I then started thinking "what are these writers doing in an advertisement for an unreleased game?", but then got tired, and went and had a lie down instead.

The first, above, is from a recently-released Bayonetta theme for the 360, which has a Virtua Fighter arcade cabinet lurking in the background. And on its screen? Yup, Bayonetta in Virtua Fighter.

The second, below, is a little more exciting. A piece of fan art by BouncekDeLemos, it shows Platinum Games' leading lady popping into BlazBlue for a spot of 2D combat.

Xbox 360 Bayonetta Theme Pokes Fun At Virtua Fighter [Siliconera]
[BouncekDeLemos @ DeviantArt]

The "Imperial Edition" of the game will come with a copy of Napoleon: Total War, an "illustrated wallchart biography of Napoleon Bonaparte" and download codes for two exclusive unit packs.

The first is the "Elite Regiment" pack, which comes with any boxed copy of the game, not just this fancy edition. It includes five of the "most elite military Forces of the Napoleonic Wars", which breaks down to two cavalry and three infantry units. Nice, but it also comes with the regular edition.

The "Heroes of the Napoleonic Wars" pack, on the other hand, is exclusive to the Imperial Edition. It collects ten units, some infantry, some cavalry, and since these guys have better names, sharper uniforms and bigger feathers in their caps, they should also be of more use on the battlefield.

Being a UK-based game, there's only British pricing currently available at the moment: while the standard edition comes in at £30 (USD$50), the Imperial Edition is £50 (USD$80), which is a hell of a lot more to pay for a set that doesn't include a large action figure or set of night vision goggles.

Just which console is still up in the air. The Australian rating simply says "multiplatform", while the Korean one was submitted by Sony Computer Entertainment.

Safest bet? Like the recent re-releases of Outrun and Virtual On, this will probably be a digital download, appearing on at least the PSN, but likely Xbox Live Arcade as well.

After Burner Climax was previously an arcade-only game, released in Japan in 2006. It was, and still is, a gorgeous game. Has very, very blue skies.

Hideki Kamiya, looks like you just got your wish.

After Burner Climax Coming To PSN? [GamerBytes]

Remember, it's a one-off custom, so forget about buying it. Just look, try and find a way to describe it that doesn't use the word "doll", admire how creator "Zin" got the PVC so right, then get on with the daily business of waiting for either Square Enix's version or the hitherto mysterious Kotobukiya one.

BAYONETTA:ベヨネッタ [fg-site, via Tomopop]

Andrea claims to be a Sega diehard going back to when she was nine years old, becoming obsessed with Sonic, Toejam & Earl and Rolo to the Rescue until she was 14 and, presumably, discovered boys. Says Andrea:

I didn't return to my game playing days until about 2 years ago, and now, I'm STILL obsessed with those old games. When I was little I would stay up way past my bedtime and if I died (in the game), I would be crushed. I'd be so mad that I'd beg to stay up and try again.

Andrea was chosen because, while the eight other entrants either brought a virtuoso Bayonetta look, or just the sexy-behind-librarian-glasses, Andrea, "married both elements to come out on top." Hell, I'd settle for marrying just one of them.

Doesn't look like there are any promotional duties involved here. But Andrea does take home an Xbox 360, a 50-inch plasma TV and, of course, a copy of Bayonetta.

Bayonetta Contest Winner Announced [Maxim via VG247]

Tetris Giant, which features giant tetrominoes and giant joysticks, was just one of many brilliant innovations on hand at the IAAPA 2009 show in Las Vegas last week, a show expertly covered by arcade coverage experts Arcade Heroes. Trust us, you've never seen a Tetris like this before, because it's bigger than previous versions.

Also on hand at the show are highlights like the Excite Truck-like Hummer arcade game (also from Sega), the remade Daytona USA known generically as Sega Racing Classic and the brilliantly named Tank! Tank! Tank! That last one is apparently Namco's spiritual successor to competitive arcade classic Tokyo Wars.

For more coverage of the IAAPA show, which features even more deluxe arcade cabinets upon which to sit, hit up Arcade Heroes.

More IAAPA 2009 videos – Tetris Giant, Hummer, Twisted (+ NASCAR 2 news) & more [Arcade Heroes]

And here you thought you'd have to wait until January to get your hands on PlatinumGames' saucy hair witch. Not so! On December 3rd, PS3 and 360 owners in North America and Europe will get their chance for a little hands on before the main event on January 5th and 8th respectively.

Bayonetta has recieved perfect scores from both Famitsu (sort of) and Edge Magazine now, so we should be in for a pretty good time.

According to PlayStation.com's Hong Kong presence, as spotted by Siliconera, LittleBigPlanet costumes that ape Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Werehog, Tails, Dr. Robotnik (aka Eggman) and Knuckles will be available later this year. December 17, at least in Hong Kong, to be exact.

While we'd PlayStation.com to be right about the particulars, we're checking in with Sony and Media Molecule to see when we can enjoy dressing our Sackboys up as Sonic and his friends on our PS3s.

LittleBigPlanet Sonic the Hedgehog Costumes (English/Chinese Ver.) [PlayStation Hong Kong via Siliconera]

Can't figure out if it's her head size, hand size or what.

Comparison of in-game Yaguchi with real Yaguchi.

Full body image.

セガ、PS3「龍が如く4 伝説を継ぐもの」。矢口真里さんが3Dキャラとなりマッサージ店のセラピストに！ [GAME Watch]

Good thing Bayonetta's "torture moves" - which summon all sorts of unpleasant mechanisms to more artfully render a foe's demise than mere boots or bullets - can't be turned around on the player. At least, I think they can't.

Clearly Sega begs to differ though, with this spiffy Super Monkey Ball Thanksgiving wallpaper they posted to their blog. The wallpaper comes along with a hefty update on Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll for the Wii — screens, trailers, the works.

There's also a developer diary from Toshihiro Nagoshi that makes an interesting point about the transition from arcade gaming to console gaming. On the one hand, old arcade games were crazy-hard and a modern, Wii-owning audience might not care for that. On the other hand, though, you didn't really have to read instructions for old school arcade games. You could just pick up and play.

Nagoshi says that Super Monkey Ball has evolved from its hardcore arcade origins into one of those family-friendly video game titles. However, it keeps that pick-up-and-play arcade aspect and adds the mystique of monkeys in balls.

"A lot of people ask me how the monkeys get into the ball, unfortunately, that‘s a secret!" he said. "You will have to use your imagination!"

Just like I have to use it to make sense of monkeys in my Thanksgiving. You got it, sir.

New Trailer, Screens, Dev Diary and more for Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll [SEGA America Blog]

For those of you who may not have gotten one of the reported 40,000 demo slots, take comfort. The full game will be available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 come January 5 in North America, just three days later in European territories.

Those who did get access to Bayonetta's locks, let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks to the many lucky tipsters who got in!

They're not reprising starring roles for the PSP sequel, but still, they'll be in there as playable characters nonetheless, along with Lamarre from the anime and two characters (Mitnz and Julius) from the comic as well.

Welcome back, Alicia. It just wouldn't be the same without you.

おなじみのあの夫婦が『戦場のヴァルキュリア2』に参戦決定！[Dengeki]

Seems Sega know that the upcoming Aliens vs Predator is so violent, and packed with so much gore, that they're not even going to bother submitting it to the USK, Germany's classification board.

Rationale being that the USK, with a reputation for being sticklers for the ol' killerspiel, would only force sweeping changes to the game, changes Sega didn't want to part with, so they're instead just going to save some cash and not bother localising or distributing the game in Germany at all.

Aliens vs. Predator: Too gory for Germany? [PC Games Hardware]

Yes, if you thought Europe's special edition of the game was nice, ours is nicer. It includes the same art book and soundtrack sampler, but also includes a replica of Bayonetta's gun, Scarborough fair.

Best part? It's called the Climax Edition.

It'll be available in January.

Bayonetta: Climax Edition Goes For The Money Shot [Kotaku AU]

But not much more, really. Sega Europe has announced the Special Edition of Bayonetta for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and it's exactly the sort of thing you'd expect from a Special Edition. Inside a special slipcase purchasers will find an art book, a soundtrack CD containing all of six music tracks, and a copy of the game itself. Considering the actual soundtrack for the game contains 150 songs spread out over 5 discs, this really isn't all that much.

Oh well. Maybe the game is just so over-the-top and wild that a truly compelling Special Edition would have been too much?

Bayonetta Special Edition revealed [Sega Europe]

The game company recently polled fans, asking them which title should get the XBLA send-up, and ToeJam & Earl took top prize. Series developer Greg Johnson tells game site Joystiq that SEGA "got ahead of themselves a little bit" with that announcement "and didn't realize that they don't have the rights to the property." Johnson does, and SEGA offered "very little money" to include the charaters in the upcoming Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing.

"TJ&E will not be included...and the option for including them as downloadable content is still open," Johnson said. "Sega said they're not ready to talk about that yet because they haven't started making any definite plans, but they promised to give me a shout when they get there – so hopefully we'll be able to work something out." Ditto for an XBLA port.

Johnson hasn't given up on ToeJam & Earl and even pitched around a DS version, which didn't garner much interest from publishers.

"Right now my studio is pretty busy with other stuff, but I plan to get back to seeing if I can't make TJ&E games in the future."

Check out the concept art in the link below.

ToeJam & Earl creator says XBLA port not so certain; future games in franchise still a possibility [Joystiq]

In this short online promo clip title "Rio's Film Set! Part I?", there's a short street interview with the blue movie actress by Noa Mizutani — questions include, are there lots of men at the filming and do you get nervous before your "performance". Rio replies that there are female staffers, but it's mostly men. She does get nervous before her "performance".

The question about her "performance" has a double meaning, since the word "honban" can mean the sex act. And she's a porn actress. GEDDIT?

Mizutani then visits the set, where at the end of the clip, she goes "wow" and then asks if this is honban. Stay tuned for further wink-wink, nudge-nudge from the folks at SEGA.

Rioの撮影現場！ 前篇？ [Official Site]

PEGI listed the game with a content indicator for "depictions of violence." There is no ESRB rating as yet. The negotiations to republish this game must have looked like Red Rover played by 24 lawyers.

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker Coming to Virtual Console? [Nintendo Life via Go Nintendo]

Here's the deal - once you register (free) for a Sega Pass, go back to this site on Nov. 9 and register to get your code. Registration for early access will be open until Nov. 13, but given the first-come, first-serve nature of this offer, my guess is it won't last that long.

Again, this offer covers the Xbox 360 version of the Bayonetta demo.

Bayonetta Demo Offer [Official Site, via Ripten]

In upcoming tri-Ace developed, SEGA published role-playing-game Resonance of Fate, the game's models are designed to take advantage of HDTVs, but the text is SDTV friendly. Yay!

Other good news: You can quick save any time in the game, there's a handy battle retry option and Resonance of Fate is disc-swap free.

Resonance of Fate reveals new features [Sega Nerds]

From classic scooters and teddy bears to Furbies and Cabbage Patch Kids, this Good Housekeeping list documents the hottest of hot toys that were hot in their day. And unlike People Magazine's 80s special, they've gone and given Nintendo and Sega their rightful props as hot toys.

While I can't name anybody who'd be glad to get a jar of Play-Doh this year, I can think of a lot of people who would be thrilled to see a Sega Dreamcast or an original Nintendo Entertainment System under their X-mas tree this year. Sadly, none of them are kids.

What classic entertainment system would you want under your tree this year?

The Best Toys of All Time [Good Housekeeping by Yahoo! Shopping]

An ad for Sakura Taisen 2 has been repurposed by television host Conan O'Brien. Watch the original ad here and the compare below:

Segata Sanshiro ad used on Conan O'Brien show [Sega Nerds via GameSetWatch]

A Japanese TV special provided a behind-the-scenes look at the character design, revealing that character artist Mari Shimazaki did over a hundred drawings of Bayonetta before the current design was finalized.

Those early prototype drawings included a blond hair Bayonetta and a red-head Bayonetta.

10.31 BAYONETTA　-ATSUKONETTA- [YouTube]

But that's nothing new for the market. Compare Bayonetta's sales to these other games to see just how much day-one sales favor PS3 over 360 in Japan:

Devil May Cry 4
28,000 (17 percent of sales) on 360 / 140,000 (83 percent of sales) on PS3
Soul Calibur IV
35,000 (38 percent of sales) on 360 / 57,000 (62 percent of sales) on PS3
Street Fighter IV
28,000 (33 percent of sales) on 360 / 58,000 (67 percent of sales) on PS3

See the pattern? I know I do, and I'm bad at economics.

Rock on for not being the nail that sticks up, Bayonetta!

PS3・Xbox360「BAYONETTA」好調な滑り出し、映画「THIS IS IT」紹介、他 [Ameblo]

I suppose the characters could be living in some sort of nightmare world, where traditional games are bypassed in favorite of name-driven racing games. Where Ryu from the Shenmue series can drive a motorcycle and a forklift, yet still can't break out of this hellish existence into some sort of Shenmue 3. When I think about it that way I get chills. Someone hold me.

Sega wants to make Bayonetta the first triple A video game title of 2010, and they've got the release date to do it. The game drops in North America on January 5th for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with Europe getting in on the action come January 8th. Sega CEO Mike Hayes believes the delayed timing is perfect.

"PlatinumGames set out to deliver a game that redefines the 3D action genre, and we feel that they have set a benchmark for future games in the genre to aspire to," said Mike Hayes, CEO of SEGA America & SEGA Europe. "We chose a January ship date for BAYONETTA as we firmly believe that it is the best time for SEGA and our retail partners to launch this exciting new IP in the West, and push for a number #1 retail slot. BAYONETTA is a huge title for us and the perfect start for the New Year, both for SEGA and gamers across Europe and America."

Of course PlayStation 3 owners can opt to spend $20 more and snag the English-language import a few months earlier, but then they'll miss out on...well I suppose they aren't missing out on much of anything. Good for you, region-free gamers!

Previously, it was revealed that the game would have unlockable costumes like a P.E. uniform. The day after tomorrow Bayonetta will be released in Japan.

『ベヨネッタ』コスチューム集、チアガール姿もあり [オレ的ゲーム速報＠刃]

The degree of help Sega's website can give is relatively minimal, unfortunately. Suggestions include wearing a skin-tight cat suit, crafting butterfly wings so you can pretend you are always jumping, and making sure you get the attitude right, or no one will believe you are the witchy heroine of the upcoming game the website is actually an advertisement for. Here's an example of a helpful hint:

When it comes to defining characteristics, you'll be hard pressed to find another action heroine whose eyewear alone could be used to identify her. While you can't buy the butterfly-adorned sides of her frames over the counter, thin rectangular black rimmed glasses should do the trick.

Thin, rectangular black glasses? I've got those! Now all I need is the cat suit, some weapons, an attitude, and Crecente's hair and I am all set to scare the living hell out of children who dare knock on my door Saturday night. Thanks, Sega!

Sega's Make-A-Witch Foundation [Sega]

That is, until next year when it's released in the West. Will people still be interested when the publicity machine starts up again?

『ベヨネッタ』コスチューム、ベヨ姉のブルマ体操着姿もあり [オレ的ゲーム速報＠刃]

Starting on November and continuing through the 12th, 19th and the 26th, fifty-thousand individuals will receive demo code for the game that can be used only for one week. Demo? In my day we called this a beta test.

Phantasy Star Portable 2 features online multiplayer, making it possible to playing with play and chat with fellow players across Japan.

Featuring double the voice acting and text as compared to the prequel, the game system has evolved as well, featuring quick escape, charge shot and new countering measures. There are new character designs as well.

Phantasy Star Portable 2 takes place 3 years after the previous title and is due out in Japan on December 3.

『ファンタシースターポータブル2』体験版のマルチモード利用権が20万人に配布 [ファミ通.com]

And the fliers have all be peeled off, revealing Bayonetta wrapped in hair and a nation eager to pull off fliers to see what's underneath. Thanks tsukasa1288 for the pics!

The Japanese internet, bless them, has created this comparison. The little girl is 100 centimeters — we don't know this for sure, but, as I mentioned earlier, let's say. A female is then 160 centimeters and a male is, just for example, 170 centimeters.

And by the totally unscientific, totally unfounded assumption, that Bayonetta would be 250 centimeters high — That's over 8 feet tall! Eight feet or over 11 heads high. Eleven heads? Even SNK characters max out at about 8 or 9 heads high.

ベヨネッタは身長２ｍ以上の巨人であることが発覚！？ [オレ的ゲーム速報＠刃]

Don't expect to see too many of these classic Sega consoles lighting up butts. They're only available for order until November 6 and for the steep asking price of 10500 yen, about $114 USD, each. Of course, if you light your cigars with hundred dollar bills anyway, we're sure you won't mind dropping that much on a Sega lighter.

We've already seen this lips-lickin' glasses lady before and are merely revisiting for the purposes of comparison. That is all!

And, of course, here's the multi-platform advert — much of which Sony seems to be recycling.

Dunno, but the fliers have access info for a special Bayonetta cell phone site. The posters are over six feet long each and feature phrases like "If you didn't peel it off, it would have been a peaceful day" and "This women, she's the scent of taboo". The posters will be on display from October 26 to November 1.

Bayonetta is out in Japan on October 29. Wonder what's underneath the fliers... Hair, probably.

The tri-Ace developed title will be released January 28 in Japan. No word about the Western release.

As we mentioned earlier, the game is set on the man-made spire of Basel. That's where the residents of Earth live in the future, now that we've polluted the planet to the point that it can no longer support human life or even vegetation.

As with most future societies, Basel has an easily understood hierarchy of placement on the spire. The rich rest comfortably near the top, the dirt-poor peons near the bottom. Your team of Private Military Firm employed heroes-Vasheron, Zephyr and Leanne-naturally live closer to the bottom, amongst the gears and levers that power the giant machine that is Basel.

エンド オブ エタニティ、カウントアップ中の発売日がバレて公式サイトが自虐に走る [読みゲー ]