The real treat however was a little surprise waiting on a DS in the corner, Metal Slug 7! I hot footed it over to the corner of the room and practically wrestled the girl playing it to the ground in my attempt to check out the game. It looked great, played better and had everything you could possibly want from a Metal Slug game. So if you are ready for a new Metal Slug experience, look no further than Metal Slug 7, coming soon to a DS near you.

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Jan. 7, 2008

Can't believe it's already 2008? Soothe that sense of future shock with a visit to the Wii Shop Channel, where we've just added a pair of awesome vintage games from way back in the 20th century. This week's new offerings include an unpredictable island-hopping adventure and a legendary fighting title, each guaranteed to deliver classic gaming excitement throughout the new year and beyond.

Two new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Star Tropics™ (NES®, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): Find out just how resourceful you can be in this classic game, with its mixture of adventure and RPG elements. Step into the shoes of Mike Jones, a teenage star pitcher from Seattle who has come to the tropics to visit his famous archeologist uncle, Dr. Jones. After being told that his uncle has been abducted, Mike begins a perilous quest in order to rescue him and figure out the mysterious plot behind his disappearance. Luckily for Mike, he meets helpful villagers and finds more powerful weapons as he explores numerous locations and island-hops using his uncle's submarine. You'll never know what to expect next as the cosmic story unfolds over the course of eight action-packed chapters, ranging from Dr. Jones's lab on C-Island to an alien spacecraft. Who knew a tropical vacation could turn into a mission to save the world?

THE KING OF FIGHTERS '94 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen-Animated Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Alcohol & Tobacco Reference, Violence, 900 Wii Points): As the first game in the long-running KING OF FIGHTERS series, THE KING OF FIGHTERS '94 brought together popular characters from other well-known franchises and pitted them against each other. Match warriors from Fatal Fury against favorites from its sister series, Art of Fighting. Or see if the casts of the Ikari Warriors and Psycho Soldier series better suit your fighting style. Plus, there's a set of brand new characters, exclusive to the KOF series, who are willing to join the fray. But there's a twist: Instead of the standard best-two- out-of-three-rounds fight setup, players choose one of eight teams, each made up of three teammates. To win, all members of the other team must be eliminated before your fighters are knocked out. Use the game's power gauge to inflict maximum damage and end the round with a devastating finishing move. It's a battle royal unlike anything else-a game whose inspiration is easily seen in the fighting games that followed it. Can your team be the last one standing?

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

Mai Shiranui [HobbyStock]

Doki doki fever! An in-store trailer for Doki Doki Majo Shinpan has surfaced. As suspected, stills from the clip show the stylus touching clothed jubblies — doubt it will get any saucier than that, though! There are also collectible Doki Doki Majo Shinpan telephone cards appearing at stores around the country, too. Interesting fact: besides the English website, Chinese and Korean Majo Shinpan sites also exist. Does that mean the game is going global? Maybe! So do not be surprised if SNK shifts focus to Doki Doki and never makes another King of Fighters game. Like ever. Brian Ashcraft

Trailer [Senaka Blog]
Phone Card [Akiba OS]

SNK has released the first images of the new King of Fighters arcade game for Japan. Dubbed the wordy "King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A," the game is powered by Taito's Type X2 PC-based hardware. Comparisons to Sega's arcade fighter Virtua Fighter 5 are inevitable, but SNK diehards will tell you: Graphics aren't necessarily the main draw here. Brian Ashcraft

King of Fighters First Screens [Arcade Heroes]

If you've ever had a hankering for some polite conversation with any of the lovely ladies from King of Fighters, Neo Geo Battle Collisseum, Metal Slug or Samurai Shodown, you'd best get crackin' on learning some kanji. I don't think this DS title will make it stateside, short of a miracle.

Those of you out there who do understand Japanese and have a prediliction for anime girls should put your pre-orders in. The game ships in Japan on June 14th. Michael McWhertor

SNK PlayMore, Days of Memories DS [Game Watch]

Again focusing on the characters most dramatic assets, her T&A, Aizu Project ups the gratuitous double cleavage exposure from Kinu Nishimura's Max Factory version of Mai with this impossible pose. While the "T" shot doesn't show off the goods that well, I thought the "A" view was too hot for the front page (sorry RSS readership!), so you'll have to make the jump for the booty shot.

Yikes! Put this thing away if you ever get a girl back to your place.

The 1/7 scale Mai Shiranui figure will set importers back $165 USD and ship this July. Michael McWhertor

Aizu Project Mai Shiranui 1/7 Scale Figure [NCSX]

This cleavage rich, twelve inch statue of the King of Fighters ninjitsu mistress will set you back $85 if you pre-order from importer National Console Support, so you'd better be sure this is the sort of thing you're into.

If you're on the fence, you can check out some very revealing shots of the Capcom Vs. SNK 2 version of Mai at Max Factory's site or just go to NCSX and throw down your credit card number. Just make sure the kids are put to bed. Michael McWhertor

Kinu Nishimura 1/6 Mai Shiranui Figure [NCSX]

I would be remiss if I didn't make some mention of St. Patrick's Day today as it is... you know... today. I was also feeling hard pressed to tie it in to video games somehow so Crecente didn't have me drawn and quartered. A quick search of the internets for Irish video game characters didn't turn up much save Oswald and Krizalid from King of Fighters, one of the Cooper Clan from Sly Cooper and sisters Nina and Anna Williams from the Tekken Series. So get out there, drink one of those green beers for olde Ireland and raise a toast to Oswald, Krizalid, Anna, Nina and the erstwhile Florian Eckhardt. Cheers! Flynn De Marco

But it appears that SNK Playmore is tapping into fighter nostalgia, as it will be bringing Geese Howard, Mr. Karate, and the rest of the Art of Fighting crew to the PlayStation 2 this spring with the Art of Fighting Anthology. It collects all three arcade releases on one handy disc. It's sure to sell well into the triple digits.

Props to the Insert Credit news crew for the tip off. Michael McWhertor

Nice thing about this clip is that besides the killer costumes and moves, these SNK King of Fighters cosplayers actually look taller and thinner than their Street Fighter II counterparts. Bad thing: Clip's sound quality is garbage. Brian Ashcraft

KOF Fighting [Neo Samurai]

Insert Credit reports that SNK Playmore has gotten a patent for the name "Air Dash." The Japanese game maker has been releasing loads of sequels and spin-offs of late, and many fans are hoping this is what they've been waiting for: A brand new game. Details are scant, so then again, it could be something for pachinko or cell phones, but... Brian Ashcraft

More Here [IC]

Here are the goodies the kind folks at SNK coughed up: a Mai Shiranui poster signed by Falcoon, a Fatal Fury Terry Bogard hat and three cell phone straps/screen cleaners (featuring Mai, Terry and Athena). The toy cars are my son's. Brian Ashcraft

SNK Feature [Kotaku]

If there were a hardcore gamer test, the question "Do you have Sega or Nintendo tattoos?" would be preceded by "Do you have a gaming bumper sticker?" Spotted in a Target parking lot, this SNK bumper sticker features the company's mascot, Fatal Fury's Terry Bogard. Bet dollars for donuts that car's owner has King of Fighters tats. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Go Nintendo]

Japanese toy-maker Yujin just released a King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2 "Girls Collection" that includes the likes of Ninon Beart, Mai Shiramei, Atena, Kula Diamond, B. Jenny and Lily Kane. While these ladies could match dirty pillows with the likes of Kasumi, don't forget that SNK-Playmore's KOFMI2 is truly a stand-out fighter. Pics of these 300 yen (US $2.70) figs after the jump. Brian Ashcraft

Dirty Pics Here [Moeyo!]

Coin-Op.tv quizzed King of Fighters Designer and Producer Falcoon at SNK's offices in Osaka. It's difficult to hear with translating under Falcoon (subtitles, guys, subtitles!). The creator talked about how he got into producing and new KoF features. The split-second of Falcoon playing his own title is priceless. Brian Ashcraft

Watch Here [RetroBlast] via GSW

For you single guys, plenty of slightly creepy, expertly crafted images and wallpapers that you can talk to, but won't talk back. Fans of the ladies from Final Fantasy and Dead or Alive should take a look... but maybe not if they're at work. Fairly tame, but clicking around too much might just get your ass fired.

Sexy/Unsettling Game Girl Renders