Turns out MTV Multiplayer’s Stephen Totilo doesn’t have an HDTV, either, and so we find ourselves experiencing similar problems.

My dad has an issue with Sony and the new SOCOM game coming out. Here is what he has to say, and why I’m willing to listen when he has such a complaint.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe has become a must-play for me, and this is why (Skip to about 2:05):

And finally, some good news: MegaMan Volnutt returns!

The bad news is, it’s in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Which isn’t so bad in itself, except that like Namco x Capcom, the chances of any majority of us getting to play it are slim.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Apologies for the lack of an update last night; we went to see Video Games Live at Massey Hall, and I wasn’t quite up to updating by the time I got back. Expect a report on the event soon.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: The Writer’s Strike could be nearing its end.
2. Newsbit: WWE Smackdown! is looking to leave the CW, but where might it end up?

   Matters little to me, as that and Raw both come on The Score here anyway.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Looks like Capcom has removed the Lost Planet PS3 demo and shut down the servers to address some issues.
2. Newsbit: I so hope we get the Rockman & X book. Here’s the latest on how it’s coming.
3. Press Release: NINTENDO AND NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE ANNOUNCE THE ENDLESS OCEAN CRUISE GIVEAWAY

   Feb. 8, 2008

   Nintendo’s Endless Ocean? game for Wii? takes users on a virtual undersea trip to explore deep-sea wrecks and encounter more than 230 different animal species. Players of all abilities explore at their own pace as they swim through coral reefs, explore ancient shipwrecks, meet local wildlife and search for sunken treasure.

   In the spirit of the game’s themes of fun and exploration, Nintendo and Norwegian Cruise Line are partnering to offer a real-life ocean adventure: the Endless Ocean Cruise Giveaway. Three lucky winners will receive a seven-day Caribbean cruise for two aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, where they can experience the fun of Wii at sea.

   Between now and Feb. 29, 2008, people can visit www.EndlessOcean.com for more information about the game and the sweepstakes. Participants can enter once daily and winners will be drawn at random on or about March 5.

   The Endless Ocean Cruise Giveaway is open to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia over the age of 18. For a complete list of rules and regulations, visit www.nintendo.com/sweepstakes/EndlessOcean_Sweeps.jsp.

   For more information about Endless Ocean, visit www.EndlessOcean.com.

4. Newsbit: No. Just… no.
5. Newsbit: So, some doctors are saying that… well, the same old thing, really.
6. Newsbit: Nintendo is proud to announce that they’ve won two Interactive Achievement Awards at DICE.
7. Newsbit: Available now at the PlayStation Store: Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law.
8. Newsbit: Following Namco Bandai’s announcement, SEGA Sammy are seeing massive layoffs and closings.
9. Newsbit: THQ’s Band Mashups promises to be an interesting entry into the rhythm game genre.
10. Newsbit: Remember when Kojima Productions’ Ryan Payton said they’d need to sell a million copies of Metal Gear Solid 4 on day 1 to turn a profit? Turns out, that’s not exactly what was said.
11. Newsbit: No Conker or Jade Empire for Xbox Originals after all.
12. Newsbit: A new update on the next Mortal Kombat movie says they’re trying to reenvision it from top to bottom, in the spirit of the first film.
13. Video: GameTrailers shows off some of Kirby’s Many Hats in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, among other more spoilerish videos.
14. Newsbit: The IGN Bionic Commando blog says that a playable build is finished.
15. Newsbit: Ok, this GameStop DS Lite bundle is EXTREMELY tempting, but I’d rather have the Crimson/Black DS Lite…

    …that’s how I console myself, given that I likely can’t order it from Canada.

16. Newsbit: Wow, Professor Layton is only just coming out, and it’s already getting a sequel, and in the US, no less!

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Newsbit: Looks like Hasbro has begun to offer Rewards for buying TransFormers and their other brands.
2. Newsbit: At the UK Toy Fair, new TransFormers were afoot from the Animated, Movie, and new Marvel lines.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Capcom is holding a vote for what Capcom-themed costumes will be used in We Love Golf.
2. Newsbit: Don’t know the story on these Rockman/Mega Man Zero figures yet, but once we do, you’ll hear more.

   In the meantime… wow, Revoltech? Be awesome if these do turn out to be the real deal.

3. Newsbit: Sigh, Nintendo is saying that any MMO’s are no-go right now.

   So what’s that social networking game that’s been coming up in reports, then?

   And what’s more, what’s with waiting for someone to come up with something that appeals to “5 to 95″? You’re Nintendo! Why not create one if it doesn’t already exist?

4. Rumor: Word from Kotaku is that the Everyone’s Nintendo Channel should be headed for America soon. Here’s hoping!
5. Newsbit: So far, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is leading Japan’s best sellers list with some 820,000 moved in its first week.
6. Newsbit: My favorite Xbox Live Arcade game, Pac-Man Championship Edition, has been nominated for a Game Developers Choice award. Here’s hoping it wins!
7. Newsbit: The first details of LEGO Indiana Jones are here, and one of them is that there will be no Nazis.
8. Newsbit: Twisted Metal is officially on its way to PS3.
9. Pics: Many, many new images of Street Fighter IV, courtesy of Famitsu.
10. Newsbit: …three new Guitar Hero games this year?!
11. Preview: 1up gets to go hands-on with SEGA’s answer to Mario Tennis, SEGA Superstars Tennis.
12. Newsbit: The double-update isn’t dead at the Smash Bros. DOJO!!, at least not yet. Feast your eyes on the Final Smash of Zero Suit Samus and behold new allies and enemies.

    GameTrailers has some fun with the stage builder.

13. Newsbit: Huh. Whoever bought Ninjabread Man must’ve been enough, since they’re now making a sequel.
14. Newsbit: One reader of Kotaku escaped a tornado, only to find himself homeless, and gameless.

    Maybe they’ll start a fundraiser for the guy? I can’t offer much at the moment, but I’d PayPal a few his way.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Newsbit: Simon Furman gives another tease in his blog, this time for Devastation #5.
2. Pic: I believe this is the first look at Japanese Classics Astrotrain.
3. Newsbit: The next IDW TransFormers Spotlight?
4. Video: The TransFormers Collector’s Club’s new Classics Nightbeat has been revealed.
5. Newsbit: Looks like we won’t be seeing any reviews from BWTF for awhile…

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: Heath Ledger’s cause of death has finally been confirmed: Overdose.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Just when Sony thought their exploding battery problems were behind them, this happens, leaving the 12-year old burned.
2. Newsbit: Duke Nukem Forever will be released in 2008– or so they say.

   Or not. Lovely, just lovely…

3. Preview: The first pages and description for Sonic the Hedgehog #185 are now available.
4. Newsbit: If you’re in the area of Rockefeller Plaza this Sunday, you might want to drop by the Nintendo World store for the Professor Layton and Cobalt/Black DS launches.

   Otherwise, you could probably just go to Wal-Mart today and grab a copy.

5. Rumor: Talk is that Guitar Hero IV will hit stores in 2008, and that this may be the track listing.
6. Newsbit: The secretive RPG Nintendo Power spoke of last month has finally been revealed.
7. Newsbit: A lot of news about Mario Kart Wii, including re-confirmation of Baby Peach, possible GameCube controller compatibility, using Miis to race, and plenty more.
8. Newsbit: Seems that GoNintendo’s Bionic Commando petition has drawn the attention of Capcom.
9. Newsbit: Details have surfaced surrounding EA and Spielberg’s new game, Boom Blox.
10. Newsbit: The Smash Bros. DOJO!! has officially revealed another hidden character, though if you’ve seen the intro, then you already know of him.

    Of course, GameTrailers isn’t letting up on the videos yet.

    And Nintendo Power has scored the game the way you’d expect.

11. Newsbit: Happy Birthday to Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell, who celebrates 65 years this week.
12. Newsbit: 1up is changing their scoring policy? Sounds like they finally gave in to the masses. Kind of unfortunate, but at least this will be more effective for all intents and purposes.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: It seems that the role of Cover Girl in the GI Joe movie may have been cast, and if true, then it seems to be a matter of life imitating art.
2. Newsbit: RIAA plans to cut artist royalties on digital tracks. This one pretty much speaks for itself.
3. Newsbit: Looks like the long relationship between new live-action Star Wars and movie theaters may still continue.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Yet another unfortunate death with a vague relationship to video games.
2. Newsbit: Props to Cheap Ass Gamer for their new campaign to donate games to the troops in Iraq.
3. Newsbit: Want to go to WWE WrestleMania 24? How good are you at Smackdown vs. Raw 2008?

   Speaking of which, the franchise earned over one billion dollars over the holidays.

4. Newsbit: First 4 Figures, makers of statues based on The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, TransFormers, and more, now has the license to Sonic the Hedgehog. And they aren’t going with the post-Adventure style, but rather are adopting the original oldschool designs.
5. Newsbit: A study says that men get more out of gaming than women, but there are those who disagree.
6. Newsbit: It’s possible that Super Smash Bros. Brawl might sell a million units by the end of the week.

   Speaking of which, GameTrailers has– you guessed it– more videos.

   It’s been revealed that the game will also take quite a bit of memory. My prediction is that people will rapidly begin to run out of room on their Wiis by year’s end.

   Smash Bros. DOJO!! reveals new Assist Trophies, plus a few we’ve seen before.

7. Newsbit: Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection has officially been announced for a US release, but regretably, will be lacking in many features of its Japanese counterpart.

   Me? I just want the damn 2D games. Can I at least get downloadable versions here? Please?

8. Newsbit: Coming soon to Xbox Originals: Sid Meier’s Pirates, Black, and Ninja Gaiden Black. Pirates vs. Ninjas, anyone?
9. Newsbit: Grr… snarl… rip… tear… still no No More Heroes in Canada…
10. Newsbit: Drawn to Life on Wii? That’d be cool… I still haven’t even gotten to play the DS version yet, though.
11. Newsbit: The new Famitsu shows off more of who we’ll see in Street Fighter IV.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Newsbit: Movie Bumblebee is about to get busted.
2. Pic: A little promotional artwork for All Hail Megatron.
3. Pics: And finally, a close-up of Premium Movie Prime’s head, plus the back-of-the-box images for himself and Premium Megatron.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Pic: Newsarama has the first piece of DC art by former Ultimate Spider-man artist Mark Bagley.
2. Video: During the Super Bowl came a new trailer for the Iron Man movie.
3. Newsbit: Once again, GameSpite gives us the week’s bounty in DVD releases.
4. Rumor: Seems there’s a little rumor going ’round that Venom could get a movie spin-off from his old pal, Spider-man.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: The GameSpot/Gerstmann Saga continues trudging on.
2. Newsbit: Tonight, the Smash Bros. DOJO!! brings us the stage many have awaited and many have dreaded…

   In addition, it reveals a return character of sorts.

   GameTrailers has plenty of new vids, including the long-awaited Sonic vs. Mario.

   GameSpot has many videos now as well.

   GameVideos shows off the characters’ taunts.

   CVG has the ABC’s of Smash Bros.

   And since I keep seeing this pop up, I guess it bears mentioning that if you smoke, you might have a little trouble playing the game.

3. Newsbit: GameTap brings a few games to the fore which I wouldn’t mind checking out. I lack Mega Man Anniversary Collection, so Mega Man: The Power Battle would be fun. Plus Rampage, Bubble Bobble, and Bust-a-Move, among others.
4. Newsbit: GameSpite loads up the newest games on shelves this week.
5. Newsbit: Some new DLC for Rock Band hits this week.
6. Newsbit: Rumor has it that the Japanese and European blood-free versions of No More Heroes actually runs faster and smoother than its gorier US counterpart. “[SUDA51] believes that the Japanese / European version plays faster and smoother than the American version and says he feels it is more enjoyable to play.”
7. Newsbit: God of War creator and Banana Philosopher David Jaffe is going to deliver a keynote for aspiring game developers at the 2008 GDC.
8. Newsbit: Today’s Virtual Console releases are Operation Wolf for the NES, and Columns III: Revenge of Columns for the SEGA Genesis.

   Can’t say that I’m pleased with what seems like no effort to make the former work with the Wii Zapper, though. Unless they tried and couldn’t make it work, for some reason. In which case, I suggest it bodes poorly for the likes of Duck Hunt, Wild Gunman, Hogan’s Alley, Yoshi’s Safari, and others.

9. Rumor: A little further thought on that rumor that says Nintendo snubbed Capcom over Resident Evil 4, proposing that if true, it may go even deeper than that.
10. Newsbit: Ah, I remember Populous back on the Super NES. Was never that good at it, but it was fun to watch others play. Now, it’s coming to the DS, and has a nift preorder bonus.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Pics: New images are available of Trans-Scanning Bumblebee.
2. Newsbit: Classics Cliffjumper got a really cool add-on kit… could Classics Ultra Magnus be next? I’d love to see that.
3. Newsbit: James Marsden, aka “Lord Piccolo” in the Dragon Ball movie, spills the beans about the film.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: Garfield’s 45th book, Large and in Charge is nearing release, and Amazon is taking preorders. Not sure if this one will have where Jon and Liz get together or not, which really added a much-needed spark to the goings-on.
2. Newsbit: Check out the info on the upcoming Speed Racer Battle Morph Mach 5 Vehicle & Figure.
3. Newsbit: This just in, courtesy of Magic: Churches not allowed to host Super Bowl parties. Because apparently putting a bunch of people in front of free TV is somehow worse than fewer people gathering to watch free TV on multiple TVs in their homes. Or something.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Oooh, goody! The Super Mario Galaxy Platinum Official Soundtrack is now on sale…

   …for about $40. Yikes.

2. Newsbit: This week, it was announced that Rock Band was coming to Wii, and it wasn’t a surprise to some, given the stand-alone mic that showed up in stores earlier in the week citing Wii compatibility.

   The irony is, that part was a mistake. And the mic isn’t Wii compatible, either.

3. Newsbit: Turns out that David Jaffe’s zing on Miyamoto was a joke that no one got. Better luck next time.

   Guess maybe 1up hasn’t gotten the memo yet…

   But seriously, how do the Mario Kart racers do that?

   Seriously? An age-old technique passed down from generation to generation, from father to son.

   It’s called throwing.

   Sorry, just had to say it…

4. Newsbit: Good news for PC gamers, I suppose, as EA is going to unbox the Orange at retail.
5. Newsbit: Don’t often look at sales numbers, but it’s good to see that Devil May Cry 4 did pretty well on its first day…

   …but still got its ass kicked by Super Smash Bros. Brawl in terms of sheer numbers.

6. Newsbit: Coming 2/10/08: the Cobalt/Black Nintendo DS Lite.
7. Videos: GameTrailers has plenty more new videos from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
8. Newsbit: $500,000. What would a game developer use that for? Creating a new game engine, perhaps? Forming a vast city or world with graphics you can’t even tell from reality? Maybe music, or state-of-the-art cutscenes.

   …well, the last one is close. Try a mystery actor’s voiceover.

9. Newsbit: Good news? No More Heroes is out of stock on Amazon.com.
10. Newsbit: Some new screens and character art have surfaced for International Track & Field by Konami. Simon is back! And you can read up on him and Pentarou here.
11. Newsbit: Ok, it’s cool that the Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection is coming to EB/GameStop, but is it really region-free or whatever?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Pic: A package shot of Blackarachnia from Animated has surfaced.
2. Newsbit: And BotCon registration is go!
3. Newsbit: And the Classics Cliffjumper upgrade pack has been released as well.
4. Newsbit: For the folks in the UK, a Hasbro press release.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Pics: From this week’s UK Toy Fair comes more images of the new TMNT “Mini-Mutants” figures and accessories.

   You can find more here, plus the figures from NECA.

2. Pics: Also from the UK Toy Fair comes pics of new toys for Jakks’ WWE lineup.
3. Videos: IGN hosts a series of trailers for upcoming anime releases.

Video Power

1. Pics: Remember yesterday’s pics of Corgi’s new Super Mario toys? Turns out that’s not all they have there… check out their Master Collector Force FX Master Sword, plus Halo 3.

   McFarlane has some of the Halo 3 stuff going on, too.

2. Newsbit: Oh yay, the new Rockman DASH (aka MegaMan Legends) game is out now. Yippee.

   Yeah, it’s the cellphone one, if you couldn’t tell. Would it be too much to beg for a DS port?

3. Newsbit: Valve says more Portal is on the way. Meanwhile, I still need to play the first.

   Speaking of which, there should be some downloadable content coming… eventually. But Team Fortress 2 gets some sooner.

4. Newsbit: And for Wii fans who like to rock out, great news, as Rock Band is officially en route.

   And just when these guys decided to make their move.

5. Newsbit: Now here’s what I like to see. EA’s announced a new boxing game, but it’s not one of those Fight Night affairs, oh no. Their new Facebreaker franchise is more arcade styled, more reminiscient of Punch-Out!!. Should be interesting… but why the hell isn’t this on Wii? I’m not especially convinced the cartoony graphics couldn’t be done in a convincing manner.
6. Newsbit: Do 90 percent of DS owners in the US really pirate games? Well, I don’t… but then, I’m in Canada anyway.
7. Newsbit: I’m only linking to this story about the GRAW 2 downloads for the picture.
8. Newsbit: Looks like the delay and some beta feedback are doing good things for Sony’s Home.
9. Various: GameSpy tells what they think of Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage creator.

   Meanwhile, Go Nintendo has a rumor as to what caused the last delay, one that may disappoint a lot of people if true.

   GameTrailers has a ton of user-created videos, and plenty of spoilers within.

   And Smash Bros. DOJO!! has just revealed a new hidden character that many will be happy to see. It also highlights the difference between this one and another character.

   The site’s frontpage has a new look, too.

   As for the shortage, shouldn’t be a problem for too long.

   Kotaku, meanwhile, has a rumor about Capcom’s general absence in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. If true… ouch. Isn’t that punishing us more than them?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Newsbit: Not much going today, but what there is turns out to be pretty good: Hasbro has included a new toy catalog with Desert Brawl, showing off the Animated toys, and giving them a release date of June.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: Think learning fractions in school was a waste of time? This professor agrees.
2. Newsbit: According to The Official TMNT Web Site, the “Ninja Tribunal” arc finally begins to air on Fox on February 9th. Happy day! 4Kids even has a teaser.

   For those who’ve forgotten, this is the arc that 4Kids wound up pulling out of in the middle so they could give us Fast Forward.

3. Newsbit: Hey, Spider-fans! Remember the Free Comic Book Day issue of Spider-man from Marvel? Well now they’re here to sell it to you again, with a few bonuses, for $3.99!

   Bleh.

4. Newsbit: Speed Racer is back! In LEGO form!
5. Newsbit: Sounds like longtime GI Joe scribe Larry Hama may be working on the new movie.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: A few new spoilish character and stage reveals for Super Smash Bros. Brawl have leaked out between yesterday’s update and today’s, and you can find the newest in bold.

   Two new TV commercials from Japan are now available, too.

   And just caught this interesting tidbit about Samus. Not really a spoiler, but more a happy confirmation.

   A new video shows one of the obvious hidden character’s not-so obvious Final Smashes.

   GameVideos has a ton of new vids.

   1up has gotten their copy, and given spoiler-laden hands-on impressions.

   Smash Bros. DOJO!! made a special announcement tonight, as well as posting a Game Mode Introduction movie.

   Japan is ready. Are you?

2. Newsbit: A Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword DS demo via the Wii… in Japan.

   Give me a break, when do we get this already? This is a game I might be interested in, but not so much I’ll take the gamble. The Xbox version was brutal, I need some reassurances here.

3. Pics: Maybe this is why I haven’t heard back from my contact at Corgi… the 2008 UK Toy Fair is going on, and they’re showing off their upcoming Super Mario goods.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Pics: The first official pictures of the latest Robot Heroes are now available, including the greatest Movie character of them all, Dispensor!
2. Pics: Making the day even better, the first images of Classics 2.0 are now on Hasbro’s website. Uncolored, but still cool.
3. Pics And on top of all that, some new pics of the G1-colored Music Label Convoy, aka Optimus Prime.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: Never big into Nightmare on Elm Street, to be frank (except with that one “Power Glove” bit as a kid). But Freddy’s got a new movie coming, and I thought someone reading this might be interested.
2. Newsbit: On the GI Joe movie front, we now know who will be playing General Hawk and Destro.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Nintendo offers up some encouragement to their third-parties regarding their concerns of sales of their games vs. those first-party offerings of Nintendo.
2. Newsbit: That Mario Kart Wii stuff reported yesterday? Yeah, fuhgeddaboudit.
3. Newsbit: Wii60 lives on, as Microsoft wants gamers to graduate to an Xbox 360 after breaking in with a Wii.
4. Spoilers: How ironic that I should be one of the first to fall in the line of fire. Such as it is reporting news, and with the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl in Japan, it fell to me to cover what was revealed.

   Fortunately, very little in the way of Subspace Emissary is revealed there; it’s pretty much just revealed characters (maybe not even all of them) and new stages. If you prod further in the links at the bottom therein, however, you’ll find much more in the way of images and videos and such. Plus, a ton of screens that seem to be for Subspace Emissary (and thus, largely ignored by me… gotta save something) can be seen here, courtesy VG Cats.

   Suffice to say, I think many will be pleased. If you’re into finding out more, then keep checking back, as likely more will be added.

   As for the just-updated Smash Bros. DOJO!! update, it’s big but predictably underwhelming (insofar as, what can really compare to the leaked stuff?) as Sakurai goes over the basics of starting a match in Brawl mode. On the upside, choosing who you start a match as with Pokemon Trainer and Zelda/Sheik is more natural.

5. Newsbit: On a related note, a number of people (myself included) were unhappy at how Japan’s delay of Super Smash Bros. Brawl was only a week, vs. a month or so for the US.

   As it happens, we may yet still have the last laugh.

6. Also, I am such a geek. Leave it to me to notice that in the video intro where Mario hits the block in Mushroomy Kingdom and gets a Mushroom, that it’s the WRONG BLOCK.
7. Newsbit: Is Fox letting Cooper Lawrence take the fall for the entire Mass Effect controversy? She may have been wrong, but this ain’t right.
8. Newsbit: Some nice* Wii bundles are coming to GameStop.

   *”Nice” does not include the price vs. value for the package, but merely the contents.

9. Newsbit: At least No More Heroes is selling well at the Ubishop. Wonder how it’s doing elsewhere…
10. Newsbit: That DS/Disney World guide thing reported not too long ago? Looks like the guests are really digging it.

    Me, I’m such a geek. That one of the draws of visiting Disney World for me is the thought of pulling up my own mapscreen and stuff in real life… I am such a geek.

    On the other hand, a $300 deposit and inability to just use my own DS? Eh…

–LBD “Nytetrayn”