There have been many consoles that people would consider “god systems”, that pack convinience and multitasking into one console. Well, another one has recently hit the market, in the form of a console that plays *both* 8-bit NES and 16-bit SNES games! Whodathunkit?!

The FC Twin Video Game System was released on November of 2006 by the manufacturer known as “Yobo”, but only has recently become any kind of known in the gaming world. This system has separate circuitry and separate slots to play both Nintendo and Super Nintendo cartridges, which can be switched between the two types with a double throw power switch to toggle back and forth. It also utilizes two SNES compatible controllers, which can also map to NES controller inputs. (B maps to Y, A maps to B).

Sounds like the perfect grab for anyone whose current retro systems are failing, and don’t want to shell out for the two separate systems, right? Well, there are a few drawbacks. one being that the system can’t handle the NES zapper lightgun for games like Duck Hunt. Another downside is that a few certain games made for either system will not play for the FC Twin, such as Castlevania: Dracula’s Curse – one of the reasons I actually bought the system in the first place…. *mumble*. See wikipedia’s entry for a list of the games for both NES and SNES that cannot play on the Twin. Also, some sounds for the NES may not sound exactly like their originals, but SNES sounds seem to work fine. And don’t even think about trying to use Super Famicom games.

Despite the downsides, the FC Twin system itself is a neat toy for any gaming enthusiast, and comes at the eye-catching price of around $40-$50, which would make it generally less than buying clean copies of both original systems that it emulates. So if you’re looking for a good backup system for either of your original Nintendo consoles, like I did, then picking up the FC Twin might be a decent investment.

Rockstar Games history is the kind of tale you’d expect to hear about an up and coming band, complete with pitfalls and successes on the way to making it big. The name really does fit them.

WIRED‘s Dave Kushner takes a deeper look into the rise and fall of Rockstar this month. It might seem ludicrous to claim the company is sliding now unless you consider the last 3 games they’ve release have sold poorly, and they’re in such financial trouble even a million selling Manhunt 2 on Wii may not save them. Hot Coffee can still be enjoyed, but backdated stock options could close the doors for good.

Whatever the case, its a good read about a group of developers who got more than they bargained for when they wanted to turn games into controversial social commentary. Read on…

The new title from Petroglyph Games is looking better and better, especially after seeing the new screens posted at jeuxfrance.com. Published by Sega, and developed by RTS veterans from the former Westwood Studios,“Universe at War: Earth Assault”, puts the player in the middle of a galactic conflict between three warring factions. This title will be Petroglyph’s first original Real Time Strategy IP and is scheduled to release sometime in 2007.

Petroglyph’s first foray into the PC market was Star Wars: Empire at War

Check out the new screens here.

Courtesy the good folks at Video Gaiden, a video game show on BBC Scotland. Rab leads a rant on gamer stereotypes, the truth behind them, and what you can do to break them.

Did you know BBC Scotland had a video game show? Its quite good, and you can find many segments online. I don’t suppose a US channel would step up to import something like this, or maybe show it on BBC America?

Criterion and EA have just revealed the title for the Burnout 5, Paradise. The above trailer shows very little, in fact the crashes the series is known and loved for are nonexistant. Wake me when something interesting happens.

Burnout Paradise will be out this winter on Xbox 360 and PS3.

Press Release follows…
[Read the rest of this entry…]

I love me some Geometry Wars. At only $5, its the best value of any game on Xbox Live Arcade, and the intense gameplay makes for a quick time killer to hours long repeat attempts to best a high score.

GameTrailers user Lloyd1337 has uploaded a video running through all 12 Achievements in one game. Its a little sped up to keep it under 10 minutes, but its pretty easy to tell this guy is a master. He doesn’t even die once until after he’s hit 1.3 million points! And from there he still piles on another 2 million! On their message board Lloyd mentions he needs a new controller “because the thumbsticks on the one I have now are getting worn down from all this GW” Outstanding work.

Danny Elfman will not provide the score to the newest Spider-Man movie, but you can hear Christopher Young‘s new theme in the latest trailer for the Spider-Man 3 game.

I didn’t think much of the theme for the first 2 movies, but this one is quite good. Doesn’t jump up out at you like the old John William’s Superman theme did (nothing since has), but its definitely my favorite modern superhero movie music.

Before Ratchet and Clank, Sony developer Insominac developed this early Playstation FPS game. Amidst a sea of Doom clones that were already on the system during it’s early days, Disruptor’s high production values. live-action cut scenes, and unique level designs made it stand out. Players also gained access to several psionic powers such as shield, psi-blast, and healing. Even though the game could be completed in a weekend, it’s still fun to play through. With Insominac closely in Sony’s corner, we could be seeing this game again on the Playstation network. It might not be Half Life 2, but it’s still an excellent game.