Ever since the launch of the DS, the handheld console has sparked off many new strange and wonderful titles which includes the famous “Brain Age” that anyone can enjoy. However, many other titles that also aim to give you a bit of training aid look like they’re going to remain Japan only such as the recent “Common Sense Training for Adults” or the “Talking DS Cooking Navi” software released back in summer. Now the Japanese can also try their hand at a bit of stock exchange using “Stock Exchange Trainer, Kabutore”, a new title from Hideo Kojima, the man behind the Metal Gear Solid and Boktai series!

Anyone can play this sim whether you know something or nothing at all about the constantly active world of stock exchange. Thus, when you first start up Kabutore it begins with five very short tutorials that teach you the basics using scenarios. The story begins with your childhood friend Nozomi who you haven’t seen for ten years. She suddenly calls you to accompany her to a net caf called “Kabuto”, somewhere she has never been before. A fortune teller told her that she’ll find her fortune there. It turns out to be a place where stock traders gathered to buy and sell stock through the internet There she learns about stock trading and fortunately her grandfather who has passed away, has left a large sum of money for her twentieth birthday to study stock trading with. As Nozomi’s friend, you learn about the stock exchange system yourself and help her make decisions in her investments.


Nozomi’s grandfather’s left her 3 million Yen to study stock trading.

Once you’ve finished the five basic tutorials, there are two main modes you can play which are “Story Mode” or “Expert Mode”. Aside from these, there is also a Market Surveillance mode where you can solve a few quiz questions and the Lecture mode that allows you to review the tutorials you went through.

Story mode, as the name suggests, has a number of scenarios you can watch take place while you make your way around a number of boards. You and three other AI players take turns rolling a dice to advance and carry out the instructions shown on the space you land on. After every several number of spaces, there is always fork leading to two different routes – one mostly full of good spaces and one of bad spaces. Generally these are little events that make you gain or lose a few thousand Yen but the impact on your overall funds isn’t that big. Others are rules you would expect from a board game such as an extra turn or miss a turn. Which route you end up taking depends on if you’ve successfully reached a certain amount of money or not.


Story Mode is part board game with a few cut scenes.
Once your path has been decided, there are also check points that you stop at to watch short cut scenes which again, depends on if you were successful in your goal or not. In between all this, you have one day to make as much money as you can at Kabuto after each turn.