There’s a lot of stuff happening in the world of Transformers. Too much for us to report on, so we have to pick the best and coolest news a let our friends at TFW2005 tackle the rest. News on a Masterpiece figure counts as the best news.
A posting at ACToys includes and image of original Dinobot Grimlock’s figure with the implication that he will be the basis for the next in the Masterpiece line. Previous figures include Optimus Prime (recolored to Ultra Magnus), Starscream (recolored to Skywarp), and Megatron. Real images of the figure can’t be far off from this teaser, and we’ll deliver them to you as soon as we see them.

Grimlock has long been one of the most popular Transformers chracters, appearing in the 1986 movie and taking a lead role in several comic series. He’s also a favorite for inclusion in the sequel to the 2007 Transformers movie. Learn more on Teletraan 1.

What at first started as just a bunch of gossip on the GameFAQs forums has turned into something quite a bit more. A thread (which has been since deleted) started by a confirmed VIP of Konami America (supposedly a translator of the localization team) produced some interesting tidbits of information, including a supposed beta image of the upcoming game in production which can be seen to the right.

The game’s supposed name? Akumajo Dracula: Ubawareta Kokuin. (Castlevania: The Stolen Seal)

Of course this leads to much speculation and many denouncings by the Castlevania community, who are skeptical of the image, after a hoax game (the falsely titled “Duel Moons”) a few years back managed to fool even members of several gaming news sites. This new rumor could very well be the same photoshopped nightmare. What also make fans raise an eyebrow is the fact the image portrays the main playable character as a female protagonist – something series producer IGA has stated he doesn’t like doing. (secondary female characters are fine though, it would seem)

So, with no official word from the Konami bigwigs, and only an image and one man’s words to go by, we’ll just have to see if this is another hoax, or if it could be the first we see of the third 2D Castlevania DS game that has been confirmed by Konami. Once I know, you’ll know.

Rescued from the incinerator, where it was left by careless interns, comes the first of three parts in our Tokyo Game Show 2007 Special for Famicom Dojo!

In this installment, we cover:

No More Heroes
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
Wii Family Trainer: Athletic World
?????? Doko De Mo Yoga (Yoga Anywhere)

YouTube

Video Netcast
 Subscribe to iTunes POWETcast
Famicom Dojo – TGS 2007 Special – Part 1

No More Heroes comes out this Tuesday, January 22nd. I highly recommend you reserve a copy, since that might be the only way you get to play it!

Show notes at FamicomDojo.TV:
TGS 2007 Special, Part 1

[Read the rest of this entry…]

Shortly after SNK’s Metal Slug proved that simple side-scrolling ‘run-and-gun’ games still rule, Saurus released this Neo Geo/arcade game that proved that simple top-down run-and-gun games still rule too. This game is best described as a top-down Metal Slug, as it’s wildly absurd and light hearted. You take control of one of 8 commandos, each with their own special abilities and weapons, as they rescue a kidnapped scientist and his granddaughter from a terrorist organization known as the Black Scorpions. You can either choose to play as in either lone wolf or team battle mode. Lone wolf mode is self explanatory while team battle allows you to pick from three of the eight heroes and switch between them at will. There is a dodge button allowing you to avoid enemy fire, and you can move and shoot in 8 ways. You can even strafe by holding down the fire button. You have your usual weapon upgrades and bombs, and the fire button becomes a melee attack when in close range of an enemy. You traverse through six levels. A semi-sequel, Shock Troopers:2nd Squad was released a short time later. While it only featured 4 characters, it still contained the fun shooting action as in the original. It’s a shame that this didn’t take off as well as the Metal Slug series, as fans of MS will love this game. This game needs to show up on an SNK compilation pack, Wii Virtual Console, or Xbox Live Arcade.

You may remember us reporting that BBTS was offering a set of 3 DST exclusive busts of the seeker coneheads: Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust. Well, Toy Rocket has gotten the exclusive busts for Prowl and his repaints, Bluestreak and Smokescreen. These busts are all unique with different sculpts, paint apps, etc.,. Prowl is limited to 500 pieces, while Bluestreak and Smokescreen are each limited to 250 pieces.

  

Link: DST

The humor that was in and has been inspired by the original GI Joe animated series is probably what I love best about it. In this episode, I pay special tribute to a hero and a villain who made me laugh.

In 2004, developer Raven created the smash hit X-Men Legends. This game took Marvel’s merry mutants and sent them throughout the X-men universe in 4-player action rpg goodness. The game featured customizable stats, upgradable powers, and a huge load of fan service. Raven followed up the following year with X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse which addressed the small amount gameplay issues found in the original XML and featured a story which included even more of the X-Men universe, including elements from the Age of Apocalypse storyline. In 2006, Raven decided to let the whole Marvel universe get in on the act with Marvel Ultimate Alliance. This game allowed fans to experience their favorite (and not so favorite) Marvel super heroes in a way they never imagined possible.
[Read the rest of this entry…]

The latest update from the Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai is quite unpleasant.

Due to delays in the completion of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we’ve had to change the release date of the game to Sunday, March 9th.

I deeply apologize to the people who have looked forward to playing the game for so long and ask that you hold on just a little longer. Thank you for your patience.

Ok, so the update was pleasant, its just the news thats bad. Put a new mark on your calendars kids. You’ve got an extra month to collect your Mario Galaxy stars, practice Rock Band drumming, and find Drake’s Fortune.

Read: Smash Bros . DOJO!!