Blog5 Games

This is different. Sean Howard is attempting something he’s calling the “300 challenge”. His goal?

Every day for three hundred days, I will post a gameplay mechanic that has (hopefully) never been seen in a commercial video game. Three hundred mechanics. No more. No less.

As of writing, he’s up to 22, and while some are more of a rehash than an entirely new mechanic, it’s still a pretty interesting sight to behold. My favourite so far is Vehicle Tactics, which is basically turn-based Excitebike, but the banner-ad RPG is also nice and fresh.

Will he get to 300? He might, but I doubt he’ll get there with 300 brand-new ideas. Still, it might be worth keeping an eye on, because if he can keep this standard up for another 50-100 games it’ll still be a tidy achievement. Luke Plunkett

Three Hundred [via TGIS]

All the DIY Tetris crap you can handle! Earlier, we posted some Tetris ice cubes. And to go with those cubes, we bring you this: a Tetris shelf. You can do more than look at this, because there are even instructions for you to build it. How helpful! Brian Ashcraft

Tetris Shelves [The BBPS]

Star Wars Galaxies? Absolute train-wreck. It still amazes me how they managed to fuck that one up. MMO, Star Wars, it was all so easy. But no. Instead, here I am, four years on, writing about how they’ve introduced fighting, swappable Pokemon to the universe.

The new Beast Master Expertise System introduces several new features that allow players to create, collect, train and use customized pets in the game. Through this system, players will be able to create and grow eggs, sell and trade the eggs, hatch them to raise pets, and level their pets for use in their homes and in combat.

It’s part of the new Masters of the Wild content for the game, which also sees the introduction of things like build-your-own-instances and…Wim Magwit’s ‘Magic’ Painting. No wonder the game never took off. It took them four years to get Wim Magwit’s ‘Magic’ Painting into the damn thing! Luke Plunkett

Star Wars GalaxiesTM Chapter 6: Masters of the Wild

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - May 23, 2007 - This month, LucasArts introduces all new features and adventures to the best selling online game, Star Wars Galaxies. Get ready to walk on the wild side through the exciting new Beast Master System that allows players to create, raise, train and trade more than 150 creatures in game! Through the new Storyteller Event System, players will be able to create their own Star Wars™ stories, or they can tackle new adventures through the Azure Cabal Quest Series and in the improved Rebel Theme Parks.
The New Beast Master Expertise System

The new Beast Master Expertise System introduces several new features that allow players to create, collect, train and use customized pets in the game. Through this system, players will be able to create and grow eggs, sell and trade the eggs, hatch them to raise pets, and level their pets for use in their homes and in combat. More than 150 types of Beasts will be available through the system, including some of the most rare and popular in the game like the Spined Rancor, the Psychotic Jax and the Horned Dewback.

The Beast Master system is available to all players, regardless of profession or level, through a new, third expertise tree filled with skills that will enhance their experience with their new furry (or scaly) companions. Players can choose skills that affect the customization of the Beast’s attributes during the growth cycle, or focus more on the Beast’s capabilities after hatching, both in battle and around the house.

During the Beast’s incubation process, players can manipulate such things as the temperature and enzyme levels to create new types of creatures never-before-seen in the galaxy, that they can then keep, or trade to other players. Players can even use certain Beasts as mounts, including the Dewback and Kaadu. Players must keep their menageries happy though - or they might find themselves Beast-less.

The New Storyteller Event System

The new Storyteller Event System will give all players the ability to run their own Star Wars-themed events in game, complete with NPCs such as Gamorrean Guards and Tusken Raiders, props such as X-wings and AT-ATs, and atmospheric effects such as music and fog. Players can purchase these items directly from Storyteller NPCs scattered throughout the galaxy, and then use them in events that they host in the game world. Events can be friendly get-togethers, or combative experiences where players will need to bring their best skills and abilities to make the events successful!

The Azure Cabal Quest Series

Players level 85-90 will enjoy this series of adventures based on lore from the expanded Star Wars universe as they seek to gain the trust of an elite, but elusive band of mercenaries known as the Azure Cabal.

Villains, rogues and scoundrels looking for work seek out the Azure Cabal, but the way into their inner circle is easier said than done. Those lucky enough to make contact with the cabal’s mysterious leader, Loruna Scathe, and her closest associates, must survive dangerous missions to earn their acceptance…and the lucrative contracts that come with it.

Rebel Theme Park Updates

The Rebel Theme Parks have been updated with high level content and rewards, including all-new quests that allow players to experience life as a Rebel Alliance soldier. Players will accept missions from key members of the Alliance, including C-3PO, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, that will take them across the galaxy to such locations as Nym’s Stronghold on Lok, The Exar Kun temple on Yavin 4, and the Abandoned Rebel base on Dantooine.

Chapter 6 Gift

When players log in to download Chapter 6, they will automatically receive Wim Magwit’s ‘Magic’ Painting that they can place in their home, or other player structure. Wim Magwit, a former stage performer, has created a painting that will automatically switch from among 20 different galactic images, surprising the player with a new picture every time he or she enters the structure where it is placed.

For more information on Star Wars Galaxies Chapter 6: Masters of the Wild, please visit www.StarWarsGalaxies.com.

For the three readers who actually care, the Dead or Alive move DOA is supposedly getting a theatrical release. Last we heard, the game was slated for a straight-to-DVD release. Over at movie site Ain’t It Cool News, they’re saying:

Seems the movie is headed for a June 15 release, despite persistent rumors that it’s been banished straight-to-video. In an amusing example of fetishistic synchronicity, DOA will open opposite NANCY DREW.

If true, smart money’s on Nancy Drew kicking ass and taking names. Brian Ashcraft

DOA In Theaters [Ain’t It Cool News via The Last Boss]

Australian Pokefans. Let me show you them…this…stuff. The Nintendo DS Connection tour, which did the rounds last year in honour of Mario’s birthday, is warming up for another go, this time in celebration of you. You Pokefans, you.

Starting on June 30 at Westfield Fountain Gate in Melbourne, it’ll travel to Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney before winding up in Perth on July 21. Sorry Canberra and Hobart. No dice. If you went to last year’s, expect the same. If you didn’t, expect copious amounts of Pokemon Diamond & Pearl stuff, DS demo stations and the awful, lingering stench of body odour as hordes of sweaty teenage Nintendo fans jostle for elbow-room.

Times and places are after the clicky-click. Luke Plunkett

Australia, Melbourne, May 31st 2007 - The latest Pokémon® games for the Nintendo DS™, Pokémon® Diamond Version and Pokémon® Pearl Version will arrive in Australia June 21st, for RRP$69.95. As part of the major marketing activity planned, we are giving Pokémon fans a chance to unite in the upcoming Nintendo DS Connection Tour ‘07. Kicking off June 30th and travelling across the country through to July 21st, the Tour will allow Australia’s Pokémaniacs to gather and celebrate this great occasion and share their Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl experiences.

The games feature more than 100 new Pokémon, worldwide wireless battling and trading using Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, and voice chat functions that let players talk wirelessly with their friends.

Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl are already being enjoyed by millions of people. In America, independent sales data gathered by the NPD Group showed combined sales exceeded 1.75 million copies in just 14 days of availability and in Japan, over five million copies have been sold since launch in September 2006!

To date, more than 155 million copies of Pokémon games have sold worldwide.

Activities available

Are you ready for the new Challenges in Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl? Test your skills against other Trainers in our video game challenges! The Pokémon Battle Challenge will see Trainers battle it out 1-on-1 using their own Pokémon Diamond or Pokémon Pearl game.

Register early on Tour days, as places are limited.

Each stop on the tour will become a Pokémon fan’s paradise with interactive game play stations showing off the brand new games, as well as other brand new Nintendo DS games. Plus there will be a Pokémon Trading Card Game play area, and a special ‘Touch! Generations’ area - for everyone to enjoy!

Brush up on your Pokémon knowledge, as Pokémon Trivia games will be played during the Events. There will be heaps of giveaways as well!

Don’t forget to bring your Nintendo DS and multiplayer Nintendo DS games (such as Mario Kart® DS, Animal Crossing™: Wild World, nintendogs™ and Diddy Kong® Racing DS) to play multiplayer games with other fans.

Dates and locations are as follows:

VIC

Westfield Fountain Gate, Centre Court

Saturday June 30th, 9:30am - 4pm

Sunday July 1st, 10am - 4pm

Westfield Southland, Centre Court

Monday July 2nd, 9:30am - 4pm

Tuesday July 3rd, 9:30am - 4pm

QLD

Westfield Carindale, Centre Court

Friday July 6th, 9:30am - 4pm

Saturday July 7th, 9:30am - 4pm

Westfield Garden City, Centre Court

Sunday July 8th, 10am - 4pm

SA

Westfield Marion, Centre Court

Tuesday July 10th, 9:30am - 4pm

Wednesday July 11th, 9:30am - 4pm

NSW

Westfield Hurstville, Centre Court

Thursday July 12th, 9:30am - 4pm

Friday July 13th, 9:30am - 4pm

Westfield Chatswood, Centre Court

Saturday July 14th, 9:30am - 4pm

Sunday July 15th, 10am - 4pm

WA

Westfield Carousel, Centre Court

Friday July 20th, 9:30am - 4pm

Saturday July 21st, 9:30am - 4pm

For more information visit nintendo.com.au

Nonprofit organization HopeLab joined forces with game developers, cancer experts, psychologists, cell biologists and patients to create a game that could education and entertain young cancer patients. The result? Re-Mission, a shooting game starring Roxxi the nanobot who destroys cancerous cells and deals with treatment side effects. While young patients might be old enough to be responsible for their treatment says Reuters, they might not fully understand how deadly it is to skip medications — which often make them feel ill, cause their hair to fall out or lead to acne.

A controlled trial tested had 375 cancer patients aged 13 to 29 played the game in medical centers in the US, Canada and Australia. The results? The game seems to be working. Playing it has apparently increased patients’ quality of life, knowledge of cancer and even encourage players to stick with their therapy. Says pediatric oncologist at Stanford University’s Dr. Gary Dahl,

The Re-Mission video game is an important tool to help improve their understanding of cancer, its treatments and effects, which can result in more confidence in their ability to deal with the disease and more consistent compliance with their treatment.

Next up, HopeLab plans to take on obesity through gaming. Hope they look to Burgertime for inspiration! Brian Ashcraft

Fighting Cancer With Gaming [Reuters]

Big time comic and game scribe Paul Jenkins, who adapted comic book The Darkness for cross-platform gaming, hates on cut-scenes. His two cents:

We should … try to get rid of those movie-style cut scenes because they force you to interact differently with a game you’ve previously been playing — turning it into a film, rather than a videogame.

Then what the heck would Square Enix do? Personally, excessive cut scenes don’t bother me because I can take a break. Long load screens, now those do bother me. Jenkins explains how the developers were tackling that with The Darkness:

…one of the ideas to overcome the problems of load screens was to have a character delivering a monologue to hide the fact the game was loading a new level. The monologues are important because they move the story along in what would normally be dead time for most games. I think all developers should be working to get rid of load screens.

Clever use of what is usually dead time in games. Brian Ashcraft

Jenkins Hates Cut Scenes [Spong]

Remember Drew Carey? Course you don’t! The 90s were so long ago. Anyways, Carey has challenged five members of the US mens and women’s football teams to a game of FIFA 07. The tournament will take place at a…Home Depot in Carson, California.

This is so odd.

Anyway, Drew fancies himself as a FIFA player, so for every game he loses he’s donating $10000 to the Mooch Myernick Memorial Fund. If he loses the big finale against US men’s captain Landon Donovan, he’s got to stump up $50000.

Now, either Carey’s getting ready to donate $100k to charity, or he’s the world’s greatest FIFA player and he’s about to make a complete prick out of himself. Decide for yourself, the press release is after the jump. Luke Plunkett

CHICAGO (May 30, 2007) - Drew Carey is a big soccer fan. Drew Carey is a big EA SPORTSTM FIFA Soccer 07 on Xbox 360 fan. Drew Carey hates to lose but likes to donate money to good causes. U.S. Soccer loves, well, all those things. So Drew has laid down the challenge and opened his checkbook to the tune of $100,000 large.

At a VIP invitation-only event on Tuesday, June 5 from 7-10 p.m. at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., the comedian and star of the upcoming CBS game show The Power of 10 will play five players from both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams in FIFA Soccer 07 on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and for every game he loses, he’s throwing in $10,000 bucks to benefit the Mooch Myernick Memorial Fund in honor of former coach and U.S. captain Glenn “Mooch” Myernick. In the main event, Drew squares off against self-described EA Sports king and U.S. National Team star Landon Donovan with $50,000 up for grabs. Members of both the Men’s and Women’s National Teams will be on hand to heckle Drew for a good cause.

While Drew is clearly a FIFA Soccer 07 and Xbox 360 aficionado -he may have bitten off a little more than he can chew in this challenge, even if it is in the virtual soccer world. In Los Angeles Galaxy striker Landon Donovan, he faces the USA’s second all-time leading scorer, the all-time leader in assists and the two-time U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year. And it only gets worse. Four-time World Cup veteran Kasey Keller has set virtually every U.S. goalkeeping record there is for the men, including wins and shutouts. U.S. Women’s National Team striker Abby Wambach has scored a whopping 70 goals in 91 games for the United States. New England Revolution forward and 2005 Major League Soccer MVP Taylor Twellman is currently the leading scorer in MLS, already with seven goals in just nine games this year and 82 total in his career. And U.S. Women’s goalkeeper Hope Solo has been in the nets for most of the USA’s current 41-game unbeaten streak.

ESPN soccer talent Allen Hopkins will emcee the event, which will include a live auction in which guests can bid to take on Drew in their own EA-FIFA 07 challenge, as well as a raffle where guests can choose between ‘Drew’ tickets and ‘U.S. Soccer’ tickets. After every game, a ticket will be drawn from the winner’s pot for a chance to win gift packs that will include amongst many other things: signed jerseys from all the participating U.S. Soccer players, an autographed football from San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, a signed jersey from Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney, an autographed game jersey from Memphis Grizzlies forward Paul Gasol, two EA SPORTS Xbox 360 game libraries that includes FIFA Soccer 07, Fight Night Round 3, NHL 07, NBA LIVE 07, Need For Speed Carbon, NCAA March Madness 07, Madden NFL 07 and NCAA Football 07, three nights accommodation at a Doubletree Hotel, and a heck of a lot more. Soccer fans from all over the world will even have a chance to bid on an Xbox 360 Elite signed by Drew and the U.S. Soccer participants, which will be on eBay starting June 6th.

SEGA’s Shanghai-based online game unit has reached the end of its run reports website 17173.com. An unnamed SEGA China employee told the site that the subsidiary has The reason? Poor performance. Founded in fall 2005, the division hosted casual games like Rainbow Knight which would peak at meek 1,000 players online at any time. Online game Tong Tong Online was a complete failure. Pretty sad! Remember this is a rumor at the movement, but with poor performance like that, we’d be more inclined to disbelieve that SEGA was keeping the subsidiary up and running. Brian Ashcraft

SEGA Shuts Down Division [Pacific Epoch via Sega Nerds]

nDreams have announced they’re working on Venus Redemption, an episodic series with a twist. Twist being, it’s not for us. It’s for your mum, your aunt and your gran. The game’s being targeted specifically at women aged 30 years and up, and boasts:

…powerful storylines, deep characters, emotion-based interactive conversations and exciting adventure gameplay.

It’s also going to feature one-click gameplay, and will be tailored to suit short bursts of playtime. Presumably so between sessions the cooking, cleaning and ironing can still get done.

I kid. No, really, here’s hoping this can become the Mills & Boon of the gaming world. Luke Plunkett

nDreams Announces Venus Redemption Episodic Game [Gamasutra]

Sure, nothing lasts forever, but a console needs only five years plus. Out of the gate, the Nintendo Wii looks off to a good start. But, is it a fad or does it have staying power? A Los Angeles Times article examines whether the the $249 Nintendo console will continue to fly off shelves or whether gamers will grow sick of its mini-games. Says Gartner Inc. consumer technologies analyst Van Baker:

Its appeal is primarily to casual gamers, and there’s a serious question about how long casual gamers will stay engaged with the platform. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them lose interest after a relatively short amount of time.

The casual-gamer-mini-game angle has been hugely successful with the DS. Though, that’s portable, making it perfect for pick-up-and-plays. It’ll be interesting to see how this strategy plays out on the home console. Very interesting. Brian Ashcraft

Can Wii Prolong Winning Streak? [LA Times via 1Up]

Auction house Sotheby’s are unloading some old Atari junk. You know. Junk like original concept art for Atari characters, specifications guidelines and marketing material proofs. Old crap that nobody wants. Old crap like this:

By fortunate coincidence, some of Atari’s most popular and enduring games are among those with the deepest representation here. For example, Dig Dug, a maze game with the objective of eliminating underground monsters, has a huge group of materials ranging from typewritten copy for the game manual to original color sketches of the various bonus fruits and vegetables to geometric black-and-white versions of the same to a fine watercolor drawing of a Pooka to a mock-up of a TV-screen diagram.

See? Original Dig Dug concept sketches. Rubbish! And they think people will pay between $150,000 to $250,000 for it? Cheeky sods. Luke Plunkett

LOT 151 PROPERTY OF VARIOUS OWNERS ATARI VIDEO GAMES (registration required) [Sotheby’s, via Opposable Thumbs]

French site ITRgames has got hold of some overall sales data for Nintendo’s consoles. The short of it is, the French are going nuts nuts for Nintendo hardware. The Wii has sold an impressive 410,000 units since December, while the DS is even more impressive, with 2.54 million sold since launch.

Accompanying the big Nintendo love-in were some first-quarter figures for all consoles:

Interesting. The DS and Wii, we know about them, they sell, with the PSP and PS3 assuming their regular places towards the rear. Big change here, though, is the 360, which the French obviously believe to be carrying smallpox within its creamy exterior. That’s all I can think of to explain its dismal sales. That or the fact it’s American. Luke Plunkett

Nintendo remporte la première manche ! [ITRgames, via Jeux France]

PS3 title Lair is getting a newfangled name for Japan: Rise From Lair. It’s not unusual for titles to get localized for release — for example, take FolksSouls which was retitled Folk Lore for the West. No word whether the game will be retitled for the West, but geez, we hope not! Rise From Lair sounds like a poorly titled sequel to Lair. Brian Ashcraft

Rise From New Title [IGN via Joystiq]

If you had told me that Kekkaishi: Karasumori Ayakashi Kidan for the Nintendo DS would best the debut of Bleach: Heat The Soul 4, I’d have said you’d lost your damn mind. Fortunately, no one was bold enough to make that claim, so I’ll save face with this week’s Media Create sales chart. Last week’s top three didn’t have much time in the top ten limelight, with personal favorite Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 selling well enough to make a top 30 appearance.

Here are the top 10 games sold in Japan for the week of May 21st to the 27th.

01. Kekkaishi: Karasumori Ayakashi Kidan (DS) - 40,741 / NEW
02. Bleach: Heat The Soul 4 (PSP) - 37,764 / NEW
03. Shin Lucky * Star Moe Drill: Tabidachi (DS) - 30,397 / NEW
04. Wii Sports (Wii) - 27,642 / 1,629,207
05. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War (PSP) - 26,019 / 220,390
06. More Brain Age (DS) - 22,378 / 4,307,282
07. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) - 21,472 / 4,480,257
08. Kurikin: Nano Island Story (DS) - 20,792 / NEW
09. More English Training (DS) - 19,375 / 237,206
10. Wii Play (Wii) - 18,477 / 1,336,284

Make the jump for the lone Xbox 360 release. Can you guess what it is?

11. Forza Motorsport 2 (Xbox 360)
12. Shining Wind (PS2)
13. Yoshi’s Island DS (DS)
14. Pachinko Ultraman Pachitte Chonmage Tatsujin 12 (PS2)
15. Super Paper Mario (Wii)
16. Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS)
17. Momotarou Dentetsu DS Tokyo & Japan (DS)
18. Mario Kart DS (DS)
19. Brain Age (DS)
20. English Training (DS)
21. Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Wii)
22. Animal Crossing Wild World (DS)
23. Odin Sphere (PS2)
24. Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village (DS)
25. Gyakuten Saiban 4 (DS)
26. Zaidan Houjin Nippon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kounin: KanKen DS (DS)
27. Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (DS)
28. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 March of the Minis (DS)
29. Medal of Honor: Vanguard (PS2)
30. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (PSP)

Nice showing, Forza Motorsport 2! Pretty uneventful week all around, I’d say. Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition and Miru Chikara wo Jissen de Kitearu: DS Ganriki Training both should make high ranking appearances next week. Which brave sales watcher wants to make a bet on the #1 spot? Michael McWhertor

Media Create Sales

Well at least they’re man enough to admit it. In an interview with high-brow German news magazine Spiegel, Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot and Alain Corre have fessed up that mistakes were made in the lead-up to the Wii’s launch. Specifically, in how rushed and sub-par their launch titles were.

Wir haben Fehler gemacht (We made mistakes).

That you did. In their defence, they’ve acknowledged that this was due to them wanting to get a lot of games out on the system as quickly as possible, and that they’ve learned from this mistake and will be making amends with future titles.

Which is all well and good, but is it too late? I know when I hear the words Ubisoft and Wii, I don’t think of quality, exclusive titles that make the most of the system’s innovative control scheme. I think of ports. And then I think of poop. It’s going to take some special games to shake that perception. Luke Plunkett

Spieler verzweifelt gesucht [Spiegel, via IGN]

To: Ash
From: Crecente

My son has, recently, gotten into the habit of challenging me to endless Rock-Paper-Scissors duals. He does it so much that he’s started making these best-two-out-of-three bouts interesting by making silly little bets. Like, getting to eat a piece of my dessert if he wins, or some such. Last night he wanted to bump things up a notch and win a toy from Toys R Us. I said sure, but if he lost, he’d have to be my butler for two hours today, including, but not limited to, dressing up in a little button shirt and tie. He said sure… and he lost. Today rolls around and he refuses to pay off his debt. Man, and I was looking forward to having him fetch me things I didn’t need.

What you missed:
Now that’s a gathering.
Twenty years of MGS
The Xbox Boys
Capcom crushes my dreams
The business of used games

I can’t find my damn DS LIte!!! Shit, it better not be hanging out with my reporter’s notebook.

This trailer for Square-Enix’s remake of Final Fantasy IV for the Nintendo DS was shown at the Square-Enix Party 2007 in Tokyo last month and has finally been released for non-partygoers. In the Final Fantasy tradition, it’s all cutscene, no gameplay. Normally, I’d make some crack at the company for cashing in on yet another FF rehash, but even the mocking stabs at the company’s constant retread efforts seem stale. I give up. I’m totally on board with whatever they want to do. Remakes forever, I say. Michael McWhertor

Rehash specialist SNK Playmore will never be accused of neglecting its 2D-fighting fanbase. In addition to the recently released Art of Fighting Collection for the PlayStation 2 (with Wii and PSP versions rumored), the company is dredging up Neo Geo memories to bring yet another collection to the PS2 in Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 1. The game will collect Fatal Fury, Fatal Fury 2, Fatal Fury 3 and Fatal Fury Special in what is expected to be a budget-priced package.

The game hits this summer, giving arcade vets a chance to relive their first look at the gratuitous boob-flapping and rump-exposure of series mainstay Mai Shiranui. No doubt, we can expect a Volume 2 follow up, most likely collecting the Real Bout Fatal Fury sequels. Michael McWhertor

SNK Resurrects its First 2D-Fighting Franchise

FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 announced for PlayStation®2 system

Wall, NJ - May 30, 2007 SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION, the U.S. publishing arm of the SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION, today announced FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 will include four classic FATAL FURY games: FATAL FURY 1, FATAL FURY 2, FATAL FURY 3 and FATAL FURY SPECIAL. The compilation’s release will mark the first time FATAL FURY has appeared on the PlayStation®2 system in North America.

The FATAL FURY series was SNK’s first ongoing fighting-game franchise, and many beloved SNK characters and locations made their first appearances in FATAL FURY. FATAL FURY 1 was the first fighting game to feature a two-plane system, allowing characters to dodge out of harm’s way when confronted with a challenger’s attacks.

“With the release of FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 for the PlayStation®2 system, a brand-new generation of gamers will be introduced to one of SNK PLAYMORE’s fighting classics,” said Ben Herman, president of SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION, “and gamers who loved playing FATAL FURY in the arcades will relish the chance to revisit the golden age of 2D fighters.”

FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 will be available for the PlayStation®2 system in summer 2007.

About SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION

Headquartered in Osaka, Japan, SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION (SNK) develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Founded in 1978, SNK is one of the largest privately held interactive entertainment content providers in the world. Known for such franchises as THE KING OF FIGHTERS, METAL SLUG, and SAMURAI SHODOWN SNK continues to be an industry leader by focusing on their rich arcade history. More information on SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION can be found at www.snkplaymore.co.jp SNK PLAYMORE USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION with offices in Wall, NJ. It handles operations in North America including publishing, marketing, development and localization. More information on SNK PLAYMORE USA can be found at www.snkplaymoreusa.com

This latest batch of screens from Rockstar shows off just how very visceral and physical, cinematically offing guys will be in the Wii version of Manhunt 2.

Whether it be mashing a button to jab someone with cut electrical lines or pulling up on the Remote and Nunchuck to strangle someone, the game is going to make you break a sweat. Let just hope it’s not out of excitement. Brian Crecente