There is no cure for PSP fever in Japan, what with all those massive marquee releases happening overseas. Like... um God of War: Chains of Olympus maybe? Is this just Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G after shocks or are folks just falling in love all over again with the Sony handheld? Regardless of the reason, the PSP comes out on top on this week's Media Create sales chart. Nintendo DS and Wii hold strong, but certainly aren't selling as well as they are in the States.

Even the 360 is holding on to a larger slice of the pie than normal. It's all so confusing!

• PSP - 56,998
• Nintendo DS - 48,540
• Wii - 41,768
• PlayStation 3 - 12,458
• PlayStation 2 - 10,405
• Xbox 360 - 3,807

Persona 4 Takes Japanese Software Competitors To School

Everything old is new again, as PlayStation 2 release Persona 4 rockets to the top of the Japanese sales charts, with the Wii remake of Resident Evil 0 seeing a rather unimpressive, but still top ten debut. Probably a good call on Capcom USA's part not to release the title stateside. RE4 Wii Edition this is not.

A handful of new, notable releases chart, including a new Stafi DS adventure, as well as two Western born releases, God of War: Chains of Olympus and Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. Those two appear after the jump.

01. Persona 4 (PS2) - 193,000 / NEW
02. Wii Fit (Wii) - 30,000 / 2,353,000
03. Densetsu no Stafi: Taiketsu! Dire Kaizokudan (DS) - 29,000 / NEW
04. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 25,000 / 1,560,000
05. Daigasso Band Brothers DX (DS) - 23,000 / 190,000
06. Resident Evil 0 (Wii) - 21,000 / NEW
07. Derby Stallion DS (DS) - 20,000 / 206,000
08. Hanayori Dango: Koi Seyo Onago (DS) - 20,000 / NEW
09. Gegege no Kitarou: Youkai Daigekisen (DS) - 16,000 / NEW
10. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP) - 16,000 / 2,277,000

This week won't be just about new games announced for release more than a quarter down the road. We've actually got a pretty sizeable list of drops, highlighted (for me, anyway) by NCAA Football 09, which comes out on Tuesday. This title was the reason I bought my first console since — actually since getting a Colecovision off of usenet in college. I played it on my buddy David's Gamecube in 2003, and I decided right then and there I had to have an Xbox. Oh lawdy, that was bad of me. But seriously. My crazy Vegas lawyer friend Davor had a PS2 and we'd bet on computer-vs-computer simulations, too. With a spread. Good times.

Let us know what you're buying/renting in the comments:

Monday (July 14)
1701 A.D. Gold Edition (PC)
Yamaha Supercross (PC, PS2, Wii, DS)

Tuesday (July 15)
NCAA Football 09 (X360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP)
The Golden Horde (PC)
City Life 2008 Edition (PC)
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm (PC) (JESUS, LIQUID DRAGON IS THIS THING EVER GOING TO DROP? WTF. THAT IS ALL.)
We Love Golf! (Wii)
B-Boy (PS2)
Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity (PSP)
Rock Band Track Pack Vol 1 (Wii, PS2)
Space Chimps (360, PS2, WII, DS)
Hunting Unlimited 2009 (PC)
Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society (DS)
Mister Slime (DS)

Moving Beyond the Neon Lights in Chinese Gaming

And The Winner Is.........

Our Alone in the Dark contest has drawn to a close. And we have a winner, and that winner is Scott S.! Scott was the eleventh person to send in his answers correctly. From the contest post:

After you answer it remember to send all five questions with all five correct answers (and links) to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom. You also need to put "Here's Hoping I'm 11th" in the subject line. You *must* do this, exactly as written here, with quotes for your entry to count. Make sure you just read this carefully! And remember, you don't want to be first, you want to be eleventh.

There was even added bold text just to make sure people would actually read the post! But people didn't. Lots of people didn't — instead, they sent along the right answers and links, but put things like "Alone Contest" in the email subject line or forgot the quotes for "Here's Hoping I'm 11th." Scott S. was the eleventh person to do it correctly, but probably like the 50th person to send an email. (The folks who didn't follow the instructions were disqualified as mentioned in the post.) Hit the jump for the answers and links, which I embedded.

Well! If Brain Age gets a naughty movie, then one would correctly assume that Wii Fit must get one as well. Japanese adult video maker Gekidan Carnival has just released Geki Fit, which features the tagline "Fitness Is Erotic!" Geki Fit features 115 minutes of young ladies in various stretching and yoga poses against an all-white background. While there are no Wii-motes, Wiis or Balance Boards, the movie does feature font and packaging "homages." (Gekidan Carnival probably doesn't want to get sued back to the stone age by Nintendo!)

Hit the jump for the cover. The distasteful sweat might be NSFW.

Band Bros. Replaces Derby Training As Current Japanese Obsession

It may have settled for a third place showing last week, but with less fierce competition the week after Daigasso! Band Bros. DX gets a chance to shine in the top spot. Media Create's Japanese software ranking shows drifting drama Initial D Extream Stage relegated to second. Not bad for a PS3 game (still), but a low key week across the board.

Little in the way of new debuts makes for a rather dry chart. Still, if you want to see how the PS2 port of Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters fared, it's after the jump.

01. Daigasso! Band Bros. DX (DS) - 47,000 / 167,000
02. Initial D Extream Stage (PS3) - 43,000 / NEW
03. Derby Stallion DS (DS) - 38,000 / 186,000
04. Wii Fit (Wii) - 31,000 / 2,323,000
05. Nanashi no Game (DS) - 30,000 / NEW
06. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 28,000 / 1,535,000
07. Tales of Symphonia: Knight of Ratatosk (Wii) - 27,000 / 164,000
08. Mario Super Sluggers (Wii) - 20,000 / 108,000
09. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) - 18,000 / 585,000
10. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP) - 18,000 / 2,261,000

GAH! Yes, yes we are giving away a modded Xbox 360 this week. And yes, you just might win it! And yes, everyday at 12 noon Kotaku Time, we will ask one question for a grand total of five questions at the end of week — well, save for today. Today we are VERY LATE and for that I AM VERY SORRY. Anyway, each answer will be buried somewhere in Kotaku — yes, it's a scavenger hunt. (But, this contest will be cone hat/stormtropper leg free!) So simply answer each day's question and save them for Friday. Because on Friday, July 11th, we shall ask the last question. The 11th person to send kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom all the questions this Friday (with links) and all the correct answers (with links) will win. The questions will not be hard. Remember, you are only sending us your answers this Friday, not before and not after. FRIDAY.

Tomorrow is the last question. It will go up at noon and hopefully will not be late. Also, anyone who puts answers below in the comments or elsewhere will be banned and mocked. Hit the jump for the third easy question — and the second and first ones, in case you missed 'em.

SCEA: "PS3 Is Open For the Ad Business"

Sony Computer Entertainment of America and Europe announced a partnership with in-game ad company Double Fusion today, saying that the Playstation 3 is open for the ad business.

Weird, I thought they were open for the ad business last month when they announced their deal with Double Fusion rival IGA.

Either way, I don't see adding in-game ads as something they or any company should be bragging about. Until I see a dip in game prices or service costs, it doesn't give me anything but an opportunity to help an international company rake in more dough.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Arcade Ice Cream!

Mmmm, yummy. Just in time for Japan's dog days of summer, game maker Atlus has done traditional arcade crane games one better by stocking a 'em with ice cream. And who doesn't like ice cream? (Bad people, that's who!) Dubbed the Triple Catcher Ice -25C, the machine is set at a frosty -25C and has players manipulate a three pronged claw to pull out delicious icy treats. As the official page explains in English:

ATLUS has developed "TRIPLE CATCHER ICE", THE state-of-the-art prize machine carrying the latest freezing technology. "TRIPLE CATCHER ICE" is so unique that it will be absolutely imperative at every amusement scene worldwide.

We agree. This is absolutely imperative. Oh, and while other machines are typically one player affairs, the Triple Catcher -25C can be played by four players at once. It's a quadruple catcher! The Triple Catch Ice -25C doesn't use more electricity than the standard crane machine. For Atlus, arcade innovation means cold and delicious.

「ATLUS TRIPLE CATCHER ICE−25℃」 [オープンカーで颯爽と]

This November, famed Japanese figure maker Kotobukiya is bringing the latest entry in its Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 series with a 1/6 Kokoro statue. Priced at ¥7,882 (US$74), the figure not only features removable clothes (been there! done that!) but hot umbrella action (ooooooooooooh). Out of all the Kotobukiya DOAX2 figures, this one has the most graceful pose. Umbrellas really make everything all classy like.

Sexy Bikini Japanese Beauty [Akiba Hobby]

Mercenaries 2: Landing Assignments

Win An Xbox 360 Easy Question Numero Three

Yes, yes we are giving away a modded Xbox 360 this week. You just might win it! Here's contest: Everyday at 12 noon Kotaku Time, we will ask one question for a grand total of five questions at the end of week. Each answer will be buried somewhere in Kotaku — yes, it's a scavenger hunt. (But, this contest will be cone hat/stormtropper leg free!) So simply answer each day's question and save them for Friday. Because on Friday, July 11th, we shall ask the last question. The 11th person to send kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom all the questions this Friday (with links) and all the correct answers (with links) will win. The questions will not be hard. Well, not that hard. First question goes up later today. Remember, you are only sending us your answers this Friday, not before and not after. FRIDAY.

Also, anyone who puts answers below in the comments or elsewhere will be banned and mocked. Hit the jump for the second easy question — and the first one, in case you missed it.

What Are The Top Selling Games Of 2008 So Far?

We're slightly at the half-way point, so it's a good opportunity to look back. What games have been selling in Japan? And how many copies? The latest issue of Famitsu has crunched the numbers and drawn up a list of the biggest selling games of 2008. Let's take a look at the top ten:

10. Wii Play (Wii) 411,416 copies
9. Mario Kart DS (DS) 416,935 copies
8. Mario Party DS (DS) 497,547 copies
7. Wii Sports (Wii) 544,958 copies
6. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) 576,437 copies

Not sure which is more impressive: A month old game like MGS4 making it into the top ten or a two and a half year old game like Mario Kart DS doing it. YOU DECIDE! Hit the jump for the top five.

This Year Sees Two New DS Chocobo Games

Square Enix has announced not one new Chocobo title, but two new DS titles: Chocobo and the Magic Storybook: The Witch and the Girl and the Five Valiant Men and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: The Labyrinth of Forgotten Time DS Plus. The Magic Storybook is a Chocobo adventure title, while Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon DS Plus is a DS version of Wii title Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon, which was released abroad with the localized title Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon. Regarding release time windows, Magic Storybook is slated for the Winter in Japan and Mysterious Dungeon DS Plus should hit this Fall. Hit the jump for very small Mysterious Dungeon DS Plus pics.

In case you missed our initial post, we are giving away an Xbox 360 this week. All you have to First question. Here's contest: Everyday at 12 noon Kotaku Time, we will ask one question for a grand total of five questions at the end of week. Each answer will be buried somewhere in Kotaku — yes, it's a scavenger hunt. (But, this contest will be cone hat/stormtropper leg free!) So simply answer each day's question and save them for Friday. Because on Friday, July 11th, we shall ask the last question. The 11th person to send kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom all the questions this Friday (with links) and all the correct answers (with links) will win. The questions will not be hard. Well, not that hard. First question goes up later today. Remember, you are only sending us your answers this Friday, not before and not after. FRIDAY.

Also, anyone who puts answers below in the comments or elsewhere will be banned and mocked. Hit the jump for the second easy question — and the first one, in case you missed it.

Morrigan, Onimusha's Soki Joining New Capcom Brawler

More characters join the Tatsunoko vs. Capcom fray! Previously, it was announced that the Capcom side was getting Street Fighter III's Alex and the Tatsunoko side was getting Gan-chan from anime Yatterman. The latest brawlers in this gaming characters versus anime character fight: Darkstalkers' Morrigan Aensland, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams' Soki, Hurricane Polymar and Golden Warrior Gold Lightan. As game site Arcade Renaissance points out, the game's button layout seems similar to the Sengoku Basara X one. Something to keep in mind as Japanese arcade location tests kick off this weekend! That, and the possibility of even more new characters.

Capcom VS Tatsunoko features Gold Lightan [ToyboxDX Thanks, Matt!]