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We Don't Do April Fool's Here
April 1, 2009
Review: Hasbro Family Game Night Scrabble for the Xbox 360

Xbox Live ArcadeOne FastWhat, a review? Yup! We managed to score review copies of the first four titles in the Hasbro Family Game Night family, and we're starting today with Scrabble.

The good: it's a solid port of the classic board game with bonus modes allowing for new, dynamic modes of play.

The bad: EA's servers tend to prevent you from playing the game online without bugs.

The obscene: EA's servers can also prevent you from playing the game locally. Meaning the full game you paid for won't work properly. Don't say we didn't warn you-- we enjoyed what we played, but the flaws on the server side of things render the game unplayable at times. Read our full review of a game that's simultaneously a welcome addition to your gaming library and a fundamentally broken piece of software all at once. We'd love the game if the servers didn't hurt the game, which they currently do. Reviews of Connect 4, Battleship, and Yahtzee will be coming over the next few days. That's right kids-- we're doing more video game news again!

--AP

Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Tusken Raider Anakin Skywalker

From left to right: Tusken Raider, Anakin Skywalker. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Transformers Masterpiece Edition Grimlock Gallery

TransformersMe Grimlock Cost A LotOur pals at The Allspark added a great Masterpiece Edition Grimlock Gallery. Hasbro has been evasive about its US release, but the dinosaur robot is out in Japan right now for a little over $100. It looks stunning-- take a look at the pictures!

--AP

Wii Downloads This Week

WiiPUNCH!Wii Ware this week has Bonsai Barber, a game which involves gardening. No, really. It's a clever idea-- have you tried it? How is it?

Virtual Console fans, it's another great week! Nintendo released the hard-to-find Super NES title Super Punch Out!! for $8. A bargain! It's everybody you love from the original, more or less, except Mike Tyson. Kudos, Nintendo, on bringing back more of the games people are asking for to the Virtual Console!

--AP

The IT Crowd Season 1 Released, Season 2 Details Update

DVDIT is ITSeason 1 is in stores this week, but you might be interested to see the revised art and supplement list for season 2 on TVShowsOnDVD.com. The show had been airing on IFC in the USA but appears to be pulled from the schedule, possibly to avoid hurting DVD sales.

--AP

I Will Show You The Meaning Of Shame!
April 3, 2009
Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Tusken Raider Princess Leia

From left to right: Tusken Raider, Anakin Skywalker. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Botcon Thunder Clash Revealed

TransformersSo Much White!The final figure of this year's Botcon set has been revealed, and it's Thunder Clash, a clever reuse Transformers Energon Rodimus mold, but the coloring... it doesn't seem complete, does it? We love the garish UK-accurate colors but we could stand a little more deco on the all-white torso there.

--AP

The Diswasher: Dead Samurai Released for Xbox 360

Xbox Live ArcadeNot Goofy EnoughThis week it's The Diswasher: Dead Samurai, a commercial release of an XNA contest winner thing from a while back. There are cyborgs and dishes and stuff. Let us know if you tried it. $10, or 800 MS points.

--AP

G.I. Joe Resolute Confirmed by Adult Swim, Hasbro Marketing Twiddling Thumbs

G.I. JoeYo Joe!Hasbro's G.I. Joe marketing team proves its non-worth today as Adult Swim leaks the news that they will be airing a cartoon which we've known about for nearly a year now. Call us old-fashioned, but aren't there usually announcements or press releases when a show comes to be rather than it limply appearing on a cable network's web site schedule? This is kinda sad for a start for what many are hoping will be a fun show, particularly since the toys for the show were released months ago and there seems to be no attempt to let people know that the show is coming. Does it suck or something? Either way, set your DVRs for early/late April 25/26!

--AP

Ad: Save up to 80% at Entertainment Earth's Anniversary Sale

Entertainment EarthSAVE BIGAd: Another year, another sale! Save on hundreds of items from Hasbro, McFarlane, Mattel, and more at the Entertainment Earth Anniversary Sale! Over 500 items have had their prices slashed, and several have already sold out. You can get Mr. Potato Heads as low as $3.30, Counselor Troi for $3.30, and discontinued Star Wars toys for about $5 or $6!

There's also a FREE General Grievous mug available to all who spend $49 or more on in-stock merchandise. Check it, yo.

Thanks for your repeated purchases! (We get a chunk of the sale, you see.)

Transformers Optimash Prime Mr. Potato Head Star Wars 30th Anniversary Stormtrooper Action Figure Marvel Select Iron Man Action Figure

--AP

More Gaming, More Often, More Or Less
April 6, 2009
Transformers Animated Target Exclusive Sale (NOT CLEARANCE), 80% Off

TransformersHail Megatron!Target retail stores have a number of Transformers Animated toys on sale this week. Deluxe figures are down to $8, larger toys are at least $2 off, with the Leader-class figures at a very low $29.99. However, the real big shock is the apparently chain-wide, unadvertised sale on their Voyager-with-Activator exclusive packs. Formerly $24.99 a pop, you can now get Shockwave (Purple) with Bumblebee and Sunstorm with Ratchet for $4.99. This is not a typo. We went to 3 Target stores, of which 2 had signs up advertising the new lower price, but all 3 had them scan at $4.99. If you like Transformers or if you know someone who has a birthday coming up, we cannot stress how good these deals are. Typically, each Voyager-class toy is $19.99-$24.99, while the Activators toys tend to be around $7.99. So as you can see, getting the Activators-class toy for $5 is pretty awesome. Especially when there's a much larger exclusive toy packaged with it. Happy hunting!

This is not a clearance price. The prices will likely be jacked up to $24.99 come next Sunday. Don't say we didn't warn you.

--AP

Star Wars Q&A, Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Q&A by Adam PawlusGalactic Hunter Star Wars NewsGalactic Hunter has posted a new Q&A column this week! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!

Figure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

C-3PO

From left to right: C-3PO, removable limbs from 1998. It has aged extremely well. Later today we're going to post another one. We're going to use the big pictures as long as they fit. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Ghostbusters Egon Spengler with Slimer Debuts at Comic-Con

DC ComicsMold, spores, and Fungus!Site Super Hero Times has the scoop on all of Mattel's Comic-Con plans! The debut of the Ghostbusters line will take place with Egon Spengler, packaged with an exclusive Slimer figure! We gotta get it. And so do you. We expect it to be $20-$30.

--AP

Transformers G1 Soundwave Returns as Comic-Con Exclusive

TransformersReissue Superior, Price Inferior!The Transformers Club confirmed Hasbro will sell a reissue of Soundwave at Comic-Con this year for $50. They say it will be the single-capacity version with Buzzsaw, Laserbeak, Ratbat, and Ravage. (No Rumble or Frenzy, apparently.) Still, it seems to be the most complete reissue of the character yet so if you need one, why not go for this one? The last release was a Toys "R" Us exclusive in the USA, and it was $30 with 2 tapes and a unique double-capacity torso.

--AP

Justice League, Super Friends, More DC for Mattel's Comic-Con Offerings

DC ComicsWonder Twin Powers, Activate!Site Super Hero Times has the scoop on all of Mattel's Comic-Con plans! For Justice Leage, there's a 3-pack with Abin Sur, Pre-Lantern Hal Jordan, and Sinestro. DC Universe has the Super Powers characters the Wonder Twins! There's also an offer for a free Infinite Heroes (3 3/4-inch scale) Anti-Monitor. Good times!

--AP

Masters of the Universe To Get He-Ro for Comic-Con

Masters of the UniverseHe-Ro!One of the great "lost" toy concepts was a "Powers of Grayskull" expansion for Masters of the Universe during the 1980s. The idea was that it took place ages before the story of Prince Adam, and would bring in new heroes like He-Man's ancestor He-Ro with his guide, Eldor. This figure is going to be a Comic-Con exclusive this year, so if you're going to San Diego this July, bring some cash for this guy. He-Man.org has the scoop.

--AP

Hasbro Family Game Night drops to $13.98, Target

PlayStation 2Not Bad!If you have a Target store nearby, check out their clearance and/or PlayStation 2 section. EA's Hasbro Family Game Night (which has 6 games and not Scrabble) has been marked down to $13.98, which is actually a stunning deal for what you get. The collection includes Boggle, Sorry!, Sorry! Sliders, Connect 4, Battleship, and Yahtzee. Normal price for this particular edition is $20-$30, so that ain't bad. You may need to dust your PS2 first, but still, if you're one of the few gamers who just bought one after the recent price drop then this may be an ideal game to gift someone or buy for yourself. There's other clearance stuff to be had at Target but nothing seems to involve Mr. Potato Head or the major game franchises we generally discuss here, so happy hunting, cheapskates!

(The Wii version is about $40 and the Xbox 360 version, which we're presently posting reviews for, is $10 per game for a grand total of $70. Last gen fans, you get the best deal here.)

--AP

Nintendo DSi Released, World: "Meh"

Nintendo DSNow More Expensive!Like the leaked memo indicated, the Nintendo DSi was released in the USA yesterday for a much higher price. The new revision of the handheld takes the DS Lite, slims it down, drops the GameBoy Advance slot, and added two cameras and internal storage for downloading games, like the WiiWare service. Also, some new releases are reportedly unplayable on the old DS models-- so keep an eye open for that when you make your purchases.

--AP

Xbox 360 Price Drop: You're In The Movies: $10-$20

Xbox 360Now Cheaper!Good news if you want a cheap Xbox camera! Microsoft has dropped the price of You're In The Movies to $19.99. What's better, Amazon had it for $10. We say "had" because they're accepting backorders now, but there you go-- if you're playing Viva Pinata Trouble in Paradise, that's a cheapo camera for you right there. The reviews we've heard of the game itself aren't too fantastic, but really, this is a PSA to get a cheap camera. So there you go.

--AP

Guns, Sharks, and Plinko
April 7, 2009
Review: R-Type Dimensions for the Xbox 360

Xbox Live ArcadeIrem's FinestAnother review? But of course! Today we look at one of our favorite gaming genres of the 1980s with the 2009 release of R-Type Dimensions on the Xbox Live Arcade service.

The good: it includes the original versions of R-Type and R-Type II plus enhanced versions of each which will make your HDTV jump for joy. Your old TV will love it too, and your PSP will wonder why it's being left out of the party. Intense fun for shooter funs and a great introduction to the world of the bullet hell shoot-'em-up for the neophytes out there.

The bad: Difficult, arguably expensive for an XBLA title at $15, difficult, doesn't offer new stages, and it's also difficult.

And honestly, the bad is just picking nits-- the original games were tough-as-nails quarter munchers, and the game's new infinite modes let your play through the entire game with the ease that the Game Genie may have granted you in a previous life. If you like Gradius, Darius, or R-Type, and for some reason haven't checked this one out, do give our review a once-over. It's rare that a game developer cranks out an experience that's both as good as your memories with an extra coat of shine to make sure you'll have a good time rather than just taking a brief nostalgia trip.

Tozai's next game, Lode Runner, is coming later this month. They have a Facebook, which is something we should probably get around to doing some day.

--AP

Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Clone Trooper Heavy Quad Gunner

Today's figure: Clone Trooper Heavy Quad Gunner. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

MST3K Volume XV DVD Update

DVDLess or More?The site TVShowsOnDVD.com confirmed that due to technical mumbo-jumbo, they're going to play musical chairs with the extras on their new Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume 15 DVD collection. Click the pic to see the news on what was dropped, and the non-news of the replacement non-announcement. Which wasn't mentioned yet.

--AP

Toys "R" Us, LEGO Set Up LEGO Town Set Vote

LEGOConceptual!LEGO and Toys "R" Us posted a poll for fans, complete with concept art, allowing collectors/kids/you to vote on a future release! Your choices include a City Square, a Public Transportation Center, and a Truck Stop. All three look awesome, we're sure as heck not sure which one we're going to vote for. On one hand, crazy truckers. On another, there's a statue to deface. And on the third, vestigial hand, there's crazy bus hobos. Decisions, decisions! Go vote.

--AP

Nintendo Wii Downloads This Week

WiiAVAST!Wii Ware this week has EQUILIBRIO, a game which uses the controller or the Wii Fit balance board. You move a ball into a hole, much like Friday night. (You remember, right?) It's 500 points/$5.

Virtual Console fans, it's a classic, or so we're told because we never played it! Nintendo released the Super NES title New Horizons for 800 points/$8. A strategy title, it involves things like boats and history from about 500 years ago. If you love the Age of Discovery and 16-bit era titles form Koei, this may be the best thing that's ever happened to you.

--AP

Nintendo DSi Downloads This Week

Nintendo DSNOM!With the advent of the Nintendo DSi, which you can read about here on the blog of some chick named Carolyn that we follow on Twitter, Nintendo tossed up a bunch of games on their new online store for downloadable software. The portable comes with a 1,000 point/$10 credit. So what can you buy? Quite a bit.

1. Nintendo DSi Browser: Free, web browser. 2. Bird & Beans: Based on a fun game in WarioWare in which a bird eats beans, 200 points. 3. Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face: some sort of magic card trick thing, 200 points. 4. Art Style: AQUIA: a puzzle game, 500 points. 5. WarioWare: Snapped, a new entry in the great microgame series with camera compatibility, 500 points. Brain Age Express: Math involves math, and "express" is code for "smaller." 800 points.

--AP

Xbox 360 Achievements Achieve Metagaming Greatness

Xbox 360Achievement Gotten and Stuff!Gaming site Gamasutra has a great article on the popularity of the increasingly ubiquitous metagaming element known as the "achievement." Specifically, Microsoft's version of it. To date 2.5 billion achievement points have been unlocked, which is pretty amazing considering that some are actually difficult to get. (Seriously, how many people get 1,000/1,000 on anything?) The most interesting factoid? Microsoft thanks these achievements as increasing the game to console attachment rate. While we don't think we've ever bought a game just for the points, it's certainly true that we kept playing some iffy ones just to get a few extra achievements.

--AP

Konami to Release Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on Wii, PS2, PSP

KonamiSCARE!We love games, but we aren't experts in survival horror. Konami sent us a news release on their new game, so we're going to go ahead and just print the intro for you.

"Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. [yesterday] unveiled the latest iteration in the popular Silent Hill franchise scheduled to launch this fall on Wii, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and PSP (PlayStation Portable) system. Featuring an interactive user interface, improved puzzle system, and a psych profile that changes the experience based on the players' gameplay choices, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories conveys the most fluid and realistic gameplay of the series to date." The game is scheduled for release this Fall.

--AP

Capcom's Multiplatform Flock can has Street Fighter's Blanka

CapcomGRRRRAH!After what we assume were a bunch of delays, Capcom is releasing the cute puzzler Flock this week. It will cost $15 in whatever currency you use on the Playstation 2, Xbox 360, or PC. Early reviews are quite positive.

On the eve of its release, Capcom sent around a video showing off a cameo appearance by none other than Blanka, the green-skinned electric fighter from Street Fighter II and beyond. Why? We're not sure, but it makes us happy. The game involves your UFO capturing and basically manipulating livestock, which means the sensibilities of pastural Scotland have finally been merged with that of America's heartland. We're very interested in giving this one a whirl.

--AP

Pretty Sneaky Sis
April 9, 2009
Review: Hasbro Family Game Night Connect 4 for the Xbox 360

Xbox Live ArcadeWhy I OughtaIt's rare that there's a board game that makes the transition to electronic format that goes from being incredibly simple to surprisingly robust. Connect 4 is indeed surprisingly robust. Most importantly, it's fun, which is not what you would expect from a game that you thought you grew out of when you were 12.

The good: The classic game is augmented by additional modes with special "power chips" you have the option of using. Exploding chips? They're here.

The bad: EA's servers may prevent you from playing the game online without bugs, just like Scrabble.

For $10 you might think it's slightly overpriced, and compared to the retail disc Hasbro Family Game Night, it is. But it's $10 for Uno Rush, we didn't find Connect 4 to be lacking in variety and fun, and we're still going back for more.

--AP

Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Rotta the Hutt R4-I9

From left to right: Rotta the Hutt, R4-I9. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Transformers Masterpiece Edition Grimlock Upgrade Kit

TransformersMe Grimlock Need HatMere days after its release, fans are already cobbling together an add-on kit for Masterpiece Edition Grimlock! It still isn't available in the USA (although Hasbro is hinting it's coming), but you can pick up a set of gear including his much-needed crown. Neat!

--AP

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, Flock! Released for Xbox 360

Xbox Live ArcadeFlockThis week you've got your choice of two slightly more expensive titles. Weighing in at 1,200 points ($15) it's Flock!, a title published by Capcom in which a UFO herds livestock. We can't wait to play it. It's also coming to the PC and Playstation 3 for their equivalents of $15, which we believe to be $15 in real money.

Puzzle Quest: GalactrixAlso new is Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, which we're told is part RPG, part puzzle game. It's also supposed to be pretty great and significantly better than a similar recently released title on the Nintendo DS. It's 1,600 points, or $20. We're planning on having more on both of these shortly.

Also news, you can now buy all of these games (and many older Xbox Live Arcade titles) via Amazon-- as in, without having to buy Microsoft points first. You check out via Amazon, and they give you a code, the code is redeemed on the console (or via the Marketplace page), and presto-- you've now put an end to trying the lowest common denominator for points!

--AP

Sam & Max Graphic Novel Reprinted, Bundled With Game, Nom'd for Eisner

Video GamesMe Grimlock Need HatOur pals at Telltale let us know that (in their own words): "The Eisner Award committee has just revealed that our 20th Anniversary Edition of Surfin' the Highway, the complete Sam & Max comic collection, has been nominated for an Eisner in the Best Graphic Album -- Reprint category." Neat!

No word of a brick-and-mortar sales option yet, but they are selling them online for $30-$100, depending on if you want paperbacks, hardcovers, cartoon DVDs, and other goodies. Surely, a great deal. Here's hoping the original LucasArts game might get a reissue sometime soon!

--AP

Everyone Hates Politics
April 10, 2009
Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsYodaFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Yoda is pretty swell-- he has a cannon and everything. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Botcon Boxed Set Bios Revealed

TransformersNEW!If you like such things, Botcon posted all five bios from their upcoming boxed set-- Flak, Scourge, Kup, Landshark, and Thunder Clash are all present and accounted for! There's no mention of Unicron, and the art is pretty fantastic. (We think we know the artists but we aren't sure.) Do check it out.

--AP

Original Perfect Dark Coming for Xbox 360?

Xbox Live ArcadeIggy would be proudAccording to intel (pics) obtained by IGN, it seems Rare's Nintendo 64 title Perfect Dark may be on the way to the Xbox 360. After the original Xbox 360 PD adventure, we're not sure why, but hey, if it's cheap to do why not right? Click through for more, as well as a hearty "no comment" from Microsoft.

--AP

Batman: Arkham Asylum CE Detailed

BatmanDamn Right It's ExpensiveNot only will Eidos' new Batman game have the voices of the real Batman and Joker from Batman: The Animated Series, but fans will also have the opportunity to pony up big bucks for a collector's edition of the game. And now you can see what it comes with on their Facebook page. It has a batarang. It comes in a batarang-shaped box. There's some nifty books and disc art. Sold yet? Click through to see more. This game should retail for $100 for the CE. The title (we're not sure if it's the CE or both) will be on the Xbox 360, PC, and Playstation 3.

--AP

Capcom Releases Flock Figure Set

CapcomMOOOO!If you thought that a little toy UFO and some livestock are just what the doctor ordered, Capcom's online store has just the housecall for you. This odd little $30 toy set includes eight animals and a space ship. The ship's top is removable with storage space for the animals, plus you can put the UFO on a plastic display stand. Kudos to Capcom for cranking out the toy before fans had to beg for it. Nintendo, we're looking at you for some toy Metroids. Still. 22 years later.

--AP

Future Sailors
April 13, 2009
Star Wars Q&A, Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Q&A by Adam PawlusGalactic Hunter Star Wars NewsGalactic Hunter has posted a new Q&A column this week! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!

C-3POFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson! Today: Even Piell, the Jedi Master as reissued in 2008. He now has a better paint job and a spiffy blue lightsaber! Later today we're going to post another one. We're going to use the big pictures as long as they fit. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Sequel to NES Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! Revealed, Finally

Video GamesSpace Punch!Site GameSetWatch has a lost chapter from your childhood, assuming you were a kid in the late 1980s. Mike Tyson's Intergalactic Power Punch is the spiritual sequel to the classic boxing game, except you play Mike Tyson rather than Little Mac, and your opponents are space aliens. Seriously. We can't make this stuff up. Go check it out, there are videos and a healthy backstory on this project of the damned.

--AP

Transformers Botcon Razorclaw Leaked?

TransformersGeewun!Various fan sites have shots of a bagged toy that showed up on TaoBao.com. It's the Leobreaker toy from Cybertron, repainted as Razorclaw. It looks great! Since it's bagged, and based on some rumors, it's likely a Botcon exclusive item-- it of course won't be confirmed until the show next month. But it looks pretty sweet, don't it?

--AP

More King Of Fighters Screens Revealed, Characters Too?

Xbox 360Mai Mai Mai!SNK Playmore's new 2D fighting game is totally 2D. And oh yes, more pictures got out. Lots more. Kotaku seems to have some speculation on which new characters might appear, and by new, we mean old. We can't wait. This game will be on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

--AP

The Legendary Starfy Coming to US DS, 4 Games Late

Nintendo DSNot Kirby!After 3 games on the GameBoy Advance and 2 on the Nintendo DS-- in Japan-- Nintendo is bringing The Legendary Starfy to the USA. Kotaku has some shots of the game, which we've played a little bit in the past. It's like a Kirby game, but under the sea. It's really good fun, and we look forward to trying one in English for a change, particularly since Nintendo has mentioned possible releases of the series over the past few years.

--AP

Dusty, Dusty Garbage
April 14, 2009
Review: Hasbro Family Game Night Battleship for the Xbox 360

Xbox Live ArcadeI Sank Your Battleship!We march along to the third of four games (so far) in EA's Hasbro Family Game Night package with a look at Battleship on the Xbox Live Arcade service.

The good: 3D renderings of a plastic game, exciting bonus modes, nifty high-power weapons, and oh yes-- it's fun..

The bad: EA's servers trip up at times, hampering online play as well as local play on occasion. We're not sure why this is, and we dislike not being able to enjoy the game to its fullest.

What you have here is a game that's tons of fun to play which is hampered by a few bugs which should have been QAed out. We still keep playing it-- read our review to find out why!

--AP

Yet More PS3/Xbox 360 Arcade Sticks From Who The Heck Knows

Video GamesConceptual!For about a year and change now we've been in the market for an Xbox 360 arcade fighting stick worth a damn. We are not a handy people, and Hori/Mad Catz products have been in short supply in our Los Angeles game store circles. As such, we're at a point where we're trying a lot of unorthodox outlets to get a new controller of the gods. We'll tell you more about that situation if it pans out, but we did see a Google ad that caught our eyes-- and we know absolutely nothing about the company. It was just new to us.

Some company called "Gadget-Asia" is selling Xbox 360 and PS3 fighting sticks for like $50-$80 US. We're suckers for a look at new fancy controllers. If by some chance you've heard of these or have tried one, do let us know, we're a nosy bunch. The design looks like a few of the sticks we've seen around the interwebs, and well, they are indeed colorful. No manufacturer was listed, so we assume that the site may OEM it or what have you.

--AP

Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsSnowtrooperFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

This Snowtrooper is a mix of 1997 parts and 2003 parts. How does it work for a 2006 release? Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Nintendo Wii Downloads This Week; Hudson Making Some Sports Sequel

WiiAVAST!Wii Ware this week has Party Fun Pirate, which we are told is based on this other thing we've never heard of. But it does have pirates, so that's a +1 for interesting. It's 500 points/$5.

Virtual Console fans, behold the sequel to one of the most influential games of the modern era! Or rather a sequel. It's Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure for the Sega Genesis. You play Pitfall Harry's whatever and go through the jungle and do stuffs. We confess, we have not played this one.

Also, Hudson wrote in to tell us that they have something coming out called Deca Sports 2 due out this Fall. The canned quote from their press release reads: "Due to the massive popularity of sports games on Wii, the demand for in-game variety and online gameplay has never been greater," said Mike Pepe, Director of Marketing at Hudson Entertainment. "With online play and 10 new sporting events, we believe DECA SPORTS 2 will delight fans and new players alike." Games include: "synchronized swimming, motorcycle road racing, speed skating, ice hockey, mogul skiing, dodge ball, tennis, and darts, as well as lesser known international sports such as petanque and kendo." What the hell is "mogul skiing?" Do we have to make a Donald Trump Mii or something? We confess we never tried the first one, and it seems Metacritic didn't much care for it. But hey, mogul skiiing!

--AP

Hasbro/Shout Factory DVD Update

DVDPonies!Blah blah blah Hasbro blah blah DVD blah blah the following press release.

"Los Angeles, CA and Pawtucket, RI ­ Shout! Factory and Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) today announced a multi-year, multi-property alliance to bring the original animated TV series THE TRANSFORMERS and the G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO animated series, along with MY LITTLE PONY Twinkle Wish Adventure to the home entertainment marketplace. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory founding partners Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos, and Lisa Licht, General Manager, Entertainment & Licensing, Hasbro.

Under the multi-year agreement, Shout! Factory will be the exclusive U.S. and Canada home entertainment distributor for the original animated TV series The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO DVD franchise properties, and a MY LITTLE PONY animated direct-to-DVD release.

"TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE and MY LITTLE PONY are three uniquely celebrated brands and are part of the American cultural fabric," stated the Shout! Factory founding partners. "Given the breadth of Hasbro¹s toys, games, television and live-action feature films, we are thrilled with this premiere alliance and to be able to bring these timeless original animated series and new titles to multiple generations of fans."

"Shout! Factory has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for our brands and we are very pleased to be aligning ourselves with them," said Lisa Licht, Hasbro¹s General Manager, Entertainment & Licensing. "This agreement is in sync with our strategy of working with premier companies to provide people with a wide-range of entertainment beyond traditional toys and games."

Shout! Factory plans an aggressive rollout of these Hasbro titles later this year utilizing the same sales and marketing strengths that has made them one of the leading independent DVD suppliers in the home entertainment industry."

--AP

Nintendo DSi Downloads This Week

Nintendo DSNOM!Got a DSi? You have options! One is Mixed Messages, a party game for up to 21 players. Yes, 21. The news release says it's like "telephone" in that you pass a message from player to player. It's 500 points/$5.

Your other option is Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games. It's $2 (200 points) and includes some vanishing card trick thing.

--AP

No Sympathy For The Devil
April 16, 2009
Review: Homestar Ruiner for the Nintendo Wii

WiiSo why does he wear gloves?Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the point-and-click or walk-and-type adventure genres were dominated by LucasArts (formerly LucasFilm Games), Sierra On-Line, and a few other companies which brought us numerous awesome quests. And then they all went away. Thankfully Telltale Games is continuing to support the genre with gems like Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner for the Nintendo Wii and the PC. We're looking at the Wii version. (And yes, this did come out last year.)

The good: The large-ish game can now be booted from an SD card thanks to a recent firmware upgrade, the game is just like an interactive cartoon, and it's lots of fun if you like the show.

The bad: All over rather quickly, the puzzles may have more steps to solve than you would like, if you're done with Strong Bad you might hate this.

If you look at this as 1/5 of a 5-episode, $50 adventure title, it's arguably well worth the bucks. We had enough fun to play through it before writing the review, which speaks volumes to busy gamers like us-- so we're convinced that we liked it. Read on to see what we had to say!

--AP

Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Darth Maleval Clone Trooper Pilot

From left to right: Darth Maleval, Clone Trooper Pilot. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

OutRun Online Arcade Released for Xbox 360

Xbox Live ArcadeFlockThis week you've got a remake of a real classic. Weighing in at 800 points ($10) it's Sega's OutRun Online Arcade . Word on the street has it that it's got more bells and whistles than the last version of OutRun, plus it's cheaper. And looks nicer. We'll be trying it out as soon as the space-time continuum aligns and permits such flights of fancy, which may be this weekend.

--AP

Hasbro Confirms G.I. Joe Resolute Airdates

G.I. JoeBetter Late Than NeverBecause it's late and we're tired, we decided that rather than right a story pointing out that this was already on Adult Swim's schedule, we'll just cut together some sentences from Hasbro's new press release today. "Hasbro created 60 minutes of total content for this new story which will be presented as 11 episodes." Beginning on April 17, fans will be able to see the first five minutes of the brand new, stand-alone animated mini-series on AdultSwim.com. These episodes are broken down to ten 5-minute episodes and one 10-minute finale. Following the first episode on April 17, subsequent installments will be posted on the Adult Swim website leading up to a full presentation of the entire series. This finale will be broadcast on Adult Swim April 25 at midnight. This televised event will not only feature all episodes seen online, but will be the first time fans can watch the final 10 minutes of the G.I. Joe: Resolute saga. All episodes, including the finale, will be available to view online after this airing."

So it'll be short, but hey, new Joe toons that don't have "Sigma" or "Six" in them!

--AP

Rot and Re-Decay
April 17, 2009
Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsPalpatineFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Emperor Palpatine is a pretty nifty figure, and now he comes in this rockin' decaying color. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Playmates' Star Trek Line Released, Figures Meh

Star TrekNEW!After being unceremoniously ushered from toy aisles by Star Wars and lagging interest in the 1990s, Playmates has returned to Star Trek, which has brought the final frontier back to mass-marketers. That's the good news. Also good news is that the roleplay toys look particularly sharp, the vehicles are nice, and the figures in the 3 3/4-inch scale include big accessories which tie in to larger playsets. The bad news? The figures suck.

You can see these at Wal-Marts, Targets, or online stores right now. "Original Spock" (Leonard Nimoy) seems to be one of the better ones, with a decent likeness, good pose, and the Vulcan-by-way-of-Judaisim salute. Some of the other figures, Kirk in particular, we're not entirely sure if they started working on before or after casting was completed. The heads are kind of small, but some complained that the heads and hands of the 1990s line were too large. Whatevs. Go check 'em out.

The film hits theaters in about three weeks. And we're very much looking forward to that. Also, Playstation 3 now has Star Trek costumes in Playstation Home. How 'bout that?

--AP

New Xbox 360 1 vs. 100 Trailer, Greatest Hits Box Revised

Xbox 360SagetInitially announced as (we think) a launch feature of the "New Xbox Experience" last year, the whole Xbox Primetime idea of real people competing for prizes and stuff was delayed. But now, Joystiq has a new trailer of the game. What's there? Lots of avatar support and footage of the actual game show. What's missing? Bob Saget. We wants us some aristocrats.

Also notable is that Microsoft has come up with a new "Greatest Hits" packaging. Game companies traditionally muck up their boxes after a game hits a certain sales milestone, and while we'd be happy with the same old boxes with a new sticker (as fairly picky collector types), this is OK. Not great, but OK.

--AP

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Still Coming to Xbox 360?

MarvelDoomWhile we reported buzz of this game like a year ago, it looks like Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is pretty much a sure thing for the Xbox Live Arcade in the near future. How do we know?

Some lovable genius leaked the achievements to the wonderful, the fantastic, and the (so far) 100% accurate Xbox360Achievements.org. Obviously this is not a confirmation from the publisher, but we weren't able to get a confirmation on Arkanoid Live either despite it having been popped up. It's like when a toy pops up on a Chinese auction site-- it's not an official announcement, but if you can pull your fingers out of your ears you can probably take what you see at face value. That, and Capcom hinted that they were looking in to this one ages ago. So there ya go. Don't go selling off your Dreamcast version just yet, but well, maybe you should.

Oh, and apparently someone at MadCatz was smart enough to cash in on this one too. If this is accurate, a Fall release seems likely.

--AP

Street Fighter IV to Get Unique Xbox 360, PS3 "Championship" Modes

CapcomSho Ryu KenWord of a "Championship Edition" update of Street Fighter IV was out and about prior to the game's release, and we were told this should have been made available around the game's release. It isn't out yet, but Capcom is now talking about this new update.

On April 24, you will be able to get this update, which Capcom says includes spectator modes, savable replays and visible input commands (Xbox 360), a voting system (PS3), and a new tournament mode with CP (prize points.) They mention it's like "prize money" but we're not sure if that's a metaphor or something you can cash in for, say, unique outfits and costumes or something.

--AP

Don't Turn My Blue Skies Black
April 20, 2009
Star Wars Q&A, Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Q&A by Adam PawlusGalactic Hunter Star Wars NewsGalactic Hunter has posted a new Q&A column this week! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!

StormtrooperFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson! Today: a Stormtrooper from 2002. This redeco dropped the gun rack, but also dropped the heat-activated battle damage markings. Later today we're going to post another one. We're going to use the big pictures as long as they fit. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Capcom Passes Us The Street Fighter IV "Championship" Modes Details

CapcomSho Ryu KenCapcom sent us what this free "Championship Mode" will include. Rather than try and write something amusing, we're just going to give you the relevant details.

"Championship Mode offers you the chance to compete in 5 different grades of tournaments, creating the right challenge for players of every skill level. You'll score Grade Points (GP) for tournament wins, and as your GP total grows, you'll become eligible to enter into more exclusive tournaments. Winning tournaments will also net you Championship Points (CP). CP are like "prize money" up for grabs in the tournament. The higher the GP skill of the players in a particular tournament, the bigger the CP prize!"

...no word on what good CP will do you. We sent in an inquiry and will let you know if we get a response.

"On the PlayStation Network, you can rate matches while you watch according to characteristics such as "awesome" or "funny." Replays are then ranked based on these vote ratings. On Xbox Live, instead of rating the matches, you can choose to download and save your favorite replays to study the players' techniques. You'll also be able to turn on the input commands from both players to be able to review their button and joystick motions in precise detail."

--AP

Transformers Comic-Con Mighty Muggs Optimus Prime Exclusive

TransformersGeewun!The next Comic-Con exclusive out of Habsro is this shiny metallic repaint of the Transformers Mighty Muggs Optimus Prime. The standard edition is in stores now, but the new version will have shiny metallic paint and a foil-covered box. And cost more. It's pretty shiny, so don't complain you just bought the regular one if you would rather have this one-- we tried to warn you.

--AP

Adult Swim.com Streaming G.I. Joe Resolute Episodes

G.I. JoeMai Mai Mai!That pretty much says it all. The FLAGG is in it, there's a lot of killing, and it's pretty violent. And so far, fairly humorless. The series is a bunch of five- or so minute installments, so if you saw the 2003-2005 Clone Wars series, this is exactly like that in terms of format. Check them out, two episodes were up as of press time with more scheduled to go up today.

You can find the best commentary on the show at this link.

--AP

Distortional Mix
April 21, 2009
Review: Mega Man 9 for the Xbox 360

Xbox Live ArcadeI Must Succeed!We pay tribute to our 8-bit lords this week with a look at Mega Man 9 on the Xbox Live Arcade service. The same game is on WiiWare and also the Playstation Network.

The good: The game is essentially an NES game from 1990, and tons of fun if you like that sort of thing.

The bad: It's way, way harder than NES games from 1990.

For $10 it may be the most fun you'll have in a long time, but then again, maybe you'll hate it because it's kind of old-fashioned. We loved it. Read on to find out why!

--AP

Video Game T-Shirts For People Like Us

Video GamesBullshirt!Over at BoingBoing Offworld there's a stunning gallery of new t-shirts based on old video games. Some of which are pretty amazing-- the Arkanoid and Galaxian shirts we would buy and wear proudly without fear of losing our lunch money. If you're of the 8- or 16-bit generations we think you'll enjoy the gallery.

--AP

Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsDarth VaderFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

This Darth Vader combined the best body 1998 had to offer with one of the better helmets of its day. How is it in 2009? Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Nintendo Wii Downloads This Week; Hudson Making Some Sports Sequel

WiiAVAST!Wii Ware this week has Crystal Defenders R1, and it's 800 points/$8. This makes it $2 less than the Xbox 360 port, which we found to be entertaining but we haven't yet unlocked the full thing. Basically, you set up some pixelly dudes who beat on classic Squaresoft enemies which march in a parade through some bushes. It's more fun than we made it sound.

Virtual Console fans, it's the Genesis Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair. Yeah, well, it's 900 Wii points/$9 so you probably wouldn't buy it anyway.

--AP

Nintendo DSi Downloads This Week

Nintendo DSPill Popper!Got a DSi? You have options! One is Dr. Mario Express, a one-player port of the classic NES/GameBoy game from 1990. Which we remember buying new, because we're very, very old. It's 500 points/$5 and if it's anything like the original black-and-white game we expect you will enjoy it.

Your other option is Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche. It's $2 (200 points) and apparently has a bucket of truth in it or something.

--AP

Do You Need Help Out To The Car?
April 22, 2009
Interview: Q&A with Taito Japan

Video GamesQ&A with TaitoWe recently contacted Japan's Taito Corporation for some dirt on Arkanoid Live, and not only did they write back, but they granted us a brief interview! We sent in some questions and got this reply, which we now share with you. We thank them for their time!

Highlights include:
- Arkanoid DLC, spinner compatibility
- Puzzle Bobble's future
- Arkanoid Live release information

Tell your friends!

--AP

Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsColonel Wullf YularenFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

This Colonel Wullf Yularen hit in January 2007, and it's pretty great! Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Lode Runner Released for Xbox 360

Xbox Live ArcadeLode RunnerThe Apple/Arcade/PC/whatever classic! Odds are you've played this in some form or another, and at 1,200 points ($15) we're fairly sure that Tozai's Lode Runner will be worth playing when it becomes available for download shortly after this post goes live. A level editor is included, so there should be a lot of replay in this title. We'll let you know when we get our hands on a copy.

--AP

Maria Bamford's Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome CD+DVD Released

ComedyPugs!If you've seen the various Comedians of Comedy tours you have no doubt seen the very funny Maria Bamford. Her third full-length comedy CD (likely the first you'll ever see in a retail store) hit Tuesday and it's called Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome. In addition to the comedy CD, a bonus DVD is included with all 20 episodes of her SuperDeluxe program, The Maria Bamford Show. We're likely to post a review in the coming weeks, but we expect you will enjoy this if you like the other stuff we post here. The DVD is about one hour and sixteen minutes, and the CD is just over 50 minutes.

The album is currently an unadvertised special at Best Buy stores-- it rings up at $9.99 rather than the $13.99 which is on the web site or on the price tag. For the record, her previous albums (which we've been able to find) are How to Win!, The Burning Bridges Tour, and a couple of EPs from Chunklet for the Comedians of Comedy tour.

--AP

Night Cheese
April 24, 2009
Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Quinlan Vos Keoulkeech

From left to right: Quinlan Vos, Keoulkeech. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Star Trek D-A-C Game A-Comin'

Star TrekThe Final Frontier!Coming shortly to PSN and Xbox Live Arcade is Star Trek D-A-C, but we don't know what those letters stand for. "Digital Action Campaign?" "Daily Automated Comeuppance?" We just don't know-- but the people at Paramount Digital Entertainment are telling us it's a shooter coming to consoles in May and the PC "shortly thereafter" (their words.)

Based on the press shots, we're not sure if it's a first-person game, a third-person game, or what. They did confirm 12 players and online play, so that's a good start. We'll have more... apparently whenever it is that we get it.

Star Trek: D-A-C Star Trek: D-A-C

--AP

WTF of the Whatever: The King of Fighters: Sky Stage

Xbox Live ArcadeKing of Fighters?We love shooters, we love SNK, and we love King of Fighters, but we're not so sure about putting all three together. "Sky Stage" is a vertical shooter in which your fighter, apparently, shoots stuff. We flat-out don't get it, and this may be the first time we write this, but we don't particularly think we'll care if this comes to the USA. After the Wii Castlevania last year we thought the days of shoving game X into genre Y were over, but no, apparently we remain too Pollyanna-ish for our own good. And for that, we apologize.

Meanwhile, it appears that Deathsmiles is not coming to the USA. That's democracy for you.

--AP

Hudson to release Military madness for XBLA/PSN/Wiiware

Video GamesMadness!We've played precious few PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 games-- so we're going to let Hudson describe this one.

The classic turn-based strategy series Military Madness, aka Nectaris, is exploding onto Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network and WiiWare this Summer. With an all-new graphical barrage, a regiment of new units, online co-op and vs. multiplayer, and a platoon of other new features, this is the maddest game in the series yet!

From the screen shots, it looks like it could either be really cool or a pain. Have you guys played the original? Let us know how it was.

--AP

The Client Expressed Resistance
April 27, 2009
Star Wars Q&A, Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Q&A by Adam PawlusGalactic Hunter Star Wars NewsGalactic Hunter has posted a new Q&A column this week! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!

Luke SkywalkerFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson! Today: Luke Skywalker in some crazy commando get-up. This new sculpt is pretty sharp, but Luke looks pretty old given he's supposed to be in the pre-Empire Strikes Back era. Later today we're going to post another one. We're going to use the big pictures as long as they fit. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Transformers Unlicensed Bonanza

TransformersNew Combiner!In a move which we assume will soon herald the end of Hasbro's "looking the other way" for various unlicensed add-on kits, a number of new made-in-China toys were revealed at TFCon in Canada, so says TFW2005. Toys which are essentially new Junkions and Springer were shown, fully transformable, and kinda cool. Oh, there's a new and original combiner team too. Want to see them? Of course you do.

--AP

AdultSwim.com Now Has All G.I. Joe Resolute Episodes

G.I. JoeReal American Heroes!Last weekend they posted the first couple. and now the whole show is up and ready to watch. Who lives? Who dies? Find out! Click the pic and watch the show.

--AP

Capcom Releases Street Fighter IV "Championship" Modes

CapcomDie 1,0000 Deaths, AgainCapcom did indeed update with the new Championship Mode as promised last Friday, so when you switch on your Xbox 360 (or we presume PS3) you will be informed that there's a new downloadable free package for you, and it's going to bug you to download it until you do.

We tried it a little and, while neat, the actual graded battles don't seem to offer a ton of fantastic newness to the title, but hey, it's a new way to mess around with online fights, plus they'll count toward your achievements/trophies/whatever. So if you haven't booted up Street Fighter IV since last Thursday, go do so and give it a whirl. It is, after all, a free upgrade. We'll screw with it some more and see if we like it any more. (The game itself was already pretty great, we're not haters.)

--AP

Best Buy Clearances on, Strong Bad Game (the PC/Wii one) DVD for PC

VideogamesCheap Thrills!The much-publicized Bet Buy $9.99 sale is on. We're not going into details because the selection is so "your mileage may vary" that we don't want to upset you if you miss the good stuff, like Infinite Undiscovery or Soulcalibur IV. So you might want to go check those out at your local stores.

Also new is a retail (or at least mail-order) DVD release of the entire Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People series. We'll be posting a review of the second episode this week, and Telltale Games is selling the whole ball of wax with extras for a fairly well-priced $34.99. (Each episode is normally $10.) There is currently no listed plans for a Wii retail release, but we're asking. Also, check out this LEGO Strong Bad model. We just thought you'd dig it. UPDATE: Tellatale Games has informed us that there are no plans for a retail Wii release at this time. So download those.

--AP

Go Mix
April 28, 2009
Review: Strong Badia the Free for the Nintendo Wii

WiiThe Redder, The BetterWe dug the first game in the series, so this week we look at the sequel. Yes, that's right, it's the 16bit.com review of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 2: Strong Badia the Free for the Nintendo Wii and the PC. We're looking at the Wii version, as that is our way.

The good: Significantly better script, funnier gags, excellent mini games, and the ability to light all kinds of things on fire.

The bad: It's basically more of the same with new stuff to do and a new script.

We made sure to actually finish the game, which we prefer to do, and we enjoyed it to the point where we'd suggest you try this one over the first episode if you're short on cash. Read on to see what we had to say!

--AP

Worst Kept Secret in Gaming Gets Official Announcement

MarvelDoomSince the ESRB announcement last year, the achievements leaking a couple weeks back, and the controller pre-orders all over the web, some people denied that Capcom would be producing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for the Xbox 360. Well, this is what you get for denying the obvious-- it's official, it's coming out in a couple of months, it's going to be $15, but there's a catch-- it's going to be on the Playstation 3 as well!

Capcom finally copped to the release, which is good news. You can read about it on their blog, but here's the important stuff:

  • Based on the Dreamcast version with new HD upscaling, widescreen options
  • $15 on Playstation 3, Xbox 360 this Summer
  • All 56 characters unlocked at outset
  • Custom soundtracks-- you'll never have to hear "Take You For a Ride" again!

We loved the Dreamcast version so we're probably going to get this one. It won't have newfangled redrawn character sprites, but as long as it looks decent we're going to be happy. Capcom will be releasing a Playstation 3 demo of the game this week, but will not be doing the same for the Xbox 360. Why? We have no idea.

--AP

Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsIbtisamFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Ibtisam-- who we've been calling "Ibitsam" for going on 15 years-- is a blue Mon Calamari pilot from Dark Horse's once-hugely popular Rogue Squadron series. We dig her. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Hasbro Announces G.I. Joe Comic-Con Exclusives

G.I. JoeReal American Heroes!This year, there's a 12-inch movie Baroness and a 3 3/4-inch Destro 2-pack. The lady comes in a fancy-pants box with some pretty slick art which we argue is better than the figure. Destro's packaging has only been partially revealed, and the figure hasn't been revealed at all. Hasbro.com has some more details, including the $30 price tag for Baroness and $25 for the Destros.

--AP

Nintendo Wii Downloads This Week; Hudson Making Some Sports Sequel

WiiAVAST!Wii Ware this week has Cocoto Platform Jumper, and it's 700 points/$7. We had no idea what the heck this was so we looked it up. An out-of-context sentence: "Cocoto, his little devil friends and the mysterious Fairy protect the secret of the magma - the source of their power - in a magic cauldron.." We think we'll go ahead and finally download Gradius Rebirth instead, thanks.

Virtual Console fans, it's the Super NES game Nobunaga's Ambition. The price is only 800 points to relive the game experience you were too busy playing Mario Paint to have tried the first time around.

--AP

Nintendo DSi Downloads This Week

Nintendo DSReturn of Paper Airplanes!Got a DSi? You have options! One is Paper Airplane Chase, which looks a heck of a lot like a Mac game we played many moons ago. It's $2/200 points.

Your other option is Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics. It's $5 (500 points) and includes Blackjack. You're thrilled, we can tell.

--AP

Land Of 1,000 Mixes
April 28, 2009
Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter

Galactic Hunter & Star Wars NewsHan SoloFigure of the Day has updated once again! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of The Legacy Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

This Han Solo is the Vintage Endor trench coat figure, minus the coat, and with a more waxy complexion. It was a Target exclusive. Still want to know more? Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Shout Factory Reveals G.I. Joe DVD Packaging, Contents

G.I. JoeReal American Heroes!Surprise-- it's gorgeous! TVShowsOnDVD.com has the full breakdown of what you get and how it's going to look. The first boxed set has 4 discs, PSAs, a Toy Fair presentation from 1963, and most awesome of all, archival toy commercials. We may have just sold ourselves on a set. Expect it this July.

--AP

Namco Bandai announces PSP Game, It's Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny

PSPRyu!While many have blamed piracy as being the key reason the Playstation Portable hasn't been going places, we've been fast to point out that there wasn't anything we found worth playing in the past year. Namco decided it was time to, you know, make something for it. That's the good news.

The bad news? It's a good game that recently went to clearance-- this game is a port of Soulcalibur IV (PS3, Xbox 360) but without the Star Wars bonus characters. Which is kind of a drag, as those were pretty sweet. The Magic Box posted a nice gallery, so we're going to send you over there. Don't forget that the console version of Soulcalibur IV is down to $9.99 this week on your platform of choice if Best Buy has any copies left, and we strongly suggest you pick it up at that price. Unless you simply have to have it for a portable.

--AP

Street Fighter IV PC Details Revealed

CapcomRyu!Capcom hasn't been too quiet about their intents to release Street Fighter IV for Windows, specifically the Games for Windows sub-platform. Meaning you can play on Windows Live (like Xbox Live), and you can earn achievement points too.

While we assume most gamers who want to play this will buy a console, Capcom did make a posting showing off its various graphical modes which will no doubt make your PC cry like a woman-- no particular woman-- when you try to run it. We suggest you spring the $200 on a cheapo Xbox 360 or a PS3, then get a stick. That's how a man plays his games.

--AP

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 HD Support Explained, Grandfathered In

MarvelOrange HulkIf you follow Retronauts on Twitter-- and you should-- you'd see this story (and another article from which it was born) explaining something you probably didn't know-- that Capcom has been using overpowered hardware and making its games in widescreen for longer than you might think! So it looks like it might be ready to go and look awesome without too much futzing with sprites. That's very good news, and it's a fascinating read.

Also, Capcom made a blog post about how it will be treating the old-definition sprites on the high-definition consoles, plus they posted some examples of what they're going to look like. Plus there's some dirt on how they expect it to play, how they got some fancy-pants hardcore guys to test it, all that jazz. Whatever, we're sold.

Further, Capcom's very own forums have employees dishing some neat dirt on the game, including they only have rights to sell it as a downloadable title (!), and that it's way too damn big to be a Wiiware title (duh). Nice to see a company actually addressing some fan complaints head-on like this.

--AP

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