I seriously doubted they could get the game out before fall, and was betting we’d see a November release.
Now the long awaited 3rd installement in the Metroid Prime series has a release date: August 20th. Which means I better get a Wii by August 19th.

Also on August 20th, Nintendo will publish a sequel to Brain Age on DS, and many more DS and Wii titles are on the way beyond that. Sadly the list has many licensed games from movies or cartoons, but on the bright side there are only 3 Megaman games!

Keep reading for the full release list!
[Read the rest of this entry…]

A message board post at NeoGAF shows a scan from a Japanese magazine showing screens from a 3D Nintendo DS version of Final Fantasy IV, the greatest Final Fantasy game ever made.

Showing a clear resemblance to last year’s Final Fantasy III DS this would be the second DS remake of a Final Fantasy game. This move is puzzling after the recent Gameboy Advance release of the game in December 2005, but not unwelcome.

I found the remake of Final Fantasy III for the DS to be a great adaptation and look forward to this update of the game, whose graphics have been untouched since its original release in 1991. While all 3 of the Nintendo/Famicom Final Fantasy games have had their graphics enhanced in more recent versions, the 3 Super Nintendo/Super Famicom games had not been enhanced in their many ports.

A mirror of the magazine scan can be seen after the jump.

[Read the rest of this entry…]

SpikeTV’s GameHead took their entire episode this week to honor Shigeru Miyamoto. In addition to Geoff Keighly interviewing the man himself, they also took comments from the editors of Kotaku and GoNintendo, the cast of Mega64, and the GameJew. Charles Martinett, the voice of Mario, provides narration between segments.

Its an interesting retrospective, but the secretive Nintendo hero doesn’t give much of a look forward other than the tease that a once cancelled game may still see release.
Watch now: Quicktime / WMV

IGN has posted a preview of the pair of Transformer DS games. Sounds pretty interesting, the games are completely different and will feature levels and playable characters unique to each version. Perhaps the most intriguing detail is that it will support Nintendo WiFi Connection for “Allspark War” with up to 4 players in Team Deathmatch and other gametypes. Considering there is no online multiplayer in the console versions, this is a very welcome surprise!

Speaking of the console versions, today you can put $5 down on any of these games at GameStop (yeah, I know) and they’ll give you the movie poster. I placed my reserve on Transformers Collector’s Edition on Xbox 360, weighing in a $69.99. If past Collectors Editions are any indication, I should get a second disc full of concept art and documentaries in steel book packaging.

Hugo Weaving may have landed the role of Megatron in the 2007 Transformers movie, but the video game adaptation will feature Frank Welker. This will be the first time Frank Welker has voiced Megatron in over 20 years, last seen in Transformers The Movie in 1986. According to GameSpot, Welker will be joined by Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime. GameSpot also has an interview with Frank Welker, and one with Peter Cullen.

GameSpot also released 3 new screenshots from the game, shown here. All three feature Bumblebee fighting Decepticons.

Update! The rub with posting stuff like this in the morning is that by the evening all the press-releases are out and I gotta update the post. So, check out the new game site, http://www.transformersgame.com/. Make sure you’ve got your flash up to date and you’ll get more screen shots from the game , the developers’ blog, and, even a poll to name some of the new Transformers that appear in the game. Coolest of all is a new interview with Peter Cullen and Frank Welker. Just click through to the videos section for that. Bonus: watching Welker talk and hearing Fred from Scooby Doo.

The video game crossover you’ve waited your entire life for is now a reality.

Mario and Sonic will finally compete on the Wii and Nintendo DS… on a game licensed by the Olympics.

I’m speechless. Official site is up. If we don’t get Sonic in Smash Bros now, I’ll be real mad.

Activision’s Daniel Suarez has a few words with Superhero Hype about their next game, Transformers: The Game.

The game, which will launch on multiple platforms, is supposed to feature 9 playable Transformers and 7 destructable levels over 2 seperate Autobot and Decepticon campaigns. Of note is this comment:

We’re making a game that is for Transformers fans. Since the very beginning, we’ve been very conscious of the heritage of this brand and have worked hard to integrate characters, locations and even subtle acknowledgements to G1 anywhere we can. There are a lot of special surprises, unique elements and bonus features that fans will enjoy.

Considering the unlockable costumes in all of Activision’s Marvel games and the character variations in Traveler’s Tales’ LEGO Star War series, is there any chance we’ll see some alternate looks for the playable characters? I can’t very well expect full 1984 remakes of the whole cast, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Bumblebee’s goofy face returning.

See also: CVG and GameSpot‘s previews.

Thanks Dru!

Ever since Symphony of the Night, the Castlevania series has taken a heavy inspiration from Nintendo’s Metroid, particularly the portable entries. Even though they are all cut from similar cloth, the exploration-heavy format manages to keep itself fresh throughout each entry. The first DS entry in the series is no different. Springing from the events in 2003’s Aria of Sorrow, the game stars Soma Cruz, who must take down a cult out to resurrect Dracula. Once again players make use of the soul stealing system, which allows them to gain new attacks by stealing them from enemies. After beating a boss, players must quickly draw a arcane symbol in order to seal its power. If this isn’t done in time, then players must battle the enemy again. While this mechanic seems added in as an afterthought, it’s a fairly decent application of the DS’s touch screen capabilities. By now Castlevania fans will have made their way through this game’s sequel, Portrait of Ruin, so this review is dedicated to newer Castlevania players. This game is another solid entry in a solid franchise, but I long for the day when the series brings back the level-based format of the previous games.