This is the latest in Powet Editor Zac Shipley’s series on video game culture in Madison, WI for TheDailyPage.

Games + Learning + Society brings massive multiplayer world to life in Madison
by Zac Shipley

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama mentioned in a speech on Father’s Day that kids need to put down the video game controllers and pick up books. His message was clearly that while a book can be educational, playing a game is not. However, at the Games+Learning+Society Conference this week at Monona Terrace, hundreds of people working at the intersection of gaming and learning have worked to prove not only that games can be educational, but that many already are.
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In January 2009, Marvel will be continuing their series of direct to DVD movie releases with ‘The Hulk Vs’. The DVD will contain two short animated stories each featuring a different fight that the Hulk has been famous for. The first will be Hulk vs. Thor. The second will be Hulk vs. Wolverine. The trailer for Hulk vs. Wolverine was just released as you can see below.

From ENewsI.com:

HULK VS THOR – It’s gods versus monsters in this epic 45 minute movie! Never have we explored the explosive power of the Hulk like we have in this new film, every major character from the Marvel Thor universe is thrust into battle with this Green Goliath as he brings a new Ragnarok down upon the realm of gods.

HULK VS WOLVERINE- This dark, violent, smash and slash story was first told in issue 181 of THE INCREDIBLE HULK and the rematches have continued to thrill comic fans ever since. Now Marvel and Lionsgate takes the best of those famous comic book battles and merges them into one heart pounding 33-minute story.

There will be a complete advanced screening of the Hulk vs. Wolverine story at San Diego Comic Con later this month.

In a move sure to aggravate fans of the two highly anticipated waves of Hasbro’s Marvel Legends, The Red Hulk wave will be a Target exclusive wave and the Nemesis wave will be a Wal-mart exclusive wave. Just the thought has already given me twitchy flashbacks to the scarce availability of Toy-Biz’s Wal-mart exclusive Giant-man wave.

The Target wave is due to hit retail in September of 2008 at US$9.99 per figure.
The wave is set to include:
Adam Warlock
Back In Black Spider-man
Silver Savage
Spiral
Union Jack
X-Force Wolverine
VARIANT: Wolverine

The Wal-Mart wave is due to hit retail in December of 2008 at US$9.99 per figure.
This wave is set to include:
Astonishing Beast
BlackBolt
Nova
Punisher
Tigra
Yellow Daredevil
VARIANT: Camo Punisher w/ painted face
VARIANT: Red Daredevil
VARIANT: Blue Tint BlackBolt

News and Images from: MarvelousNews.com

Today is the 4th of July, where America celebrates its independence. There are few things that symbolize America more than the defenders of the old west, the cowboy. Okay, there is apple pie, but to my knowledge, there haven’t been many video games made about apple pie. Anyway, in honor of America’s birthday, this week’s $20 GOTW and Lost Classics will take a special look at some classic 8 and 16-bit games taking place in the wild wild west. So saddle on up, and mosey on down to your favorite game shop and seek out these games pardner!
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I am happy to say that I have resolved my video editing issues and have this video to share with you all. I do have to say that I really like these new Animated figures. It will be important to note when transforming Starscream back to jet mode that his automorph feature doesn’t work as well as it as it does going to robot mode. It will be most helpful to remember what his underside looks like as I point out in the video.

More videos to come! Especially these Animated figures. Hope your enjoying them as much as I am.

This fall will be a heavy time for Castlevania fanatics, as it’s been announced by Konami that both of the newest titles of the acclaimed series, “Order of Ecclesia” and “Judgement” will be released sometime later this year.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, reported upon earlier, is the Nintendo DS title following upon the footsteps of previous games such as Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow in terms of gameplay, as an action-adventure 2D platformer. It takes control of newcomer Shanoa as she searches for the lost Belmont family while battling the minions of Dracula.

Castlevania: Judgement, if you haven’t heard yet, will be a 3D fighting game; a first for the series. (for obvious reasons) Castlevania characters from all over the series continuum will be thrown together in a style leechingly-similar to Soul Calibur to fight one another in a (hopefully) non-canon battle royale. A even more shocking twist is the hiring of Death Note’s Takeshi Obata to do character designs, completely overhauling pre-existing designs mostly coming from series-usual Ayame Kojima.

This fall will surely prove to be an interesting turn of events for Castlevania fans. Many debates have already begun as to the fate of both games as numerous fans, while liking the usual-style Ecclesia is going with, denounce Judgement as straying too far from the Castlevania norm and claim it to be merely Konami’s cash-maker. Come this autumn, we’ll see what’s what when both games are launched to brave public scrutiny.

The latest in my series for TheDailyPage/Isthmus Newspapers profiling Madison, WI’s gaming scene.
This entry focuses on Jimmy Choi’s efforts to keep Soul Calibur and the spirit of the arcade alive.

Read on: Reclaiming Madison gaming camaraderie with Soul Calibur tournaments

See also: CaliburForum and Madison SC Community

With Metal Gear Solid 4 having hit stores earlier this month, we took a look at Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel, which was a Metal Gear game set outside of series continuity. This week’s lost classic will take a look back at another non-canon Metal Gear game. Snake’s Revenge, developed for the NES by Konami under its Ultra Games label, can be considered the red-haired stepchild of the Metal Gear franchise. It was developed without the involvement of series creator Hideo Kojima. After the original Metal Gear was successful in the U.S., Konami commissioned its developers to create a sequel. After meeting one of the developers and being told that Snake’s Revenge wasn’t meant to be a true Metal Gear game, Kojima was inspired to create the true sequel, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Surprisingly, despite hating the NES Metal Gear game, Kojima has stated that he likes Snake’s Revenge, saying that it’s in the spirit of the Metal Gear series. If one gives this game a shot, then it’s easy to see why.

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