Archive for June 1st, 2007
Skies Of Blue: It’s A Wonderful World DS Lite
DS Lite variations for everyone! When Square Enix’s It’s A Wonderful World goes on sale in Japan on June 23, the game will get its own DS Lite bundle called the “Wonderful World Edition.” Got some hands on with It’s A Wonderful World at the Square Enix Party last month — was fairly interesting. The special set goes on sale June 27th in Japan. I’m all for these special bundles and variations, but if they’re just slapping the game’s title on a DS Lite, then I’ll pass. Wonderful? This Lite seems very last minute.
It’s A Wonderful World Bundle [Game Watch]
Mashing: EGM To Drop Soul Calibur Bomb
Paper mag Electronic Gaming Monthly has the inside dope on Namco’s new Soul Calibur fighter. Not just regular inside dope, but exclusive inside dope. Here’s teaser:
If you’re hankering for a virtual fistfight, top-quality options about — the Virtua Fighter, Tekken, and Dead or Alive franchises all offer satisfying punch-up action. But if you’re truly looking to give your opponent something to cry about, it’s all about wielding sharpened steel, and nothing beats Namco Bandai’s Soul Calibur series for weapon-based fighting thrills. In our world-exclusive preview, we’ll reveal the future direction of this beloved series.
This button mashing issue of EGM goes on sale July 3, so sit tight!
Soul Calibur Info [1Up]
Note: Day Note: Into the Night
To: Flynn
From: Crecente
Sorry this is so late. Trish went with a friend to Vegas and I’ve been trying to get keep up with my posts, do her Birthday present shopping and take care of Tristan. I spent three hours mounting a new LCD television in our bedroom. I just can’t get used to the idea that a 50-pound television can be supported by a handful of screws, no matter how many studs they stick into (just the one actually). It keeps me up at night, expecting the thing to come crashing down at any moment.
What you missed:
Oh what could have been
Halo 3 art
Hate the emblem, love the color
PoP movie script
I keep thinking that says Furry
MK Wii Fatalities
Well, I have an entire night, what’s left of it, free to myself. I think I’m going to go play some Warhawk, though I keep thinking there’s something I need to do that I’ve forgotten. Hmmm, I’m sure I’ll remember when it’s too late.
Gotta Drink It All: Pokemon, The Beverage
Ramune is a Japanese clear soda-type beverage with a very distinctive bottle. It’s traditionally a summertime time beverage. Personally, I love ramune, you might love ramune and Pikachu definitely loves Ramune. Reader Landon spotted this Poké-ramune in Tokyo. And from the looks of it, he had chicken for dinner. Ah, ramune and chicken — Doesn’t get any better than that!
Count The Sarcastic Comments: Spy Hunter Movie Back On Track. Yay.
Masochistic fans of the classic Midway arcade game Spy Hunter will be thrilled to learn that the delayed film adaptation has ascended from Hollywood development Hell, with Paul W.S. Anderson replacing former director John Woo.
Pro wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was previously slated to appear as the movie version’s titular spy and starred in the Midway game Spy Hunter: Nowhere To Run, a title originally planned to coincide with the theatrical release. It’s unknown if Johnson, who really nailed his role in Doom as a guy who shoots stuff, is still attached to the project.
Anderson, mostly famous for the Resident Evil and Aliens vs. Predator flicks, is also hard at work ruining/remaking Death Race 2000. No word from Variety on whether these projects will interfere with his work on the Castlevania film.
We can always hope.
Universal restarts ‘Spy Hunter’ [Variety via Gamespot]
Special Delivery: Spaniards Ship Poo To Sony Europe
Discontented, Spanish-speaking PlayStation fans at game site Gamerah—probably most famous for their outlandish and fictional interview with former Nintendo boss Hiroshi Yamauchi—have made good on their threat to Sony. They’ve shipped them a box filled with 45 plastic turds, each with an attached complaint.
In a letter to Sony’s European office, translated into English by a UK: Resistance fan, the Gamerah staff explain the situation. And they do it quite nicely. An excerpt:
We hope you do not take this wrong. Having unhappy customers is still much better than having no customers at all. We just feel like broken-hearted, resentful lovers. Most of us have purchased all your consoles and we felt rather let down when the PS3 was finally launched in Europe.
I’m not exactly recommending that disgruntled PlayStation fans start firing off packages filled with plastic excrement (or, heaven forbid, real excrement) but this is how you complain. I assume that the box of PVC poo will ultimately be destroyed by the bomb squad robot far from every SCEE executive totally ignorant to its existance.
Oh yeah. There’s video of the whole thing at Gamerah.
La caca: una crítica constructiva y coral hacia Sony [Gamerah via UK: Resistance]
Totally Boss: More Metal Gear 20th Anniversary Details
The Metal Gear 20th Anniversary official site has gone live on Konami of Japan’s web presence, giving Snake fans a look at the upcoming re-releases revealed by Famitsu earlier this week. More concrete details on the mysterious Metal Gear Solid Collection boxed set are available, giving us a better look at exactly what the package will contain. While complete and a great value, packing in just about every Metal Gear game and bonus DVDs, it doesn’t appear to contain any drool-worthy bonuses.
The Collection contains, for the low price of 6,900 yen, the following:
・Metal Gear [PS2]
・Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake [PS2]
・Metal Gear Solid [PS]
・Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Libery [PS2]
・Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater [PS2]
・Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops [PSP]
・Metal Gear Saga [DVD]
・The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 [PS2]
Not a bad deal! The site also lists a special Metal Gear 20th Anniversary Music Collection for 2,800 yen due in July and hints at upcoming celebratory events. Konami USA, how do you respond? Come in, Konami USA! Konami USAAAAAAA!!!
Metal Gear 20th Anniversary Special Site [Konami.jp]
Jacky: The JT Debate That Almost Was
There was, for a moment, an alignment of all of the stars and the planets, a brief humming of cosmic harmony that occurred thanks to the power of the PAX.
Had things not gone awry it would have resulted in an unforgettable Penny Arcade Expo moment of epic proportions, a stunned silence just after Tycho and Gabe said they had a surprise guest they wanted to bring up to the stage and none other than Jack Thompson walked from stage right, or maybe stage left.
The Penny Arcade folks, it seems, had in fact asked Jack Thompson to fly out to the annual expo, their treat, to debate someone from the industry (most likely Hal Halpin) in front of a live audience, their live audience. But, as with most things Jack, the whole beautiful thing managed to get wonky and go awry.
PA told me that there was a disagreement about how exactly to promote the event: They wanted to leave it as a surprise until the moment the grey-coiffed head of Jack appeared under the limelight so as to prevent way too many people trying to pack in a room that could never hope to hold everyone who would want to witness this epic event, but Jack wanted to put out a press release about the appearance.
Jack says, in a press release, mostly the same thing, though he puts his own little twist on it:
Penny Arcade required, however, that Thompson not be allowed to tell anyone that he was participating. Thompson thought this was a joke, in light of Penny Arcade’s “free speech” posture.
When Thompson insisted upon knowing what in the world was the reason for Penny Arcade’s bizarre position that only it could tell people about the event, Penny Arcade said that it was concerned that too many people would want to go if word got out too widely that Thompson would be at the event.
Pause.
One wonders what the real reason for the news blackout by Penny Arcade is.
When Thompson insisted that he be allowed, given the real meaning of the First Amendment, to tell folks he would be in Seattle to participate in this news-worthy event, Penny Arcade pulled the plug and reneged on the offer, with no further explanation.
I’ll leave it to you, the reader, on who to believe, the artists or the master debater.
Clips: Mega Man Music Pain!
Video game music cover bands are a dime a dozen. Regurgitating NES tunes with the standard guitar-bass-drums set up was cute when the Advantage and the Minibosses did it, but now, now it’s just bordering on sad. That’s why when someone writes rapid-fire lyrics and actually sings the melody from a Mega Man jam, it stands out. Sure, the singer may have a voice as good as mine (pure rubbish), but it’s the enthusiasm that matters. If you really want the MP3, you can grab the song, a take on the Mega Man 2 theme titled Okkusen Man, here.
Props to the official Capcom blogs for the discovery.
News: HALO 3: July 2007 GamePro cover image revealed
GamePro’s July 2007 issue is now shipping, and it’s got the biggest story of the year — an exclusive 20-page report on Halo 3. It’s Beyond the Beta.
Statuesque: Hellgate: London Collectibles For Serious, Rich Fans Only
I really have no idea when Flagship Studios‘ Hellgate: London is supposed to ship—who can keep up anymore?—but I am now well aware that Weta’s Hellgate: London collectibles are shipping this month for sure.
A bit pricey at $225.00 USD each, but they sure look fancy. Perfect for your glass display case that no one is allowed to touch, smoke near or stare at for extended periods of time. In fact, don’t even look at the pictures online too long, lest you somehow degrade the real-life versions. They’re that precious.
There are four up for pre-order, including the Hunter, Cabalist, Templar Male and Templar Female, but only 1,000 editions of each. The Hunter and Cabalist are both female, too, but you’ve probably figured that out by the carefully sculpted breasts.
Anyone out there planning on dropping almost a cool grand on all four? If so, can I borrow a tenner?
Hellgate: London Collectibles [Weta, thanks Dennise!]
The Purple Paperweight: Radio Allergy For GameCube Finally Axed
One of the final games scheduled to hit the GameCube, oft-delayed Japanese shmup Radio Allergy (aka Radirgy), has finally been cancelled. Citing problems with retailer support for a dying… fine, dead platform, publisher O3 Entertainment told us today that the shooter will not see a GameCube release.
The good news from O3 is that developer Milestone is “exploring options to bring this to North America as part of a future compilation on the Wii.” That could mean a bundle with other Milestone developed shooters like Karous and Chaos Field, as the former has been announced for the Wii with the latter already published for the GameCube in the West.
Those still clutching to their purple ‘Cubes can still look forward to Ratatouille.
Lucas Arts: Every Star Wars Game Ever in One Place
Chris Kohler took a bunch of snaps at the recent Star Wars Celebration IV of an amazing display of Star Wars gamery.
That single display case, shown above, shows every single Star Wars game ever made, including the Japan-only Namco version that Kohler himself picked up in between bouts of eating fancy ice cream during his recent trip to Japan.
Gallery: Every Star Wars Game Ever [GameLife]
The X-pachter: Pachter Watch: GTA IV Could See Delay
Will Take-Two Interactive push back the release of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV in an attempt to avoid losing sales to the highly, highly anticipated Halo 3? Wedbush Morgan analyst and Kotaku fave Michael Pachter says “we believe that it is possible.”
The folks at Wedbush think that the publisher may just consider this fiscal year a wash, hoping to have a killer GTA IV-fueled FY08. Pachter explains:
We believe that a two-week delay would provide a reasonable gap between the launch of Halo 3 and the launch of GTA IV, and would actually help sales of both games. In addition, a delay of the ‘normal’ SKU for GTA IV by two or three weeks could allow Take-Two to maximize revenues from the $89.99 Collector’s Edition of the game by shipping that SKU on October 17, and to increase overall profitability.
Wait, SKU? Who says SKU anymore?! That’s so Q4 of calendar year ‘06, Mike!
While nothing surprises me anymore, I would raise a single eyebrow at a one-degree angle should Take-Two decide to push the game back, especially if they opt to ship two separate editions on different dates. Stranger things have happened.
Could Master Chief Cause a GTA IV Delay? [GameDaily]
Sweden’s Got Talent: Slow Mo Mario Poppin’, Lockin’
Apparently, the horrid American television program America’s Got Talent has a Swedish equivalent titled Talang 2007. Just like the US version, regular Joes and Janes can acheive 15 seconds of reality television fame by performing stage shows demonstrating their questionable talents. Take “Slowmotion” Phax Ahamada, for example, whose talent is channeling his inner Mario in half-time with a bit of poppin’ and lockin’ thrown in for good measure. The judges are split, but the audience eats it up like a plate of steaming köttbullar.
Thanks for the heads up, Thanius. Say, is all Swedish television this shitty or just the stuff co-developed by Simon Cowell?
Hype Alert: Halo 3 Box Art?
The Final Fight stumbled upon what they believe to be the box art for the standard version of Halo 3. Seems pretty believable and Amazon is using it as their art for the game, so why not? That reminds me, I need to play some more Halo 3 tonight… and perhaps some Warhawk.
Halo 3 Box Art Finally Surfaces [The Final Fight, via HBO]
Spiketv: The Last Remnant On Game Head Tonight
Tonight’s episode of Game Head on SpikeTV promises a “broadcast exclusive” look at Square-Enix’s newest IP, The Last Remnant. The PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 role-playing game was announced recently as the first Square-Enix title to take advantage of the Unreal Engine 3 platform, so I expect pretty graphics and even prettier cinematics.
That’s 1 AM tonight (or extremely early tomorrow morning) if you’re planning on staying up or scheduling tonight’s Tivo recording.
Game Head [SpikeTV]
Catch Em All: Finally, A Pikachu Nintendo DS
Nintendo is releasing yet another Nintendo DS, this time with popular Pokémon branding and a brilliant Pikachu yellow paintjob. While this special edition Nintendo DS Lite will retail for the regular price of 16,800 yen, getting your hands on one is going to be challenging. To secure this yellow piece of kit, you’ll need to visit one of the five Pokémon Centers in Japan between June 1 and July 1 and fill out an application to “win” a chance to buy one. Winners will be notified by mail if they’ve been selected as a lucky purchaser.
I hope Ashcraft is filling out applications for himself, Lil’ Bash and his wife. This thing will probably go for big bucks (and yen) on eBay.
Pokémon Center Nintendo DS Lite Pikachu Edition [Pokémon]
Hollywood: Prince of Persia Movie Script Reviewed
Two years ago Latinoreview got their hands on an early draft of the Halo script, now they’ve managed to land the script for the upcoming Prince of Persia: Sands of Time movie.
While he doesn’t get into much detail, reviewer El Mayimbe said the upcoming movie will be a monster hit as fun as Pirates of the Caribbean and that the script reads like a 9th century Indiana Jones flick.
He then goes on to describe the opening of the first Act, which I won’t do in case you, like I, don’t want to ruin the experience. If you don’t mind and want to read on, hit up the link.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time [LatinoReview, via Gamespot]
Once More Round The Sphere: What Are You Playing This Weekend?
I hate to sound like a broken record, but it’s another weekend of Odin Sphere, Tank Beat, and Super Paper Mario. The good news is, two of those are almost “done.” With a renewed interest in my Virtual Console, thanks to a 4000 point investment, my recent purchases of Streets of Rage 2 and Punch-Out!! have been interfering with my long-term gaming—I’m having “issues” getting past Bald Bull in the World Circuit.
The other thing holding me back? That damned Odin Sphere is hard. A throw the SIXAXIS and let fly a string of expletives kind of hard. If it weren’t so gorgeous and captivating I’d have to swear it off. But I shall persevere!
Enough about me. What are you playing this weekend?
