Since I had an awkwardly-timed update early Friday evening, I figured I’d do a weekend wrap-up here to try and catch things up a little for tomorrow.

1. To start off, TransFormers. Some images of movie Thundercracker have surfaced, revealing that he seems to have a remolded head, in addition to the newer, more Thundercracker-esque paintjob.

   In addition, lots of other merchandise has surfaced. Interesting to see a more “toon-ified” version of the movie characters on the coloring sets. And it looks like Dreamwave’s art is still making the rounds, too.

   TakaraTomy have a catalog of movie toys, which you can see here, and more info on the “movie-vision” Optimus Prime, exclusive to Target, can be found here.

   It might seem a little old-hat at this point, but Entertainment Weekly reportedly has a new image of movie Optimus Prime, plus a Q&A with Big Bot himself, all of which can be found online.

   As to the last question? Oh, SNAP.

   A new two pack that names Optimus as Leader for the Ages? Well that’s just Prime.

   And speaking of which (as we usually are), IDW has revealed a little about the upcoming TransFormers: Spotlight to star Big Red himself.

   On the game side of things, 1up has a preview of the upcoming PS3 game based on the movie.

   Finally, Ben Yee’s BWTF.com brings a bevy of reviews: Titanium Scourge, Cybertron Defense Red Alert, and Cheetor and Rattrap from the BotCon 2006 Dawn of Futures Past set.

2. Racketboy’s Retro Gaming looks at the best undiscovered GameCube games, though as of this writing the site seems to be experiencing some difficulties that prevent reading the full article.

   However, it opens up with one of my personal favorites, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, a very unique and very fun sidescroller. When I first got to play this at Nintendo World the day before the Wii launched, I was instantly in love, and was heartbroken to find that despite having it on display, they lacked any copies for sale (Donkey Konga 2 with the Bongo controller was going for about 20 bucks). Fortunately, I was able to eventually find the game in a two-pack with one of my wife’s Christmas presents, Donkey Konga 2, at Wal-Mart. So we still lack an extra set of bongos, but at least we got game.

   Anyway, this works well as something of a “stress relief” game. Much like Burnout, you can work off a bit of stress or frustration after a long day by pummeling at those bongos.

3. Word is that Square-Enix may be looking to adopt a more remake-heavy business model, based on the success of past ventures.

   Me, I say remake Bushido Blade and Super Mario RPG already.

4. GameTrailers has an exclusive Ninja Gaiden Sigma trailer available for your perusal.
5. Over in the UK, existing technology has been implemented to create a way for celphone users to help find missing kids.

   Sounds cool to me.

6. “Nintendo doesn’t make games for hardcore gamers.”

   I think I agree with RMC on this one. What-freakin’-ever. If it’s true, then maybe it’s for the best, as I don’t have that kind of time to spend on a single title; going through Zelda: Twilight Princess is a rather daunting task as it is. But I’m enjoying it quite thoroughly.

   So maybe I’m not a hardcore gamer. I’m happy to simply be a gamer.

7. If you’re a Wii owner with a Sam’s Club membership, this may interest you…
8. I missed this at GameSpy, but Go Nintendo found a Top 25 list of cinematic video game moments.
9. Tom Green and Tony Hawk talk Wii.

   Now with less Desu.

   Actually, the clip’s nothing that grand, but it’s a slow day, what do you want?

10. Kotaku has found an interesting item, Game Over! The world’s most inaccessible game.

    A free download for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux, it’s “a 21-level game built to illustrate the frustrations of inaccessible game design by making each level an example of how limiting certain design decisions can be for disabled gamers.”

    Interesting stuff.

And that’s pretty much a wrap for now, see you tomorrow!

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. The Virginia Tech shootings. Certainly a tragedy by pretty much anyone’s definition.

   Or at least, it should be.

   Which is why getting e-mail like this can be something of a head-scratcher.

   Yeah, I realize they’re trying to pay their respects, but… well, let’s face it, it just LOOKS wrong.

   I can’t say Yahoo! did much better with their “An uplifting note at Virginia Tech” thumbnail, which seems to do a nice job of echoing the “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” scene of The Shining.

   I don’t know. Too soon?

2. Word from The Official TMNT Web Site is that this week, Target stores will be getting adult men’s t-shirts featuring images of the Turtles from 2003 by Michael Dooney.

   And yet once more, I am forced to lament the lack of Target stores in Canada. At one point, I’d heard that Zeller’s might be bought out by Target, and you have no idea how happy the thought made me…

   Anyway, here’s a sample of Dooney’s lovely work for Mirage’s comics.

   Additionally, longtime fans might also recognize this image he created, as well.

3. Over at The Allspark, some new bits of TransFormers fun and fascination have arisen, including a video of movie Optimus Prime’s holo-driver gimmick in action, and Remy has a new gallery of Titanium Ultra Magnus, and new banners/standees, displays, and teaser-sheets are making their way around.

   Man, I’d love to get my hands on some of that. Pity I can’t afford to get out much for that any more…

   Heck, I’m still trying to get a poster from the first Spider-man movie with the release date on it (which was my birthday, hence why I want the date).

4. Got this from commenter Insho at Atomic Fire: Mugen of four Omegas fighting.

   Kinda neat. And it links to Hunter Zero vs. Omega Zero.

   But, how does Omega fare against the Dark Hadou power of Evil Ken and Ryu?

5. Ed Boon talks a little about the future of Mortal Kombat, and how it will likely be different from the series’ norm.
6. Over at GameTrailers, some interview time is given for Mega Man ZX Advent and MegaMan Star Force.

   Doesn’t seem to say too much, except Star Force is planned for August, and ZX Advent for September or October. Seems to throw off the traditional Battle Network June releases by a bit.

   Also, they mention more use of the DS’ features in ZX Advent that are supposed to be intuitive…

7. Screw Attack’s Video Game Vault takes a look back at the recently-revived (discussion-wise, anyway) Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game.

   And what’s more… they like it.

8. N-Philes looks to the past as they ask, “what if Nintendo had created Achievements first?”
9. At Go Nintendo, they’ve found an interview in which Konami discusses Castlevania on Wii.
10. Microsoft Customer Service: The odyssey continues.

    Eesh. It makes me question how much I want a 360. I mean, given the alternative…

11. I wish American Pepsi bottles were this cool.
12. It’s a question I’m sure everyone’s wondered now and again: does Microsoft need Japan to succeed?

    …and does that girl’s arm really need to be detached?

13. Awesome house, but why on Earth is it playing Super Mario Bros. on a gold cartridge upside-down?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Over Allspark’s way, we’ve got a number of new character bios to check out from the upcoming TransFormers movie.
2. Plus, the almighty Megatron returns to store shelves in force. Check out Remy’s gallery of Titanium War Within Megatron and Great Goldran’s review of Nike Free 7.0 Megatron.
3. Angry Video Game Nerd as Spider-man.

   No, I did NOT need to see that. Thanks for asking.

4. From Racketboy, there’s clearly something to be said about remaking Street Fighter II with high-resolution sprites by Udon:

   Kick. Ass.

5. Evil Avatar raises a good point about the lack of retaliation from the game industry in regards to idiots like Thompson and McGraw.

   Granted, in Thompson’s case, nothing short of rocketing him into the sun is sufficient, but still. This sort of reminds me of back when every other word out of SEGA’s mouth was about how lame Nintendo was, and they just took it. That was bad, this is worse.

   Of course, in the perspective of history repeating itself, maybe revenge will be extra sweet.

   We can hope.

6. Wow, the Game Boy Advance had more get-up-and-go than I thought.

   Too bad support already got up and went…

7. Go Nintendo has a neat link from GameVideos, showing off a neat 2-minute Mario montage.
8. So, what would it be like if your first video game console was the GameCube?

   Newsweek editor Andrew Cohen finds out, with his son in tow.

9. Would this count as taxation without representation?

   The mind wobbles.

10. Atari and Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater founder Nolan Bushnell talks Wii and more with Joystiq.
11. Keeping things moving, they also have I Am 8-Bit coverage.
12. For the younger crowd: justify your hobby against the pundits with this declaration.
13. An interesting piece of mixed-media, “Son of Super Mario.”

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. TransFormers news! Not much, actually, but anyone who knows me knows that things like this are why I should be working for Hasbro.
2. Press the Buttons examines the ever-changing reflection of the Japanese arcade scene, versus its dwindling American forefather.
3. So, the top video at GameTrailers right now is Haloid, which is exactly what it sounds like, a fan-servicey mash-up of Metroid and Halo.

   A fun watch, as long as you don’t take any of it too seriously. Features some nice computer animation, I’m assuming homemade, and I think features every aspect of a Samus/Master Chief meeting one would want.

   Well, except maybe one…

   In addition, an interesting bit of rant follows beneath it wherein the author looks at the state of trying to create an original property versus something people already know.

4. WHATCHA GONNA DO, BROTHER, WHEN HULK HOGAN STARTS SINGING LULLABIES TO YOU?!
5. I wish that I’d get a recruitment letter like this.
6. Just feel like mentioning that, to me, Captain Whiskers from the upcoming Sonic Rush Advance looks like the bastard lovechild of Megaman & Bass‘s Pirateman and Big the Cat.

   And that’s either horrible, or awesome. Maybe horribly awesome.

7. So, would you sell yours?

   Because, let’s face it, you probably aren’t going to be able to get another one later.

8. Microsoft vs. Nintendo: Customer Service. Who wins?

   Go Nintendo share their thoughts.

   …not that the winner really comes as any surprise.

9. MTV takes a pretty good look at how ridiculous some game concepts are, and how Super Paper Mario spoofs them.

   We just need something about random encounters, and we’re all set.

10. Two rules for theft: 1) Don’t steal a Wii, and 2) don’t do so while drunk.

    Or else you will be condemned to Fail.

11. So, game publishers are threatened by user-created content.

    There’s a very simple solution here.

    Make better content!

    Seriously, if a guy in a garage with an Intel and a shoestring budget is a bigger threat to you than a publicly-traded company in Silicon Valley, then you probably have bigger problems to worry about on your end.

12. Dear Nintendo: Just don’t let them do pop-ups.

    Personally, I prefer the good ol’ PC for my navigation needs. Got my keyboard for easy typing, my mouse for easy navigation… I just use the Wii’s stuff when the wife has annexed the Compaq for her own needs.

13. Guess what the first backwards-compatible game for the XBox 720 will be?

    I kid, it’s just a website game.

    …for now.

14. Dear Digital Gravel: Quit playing games with my heart.
15. Wiidiocy from the BBC.

    “They’ve contacted some of the world’s best clueless experts about how the Wii may be a silent killer (read: you’ll have a sore lower back if you play too long).”

    Oh, well gosh, that makes sense. And here I’ve been hearing about how walking is the best form of Lose Weight Exercise, yet my feet hurt when I do it for too long. Guess I better cut that crap out.

16. One of Sony’s better advertising moves, in my opinion.
17. Remember that whole deal with Circuit City giving you a $20 gift card if they were out of Super Paper Mario? Something to bear in mind should they bring about similar offers in the future is that it turns out that it was all a bit shadier a scheme than many expected.

    Poor form, CC, poor form.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Over at Atomic Fire, more Mega Man from IGN and some additional ZX Advent tidbits have surfaced.

   …”Magical Girl Mega Man?” Color me intrigued.

2. Retro Gaming with Racketboy is offering up a chance to win a book of Retro Gaming Hacks, and the first issue of SEGA Visions.

   And the contest rules couldn’t be simpler!

3. In addition, Racketboy takes a look back at Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and why it was aptly called “For Super Players” in Japan.

   Seriously, though, after playing through this, is it any wonder people would find New Super Mario Bros. easy?

4. GameTrailers offers up a history and character overview of Paper Mario to anyone who’s not kept up.

   I might look, but I still want to play the first game fresh, so I may pass.

5. ScrewAttack.com looks back at a truly difficult game in Ghosts n’ Goblins.
6. I wonder if we’ll be treated to anything like this when Guitar Hero 3 comes out for Wii.
7. First, you moved to Animal Crossing.

   Now, it’s time for Animal Crossing to move to you.

8. Pictures from the Nintendo World Store fashion show.

   Quite nice.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. I think Splinter’s had enough of Shredder’s crap (page 2). Definitely some amusing stuff from the original Mirage run.
2. 9 million years ago… War was beginning.
3. Go go Ranger oldschool with Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Season 1′s first ten episodes, coming to DVD!

   The catch? They’re in French.

   Think of it as an opportunity for learning how to speak such important things in the “language of love” as:

   “It’s morphin’ time!”

   “What is it, Zordon?”

   “Tyranosaurus!”

   “Morphinominal!”

   “Make my monster grow!”

   and

   “OOOOH, I have a headache!!!”

   Order now!

4. What color is your sofa?

   What a world…

5. Press the Buttons knows the love of Super Paper Mario.
6. GameTrailers has a new look at Resident Evil 4 for Wii, which shows off how some of the controller functions will work.

   I just hope the game isn’t full of those prompts…

7. GameDaily looks back at the 10 greatest Mario games of all time.

   …sorta surprised that Super Mario Sunshine made the list, but it is number 10. Still, though, I’ve had more fun with other Mario games, and not just because this uses a waterpack. It is gorgeous, however.

   As for Mario Kart DS, I still don’t care for the flakey online play.

8. Plus, check out their look at what went wrong in video gaming’s biggest catastrophes.
9. Entertainment Weekly apparently likes Super Paper Mario.

   Go figure. I didn’t even know they reviewed games. Could this be the power of Wii?

10. Now this is how you promote a game.

    Not that it’d work in America…

11. It’s nothing really new in the slightest, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything really dedicated to covering Konami’s old penchant for basing game characters off of Hollywood’s greats.
12. Funny, everything I’ve seen says that Spider-man 3 is coming May 4th, not 1st.

    Oh, and expect ten times the story of the movie in the game adaptation.

13. Say, dat’s a purty mug youse got d’ere.
14. o/~ Taisetsu na mono protect my balls!

    Let’s fighting love! Let’s fighting love! o/~

15. Oh, snap.

    Chalk one up for Nintendo and Super Paper Mario.

16. “Tifa stars in comic porn.”

    “You know you’ve got a slow news day when…”

17. The creator of Harvest Moon has some advice for Nintendo.

    Would you agree?

18. 1up.com delves deep into the world of video game localization and how publishers go about reworking games for new and different audiences.
19. Want to find a job in the game industry?

    Perhaps 1up can help.

    Though I’d tread lightly with anything involving both “Ziff-Davis” and “gaming journalism,” at least if you want a paycheck.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Many a person grew up in the world of professional wrestling, and in that world, they grew up with Hulk Hogan.

   Which is why this event was so damn defining for years to come.

2. From shinkuu: Haruhi on Broadway!

   …just without the actual Broadway.

3. scans_daily takes a look back to the time when Charlie Brown was badass.

   Ok, so “dick” may be a more apt term, but really, look at the crap he gets when he’s not. This is a lot more refreshing than old “good grief.”

4. Newsarama talks with Drew Seldin from Wizard about unfair trade practices regarding the death of Captain America, and their store having plenty of product ready to sell at multiples of the cover price, whereas most retailers had no idea what would come when ordering.
5. ScrewAttack.com’s Video Game Vault looks back at Spy Hunter.
6. Some love it, some hate it.

   Where does GameTrailers fall? Find out in their video review of TMNT: The Video Game for the big consoles.

   Incidently, if you’re into old-school brawlers and River City Ransom/Double Dragon-esque gameplay, it’s hard to go wrong with the GBA version.

7. David Jaffe speaks his mind, and Sony shows support for it.

   I applaud them for this show of support, rather than a show of snipers situated on rooftops across the street.

8. Remember those goofy Wii remote attachments? The tennis racket, the golf club, and such?

   N-Philes has found the next batch, now made to resemble a shield and some short swords.

   They’re cool, but I’m not sure if they’re $30 cool.

9. New Itagaki interview, about Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword.
10. “Objection?”

    No, none at all.

11. onNintendo found this peciliar mix of Pokemon anime and 300 sound.

    “Tonight, we dine in Meridian City!”

12. My condolences to Go Nintendo, who suffered a devastating loss of content this past week.
13. Don’t know how they did it, but these Twilight Princess images are pretty neat.
14. EGM chats with Koji Igarashi about Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, now that it’s been out for awhile.
15. How well do you know Mario?

    Neat little quiz, rather easy, though the setup is lacking with the redundant confirmation of answers. Some additional trivia as you go might’ve been a nice touch.

    And I got 10/10, a “Mario Maestro.” Go me.

16. Lost In Blue 2 is getting reviews, but I couldn’t find the first one (wanted to give it to the wife at Christmas), so I’m a little indifferent at the moment.
17. Major Nelson talks Wii, among Halo 3, Guitar Hero, and other things.
18. …what madness is this?

    Stuff like this is why so many user-created levels in stuff like Mega Man Powered Up suck, by the way.

19. Top 5 Budget DS Titles.

    While I’m dying for Sonic Rush, I’m betting it’s not “budget” here in Canadia yet.

20. Slashdot has a bit about the making of Maniac Mansion, a game I’ve got sitting here and still need to play.
21. It’s getting so that you just can’t take a big announcement seriously anymore.
22. Stuff like this just makes you wonder, you know?
23. Gotta love Nintendo, making with the birthday presents and all.

    Hey, Nintendo, I’m turning 28 in less than a month, can I get a copy of Super Paper Mario? I’ll say nice things, I promise!

    …I’m such a shill. But at least I’m an honest shill.

24. Everyone makes mistakes, even Nintendo. Case in point.
25. A new webcomic… about game testers?

    Hmm, if that’s what game testers look like, I should try out…

    Oh, wait. By that logic, I’m not qualified. Rats.

26. Johnny Cage rocks.

    Because Johnny Cage is not afraid to diiiiie!!! o/~

    Bonus points if you know what that’s from.

27. Everyone’s talking about this new game review blog, Action Button.net.

    So clearly, I need to figure out their PR secrets.

    But more to the point, opinions are rather… mixed. Mostly between “full of crap” and “huh?”, but at least they’re talking about it and checking it out.

    Me? They gave Balloon Fight 3 out of 4 stars, so they’re alright in my book.

28. Nintendo is teh kiddy.”
29. Uwe Boll defends Postal.

    Yeah, good luck with that.

    Also, note how well-read the good “doctor” is at the bottom.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Not a good night for me. I get on the wrong bus coming home (seriously, two buses with the same number and street at the same station, going in different directions? Could one not be 52, and the other 53 or something?), and after arriving home, my stomach starts to not only disagree with me, but pretty much revolt outright.

I’m not up to a full update tonight, but I’m not leaving you guys empty-handed, either. So he’s sort of a combination TDS/PoI for you.

1. From everywhere I turn: This guy needs his Little Goldmen kicked in for this.

   Here’s one for you:

   Q: What’s the difference between an art thief and their works?

   A: It’s usually the wrong one that gets hung before a crowd.

   Ok, maybe a bit harsh, but still. Poor form, Toddy.

2. I like ThinkGeek.com, probably more than anyone reading this might realize.

   From The Allspark, check out these cool animated t-shirts.

3. And since I’m at Allspark anyway, some TransFormer tidbits:

   New books on Amazon, Phillipines get movie before we do, tiny RC cars based on the movie at Radio Shack, Pepsi cross-promotion (I may have to put my regular Coke-drinking aside this summer), lots of tickets for BotCon movie screening, and pics of Megatron’s toy in the box and Bonecrusher and Swindle.

   Whew!

4. Newsarama’s “Animated Shorts” remembers ReBoot, a show that should never be forgotten, but seems to have been by the very company which created it.

   Plus, a glimpse of the upcoming ReBoot art book that I just know you’ll be adding to your shopping list…

5. Newsarama also has a peek at a clash of Avengers vs. Avengers.

   And I just got to the point I like having Dr. Strange on board a LOT more.

6. Is a new Sonic game already under way? Press The Buttons reports on the registering of the trademark “Sonic Rush Adventure”.
7. I don’t mind blowing air into the DS mic or onto the screen now and then. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was one case I liked.

   But for the most part, I can do without. Battle Mode in Mario Kart DS is my #1 offender thus far.

8. Namco Museum DS, with Pac-Man Vs? I can dig it.
9. This is why you don’t want the government involved in video games.

   “Oh, sure, but that’s China,” you might be saying, but knowing some of the nutballs like Clinton and Lieberman in Washington (to say nothing of He Who Shall Not Be Named), does it really seem that farfetched that they’d like to implement something similar?

10. This is why I don’t really trust “professional” game reviews very much.
11. Wiitar Hero?
12. GameTrailers: Good-bye to GameCube, Super Paper Mario review, and a Custom Robo Arena review.
13. Next-Gen looks over many Super Paper Mario reviews.

…and that’s all for me. See you all tomorrow night!

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. The Allspark has dug up an interview with TransFormers star Shia LeBouf, including some talk about the movie’s rating and “THE FLAMES.”

   In addition, they also have a first look at the TransFormers-themed versions of Risk and Chess.

2. Over at BWTF.com, both Energon’s Constructicon Maximus and Cybertron’s Excellion have been reviewed.
3. A look back at 15 years ago… when Superman died.

   Comic’s appreciation class? There’s a course I wouldn’t mind taking…

4. The father of GI Joe: A Real American Hero, Larry Hama, discusses his work on an upcoming story starring the ninja in white, Storm Shadow.
5. Rockman Perfect Memories has dug up a little bit of info regarding what the new Model-A can do in the upcoming Rockman ZX Advent.

   There are also some pics, but frankly I’m disappointed that it seems the rapid-fire ability of Axl from Mega Man X8 won’t be used here. However, the Homing Shot is an intriguing replacement…

6. Over at Press The Buttons, Matt looks back at how he got Mega Man 4 way back in the day.
7. Racketboy’s Retro Gaming checks out what the best bargains for SEGA’s Dreamcast are.
8. Following up on a previous report, more about how a creative visual style can effectively negate shortcomings of technical specs on a game system.
9. Congrats go out to Michael Pena, who was able to be the WWE Raw GM for the night thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, even making the main-event for the next pay-per-view.

   You the man, Michael!

10. GameTrailers shows off the Wii controls for WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008.
11. ScrewAttack.com takes another look back into Nintendo’s sordid CD-i affair, unearthing the all-but-forgotten Hotel Mario.
12. Was holding on to this, but since it’s a slow day and Go Nintendo has it, check out this retro-hack of Super Mario 64, designed to harken back to the NES days of the original Super Mario Bros.

    The video’s slightly out-of-date, but you can see an update pic here.

    Dig the old-school eyes.

13. Bowser Jr. says “bite me!”

    It’s a dog-eat-dog world, alright…

14. Everything about these DS Lites looks good except the price.
15. When the armies of darkness rise up and threaten Hyrule, be ready.

    Great for cosplay, but I’ve seen better, too.

16. You grew up shooting stuff. Should your kids?
17. I’m still not entirely sure I get this whole “Achievment Points” thing and how it works, but man, they do sound sort of cool, don’t they?
18. New Mario toys’n things = Drooling LBD.
19. SimCredit?
20. They’ve taught typing, geography, history, and more.

    Now, Mario and Luigi are here to teach you Italian!

21. WHY. WON’T. YOU. JUST. DIE?!

    A question asked many a times by game players, and asked once more by Scott Sharkey in They Is Risen, a feature about the top 10 video game deaths which seem to mock the entire concept.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. If you missed Game Head on Spike TV (it’s really not a bad show, don’t confuse it with those “awards”), they say it should be available online tomorrow (today?).

   Not bad, it was neat to see them talking to the staff of Nintendo Power. Ah, my dream job. Among some other stuff there. They also have a new trailer of the Spider-man 3 video game, a review of TMNT, and some other neat bits.

2. Oh, wow. Speaking of TMNT, got some great stuff here for you.

   First up is the rather cool opening to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare. Between the stuff I’ve heard about the game (less repetitious than the original, less crappy platforming than the second), this opening and stuff like this outtake make it a total must-have for me. Too bad that it still seems to command a premium around these parts…

   Other stuff, a little more oldschool:

   Hebrew opening to the original toon.

   And Italian, too!

   A bizarre remix. But it sorta works.

   Speaking of Italian, here’s the opening for the ’03 series in Italian. Kinda nice.

   And in case the otaku in you isn’t satisfied, they’re now getting the new toon in Japan, and this is their opening, apparently with the title Mutant Turtles, according to ninjaturtles.com.

   Which is funny, as it’s made up chiefly of cuts of scenes from actual episodes instead of the original animations for the opening. Much as American studios seem to do with anime…

3. Ah, SEGA.

   A once proud, mighty company who stood toe-to-toe with Nintendo, the company has a long and storied history alongside which many grew up with. And with that history lies the names of many a franchise, some beloved, others forgettable.

   Along the way from hardware manufacturer to software developer, it feels like SEGA has seen some of their best-known franchises fall off the rolling wagon. And while some, such as After Burner are getting new releases, and others like Ristar are being revived through the Virtual Console, there are still many left wandering in limbo.

   Retro Gaming with Racketboy takes a look back at SEGA’s best, at their past, their present, and their possible future.

   Needs more Bug!, though.

4. Evil Avatar has a question from Gamasutra: “is there anything wrong with the PSP?”

   Ultimately… I don’t think so, beyond the price and perhaps more fragile nature of the beast. It’s a good piece of hardware that just doesn’t have the numbers on its side, in my opinion.

5. GameTrailers previews Super Paper Mario. And as I found out only too late, there’s a potential spoiler as to who one of the secret playable characters may be, but there’s a good chance you’ve already guessed it if you’ve followed the game at all so far.

   Is there anything left to say about this game before it comes out?

   Besides “I WANT IT SO DAMN BAD!!!” that is?

   In addition, there’s also a commercial with the “Wii guys.”

6. Hold it!!!

   GameTrailers also has the new Gyakuten Saiban 4* trailer, as well as the Japanese commercial.

   But first, we need 3!

   * Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney here in the English-speaking countries.

7. onNintendo has found Infendo’s list of things we know about Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, some of which are “Point-n-shoot controls with the Wii remote, Stackable beam, Command Visor, Multiplayer, New hunters, Full voice acting, Very good graphics, and more.”

   Voice acting? I wonder if Samus is a part of that…

8. Go Nintendo has found the boxart and some screens for the Dragon Quest/Mario crossover game Itadaki Street DS.

   But, will it ever see a release here?

9. Oh, Engrish… is there nothing you can’t make better?
10. Kotaku presents: A video history of Mario.

    Word is, it’s a little slow, might wanna grab a sandwich or something.

11. A YouTube member by the name of “CrappyCaptureDevice” has made a series of videos that look at the history of Super Smash Bros. Melee, or rather, a number of elements used within the game.

    Accuracy of some stated facts is a little questionable in some cases, however; I’m pretty sure Luigi slid and jumped the same way in the video as he does in the US Super Mario All-Stars version of The Lost Levels.

    Despite that, though, it’s a nice bit to watch as we wait for Brawl, and it’s neat to see where a lot of things are derived from. Who knows, you may learn something new about your favorite character!

12. So, why do games get delayed?

    Bugs and glitches? Quality control? Yes, that’s part of it.

    But not the only reason.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”