Faceplates featuring the original Transformers are now available at Gamestop for the Xbox 360. I’ll show you how they look, and how they’ve got interchangable artwork!

Music by Tony Bacala

It’s a widely known fact that, despite what your personal preferences may be, Final Fantasy 7 was undoubtly the most popular and well known games of the FF series thus far. Since its conception a decade ago, people have been wondering that, since it was so popular, shouldn’t the game be remade on the newest generation of consoles for an even better rendition of the classic tale? Of course this has always been a rumor, but never has there been cold hard facts that it was or wasn’t being considered by the good people at Square-Enix.

Well, looks like we finally got our first batch of “official” news on the topic, and it’s not a good report. Tetsuya Nomura, who was the character designer for the original game, states that overseas rumors are just that.

“My apologies, but we’re absolutely not making [such a game].”

So that’s it? That’s the cold hard truth from the horse’s mouth? Everyone hoping that a 10th Anniversary remake being secretly made are out of luck? Seems kind of hard to believe, given that even Normura himself has proclaimed in contrast, “We of course know ourselves what the fans want so we’d like to continue thinking up a variety of things. As long as there are people who want to make it and people who are waiting for it, we don’t want to proclaim ‘the end.”

It’s not like it’s a crime to report false testaments to media outlets, and considering some supposed PS3 production art for a technical demo that’s been featured on IGN such as [here] and [here], there may still be reason to hold out a bit of hope that the developers at Square-Enix still known what their fans crave.

This week’s Lost Classics and $20 GOTW are dedicated to the casual gamer. You know, your mom, dad, grandparents, or girlfriend. They may like video games, but may not be into them as much as you are, so here is a little something for them. These games may not reinvent the wheel, but they’re guaranteed to be fun for the whole family. So with no further ado, lets get it started with this little RPG/Board Game Hybrid, in which you must defeat the evil dragons and their minions by answering their quizzes. Get it? Quiz and Dragons!
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Capcom isn’t particularly known for puzzle games, but the few they have put out are pretty solid. This is a small collection of 5 puzzle games great for quick bouts of portable gaming. Included in this package are Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo (a Dr. Mario-esque game in which you play as super deformed versions of Street Fighter and Darkstalkers characters), Block Block (a good break out clone that was featured on Capcom Classics Reloaded), and the Buster Brothers Collection (three games where you use a grappling hook to destroy balloons). Even though Puzzle Fighter, which is due to be released on Xbox Live Arcade, is the highlight of this collection, the other 4 games aren’t shabby either. Puzzle games fit excellently on portable gaming systems, and this is no exception. Weather you’re a hardcore Capcom fan or a casual gamer, you can’t go wrong with this.

Seems Gamestop is having there huge “Summer Sale” early this year. “Game Days”, which started this past Saturday and will run until June 17th (or while supplies last), features 25% – 50% off many video game titles, accessories, and movies. Things like my beloved Castlevania: Curse of Darkness are going for $9.99. (which makes me hurt inside a bit) Also, trade-ins on hardware count for an extra $20 during this time period, as well as getting some extra cash when you trade in multiple used games.

http://www.gamestop.com/gs/gamedays/

So if any of you are in the western NY area, back off because I’ve got that as claimed territory. Otherwise, I’d say get in on this if you feel like saving a few bucks on some titles you may be missing from your library or want to get some extra value on your trade-ins.

Known in Japan as Ganbare Goemon, this fun little action game with RPG elements was released shortly after the Super Nintendo launch. Ganbare Goemon is a very popular franchise in Japan, although it’s mostly unknown here. Only four games in the series have been released over here, including this one. Players took control of Kid Ying and Dr. Yang (In 2-player games) as they travel Japan to rescue princess Yuki. Players can explore the town, buy equipment, and play minigames (including the first level of Gradius), then travel through 2-d platforming style levels in order to beat the area’s boss. There is a lot of humor in the game, although a lot of it was lost during the original translation. Even so, this is still an excellent game for all ages. It’s available on the virtual console now, so if you didn’t blow your points on Bonanza Brothers, then download this.

A while ago, I featured this game’s predecessor. Empire interactive decided to bring this one over to the states, leaving the Xbox version in limbo. This game packs in over 1/3rd more contend than the previous Taito legends, and it takes a large number of games from the 90s. Along with some more remakes of Space invaders, the game contains a large number of beat-em-ups, platforming, and puzzle games. While Quix, Elevator Action 2, Arabian Magic, and Growl are some of the standouts on this disc, the real gem of this compilation is G Darius, a shooter utilizing polygon graphics. This compilation may not have very many big names, but like the previous entry, there is something for everyone on here, and for $20, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Also of interest is Taito Legends powered up for PSP. It’s also $20 and may receive it’s own entry at some point.

One of the best reasons to buy Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Arcade is now heading toward’s Nintendo’s twin screen portable and waggle powered console.

I speak of course of Geometry Wars. Sierra Entertainment has licensed the frantic shooter from Bizarre Creations and will be adding a full single player campaign, co-op multiplayer, and connectivity between the DS and Wii. Titled “Geometry Wars Galaxies” it will be available as a stand alone release instead of a download title. The Geometry Wars Retro Evolved will be included in the package as well.

The original game is a pick-up-and-play masterpiece. Powet’s own Screwface Capone sang GW’s praises in his weekly column. Adding to the complexity of the game could destroy it, or it could make it better than I ever imagined. This is one port I’ll really have to play to appreciate. At the very lease, the asthetic hasn’t changed, the above screen shot from the Wii version looks pretty much identical to the XBLA one.

Thankfully, one feature will be retained from the XBLA classic: Online leaderboards! Nothing drove me to get better at this game more than knowing a friend had only a couple thousand points more than me. No other Wii game has been announced with this feature so hopefully it’ll spark developers to add it in for appropriate games.

Full press release follows
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