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In an apparent effort to get gamers to play in the great outdoors, Konami has released it's latest GBA title: "Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand."
The Action/RPG title, designed by the creator of the Metal Gear series, requires players to expose their GBA unit to direct sunlight through a small solar sensor contained within the game cartridge. Sunlight both affects key events in the game and provides energy to the game's weapon, a pistol named the "Del Sol."

Boktai sells for about $35 USD, and is available for purchase.
Further information about the title can be found at Konami's Website.

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Go! Outside! Expose your pale skin to the glory of the sun... and... continue your gaming out there!
Or you can sit next to a window as you play.
At least it's been programmed to only "accept" real sunlight: Desklamps, flashlights, and such don't affect the sensor.

Anyway, I'm surprised the technology for the sensor is so compact and cheap enough to warrant mass production on a video game cartridge. And furthermore, the gimmick behind the game is unique. While the game can be played in the absence of sunlight, Konami notes that it becomes significantly harder since players must be conservative in use of their gun's stored energy.

Now THAT takes creativity.

Quote (Phoenix @ 4th February 2004 16:10)

Sunlight both affects key events in the game and provides energy to the game's weapon, a pistol named the "Del Sol."

Del is gonna have fun with that

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"I had to write four novels before they let me write comic books."
-Brad Meltzer

Quote (Dark Paladin @ 4th February 2004 21:37)

Now THAT takes creativity.

Quote (Phoenix @ 4th February 2004 16:10)

Sunlight both affects key events in the game and provides energy to the game's weapon, a pistol named the "Del Sol."

Del is gonna have fun with that

Too right, mate!

Quite a novel idea, but does it HAVE to be sunlight? we dont get much of that here...

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"Only the dead have seen the end of their quotes being misattributed to Plato."
-George Santayana

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here..."
-Abraham Lincoln, prior to the discovery of Irony.

You can use a black light as well. Fluorescents and halogens don't work, but UV lights do.

This post has been edited by Hanyou on 4th February 2004 22:28

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"My impersonation of an ordinary person was flawless." - Neal

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

How healthy is it for you to be sitting next to a black light for hours of gaming?
I mean, sunlight isn't healthy in large amounts because of ultraviolet light--isn't sitting right next to a blacklight exposing yourself to incredible amounts of UV light?

You know now that you mention that...I used to have a black light on in my old apartment for about a year, I wonder if that was a bad thing...

I played it before and did spend a good amount of time on my patio playing it, but I am a night owl and the sun isn't always there so the black light was my solution.

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"My impersonation of an ordinary person was flawless." - Neal

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

My brother has this game and uses a black light.

Will keep tumors and cancer that develops up to date.

Quote (FraudulentTommah @ 4th February 2004 11:05)

Will keep tumors and cancer that develops up to date.

Thx. I predict thread resurrection in forty to sixty years. ^_^

I dunno if I like this idea. A game that is semi-solar powered? I can see some major design flaw in the game... but on the bright side*, it's a very original idea.



*Bad pun intended

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Wow. 1,000 posts.

I miss you all now that I'm in boarding school! ;_;

So in the winter you're supposed to freeze your fingers off? Heh, in the summer I'd have no problem playing this at the pool. Well, reading is better anyway. Oh well.

It's a very interesting idea indeed, noooo doubt about it. If it's a popular game it'll probably be emulated with unlimited sunlight.

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FFXI (Siren server)
Tauu the Windurstian Tarutaru!
White Mage & Paladin

Haha, that's great. What happens on cloudy days? I thought kids were supposed to get exercise when it's sunny, not just for their fingers...and play games inside when it's cloudy and rainy!

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Hey, put the cellphone down for a while
In the night there is something wild
Can you hear it breathing?
And hey, put the laptop down for a while
In the night there is something wild
I feel it, it's leaving me

Right on, Neal. When a friend told me about this a few weeks ago he mentioned that a lot of kids will probably neglect their homework because they have to play before it gets dark... and then time for dinner... and then, well, I wanna go to sleep Mom .

Well, I guess it's fortunate that the black light works.

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Get me off this Disciplinary Committee so I can play any FF except for FF8!!!

It's a very original idea. Makes me wish I had a GBA.

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- Urza -
Oddities - "It should probably have some kind of slogan by now!"

I agree...it is a very original idea however I don't like the idea that I can't play at night...this is also a bad idea,since toward the end of the year it gets dark at around 5pm...and the whole black light thing gets on my nerves...however we have a copy of it in a crane machine type game in our arcade...I might take a couple of shots at winning it but I certainly won't pay $35 for this.

This post has been edited by Sephiroth on 1st April 2004 20:24

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Climhazzard is the timeless evil robot who runs some of the cool stuff at CoN (mostly logging chat, since there are no quizzes at the moment), all the while watching and waiting for his moment to take over the world. -Tiddles