Mr. Universal's Blog

With the hotly-contested US presidential election mere days away, it seems the opportunities for just about everyone to cash-in are really starting to dwindle fast.  So am I the only one who feels having exactly one/half of each Republican and Democrat ticket enter the Mercenaries 2: World in Flames fray as playable characters is just...awesome?  The Alaskan moose-hunter (complete with rocket-launcher) seems like a natural fit, while the Community Organizer savagely takes on a tank single-handedly...let's just say its not good for the tank.

Gov. Palin and Sen. Obama will inject themselves into the game as playable DLC hitting in November!  Just think - someday we'll all be voting through our gaming consoles, presumably the biggest Achievement of them all.  Get out and vote November 4th!!

Thirteen is an unlucky number indeed for Hank Hill and the family, as Mike Judge's beloved (but apparently not beloved enough) King of the Hill animated sitcom is set to conclude its 13-season run.  Everyone's favorite propane salesman from Texas will move into that big syndicated television in the sky after years of memory making, with the remaining 13 original episodes to end suburbia's most thrilling saga.

So what's a savagely brutal game about cute Japanese girls hacking and slashing up a few (dozen) zombies without an equally cute commercial to go along with it?  Watch adorable (and half-dressed) Asian cuties party it up while giving head...as presents!  Trust me, its nowhere as dirty as it sounds, but definitely one to watch as the upcoming Wii/Xbox 360 are officially on the way!

Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad hits the Xbox 360, while lucky Wii owners get Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers hit early next year!

With so many different rhythm-themed games hitting retail shelves lately, you'd think most fans would simply get lust in the rock 'n roll shuffle of every Guitar Hero and Rock Band clone, sequel, spin-off, and any combination of the three.  But sneaking up on portable gamers is the first sequel to the fastest-selling version of Activision's most successful franchise ever, as the Nintendo DS version of Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades finally gets a solid track-listing to help the hype go down easier.

Care to share the same stage with Boston and The Smashing Pumpkins?  Maybe you need a little Journey and Skynyrd in your life - or at least on hand for those agonizingly long bus rides.  Take a peek at the full listing after the jump, as the choices may surprise you...

With Nintendo's latest portable hardware refresh about ready to hit/invade Japan, its only fitting to start looking forward to a few new commercials for the upcoming Nintendo DSi unit.  Our first really good look at how the new console's built-in camera and photo manipulation software is sadly far too short, but showcases how the proper combination of the two could really help make the package work.  Remember how cool it was to pull and poke Mario's flabby face in Super Mario 64?  Think that, only its your own face - in real time.

Toss another 20 million into the pile right there, because at this rate the DS isn't going anywhere for a long, long time...

Now I know what you're thinking - who could POSSIBLY be offended by the image just above?  Unfortunately for mega-publisher Activision, its not a group of sexy ladies that's got THQ's knickers all twisted up, but a far less pleasing proposition.  It seems that muddy racing game Baja: Edge of Control has some box art that's a bit too similar to a certain Baja: 1000 game from THQ - and they're executing their constitutional right to sue the pants off Activision.

If you can tear yourselves away from the image above, keep reading to see the two boxes compared side-by-side (or from the top-down, which would make more sense):

Man alive, I love Halloween.  Where else can everyone flaunt their love of zombies so freely, and without regard to how other people think?  Such is the upcoming Call of Duty: World at War extra-special 'Zombie Bonus' campaign that's unlocked when you complete the primary campaign.  4-player cooperative zombie action awaits you lucky Xbox 360, PS3 and PC owners (no word yet on other console availability just yet), so soak in the brain-munching action while you can!

The original Ninja Scroll was probably the last true 'anime' that I could watch before the industry was taken over by over-anxious fans with little shame, and while that may sound offensive to some its still true.  Incredibly bloody, atmospheric, and oh-so-mature (if you count copious breast devouring as mature), Yoshiaki Kawajira's epic melding of sensory-overload storytelling remains a favorite among those craving more depth in their animated work, and its hardly surprising that a live-action remake is on the way, courtesy of Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Bros.

Just because its official release date has been pushed back (way back) into the middle of 2009 doesn't mean we still can't get a little hot under the collar for Harry Potter.  Or rather, the sixth film in the franchise Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  Bless those international trailers, what with their bonus bits and extra-footage, which is precisely what this most recent look at the film does.  Stoic Dumbledore?  Check.  Agitated Harry bemoaning his fate?  Double-check.  Somewhat ironic 'This Year' closing text?

You'd better believe that's a check!  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters July 2009!

So many remakes...so little time!  Namco Bandai wants in on the action, and if that means dragging a relatively obscure TurboGraphx-16/Genesis gruesome horror/action game back from the dead...so be it!  Although there's not much to see in the first trailer for Splatterhouse (as with most debut game trailers), stick to the end and you'll see a smidgen of footage, which makes the game look more like Sega's Mad World than the original game.

With the main character looking more like The Incredible Hulk than your standard hero, the jury's still out on this one, but if its half as entertaining as the hockey mask-wearing original, it could be worthwhile.  Certainly couldn't be worse than the recent Golden Axe abomination...yuck.

Persona returns to the PlayStation 2 soon, and to help celebrate Atlus is spreading the love with a huge gallery of specially-crafted webisodes (don't you just love online terms?), and we've got a good half-dozen of the buggers right here.  If you're loving the one just above, then hit the jump for the rest, plus a few choice details on how to score even more Persona 4-related swag.  What are you waiting for?

Its funny to see the change in interest and excitement from Resident Evil 4 to 5.  While the Gamecube original bowled us over, partly thanks to its refreshing zero-hype, lucky number five is coming with all the force and vigor of a hurricane.  And Capcom is right there, controlling the storm and making us count the days before we can finally get our greedy little hands on the new game.  To help celebrate they've opened up an all-new and ambitious website dedicated to all-things Resident Evil 5.

Completely Flash-driven (yay), the new site is packed full of interactive media, galleries, trailers, information and maybe a few of its ghoulish inhabitants.  If this sounds like a joy, head on over to the official Resident Evil 5 site and test the limits of your Flash-enabled web browsers right HERE!

Despite what you might have heard, the online world of Xbox Live isn't the most hospitable place.  In fact - on a good day - it can be filled with some of the most vile, disgusting, and racial hate-speech you've ever heard.  Again, that's on a good day.  While Microsoft has done an admirable job in keeping the vulgarity to a minimum with gamertags and text, the one area they've had zero influence is the one innovated by their inclusion of a headset with every account:  potty mouths.

Technology site Ars Technica recently uncovered with some super-sleuthing a patent filed by Microsoft in 2004 that will - dare we dream - put an end to the vicious nature of many (but not all) of Xbox Lives less than mature members.  The official filing (which can be found HERE) states the following:

"The automatic censoring filter employs a lattice comprising either phonemes and/or words derived from phonemes for comparison against corresponding phonemes or words included in undesired speech data. If the probability that a phoneme or word in the input audio data stream matches a corresponding phoneme or word in the undesired speech data is greater than a probability threshold, the input audio data stream is altered so that the undesired word or a phrase comprising a plurality of such words is unintelligible or inaudible."

To see how this could change the life and times of just about everyone, read on!

Although this year's Tokyo Game Show is but a distant memory, that doesn't mean the excitement has to die just yet.  Not with a brand-new Dragon Quest game on the way, and while there have been several attempts to convey the excitement many have for the upcoming Nintendo DS original Dragon Quest IV (in Japan, anyway), there's no doubt this one's a visual and aural stunner.  Check out the first (clear) trailer for yourselves right here!

What's that you say?  You actually finished off all of MegaMan 9's various modes and challenges...and you want MORE?  Good news than, as Capcom unleashed the second wave of DLC (that's downloadable content for you non-knowing types) and while there's a lack of a new playable character, say hello to Fake Man (see his mug above) and his all-new level of disaster!

Hard Mode - Dubbed Hero Mode in Japan, this mode enables you to play the entire game on an increased difficulty level with alternate enemy distribution and spawning points. Hard Mode is not compatible with Rankings or Challenges Modes.

Expert Mode - Dubbed Super Hero Mode Japan, this mode represents the apex of Mega Man 9 difficulty settings and is not for the novice Mega Man 9 player. This mode triples the level of difficulty from the default Mega Man 9 game. Expert Mode is not compatible with Rankings or Challenges Modes.

Special Time Attack Stage - This DLC gives you an additional stage for Time Attack Mode, complete with an all new level and Robot Master Boss, "Fake Man." Similar in difficulty to the Willy Stages, players will have a fun time tackling this time sensitive competitive stage. Special Time Attack Stage is not compatible with Challenge Mode.

Capcom continues their curious staggering system of availability, with Wii owners getting their content starting today, Xbox Live owners tomorrow (October 21st), and PlayStation groupies bringing up the rear October 23rd!  Prices vary by console and digital exchange rate, so if even more Mega Madness is on your agenda...go to town!

While it may not have the cultural heft (and corporate might) of its fellow musical bretheren, Nintendo's upcoming and highly anticipated/dismissed take on the rhythm genre Wii Music isn't just sticking to the public domain for its tunes.  Not by a long shot, as the Miyamoto-developed musical experiment has cherry picked some of the most instantly recognizable pop-tunes from the last few decades of radio, skipping any semblence of a modern hit altogether.  Thank goodness.

Otherwise, we'd never get our own funky mix of the Jackson Five (I'll Be There) with Earth, Wind, and Fire (September).  How's about a little Sting (Every Breath You Take) action to go along with some Monkees (Daydream Believer) fun?  There's always room for a little WHAM! (Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go), while the most surprising entry may be from the Material Girl herself.  Who said Nintendo couldn't be progressive?  Full list after the jump!!

Hey you've got your Star Wars in my Soul Calibur!  But what if you're looking for something just a bit sweeter than delicious peanut butter and chocolate-inspred mixes?  Those gamers having picked up their respective copies of Soul Calibur 4 (see our official impression here) for either the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 have been waiting to finally mix 'n match their Jedis and Sith Lords since the game's release, and now it looks like the possibility is finally happening - its just gonna cost you a little something-something.

Although the images and pricing may be for the Japanese market, don't look for any substantial differences in currency when Yoda and Darth Vader make their way into North American consoles shortly.  400 Microsoft Points for access to Vader, while PS3 owners will have to pony up nearly $6 to get their Yoda action on.  The Japanese street date for both fighters is October 23rd, so expect a US announcement soon.

Hit the jump for an intergalatic gallery of lightsaber extravaganza!!

Chalk it up to common sense or controlled experiment, but a recent study suggests that those who use their brain's untapped potential more frequently are more likely to perform better mentally.  At the forefront of the research is Nintendo's popular and genre-defining game Brain Age (aka Brain Training) for the Nintendo DS in which the perpetually optimistic (yet strangely horrifying) Dr. Ryuta Kawashima acts as your virtual guide to daily brain stimulation across a variety of mental activities and mini-games.

More than 600 students from across 32 different schools particpated in the 9-week study, in which each played the game for 20 minutes prior to their regular classes, with a controlled group of students maintaining their regular study courses.  The results were astounding, with those game player improving their scores an average of 50%, improved test taking, and overall increased confidence in their own abilities.  Student also demonstrated improvements in behavior and concentration.

Even more results after the jump!

When word first broke that Microsoft's upcoming New Xbox Experience (NXE) would be too much for wimpy Xbox 360 Arcade consoles to handle by themselves, the company was quick to point out that a storage solution was in the works and they'd be announcing said solution soon.  Talk about a turnaround, as it looks like those wanting some bright 'n shiny Avatar action (not to mention the myriad of social-networking features) when the service hits November 19th can now breathe a sigh of relief as Microsoft has officially announced their solution - the Xbox 360 Memory Upgrade Program!

The name practically says it all, those users with Xbox 360 Arcade units and lacking the requisite 128 megs of memory needed for the upgrade can head on over to the recently released website to sign-up for either a free 512 meg memory card, or opt in for a vastly superior 20-gig refurbished hard drive for a palty $20 - which also includes a 3-month subscription to Xbox Live.  Check out the official upgrade site for yourselves by clicking the handy link below:

Xbox 360 Memory Upgrade Program Website

Xbox 360 owners might be experiencing a bit of deja vu this week as the anticipated start of the next Call of Duty multiplayer beta goes live!  Last year's beta for Call of Duty 4 was extremely successful, helping launch the multiplatform game to rave reviews and 10+ million copies sold, and while some may doubt of the next game's ability to match the former, no doubt that many a deathmatch-loving fiend will want to get their chance at some pre-release fury.

Sorry PlayStation 3 and PC fans, the Call of Duty: World at War beta is currently for Xbox 360 owners only (although a PC version will be available soon), and tokens can be had by pre-ordering the game at your local Gamestop or online by clicking right HERE.  Better get in on the action soon, as the beta carnage will end on November 11th, just in time to pick up the full retail copy of the game when it smashes into stores shortly after.  Three levels will be available to test your might:

* Castle: The Imperial Japanese Army faces off against the Marine Raiders in a daytime battle, located on the grounds of an ancient, Japanese castle.

* Makin: The U.S. Marine Raiders square off against the Imperial Japanese Army in a nighttime fight, set in an outpost on the Makin Atoll in the Pacific.

* Roundhouse: The Wehrmact will fight the Red Army to the bitter end in a daytime struggle that features tank and infantry combat, set in a desolate, war-torn European train depot.

A bit of colorful commentary after the jump...

Bet you didn't know how much you loved footage of spacecraft lifting into the heavens, did you?  In one small step for man, game developer and supremely-rich space tourist Richard Garriott (Lord British to his buddies) takes one giant leap for geek kind as he lifts off into the heavens aboard Soyuz TMA-13 on his way to the International Space Station.  With a pricetag upwards of $30 million for the trip, its a good thing so many of you out there picked up all those Garriot-produced Ultima and Tabula Rasa games to help fund this ultimate joy trip.

Best of luck for Garriott though, as the trip into outer space is probably just another notch in what's already been quite an eventful and action-packed life, proving once and for all that even game developers can do anything if they put their minds to it.  Although born in England, Garriot is the first American space tourist (he gained his citizenship later), the son of a former astronaut, and the six overall paying space tourist.  Do I spell franchise?

Not one but two - count 'em - Sonic the Hedgehog games are hitting the three major consoles just in time for the holiday buying season, although just one system will be getting both.  After a surprising good (or should that read surprisingly not-awful) debut on the Nintendo Wii with Sonic and the Secret Rings, the fantasy-laden journey of Sonic continues on Nintendo's machine with Sonic and the Black Knight.

Not to be confused with the also-coming Sonic Unleashed (the one with werewolf Sonic), it really looks like Sega may be done mucking up their most famous creation, and after a decade of missteps is finally learning to craft a proper 3D Sonic game that people may not only want to play - but can!  Enjoy the first trailer for the Black Knight for Wii, chock-full of gameplay and snazzy CG action and music.

When Microsoft finally spilled the digital beans last week and claimed the date of November 19th as the day the old Xbox 360 Blade system would be replaced with the entirely new, Avatar-led Experience, many assumed the only problem (aside from the cries of many a Avatar pessimist) would be server issues on Microsoft's side to accomodate the update.  Ironically it looks like the update that will give Xbox 360 consoles a more Nintendo Wii-like aesthetic will also give the console another problem known to millions of Wii owners - storage problems.

With the New Xbox Experience clocking in around 128 megs of memory, those of you out there X-periencing the console for yourselves sans hard drive may have problems updating to the new interface come release date.  Microsoft's own super-blogger Major Nelson has the scoop on the issue and what (if anything) the company is working on to rectify the problem for memory-challenged consoles.  Check it out after the jump:

Thank goodness for Alex Ross!  The famed artist known to millions as one of this generation's most striking, original and mature takes on some of the superheroes universe's most famous faces is at it again.  Those anxious fighting fans who purchase the Collector's Edition of Midway's upcoming Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe will be treated to an extensively detailed, handsome original cover from the man himself (as well as 16-page comic book, making-of DVD and all sorts of extra goodies).

If you're interested, just click the image above for the full-scale image and you'll see just how amazing Ross can be, or you can pick up the special edition for yourself ($10 extra, naturally) when it hits retails shelves next month!

An entirely new look at Capcom's upcoming Resident Evil: Degeneration gives us a better glimpse at what a fully rendered, CG Resident Evil would look like without all those pesky 'game' parts slowing us down.  Although the music doesn't fit whatsoever, the animation quality in this direct-to-DVD (and Blu-ray) feature film is fairly startling, and maybe if its successful will cause many a would-be director to stop mucking up perfectly good games with excessive cinematic cut-scenes.

Dare I dream?  Get ready to say hello to Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield all over again when this thing hits videostores (sadly, only Japan is getting a theatrical release) later this year!

Although I'm certainly not what you might call a 'hater', if it weren't for the incredible music playing in the background I would swear the trailer playing just above was from the long-lost Soul Calibur game that never hit the Nintendo Wii.  SUPREMELY big swords/weapons, long CGI introductions, wacked-out character designs, and plenty of Gothic imagery might have led me to think this was another grueling battle of destiny.  But nope, it's Castlevania: Judgment for Nintendo's home console.

So Soul Calibur hits the Wii as an adventure game and Castlevania as a fighter.  Who'd have thunk it?

I'm just going to shut my mouth and let the plethora of Twilight fans out there take control of this one.  As I have yet to read any of the books (I'm hardly the right demographic), the latest trailer from the upcoming and almost assured blockbuster Twilight has hit online and now it can finally be yours!  Surely many are pegging this to be the Vampire-filled franchise next Harry Potter (only more Gothic and angst-filled), while others hope for its swift and immediate destruction.

With rabid fanbases like that, how can you go wrong?  Twilight hits theaters November 21st!

Zombies and Valve - what's not to love?  Apparently Left 4 Dead, one of the most anticipated zombie-blasters on the horizon is set to get a playable demo sometime this November as part of a massive $10 million advertizing blitz sometime early November reports Edge Online.  Just when that might be referring to is anyone's guess, but lucky Xbox 360 and PC gamers can look forward to testing their zombie-killing skills before the retail version drops November 17th.

We'll keep our eyes peeled, although you can never keep a good zombie down.  Shoot 'em in the head!

With the Tokyo Game Show (TGS for all you cool cats) heating up in Japan, we're finally getting word and video to go along with the heavily anticipated anime-inspired action hack 'n slash adventure Soul Eater: Monotone Princess for the Nintendo Wii.  Published by Square/Enix of all companies, the franchise with roots in both manga and anime is heading straight to your waggle-loving heart courtesy of the Final Fantasy company themselves.

The above video is a cinematic clip from the game, but thankfully we've got some gameplay snatches as well.  Check out all the action (literally) after the jump!

This year's Tokyo Game Show is getting off to a bang!  For many who ascribe to the hardcore/casual classification of modern gaming, there's little doubt what side of the fence famed Japanese director Suda 51's No More Heroes sits on.  One of the most graphically bizarre, violent and hilarious games in recent memory made waves with fans not just for those well-earned reasons, but for being released on the Nintendo Wii - a console not known for its graphically bizarre, violent, and hilarious types of games.  Is the world ready for another round of lightsaber-shaking, schoolgirl killing, toilet-sitting fantasy action?

Dude, we're always ready for that.  The first teaser-trailer for No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is here, and you too will believe that a multi-jointed woman can fly.  While you're here, take a look at our official Impression of the original game and realize that against the odds, we're getting more Travis Touchdown and this crazy/cool world!  Rejoice!

The cool thing about Microsoft is how unbelievable many of their statements turn out to be.  That's not a slight on the company, but rather a frank realization that within their massive framework of departments and markets, anything and everything is possible.  So despite their repeated dismissals (thanks to the premature death of the Microsoft-backed HD-DVD format) that rival Sony's Blu-ray technology would be making its way into the Xbox 360 family, reports are coming in that indeed the 360 will be trending Blu in the near future.

Technology wunderkind Xbit Labs is reporting that Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology Corp., a joint-venture between Samsung and Toshiba (yes, really) has been contracted in order to provide external Blu-ray drives for Microsoft's next-gen console.  With a price rumored to swirling around $100-150, no official confirmation has been made by either party (naturally), and such speculation can only lead those tech-savvy types to ponder whether Microsoft is still in the market for another external-drive for their platform, particularly after the death of their HD-DVD attachment.  Time, as always, will tell the tale.

What, you think just because the long-awaited (and dream-inducing) Street Fighter IV was out and about in Japanese arcades that the news fun would stop?  Can't stop...won't stop!  Not when we've got an even MORE anticipated home console version on the way, which means more characters and even more rumor-laced fun!  One of the most beloved (and certainly most popular) addition to the cast from SF Alpha 2, Ms. Cherry Blossoms herself, Sakura Kasugano, makes her triumphant return to the franchise and (if you can believe it) officially sanctioned release.  No spin-offs here for the perpetual Japanese schoolgirl, who proves once again that nobody rocks the uniform like she can.

Because we KNOW your eyeballs need some scintillating image-action, check out the official scan from Famitsu magazine right after the jump!  Pictures, pictures!

As the world turns, so shall expectations burn.  Or so some would say when looking at this week's incredible sales figures coming out of Japan, which show Microsoft's once-dormant Xbox 360 console not just roaring to life, but kicking all sorts of digital booty.  While its standard stuff to see the top spots go to Nintendo, its towards the back of the line where things get really interesting.  Taken as a battle for 2nd place in the next-gen battle, the Xbox 360 has outsold the PlayStation 3 for the third time in as many weeks, and according to reports has Microsoft's machine trouncing Sony's for the entire month of September.

Astonishing, given how long both consoles have been available to consumers, and given the history of lethargic support the Xbox 360 has seen in Japan certainly a nice change of pace for those who love a neck-to-neck horse race.  No doubt Microsoft has spent its money wisely, and it looks like aquiring certain exclusive windows (Tales of Vesperia, anyone?) has proven effective.  Will Final Fantasy XIII make a Japanese appearance on the 360?  With numbers like these, I wouldn't count it out!

* Nintendo DS - 57,847
* Wii - 26,314
* PSP - 25,671
* Xbox 360 - 11,291
* PlayStation 2 - 9,848
* PlayStation 3 - 8,275

Thanks to Kotaku for the number-magic!

OK just a small update for all you PC gamers out there (you do exist!).  The Treyarch-developed James Bond action/adventure Quantum of Solace just got its very own demo for the PC, and its available right now!  Why should you care?  Well if the idea of kicking digital butt in the first sanctioned James Bond game with the Call of Duty 4 engine, developed by the same team that's doing the next Call of Duty game doesn't sound just awesome, what can?!

By the way did I mention its JAMES FRIGGIN' BOND?!  Grab your copy of the demo now at Fileshack by clicking right HERE! The full game hits the PC, and pretty much every current game console known to man November 4th!

Who said that just because a game has 8-bit graphics and synth-tastic sound that it can't show off a little bit of that modern shine 'n polish?  Mega Man 9, the game that's making many a new-school gamer realize that game controllers are indeed flingable, finally gets its first wave of DLC in the form of Proto Man and a new challenge.  Joy!

Proto Man returns to the series, complete with charge-shot, power-slide, and handy bullet-deflecting shield.  Unfortunately, this double-fun comes packaged with the crimson-colored hero taking double-damage and double bounce back when hit.  Endless Attack is the single new challenge this week, testing the most hardcore-of-hardcore fans to last as long as they can before expiring into a poof of electric bubbles.

Be aware that both Proto Man and new challenges are not compatible with other rankings or challenges, so its all ego from here on out.  Like the game itself, the DLC is curiously staggered, with the Wii version (of course) hitting digital stores today, the Xbox 360 October 7th, and the PSN bringing up the rear October 9th.  Check out our HUGE gallery of brand-new images by clicking right HERE!!

There's been plenty of fuss about High Voltage's upcoming Wii FPS The Conduit - mostly by High Voltage themselves and the fact its actually a Wii FPS.  I know that type of circular logic may cause more than a few of you to scratch your head, but good-looking, playing, core games on the console are few and far between, and to this HV has done a remarkable job getting the word out that they mean business.

Above is a crystal-clear tech demo from the game itself, showing off a few of the snazzier technical effects and other visual eccentricities.  Honestly, with full deathmatch, online play, Wii Speak and Motion Plus usage, this could be the game many a Wii owner has been waiting for.  Or it could be just the bulk of this trailer; a technical reel of what's possible on the console if a developer really takes the time and realizes just what they're programming for.  A definite must-watch and fascinating to boot.

Whoah...how did we almost miss this one?  Despite the critical and commercial drubbing their PlayStation 3 exclusive Haze received, it doesn't look like Free Radical is taking the beating laying down.  In fact, they're doing EXACTLY the right thing and have started the pimping of the now-official Timesplitters 4!  Joy...Rapture...Bliss!!

The image you're seeing is but one of several pieces of concept art, and if you think the notion of a vicious chainsaw-weiling nun oddly exciting, wait until you see Frankenstein/monkey/amputee.  No concrete details, platform, release date, or anything else is on the table right now but we've finally got confirmation that we're getting Timesplitters 4!!  Check out all the good stuff right HERE!!

Of all the lessons learned from Hollywood's haphazard adaptations of beloved franchises such as Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, and others, is that some licenses should never stray too far from their origins.  I suspect the upcoming Dragonball will join that list, as not a single frame of this film seems at all very Dragonball-like, and the first 'real' teaser trailer suggests a radical retooling of the mythos.  That and it just looks bad, bad, bad...

Since when was Piccolo a zombified looking white guy?  Was it too hard to pick up some green paint?  The Dragonball fans here at Popzara (whom shall remain nameless) are mortified.  Such is life, and best we let this come and go as quickly as possible.

Bring it!!  Although I've dabbled in the bootleg black market from time to time (mainly for imports), it wasn't until Nintendo was kind enough to release Treasure's Sin & Punishment for the Virtual Console that I was finally able to play the game in full, and if you're any kind of Treasure fan you know how frustrating - yet exhilarating - that can be.  As Nintendo aims to make things right with the core gamer, one of the biggest surprises they've announced so far is a direct sequel to that rarely-seen Nintendo64 gem, this time for the considerably more popular Wii.

The debut trailer for Sin & Punishment 2 is melting my eyes...is anyone else having flashbacks to StarFox64 here?  The original game was made for Wii controls, and when I imagine the power of Treasure mixed with floating sperm-creatures and dragon heads...too much to process!  Enjoy the clip and think what other secrets the Mario Factory might be holding...

How does one go from mere dream to absolute obsession in less than a day?  Label your game Punch Out!!, that's how!!  The long, long awaited sequel in what can reasonably be called the most popular (and best!) boxing game franchise ever made is headed to Nintendo's waggle machine next year, and if the actual game can inspire 1/10th the nostalgic love this all-too-brief debut trailer can, I'll buy ten copies.

Sure it's cell-shaded, but its chock-full of what makes Punch Out!! so darn special.  Little Mac, Von Kaiser, and Glass Joe...did I mention the bread rolls?  And when that music chimes in and the super uppercut lands...all is right in the world.  I'll say it here, this easily ties Street Fighter IV as my most-anticipated game(s) at the moment.  Bring it on!!

Have you seen Dreamworks Animation's Kung Fu Panda yet?  Considering its bodacious box-office, you probably did and that's precisely why the studio is set to extend the fun just a bit longer.  The Hollywood Reporter is living up to their name and reporting word that a sequel is in the works, and scheduled for the very lucrative release date of June 3rd, 2011, and will take advantage of the popular 3D tech which has been making quite the comeback lately.  This puts the Jack Black sequel up against Pixar's Cars sequel, which is also due for a Summer 2011 release date.

No mincing words here, I absolutely loved the first Kung Fu Panda and thought it not only one of the best surprises of the year, but one of the best films period.  Check out our official impression right HERE, and get ready for some more of that good kung fu fightin'!

All this talk about new 'core' Nintendo games must have gotten quite a few of you hungry...for movies!  Well, it looks like Nintendo's been burning the midnight oil and they've already got the goods online.  We've got the (Japanese) links for all the footage you can stand, from both the Wii and DS games announced at this Fall's Press Conference.  This totally makes up for a lackluster E3 performance, and you may as well get a good look at what's sure to be next year's obsession.

P.S. and yes, Punch-Out! is there, too!  Check out the clips for youselves by easily clicking right HERE!!

When Nintendo failed to fully excite the self-proclaimed 'hardcore' set at this year's E3, many foolishly proclaimed the company avoding their interests.  "They don't care about us!" was shouted from the rooftops, and those who over-reacted felt that Nintendo would abandon them in favor of the more 'gimmicky' Wii Fit and waggle generation.  But as usual, they were wrong.  DEAD wrong.

Continuing its massive Fall Press Conference in Tokyo, Nintendo is literally burrowing into the gray matter of this rabid fanbase, announcing title after title of nostalgic joy and helping erase the very notion that the 'core' gamer would be left behind in the wake of massive success with the above mentioned 'fads'.  Among those gamer-games mentioned during the presser would include a brand-new Punch-Out!, Dynasty Warriors, and most surprising of all a sequel to Treasure's little-seen Sin & Punishment action-shooter.  Ladies and gentlemen, start those salivary glands now, because the only waggle here are legion of gamer tounge.

New Wii Punch-Out!?  We all knew it was coming, but that doesn't make reality any less sweet!  Say what you will about realism, but we all know that the journey of Little Mac is the best boxing game ever made - EVER!!  Now where's my Kid Icarus?

Long rumored, speculated, and rumored some more, Nintendo's plan to reinvigorate the Nintendo DS hardware is no longer conjecture. Nearly four years after introducing the successor to its best-selling Gameboy branding, the company is readying the world to the next iteration of its decidedly more grown-up portable powerhouse: the Nintendo DSi.

Full details, photos, and sexy speculation follow the jump...you don't want to miss this!

It's easy to dismiss the upcoming live-action Dragonball movie for what it is based on what it is; a low-budget, lazy adaptation of a cheap (if not mind-bendingly popular) mass-produced anime that's coasted on fumes for years.  Still, not one iota of anything that I've seen from the film gives me hope that this will be anything more than a cultural throwback to a time when such licenses were secondary thoughts, and too little (or too much) intervention from studio brass mucked the system.

That said, this bootleg trailer from the project inspires nothing but thoughts of live-action Street Fighters and Mortal Kombats...and if this mess manages to rise to THOSE masterpieces of cheese I'll be impressed.  Will Chow Yun Fat ever be in a good film again?  What do you think, Dragonball faithful?

Those Final Fantasy fans hoping and wishing for a real entry in the never-ending franchise for the Nintendo Wii platform will have to wait a litle longer, as Square-Enix readies yet another chapter in the Crystal Chronicles spin-off. The Japanese magazine Shonen Jump has the first details about the upcoming cross-platform release, which will again link both the Wii and DS versions together in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time.

Word has it that cross-platform play will come in the form of the "Pollux" engine, which will allow for chat features, cross-platform gameplay, and even the importation of the Wii's Mii characters. Even better will be worldwide play via the WiFi connection - which quite honestly is a feature that never gets enough love. A sequel to the other entries in the Crystal Chronicles franchise, look for the first blurry scan just after the jump!

Boy, seems like just yesterday we first heard the new theme song for the upcoming James Bond thriller Quantum of Solace, and here we go with a spiffy new video to go along with it!  I'm digging it thoroughly, but then again I'm a big Alicia Keyes and Jack White fan.  Color me prejudice, but this was always a must-see for me (its James Bond!), but now its a must-buy soundtrack. 

Another Way to Die sounds great...and it'll no doubt sound even better blaring out those THX-certified theater speakers.  November can't get here quick enough!  Check it out!!