NinJaSistah here, back from assignment [almost] and while I have still have some wounds mending, I do have some news out there for you portable gamers out there that happen to be musicians at the same time: KORG DS-10 starts shipping next month.

Get your money ready.

Now, I'm not a musician, I just play one in my living room [thanks Harmonix :)] but I do appreciate electronic hardware and software a great deal, so when I saw that youtube video of that Japanese DJ piecing together a track using the DS synth emulator I was taken aback.

It really looks like the KORG hardware in software form. And while I can only follow along with the screens and info from the KORG DS site [click the image above] I can tell that this "game" was a labor of love. KORG DS-10 is a music creation program that isn't for the faint of heart. You should probably know exactly what is it is that you want to do or at least have an idea of where you want to get to before you pick up this title. All of the sound sources in the game come directly from KORG, and the DS’s touch-screen controls are great. There is no rewarding way to pull this kind of title off on any of the existing single screen portable game systems currently.

KORG DS-10 is a 6-track/16-step sequencer and gives the user/player a ridiculous level of control over what he or she creates musically. It even has multilink capability to allow up to eight units can play together or to even exchange sounds and songs via wireless connection.

KORG DS-10 will set you back about $39.99 and will get a hands-on review shortly.

Finish What You Start...

The start of the week brings another new episode of the ESH podcast, and this week we learn that caffeine and sugar do not sit too awful well with the sistahs.

This is especially true if you add prescription drugs to the mix. poor Pandalicious and her messed up foot. But neither the pain nor giddiness of the two keeps them from chatting about Spore:Creatures on the DS Lite, RockBand 2 co-operative play on da interwebs, and how the lack of XBox Live can drive lonely ninjas nutzoid.

If you want to get the gist of what the episode is about, check out the titles we didn't use for this one:

• Bomb Ash Is Not Bomb Ass
• There's Always a "Why?" At the End of Sex
• I Am What I Bee
• Double-Stuf Oreos -- That's the Team I Bat For
• The Legend of the Three-Tiered Easy Bake Cake
• The Love Toilet: Our Worst Tangent Ever
• EA Makes Me Want to Use Three Condoms
• Panda's Wielding the Stick of Righeousness
• A Cramp Ruined My White Wedding
• Mentos: The Memory Taker
• and
• I Failed Chemistry, But I Remember Ionic and Covalent Bonds

So sit back and enjoy ESH podcast episode 114: I Said Finger Pluck. FINGER PLUCK!

Finish What You Start...

We’ve heard it was coming and the rumors proved to be true. Get ready to “Rock Out”! We’ve finally got a look at Guitar for the Nintendo DS.

Guitar Hero has been the talk of the gaming industry for a while now. Whether on the PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, or Nintendo Wii, Guitar Hero has allowed people to switch the rhythm from their feet, a la Dance Dance Revolution, to their hands. It’s, “hands down” (see what I did there with word-play), the best rhythm-based game on the consoles and now it’s going portable.

Activision is bringing us Guitar Hero On Tour for the Nintendo DS and I couldn’t be more excited. Pictures of the attachment have been floating around the internet, but now we can actually see how’s it’s going to work. The following has got to be one of the funniest trailers I’ve ever seen, especially when the usage for the DS mic is demonstrated. This is definitely going to be a blast on the go.

Finish What You Start...

Squenix has a new RPG for the Nintendo DS dropping in April, and surprise surprise, it's not a Final Fantasy title.

Seriously, I'm not playing. Squenix can actually make a non-FF game, and on the DS to boot.

The game is called The World Ends With You and is from the creative minds behind Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts but is not Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts. Squenix wants you to know, trust, and believe this.

The World Ends With You is an action-RPG adventure set in modern-day Tokyo. Originally released in Japan as Subarashiki Kono Sekai, the games major influences are said to be based on the current trends in music, fashion, and design of Japan.

The story starts with the player taking over as Neku Sakuraba. Neku is a keep to myself, total non-social 15-year-old boy who one day wakes up to find himself in Shibuya [the shopping district of Tokyo, Japan] unexpectedly. Neku receives a text message warning him that he will cease to exist unless he accomplishes a certain mission. Without gaining a full grasp of what is going on, Neku proceeds through the streets of Shibuya carrying out the designated tasks. Most of the gameplay focuses on finding clues and battling the bad guys, which are called "Noise" in this game. Players can use Neku's mindreading abilities to hear people's thoughts by using the DS touch screen. The game feature lists includes:

• Distinctive modern art style created by a team of artists led by Tetsuya Nomura,
• Innovative Stride-Cross Battle System allows players to control two characters simultaneously, unleashing special attacks with the stylus
• The ability to collect a vast array of custom-designed pins, each with a powerful psychic ability that can be activated with the right touch or sound command
• Customize characters with Shibuya’s coolest fashions and exchange items with other players via Mingle Mode
• Experience an amazing soundtrack combining a fusion of musical influences from hip-hop to rock to electronica
• Battle with up to three friends in Tin Pin Slammer, an exciting and fast-paced mini-game, via local wireless connection.

If they weren't trying to pitch me so hard on how cool this game is, and how stylish it is, I might actually be interested in it. Well see what happens on April 22nd.

Finish What You Start...