So the year will come to a close in about 9 hours....

So, now that 2006 is over it would seem that the generation of PS2's, Xbox's and Gamecube's have to a close. 2007 will usher the newest in gaming for the latest generation of consoles. The true battle for King of the NextGen begins at midnight. 2007 seem's to have a very strong lineup for all 3 consoles. Although, 3 of my favorites will, more than likely, not show up for this year. Those 3 are Gran Turismo 5, FFXIII and MGS4. Of course, like most people, I can wait. After all, the more time they spend on the game the more time it will allow for Squenix, Polyphony Digital and Konami to iron out the kinks out of these, what could be, prosperous titles.

I will be picking up my PS3 by March just for Tekken 5: Dark Ressurection and Virtua Fighter 5. Both games will keep me engrossed until Devil May Cry 4 rears its ugly head. This will definitely be a year for spending(again) when it comes to gaming.

Although, I'm praying to the greater gaming God's that the Sixaxis(spelled backwards its STILL Sixaxis) is lowered in price. $50 for a controller is just soooooooooo outrageous. Considering I go through those like a pitcher of iced tea.

But, anyway, my fingers are tiring out. It's New Year's Eve and it's time to ring in the new year with some sort of festivities. Either that, or get drunk off my ass and make an ATTEMPT at playing Victorious Boxers 2 without losing.

Have a happy new year folks and keep on reading! We'll be updating a lot more in 2007. It's gonna be a busy year. Game on!

Wii Prototype Controllers

CHEDDAR! Seriously, these are funny looking. Top left (as most people already pointed out) looks more like the actual released one. Makes me want to wait to buy a Black Wii. Haha.

Anyway, source here.

*Looks down* Megaman will soon be drinking....

Well, fuck me on a flagpole, there's a new Megaman game coming out? AND the Blue Bomber turns 20. Ah, to be 20 again. Good times. I was there 2 years ago. Horrible experience.

Anyway, I finally got the first Phoenix Wright game and I must say that it is pretty damn good. Some of the most unique gameplay I've ever come across. I will never regret this awesome purchase. Ever. Only $19.99 as well at Toys 'R Us. I'll have that finished some day.

I also got Victorious Boxers: Fighting Spirit 2 in the mail the other day. Right now I'm upto Jason Ozuma and he's kicking my ass. But, the one thing that makes this game shine is the gameplay. The controls are pretty weird because the way you move depends on your angle in the ring. So, the left analog stick REALLY means a lot to this game. The only gripe I have is the hitboxes. How big are they really? A jab hits from far distance AND you can be knocked down by a jab. It's damn well near impossible to K.O. someone in this game. The story mode is alright. It basically goes along the story of the anime and since I have yet to beat the game I have clue as to how far the story mode goes. I know Bryan Hawk is in it. And that's pretty far into the manga(Vol. 45-ish).

Other than that, it's been a pretty slow month in terms of games. Well, I do have the following to finish:

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Final Fantasy III
Phoenix Wright
Victorious Boxers 2
Final Fantasy XII

So, that's not too bad for this winter. Soon, enough we'll be ending the year in about two weeks and you may be thinking "Well, it's the end of the year, they HAVE to do a Top Ten Games of the Year post." Well, you're thinking wrong. Soooo...if it's possible, we'll let the readers vote or something and post up what you guys think are the 10 greatest games of 2006. And if not, then fuck it. Who are we to say what are the 10 best games of this year? It's all subjective anyway. I don't want our list appearing on some gay ass forum anyway.

Anyway, outward and onwards my fellow gamers. Time to soft reset and start a new day.

Mega Man Turns 20! Almost drinking age!

"Capcom is pulling out all the stops with promotional events and a campaign to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its beloved hero, Mega Man, on December 17th, 2007.

Mega Man was introduced to the world on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987 and has garnered sales of 26 million units worldwide. The hero, Mega Man, and a cast of distinct villains with their own unique personalities and powers have always held a special appeal for audiences of all ages, but most notably for a younger male audience. The Mega Man character is Capcom’s oldest character brand. In addition to video games, Mega Man has been featured in a wide range of products such as cartoons, movies, comic books, toys, and many other licensed goods.

The first commemoration comes in the form of a new Mega Man series called Mega Man Star Force. Mega Man Star Force is the first game of in the series to feature three different versions and they were released in Japan on December 14th. Capcom's website will also feature the blue hero’s anniversary logo and a special site chronicling 20 years of Mega Man history from the original game right up to Mega Man Star Force. This special site will feature design sketches from Mega Man's long history and is just one of the many events planned over the next year to celebrate Mega Man's birthday.

Capcom will continue to strive to introduce unique and universally beloved characters such as Mega Man that appeal to users of all ages."

As if we didnt get enough Mega Man! Haha, no, seriously. I enjoy alot of the titles, and its cool to see it still get so much support. Long live great series of old!

Capcom Announcement Page
20th Anniversary Page

SNK vs. Capcom DS Coverage [+ Art and Offic. Site]

It's coming. For those of you who care, the sequel to the cult favorite SNK vs. Capcom is coming to a DS near you. Our fello game junkies across the seas Game Watch has coverage (in japanese) and artwork and screens of the game up now. Also, the official site is up too, and I suggest you check it out.

Game Watch Page
Official Site Link

Phoenix Wright 4 Scans

Heres some new scans for the 4th PW title. Loving the bishie Dante/Jojo-like character (no homo). This series has become extremely popular in Japan and the States. So if you'd like to see a 4th, buy the 2nd title to help convince them to bring it over.


Page 1
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ZA WUUUUDO!

First Tekken 5 : DR Screens

So, here we are. Besides a higher resolution, it looks to be the same game as before (sans playable Jinpachi, the Tekken 5 Boss).

According to GameWatch (source for images and info this time around), it will take up 800MB [T5:DR]. Seems interesting to say the least, and I'm sure most (including me) are happy to get a version thats more widely available, and will be on a large screen (ok, so you can find a PS3 anywhere, but I also dont own a damn 250 dollar PSP, or have access to any arcade 50 miles of my home, so shoot me).

Anyway, enjoy yer screens!

GameWatch Tekken 5: Dark Ressurection Screens Link is Here, Son!

Latest Famitsu* Scores

Taken from The-MagicBox.com -

Wii

Bleach Wii: Hakujin Kirameku Rondo (Sega): 7, 7, 6, 7 - (27/40)

Rabbids Party (Ubisoft): 7, 8, 8, 7 - (30/40)

Nintendo DS

Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon (Square Enix): 8, 8, 8, 9 - (33/40)

SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters DS (SNK Playmore): 7, 6, 5, 7 - (25/40)

Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren DS (Sega): 9, 9, 8, 8 - (34/40)

Gintama: Gintoki vs Hijikata! Kabukichou Gintama Dai Soudatsusen!! (Banpresto): 7, 6, 6, 8 - (27/40)

Kabushiki Baibai Trainer Kabutore (Konami): 8, 7, 7, 7 - (29/40)

Naruto: Shinobi Retsuden (Takara Tomy): 7, 6, 6, 6 - (25/40)

Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary (Sega): 8, 7, 7, 8 - (30/40)

Quiz! Nihongo-Ou (Success): 7, 6, 5, 7 - (25/40)

Ryuusei no RockMan (Capcom): 8, 8, 7, 9 - (32/40)

The Sims 2: Pet Wan Nyan Life (EA): 6, 7, 6, 6 - (25/40)

PlayStation 2

Wild Arms: The Vth Vanguard (Sony): 8, 9, 8, 9 - (34/40)

TOCA Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Racing Simulator (Interchannel): 8, 8, 7, 7 - (30/40)

Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 13 Ketteiban (Konami): 9, 9, 8, 9 - (35/40)

Daisenryaku VII Exceed (System Soft): 7, 7, 6, 7 - (27/40)

Xbox 360

World Soccer Winning Eleven X (Konami): 9, 8, 8, 10 - (35/40)

Oneechanbara vorteX (D3 Publisher): 7, 7, 6, 7 - (28/40)

Chikyuu Boueigun 3 (D3 Publisher): 8, 7, 7, 8 - (30/40)

Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (Tecmo) - 9, 9, 8, 9 - (35/40)

Lost Planet (Capcom) - 9, 9, 8, 8 - (34/40)

A-Train HX (ArtDink) - 6, 7, 7, 7 - (27/40)

Sonic the Hedgehog - 7, 8, 8, 7 - (30/40)

PSP

TOCA Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Racing Simulator (Interchannel): 8, 8, 7, 8 - (31/40)

Daisenryaku Portable 2 (Genki): 7, 7, 6, 9 - (29/40)

World Soccer Winning Eleven 10: Ubiquitous Edition (Konami): 9, 8, 8, 9 - (34/40)

Second glancing the 360 scores here, and I see a very, very healthy score for Lost Planet. I cant wait to give that a go.


*I'm think its Famitsu. Hell, I'm sure it is.

Virtua Fighter 5 US Site goes live!

I think I creamed myself. Looping vid, nice flash layout, + screens and movie. This is next-gen people. Anyway, check it out.

VF5 US Site

This guys a Super-Nerd/the Coolest Person in the world!

Some guy built himself the ultimate cabinet to house all his half a grand gaming systems, and controllers, complete with Star Trek lighting, I mean, LED lights!

I want.

Source

GameStop, my enemy......Part 2

Sooooo......as some of you may have noticed, I went on this tirade yesterday about the Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin pre-order bonus that GameStop DID NOT guarantee upon the day of release. Upon calling today at 1:00 p.m. yet again, they said that the game did come with the bonus. BUT, it was for those that reserved before November 20th. So, apparently one of their employees lied to me. Which is great. More reason to hate those bastards.

But, yeah, I got it. It's nice and the CD has a total of 37 tracks on it. The stylus looks nice. But, since my DS Lite is black and the stylus is white, I think I'll use it as a toothpick. The box is alright. The picture that IGN.com used looked way better for some reason. Oh, it also comes with a game carry case. You can hold upto two DS games in there. Not too bad for those of us that want to carry more than one game(Phoenix Wright and FFIII will occupy that space).

And on the gaming side of things: Phoenix Wright is a work of art. I'm loving that game. A game that finally requires the full usage of the human brain. Or something to that extent. Still a fun and innovative game. More on that as I progress through it. Also, the pre-order for Phoenix Wright 2: Justice For All is up on GameStop's site. You get a stylus with a little screen whipe for whenever you get some human girth on it.

GameStop, my enemy......

So, as some of you may know the Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin limited edition box is out as we speak. On the East Coast at least. I called GameStop this afternoon at, about, 1:00 p.m. and I promptly asked if they had gotten in the LE boxes in. The girl on the other end said "Yeah, they came in. But, they sold out already." Much to my dismay I nearly through my cellphone into the garbage and started crying. After all, this is something I had been waiting for TWO fucking months already. And to have it sellout just like that!? I had this pre-ordered before PLENTY of people at the time. How the fuck is it possible that Johnny Doughnuts, who pre-ordered two weeks ago, gets one and I don't? How the fuck!?

I hate to say this, but, with the way things went with the PS3 pre-orders and now this.....I don't even know what to do anymore when it comes to pre-ordering games. FFXII was pre-ordered ASAP and guess what? SquareEnix decided to throw out their ENTIRE inventory of LE tins into all GameStops and EB Games.

I remember back in the day when we pre-ordered something game-related we actually got the fucking item. Now we have to pre-order in direct fear of these, truly, limited items. I think I'm just about done with pre-ordering crap. I've had. If I pre-order something months in advanced I don't deserve to be told "First come, first served" for NOTHING.

Anyway, I'm gonna pre-order MGS4 and a shitload of PS3 games next year. Yes, I'm contradicting myself. BUT, at least I get the game before a bunch of people.

And to the person that got MY Castlevania Limited Edition box. FUCK YOU!