New Arrivals - Games & Hardware
All the latest games, hardware, figures, merchandise, gaming magazines etc that have recently arrived in store are here. Use the filter below to select your console and narrow your search
All new arrivals. Use the menu to narrow your search.
PS2
A Bit Special
Title translates as ‘Lump Spirits’. Play as a pile of rubbish that builds up as you roll around the screen. As your proportion grows so does your potential to swallow up people, animals, buildings… Converserly the gaming area seems to shrink. Shamefully over looked for a Western release. Clinically insane, but in a good way.
PS2
Action
Ancient chanbara title set in feudal Japan with lovely period setting cut scenes adding to the atmosphere. Includes a few mini games to boost your stats such as gambling away on the dice. Plenty of weapons to choose from; some looking more at home in the garden shed, but adding to the variety nevertheless. Battles are jammed with speed lines and the fleeting effect screen when the fatal blow is struck does justice to the samurai’s honour – even in death.
Sega Saturn
RPG
Smart rendered graphics in this self-proclaimed romantic RPG.
Wii
Action
Gets right under your skin from the off as the sense of foreboding grows with each new assailant from the legions of the undead. The detail is a little too much at times. The Wii remote is used to excellent effect – a steady trigger hand is a must to progress – especially when dealing with a zombie hostage situation. As is an eye for the odd exploding barrel to save valuable ammo. Using the knife is also realistic thanks to the Wii’s control. Successfully completing the game unlocks Ada from the PS2 version.
Nintendo Hardware
A Bit Special
Also known as Wii Play, the bundle features nine various games to ground you in the skills required to play the console to its full potential. Nintendo takes you by the hand through a Duck Shoot style blast, a round of ping pong, a rack of pool – mimicking the cue action, a race with a herd of cows, a spot of fishing and a game of air hockey amongst others. All good, clean fun and an excellent starter title.
Gamecube
Shoot Em Up
Tweaks the successful Dreamcast incarnation to add a few extras but the core play mechanics remain as pure as ever and the tate mode remains intact. As do the Arcade and Challenge modes, but the GameCube mode is most welcomed with a demo of the level section that can then be played in slow or normal speeds. The main catch to this full on blast is the selection of vessel weapon colour: be it black or white. Enemy ships are either one colour or the other and the score is doubled for taking them out with the opposite coloured projectile. Further score incentive is offered in the multiplier that increases for shooting ships of the same colour in sequence. Yet your own vessel is invincible to bullets of the same colour making for some tactical thought. In fact taking on bullets of the same colour is required to charge the only power up in the vessel’s supergun. Its quite unusual in that respect but there are no other power ups in a bold and refreshing move. Two player mode gives some welcomed respite and high scores can be clocked up with some well worked teamwork. Five chapters may not sound like many, but only the dedicated shmup fan will see the credits roll.
Playstation
Rhythm
Sony’s answer to Samba De Amigo with high tempo soundtrack (including of course Tubthumping) but instead of using maracas, players attach sensors to their wrists and ankles. The player then follows the martial moves of their on screen persona gaining points for successfully landing a kick or punch at the correct time. There is also a visual reward for landing the moves on time such as being able to see a fireball travel across the screen. Done with intent the techniques give a good work out and the graphics are nicely done set in stereotypical Chinese situations. Rumours are there’s an unlockable Lupin song in there too for when you’re Chumbawhamba-ed out.
PS2
A Bit Special
Based on the Japanese TV show, you must play a mysterious super hero whose identity remains a secret and battle aliens in a manner that keeps the shows ratings on the up. Fun and fresh with plenty of lycra and some very imaginative scenarios around town.
PS2
Sports
Includes the latest data from the J League along with updated South American and European teams. A new feature is the career mode that allows players to pick a footballer and follow their progress all the way to glory in the European Cup or a tough life in the Conference getting clattered every challenge.
Dreamcast
Simulation
Spend a week with the girls of Pandora’s Dream: a beautifully animated adventure set in the height of the muggy Japanese summer.
Sega Saturn
Sports
Based on the two Japanese leagues (Pacific and Central), this update of the popular Greatest Nine series utilises polygon players to add to the swish looking stadia. Worth a look for the baseball fan and a bargain, brand new addition to the Saturn collector.
Dreamcast
Sports
Simulates the ups and downs of life at a baseball club. You’ll need the eyes of a Fukuoka Hawk, the ferocity of the Chunichi Dragon, the backbone of a Hanshin Tiger and to be as coy as a Hiroshima Carp to succeed. Comes with online capabilities, unfortunately the servers are no longer there though.
PS2
Action
Massive battles and ginormous towering mecha that dwarf certain robots make this a must for the Macross or Gundam fan. Expertly executed gaming world with devastating weaponry to help rip it up. Vast variety of mecha and missions with some unlockable make this a titanium top tip for the import enthusiast.
PS2
Simulation
The series that takes mecha fans into a dream stratosphere where hulking beasts of machines battle for supremacy of the skies with ginormous laser blasts leaving tracers in the darkened outer space skies and over the top emotional avatars screaming in response. Truly big in Japan.
PS2
A Bit Special
More of the madcap mayhem that made the prequel such a popular title with plenty of bizarre inhabitants as the giant ball engulfs all that it can rolling around Japanese towns all wondrously realised in the games unique style. Not just towns though – a school, ski resort, even the bottom of a lake keep things fresh and innovative. Tactical additions to gameplay such as having to race your katamari or having to become a giant fireball through collecting wood and rubber. Known in English as We Love Katamari.
Playstation
Sports
Pound the streets and the beaches of Waikiki and surrounds in this jogging simulator which tells you how many calories you’ve burnt up. Also has a time attack mode for when you’re feeling particularly fit and healthy.
PSP
One on One Beat Em Up
With a mighty cast of around seventy characters and over fifty of those playable, there’s certainly plenty to get your teeth and fists into in this latest instalment of the chic, cel shaded combat extravaganza. Looks can indeed kill and the in game action has the feel of the anime – a definite thumbs up.
Playstation
Rhythm
Compatible with the Dance Dance Revolution controller, this Mini Moni themed rhythm title allows you to work on your para para step to the all-girl, J-Pop band’s back catalogue. There is also a mini game mode for when feeling fatigued keeping up to the spritely tunes.
Wii
Action
Think of an air based Micro Machines and you’ll hopefully be on the way to imagining Petit Copters world. Yet instead of racing players must manoeuvre objects around the oversized gaming interior of a house using suction cups and from time to time unleash the odd missile to complete the challenging tasks. Very fresh and well thought out.
Playstation
Rhythm
Sony’s answer to Samba De Amigo with high tempo soundtrack (including of course Tubthumping) but instead of using maracas, players attach sensors to their wrists and ankles. The player then follows the martial moves of their on screen persona gaining points for successfully landing a kick or punch at the correct time. There is also a visual reward for landing the moves on time such as being able to see a fireball travel across the screen. Done with intent the techniques give a good work out and the graphics are nicely done set in stereotypical Chinese situations. Includes a two player mode where on screen adversaries swarm in for the kill and they are dispatched with a deft flick of the wrist.
PS2
Rhythm
Enjoy some J Pop rock classics in this rhythm action game complete with foot controller to control the drummer of the band. Although they are cover versions the game features an impressive list of bands: ZARD, B’z, Ayumi Hamasaki, Aiko, Globe, Hide, and Mai Kuraki amongst other equally illustrious artists. Fun and full of funky toe tapping tunes.