As Siliconera points out today, the digital download of Rei Cho Aniki, via the Hong Kong version of the PlayStation Store, is selling the PSP game for $220 HKD (less than $30 USD). That's about half of what the retail version goes for at 6,040 yen plus import mark ups. Not a bad deal for such a niche shooter.

Setting up a new account for the Hong Kong PlayStation Store is a breeze. While I've personally done that portion of the process, I've yet to actually drop the cash. Siliconera says it can be done with any credit card—no PlayStation Store Ticket required.

This could be a good step in the right direction, bringing import-only titles that are likely never to see the light of day outside of Japan or the rest of Asia to a global audience. More digital downloads, please!

PlayStation Network Opens The Door For Downloadable PSP Imports [Siliconera]

Kind of hard to tell how good the figures look. As NCS points out, advertising brown things on a dark background is not a good idea, no matter how much outer glow you apply. Still, they are living, breathing SackBoy toys, and that's exactly what we wanted. Yum.

SackBoy Plushie Pre-Order Page [National Console Support]

Five bucks that rubber ducky enthusiast Phil Harrison's already put in for a gross. Friends and relatives should never again moan that I'm too hard to shop for, for this is all one would need to make bath time fun again. That and bubbles.

Uki Uki Chocobo [NCSX]

RELIVE THE BIRTH OF A PHENOMENON WITH FINAL FANTASY & FINAL FANTASY II

London (19th December 2007) - Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that FINAL FANTASY® and FINAL FANTASY II will both be released in the UK and across all PAL territories on 8th February, 2008 on the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system.

Experience the classic gameplay, captivating storylines and unforgettable characters that gave birth to the FINAL FANTASY phenomenon. Completely re-mastered exclusively for PSP, FINAL FANTASY and FINAL FANTASY II are the definitive versions of the epic games that established the biggest RPG brand in the world.

These new editions feature redrawn graphics and character art, exclusive all-new dungeons, full 16:9 widescreen visuals and an updated camera view that gives players a new perspective on these two timeless classics that defined the RPG genre.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, "FINAL FANTASY and FINAL FANTASY II represent the foundations of the Square Enix success story. They are the first two imaginative steps in the long and distinguished history of the FINAL FANTASY franchise. With these beautiful new versions, fans can now experience the origins of FINAL FANTASY wherever they go."

NCSX is currently soliciting the Nintendo DS game for $49.90 American. Obviously, this includes an English language option for easy American-style reading. In fact, it includes multiple language options, as European releases are wont to do. The game ships to our across the pond pals on September 13th, so don't sleep on this one.

Freshly Picked: Tingle's Rosey Rupeeland - Preorder [NCSX]

The childlike drawings of robots and crayons makes it sting that much more considering that (for now) the game has only been slated as a Japanese release, but methinks there will be some importing just to see what in the heck this new piece of plastic is all about. I've always found that when there's a chance that breaking something could be fun, people often take that chance. Kim Phu

Mag Kid DS Features Motion Sensing Peripheral [Portable Video Gamer]

Go! Go! for the Wii is a new game coming out in Japan where the toppling over dominos in various situations results in a wiimote victory. The game features six different stages, all with bizarre plots and ways to use the wiimote. Does it make a lot of sense? No. Will it be a totally engaging game? Perhaps not. But it looks like candy and I for one like shaking the wiimote uncontrollably to see if anything weird happens in each game before I play it.

Don't get me wrong, I love me some Super Paper Mario, but I would love to have a game like this to distribute the carpal tunnel evenly between both wrists. Kim Phu

'Go! Go! Becoming [minon]' [minon], it will help the person where the town is troubled! [Famitsu]

お馴染み海外版の同時収録も! [Famitsu, Thanks bpmΩ!]

Not only can you dress up your taiko drum, but you can also put (disgruntled) animals in them too. Secondary only to the fact that there is some kind of drumming-slash-Super Mario Bros gameplay going on with an underwater taiko drum.

My head is exploding and I'm going to talk like a Pikachu for the next two hours.Kim Phu

Taiko No Tatsujin DS en Images [Jeux France]

Oh, it's just a robot-ball with wheels getting its head sliced off and spilling out baby blue blood. That screenshot was part of a flash loading page off the game site, Mizuiro Blood, and is proof that Bandai has let their developers eat too many sugary snacks in between meals.

Even though it's a Japanese import game, as we all know one of the benefits of owning a Nintendo DS is that (come on, say it with me) it's region free, which means anyone who wants to pick it up from outside sources can in fact play it. After doing a little research, it seems that even though Muzuiro is categorized as "action" game, it mainly involves mini-games that you can play up to four players with.

Come this June, all you have to do is seek out something adorable and attack it. That's not too hard to understand. Kim Phu

Muzuiro Chang [Bandai]

National Console Support is now taking order for a trio of Animal Crossing mugs from Banpresto that just might fit the bill. Choose from KK Slider, Celeste and Blathers, or that son of a bitch Tom Nook to brighten up your day, for a very pleasing $8.75 each.

You know, I don't get a kickback from NCSX. I just want to enrich your life with more videogame branded crap! Enjoy! Michael McWhertor

Animal Crossing Ichiban Kuji - Mug [NCSX]

Play-Asia has announced that they've partnered with an American distributor to sell some sixty-odd Japanese popular "dating sims" with loads of adult content to eager (read: horny, shy and lonely) import gamers.

Make no mistake, this is pure porn gaming. It's less censored than its Japanese equivalent, so proceed at your own risk. But if you've ever wondered about the crazy, dirty world of Japanese hentai gaming, or needed more naked anime girls in sexy situations in your life, now's your chance. Michael McWhertor

Feeling lonely and bored? Play-Asia now features English translated Japanese Adult Dating Games [Play-Asia]

For those unfamiliar, Panel de Pon has come to the West as Tetris Attack for the Super Nintendo and Pokemon Puzzle League for the Nintendo 64. A Game Boy Advance cart featuring Puzzle League and Dr. Mario was released in 2005 as well.

The DS release looks to trump them all with stylus control, wi-fi multiplayer for four, and different puzzle themes. Oh God, I'm pre-ordering right now! Michael McWhertor

Panel De Pon DS [Impress Game Watch]

Thank goodness for Dan from Thebbps, who directed us to the Hori Dust and Nicotine Guard 3, available this April through Play-Asia. Several plastic pieces snap over your PS3 vents, filtering out dust and cigarette smoke while hopefully still letting the good air in and out. I love that the product is numbered, as if there were two before it that just didn't make the grade.

"Johnson, get in here! What is this? The Dust and Nicotine Guard 2? This is complete shit. Come back when you've got something to show me!"

Of course it is a Japanese product, and the Japanese don't have Johnsons.

Um.

Anyway, interesting product idea, though I'm not sure how much I care if my PS3 inhales a little second hand smoke. If only they made a version of this for my lungs. Michael Fahey

Protect your PS3 from getting smokers cough [bits, bytes, pixels & sprites]

With 16 chords to use at any time from a library of 120, users may strum out a song relatively easily if you're familiar with basic guitar playing. We were able to play the Main Riff I for "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman and "Torn" from Natalie Imbruglia this morning by following guitar tabs found on the web. In addition to its function as a guitar, the software also includes a library of 20 songs and a listening-then-repeating exercise."

"On the touch screen, a thick crop of vertical lines represent the guitar string. It's pasted against a black background so that the focus is the line itself. To play, strum the line with your touch pen or finger and you'll hear a twang. Change chords with the D-pad by moving it in the direction of the chords shown on the top screen and the tone of the twang changes every time you move the D-pad to another chord."

I'm not so sure about changing chords with the D-pad, but I'm loving the rest of this. Brian Crecente

Your DS Is Now A... Guitar? [GameSetWatch]

Filling the Void [Modojo, Thanks John!]

I've been hearing about Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! almost since the DS came out, and I've been meaning to pick it up for just as long. Procrastination is the name of the game, my simians.

Now I have no excuse, because Elite Beat Agents, the localized version of the rhythm game, is due out on Nov. 8th and it's not taking "maybe later" for an answer.

Some of the scenarios we've seen include a lost dog running back home, two girls fending for themselves on a deserted island and a babysitter trying to take care of a punk kid. Even though the cover art doesn't say it, Elite Beat Agents is rated E10 by the ESRB for cartoon violence, crude humor and suggestive themes.

Crude humor is the only type of humor I recognize. Eliza Gauger

Elite Beat Agents release date discovered [Siliconera]

Now he's taking that knowledge of Japanese and video games and finally doing something good with it. He's giving us impressions of the newly released DS game, Tingle's Freshly-Picked Rose-Colored Rupee Land.

If you thought the title was bizarre, you might not be prepared for the gameplay and the story. According to Kohler, Tingle's on a quest to get to Rupee Land where he'll gorge on food and spend time with tons of lovely ladies. Yeah, ladies. *cough*

There's a bizarre battle system and a bargaining calculator and all sorts of middle-aged fairy wackiness. Let's hope Nintendo of America brings this stateside so we can all get together in the desert, ingest copious amounts of hallucinogenic mushrooms, and sort out this whole Tingle thing. Michael McWhertor

Tingle's Rupee Land: First Impressions!

In a wild bid for "Worst Name for a Videogame Ever", Love Hamster is due on the Japanese DS scene on November 2nd.

Players can design six rooms for your hamster to run around in. You can also play dress up and teach your hamster words by speaking in the microphone.

There is currently no North American released planned, but if you really feel like your DS experience is incomplete without talking hamsters that throb and twitch like the freshly-extracted organs of your vanquished foes, I'm sure Bashy will be taking orders. Eliza Gauger

Love Hamster [Siliconera]