This little number came out nearly 2 years after the PS2 launch, when PS1 support was all but a joke. As a result, some really good games slipped by, including this. Gundam, one of the biggest franchises in anime, hasn’t had very many good games, making this a real stand out. In fact, I would go on to say that this 2-D fighting game is one of the best games to make use of the licence. You take control of over 30 mobile suits from each major period in Gundam; the one year war, Gundam Wing, and G Gundam. In the story mode, you select one of 8 characters and take them through an individualized storyline based on thier series, complete with mid-bosses and final bosses. Although the character selection and storylines for G Gundam is somewhat dissappointing, (no Sweede Gundam, Schwartz Bruder, or Shining Gundam, and Master Asia remains a good guy but at least there are no major spoilers for the people who haven’t seen the anime) Many of your favorites from UC and After Colony are here, including some really big ones like Dorezil’s big mech and the Neue Ziel. The animation is pretty unique, animating individual parts of the mobile suits rather than the whole. This is a fun game to check out for anyone who likes 2-d fighting games, especially Gundam fans.

Although this is available on the three formats I mentioned above for $20 or less, this is mainly focusing on the Xbox version of the game. Wolfenstein 3-D was the start of two big revolutions in gaming.  It was one of the first games that bought home the actual WW2 experience, complete with zombies, mutant dogs, and a cyborg Hitler.  This is a feat that would not be achieved until years later with EA’s Medal of Honor (albeit with no zombies or cyborgs).  Secondly,  it was the birth of the genre we know as “First Person Shooters” or FPS for short.  Although it had it’s set of issues, (limited weapons and enemy varieties, repetitive levels, etc) this would continue to hold a special place in the hearts of gamers everywhere.Fast forward to 2002.  ID decided to revive it’s top two franchises in the FPS genre, Wolfenstein and Doom.  Return to Castle Wolfeinstein was the first out the gate, with many receiving it better than Doom 3.  Ton console version was even better, packing in several new features such as squad-based Xbox Live play, offline co-op, new prequel levels, and the original Wolfenstein as an unlockable.  Eschewing the silliness of the  past games, ID offers up a deep plot drawing upon the occult history of the Third Reich.  As BJ Blazkowicz, you fight your way to Nazi Germany to stop the resurrection of an ancient scientist.  With several weapons at your disposal, you must fight past Nazis, undead creatures, and evenexperimental  super soldiers.  

For WW2 fans looking for an alternative from the usual “Call of the battlefield of Honor archetypes”, this is a fun game to pick up.

Jazz, the soulful Transformer made famous in the 1984-86 cartoon series by the voice of Scatman Crothers, has made it to the Transformers 2007 movie. Now after the jump you can see the car he turns into, and a detailed design sketch of his robot mode. (skip to the good part)

Producer Don Murphy has announced the last day of shooting the movie was today. Or at least major filming…

Today is the last day of main unit shooting. In two hours we’ll break for lunch. Then blow up more shit in downtown LA.
Next week a reduced unit with very few actors will head to different cities and pick up some establishing shots. Then some of the team will head to the Frozen North.
The film is basically done today boys and girls. And by done I mean filming. If ever there was a film that was really going to be made in post production, this is it. Much editing and many effects to go.
How do I feel? There is a promo reel that has been put together for exhibitors and retailers that is mind boggling. There is a trailer being put together for later this year that should blow your mind.
I’m feeling pretty good that we’ve made a film that you will like. Only time will tell.

Ok… now on to Jazz…
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I’m going to go ahead and play with fire here. According to Dru, Warner Brothers doesn’t want this trailer online yet. I’ll just wait for them to shake the angry stick my way before I take it down, because I think this movie looks cool.

“300” is adapted from Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name, about the Spartan warriors who defended Greek democracy against Persia.

Weird Al’s latest is a knock on the Chamillionaire hit “Ridin Dirty” and pretty much covers the entire list of geek culture cliches.

I gotta point out how highly derivitive of “All About The Pentiums” the song itself is, but this is probably the biggest Al hit in years, so I’ll let him slide.

Thanks Logan!

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So often these Gundam games turn out to be not good.
But if you like Gundam, you probably won’t care too much right now, since at least the trailers are cool.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire will be released on PlayStation 3 next year.

wait… another Gundam game? Oh yeah, theres a completely different one for Xbox 360. Mobile Ops: The One Year War thats also being shown at Tokyo Game Show this week.

Both games are about Gundams and shooting. I can’t imagine anything really revolutionary. I think we’d all be happy if it controlled well, had decent AI, and a story/voice acting that didn’t make me want to take my own life.

This is not the Halo 3 logo, but they have revealed the real final logo. Take a look at the real Halo 3 Logo.

That Halo movie… they still making that? Yes they are. Aint it cool’s Quint put Peter Jackson in the hotseat and made him talk about producing the Halo movie.

Bungie Weekly Update‘s big story is the new podcast. I’m still listening to it, but so far the most startling revelation has nothing to do with Halo 3. Bungie’s staff composer Marty O’Donnel is responsible for the “Flintstone Kids” and “Mr Clean” commercial jingles. Wow. Just… wow.

If you feel like a laugh, read An Interview With A Cheater over at Aeropause. A Halo 2 cheater justify’s his existance. Poorly.

I just read the first Halo novel “The Fall Of Reach” this week and I’m kind of amazed I liked it. I also think it would make a better movie than the first game.
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Joystiq has some coverage of Ken Kutaragi’s apparently uneventful keynote here. An amusing live pictochat session during the keynote can be found here.

Highlights from a post-keynote interview:

• 20 GB version price dropped about 20% (Japan only for now)
• HDMI support added to 20 GB model