The "Gold" edition of Kinnikuman Muscle Tag Match (M.U.S.C.L.E. in the West) is exceedingly rare — only eight copies of it exist.

During the mid-1980s, they were given out as prizes for a Kinnikuman Muscle Tag Match tournament that was held in eight locations across Japan.

Kinnikuman Muscle Tag Match is considered one of the worst games of the Famicom/NES era.

日本に８本存在！「キン肉マンマッスルタッグマッチ」ゴールド版日本に８本存在！ [Yahoo! Auctions Japan via my game news flash]

The company as a whole (remember, Bandai Namco do arcade machines, toys and cartoons) ended the quarter with a net income of ¥9,019,000,000 (USD$100 million), so on the off chance you're a shareholder, your money's still good.

More interesting to us are some global sales figures found towards the end of the company's earnings release. They show the following games shifted the following number of units:

Soul Calibur IV - 2.26 million copies
Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit - 730,000
WE SKI - 590,000
Gundam Musou 2 - 590,000
Active Life Outdoor Challenge - 550,000
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 - 530,000
Super Robot Wars Z - 510,000
Taiko Drum Master for DS 2 - 500,000
Mobile Suit Gundam Gundam VS. Gundam - 440,000
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 - 420,000

Up to four players can play via Bluetooth - one taking the role of the titular yellow glutton while 3 others play as ghosts trying to take that fat mofo down. Yes, we do know there are four ghosts. We assume it is some kind of Bluetooth thing.

Lonely ghost munchers have the usual 256 levels to devour, although there is the added incentive of a Europe-wide leaderboard for scores uploaded via 3G data links.

Pac-Man Goes Multiplayer On Mobiles, Lets You Play As Ghosts

スクエニ (Square Enix)
商願2008-069267 ＰＯＬＬＵＸＥＮＧＩＮＥ
商願2008-071359 ＢＬＯＯＤＯＦＢＡＨＡＭＵＴ

セガ (Sega)
商願2008-069004 でこぼこモータース (Bumpy Motors)
商願2008-069693 §ＧＡＬｉＬＥＯ＼ＦＡＣＴＯＲＹ＼ガリレオファクトリー
商願2008-069925 ＢＲＩＣＫＢＬＯＣＫＣＬＯＣＫ
商願2008-070753 シャイニングフォースギア＼ＳＨＩＮＩＮＧＦＯＲＣＥＧＥＡＲ
商願2008-071456 ＳＯＦＴＤＡＲＴＳ＼ＪＡＰＡＮＴＯＵＲＮＡＭＥＮＴ
商願2008-071457 天空盤 (Tenkuu ban)
商願2008-071458 ＴｏｕｃｈＬｉｖｅ

カプコン (Capcom)
商願2008-066875 Ｄｏｋａ！Ｄｏｋａ！我天丸 (Gatenmaru)＼ドカ！ドカ！がてんまる
商願2008-067096 ＦＯＲＧＯＴＴＥＮＷＯＲＬＤＳ
商願2008-067604 ノイズ改造ギア (Noise Modding Gear)

ＡＱインタラクティブ (AQ Interactive)
商願2008-070443 ＣＵＢＥｍＡＬＬ

バンナム (Bandai)
商願2008-064789 ソルバルウ＼ＳＯＬＶＡＬＯＵ
商願2008-065881 ＵＬＴＩＭＡＴＥＤＥＳＴＲＵＣＴＩＯＮＭＡＣＨＩＮＥＧＵＮＧＡＭＥ
商願2008-065882 大量破壊マシンガンゲーム (Ultimate Destruction Machine Gun Game)
商願2008-065883 踊る！！シロクマ＆パンダ (Dance!! Polar Bear & Panda)
商願2008-067593 昼ドラ (Noon Drama)
商願2008-067594 レディコミ (Lady Comi — possibly short for Lady's Comics)
商願2008-067595 品格アップ術 (Dignity Up Technique)
商願2008-069372 §ＰＲＯＪＥＣＴ∞ｉＭ＠Ｓ∞ＩＮＴＥＲＭＥＤＩＡＡＲＴＩＳＴＳＡＮＤＳＰＥＣＩＡＬＩＳＴＳ
商願2008-070177 遠山式立体表示研究所 (Research Lab of Tohyama-Shiki)
商願2008-070180 ファミリービーチ (Family Beach)

The parenthesis and localized titles are ours.

New Japanese gaming companies trademarks. Shining Force Gear ?... [NeoGAF via Go Nintendo] [Pic]

In Japan there are many "Gundam-Otaku's," and their adoration of Gundam is intense. Therefore, I did not want to change their image of Gundam. By changing Gundam's "mobile suit" to tattoos, I altered his body, and made him even more customized. I emphasized the very concept of the "mobile suit," and by setting Gundam against a background of gold leaf from traditional Japanese painting, I emphasized Gundam's samurai origins.

Hit the jump for another Hisashi work — this one inspired by a fighting game.

According to the artist:

In my mind, the distinctions between combat video games, manga, and ukiyo-e have become blurred. This is a painting that combines on a single screen the features of moving images, manga frames, and single prints.

Great stuff.

Gun-Slinging Robot [Bloomberg via Sankaku Complex]

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES RELEASES UPDATE FOR TEKKEN® 5: DARK RESURRECTON™ ONLINE

Santa Clara, Calif., (April 17, 2008) - Leading video games developer and publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that they have released a free update for TEKKEN®5: Dark Resurrection™Online. Available at the PLAYSTATION®Store, exclusively for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the new downloadable update brings a host of new features that will further enhance the gameplay experience:

· Pickup Match Mode - For those who want to skip the waiting room, players can now continuously face off in one-on-one matches

· DUALSHOCK®3 rumble support - Feel the impact of each blow and attack

· Room name display - Allows users to input and display names for online rooms

· "Flag" search - A network filter that enables users to better select opponents with optimal connection speeds

· New notifications - Let's waiting players know when it's their turn to fight or inform them when others have entered or left the room

· More casual matches - When Rank Match is set to Off, match results no longer affect Win/Loss record.

· Multiple bug issues have also been resolved

Released in March 2007, TEKKEN 5: Dark Resurrection is a must-have for Tekken aficionados as it boasts new features including the opportunity to fight as Jinpachi Mishima, the previously unplayable boss from the arcade version. Optimized in 1080p, TEKKEN 5: Dark Resurrection features classic gameplay with various modes that will test gamers skills in a host of showdowns and allows them to view character art and movies.

TEKKEN 5: Dark Resurrection Online was released in August 2007 as an online update which allows players to battle each other online in custom matches, with the results being tracked on the leader boards, a first for the franchise.

TEKKEN 5: Dark Resurrection is now available for download on the PlayStation Network for $19.99. TEKKEN 5: Dark Resurrection Online is also available for the low price of $9.99. Both games can be purchased as a bundle for $29.99. For more information on TEKKEN 5: Dark Resurrection and Dark Resurrection Online, please visit: http://www.namcobandaigames.com.

Nice work and congrats!

Finalist 1

Matthew writes:

Sometimes in life you just don't know what game to play so I made this sign to at least give you directions as where to play them and put it up in my apartment complex. I made the sign by using a CNC mill, the hardest part was getting the depth of the companion cube edges right with the proper curvature. And the best thing about the sign is whichever way you decide to go you have chosen wisely.

Finalist 2

Musashi writes:

And just for the record, that's my son - I didn't nab some homeless kid off the street...

Finalist 3

Shawn writes:

I call it Mongoose Crossing (go figure)

I made this sign not long After I read the original Contest post.
It was fairly easy to make, I went into Halo 3's Forge and picked up the mongoose and held it to the sun on Valhalla.

From there I used Saved Films to take a screen shot of said mongoose. Then using Photoshop I took the mongoose and applied it to my XING sign made previously.

the mongoose crossing pictures were taken in the back yard of my friends house with a Large pasture in the background. I felt the pasture was fitting due to its wide open spaces(Valhalla), and that the Mongoose is an ATV.

Finalist 4

KingDavid73 writes:

Here's my "My Boy" CDi Zelda entry. I hope everyone likes it, because, My Boy, THIS, Internet Fame, is what all true warriors strive for.

Finalist 5

Andy writes:

I had no idea what to do, so I took a stroll through my games last night and saw ICO, and figured it'd go along nicely with the crossing sign. After about an hour or two on Photoshop and 45 minutes with Office Depot's worthless printing staff, I got this gem.

Protip: The language beneath the picture is the one spoken by its characters; it says "crossing".

Finalist 6

VigaMan

This sign represents the memories of the many lives that players had wasted as aresult of falling into spikes, or as I like to called it 'spike trap.'

Finalist 7

MrJGM writes:

As for the signs, I started out with the idea of making a home security sign based on the BLU team and their home security turrets. While looking on Google for images to use I came across the Portal image of a sentry and thought the valuables are a lie! which is how I came up with the Aperture lab home security sign idea.

Finalist 8

MelodyKitn writes:

Here is SLOW: Little Sister At Play, in honor of those creepy little girls that vexed the hero's humanity (to reap or let live).

Finalist 9

A.J. writes:

When I first read the article regarding the contest, I immediately thought "Hm, outdoor game related sign... road crossing sign... ANIMAL CROSSING SIGN!" Simple as that, heh.

Finalist 10

J writes:

Still in love with the Orange Box so that's pretty much all the inspiration here.

I made this sign out of a whole bunch of different pictures from google images, some from portal, some not. Although the person in the picture looks like its the one from the portal pictures, its actually from a fire sign. Most of the other icons came from portal wallpapers. After a few hours of working on this sign my girlfriend got home and we drove to the local bakery to take a picture. We were going to put it on the bakery door but then we found another, better place to put the sign, on the bakery sign in the parking lot. I thought this would be a better idea because of the message that was on the board at the time. The meaning of the sign is exactly the same of the title, applying that the cake is a lie, and if you dont listen then you might get hurt. I spent alot of time on it so I hope everyone likes it! :D

I call it Mongoose Crossing (go figure)

I made this sign not long After I read the original Contest post.
It was fairly easy to make, I went into Halo 3's Forge and picked up the mongoose and held it to the sun on Valhalla.

From there I used Saved Films to take a screen shot of said mongoose. Then using Photoshop I took the mongoose and applied it to my XING sign made previously.

the mongoose crossing pictures were taken in the back yard of my friends house with a Large pasture in the background. I felt the pasture was fitting due to its wide open spaces(Valhalla), and that the Mongoose is an ATV. attached are the pictures i took hope you and the Kotaku readers like it!

And thanks very much to a friend of mine named Allbowdown, he was a great help in the process of making this Sign.

I had no idea what to do, so I took a stroll through my games last night and saw ICO, and figured it'd go along nicely with the crossing sign. After about an hour or two on Photoshop and 45 minutes with Office Depot's worthless printing staff, I got this gem.

Protip: The language beneath the picture is the one spoken by its characters; it says "crossing".

As a part of their series of solar powered LCD handheld games, Bandai released Airport Panic in 1982. One of the neat things about this game is that it had two game levels, and the scene changed depending on which one you were on.

In the first, you have to cross the tarmac to the plane while avoiding the hijacker's bombs. Then you board the plane (this is where the scene changes) and have to traverse the rows to shoot the hijacker and "rescue the stewardess and the passengers."

When Gonzalo Frasca showed me this game today, I was reminded me that I actually have one, fully packaged, somewhere in my collection stash. I should find it and take it on my next flight. You don't need to go to those extremes though. You can download the manual scans and a PC emulator.

Bandai Solar Handheld Simulator Downloads [ via Ludology.org]