9/23/09 – Latest News from VideoGamesBlogger

Tatsunoko vs Capcom features over 25 characters from both the Capcom and the Tatsunoko universes, in this Wii-exclusive fighting game. It won’t be out in America & Europe until either late 2009 or early 2010.

Sadly the localization process was difficult, so at least one character (Hakushon Daimo) was lost in the legal wranglings from Japanese to English. Thus Westerners will pick up the character Tekkaman Blade in Daimo’s place. There are also four rumored characters that I’ve included as part of the list, they are: Zero (which could be one of two characters), Frank West, Yatterman-2 and Joe Asakura, all of which are exclusive to the Western version of the game. The Western version also includes an updated character selection screen, a few new features and possibly online play!

Here is the complete list of characters from the game:

TATSUNOKO SIDE
1. Casshan (From Neo-Human Casshern)
2. Doronjo (From Yatterman)
3. Gold Lightan (From Golden Warrior Gold Lightan)
4. Hakushon Daimo (only in Japanese version. From The Genie Family)
5. Ippatsuman (From Gyakuten! Ippatsuman)
6. Joe Asakura? (From Gatchaman)
7. Jun the Swan (From Science Ninja Team Gatchaman)
8. Karas (From Karas)
9. Polimar (From Hurricane Polymar)
10. Tekkaman (From Tekkaman: The Space Knight)
11. Tekkaman Blade (replacement for Daimo in Ultimate All-Stars USA/Europe version. From Tekkaman Blade)
12. Yatterman-1 (From Yatterman)
13. Yatterman-2? (From Yatterman)

CAPCOM SIDE
1. Alex (from Street Fighter III)
2. Batsu Ichimonji (from Rival Schools: United By Fate)
3. Chun-Li (From Street Fighter)
4. Frank West? (From Dead Rising)
5. Soki (From Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams)
6. Ken Washio aka Ken the Eagle (From Science Ninja Team Gatchaman)
7. MegaMan Volnutt (From Mega Man Legends)
8. Morrigan Aensland (From Darkstalkers)
9. PTX-40A (From Lost Planet: Extreme Condition)
10. Roll (From Mega Man)
11. Ryu (From Street Fighter)
12. Saki Omokane (From Quiz Nanairo Dreams)
13. Viewtiful Joe (From Viewtiful Joe)
14. Yami (From Okami)
15. Zero (Which could be either Zero from Mega Man X or Zero Gouki from Cyberbots)

So far no characters from Samurai Pizza Cats or Speed Racer have been confirmed. But the game may also be getting a delay, at which point hopefully online play and maybe more characters will be added.

Watch the Tatsunoko vs Capcom U.S. debut trailer:

Capcom talks about the localized version of Tatsunoko vs Capcom:

Welcome to the Katamari Forever wallpapers page!

Here we will post images that you can use as desktop wallpapers, both official and otherwise. We will add to this list as we find cool new wallpapers for the game.

To download to your PC computer: Right click on the Image. Select “Set as Background Image.”

To download to your Mac computer: Click Image to Download to Desktop. Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences. Click Desktop & Screen Saver. Click “Choose Folder…”.

Below you can find the rest of the Katamari Forever wallpapers.
Click on each thumbnail for the wallpaper size image to pop up.

Toy Story Mania is a new Wii game (out now) from Disney Interactive Studios that is based on the hit Toy Story ride/attraction of the same name.

The first game from Disney to be based on a theme park ride, Toy Story Mania features multiplayer competitive and cooperative modes for four-players. Ten fast-paced shooting galleries are featured, including some adapted from the theme park attraction and others that are original. For example, the attraction’s popular Pie Toss game is represented in the game’s training level, and five additional levels based on the theme park experience are available as unlockables in Story Mode. Players can also team up to unlock Easter eggs and collectibles. Toy Story Mania the video game also features 3-D gameplay as an unlockable bonus.

Peripheral maker Thrustmaster has also announced a Disney-licensed gun accessory for the game to accompany it’s European release. The gun is a replica of the same gun that is featured in the theme park ride. The Ray Gun NW is expected in European stores by the end of September at a price of €14.99.

So why is this Toy Story game being made now, in 2009? That’s because Toy Story is about to return in a big way. This October, Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2 will be re-released in theaters, this time in Disney Digital 3D! But the biggest news of all is the announcement of Toy Story 3! This brand new movie featuring all the classic characters you know and love was built from the ground up in Disney Digital 3D and will be released next summer on June 18th, 2010 in theaters everywhere.

“Toy Story Mania! is the first video game to be directly inspired by a Disney attraction,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “Developing this game was truly a collaborative effort between Disney Interactive Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Imagineers and the Disney Parks team. As a result, the end product fully captures the essence of the attraction and delivers a new fun-filled experience appropriate for all members of the family.”

Toy Story Mania: The Mobile Game is also available on all major wireless carriers. Toy Story Mania: The Mobile Game is an arcade game featuring favorite characters from the movie! Fans play as the honorary toy and test their skills in zany and fun carnival games. Players compete for high scores, unlock bonus stages and earn points to win tickets. Tickets can be used to purchase special items in the prize booth. Toy Story Mania: The Mobile Game available for iPhone, iPod Touch and Java/Brew platforms.

Via Joystiq

Are you a die-hard Sony fan who wouldn’t mind having some PlayStation kicks?

Well then you’ll be quite envious when you lay your eyes on the new PlayStation Nike Air Trainer 1 shoes. The sad part is that these baby’s won’t be sold to the general public. In fact, they are so limited that there are only 24 pairs being made! However you will be able to win them through various charity auctions and other events, as well as on the Sole Collector web-site.

Here is part of an interview with Ron Eagle, Director of Product Publicity at Sony regarding the new Nike’s:

Question: What did you think of the shoes when you received them [the PlayStation Nike Air Trainer shoes]?

Answer from Ron Eagle: I was completely blown away – there are so many details, so many different things to look at and yet it’s also very cohesive. The quality of the materials, especially the lenticular, was just crazy. I really love how much the shoe changes in light, the brightness of the colors against the black, and the fact that the left and right shoe have different graphics / colors was just really cool. It was also very nice of them to tie back to the “different and cool factor” that the original PlayStation brought to the gaming industry in 1994. To be able to visually reference a game changer for our industry and acknowledge our history with Nike dipping into their history with visual cues from the Air Trainer line to create something very new and unique is just hard to put into words. The shoe has the heritage from each brand, but also shows the progression we have made and continues to celebrate that central to pop culture theme that we both enjoy.

Via Sole Collector

Professor Layton – The First Movie is entitled “The Eternal Diva” and a new trailer has been released for the Japanese animated film based on the hit DS adventure series from Nintendo and developer Level-5.

The movie is set to take place directly after the events of Professor Layton and the Specter’s Flute, in which Layton’s apprentice, Luke, is investigating the concept of immortality. The mystery involves the friend of an opera singer, who disappears one day only to return a year later as a 7-year old girl who says she has found the secret to eternal life.

The video is entirely in Japanese but thankfully it has been subtitled so that you can read what the characters are saying. A lot of the same characters you know and love from the games will be featured in the movie, and those who follow Japanese voice actors will be happy to see some of the people providing voice work, who are shown in the trailer.

And without further ado, here is the trailer!

Here’s the list of this weeks game releases. The most popular titles are Halo 3: ODST on Xbox 360, Aion: The Tower of Eternity on PC, Spyborgs on Wii, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up on Wii, Katamari Forever on PS3, and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona on PSP. On the downloadable games front we’ve got today’s Wii Shop and DSiWare titles You, Me, and the Cubes, Family Tennis, Last Ninja 2, Clubhouse Games Express, MySims Camera. Followed by Ion Assault, Warriors, and Zombie Apocalypse on Xbox Live Arcade (updates Wednesday) with the latter game also appearing on PlayStation Network (updates Thursday). As well as Rayman Raving Rabbids on GameTap Gold (updates Thursday).

Monday:
Aion: The Tower of Eternity (PC, Steam, Direct2Drive)
Clubhouse Games Express: Strategy Pack – $5 (DSi Shop)
Family Tennis – $5 (Wii Shop)
Last Ninja 2 – $5 (Wii Shop)
MySims Camera – $2 (DSi Shop)
You, Me, and the Cubes – $10 (Wii Shop)

Tuesday:
Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Expedition (Wii)
Animal Planet: Vet Life (DS)
Astrology (DS)
Baseball Blast! (Wii)
Black College Football Xperience: The Doug Williams Edition (Xbox 360)
Chicken Blaster (Wii)
Fabulous Finds (DS)
Fallen Earth (PC, Steam)
Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun (Wii)
Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
Just in Time Translations (DS)
Katamari Forever (PS3)
Mytran Wars (PSP)
Order of War (PC)
Scooby Doo! First Frights (Wii, PS2, DS)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (PSP)
Sodoku Ball: Detective (DS, PC)
Spyborgs (Wii)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up (Wii)
The Price is Right: 2010 Edition (Wii, PS2, DS)
Wacky World of Sports (Wii)
Where’s Waldo: The Fantastic Journey (PC, Wii, DS)
Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion (DS)

Wednesday:
Ion Assault – $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Warriors – $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Zombie Apocalypse – $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)

Thursday:
Dodge Racing Charger vs Challenger (Wii)
Race On (PC)
Rayman Raving Rabbids (GameTap Gold)
Women’s Murder Club: Twice In A Blue Moon (PC)
Zombie Apocalypse – $10 (PlayStation Store)

Friday:
Aqua Panic (Wii)
The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft (Wii)

Nintendo downloads this week: The WiiWare service welcomes the precarious puzzle action of You, Me, and the Cubes and the court-storming antics of Family Tennis. Commodore 64 favorite Last Ninja 2 arrives on the Virtual Console, pushing players to heroic heights in a classic martial-arts adventure. Nintendo DSiWare users can let the chips fall where they may with Clubhouse Games Express: Strategy Pack or create imaginative pictures with MySims Camera.

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:

You, Me, and the Cubes
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 1,000 Wii Points = $10
Description: Experience a unique combination of strategy and skill as you maintain a level playing field in the physics-based action puzzler You, Me, and the Cubes. The action centers around Fallos, mysterious creatures that resemble humans and have an ability to balance on a playing field of 3-D cubes. First, create a pair of Fallos inside your Wii Remote™ controller by shaking it up and down. Next, determine suitable places for the Fallos to land, then fling them to the selected cube with a swinging motion. After that, the Fallos are on their own. If your placement is sound, the Fallos will remain stable and you’ll clear the stage after tossing a required number onto the cubes. But if the weight or locations of Fallos causes the cubes to tilt and sway too much, the Fallos will lose their balance and fall off. Adding to the challenge, you’ll find that some cubes have different properties, making tosses tricky and further threatening the stability of the Fallos. Guide Fallos through dozens of single-player stages or invite family and friends to join you in two-player cooperative mode.

Family Tennis
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Wii Points = $5
Description: Daddy, Mommy, Sarah and Billy return for some hard-hitting, fast-paced tennis action. Battle it out between the happy family members as you vie for the top spot. Choose from three different modes: Elimination Match, Free Match and Thrilling Rally. Play against the CPU or compete with friends. Elimination Match mode pits you against the CPU to test your skills, while Free Match mode allows you to play against another player under conditions of your choosing. Thrilling Rally mode lets you join up to three other players and rally to see who can get to 100 points first.

This week’s new Virtual Console game is:

Last Ninja 2
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points = $5
Description: The ninja known as the Mystic Shadow Warriors were the elite fighting force of ninth-century feudal Japan. The evil Shogun Kunitoki was once beaten, but he has gathered all his mystic powers to create a modern-day tyranny in Manhattan. Face your archenemy Kunitoki in the urban jungle and conquer him with your ninja skills. Transported to 1988 Manhattan by an unknown force, the ninja leader Armakuni must find a way to defend himself against the unknown dangers that lie before him. Will this be the final battle? Can you vanquish the evil Kunitoki once and for all?

This week’s new DSiWare games are:

Clubhouse Games Express: Strategy Pack
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points = $5
Description: Prepare yourself for a lesson in tactics as you play through five strategy-based games in this Nintendo DSiWare version of the popular Clubhouse Games. Take on an opponent in the classic Backgammon, invade an enemy base in Field Tactics, sandwich your opponent’s pieces to capture them in Turncoat, create strings of five in a row in Connect Five and guess where to attack your opponent’s pieces in Grid Attack. Play by yourself or use DS Download Play to host as many as seven friends.

MySims Camera
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points = $2
Description: MySims Camera is a camera application that utilizes popular MySims characters. You can take photos and overlay 3-D MySims characters to bring them into the real world. The 3-D characters can be animated, moved, scaled, rotated and cropped. You can also draw on the photos with the stylus or use the stamp tool to add more art and style. Create a unique frame and save the photos to the Nintendo DSi Camera album to share with friends. MySims Camera is a fun, creative experience for the entire family.

Top 20 WiiWare games as of September 16:
1 [1] – Contra Rebirth
2 [2] – Reel Fishing Challenge
3 [3] – My Aquarium
4 [6] – Tetris Party
5 [5] – World of Goo
6 [7] – Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
7 [8] – My Pokémon Ranch
8 [4] – Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 2
9 [9] – Texas Hold’em Tournament
10 [10] – Sexy Poker
11 [12] – Dr Mario Online Rx
12 [13] – Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 1
13 [11] – Family Slot Car Racing
14 [14] – Family Mini Golf
15 [15] – Defend Your Castle
16 [19] – BUST-A-MOVE Plus!
17 [17] – Brain Challenge
18 [20] – Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My life as a Darklord
19 [18] – Water Warfare
20 [16] – NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits

Top 20 DSiWare games as of September 17:
1 [1] – Flipnote Studio
2 [2] – Nintendo DSi Browser
3 [3] – Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again
4 [4] – Guitar Rock Tour
5 [5] – Paper Airplane Chase
6 [6] – Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
7 [9] – Bird & Beans
8 [8] – Puzzle League Express
9 [10] – WarioWare: Snapped!
10 [11] – Dr. Mario Express
11 [7] – Pop+ Solo
12 [19] – Clubhouse Games Express: Family Favorites
13 [12] – Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche
14 [13] – Mario Calculator
15 [14] – Mario Clock
16 [15] – Sudoku Student
17 [16] – Art Style: BOXLIFE
18 [17] – Photo Clock
19 [N] – Oscar in Toyland
20 [N] – Art Academy: First Semester

* [N] – Denotes a brand new entry in the Top 20
* [-] – Denotes a game that was not on the Top 20 last week

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 37, 2009, he talks about: Daft Punk, PS3 Slim & Wii sales, FFXIII out in 2009 in Japan, Modern Warfare 2 preview, and random interruptions by Kanye.