Perhaps most objectionable are the things one can do in Scribblenauts when babies, steak and lions come together, as amusingly described by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Warning: gruesome descriptions of rad bike tricks performed over infants await you! Proceed with caution.

This is a puzzle game in which players navigate a series of traps, puzzles, and enemies to collect stars scattered throughout the colorful levels. Players have the ability to summon different objects by writing/typing in the word (e.g., bike, spaceship, lion) and watching it come to life. If multiple words are entered in a sequence, different whimsical scenarios can be triggered: a bicycle can be used to jump over a baby; a bulldozer can clear away a shark; and cabbage can be fed to dinosaurs. Players can elect to summon "cartoony" versions of bats, bombs, guns, and flamethrowers. These types of items can be used to destroy objects or even other summoned items (e.g., a club can be used to hit an animal; steak can be attached to a baby to attract lions; rockets can be lobbed at a man). These triggered animations are minimally depicted and are usually accompanied by popping, musical sound effects; bright, star-shaped flashes; or small puffs of smoke. If players wish to, they may type in the word vomit, which causes a beige-colored lump to appear on the screen.

Do you have any idea how many times I'm going to try to solve Scribblenauts puzzles with the words "vomit," "flamethrower" and "baby"? Neither do I. It's doubtful my brain can envision a number that large.

Scribblenauts [ESRB via NeoGAF - thanks, Alphahawk!]

Reggie tells Fast Company that the same confusion—and maybe even some mockery—followed the introduction of the Nintendo DS and the Wii Remote, two Nintendo endeavors that have turned out to be pretty darn successful. He says we should expect the same forehead-smacking understanding of the Vitality Sensor's capabilities when the software is shown.

"Until you have that software, it's tough to understand," Fils-Aime says. "If I told you that you would be standing on an oversized bathroom scale, and having fun doing it, you probably would have said, 'Reggie, I don't get it.' And yet here we are with the balance board arguably as the third largest development platform across the globe."

The whole point of this pulse-monitoring device, Reggie says, is finding a new audience, one "who hasn't yet been compelled with the first-person shooter, or an action side-scrolling adventure, or a fitness game."

Oh, I get it, Reg. I'm on board. If someone can sell me a copy of Am I Dead Yet? via WiiWare, consider me personally compelled.

Nintendo's Innovation Console: A Q&A With Reggie Fils-Aime [Fast Company]

With a soundtrack that spans more than a hundred songs, players will... well, they'll walk. But that walking will be done with Bemani-style rhythm, potentially ensuring that taking alternating steps in front of a television will become fun. Walk It Out employs the Wii Balance Board as well as Konami's own Dance Dance Revolution controller for accurate stepping action. It also supports plain old Wii Remote and Nunchuk for the peripheral phobic.

Konami's no stranger to staying in shape, having already shipped Let's Yoga and Let's Pilates for the Nintendo DS and run a fairly successful fitness business in Japan. Walk your way to screens of virtual walking that-a-way.

As the original Alien Breed is now 18-years-old, some of you may be too young to remember it. Think Gauntlet meets Aliens. Or, you know, think Alien Syndrome. (No, don't think of the more recent Wii re-imagining. Think of the Sega arcade original.)

Team17 didn't confirm a platform (or platforms) for Alien Breed Evolution, but we hope they'll offer co-op alien killing enjoyment for anyone with access to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. The "retro modern" remake is due later this year, with the developer promising more details before end of Summer.

The only thing it'll cost you is 148 megabytes of hard drive space, a small price to pay for the game Johnny Wilson of Computer Gaming World once called "Revolutionary!" You'll also need a DOS emulator, something Bethesda kindly offers a link to, and a pair of rose-tinted glasses to play.

Interesting to that the second game in the massive series requires so little hardware horsepower—you'll need a 66 Mhz processor or better—and consumes so little space. I remember Daggerfall being massive, but its install size pales in comparison to the 1 gigabyte required for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and the 4.6 gigabytes needed for Oblivion.

The Elder Scrolls Downloads [ElderScrolls.com - thanks, Andrew!]

PlayStation 3 owners now have access to Buzz Jr. Robo Jam and Battlefield 1943, the latter of which we hope holds up! Two games each for the PSP and "PSone Classics" library join those two downloadable games, including the aforementioned XS Junior League Soccer.

Check out the full list of new additions by clicking through and/or scrolling downward.

Games & Demos
Buzz Jr. Robo Jam ($4.99)
Battlefield: 1943 ($14.99)
PSone Classics - Spec Ops: Stealth Patrol ($5.99)
PSone Classics - XS Junior League Soccer ($5.99)
Samurai Warriors: State of War for PSP ($14.99)
Ultimate Board Game Collection for PSP ($9.99)
Battlefield: 1943 demo
Ghostbusters: The Video Game demo

Expansions & Add-ons
MotorStorm Pacific Rift Adrenaline Expansion ($9.99)
Cross Edge New Costume Set 2 ($3.99)
Cross Edge Additional Dungeon 3 (free)
Cross Edge Fresh Heart Pack (free)
Cross Edge Power Up Pack + (free)
Cross Edge Stone SP Synth Pack (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires Additional Music Set 1 (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires Artemis Armor Set (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires Kempo Armor Set (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires Queen Armor Set (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires Royal Armor Set (free)
Midnight Club Los Angeles South Central Ultimate Content Pack ($12.50)
Skate 2 Maloof Money Cup Pack ($2.99)

Guitar Hero World Tour tracks

• "I Am The Arsonist" by Silverstein ($1.99)
• "Bomb The World" by The Sleeping ($1.99)
• "NJ Legion Iced Tea" by A Day To Remember ($1.99)
• Victory Track Pack ($5.49) - "NJ Legion Iced Tea" by A Day to Remember, "Bomb The World" by The Sleeping and "I Am The Arsonist" by Silverstein

Rock Band tracks

• "21 Guns" by Green Day ($1.99)
• "East Jesus Nowhere" by Green Day ($1.99)
• "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day ($1.99)
• Green Day Pack 01 ($5.49) - "Know Your Enemy," "East Jesus Nowhere," and "21 Guns" by Green Day.
• "Black Magic" by Slayer ($1.99)
• "Conquer All" by Behemoth ($1.99)
• "Disposable Teens" by Marilyn Manson ($1.99)
• "Embedded" by Job for a Cowboy ($1.99)
• "Empire of the Gun" by God Forbid ($1.99)
• "Hammer Smashed Face" by Cannibal Corpse ($1.99)
• "This Is Exile" by Whitechapel ($1.99)
• "What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse" by Black Dahlia Murder ($1.99)
• Mayhem Tour 2009 Pack 01 ($13.49) - "Disposable Teens" by Marilyn Manson, "Empire of the Gun" by God Forbid, "Black Magic" by Slayer, "Hammer Smashed Face" by Cannibal Corpse, "This Is Exile" by Machine Head, "Embedded" by Job for a Cowboy, "Conquer All" by Behemoth and "What a Horrible Night…" by Black Dahlia Murder

Rock Band Unplugged tracks for PSP

• "Here Comes Your Man" by Pixies ($1.99)
• "Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughn ($1.99)
• "Still Alive" by GLaDOS and Jonathan Coulton (free)

Game Videos
MAG Dev Diary 1
MAG Dev Diary 2
PAIN: Museum Trailer
Battlefield: 1943 Guadalcanal Trailer
The King of Fighters XII Trailer
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Tutorial Video 2
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Tutorial Video 3
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Tutorial Video 4

Wallpapers & Themes
Battlefield 1943 Wallpaper x 2

That puts the Wii Sports sequel at more than a half million copies sold, according to Media Create, a feat sure to be made less impressive next week when Dragon Quest IX for the Nintendo DS lands in Japan. Debuting strongly beneath Wii Sports Resort is Sega's Hatsune Miku: Project Diva for the PSP, which outsells the recently released Mii-focused DS game Tomodachi Collection.

The only other new debuts were Sony's Boku no Natsuyasumi 4: Seitouchi Shounen Tanteidan, Boku to Himitsu no Chizu and EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis, the latter surely capitalizing on Wii MotionPlus fever.

And look! There's Infinite Space, back in the top ten. Guess my fears of the game's quickly dropping popularity were for nothing.

01. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) - 155,000 / 514,000
02. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva (PSP) - 101,000 / NEW
03. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 63,000 / 237,000
04. Boku no Natsuyasumi 4: Seitouchi Shounen Tanteidan, Boku to Himitsu no Chizu (PSP) - 50,000 / NEW
05. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP) - 14,000 / 776,000
06. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS) - 13,000 / 492,000
07. Sloane to MacHale: Nazo no Monogatari (DS) - 12,000 / 168,000
08. Ken to Mahou to Gakuen Mono 2 (PSP) - 12,000 / 50,000
09. Rorona no Atelier: Arland no Renkinjutsushi (PS3) - 11,000 / 54,000
10. Infinite Space (DS) - 10,000 / 56,000

11. Wii Fit (Wii)
12. Pokemon Platinum (DS)
13. BlazBlue (PS3)
14. EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis (Wii)
15. Valhalla Knights 2: Battle Stance (PSP)
16. Gyakuten Kenji (DS)
17. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
18. Tago Akira no Atama no Taisou Dai-1-Shuu: Nazotoki Sekai Isshuu Ryokou (DS)
19. BlazBlue (X360)
20. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii (Wii)
21. Agarest Senki Zero (PS3)
22. Pokémon Fushigi no Dungeon: Sora no Tankenta (DS)
23. Mario & Luigi RPG3!!!
24. Evangelion: Jo (PSP)
25. Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Empires (PS3)
26. Fate/Unlimited Codes Portable (PSP)
27. Metal Fight Beyblade (DS)
28. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
29. Dragon Ball Z: Story Saiyajin Raishuu (DS)
30. Made in Ore (DS)

Fahey seemed to like it enough in his Prototype review. And if you happened to like Radical's Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, you'll probably like this one too. Reduced to just $39.98 for the console versions, a mere $29.98 for the Games For Windows edition, you can't leave it on the virtual store shelf! Go on, treat yourself. You deserve it.

Thanks to our tipsters for the heads up!

Prototype - Deal of the Day [Amazon]

This Trials HD "Emotion" trailer helps to illustrate why I never ride my motorcycle near bombs, exploding barrels, or atop stacks of panes of glass. Someone could get hurt. Rarely, outside of PAIN for the PlayStation Network, has something looked this dangerous and ragdoll-filled.

The Xbox Live Arcade version is planned for a release this Summer, but its PC predecessor is readily available for a mere ten American dollars. Might be worth looking into if this gameplay trailer induces a MUST BUY NOW feeling in you.

Regardless, the game obviously features terrible weather, which you'll control, causing destruction amidst "humor filled missions and varying objectives, ranging from blustery mischief at a local trailer park to gale force feats in the middle of sprawling cityscapes," according to the publisher.

Honestly, the screens don't really do that much for me, but given the few amount of game's that let you play as the weather, I'm interested to go hands on with it before judging it.

Evans, co-founder of the LittleBigPlanet developer, tells GamesIndustry.biz that, should Sony and Media Molecule issue a sequel to the DIY platformer, it could offer cross-compatibility, ensuring that your Gradius or Contra homage will live forever. Or at least as long as a sequel's shelf life.

"If you look at online distribution for LBP, when the sequel comes along, what do we do with all that content?" Evans says. "I think we can give consumers lots of stuff that you couldn't in a traditional game. We can give them backwards compatibility with those levels, and then when you decide on how you're going to sell that to them... all I'm saying is that we've got loads of options open to us..."

Evans also talks about the possibility of expanding the LittleBigPlanet editor to include something in earlier design docs—the option for users to create objects, not just levels and upload those to be shared as well.

Media Molecule's Alex Evans [GamesIndustry.biz]

What are we going to see? According to host Geoff Keighley, plan on witnessing three minutes of Uncharted 2 cinematics and one new level. Plus, we'll apparently see Keighley giving some Naughty Dog employees on of those "my man!" kind of handshakes. Should be fun.

We know that Sony will be showing off Uncharted 2: Among Thieves at the San Diego Comic-Con, just a fortnight away, so hopefully we'll be going hands-on with some of this new stuff soon.

Chris Casamassa, karate instructor and part-time on-screen Scorpion, tells the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that he'll be reprising his role as the undead ninja in a third Mortal Kombat film adaptation. That's not necessarily a new development, as threats of a successor to the awful Mortal Kombat: Annihilation have been made for years, with previously announced intentions to film said movie made in interviews last year.

The third MK flick, sometimes dubbed Mortal Kombat Devastation and sometimes simply Mortal Kombat, looks to have a director in Chris "Mink" Morrison. Since there is so much seemingly unconfirmed about the newest MK movie, we're checking in with the last-known production company to see what's what.

Karate instructor to reprise 'Scorpion' role [SGV Tribune via FirstShowing]

Activision has today opened a time portal for Singularity, moving it to Q1 2010, well out of range of Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2. Activision explains!

"The level of excitement for Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 coming out of E3 well exceeded our expectations and therefore we have decided to move Raven's upcoming sci-fi first person action title, Singularity, from 2009 to Q1 2010," said an Activision spokesperson. "We believe that the March quarter will provide a better opportunity to establish the new cutting-edge action IP as a 'must-have' title and clears the way for Modern Warfare 2 to dominate this holiday season."

Wow. So we're calling selling an estimated 11 million copies of your game dominating the holiday season now? Hmph!

id's Doom 3 side story puts players in the role of a Marine, aided by a flying 'bot named Sam, as he makes his way from point A to point B, shooting anything that looks vaguely demonic. Borrowing familiar settings and enemies from its 2004 inspiration, Doom Resurrection whittles the experience down to something more appropriate for an on-the-go re-imagining.

Without the benefit of access to a keyboard and mouse, Doom Resurrection relies on accelerometer and touchscreen control to get all that first-person shooting done. The interface is simple, with portions of the iPhone's touchscreen dedicated to attacking, dodging, reloading, switching weapons and pausing. To your ever present reticule, just tilt.

With those concessions, was Doom worth exhuming on the iPhone?

Loved
As Good As On-Rails Shooters Get: Gaming snobs may turn up their noses at the prospect of a first-person shooter being hobbled with an on-rails guide, but Doom Resurrection remains surprisingly fun. Honestly, I didn't miss keycard hunting, updating my PDA security clearance levels or straining to see without a flashlight during my play time. I was more interested in the often frantic light gun-like action. Smartly taking cover and perfecting headshots adds depth to a relatively simplistic arcade-style game. Having my performance graded after each level, based on things accuracy and the number of secret items found, compelled me enough to revisit many of the game's stages.

Technically Impressive (Or Hey, That's A Pretty Good Doom Impersonation): Doom Resurrection doesn't look nearly as good as its five-year-old PC forebear—it's on a phone, people—but generally runs at a good clip. It's the control scheme that impresses most, with a tilt to aim function that actually works—mostly thanks to a quick calibration setting that lets the player recenter the reticule on the fly.

Hated
But Not Without Its Quirks: Doom Resurrection does comes with its share of frustrations. The hitbox for enemies is generous to a fault, so you may be pointing directly at an exploding barrel, but hitting the zombie standing just to the left of it. And you're probably going to recalibrate that targeting reticule a bit too often. And you're going to roll your eyes at bad guys that teleport right behind you all the time. And you're probably going to miss some health or ammo items when the touchscreen doesn't register your taps.

Doom Resurrection will let you have a great deal of fun with it—if you overcome your iPhone game phobias and let yourself have a great deal of fun with it. There's depth of play here, thanks to a suite of weapons that includes shotguns, plasma rifles, the trademark BFG and even a chainsaw, as well as smart, simplified touch controls.

What sometimes detracts from that fun is Doom Resurrection's asking price (which seems just a few dollars too high), a handful of dusty old design decisions, and its occasionally mystifying touchscreen quirks. As far as first-person shooters on Apple's platform go, it's not quite a head shot, but it's definitely a kill.

Doom Resurrection was developed by Escalation Studios and published by id Software on the iPhone and iPod Touch on June 26. Retails for $9.99 via iTunes. Played through main campaign on "Marine" difficulty, replayed multiple missions on "Veteran" difficulty in Free Play mode.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Retribution was definitely pushed back until next year in Europe, according to word from the newly minted Namco Bandai Partners' schedule, with North American retailers (GameStop, Gamefly, et al.) now slating the game for a Q1 2010 or TBD release.

Curious if you should care that the now-gen Dead To Rights sequel is looking like a 2010 release? Read our preview of the game to find out more.

Dead to Rights pushed to 2010? [GameSpot]

The answer is still "Yes, it is," but Cousens fantastic Photoshop tutorial, in which he walks us through the step-by-step creation of his "Broken Link" digital painting, is extremely helpful in touching on the finer points of advanced techniques. A bit of computer arts knowledge wrapped in a tasty Majora's Mask coating might just spurn you too to up your Photoshop game.

Cousens' tutorial warns that this tutorial is not for the beginner, but for those "comfortable with radial gradients, overlay layers and clipping mask layers and have a good foundation level of artistic skill." Still, even for the Photoshop clumsy, it's a gorgeous little walkthrough.

Thanks for sending it our way, David.

Advanced Tutorial: Creating ‘Broken Link' [PSDFAN.com]

Earlier today, the European PR folks posted on Twitter that "EA LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT OF COMMAND & CONQUER 4," linking to an official press release on the matter. One that doesn't yet exist online. Joystiq managed to catch it (and nab a screen shot), probably furthering to ruin some poor PR person's day.

EA's made no secret that a Command & Conquer 4 is in the works, so an announcement—an official announcement that we can officially read on the internet—won't surprise us.

We're sure it's a valuable lesson learned. Don't post it on the internet if you don't want it on the internet, I always say.

EA accidentally announces Command & Conquer 4 [Joystiq]

According to Japan's Nikkei newspaper, pre-orders for Dragon Quest IX Hoshizora no Mamoribito have topped 2 million. That would most certainly make the Level 5 developed RPG the bestselling game in Japan for the week, on par with the 3 million or so copies of Dragon Quest VIII shipped during that game's release week, eventually going on to sell more than 4.88 million copies.

We'll wait for actual sales numbers before weighing in on DQ IX's success or mega-success on a new platform.

With some 26 million-plus Nintendo DS systems already sold in Japan, the game will have no trouble finding an audience. We expect long lines and an additional hardware boost for the DS Lite and DSi overseas.

New 'Dragon Quest' May Test Square Enix's Staying Power [Nikkei (subscription required) via Andriasang]

Similar to the deal that GameStop ran a few weeks ago, the full band kit can be had for a song, a price "currently not available online." Looks like someone needs the space for the Fall flood of Guitar Hero 5 and The Beatles: Rock Band boxes. On top of that, we're told "roughly 200 price drops" went into effect today, meaning Spring's retail bombs can be Summer's low-risk purchases.

Found any deals? Let us know! And thanks to GameStop Manager X for the heads up.

While the show will tap mentally rickety individuals who say regrettable things like "Grand Theft Auto is the worst assault on children since polio," it will also feature illustrative charts and graphs, as seen in this newest preview for Thursday's episode of Penn & Teller's Bullshit!

Armed with a handy visual aid in this snippet is Chris Cooney, who drives the point... somewhere with his "Fire Triangle" diagram, complete with Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold imagery for maximum scariness.

Can't say that Bullshit!'s one of my favorite shows, as the episodes I've seen haven't left me feeling that much more informed, but this episode should be interesting. Check your local listings and all that.

Bullshit! [Showtime via GameStooge]

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today the release dates for the PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360 versions of the Watchmen beat 'em up, which span two retail releases—Watchmen: The End is Nigh The Complete Experience for the PS3 and Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 for the Xbox 360—plus three digitally distributed episodes for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

The second episode will be available to you in a number of formats, included with one of the Blu-ray editions of the movie, in PlayStation 3-style packaging and on a Xbox 360-only DVD. It can also be downloaded, for everyone that enjoyed the first Watchmen: The End is Nigh so much.

Maybe this official list will clear it up.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh The Complete Experience is an innovative, retail Blu-ray Hi-Def game and film hybrid which will include Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 and the Watchmen: Director's Cut on Blu-ray. This new cut of the action-packed blockbuster includes an additional 25 minutes of footage not seen in theaters, available only on Blu-ray and DVD. The two-disc collectible set will also feature exclusive artwork in a premium package. The game will be playable on the PLAYSTATION 3 which can also play the Blu-ray disc of Watchmen: Director's Cut. The Watchmen: The End is Nigh The Complete Experience will be available on July 21 for a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 will be released as a single game available for the Xbox 360 on July 21 for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 will be available for download on PC on July 29 and PlayStation Network on July 30 for a suggested retail price of $14.99 and on Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 on August 26 for 1200 Microsoft Points.

Sony Computer Entertainment America recently filed a trademark for echoshift, which might be the new name for echochrono, not a brand new game. After all, Sony did issue the caveat that echochrono was a "working title."

The puzzle game, which keeps things more 2D (and more 4D), looks to borrow from time manipulation games like Braid and Cursor*10—clearly good places to borrow from. It's slated to hit the PlayStation Network and PSP in Fall or Winter of this year. We'd expect that Sony will have news on any potential name changes soon, but reps did not respond to requests for clarification.

Instead of clarification, here's a trailer.

ECHOSHIFT [USPTO]

Curiously, it's a cricket bat, according to IGN. That's Left 4 Dead noob Ellis there whacking the juices out of a Southern infected, apparently relieving him of his cricket headgear. Does that mean, like the hazmat suit-wearing infected already revealed, that zombies will be wearing helmets? And exactly how many cricket matches and frat houses will the new Survivors encounter en route from Savannah to New Orleans?

An interesting addition, one that may simply be striving to reference Shaun of the Dead's anti-zombie efforts to increased suspension of disbelief. Or, as resident cricket expert Luke Plunkett points out, probably a blatant attempt to capitalize on Australia versus England cricket FEVER.

New Left 4 Dead 2 Weapon Unveiled [IGN]

Shigeru Miyamoto, general manager of the Entertainment Analysis & Development Division—the team responsible for Wii Sports Resort—tells Nintendo president Satoru Iwata that the destination in the Wii sequel is essentially the star of the show. Wuhu Island, Miyamoto says, is designed to join the likes of Mario and Donkey Kong as a new Nintendo franchise, seen in multiple games.

"We really polished up the island, turned it into a resort and actually made the location into a kind of character," Miyamoto says in the latest "Iwata Asks" interview. "This will then lead to a range of island series... You could have adventure games, role-playing games, city-building simulation games... It will be fun to see all the ideas that we can come up with, won't it?"

Despite all the "(laughs)" peppered throughout the interview, Miyamoto sounds quite serious about "licensing it out as a franchise," meaning we could see Super Mario Resort or Tingle's Fantasy Island or... who knows what this madman will dream up next?

Miyamoto further justifies the idea by saying Wuhu Island will breed familiarity, like a real world city or town.

"We thought it would be a fun idea to have a location that everyone knows and then have all sorts of stuff going on there," he says. "It would mean that players would already know the town like the back of their hands by the time they came to buy the next adventure game. Everyone could play in a location they were familiar with which would truly turn it into a miniature garden."

Wait. Miniature garden? OMG PIKMIN 3 WILL BE ON AN ISLAND!

Iwata Asks: Wii Sports Resort [Wii.com]

The third in Spike's series of bad-ass brawlers, Kenka Bancho 3 will take players on a high school class trip to a historic Japanese city where people will be punched and kicked in the face. Hands will be kept coolly in pockets until such time as someone needs a good beating, then said beatings will ensue, all for good reason. There's a story woven in between all that hand-to-hand violence, as well as great eyebrows, afros, and other choice grooming options.

Atlus is also soliciting help in choosing a Western appealing name for Kenka Bancho 3 via online survey. The options include Badass and Bancho Royale but should really stop and start with Badass Rumble. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear potential customers can suggest their own names, including my own, My Eye-Laser Training Coach.

Granted, I've never played one of the Kenka Bancho games on the PlayStation 2, due to the language barrier, but I'm still recommending that you pay attention to it. Why? Well, why not?

Here's a trailer of the Japanese release that might give you a better idea what this whole thing is about.

That's because The Final Fantasy Legend—really the first entry in Square Enix's SaGa series—is as glitchy as they come, allowing serious speed run fans the option of beating the game from start to finish in a matter of minutes, not dozens of hours. This tool assisted speed run takes advantage of character and item leveling bugs, as well as the ability to unintentionally warp and ride a motorcycle at super-motorcycle speeds.

The whole thing wraps up nicely when the player dispatches the game's final boss, The Creator (aka God!), with a single hit. Must feel good.

The video really won't be as helpful as the amusingly translated walkthrough from Kevin "Magweasal" Gifford. In it, he explains what the hell is going on amidst the seizure-inducing strobe of Japanese menus. Read it!

The Final Fantasy Legend (Square, 1989) [Magweasel via Tiny Cartridge]

Boon had hinted at appearances from characters like Kung Lao and Doomsday in interviews, showing designs for one MK Vs. DC character that was planned for release, Quan Chi, first introduced in Mortal Kombat 4. The MK team lead released a render of the Mortal Kombat character via his Twitter today.

Will we ever see characters like Lobo, Quan Chi and [insert your favorite MK/DC character] added to the crossover fighter? According to Boon, "right now I don't see it happening," despite the fact that he writes those additional downloadable characters were "just about done."

With work progressing on Mortal Kombat 9 and Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe now eight months old, we'd guess that Midway and new owners Warner Bros. won't see the value in dedicating more resources to such a thing. Shame.

Kenji Matsubara, CEO of Tecmo Koei—and former president and COO on the Koei side—tells CVG that his company has "concerns" about the move to motion controllers, as "we specialize in making action games, so we have to explore whether we can achieve real-time response from a controller-free system."

"We understand that, for casual gamers playing dance games or some sort of fishing game, this controller-free system can be popular," Matsubara says. "But for hardcore gamers who like action games, we have to research and develop games that satisfy our core gamers."

We'd think anyone who played Koei's Samurai Warriors: Katana would have a list of concerns about the company trying more waggle filled games too. But if we get Dead or Alive Xtreme Fishing, who can possibly argue that these new control methods don't have merit?

More from Matsubara, including his thoughts on the Japanese game market, the PSPgo and Tecmo Koei's focus on the Western market at the original interview.

Tecmo Koei Interview [CVG]

Also potentially fascinating for Wii owners is the addition of Cannibal Corpse's "Hammer Smashed Face." We're sure we'll look back on this week as the moment that the ESRB began work on the inevitable content rating of downloadable music tracks.

For the more budget conscious Wii Rock Band 2 owner, a quartet of budget priced songs (just 100 Wii Points!) from The Darkest of the Hillside, Jonathan Coulton, MC Frontalot and Crooked X will also be available. For the full 28, read on.

• Green Day "21 Guns"
• Green Day "East Jesus Nowhere"
• Green Day "Know Your Enemy"
• The Presidents of the USA "Dune Buggy"
• The Presidents of the USA "Feather Pluckn"
• The Presidents of the USA "Ladybug"
• Behemoth "Conquer All"
• Black Dahlia Murder "What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse"
• Cannibal Corpse "Hammer Smashed Face"
• God Forbid "Empire of the Gun"
• Job for a Cowboy "Embedded"
• Marilyn Manson "Disposable Teens"
• Slayer "Black Magic"
• Whitechapel "This Is Exile"
• The Offspring "Self Esteem"
• Screaming Trees "Nearly Lost You"
• Static-X "Push It"
• Plain White T's "Natural Disaster"
• Hot Hot Heat "Bandages"
• Kasabian "Shoot the Runner"
• Sleater-Kinney "You're No Rock N' Roll Fun"
• The Stone Roses "Love Spreads"
• Against Me! "Stop!"
• Lamb of God "Laid to Rest"

• The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets "Shhh…."
• Jonathan Coulton "Skullcrusher Mountain"
• MC Frontalot "Livin' at the Corner of Dude Catastrophe"
• Crooked X "Gone"

Expect to see Splinter Rabbid and Raving Rabbid playable, from Splinter Cell and the Rayman spin-off series respectively. Surely there must be a rabbid in Altair's costume nestled away in the source code.

Is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up the right place for a rabbid, one of them decked out in Sam Fisher gear? That's not necessarily our call, but we suppose Ubisoft thinks it's a good decision, one that might help move a few more copies of Rabbids Go Home to impressionable Wii owners.

How about it TMNT fans? Does the roster have room for rabbids, or are the hideous little things simply taking up spots that could be reserved for more obscure Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters?

Thanks to The S for the heads up.

Instead, BioWare creative lead Greg Zeschuk envisions mainstream games driven by story and acting, not "battle moments," telling GamesIndustry.biz that "we're actually getting to the point where the acting is almost there."

Obviously, not all games rely on lasers, swords, and laserswords to succeed. But even 2008's bestsellers still relied on combat, whether that meant shooting Locust hordes in the face or launching blue shells at other kart racers.

Zeschuk and fellow BioWare lead Ray Muzyka believe we're on the cusp of seeing blockbuster games "that are story-driven."

Muzyka, in particular, thinks the video game industry is at its "mid-point of maturation."

"It's almost like we finally got our camera built in the movie sense," he says. "It took a long time, decades in the movie industry, where we went from black and white to talkies to the point where we actually started to get rich acting and direction and the subtle moves of camera and things like that that are now accepted practices. From that point on the industry just flourished, and I think the videogame industry is at that point now..."

Doctors On Call [GamesIndustry.biz]

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars' 18-and-up rating isn't anything new for the series. The Japanese software ratings board CERO shows all GTA titles as Z-rated, including the two PSP entries in the series. But no other DS game has managed to secure that behind-the-counter letter rating.

Perhaps that's why Cyberfront, not Capcom, is publishing Chinatown Wars in Japan. Typically, the Japanese distribution of Grand Theft Auto games is handled by Capcom, often to success. But for Chinatown Wars, the publisher of the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV will be taking the reins.

Maybe Capcom was turned off by the atypically moderate sales of Chinatown Wars in the face of releasing a Z-rated Nintendo DS game. We'll see if this is indicative of a trend when the PSP version of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is released for the PSP in the country.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Will Be The First "Z" Rated DS Game [Siliconera]

In part two of our Bonus Round discussion, we chat about the high-definition "Wii Plus," Project Natal (again), the possibilities for PlayStation Eye, and if the video game controller as we know it will ever go away. We also get a very up close and personal look at the naked ankles of Michael Pachter. This episode is also solid proof that going back to the gym was a good idea for yours truly.

Motion control enthusiasts, this one's for you!

Bonus Round: Episode 306 - Part 2 HD [GameTrailers]

Sony Computer Entertainment America is holding two invite-only events and promoting two panels, revealing exciting new info about both games and giving us a chance to go hands-on with each PS3 entry again. Team members from Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games will be present at their respective panels and Q&As, with attractive Uncharted 2 cast members also available for pestering/cat-calling.

Seriously, you going to Comic-Con? If so, official details are below.

Ratchet & Clank Community Event (RSVP Required to Attend)
Wednesday, July 22
8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Join G4 and Insomniac Games as they unveil the winner of the "Captain Qwark's My Blaster Runs Hot" weapons contest and present the winner with a real-life replica of the weapon they created. Stick
around after the unveiling for the hands-on premier of all new Clank gameplay.

UNCHARTED 2 Panel Discussion
Thursday, July 23
5:30-6:30 p.m.

Listen in as Naughty Dog demonstrates the performance capture process for UNCHARTED 2 and discuss how they deliver the active cinematic experience. The panel will include a Q&A with cast members and Naughty Dog staff including: Nolan North, Emily Rose, Claudia Black, Gordon Hunt, Steven Valentine, Amy Hennig, Josh Scherr, Taylor Kurosaki.

PlayStation Gaming Cocktail (RSVP Required to Attend)
Thursday, July 23
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Following the UNCHARTED 2 panel, join the PlayStation team to go hands-on with our latest first-party PS3, PSP and PSN titles. Grab a cocktail, chat with developers and get hands-on with content from the show floor and additional software titles.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Panel and Q&A
Sunday, July 26
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Insomniac Games will be on hand to reveal behind-the-scenes stories about the development of this fall's PlayStation 3 blockbuster. Creative Director Brian Allgeier and other team members will reveal new scenes from the game, the latest trailer as well a new weapon feature.

The time-traveling adventure game will be scaled down to UMD format and ship to Japanese retailers on October 1, the same day the new PSPgo ships to North America and Europe... but not Japan. The Japanese get it a month later. Sorry, I guess there's no real connection there.

But for anyone who missed out on the original release, or its Windows and Xbox ports, you'll soon be able to relive the time-hopping murder mystery all over again. Perhaps Eike will be given a side mission in which he travels back in time to prevent himself from getting that terrible hair cut.

Shadow of Memories PSP [Konami via Siliconera]

After the listing was dug up by PS3 Center, the digital audio recording facility pulled the SOCOM sequel mention—but not before Google cached it—along with one for Syphon Filter 5.

Yes, the same rumored Syphon Filter we posted about in February (from the same source), which must have lead someone to believe that Syphon Filter 5 was also in development at Sony Bend. Potentially another massive megaton that another entry in a very successful series of shooters would get another iteration.

PlayStation marketing honcho Peter Dille indicated to us way back in 2007 that the multiplayer-focused SOCOM Confrontation wasn't the only entry in the series we'd see on the PlayStation 3. If SOCOM 4 is it, we'd expect a return to some of the single-player story driven campaigns seen in previous entries.

Of course, PCB Productions may have gotten the naming of these sequels off. That "in development" status could be old (see the "in development" notation for Frame City Killers). And how this entry could possibly be referred to as the fourth entry in the series is a bit confusing, since SOCOM: Combined Assault followed SOCOM 3. But we just work here.

SOCOM developer Zipper Interactive is hard at work on MAG right now, but if it didn't have another SOCOM in development, you could knock us over with a feather.

Rumor: SOCOM 4 in development [PS3 Center]

Strong sales of Wii Sports Resort helped the Wii get a ten percent bump week-to-week. Don't be surprised if next week is even better for the lil' white console, as Wii owners tend to walk, not run to the nearest electronics store to buy new consoles.

On the PS3 side, a trio of top ten bestsellers buoy Sony hardware, with Rorona no Atelier: Arland no Renkinjutsushi, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger and Agarest Senki Zero upping the console's install base.

Sadly, just about everything else was down. Not surprising, when Wii, PS3 and DS games dominate the charts. And everyone has a DS by now, right? No, not right.

Here are the Japan's bestselling consoles from June 22nd to the 28th, courtesy of Media Create.

• Nintendo DSi - 39,885
• PSP - 26,789
• Wii - 21,790
• PlayStation 3 - 11,310
• Xbox 360 - 5,766
• Nintendo DS Lite - 5,595
• PlayStation 2 - 3,578

Eventually, Nintendo has plans to release all ten Electroplankton via the DSi download service, doling each out 200 Nintendo DSi Points at a time. At that price point, it might simply be worth your time and money to buy the online retailer-only release of Electroplankton—if you can find a copy, that is.

Of course, 200 DSi Points is a small drop in the bucket. You may get your fill of experimental musical toys with a single download, saving you the hassle of grabbing a used copy on eBay.

Electroplankton [Nintendo via Andriasang]

First thing I'll be playing in the virtual world this weekend is the iPhone version of Doom: Resurrection, in anticipation of an upcoming review. Probably should update the firmware on that thing so I'm up to speed on all my iPhone needs. I'll also be giving BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger another crack, once the TV, Xbox 360 and all necessary audio-visual equipment is hooked up.

This weekend, I'll also more than likely be picking some games to sell off and give away. There are a half-dozen Sega Saturn games—Shining Force III, Guardian Heroes, Burning Rangers—that will get more use at someone else's house.

What will you be playing this American holiday weekend?