WYOU Community TV in Madison, WI is in the middle of a 4 week series of airing local Rock Band gamers playing short sets and pitting them against each other for prizes. I stopped by the studio last week and filed this report for The Daily Page: Stars are born with Virtual Rock Band on WYOU

Read more by Zac Shipley at The Daily Page.

Swedish developer Atod developed this 2-player puzzle game for Amiga. Publisher Seika remade this game for the Super Nintendo, and there was also an MS-DOS release. It’s gameplay can best be described as a simplified version of Lemmings with platforming elements. Although it was highly unique and addictive, it received very little attention upon its release. A shame too, as fans of Lemmings will take a liking to it. Two wizards, Hokus and Pokus inadvertently release the lemming-like troddlers, mindless little creatures that, if left to their own devices, will march to their deaths. Their boss, the grand wizard Divinus, has tasked them with cleaning up the mess and getting the troddlers safely to the exit. To do so, you’ll have to use your magic wand which generates blocks. The blocks can be used to either kill enemies or create platforms for the troddlers to walk on. You’ll also have to watch out for hazards, collect gems, and fight off various enemies. The game has 4 different modes: Training, Solo, Co-op, and competitive multiplayer. The game is backed up by a password save feature, and the Solo and Co-op modes have dozens of missions to complete. The game starts off simple, but the levels get trickier and trickier. Weather you play alone or with a friend, Troddlers is quite enjoyable. SNES players can even use the mouse to play the game. This is one of those games that need a sequel on the DS, a 3-d remake on the Wii, or even a Virtual Console re-release, but since the developers and/or publishers are MIA, (Atod was snatched up by Mace Griffin developer Warthog and I’m not sure if Seika still exists) it may never receive the type of attention it deserves. Thus, if you want to enjoy this great puzzle/platformer, then you’ll have to hunt down the cartridge.

Its been years since Marvel Vs Capcom hit arcades, and its still one of the most popular fighters with both casual players and tournament pros. But Capcom doesn’t hold the Marvel license anymore so re-releases and sequels aren’t happening any time soon.
To tap into this audience, Midway is going to announce shortly what heard back in September, that Mortal Kombat is going to be taking on the DC Universe. Noob.com has been running blurry images trying to hype things up for a big reveal, but Mortal Kombat Online has spoiled the whole thing with this:

Sub-Zero vs Batman.
Since this is still not fully announced, details are scarce; but one rumor persists: No fatalities, little blood. Last week on 1up.com’s 1up Yours podcast, Shane Bettenhausen said the next MK would be rated T, and this move is consistent with that thought. We’ll keep an eye out for a full press release soon.
The official website www.worldscollide.com is up and I’ve added the trailer at the top. See also Gamespot’s interview with Ed Boon. Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe is due fall 2008.

	Subscribe to iTunes POWETcast  Choose your own reader Episode 1 – Fit the First Episode 2 – Fit the Second Episode 3 – Fit the Third Episode 4 – Fit the Fourth

(Fit the Fourth starts at 07:30.)

It’s finally arrived, boys and girls — the final of the four originally-completed episodes by Not Them Productions. Our heroes make their escape from the planet of Magrathea to… where exactly? Those familiar with the original story may be surprised (but not unpleasantly so) by the answer.

(Check out our new POWETcast thread in the forums to leave some feedback about the show. Alternatively, you can write a comment below and let us know what you think, and/or leave a review at our iTunes store to let others know what they should think!)

Show notes:

[Read the rest of this entry…]

2005’s God of War set a new standard for action gaming. It bought Greek mythology to video games, included some clever play mechanics, and it was embraced by fans and critics alike. Last spring, Sony released a sequel which raised the standard which was set by the previous game. Players once again take control of Kratos as he sets out to take revenge on the gods who betrayed him. Kratos must travel to meet the Sisters of Fate and gain the power to alter his destiny. It won’t be easy, as you’ll run into gorgons, harpies, sirens, and other mythological monsters. You’ll also run into (and kill) famous mythological figures such as Perseus and Theseus. As in the first game, you’ll gain several upgradable weapons and magic spells. As you increase their levels, you’ll gain new abilities which you can use to destroy your opponents. The timed-button-press minigames also make a return, making sure that you keep your hands on the controller at all times, even during cinema sequences. The game is a bit shorter than the first one, but a host of unlockables will keep players busy for a very long time, at least until the next installment of the series arrives on PS3. For more Kratos fun, check out God of War: Chains of Olympus on PSP.

It has been a few months since our last regular episode, but rest assured we are back in the swing of things with the final batch of episodes to finish out our first Season.

Come see me at No Brand Con 10am this Sunday, April 20th in Eau Claire, WI. I will be hosting panel about Famicom Dojo, including the world premiere of Episode 4 – Cartridges and Pins! Ask about the development of the show, the current ongoing Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy POWETcast, and other Powet TV projects.

Also, for a chance to be on camera in our No Brand Con special, come to the panel, or track me down during the convention!

For those who can’t attend No Brand Con (indeed, this includes most people), Episode 4 will be available online next week. Until then, feel free to catch up on our previous episodes — including all three parts of our Tokyo Game Show coverage:

Some of the icons from the Adult Swim lineup of shows will soon be making their way to retail in the form of KID ROBOT‘s small vinyl figures. Each are packaged individually and blindboxed, with 25 in each case. Below is an image from Action-Figure.com of the side of the individual box. It shows the line up and case breakdowns for the series. It appears if you buy a full case, you will be missing either Lil, Mad Scientist or Ignignokt & Err. If I bought a full case and didn’t get the Mooninite duo, I would be enraged.

Below are the links to Action-Figure.com. They had an article for each group. Unfortunately, their case was missing the Mad Scientist.
Robot Chicken
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Frisky Dingo
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law
Moral Orel
Metalocalypse
Squidbillies
The Venture Bros.
Assy McGee

	Subscribe to iTunes POWETcast  Choose your own reader Episode 1 – Fit the First Episode 2 – Fit the Second Episode 3 – Fit the Third

This week we review Fit the Second, and look forward to Fit the Third! Chris joins the cast as Slartibartfast, we dicuss our unfamiliarity with “biros” and a few script changes. But, most importantly, we finally address one of the questions that have been burning in your collective souls — why do we occasionally pronounce words so terribly? Listen on, fellow Hitchhikers. Listen on…

Be sure to write a comment below and let us know what you think, and/or leave a review at our iTunes store to let others know what they should think!

Show notes:

(Fit the Third starts at 08:17.)

[Read the rest of this entry…]