Game tie-in leads to devilishly good ramen

ONLY IN JAPAN

10th anniversary of "Tokyo Majin Gakuen" game series commemorated with special ramen

Tokyo's Harajuku district is typically known for the unique fashion sense of its so-called Harajuku girls (just ask singer and Harajuku fan Gwen Stefani). But for the next month or so, Harajuku will also be laying claim to a strange, edible concoction known as Majin Ramen, which translates to "Devil or Demon Noodles." Mmmmm.

The devilishly intruiging ramen is part of a promotion by video game developer Marvelous Entertainment, which is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Tokyo Majin Gakuen (i.e. Tokyo Demon School) series of games. As part of the celebration, Harajuku ramen shop Kanshin (at least I hope that's how you read 韓辛, which sounds like a play on the Japanese word for admiration but uses the characters for "Korea" and "spice" instead) will be serving up the unique Demon Noodles from July 19 all the way to August 21 for about $9.25. Apparently, the director of the games is a bonafide ramen nut. Diners will also be served with a special Tokyo Majin Gakuen placemat as they say their prayers before their meal. No word on whether the dish will come with a tall, cool glass of holy water.

In a testament of just how insanely dedicated some Japanese devotees can be, 20 fans were lined up before the store opened on the first day that the Demon Noodles were offered. Some even came from as far as Shizuoka (about 90 miles away) and Nagoya (about 160 miles away), according to a writer for Japanese gaming site Impress Game Watch (the devil made them do it!). A whiteboard is also displayed on the store so fans can share their thoughts, I guess, about what could possibly possess them to journey for miles upon miles and line up for Demon Noodles.

According to the same aforementioned writer, the Majin Ramen sports a mild miso flavor despite its spicy appearance and should be well-received by the ladies (just in case you want to scare one up with your otaku devotion). The dish is also topped with a piece of chashu pork that's branded with one of the game's characters, Horaiji Kyoichi. The branding apparently isn't just for appearance as the burned mark also gives the ramen an oh-so appetizing scent.

Anywho, if you're gonna be in Tokyo sometime between now and Aug. 21 and really want to try out these special noodles, you can find hell, er, Kanshin inside the food court at the second floor of SoLaDo Harajuku. Can't make it until after Aug. 21? Then you can console yourself by getting a copy of the DS version of Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho, which will be released on, hey, Aug. 21! At current exchange rates, the normal version of the game will cost about $48.50 while the limited edition will burn a hole in your wallet to the tune of about $72. And no, I've never played any games from this series so my knowledge of the game is just like the ramen scene in the city I live in -- that is, non-existent (much to my dismay). But I am posting screenshot from Game Watch below.


UPDATE: Upon further digging around, I can now confidently say that the ramen shop is indeed named Kanshin. It also turns out that the restaurant serves not just ramen but also bibimbab, which makes looking at the fried egg and rice right here on my work desk make me feel anything but "kanshin" right now. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Restaurant stalkers can also call Kanshin at 03-3403-2939.

The Roundup: July 20

A quick peek at games to be released very, very soon


THE BIG ONE: SOUL CALIBUR 4
By: Namco Bandai
Platform: PS3/Xbox 360
Genre: Fighting
Price: $59.99, $79.99 for Limited Edition
Release: July 29

One of the most anticipated games of the year, Soul Calibur 4 is the latest installment of Namco Bandai's weapon-based fighting game. One particular source of excitement for this iteration of Soul Calibur are the guest characters from Star Wars: Playstation 3 gets Sith powerhouse Darth Vader while Xbox 360 gets its matching green Jedi warrior Master Yoda. Both versions will also have Darth Vader's apprentice as a playable character. The Limited Edition comes with a metal case, art book, tournament bracket card and XL T-shirt. Click on the clip below to view it in action.




Now on to the other previews for this week. First up is Spectral Force 3, just one of several RPGs to be coming out this week...



SPECTRAL FORCE 3
By: Atlus
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Strategy RPG
Price: $59.99
Release: July 29

Get hooked in the Great Neverland War (Get it? Hooked? Neverland? Um, never mind) in the first Japanese-style strategy RPG for the 360. The game features more than 50 hours of gameplay spanning more than 150 missions. You can also recruit as many as 40 characters into your mercenary group, though I doubt any one of them is named Peter Pan.



MLB POWER PROS 2008
By: Konami/Take 2 Interactive
Platform: Wii
Genre: Sports
Price: $39.99
Release: July 28

Big-headed baseball returns to the Wii in the latest localization of the popular Japanese Power Pro series. The game sports real Major League teams and players, albeit in shrunken, cutesy form.



IZUNA 2: THE UNEMPLOYED NINJA RETURNS
By: Atlus
Platform: DS
Genre: RPG
Price: $29.99
Release: July 22

Izuna is back and jobless yet again in this wacky role-playing series for Nintendo's handheld. This game should fit the bill for folks pining for old Super Nintendo-style RPGs.



FINAL FANTASY IV
By: Square Enix
Platform: DS
Genre: RPG
Price: $39.99
Release: July 21

Now this brings back memories. Final Fantasy IV (or II when it first came out in the U.S.) is a complete remake of the Super NES classic for the DS. Just like Final Fantasy III before it, Squeenix went the extra mile and re-did the whole game with new 3D graphics and cut-scenes as opposed to just a straight port (they better for that price). That sound you hear are Final Fantasy fans squealing for joy.

Preview: 'Fate/unlimited codes' for PS2

Capcom adds some fighting punch to popular "Fate" series.

KEEP THE FATE: Importers itching for some good, old one-on-one fighting with an anime-ish twist may want to keep tabs on "Fate/unlimited codes" for the Playstation 2. I've never had a chance to check out the original "Fate" game -- "Fate/stay night" -- as dating sims aren't exactly my cup of tea (and from what I've heard, the original FSN game had some risque elements to boot). But I have watched the anime adaptation of the "Fate" story that was shown in Japanese TV and liked it quite a bit.


Unlike the FSN game, "Fate/unlimited codes" is a straight up fighting game. It also happens to have a great pedigree -- the game was developed by Capcom, the same company behind the stellar Street Fighter series. Hopefully, that means the characters should be pretty well-balanced and players shouldn't have to worry about overpowered characters. Originally released in Japanese arcades this June, one would think a PS3 version of "Fate/unlimited codes" should make more sense from a technical standpoint. But developers probably believe that releasing the game on PS2 would make more financial sense.


The PS2 version is slated for release in Japan this Dec. 18 and will come in two flavors. The regular edition will retail for 7,340 yen, which is a little over $68. The game will also have a limited edition version that comes with a special figurine of "Fate" protagonist Saber. According to statements released to Japanese publications such as Dengeki and Game Watch, the white "Saber Lily" figurine is a new design by the original "Fate" producer, who decided to come up with a new armor design for Saber during some "idle chatter." While Saber's original blue-and-silver armor has a more "kingly" source of inspiration, the "Saber Lily" getup has more of a princess-like feel, the designer said. (A princess that could kick butt, that is.) The price for getting the limited game/figurine bundle? 10,490 yen -- or about $98. Even with that price, I have a feeling the game will still sell out among Japan's rabid otaku. Folks interested to get the game stateside may want to check with importers such as National Console Support or Play-Asia.

Sega Unleashes a New Sonic

Hey, who dropped a werewolf in my Sonic?

BARK AT THE MOON: Sega's blue hedgehog is getting lots of buzz for his latest howler of a game both East and West. That would be Sonic World Adventure in Japan, a.k.a. Sonic Unleashed here stateside.


One reason for the buzz is how the speed sections of the game harken back to old-school Sonic games by combining 3D sections with 2D-style gaming at certain points. Looking at the preview video of these sections should be enough to make the hearts of Sonic fans flutter at the speed of sound, as this is exactly what they have been clamoring for ever since Sega moved the Blue Blur to the 3D space, albeit with mixed success.


One aspect of the game that's a bit more controversial is its night mode, which sees Sonic transform into a not-so supersonic werewolf due to the hijinks of Dr. Eggman/Robotnik. Some fans -- leery of Sega's fumbling of 3D gaming for Sonic -- have voiced displeasure about this aspect of the game, with some griping that the slower night stages interrupts the speedy flow of the day sections and is characteristically "un-Sonic." I beg to differ a teeny bit. Anybody who's played the original Megadrive/Genesis version should remember that Sonic wasn't always about going full throttle speedwise. The original's underwater adventure sections had Sonic going even slower than "Werehog" Sonic, for example.


So as long as the night sections don't have the collision problems and technical glitches that served as unwanted speedbumps in previous 3D games, then I'm willing to give the Dynasty Warriors-style night sections a chance. Executed right, the night sections might even serve as a nice change of pace from the day sections. In short, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. For folks wondering when the game will be out, Sega is planning to release the game for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii this holiday season.

Hallelujah! PS2 Gundam 00 game dated

War. Hoo. What is it a-good for? Absolutely nothing ... except for more Gundam

PEACE DOESN'T SELL: Fans of the latest Gundam anime will have a chance to take control of their favorite war-hating warmonger later this year with the release of Kidousenshi Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters for the Playstation 2. How big a deal is this game? Big enough to get double exclamation points!! In the headline and subhed of Famitsu.com!! Cuz you can't type Japanese in all caps!! Why am I remembering Howard Dean all of a sudden!!??


Anywho, according to Famitsu, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: GM is a 3D action game that follows the first season of the hit anime. Take control of Stereotypical Gundam, Peeping Tom Gundam, Schizo Gundam and Fat Boy Slim Gundam while teaching the Earth's arms-racing fools a lesson. Besides featuring all the scenarios from the first season, the game will also feature plenty of original content to make fans squeal with joy. I don't know how much more of this excitement the fans can take, Gundammit! No price yet but the game is slated for an October release, just in time for the second season of the Gundam 00 anime.


All kidding aside, I actually quite enjoyed Gundam 00, and it's been a while since a Gundam series actually piqued my interest. Of course, that could all change depending on how this second season goes so I'm cautiously optimistic. In the meantime, one can only hope the game holds the same promise as the source material. Don't disappoint, Yukes!