Stephen Bailey takes you through the latest Japanese import releases every Sunday in our new feature.

The PSP allows you to play import games without having to solder toaster parts to it and hook it to a car battery. This ease of use surely deserves to be rewarded with a list of the import games of the week.

Gunpey-R

We may have had Gunpey on our PSPs for a while, but Japan is just getting their version of the puzzle music game. As previously reported, this is probably the version to get simply because of the sexy box cover. If the cover does sway you into purchasing it, know that the game has the style you'd expect from a Q Entertainment release and the gameplay consists of flipping lines to connect them to other lines (it's more exciting than it sounds). For the curious, the "R" stands for "rebirth". This makes sense since the whole Gunpey thing is nothing new in Japan.

Nobunaga no Yabou: Shouseiroku (Koei the Best)

This is the re-release of this game as a "Best" version, which in Japan just means the game sold well. That or they're re-releasing it to try and get it back on store shelves. This is a Koei history strategy game, so it's likely that it isn't a good import idea if you don't speak japanese. On the other hand, it never came out in english, so if you're hardcore or brave enough, import away.

And that's it for this week, but don't fall into a lack of import depression, we'll have more import games next week

The PSP version is the purest taste of Gunpey you're likely to receive anywhere. The skin collecting is addictive, and as long as you don't mind the brutal, linear, hours-long grind needed to collect them all, then this is probably the version most older gamers will go for. But if you're looking for a more full-featured game, with greater variety -- and don't mind the cartoony milieu of Gunpey DS -- then you will find this version not only a superior value, but a superior game.

Hope you're not too busy playing Lumines II and Every Extend Extra, because there's another Q? Entertainment puzzler coming out soon: it's Gunpey. It recently went gold, and IGN got access to some videos, and awesome MP3s from the game's kickin' soundtrack. Folks that are reading this on their PSP (via m.pspfanboy.com) may want to download the music files directly onto their systems:

Cigar and Desert
Dripped
Cool Lady

See also:
Downloadable music from Gunpey

I ran into Milky from 1UP a few times at DigitalLife, and during our video game musings, we discovered our mutual love of one thing... Lumines. The latest episode of The 1UP Show (PSP version also available) reveals some new footage and details from the upcoming music puzzler. The show reveals that J-Pop artist Mondo Grosso will headline the introductory track for the game, and it looks like a lot of fun. What isn't so fun are the new English language pop music video levels. The music doesn't mesh with the game, and the videos can be distracting, according to the Milkman. Interestingly, the graphics of this puzzle game have somehow become more beautiful. Gyuh? The rest of the episode goes to detail about the customization options in the new Lumines, and unlockables, and the new "harder" difficulty level.

If that wasn't enough Mizuguchi love for you, Gunpey is featured on the episode, and there's nothing but praise for the game. With stylish good looks, a rockin' soundtrack, and some addictive puzzle gameplay, it appears that Gunpey is where PSP owners will flock to get a new puzzler fix, if Lumines feels too familiar for them. Interestingly, the show reveals that both Lumines and Gunpey have been delayed in Japan to 2007, meaning American gamers will be able to enjoy these very quirky Japanese-centric games months before the land of the rising sun. And the reason? Because PSP has become so overshadowed by the DS. Lumines II arrives in stores November 7.