Coming a bit late, but it’s been a busy day. Let’s see what we got…

1. The Allspark brings a bit of word from Seibertron of some scene previews from the new TransFormers movie.
2. Nintendo, along with HAL Labs, continue to try and improve our lives and expand the gaming market at the same time by planning for a release of a common sense trainer.

   I have to admit, I’m rather curious about that one.

3. Looks like SEGA is undetered by Sony’s PS3 problems as they’ve released a new trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog.

   Interesting how they mix the realistic look with Sonic’s slight humorous touch.

4. IBM confirms that not only is their Broadway chip for the Wii ready to go, but has been for several weeks.

   Point: Nintendo.

   On the other hand, Sony’s advantage is that they’ll no doubt be able to claim that they sold out in record time.

5. Remember when Capcom made games based on the likes of Ducktales… Rescue Rangers… Marvel Super Heroes… Yo, Noid!…

   …well, maybe not that last one.

   Anyway, Next-Gen reports that Capcom might be looking to get back into the licensed-game biz.

   When asked if she could reveal any licenses she’s eyeing for Capcom, [licensing head Germaine Gioia] replied, “Hell no.”

   Gotta love the bluntness of that.

6. From onNintendo comes an interesting bit regarding an IGN toadie trying to redefine what “hardcore” gaming is.

   “?Hell, even its best games, like Mario, Zelda and Metroid, wouldn?t really qualify as hardcore.? ? Juan Castro (according to codenamerevolution.com)”

   Well, if “hardcore” to this guy is Madden, Grand Theft Auto, and Gran Turismo, he can keep “hardcore” while I just go for “fun.”

7. Slashdot has some reports that despite reports yesterday, Sony is still aiming for 1 million units in the US of A by year’s end.

   So I guess ultimately, even if they don’t have a grand launch, they still may have a good Christmas season.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Wow, not a good day for Sony. Looks like they’ve had to scale back the PS3 launch massively, from 2 million units worldwide to 500,000, a quarter of the original number.Japan gets 100,000, North America gets 400,000, and Europe gets boned as their launch is pushed back to next March. Ouch.

   Sounds like they’re confident in beating XBox’s numbers by the time the year is out, though.

   In the meantime, Europe fires back and the Angry Gamer breaks it off with Sony. Press the Buttons just advises people to sit this launch out.

2. Hmm, while before, IGA couldn’t think of any good ideas for utilizing the Wii, it seems that juices are starting to flow in that mind of his. Can’t wait to hear more.Go Nintendo goes a little more in-depth here.
3. Talk of Tingle’s RPG continues, as IGN gives the game a preview.Don’t forget, if you’re interested in seeing it released here, head over to Nintendo’s survey to voice your opinion.

   Or conversely, if you want him to remain confined to Japan, you can pretty much express your Tingle-hate there as well.

4. Go Nintendo takes a look at IGN’s Wii mailbag, and pulls out one disheartening piece of news:“In regards to Super Paper Mario heading to the Wii??Paper Mario will be headed to Wii and not GameCube?”

   Let me just be the first to say that this sucks. Granted, I plan to do whatever it takes to have a Wii ASAP, but this still just seems wrong. Super Paper Mario was supposed to be the GameCube’s swan song, and it could still play on the Wii anyway.

   All I have to say is, they’d better have a damn good reason to be pulling the switch like this.

   Other topics covered include: “Wii DVD, Zelda at 60 frames, Countdown to Megaton, Nintendo Greed, Wii and USB, WWE on Wii, Spore on Wii, Zelda in 4:3 on Wii.”

5. Hmm, this is interesting. Nintendo responds to PS3 delay.Sounds good to me. Fanboy or not, I’m just glad I’m in the Nintendo camp.

   Microsoft gets their 2 cents in, too.

6. Nintendo offers up another press release regarding the celebration of Mario’s birthday, his new hoops game, and the opening of his upcoming theme park, “Super Mini-Mario World*.”(* Not a real theme park. We can wish, though.)
7. Yoshi’s Island 2 screens.I’m loving the graphics on this.
8. Kirby Squeak Squad set for 12/4/06 release in the US.
9. Video Games Blogger shows off a Red Steel demo from IGN, demonstrating the controller usage as well as some video of the game itself.
10. Allspark reports on movie Optimus packing some heat, in the form of an arm cannon.“We want to remind our readers that Director Michael Bay’s website has stated that these are early renderings and that the design has changed somewhat.”

    Not too shabby. I still say they should fix the head, though.

11. I don’t normally do the rumor thing, but this is hard to pass on. Rumor has it that there’s a new TransFormers cartoon in the works, produced in the US by Cartoon Network studios.Might this have something to do with the upcoming Classics line? Is this even for real? Keep your eyes peeled here, and I’ll have any new info I come across as it comes up.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. GameSpot offers up yet another preview of Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis.

   Still sounds promising, but as I’ve said before, I hope it reflects Donkey Kong ’94 more than Mario vs. Donkey Kong in the long run.

2. Tell me this doesn’t need a US, if not worldwide, release.
3. IGN takes a look at the Nintendo DS Games of Fall.

   Not a shabby lineup, though I can’t pinpoint one specific “breakout” title of the batch, though some of the sequels there do show quite a bit of promise.

4. For a game that seems like it may rely on its visual splendor more than anything, I can’t say that IGN’s screenshots of Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 are doing much to impress me.
5. PlayStation 3 European TV spot.

   …does this make anyone really want a PS3? I have to admit, the gameplay at the end looks nice, but they took three damn minutes getting to that. Can they not narrate a gameplay scenario that follows that?

6. Ah, Mario, only you could manage to do what even Mega Man failed to do, and that is make me interested in playing any form of soccer.

   GN has new footage of Super Mario Strikers Charged for the Wii. I do wish I could see more of how it was being played with the Wii controller, however.

   …oh, there we go. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Looks pretty good, I like the goal-blocking mechanic.

   …and the power-ups are cool.

7. September 19th can’t get here quickly enough, I want to know if Capcom Classics Mini Mix plays as good as it looks, or if it’s “buyer beware” like some past collections…
8. Great Nintendo DS deal at BestBuy.com, pity I can’t take advantage of it. :
9. a) Video of the Wii kiosk. Very nice.

   b) I WANT THAT STANDEE(I didn’t even know they made those).

10. More pics of Tingle’s RPG…

    …is that one of the MIB attacking him?!

    Either way, hope it comes Stateside.

11. Huh, so UMDs CAN sell…
12. NintendoRevolution.ca has a blurb that reports that the field in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be bigger than any before it, citing:

    “Numerous reports that Nintendo is saying it will take players 45 minutes to make it across one side of Hyrule to the other. We’re talking hundreds of square miles here.”

    I find the idea of such a wide landscape to be intriguing, and I imagine riding the horse will probably be an even better idea here than it was in Ocarina of Time.

13. Just in case I haven’t mentioned it, I love how mainline Batman Beyond looks(images at the bottom), and would love that figure from DC Direct.

    …and a full-blown comic to go with it.

14. Finally, get ‘em while you can! Via the Allspark, word comes that Ain’t It Cool News has images of Optimus Prime himself from the upcoming TransFormers motion picture.

    While I like the body, I have to admit I don’t care for the head so much. Fortunately, talk is that this is an earlier concept and that it might have been changed up a little since…

    I mean, it kinda looks like Prime and all, but it looks like Prime had his favorite puppy run over by Bumblebee while Ironhide and Elita-1 took off for Nebulos.* Not quite the inspiring leader I’d hoped to see.

    (* Over anyone’s head yet? XD)

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Damnation.

   I really wanted to get in on that action before E3, too. Sigh…

   I could just cry.

2. Oh, great, history repeats itself for PS3.

   I just hope it’s faster than the PS2… lord, that thing could be PAINFUL to wait for sometimes.

3. Damn, Sony. No HDMI cable with the high-end PS3?

   According to Kotaku, they can run anywhere from $20 to $300, and you know what they say… “you get what you pay for.”

   I really just don’t know what to say. Except that I’m really glad that this doesn’t affect me at all right now.

4. Ah, more TransFormers Classics recolors, this time Ultra Magnus and Skywarp.

   I’d say I like the looks of that, except that it’s a Target exclusive. Damn. It. All. To. Hell.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. So, for some crazy reason, the dawn of Mega Man ZX on the Nintendo DS draws ever closer, and yet Capcom.com uncharacteristically does not have anything on the site indicating they’re doing preorders.

   Maybe they got tired of people making fun of the “$9999.99″ placeholder price tags.

   Whatever the reasoning, Jaxel has your back over at MMN, listing a few online alternatives to allow you to “R.O.C.K. On!” when the time comes.

2. Ouch.

   I guess this would be adding injury to insult. Or maybe the other way around, I’m not really sure.

   In any case, Bomberman: Act Zero has been a topic of mild controversy in gaming for awhile now, based chiefly on its looks.

   Some embraced the new, hardcore look of the title character and revised theme under which the game operated, while others felt it was a travesty, and an abomination that mocked everything they liked about this gaming icon.

   Of course, some felt that if the gameplay lived up to its roots, then that may be the most important thing.

   Sadly, if GameSpot is to be believed, then that is simply not the case, as they rate the game a 2.9.

   That’s out of 10, folks. One truly has to ask where it all went wrong.

   GameDaily didn’t like it much, either, giving it a single star.

   …of course, naturally, the first thing many will blame is the look.

   Personally, I was of the opinion that if they could churn out a solid game, then maybe it would be a good way to reintroduce a solid gaming classic into the hands of the more key XBox demographic.

3. Hmm, I had a feeling this headline wasn’t a reference to Startropics…
4. Bully gets a new name in Europe.

   Personally, I like the new one better.

5. The upcoming September 14th Nintendo press conference seems to keep growing in significance, as now there is not only a similar event scheduled for Europe the next day, but yet another for the 14th in Japan.
6. PSP to be used as a “Virtual PS3?”

   Sounds like what they’re saying is that it may be possible to play PS3 games on your PSP, using the PS3 to sort of transmit it to the smaller device, and I must say it sounds… intriguing.

7. Oooh, Game|Life has dug up some potential dirt regarding the Sony PS3 and its Blu-Ray movie playback potential.

   Seems that copy-protected movies won’t play at full-res on the cheaper version. Damn.

8. Oh-ho-ho, nice.

   The next Burnout may have open-ended gameplay.

   Now I REALLY want a Nintendo version.

9. Oooooooh, what a burn this would be.

   EGM has a rumor that Sony may be trying to get Dead Rising 2 as a PS3 exclusive.

   Man, if I were a 360 owner who bought and loved Dead Rising and then this happened, I would be SO pissed.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Freaking News has a neat little set of manipulated images that show off a sort of celebration of Pac-man’s 26 years.

   Some amusing stuff, to be sure.

2. According to Jaxel at The Mega Man Network, IGN has a final build of Mega Man ZX, and likes it. Unfortunately, it’s still only a preview, but the final review will come the weekend before release.

   “They also comment on the voice acting. Yes, it is in Japanese, crushing rumors that it was removed from the game (like MMXC X6). They give their own reasoning why the English plans were deep sixed.”

   They also use the word “nodel” a lot. But since they’re actually going to bring us a story soon about each model, with exclusive art no less, I think I can forgive.

   From what I’ve played, the game is definitely one for the books. But according to Go Nintendo’s post, EGM doesn’t think quite as highly of it.

3. N-Philes has a link to some new Capcom Classics Mini-Mix screens, followed by this:

   “Metro city has never looked so… 8-bit.”

   …to which I say, “It has, the first time Mighty Final Fight came out.”

   Sorry, couldn’t resist.

4. Oh, cool, SimCity is coming to the DS, with stylus controls.

   But sadly, I bet you can’t make Bowser trample downtown in this one.

5. Oooooh, IGN has some new Wii Duck Hunt vids.

   I’m such a sucker for that. I’d be quite happy if Nintendo did what SEGA once did and made this the console’s default game, like if you turn it on with nothing inside.

6. Ah, so we find out what UK’s Official Nintendo Magazine’s big whoop–er, I mean, big surprise is.

   DVD might be neat, tho.

7. Slashdot defers to, of all people, MTV Games for a piece about how developers are refining Wii controls, and references Marvel Ultimate Alliance using the control to swing Thor’s hammer, shoot Spidey’s webs, or use Wolverine’s claws.

   Sounds cool. But it also brings to light how perhaps playtesting for the Wii may be more complicated than anything that’s come before it.

8. Huh, remember that “PSP Lite” hullabaloo yesterday? Yeah, it may not hold as much water after all.

   Guess it’s to be expected of the guys who sorta ripped my wife’s article.

9. Wired speaks a bit on developers and kids able to make XBox 360 games now.

   Sorta.

   But if you’re an aspiring game developer, as I know a few people who read this stuff are, this may be worth a look if you haven’t already heard.

10. Huh, now this is just strange.

    “Craigslist poster claims rare N64 cart, offering free rom for services”

    Curious though I am, I think my more paranoid side would keep me some distance from this…

    (Be sorta funny-scary if this was some kind of a piracy bust)

11. While it seems that “World War II FPS” has become a genre unto itself, and one I really couldn’t give much of a crap about, I have to admit that Fall of Liberty is at least making an effort to freshen things up a bit.

    As far as anything to do with WWII goes, I say bring on a new 194- game, or a new Bionic Commando.

12. I tried to watch the video, just to see the Wii experience in action, but somehow I couldn’t make it through this time.

    But if you can tolerate Madden, well, maybe you’d be interested in seeing how it works. Maybe I’ll try again later.

13. …this is living?

    More like “this is boring.”

14. I’ve seen this Famicom ad for Super Mario 2 and Zelda before, but only now have I stopped to wonder just what they’re trying to advertise. Frustration?
15. God, I hate the shorthand for Blu-Ray Discs. “BD?” Couldn’t it be “BRD?” “BR?”

    I’m annoyed because friends often refer to be as “BD” for short.

    In any case, Fox is going to have 8 of them ready for the PS3 launch, it would seem.

    About 3 or 4 of those have my interest.

    Except I can already see them on DVD.

16. Wow. This runs a little deeper than your usual Mario fare.

    Has a good message, though.

    …poor Goomba.

17. If ever there were a reason to import 360 games…
18. Press The Buttons takes a look back at the ORIGINAL PlayStation. Not the one you owned, but rather, the Super NES CD-ROM drive that never really happened.

    Sometimes, you can’t help but wonder what might have been. On the other hand, I think it took the PlayStation(as we know it) to really show what a CD-ROM could do for gaming.

19. I think it’s been touched on already, but better safe than ignorant.

    2old2play reports on Best Buy offering 3rd-party Wii titles for $49.99.

    Not bad, but I bet the Canadian pricing will still make me wretch.

20. Hmm, it seems that maybe developers are finding Blu-Ray useful after all.
21. Oooh, this could be good news. Good news indeed.

    The Wavebird controller will work with the Wii.

    Now, I just have to hope that when the Wii comes out, retailers start knocking the price down as it’s a “GameCube” peripheral.

22. Toymania takes a closer look at the “Take the Mario Challenge” Happy Meal, scheduled to start today.

    Additionally, I’ll have images of the bag up later today for those who wish to see it.

23. Oh lord, more Kiss Play TransFormers, this time of Rodimus.

    The words of Simon Furman are true. “It never ends.”

24. The Allspark has also reported on a TransFormers movie poster featuring the new Optimus Prime.

    Still not the greatest image quality… I still can’t make out a lot of what’s what, but he seems a little more in line with the TF aesthetic than some of what we’ve seen.

    Allspark also reports that the TransFormers in the movie will have CG-augmented faces.

    Which means that the image of Bumblebee we saw isn’t quite finished yet.

    And finally, speaking of ‘B, here’s a video of him in action… driving.

    Hey, you take what you can get at this point.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. GameSpot gets a nice first-look at the upcoming Family Guy game.

   Sounds interesting…

2. IGN got to give Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis the ol’ hands-on approach at PAX this past weekend.

   Nothing TOO new, but at least nothing sounds particularly bad from their experience so far.

   And hey, hand-drawn sprites instead of pre-rendered! Not that I didn’t like the original’s…

3. GameTrailers sports a neat peek at the upcoming Justice League Heroes, which appears to have some promise. The cast seems to be culled largely from the pre-Unlimited cartoon, with the exception of Hawkgirl being replaced by Zatanna.

   Oh, and Aquaman(the REAL Aquaman) and Green Arrow are in, too, with the latter being an unlockable. Nice.

4. Next-Gen reports that sister publication PSM has apparently gotten the low-down on an upcoming “PSP 2.0,” for lack of a better term.

   Rather than dropping the price of their product, it seems that Sony is keen to try and increase the value of the product in 2007 by including a built-in video camera(for Eye-Toy-like applications), 8GB built-in flash memory, a slot-load UMD drive, and an overall thinner and lighter form, all for the price of a current PSP.

   Perhaps “PSP Lite” is a more apt description, though Nintendo’s update to its handheld didn’t seem to draw quite as strong a dividing line between old and new.

   This news might upset me more if I didn’t think the PSP package I got was more than adequate for my relatively limited needs for the system.

5. OnNintendo’s editors take a look at their most anticipated Wii games.

   So far, mine are Zelda, Metroid, Mario, Smash Bros., ExciteTruck, Project H.A.M.M.E.R., Disaster: Day of Crisis, maybe Red Steel, and of course the Virtual Console, so I can check out some games from days long past that I missed out on the first time.

   And probably some others that slip my mind at the moment.

6. Ow, crap.

   Go Nintendo reports that the factory that produces the Wii controllers(as well as that new-version PSP) is having some troubles with quality control, and it could possibly even push back the predicted launch.

   Not good, but as long as we’ve got quality product in the end, I can wait.

7. Damn.

   I so wanted to buy stock in Nintendo before E3, and this is why.

   Sucks that the process has to be so complicated/expensive. Sigh.

8. Slashdot links to a piece from Extreme Tech exposing Ten Gaming Myths:

   1. The PlayStation 3 will Fail
   2. PC Games are Doomed
   3. You Need a $500 Graphics Card
   4. Console Games are for Twitch Gamers
   5. Handheld Games are for Kids
   6. Console Games are Too Simple
   7. PC Games are Too Complicated
   8. PC Copy Protection is Too Onerous
   9. Games are Too Violent
   10. I’m Embarrassed About Gaming

   Regarding that last one, I’m not embarassed at all. Why, just earlier when I went out, I was wearing my Donkey Kong 64 t-shirt. Damn right.

9. Joystiq links to a video of the Mega Man X suit in Dead Rising in action.

   Seems the precise stats required to get the various parts are under debate, though.

   …but DAMN, man. 60,000 zombies? Where is this, the Mall of America?

10. Over Kotaku way, we find out that the PlayStation 3(or “PLAYSTATION 3,” according to some) will only be available in black.

    Doesn’t bother me, and not just for the fact I’m not looking to get one any time soon, but I prefer black much of the time, anyway. I like a nice, unified look to my stuff when I can.

    Wanted a black GameCube, but they were sold out, and I was tired of waiting, so Indigo found its way into my home. Frankly, I don’t care much about console colors. Portables, on the other hand, I feel are a more “personal” type of gaming, and I really prefer color choices and customization. Hence my having been irked at only one kind of DS Lite being available for so long here.

11. More new backwards-compatible XBox games.

    …at least there’s Burnout 3, at last. Otherwise, don’t really care. I just like the picture they chose.

12. 2old2play says something near and dear to my, and many oldschool gamers’, hearts.

    Bring Back the Side Scrollers!

    Of course, they’re already sort of back, and in some instances, it’s like they never left. Most just took a vacation and left a skeleton crew to watch over things.

    But I think that games like The Legend of Zelda: 4 Swords Adventures, Viewtiful Joe, Contra: Shattered Soldier(to some degree), and hopefully Super Paper Mario will show there are some nice new tricks that you can teach these old dogs with the newer wave of technology.

13. Congratulations go out to AnotherBlazeHedgehog on his winning MTV/GameTrailers movie “The Third Mario Brother.”
14. Ok, so evidently, there’s this big exclusive Nintendo wants to reveal on Friday. And magazines of Nintendo Power and UK’s Nintendo Official Magazine won’t be on sale before that, nor will subscribers receive their copies prior.

    Um… oops?

    I know I’m not the only one to get my new NP a few days or more before the start of the month, and this was no exception. So, um… yeah. I’m not sure what this is going on about, either.

15. Wow.

    So there’s this game for celphones. It’s basically like a Garfield RPG.

    And evidently, it’s not bad.

    Again, I say, wow.

16. Oh, nice. A figure of Spidey in his “Iron Spider” costume.
17. Oh baby, a preview of the comic for the pre-Beast Wars BotCon comic “Timelines.”

    As if wanting the toys wasn’t agonizing ennough.

18. Speaking of TransFormers, some new stuff from the movie seems to have surfaced.

    One being a video of Ratchet(I think they meant Ironhide, maybe? Or maybe I just missed him) and Jazz in their vehicle modes, as well as “The Face of the Bumblebee.”

    Wild stuff.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

La-dee-dee, another day, another round of news. Let’s see what we got, and hope nothing is screwed up in coding.

1. Gamespot tells us about an interview that Kaz Hirai gave to Cnet.It’s not the first time that it’s been mentioned, but Hirai is bringing out the idea that the PlayStation 3 is meant to have a 10-year run, which one has to admit helps lighten the blow of the price, a mere $60-per-year investment. For a lot of high-end electronics, that’s not all that bad, really, versus systems and electronics that putter out and just get replaced.

   Sadly, in the same breath, he mentions that they aim for that with ALL of their systems… I think that, despite production continuing(somewhere) on the original PlayStation, that one died out pretty damn quick when PS2 was on the horizon. I don’t think PS2 is moving quite as strongly at this point, either, now that the next generation is on the horizon.

   So, yeah, this leaves Sony in sort of a cloudy area, per my reckoning. If PS3 were really to have a 10-year lifespan, that might be one thing. But drawing up a comparison to the past consoles, as if to cover his ass should a PS4 be wheeled out in a few years, well, it effectively negates much of that original point. And that’s too bad, as I’m sure that sort of dedication to a console lifespan of that length would no doubt help draw more people into the PS3 camp, even at that price.

2. Great news!Burnout 5 is coming!

   Awful news!

   There’s absolutely no mention of a Nintendo version. Dammit. There hasn’t been a Burnout on Nintendo’s consoles since the 2nd one, before they were bought by EA. Come on, gimme some Wii Burnout love, EA!

   And while you’re at it, do what you did in Fight Night Round 2 and that basketball game, and throw some Nintendo characters in. Let me knock people off the road in a Mario kart(with the red shell) or an F-Zero racer or an Excitetruck or something.

   Or bring back Mach Rider, let us ride through the city and shoot up cars instead of just knocking them around.

   Anyway, the ripping cars in two thing sounds neat, as well.

3. And from IGN, we find that Ultimate Ghosts N’ Goblins ships today.I do so hate shipping dates for video games. CDs, they tell you when they’ll be in the stores. DVDs, same deal. Even comic books. Why the hell does it take something of the magnitude of Halo 2 to have a concrete release date that you can walk into the store, and buy the damn thing these days?

   Not to get off on a rant here, but it gets worse, when you consider that the weirdest, most offshoot places will get a game before other places. It’s crazy. Why can’t we just go out and get the same damn game on the same damn day? I hate coming home empty-handed to find that everyone online is away because they’re playing the game, or raving over some stuff I haven’t even seen yet.

   Nuts to that.

4. And I’m only mentioning this because IGN saw fit to have the link-with-picture at the top of every page, but this Stefy girl is kinda hot.
5. Seems the DS remake of Final Fantasy III(Japan’s, not ours) has topped the half-million mark. Not bad for only being out for five days, and in a country that seems to turn a cold shoulder to remakes and re-releases(see: Irregular Hunter X and Rockman Rockman for examples).Of course, I imagine the fact that this is a Final Fantasy game plays no small part in that, but all the same, it’s quite impressive. I’m pretty sure it even took Mario longer to reach that for his latest all-new title, but I’d have to check.
6. “At 2 Million Strong, Nintendo’s Wireless Gaming Community Grows Larger Than 15 U.S. States”Not bad. Not bad at all. Though I can’t help but wonder just WHICH 15 US states. Rhode Island doesn’t count.
7. NOA_Andy bids a fond farewell to Stumpy the How.I’d love to know the story behind that mascot, though. A half-horse, half-cow? Gotta love ‘im.
8. Star Fox Command is getting reviews-a-plenty, including GameSpy, IGN, GameSpot, 1UP, and GameDaily.The general consensus?

   Not too shabby at all. I definitely would like to give this one a try.

9. Continuing to brief you on game companies big and small, Next-Gen continues their coverage with A Short History of Rare.Pity Rare isn’t what it used to be. I guess you could say, “if it says ‘Rare,’ then I don’t care.”

   Unless it’s Killer Instinct. Um… “if it says ‘Killer Instinct,’ then it better not stink.” Or something.

   Uh… “boy-ee?”

10. I make it a point to not hop on and report every rumor I see, but this one appeals to me.Rumor has it that Tecmo might bring some of its classics to the Wii Virtual Console.

    So what that would mean is another chance to go a few rounds on the original Ninja Gaiden games and see if skills have improved over time, or if they’re every bit as brutal now as they were then.

    (Of course, if you played through the XBox title of the same name, you could probably tell us, but…)

    The rumor is further substantiated by a financial report covered by IGN that says the company wants to support the Virtual Console “aggressively.”

11. Hmm, more “Mega Man Rebirth” scans(is that really the US name? Did I miss a press release or something?).I’m still sorta iffy, but that new wrist-mounted PET-looking thing on the kid who looks like May’s brother from Pokemon looks pretty neat.
12. When Miyamoto spoke of possible “Wiimakes” of GameCube classics, a lot of people were listening.And someone even decided to make a top 10 list of titles they’d like to see “Wiimade.”

    I wouldn’t mind giving Super Mario Sunshine another try, if it seemed to work better, Luigi’s Mansion remains an unfinished favorite of mine, and Resident Evil 4 sounds like it would be neat, at least that chainsaw bit…

    But the Donkey Kong bongo games, while they make sense, still mystify me a little. Maybe a lower pricepoint would help, but the need for bongos ought to be a non-issue, since the games come with them, and don’t even raise the price that much.

    …which reminds me, I still gotta try Jungle Beat sometime.

13. Another rumor, but there’s some small evidence that Dragon Quest 9 could find a home on the Wii, and for the Wii, that would definitely be a very good thing.
14. Wow, when it comes to video gaming, it seems to be attacked by extremists from both ends.Screw ‘em all, I say. Maybe if reality didn’t bite so much, I wouldn’t look at games as much.
15. I remember when this Samus figure was announced, and released, and I even saw one once.I never did really get one, though. It’s a neat piece and all, but… eh…

    Maybe it was her creepy gaze that frightened me off.

16. Me, Myself, and Mario.Cute little movie someone made about the dangers of too much Super Mario Bros. mixed with too much Mr. Pibb.

    Nope, never happen to me.

    I’m strictly a Coke/Pepsi guy.

    …and occassionally Sprite. Or Sunkist.

    Do love the flagpole bit, though. And the “entering 1-2″ bit.

17. Huh, I’d heard about the guy who lost his iPod in the John on an airplane, but I didn’t know the rest of the story.And this is why I don’t travel by air.
18. For those like me who appreciate the more personal side of video games, that being the hardships and joy one has experienced without so much as even pressing a button, Press The Buttons(wow, only now after having typed it do I realize how silly that sounds) has a new ongoing feature going on titled “Secret Origins,” recounting the tales of days long past when getting that brand new game was truly an event to behold and a memory to cherish.
19. Hmm, now this is certainly interesting.“Midway Games announced that it has teamed with GameSpot to bring fans “The Ultimate Mortal Kombat Fanatic” contest, a competition which allows fans to create unique and creative short films showcasing why they are the biggest Mortal Kombat fan.”

    Sounds like a lot of fun, and I’d definitely enter if I had a video cam, even though I’m probably not really the biggest Mortal Kombat fan around, I’m still a fan nonetheless.

20. Hmm, speaking of fun, this sounds like it would fit the bill.Fans “Get Powerized” With the Power Rangers on Exclusive Eight City Tour

    “Kids of All Ages Have the Rare Opportunity to Interact With Their Favorite Superheroes When the Power Rangers Embark on the “Get Powerized” Tour Starting September 23rd.”

    A pity that Toronto isn’t one of the stops, but oh well.

21. Ah, finally. An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder is FINALLY coming out. I actually got to go to one of the tapings for that in person with the wife… lord, when was it? Almost a year ago? Maybe two?Of course, I still need to see the first… lousy video rental stores…
22. Thanks to a link from The Allspark, it looks like Ultra Magnus is getting the TransFormers Classics treatment as well, though sadly, he is once again simply the recolored figure of his brother Optimus.Also cool, though, is the likes of Perceptor, Fireflight, Leo Prime, and Galvatron(Trypticon?) being reborn in Legends of Cybertron mini-figure form, as can be seen here and here.
23. Over in the Marvel Universe, this disappoints me(possible spoilers). The New Avengers quickly became my favorite superhero team, and it feels like they got cut down before they even got started.I am not impressed.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. New Nintendo Power arrived today, a little later than usual for them. I’ll inspect it later and report on any tantalizing tidbits of… er… stuff here later.
2. Atomic Fire has a small piece on the successor to the Rockman.EXE anime, based on the upcoming DS game Ryuusei no Rockman.I really have no opinion on this, as I’m still waiting to be able to see Rockman.EXE Stream, Beast, and Beast+. Good for them, I guess.Wait, no, I do have an opinion, and it’s “dammit, why can’t we get a frickin’ ZX anime going around here?”
3. A Short History of LucasArts.Good as their games are, can’t help but wonder when they’re going to run the Star Wars well dry, though. Canning Sam & Max doesn’t help broaden horizons, though at least Mercenaries is kind of neat.
4. Details on Wii controls for THQ games. Avatar and Spongebob Squarepants sound like the most interesting(read: less “duh” ideas) applications of the controller.
5. Heh, looks like Google thought for awhile that “Wii” meant “World War II.”
6. I don’t mind Nintendo being secretive and all, it seems to serve them well. But for God’s sake, can’t we at least get some new screenshots from Wii titles before launch?…it’s not like there’s an abundance as-is. Can’t we get Excitetruck going over a different hill or splashing through mud or something?Sakes…
7. Remember Super Mario Adventures? I do so love that comic. Seems GoNintendo is providing it, piece by piece.Myself, I want a reprint that features the last comic with Wario and Mario fighting for the Samus doll that Peach wants.And speaking of Peach, did anyone else ever notice so long ago how many buildings in that comic had pictures of peaches on them, and wonder what that was all about? Well, I guess now we know.
8. Awesome, we finally have some pics of the new Nintendo Happy Meal toys coming out soon….eh, not bad, but I think past offerings have been better. I mean, how do you beat the Mario action figure from Wendy’s, huh?
9. Game Informer had an interesting little chat with some various localizers from different companies, including Nintendo. This is some of the interesting bits that came up regarding The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
10. So… about that Wii Resident Evil title?I don’t even know anymore.
11. Finally, a benefit to living in Canada that isn’t health care or poutine.I’d seen the Star Fox Assault/Battalion Wars one at EB for awhile now, but that last one, Donkey Konga 2/Donkey Kong Jungle Beat might tickle my fancy.
12. Seems Penny Arcade was quoted at PAX this weekend as saying that the PS3 launch pricetage was “some grade-A bullshit.”Followed by applause.
13. Hah, Kotaku just killed the Revolution.
14. You know ‘em. You hate ‘em.First, they cost you money, and then, they cost you even MORE money.They are games that break your joystick.

    Of course, these aren’t counting the ones that inspire acts of violence not due to content, but due to mind-blowing difficulty and/or cheapness.

    That should get a list all its own.

15. If you love Resident Evil, and have a grand to blow, then maybe you should swing yon eyes over at this auction.That’s right, for 100,000 copperheaded Abe Lincolns, you can have a factory-sealed longbox-version PlayStation 1 copy of the very first Resident Evil game by Capcom.Go ahead, you know you want to.
16. Wow, what a bunch of blow-hards.
17. Wow, so not only was there Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest launched today(the dates got switched on Kotaku), but Bill Gates has one of the best lines ever:“Microsoft announces their Xbox will not make it to Japan until February 22, 2002. Bill Gates was quoted, ‘We could’ve launched the Xbox for Japan in 1980, but they still wouldn’t have bought the thing! They just hate us over there. So we’re really not too worried about the delay.’”
18. Press The Buttons takes a neat look at the idea of video game stories such as those of Zelda and Mario being used as Fairy Tales of the next generation.Incidently, I’ve got my own sort of ideas behind some games I’d love to bring to the forefront someday. But anyway, the concept is an interesting one.
19. Even though I’m not the biggest Star Wars fan in the world, this news still excites me just a bit, as the dream of a Wii Star Wars title seems to inch a little closer to being a reality.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

Slow day yesterday, so I figured I’d let everything accumulate a bit.

1. Ah, good, the first part of Chapter 10 of the Rockman X manga is up, courtesy of Dr. Neko.Oh, and it seems to introduce one of the most controversial figures in the history of Rockman X.

   And if you’re interested, it appears that the good doctor is looking to expand his scanlation team, specifically to find someone to clean the scans up. Apply within if interested.

2. brings up an interesting piece. In Japan, Dragon Ball Z featured all of a single actor voicing Goku. In English, however, he’s had quite a few. This video compares the many English voices by playing bits one after another.I personally have grown to like FUNi’s, Sean Schemmel. He’s grown into the role nice and comfortably, I think.

   Kirby Morrow does well, too.

   The unknown UK one is just HORRIBLE, though! God, it BURNS! Even Bandai’s is better.

3. GameSpot reviews Star Fox Command. 7.5, even though I don’t think much of scores. That’s a bit higher than Assault, but less than Adventures and 64.Their pluses and minuses sound fine by me, though. So my interest remains.

   Says the ending is anti-climactic, but it can’t be any worse than Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga‘s.

4. GameSpot got to preview hands-on Super Mario Strikers Charged.Sounds pretty good, in a way. As I’ve pointed out here before, “realistic” sports games outside of wrestling(go ahead, laugh, it’s good for the soul), or maybe a little golf, don’t do a DAMN thing for me, but the Mario sports titles have been surprisingly intuitive and fun for me to get into, and the demo of Super Mario Strikers I’ve played at Best Buy for the GameCube was no different. Truth be told, I had an easier time on that than I did with Ice Hockey for the NES.

   So if Charged remains par for the standards set, it ought to be fun… even if you don’t like sports.

5. A Penny Arcade video game?I never play PC games, really, but hell, I might consider giving this a shot.

   Oh, my mistake, it’ll follow on next-gen consoles. Wonder if it’ll still be digitally distributed there?

   Lucky the developers have a solid pedigree in licensed games.

   Not really enough info to say much else, though. With any luck, maybe it’ll play out like their recent “Armadeadon” story arc.

6. Ok, so $600 isn’t all bad if it can cure cancer.So let’s see, PS3 has cancer covered, Wii has Lose Weight Exercise, DS has your brain… what’ve PSP or 360 got to offer?
7. Mario would just like to say, “Thank-a you so much for-a to playing my gameses!”Here’s hoping that they decide to do a sequel, then.
8. Sounds like multiplayer on Zelda: Phantom Hourglass comes up a bit short.Not that I expect to play it as much as the 1P game, though, so as long as that one is still poised to rock, I’m ALL good, baby.
9. GameTrailers has a new trailer up for Sonic Rivals.Pity the voice at the end ruins it. And if someone needs to be told that PSP stands for “PlayStation Portable,” what the hell are they even doing here?

   Anyway, this looks to be quite fun. After all, some of the best parts of Sonic history are the races, like Sonic vs. Metal Sonic in Sonic CD, or my personal favorite, Sonic vs. Shadow in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.

   The downside? Casino Night Zone was a favorite in Sonic 2, and they made a whole game around THAT, and… well, results were mixed, at best.

   Guess we’ll have to wait and see if this one shapes up before it ships out.

10. Next-Gen adds a new installment to their “A Short History of” features with Electronic Arts:Electronic Arts is known for ruthlessly guarding its market dominance through franchise purchase and protection. Curious then, that it began life with a noble mission to foster and reward ‘art’.
11. GameCube by Nintendo, approved by Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends.
12. Go Nintendo also links us to an episode of the Legend of Zelda cartoon, titled “Kiss N’ Tell.”
13. Hmm, interesting.So while the Sony PS3 will cost you $600, the Nintendo Wii will gain you $600.

    At least in Australia. Nice.

14. Schweet, nFreaks has Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis art in great size and abundance.Shame that it’s all watermarked, though. Shame, shame, shame…

    Can’t help but wonder what the “C” is on some of the Mini-Donkey Kong’s ties…

    On a related note, however, Nintendo ought to market some Mini toys. I know I’d like one.

15. Go Nintendo reports on “Wii Forgive?”, an interesting piece by GayGamer looking at general feelings on the name when it was announced 4 months ago, and how people see it today.Oh, sure, Revolution had a dynamic name, but frankly, I’ve never hated Wii.
16. WiFi play for Star Fox Command sounds like it’s working pretty well, maybe I’ll give it a go sometime, provided I can actually get the game.It’s compared to Star Fox 64‘s, which wasn’t bad, but it often felt like there was more hunting than fighting going on. Hopefully this remedies that in a good way.

    But it sounds quite promising, hopefully better than Mario Kart DS‘s.

17. Oh, how about that. Go Nintendo linked to a forum thread regarding that whole Mega Man ZX voiceover biz I wrote about.Wish I were credited, but what are you going to do, I guess. Heh, it even mention’s my wife by name.

    Still, less than favorable? Come ON, Maverick Hunter X‘s voices were great!

    Just no pleasing some people.

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18. Wow, they’re doing Lode Runner for the DS?I remember that game, but by name only. Cool to see it resurface again.
19. Nnn.Sounds like WiFi for Wii third parties won’t be available at launch.

    That’s no good. What’s with that, Nintendo?

20. Wow, Nintendo totally ought to find a way to capitalize on this.Maybe.
    

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21. Wow, this is kinda hot….

    *coughs*

    Er, I mean, interesting. Yes, quite interesting indeed…

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22. I actually read a little of this yesterday, and I have to say, Bully sounds more interesting than I’d initially thought.

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23. Seems IGN has some new videos of Sonic the Hedgehog. Oh, and more over here.Speaking of which, Game Informer or Play or one of those magazines says that Shadow is playable exclusively on the PS3 version.

    I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

24. Club Skill shows love for the Wii as it tries out “Wii Shooting”.I still want a new Duck Hunt, for real. Oh, and Hogan’s Alley.

LBD “Nytetrayn”