Fatal Fury Battle Archive Volume 1 Announced for US Consoles - Press Release

Though we knew about this localization effort since it has been listed on the "in development" page on the official SNK Playmore USA website for a while now, it's nice that SNK Playmore USA decided to finally release a press release "announcing" the title. This should be a great counter balance to Art of Fighting Anthology, since Fatal Fury Battle Archives volume 1 consists of a much higher quality series of titles in it's collection.

This is two down SNK Playmore USA... Only 8 more to go. We are going to get the rest of these collections from Japan, right?

FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 announced for PlayStation®2 system

Wall, NJ - May 30, 2007 SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION, the U.S. publishing arm of the SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION, today announced FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 will include four classic FATAL FURY games: FATAL FURY 1, FATAL FURY 2, FATAL FURY 3 and FATAL FURY SPECIAL. The compilation's release will mark the first time FATAL FURY has appeared on the PlayStation®2 system in North America.

The FATAL FURY series was SNK's first ongoing fighting-game franchise, and many beloved SNK characters and locations made their first appearances in FATAL FURY. FATAL FURY 1 was the first fighting game to feature a two-plane system, allowing characters to dodge out of harm's way when confronted with a challenger's attacks.

"With the release of FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 for the PlayStation®2 system, a brand-new generation of gamers will be introduced to one of SNK PLAYMORE's fighting classics," said Ben Herman, president of SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION, "and gamers who loved playing FATAL FURY in the arcades will relish the chance to revisit the golden age of 2D fighters."

FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 will be available for the PlayStation®2 system in summer 2007.

About SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION

Headquartered in Osaka, Japan, SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION (SNK) develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Founded in 1978, SNK is one of the largest privately held interactive entertainment content providers in the world. Known for such franchises as THE KING OF FIGHTERS, METAL SLUG, and SAMURAI SHODOWN SNK continues to be an industry leader by focusing on their rich arcade history. More information on SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION can be found at www.snkplaymore.co.jp SNK PLAYMORE USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION with offices in Wall, NJ. It handles operations in North America including publishing, marketing, development and localization. More information on SNK PLAYMORE USA can be found at www.snkplaymoreusa.com

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix - New Images

Soak it in people... You are looking at the new face of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. This image was posted earlier today from Brian Dunn, Product Marketing Specialist at Capcom, over at the official Capcom BBS. From Brian's original post, this image is what the game is going to look like if you would pause the game and strip away the background. This is no mock up. This is the real deal.

I am incredibly impressed with the detail in this work. Udon was dead serious when they claimed that they were going to be able to recreate their vision of the Street Fighter universe of the comics for this game. According to Mr. Dunn, a new blog is going to be started today that is going to be centered around all of the downloadable titles being released by Capcom in the near future. Though this is just one small image, we are being promised consistent updates on the progress of the development of the four games (SSF2TR, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Talisman, and Rocketmen) announced at the Capcom Gamer's Day over the course of the next few months. Considering that Mr. Dunn was in charge of the Lost Planet blog which was regularly updated with great tidbits of developer's notes, I have no doubt that Capcom is going to deliver on their promises here.

I can't wait to see more, but until then... Oh My God.

(For my previous updates on Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD, you can use the follow links: SSF2T HD Fact Sheet and Official Announcement)

King of Kong Trailer and Billy Mitchell Speaks Out

King of Fighters XI Coming to the US

It's about about time. That's really all I have to say about this.

Almost a year after it's Japanese release, SNK Playmore USA has taken the first steps to announce the localization efforts of King of Fighters XI for US audiences on the Playstation 2.

King of Fighters XI is widely considered to be the best of the King of Fighters series, and for good reason. The game has a huge roster of characters (47 to be exact), top-notch free fighting gameplay, extremely quick load times, and a ton of extras including character art, background music, and an arrange mode that features various changes from the arcade game. Though there isn't anything listed in the press release section of the official SNK Playmore USA website, a quick browse over to the "In-Development" section has King of Fighters XI listed under Fatal Fury Battle Archive Volume 1. You can find the page here. We will have more information just as soon as we get it.

IGN Reviews Mortal Kombat Armageddon (Wii)

I'm not a huge fan of the Mortal Kombat series at all, so I had no interest in picking up this title. However, there is a part of me that was vaguely interested in how the second traditional fighting game for the Wii would play with the Nintendo Wii Remote.

IGN has answered any questions I had with a recent review of Mortal Kombat Armageddon. Over-all it seems to be relatively positive, but held back simply due to the fact that the game is still a port of a last-generation title on the Nintendo Wii. To read the review, head on over to IGN.com. You can check out the final summary below.

8.0 Presentation
Moody cinematics, 64 playable characters, a wealth of interactive arenas, and several extra play modes like Konquest and Motor Kombat. Lacks Chess and Puzzle. No online component.

7.0 Graphics
Pretty good for PlayStation 2, but Wii can do much more. Adequately detailed and animated models mingle with an impressie variety of environments. Runs in 480p and 16:9 at 60 frames.

7.0 Sound
Cheesy dialog and over-cooked delivery, but most of it works in this universe. Sound effects have punch. Music could be better.

8.0 Gameplay
Still as frantic and fun as ever. The new Wii remote gestures are surprisingly enjoyable when they work, but occasionally they don't. Thankfully, you can play with the classic or GCN controller, too.

9.0 Lasting Appeal
So much to do. A deep Kombat mode. A sizeable Konquest adventure game. Motor Kombat. A robust Kreate a Fighter. And then there's the multiplayer mode. Did we mention there are tons of unlockables?

7.8 OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)

Video Game Releases for May 28th - June 1st

Want to know what to expect this week when it comes to arcade games coming to home and portable consoles? Though release dates are always subject to change, here's a list of what you should be able to expect to find on the shelves of your local stores...

IMPORT CORNERPlaystation 2
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core - Fighting (May 31st)
Latest installment of the Guilty Gear fighting game series. Guilty Gear Accent Core features new moves, new sound, new sprite-work, and three fighting modes specially designed for the Playstation 2 console. This is the biggest Guilty Gear game to date.

Metal Slug Complete - Action/Run N' Gun (May 31st)
SNK Playmore, in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of their classic arcade franchise Metal Slug, releases the greatest array of Metal Slug titles ever assembled for the PlayStation®2 including Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug X, Metal Slug 3, Metal Slug 4, and Metal Slug 5. The METAL SLUG COLLECTION is a "perfect translation" of the arcade classics and features support for intense two-player action.

Arcadia Magazine's Top 10 for May

Arcadia Magazine has updated its top 10 reports for the month of May for the most popular arcade games played over the past month in Japan.

The following rankings are seperated between the top 10 generic cabinets and the top 10 dedicated cabinets. I've tried to update the rankings with the hardware that the game runs on where I could find it. For more information about Arcadia Magazine, please feel free to visit them on the web at arcadiamagazine.com.

Top 10 Games with Non-Dedicated Cabinets1. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (Arc System Works, Naomi)
2. Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Alliance vs. Z.A.F.T. II (Banpresto/Capcom, System 246)
3. Melty Blood Act Cadenza (School Software, Naomi)
4. Virtua Fighter 5 rev.B (Sega, Lindbergh)
5. Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection (Namco, System 256)
6. Arcana Heart (Yuki)
7. Mushisimesama Futari (Cave)
8. Street Fighter III Third Strike (Capcom, CPS3)
9. WORLD SOCCER Winning Eleven 2006 ARCADE CHAMPIONSHIP (Konami)
10. Hyper Street Fighter 2 (Capcom, CPS2)

Top 10 Games with Dedicated Cabinets1. BeatmaniaIIDX 14 GOLD (Konami, Konami Bemani DJ-Main)
2. Pop' N music13 carnival (Konami)
3. DrumManiaV3 (Konami)
4. GuitarFreaksV3 (Konami)
5. Initial D ARCADE TRAINING COURSE 4 (Sega, NAOMI 2)
6. Mahjongg Fight Club 5 (Konami)
7. Sangokushi Taisen 2: Young Jishi Happy (Sega)
8. Quiz Magic Academy IV (Konami)
9. Mobile Follows Gundam: Card Builder 0083 (Banpresto)
10. Sega Network Mahjong “MJ3 Evolution” (Sega)

Fatal Fury Special and Tekken 2 Rated by the ESRB

The ESRB updated yesterday with a few new games that have been rated by the software board's rating gurus. On the list? A pleasant surprise on the part of SNK Playmore USA: Fatal Fury Special will be coming to the Xbox Live Arcade sometime in the near future.

Though it doesn't provide a relase date, once a downloadable title is rated either for the Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, or Playstation Network, the game is usually made available within a couple of weeks of the initial ratings date. I haven't seen a press release yet providing a list of next week's games scheduled for the Xbox Live arcade, so I'm crossing my fingers that perhaps Fatal Fury Special will be a part of that list.

I have been clamoring for some more old school fighting action over Xbox Live since the Hyper Fighting community has been dying down a bit. This is especially true after I couldn't get a positive fix from the disappointing release of Art of Fighting Anthology.

Also rated this week by the ESRB is ActRaiser for the Virtual Console. ActRaiser is a 2D Action Platformer with World-building elements. It also marks the first US SquareEnix release on Nintendo's Virtual Console. The Playstation Network is also set to receive Tekken 2 for its downloadable service.

New Ghost Squad Images

Famitsu has a new update on Ghost Squad, featuring a handful of new images for the Wii arcade shooter. It does seem as though this is going to be a near perfect port of the arcade original, without the obvious inclusion of a heavy submachine gun to use to shoot at the screen. I've posted one of the images here, but check out the Famitsu article to see them all.

Updated - Shin Chuka Taisen Scans

The first detailed scans of Shin Chuka Taisen have been posted over on Ruliweb. The Wii shooter by Taito promises high resolution 2D graphics, but despite the traditional look I'm not too excited yet.

The game does appear to be a classic shooter in every sense of the word, so that's a positive thing, but until we see the game in motion I can't help but feel that so far what we've seen is strictly 16-bit work on a next gen console. The backgrounds are nice and detailed, and I'm sure that it animates beautifully, but I'll be holding off any further judgment until I see something more.

At the very least, a sequel to a classic 2D shooter in its original style is not a bad thing. StarFish intends on releasing the game for the Nintendo Wii late 2007 with a suggested price point of around 6,090 yen.

UPDATE - 05/29/2007

It seems that Famitsu has posted the scans in their original image form on their website now. No new details have came out of it, but at least we get a clearer picture of the images. The look is growing on me... I can say that much. But everything seems a bit bland right now. There's a lot of color to the characters and the enemies so far, so that's a good thing.

Head over to Famitsu to view the clearer images.

R-Type Tactics Official Site Launched

Though I haven't found a cleaner scan of the Famitsu article posted earlier for R-Type Tactics, Irem has opened up the official R-Type Tactics website. You can visit the site by following the link: R-Type Tactics.

In addition to some of the basic information about the game (which does confirm it will be a turn based strategy game with a few action elements), the website also has a few cleaner images that were not on the original Famitsu scan. The level of detail on some of the shots is incredibly impressive for a handheld title. I've posted a few of the images below.

The Nintendo Wii - A Love Child of the Sega Dreamcast?

Just when you thought the Dreamcast was obsolete, the Dreamcast Junkyard just goes to show us that once again, Sega's console was a lot more innovative for its time then a lot of people have given it credit.

Not only did it feature online play, state of the art graphics, and a great series of arcade perfect Naomi ports, but it also was the precursor to the Nintendo Remote! The video above is a great example of how you can use an accessory in an unintended way (Google Rez Trance Vibrator for more information). And I bet you thought that the fishing remote was only good for Sega Bass Fishing...

I have to admit something about this video cracked me up. Be sure to check out the special bonus feature of the fishing remote being used on Crazy Taxi. Now that is classic.

The Dreamcast truly was an under appreciated gem.

Metal Slug for the GBA Cancelled

I can't say that this is surprising, but the Gameboy Advance version of the original arcade Metal Slug (not to be confused with Metal Slug Advance which was released in 2004) has been officially canceled according to SNK Playmore USA.

Despite the cancellation being heavily rumored by Famitsu in an article last October, there were no official announcements made by SNK Playmore Japan or SNK Playmore USA in regards to the future of the game. There were a lot of people who held out hope that perhaps it was just delayed, despite the abandoment of the Gameboy Advance in favor of the Nintendo DS for the majority of projects being released.

The below note was left on the forums list on the SNK Playmore website. It's amazing that despite how far along this title seemed to be based on press material provided, that the game was still abandoned.


Whether or not SNK Playmore intends on moving the project to the DS as a lot of companies have done with previously announced GBA software is yet to be seen, but based on the post suggesting that you purchase Metal Slug Anthology for the Wii, PS2, and PSP, chances are we won't be seeing Metal Slug any time soon on a Nintendo handheld.

The planned GBA versions of Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug 3, and Metal Slug X have all also been officially canceled.

Galaxy Force II release date set

The latest installment of the Sega Ages series (Sega Ages vol. 32, Galaxy Force II) has finally been given a date for its Japanese release by Sega of Japan. On July 26th, the 3D scaling arcade space shooter will be available on the Playstation 2.

When it was first released to arcades in 1988, the Galaxy Force series was instantly recognizable by its tilting cabinets that offered slight movement based on the flight path in the game. Though it's a shame that we can't be offered that same kind of immersion on a home console that the super deluxe arcade cabinet featured, that is unless you decide to install hydraulics on your sofa, I can let it go since the Galaxy Force series is an incredibly strong shooting experience. These games were the predecessors to modern rails shooters such as Panzer Dragoon and Star Fox. The pedigree is well deserved.

There are going to three seperate releases for this volume of Sega Ages: software-only, DX, and Super DX versions. The software only release is set for retail at 2250 yen, and will contain only the game. The DX version will retail for 5000 yen and will include a collector's pin and strap along with the game. The Super DX version will include everything previously mentioned along with a limited edition Galaxy Force II & Thunderblade soundtrack. It's price point will be set at 6720 yen.

This release of Galaxy Force II will be the first time the game is available in its original arcade form. But if that's not enough, the game will also be featuring an enhanced extended edition makeover. All previous ports of this title have all been poor man versions of the real deal. It's good to see this game finally getting a home release that's worthy of the arcade name after all of these years.

For more information head on over to Sega's official Galaxy Force II website.



(Image of the arcade cabinet courtesy of KLOV.com)

King of Fighters MIA Reg. A Site Updates

Arcade Heroes recently posted two new videos of King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A from the official site earlier today. The two videos were part of a larger site update that has begun to fill out the missing information from the different site categories. I'm working on getting a full translation of each of the information revealed with these newest updates, but until then, you can head over to the SNK Playmore King of Fighters MIA Regulation A site to check out the following new information:

Movie Section: Two new movies featuring Mary and Ash in their normal and alternative costumes. It also features the new announcer that reminds me of the announcer from Match of the Millennium.

System Section: Basic move list for the game. Not character specific.

Story Section: Break down of the official story of King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A. Includes Character specific profiles that detail their own motivations for entering the tournament. Currently available to view - Ash, Mary, Alba, Soiree, Luise, Nagase, Kyo, and Iori.

Character Section: Official Character stat sheets for a new update of characters. Currently the following fighters are available to view - Ash, Mary, Alba, Soiree, Luise, Nagase, Kyo, and Iori. (You can see an example of the profile below with Iori.)

Tournament News: EvoEast May 25th - 27th

I know everyone is busy with their Memorial Day weekend, but those in the vicinity of Stamford, Connecticut this weekend should take it upon themselves to check out EvoEast. The tournament, which is a qualifier for the grand finale later this year, starts on Friday May 25th and will run until Sunday the 27th. Though I won't personally be making it to EvoEast this year (I'll be hitting up EvoNorth), from all the chatter on the tournament forums over at SRK, EvoEast is lining up to be a great event.

Fortunately for those who haven't registered yet, there is going to be a last minute registration period open tomorrow at 9:00 AM Eastern time at the Westin Stamford. Of course your registration costs are going to be quite a bit higher then if you had pre-registered, but this will at least give a few people an opportunity to get in at the door if you forgotten your registration.

This year's tournament line-up is filled with all the current fan favorites in competitive fighting, including Street Fighter Third Strike, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Smash Bros. Melee, Virtual Fighter 5, Guilty Gear XX, Tekken 5, and Capcom vs. SNK 2. For more information about EvoEast, head over to the official EvoEast tournament website. For more information about the Evo championship series in general, check out EVO2k.com.

In order to encourage you a bit, let me direct you back to an earlier posting I had that featured the preview DVDs from the Evo2k6 tournament series. You can check out the post here. The preview trailer goes a long way in showing just what you can expect from the Evo experience.

Good luck to those who compete at East... Perhaps I'll be seeing some of you at Las Vegas.

Updated - New Tekken 6 Character Revealed

Over at Tekken Zaibatsu, an update was posted with some breaking information on the newest Tekken 6 fighter, who up until this point has only been affectionately referred to as "Manly Man". Miguel is a Spanish bullfighter who's fighting style is completely unique to his character. It is noted from the leaked Famitsu magazine scan that the character has had no formal martial arts training. I think that this pretty much guarantees that we will be seeing a rather unorthodox fighting style. With his bullfighting background, I think it's safe to assume that it will focus on side-stepping has its primary form of controlling space.

We'll have more information just as soon as its posted. Until then, head on over to Tekken Zaibatsu to check out the Famitsu scan. For more information on Tekken 6, check out our previous articles here.

UPDATE - 5/25/2007
Here is a translation of the character profile for Miguel. It seems as though it was erroneously reported earlier that he was a bull fighter... Instead he seems a lot more like a cross between Vega (Claw) from Street Fighter II and Raphael from Soul Calibur.

Despising the thought of having his life in the hands of others, Miguel sought to live his life on his own. Even after being raised strictly by his parents, the blood thirsty personality of Miguel found him starting fights with the people around him and caused him to be seen as a rebel amongst everyone he knew. After countless arguments and disagreements with his parents he decided to leave his home when he was just 15. He found sanctuary at a bar he visited often.

Miguel trusted no one, except his kind-hearted sister, who he cared about more than anyone. She visited him secretly without their parents knowing about it. Some time later, Miguel’s sister told him that she was to be married. Miguel was outraged and seriously thought of killing her fiance. On the day of the wedding Miguel watched the ceremony from outside of the church, not wanting to be seen by his parents.

Under the clear blue sky, almost as if it was a blessing, a line of planes passed by the wedding… when just a moment later, a violent, burning inferno covered the scene. Miguel was blown away, although he was in great pain and almost collapsed, he tried desperately to look for his sister inside the remains of the church. When he finally found her, Miguel saw that his sister was dead and her wedding dress soaked in her blood.

Miguel’s screams echoed throughout the ruins. Some time after Miguel discovered that the air raid was ordered by the Mishima Zaibatsu, and with furious hatred he vowed to get revenge on the Zaibatsu’s leader, Jin Kazama

And here is the translated story for Jin based on the Scan -

Upon defeating his great grandfather, Jinpachi Mishima, Jin became the new head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Jin brought chaos and suffering across the globe using the Tekken Forces to get rid of each county’s military power and take control of their energy resources, even their space colonies. After all that was done, the Mishima Zaibatsu declared itself an independent nation and declared war against all who opposed them. It seemed that the Mishima Zaibatsu would conquer the entire world until another power finally opposed Jin’s organization. G-Corporation, led by Kazuya Mishima, puts a bounty on Jin Kazama’s head. Almost as if Jin was expecting that G-Corporation would get involved, he immediately announced “The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 6.”

I have also posted up a fairly clean scan of the original article.

Virtua Fighter 5 Limited Edition Arcade Stick for the Xbox 360

With Virtua Fighter 5 hitting the Xbox 360 in July, most people have been clamoring for a new arcade stick that offers a bit more variety to the limited selection that is currently on the market for the console. Hori, one of the top companies in gaming accessories, seems to be coming to the call once again, if recent Gamestop listings are to be believed.

According to the retailers online site, a special edition arcade stick will be released simultaneously with Virtua Fighter 5 on the 360 console. There is one odd thing about the listing though, as in Japan the only officially licensed PS3 Virtua Fighter 5 stick at this time was released by Sega and was the Virtual Stick High Grade. According to Gamestop's listing, the Xbox 360 stick is an arcade stick designed and produced by Hori, but is also the officially licensed and endorsed arcade stick for Virtua Fighter 5.

Whether or not this is an error on Gamestop's part is unknown, but based on the price point, we definitely won't be receiving the Sega designed arcade stick which featured all Sanwa parts. Rather, expect a design fairly similar to the Hori produced Dead or Alive 4 stick (seen above). Chances are the stick will be a manufactured build featuring all Hori parts like the previous Xbox 360 release.

I'll be keeping my eye on this as we get more updates from Hori and Gamestop.

R-Type Tactics Announced for the PSP

Last week IGN ran an article that detailed a previously unannounced strategy game being developed for the Playstation Portable by the Steamboat Chronicles producer Kazuma Kujou. Kazuma Kujou stated that the game would feature a sci-fi theme, but was not able to offer any more information in regards to the title.

Well, R-Type fans should be excited...

Despite R-Type Final being released under the pretense that it would be the last shooting game in the venerable series, the strategy game currently being worked on is set to bring the R-Type universe back in a different form. From what we know about R-Type Tactics, the game is going to be a hexagonal turn based strategy title that seems to share a similar graphical engine to the one developed for R-Type Final.

I'm working on getting a clean scan of the magazine where the game was announced, but until then, you are free to browse over to NeoGAF, where a forum user was kind enough to upload a camera shot of the announcement.

Though I would personally love to see another R-Type shooting game, I'm interested in seeing the R-Type universe established into a strategy game, especially after the AI mode in R-Type Final. Stay tuned for more details as they come.

Art of Fighting Anthology Video Review

I finally took the plunge and decided to post my first video review.

Art of Fighting Anthology was recently released on the Playstation 2 console, and features the entire Art of Fighting trilogy collected on a single disc. However, is the budget label worth your investment? Click play to find out.

As a warning there are some spoilers for the first game in the video.


Final Score: 2/5
Pros
Classic arcade fighting games
First time collected to a single disc in the US
Arcade perfect ports
Impressive technical graphics for the time
Strong story
Budget pricing

Cons
Poor animation
Horribly unresponsive controls
Broken gameplay
All the flaws with the original arcade games including graphical glitches and sound problems exist in the ports
Removal of Online play in the US release
No special features outside of a color edit mode

New Street Fighter Action Figures from Hasbro?

In my younger days, I had a huge collection of GI Joes pretty much like every other American boy. I was personally a huge fan of the Street Fighter II release that Capcom and Hasbro co-designed from the early 90's. Fortunately for all of us still stuck in glory days of nostalgia, Hasbro seems to be wanting to offer us all a chance to relive our childhood.

On the official GI Joe website for their Real American Heroes line, Hasbro is soliciting votes on a poll to help determine which re-featured series (in classic packaging none-the-less) we would most like to see for 2008. What's the first choice on that list?

Well Street Fighter II of course!

Considering how many characters never got a chance to be immortalized by Hasbro in plastic from the first Street Fighter II releases, this would definitely be a great opportunity to finish off the Street Fighter II action figure collection. Who wouldn't kill for a Hasbro designed Cammy to go along side their Hasbro designed Guile?

You can visit the site here, to place your vote and read up on the Real American Hero line.

Smash Brothers Site Updated

I told them that the countdown was a bad idea.

But in a way since I was already preparing myself for disappointment, it wasn't as disappointing as it could've been. When the Smash Brothers site was officially updated last night we were treated to a developer's blog breaking down all the information that fans of the series should already know.

Sure we received a few new screen shots for Super Smash Brothers Brawl, and also received a full list of composers on the game (including a few surprises), but overall it seems that the countdown was there only to work the rabid fanboys into a frenzy. Sorry fans, Sonic and Cloud were not announced as was speculated by some other sites.

I have a tip though from now on...

Any time a countdown is posted to hype a game, ignore it. If it turns out the countdown unveils something amazing, great! If not, you have no vested interest in staying up until around 3:00 am just to get a simple how to manual. In Nintendo's defense however, they never promised anything outside of the unveiling the new site. They may have delivered that, but come on... Was a countdown really necessary?

Oh well.

I'll be on the lookout for any other Smash Brothers news that may be leaked today during Nintendo's Press Day event. I'm fully expecting that something good will come for Smash Brothers fans today to make up for the fact that the site's unveiling was a letdown.

As a side note, anyone want to take the time to speculate on what some of the composers may represent when it comes to character selection? It seems that maybe more was unveiled then what is on the surface...

Mountains of Faith Demo Level 1 (Hard Replay)

As promised this is the first video that I'm going to post of the Mountains of Faith Demo released yesterday. The video is a replay on Hard mode and only features the first level.

I have to say that I'm in love with this game. It is incredibly beautiful and thoroughly impressive. It may very well be the best game in the Touhou series.

I am working on a full Lunatic run that should be up this evening.

Atari Announces the Ultimate Chapter in the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Series

Courtesy of Games Industry:

NEW YORK, May 21 - Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) one of the world's most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher, today announced that Dragon Ball Z ® : Budokai Tenkaichi TM 3 is in development for Wii TM and PlayStation ® 2 computer entertainment system. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 combines the lightning fast fighting and action that have made Budokai Tenkaichi 1 and Budokai Tenkaichi 2 the #1 fighting games of 2005 and 2006. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. / Spike, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is slated to release during the 2007 holiday season.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 delivers an extreme 3D fighting experience, improving upon last year's game with over 150 playable characters, enhanced fighting techniques, beautifully refined effects and shading techniques, making each character's effects more realistic, and over 20 battle stages. In addition, an improved control system for the Wii will allow players to easily mimic signature moves and execute devastating energy attacks as they are performed in the Dragon Ball Z animated series.

"Atari is incredibly excited to offer the ultimate chapter in the Budokai Tenkaichi series with over 20 new characters that have never been seen in any other DBZ video games such as Nail, King Cold and King Vegeta and battle stages that fans will love," said Emily Anadu, Senior Product Manager, Atari, Inc. "Each year, the developers refine the game to bring fans closer to feeling like they are actually playing the show."

In addition to the unprecedented number of characters and improved Wii control system, the environments have also been enhanced to feature day and night stages. The power of the moon in the night stages gives players additional ways to transform their characters and lets fans recreate some of their favorite memories from the show.

The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z ® series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 25 different games and over 10 million units sold since May 2002.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is set for release this holiday season. For more information on Dragon Ball Z video games, please visit http://www.atari.com/dragonballz.

About FUNimation Entertainment

FUNimation ® Entertainment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation and the market share leader for the home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States. FUNimation is known for acquiring top-rated anime series from Japan and for developing some of North America's most popular anime series. The company has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution. The company's most recent initiative is the FUNimation Channel, which is a 24/7 digital channel programmed with top-rated anime series from Japan. The FUNimation Channel is now available to over 34 million households throughout the United States. For images, or more information on FUNimation or any of its properties, contact Jeff Dronen at pr@funimation.com.

About Atari

New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is a third-party publisher of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre- defining franchises such as Test Drive ® ; and mass-market and children's franchises such Dragon Ball Z ® . Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext - ISIN: FR-0000052573), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

With the exception of the historical information contained in this release, the matters described herein contain certain "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this release are not promises or guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. We caution you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein. Some of the factors which could cause our results to differ materially include the following: the loss of key customers, such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, and GameStop; delays in product development and related product release schedules; inability to secure capital; adapting to the rapidly changing industry technology, including new console technology; maintaining relationships with leading independent video game software developers; maintaining or acquiring licenses to intellectual property; fluctuations in the Company's quarterly net revenues and results of operations based on the seasonality of our industry; the termination or modification of our agreements with hardware manufacturers; and other factors described in our SEC filings.

The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company's expectations.

Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and all logos, character names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of TOEI ANIMATION. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. GAME: © 2007 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. Marketed and distributed by Atari, Inc., New York, NY.

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"PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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Biggest Playstation Auction Yet!

Have $30,000 blowing a hole in your pocket? (oh come on - it's not that much!) Well, Ebay has the auction just for you.

BIGGEST PLAYSTATION SALE!
Peruse your browser to the above link and take a look at everything you are going to be getting in the auction. From development hardware, to multiple PSOne's, to special edition 10 million model limited to 100 releases, this auction is a Playstation fan's dream. And this isn't even mentioning all the accessories and games thrown into the mix!

I wouldn't even know where to start here - but I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed. Though it doesn't seem to be a complete collection (it's missing quite a few Japanese titles), I have to say this is one of the most thorough collections of PSOne software, systems, and accessories that I have ever seen.

Touhou Updates

When we last looked at the latest Touhou game being developed, information was relatively sparse. Over the last couple of weeks more and more details have come from both Zun and Shanghai Alice culminating in today's release of the limited demo of Mountains of Faith (Touhou Fuujinroku).

Though the demo only features 3 levels, it is well worth a look for fans of the series. I should have some videos updated soon, so keep a close eye here while I figure out how to work my new capture software.

Until then, Shoot the Core has a video up on YouTube! of the first level of the demo. For fans of incredibly diverse and unique bullet patterns, this game seems to be a god send. Some of the bullet patterns are absolutely fantastic and seem to be much more diverse than previous Touhou games.

The system specs for the game have also been released on the newly updated official site for Mountains of Faith. You can find them below:

Operating System - Windows 2000/XP
CPU - Pentium CPU (1GHz or greater)
RAM - 128M of Ram or greater
Video card - DirectX compatible video card with 32MB of VRAM or greater


But wait Touhou fans!

This isn't the only news to come out of the series this past week.

Tasogare Frontier has updated its blog with new details in regards to their upcoming Touhou spin off, Touhou Hisouten (Scarlet Weather Rhapsody). The game is a 2D fighter and acts as a follow up to 2004's release Touhou Suimusou (Immaterial and Missing Power). Tasogare Frontier has stated that the new project is a stand alone fighter that will feature an original story in the Touhou series written by its creator, Zun.

There is no word on a potential release date as of yet, but there should be some more details later today (since the developers were having a limited testing session earlier today). Any updates should be posted on Tasogare Frontier's official website.

A video of the limited test was uploaded on YouTube! earlier this evening. You can find it below: