We love SNK and Capcom for their contributions to the 2-d fighting genre, but right now, it’s Sammy’s Guilty Gear series that is the reigning champion. While SNK continues to make use of its aging Neo-Geo hardware and Capcom continues to remake versions of Street Fighter II, Sammy’s Guilty Gear sets itself apart from the pack with its cast of zany characters, beautiful graphics and animation, unique fighting system, complex backstory, and 80s Rock ‘n’ Roll inspired atmosphere. Guilty Gear XX, which is the third game in the series, is no different. However, Guilty Gear’s developers share one unfortunate aspect with Capcom and SNK; namely the tendency to re-release versions of their games which add just a few small tweaks. In fact, there are currently 5 iterations of Guilty Gear XX, and #Reload is only the second. #Reload adds several tweaks and alterations to character’s move lists in order to balance the gameplay. This entry is also notable for the fact that it’s the first appearance of the series on Xbox, and this version of the game is the first entry in the series to feature online play. Online play is also available on the PC version thanks to fan-created modifications.

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Good News: Nintendo Power has confirmed that Mega Man 9 is not only a reality, but coming to WiiWare as a retro-awesome throwback to the NES days. The BBPS has scans straight out of the magazine showing the series has abandoned all Zs and Xs and visual upgrades.
But lets dial back a bit: The original leak from the Austrailian ratings board a month or so ago said Mega Man 9 had been rated as a “multiplatform” title. Capcom’s comment? “NP only has part of the story. More to be learned later.” Capcom’s hearty support of Microsoft and Sony’s download services with Street Fight HD Remix, Wold Of The Battlefield, and Bionic Commando suggest they’re not above sharing this with all consoles.
I suppose you want to know who the new robot masters are and I’ll tell you: Magma Man, Galaxy Man, Jewel Man, Concrete Man, Hornet Man, Plug Man, Tornado Man, and Splash Woman.
I just hope the music is up to par.

According to Figures.com, three new Revoltech figures are on their way in August.

First up, we have Gurren Lagann Fulldrillized.

Next is ARX-8 Laevatein

And lastly, the Yotsuba DX Summer Vacation Set.

I’ll be honest, the further into this series they go, the less and less I recognize the mechs being made. I do love these little humanoid figures, though. They exude Microman to me.

Alter Ego Comics has news that Star Trek Minimates will be getting a fifth wave or figures in the form of:
“Trouble with Tribbles” Kirk & Yeoman Rand (!)
Captain Decker & Lieutenant Ilia from Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Captain Sisko & Gul Dukat
VARIANT: Commander Sisko

DST also had news for Marvel Minimate fans:

Fans of DST’s Marvel Minimate universe will be pleased to learn that the next assortments of their favorite super heroes are heading their way later this year! Series 23 and 24 will feature all-new characters, villains and costumes, making these assortments a must-have for any Marvel fan!

Series 23 will contain several two-packs featuring characters taken from the past twenty years of Marvel history. Nova will be paired with Gamora, Cloak will team up with Dagger and the Spymaster will take on War Machine in this all-star lineup. The variant War Machine featuring Jim Rhodes will also be available as a limited chase figure.

With the ongoing success of the Amazing Spider-Man, it was only a matter of time before his villains got their due as Minimates! Series 24 will feature two-packs consisting of Spider-Man & Shocker, Cosmic Spider-Man & Transformation Venom, “Back in Black” Spider-Man & Kraven and the limited Tarantula variant. Additional pieces will also be included for transforming Transformation Venom into Eddie Brock and each Spider-Man into Peter Parker.

With fans clamoring for more characters and plans ramping up to continue the Minimate line well into the future, be sure to stick around for more updates as the summer convention season begins!

Source: MinimatesHQ

It’s been a little while since we heard definitive information concerning Midway’s upcoming game, “Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe”, but just recently some new info and new sights have helped quell some of the unrest the game originally set with its fans.

For starters, series head Ed Boon has gone on the record stating that, yes, there WILL be Fatalities in the game, however not every character will have them.

All of the MK characters and all of the DC villains will have fatalities. The DC heroes who don’t kill that often will have brutalities that will function just like fatalities but don’t actually kill the opponent.

Boon stated in an interview with Gamespot he was quiet shocked seeing fan uproar about a possible lack of Fatalities in the game, when no official statement had been made, and also went on to say how pleased he was that so many MK fans were up in arms about the ordeal. He also made mention of an E3 demo that will be available with only 4 characters and 2 stages to be shown. It seems that even the publicity of E3 will not stave the MK team from keeping key details of the game hush-hush.

Thus far the confirmed line-up for the game includes previously seen Batman, Superman, Scorpion and Sub-Zero, and has recently revealed that Flash and Sonya Blade will also be included. Despite speculation, no others have yet to be confirmed by the MK team, though there will be 20 in all.

George Carlin, one of the greatest and most prolific comedic minds of all time has died. He stayed on stage until the end, releasing his final HBO special March 1. He was 71.
I hope he rests in peace, but given the content of his comedy, you know he’s not in heaven or hell.

Following the break, his most famous routine: The Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television. Obviously, don’t watch these videos at work. Join us in the forums and share your favorite George Carlin routine. [Read the rest of this entry…]

This right here is mid to late 80’s shoot-em-up action at it’s finest. Like Contra and Heavy Barrel, Jackal was one of those games that didn’t need any big gimmick to be innovative, but at the same time it had its own little quirks which set it apart from other games during that era. Taking control of a jeep (or two if playing two player), you make your way through an unidentified country (which was called Vietnam in the instruction manual from the NES version) and take out any opposition in your way. You mission was to rescue captive POWs and get them to the helicopter. You would them be rewarded with various weapon upgrades, which you use to defeat the enemies. Similar to other Konami games during this period, this game features some neat, even if somewhat outlandish boss designs. You’ll encounter Medusa statue heads that shoot missiles, a fortress gate with turrets, and a command HQ which turns into a giant tank. This is an awesome top down shooter to play, and of course it’s even better if you bring along a friend. Seeing as how Konami is a big supporter of the Wii virtual console, I have no doubt that this will be hitting the VC’s lineup sometime in the future. In fact, I’m surprised that it hasn’t already. For now however, you’ll have to do some hunting for the original cart.

A few months ago, I did a special on the first half of the Final Fantasy series, where I briefly touched upon this iteration of the series. With Final Fantasy IV hitting the Nintendo DS shortly (as evidenced by aDam’s video review of it below), hardcore FF fans will want to check out its predecessor as soon as possible. This remake is the first and only international release of Final Fantasy 3. It blends together what made the original version of the game unique with some new innovations that help keep it fresh for today’s gaming audience.
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