The SOUL Still burns On Xbox Live Arcade!!!!

Bandai Namco announced that a port of the Dreamcast classic Soul Calibur will be making its way to XBLA. This is great news as Soul Calibur is one of the top ranked games of all time according to Gamerankings. And recieved a perfect score in Famitsu.Many online options will be availible including Online leader boards, local versus play, and survival mode.

Super Mario Family Baseball on Wii has a date!

From NCSX:

According to NCSX Super Mario Family Baseball Will be released on the Wii in Japan on June 19th 2008. Cannot wait to get my hands on this. Word is it is built off the engine used in Wii Sports.

Rock Band REDEEMED good songs next week

Seems that Harmonix decided to redeem themselves for their awful music they released last week. The tracks are:

"Call Me" by Blondie (master)


"Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd (master)


"Message in Bottle" by the Police (master)

I already bought my points. You do the same!

Final Fantasy IV DS coming stateside says Nintendo Power

From Nintendo Power:

According to the latest issue of Nintendo Power Square-Enix will release Final Fantasy IV on Nintendo DS in the US on July 22nd. About time the Nintendo DS received a decent localized RPG. It has been awhile.

Nintendo Shipping White Gamecube Controller in Japan this month

For anyone who would like a gamecube controller to match their Wii. Nintendo will be relasing a White controller later this month. Hopefully this will get a stateside release.

SNK shipping Sunsoft Collection for Ps2 this summer

From Ncsx:

Snk will be shipping out Neo Geo Online: Sunsoft Collection June 26th in Japan. This collection will feature the games Galaxy Fight and Waku Waku 7. Looks like the Ps2 is turning into a Neo Geo itself with so many releases.Ncsx is accepting pre orders starting today.

5pb releases many screens of Ketsui X and Dodonpachi X

From Impress Game-Watch:

5pb has released many screens of Ketsui X and Dodonpachi X. Games will be released TBD in 2008.

Pics can be seen here Impress Game Watch

Street Fighter IV Beta test in Osaka for 3 days

From Impress Game-Watch

Capcom announced they will be beta testing Street Fighter IV this weekend April 11th-13th in Osaka. This will be the first public appearance of character "El Forte". He is a Lucha Libre Wrestler.

Pics can be seen here Impress Game Watch

Play-Asia Issues import warning on Mario Kart Wii

From Play-Asia:

This is an important e-mail update regarding your pending preorder Mario Kart Wii (w/ Wii Handle) (Nintendo™ Wii Japan, NTSC J), Order (#9593042).
We received the first small delivery today for testing and unfortunately we have to inform you, that the game is not compatible with the Datel Freeloader (US and PAL Version).

In case that this affects your preorder, please contact our customer service as soon as possible to amend/cancel your order, as otherwise we will ship your order within the next 48 hours.

If you own a Japanese Wii and you do not want to change your orders, you do not have to reply to this email.

Once again thanks for shopping with us and sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Your Play-Asia.com Customer Service
http://www.play-asia.com

This is really sad news for the import scene especially with many great games that could be released on Wii due to nintendo's market share. Lets hope this does not become a common trend among Wii imports.

3 crappy songs released to the Public on Rock Band

I normally do not bash Rock Band content as I am a full supporter of the title as a music based platform. But there is no excuse to sell us the same garbage twice. For those unfortunate enough to find the OXM Harmonix pack here is your chance to to download 3 questionable songs for use with your game. This pack includes: "Rock Rebellion" by Bang Camaro, "Shake" by Count Zero, and "Sprode" by Freezepop (KEYTAR NOT INCLUDED). Be sure not to rebuy them again if you already got the OXM disc. They will also be coming to PSN next week. Lets hope for some real talent to be displayed in the next pack.

Dual Shock 3 shipping today at NCSX

Ncsx has started selling the Dual Shock 3 for the cool price of $56.90 each priority shipped in the USA. I will be sure to order one for GTA 4 coming out later this month.

Inital D stage 4 to hit Ps3 in Japan this Summer!

According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the game known in Japanese arcades as Initial-D Arcade Stage 4 will soon be making its way to PS3 in the form of Initial-D: Extreme Stage. Tearing through mountain roads with J-pop blasting in the background on PS3? Yes, please.

The game is set to receive a visual upgrade, updated single-player mode with more than 20 rivals, and competitive online play. Do not forget Ps3 is region free so feel free to order if you have a Euro or USA ps3.

UPDATE: Ncsx has started taking preorders today and the game will ship on July 3, 2008

Gauntlet coming out on DS thanks to Eidos

From The Magic-Box:

Eidos announced Gauntlet for Nintendo DS, a new edition to Midway's classic arcade action game. The DS version will support 4 players over Wi-Fi and the game will have VoIP (voice over IP) support, allow players to chat on microphone while playing. There will be 4 playable characters, including Elf, Warrior, Wizard and Valkyrie.

Bandai Namco bringing UItraman to the Wii in Japan!

From the Magic-Box

Bandai Namco announced Daikaijyu Battle: Ultra Colosseum for Wii, a new monster combat game featuring over 60 playable monsters from the galaxy. In the game you wave the Wii Remote to attack the opponents and defend yourself.

"Puyo Puyo!" Anniversary simultaneous release on Wii/DS/PS2/PSP

On June 19th in Japan Sega will be releasing Puyo Puyo! Anniversary on Wii/DS/PS2/PSP. This is a great collection of Puzzle games and the DS version will feature Head to Head play over Wifi network. Also will have selection of classic play modes.

Castle Shikigami 3 to be released April 29th on Wii

Barring anymore last minute date changes Aksys should be releasing Castle Shikigami 3 on the Nintendo Wii at the end of this month. I gave up waiting and purchased a Xbox 360 version but for those wanting a taste of this great shooter, This release is your best bet to get it. I will be posting a review shortly when I complete the game.Buyers be on the lookout April 29th.

Arcana Heart comes out tomorrow in the USA for Ps2!

Arcarna Heart from Examu formerly Yuki enterprise will be released tomorrow in the USA published by Atlus. This is a great 2d fighter and there has been a lack of releases in the West the past few years. I suggest picking this title up and supporting other arcade ports we may be lucky enough to get stateside. And who doesn't love a fighter with a all female cast?

MileStone Shooting collection releases this week on Wii

For those not in the know. The MileStone shooting collection will be coming out this wednesday in Japan. This collection features 3 previously released games for the Dreamcast. Shmups Chaos Field, Radirgy , And Karous all on one DVD. In case you own a US Nintendo wii be sure to order a free loader for the Wii because it is Import only. This is a great collection that may see a stateside release later this year from Q-3. I urge you to purchase now if you do not already own these in some form.

Trigger Heart Exelica Xbox 360 / XBLA review

From Warashi makers of the Shienryu series of games comes Trigger Heart Exelica on Xbox Live Arcade. For those not familiar with shmups then lets get aquainted. Trigger Heart Exelica is a top down vertical scrolling shmup in the same vein as Ikaruga and Raiden. It is a port of the Naomi/Dreamcast original with added HD graphics, leader scoredboard and achievements. Otherwise it is a straight port of the original.
It has the simple straight forward shooting ,bomb mechanic like any other shmup but has a gimmick that makes it stand out. This is the capture mechanism that allows you to grab a enemy ship and then time a swing back towards the group enemies causing larger damage then a normal shot. The first few stages help you get accustomed to using this and in the later stages it is a necessity in order to complete the stage without dying.

I love this port on the XBLA and it is a fair value considering the original sealed DC version sells for over $100 on ebay. I do however find it lacking that there is no 2 player mode or online modes included in any version. However I can overlook this and I consider this game a Above average shmup with great replay value. Overall I give this game a 8/10.

Ikaruga On XBLA April 9th

From Kotaku:

The promise of Ikaruga for Xbox Live Arcade has been a constant tease since its official announcement in September. We know it's coming soon, but didn't know exactly when. Fortunately, the Japanese version of Xbox.com has put a date on it, pegging the release for Wednesday, April 9. That's a respectable distance from April 1, so we suspect our emotions aren't being stomped upon by cruel Japanese webmasters. Cross your fingers in hope that the world doesn't explode until at least April 10!

Update: Major Neslon has confirmed Ikaruga will be released this wednesday for 800 Microsoft points. Also the Official Treasure site confirms.

Battle Fantasia to Xbox 360 and PS3

From Famitsu:

Developer Arc System Works has officially revealed its latest fighting game in this weeks' edition of Famitsu. The game is called Battle Fantasia and will be released simultaneously on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in May 2008 in Japan. Battle Fantasia will be quite different then normal fighting games and the game includes colorful graphics and a very unique gameplay style. Battle Fantasia also features a big story mode as well as support for head-to-head online multiplayer. The game is scheduled for release in May 2008 in Japan. An American/European release has not been confirmed yet.

Ketsui and Dodonpachi Black Label to Xbox 360

From Arcade Renaissance:

Cave's legendary Ketsui, and DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou are getting the X360 treatment this year. This marks Ketsui's home console debut, after years of neglect and exponential aftermarket PCB price inflation. But not to be out done, despite it's previous PS2 port, the 360 DDP will be the Black Label revision, just in case you felt the original didn't have enough bullets flying about. http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1214031_1407.html?ref=rss http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1213991_1407.html?ref=rss Both titles will receive the obligatory "X" added to their title screens. While Shikigami no Shiro III proved that later 3D games can run quite nicely on the ole' 'box, We'll have to wait for Raiden Fighters Aces to see if on old school 2D game can make a similarly painless transition. Also, the ports are being handled by generic licensed IP game dev 5pb, whose biggest claim to "fame" to date has probably been the Night Wizard The Videogame, signaling the passing of the torch of crap-anime-license-shovelware-developer from Bandai to 5pb. I'm filled with dread over this.

Shooting Love 2007 for Xbox 360!!

From Arcade Renaissance:

According to a post from February 13th, Triangle Service has plans to bring the arcade shooter, Shooting Love 2007 (consisting of the SHMUP skills test and Exzeal), to the Xbox 360. No word on a release date yet or whether or not the game is being planned as an Xbox Live Arcade release or retail release, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on this one to see if anything else is announced in regards to the title. Since the game is not available for pre-order on Rakuten or Play-Asia, I'm suspecting that it is going to be an Xbox Live Arcade release.The premise behind the SHMUP Skill Test is to provide a combination of solo play and head-to-head "mini-games" that will test your shooter skills. The game isn't the most impressive shooter in the world, but as an effort in developing a competitive shooting game environment, in may prove to be worth the cost for fans of the genre depending on the price point. As for Exzeal, fans of Triangle Service's previous efforts will enjoy it, though for those who passed on XII Stag or Trizeal, there probably isn't enough here to warrant a purchase.

Kof 98 Ultimate Match Dated!

From the Magic-Box:

SNK Playmore announced a PS2 port of the arcade fighting game The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match will be released in Japan on June 26, 2008, the game will have online battle support.

Sengoku Basara X on ps2!!!

From Arcade Renaissance:

Capcom and Arc System Works' joint project has been pushed aside for bigger and better things. While Sengoku Basara X has definitely caught the attention of fans of the source material, with Street Fighter IV and BlazBlue on the horizon, its hard to blame the rest of the fighting game community for looking at it as a 'secondary' fighter. I'm sure it will attract some quick attention in arcades, but it is painfully obvious that it more than likely will not have the competitive stay that people were expecting when they first heard of the project between the two companies.With that said, it was inevitable before a home console port of Sengoku Basara X was announced. With the game being featured on Namco's System 246/256 hardware, a PS2 port was naturally expected from the beginning. This last week, Famitsu has went ahead and announced the project and has provided a June release date for the game. There were previous rumors of the game coming to the Wii as well, but it looks as though as of this time Capcom is only spending the effort on the PS2 port of Sengoku Basara X.