Yet another pleasant trip down memory lane this week as Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Goemon), the original Castlevania and a game called Shockman, which I've never heard of and know nothing about, comes to Wii owners this week. Which we STILL are not…Seriously WTF?

Castlevania (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Step into the shadows of the deadliest dwelling on Earth. You've arrived at Castlevania, and you're here on business: to destroy the curse of the Evil Count, once and for all. Make your way through six monstrous floors filled with bats, ghosts, zombies and every kind of ghoulish creature you can imagine. Use the legendary whip Vampire Killer and a host of deadly weapons to battle your way to Dracula's chamber and the ultimate duel of good vs. evil.

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Super NES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): In The Legend of The Mystical Ninja, take control of Kid Ying and Dr. Yang in an action adventure through feudal Japan. A curse has stricken the village of Horo-Horo, and its beloved princess has vanished. Together Kid Ying, a daring young mystical ninja, and Dr. Yang, master of the invincible spirit transformation, must overcome 10 levels of the Dragonbeast to save Princess Yuki. Each stage contains intense 3-D and 2-D zones where the duo must perform dozens of attack moves and solve magical problems and puzzles before advancing. Battle humorous enemies like the Carp Meister, who stuns victims with poisonous fighting fish, Tanaka-U-Out, a knockout artist who wallops opponents with a bone-crushing hammer, and the Sumo Tag Team, kings of the unbeatable belly-buster crunch. Collect coins to buy new equipment and to receive clues, spend some time playing minigames in the arcade or try your luck and increase your fortune at the Quiz House and Horse Races.

Shockman (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points): It's been two years since Arnold and Sonya were made into Shockmen. A message from the professor to return to their bodies has them head to his laboratory, but they are ambushed by a mysterious enemy along the way. After narrowly defeating the enemy, they catch a TV news flash announcing the Ryo Empire invasion. They find that the professor has been abducted and set out to rescue him. Shockman is a side-view action shooter that has eight stages, including Action Stages, where you jump and use special techniques, and side-scrolling Shooting Stages. This game expands on the well-paced story from the previous version and contains cooperative elements like shared life and a powerful Team Shockbeam that can be used during two-player simultaneous play.

As a fan of mindless, car-based destruction, I'm slightly excited about the idea of a new Burnout. Looks like me and my ilk will be in luck this Holiday season when Burnout (5): Paradise hits tha skreetz!

GET READY TO BREAK THE RULES - PARADISE IS COMING!
EA INVITES DANGEROUS DRIVERS TO BURNOUT PARADISE THIS WINTER

Guildford, UK - April 30, 2007 - Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced the title for the revolutionary new Burnout™ videogame currently in development for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360™ videogame system. Players will be able to take their dangerous driving experience to a whole new level when Burnout™ Paradise is unleashed this winter.

Burnout Paradise proves that crashing is awesome! Next generation technology has enabled an unprecedented level of crash deformation allowing you to experience the most explosive pile-ups in the series' history. Now the development team can realise their original vision for the Burnout franchise: an open world environment where you can do anything, anywhere, anytime!

"We have been working towards Burnout Paradise for quite some time. Next generation consoles have opened up a raft of new gameplay opportunities and the Criterion team has leapt at the chance to innovate and raise the bar to an all-new high," said Pete Hawley, Executive Producer, Burnout Paradise. "There are going to be some big surprises and a lot of new features but the core of the game is still pure Burnout. Instant accessibility will be reinforced by innovative on-line capabilities which will see Burnout Paradise smash racing conventions.''

Feel the adrenaline course through your veins as you take to the road for the first time in Paradise City, where the action is all around you. Explore the city, discover events, and look for the best opportunities to crash, jump and pull signature takedowns. In Burnout Paradise you're given the keys to the city, but it's up to you to earn the keys to the meanest and most dangerous cars on the street, and earn your Burnout licence.

Announced last week, Acclaim (are they still around?) let it be known that they would be offering a free dance based MMO game called…Dance! Online. Below they mention the ability to customize your avatar…

"Players of DANCE! Online can create their own avatar and use either the keyboard or most PC compatible dance pads to match the beat of the song and to make their character perform choreographed dance steps. The game features up to 6 players dancing together and includes a variety of game modes and options. Players will be able to purchase optional items from the game shop to customize their virtual characters with clothing and various accessories."

Apparently being a black person is considered an accessory as revealed today on Acclaim's message boards:

"Black is an EXTRA feature. It makes your person look unique, so that is an EXTRA feature. Therefore, you having to PAY for it. (Or ask a friend to pay for it)."

Then according to an another Acclaim employee:

"As an optional character upgrade, we must put this in the item shop for players to acquire. This is the only way to offer the African-American heads. However, it should be EASILY accessible to all, so we made it just 1 POINT in the shop (which is basically for FREE). You don’t have to spend any money to get it, just play the game and earn points. Thanks!"

So there you have it. They were too lazy to make black folks available from the beginning but gracious enough to offer it for (almost) free. Not a huge deal I suppose but sure to cause an inordinate amount of trouble for the next few days at Acclaim. Silly honkies!

Check the message boards HERE

According to a Gamespot interview with RedOctane's Kai Huang, not only will Guitar Hero III be hittiing the 360, PS3, Wii and PS2 this fall (and possibly the DS next spring) but will feature downloadable content on all platforms and various styles of guitars, all of which are to be wireless.

KH: We're planning a lot for our new guitars for Guitar Hero III. First of all, the one feature that fans have been asking for the most is that, yes, they're going to be wireless. So now fans can finally rock out in their living room and jump off their couches and do all the crazy rock star stuff that they haven't been able to do in the past. And then, what we're doing with the guitars is there'll be a new shape and there'll be new colours. And what we're also looking at in addition to all those features is creating some more interesting guitars that are higher end, and some of them will be made out of wood, and so they'll actually feel like a real guitar."

Check out Gamespot's interview HERE

I have never played a Bonk game, Virtua Fighter 2 for the Genesis (i ruled the arcade version) or Punch Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream. Punch Out!! w/ Iron Mike was the one to play. I mean, Mr. Dream?! As G.O.B. would say "Come on!"

Punch Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream (NES(R), 1 player, 500 Wii Points): As young boxer Little Mac, players have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to battle the big guys of the World Video Boxing Association circuit. Take them on one by one, starting with skinny Glass Joe. Battle up through King Hippo and all the way to the WVBA Champion himself. Players use their best jabs, hooks and power uppercuts to knock out opponents, but must pay attention to subtle changes in their body position to dodge jaw-breaking blows. With great graphics, addictive action and a touch of humor, this game will keep players entertained for hours.

Virtua Fighter 2 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): Virtua Fighter was the very first 3-D fighting game in the industry and introduced six unique characters, each with their own martial arts style. In Virtua Fighter 2, the intrepid fighters return to the World Fighting Tournament. Players take to the stage to see who will claim the championship title. Will it be Lau Chan, Kage-Maru, Wolf Hawkfield, Jeffry McWild, Akira Yuki, Jacky Bryant, Sarah Bryant or Pai Chan? The answer lies within. Players immerse themselves in this technically challenging game and see if they have what it takes to be the champion of the second World Fighting Tournament.

Bonk's Revenge (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): The "hardheaded" hero is back for more in the second installment of the Bonk series. Taking place in the Monster Kingdom, Bonk the Caveman makes his way toward King Drool III. Bonk's Revenge is a side-scrolling action game in which players Jump and "Bonk" (head-butt) their enemies while they make their way to the goal at the end of each stage. Double, even triple, attack power by eating the meat that appears in a stage. There are eight different hidden bonus stages, and the Dinosaur Train that appears after players defeat a boss will change depending on how many Smileys they've collected. With new actions such as the Triangle Jump and the ability to climb trees, as well as seven variety-packed stages, Bonk's Revenge will keep players playing over and over.

Not sure if this is good news or bad news (I guess we'll wait and see how he does with Transformers) but Michael Bay is apparently on board to direct the Walt Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer film adaptation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time according to Disney.

From IESB.net:

"The IESB was able to confirm with Disney Studios that they are hopeful that Michael Bay will indeed direct the picture right after he is done with this Summer’s blockbuster, Transformers.

The original creator of the game, Jordan Mechner, has said that "Rather than do a straight beat-for-beat adaptation of the new videogame, we're taking some cool elements from the game and using them to craft a new story - much as 'Pirates' [of the Caribbean] did with the theme park ride."

Check the Full story HERE

Via some eagle-eyed posters at Cubed3.com, there is a note buried deep within the bowels of Red Octane's website stating that Guitar Hero 3 is currently in development fot the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 and is scheduled to release in the fall of 2007.

Could it be true? More than likely yes. You think they are going to let Rock Band steal their thunder? No way, bro.

Check out Red Octane's site HERE

Bungie has announced that the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta will go live on May 16th to those who have gotten in through the Crackdown offer (or other nefarious means) and will end June 6th.

From Bungie:

The Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta will go live on May 16th at 12:00 AM PDT and run through June 6 ^th at 11:59 PM PDT. That means that folks who purchased specially marked copies of Crackdown, or won a spot in the Beta through the “Rule of Three” or other regional promotions, will be able to log into their Xbox Live Gold accounts, download and play the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta and enjoy an early peek at the multiplayer aspect of the game.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence, and are interested, you can still enter the Beta by picking up a specially marked copy of Crackdown, which would ordinarily be a chore, but thankfully Crackdown is an awesome action game which might ironically distract you from the Beta I’m pimping here. Bungie is also giving out a few Friends and Family spots to valued community members, but those are few and far between, so it’s safer to assume you’re not getting in that way.

Now, I will say this again and again – the game you’re going to play one month from now, is Beta software – and while it will look somewhat close to the final game, it IS Beta – and will contain quirks, a couple of roughedges and all that jazz. But we’re pretty confident you’ll find it a dynamic and exciting taste of what’s to come in Fall.

Check out the full post HERE

This week is markedly crappier than last week but you can't eat steak every day!

Galaga (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Players control their fighters, with their unique ability to combine with other fighters and shoot down the invading aliens. Aliens attack in formations using a variety of attack patterns. Rescue a captured fighter to combine with it, forming a Dual Fighter with twice the firepower. Earn Perfect Bonuses more easily by using a Dual Fighter on the Challenging Stages. Galaga was released in 1981 and became an instant classic with its innovative fighter-combination system and varied enemy attack patterns.

BRAVOMAN (Turbografx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): The village of Nitta has been invaded by the army of Dr. Bomb, an evil scientist who is plotting to take over the world. Facing this crisis is Bravoman, who received his powers from Alpha Man to stand up against Dr. Bomb in the name of justice. The village of Nitta consists of 22 stages - action stages that take place on the ground and shooting stages that take place underwater. Action stages use a unique control system in which the height of a jump and the distance of an attack changes depending on how long players hold down the button. Players collect the Luck Symbols that appear when they defeat enemies and give them to Lottery Man to get recovery and power-up items. Stop Dr. Bomb and bring peace to the village of Nitta and the rest of the world.

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): When King Thor was kidnapped, his son, Alex Kidd, held out hope that his father would return to their kingdom on Planet Aries. Finally, it was revealed that he was being held captive on Planet Paperock. As Alex, players race to his rescue through 11 levels, battling enemies and avoiding obstacles while winning coins that will buy special items and vehicles. At the end of each level, players encounter a boss and enter into a match of "Rock, Paper, Scissors." Throwing the right symbols puts players ever closer to bringing King Thor home; throwing the wrong symbols squashes them beneath a heavy weight.

As was announced on Friday, Resident Evil is coming to the Wii (Resident Wii-vil?) not once but TWICE this later this year.

First up is a port of Resident Evil 4. Meh. While it's obviously one of the the most amazing games of the past couple years, that's precisely the prob. It's old! Give us something special!!

What's that? Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, an on-rails light gun shooter based on RE lore, later this year? Even though that's pretty much what House of the Dead was 10 years ago? That kinda looks like poop? Exclusively for Wii?

OK then…

SAN MATEO, Calif.  — April 6, 2007 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that the incredibly successful Resident Evil® series, with over 30 million games sold worldwide, is coming to the Wii™ video game system from Nintendo with two new titles. This summer, Capcom will release Resident Evil® 4 Wii Edition, a new version of the award-winning game that incorporates the control functionality of the Wii Remote™.  Capcom will be bringing a new game, Resident Evil®: The Umbrella Chronicles, to the Wii at a later date.

               “Resident Evil has become one of the premier franchises in the games industry, with more than 30 million RE games sold around the world,” said Jack Symon, director, product marketing, Capcom Entertainment.  “The innovative controller functionality of the Wii will allow us to design innovative, original game play never before seen in a Resident Evil game. With RE4, we’re challenging the Wii hardware to meet Resident Evil, while in The Umbrella Chronicles, we’re adapting Resident Evil to the innovations of the Wii.”

               Resident Evil® 4 is one of the highest rated games on Game Rankings.com and Metacritic.com, garnering dozens of awards and nominations for its amazing game play and incredible re-invention of the “survival-horror” genre. This celebrated game now comes to the Wii with added Wii Remote and Nunchuck™ support, allowing players to immerse themselves in the game as never before. With RE4 Wii Edition, Capcom is offering new and more immersive sense of control to players, while keeping all of the game’s incredible game systems intact. As Leon Kennedy, players will explore a town overrun by cultists, mutants and mind-controlled villagers, using the Wii Remote to aim, fire, slash and avoid oncoming adversaries with intuitive motions and movements. RE4 Wii Edition will also contain the additional content included in the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system version of the game.

               Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is a brand new game in the Resident Evil franchise, with familiar locales from the entire series, created specifically for the unique characteristics of the Wii hardware. This action/shooter hybrid reveals the back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3 as well as new never-before-seen locations, such as Umbrella’s stronghold. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles combines first-person, light-gun style combat with interactive pathways, multiple weapons and new enemies to create an entirely new Resident Evil experience that could only be delivered on the Wii.