1. The Official TMNT Web Site has added some previews for Tales of the TMNT #37, which should be out now, and Raphael: Bad Moon Rising #2, which is still hung up at the printers.
2. Not much TransFormers news happening today. “Recon” Barricade and the Star Wars Galactic Showdown figures have been released, and there are apparently some differences between Takara’s new Encore reissues and the original toys that might interest some people.
3. And the latest from Smash Bros. Dojo is… stickers?

   Nothing against these, but they’re no replacement for trophies, and I certainly hope that they won’t try to make them as such.

4. Captain America is coming back, but not in a way that you might think. Or, as things are with comic books, maybe exactly the way you’d think.

   At any rate, Newsarama chats with Alex Ross to get the full scoop.

5. I haven’t really said much on Beautiful Katamari lately, and really, I’m not sure why.

   But, I aim to make up for it with the news that the demo is now available on XBox Live!

   And you can see a video of it right here.

6. As more news comes to light, I remain skeptical about the upcoming GI Joe movie.

   Could they not have just retitled it Action Force like they did before?

7. I’m a sucker for Garfield, I admit it. He and I go waaaaaaay back, and even if his best days are behind him, I still like him.

   On top of that, I like what I see of the screens for his new DS game, Garfield’s Nightmare.

8. Hey, Postal III! The sequel to a sequel to a game that no one wanted made in the first place!

   …actually, that statement has absolutely no basis, I just really don’t care that much. Just remember that it’s not a violent game, you’re just a violent person. Which is what I guess they’re trying to say.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Hmm, not to blow my own horn or anything, but I feel good about this update. Lotta juicy tidbits built up over the weekend, and I just feel a little chatty besides. Let’s dig in and see what we’ve got…

1. If you still haven’t gotten your hands on Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, you should probably check your local Toys R Us, as they seem to have it at a major, MAJOR markdown: $9.9…8? 5? Under ten dollars, at any rate.

   You can’t beat that. You just can’t.

2. I don’t mean for this to come off as insensitive, which I fear it just might.

   But I am getting really sick and damn tired of this happening.

   RIP, Crush.

3. TransFormers news, courtesy of our friends at The Allspark! “The Allspark: For When Other Bots Tell You To ‘Get A Life,’ That’s The Allspark.”

   Anyway, it sounds as though the current head honcho of the TransFormers comic universe, Chris Ryall, paid our friends in Rhode Island (not the Griffins, but good guess) a little visit, wherein he got to see some upcoming goodies. Among those would be an animated adaptation of his company, IDW’s, prequel for the recent movie, which will be of all things a special feature in the Wal-Mart release of the DVD, due some time in the future (my money is on “before Christmas”).

   Glad to know for once Target may not have the best deal going.

   Speaking of IDW, check out their November solicitations, including a nice cover for TransFormers: Devastation #3, featuring Wheeljack and a very Alternators-ish Hot Rod.

   Remy’s galleries are as good as gold, and in this case, filled with it as well, since he’s finished his photoshoot with the Japanese-exclusive gold Movie Bumblebee.

   If you missed Robot Chicken‘s third season premiere on Sunday, fret not as it’s available to view online, even in Canada! Witness as Soundwave is forced to cope with being an ’80′s tape player in an MP3 world. Plus, the legendary Frank Welker reprises his roles as Soundwave AND Megatron!

4. NECA’s Castlevania figures are now available for preorder at Corner Store Comics, including the SDCC special “Pixel” Simon!
5. Atomic Fire has posted two reports regarding Ryuusei no Rockman 2, the sequel to the game recently released here as MegaMan Star Force.

   Capcom of Japan expects it to be released in November, but it’s hard to say when we may get it. Interesting that it’ll only have two versions this time; guess three didn’t pan out so well before.

6. Big ol’ update on Smash Bros. Dojo today!

   First comes the Japanese-only Devil of Devil’s World for the Famicom, an assist trophy who… well, does a poor job of assisting. Not to say he’s ineffective; from the looks of things, he might just be a little too effective!

   But the big one is a double-dip as we behold a new challenger, a fighter who lets others do all the fighting for him, the Pok?mon Trainer!

   In a unique twist, the Pok?mon Trainer stands in the background and uses the Pok?mon change, wherein he recalls and sends out Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard to throw down. He’s been likened to Sheik, but with a twist.

   One still has to wonder, though… what will this character be like to use in “The Subspace Emissary?” And for that matter, could we possibly see a rival trainer show up, armed with different Pok?mon? Will Charizard still be available in Pok?balls?

   It’ll be neat to try this guy out, but all the same, I expect that Mario and I will probably wind up teaming up again to kick some Ash.

7. Yeah, I know it’s not specifically Ash. Just go with it.
8. Evidently, there was a slight snag in the last Wii firmware update. But worry not, things are under control. Just be polite when the short plumber knocks on your door, and don’t be afraid to let him in.
9. Just as the sun rises and sets, and Monday follows Sunday, so too does the Virtual Console update with a nearly predictable regularity. Not that anyone’s really complaining.

   This week, the SEGA Genesis is Shining in the Darkness while TurboGrafx16 gets into some comical mischief in Cratermaze.

   And then there’s… hoo-boy. Metroid for the NES. A fun blast from the past, and totally worth the 500 points, provided you haven’t already gotten the game from the NES Classics GBA release, or unlocked it from Metroid Prime(with Metroid Fusion), or Metroid: Zero Mission, which is a superior remake of this particular chapter anyway and includes the original.

   Totally worth the 500 points… if you don’t already have one of the other formats it’s slept around with. The plus side is, unlike Kid Icarus, it seems that special codes (specifically “Justin Bailey”) work as well here as they ever did.

   On a related note: Nintendo, please. Metroid II remake, please.

   As for the rest of this week’s downloads, what’s hot and what’s not? The Frog will tell thee.

10. Speaking of Metroid, Nintendo has shown they aren’t finished teasing us with Prime 3 yet, and not by a long shot. Two more movies were available on the Wii today, and in case you weren’t able to catch them there, then GameTrailers has you covered as you behold the Spider-Ball (does whatever a Spider-Ball does), and the mysterious-yet-disturbingly familiar Aurora Unit.
11. It’s the end the road, Mother Brain! And King Koopa!

    Yep, the final animated adventures of Captain N and the Mario Bros. are finally on their way to DVD, out to elude me once more.

    Unlike Matt, though, my impressions probably won’t be any different now than as a kid; if anything, I tend to catch more references and such in old cartoons that I just didn’t get when I was a kid.

    But at any rate, I taped a lot of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Captain N, and Super Mario World, and would pull them out from time to time over the years, so I know the score. (Syndicated airings on the old Family Channel didn’t hurt, either.) Sadly, my VCRs haven’t held up nearly as well, making the DVDs even more appealing, plus the nice bonuses. (Of course, YouTube and the internet at large have been good to me as well.)

    Yeah, the soundtracks aren’t the same, but what are you going to do? I still want my Super Mario Bros. 3.

12. I am so glad I am not an Earthbound/Mother fan.

    And I say that with no disrespect to the franchise or the fans of it. But the fact is, it almost seems that they are made to suffer in ways no other fandom can even begin to imagine.

    What’s more, it might just get worse, as supposedly Super Smash Bros. Brawl is said to have elements that would spoil the unreleased Mother 3, which has not seen any signs hinting of a US release yet, and which fans are working feverishly, now more than ever, to finish a translation patch for before Nintendo’s premiere fighting party game hits shelves.

13. Sonic Riders. Sequel. Whee. *waves a tiny flag, blows a small party favor*

    I’ll only throw confetti if someone else cleans it up.

14. Know anyone who likes Madden? If so, maybe this is a good opportunity to get them a present, and a little something for yourself, too.
15. If this is true, then it’s truly idiotic.

    What the hell? I mean, really.

16. Seems that Wizard World was privy to a screening of The Dark Knight, the next Batman movie, and shows off a bit of Heath Ledger as The Joker.

    I’m still unsure about this rendition. He looks kind of diseased, and I don’t mean in his mind.

17. So EA is conducting a survey to find out what the best name for the Wii Zapper mode for their next Medal of Honor should be called. We have:

    -Rail Mode
    -Boot Camp Mode
    -Casual Mode
    -Easy Mode
    -Arcade Mode
    -Recruit Mode
    -Training Mode
    -Other (please specify)

    I vote: Other. I think the most “appealing” name would be “Gun Me Down Some Bitches!” mode.

    But then again, that’s what I think whenever I see someone holding the Zapper, so maybe it’s not the best, or most distinct, qualifier.

18. Believe it or not, some scrutinous reporters painstakingly analyzed the E3 Mario Kart Wii video in order to put together this preview.

    I think it’d be neat if the Double Dash!! style returned as a seperate mode. Hopefully the original Battle Mode courses will make a return, and I really hope we don’t have to blow up our own balloons again… not the worst idea in the world, except that it kind of requires you to switch your focus from driving and dodging…

19. Errrr… wait.

    So does this mean that maybe Chibi-Robo isn’t a Wal-Mart exclusive, after all?

20. We all know about the XBox 360′s infamous “Red Ring of Death,” right? Three of four red lights come on when the system is busted, indicating it needs to be fixed.

    Well, if three are bad, then surely four must be worse, right?

    Eh, not quite. It just means that the video cable has come out, somehow.

    “According to Kotaku, the similarity between the two error displays has caused so much confusion that Microsoft is planning on ditching the four-ring version.”

    GEE, GOOD THINKING.

21. If you’re in the market for an XBox 360, then the time is good.

    Bundle after bundle are coming out, the latter available now and the former around the holidays.

22. Making it better still is that the hit game Dead Rising has gone platinum, retailing now at… $30?!

    Sheesh, I remember when these Platinum/Greatest Hits/Players Choice games were at $20 (American, natch).

    Yeah, this will probably get worse before it gets better.

    And there’s still nothing to say you can read it without HDTV. Sorry, Capcom. Maybe next time.

23. With the marketing machine under way, I just wonder what would happen if Halo 3 had to be delayed unexpectedly.

    Well, someone might be fired, maybe. Whatever would happen, I can’t imagine it being particularly good for anyone except maybe Sony. Maybe Nintendo.

    But no one else. Maybe.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. New in TransFormers today, Remy has a gallery of Takara’s new Diablock Convoy (Optimus Prime) figure, it looks like the G1 deco of Movie Jazz is finally showing up in Targets, and The Allspark has a ton of galleries, covering BotCon exclusives, Movie figures, and more.
2. It’s good to know that at least one person in politics gets the ESRB rating system.

   That’s the way to show love for your kids! By being a parent!

3. Want the Legendary package for Halo 3? Better act fast.
4. In case you weren’t able to check out the new Metroid Prime 3 trailers on your Wii Channels, GameTrailers has you covered.

   From the looks of things, two more are on the way, too.

5. If you have an IGN Blog, then you have a chance to win Metroid Prime 3!
6. So Peter Jackson might do The Hobbit movie after all.

   I’d rather see Halo, frankly.

   I was into the whole Lord of the Rings thing there for a little bit, but then I decided I’d be better off kicking the hobbit.

7. Yesterday, we reported that troops in Iraq were receiving care packages with copies of Left Behind within.

   Today, it seems that the game itself has been left behind.

8. Super Mario Galaxy to launch worldwide, simultaneously?

   That’s what Nintendo and Miyamoto would like. Though, being made in Japan by the Japanese… they might get it just a little earlier.

   As for Europe and Australia? Depends who you want to believe, I suppose.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Sorry for the late update, folks. Internet went down, that’s never a good thing.

1. A trailer for a new Jack Black movie, Be Kind Rewind, is on Yahoo’s front page.

   Seems amusing enough, an interesting concept for sure. Might have to check it out sometime.

2. The Official TMNT Web Site reports that the accursed Target has released an exclusive 2-disc special edition of the TMNT movie, including a “Behind the Scenes” bonus disc that explores the origins of the comic, the visual style behind the movie, and more.

   Circuit City, meanwhile, has theirs come with an exclusive mini-movie Turtle figure, and Wal-Mart comes with the PC game.

   ComCast on Demand is also airing the remaining few eps of Fast Forward, which presently lacks the footage that will connect the show with its new direction that it will take going forward.

   All this, and season five of the original cartoon series is now on DVD.

3. This Sunday, Soundwave is scheduled to appear on Robot Chicken, where he has to face the harsh realities associated with having an outdated alternate mode.

   It comes on Cartoon Network at 11:30PM Eastern/10:30 Central, and will probably be online shortly thereafter.

4. Evil Avatar reports that Amazon has XBox 360 Premiums for $330, and that’s with FREE shipping.
5. Looks like Mother, aka Earthbound, is poised to return in at least one small way… about the size of a badge, actually.

   Smash Bros. Dojo updates with the inclusion of the Franklin Badge, which is worn by players to deflect projectiles. Nift!

   In additional news, it seems non-Nintendo sources are coming out of the woodwork to report that Super Smash Bros. Brawl will have WiFi. CoroCoro seems like as good a source as any to trust, so this is good…

6. Ah, finally.

   My wife has been doing some beta work for a site called Gloob.TV, and now they’ve finally launched as a sister-site to Games Radar.

   “Gloob.tv does all the work for you, throwing out the trash and finding the best videos from YouTube, StupidVideos, TMZ.com, and anywhere else their video bloodhounds can sniff them out. The latest and weirdest are laid out in a pleasing list that’s easy to peruse, and each video has official commentary in a couple of concise paragraphs.”

   Sort of like a video-based version of PMO. Go check it out now!

7. N-Philes has three new scans from Famitsu for the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy.

   Magikoopas, Boo Mario, Dry Bones and… Spiny Goombas? Can’t wait. This really does look like the true successor to Super Mario 64, and in spite of the planet-hopping, maybe the first 3D Mario to focus on bringing more traditional Mario elements to a 3D world.

   The Official Nintendo Magazine of the UK also got some recent hands-on time with the game, and they have gone all-out with an extensive and informative Q&A to address it.

   According to onNintendo’s translation, it’s also confirmed that Bee Mario can use his stinger, and there are 6 worlds with multiple planets, and 120 Stars to collect. Go Nintendo’s also reveals that other Boos leave Boo Mario alone, the butt stomp returns, there are planets of water, ice, sand, and more, and 100 colored stars will net you an extra life– if you don’t wind up using them for shooting or other special attacks.

   Granted, while it’s hard to begrudge Nintendo for using them in a game titled Galaxy, I do wish there were a little more variety in what we collect than stars. The Shines were a nice variation there. But somehow Stars, which at one time represented rare bouts of invincibility, seem to loseWeight Exercise something when you set out to collect 120 or more per game.

   Minor complaint, though. In the end, I guess collecting is collecting.

8. Wow, your internet connection drops, and you wind up losing out on the morning’s big story. Seems that Nintendo had another Wii update last night, this one featuring limited-time downloads of videos of Metroid Prime 3 in action, plus word on the Virtual Console releases of Metroid and Super Metroid over the next two weeks, respectively.

   I’ll admit, when I first saw there was an update, I was hoping for a playable demo, something to tell me “this is what I want to play now.” Not that I don’t want to play it, but I’d rather remove all doubts.

9. A new Cooking Mama?

   Crap, I still need to get one of the old Cooking Mamas.

   …what? It’s a fun game.

10. ESRB tries again.

    Think anyone will listen this time?

    Keep reading into the comments for better commentary. Also, I’m pretty sure that the MPAA own their ratings system, and are GREEDY with it, if I remember correctly.

11. Pre-orders for Halo 3 have exceeded the 1 million mark, making it the fastest pre-order ever.

    Kotaku also goes into some detail over the various marketing campaigns associated with the title, including exclusive content codes at Burger King (see yesterday for more details).

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Woohoo! I finally beat Paper Mario! This makes me happy, but also saddens me just a little. Now Nintendo needs to hurry up with the next one, and none of this Flipside junk!

I wonder where I can get Partners in Time for a good price. In the meantime, I may need to replay The Thousand Year Door just to catch all the references.

1. TransFormers!

   This faux cop car is more than meets the eye! He’s just a dad trying to please his kid, in disguise!

   I dunno, the lack of lights, and the big Decepticon symbols and “TRANSFORMERS” written across the windshield and doors… as long as he’s not trying to pull anyone over, I don’t see the problem. Maybe it varies by location, but I remember that once, Nintendo Power gave away the police car used in the movie Robocop, after they took the lights off to make it legal.

   If you have a CostCo membership, and have been waiting to get Movie Leader-class Optimus Prime, then you’re in luck, as CostCo has an exclusive package featuring the mighty leader of the Autobots packaged with two of his “Legends of Cybertron” mini-sized subordinates, Jazz and Bumblebee.

   Hey, if you don’t want the minis, I’ll give ‘em a good home. Conversely, if that’s all you want, I can make room for Prime… eheh…

   Titaniums are on the way out, but they’re not through yet. Fans have reported seeing new shipments at Target, including War Within Starscream, Rodimus Prime, Beast Machines Cheetor, The Fallen, G1 Ultra Magnus, and RiD Optimus Prime.

   Damn, wish I had a Target here.

   These shoes may not transform, and they may not have Autobot and Decepticon symbols, and… um… well, they say they’re based on TransFormers, but other than some vaguely-defined color schemes, you’d probably be pretty hard-pressed to tell if these Nikes were Air Jordans or Aerialbots.

   As shoes, though, they look as good as anything.

   And finally, this version of the smaller Optimus Prime Movie figure has taken quite the beating. No word when it’ll be out.

2. Smash Bros. Dojo has updated to bring to us the army of the goddess, Palutena! It’s Pit’s FINAL SMASH!

   Rumors have swirled for some time, actually, that Princess Lana from Captain N: The Game Master was based on Palutena herself (check halfway down). With how different other characters came out, who can say for sure?

   Meanwhile, IGN is holding some speculation as to what alternate versions of existing characters we could see.

   Of course, as cool as Paper Mario would be, I’m not sure how interested I am in him as a seperate character, versus a costume change. I’ve long felt that Wind Waker Link is a perfect replacement for Young Link, however. Even better is the fact that technically, he and Twilight Link are technically seperate characters, anyway.

   Dark Samus makes some sense, especially their point about no “Dark Zero Suit Samus.”

   Luigi, that one doesn’t make as much sense to me, since Luigi does have a fairly different moveset from Mario. I think further differentiation would be nice, such as replacing his fire attacks with electricity, as per Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Of course, the addition of the Poltergust does have some appeal, too… though I think I’d rather see it as a move or two, and not the basis for his entire set.

3. GameDaily has a new preview for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Wii.

   Of course, if they’re going to nitpick about Eggman keeping pace with Sonic, I’ll kindly ask them to play through Sonic 2 again. Hopefully the end product will be exciting enough, though I’m with them on wanting Sonic in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

   To those who don’t want him in, I say “don’t pick him, then.”

4. Yet another ad stirs up controversy…

   People need to quit taking this stuff so seriously. Just look at this list of banned video game ads.

   Toughen up, already.

   Me? I dig the XBox and Mortal Kombat ones.

   Maybe this is why so many BAD video game ads wind up on TV, like those weird PSP commercials. Because the GOOD ones get raked over the coals like this.

5. …what the HELL, Nintendo?

   You’re making Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol a Wal-Mart exclusive?!

   Man, did the GameCube game do that bad or something, or what? And releasing it the same day as Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass? Talk about an uphill battle…

   On the upside, finding a Wal-Mart is probably a hell of a lot easier for most people than finding a GameStop. On the downside, who knows what this means for Canada?

6. Good news from Game|Life, as Kohler has gone hands-on with Ratchet & Clank Future, and so far, he seems to be digging it.
7. Halo was big. Halo 2 was bigger. Ergo, one may surmise that Halo 3 will be even bigger still. So big, in fact, that Microsoft doesn’t even see it as being in competition with other games, oh no.

   The Halo machine has gotten so big that it’s in competition with other entertainment. Movies, that sort of thing.

   Halo 3 at Burger King? I’m down with that. How down am I with that?

   “Best part? That cola is 42 ounces. Not being one to deal in ounces, I looked that up. It’s 1.2 LITRES. That little part at the bottom of the cup is so your human hand can grip it. Jesus, nobody needs that much cola.”

   Clearly, these people have never gone dining with me. My motto is “keep ‘em comin’” and my code for tipping is based on how full my glass is kept. In fact, I want one right now.

   That said, how about a Master Cheeseburger to go with my Onion Ringworlds and Covenant Cola?

   I swear, I ought to be writing copy or something for these people.

8. If memory serves, I’m pretty sure that the Big 3 can rightfully say I told you so when it comes to the HD race.

   At least, those who said it was too early or they didn’t need to package in cables that’d be thrown away, among other arguments.

9. I should probably get in on this, since it’s true: Canadians ARE getting screwed over on the dollar-exchange rate for pretty much anything, but especially on games.

   There’s no rhyme or reason to it, either. Take for example, GBA and GameCube Player’s Choice titles (all of this barring markdowns, specials, etc.). In the US, the pricing goes at $19.99. In Canada, a GBA Player’s Choice goes at $24.99, and a GameCube Player’s Choice would be $29.99! In the case of other such programs, the games are usually comparable in price to the GameCube PC pricing there.

   Not uncommon for toys to come in around 50% more to double the US price, either. Factor in a 15% sales tax, and you’ll find me doing less gaming than I’d like (and fewer TransFormers, too).

   One commenter adds:

   “I live on the border with Canada. A lot of the Canadians I know simply dive the two minutes over the bridge, buy games, and then head back up North. With the exchange rate being what it is as of late, more and more Canadians I know are coming here for their gaming fix.”

   Oh, if only I had the money to drive, I’d be doing this quite a bit.

10. Oh, Nintendo, why must you break so many hearts?

    It seems that the latest Wii update has rendered a product called “Freeloader” as essentially useless, at least for playing imported GameCube games on the Wii.

    Really, that just ain’t right. These people want to love you, Nintendo, but why must you hurt them so?

    To hear all these stories about how foreign game companies screw over Europe, one almost has to think that if someone took initiative and focused their efforts on making a console with Europe as its core market, they might make a fortune.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. To those in the US, Viz and Cartoon Network are celebrating the 1-year anniversary of the online streaming anime network Toonami Jetstream by adding series such as Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Star Wars: Clone Wars, One Piece, Zoids Genesis, and MegaMan Star Force to the site.

   Wish we could get the rest of MegaMan NT Warrior while we’re at it.

   Hell, in my case, I wish I could get ANY of it.

2. TransFormers!

   If you were at BotCon (or even if not) and got ahold of the exclusive Alpha Trion figure, then the bio for his Mini-Con might be of interest to you.

   Remy has a new gallery up for one of the new Movie toys, the Decepticon known as Dropkick.

   So Ultimate Bumblebee is out, but what’s he about? Find out!

   Speaking of Movie toys, seems they’ve been a bit hard to find, and as it happens, there’s a reason.

   New pictures are available of the upcoming Masterpiece Skywarp and US Masterpiece Starscream.

   And if you like busts, then you’ll be happy to know about these two Movie busts, as well as this rockin’ reformatted Megatron, based on the scene where Unicron turns him into Galvatron in the ’86 movie!

   Don’t forget to check today’s “Points of Interest” for some more TransFormers fun.

3. Wow, so not only is there a price drop on XBox 360 in Canada, but it seems to take the current exchange rate into account.

   Thumbs up, Microsoft!

4. The Smash Bros. Dojo has updated with a new musical piece, this time from Kid Icarus, called “The Underworld.” Certainly a delightful remix in the fashion you might have found yourself accustomed with Smash Bros.
5. IGN has uncovered some character and story details for The Punisher 2, and a screenwriter update for Spider-man 4, as well as news that Sony will decide soon what to do about the future of the franchise, at least insofar as casting concerns go.
6. Good news!

   That Wii update yesterday? It lets you use USB keyboards on the Wii!

   The bad news?

   It doesn’t work on the internet channel yet, for some reason. Go figure.

7. Looks like there’s a new limited-edition Nintendo DS Lite color available now: Pikachu Yellow.

   I’ll still probably go for a black, when the time comes that I can switch up.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

And it’s a brand new week, hope your weekend was well, and– what the? Huh, the Wii is glowing. Wonder what’s up…

1. Ok, just a basic Wii firmware update. Looks like they’re adding a new Search function for the Wii Shop Channel, a digital clock on the main screen, and some other features for the News and Weather Channels, which you need to update if you want to keep using.

   Vooks goes more in-depth with all the changes and what they may mean. Oh, and if you’ve got a modded Wii, then this could screw the whole thing up. Just so you know.

2. When shopping for TransFormers, buyers beware, as there are some very good bootlegs out there.

   Though, if the price is right and you’re fully aware of what you’re getting, there are some neat knock-offs to be found.

   In terms of legitimate merchandise, looks like KB has some new stuff, including a pinball machine and an… arcade jet?

   Didn’t know they made stuff like that for the home… the pinball machine, yeah, but the jet?

   Finally, Remy adds to his galleries once more with the Movie toy known as the Decepticon Payload, appearing straight from TransFormers: The Game, based on the recent film.

3. Smash Bros. Dojo continues to surprise us, now with Ike’s special moves as well as a new item that will soon be banned at a tournament near you, the Smoke Ball.

   On a related note, I wonder if this falls under the pretense for false advertising? Seems Best Buy in Canada had a similar idea.

   If anyone falls for it, I do hope there are fireworks.

   GameDaily has more info about the experience, and their own “what if” speculation. But for now, rest assured that it’s definitely a fake box (thanks to LutherJW in Go Nintendo’s comments).

4. The Virtual Console has been updated once again, this week bringing us Wave Race 64 for the N64 (with a few slight changes), Adventures of Lolo for the NES (whose star you might recognize from some of the Kirby games and cartoons), and Galaga ’90 from the TG16.

   And as per the norm, Toastyfrog gives the Retro lowdown on what’s hot and what’s not.

5. Ok, so now the XBox 360 price drop is official: $449.99 for the Elite, $349.99 for the 20GB, and $279.99 for the Core.

   Plus, the Halo version will be $399.99.

   Overall, I suppose those prices aren’t too bad.

6. Games in school now, to help kids learn? I wonder if this will be something more than just a new version of The Oregon Trail (works better in non-Firefox browsers).
7. If you’re going on an airline trip soon, and looking to take a game console with you, maybe you should make sure you can put it in/take it out of your luggage easily. Seems they’re falling alongside DVD players and laptops as a potential “security risk” that needs to be scanned on its own now.

   Portables don’t count, and for some reason, neither does the Wii. Maybe Nintendo is about clear skies as well as blue oceans…

8. Congratulations and a job well done to the folks over at GayGamer.net, who were forced to weather quite the storm over the weekend, as the bigots decided to come out and play.
9. Remember The Animatrix, a series of animated shorts that sort of helped expand the world seen in the two Matrix movies?

   Seems that Warner Bros. hasn’t forgotten, as they are working on “Batman Anime”, a companion piece coming to DVD that will help bridge the gap between Batman Begins and its coming sequel, The Dark Knight.

   Nothing against the guys working on it, but I’m always disappointed when something like this comes along and I don’t see Bruce Timm or Paul Dini’s name on it.

10. The Jack is Back, Man.

    Well, Hugh Jackman, anyway, for the Wolverine movie that will begin production in November, hopefully for a 2008 release.

    The Aussie actor dropped a few hints about the upcoming performance with IGN, which will detail Wolvie’s history with Weapon-X and Sabertooth, along with other pieces of Logan’s past.

11. Still want a Wii? CostCo in the US has a nice bundle for $329.99, including the system, an extra Wii remote, and Mario Party 8. Act fast, or be last.
12. Now this is how you do cross-promotion.

    Remember the episode of South Park where everyone is playing World of Warcraft?

    Well, that ep (and its whole season of a family) are coming to DVD, with a free trial for WoW.

    Check it out on August 21st, and please: try not to get sucked in.

13. So coming out this week are Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars for the PSP, and MegaMan Star Force for DS. Says that Dragon is GameStop AND EB Games-exclusive, rather than just the former (yes, I know they’re owned by the same company, but that doesn’t guarantee anything here), so maybe there’s still a shot I might get it… someday.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. TransFormers!

   Missed this yesterday. Looks like the Music Label Soundwave MP3 players are getting a second run, without white, but with blue and… black.

   A Soundblaster color scheme? One can hope!

   For those who don’t know, in Japan’s exclusive Headmasters animated series, Soundwave and Blaster (known there as “Broadcast”) had a fight to the finish, with both being ripped to pieces. Their respective Cassette soldiers collected the pieces and restored them as Soundblaster, who sported a black color scheme instead of blue, and Twincast, who sported a light blue instead of red. In the toon, they were identical otherwise, maybe a little stronger, but the toys were remade to store two cassettes at a time instead of just the one.

   And that’s what a black Music Label Soundwave could likely represent.

   In other news, Ramjet’s still getting a Spotlight comic for some reason. Here’s a peek at the cover.

   When it comes to PC case mods, John Mangus has The Touch with this awesome transformable Optimus Prime piece.

   Does it bend? Does it break? Does it seem to know just what it takes?

   Excellent custom piece, and yes, if I could afford it, I’d so want something like that.

   Last but not least, Remy is back with another gallery, this time for Movie Brawl in the “Leader” class.

   Unfortunately for him, his gallery just might be topped by this gorgeous custom on eBay, which gives the brutal Decepticon powerhouse a very realistic (and expensive) makeover that would look simply awesome by itself, or among its Movie brethren.

2. On a related note…

   Remember when GI Joe had Sgt. Slaughter as their drill instructor? Master Collector, the company that runs the official conventions for GI Joe and TransFormers does. They had him as an exclusive last year, it seems.

   How do you follow up on that?

   By making Rowdy Roddy Piper the trainer of Destro’s Iron Grenadiers!

   tvsgrady put it best: “Chewing bubblegum is half the battle, and the other half is kicking ass.”

   All they need now is Randy Orton as a Crimson Guard, and GI Joe is really screwed.

3. Wow, this goes back a ways.

   Seems that Jazwares, former(?) makers of the non-NT Warrior Mega Man action figures, have put together a new figure of Kintaro from Mortal Kombat.

   Not bad. Kintaro was always one of those characters I loved to hate and hated to love because he would always kick my ass SO bad.

   Always.

   Don’t know if it’s some variation of Stockholm Syndrome or what, but you just have to appreciate the untouchable badass just a little… even when it’s you who can’t touch him.

4. Looks like someone finally got the SDCC trailer for Iron Man on YouTube.

   Love the attitude… I’m not a hardcore Iron Man reader, so I don’t know how close to in-character it is, I’m afraid, but I still find it enjoyable.

   “You’ve been called the DaVinci of our time, what do you say to that?”

   “Absolutely ridiculous, I don’t paint.”

   “And what do you say to your other nickname, the ‘Merchant of Death?’”

   “That’s not bad.”

   …and is that the song I think it is, that they start to play some riffs of near the end?

   May 2nd, day before my birthday. Can’t come soon enough.

5. I wish I’d noticed this sooner.

   GameTrailer has a contest running that asks what it would be like if the worlds of comic books and video games were to collide.

   Would there be a battle of the red heads – Jean Grey vs. Nariko? How would Mario defeat the Green Goblin? How would the Covenant handle Master Chief if he was from Krypton? Submit a live action or machinima user movie by August 5th and you could win $1000!

   Not bad. Only a few days left, though, not that there were a lot to begin with, as it started July 20th.

   Also, the $1000? It’s actually a gift card to Best Buy, so before anyone from, say, Canada enters with a friend’s address, know that you can’t use the card here. Trust me, I’ve tried with one I’ve gotten as a gift. Sucks, I know.

   Other rules and information are at the link above, naturally.

6. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam has gone gold.

   That was fast, wasn’t it? Seems like only a few months ago they even announced the title, and…

   …ooooooooooh boy.

7. Yesterday, Rockstar dropped a megaton announcement in saying that Grand Theft Auto IV would be delayed until 2K8.

   Prognosis: Someone else might get to sell a game this winter.

   You know, besides Nintendo (assuming they get more Wii out there).

8. Uwe Boll responds to the lawsuit against him by The New York Post.

   Reading this… wow, I hate to say it, but I’m actually sort of curious enough to want to see Postal.

   Or I would be, if not for those damned movie theater ticket prices. I doubt the cheap one around here, Rainbow Cinema, would be interested in carrying it. So unless Mr. Boll wants to pay for my ticket (assuming the movie is carried widely enough for me to find it around here) so I can review it, I’ll probably have to wait for DVD, which means I still probably won’t get to see it for some time, if ever.

   Unless it gets killer reviews.

   …I really don’t know exactly where I’m going with this. Let’s just say that this is perhaps the one Boll film I’d be tempted to see, but not to any great lengths.

9. Don’t own a DS Lite yet? Me neither. Sure, I want one, but money’s the thing, and the DS Phat is serving me well for the time being.

   That said, it looks like Nintendo has a slick new bundle coming out with a DS Lite featuring a red top/black bottom, which I think looks pretty hot. It also comes with Brain Age 2 (or squared, whichever) and a carrying case. Not bad, all-in-all, though I can see how Brain Age may not be for everyone.

   No word on pricing yet, though.

10. Mario Party 8 is returning to European shelves, now free of the s-word.

    No, not shit. Spastic.

    Aww, dammit, now look what you made me do…

    Anyway, this whole thing makes me wonder how many Sonic fans are offended by artist Patrick Spaziante‘s nom de plume.

11. I know some people who like their Guitar Hero, and those who like their Dragonforce, so it’s only fitting that I show what happens when the two collide.
12. How much are gamers willing to pay for a digitally downloaded game?

    Sony aims to find out with Warhawk.

    I suppose there are those who might argue that if one can afford a PS3 and an HDTV, then this shouldn’t be anything to them.

    Then again, there are those that might argue that thanks to the price of the PS3 and an HDTV, they’re broke and eating ramen while subsisting on cheap downloads and demos until things pick up. Sort of like me, but without the PS3 and the HDTV. But that’s ok, I have Paper Mario. For the moment.

13. Oh, Jack, Jack, Jack… you can’t keep this up, it’ll kill you. I know there are those that want you dead, but just the same… no, just no.

    You’re pushing your head against the wall way too hard… relax. Spend some time with your family, go take in some putt-putt… preferably one with no arcade, if such a place exists. Just chill out, avoid the nightly news, and maybe you’ll live longer.

    The harder you push this agenda, the only progress you’re going to make is putting yourself in an early grave.

14. Hmm, thanks to a newly-appointed CEO, it looks like Ziff-Davis isn’t trying to sell their magazines and online game media empire.
15. More tragedy, what a shock.

    And I really hate to point this out, but it seems like a lot of these incidents are happening with XBox owners. Not that this in any way has anything to do with Microsoft, but still… have there been any PlayStation owners noted going nuts and lighting fires or smashing babies? GameCube, Wii even?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

TOO HOT, too hot… too hot to hold…

Seriously, who knew that CANADA of all places had this kind of heat?!

1. Still not much happening with the Robots in Disguise, except that Ultimate Bumblebee is out in the US now.

   But, I have some fun bits in Points of Interest to make up for it.

2. X-Play co-host Morgan Webb has started her own video blog, with quick tidbits focusing on daily tech news. Sort of like this, but not.

   Incidently, I have to say that I think I like Morgan Webb about 90% more here, as opposed to the character she plays on X-Play. Dare I say, she even seems normal, and more attractive here.

   Perhaps proof of G4TV’s Sadim’s touch, wherein most of what they come in contact with turns to shit.

3. Smash Bros. Dojo once again brings the latest, and the latest is… “The Subspace Emissary?”

   This is Adventure Mode, now seemingly with a story to it, as well as confirmation that Princess Peach IS present (and looking nice as ever), though her status as a playable character remains unconfirmed, though she stands alongside three other playables. But it looks like a lot of battling against Assist Trophies, among other things.

   “It?s storyline isn?t overwrought?it?s hastened along by a bunch of quick movies.”

   Bullet Bills, Hammer Bros., Arwings in flight (with no one else around)… and is that Palutena standing before Pit? It looks like a blast.

   Oh, and Sakurai was kind enough to include a brief movie, too. But it seems everyone’s hammering the site to see it, and it’s barely even working. Thankfully, that’s why we have YouTube.

   And over at Go Nintendo, they’ve uncovered a Game Informer interview wherein Eiji Aonuma reveals that Shiek and Ganondorf should be appearing.

4. In an amusing sort of twist, Racketboy’s Retro Gaming brings us new info and videos on Capcom’s upcoming 2D fighter, Sengoku Basara X.

   Looks slick.

5. Europe’s Rupee-sense is Tingle-ing, as Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland is due out their September 14th.

   No word of an American release yet, however. On the upside, if there isn’t one… hey, region-free.

   Now, if we could just get Tingle’s Balloon Fight here…

6. 
   “Good news, everyone!”

   Futurama: Bender’s Big Score comes to DVD on November 27th!

   You can see the SDCC trailer here.

7. I think it was mentioned before, but Mario & Sonic is going to feature a bit of a balancing act to help ensure some fairness, not unlike the way Mario Kart does it.

   How can Mario hope to compete with Sonic in a race? It’s more plausible if Sonic’s slower to accelerate, despite a higher top speed. Remember, all those Road Runner-esque moments are usually just in the cartoons and comics. In the games, the Genesis ones at the very least, Sonic was a slug to get moving, but his top speed was pretty good. And then you add super shoes, springs, booster pads, gravity, and more, and then you have a high-speed hedgehog.

8. Ok, I don’t know what to think of this. Maybe Capcom’s mocking us.

   According to Go Nintendo, though, the recent Rockman poll showed over 1000 votes for Wii, and then reset.

   Systematic flaw? Harmless side-effect, beset by some behind-the-scenes logs? Or a vast conspiracy to steer the Blue Bomber towards the grasp of Sony once more?

   You be the judge.

9. So, seems that Rockstar has delayed Grand Theft Auto IV until 2008, due to “technological challenges.”

   Take Two isn’t happy about it, stockholders aren’t happy about it, and it may not even be the PS3′s fault.

   Man, what kind of Christmas do we have to look forward to now, when we can’t kill hookers? Guess I’ll have to settle for exploring the galaxy instead…

10. Rumors. Rarely touch the stuff. But a Rare rumor?

    Well, here’s one: Donkey Kong 64 DS?

    I just never got into that game like I wanted. Maybe if it got the same sort of upgrade that Super Mario 64 DS did…

11. This is why I hate gaming that incorporates online in a major way.

    Even if some or none of these do in a major way, the point remains.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Not much TransFormers today, either. Just a possible movie-accurate Megatron with a nice metallic finish. Still looks kind of crappy with all that ice on him, though. But still sort of neat.
2. Rockman Perfect Memories reports that Capcom of Japan has set up a poll on their Rockman 20th Anniversary site to see where fans want the series to go next. The choices are Wii, PC, Arcade, PSP, PS3, DS, or Xbox 360.
3. Do you like Ike?

   If so, you’re in luck, as he’s the latest fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl!

   If you’re not familiar with the character, he’s from the GameCube and Wii installments of the Fire Emblem series.

   Now, come oooooooon Eirika and Mikaya…

4. This week, Nintendo has shown that they most definitely have got balls as they released the online-enabled Mario Strikers: Charged for the Wii, which has also become IGN’s Game of the Month.

   For reviews, the game is turning in a nice 79% average over at Game Rankings.

5. Walt Disney presents:

   Snow White and the Seven Shaolin Monks

   …seriously, isn’t that enough to make you buy a ticket?

6. Looks like Mickey and friends are also making an adaptation of Pet Robots.
7. Still on the topic of Walt’s world, why go to Disney World when you can go to Disney’s Club Penguin for so much less?
8. A peculiar statement from Capcom, basically saying that if Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 3 doesn’t sell well, then they won’t bring 4 over.

   And that would completely suck. But hopefully, there are no worries. Still… what an odd thing to say…

9. Tragic, this.

   Some jerkwad gets overly-pissed off at a game, and winds up killing a 4-month old.

   I just don’t know what to say about this.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”