We like ninjas. Ninjas are cool. But playing as ninjas that do nothing but kill kill kill can get pretty desensitizing sometimes. And that's where Ninja Ja Ja Maru-kun comes in. After running around on the NES, Sega Saturn, and the PS1, the violet-eyed, red-clad ninja is making the jump to the Nintendo DS.

Ninja Ja Ja Maru-kun: The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword is a sidescrolling run-and-jump game from developer Jaleco Entertainment. No word yet on how the gameplay works, but just from looking at the (itty-bitty) screens, we're getting quite pumped for this title. Sadly, there's also no information on whether or not this  title will be released outside Japan. But hey, we can always hope.

Check out the screens, guys.

   

Ninja Ja Ja Maru-Kun is a long-running successful series in Japan with releases on the NES, Sega Saturn and Playstation. Now the little ninja is heading to Nintendo's DS for a fresh new platforming adventure. Uniquely enough, the protagonist will not (only?) wield a sword, but a pen - the reason why the game's sub-title translates to "The pen is mightier than the sword".
Using different moves and items such as bombs and ninja stars, players embark on an old-school 2D platforming adventure, supported by the DS' control features and graphical power.

We have no idea if Ninja Jaja Maru-Kun will be released in North America or Europe at all, or stay with the series' tradition of being a Japan-only title - let's hope for a "Better late than never" approach...

(Thanks to Jonnyram over at GAF for the scans)

 

It's an oldie, but a goodie. For some reason, this interview for the new Gyakuten Saiban game, or what we'll come to know as Ace Attorney in English, never made any headlines. Maybe because the translation was so hard to find? Famitsu interviewed members of the team for the next game and the video is on YouTube as you can see above. However, it's in full Japanese so we have someone who's translated it all! Some pretty interesting stuff is found within. For example, did you know that they contemplated putting in a ninja as your sidekick? They changed it to a magician, but think of how cool a ninja would have been! Oh well, I guess it's better than putting in a pirate or the ninja community would be very upset...

The fourth game should be different enough from the other games. There will be a new cast of characters, so say goodbye to Phoenix Wright and Maya! We've yet to receive the second game of the series in North America and Japan is already getting a fourth! I can't wait. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was an awesome game. Click "Read" for the translated interview.

A new Japanese TV commercial for Pokemon Diamond/Pearl has popped up on the Internet. Although I couldn't understand a word of it, I gathered information by looking at the pictures like a true ninja.

In the video, several awesome features are shown. The first was a demonstration of weather effects. The player is seen romping around a snow-filled land with white flakes falling from the sky. Another important aspect that was highlighted was the ability to customize your Pokemon by placing decorations such as hats and flowers on them. A visual interpretation of the Wi-Fi feature was shown. But possibly the best thing I saw was the player walking around town at night - this could mean the incorporation of a day/night engine in the game, a feature left out of the series since Gold/Silver. I don't know about you guys, but I feel that a engine of that sort would add a lot to the game.

I can't wait to dawn my Pokemon hat once again and start catching them all like I did back in grade school!

NINJAS! THOUSANDS OF THEM!

Well, not really. However, Square Enix's official website for Mario Hoops 3-on-3 reveals that there will be a few new characters from the Final Fantasy series in the game and Ninja is one of them. Here's a full list of the characters that have been confirmed so far!

Character	Type	Special Skill
Mario	All-Around	Fire Shoot
Luigi	All-Around	Green Fire Shoot
Peach	Technique	Heart Shoot
Daisy	Technique	Flower Shoot
Yoshi	All-Around	"Straddle" Dunk
Wario	Power	"Doki Doki" Dunk
Waluigi	Technique	Screw Dunk
Donkey Kong	Power	Konga Dunk
Diddy Kong	Speed	Barrel Jet Shoot
Bowser Jr.	Speed	Graffiti Shoot
Bowser	Power	Bomber Dunk
Ninja	All-Around	"Hiding in Leaves"
White Mage	Technique	Holy
Black Mage	Tricky	Meteo
Moogle	Tricky	Moogle Dance
Cactuar	Tricky	Thousand Needles

Bowser, Ninja, White Mage, Black Mage, Moogle, and Cactuar are unlockable characters. Thank you to NeoGAF for the translations!

When the idea of the NinjaDS emerged, several Nintendo DS owners dubbed it as a fake, as a hoax. Well apparently, they were dead wrong...but still, who can blame them right? The NinjaDS, in case you have got no clue about it, aims to be an all-in-one NDS homebrew device that functions pretty much the same way as your average NDS/GBA flashcarts and adapters, allowing you to execute .nds files.

You may be thinking that it's just the same as other NDS dev products, but let me point out that unlike the others, the NinjaDS will function as a Passme/Passkey device and a SD card adapter. Plus, NinjaDS will not waste up your GBA slot, so you can still use it for a whole lot of other things that you please. It is a common belief that this one will be bundled with a ton of NDS software such as a built-in MP3 player, WiFi file transferring utility, and development-friendly software.

The good news is that Team Ninja (the guys responsible for the NinjaDS) announced that this contraption is production ready. They have released some pics of the NinjaDS that will pretty much resemble the end product. Its release is expected in the coming weeks so watch out for that. For now, feel free to marvel at some of its pics.

This week's Play-Asia Weekly Special is Tenchu: Dark Shadow. Tenchu Dark Shadow is supposed to be $50 but is going for $25 for another four days.

The game is about two ninjas who must protect a princess from assassins. You will use weapons and tools that would be realistic for a ninja. That is to say, this game is about stealth, not full-out action. The game also takes advantage of the Nintendo WiFi Connection. You will be able to buy and sell items online.

If you just can't wait for the English version coming out this August, then now is a good time as any to import!