░▒█████████▒    ░░░░░▒▒▒███████▒▒▒
           ░███▓████████▓░ ░▓████▒░░░░▒████▒               ░▒██▒
           ▓█▒  ▒▒▒████████▓▒▒░░░░░░░▒███████▒
           ████████░███▒░░░░░░░░░░░░▒██████████░          ▒███▓
          ▒███████████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒█████████████░       ▒██▒ ▒██░
       ▒███████▒█░ ███▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒███████████████▓      ▒██    ░██       ░▓██▓░
     ▒██▒░███░▒█▒  ███▒▒▒▒▒▒▓████████████████████░     ██▒    ▒█▌    ░████
  ▒██▒  ███░░██▒   ▒████████████████████████▒░███░     ▓█▒    ██░  ░███▒
 ▐█▒  ▒██▓ ▒██▒    ░██████████████████████▒░░▒███░     ▒██▌  ▒█▓ ░███▒
    ░███░░███░      ▓███████████████████▒░░░░███▓       ▒██░▓█▒▒███▓
   ▓███ ░██▓        ░████████████████▒░░░░░░▓███▓        ░███████▒
  ▐██▒ ▓██░          ░████████▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░██████░      ░███░
   ▒  ███░            ░██▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒███████▓    ░███▒
     ███▒               ▓██▒░░░░░░░░░░▒▓████████████▓███▒
    ▐██▒                  ▓████████████████▓░       ░░
     ░░                      ░▓█████▒▒░

  ┌░■▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀    ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀    ▀▀▀  ▀▀ ▀ ■
  ││▌                ░░░░▒▒▒▒▓  RELEASE iNFO  ▓▒▒▒▒░░░░
  └░■▄▄▄ ▄▄▄   ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄     ▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄ ▄ ■
   ░░░
  ┌▒▒▒    GAME - Mushihimesama_JPN_XBOX360-Caravan
  │▓▓
  │▓             SUPPLiER..: Caravan
  │▌             RiPPER....: Caravan
  │▌             PACKAGER..: Caravan
  │▌             FiLENAME..: cvn-mhs
  │▌             GENRE.....: Shooting
  │▌             SiZE......: 74 x 100MB
  │▌             ORiGiN....: JPN/NTSC
  │▌             REGION....: NTSC/J
  │▌             iMAGE.....: ISO
  │▌             SOURCE....: DVD9
  │▌             PLATFORM..: XBOX360
  │▌             RLS DATE..: 2012/05/22
  │▓             SHOP DATE.: 2012/05/24
  │▓▓
  └▒▒▒
   ░░░
  ┌░■▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀    ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀  ▀▀ ▀ ■
  ││▌                 ░░░░▒▒▒▒▓  GAME iNFO  ▓▒▒▒▒░░░░
  └░■▄▄▄ ▄▄▄   ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄    ▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄ ▄ ■
   ░░░
  ┌▒▒▒
  │▓▓        http://www.cave.co.j...60/mushihimehd/
  │▓
  │▌         Pre-patched with SS
  │▓         Stealth-patched with DMI and PFI
  │▓▓        enjoy ;)
  └▒▒▒
   ░░░
  ┌░■▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀    ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀  ▀▀ ▀ ■
  ││▌                   ░░░░▒▒▒▒▓  NOTES  ▓▒▒▒▒░░░░
  └░■▄▄▄ ▄▄▄   ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄    ▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄ ▄ ■
   ░░░
  ┌▒▒▒
  │▓▓       Caravan respect Takahashi Meijin. He is Champion.
  │▓
  │▌        He can push a button continuously no less than 16 times
  │▓
  │▓▓       in 1 second. It's sooooooooooooo great!!
  └▒▒▒
   ░░░
  ┌░■▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀    ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀  ▀▀ ▀ ■
  ││▌                 ░░░░▒▒▒▒▓  GREETiNGS  ▓▒▒▒▒░░░░
  └░■▄▄▄ ▄▄▄   ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄    ▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄ ▄ ■
   ░░░
  ┌▒▒▒       KALISTO , ECHELON , Project X , MODE7 , Rising Sun
  │▓▓
  │▓         JCT , eNRAGE , DOLMEXICA , KANiMOGE , GeNiuS , WjR
  │▌
  │▓         DMU , ARTiSAN , STARCUBE , Lightforce , USA , MUPS
  │▓▓
  └▒▒▒                        and All Friends.
   ░░░
  ┌░■▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀    ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀  ▀▀ ▀ ■
  ││▌                   ░░░░▒▒▒▒▓  NOTES  ▓▒▒▒▒░░░░
  └░■▄▄▄ ▄▄▄   ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄    ▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄ ▄ ■
   ░░░
  ┌▒▒▒
  │▓▓       * Yours is mine, and mine is mine too.
  │▓
  │▌        * Let's carry out doing a game by 1 hour per day.
  │▓
  │▓▓       * A good child need to play outside.
  └▒▒▒
   ░░░
  ┌░■▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀    ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀  ▀▀ ▀ ■
  ││▌                ░░░░▒▒▒▒▓ ALWAYS REMEMBER ▓▒▒▒▒░░░░
  └░■▄▄▄ ▄▄▄   ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄    ▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄ ▄ ■
   ░░░
  ┌▒▒▒
  │▓▓
  │▓
  │▌                  If you like it, BUY THE ORIGINAL!
  │▓
  │▓▓
  └▒▒▒
  ┌░░░
  └░■▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄ [caravan87@gmail.com] ▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ [nfo/ Ne_KokimU]+ ▄▄ ▄ ■

         ░██████▒                                                         ░█░
      ░▐███▓░ ░██▒                                  C a r a v a n        ░█▓
    ░▐███▓░    ░██                                                      ░█▒
   ░███▓░         ░▄█████▒░██ ░██▒░▄█████▒░██▓  ░▐█░▄█████▒░██░▄███▒   ░██▒
  ░███▓░         ░▐█▓░ ░█  ░█░██▓░▐█▓░ ░█  ░█▓ ░▐█░▐█▓░ ░█  ░▐█▓ ░██▒  ░██▒
  ░██▓░         ░▐█▓░  ░█▓ ░██▓ ░▐█▓░  ░█▓ ░█▓░▐█░▐█▓░  ░█▓░▐█▓░  ░█▓ ░██▒
 ░▐██▓░         ░█▓░  ░██▓░██▓░ ░█▓░  ░██▓ ░█░█▓ ░█▓░  ░██▓▐█▓░  ░██▓ ░██▒
 ░▐██▓░       ░█████▓ ░█░██░█▓░ ░███  ░█░██░██▓  ░████ ░█░██▓░ ░▄██▒▓ ░█▒
  ░▐██▄░    ░████▓  ░███▓░  ░████▓ ░█████▓░  ░████▓░ ░████▓ ░████▓░ ░██▒
    ▓████████▓░░░      █████▓░░░       ▓█████▓░░░       ▓███▓░░▓████▓░░

      since 2002                                last updated 2004.01.19

GBAtemp's book game club is go for the 53rd edition.

As ever a short series overview for those just joining us. For this series out main focuses are the large libraries of GBA, DS and Wii leaked prototypes, commerical releases, homebrew and ROM hacks with the occasional dabble in things that can be emulated on the DS.
Although top rated games are certainly not excluded making a best games for the given console is not what we are aiming for around here as there is quite a bit that fell short of true greatness but displayed some innovation and as such is worth having seen.
Selection will for the most part be games that are worth seeing but occasionally additional criteria like budget releases, only released to a given region, pose a challenge/run (the less lazy version of achievements) or do a compare and contrast for a group of related titles.

#53- Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (DS)

Valkyrie Profile is a franchise that extends back to the PS1 and it joins the ranks of Dragon Quest in having a "numbered" release on the DS where previous entries were built for the home console or PC. Much like the other games from developer Tri Ace games the idea seems to be heavily tweak a traditional battle system (usually towards a more active/real time thing) and allow for quite a deep system with the system as seen in tactics titles getting the honour for this one (maybe not the tactics equivalent of the mario RPG take on battles but not far off).
Also much like other games from Tri Ace the story setup is quite nice (in this case their usual somewhat bizzare sci fi setting being eschewed for a gaming style reimagining of Norse mythology) but possibly falls short in execution. It does however feature some branching paths which is not that common in handheld titles and the difficulty curve is noted for being quite unforgiving.

Battle footage from the game

GBAtemp release thread

Another of Tri Ace's great great games or one of the ones that fell short?

gbagotw should get you other links in this series

Floating around the internet reading random news stories I saw the term hardcore used once more in an article pertaining to games however it went one step further and subdivided again which I found odd. For the more part I side with those that despise the term and all it does not represent (seriously nobody has ever managed to define it well enough to get anything even close to a consensus and I have not even seen one I can even partially agree with*). However I did decide to think about it and although I am inclined to treat all that has come before as so much alchemy (basis for something good but largely ignored with a few things picked out at a later date) there might be something to it.

*I do not even want to try reconciling it with terms like hardcore applied to other entertainment fields (take a moment and try to think how things have been applied to art, music, films, TV, board games and then try to reconcile those and a handful of the options available for games).

Now the idea underpinning what I am pondering goes back damn near 100 years although it was a bit later that it came to the fore for the sorts of things I am presently pondering. Various people tried various things but for the most part history recognises Edward Bernays, it was a fascinating story and although it gets a bit dark at times I highly suggest Adam Curtis' The Century Of The Self as it covers a lot of it.


For those that want a summary in short one Mr Bernays (nephew to psychology luminary Sigmund Freud although most now consider his actual stuff not so good and for good reason) applied some of the techniques of and observations from the then nascent field of psychoanalysis to advertising which led to him making a packet, becoming very influential as it was great for selling a lot of stuff for a while at least. The even shorter version of this that is redefined demographics (the process of subdividing groups of people according to various things) to something closer matching psychology than previous techniques which tended to focus on age, sex, race, income and such and it worked spectacularly.

Now I do not doubt there are some consultants making a fortune doing similar things and in some ways the groundwork is already there (see stuff like metrics for games with an online component) and the increase of the use of psychology in the process of making games however such techniques are well known to be used in other fields and data broken down according to them can reasonably be found by members of the public and especially trade press and the trade itself. However with a few minor exceptions (stuff like educational games, training/serious games, ARG type games and similar things but despite some thematic overlap that is not quite where I am heading for) I have yet to see any real attempts to create demographics beyond age, sex, race and maybe location none of which are that useful. As genres become ever less defined (no bad thing) I have to wonder if it is worth exploring such a concept... my first thoughts are not necessarily towards demographics but perhaps more towards labels that get applies to films and music with stuff like a "feel good" game, "inspiring" game or "thought provoking" or something else from a film poster that I usually ignore.

Personally I am up for an experiment so I am going to try working it into things I do to see if it works. The only real downsides I can see right now is that there is a bit of residual defensiveness and apologist mindset at play (something I would posit explains a lot of the attitude regarding certain figures and news) but that is a different matter for a different musing.