A New Toy Would Like to Take Over Your Brain

UPDATE 5/01/2007: The movie was called Brainscan (how's that for a coincidence)

There was a movie from the 90's (or late 80's) that I've been looking for the name of all morning. In the movie, a teenager is engrossed with a video game with an artificial intelligence that possesses the ability to manifest itself outside of the game.

Like all cybernetic AI robot ninjas, the manifestation of the AI was evil, and was manipulating the boy into playing the game so that it could commit murder (since it could only manifest when the boy was playing the game). By killing people, the AI would then be able to eventually sustain a permanent form. Each time the boy played, his brain was hooked into the video game. His thoughts actively influenced the game world created.

Yes, I can assure you this movie is as cheesy as it sounds, but what does this have to do with arcade games?

A new company, NeuroSky, Inc, has developed a new "toy" that reads the brainwaves of a user to control the glow of a lightsabre being held by a giant Darth Vader-esque figure simply by having the user concentrate hard enough on the lightsabre. The technology from the company is being developed as a way to create more intelligent and realistic virtual worlds that enable a user to have more input on the game and it's surroundings.

Though the device is currently a simple prototype, the potential for its use is undeniably impressive. The company has been quoted as saying that anything from affecting your aiming reticule in shooting games to affecting your maximum speed in racing games can be altered by their device. If you are nervous or twitchy, the game will be able to manipulate itself to allow there to be an input based on your thoughts. If you are cool and collective, similarly, the game will respond likewise.

The company also has a more noble cause of enabling paralyzed people to move in a virtual reality simulator and to affect behavioral health issues by forcing an individual to concentrate and hopefully alter specific brain patterns. At this time however, they are focusing on using their prototype to influence game play in new ways, attempting to market their technology to game console makers such as Sony and Nintendo.

What the article featured on the AP news wire doesn't specify though is just what will happen if someone uses the technology to create a cybernetic robot ninja that goes on a murdering spree and controls a user by manipulating it's brainwaves... Like Zangief always said, in mother Russia, brainwaves control you.

Though we may be a long way away from someone manipulating our own brainwaves through a bio feedback device such as this one, you can't help but wonder what the limits for this sort of technology are.

To read the original article, follow the link below to the Yahoo! News AP Technology Report:

Mind Reading Toys

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Tricks of the Trade Trailer

Combo Videos has uploaded a trailer of the upcoming DVD compilation by DJ-B13, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Tricks of the Trade. The 3 disc box set scheduled for release July/August, is an in depth look at the combos and strategies featured in the Tricks of the Trade series of videos. The box set will include all of the released volumes in the series so far.

To view the trailer or pre-order the set, follow the link to Combo Videos. A portion of the money earned from sales from the box set will be donated to the Combo Videos site for the work it has done for the fighting game video community online. The price on the DVDs is set at $25 with $5 shipment worldwide.

With tournament season right on top of us, for Marvel vs. Capcom 2 fans this may be your opportunity to get even more of a fighting edge on your opponents. For fans of combo videos, the set provides a high quality selection of some of the top videos available for the game.

Strategy and Cheese Part VI (Street Fighter II)

The sixth part of the Strategy and Cheese series of Street Fighter II videos centers around everyone's favorite US Army Colonel, Guile. In most of the tier lists prior to Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Guile is considered to be one of the top 3 characters. Tomo, the person who is responsible for most of the strategies in these videos, actually has Guile at #1 on his list for Street Fighter II Champion's Edition.

Due to his control and ability to cut off an effective field of attack with his jab Sonic Boom, Guile can be played either extremely aggressively or defensively depending on the opponent. The combos featured in this section of the video are extremely powerful and will often times leave your opponent dizzied. This is what makes Guile so effective. A simple 3-4 hit combo into a dizzy can be game over if you follow it up effectively.

Due to the length of this section, there will be only one character featured. The previous sections of the videos can be found below.

Previous Videos:
General Strategies
Ryu (also includes a brief intro to the series)
Zangief/Vega
E. Honda/Blanka
Balrog/Chun Li
Guile
Ken/Dhalsim/Sagat/M. Bison

Tekken 6 Story and Character Profiles Updated

UPDATED - New translation for Leo and Zafina as of 5/24/2007. I'll update if there is another one that proves to be more accurate.

The Japanese Tekken fansite Sunlight Yellow has posted some additional details of the Tekken 6 story from the June issue of Arcadia magazine. The posting outlines both the official Tekken 6 story arc as well as several character profiles from the series, including the two new characters Leo and Zafina. A rough translation has been provided below.

OFFICIAL STORYThe 5th King of the Iron fist tournament had ended in mystery with Heihachi Mishima missing and Jin Kazama crowned the winner.

Kazama assumed his role as the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and used the Iron Fist special forces for acts of espionage around the world. Eventually the suspicion created by Mishima's actions, was used as an opportunity to cede discontent among the people which lead to riots and civil wars.

With the world enveloped in conflict, the Mishima Zaibatsu used its influence to declare its independence and usurp its power from several sovereign nations.

The Mishima Zaibatsu was intent on being the most powerful country in the world, and no one seemed to be able to stop them. Eventually the G Corporation began to build the strength necessary to stand in their way. The G Corporation was seen as a savior to the world. They opposed the Mishima Zaibatsu forces at every corner, and tried to prevent the rogue nation from solidifying its power even further. They eventually offered a bounty to anyone who can bring in the root of all the world's discontent, the devil Jin Kazama, alive.

As expected by the G Corporation leaders, Mishima Zaibatsu used this as an opportunity to declare the opening of the King of the Iron Fist 6 tournament.

For those those who wanted recognition, for those who sought money, and for those who simply wanted revenge, all of the competitors had their own motives for why they were gathered when the tournament began...


CHARACTER PROFILES
LEO
Leo is the child of world-renowned male explorer, and a top female executive of the biotech firm, G Corporation.

Leo’s father, whom she respected, disappeared during an exploration when she was a child, but even so, she strove to become an explorer like her father. She grew up to be a straight and narrow person with her kind mother, but her happy days came to an abrupt end when someone killed her mother.

Saddened by her mother’s death, she shut everyone out of her life, but the unexpected and inconclusive end to her mother’s murder investigation, prompted her to continue the investigation on her own. Not too long after she started her, she came across the name of a man named Kazuya Mishima, G Corporation’s very own. And as G Corporation was praised as the world’s savior, all attempts at approaching had ended in failure.

News of the Mishima Financial Group opening a martial arts tournament called The King of the Iron Fist Tournament was spreading, and knowing that Kazuya was going participate directly in the tournament, Leo too followed suit, believing this would be her only chance to avenge her slain mother.

Zafina
Zafina, who has great spiritual powers, was born to a group of spiritual warriors with an ancient past.

Since childhood, Zafina was raised to be a protector of an imperial tomb. Several years ago, a foreign army attacked the imperial tomb she and her group were protecting, and Zafina single handedly wiped every single one of them out. Since then, the group’s guru appointed her to be its sole assassin.

In her public life, she uses her spiritual powers as an astrologist, but recently she can only see evil omens, and her premonitions grow more and more intense day by day. Seeking to understand the meaning behind all of this, Zafina sought the advice of her guru, and he began to tell her an ancient tale passed down from generation to generation only to a select few. According to the tale, two evil stars will shake the world when they come into contact, and, inevitably, the two will unite with the sealed ancient evil being protected by her group, destroying the world. Zafina considered the meaning behind the guru’s tale and her premonitions well.

Setting out on a course that took her far east, to the place the evil stars were believed to be gathering, she journeyed with the intentions of destroying them.

Kazuya Mishima
Kazuya uncovered a conspiracy against him, and brutally killed all of the G Corporation employees which sought to betray him. Even with the world in chaos, Kazuya secretly maneuvered himself to become the head of the G Corporation. Kazuya, was unwilling to see Jin and the Mishima Zaibatsu conquer the world, and so, lead the G Corporation into war against Jin's elite forces.

He was seen as a hero by the people, and the G Corporation was praised as saviors. By his power and influence, Kazuya announced to the world that anyone that could bring in Jin Kazama would be awarded handsomely. Immediately following his announcement, Mishima Zaibatsu announced the opening of the King of the Iron Fist 6 tournament. Kazuya expected this reaction from his adversary, and smiled, deviously. The plan was going according to his design.

Heihachi Mishima
After the suicide bombing of the Jack unit failed to take his life, Heihachi awakened to discover that the King of the Iron Fist 5 tournament had already ended. When he attempted to return to the Zaibatsu's headquarters, an elite force of Iron Fist soldiers attacked and assaulted Heihachi. He was prevented from returning to his former home.

Soon after, Mishima Zaibatsu announced the King of the Iron Fist 6 tournament. From the announcement, Heihachi learned that Jin Kazama was the new head of Mishima Zaibatsu and became enraged. He is determined to recover his power and destroy Jin Kazama, at whatever cost.

Yoshimitsu
While attempting to avenge his fallen clan by defeating Bryan Fury, Yoshimitsu realized that his katana was weakening. His sword had become a cursed blade. It now sought the blood of evil, and when it received its sacrifice, it became more powerful. But if the wielder failed to give into its blood lust, it drove the user insane.

Yoshimitsu had to push the blade away, and was forced to use a new sword that blocked the powers of the demon blade. He entered the King of the Iron Fist 6 tournament in an attempt to seal away the blade's curse forever.

Made in America: Stern Pinball

Ever wanted to see the inside of a Pinball factory?

The Travel Channel's Made in America feature just recently did a focus on the Stern Pinball factory. For those who initially missed its original airing, Arcade Heroes has been kind enough to encode the original program and place it on its site via Youtube!.

The series is a rather interesting look at just how much hand work still goes into a pinball design despite most of the functions making a shift to electronic programming.

To view the video, please visit Arcade Heroes. For more information about the Stern Pinball company (including new projects), visit the Stern Pinball official website.

Nintendo Newsletter Updates

I'm probably late to the party here, but Nintendo's latest e-mail newsletter revealed an interesting addition to the official Virtual Console site. Now available at http://wii.nintendo.com/virtualconsole.jsp, Nintendo has posted videos of all of the games currently released for the US Virtual Console. These are just straight gameplay videos used to show just a little nugget of the game you would be purchasing, but it is a great tool to use to determine which titles are worth your Virtual Console points. Each entry also contains general information about the game such as compatible controllers, original system, release dates, genre, cost, publisher, and a basic marketing blurb to encourage you to purchase the title.

SEGANerds Interviews Cryptic Allusions

The Dreamcast is never going to die. Ever. Despite the announcement by Sega that production of GD-Roms is ceasing, the independent and homebrew community seems to always find a way to keep on trucking.

Cryptic Allusions was recently interviewed by Sega Nerds to discuss their experiences in the wacky world of Dreamcast game development. Their last commercial release was Feet of Fury, a music rhythm game that borrows the successful formula of Dance Dance Revolution and mixes it up for the Dreamcast console. Though the company now has their eyes on a different commercial venture, a remake of the classic Amiga PC title Donk, the interview touches base on their experiences both past and present including the inherent difficulties of their choice of platform.

To read the interview, head over to Sega Nerds. For more information about the company, please visit the Cryptic Allusions official site.

Card Fighter's Project Opens to Table-tops Everywhere

I picked up SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters Clash yesterday on a bit of a whim. I never owned a Neo Geo Pocket Color despite wanting one, so I never had any experience with the first game. However, I will admit that I've been suckered into paying thousands of dollars playing Trading Card Games over the last decade or so. Couple this with my love for the source material, and I figured it was a match made in heaven.

Though I haven't had a chance to really play the game as much as I would have liked, one thing is for sure, it does have a great mechanics card engine that would transfer well to an actual table top game. Seems other people think so as well, as a recent news story posted by Brandon over at Insert Credit details. A fan project dedicated to bringing the Card Fighters game rules to kitchen tables has opened its doors on an official site on April 14th.

The SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters Project already has made great progress in bringing the series ruleset to a downloadable set of cards. Though the SNK Characters, Action, and Reaction sections are not completed yet, the basic rules and Capcom characters are all updated and available for download. Since it is a fan project, there are no guarantees on when the cards will all be completed, but hopefully (as Insert Credit says) with enough people visiting the site, perhaps it will encourage the creator to expedite the process.

I've already downloaded the first part, and will more than likely print off all the cards sometime this weekend. Now I just need a Ryo to go with my Terry and all will be good in the world again.

Shake It: Portable Video Gamer Reports on DS Rhythm Titles

I have to confess something here... I have no rhythm. And this isn't the kind of no rhythm that would allow me to get away with only clapping my hands or snapping my fingers to a beat at a dance. I'm talking about no rhythm in the sense that if I tried to do half the things that I see being done on DDR machine in arcades, I would literally break my neck (and more than likely the machine) in a flaying, flying contorted ball of human limbs. I'm really that bad.

Fortunately, the Nintendo DS with its touch screen seems to have the answer. Instead of threatening life and limb (and the lives of those around me) trying to play a rhythm based game at an arcade, I can now play them from the comfort of my own home with a stylus in hand (so that my limbs don't break any valuable lamps). The added benefit of this is that when I fail miserably only my cat will see just how horrible I am (since I try to avoid playing rhythm games around my wife; she has tendency of laughing at me... a lot).

Just around the corner, the Nintendo DS has a full selection of new rhythm games scheduled for release. Though a lot of them are only announced for Japan only, due to the nature of the genre, most are relatively import friendly. But where to start once you are done with Elite Beat Agents and Gunpey DS considering the overwhelming number of titles available?

Portable Video Gamer has been kind enough to give a great run down of the upcoming titles that we expect to grooving out to on the DS in the next few months. Here's some notables from the article:

Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
Release Date: May 17, 2007 (Japan)
We played Ouendan and we loved it. We got Elite Beat Agents and we were left craving for even more rhythm action. Inis and Nintendo are making a full sequel to Ouendan, which was recently announced and surprised many with its closely approaching release date. Ouendan 2 will play just like its predecessor; tap enclosing circles on the touch screen as you follow the beat of the song. 19 songs have been confirmed featuring J-pop hits from different bands, as well as an extra group of cheerleaders which seem to compete against the popular black-leathered Ouendan from the first game. This game is highly recommended, especially if you tried either Ouendan or Elite Beat Agents and liked it. This game, like the first one, is very easy to navigate and understand, even with a complete lack of Japanese language knowledge.

Ontama Onpu Shima Hen
Release date: June 7th, 2007 (Japan)
Very little is known about this game, but the trailer’s song is pretty catchy! Ontama seems to play similarly to PaRappa the Rapper; you will rhythmically press different D-pad directions, as well as circling objects on the touch screen and even blowing into the DS’s microphone. We will have more information on the game as its release date approaches; for now, check out the trailer and sing along!

For the rest of the selections highlighted as well as some videos of the available games, please visit Portable Video Gamer Until then, I'll be jamming out at home to Guitar Hero 2 with extra padded protection in case I get a bit carried away. Stage dives from couches are never, ever recommended for recreational activities.

Free Arcade Shooting Games on the Wii

Looking for a good way to kill some time on the Nintendo Wii in between bouts of Gradius III and Star Soldier? With the Opera web browser, it is possible to play several Flash based games that were developed around Flash 7 and contain mouse support. DJ Incompetent over on the SHMUPS forums has been compiling a list of flash shooting games compatible with the Nintendo Wii. Though the list is small, it's growing every day as more Wii-compatible flash games are found through internet sleuthing and dedicated design by Flash programmers.

Working
Clash'N Slash by Enkord
Xevious by Namco & Creative Tech.
Wasted Sky by Tom Fulp
V-Force by Ferry Halim
Sky Fire by Sergei Smart
Mouse Wars by Binary
AeroChaos by arayh (Bombing is not currently supported via the Wii Opera Browser)
Earth Rock Hunter by Armegalo (Keyboard set as default, change to mouse support)
Inverse Shoot'em up by TheWeebl & GavD (You control the enemies. Send fighters from the side bar and click on your units to fire)


Working with Framerate or Quality Issues
Exofusion 2 by Kidgamez
Project Inthri 2 by Rhete
The Chickenator 2000 by Burning Fury


Working with Limitations
Unusual Side Scroller by Rory Cooke (This may crash after a few stages due to lack of Wii memory)
Retromania by Rekcah (Hit the top empty box to play. Not everything displays.)


For those interested in a full site with Wii compatible flash games, please visit Wiicade.com. The Wiicade is a fansite dedicated to flash designers who develop games primarily for use with the Wii Opera browser.

Treasure Now Recruiting (Related to the Xbox 360 game?)

After announcing an original Xbox 360 shooter, Treasure has been silent on pretty much all news surrounding the untitled game. Outside of the 1UP interview earlier this year, there have been no official details released about the project.

This hasn't stopped the internet and its wild speculation from trying to put together their own twist on the game. Fan sites and journalists have already attempt to link the game to everything from Ikaruga to Bangaioh. Treasure did put to rest most of the rumors about a Radiant Silvergun successor during the aforementioned interview, but by doing so, has also spurned even more questions than before.

Fortunately, it seems we may be getting one step closer to some official details, as Treasure has recently announced on their website that they are currently recruiting for several positions based around 3D game development. Though the website doesn't specifically state which console the project they are recruiting for is on, based on the description provided of the roles they are hiring for and their similarities to the information provided by Masato Maegawa, it is reasonable to assume it may have some connection to the unnamed Xbox 360 game.

If you have experience in game development, live in Japan, have a philosophy of wanting to participate in original projects, and have a passion for creating games, follow the recruitment links that Treasure has provided. The positions that they are currently looking to fill include 3D game programmer, 3D CG designer, animation/motion leader, effects designer, character modeler, background modeler, and scene designer.

With a design resume consisting of some of the best action games over the last three generations, it is safe to say that Treasure's history truly speaks for itself. To say that my "frothing demand" is increasing even with this tiny tidbit of information is a fair statement. Is it wrong of me to get so excited about a project that doesn't even have a title yet?

JAKKS Extends the NAMCO TV Games Deal

From Next-Gen.biz, JAKKS Pacific announced today an extension to their contract with Bandai Namco that allows them to continue to produce special TV game products based on arcade titles. My only experience with the line is with the Ms. Pac-Man plug and play game which I received as a gift not too long ago. Outside of the unfortunate lack of an AC Adaptor (which I'm told is sold seperately), the game played well. It may not be arcade perfect, but it was a cheap way to relive classic arcade memories. Plus, my wife loves it.


For more information about the line, please go to TVGames.com.

New Wave of Downloadable PSOne Games for the PSN

With the latest firmware update (1.7) released for the Playstation 3, Sony laid the digital foundation to allow for PSOne downloadable titles to be played on the home console. Previous releases to the Playstation Network were only compatible with the Playstation Portable. The first wave of new releases for PSOne to PS3 compatibility is scheduled to hit the server on April 26th, and will be comprised of 11 games (including R-Type S and Tekken 2).

SCEJ also announced that an additional 14 games will be made available for their PSOne to PSP service. SNK classics Last Blade, Samurai Spirits: Warrior's Rage, Real Bout Garou Densetsu, and Metal Slug X are all scheduled to be among the releases scheduled to also be available on April 26th.

The full list of games available for each part of the service can be found below:

PSOne to PS3
Spectral Force
R-Type S
A.IV. Evolution Global
Resident Evil: Director’s Cut
Arc of the Lad
Gunners Heaven
Marl Kingdom: The Adventures of the Puppet Princess
Bishi Bashi Special
Ganbare Morikawa-kun 2nd
Tekken 2
Ore no Shikabane o Koete Yuke

PSOne to PSP
WaiWai Tennis Plus
Ikasama Mahjong
Jigsaw World
Philosoma
A5: A Ressha de Gyouko u 5
Lunatic Dawn III
Fushigi Deka
Jiisan 2 Tabi Bikkuri
Metal Slug X
Real Bout Garou Densetsu
Garou Densetsu Wild Ambition
Samurai Spirits: Warriors Rage
The Last Blade

Guilty Gear Accent Core (Wii) Confirmed

When Gamefly updated their listings and included a page for Guilty Gear Accent Core for the Nintendo Wii, a lot of people have waited patiently for an independent verification that the game was currently planned for Nintendo's new console.

Arc System Works, developers of the series, only responded to requests for a confirmation with the claim that they did not know where Gamefly received their information. Though that was a long way from the answer that fans wanted, it did fuel the speculation engine long enough that media outlets have been reporting on this rumor for months now.

But after all the rumors, it seems that we can finally confirm it with authority. Famitsu has a listing for Guilty Gear Accent Core for the Wii in its coming soon section in its latest magazine. The game is scheduled for release on July 26th in Japan (with no word on an American release, despite Gamefly's listing of July 30th in America).

The Playstation 2 version of the game is set to ship on May 31st in Japan. Guilty Gear Accent Core for the Playstation 2 can be pre-ordered today at Play-Asia.com.

The Gernan King of Fighters.

Planet-SNK.de, a German based fansite for the King of Fighters series, has recently announced a joint partnership between SNK, Ignition Entertainment, and Atari to bring an officially sponsored King of Fighters NeoWave tournament to play2007 (nexGam Gaming convention). The tournament which is set to take place on Saturday May 5th, will be played in a best of 3 format using the King of Fighters NeoWave port on the Playstation 2. Not only do you get the honor of defeating all challengers and proving your prowess, but SNK is set to bestow the winner of the tournament the crown of the German King of Fighters. For more information about the tournament and the play2007 convention, please visit the official nexGam.de website.

Mario Kart Grand Prix 2 Updates!

Fans of kart racing, rejoice... Mario Kart Grand Prix 2 has finally been released in wide form in arcades across Japan.

The game delivers all the thrills that the series has been known for since its inception in 1992 on the Super Famicom. Like the original Mario Kart Grand Prix, Grand Prix 2 is based on the specially designed Triforce arcade system. It takes full advantage of the shared technology created by Nintendo, Sega, and Bandai Namco, to deliver a unique and incredibly fun racing experience.

Besides the obvious improvements to sounds and graphics, the game strives to perfect a few features originally introduced in the first game, including the Nam Cam, a facial camera that takes pictures of you as you race through the courses. The picture is then positioned in a bubble over your character's head sort of like a mini-avatar that your opponents will see while you are leaving them in your dust.

The game also supports the magnetic cards that the original had to save certain player's data including course records, win/loss ratios, and unlocked items that are found by completing certain tasks in game. It is possible to also carry over your card data from Mario Kart Grand Prix to use in Grand Prix 2, but if you do so, the card will not be able to be used in the first game again.

There is also an online ranking for those players interested in trying to find out if they really are the best of the best. The ranking includes a leaderboard for all of the modes in the arcade game, which can be found at the game's official site: Mario Kart GP2 Online Ranking.

According to Arcade Heroes, Coinopexpress is currently offering an upgrade for owners of the first Mario Kart Grand Prix game. Though there is no word on how much the upgrade costs (the first game ran around $17,000 when it was released, and it seems you have to contact Coinopexpress direct to find out more information), it is definitely a positive sign that the second Mario Kart GP may begin popping up in arcades around you.

So what do you get for your dollar? Take a look at the Mario Kart GP 2 vital stats below...

VITAL STATS

Multiplayer support

Three difficulties of play: 50cc, 100cc, 150cc

Choose between Normal and Time Trial modes

Race against your own ghosts in Time Trial mode with the game save cards

Opposition mode pits you against human opponents in several Mario Kart themed challenges

Win special items, customizable options, and more

8 different tracks based on fan favorites

13 characters to choose from, all with their own unique karts with abilities: Mario, Pacman, Luigi, Waluigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Blinky, Mametchi (Tomagatchi character), Ms. Pacman, Toad, Wario, Donkey Kong, and Bowser

Over 56 different items including character specific items

The King of Kong

In a column on GameSetWatch, Matt Hawkins takes an inside look at The King of Kong, a new documentary that asks the question just what does it take to dethrone a champion.

A Portion of the article from the column, Cinema Pixeldiso:

Last time we examined the story of a man vs. machine - Bill Carlton vs. Missile Command. This time we have Steve Wiebe vs. King Kong, but the true heart of the story is man vs. man, Steve Wiebe vs. Billy Mitchell. And who's Billy Mitchell? Why, he's "gamer of the century" of course.

The King Of Kong

Cinema Pixeldiso's previous entry, on 'High Score', and this latest one, on 'The King of Kong', might seem identical, since both tell the same tale, of one man's mission to be immortalized as the greatest player of a particular classic video game. Both even feature a normal, everyday kind of person on such an absurd quest. But that's where the similarities end.

Whereas in the case of Bill Carlton's journey, the key difference is the person he was also going after, the man who held the high score that Bill was determined to shatter. In High Score's case it's Victor Ali, a nice, mild-mannered man who felt that his achievement, which attained during his youth, was something that he was proud of, but it hardly defined or dictated his life. It was ultimately some silly little thing, and High Score did a great job illustrating that hardcore gamers are usually normal folks that have a quirky obsession, and that's about it.

The King of Kong, on the other hand, goes the opposite route, by showing how much ego, absurdity, and insanity can come into play as a record holder for video game playing. How? By taking a close look at a man whose entire persona, even existence, is built around the fact that he plays video games very, very well. Continued...

The film opens at the Tribeca Film Festival this Wednesday. For screening times, pricing, and more information, please visit Tribeca's website. It is set for a wide release sometime in the fall.

They don't make commercials like they used to...

There are certain rules about marketing that any basic advertising course will tell you to follow when talking about how to sell a product. I didn't think it was possible, but I believe I have found a video (posted by ShinRasputin on GameTrailers) that has broken every last one of them, and perhaps a few that didn't even exist before this commercial was released.

Let me have ShinRasputin explain in his own words (which are what he used to describe the videos posting on GameTrailers):

Wow, I can't believe I found this: an old ad for the arcade classic Dig Dug...FOR THE MOVIES! Oh man oh man is this exciting. What a crazy ad, too: we have government officials, scientists, and various couples in love all reacting to the danger that is Dig Dug. Why are all these creatures underground? Are they a threat? What will we do to stop them? Well, we go to the arcades and play Dig Dug! What a brilliant idea!

And who convinces us to do so? Why, it's a song and dance troupe, encouraging us to "do the Dig Dug!" It's the dance craze of 1982! C'mon everyone, let's do the Dig Dug!

Oh yeah, I swear I saw Harrison Ford as the man in the car, and heard Don Pardo (legendary radio and TV announcer) on the radio. Or maybe I'm just seeing and/or hearing things.

Yes... It's that bad.

In fact, I'm willing to wager it's probably even more horrible than you are imagining. Play the video, I dare you, and try to get the damn song out of your head. It's impossible.

Is this the worst commercial ever made, or is there something more nefarious behind its catchy tunes and great dance number? This is evil genius 80's territory here, and I can only imagine what sort of messages are being beamed into my head after watching it.



(I personally want to shake the hand of the marketing genius who got this commercial approved... I'm flabbergasted at just how great this video is.)

Art of Fighting Anthology for the Wii

After SNK Playmore USA's president Ben Herman sat down with IGN, several little tidbits of information were revealed that seemed to hint towards new Wii projects similar in scope to Metal Slug Anthology. Art of Fighting Anthology has been announced for US release as a Playstation 2 project for a few months now, but fighting game fans on other platforms can be satisfied in knowing that it will also be finding home on the Nintendo Wii.

The ESRB's ratings website has recently updated their entry for the Art of Fighting Anthology (due for release in the US on the Playstation 2 in June), and it now includes the Nintendo Wii under available platforms.

No further information has been provided at this time.

For those unfamiliar with the way the ESRB handles its reviews, for a game to be rated, a full version of the title must be submitted to the ESRB. It is a great source to find information on upcoming releases and previously unannounced projects (such as this one). I'll keep you updated if we hear word on a tentative release date.

Q&A;: Betson's Cravens on the Future of US Arcades

Gamasutra and Brandon Sheffield (writer for Insert Credit) recently interviewed Ryan Cravens in Gamasutra's Q&A; portion of Industry News.

Ryan Cravens serves as the senior marketing manager for one of the largest arcade distributors, Betson. He is also the son of the late arcade legend, Bill Cravens.

In the interview, Brandon and Ryan discuss the recent arcade resurgence, the direction our $6 billion dollar industry is heading, and just how exactly his father's name ended up in Capcom's Street Fighter.

There is also a rather tantalizing hint at the very end of the interview that sheds a bit of light in regards to future Raw Thrills/Play Mechanix plans. I always take claims of revolutionizing the industry with a grain of salt, but if Mr. Cravens is to be believed, by the end of the summer we should see something really exciting occuring in the arcade sector.

Q&A;: Betson's Cravens On The Future Of U.S. Arcades

How big is the arcade game business now in terms of dollars?

Ryan Cravens: The AAMA estimates that our industry is about 6 billion. That includes coin drop, as well as the selling of the actual games.

How has the shape of the industry changed over the last ten years? How many distributors and developers working in the industry now, versus back then?

RC: In the last ten years, there has been a lot of consolidation. There are fewer distributors, but the companies that are currently in business have much bigger footprints. There are also fewer developers as of now, but more companies are popping up with designers that are new to the industry, or veterans coming back into the fray.

People are seeing what Eugene Jarvis and George Petro (both Midway veterans) have done with Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix. These companies are doing very well and they do not need to have 20 million dollar budgets and studios spread across the globe to achieve success.

What do you think it would take for arcades to make a resurgence to where they were in the 90s?

RC: The arcade is making a resurgence (now), and the number of games that are currently being sold is getting back to those (1990s) levels. However, these games are not going to the neighborhood arcades anymore.

The stand-alone arcades are going away, and they’re being replaced by large FECs (Family Entertainment Centers like Incredible Pizza), bowling centers (like Brunswick Zone, much more than just bowling lanes), movie theaters, indoor water parks and other multi-use entertainment centers for families. The arcades that are inside these beasts are often the size of the neighborhood arcades that we used to frequent as youngsters.

For this current trend of getting more arcade games into the wild, we are going to have to continue to bring good product to the masses. Continued...

The Vic Viper Launches on the Virtual Console

Weekly Virtual Console Releases from Nintendo

April 23, 2007 - Admit it. Somewhere deep inside, you’ve always wanted to go for the gold, take down Monster World, and have people call you Vic Viper. How cool would that be? Well, pay a visit to the popular Wii™ video game system’s Wii Shop Channel, and all those fantasies can now come true.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

Gradius®III (SNES®, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points):
Return as the pilot of the Vic Viper starfighter to battle the onslaughts of the Bacterion Empire. Blast through 10 action-packed levels in space, destroying everything in your path. Customize and power up your ship with weapons and upgrades including speed-ups, missiles, lasers, options, and shields.

Wonder Boy™ in Monster World (Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points):
Monster World was a peaceful, happy place until one dark day when an army of BioMeka monsters invaded. As a young man named Shion, you’ve vowed to defeat the hostile foes and make the land peaceful again. You’ll attack enemies with swords and spears and guard against incoming projectiles with shields and armor. As you travel through the many different regions of Monster World, you’ll talk to the townspeople, collect money to buy items, and gather a large variety of weapons and magic. The further you venture, the more powerful your weapons and equipment, including suits of armor and boots, will become.

Battle Lode Runner® (TurboGrafx 16, 1-5players, 600 Wii Points):
This upgraded edition to the famous Lode Runner series includes a 5-player versus mode. Gold funds have been stolen from the Time Machine Research Center, and the group responsible used a time machine to escape and hide the gold throughout time. The center sends an elite team of “Runners” to go and retrieve the gold.

In addition to the familiar Puzzle mode, the game features Battle mode, where up to 5 players can compete, and Edit mode, where you can create your own original stages.

You can enjoy Battle mode in a number of different ways. Be the last one standing to win in Survival. Grab items from enemies and escape to win in Escape. With 4 players, you can separate into two teams to do battle in Tag Match.

Nintendo press release relayed via GoNintendo.com.

New Site, 100% More Pork!

Muchi Muchi Pork, Cave's latest game dedicated to the appreciation of large women (I'm not joking), is due for release in Japan sometime in the immediate future.

Though I haven't been able to pinpoint a specific date from any of my distributor contacts (I've been told roughly to expect it in the next week or two), location tests have all been wrapped up. The official site was also updated on April 19th and had been given a facial "make-over" to prepare for the game's inevitable ship date to arcades across Japan.

You may be wondering just what exactly the picture above is supposed to represent. and well, quite frankly, I have no idea. After perusing the official site for the game for the last hour or so looking for an answer, I can honestly say I still have no idea. I know that it was taken at the AOU 2007 convention, and I also know that it is in some way related to the game (because I found it on the official site), but beyond that I'm totally lost. Surprisingly enough, after reading as much as I could about the game and deciphering what is known about it's story, I'm just as confused about Muchi Muchi Pork as I am about the above picture.

Muchi Muchi Pork is a 2D vertical shooter developed by Cave. In the game (from what I've gathered), you choose between three female characters and battle between increasingly difficult levels while trying to collect medallions to increase your score.

Like most Cave shooters, the game is fraught with bullets and woven patterns you have to travel quickly through in order to avoid being shot down. Though the game doesn't appear to be as difficult as some of the other Cave shooters, the game features a traditional rank system that increases the difficulty the better you perform. Ikeda, while being interviewed at the AOU 2007 show, said it best: (In response to the question, what's this game like) "Large clamorous mechs versus chubby characters."

For more information about what to expect from the game, plump women, and pork (including recipes!), visit the official revamped website at Muchi Muchi Pork. You can also view the special promotional video that Cave produced for the title below. I may not understand it, but I definitely know that I can't wait to play it... Between this and Otomedius, this is going to be an odd year for shooters.

(Logo image courtesy of Insert Credit.)

The Evolving Amusement Division

Arcade Heroes recently posted up a great artile by Kevin Williams (author of the Stinger Report). Though most of the information is a recap of what's been going on in the arcade industry for the last couple of months, it does shed some light on some of the popular shifts that are currently going on in the arcade sector that have started to see a turn around on traditional arcade gaming.

The Evolving Amusement Division

By Kevin Williams

For some time the link between the consumer game industry and that of the amusement or Out-of-Home interactive entertainment sector have been strained. Though the incubator of consumer gaming, video amusement has been perceived as a barren, if not dormant market, unobtainable and aloof to the needs of consumer gaming developers - a place once popular but now only worth taking players from.

However recently the opportunities for diverse market presentation into this sector has been embraced by a number of consumer game publishers and the profitability of amusement applications has gained momentum as an uncharted audience is discovered. Continued at Arcade Heroes...

Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party Release Date

So what do you get when you combine Dance Dance Revolution's aerobic work out gameplay with the Wii Remote's motion sensing? Well, outside of the threat of broken limbs, dislocated knees, and Wii Remotes through TVs, it sounds like a great time!

NGCFrance.com recently revealed that Konami's latest installment of the Dance Dance series (Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party) specially made for the Nintendo Wii's unique capabilities will be released in August 2007. The game will ship included with the dance pad.

The game is set to feature 4 player multiplayer support, smash dance hits from the last 4 decades (including "Everybody Dance Now" and "Gonna Make you Sweat"), and entire new modes of play. Though I'm not personally coordinated enough to play the series, perhaps this will be a motivating factor to get me to learn. Anyone up for disco?


Source: Konami US Releases Dated (also verified on Konami's official site that shows a release date of August 2007 for the game with dance pad and a September 2007 for the stand alone edition without the pad)

Game Releases for April 23rd - April 27th

Want to know what to expect this week when it comes to arcade games coming to home and portable consoles? Though release dates are always subject to change, here's a list of what you should be able to expect to find on the shelves of your local stores...

Unfortunately last week's list had a few delays, so a few of last week's titles should be making their way onto store shelves sometime this week. Red Star and Tokyo Extreme Racer Drift 2 were both delayed, as was Class Action Devilish. I was able to pick up Raiden 3 with no problems, and despite it being a paint by numbers shooter affair, its a great game in the Raiden series. I just wouldn't expect it to be the be all, end all of arcade shooters.

Out of the rest of the games this week, Card Fighters Clash is the main one that I'm going to be picking up... With a full selection of 150 different Capcom and 150 different SNK characters, it seems there is enough meat to the game to keep me busy for a while. Panel De Pon is definitely a solid choice as well for import and puzzle fans. I expect it to have a US release sometime soon (especially with the Harvest Moon puzzle game being released stateside next month).

US RELEASES
Nintendo DS
SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters Clash - Card Fighting (April 24th)

All-New Cardfighters game for the Nintendo DS

Use specially developed strategic arrangements to win

Over 300 different cards to collect, use, and trade

Learn each of your characters and their special abilities. Combine them for added value and strength

Nintendo Gamecube
Radio Allergy (Radigry) - Shooter (Ships on April 27th)

Three weapons to choose from

Classic vertical shooting arcade gameplay

Special shields can be used to avoid enemy bullets

Unique cel-shaded graphics and original soundtrack

IMPORT CORNERPlaystation 3
Hori Pad 3 Turbo - Gaming Accessories (Ships on April 26th)

Hori turbo 3 pad for the Playstation 3

Features wireless turbo functionality as well as a traditional non-disjointed d-pad

Comes in three colors: black, blue, and red.

Nintendo DS
Panel De Pon - Puzzle (Ships on April 26th)

Classic sliding block puzzle game for the Nintendo DS

Utilizes the touch screen for a completely new immersive gameplay style

Famitsu.com End of the Year Awards 2006

Famitsu's 2006 game award recipients have been announced by the magazine on its official website. The awards (revealed on April 20th), consisted of several reader voted categories. Over 31,000 Famitsu readers participated in the polls to choose the winners from over 800 different titles released this year. Though there is a distinct lack of arcade games on the list, I'm going to claim Wii Sports as our own spiritual victory. Go Wii Sports! Or something like that.

Reader AwardsGame of the Year:
Final Fantasy XII (PS2), Pokemon Pearl/Diamond (Nintendo DS)

Special Recognition (New Game or Series):
Blue Dragon (Xbox 360)

Special Recognition (Best hit):
Pokemon Pearl/Diamond (Nintendo DS)

Special Recognition (Innovative Game of the Year):
Wii Sports (Nintendo Wii)

Best Rearranged Game:
New Super Mario Brothers (Nintendo DS)

Best Overall Performance:
Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (Nintendo Wii)

Best Dramatic Performance:
Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 (PS2)

Best Game Design:
Okami (PS2)

Best Multiplayer Game:
Monster Hunter 2 (PS2)

Best Impact:
Dead Rising (Xbox 360)

Best Portable Game:
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops (PSP)

Best RPG of the Year:
Persona 3 (PS2)

Game Producer of the Year:
Sakaguchi Hironobu (Mistwalker)

Game Character of the Year:
Mario

Game Company of the Year:
Nintendo

Pop N' Music 14 Fever release date and details

The latest update in the Pop N' Music series of Bemani titles has an official home release date finally. Famtisu.com is reporting that the arcade rhythm game will see a release on the Playstation 2 console on July 12th. The game will feature a special limited edition package which includes specially made headphones, an original soundtrack, a Special Edition box, cell phone strap, and poster. There is no word yet on a stateside release, but considering that the last several Pop N' Music titles never made it stateside I wouldn't be holding your breath for this one to be popping up any where near you any time soon. Fortunately, the titles have always been extremely import friendly and easy to pick up and play. It's hard not to recommend this series to any fans of rhythm games.

Konami's official site for the game has been updated with some new information as well as a link to the Konami store to pre-order the game. Alternatively, the game is also available for pre-order at Play-Asia.com.

Melty Blood revision coming to the PC's

4Gamer.net is reporting that a new version of Melty Blood Act Cadenza will be released for the PC in late July. The game which is scheduled for release on all Windows 2000/XP/Vista systems is going to be based on the current ver. B revision currently popular in arcades.

As standard now, the game will be released with both a standard edition and a limited edition copy, but there's no word on what differences can be expected between the two releases. The limited edition package will sell for 8190 yen. The normal version will sell for 6090 yen.

The official Melty Blood website has been updated by Type Moon/Ecole to reflect the announcement. Special thanks to Canned Dogs for highlighting the information from 4Gamer.net.

Dave Sirlin talks about Super Street Fighter II Turbo

Dave Sirlin, who is currently working on the Super Street Fighter II Turbo project, was recently interviewed by Bunkei and the AlphaISM web radio program. The AlphaISM radio show is a series of streaming audio webcasts that focus primarily on the competitive Street Fighter and fighting game scene.

While Dave Sirlin posted on his blog briefly regarding his role in the two remixed games, Capcom did unfortunately tie his hands a bit in regards to what could and could not be discussed on the show. There are still some solid bits of knowledge that can be gained by listening to the interview, but you just can't go in expecting to be blown away by a ton of new information.

To listen to the show, visit the official thread on the Shoryuken.com forums.

UPDATE: Xbox 360 Backwards Compatability

Following the day's earlier announcement of the new patch being available via the Microsoft download center, the full list of new and updated games that are compatible on the Xbox 360 is now available on Microsoft's official Xbox site.

The official patch can be found on the previous posting here.

*UPDATED* - It is no longer necessary to download the patch online and burn it. The auto update feature with the Xbox 360 is working appropriately with the update. If your Xbox 360 is connected online, all you have to do is insert the disc and allow the system to update itself.

New additions:

Avatar: The Last Airbender
Breakdown
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
Call of Duty 3
Cars
Crash Bandicoot 5: Wrath of Cortex
Dai Senryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics
FIFA Soccer 2007
Full Spectrum Warrior
Guilty Gear Isuka
Jet Set Radio Future
Mech Assault 2: Lone Wolf
Mercenaries
Nascar 2006: Total Team Control
NFL Fever 2004
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Phantom Dust
Reservoir Dogs
Return To Castle Wolfenstein
Rugby League 2
Sonic Riders
Soul Calibur 2(Updated)
Star Wars Republic Commando
Street Fighter Anniversary Collection
The King of Fighters Neowave
The King of Fighters 2002 & 2003
Tiger Woods 07
Tony Hawk's Underground
Ultra Bust-a-Move
Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict
Xiaolin Showdown

Xbox 360 Backwards Compatability Updated

Microsoft has stealthily posted a new updated for the Xbox 360 that fixes even more backwards compatability issues with the original Xbox titles. Instructions for used and the download can be found at the official Microsoft download center. Currently this patch must be applied by burning the fix to CD and than loading it onto the Xbox 360.

The great news about this patch - Street Fighter Anniversary Collection is now playable on the Xbox 360!

The only other confirmed game that I can verify will now work with the new patch is Panzer Dragoon Orta. Expect a full list on the games that are now able to be played on the Xbox 360 to be updated soon on Microsoft's official Xbox site.

UPDATE! - The official games list has been released. The full list of the games that this update fixes can be found here.

Also, the automatic update feature for the Xbox 360's is now currently working in conjuction with the patch. If your Xbox 360 is connected to the internet, it is no longer necessary to download and burn the update to CD. Insert the game that you wish to play (such as Street Fighter Anniversary collection), and the system should automatically update itself.

Coin-op Legend Bill Cravens Passes Away

From Gamasutra:

Born in 1942, Bill Cravens, was a leader in the arcade and coin-op industry for many years, weathering a number of industry slumps. He passed away in his sleep on March 29, during the Amusement Showcase International show in Las Vegas.

A longtime arcade game retailer, Cravens sold some of the very first pong games, and would go on to distribute games such as Mr. Do, Super Punch Out, Final Fight, Street Fighter and Golden Tee 3D, according to his son Ryan Cravens, senior marketing manager of arcade distributor Betson Enterprises.

The companies Bill worked for or distributed include Capcom, Nintendo, Cinematronics, Universal, Pacific Novelty, uWink, Incredible Technologies, Bromley, Team Play, and Wurlitzer.

He is survived by his wife Marylin, daughter-in-law Alicia, and two sons, Ryan and Todd, who both work for Betson, which currently distributes titles for Eugene Jarvis' company Raw Thrills (Need for Speed), among others.

Bill Cravens was involved in the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) and at one time served as president of its charitable branch, the American Amusement Machine Charitable Foundation.

Todd Cravens shared some heartfelt words with RePlay Magazine and the AAMA. "I would like to thank the members of the industry for their outpouring of support over the passing of my father," said Cravens, on his experience at the final days of the ASI show.

"My mother, brother, Ryan and I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to our family. I am truly humbled by the sheer amount of people that cared for my father. I believe the reason my father loved this industry so much was evident today," he added. "He always felt that regardless of company or competitor people genuinely care for one another in this business. That was true today." Continued...

Alt.NPR Press Start features Arcade Games

In the latest episode of Alt.NPR's Press Start podcast, Ralph Cooper, Rob Holt, and Kyle Orland discuss the past, current, and future state of Arcade games.

It is interesting to note that one of the hosts (and excuse me because I'm horrible with names) while speaking as an authority of the matter, openly admits to never really experiencing the early games they were talking about on the actual arcades in an arcade setting.

Despite whatever success arcade's have been experiencing, it's a shame to me that there does seem to be an entire generation of gamers who will never see some of these classic games the way they were truly meant to be played.

Here's a list of some of their favorite arcade games from the podcast:
NBA Jam, Tekken, Dig Dug
TMNT the Arcade Game, Simpsons the Arcade Game, X-Men the Arcade Game
Galaga, Space Duel, Robotron

To listen to the podcast, visit the Press Start website and download the MP3.

Strategy and Cheese, Part V (Street Fighter II)

The fifth part of the Strategy and Cheese series of videos featuring Tomo and Danny Sussman is centered around strategies and techniques for Balrog (US) and Chun Li. While most of the strategies thus far shown are relatively strong techniques and a great starting point for those new to Street Fighter, the Balrog feature is one of the best in the series. As a special added section to the end of this video, Tomo details his TDR (timing, distance, reaction) theory.

With the recent announcement that Super Street Fighter II Turbo will be making the rounds to the PSN and Xbox Live Arcade, this video is a refresher for all of those who have moved on to greener passages. Are you ready to take on the challengers this fall? Find out by watching this series...

For those interested in previous “episodes”, the first parts of the video can be found under the following links:

General Strategies
Ryu (also includes a brief intro to the series)
Zangief/Vega
E. Honda/Blanka
Balrog/Chun Li
Guile
Ken/Dhalsim/Sagat/M. Bison

Eurogamer - Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles

When Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles was announced as being an on-rails zombie shooter (think House of the Dead), it ended up causing a lot more questions than it answered. Could an arcade style format successfully translate into a Resident Evil project despite previous failures? How long would the game be? Would the atmosphere be retained? Fortunately, Eurogamer has the inside scoop on some additional details of the Resident Evil title hot on the heels of Capcom's Gamer's Day.

Fear not fans, this isn't Dead Aim ver. X.

by Kristan Reed -
I'm not convinced that shooting zombies in the face will ever be a dull thing to do. Maybe it's the satisfying way their brains explode all over the screen with a 'thunk', or the rasping guttural moan in that split second of realisation as their arm splits off from their torso. Even Capcom's really bad Gun Survivor games had a certain charm about them. It's about disconnecting your brain, adopting a spaced-out expression and focusing your entire being into your trigger finger.

But, to date, Resident Evil shooters have been a story of massive, inexplicable missed potential. The first two in the series were, frankly, awful, and even the relatively well-regarded Dead Aim on PS2 was ultimately a bit shallow, way too short and blighted by some pretty bland sections. Combining the explorational, puzzle-solving adventure side of Resident Evil with proper light-gun thrills was an ace idea, but not one Capcom seemed confident enough to fully flesh it out. Continued...

Xbox Live Arcade Pac-Man World Championship

Following a press release by Microsoft, Kotaku has announced details of the first Xbox 360 Pacman World Championship. Wakka-Wakka indeed...

Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI Create Video Game History With First-Ever Xbox 360 "Pac-Man®" World Championship

"Pac-Man" fans to compete on Xbox LIVE Arcade for chance to be world's best "Pac-Man" player.

LONDON -- April 18, 2007 -- Microsoft Corp. and NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. today made video game history by announcing the first-ever Xbox 360™ "Pac-Man" World Championship, presented by Quiznos. From 25th April to 9th May, fans of one of the world's most beloved video games of all time will compete on the classic arcade game via Xbox LIVE® Arcade on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, evolving "Pac-Man" gameplay from the local pizza parlours and arcades of the '80s to the Xbox 360 and its online gaming community with more than 6 million members. The top finalists from participating countries around the world will be flown to New York City for the finals on 5th June, with the winner being crowned the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Champion by Toru Iwatani, the creator of "Pac-Man."

Since launching in 1980 in Japan and in 1981 around the world, "Pac-Man," its host of ghosts and the famous "wakka wakka wakka" sound have become global pop culture icons. This arcade game played an instrumental role in establishing the video game industry in the '80s, while the launch of Xbox LIVE in 2002 was a key factor behind the rapid growth in popularity of online gaming. Today, Xbox LIVE Arcade is the premier online destination for digitally distributed, high-definition games -- with more than 25 million downloads -- offering fans of "Pac-Man" across the globe a great opportunity to connect, compete and enjoy the fun through the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.

"NAMCO BANDAI Games and I are proud to partner with Microsoft on the Xbox 360 'Pac-Man' World Championship, which celebrates how popular 'Pac-Man' remains to this day," said Toru Iwatani, creator of "Pac-Man" and currently a professor at Tokyo Polytechnic University. "The success of "Pac-Man" stems from its fun gameplay and host of characters that have been enjoyed by families for generations. It will be exciting to see 'Pac-Man' fans from around the world compete on Xbox LIVE Arcade to become the first-ever 'Pac-Man' World Champion."

"'Pac-Man' reached an iconic status in the '80s across multiple generations and cultures, so the Xbox 360 'Pac-Man' World Championship provides a great incentive for fans old and new to fall in love with the game all over again," added Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. "We are thrilled to be partnering with NAMCO BANDAI Games and our sponsor, Quiznos, to invite 'Pac-Man' players from around the globe to join in the fun."

A total of nine finalists in the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship will advance to the finals based upon the highest Xbox LIVE Arcade leaderboard scores. There will be one finalist from each of the following countries and geographic areas: Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Mexico; and two finalists from Europe and the United States. This group will also be joined by the winner of the "Pac-Man" FANatic contest, a competition that will encourage "Pac-Man" fans from the United States and Canada to submit a video that demonstrates why they are the ultimate "Pac-Man" fan. The winning entry will be flown to New York as a wildcard entrant in the final round of the tournament. Details are available online at http://www.xboxlivetournament.com starting 25th April 2007.

The Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Champion will receive worldwide acclaim from being the first-ever Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Champion and gain a place in gaming history. The winner of the finals will also receive other great prizes, including 26 years of free Quiznos toasted subs (one sandwich a week for 26 years, a $13,520 (U.S.) value), 100,000 Microsoft Points for games, movies and other fun content available on Xbox LIVE, and a one-of-a-kind Xbox 360 featuring a special design inspired by "Pac-Man."

"Great food and entertainment go hand in hand, and we expect international gamers to connect with Quiznos food with the same passion that they bring to their gaming," said Steve Provost, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Quiznos. "The Xbox 360 'Pac-Man' World Championship promises to be a milestone moment in video game history, and we're thrilled that we can help make it into a reality."

Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship, Presented by Quiznos

Participation Information and Timeline:

· Gamers who want to start practicing can download "Pac-Man" (400 Microsoft Points) now from Xbox LIVE Arcade on the Xbox 360.

· Starting 25th April 2007, at 00:01GMT/ 01:01 CET, gamers can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com to register and review full eligibility criteria, regulations and rules.

· Also on 25th April 2007, at 00:01 GMT / 01:01 CET, the worldwide competition will officially kick off on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

· Previous leaderboard scores for "Pac-Man" will be deleted to provide a clean and fair slate for all gamers participating in the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.

· Concurrently, "Pac-Man" fans in the United States and Canada can also enter the "Pac-Man" FANatic contest and receive an invitation to compete in the finals in New York City. Starting 25th April 2007, they can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com for more information on how to submit a creative video that best illustrates their love for "Pac-Man."

· On 9th May 2007, at 23:59 GMT / 00:59 CET, the competition will officially cease and nine finalists from the identified regions, based on the top leaderboard scores,* will advance to the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.

· Before 1st June 2007, the top nine finalists will be announced.

· The nine finalists will also be joined in New York City by the winner of the "Pac-Man" FANatic contest, and compete for the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship title on 5th June 2007, in New York City.

For a complete list of participating countries and country-specific eligibility criteria, rules and regulations and to sign up for the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship, gamers can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com starting 25th April, 2007.

The Return of Neo Geo

My relationship with SNK is really akin to a relationship with an abusive ex-girlfriend. No matter how much grief I receive from her when I'm around her, I can't help but go back every time she calls my name. I know that SNK Playmore USA has a track record like the Hindenberg, and I know that getting my hopes up that things will be different is just a recipe for disaster. But despite this, I can't help but feel a little giddy when future plans are discussed by the company.

Especially when it comes to releasing 2D arcade games to home consoles.

Recently, Ign's Bozon sat down with SNK Playmore USA's president Ben Herman to discuss the Nintendo Wii, the Neo Geo, and the future of the company. The interview provides some great insight into SNK Playmore's plans for this generation in the North American market. However, it's also a little bitter sweet that despite having a huge number of classic NeoGeo compilations online in Japan for the PS2 since last year, there still wasn't an announcement on any US releases outside of Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury (coming later this year).

Here's some highlights from the interview:

While SNK Playmore plans to support all three consoles this generation, this interview is primarily focused on the Nintendo Wii and the Virtual Console since it was completed by IGN's Wii site. - Personal side note.

All three consoles have been tapped to receive SNK content over the next generation, mostly via digital download services.

SNK plans on providing around 2-3 games a month over the first several months for the Virtual Console starting in midsummer. Games will feature a pricepoint slightly higher than the SNES VC games.

SNK has plans to support the Nintendo Wii's online infrastructure once an appropriate project comes up.

The classic controller will be supported in future projects (this major oversight in Metal Slug Anthology seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding between SNK and Nintendo).

Gyruss shoots its way onto Xbox Live Arcade

Gyruss shoots its way onto Xbox Live Arcade


Pilot a lone starship and fight through an armada of alien ships to save Earth in Gyruss, the classic 3D space shooter! Battle your way from Neptune past Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars earning power-ups and score bonuses along the way.

* Original gameplay: The authentic arcade title is here! Experience all 23 levels of this arcade classics as you battle your way to Planet Earth.
* Multiplayer modes: Play the classic arcade two player mode, taking turns on your Xbox 360, or take your game online with Xbox Live® with both versus and co-op game modes.
* Xbox 360 enhancements: Play Gyruss in all its classic arcade glory, or play the enhanced Xbox 360 version, with digitally enhanced sounds effects, fully rendered 3D models, a new cosmic starfield background, and special explosion effects. You can even earn 12 new achievements for your successful defense of Earth!

Available 4/18/2007

Konami Streamlines North American Operation

Gaming-age.com has recently posted up an announcement from Konami regarding the future of the company's US operations. Though the announcement is essentially a bit of company fluff trying to downgrade the effect of the merging of its two California offices, it does signify a new company focus for Konami which may or may not be foreshadowing something even more important.

By - Jim Cordeira
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., with offices in El Segundo, California and Redwood City, California, today announced it will consolidate two offices into one, at the El Segundo location, to maximize the strategic collaboration for the future digital entertainment growth of the company. The official office consolidation will happen by the end of July 2007.

“We have currently evolved a multi-platform entertainment business, such as Game Soft, Arcade, Mobile, Online, Card, Licensing and Toy & Hobby, as our digital entertainment and we will continue to strive into creating and providing the customers the best experience for their valuable time,” said Kazumi Kitaue, Chairman and CEO of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “In order to grasp the rapid change of entertainment trends and take timely strategic action, having all functions under one roof is critical. Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. will continue creating and innovating in order to provide its customers with dreams and excitement which have never before been experienced.”

More HD2D Projects Coming? Xbox Live Successes.

When Capcom's announcement broke on the internet that Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo were going to be revisited from a graphical standpoint, fans of the two series's were left clamoring for more. The 2D to HD revisits that Capcom has planned for these two titles are entirely new to the company whose previous "remakes" mostly removed 2D spritework in favor of 3D graphics.Though nothing was mentioned about future projects, it was only natural that after seeing the sprite comparison sheet, the "what if's" began to build.

According to Christian Svensson on the official Capcom BBS this revisit may signify the start of something more:

I did indicate that the HD2D approach is something we're experimenting with. We'll have to see how it goes. We think there's a market and we think we have a good model for reaching fans who want this content, but we'll see when the rubber hits the road.

This project from Capcom does seem to be a great way to see just how well the digital download services may perform for remakes such as these. Considering the runaway success of Street Fighter II' Hyper Figthing on the Xbox Live Arcade, the future promise of classic 2D games being revisited seems extremely good.

Christian Svensson - In my presentation at Gamer's day, I disclosed that Microsoft recently confirmed for us that SF2: Hyper Fighting is the highest revenue generating title on Live Arcade. Not the biggest unit seller, not the most downloaded, but the one that's actually made the most actual cash. I'm sort of surprised that very few media actually reported that statistic anywhere in any of the coverage I've seen.

Perhaps some of the vaulted Capcom heroes like Strider may get a chance to shine once again.

Demo of Die Feen Released

I personally haven't had a chance to play this game yet, so I can't quite give a recommendation on it, but developers nekomiminokakera have released a new demo of their cute-em up doujin project Die Feen. The game is reminscent of the Cotton series (with a muted color palette), and features a young witch as the protagonist. The young witch has befriended a race of fairy's which assist her in her task of trying to stop an evil institute from using the forest's resources for evil purposes. Or something like that.


You can download the demo version at the game's official site - Die Feen.

Additional Details on the Game
Release Date: August 2007
Price: Unknown

Minimum System Rquirements:
Microsoft Windows XP (Japanese Windows edition)
DirectX9.0c or later
Pentium III 1.2 GHz or later
256MB of Ram or greater
32MB Video card
200MB disk space on the hard drive

In order to play some Japanese games on an English edition of Windows, there are a few steps that you may have to take:

1. Go to the Windows Control Panel
2. Open the Regional and Language Options
3. Click the Advanced Tab.
4. Select Japanese from the pull down for the Language for non-Unicode Programs

It may also be necessary to do the following:

1. Open the Regional and Language Options
2. Click on the Regional Options tab
3. Select Japanese from the pull down menu at the Standards and Formats section

If a game has a region lockout, you will also be required to download the Microsoft Windows AppLocale program. Information on the program can be found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/tools/apploc.mspx

New Images from Hajime no Ippo at Famitsu.com

There are not enough arcade style anime boxing games available on the market, so fortunately AQ Interactive is bringing Hajime no Ippo Revolution to the Nintendo Wii in June. Using the Wii's motion sensing, player's will use the Wii mote to throw punches, duck, stick, and move.

It's about time a game has finally truly let us live out our Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield fantasies (albeit with 100% less ear biting... unless you are playing against another player that is).

Overall the game resembles the Konami MoCap Boxing series from the Arcades. Though there isn't the huge contraption mimicking your every movement, the Nintendo Wii definitely seems to be capable of providing a solid experience with its simple set of motion sensing mechanics. Famitsu.com today posted a few new screen shots from the game which provide a good look at its sketched visual style.


The game is currently available for pre-order at Play-Asia.

Renaissance for Fighters?

GWN.com has a fairly in depth article detailing their opinions on a "desperate time" for fighting games. Though I don't necessarily agree with their assessments on the genre, and the article suffers from a bit of double-speak, it is an interesting enough read that should shed some light on how some people view the current status of the fighting game industry.

It should be interesting to note though that the lack of any PC or import games listed for the releases is one reason why they have the rather downtrodden view of the genre currently. Fighting games as a whole are still incredibly strong over-all, but I will admit they have fallen a bit in prestige from US publishers. The future of 2D fighting games however will not be with big budget publishers and developers like Capcom (and to a lesser extent, SNK), but rather with doujin developers creating games like Melty Blood and Monster.

RENAISSANCE FOR FIGHTERS?

Article by Dakota Grabowski.

Desperate times calls for desperate measures. The once popular fighting genre needs a resurgence to claim dominance on the home consoles.

There's no running from it anymore – the death of the arcades has hurt several genres for video game home consoles. While analysts will argue that video games run through a cycle, there’s no denying that the arcades are dead in the Americas. Outside of the select active rhythm games – Dance Dance Revolution­ being the most popular – the arcades are not as widely popular anymore. The ‘80s were labeled as the Golden Age for arcades while the early ‘90s had the craze for fighters. From Street Fighter II to Mortal Kombat, the fighting genre hit its peak relatively fast and hasn’t seen the same success since then.

One reason for the lack of success was the transition to 3D. Take a look at fighting franchises such as Street Fighter and King of Fighters; they haven’t been the same since 3D gaming became all the rage. With the two gargantuan series hurting, new ones popped up to take their place (i.e. Virtua Fighter and Tekken). Today, we examine what series' are still holding on strong and take look at the fighting genre’s status all the way into 2008.

Often you’ll hear a label placed upon the fighting genre from publishers. These two words have echoed through the industry and stuck; the evidence can be seen with the lack of new fighters being developed. The two words that circle around the fighting genre are “niche market.” When asked by their fans about the lack of their favorite fighters receiving sequels, publishers state that the fighting genre – especially with 2D fighting – is now a niche market catering only to a small percentage. Continued...

Arcade Games on the Rise

Next-Gen.biz citing a report from Foxnews.com provides some promising numbers for the arcade business in the United States.

REPORT: ARCADE GAMES ON THE RISE

By Tom Ivan
The arcade games industry is undergoing a muted resurgence amidst the ongoing next generation console war.

Following a substantial price hike in shopping mall floor space and increased competition from games consoles, the number of US arcades plummeted to as low as 2,500 in recent years, down three quarters from 10,000 sites during the industry’s 1980s peak. However, a revival has seen that figure rise to 3,500.

"Quite a resurgence," according to Michael Rudowicz, president of the American Amusement Machine Association. "The Y generation communicates by word of mouse. It's cool to get out to play with your peers," he said.

A Fox News report claims that nostalgia and an increased focus on family orientated entertainment centers both play a prominent role in this growth. Popular Japanese import Dance Dance Revolution is just one game doing the rounds at national chains including AMC Theaters and Chuck E. Cheese, a restaurant franchise set up by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell.

Game designers and developers frustrated with mainstream industry practices are also getting in on the action, with last year’s top selling arcade title Big Buck, which shifted 7,000 units, designed by former Midway Games employee Eugene Jarvis.

Though we still aren't any where near the hey-day of classic arcades on street corners and malls across the United States, the success of the national chains and local joints (including the Barcade, talked about here) is a good sign that arcade games will just keep on trucking. So long as there's a game, it seems, there will be players.

*Images from Foxnews.com

Game Releases for April 16th - April 20th

Want to know what to expect this week when it comes to arcade games coming to home and portable consoles? Though release dates are always subject to change, here's a list of what you should be able to expect to find on the shelves of your local stores...

This week is actually a really strong week for arcade games. There is quite a bit of a selection available with a good mix of old school and new. There are also a few games finally getting a release after being pushed back for months (good to see Raiden III making it). I'll be posting a few reviews this week on a couple of these titles, so be on the look out for them a bit later.

US RELEASES
Playstation 2
Raiden 3 - Shooter

Enhanced graphics and gameplay

All the classic Raiden series weapons, bosses, and action!

Two-player mode

Special two ships mode also allows one player to control both ships

Tokyo Extreme Racer Drift 2 - Racing

Race through the dangerous mountains of Japan that have all been faithfully recreated

Enter day races for money and night races to defeat rivals

A combination of realistic and arcade racing physics provide a nail biting experience.

Red Star - Action

1-2 player simultaneous action

During cooperative play, player characters can interact with each other and perform special attacks.

Each of the game's three characters offers different game experiences.

Combines hard hitting melee combat with an intense old school shooter style
*This game was mentioned last week for releases, but the title's release was pushed back by the publisher.

Nintendo DS
Class Action Devilish - Puzzle/Breakout

Breakout! action with a whole new feel!

Utilizes both screens to control the fun - bounce your magical orb through the labyrinth horizontally and vertically.

5 total levels with multiple sub-levels in each.

Features an auto-save for the on the go gamer!

Nintendo Wii
Bust A Move Bash! - Puzzle

New control style specially designed specifically for the Wii.

Features 10 characters to choose from including franchise favorites Bub and Bob

4 playable modes that includes hundreds of puzzles to play through

1-8 player support

(Wii Virtual Console releases include Punch-Out!! and Virtual Fighter II for the Sega Genesis)

IMPORT CORNERPlaystation 2
The King of Fighters Nest - Fighting

The latest in the series of classic compilations from SNK Playmore

Enabled for online play (Japanese PS2's only)

Includes King of Fighters '99: Millennium Battle, King of Fighters 2000, King of Fighters 2001, and King of Fighters 2002

Nintendo Wii
Furu Furu Park - Mini-games

A selection of arcade style mini-games created by Taito and drawn from Taito's illustrious catalog of games.

Features over 30 mini-games!

Cosmos X2 (Nintendo DS) Preview at IGN

Alten8, publisher who is responsible for bringing Cool Herders to the DS, is currently also planning to bring another arcade game to the DS in the form of of Cosmos X2. Though I'm not too familiar with the developer (Saturnine Games), IGN has a brief preview of the title, describing it as a horizontal side scroller similar to R-Type. Though few details are available, its good to see another DS shmup to go alongside the Ketsui news.

IGN's preview can be found here.

Alten8 Blasting off with Cosmos X2

by Rob Burman, IGN UK

UK, April 13, 2007 - After announcing Cool Herders last month, publisher Alten8 is continuing its support for DS with an old school shoot-'em-up titled Cosmos X2, currently in development at Saturnine Games.

Taking its queue from side-scrolling shooters like R-Type, Cosmos X2 sees players gunning down hordes of enemy spaceships, navigating space debris and defending the outer colonies. Maps and radars are displayed on the bottom screen, while the top screen shows all the shooting action.

Alten8 is promising that Cosmos X2 and Cool Herders are just two of 10 titles it currently has lined up for DS, ranging from action, casual, RPG and "other styles", whatever they might be. It's also planning on publishing releases for both Wii and PC too.

GoNintendo.com - "New Smash Bros. Character to be Revealed"

Over at GoNintendo.com, recent scans of Coro Coro have been posted that claim a new Smash Brothers Character is going to be revealed in its next issue for Super Smash Brothers Brawl.

The original scans can be found here.

Considering recent announcements concerning Mario and Sonic joint ventures (Mario and Sonic at the Olympics), could this be the heavily rumored (and fan demanded) Sonic addition to the Smash Brothers super line-up?

Punch-Out and Virtua Fighter 2 for the VC on Monday

Seeing Punch-Out!! is such a tease.

After playing Wii Boxing and seeing the new Hajime no Ippo Revolution in action, Punch-Out!!'s inclusion on the VC is just a sad reminder of Nintendo's unwillingness to provide a new Punch-Out!! game to Punch-Out!! fans. Though Wii Remote and Nunchuck controls are a bit hit and miss with some titles, the classic arcade Punch-Out!!-style seems to be a perfect match for the motion-sening capabilities of Nintendo's innovative new controller. The game basically builds itself when you think about it.

But with that said, I guess our consolation is the abilitiy to play the original NES version of Punch-Out (sans Mike Tyson), with our Wii Remote turned sideways. Perhaps one day we'll face off against a next-gen King Hippo, but until then, this will have to do...

Punch-Out!! is also joining Bonk's Revenge for the Turbo-Grafx 16 and Virtual Fighter 2 for the Sega Genesis when it comes to Virtual Console release this Monday. Bonk's Revenge is a good side scroller but lacks depth, and Virtua Fighter 2 is a sad shadow of its former self. Though you couldn't fault Sega for trying to please fans at the time by releasing VF2 on the Sega Genesis, even the system with "blast-processing" couldn't handle the game without sacrificing a ton of animations and details.

It's playable... But only if you close your eyes and pretend you are playing something else. Stick to the Saturn version if you need a copy of this game. This version isn't worth it.

Virtual Console Release for Monday
Punch-Out!! - Nintendo Entertainment System
Bonk's Revenge - Turbo-Grafx 16
Virtua Fighter 2 - Sega Genesis
*Links need to be opened in Firefox or IE7*

Barcade - The Happiest Place on Earth

Via Yahoo! News:

Old-school games in "barcade" renaissance

By Lisa Baertlein
Thu Apr 12, 11:15 AM ET

LOS ANGELES, April 12 (Reuters) - In Brooklyn's warehouse-turned-artist district of Williamsburg, young hipsters flock to Barcade to sample its roster of microbrews and mingle with the likes of Pac-Man, the Mario brothers and Frogger.

ADVERTISEMENT

Walls of the bar, which runs on wind power and has its own MySpace profile, are lined with dozens of bulky, old-school arcade games that decades ago lured coin-clutching teens to crowded, dark rooms with deceptively addicting game play.

Barcade's popularity among Williamsburg's 20- and 30-somethings reflects a wider trend in the video game industry -- "retro" games are back as parents introduce their offspring to the beloved games of their youth.

Few segments of the $30 billion global video game market needed it more than the U.S. arcade business, which has shrunk to about a quarter of its peak size.

In the heyday of the mid-1980s there were more than 10,000 arcades in the United States and about 1.4 million games placed in myriad locations from teen-mobbed mall arcades to convenience stores, said Michael Rudowicz, president of the American Amusement Machine Association.

The number of arcades shriveled to about 2,500 during the industry's nadir roughly four years ago on the heels of skyrocketing shopping mall rents and competition from console gaming.

The count of U.S. arcades now stands at about 3,500 as "Pac-Man," "Asteroids," "Tron," "Centipede" and other stars of the golden age of arcade gaming ride a comeback wave unseen since the start of Sony's PlayStation home console era.

"It's quite a resurgence," said Rudowicz.

MORE THAN NOSTALGIA

Nostalgia is not alone in fueling the rebound, which is also getting a lift from corporate layoffs that forced some middle managers to reinvent themselves as operators of family entertainment centers.

Talented game makers, who were wooed by big-budget console game studios, are also returning to their roots -- having grown weary of hulking, high-risk projects and assembly-line specialization.

Among them is former Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY - news) designer Eugene Jarvis, who founded game maker Raw Thrills in 2001 and has since turned out coin-operated hits like "The Fast and the Furious" driving game and "Big Buck Hunter Pro" -- a game that introduced trendy urbanites to hunting.

"Big Buck" was last year's top arcade game, selling 7,000 units, said Ryan Cravens, marketing manager for Betson Enterprises, which distributes arcade games and has a partnership with Raw Thrills.

National chains like AMC Theaters, child-focused U.S. restaurant franchise Chuck E. Cheese (NYSE:CEC - news) and bowling alley operator Brunswick offer a steady rotation of arcade games, including Japan's popular import "Dance Dance Revolution."

Nolan Bushnell, founder of the original Atari game company and Chuck E. Cheese, last year opened a swanky restaurant with video-game equipped tables in a suburban Los Angeles shopping mall. His new target audience is the adult dating set.

Bushnell and other seasoned arcade industry players say Generation Y, which includes individuals as old as their late 20s, is discovering arcade gaming's mix and mingle mode.

"The Y generation communicates by word of mouse," said Rudowicz said. "It's cool to get out to play with your peers."

Rocketmen Axis of Evil fact sheet

Rocketmen: Axis of Evil official Capcom fact sheet:

Release Date: Fall 2007
Genre: Arcade Shooter
Platform: Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PLAYSTATION®Network
Rating: RP (Rating Pending)
Developer: A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games
Price: TBD

Game Description:
WizKids®' popular constructible strategy game comes to Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PLAYSTATION®Network this fall with Rocketmen: Axis of Evil. In this arcade shooter, players will join the heroes of the Alliance of Free Planets in their white-knuckled, frenzied struggle to free the Solar System from the tyrannical grip of the Legion of Terra. Up to four players will be able to cooperatively shoot their way through multiple levels, powering up their weapons, picking up bonuses and laying waste to anything that moves.

Features:

* Fast-paced arcade action
* 1 – 4 players on or offline
* Online multiplayer gameplay through a variety of mini games that let players instantly jump into existing games
* Design and build your own character for both single and multi-player games, each with their own unique skills and look
o Male or female
o Three races – Human, Mercurian or Venusian
o Three classes – Fighter, Engineer, Outcast
* Further character customization options through new items and abilities earned by progressing through a variety of quests
* Multiple hours of gameplay with plenty of levels, hordes of enemies, huge bosses and engaging story for maximum replay value
* Beautiful cartoon-like art style brings life to the characters and environments
* Competitive online ranking system
* High definition 1080i graphics

ABOUT CAPCOM
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Devil May Cry. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Tokyo and Hong Kong, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom can be found on the company web site, www.capcom.com.

Capcom, Resident Evil, Mega Man and Devil May Cry are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd., in the U.S. or other countries. Street Fighter is a registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. "PlayStation," "PLAYSTATION" and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. ROCKETMEN and WIZKIDS are registered trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Copyright © WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. All other marks are the property of their respective holders.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Official Fact Sheet

Capcom's Official fact sheet on Super Street Fighter II Turbo:

Release Date: Fall 2007
Genre: Fighting
Platform: Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PLAYSTATION®Network
Rating: RP (Rating Pending)
Developer: Backbone Entertainment-Emeryville
Price: TBD

Game Description:
One of the most popular games of the early ‘90s is reborn! Super Street Fighter® II Turbo HD Remix, originally developed by Capcom® for the arcade, makes its downloadable debut on the Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PLAYSTATION®Network. Capcom will stay true to the foundation of the popular game by utilizing the original game code, while creating a fresh upgraded experience with new artwork and high resolution 1080p graphics. All of the art will be completely redrawn and created by UDON Comics, which currently publishes the official Street Fighter comic and is responsible for the new contemporary look of the Street Fighter franchise.

Features:

* Features all eighteen of the original Super Street Fighter® II Turbo characters including Ryu, Guile, M. Bison and Akuma
* One to two player head-to-head play either offline or online
o Single player vs. CPU
o Player vs. player over the same console
o Player vs. player online
* Training mode helps fighters hone their skills
* Numerous online features:
o In-game voice chatting between players
o Matchmaking flexibility through multiple options:
+ Personal and friends statistics tracking
+ Worldwide rankings and leaderboards

ABOUT CAPCOM
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Devil May Cry. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Tokyo and Hong Kong, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom can be found on the company web site, www.capcom.com.

Capcom, Resident Evil, Mega Man and Devil May Cry are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd., in the U.S. or other countries. Street Fighter is a registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. "PlayStation," "PLAYSTATION" and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other marks are the property of their respective holders.

Images from Gamekult.com

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Official Fact Sheet

Capcom's official fact sheet on Super Puzzle Fighter II HD:

Release Date: Summer 2007
Genre: Puzzle
Platform: Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PLAYSTATION®Network, PC
Rating: RP (Rating Pending)
Developer: Backbone Entertainment-Emeryville
Price: TBD

Game Description:
One of the most addictive games of all time has just gotten better! Super Puzzle Fighter™ II Turbo HD Remix downloads Capcom's incredibly popular puzzle game into the new generation. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix comes to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PLAYSTATION®Network and PC in its greatest incarnation to date, featuring enhanced 1080p HD graphics, several new game modes, improved game balance, and online play.

In Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, players compete in intense versus battles of wit and speed. As a linked pair of gems descends from the top of the screen, players move and rotate them to form groups and piles of the same color. By destroying these groups of gems with either a crash or rainbow gem, players can send counter gems to fall onto their hapless rival. When the opponent's screen is filled up and no more moves are available, the player wins the game.

Features:

* Three different gameplay options:
o X-Mode: play in classic Puzzle Fighter style
o Y-Mode: gems automatically break when three or more gems of the same color line up in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally
o Z-Mode: players move a 2x2 cursor around the screen rotating the positions of the highlighted gems; more gems are added from below, moving all the current gems toward the top
* Game balance options for X-Mode
o Original X-Mode or a newly rebalanced mode that makes every character a compelling choice
* Counter Gem Edit – allows players to create their own drop pattern
* Multiple online gameplay options:
o Ranked Match – using the TrueSkill system players are matched 1-on-1 based on their ranking points
o Player Match – non-ranked, casual Quarter Match setup allows players to view ongoing matches and stand by to become the next challenger
* Worldwide rankings and leaderboard
* Two graphics options – players can switch between the exact pixels of the original game or an all new 1080p HD version which includes revamped graphics for gems, effects and interface

ABOUT CAPCOM
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Devil May Cry. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Tokyo and Hong Kong, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom can be found on the company web site, www.capcom.com.

Capcom, Resident Evil, Mega Man and Devil May Cry are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd., in the U.S. or other countries. Street Fighter is a registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. "PlayStation," "PLAYSTATION" and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other marks are the property of their respective holders.

It's official Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD!

As rumored earlier today here:

Super Street Fighter II HD Remix Announced

From IGN:

April 13, 2007 - Street Fighter II on the Xbox Live Arcade has generated more revenue than any other XBLA game, according to Capcom. That can only mean one thing; more Street Fighter games are on the way. Along with an updated version of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Capcom announced its intentions to bring Super Street Fighter II HD Remix to both the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade this fall.

Though Capcom did not have the game on hand to show the audience, they did promise that all of the art is being redrawn by Udon Entertainment so that it will look crisp and clean at resolutions up to 1080p. A few samples of what Capcom is aiming for were shown and it was quite easy to see the vast improvement in the level of detail and polish over the original graphics. Like Street Fighter II for XBLA, this remake will include both online and offline play for one or two players.

We'll have more on Super Street Fighter II HD Remix when it's up and running.

Super Puzzle Fighter II

From IGN:

April 13, 2007 - At its Spring Gamer's Day conference held yesterday in San Francisco, Capcom revealed several new downloadable games as part of its digital initiative. Amongst them was a remake of the critically acclaimed Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, now with an HD Remix suffix in the hopes of making the longest title possible. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix will be available for download on the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PC this fall.

The HD Remix visual additions will feature all new backgrounds created by Udon Entertainment (the company that makes the official US Street Fighter comics), support resolutions up to 1080p, and reworked effects on gems and break animations. Gameplay tweaks have been made as well, with new play modes including a spectator mode similar to the quarter mode in the XBLA release of Street Fighter II, reworked balance and online play.

Super Puzzle Figher II Turbo HD Remix was already up and running on the Xbox 360 at Capcom's event, ensuring that a fall release is certainly reasonable even with the somewhat delay happy history of the XBLA. Until then, take a look at the first movies and screens to get a feel for the new and improved look.

New Tekken 6 Updates from Arcadia

Courtesy of SD Tekken and Mukumuku on the Tekken Zaibatsu forums:

New tidbits from the latest issue of Arcadia Magazine indicate a massive overhaul for many of the older characters in Tekken 6. Among the main highlights of the article were:

* Animations have been changed for every character!
* All characters have an “item move”, like the Bryan shotgun we saw at the AOU trailer. Although not all of them will have the same effectiveness.
* An example of an “item move” will be Anna throwing her high heels at her opponents.
* Harada officially stated that Leo IS a girl.
* So far Yoshimitsu has gone under the most drastic change. Harada notes that it will be much more difficult to use Yoshimitsu this time around and they consider him an “Expert” character. Part of his story includes the fact that his sword is now losing power and he must take a new fighting style, Kenjutsu from the Manji clan, this includes both dual sword fighting and pure fist fighting!
* A lot of Lei Wulong’s laying down stances have been changed. They look more like Lei Fei and Shun Di’s laying down stance from Virtua Fighter 5. They also changed the properties where Lei can be counter-hit and juggled out of his laying down stances.
* Many changes were done to Marshall Law. It is noted that fans of Bruce Lee and those that know of Jeet Kune Do will be very pleased.

Short and Sweet (Guilty Gear Accent Core PS2)

Arc System Works have released a new trailer for the latest installment of the Guilty Gear series for home consoles, Guilty Gear Accent Core, on the official website for the game.

To see the other two trailers released by Arc for the game, visit http://www.guiltygearx.com/.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD for Xbox Live and other Rumors

Though official media reports are going to be silent on the event held yesterday until about 5pm Pacific Standard Time, word of what may be expected to be reported is already breaking across the channels. From an inside source, a small list of titles was sent to me with claims that this list was the actual list featured at Capcom Gamer's Day.

Wii
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
Resident Evil the Umbrella Chronicles
Treasure Island Z

PS3
DMC 4

Xbox 360 - All three of these games are Xbox Live titles
Rocketmen (described as a Smash TV esque game)
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Edition
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Edition

PSP
Monster Hunter Freedom 2

PS2
MotoGP

DS
Phoenix Wright Trials and Tribulations (4)
Megaman ZX Advent
Megaman Starforce (3 editions)

PC
Lost Planet

Though we expect no confirmation on this list until this evening, seeing both Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD for XBLA is a great choice on the part of Capcom for release on the Xbox Live Arcade (should it prove accurate). However, it does bring up the question of whether or not Microsoft is going to take any effort to ensure that Street Fighter Anniversary Collection is ever added to the Xbox 360's backwards compatibility list.

Shoryuken.com currently is doing their part with an e-mail letter writing campaign to Microsoft's backwards compatibility team asking for just that. If you haven't had the opportunity to e-mail Microsft yet, I would definitely recommend taking a few moments and requesting Street Fighter Anniversary Collection be updated on the playable list for the Xbox 360.

I'll be keeping an eye out today for more information that's released prior to this evenings media blitz. If anything new develops, you'll be sure to see it here.

Bullet Hell Tactics XNA Xbox Live Details

I am a huge fan of the XNA development initiative from Microsoft. The design and development theory presented by the company is incredibly forward in its thinking. When the professional version of the toolkit is released, the program has the potential to allow small time developers to reap more rewards for their effort. Whether or not Microsoft decides to see the program through its full course is just a matter of wait and see, but the rhetoric coming from the offices of the XNA dev team are extremely positive in its message. They have gone so far as to claim that the XNA is the future of development on all Microsoft consoles.

On the2bears.com, one of the first true shooting games I've seen developed with the XNA toolkit has been given a small feature piece with a video (shown below). The game is currently being worked over by Beta testers.

Via the official website (http://shmup.blogspot.com/) for the title, here are some additional details:

Bullet Hell Tactics demo includes one level. The goal is to kill the final boss and get as high score as you can.

How to play the game
You control a small spaceship and must destroy hordes of evil enemies. Shoot them down with your lasers while trying to evade the bullets they shoot back. When a enemy is destroyed they drop energy, pick these up fill up your own energy. You can also aim your ship and shoot in 360 degrees and not let a single enemy survive.

How player energy works
Player energy is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen. To fill up energy you must collect the green stuff the enemies drop when they are destroyed. You can use your energy in two ways:

* Spinning shield, makes you invurnable to bullets (this is very important to use, but be careful not to run out of energy)
* Homing laser missiles, very strong weapon that destroys most of whats in it's way (all of your energy will be used, so be careful!)

How to control player spaceship

Keyboard & Mouse:

* Move - Mouse
* Shoot - Left mouse button
* Shield - Right mouse button
* Aim (lock target) - Left Ctrl
* Homing missiles - Left Shift

Xbox 360 controller:

* Move - Left thumbstick
* Shoot - A button (or right trigger)
* Shield - B button (or left trigger)
* Aim (lock target) - Hold X button (or move right thumbstick)
* Homing missiles - Left/right shoulder button

Arcana Heart Full (Upgrade) Announced

Arcana Heart is scheduled to receive its first major upgrade since its release in arcades in late 2006. Developers Yuki Enterprise are hoping for a wide release of Arcana Heart Full before the Super Battle Opera in June. The official site for the game has a few minor details on the upgrade at http://www.arcanaheart.jp/index.html.

Specifics on the changes that can be expected with the new release have not been disclosed as of this writing. There also does not seem to be any new characters or arcana posted on the official site. With that in mind, whether or not this upgrade is going to be largely to fix gameplay and balance issues or will provide a bit more meat for gamers is a big question mark, not only for the game itself, but also for its role in the Super Battle Opera this summer.

Arcana Heart is a one on one fighting game featuring a cast of 10 all female characters. The style is very reminscent of the last handful of Samurai Spirits titles which Yuki Enterprise also developed for SNK.

Guilty Gear XX #R Online for the PC

When there's a will, there's a way...

An inspired group of Guilty Gear fans on the Dustloop forums have unconvered a Japanese patch that allows for online battles and a custom color edit mode for the Japanese version of Guilty Gear XX #R. Don't expect a lag-free fighting system(yet), but the added online features are a great addition to an already solid title.

For details on the patch and the exact process to get it to work, please visit the Dustloop forums. Aside from a small thread of US players devoted to match finding, there is also a link to a lobby that can be used to meet other English speaking players for quick pick up matches.

In other random Guilty Gear news, Accent Core for the PS2 has had its release date officially confirmed. On May 31st, the game is scheduled to ship in Japan. The game is currently available for preorder at Play.Asia.

Capcom Gamer's Day 2007

There are a lot of expectations going into today's Gamer's Day event for Capcom. For the last couple of weeks, several people from within the development and publishing studio have been slyly hinting at some big announcements for all three home consoles and the two portable ones. Though nothing is expected to be revealed until the media embargo is lifted on Friday morning, there is already talk of several rumors being essentially confirmed by off the record sources.

With Street Fighter's anniversary looming just around the corner (2008 is the official "20th anniversary" according to Capcom), it's easy to hope that there would be some announcement about the heavily fabled Street Fighter 4 that always seems to come up this time of year. Based on a not so recent interview by Charles Bellfield at Gamedaily, it does seem clear that there are some big things in the work for late 2007/2008 for the series, though just what those things are he doesn't say. But hey, at least we get some details on the new Street Fighter movie, right? (grumbles something about Jean Claude Van Damme...)

BIZ: With the focus on Chung Li for this film, do you foresee a film franchise that will focus on different characters moving forward?

CB: This is the introduction of different films. The fact that the first one is based on Chung Li gives you an indication of the direction we're going. It's more specific to character and storyline rather than a nebulous plot. It's actually making it far more relevant to the story line and characters in the game, as well. Capcom is not about licensing out IP to get the best it can out of the movie industry. We're about building our brands. Street Fighter is one of our major brands. And although we haven't talked about any new Street Fighter games going forward, it is a major brand for us.

BIZ: The original Street Fighter: The Movie spawned games featuring the digital likenesses of Jean Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia. Will we see new games based on this film?

CB: I can confirm that we have a multi-format strategy for Street Fighter, what, when, how and why we're not talking about. Anniversaries for key franchises are important milestones in the game industry. We have a 20th Anniversary of Street Fighter in 2008 and we'll be developing a number of properties around that for the anniversary.

I'm glad they haven't forgotten about us... "And although we haven't talked about any new Street Fighter games going forward, it is a major brand for us.". But with it being such a major brand, is it too much to ask for a simple teaser of their plans for next year?

One thing I am slightly concerned about is the idea of a multiformat strategy for Street Fighter. I'm not expecting this to be cleared up with details anytime soon, but this seems all too familiar (Mortal Kombat's creators referenced a multiformat strategy when announcing Special Forces/Mythologies). I'm hoping that Capcom would not follow that path with their franchise, but the interview definitely seems to hint at something a bit more non-traditional for the future of the Street Fighter series.

As long as we get a new Street Fighter fighting game from Capcom for the anniversary, I will be satisfied even if they make Ryu a platform jumping, fireball throwing, action hero in another. But if Mega Man's anniversary is any clue on how Capcom treats important franchise's anniersary dates, a series of collections may indeed be all we really get.

Check back tomorrow for all the updates out of the Gamer's Day event.

A Pair of Naruto Ninja Council 3 Videos for the DS

Kotaku has a pair of new Naruto Ninja Council 3 videos available for your viewing pleasure at Clips: Naruto: Ninja Council 3 on DS. Just don't expect anything new by the trailers.

The game is scheduled for release in the US in May (it has been available in Japan since 2005).

Broken Thunder release date announced

The spiritual successor to the canceled Thunderforce VI which was featured earlier here, now officially is one step closer to being on store shelves. Broken Thunder is scheduled for release on May 3rd, 10 years after the last installment of the Thunderforce series. The game will ship with both a limited edition collector's package that includes the original score by Thunderforce fan favorite Factory Noise & AG, and a regular version that will be released without the bonuses.

Though the game is not an officially licensed Thunderforce project, the names of the ships and weapons, as well as the story are going to be all too familiar to Thunderforce fans. The game will ship on a DVD-Rom for Windows-based PCs.

System Specs
DVD-Rom
Windows 2000/Windows XP
At least a P4 1.6GHZ processor
At least 256MB of RAM
DirectX9.0c or later required

Gotta catch 'em all? Nintendo's banking on one more thing...

Famitsu.com recently announced a new Pokemon game for Japanese arcades. This version of the social phenomenon that never. seems. to. die., is scheduled for release as a Pokemon Stadium-esque/Collectible disc hybrid game. The game will feature Pokemon battles centered around play discs that can be purchased in randomized packs as well as received as a reward for success in the game itself. These packs are used to unlock specific Pokemon to play head to head against a friend or against a computer opponent.

In a move similar to Nintendo's other gaming platforms, Pokemon features a unique input system for the user while playing the game. The discs which represent your Pokemon are also used on a large green field in front of the monitor to represent your formation in the game. Moving the discs will adjust the formation and (hopefully) unlock a bit more strategy to the classic paper rock scissors formula of the series.

Boom Boom Rocket released on Xbox Live Arcade

I haven't had a chance to check this out yet this morning, but the early reviews seem positive...

PREPARE TO LAUNCH - EA'S BOOM BOOM ROCKET EXPLODES ONTO XBOX LIVE ARCADE
Highly-Anticipated Music Rhythm Game Arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade

Chertsey, UK - April 11, 2007 - Find your rhythm and get ready to set off the biggest round of fireworks, as Boom Boom Rocket™, the first Xbox LIVE® Arcade game from Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), explodes onto Xbox LIVE Arcade today. The game is a hypnotic rhythm music game conceived by EA's Pogo.com™ casual games design team and developed by Bizarre Creations, the developer who brought fan-favorite Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved to Xbox LIVE Arcade. Boom Boom Rocket will be available for 800 Microsoft Points, first launching in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and is rated 3+ by PEGI. The game also will be available in the near future in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

Players find their groove in Boom Boom Rocket, by triggering rockets to the beat of the music while traveling through a 3D cityscape. The fireworks are choreographed to 10 original tracks created by Ian Livingstone. Players can play in single player mode or go head-to-head against a friend on the same console, making it a perfect social game. Easy mode allows players to get comfortable with the controls while Endurance mode challenges the savviest of Boom Boom Rocket players with its intense speed and complexity of fireworks triggers. Loosen things up with the fun-for-all Freestyle Mode, or watch your favorite tunes light up the sky with the built-in Visualizer.

"The joint effort between the Pogo.com creative team and the talented team at Bizarre Creations evolved the idea into what the game plays like today. Seeing people's response to the game itself has been such a great experience - it's what making games is all about," said Spencer Brooks, EA's Boom Boom Rocket Producer. "We're so excited to give Xbox LIVE Arcade fans this new game and have had so much fun playing it ourselves - you can't help but have fun playing this game."

The game features three modes of gameplay: Normal, Speed and multiplayer head-to-head. Each song is choreographed into three skill levels to ensure that everyone can join in the fun. Successfully chain fireworks to fill the bonus meter and activate the psychedelic bonus mode for extra points. Players can unlock new firework designs by mastering each music track. Players can utilise the connected online element and see how their scores compare with other players on the Boom Boom Rocket leaderboard.

Taito Legends II - US Release Confirmed

There's really not much to say here... But the US release of Taito Legends II has officially been confirmed for the Playstation 2. According to the Playstation.com website, the game will be available May 2007 from Empire games.

Taito Legends 2 is a compilation of 40 classic Taito arcade titles including Darius Gaiden, Puzzle Bobble 2, Space Invaders DX, Elevator Action Returns, Rastan 2, Qix, and many others.

Taito Legends 2 for the PS2

Parotte Fighter Special Heroes Dynamite - Demo Released!

The world can't get enough of cosplaying girls. Especially when those cosplaying girls are dressed up as some of the most iconic characters from 2D fighting history and are forced to face off in classic 1 on 1 matches.

Parotte Fighter Special Heroes Dynamite from Retsuzan Games takes a page out of Super Cosplay War Ultra's book, and provides a tongue in cheek fighting game that does just that. The game features a full cast of all female fighters based on well known 2D characters from a wide range of games from Street Fighter to World Heroes. From Ken to M. Bison to Rasputin and Captain Kid, no one is safe from this well done parody. If you are familiar with the way that the characters would normally play, picking up this title is a breeze. You'll be doing Shoryuken's with "Kei" just as natural as if this game was Street Fighter II.

A demo of the game is available at the official website. Which you can find here here: Parotte Fighter Special Heroes Dynamite

Autofire 2K7 Shmup-Dev Results

If you picked up Clean Asia earlier this week, you may also be interested in checking out some of the other award winners from the recent Autofire 2K7 competition hosted by the Shmup-Dev forums. The top 5 five games represent some of the best of the best of freeware shooters released late last year/earlier this year. Clean Asia took top prize in the competition, gathering highest honors for sound and innovation.

For more information on the competition, please visit the official site here: Shmup-Dev's Autofire 2K7.

Top 5 Games 1st Place - Clean Asia

2nd Place - Excellent Bifurcation

3rd Place - Force Majeure

4th Place - BLESSED
5th Place - Gravitron

Mortal Kombat II for the Playstation Network this Week

I am fairly sure that the sounds of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa yelling out "MORTAL KOMBAT!" are forever etched into my brain. Is it wrong of me to think of Mortal Kombat the movie every time someone mentions the game now?

Regardless of my personal issues, Mortal Kombat II (the best in the series) is going to be available on Thursday on the Playstation Network for download for the Playstation 3. At the low price of $4.99, the expected arcade perfect port features HD compatability, online play, and leaderboards so you can tell just how well your Sub Zero skills compare to the other PS3 players.

Though some of the satisfaction of watching the other player's face react as your Liu Kang transforms into a Dragon and rips off the top half of his character is lost with online play, hopefully the experience will be able to capture some of the thrills of the arcade version with albeit a bit more impersonal setting.

Kotaku announces release date for Mortal Kombat II for PS3

SHMUPS Radio

Are you someone who gets motivated by the techno beats of Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun? Find yourself humming the tune of R-Type III in your free time?

SHMUP4EVER has a great web radio available that you can listen to while surfing the web or procrastinating on that assignment you have due. With over 1,145 original and arranged tracks (42 hours plus of music) from 19XX through Zero Gunner 2, all the classic shooting tunes are here for your audio pleasure.

High speed connection is definitely recommended:
SHMUP.4.EVER

(You can find a complete track listing here: Track Listing for SHMUP.4.EVER Radio)

Super Stardust HD Previewed at 1up.com

If Geometry Wars has taught developers anything, creative shooting games inspired by old school titles sell extremely well on downloadable console networks.

Finnish game designers Housemarque are hoping to tap into the success of the genre by releasing Super Stardust HD on the Playstation Network for the Playstation 3 sometime this summer. The game is an original shooting title that features multiple layers of depth wrapped in a trippy little explosive package. One part Asteroids, one part Tempest, and one part absolute chaos, Super Stardust HD tries to strike a fine balance between semi-strategic decision making and frantic shooting action.

For more information on the title, be sure to check out the 1up "First Look" Preview.
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3158563

Strategy and Cheese, Part IV (Street Fighter II)

The fourth part of the Strategy and Cheese Street Fighter II series takes an in depth look at E. Honda and Blanka. As before, the video was originally released as a special promotional product in its full length of around 40 minutes. I have broken it up into smaller bits on specific characters and general strategies.

Remember, even though these strategies were specially crafted for Street Fighter II Special Champion's Edition, most of them are able to be used all the way up through Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo. This includes Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting which is available for online play via Xbox Live.

E. Honda/Blanka

Previous Videos:
General Strategies
Ryu (also includes a brief intro to the series)
Zangief/Vega
E. Honda/Blanka
Balrog/Chun Li
Guile
Ken/Dhalsim/Sagat/M. Bison

First Looks: Fan Tributes to Street Fighter and SFII

MUGEN is an interesting beast. Though a lot of the games that are made with the custom game engine are unplayable messes, sometimes you can be positively surprised by the final product.

Earlier this week, the project team at Capcomunications released the English language "World" version of their Street Fighter Upper project. The game made in MUGEN features a fan made remake of the original Street Fighter game with several additions made to "modernize" the experience. Though it suffers a bit as a MUGEN created game, it is surprising to note that the original Street Fighter actually seems to be improved by the additions that the Capcomunications team put into this project.


The "World" version is available to download on their website at http://www.capcomunications.unlugar.com/proyectos.html. Be sure when you download the original files, you also download the patch fix. This patch fixes a bug that would end the game after the first fight.

Unfortunately due to their hosting choice (Rapidshare), there are definitely a few hurdles to go through to download the file. (I should mention I'm not the biggest fan of Rapidshare).

And as a random side note, the Street Fighter Upper team responsible for this MUGEN project is also working on a remake of Street Fighter II, called Street Fighter II Revenge. The game is set to feature the original 8 World Warriors with the 4 Bosses from Street Fighter II Special Champion's Edition. The character select screen and match screen feature new art for the characters, but it seems that most of the sprite work is taken from already existent sources (like a lot of MUGEN titles). Features that we can expect from the Street Fighter II Revenge Project include a classic combo system, parry system, new backgrounds, and different color palettes for each of the characters. The Capcomunications team has stated that a Demo of Street Fighter II Revenge should be available soon.

Last Hope Limited Edition - Coming Soon? (Finally)

I know personally I've been waiting for the Limited Edition of Last Hope for the better part of 3 months now. I completely understand delays, but when the regular edition has been in the hands of Dreamcast gamers since February, I can't help but wonder just what the hold up really is.

Imagine my surprise however, when I received an e-mail explaining the situation and promising a release sometime this week.

Dear Sirs and Madams,

You receive this email because you have preordered the Limited Edition of Last Hope DC at Play-Asia.com or the Van Basilco Online-Shop. Due several problems while the production of the Limited Edition we had to postpone this edition again and again. Unfortunately we have to announce another delay.

The problems had their origin at the CD factory we authorized with the production of the Limited Edition. As you can imagine the Vinyl CD hybrid is a very special format and is only offered at a chosen few factories in Europe. Therefore the order of the production was executed by a large and prestigious factory in Germany which is a subsidiary of a well-known media group.

Unfortunately we had to recognize very soon that we play a minor role in their tasks. After several misunderstandings at the beginning of this deal we made a clear assignment which didn't meet our satisfaction when we received the final units. After another delay of the regular edition - because this problem accrued twice - we were very unhappy and decided not to work together with this CD factory in the future. Sadly this also influenced our business connection and the Limited Edition got a lower priority.

Last week - when the final release date was set by redspotgames - was another disappointing moment when we received the Limited Edition in time but with three mayor errors. We could not sent the Limited Edition out to our wholesale partners under this condition.

Now - after we almost had to take legal proceedings - we are confident to receive a 100% correct and satisfactorily Limited Edition within this week. Please also notice that it will take about 2 - 3 more days to ship it to our wholesale partners.

We at redspotgames are deeply sorry for the delays and promise to hold on the given release dates for our future projects.

My best regards / Mit freundlichen Grüßen / L'expression de mes salutations

Max Scharl
Executive Director
Van Basilco / redspotgames

Personally, I don't know what to make of this. After seeing several release dates pass with no explanation, I guess seeing a response at all is a positive step. I'm hoping that this release will finally hold firm, but I'm not up for holding my breath... yet.

Last Hope is a 2D shooter along the lines of the Pulstar series. Originally conceived as a NeoGeo project, the developers announced a Dreamcast version of the game that would ship near simultaneously with the NeoGeo home version. The regular edition for the Dreamcast is available at Play-Asia.

Purchase Last Hope at Play-Asia.com

Galaga hits the Virtual Console (Nintendo Wii)

If there is one game that has been singly ported more places than the original Galaga arcade game, the only game that I could consider to even come close would be another Namco arcade title, Pac-Man. The original Galaga spawned an entire generation of arcade gamers, and suckered little Timmy's across the United States into plopping in one more quarter in a bizarre face off against insect hordes. Space Invaders may have been the first, but Galaga did it fiercer, quicker, and better.

With that said, one of the first home ports of Galaga was on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game featured a near flawless arcade conversion that was dampened only by its inability to keep high scores from previous plays. Despite being ported to nearly every other console since the NES, it was only a matter of time before this port was brought over to the Wii Virtual Console for download.

As of this morning, the NES version of Galaga is now available for download for 500 Wii Points. Though you still can't save high scores, the same great Galaga gameplay is undisturbed. For some players who are used to the Halos of the world, the game may feel dated. But even then, the shining example of arcade brilliance will win you over. So what if you can't move up and down, are limited to 1 fire button, and the enemies move in patterns? As soon as the 8bit tunes and simple sound effects start up, you'll get hooked all over again.

Is it worth picking up if you already have another version of the game? Probably not. The NES version while being the first isn't necessarily the best. And considering the sheer number of collections this game has been on (including a NAMCO Museum collection for the Gamecube playable on the Wii with multiple other titles), $5 may be a bit steep. For everyone else? I would recommend it only if you cannot find the aforementioned Namco Museum Collection for the GCN. It's a good game, but other alternatives are better deal for your dollar when it comes to replaying classic Galaga.

Clean Asia - Best Game Ever (That Makes you say WTF?)

http://www.cactus-soft.co.nr

I downloaded Clean Asia off of Shmup-Dev the other day expecting something, well, I really don't know what I was expecting.

The images shown on the forum thread with the game were bizarre to say the least. When I first started the game up, I was truly blown away by the complete randomness of it all. Something about the game was highly addictive, strangely compelling, and oddly enough, strikingly beautiful. This game hit a cord with me that few games have hit. It was a truly hypnotic experience that captured all the senses.

For just a taste of what the game has to offer, take a look at the story of Clean Asia:

The eyes of mankind has decided to leave their hosts and take over the earth. Their first move was to escape to the moon, where they developed their hostile weapon technology. Ten years later they return and forcefully take over some prominent countries in Asia. Thailand and New Korea has both succumb to the hostile threat, while China insists on dealing with the eyes themselves and refuses any helping hands from around the world.

America sends a pair of pilot twins with extroardinary sixth senses to battle against the evil eyes. They both have designed their own space ships that seems to be about the only thing in existance that can be used to battle these terrible fiends.

Yes. Seriously. That's the story.

The game features three levels, two selectable ships with different weapons and abilities, fourteen individual bosses, and ten regular enemies. There is enough variety in the game to keep you playing over and over again. And that's not even mentioning the best part about it: the game is completely free.

Head over to the official website link above to download the game and help rid humanity of their evil eyes. This is one strange trip you really shouldn't miss.

Rez being played with the Wii Remote

UPDATED (4/14/2007)

The internet is full of innovative people doing innovative things that make me say "wow". One of those things just so happens to be people using the Wii Remote on PC titles in order to take advantage of the motion sensing capabilities of the Wii. Though most of the videos posted so far have been rather simple affairs with flight simulators and driving games, one really happens to catch my eye.

One of the most original games released on the Sega Dreamcast (and later ported to the PS2), is Rez. A bizarre hybrid between a music game and an on rails shooter, Rez delivered a gaming experience unlike any other. The game was developed by the K-Project and created under guidance by lead designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

The video posted is the Dreamcast version of the game played via a PC emulator (probably Chankast) and using a basic mod to allow the Nintendo Wii Remote to control the game. Out of all the mods that I've seen that use the Nintendo Wii Remote, this is the first one I truly would like to try myself. It should be said however, that the video has not been independently verified as to its authenticity.

Tetsuya Mizuguchi has expressed interest in working on a sequel to the game, however due to a 2004 merger, the rights now belong to Sonic Team. It is unknown whether or not a sequel is in development. According to EGM in October 2006's rumor sections, a sequel is being planned on an unknown console, but Sega has yet to confirm this speculation.

The video was created by YouTube! user, irontiger. Here's some additional details from the YouTube! video link:

The Dreamcast version of Rez (emulated on a PC) played with a Wii Remote using a GlovePIE script I wrote.

I made it to use either Wiimote motion or Nunchuk joystick control. I periodically unplug and replug the Nunchuk throughout the video to demonstrate.

Because this is the Dreamcast version of the game run through emulation on the PC, I won't be sharing the script or info on how to play it. Sorry!

For what could've been and all that is left (Thunderforce VI and Broken Thunder)

When Sega released the Dreamcast in 1999, it was heavily rumored that a new Thunderforce title was in the works. After a leaked intro (which is show above) verified the existance of the project, a small wave of information was released onto the internet. This included pictures, videos, and tiny tidbits of gameplay facts from Technosoft.

However, for some reason the game never really advanced further than it's initial stages, and eventually (like the Dreamcast it was scheduled for release on) just sort of vanished. All of the pictures and videos were removed. There was no record of the title on either company's website. It just was though the game had never existed.

No explanation was provided from either Sega or Technosoft as for the reason for cancellation leaving fans of the series a bit bewildered.

It is heavily rumored that Technosoft may once again be attempting to recreate their magic with Thunderforce. Whether or not the project will see fruition is honestly a matter of wait and see.

But despite the official Thunderforce project being lost to the vaults of a company, several doujin developers are working on spiritual successors to the Thunderforce series. One of these project, Broken Thunder, has just recently had a few screen shots released for public scrutiny. Though the backgrounds are a bit sparse, seeing the game being played is almost like coming home. No release date has been confirmed for Broken Thunder, but based on preliminary information, the game seems to be scheduled to see a release on the PC sometime in the future.

Broken Thunder pictures courtesy of - http://blog.livedoor.jp/unit00/archives/51405528.html

Update: Fate/Tiger Colosseum

After Famitsu's detailed scans yesterday, Capcom also opened up the official website to the PSP fighting game, Fate/Tiger Colosseum. Though there isn't much to see yet, it does provide a short introduction on the series as well as some story details on the fighting game.

http://www.capcom.co.jp/fate_tiger/

Nintendo Wii "blaster" available from Joytech

Light guns for home consoles have evovlved alot over the years. From the effeciently simple Lightgun for the NES to the incredibly obtrusive Super Scope for the Super Nintendo, the general designs have gone from excellent to absolutely horrible all the while stopping at nearly every adjective in between.

When the Nintendo Wii was first revealed, one of the first accessories that was displayed in order to showcase the plug and play capabilities of the Nintendo Wii Remote was a light gun that functioned by plugging the remote into its stock. Though no games were announced at the time with support for the product, it was speculated that there may very well be a resurgance of light gun gallery games for home consoles with this sort of simple accessory.

Since the Wii's release, several games have taken advantage of the sensor capabilities of the Wii Remote in a light gun like fashion. Rayman Raving Rabbids for example features a shooting gallery game similar to the Point Blank series by Namco. Nintendo's own Wii Play and Wario Ware also feature their own versions of the genre in their selection of minigames. Even Red Steel takes advantage of the intuitive nature of a light gun with its control mechanics and brings the ease of a point and shoot arcade cabinet home in the form of a traditional FPS.

But despite all of the apparent support, little was revealed in the way of a release date for Nintendo's "blaster". Third party companies have taken up the slack however and have begun to offer their own products in its place. The first of these companies, JOYTECH, have updated their website with their version of the Wii "blaster", the Sharp Shooter. Featuring a rather unique connection system, the Joytech Sharp Shooter actually will make use of both the Nintendo Remote and the Nunchuck attachment to form the gun. This is apparently different from the official "beta" design of the officially licensed Nintendo blaster that only seems to have used the Nintendo Remote.

From the product description on the website:
Lock and load with the Sharp Shooter™ from JOYTECH. Fully compatible with all forms of TV’s and displays including plasma and LCD, the Sharp Shooter brings Wii™ shooting games to life with amazing realism. Connecting quickly and safely to the Wii™ Remote and Nunchuck, the Sharp Shooter™ is lightweight, simple to use and requires no batteries, no leads and no worries! Shoot to thrill!

Lightgun attachment for Wii™ shooting games

Works on ALL TV’s and displays

No batteries or untidy leads required

Now, if only Sega can provide Wii fans with the next Virtual Cop game, all will be good in the world...

There is no information available for pricing or release date.

http://www.joytech.net/1/products/wii/12/131/Sharp-Shooter.htm

Battle Fantasia – Beauty in a Fighter

Arc System Works has always been known for their excellent 2D work, but Battle Fantasia, their latest release on the Taito Type X2 hardware, is showing that the developers are more than just a one trick pony. Using highly detailed 3D graphics and played via a 2D field, the arcade title mixes the best of both worlds and creates an engrossing fighting game experience that appeals to all the senses. Videos and images hardly do the game justice, but that's not going to stop me from posting a couple of pictures just so you can get an idea of what I'm rambling on about.

When in motion, the game is a thing of beauty. The developers chose to exclusively use the Vewlix cabinet by Tatio in order to output display resolutions up to 720p. The animation is swift, smooth, and deadly, which goes well with the stylized gameplay. Compared to the previous arcade titles by Arc, Battle Fantasia seems a bit more antiquated. Most of the revolutionary mechanics in the Guilty Gear series have gone by the way side and replaced by a more conventional fighting engine. Whether or not this was a sacrifice that was made for the game's graphical impressiveness or whether it was a deliberate design choice is hard to say, but whatever the reason, it does mean that the game itself feels less like an Arc game and more like an old-school fighter.

The game features several “familiar” mechanics, including throw escapes and a “parry” system known as the Gachi. If you press the Gachi button, your character will assume a defensive position. If timed appropriately with an opponent's attack, this will allow you to negate the attack and respond before your opponent has the chance to recover. By pressing the Gachi button and towards your opponent during an attack parry, you'll launch your opponent into the air based on the type of attack your opponent used. If they attack with a high or mid attack, they'll be sent against the wall. If they attack with a low attack, your opponet will be sent spinning. Both of these are able to be followed up with juggles and combos.

Some attacks can be “delayed” as a response to Gachi moves by holding down the attack button. Though it won't break a Gachi defense, it will allow your character to throw off the normal attack timing and hopefully prevent a successful parry. Attacks will become more powerful as well as unblockable if delayed long enough. Another technique to counter the Gachi defenses are cancels. In Battle Fantasia, cancels can be used to manipulate attack chains, however this technique is not as in depth as the cancel system in Guilty Gear.

There is no word yet about any home releases, but considering that the Taito Type X2 is a PC based arcade hardware, it isn't improbable to suspect that a port to one of the next gen systems is highly likely if there isn't a port to the PC itself.

Images care of Insomnia

New Famitsu Detailed Scans of Fate/Tiger Colosseum

http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/2007/03/31/104,1175313357,69357,0,0.html

Not much to look at yet, but the super deformed characters is a rather interesting choice for a game whose source material is clearly based for adults (Fate/Stay Night by Type/Moon). The game is being developed by the developer of Bullet Witch, Cavia, and is scheduled for release on the Playstation Portable sometime this year.

Game Previews from the Web - 04/06/2007

Cube (PSP) - Puzzle
Gamespy Preview:
After playing Earth Defense Force 2017, Puzzle Quest and now Cube, a question struck me: who are these D3 people and why are they suddenly releasing a bunch of good games? So, I did a little digging, and while D3 may seem a little new to us (unless you are a Naruto fan), it's been making games in Japan for years. I guess that explains where all of these quirky-cool titles are coming from, but let me explain a little more about Cube itself.

Radio Allergy (Gamecube) - Shooter
IGN Preview:
GameCube isn't dead. At least that's what publisher O3 Entertainment and developer MileStone want you to think with the upcoming bullet-hell shooter Radio Allergy for Nintendo GameCube. For just $20, Cube/Wii shooter fanatics can rush out to their local GameStop and EB and slap down cash for… a GameCube game. And while we can tell you right now that the game is nowhere near as amazing as Cube's swan song shooter Ikaruga, Radio Allergy still has some simple charm to it that keeps us coming back time and time again.

Additional Ketsui details - More than just an April Fool's Joke

After the surprise Nintendo DS video of the final Doom battle from Ketsui appeared on the net last week, a lot of general speculation followed from SHMUP fans. Was this an elaborate April Fool’s joke, or something more?

After a meeting on March 31st, according to web sources, all of the details have come out. The Ketsui/Doom video is real, but more importantly than that, the game may indeed be considered for commercial release.

As stated in the previous story (which also includes the video and can be found here: Ketsui Coming to the Nintendo DS), Ketsui was originally being considered silently for a port to the Playstation 2 by Arika and Cave. After struggling with the game’s fifth stage, Mihara regretfully informed the community both of the existence of the project as well as the improbability that it would ever be completed due to Arika’s commitment to maintaining the same level of quality as the original arcade title.

Obvious disappointment followed, and due to some rather cryptic “messages” about Sony declining to allow for a port to the Playstation 3, it seemed that Ketsui had been put permanently on the back burner for considered releases to home consoles.

After listening to the feedback from the community, Mihara scheduled a public meeting at a restaurant in Akihabara. A few general statements were made about the event (location, time, etc.), but the most surprising part of the update was the Ketsui video.

According to the blog, the purpose of the meeting was to gather feedback on the title (which was going to be playable in a demo format) as well as market research to bring back to Arika.

On March 31st, during the official meeting at the Food Theatre, Mihara outlined the project and his motivations for his work so far on the title (which has been done alone). Essentially, Mihara had the idea for the title while in the hospital. His desire to play through the Ketsui Doom battle anywhere led him to consider a portable Ketsui “boss attack” game (a la Dodonpachi Daioujou Death Label).

Though it was originally conceived for the Playstation Portable, the disjointed d-pad proved to be frustrating to Mihara and the idea was scratched temporarily. After looking at other options, Mihara finally decided to test the Nintendo DS, and surprisingly enough, was extremely satisfied with the results.

Though the demo was only a portion of what would be available if the game was released at a retail level, the response from the players at the restaurant was extremely positive. The only concern expressed was whether or not a boss attack styled game would be “boring” for players of the arcade title. Mihara responded that any game developed commercially would also have more bosses and “new” secrets to find to make it interesting for fans of the original Ketsui as well as to provide a great gaming experience.

The demo featured was downloadable only. During the demo, players had 120 minutes to face off against Doom with a single ship and no bombs before the demo was locked due to a time out. There were noticeable changes to Doom’s attack patterns as well as the game speed that helped alter the game to fit the DS’s resolution and screen size, but according to the participants at the event, the arcade feeling that the game provided was still excellent.

Mihara seemed satisfied with the response of the demo, and stated it was now in the hands of Arika to determine the commercial viability of the project.

Expect future updates as they come.

Video Game Releases for the Week of April 9th - April 13th

Want to know what to expect this week when it comes to arcade games coming to home and portable consoles? Though release dates are always subject to change, here's a list of what you should be able to expect to find on the shelves of your local stores...

Unfortunately this week there really is only one arcade styled game seeing release stateside for the current consoles. However, despite that disappointment, it does seem to be a good one...

Playstation 2
The Red Star

1-2 player simultaneous action

During cooperative play, player characters can interact with each other and perform special attacks.

Each of the game's three characters offers different game experiences.

Combines hard hitting melee combat with an intense old school shooter style

Early reviews can be found here:
Gamerankings - Red Star

Gametap to Feature Sega Saturn games

I've always been tempted by Gametap's promise of unlimited games for a flat fee per month. Considering the great titles offered via the service (everything from Street Fighter II to Galaga is featured), as well as the freedom to choose between multiple consoles and arcade setups, I find it hard to resist the urge to sign up for the monthly "trial" at 99 cents just to see if it is all it is cracked up to be.

Unfortunately for me, this temptation is now even stronger, as a rather cryptic title was found by Gamasutra.com today. Bug! for the Sega Saturn was uncovered as a special secret suprise in Gametap's large (851) assortment of titles.

From Gamasutra:

Turner's GameTap subscription PC 'all you can eat' gaming service has now added Sega Saturn games to its service, with the debut of platform game Bug! as a special Easter-timed Easter Egg for its service.

The game is currently filed as 'Insect?' as a 'secret' feature for gamers to discover within the service, which has 851 games currently available as part of its monthly subscription.

The range of legacy titles include games for the arcade, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, Sega Dreamcast, Game Gear, Genesis, 32-X, SG-1000 and Master System, as well as the Intellivision, DOS Windows, and Neo Geo.

However, the service is probably best known for partnering with developers for GameTap Originals, which include Telltale's Sam & Max episodic gaming series, Cyan Worlds' Myst Online: Uru Live, and the upcoming Galactic Command series from 3000AD's Derek Smart.

As for Bug!'s appearance on the service, the game's description explains that the debut is "...a hidden one-week sneak peek of planetary proportions", and continues: "Stay tuned for the launch of more games for the Sega Saturn later this year."

Specific titles to debut from the Saturn on GameTap have not yet been revealed, but all first-party Sega games could be likely candidates for an appearance on the service. Sega-published Dreamcast games currently available for play on GameTap include Chu Chu Rocket, Crazy Taxi and Toy Commander.

Source: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13420

Fans of Fighting games and Shooters rejoice. With the promise of future Sega Saturn titles this year, the potential library that this opens up is impressive to say the least. Considering Capcom's support for Gametap, what kind of treasures can we expect from the Saturn's back library? And with Sega's own support for the service, what first party Sega titles could be just around the corner?

Though the Wii rumors still abound about a potential Sega Saturn/Virtual Console union, it seems that Gametap is delivering what a lot of fans are clamoring for...

Strategy and Cheese, Part III (Street Fighter II)

Another week, another part in Arcade Renaissance's Strategy and Cheese feature of Street Fighter II. The last two updates have been on specific characters, so instead of focusing on another one or two characters with this update, the video posted is more of a general overview on fighting games and Street Fighter.

Though it is made specifically for Street Fighter II Special Champion's Edition, the ideas behind the video are incredibly diverse. If you can get past the obvious goofiness, once again you will find a lot of in depth fighting game theory that can begin to take your game "to the next level". Most of the lessons are applicable to nearly all current modern fighters.

This part also features Tomo, the world's greatest Street Fighter II player at the time of this videos release.

If you have a suggestion on who you wish to see next, let me know in the comments section and I'll be more than happy to look at it for our next update.

Previous Videos:
General Strategies
Ryu (also includes a brief intro to the series)
Zangief/Vega
E. Honda/Blanka
Balrog/Chun Li
Guile
Ken/Dhalsim/Sagat/M. Bison

Galactrix: Puzzle Quest... In Space!

Infinite Interactive, developers of the critically acclaimed Puzzle Quest, have recently announced that their RPG-styled puzzle gameplay will again make a come back. However this time it will be leaving the safety of a fantasy world for something a bit more Space Odyssey. Galactrix is scheduled for release on the Xbox 360 (Live Arcade), Nintendo DS, PC, and PSP.

From the Infinite Interactive website:

Galactrix is a unique blend of puzzle, rpg and strategy genres, set in a sci-fi world. It might best be described as a match-3 puzzle game, played against an opponent.

The player will spend their time playing simple addictive puzzle games, but unlike regular puzzle games, these are played versus an enemy. The opponent can be another human (in multiplayer) or an AI-controlled enemy.

It has high replay value, either in single or multi-player, with potentially hundreds of hours of play. There will be a strong 2-4 player component, and excellent support for downloadable content. Overlaying all this is an engaging storyline to play through in single-player.

Key Features

* Create a persistent pilot who gains skills and ships as he completes more battles.
* Each enemy you fight will require different tactics.
* Individual battles require only 5-10 minutes of time.
* Experience a conquer-the-galaxy style campaign mode.
* Find new objects to make your pilot and ship all-powerful.
* Trade supplies throughout the galaxy to increase your wealth.
* Meet companions who will join your crew and aid you in battle.
* Take your pilot and ship online against other players.
* Compete for positions on the online high score tables.
* Download new content - ships, items, plans, planets, factions and missions.

Found Treasures: Interview with Jeff Minter

Gamasutra.com delivers again with a great interview with Jeff Minter, perennial game developer responsible for Tempest 2000.


Jeff Minter is an enduring testament to potential power of independent games. He’s been operating on his own terms for the last 25 years, and shows no sign of branching from his chosen path. Ever an industry anomaly, he has been crafting fantastically pixel-intensive, retro-infused games for years, and actually managing to make a living off it, working from his farm in Wales.

Though he’s always dabbled dually in music visualizations and game software, he’s increasingly been marrying the two. Most recently, Minter completed work on the visuals for the Xbox 360’s music player, and had an alliance with Lionhead Studios for a Gamecube title, which was eventually scrapped due in part to its overly ambitious nature near the end of that console’s lifecycle.

Currently, Minter’s company Llamasoft, with a coding staff of two (as Minter says, the staff has doubled over the years) is creating Space Giraffe for Xbox Live Arcade, with sights on another title down the road. In this extensive interview, we discuss Minter’s work ethic, past projects such as his involvement with the ill-fated Nuon console, as well as Unity, his cancelled Gamecube project.

Source: http://gamasutra.com/features/20070404/sheffield_01.shtml

Senko no Ronde (Xbox 360) Confirmed for the US

After the suprise announcement yesterday in regards to Senko No Ronde coming to the UK via Ubisoft, it was widely speculated that the details regarding a US release would soon follow. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be the case, as yesterday came and left without any announcement.

Though no official details have been offered by G.rev (the game's developer) or Ubisoft (the publisher for the Xbox 360 title in the UK), a little internet sleuthing has uncovered some interesting tidbits about the confirmed existance of a US translation.

The ESRB (www.esrb.org) has updated its website with a new Ubisoft title, Battle Storm: Senko no Ronde for the Xbox 360. It seems that similar to the UK version of the game (which had it's name changed to WarTech: Senko no Ronde), the US will indeed be receiving this game with a stateside release under a slightly new moniker.

For those who are unfamiliar with the ratings system, for a game to be rated in the United States, a near completed version of the game must be submitted to the ESRB. According to the ESRB's website, Battle Storm: Senko no Ronde will be rated T for Teen for Fantasy Violence, Language, and Suggestive Themes.

No release date is listed on the ESRB website, but Gamefly and Gamestop both have the game listed as available on May 24th, the same date as the UK release. It is likely that this release date is subject to change, but the existance of the game on Gamefly's, Gamestop's, and now the ESRB's websites verifies that this game will see a stateside release sometime in 2007.

Senko no Ronde is the third arcade game developed by G.rev. In the game, players control giant mecha in a head to head shooting competition with waves of bullets, special abilities, and transformations. The game was originally released on the NAOMI arcade hardware and later saw a Japan Xbox 360 release in July of last year. The game is often compared to Virtual ON with a 2D view.