Ok, so I’m going to try and categorize things a little bit here. Feedback is appreciated.

Also, I’d just like to take this moment to damn WordStress for not allowing Digg code OR YouTube embedding without wrecking the layout of the site. So much for Digging the Contra 4 piece.

InFormers: Robots in the News

(Thanks to jackscarab for the name)

1. They came… they saw… and then… they came again.

   TransFormers has kicked tailgate at the box office, and from the sounds of things, they’re not through yet. Besides the IMAX engagement, it looks like Paramount wants theaters to squeeze more than more than meets the eye out of this one.

2. The movie is good… but is it good enough to be the British National Movie Awards’ best of the year? That’s for you to decide.
3. Ah, lucky Brits.

   Some people may not have liked it as much, but I found Robots in Disguise to be enjoyable, and I still think it’s one of the better, if not best, looking handdrawn TransFormers cartoons of all time.

   Plus, who can’t like the greatest shark around, who never lets Megatron down?

   Just a couple of reasons I wish I could get the new UK DVD release of the show.

   Well, I probably could, but it wouldn’t exactly do me much good.

4. Starscream thinks he can lead the Decepticons, but the simple fact of the matter is, he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

Video Power

(This part’s for the video game-related stuff, and the name is a tribute to the old TV show.

1. Wow, I don’t think Sakurai was even late the other day, and yet last night saw a double update at Smash Bros. DOJO!!

   First was a look at the four special-move types, as demonstrated by mysterious newcomer Meta Knight, whose moves until now were unknown.

   The other biggie was the appearance of Star Fox villain Andross as an assist trophy, appearing in his original 16-bit Super FX Chip form to spew tons of tiles all over the battlefield.

   And then today’s update, posted just minutes ago, shows off the moves Pokemon Trainer is bringing to the party.

2. “Come for the party games, stay for the Space Pirates.”

   That’s how Matt at Press The Buttons sees the latest marketing for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which has the hardcore appeal, but is still possible for a “n00b” to pick up and enjoy.

   Since I’m not exactly a pro at FPS-style gameplay, I can’t say I oppose this ideal.

3. Speaking of Metroid, hope no one was too excited to get theirs from Amazon…
4. If you specialize in the training of Pokemon, this this may interest you, as Manaphy are said to be rather elusive…
5. Super Mario Galaxy is still a few light years away, but closing in fast. In the meantime, Go Nintendo has some nice peeks at a few new galaxies, including the Egg Galaxy, the Honeybee Galaxy, Stardust Galaxy, and Gateway Galaxy.

   Huh. With so many galaxies, I’m surprised the game isn’t called Super Mario Galaxies.

6. So while Nintendo may not be interested in making “Nintencats,” that doesn’t mean no one else is.

   Me, I’m a cat person, so I am curious about this one.

7. Ok, so I guess Paul Anderson isn’t doing the Castlevania movie. Again.

   Top-to-bottom rewrite? Eh, not like we knew that much about it to begin with. I’m still more interested in Ellis’s Dracula’s Curse, but I remain curious about where this one will go.

Other

(Yeah, I’m having a hard time coming up with a name for this part. If you have an idea, leave it in the comments, maybe I’ll use it! The wife has suggested “Assorted Mushrooms” and “Junk in the Trunk,” so those are what’s in the running.)

1. Newsarama has revealed Kids’ WB’s new fall schedule.

   Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry, Batman… it’s like the 60s all over again. And I won’t be around for them this time, either.

2. Of course, when one thinks of Warner Bros. and cartoons, we know what the real deal is. And somewhere, deep down in their blackened hearts, they do too.

   Which is why we’re at least lucky enough to get some pretty nift DVD collections coming this October.

   Considering how hard it’s getting to find these in their original forms on TV (perhaps to encourage the sales of the DVDs…?), purchasing these may not be the worst idea. It’d make for GREAT family time with the kids.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Before I kick things off, I’m seriously looking at changing the news format here. On the one hand, it might be more organized, but I think that also largely depends on how much content is found for a given subject during the day.

I’m still hesitant to do this, so if you’re reading this, PLEASE respond with your thoughts or suggestions. Even if you just like things the way they are, that is important for me to know! Seriously!

Oh, and um, sorry if some of the news is retreaded from the last update, the Saturday thing has thrown me a little off.

1. TransFormers!

   Remy does it again, with a new gallery dedicated to Be@rbrick Optimus and Megatron, based on their Movie incarnations.

   Once again, eBay is the place to be for first=looks at upcoming product, thanks to thieves in Chinese factories who seek to make a quick buck.

   Today’s heists include Universe Swerve, who uses an actual Chevrolet Aveo alternate mode. Why he’s not part of the Movie line is beyond me, but he’s a nice blend of Movie and “oldschool” aesthetics.

   The downside? He might just be the most expensive first-market TransFormer ever, as reportedly he’s only available with the purchase of the car he turns into, and only in China. Yikes!

   Joining Swerve in the online auction scene is Nike Starscream, a Megatron recolor who transforms into what is presumed to be a really, really fast shoe.

   For those wanting to jam out to the orchestral soundtrack to the movie, that will be coming to Best Buy and Amazon on October 9th.

   The movie itself is still pulling in money, and has become the 23rd highest grossing movie of all time. Not bad for a bunch of toy robots, huh?

   And finally, you’ve gotten ahold of Music Label Soundwave (you lucky bastard, you), but something still doesn’t seem quite… right? Well then, Mr. I-Gotta-Have-It-All, you’re in luck! Reprolabels has released a new set of stickers that makes Soundwave look a little more like his oldschool G1 self.

   Plus, there are also stickers for making Wheelie light our darkest hour as Wheelimus Prime!

2. I haven’t been following the Capcom updates regarding Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, because after the first couple of character stills, well, it got kind of dull. Not to say the art isn’t good or anything, but it just feels like “ok, we get it, when can we see it in motion?”

   Well, nothing yet on that front, but there is something interesting: Balrog’s stage. From the look of it, it seems a bit reinvented, a little updated beyond a mere graphic facelift.

   Now I wonder what the other stages will look like.

3. Mmm, Chef Sakurai held a tasty update at Smash Bros. DOJO!! last night, as he served up the spiciest curry you will ever lay eyes on.

   Hot stuff.

4. Wii’s Virtual Console updates today with some beloved titles of old, including Ghouls n’ Ghosts for the Genesis, Breath of Fire II for the SNES, and my choice pick, Super C for the NES.

   Ironically, the adherence to keeping the games “as they were” when they were released also applies to the text, meaning that the VC descriptor for Super C pretty much stands in contradiction with the upcoming Contra 4. Why? Check out PMO’s exclusive Konami interview to find out!

5. Is Nintendo cheaping out on DS Lite screens?

   Seems that there have been allegations of that nature, with some compelling pictures (well, as compelling as something like this can be) to back it up.

   What gives? And is there a way to know which screen you’re getting? And, to my personal interest, is this “bad screen” still better than the original DS screen?

6. It’s Prime time!

   The release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is finally upon us, and from the looks of things at Game Rankings, it’s not doing too shabby.

   GameTrailers has a plethora of videos for the game, from a preview to a review to gameplay, and even a comparison with its predecessor, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, a video which seems to have been removed at an earlier time and added again yesterday.

   To top it all off, has Nintendo pulled Metroid Dread out of purgatory? Maybe…

7. Wow, it was just the other day when I was voicing my opinion on a forum about video game movies, and how Spy Hunter was one I was most looking forward to, on the premise that there is really very, very little to possibly ruin in the transition from arcade screen to silver screen. And one title I said would be interesting to see make the jump was Joust.

   Funny thing, that. It seems almost as though they were listening to me.

   Naturally, I see this as a good thing. As long as they keep the birds and basic setup, I figure it’ll be a fun flick, or at worst, just bad in the good way.

8. Gabe and Tycho are on the move, as the new trailer for the Penny Arcade game On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness debuted at PAX, along with the news that the game will also be available on XBox Live Arcade.

   Which means I am now officially interested.

9. South Park has signed on for three more seasons.

   All I can say is “sweeeet.”

10. Ok, I admit it. Video games can be the cause of violence.

    In this case, I just want to smack the idiots responsible.

11. For a quick, condensed list of items from the Penny Arcade Expo, Joystiq has a nice one.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Hoo-hoo-hoo…. boy. I’ve had some late updates before, but…

The wife wanted a day off yesterday, though, and as hard as she works, damn if I was going to deny her, and so we wound up going over to the Toronto islands/Downtown for… well, pretty much the whole day. It was fun, but tiring as hell by the time we got back.

Anyway, I’ve not forgotten you peeps, so here we go! The news in the nighttime, alright! And be sure to check back later for a little something special, if you’re a fan of Contra…

1. Good news if you own an iPhone: no more trees coming to your mailbox.

   Of course, if you still hate AT&T (whatever your reasons), there’s more good news, as someone has found a way to unlock the iPhone from AT&T’s service.

2. A few nice TransFormers tidbits today.

   For starters, it looks like Takara-Tomy are warming up the molds for more G1 reissues, including the likes of Ironhide and Ratchet. Cool as these are (and I’d love to own these, just because they’re so unique… but someone should release “cartoon face” stickers for them), I’d still hope maybe Classics will someday deliver a simple Ironhide and Ratchet pair that look like the old toons somewhat. Make them IDW style or whatever, but really. They’re due.

   And the Club exclusive toys don’t count.

   So, if you loved the robots in the major motion picture, but don’t care for the slightly-compromised toy representations, then you’re still in luck with Hasbro’s Robot Replicas, non-transforming action figures that more closely resemble the robots in the movie, and whose second wave has been spotted at retail. Don’t go into a frenzy, just buy a Frenzy.

   What happens when Optimus Prime scans a bowl of Froot Loops for his new alternate mode? You get Fusion Cluster Protoform Optimus Prime, of course!

   Actually, it’s not as bad as all that; it only uses two main colors, orange to show the heat of entry into the atmosphere, and a cooler comet-esque blue trail behind.

3. Nintendo has a new TV commercial for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and you can see it here.

   I do have to wonder, though, just how good an idea it is, in this post-9/11 world, to show a commercial that depicts people making shooting motions inside of a busy airport.

   Personally, I don’t care. I like the spot. It just seems like something that someone would get in a complete tizzy over.

4. On a related note, the Penny Arcade Expo is going on now, and the Big N is in attendence with Metroid Prime 3, as you can see from GameSpot’s tour of the Nintendo booth.
5. On an interesting note, I don’t usually think too much about IGN’s Wii-kly podcasts, but this week’s has a few interesting bits, most notably the re-emergence of the subject of Metroid: Dread.

   Also, I think that last item might be calling out 1up, but I could be wrong.

6. While there is no questioning that TransFormers The Movie was a smash hit and gained acceptance from a lot of uncertain fans, there were still quite a few who felt that the movie “raped” the franchise, ruining now and forever that which they once loved.

   Supposing that were true, then I shudder to think what this means that they’re doing to GI Joe.

   “G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to X-Men and James Bond than a war film.”

   What.

   “A Real American Hero” no more, it seems. Ok, fine. I can accept the international part, since the original Joe team was pretty diverse in its own right.

   But Cobra, what the hell? That description of its leader fits Destro to a T. Does that mean Cobra Commander is out of the picture?

   Also, with the new acronymization of the G.I. Joe name, I think one might assume that Commanding Officer General Joseph R. Colton (the original G.I. Joe) won’t be putting in any screentime. And personally, I think that blows. Unless they decided to have art imitate life, where the acronym is made to fit the name.

   Maybe this won’t be horrible… it seems they’ve backed off of Action Man and the “buddy” idea. Still, going to have to see a lot more before I’m convinced they’re going in the right direction. As it is, it reminds me of the constant flux the last Superman was constantly in.

7. Speaking of ARAH…

   o/~ He’s here, he’s here, to train some Iron Grenadier… o/~

   Master Collector has updated over on the GI Joe side of things to show off their new exclusive, Destro’s own counterpart to Sgt. Slaughter, the Iron Grenadier trainer known as Rowdy Roddy Piper.

   The figure is limited to a mere 1,000 pieces and is available exclusively at JoeCon, unless of course they have some left over, which you will then be able to purchase via their web store after the convention.

   They did a really nice job on this one. Did they ever update Slaughter?

8. Better late than never, as they say.

   And while it’s too late for Mega Man ZX to receive the blessing of English voice acting, it seems safe now to say that it won’t be “never” for the series at large as Capcom (via Atomic Fire) has announced in the ironically non-English staff blog that Mega Man ZX Advent will indeed feature voices we can understand.

   Question of the moment now, is “will we get the same voice actors who were cast in the recent X series games?” One should hope, given the carried-over characters between the two series.

9. Peach and Yoshi pump those crazy legs as players race to the finish in a hurdles event in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.

   And is it me, or do those mascots on the balloons in the background near the end look like some sort of bastard cross between Hello Kitty and the Blue Badger?

   Of course, what everyone’s coming out to see is Mario himself taking on the Blue Blur (and, well, everyone else) in the 100 meter dash.

   The winner may come as no surprise, but hey, he had to WORK for it, dammit.

10. Go, Galactic!

    Ok, so no Quasar Sabers or Galactazords here, but Super Mario Galaxy still has some of the strangest worlds in this or any other universe, as this video shows.

    Meanwhile, these two videos show off what looks like the earliest part of the game, as Mario awakens to find himself faced with a mysterious rabbit leading him around.

    Incidently, I love how the word balloons seem to occupy an actual space, where it stays fixed with the world rather than static on the screen. I imagine there are potential drawbacks to this, but it remains a cool visual.

    Plus, CVG has another look at the elusive Cookie Factory… but this one has music. Why is that of note? Take a listen and see… and if you don’t get it, you probably were never meant to.

11. Looks like Rockstar has finally caved and snipped their baby, as Manhunt 2 is coming this Halloween.

    You’ve got to wonder just what they did cut, though.

    GameDaily ponders this industry self-censoring with other industry heads in this feature.

12. Wow.

    Way to go, Sony. Microsoft. Capcom. SEGA.

    At this rate, it looks like “E For All” is going to be “Nintendo and some Third-Parties Who Like Fans”, or something.

    I dunno, there’s a joke there, but it’s just not clicking. Probably because the whole notion really sucks ass.

13. Gamers are known for playing Super Smash Bros. to cause havoc, but it looks like Brawl will be doing it in a whole ‘nother way thanks to Havok’s physics engine.

    What will this mean for the gameplay? Guess we’ll see!

14. According to developers for the upcoming PS3 title Little Planet, the game’s customization is in fact so robust that you can easily create Mario as user-created content.

    Go Nintendo thinks “As long as it?s user created there shouldn?t be a problem.” And of course, that’s true, so long as Nintendo and Marvel Comics don’t share the same lawyers.

15. The King of Kong opened in eight more cities yesterday, and none of them are Toronto. Blast!

    But the movie has held up extremely well, netting $10,000 per screen, just trailing Superbad… which was on “roughly 590 times more screens.”

    This, plus 98 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and 83/100 on Metacritic makes me crazy that there’s nothing for the thing around here. Confound it!

16. While I can easily understand no plans for a Player’s Choice Wii lineup, is one for the DS so much to ask? Hmm?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Wow, it’s hard to believe that PMO is celebrating its first anniversary today.

I do have a thing or three up my sleeve to celebrate, coming up over the next couple of days, and hopefully there will be more to come as well!

But for the moment, we bring you: The News!

1. Archie’s Sonic the Hedgehog continues to deliver as Sonic faces off against Tails with the fate of the kingdom hanging in the balance! Check out the peek at the next issue right here at Bumbleking!
2. TransFormers has a little bit going on today, including a possible release date for the movie? At this rate, it makes you wonder why they don’t just option packages to give you a copy when you leave the theater. Just think, you shell out for the ticket, and if you like it, you buy a copy on the way out…

   Speaking of the movie, more Movie toys have received galleries at the Allspark, while Remy presents his own for the Japanese Fusion Cluster Protoform Starscream.

   Moving outside the Movieverse, Bass X10 has some pics showing off the new Titanium War Within Grimlock, who converts from badass Dynobot to funky tank, capable of toting around smaller Autobots like Bumblebee.

   And if you just can’t wait to get your hands on the Animated Autobot by the name of Bulkhead, then eBay’s the place as an auction for the big bot’s prototype is going on now, complete with pics.

3. Sakurai does well by us at Smash Bros. DOJO!! by giving us a double-helping of goodness.

   K.K. Slider is back in town with his newest hit, K.K. Rider, while Yoshi’s Final Smash lets him enter Super Dragon mode, able to take flight and rain fire down upon his foes.

   And the newest update is a little mysterious and morbid, as Petey Piranha joins the fray as the first Adventure Mode boss, wherein you get to save one of the captive princesses… but which one? And what will happen to the other?

   Speaking of princesses, Go Nintendo has some new Famitsu scans, including new images of Peach in action and more.

4. I was disappointed to hear that Nintendo might be discontinuing their DS browser… that is, until I was kindly reminded here just how lackluster the product actually was.
5. Metroid Month marches on, as the impending release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is only mere days away. And Nintendo is keeping their specialized hype-wagon rolling with two new trailers for the upcoming adventures, as we get to witness mine battle gameplay, as well as the return of the shadowy alter-ego known as Dark Samus.

   GameDaily has an exclusive video as well, but does it spoil? I’m not telling, because I don’t know.

6. Meanwhile, Samus’ BFF and future boy-toy Snake is coming along, though not as quick as the bounty hunter, but then, he’s getting on in his years.

   In the meantime, you can see his latest as a new trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots shows off some bosses and other strangeness, as well as some rather brutal killings.

7. GameTrailers’ second exclusive Jackass “Stunt of the Week” brings us the joys of the… Wee Tattoo?

   No, not “Wii” Tattoo… you’re tracing an image onto the back of a midget riding a novelty amusement in a shopping mall.

8. At Otakon, there were a number of us situated in a hotel room, and someone turned the channel on our hotel TV to ESPN Classic, and what did we see but American Gladiators. It was something, given it’s been years since any of us saw it.

   My own memories involve the commercials for the game Yoshi that aired with it, as it was sponsored by Nintendo.

   At any rate, just imagine our surprise so soon after to find out that it’s coming back.

9. IGN goes galactic with new videos from Mario’s upcoming war in the stars, and CVG has a full level in play.

   “Level assemble” looks interesting, and you can check out new screenshots, too, including one with an alien cousin of Mips?

10. It’s no Club Nintendo special, but at least it’s something.

    If you register Brain Age 2 on Nintendo’s website and fill out a quick survey, then you too can receive a gift pack of colored DS Lite styluses.

    Not a bad deal, but it’s no Game & Watch Collection, either.

11. Castlevania, on my celphone?

    As Kup might say, “I don’t know about that, Prime…”

    I’m a little skeptical… and what’s more, is this relatively-obscure piece going to be canon to the Castlevania timeline?

    Also, in reporting this, I would be remiss not to mention Joystiq’s link to the Castlevania name generator. Perfect for fanfics and music videos!

12. Have a bricked PSP? Joystiq and Pandora may just have an answer.

    Now, about that XBox 360…

13. …it seems that even some of their controllers overheat. No joke.

    Granted, it’s a special steering wheel controller, but all the same. Microsoft just needs to come out and say it, maybe even start a new ad campaign that says they’re the hottest console on the market.

    At least they’re being accomodating to those with problems… for the moment, anyway.

14. And finally, John Davison is leaving 1up.

    To whom I wish the best of luck, because my understanding is that he’s always been good to my wife, and I can appreciate that, unlike some others for whom I’d have packed their bags and called the cab for.

    But I am eager and hopeful to see how his new venture goes.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

One would think that with a gaming conference going on, there would be more to talk about.

One would be wrong, apparently.

1. Kicking things off, JeuxFrance has gotten ahold of some *exclusive* footage of Super Mario Galaxy.

   So exclusive, in fact, that they weren’t even supposed to take it. Maybe this is why game companies don’t like Europe so much.

2. TransFormers news is slim pickings today. You get to see how to use Ultimate Bumblebee, step-by-step.

   Also, word is that to fill the gap in Movie toys on shelves, we could see more… Cybertron? Come on, Hasbro… Classics would be better, don’t you think?

   And that’s pretty much it there.

3. More DC Comics Manga-style figures are on the way, in the forms of Supergirl and her alternate-Earth alternate self, Power Girl.
4. Is there a term for fans of Final Fantasy? “Final Fans,” perhaps?

   Well, whatever they’re called, good news for them, along with fans of Dragon Quest and whatever else Square-Enix makes, as the company in question has opened an online store for their US-bound Fantaphiles.

   …does that work?

5. Sakurai was a bit late in updating Smash Bros. DOJO!! (as Joystiq says, it’s them shouting, not us) last night, but I suppose that depending on who you ask, it was for good reason.

   And of course, that reason is a New Challenger, one who I think should’ve been in Melee, the sidekick of Kong, Diddy Kong!

   Hope he retains his cartwheel move. It’d be neat to see several mini-Diddys rolling around everywhere, instead of mini-Donkeys. Save the big guy for the BIG Donkey Kong battle…

6. Sonic is back, and he’s on track, with Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity.

   Yes, ladies and gents, they’re making a sequel. Which means that someone must have bought the first. Maybe this time, the Wii controls will help make the ride more intuitive…

   Speaking of sequels, Sonic Rush Adventure has emerged with a new trailer as well. The game looks promising, let’s hope that it’s better than the first.

   Not long after that hits shelves, the PSP will get a little ‘hog lovin’ as Sonic Rivals 2 hits the scene, and is that a playable Espio I see?

   Sonic, Mario, and the rest are continuing their preparation for the Olympics in Beijing, and GameSpot was lucky enough to catch some pics of the group practicing.

   …is that Bowser with a bow? I don’t care if it IS half his name, it’s still a good reason to start running.

   The Olympics are in China. Mario needs to start hauling ass for Italy.

   And given what some people think of Cream, finding a pic with “FOUL” in big letters over her head is just a tad amusing. Almost as amusing as the fact that the item she’s holding could perhaps be mistaken for a dirtied knife…

   JeuxFrance is supposed to have a video, but damn if I can get it to work.

7. Not to be left out of the fun, Konami’s own crew of characters has decided to take part in New International Track and Field, which will include characters such as Sparkster and… Pyramid Head? With a giant pole?

   Insert meme here, eh?

   Anyway, we all know that Bill Rizer’d take them ALL to school.

8. Friends and fans, this day we have been blessed by the emergence of yet another Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles trailer, this one focusing more on the lady Maria and her ferocious furry and feathered friends, accompanied by a lovely remix of the wilderness theme from Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest.

   Fall cannot come soon enough, for two reasons. One being that I want to play the above game. The other being that it’ll be when Igarashi begins the next DS game!

9. It’s like a Contra countdown: the Virtual Console started with Contra III: The Alien Wars, and now the second game in the series, Super C, is on its way as well.

   I wonder if the original will hit just before Contra 4 comes out.

10. Are you a man, or a mouse?

    Or just a really manly mouse?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Hoo-boy, what a day. The worst part seemingly being that the damn links I posted in last night’s update didn’t even work most of the day. Thank YOU, WordPress.

Anyway, some decent stuff, my favorite being the Minesweeper movie, so check them out now if you didn’t get to before.

1. DeLoreans re-enter production, right around the same time researchers seem to be getting a grasp on time travel.

   Coincidence? Or stylish? I’ll tell YOU… in the future!

2. It’s on Shakeycam, but thanks in part to colley, we have our first footage of Power Rangers Super Legends. I love how reminiscient of Viewtiful Joe it seems in some ways, but not especially derivative.

   Of course, were it me, I’d probably try and make the models seem a little more real than cartoony, especially the Zords. Not that I don’t like this, I’d simply have approached it another way.

3. It’s rare that Canada gets something so delectable as the Death Note anime before America even knows where it’s going, but you can bet your third ass I’ll be enjoying every minute of it.
4. Coming soon in Archie’s Sonic the Hedgehog: Enerjak Returns!
5. TransFormers, more than meets your ear!

   To put it another way, one good man has been kind enough to give a detailed look at Music Label Soundwave, as well as his headphone henchmen Rumble and Frenzy, thanks to the magic of YouTube.

   In other news, it seems that an IMAX release of the movie is official, but nothing more on the talk of added footage.

   From a Japanese trade show, it looks as though one of the greatest, mightiest, and most intelligent Autobots beyond all reckoning will make his spectacularly triumphant return to toy shelves! Who might this amazing automation be? Why, it could be none other than Sky Lynx, of course!

   We have two looks at the Animated form of Megatron today, and they seem a little contrary, as we have a package from the upcoming DVD, showing a rather G1-like appearance, and then another in the form of a toy prototype, who seems to be shaped a bit differently.

   Who will be the real Megatron? One? The other? Or both?

   Hoooooooooooo-boy.

   So first, Paramount expresses their desire to deal only in HD-DVD (versus BluRay). This news apparently upset Michael Bay to the point he said that there’s “No Transformers 2 for me!”

   After a long, heartfelt talk with sobriety, however, it seems Bay is back on board.

   No, I really don’t know how I feel about this. I guess I’d have to see just how badly someone might botch a TransFormers movie before I can definitively say Bay is the better choice, but I didn’t hate his work, either. I just wish it’d been easier to appreciate the robot aspect of it.

   In other news, Monday was the celebration of the day that would change our future forever, as 30 years have passed since NASA launched the golden disk that Megatron stole in Beast Wars. Yes, it’s for real, you can even look it up.

   And speaking of Beast Wars, there’s a new preview of the art in IDW’s upcoming sourcebook, which will look at every character in the series… and that means going beyond the Mainframe cartoon.

   Elsewhere, WalMart.com stunned the fandom by apparently revealing listings for the TransFormers Encore series, which are Generation 1 reissues that recently came out in Japan. What makes this news really unbelievable is that Megatron himself is among the ranks. Strange indeed…

   Good news for PS3-owning UK-based TransFormers fans: TransFormers: The Ultimate Edition of the 1986 movie will be on BluRay!

   I’ve heard the Allspark referred to as an oversized paperweight before… and evidently, Popbox heard it, too.

6. I’m not sure if this is new, but it’s new to me. Every other month, Hasbro picks five questions about their G.I. Joe line to be answered. And today, we have August 2007′s.
7. For the past few years, the word “megaton” has been thrown around in regards to big video game announcements, but I think the real megatons are the ones coming from Smash Bros. DOJO!!, as I’m not familiar with any other game that can release tidbits of news that will consistently send the site into a bare crawl of movement, if even that.

   And yesterday, Sakurai did it again by revealing just a bit more about the Subspace Emissary, and what it’s all about.

   A weird guy with no hands called the Ancient Minister is hijacking parts of worlds, thanks to an army called the Primid, and devices called Subspace Bombs that are aremed and activated by rogue R.O.B. units, and they’re toolin’ around in Meta-Knight’s ride and sending Petey Piranha out to do the princess-kidnapping thing.

   Just what in the world is going on around here?

   On its own, I’ve been very apathetic to peoples’ desire to see Mega Man or a Belmont or whoever in Super Smash Bros. Brawl; I’ve nothing against it, but it wasn’t an outward desire, either (go figure), with the exception of Sonic.

   Now, with this story developing, there’s a far greater appeal to the prospect of seeing all these great heroes together.

8. Monday, Monday, Monday… Virtual Console Mondays, this week featuring the legendary Shinobi III for the SEGA Genesis, the Zelda-ish Neutopia for the TG16, and the almighty Super Metroid for the SNES.

   Plus, in XBox Live Arcadia, Ecco the Dolphin has come along swimmingly.

   Sounds like a winning week to me, let’s go to Toastyfrog, with the weather.

   Looks good from here!

9. Wow, I wonder what went wrong that lead to three broken arms in Atlus’ Arm Spirit arcade arm wrestling games.

   …which are nothing new. I’ve seen them around for over a decade.

10. This makes me wonder, “whatever happened to ‘Wii isn’t Next-Gen, it’s New-Gen’?”
11. The King of Kong is beating its chest in theaters… well, here and there. Check out the premiere party, and after that, you can meet Doris.

    In addition, if you’re like me and seemingly unable to see the movie in theaters… well, it’s little surprise, but the confirmation is a little nice to know that it’s coming to DVD as well.

12. New Metroid Prime 3 movies show off the results of a pirate raid on the Valhalla, and Samus redefining extreme sports with Bowling for Space Pirates.
13. If my Nintendo Power was faster in getting here, then I could probably bring you stuff like news on Super Mario Galaxy myself.

    But at any rate, I’m glad to see more traditional Mario staples are going 3-D, making for an experience I’ve always wanted. That the game promises to be freakin’ huge doesn’t hurt, either.

14. SEGA has launched their website for the upcoming DS title Sonic Rush Adventure, shedding a little bit of light on the story and the new characters, such as Marine, the raccoon girl with a bit of an Aussie accent that makes me want to head on o’er to Outback Steak House t’get me some grilled shrimp on the barbie. Mmm-mm.

    Oh, right. And I hope the game is better than the first, which had some fun gameplay, but stage layouts annoying as a didgeridoo.

15. I hope these Players Poll questions about Wii demos have something come to fruition sooner than later.

    Like, say… maybe the 26th?

16. Remember that Doritos/XBox game contest that began awhile back?

    Well, looks like they’ve found their winners.

    Yep.

    Seems that the whole thing might have been a crock, too.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

An apt title for an apologetic post. Simply put, first day of my new (albeit temporary) job tomorrow mor–er, this morning, so I need to put off the post for a day.

Sorry for any inconvenience, but so you don’t leave empty-handed:

Minesweeper: The Movie It’s like Holes meets TransFormers, but without the giant robots. Or something.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Link has moves, and they are special.

GameTrailers has a bunch of Metroid Prime 3 goodness: gameplay, a preview, and a comparison vs. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

There’s also part 6 of the Final Fantasy Retrospective, looking at the 8th and 9th games in the series. Spoiler: One of these is said to be Sakaguchi’s favorite. See if you can guess which.

ScrewAttack.com takes a look back at SNK’s answer to Contra in Ikari Warriors. Incidently, I’ve always loved how SNK’s different franchises are able to mingle as they do…

And finally, find out about the level design, visuals, and weapons from Ratchet & Clank: Future on the PS3.

That’s it for now, a more full look at the past several days’ happenings will be coming to you later, and hopefully, an extra-special surprise in the days to come.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. We kick off with a sad note today, as word has come about the passing of Robert Leffler, a licensing coordinator at SEGA who unfortunately lost his battle with cancer.

   Most of, if not all you only knew Robert as a name in the credits. He was a wonderful person and was Archie’s biggest supporter. With his tireless efforts over the years Robert helped secure a safe and bright future for the Sonic comic and was a key player in bringing about new projects like Sonic X and the Sonic Archives. While Dyna Lopez and Cindy Chau will continue in his unyielding support of Archie, please keep Robert in your thoughts.

   Robert was not only one of Sonic’s biggest supporters he was also one of his biggest fans. We are planning to have some mention of his passing and importance in both Sonic comics.

   I never knew Robert personally, but am sad to hear of his passing just the same. As an avid reader of Sonic the Hedgehog and its above-mentioned spinoffs and collections, I would just like to show appreciation for the work that Robert put into helping this title make its way to us month after month, and offer my condolences to his family.

2. TransFormers: The Movie is circling back around to hit you– and your wallet– a second time, as the film is reportedly showing at IMAX theaters starting September 21st, with NEW footage added. Unfortunately, that’s as far as details go.

   Will there be more scenes to shed personality on the Autobots or Decepticons? Or just more of Sam fumbling his attempts to get Mikaela into Bumblebee’s back seat? Time will tell.

   In the meantime, you can find out which Movie TransFormer you are, officially, with Hasbro’s official TransFormers personality test.

   While waiting, you can also see about picking up a Robot Hero of your resulting avatar, for which you can see the concept art here.

3. A Monopoly movie.

   I’ll just let that sink in.

4. There, ready? Ok.

   Jurassic Park 4: Dinosaurs with guns.

   I’ll just be over here, whenever you’re done with the incoherent babbling.

   Whether it winds up being like Dinoriders, or just Raptors carrying M-16s, I have no idea.

   Prime 2.0 says “If this move opens with a pack of raptors attacking a group of terrorists in Iraq iam going to need medical attention.”

   Personally, I’d be disappointed if the movie opened with anything else.

5. Dragons are cool.

   Ergo, one must surmize that images of McFarlane’s Dragons: Series 8 are also cool.

6. If you’ve purchased any of the product that have recently been recalled by Mattel, then it may be good if you know how to send them back.
7. If you want the Halo 3 “Legendary” edition but missed out before, GameStop’s giving you one more chance.

   But don’t dawdle, as it seems time may be limited.

8. Gametrailers has a ton of new videos for Ratchet & Clank: Future for the PS3, including an interview.

   Seriously, if you’re interested, start now… this could take awhile.

9. If you can’t wait for Metroid Prime 3 to hit shelves before diving into everything it has to offer, maybe Games Radar can help placate your craving with video of the first hour of the game.

   Or, you can check and see if your local EB Games/GameStop has their demo yet.

   …I will be SO disappointed if there’s no downloadable preview on the Wii.

10. Looks like Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest is headed for Virtual Console, sporting a mildly-amusing “E” rating.

    Frankly, if IGA does another 3-D Castlevania, I hope it’ll be a remake of this.

11. So EA has responded to the whole controversy stirred up by their Wikipedia editing.

    And, as so often seems to be the case, they’d have been better off just keeping their mouths shut.

    Most ironic of all is that their attempt to exploit their Wiki entry has become a part of their Wiki entry.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

…I wonder how long it takes to hear back from a company when trying to establish PR contacts.

1. TransFormers!

   Big, bad Brawl of the “Leader” class variety is now available for preorder at Toys R Us’ website, while the Darth Vader/Death Star should be showing up in stores now, as well as some Sam’s Club Movie 2-pack exclusives.

   IGN also has a preview of IDW’s Beast Wars: The Ascending. But for some reason, they’re calling Leo Prime by his Japanese name, Lio Convoy, and that’s just driving me crazy. I hope it’s fixed by the time they go to print. Hate to have another Jetfire/Skyfire situation on our hands.

   Of interest to some might be this YouTube offering, which assembles the many voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron over the past 20 years, and even a little bit of Movie and G1 Starscream.

   …Movie Starscream sounded too much like Megatron for my tastes, though.

   And speaking of Megatron’s voices, there’s also a two-part interview with David Kaye, who’s voiced more Megatron than anyone, from Beast Wars to Beast Machines, Armada, Energon, Cybertron… but not Animated. He gets to be Optimus there.

   MegaMan fans may also recognize him as the voice of ProtoMan in NT Warrior.

2. So while the Captain America of the past is returning, the Cap of the present… isn’t. Or hasn’t yet, depending on your view of things.

   Newsarama interviews Ed Brubaker about how the eponymous comic will continue without its titular character around, as well as some spoilers for issue #29.

3. The Castlevania: Dracula’s Curse movie blog (the animated one, not the Paul Anderson flick) has finally updated once again, this time allowing us a peek at an excerpt from the first draft.

   Amusing, and gives an idea of the sort of tone the movie may carry, insofar as I would say it’s definitely not made for the kiddies.

4. It’s little surprise, but Smash Bros. Dojo!! has some good news, as those in doubt can now be silenced by the return of Peach, who’s looking better than ever.

   Just beware the electric ass-smack!

5. Looks like Ratchet and his backpack buddy Clank are all about the tricking and the treating, as their PS3 debut is slated to be ready a week before Halloween on October 23rd.

   I’m pretty sure these are two characters you’d rather treat than be tricked by– their latest is surely called Tools of Destruction for a reason.

6. Uh-oh.

   While the source article doesn’t specifically mention EGM or 1up as Evil Avatar has, one does have to wonder what the future may hold for them.

   Guess there was a reason for all those screwed-up payments…

7. Looks like Calling All Cars is soon going to be available on the PSP.

   It does remind me a little of one gripe I’ve always had about online games across multiple platforms, that being that you’re restricted to only playing against those on the same platform. I know it seems like a bit of a silly concern, perhaps, but still.

   It’s doubtful it’d ever change beyond the possibility of maybe playing a PSP version of CAC against a PS3, but even that seems unlikely, and I doubt any of the console manufacturers would permit it, even if it is/was possible.

8. First it’s Fox News, now it’s EA. And it seems it’s become rather common. Thankfully, such alterations are easily undone.

   Still, these guys ought to be ashamed of themselves.

   But, not every publisher that clicks the “Edit” button is bad, as GameSpot notes. Though it still remains hit and miss, such is the way of people.

   Thanks to jackscarab for the bit about Fox News.

9. Nintendo continues the Metroid Prime 3: Corruption preview assault with two new videos for the impending title, one showing off the air assault gameplay, while the other pulls back the curtain on the Phazon Enhancement Device.

   Naturally, these can be viewed on your Wii Metroid Prime 3 channel as well.

10. Remember Ecco? Ecco the Dolphin? He’s back, and now on XBox Live Arcade.
11. If Sony approves you for a credit card, then now’s the time you can get a PS3 for cheap(er), and some BluRay movies with it.
12. …Katie Holmes as Wonder Woman? I just can’t see it.

    It’d make a Justice League movie interesting, in a way.

13. Interesting…

    Seems that the Wii shortage won’t be stopping soon, as a result of a lack of component supplies.

14. JeuxFrance has a bunch of new scans for Super Mario Galaxy.

    Looks like Dry Bones might have to attend his next Mario Party in a body bag…

15. How ironic.

    The GameCube’s last great send-offs were supposed to be Super Paper Mario and DK Jet, but both were pushed to the Wii instead.

    So to who does it fall for a sendoff for the GameCube?

    Not Mega Man, who’s helped turned out the lights for a number of systems…

    …but the Power Rangers.

    Interesting there’s no Wii version, though. Well, whatever, this will play on it just the same. I just hope Dragonzord is playable somehow. And that the price is right.

16. So, word has come that today, Wizards of the Coast have announced a 4th Edition of the infamous Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game to come next May.

    And with it, it sounds like the possibility of gaming online? Considering my D&D friends are scattered about, I actually welcome this possibility, despite Mr. Lopez’s argument that the game is all about face-to-face interaction.

17. Seems that while Ziff-Davis and other publishers are facing woes in putting video game news and info in print, there are still ways to make it work.

    From what I’ve seen of the British gaming mags I’ve had exposure to, such as Edge, Official Nintendo Magazine, and Retro Gamer, it’s little wonder.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Seems that “three” is the magic number for Apple and their iPhones… that is, three-hundred and three-thousand, for a phone bill and overseas phone bill, respectively.

   Can you imagine getting one of these every month, though? I mean, who seriously thought this was a good idea? Or are things so automated now that the first people to notice were the customers, and maybe the postmen?

   Besides the fact that this will probably send eco-friendly types into a real tizzy, one has to wonder how much sensitive information might be carbon-copied on those 300 pages. She might want to find a shredder before she finds a recycling box (not to imply that it would be a choice, just a sequence).

   What an age we live in, huh? It reminds me of various views of the future from years past. We’d get to see the heroes and protagonists of various far-flung TV shows, movies, and other mediums doing all this amazing stuff, pulling up maps and finding out infomation at the touch of a button, no matter where they were, but we damn sure never saw the bills for it all. It leaves one to wonder how long before the rates for such things come down to a level where it’s fairly affordable, as some long distance calls are now.

   Moreover, it makes one wonder just what will take its place. It seems that whenever the price for one technologically wonderful luxury comes down, there’s something else just as outrageous ready to take its place.

2. The Official TMNT Web Site has updated their “Books of the Future” to include a look at Tales of the TMNT #41, and also includes news that Michael Dooney, Eric Talbot and Dan Berger will be attending the Comic Expo in Toronto from August 24-26, though Dan has to leave early and won’t be there Sunday. Details about the show are here.

   I do wish I could go, but it’s money I don’t have at the moment. I would like to meet Dan in person, however, as he’s always been pretty cool when I’ve been in contact with him via e-mail.

3. So, that story that the SEGA prez sez “Sonic isn’t cool anymore?”

   Seems that the press sort of picked up on that wrong, according to him. He seems to have issued a corrective statement in reply to someone’s e-mail, which can be seen here, and reads as follows:

   In no way did I mean that Sonic isn?t cool for the over 12s. I am an over 40 ? and I still love Sonic. Press interviews often result in misleading quotes ? as is the case here. What I was trying to convey was that SEGA needs to build better quality Sonic games, that appeal to everyone ? not just the under 12s. It is a fault of some of the recent games, not of Sonic, that the current situation exists ? and that is something that we are working hard to change.

   We believe Sonic is one of the coolest characters in videogame history ? and we are striving to make the games themselves better.

   Sorry my meaning was taken out of context ? fans like yourself are important to us

   Simon

   Definitely sounds better than what everyone (including PMO as a result) picked up on. At least there’s an internal acknowledgement that many recent Sonic games have been… lacking. The question is, what do they plan to do about it?

4. Archie’s Sonic X #23 hit shelves yesterday, and writer Ian Flynn provides a peek at his latest.
5. Not much going on in TransFormers today, some Cybertron and Classics rereleases, a gallery of Final Battle Jazz by Remy, and in-box images of metallic versions of Movie Megatron and Ratchet.

   Wonder if anyone will consider that cause enough to fuse the two together, a la Marvel’s later G1 issues.

6. Toy News International has some new, high-res images of the new NECA Castlevania figures, and they are looking slick.
7. Ok, this has to be the most disappointing Smash Bros. Dojo update since… well, possibly since they started.

   Zero Suit Samus has tether recovery, which basically means she can pull a Batman with her whip and grapple to the side of a structure.

   Just like Samus and Link in Melee.

   Could’ve really done with more than that. At least the pics are pretty.

8. Wow, a Chipmunks game.

   Actually, I saw the news a few days ago, and didn’t really care. I doubt we’re getting Elite Beat Alvin here. But, small things can make the difference, such as this statement:

   It’s designed to sit alongside the upcoming animated film, and will let you rock to the top as Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.

   …on the store shelves, no doubt. *rimshot*

   Especially if Guitar Hero DS proves to be competition. Then again, I imagine it’ll find an audience, somewhere.

9. This… could prove to be something big, maybe.

   GameTrailers has their first Jackass game “Stunt of the Week” video available now.

   It might be a bit much for some people, but think of this: in Burnout, you crash cars with spectacular results. In Jackass, during stunts you can crash bodies with similar results.

   It sort of makes me cringe, but want to see more.

   The game seems to be reminiscient of Stair Fall in that regard.

10. Looks like Mama’s really cookin’ now, with over 500,000 served in the US alone.

    It is a pretty neat little game, though, from what I’ve played of the demo. Give it a shot.

11. Seven new Superstars have been announced for WWE Raw vs. Smackdown 2008, including The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, and I’d rather like to check this one out.

    Incidently, any takers on Chris Benoit being discluded from the game? Didn’t think so.

    On a side note, my money is on Jonathan Coachman as being Mr. McMahon’s illegitimate son. I’m putting that out here now, and I guess we’ll see soon enough what the case may be.

12. Sweet f@#$ing asscrackers!

    I didn’t doubt that The King of Kong might be a neat, enjoyable little piece, but damn! 100% (Fresh) at Rotten Tomatoes?!

    I clearly underestimated this thing, and need to find a place showing it… and in Ontario, I don’t think that’s going to happen. Damn!

13. When looking at screens for new games, always beware of the bullshot.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”