1. Naturally, TransFormers news is in abundance over the past month. From The Allspark, naturally:

   This Saturday could mark the debut of a new movie ad; “Protect” or “Destroy?” That’s what the new movie poster one-sheets ask; if you’re part of the MySpace crowd, then maybe you’d like to be friends with TransFormers: The Movie; Remy has a gallery of the smallest movie Bumblebee figure; if you thought American-dubbed anime was bad, check out the Malaysian dub of TransFormers: Headmasters, a series that took place after our season 3, in the place of Rebirth. Here’s a hint of how bad it is: Blaster is renamed “Billy”; voice actor rumors place Keith David as Barricade, and the big shocker, Hugo Weaving as Megatron; the movie now has a prequel novel called “Ghosts of Yesterday” available now; the original TransFormers: The Movie will be re-released to theaters in the UK; and finally, check out these exhaustive galleries of Hasbro’s “Titanium” G1 Ultra Magnus and War Within Megatron.

2. 4 > 300? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back, baby, and kickin’ Sparta ass as they close the weekend movies in the #1 slot.

   Seriously, I got nothing on 300, I still need to see it. It just makes me happy that the Green Machine is back on the scene and doin’ good on the big screen, enough so that a sequel might be seen.

   And in case you’re unfamiliar with the guys, then Newsarama spots you one by providing a field guide to the Turtles.

   Elsewhere, USA Today has some stories of their own about the evergreen heroes.

   Still not enough? Then go read the original adventures (down at the bottom) on Mirage’s home site.

3. Good news!

   Marvel’s Civil War is over.

   Bad news!

   We lost.

   Well, “we” being the side that rather supported Captain America and his crew.

   Worse news!

   The apparent fallout that made mainstream media headlines. You’ve probably heard about it already by now, but if not, well, spoilers.

   More solicitation (read: spoilers made to hype) reveals that the mantle may not remain empty, however.

   Confused by this new appearance? Don’t worry, I’ve broken it down for you.

4. Yet another Zelda statue has surfaced, the much-loved Sheik!

   And to complement her, Samus leaves the armor at home so she can show off her Zero Suit.

5. Mega Man News! It’s the sequel nobody wanted!

   I kid, of course. Sort of. Ryuusei no Rockman hasn’t exactly endeared too many people I know, and I don’t think that the chance to submit your own designs will change that.

   Naturally, since I first broke the news on Rockman ZX Advent, there’s been plenty of news to follow, including lots of pics and stuff.

6. I’ve been waiting for this ever since Shout! Factory started releasing old DiC-Nintendo DVDs: The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3!
7. In case you haven’t heard, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is available on XBox Live Arcade now, along with the Heroes in a Half Shell’s arcade hit.
8. Super Paper Mario will be among us soon, and GameSpot has an inside look at the game’s first and second level.

   They also have a video interview up, though it runs more like a gameplay overview.

   GameDaily has some impressions, too.

   I so hope I’m able to get this for my birthday.

9. Wow, this is just crazy.

   Normally, I’d say these people are idiots, as I’m firmly of the opinion that exclusives suck. That is to say, I think anything made by third parties should be as available as it can be. Naturally, this includes first or second-party wares like Mario, Halo, or Ratchet & Clank.

   But, then I thought a little more on it, and I can understand the outrage. It would not surprise me at all to find out that those upset are those who shelled out over five or six-hundred dollars for the PS3 on the promise of the exclusivity of a beloved game series. Let’s face it, PS3 is an awesome machine, except for the fact that there’s really very little you can get on it that you can’t get elsewhere. Such is my view, at any rate.

   Maybe some of these folks are outraged because they might have wanted another system, but stuck by Sony and PS3 for Devil May Cry, because gosh darn it, that’s what Capcom was doing!

   Must-have, exclusive content to PS3 is pretty rare. I imagine there would be similar outrage from those who took Konami at their word about no plans for a multiplatform Metal Gear Solid 4 or Square for Final Fantasy… God, what was it, 13? …only to be released in a comparable form on another platform…

   All the same, Capcom ought to really think this stuff out further ahead of time. Seems a lot of problems of theirs come from a lack of foresight like this. Remember the Capcom Five?

   I wasn’t so much pissed off that the GameCube was losing exclusivity there, I was more pissed that we didn’t really get anything back for it. Come on, was a Cube port of Mega Man X8 too much to ask?

   On a related note, I hadn’t heard any such reports regarding my MegaMan Legends Collection campaign. Maybe I should’ve gone with PetitionOnline again…

10. At least to offset the balance, there’s Ninja Gaiden Sigma, which GameSpy says “Yes, you will pay sixty dollars for a three year-old game on your brand-new PS3. And yes, you will be grateful.”

    The guys at 1up sure seem into it.

11. But interestingly, Dead Rising and Lost Planet are staying put.
12. Guess it’s safe to say that the Euro-PS3 launch went better than the US’s.

    In the US, people got shot.

    In the UK, people got HDTVs.

13. Well, sort of.

    Didn’t go so hot in Paris, evidently.

    Gotta love XBox crashing the party, though. XD It’s funny, because that’s the sort of thing Sony would do.

14. Oh my God.

    Lego Batman is for real.

    This is a must-play, I’m sure. The Lego Star Wars games were good.

    Crap, does Walky know about this? He should be writing for it. Because there are three things that must be made clear in this game:

    1) He’s Batman.

    2) He’s Batman, and he can breathe in space.

    3) His parents are dead.

    Instant classic.

15. …what in the Hell happened to Game|Life?
16. …wow.

    Ok, so there was this fanproject online to recreate Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in wonderful, glorious 2-D.

    And now, the gent heading up that project has died.

    Don’t really know what else to say here, but I feel for those close to him.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Happy Valentine’s, everyone! At least, I hope it is.

And since this may be my last regular update for a time, I may be going out, but I’m going out in a blaze of glory!

1. Ah, gyakuten_saiban is always good for new info on Phoenix Wright and its foreign counterpart.

   First up is a slight spoiler, that of a returning character in the fourth installment of the series. And I’ve fallen in love all over again.

   Yep, they’re up to 4 there, while we only just got 2. Which leads to the next tidbit:

   See, Capcom is trying to decide whether or not to bring the third game here. And to do that, they’ve asked us to make a comic showing your support for the series, “plead your case” if you will. You also get the chance to win some neat pins and figurines.

   Seriously, though, they’d better bring out the other two here.

2. You know they’ll deny it.

   “They” being the RIAA, of course.

   A recent study has shown that the effect of P2P on the legal sale of music is “not statistically distinguishable from zero.”

   Not that they’d have you believe that. They think you owe them your first-born, too, one would imagine.

3. In addition to the above, I also got word from drneko that protection is a joke, in this case, on HD-DVD and BluRay.

   Let’s face it, the only way you’re going to stop these people from cracking it is to pay them off.

4. Looks like “easy money” from Sony isn’t so easy, after all.

   In the LiveJournal of someone who wishes to remain anonymous (yes, “does not forgive,” we get all that), it was revealed that an e-mail was jokingly sent to Sony regarding recent statements:

   Message from Consumer:
   To whom it may concern:

   In a recent interview with EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly) Magazine (found in the March 2007 issue),
   SCEA President and CEO Jack Tretton stated that he would, and I quote:
   “If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that’s been on shelves for more than five minutes,
   I’ll give you 1200 bucks for it.”

   Well, at one store alone, a Fry’s Electronics located in Phoenix, Arizona, I have taken a picture of
   a collection of PLAYSTATION 3 systems for sale. 47 of them to be exact.

   I would like to know how I can get in touch with Mr. Tretton so that he can pay me a bounty of
   USD$56,400 for the 47 PS3 systems I’ve found.

   Thank you.

   Sincerely,

   Surprisingly, Sony was kind enough to respond, and set the record straight:

   Thank you for writing us.

   We apologize for any confusion and thank you for your inquiry.

   We are able to confirm that the comment in question was directed at the editor of Electronic Gaming
   Monthly (EGM) and was merely said to demonstrate that the PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment
   systems were selling out during the November launch time. It was not a challenge to the general
   consumer.

   Additionally, we value your input and appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Please rest
   assured that we will convey your feedback to Sony Computer Entertainment America’s (“SCEA”)
   appropriate management. Again, we apologize for any confusion.

   If you have further questions regarding this message, please refer to your email case
   number:(edited out for… I don’t know, security. Yeah, let’s say that.)

   Byron
   Multimedia CSR
   Sony Computer Entertainment America
   Consumer Services Department

   So unless your name is Dan Hsu, you probably aren’t getting squat, no matter how many PS3s you find.

   Sorry, Gabe and Tycho and America at large.

5. Yes, I realize that pretty much everyone who took up Tretton on his offer was probably joking. But enough is enough, already…
6. It’s never a dull day at The Allspark, where there’s always some new TransFormers tidbit coming up, with plenty of room to talk about it.

   Today’s batch of news includes boxart for TransFormers Monopoly, Optimus vs. Megatron hoodies from Hot Topic, and a recap of an invitation-only screening of a few scenes of the upcoming movie, with a Q&A session with director Michael Bay.

7. This news kind of blindsided me as my Wii lit up earlier, ushering in a new Wii channel, known as the “Everybody Votes” channel, where you set up Miis to register as voters in different polls, and allowing you to even predict the outcome, and see how many others predicted as you did.

   An interesting concept to be sure, but a curious name. After all, it clearly should’ve been called “Wii Vote,” right?

   More details on the channel are available here, but curiously, not on Nintendo’s website as of this writing.

8. IGN never misses an obvious joke.
9. So, the boss of Sony Computer Entertainment in the UK has gotten out of Dodge… or, um, whatever the UK equivalent would be.

   This can mean only one of two things:

   One is that he sees the impending launch of the PS3 as such an overwhelming success that to remain in his position would take away the thrill of the challenges he values in his executive career…

   …or he sees the gathering storm, and doesn’t want to be associated with Europeans going to war to get their hands on potential.

10. Four green turtles heard the news, changed to mutants by an ooze, with a game based on a movie, that’s just been previewed.

    I’ve heard good things about the Prince of Persia games, but never really gotten to play. So of course it doesn’t hurt my feelings any that TMNT seems to borrow the formula for this one.

    Best of both worlds!

11. Hel-lo, dolly!

    We’ve heard for awhile now, with nothing more than a logo to guide us, that Capcom and Inticreates have begun work on a follow-up to Rockman ZX (Mega Man to us gaijin) known as Rockman ZX Advent.

    And today, that changes as Go Nintendo has brought forth the gift of scans!

    In a most curious move, it seems that the protagonists from the original, Vent and Aile, will not be returning for this bout, but will instead be replaced by Grey and Ashe, who assume the form of the mysterious “Rockman Model A,” as they square off against the returning Pandora and Prometheus, respectively.

    Unlike the almost too-similar pair of Aile and Vent, Grey and Ashe seem to have very different characters, with Grey taking the role of a youth who is awakened from a cryogenic sleep to be told he’s a failed experiment (I’m sure that’s just what anyone wants to hear first thing in the morning), while Ashe is a ruin hunter who… seeks out… lost technology. Why does that one sound familiar? Hmm.

    Not a lot to say on gameplay so far, other than the fact that there are no signs of the fallen warrior Biometals from the first game.

    Naturally, we’ll bring you more here as it comes.

12. You’ll never see me attending one of these places. While I may be considered “hardcore” to some casual gamers (I don’t know this, I’m just imagining it as comparatively speaking from their standpoint), you’ll never see me in action at an event like EVO 2K7 unless it’s something like when baseball has some guy throw out the first pitch.

    Nossir, not me. Not even since they added Super Smash Bros. Melee to the games represented.

    However, that’s not to say I don’t look forward to what I hope may be some insane videos of people plying their craft against one-another.

13. Good news! Nintendo updated the Mario Kart 64 download!

    Bad news! It’s probably not what you think it is!

14. The following may or may not have really transpired:

    “Wow, that was some crash there. And your baby, my God. Are you alright?”

    “Yeah, I think so.”

    “Sure you’re ok?”

    “Uh-huh.”

    “You’re positive?”

    “Yeah…”

    “GOOD!” *KICK!*

    People can be such jerks, I tell you.

    Kotaku even provides a quote:

    If he did it, this is dead wrong. If he didn’t, let’s find out who did it… I don’t know how to cope with it [the investigation]. Over 40 years (in business) and we never had this problem, never had a question ? ever.

    It’s like the PS3 is the real-life equivalent of The One Ring or something…

15. Yesterday, we reported that Kid Icarus ain’t “fighting Medusa Angels” no more.

    Today, Joystiq brings you why.

    And for added entertainment, check the comments for people sniping each other on the pros and cons of the argument.

16. Major Nelson says that the XBox 360 already has an “A-Hole button.”

    Gee, Major, if you feel that strongly about it, why not pass the memo on the Bungie, hmm?

17. A Family Guy pic of Stewie and Brian, a dialogue, talk of the Halo movie… this has all the makings of a good news item.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. “Hot Rod” Rowdy Roddy Piper has fought a lot of opponents over his career, from Hulk Hogan to Jimmy Snuka to Goldust, but I think congratulations are most definitely in order for what may be his latest conquest: cancer.
2. Archie’s Sonic the Hedgehog writer, Ian Flynn, has posted the latest solicitations for Sonic X #20, Sonic the Hedgehog Archives #3, and Sonic the Hedgehog #175 and #176.

   Cool stuff ahead, for sure.

3. Catching up with The Allspark on the latest TransFormers news, word is that 1up.com has announced that Travellers Tales, developers of the acclaimed LEGO Star Wars games, will be working on this one as well.

   Quite a bit of news has come out of this weekend’s Toy Fair in NYC as well. New Diamond Select statues and busts are coming, many pictures of the Leader-class movie Optimus Prime toy, Ultimate Bumblebee in action, Jazz CG renders and a look at Megatron’s alternate mode, more video and a Bumblebee keychain, and new images of the movie Ironhide toy, complete with BFG.

   And for more TransFormers at Toy Fair 2007, check out BWTF’s gallery.

4. Other non-TransFormers fun from Toy Fair include coverage from ASM and Toyfare magazine (no relation). Personally noteworthy picks are:

   Star Wars TransFormers Death Star/Darth Vader (it’s more Star Wars than TransFormers, so nyeh)

   Office Space figures, coming around August and September.

   The Death of Superman in animated form should be interesting.

   Final Fantasy Arms

   Power Rangers, including new, improved figures of classic Red Rangers.

   WWE D-Generation X and Undertaker figures, among the rest, have my attention.

   And finally, Back To The Future!

5. In light of the recent Boston scare, Cartoon Network head executive Jim Samples has resigned.

   Way to go, Boston. How many more lives will you ruin?

6. Yesterday was Virtual Console day for the Wii, as three classic NES games saw release: Kirby’s Adventure, Ice Climbers, and Kid Icarus.

   If only I had 1500 Wii points, I’d be all over that.

   It sucks, however, that they tampered with Kid Icarus. What gives, N? Weren’t these games supposed to be essentially untouched? Inability to act without the N64 expansion is one thing, but…

7. Too many jokes can be made here, and sadly, they all pretty much go against the general tone of this blog.

   For some reason.

   I have no idea why I avoid the R+ language, but I do. Think that should change?

8. But I can say that Bungie are doing their parts to make dealing with online assholes easier, thanks to their new A-Hole button.
9. Miyamoto and Pajitnov are receiving Game Developers Choice awards, lifetime achivement and casual-game pioneer prizes, respectively.

   I do feel a little bad for Alexey, though, despite the honor; GameSpot refers to Miyamoto by name, but he’s “Tetris creator?” Come on…

10. Super Paper Mario: April 9th.

    So close, and yet so far.

    Fortunately, N-Philes has artwork to tide us over.

11. Build-A-Bear Workshop on the DS?

    Sounds interesting. Like Nintendogs with customized bears.

12. Good news, possibly. If you live near a Wal-Mart (and who doesn’t?), then there’s a chance you can score a copy of Wii Play early.
13. And of course, to Capcom, Japan is all that matters.
14. Nintendo comments on Manhunt 2.

    No, it’s not “…how the hell did this happen?”

15. Did Sony create a successful format for once?

    Or are they just full of crap?

16. Microsoft shows further support for Nintendo.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Yeesh, slow day. Guess that’s what I get for not squireling away a few of those items I posted yesterday…

1. drneko has brought word that one lady has managed to fend off the RIAA, and in addition, is being awarded attorney fees.

   Meanwhile, they try to make it look like they’re doing us a favor by saying that “CDs should cost more.”

   Feh.

2. Much TransFormers movie news today.

   TransFormers World 2005 has some new pics, renders from the movie, which include the finalized Megatron head, plus Frenzy and Ironhide.

   In addition, Wizard Magazine’s website has an interview with Hasbro’s Director of Marketing, Greg Lombardo. Included are some nice pictures of the new Optimus Prime toy, in both robot and truck modes.

   And as if that weren’t enough, TFormers.com has a whole press release which shows off the new voice-changing Prime helmet, as well as lots of movie and toy talk, the highlight of which for fans has been Ultimate Bumblebee:

   TRANSFORMERS MOVIE ULTIMATE BUMBLEBEE
   (Approximate Retail Price: $89.99; Ages: 5 & up; Available: Fall 2007)

   Fans of TRANSFORMERS will love seeing BUMBLEBEE come to life on the big screen and this fall, they can experience the ULTIMATE BUMBLEBEE action figure, which is among the most realistic and technical TRANSFORMERS toys ever. The impressively styled Chevrolet Camaro Concept car changes into the beloved AUTOBOTS character, which stands an imposing 14 inches tall. BUMBLEE will ?come to life? with robot animatronics action in both car and robot modes. Working headlights, battle sounds, and music, including Devo?s ?Whip It?, all add to the interactive experience.

   Pricey? A little, maybe. Worth it? I’m betting “yes.”

   And a TransFormers version of Risk? I am so there.

   Also, over IGN’s way, they have some new stuff, including an interview, regarding the corresponding games to be released.

3. Looks like GameSpot has gotten their hands on the official movie for After Burner: Black Falcon for the PSP, along with a preview.
4. Look out, Europe, here comes Mario, ready to rock your world by inviting you into his.
5. 2009.

   Toy Story 3.

   Be there.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Well, the big news today is that Anna Nichole Smith has died.

   Conspiracy by Rosie O’Donell? Or some other circumstance? Either way, details aren’t known at the moment.

   Um, not sure what else to say at the moment. I’m not exactly touched by her death, and don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not happy she died, but I was certainly surprised. I’m just not really impacted tremendously, though I do feel a bit bad for Howard Stern…

2. On a more upbeat note, let’s talk about those wacky Canadians and their crazy money.

   Hockey players on five dollar bills, Loonies and Toonies, and more colors than a bag of M&M’s. What else can they possibly do to make their currency stand out?

   How about making it bigger?

   And that’s just the plan, it seems, in both size and denomination. The Canadian Mint has been approved to create a one-million dollar coin.

   Who would want such a thing? Probably some guy with several millions stashed away somewhere, just sitting anyway. Hell, why not get a coin to represent a part of it?

   “Coin experts say it would likely be made of gold, be the size of a pizza and be extremely heavy.”

   

   On the bright side, if anyone were to steal it, they’d be pretty damn conspicuous if they tried to spend it. I mean, I doubt there will be that many of these things around. Think they’d be personalized?

   “To Mr. Rich Uncle Pennybags: Thank you for your support of the economy. Sincerely, Canada.”

   Don’t know if that’d be worth a million, but you have to admit, it’d be a pretty neat conversation piece in the old living room.

3. I normally don’t post stuff from Yahoo! News, simply because they take it down and then my links eventually become outdated. But in this case, I felt like making an exception.

   Remember that whole deal about Aqua Teen Hunger Force Lite-Brites in Boston?

   Well, after all that hassle, it didn’t make a damn bit of difference in the ratings.

4. I don’t know how I feel about this. A Power Rangers cartoon? Something just seems… wrong, about that.

   On the other hand, if done well…

5. Guitar Hero.

   Wii.

   Makes sense to me.

   But the DS?

6. Metal Gear Celluloid?

   The Sony connection initially leaves more of a bitter taste in my mouth than it should. They did quite well with the Spider-Man movies, after all.

   Though this makes me wonder if they’re wanting to plan some sort of Metal Gear double-whammy to push the PS3 down the line…

7. Hmm, guess it’s little wonder EB/GameStop will fire half the store if an M-rated game is sold to a minor.

   It is just a tad extreme, though.

8. Interesting.

   Japan’s Nintendo Power program (completely different from the US magazine) is shutting its doors at long last.

9. And Rockstar goes on the defensive.

   Personally, I don’t think that Wii’s Manhunt 2 will make anyone a killer any more than Pong, but I do think that they’re preparing to give anti-gaming types a loaded gun, so to speak.

10. I really don’t know what to say about this. Long story short, a guy who stole a 360 called Microsoft to get a new power cord, and they just sat on the info until police produced a court order, two weeks later.

    I’d be livid if in that timespan, the dimbulb brightened and got the hell out of Dodge before police could do anything. I know I’d be demanding a new system in its place…

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Sloooooooooow day today.

1. Proof that bitching can bring change.
2. So now, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is moving to PS2.

   Incidently, in Japan, Capcom are the ones who publish the GTA games.

   Ergo, I should hope that just maybe they’ll take a clue, and move the likes of Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X and Mega Man Powered Up to the PS2, as well, where they might actually sell.

3. Hmm, Hideo Kojima’s Policenauts is finally getting an English translation, courtesy of some hardcore fans.

   Wonder if Konami will announce their own at E3. Because that’s how it goes.

4. So now, if you work for GameStop and sell an M-rated game, they will rip you limb from limb, peel the flesh from your bones, and then fire you.
5. Nintencats? Sort of.

   A bit tempting, there.

Sheesh, only five items? At least Points of Interest seems bountiful enough to make up for TDS’ shortcomings.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Now available: TransFormers: The Movie action figures!Plus, images have surfaced of the toys for Blackout and Fast Action Battlers Battle Blade Starscream. Hmm, does this mean Starscream will be a swordsmanbot again?
2. N-Philes has new details on Wario: Master of Disguise, Mario Party 8, and even a Japanese online demo of the fourth Gyakuten Saiban game, which has so far been localized as Phoenix Wright in the US.
3. If EGM is wrong about Tingle, so help me God…
4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess figures.This is the part where we start cursing Japan and searching for online retailers. Ready, set… *starts running* …GO!
5. On a similar note, coming soon to those same shores is the Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin soundtrack.Mighty tempting, that.
6. Oh, and Metal Gear Solid 4 can be thrown in there as well.
7. Go Nintendo says that Punch-Out!! is coming to Virtual Console.Wouldn’t hold my breath for Iron Mike, though. There is some reminiscing about those times, however.
8. Ok, so the latest is that Manhunt 2 is coming to the Wii.Fine, fantastic, I really don’t give a crap. That’s why I never said anything until now.

   And I wouldn’t have said anything, but this gave me pause, enough to raise an eyebrow.

   Overreaction? Maybe. At the same time, I can’t help but think that this might provide some serious ammo for the Thompsons and Clintons of the world, who one might say were starting to retread the same ground in their crusades against violent games.

   Let’s face it, this has the potential to bump the idea of “games as murder training simulators” up into a whole new level of legitimacy that quite frankly, I don’t think we need right now.

   Seems that Joystiq might be inclined to agree, maybe.

   Funny thing is, until now I was able to rest easy that it seemed other systems, Sony’s in particular, drew most of the critics’ heat on these matters, with Nintendo’s “kid-friendly” image seemingly keeping them on safe ground. Ironic then that Nintendo may well become the worst offender.

9. Let’s get Biblical! So goes the cry of Major Nelson, as he seeks to gain input to establish the 10 Marketplace Commandments for XBox Live.Despite my lack of said system, I remain curious as to the eventual turnout of this.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

A tiring weekend, a midnight update, and for some reason “Monster Mash” won’t stop playing in my head. Maybe it’s just too much Castlevania at work…

1. “Did you ever see a sandwich, that could take a bite out of you?”

   Well, no sandwiches here, only just desserts as a New York teen bites back at the RIAA, “counter suing them for defamation, violating anti-trust laws, conspiring to defraud the courts and making extortionate threats.”

   God bless America.

2. The Allspark has stocked up on TransFormers news over the weekend, mostly regarding… you guessed it, the movie.

   New product info includes a lovely Ironhide test shot on eBay, plus his package and bio; and an Unleashed Bumblebee statue.

   Plus, movie renders of Bonecrusher, Starscream, and Ironhide are available, and Remy has some new galleries with Classics Mirage, Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime, and wave 2 of Classics Legends.

   On a related note, BWTF.com has a press release with four very large stills from Paramount.

3. Today marks the release of three new Virtual Console titles: Vigilante for the TurboGrafx-16, Gain Ground for the SEGA Genesis, and the legendary Super NES launch title Super Mario World.

   I’ll be frank. I didn’t know nor really care much about what Vigilante was, until I read Chris Kohler’s blurb about it. Now it’s moved up to “curiousity.”

4. If you bought Bubble Bobble Revolution for the Nintendo DS and were disappointed by the game-breaking glitch, then good news has finally arrived.
5. Has the time finally come for Jack Thompson to face the music?
6. Who doesn’t love a good blog? Well, evidently, Capcom digs ‘em, as they’ve begun their own, the “Capcom-Unity.”
7. Go Nintendo has what looks like a press release for the upcoming TMNT game, based on the movie.

And my internet went out for a bit there, so we might be condensing things a little from here on out.

8. If you frequent Southwest Airlines, you could have something good coming to you.
9. Sigh, I could be a great editor.

   That is, if I were qualified. Sigh…

   Anyway, if you’ve got “credentials” *moves his fingers in the air like quotes* then maybe you’d be interested in working for Big N there.

10. Looks like FiringSquad is hiring, too. Pity PC stuff’s not really my thing…
11. NOT. FUNNY.
12. Sounds like Ziff-Davis isn’t so desperate to part with their games, after all.
13. Modesty and honesty from Sony? Something is amiss…
14. …jerks.
15. A story about the number 23 can win a Wii.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. From The Official TMNT Web Site, “the new season of “Fast Forward” will premiere tomorrow on February 3rd. It seems they may be airing the rest of the series before the movie opens.”

   Great, now I have to be up early.

2. It’s just slightly redundant at this point, after some people have made the call of “BS” to Capcom’s statements about the AIAS and their awards, but Evil Avatar found what they have to say about Capcom’s prior statements.
3. GameTrailers has added a new Sonic and the Secret Rings trailer to their repertoire. Not very long, but looking good as ever.
4. From Konami Gamers Day, GT has two new Konami Classic Series: Arcade Hits trailers from the DS, while GameSpot features the videos plus an interview.

   …what the hell were they smoking to come up with that last control scheme?

5. In an interesting twist, none other than one of the Ghostbusters, Dan Aykroyd himself sheds some light on the situation surrounding the Ghostbusters title for XBox 360, a game in which he will personally be lending his talents.
6. Dance Dance Revolution is coming to Wii, and with no signs of Mario in tow… yet.
7. As reported yesterday, Castlevania is coming to PSP, and GameSpot has a hands-on as well as a revealing interview.

   Hah, check out IGA’s badass Van Helsing-style hat!

   Anyway, they say that the original Rondo of Blood will be an unlockable, much to the chagrin of many a gamer, and that the 3-D version will be remixed to an extent, probably in a manner not unlike Capcom’s offerings. So at least they’ll be a little different.

   Game|Life’s Chris Kohler has his experience to reflect upon, as well.

   I get the feeling I’m the only one who wants the original Symphony of the Night voice bits kept in some way, shape, or form, however.

   And finally, at least on the Castlevania front, GameVideos has a look at Level 2 of Rondo. A sort of mixed blessing, this, given how few levels the game has. But I do so love the eerily beautiful setting and the wonderful music remix…

8. THQ has announced WWE for the DS and Wii, with few other details available. Should be interesting to see how that goes.
9. By the power of Eternia, he’s coming back to DVD! The New Adventures of He-Man vol. 2, this March.
10. So, evidently there’s going to be a new PS2 bundle in Japan. It ought to be really good. In fact, you might even say that it’s a real steal.
11. Jack Tretton of Sony says “Because we’re in that leadership position, there are a lot of expectations thrust upon us and some of them are a little unrealistic.”

    Hey, no one asked for Blu-Ray, you guys put it in at a price higher than we want to pay, less than you’d like to sell it for, and told us it was a good deal.

    A million bucks to own the country of Japan would be a great deal, too, but the average schmuck like me is still going to have a bit of a time scraping that kind of money together.

12. So according to Matt at IGN, DK Bongo Blast is Wii-bound, and rather than a set of bongos made for the Wii, it’ll use the nunchuck and remote.

    Personally, just to play around and see what I like best, I hope the Cube’s bongos will still work.

    Makes me wonder how Donkey Kong Jungle Beat would play, though. And what do you do for clapping under such a scheme?

13. Word from Go Nintendo is that Konami isn’t through yet, as they still have some major announcements to come this Monday.

    Whatever could they be?

14. Wow. Just when you think you’ve seen every price cut imaginable on games at retail, Burger King drops their XBox 360 trio to just 99 cents each.

    Could that be another platinum on the way?

15. Some people just need the snot beat out of them until they can actually act decent.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Starting things off, of course the talk of the day has been a continuation of yesterday’s “hoax” hoax. By which I of course refer to the fact that the real hoax is that the media is labeling Adult Swim’s viral marketing as a terrorist hoax.

   Naturally, the two men who were arrested for the crime of promoting AS programing responded to allegations in pretty much the way you’d expect them to.

   Elsewhere, the former Wesley Crusher of the USS Enterprise, Wil Wheaton, expresses his outrage and further outrage over the incident. And, I pretty much agree with him– and everyone else– that this reeks of stupidity, the terrorists have won, and Boston needs to get laid.

   In case you missed what happened, Newsarama has a full recap.

   In addition, at the steps to the courthouse where the accused were speaking to the press, there were around a dozen protesters carrying signs not unlike this.

2. In other news, you may not have Peter Cullen’s career, but you can certainly have his role thanks to Hasbro’s TransFormers Optimus Prime Voice-Changer helmet, ready to transform your world into… a world transformed.

   Ok, so it just looks cool, alright?

   Other stuff up for peeking include a Fast Action Battler Brawl, and in-package pictures of Jazz, Brawl, and newcomer Wreckage, who’s probably toy-exclusive. Plus, for the cheaper, or simply more space-conscious crowd, Legends figures of Bumblebee, Barricade, Ratchet, and Jazz…

   …is that… is that an Autobot symbol on Jazz’s… you know what? Nevermind.

3. You’re locked in combat high above the planet Corneria. Your Arwing fighter is being rocked by lasers, meteors, and explosions… and you don’t feel a thing. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?

   As it happens, that’s a question gamers may wind up being faced with as the Virtual Console trudges on, as Press The Buttons reminds us that Sony’s not going to be the only one without a rumble…

4. Looks like players aren’t the only ones who want no more “Friend Codes” from Nintendo, as Square-Enix wants a piece of that action, too.

   I’m hardly what you’d call a Squenix gamer (I think my last game from Enix was Illusion of Gaia, and Bushido Blade or Ehrgeiz from Square), but we stand side-by-side with so many others on this one.

5. Evidently, American schools aren’t the only crazy ones.
6. Wow, Electronic Arts wants to be Nintendo’s #2 guys… after Nintendo themselves, of course.

   Hey, EA? Best way to do that? Burnout on Wii. Get to it. Chop-chop. *claps palm*

7. And it seems that the prophecy of IGA has come: Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for the PlayStation Portable!

   I must admit, this both excites me and disappoints me.

   I am excited because we not only get a port of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, but a new, enhanced version with 3-D graphics, 2-D gameplay, and all the charms that follow. And, we get a portable port of Symphony of the Night on top of all that.

   Hell, that’s droolworthy right there, and makes me the happiest I’ve been to own a PSP since Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X came out a year ago. (Lumines is cool, too)

   What doesn’t make me excited?

   Well, a small thing first. Touched-up localization for Symphony? As an option, sure, but I love the cheesey-yet-serious delivery that has lived on in infamy so much that I feel the experience may be weaker, if just a bit, without it. Hey, who knows, maybe that’s how they spoke in those days? You weren’t there.

   My other gripe is… well, it’s on PSP.

   Don’t get me wrong, I think the PSP is a good little machine, if perhaps ahead of its time for the market (read: costs too much for what you get). There have been other good games, but it seems that the system is the killer here, and I’d hate to see future prospects die on Sony’s doorstep the way other similar titles have.

   If it were multi-platform release? Sure, no problem then. Hell, people have been saying for some time now that console ‘Vania needs to go back to 2-D gameplay, even if it means 3-D graphics, which is exactly what this brings. How great a shame would it be for Konami to dismiss the idea in the future because this didn’t sell as well as they might have hoped?

   On the other hand… this is Castlevania, and there may be some way that it might coax more people into the PSP camp… but at the same time, the PSP library is generally regarded as weak. Can Castlevania, times two or three on one disc, no less, counteract that?

   I have a bad feeling that this very game could determine the future, for the time being, of Castlevania… and it may not turn out to be good, even if this title does.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”