It would have been a dream collaboration, not to mention a desperately needed shot in the arm for the survival horror franchise: A Silent Hill title co-produced by Kojima Productions and Director/Writer/Producer Guillermo del Toro (Blade II, Pacific Rim, Hellboy). Sadly, it will remain to be just that, a dream. Hideo Kojima confirmed that he would be leaving Konami after the release of September’s Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, leaving the status of the project in the air. Sadly, it was confirmed via the twitter accounts of both actor Norman Reedus and Del Toro this past weekend that Silent Hills is indeed canceled. To add further insult to injury, PS4 owners will have until this Wednesday to download the playable teaser from the PSN store. Never before has a cancellation been so heartbreaking since Mega Man Legends 3 and Mega Man Universe a few years ago. Sadly, this isn’t the first time Del Toro was involved with a video game project that fell through; the title Insane was canceled in 2012 when would-be publisher THQ went bankrupt. Of course no doubt Konami will continue the Silent Hill series at some point. However, it will remain to be seen if anything Konami comes up would be as grand as what Kojima and Del Toro had planned for the series. If there is a bright spot in this whole fiasco, then there is a possibility that Del Toro and Kojima can take their talents to another company.

A rumor had been flying around for the past few days that Project X Zone 2 was in development. Not only is this rumor true, but PXZ2 will be hitting the U.S this fall, same timeframe as the Japanese release. Like its predecessor, PXZ2 will be a crossover between Sega, Capcom, and Namco which will be hitting the Nintendo 3DS. The developers must have read my mind, because Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Manjima from Sega’s Yakuza series will be among the new characters in this entry. Tekken villain Kazuya Mishima and Devil May Cry’s Vergil look like they’re also going to be joining the fun. Leon Kennedy, Strider, and so many others will be a part of this game as well. Resident Evil’s Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, Tales of Vesperia’s Yuri and Flynn, and Mega Man X and Zero will be among the returning characters. What other franchises will have characters joining the fray? Streets of Rage? Final Fight? Tales of Xilla? Rolling Thunder? Remember Me? Dragon’s Dogma? Dark Souls? Aww, I’m getting too ahead of myself, I need to calm down. Just check out the trailer above and let us know who you would like to see.

Note: This game is also available on Xbox 360, but for $29.99 MSRP

Many RPGS like to make the claim that your actions will have consequences, yet few of those games live up to that promise. The Witcher, developed by CD Projekt (who runs game distribution shop GOG.com), is one of the few games that actually deliver. It’s black and grey morality, deep storyline, fluid combat system, and yes, even sexual imagery helped make it a hit among gamers worldwide. The game even gained attention from President Barack Obama when he was handed a copy by the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a 2014 visit to the country, declaring the game an example of the work ethic of the Polish people. The Witcher 2 improves on every facet of its predecessor, and just like before, CD Projekt hits every note when it comes to The Witcher’s brand of fantasy gaming.
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You can’t help but think that this game was bought to console and PC as a way of making up for the debacle that was Resident Evil 6. WHen this game hit the Nintendo 3DS, not only was it one of the handheld’s biggest titles, but it also bought back the good old days of Resident Evil 4 and 5. While it’s not exactly the second coming of the franchise, it will help ease some of the wounds that were left by more recent titles in the series.
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Violent Storm, a spiritual successor to Konami’s Crime Fighters and Vendetta, was one of the many beat-em-ups that littered the arcades during the mid-90s. Along with Metamorphic Force, it was one of the last beat-em-ups that was produced by Konami. Playing as one of three heroes, you set out to rescue a girl named Sheena from a group of enemies known as the Geld Gang in a post apocalyptic (of course you wouldn’t know it from the parks, trains, and stores that are fully functional and pristine looking) world. Nothing about it stood out among other titles of its day, but there was nothing terrible about it either. It was pretty much a beat em up that had everything that made the genre great: large character sprites, colorful enemies, 2-player action, and cool moves. It’s a shame it never received a console release either. If you come across the cabinet, you’d do well to pop in a quarter or two.

Hotline Miami 2 is the sequel to 2012’s surprise hit. The game follows the stories of several different factions in the wake of Jacket’s 1-man rampage in the original. The game’s storyline is Tarantino-esque, and you’ll often jump around between the past and present as you learn about the alternate history of Miami, and more about the mask-killings. The new playable characters include a group of fans of Jacket who commit random murders, a rogue cop, and a movie actor filming a movie about the killings. Gameplay is pretty much the same as the original, although that isn’t a bad thing. You’ll have to make your way through each stage, killing everything and everyone in sight. Like the original, you’ll find a variety of weapons by which to utilize to inflict pain. The game features more synth-heavy 80s inspired music, and the soundtrack is on sale via Steam. Hotline Miami 2 contains more of what gamers liked about the original: challenging gameplay and gory action with an old-school look.

A trailer was released today announcing Mortal Kombat X. This was not entirely a surprise as series creator, Ed Boon, had been counting down to something on his Twitter account. Amazon UK apparently posted a listing for it prematurely last night, but quickly removed it. It is not clear what systems will be targeted for release, but it is safe to say that XBox One and PS4 are probably on that list considering the incredibly detailed graphics shown. Xbox 360, PS3 and PC were included in the accidental Amazon UK posting, but that can’t be considered official yet. The game will be coming in 2015.

April 21, 1989 saw the release of the Nintendo Game Boy in Japan. Bundled with Tetris in the North American market, the system would go on to dominate the mobile gaming market and give Nintendo a lead that they have not lost since.

I still have my original Game Boy and many of it’s games. Share your memories of the system and your favorite games in the comments!