New Arrivals - Games & Hardware
All the latest games & hardware that has recently arrived in store. Use the filter below to select your console and narrow your search.
All new arrivals. Use the menu to narrow your search.
Sega Saturn
One on One Beat Em Up
Many believe this should have been released with the Saturn instead of the original version of Virtua Fighter. Yet the pressure of hardware release deadlines meant that the somewhat rushed VF came out first and this superior VF Remix a few months later. This is the original print run – identicle to the second print apart from having the ‘Special Limited Edition’ label on the front cover.
Sega Saturn
Simulation
The Sim series reached a crescendo here with Bullfrogs baby blending an accessible interface with incredible attention to detail. Genki struggles to consider the complexity of the algorithms that must be going on as every little tweak such as to the transport system seems to have a knock on effect. The appearance of Sonic ensures it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Famicom Cart
Platform
Happy days as the young dragon hunter delves deep into underground caverns to seek out dragons. Sadly this game is from an era when dragons couldn’t be tamed and as such some sharp steel must be used to prod them into line. Namco really hits its straps in such titles and delivers a fine gaming experience with aplomb.
Famicom Cart
RPG
Dragon Quest requires face-to-face encounters with spooky looking tree monsters and mean looking moles alongside chewing the cud with the local shopkeepers to glean essential info. The text is written in hiragana to give language learners plenty of chances to sample conversational Japanese, albeit in a video game. Also a tidy addition for the collectors with luscious box art. Known as Dragon Warrior IV.
Gamecube
Puzzle
Compilation of three of the finest puzzlers to come out of Kyoto: Dr. Mario, Yoshi’s Cookie and the lesser known Panel De Pon. Remixed soundtracks, crisp, easily distinguished graphics with nice, retro sound effects. Whilst most veteran gamers will be familiar with the other two, Panel De Pon is possibly the unsung hero of the collection with tiles being switched around to clear lines in time honoured tradition. Simple, yet deadly addictive.
Gamecube
Action
Superb update of the N64 version in which you battle robots but can also customise the main body, legs, gun, bomb and special weapon to last longer. Easy to see why this game was so popular in Japan with some light RPG elements to distract from the heavy metal fights. Quite collectable too on the format.
Gamecube
Shooter
Fox is unleashed to utilise his firepower on foot in this 3D blast. Or should that be on paw? Nintendo pace it well and the dramatic scenes have lashings of their triple A fairy dust. Plenty of interjections from General Pepper and Fox’s pals.
Gamecube
A Bit Special
Something rather special from the Big N: an evolutionary title leading the way as ever. The goal is to become the animal leader by evolving into a beast with the ability to take on and defeat the current leader. To do this you have to attack other animals of the right sort required – a successful assault will allow you to evolve up the evolutionary scale. Yet progress comes at the price of being a bigger fish, so to speak, and catching the eye of the other predators out there. Appropriate music and even purple blood add to the emotional involvement of protecting your animal. Beautifully designed gaming world made entirely of cubes adding to the surreal feel of this off beat Nintendo cracker.
Famicom Cart
Platform
The game has nice, solid sprites and slick anime cut scenes to reward the gamer for the tricky platform sections.
GameBoy Advance
Puzzle
Bumper pack for puzzle devotees with the Famicom classic Dr. Mario making a welcomed comeback. Viruses must be wiped out by aligning them with the correctly colour coded vitamin pill. Simple premise but it soon generates sweaty palm syndrome and prickly heat that even the good Doctor Mario would have trouble curing. Panel de Pon is from the crafters of Advance Wars and is also known as Puzzle League. In a similar vein, lines must be matched up but blocks can only be shifted horizontally. There are additional modes of play making this a deviously delightful package for the puzzle minded player. Just take Dr Mario’s advice and stop playing when you start seeing viruses and vitamins that aren’t there.
GameBoy Advance
RPG
Such a poignant part of the series it was released as a disk for the PS2 in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix Plus. The dream combi of Square Enix and Disney make for a fabulous RPG and the results look equally stunning on the small screen or on the GBA Player.
GameBoy Advance
Platform
In Genki’s humble opinion the GBA architecture feels like a souped up version of the Super Famicom. Maybe that’s why we feel so at home with its graphical style and the ability of programmers to squeeze every iota of performance out of the hardware is none more evident than this game. A superb gaming journey full of innovative turns in both gameplay and graphical terms. Rockman is a more appropriate name than Mega Man, due to the rock hard nature of the gameplay. Yet gamers of a certain vintage will recall when progress in a game was due to putting in the hard yards on its fast platform levels and learning the attack patterns and discovering the weaknesses of the bosses.
GameBoy Advance
Platform
Very tidy little romp with the usual higher level of experimentation as is often found in the Wario titles, opposed to the Mario variants. Great fun with plenty of unexpected twists and a high replay value with hidden areas to explore. Nintendo didn’t risk its more infamous license with its initial GBA release in the platforming series, but the Kyoto companys cards came up trumps anyway. Known in the West as Wario Land 4.
GameBoy Advance
Action
Update of the futuristic Super Famicom classic with jumps, power boosts and plenty of mad machines such as Hot Violet, Stingray and Crazy Horse making it a great gaming universe.
GameBoy Advance
Sports
A fine tribute to the Japanese school playground favourite with power moves and some very enjoyable backgrounds including a tribute to the Miyajima sea shrine. Pleasant player animation brings out the character of this Kunio inspired title.
Brilliant GameBoy Advance
Platform
Genki may often rant and rave about the performance of the GBA, but it is a special handheld in Genkis eye. Perhaps its our Game & Watch upbringing and love of the Super Famicom, but with such high class programming, attention to detail and lack of requirement to sell the hardware in terms of visual tricks makes for many a triple A release like Kirby here. Kirbys sheer versatility makes for varied action with his hammer attack and ability to tornado himself round the screen. Known as Hoshi no Kirby Yume no Izumi Deluxe in Japan.
PC Engine HU Card
Shoot Em Up
Vertically scrolling helicopter based blaster. Think 1941 with copters for planes. Taito once again showing its expertise in crafting very competent shooters. Also known as Kyukyoku Tiger.
PC Engine HU Card
Platform
Mightily impressive, mega mechs with multiple scrolling backgrounds delivering a titanium title for any Hu Card collection. The players robot can take to the skies along with being fitted with a weapon on each arm and a macerating machine gun mounted on the bulk. These stats can also be souped up through successfully progressing and where to improve becomes a critical issue with some mean, marauding bosses in wait.
PC Engine HU Card
Sports
Sequel in the no hold barred hit series. Improved game modes include the ‘Excite’ and ‘World Champion’ Series as well as the sixteen player ‘Super Tournament’ and ‘Elimination Match’.
PC Engine HU Card
Action
Absolute classic gameplay assures Bomber Man a place in the gaming hall of fame. Simple graphics suit the fast pace perfectly as later 3D attempts remonstrated. Multiplayer is where this comes into its own and the 93 version is well designed for five player frolics.
PC Engine HU Card
Shoot Em Up
Competent arcade blast with some very demanding tunnel sections and some clever parallax effects. Thankfully stabilisers can be collected to protect your ship from collisions within the confined spaces of the tunnels. Plenty of variety between levels with cityscape backgrounds before the space showdown.