NEWS
Street Fighter IV hits the iPod/iPhone - The iPod doesn't really seem like the ideal platform for playing Street Fighter but lo and behold, Capcom have apparently managed to create an "uncompromised" version to run on the media device. The graphics are obviously scaled back, and the controls have been simplified and mapped to the touch screen. I'm not sure how well the touch controls will work but who knows - they might be better than using a d-pad! It's not going to appease those who are used to playing their brawlers on fight sticks, though. Capcom did manage to make a perfectly decent version of Resident Evil 4 for the same platform, so I have faith that this port of Street Fighter will turn out fairly well, even if it does only have eight playable characters (thankfully, Blanka is one of them).
Nintendo wins lawsuit against distributor of R4 devices - Nintendo of Australia seem to have gone lawsuit-happy all of a sudden - first with their $1.5 million victory against a Queensland man who uploaded a copy of New Super Mario Bros Wii to the internet and now this. Personally, I think it's about time someone took action against the R4 cartridges. It's not difficult to get your hands on one - I know five year old kids who own R4 devices! Not that I have one myself, though I have been tempted by the prospect of playing import games without the massive costs... Anyway, the company distributing the devices, RSJ IT Solutions, to cease selling the chip and pay damages of $520,000.
The Weekly Report is back! - Which you probably already knew. Basically, I'll be doing this the same way as I used to. News, new releases, what I'm playing, clip of the week, challenges (I'm still looking for where I left the dance mat, honestly), game deals, anticipated games and possibly more to come.
NEW RELEASES
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (DS) - Which I will buy the moment I actually see a copy in stores. I played through the demo and it seems to mix up the traditional Ace Attorney gameplay a little bit by working more like a traditional point and click adventure game. The main hook seems to be linking together various ideas in Edgeworth's head to form logical conclusions, though it seems to have the same "searching for contradictions" thing as Phoenix did, though out of the courtroom this time. It definitely seems to be worth it if you're a fan of the Ace Attorney series, as it's full of cameos. Everyone from Manfred Von Karma to Mike Meekins makes an appearance.
Aliens vs Predator (PC, 360, PS3) - Gamespot don't seem to like it, but I've read positive reviews from other websites. The ability to play as an Alien or Predator (or Marine, I guess) sounds cool, but by all accounts the main campaign mode is really short. And while the multiplayer is supposed to be pretty interesting in its own right, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing people will still be playing a few months from now.
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days (PSP) - Meh, I can't stand Nippon Ichi games. It's not that they're slow, ugly and archaic (which they are), but because Nippon Ichi translates as "Japan's No. 1", which is an incredibly big headed and pretentious statement to make.
GAME PROGRESS
Odin Sphere - I'm up to Cornelius' epilogue, which is not a very fun place to be. From what I gather, it's one of the hardest parts of the game and I'm not even halfway through it yet! I could be grinding for some time... I also changed the dialogue from Japanese to English. The English voice acting is actually pretty good and the lines are cheesy but sometimes unintentionally hilarious (Cornelius: "I have..... A MAGIC SWORD!")
Zak and Wiki - Just when I think I'm able to tolerate the game, I die and have to start from the beginning of the stage. Don't let anyone ever tell you Zack and Wiki is a kids' game. If you buy it for your children, you will make them cry.
Sonic Pinball Party - Incredibly fun but also incredibly hard, especially if you're trying the Samba de Amigo stage. I can't even get on the leaderboards. I want to keep trying it again, but I just can't stand having Vamos a Carnaval constantly looping in the background.
I'm not entirely sure what this guy is saying, but I have a sudden urge to play Shenmue. Or maybe just some Space Hurrr.
In case you missed it: I wrote a lot of stuff. Most notably these editorials which you probably didn't read.