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Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles features a character roster taken from two of the most popular Resident Evil games: Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica. In addition to heroes, villains and enemies from those two titles, the game will feature the same locations you remember well but upgraded for the Wii console.

The on-rails shooter is similar to Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles with both single-player and co-op play available. A release date for the game has yet to be set.

The game will be more horror-focused than Umbrella Chronicles and will also feature adjustable difficulty depending on how well or poor you perform. You will also be able to dodge attacks from oncoming enemies.

When you click on each Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles character name’s below, where available, a window will pop up with their picture.

Here is the list of Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles characters that will appear in the game:

MAIN CHARACTERS

Claire Redfield
Leon S. Kennedy

SIDE CHARACTERS

Ada Wong
Albert Wesker
Alexia Ashford
Alfred Ashford
Sherry Birkin
Steve Burnside
William Birkin

BOSSES

Black Tiger Spider
B.O.W.’s (Bio-Organic Weapons)
Mr. X (Tyrant-00)
Nosferatu
(Poison Tyrant)77
William Birkin (G-Virus Mutation/Tyrant)

ENEMIES

Bandersnatch
Bat
Giant Spiders
Giant Worm
Lickers
Marvin Branagh (African American police force zombie)
Zombies

Familiar faces and familiar places resurface and tie together the chronicles of Resident Evil. Watch the Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles character expo trailer.

Skate 3 may be coming from Electronic Arts afterall. The series was thought dead after the closure of its previous developer, Black Box.

Depending though on whether a specific tweet is true or not. A Twitter account dedicated to skating called Epicly Trife (NSFW) tweeted this short statement:

“I just got told ‘tonight we gotta celebrate,’ one of the bro’s got offered to be in SKATE 3.”

This makes sense because the series is still pretty well known and highly regarded. So for EA to continue the series seems like a good idea. But until it’s confirmed take this news with a grain of salt for now.

Via Joystiq

In an amazing move that shows the dedication to their fans, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love for PS2 and Wii will come in a special dual-disc set that includes two versions of the game: One with English voice acting, the other with Japanese voice acting (and English subtitles). Which is a first!

NIS America explained that this way fans will get to have all the original voice acting without NIS having to make any cuts, as they would if they had to fit everything on a single disc. My question is why other developers haven’t done this before . . . something tells me it’s because they care more about money than their fans. So huge kudos to NIS America.

Additionally, the game will be released for PlayStation 2 AND Wii at the low price of $40, which includes both discs! The game hits store shelves this Winter.

If you’ve never heard of the series before, it is extremely popular in Japan but has never made its way to the U.S. until now, with this 5th installment. Created by Sega, the franchise started out as a tactical strategy wargame mixed with a dating sim and was released for the Saturn. Since it has been made into an extremely popular anime and spawned tons of other media.

Set in an alternate 1920’s Tokyo, the series follows an all-female secret task force who must defend the city against all threats. They are led by a male who was assigned to the squad due to a unique armor in his possession, which was previously believed to only be compatible with women, who possess superior spiritual powers than men.

Via Siliconera

Ubisoft has announced that they will publish Heroes Over Europe worldwide, after snagging the right to the game from former publisher Atari. It will be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this September.

The sequel to Heroes of the Pacific, the World War II flight combat game, Heroes Over Europe builds on the game’s impressive legacy with intense dogfights, a highly detailed realistic visual presentation and even more online options.

“We are pleased to be bringing Heroes Over Europe to retailers worldwide,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Ubisoft. “The action-packed gameplay and realistic imagery in Heroes Over Europe will help bring some of history’s most exciting air battles to life for an experience that gamers will enjoy.”

Developed by Transmission Games in Melbourne, Australia, and powered by an all-new engine, Heroes Over Europe is set to raise the bar for flight combat games with the all new “Ace Kill” close combat action, four online modes supporting up to 16 players and fully customizable aircrafts with localized damage. Visually, the game takes no prisoners with meticulously rendered environments including faithful recreations of London, Berlin and the French Alps, and ultra-realistic iconic warplanes of the era, all presented in stunning high definition graphics.

Here is the debut trailer for the game.

Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter is an adventure and Mario-like platform game for DS and Wii. Each version has its own unique story and features, not to mention the fact that the Wii version has you drawing with the Wii Remote and the DS version has you drawing with the stylus and touch-screen.

In Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter for Wii, players will draw their own heroes using the Wii Remote to find the Artifacts of Power and rid the Raposa village of an evil, shadowy figure that has taken over the land.

Key features of the Wii version include:
* Customize your hero and game universe: Draw your own hero and create over 100 unique items though out the game such as vehicles, a sword and wings.
* Create without limits: Explore your artistic freedom with robust drawing tools that provide you with many templates, colors, brush types, guides and stamps. You can quickly draw a simple figure or create a masterpiece.
* Action drawing: Draw objects directly into the gameplay to help you advance through the levels. Special ink powers mean drawing with certain colors gives your creations unique properties.
* Extensive action adventure game-play: Journey through 4 unique worlds, each with a different style of play including skating and flying.
* Play with Friends: Draw your team¿s players, equipment and more as you compete against friends and family in multi-player mini games including Soccer, Hockey & Basketball.

In Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter for DS, players will embark on a brand new adventure aboard a Turtle Ship to defeat the evil Wilfre and restore color to the Raposa civilization.

Key features of the DS version include:

* Create without limits: Versatile advanced drawing tool features allow for more intricate detail. Use additional colorrs, new guides and new brush tools to create a multitude of unique items throughout the game
* Let your imagination run wild: Ability to draw multi-limbed creatures means you can create your own hero in any form – human, animal or something entirely different.
* Action drawing: Draw objects directly into the game-play to help you advance through the levels. Each color has special powers and gives your creation unique properties
* Morph your hero: Choose to turn your hero into a blob or a spider, each has its own abilities to help you advance through the levels.
* Extensive action adventure game-play: Explore 4 new worlds and sail on a special ship YOU create. Collect color drops to progress through the game and unlock content including challenges, quests, customization options and much more!

Here is the character creation walkthrough:

And here is a trailer for the DS version:

Robotology is the new game from N+ Plus developer Metanet.

The game is in a very early state as of now and doesn’t even really have a concrete gameplay concept decided upon yet. However the developer is one of those who takes their time and starts off from an idea.

So it will be interesting to see how they take the video below and turn it into an actual game. Right now it’s not that interesting but you can try and imagine what ideas might flow from this.

And according to the developers they’ve already worked quite hard on it. To quote:

The video represents “almost 800 lines of code, painstakingly hand-transcribed from graph paper and Flash mockups.” Impressive.

Via Joystiq

The 2009 best-selling games so far in the UK are: Wii Fit, Wii Play and Mario Kart Wii . . . as Nintendo continues it’s absolute Wii-domination. These numbers are according to the ELSPA’s GfK Chart-Tracking.

Here is the top ten best-selling games by individual system for the first half of 2009:

1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Wii Play(Wii)
3. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
4. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
5. Killzone 2 (PS3)
6. Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360)
7. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training (DS)
8. The Sims 3 (PC)
9. Call of Duty: World At War (Xbox 360)
10. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)

And here is the top ten best-selling games by all systems:

1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. FIFA 09 (Xbox 360/PS3/PSP/Wii/PS2/DS/PC)
3. Call Of Duty: World At War (Xbox 360/PS3/WII/PS2/PC/DS)
4. Resident Evil 5 (Xbox360/PS3)
5. Wii Play (Wii)
6. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
7. Professor Layton And The Curious Village (DS)
8. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games (Wii/DS)
9. Street Fighter IV (PS3/Xbox 360)
10. Guitar Hero: World Tour (Wii/Xbox 360/PS3/PS2)

Meanwhile, here is the Japanese top 10 best-selling games for 2009:

1. Mario & Luigi RPG3!!!: 631,165
2. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best): 556,650
3. Ryu Ga Gotoku 3: 485,630
4. Resident Evil 5: 467,191
5. Wii Fit: 432,191
6. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: 385,799
7. Rhythm Heaven Gold: 384,191
8. Dynasty Warriors Multi Raid: 382,191
9. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of the Sky: 338,568
10. Tales of the World Radiant Mythology 2: 316,797

Japanese sales are according to Famitsu publisher Enterbrain.

It’s interesting to note Nintendo’s dominance. This suggests that family-oriented and educational titles (with Fitness games soon to follow I’m sure) have become the most popular genres to video game buyers in the United Kingdom.

Amazingly, Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training has become the most popular UK game ever having sold over 3 million copies.

“These figures are clear evidence that gaming is now mainstream in the UK,” said Michael Rawlinson, director general of ELSPA. “The demographic has changed, so it’s time we did away with the misperception that videogames are merely the preserve of teenage boys shooting zombies. Innovation in the industry means the social and educational benefits of gaming are now enjoyed by players of both sexes and of all ages.”

Overall, the performance figures for 2009 so far are the second best the UK has seen to date.

Via GamesIndustry.biz, Kotaku

Two Worlds 2 has been announced by developer Reality Pump and publisher TopWare Interactive for PC, Mac, Xbox 360 and PS3. It will be released this Winter.

The sequel will open up a “radically new chapter in the fantasy world” and follows the “fantastic worldwide sales success” of the original MMORPG.

Two Worlds 2 presents a “totally new gamer experience”, one in which 2 years of intensive development has enabled quantum leaps in all spheres: completely overhauled AI and balancing standards, experienced authors, the active combat system and the brand-new engine all combine to provide an “unforgettable experience where excitement, sheer enjoyment and graphics rule.”

According to the developers, Two Worlds 2 “simply sets new technical benchmarks in the RPG genre, thanks not least to its seemingly unlimited number of dynamic light sources, micro-detail Parallax Mapping, 24 Bit HDR Post Processing, Space Ambient Occlusion and Human Eye Accommodation.”

Story-wise, Two Worlds 2 is staged a couple of years after Part 1 – and it will lead you into new unexplored parts of Eastern Antaloor where you’ll find many brand-new locations packed full of atmosphere – from dusty deserts to awe-inspiring temples.

Alexandra Constandache, the Executive Producer of TWII commented, “We intentionally opted for a completely independent game with radical new technology. This was the only way to ensure that we harness the enormous potential and experience gained from the making of the first “Two Worlds” project – and make full use of the further technical development of internal Reality Pump tools that has been on-going since the first “Two Worlds” was developed. This new release window gives us enough time to systematically implement both our own requirements and the feedback of the “Two World” fans, enabling us to create a breathtaking RPG experience.”

The developers will also release the next version of their Two Worlds magazine, the “Antaloor Post”, soon. This will allow fans to get all the latest news and development on the new title directly from the source. You can also sign up to their newsletter at the official web-site.

So what happened to Two Worlds: The Temptation? It got cancelled and has become part of this sequel.

Here’s a list of this weeks game releases. The most popular titles are The Bigs 2 on multiple platforms and Street Fighter IV on PC. On the downloadable games front we’ve got today’s Wii Shop and DSiWare titles BIT.TRIP CORE, Bust-A-Move Plus, Heracles Chariot Racing, California Games, Asphalt 4: Elite Racing, Art Style: BASE 10, as well as Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal via Telltalegames.com (on Tuesday), and Battlefield 1943 on Xbox Live Arcade (updates Wednesday) and a day later it will appear on PlayStation Network, plus there’s LucasArts releasing ten classics on Steam (Armed and Dangerous, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure, LOOM, Star Wars Battlefront II, Star Wars Republic Commando, Star Wars Starfighter, The Dig, Thrillville: Off the Rails) and Hotel Giant 2 on GameTap Gold (updates Thursday).

Monday:
BIT.TRIP CORE – $6 (Wii Shop)
Bust-A-Move Plus – $6 (Wii Shop)
Heracles Chariot Racing – $8 (Wii Shop)
California Games – $5 (Wii Shop)
Asphalt 4: Elite Racing – $8 (DSi Shop)
Art Style: BASE 10 – $5 (Wii Shop)

Tuesday:
BioShock and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
CID The Dummy (PS2, PSP)
Europa Universalis Rome Gold (PC)
Street Fighter IV (PC)
Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal – $9 (PC via Telltalegames)
The Bigs 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PSP)

Wednesday:
Armed and Dangerous (Steam)
Battlefield 1943 – $15 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (Steam)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure (Steam)
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure (Steam)
LOOM (Steam)
Star Wars Battlefront II (Steam)
Star Wars Republic Commando (Steam)
Star Wars Starfighter (Steam)
The Dig (Steam)
Thrillville: Off the Rails (Steam)

Thursday:
Battlefield 1943 – $15 (PlayStation Network)
Hotel Giant 2 (PC via GameTap Gold)

Friday:
Agatha Christie: Peril at the End House (PC)
The Hardy Boys: The Perfect Crime (PC)

Nintendo downloads this week: With BIT.TRIP CORE, Nintendo crosses the 100-game mark in its ever-growing WiiWare game library. Other WiiWare offerings this week will have players bursting bubbles and racing in chariots, whether solo or with friends. Nintendo DSiWare welcomes a new Art Style title and a unique auto racing game. While a classic Commodore 64 title will have Virtual Console users tearing it up California style.

Nintendo has now added these new/classic games to the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. Users with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations or Amazon (see Card on the right).

Where available, we’ve included videos of each of today’s games. Either for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if any new game is to your taste.

This week’s new WiiWare games are:

BIT.TRIP CORE
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points = $6
Description: BIT.TRIP CORE continues the BIT.TRIP saga in this retro-arcade-style game. BIT.TRIP CORE adds up to an exciting action/rhythm game that’s best played while zoning out on the tunes and letting the visuals swallow you whole. The experience is inspired by games from the ’80s, but with a modern twist. The game play is entirely new to the series, leaving the single-axis controls of BIT.TRIP BEAT behind in favor of the ability to control two axes. If the difficulty gets you down, grab a friend and play cooperatively with two-player multiplayer. Make it to the end and you’ll have journeyed one step further to completing your BIT.TRIP.

Bust-A-Move Plus!
Publisher: Taito
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points = $6
Description: BUST-A-MOVE Plus! is a simple but hugely addictive puzzle game in which you must try to burst a multi-colored mass of bubbles with your very own bubble launcher. Every time you make a group of three or more bubbles of the same color, they pop. There are two game modes available: 1P Puzzle (players tackle the game’s 135 stages in pursuit of a new high score or best time) and Battle (players take on friends or computer-controlled opponents). If that doesn’t satisfy your passion for popping, there are a total of 270 extra stages waiting for you in the two add-on-content packs, available for purchase on the Wii Shop Channel. BUST-A-MOVE Plus! is simple to get into and deep enough to keep you coming back for more.

Heracles Chariot Racing
Publisher: Neko Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points = $8
Description: The famous Heracles has taken on a challenge like none he has ever faced. Our hero will have to beat his opponents in a race across mythological kingdoms and be the first to reach the top of Mount Olympus. You can play as Heracles and help him return the sacred trophy, or play as one of the other varied mythological characters from Satyr to Poseidon and claim the prize for yourself. Race through three racing cups across 10 courses set in five mythic landscapes. Use awesome fantasy weaponry to defeat your opponents: tridents, fireballs, Zeus’s lightning rods and more. Get your friends together for intense two-to-four-player split-screen multiplayer action in Championship, Single Race or Battle mode.

This week’s new Virtual Console game is:

California Games
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1-5
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points = $5
Description: Welcome to California, home of the most radical sports in the world. You’re about to hit the beaches, parks and streets of the Golden State to go for trophies in everything from surfing to bike racing. California Games gives you the hottest sports and the most aggro competition. You even have to pick your own sponsor. So pull on those kneepads – you’re about to get into the most fun you’ve had since Mom hid your skateboard. California Games is going to take you from surf to the turf, from the pipe to the parks.

This week’s new DSiWare games are:

Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points = $8
Description: For the racing elite, the world is their racetrack. Choose among 28 dream cars and motorcycles from the world’s most prestigious manufacturers. Then race your way through eight of the most renowned cities, fully rendered in 3-D. Control your speed machine with either standard or touch-screen controls for precision driving. Photos taken with the Nintendo DSi Camera can be used as your personal icon or can appear throughout the various environments, including the garage where you can customize and tune your vehicles. From New York to Shanghai, Paris to Dubai, you’ll weave a course through busy streets in six kinds of races plus four-player Multiplayer mode. Avoid police, demolish competitors and pass the leader to win. You’ll need to floor it at every straightaway and push every drift to the limit to stay one step ahead and become the ultimate VIP of urban racing.

Art Style: BASE 10
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points = $5
Description: Art Style: BASE 10 is a game of numbers. Your goal is simple: create combinations equaling 10 by sliding numbers around the playing field. Move them horizontally or vertically, but be careful not to create an unusable non-number in the process. Choose from one of three modes: eliminate a set amount of numbers as quickly as possible in ZEROSUM MODE; get rid of prearranged groups of numbers in as few moves as possible in PUZZLE MODE; or continue removing numbers until your game is over in INFINITE MODE. In addition, you can challenge an opponent to a two-player wireless battle in VS MODE and see whose number-crunching skills reign supreme. If you think you’re a master with numbers, the straightforward yet challenging world of Art Style: BASE 10 gives you the opportunity to prove it in a unique way.

Meanwhile Europe’s celebrating another Japanese/U.S. import Hanabi Festival from July 3-24, 2009. The new games include: Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen (SNES), Pulseman (Sega Mega Drive), Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (SNES), MUSHA (Sega Mega Drive), Bomberman ‘94 (Turbografx-16), Smash Table Tennis (NES), Zoda’s Revenge: StarTropics II (NES), Detana Twin Bee (Turbografx-16). Watch this trailer to see them all.

Up first: Machima.com’s Inside Gaming covers game news you might’ve missed last week. They do it in a nice, brief video format. The Dead Pixel details the latest news, reviews, and trailers in his own irreverent style.

In week 26, 2009, he talks about: No LAN for you, faction transaction and an attempt to hit the entertainment beat. Did I mention this show was random?