It was a nice idea, hampered slightly by the fact that games had to be rewritten to add support for the thing. Now Nokia has decided to embrace the ZeeMote by releasing downloadable software to let the controller work with almost any S60 app or N-Gage game.

The ZeeKey app is available for free download from the Nokia website and the mobile manufacturer has promised to bundle the app with selected handsets (presumably its more entertainment focused N-Series models).

Zeekey app for Zeemote available for Nokia phones [Pocket Lint]

PocketGamer got a look at a new accelerometer-based mobile racing game from Firemint.

As you can see from the video, Real Racing runs on the iPhone — and certainly confirms our hopes for that platform's gaming prowess — but Firemint also have it up and running on a Nokia N95 (all the recent N-series phones have motion sensors built in).

Multiplayer races can take place over a wifi link, and your racing stats are automatically uploaded to the Firemint web site. Brilliantly, the game will also upload videos of your best times to YouTube and share your rankings via Facebook and OpenSocial into the bargain.

GCDC 2008: Firemint shows off awesome iPhone racing game [PocketGamer]

You might think Nerf N-Strike would be just one more nail in the coffin, but I’m pleased to report after my hands-on time that the game and its flashy controller that it is actually not made of suck. In fact, it’s almost the opposite of suck with it’s old school on-rails gameplay and simplistic graphics. If you liked the last Time Crisis or are looking for a bloodless version of it, Nerf just might be your thing.

One downside: a Nerf video game is a contradiction. It’s not really a Nerf “game” until somebody’s caught one of those foam and rubber darts in the eye and gone crying home crying, doing that little fake limp despite having taken it to the face.

As if in response to this unspoken criticism, EA set up a mega-huge Nerf gun at the event right outside the demo hall for people to shoot. Early in the day, they were all militant about where you could point that thing – targets only, one person at the gun at a time, etc. But by the end of the day, after the PR peeps had a few drinks in them, some EA higher-ups (who shall go unnamed) aimed the gun at the bar and started taking pot shots at abandoned cocktail glasses. One guy managed to land a dart in a martini glass before the gun manager broke it up and started putting the huge apparatus away.

Check it out for yourself:

True, this mod could have been done with pretty much any small plastic box, but choosing a Nintendo Entertainment System to house a retro gaming PC is the kind of crowd pleasing coup-de-modding that is difficult to surpass, save by hollowing out a Vectrex or performing electronic taxidermy on an actual anthropomorphic hedgehog.

The beast contains a Windows XP PC loaded with the GameEx emulator front-end and a metric shedload of NES, SNES and N64 games - all of which, I am certain, are fully licensed and were purchased alongside their original packaging.

NES Console Modded as Retro Gaming PC, With Video [Slashgamer]

Authoring gets your account permanently banned from Matchmaking, permanently stripped of file share functionality, and a hardware ban that keeps you from playing Halo 3 for a month. Uploading just strips you of file share permanently.

Bungie advertised the penalties in an official blog post on Friday. The tone is pure Bungie:

Fair warning: Users who have modified content on their File Share — regardless of who created said content - will be subjected to the full power of the Banhammer’s thrust. This includes some never-before-unleashed technology that will effectively terminate your Halo multiplayer experience online in every imaginable facet. In fact, the ban is so thorough that simply calling it the Banhammer is a complete understatement. I just couldn’t come up with a more hyper-exaggerated term that had the same feel. Banplatform? Banpocalpyse? Banmageddnon? None of those did the trick.

The accompanying FAQ is hilarious. Bungie's not gonna start policing what's offensive and what isn't. So whether you have a picture of a walrus, two chicks making out, or "Hitler Pikachu" (lol) you're getting pounded. As for those who said they didn't get a warning, tough. "We realize that not everyone tunes in on Friday to read the Weekly Update and folks probably don’t read the entire Terms of Service for Xbox Live, but that ignorance isn’t met with sympathy."

"The issue of File Share abuse is a pretty serious one and we will continue to police it isncredibly aggressively," Bungie writes.

Many Birds, One Stone Hammer [Bungie.net via Destructoid]

3:55 PM, the LA Convention Center. Everyone is tired, and you can see the media room starting to slow down — people wander by with exhausted expressions on their faces, looking at their watches and lighting up when they realize there's not much left in the day. Even Crecente has passed the point of being totally with it, pausing in the middle of sentences to stare off into space. I shuffle off to check out Atari's E3 offerings, and am met with a surprisingly cheerful staff who point me in the direction of caffeine. I am not caffeinated enough to face a spiel on Deer Hunter Tournament, so I'm sat down to await a demonstration of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. I hear something about transport options from the person enthusiastically imbibing what the Deer Hunter guy is saying — 'Oh cool, so you're planning on having like, ATVs and stuff?' — and am glad I'm parked in front of The Witcher instead of one screen over. More impressions and details after the jump:

So, The Witcher isn't new, but the whole presentation focused on the improvements made to the game. After apologizing for already having given the presentation five times in a row, Tomasz Gop enthusiastically explained what the 'expanded edition' really expanded upon (and kept coming back to 'fan suggestions'). The expanded edition features over 5,000 lines of totally rewritten and rerecorded script, as well as a whole new German script created from scratch (was it that bad?). In addition to the script itself, a slew of new dialogue animations were added to make characters look less like wooden blocks and more like dynamic people. Monsters and NPCs are still based on the same character models, but have gotten randomly generated clothes and colors to shake things up a bit. Further, the inventory system has been improved and makes for easier storage and sorting; there is also an easier system for collecting loot after battles. Importantly, load times have been significantly reduced. Another nice feature is the ability to play with any combination of the available subtitles and voice tracks; we watched a scene with a Polish voiceover and Chinese subtitles.

The boxed edition will feature two new adventures, the adventure editor, the official soundtrack CD, a CD of music inspired by The Witcher, a game guide, "The Witcher" short story by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, a map of the Witcher world, and a 'making of' DVD. Already bought the game? Don't want to shell out again? Never fear — everything will be available for download if you purchased the original version. The enhanced version is expected out in September of this year.

I was then shunted over to take a look at the PSP and DS versions of N+. The handheld versions will feature 350 levels and 150 coop and versus multiplayer levels. Players will be able to create their own 'playlist' of levels, as well as get lots of unlockables. The level editor will enable people to design and share their own levels — the download and upload process is fully integrated, and by utilizing a 'purgatory server,' the DS friend's code hell will be bypassed (this was a point that was mentioned very excitedly). N+ will be coming to PSPs and DSs next month

From one DS game on to another — I thankfully didn't have far to go to look at What's Cooking? with Jamie Oliver, and by this point was wondering exactly how these Atari people were remaining so chipper and upbeat. This is a reasonably detailed cooking simulator (unsurprisingly); I didn't spend too much time with the actual gameplay, but the guy demonstrating did allow me to try my hand after he scorched some prawns. It's ... a cooking game. A detailed cooking game with really complicated recipes.

However, the 'special feature' that was apparently most exciting was the inclusion of lots of real Jamie Oliver recipes, the ability to create shopping lists based on those recipes, and using the DS as an ultra-portable cookbook/list maker. Now, I like to cook, but I'm not sure I'd pop my DS on the counter — sounds like a recipe for electronic disaster when DS meets boiling liquid or something. Still, the fact that the game comes with a book's worth of (actual) recipes is kind of cool. It will be out in December in time for a Christmas '08 release.

Finally, I headed over to look at the second expansion for Neverwinter Nights 2, Storm of Zehir. The first feature noted was the expanded party editor, now featuring full party customization of up to four party members. There has also been several new classes added, though the only one mentioned in any depth was the "swashbuckler." The party conversation system was demonstrated, with answers and questions being based on intelligence, sills, class and so on. A new, detailed overland map has been added that is a walking map — no more zooming from place to place. The maps are completely moddable, and also feature traps and other surprises that players can interact with via skills.

A mercantile aspect has been added, and trading and quests can help improve your merchant empire in the world — as well as make an impact elsewhere. New monsters will be popping up (the ones I saw looked very nice, even though the game hasn't been entirely 'cleaned up' yet and looked a bit dank in places). The message I was left with was "Lots of new stuff! New races, classes, feats, spells, enemies ... did I forget anything? Yeah, lots of new stuff!". The expansion is due out in the fourth quarter of 2008.

There will be a total of three hundred and fifty levels exclusive to each platform: two hundred single player, one hundred "co-op" and fifty "versus." Players will be able to download new levels from the N server as well as show off their design prowess with a level editor. In a rare treat on the DS, player designed levels will be able to be shared with friends free from the ties of the cumbersome Nintendo friend code system. Levels will also be able to be previewed before download so you know what you're getting yourself into. Due to space limitations, the DS version will only be able to hold up to eight downloaded levels at a time, but the PSP version will be able to hold as many as your memory stick will allow. There are plenty of unlockables available to access during the game as well such as game skins, level packs, new gold goals and special music tracks. Speaking of music, all the soundtrack for the game has been created by "chip tune" artists using old consoles to orchestrate the tunes.

One of the more interesting and fun multiplayer modes is a new "tag" mode. Two players chase each other about various levels, one trying to tag the other. Being tagged makes you "it" and you lose a few points in the process. Running into obstacles also knocks points off and the game ends when one player loses all their life points. I tried this mode out with fellow journalist Travis Moses from Gamepro and it was a blast. Being an N expert, he trounced me roundly, but no hard feelings, Travis. Just pray I don't see you on the streets...

Look for N+ to stealth it's way to your DS and/or PSP on August 12th.

Our policy is that the N-Gage activation codes only work on the device where they were first activated. As with any digital media there is a potential risk of piracy and this policy is one of the ways we are dealing with piracy and ensuring our partners receive their rightful revenues from our platform.

Gamers 'angry' over new N-Gage's DRM [Develop]

We don't have animation properly "sussed" yet, otherwise we'd be able to better explain what the various aspects of the problem are.. all we can say for sure is that once you eschew sprites, it gets tricky ;) Of course, this is the whole point — if you want to avoid the limitations of a sprite-based system, you're necessarily going to have to deal with all of the problems that using sprites lets you avoid.

Robotology: Back To The Drawing Board [metablog, via GameSetWatch]

Nokia to add Konami games to N-Gage platform [Reuters]

This weekend I'll be ditching the Cruis'n as I get back to R-Type Command and continue my Rock Band duties, now with added Boston. How about you? Weekend plans?

N'Gai delved into the multiplayer aspect, too. He's looking to DLC and other online buildout to really deepen the game. "Once the Scotsmen absorb all the feedback from the millions of gamers who take the plunge into its online experience, we have no doubt that something special is in the offing," he writes.

Naturally Rockstar pumped N'Gai for the possibility of being covered in Newsweek, hard copy. (His reply: "Stay tuned.")

Partying Like A Rock Star, and Reflecting on Grand Theft Auto IV Multiplayer With Rockstar [Level Up]

Perhaps no longer. You can grab an official record this coming Thursday if you live in, or can get to, Brooklyn, N.Y. — and have mad skills in one of five classic arcade games. Guinness World Records is hosting a competition to coincide with the release of its inagural Gamers' Edition.

The five titles up for grabs:

• Fastest Time to Beat Five Boards on Ms. Pac Man
• Fastest Time to Beat Five Boards on Tapper
• Highest Out-Run Score
• Highest Ghosts 'n Goblins Score
• Highest Donkey Kong Score Without Using the Hammer

I like how the records are some feat within the play of the regular game — except for Ghosts 'n Goblins, which is so goddamn impossible that just getting the all time highest score is badass enough. Arcade-History.com says the record is 811,000 points. Good luck with that.

A news release advises that "the public at large is invited to try their hand at the joystick of destiny," provided you're 21 or over and have an ID. (Barcade is, well, a bar.) The event is 7:30 pm Thursday, April 10, and the location is 388 Union Ave., Brooklyn, NY.

Official N-Gage Site [via Gizmodo]

Their honesty about the majority of XBLA titles being crap—and they are—is something, it seems, everyone but the fanboys can agree upon.

The Metanet guys explain further "As gamers it was unbelievably depressing for us to try literally 80 games and enjoy less than 8 of them", writing that with Arcade's gems few and far between, we're "back in retail-land" where crap outnumbers quality. Compound that with the frustration of having your clever little multiplayer racer shrugged off and "shit" starts to make sense.

It's a very sound argument, one that can't be done justice with pullquotes and headlines. Read it. However, despite how reasonable their argument is, I would hope that people pay more attention to their gut reaction, instead of one that's planned and edited, because they're right and refreshingly honest. Yes, I know we're dealing with The Internet and its people, but we should be encouraging open talk and frank opinions like these.

Wait a second. Just read that they think Super Stardust HD is "pretty crap." Fuck these guys and their stupid jumping game!

In Defense of the Apparant Shitstorm [Metanet]

N creator Raigan Burns says "When we started out, we were excited, just like with N. There were 30 games on Live Arcade. If N was one of them, it would stand out. Now there's like a hundred games, and they're all shit." Harsh? Maybe not, considering the existence of offerings like Yaris, Street Trace: NYC and Word Puzzle, according to the N+ crew.

One has to wonder, though, if the alternatives, given the time to age like Live Arcade has, will be any better.

N+: Beyond The Postmortem [Gamasutra]

Well, not the entire thing. That would be madness. While we fully expect some group of nutjobs to pick up the slack, recreating the entirety of the original Legend of Zelda in two-tone gray, the current N+ user created stab at Zelda-nostalgia is a perfect sampling of glorious obsession. Kudos for making it difficult-looking to boot. Via GameSetWatch.

The Finnish software company had initially filed papers on the prevalent word on Feb. 26 to protect the word in relation to:

"... computer game software; computer game programs; computer game discs; interactive multimedia computer game program; downloadable ring tones, ... multimedia software recorded on CD-ROM featuring fictional characters and computer games; pre-recorded DVD's, video tapes, laser discs featuring movies about fictional characters, and pre-recorded compact discs featuring music; motion picture films on fictional characters...".

But they did it, Mäkinen says, to protect their company, not make money:

Fellow gamers,

Our purpose in filing for trademark on the name "Pwnage" is not to charge money or stop people from using the expression. That's not what a trademark is for. Instead, we want to protect ourselves from squatters (or what I call campers) - people looking to trademark the name on false pretenses, just to make a claim against Futuremark Games Studio for its use.

Jukka Mäkinen, Executive Producer, Futuremark Games Studio

What confuses me is how Pwnage in anyway has anything to do with Futuremark Games Studio. I mean, sure, I suppose you could use the word and the company in this sentence: Futuremark was pwned by the United States Patent and Trademark Office when they tried to trademark a word that had no rights to.

Maybe they should patent n00bs instead.

Futuremark responds to "Pwnage" trademark controversy [Futuremark's YouGamers Site]

"... computer game software; computer game programs; computer game discs; interactive multimedia computer game program; downloadable ring tones, ... multimedia software recorded on CD-ROM featuring fictional characters and computer games; pre-recorded DVD's, video tapes, laser discs featuring movies about fictional characters, and pre-recorded compact discs featuring music; motion picture films on fictional characters...".

Wow... at least they aren't attempting to apply it to every piece of media published or anything like that.

I am not a lawyer, but will be interested to see how Futuremark will protect its mark if they are successful in their efforts. I envision nightly round ups of thirteen year olds around the world for their blatant misappropriation of the term. This follows previously-cool Fark's attempts to trademark "NSFW."

Next to be trademarked will be "n00bs," "1337," "hax04," "ROTFL," "LOL" and "pr0n."

I'm going to get ahead of the curve on this one and trademark "d0uchage."

[United States Patent and Trademark Office via Trademork]

I've also been meaning to catch up on some of the titles that walked away with Independent Game Festival awards, plus proper time with the Xbox Live Arcade version of N+. Let us all know what your gaming plans are this weekend!

I'm not scared about anybody. The real question is how do they [Sony Ericsson] do it? Can they create a link between the PSP games and a phone? Can they do the multiplayer and online stuff? We've been doing this for two years and it hasn't been easy.

A Lone Ninja
The single player game is exactly what you would expect - stage after stage of increasingly complicated obstacles separating you from your door. At first you might simply have to jump from column to column, but soon you'll be introduced to homing missiles, rotating lasers, roaming electric sentry balls, and a whole host of diabolical little devices trying to keep you from escaping. Each of the game's levels is split up into five stages, with a timer counting down that can be refilled by collecting the gold in each stage.

The only real problem I had with the single player game was that the difficulty is all over the board. There really doesn't seem to be a steady build in difficulty, with some of the most difficult stages followed by the simplest. I suppose it's nice to take a break from the grind now and then, but it can tend to put you off your guard as you progress.

As you play you're sure to find a level that completely kicks your ass. I found quite a few as I progressed through single player, and while I was frustrated I wasn't discouraged. The small stages really lend themselves to repeated attempts, keeping the frustration level at a dull roar. I personally spent two hours retrying one level that was particularly tricky without even realizing the time had passed. That's a very rare occurrence for me, and a testament to N+'s brilliant design.

Team Ninja
Single player is great and all, but the game really transforms itself in multiplayer mode. I'm not talking about the Survival Mode or the Race Mode here, but the four-player co-op. Teaming up with three other (good) players completely changes the experience. Playing over the same levels in single player mode the teams I have gotten with have come up with some truly innovative and entertaining ways to use our numbers to our advantage. Common tactics include sacrificing yourself to take out a batch of mines, allowing your teammates safer passage through tough areas, or having one player keep a homing missile busy by moving in circles while the others pass safely. All in all, N+ might be the most fun I've had in a multiplayer Xbox Live Arcade title.

For the most part, co-op multiplayer runs smoothly, though I've noticed some particularly nasty lag at times that can completely screw up a well-orchestrated plan of attack. Still, overall I haven't had too many problems finding a match to show off my utter lack of skill in.

Choose Your Own Ninja Adventure
N+ includes a level editor, and while I've not spent too much time with it, I can see where creating your own challenges could be a blast, especially when tailored to your own particular strengths so that you can let your skills shine. My experience with the editor is limited to seeing how many homing missiles I can avoid at one time. Answer? Not many. I hate homing missiles.

Go Ninja, Go Ninja Go!
N+ might not look like much, but it doesn't have to. The game is a triumph of substance over style, delivering raw gameplay without worrying about any of the bells and whistles game publishers feel are so necessary in today's high-end titles.

N+ on XBLA this Wednesday (the 20th)!! YES!!!!!!! [Metanet Blog - Thanks Michael!]

N+ for the Playstation Portable is every bit as fun, fluid and frustrating as the original, a game that could quite easily become the one title I carry around with me whenever I take long trips, if it weren't for its ability to make me shout out, every time I play the game, a mix of vulgarities so shockingly diverse it even surprises me.

What's good about N+, a Silverbirch Studios port of Metanet Software's original title, is everything that is good about the original. Instead of trying to fix what wasn't broken, the team set their sights on recreating what I've always considered a classic of Flash play.

The character art for N is still little more than a stick figure, rendered so fluidly as to seem alive, and the levels remain a throw back to the days of Lode Runner and Soldat, which is deliberate and works. The ninja isn't quite a sticky as he is in the PC version, now you have to press against the wall to stick, but it's not a huge change from the original, and certainly not enough to distract.

For those of you who have never played the free flash game N, the side-scroller is essentially Lode Runner with a Ninja, a realistic physics engine and lots of exploding deaths.

In it you have to unlock and make your way to an exit while collecting gold. The problem is that the levels are packed with mines, lasers, turrets and guards. You also have your own clumsiness to worry about. Hit a wall, floor or ceiling going too fast and you're dead.

The game's diabolic levels can really test your patience at times, especially with little end game messages like "dirt nap" or "psyche", but the fluid play, the catchy music will keep you coming back for more.

N+ also includes a map editor, community for checking out high scores and custom levels (I assume, I couldn't check it out with my build) and a multiplayer which was also not playable on my build. I can't wait to see the final build of this, but as of now I'd say it's shaping up to be a must buy from Atari.

Wow, what terrific art on this one. It really evokes a time period and I could easily see this graphic on the cover of a Choose You Own Adventure book. The central figure (Arthur) looks one of the myriad D&D stickers I had on my binders in school that got me regularly roughed up by the cool kids. Given it's comic book feel I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they used this for advertising the game in kid's magazines during its era. The logo is pretty great too. I always love the combo of flames and blood. Classic.

[flyer courtesy TAFA]

Wii-kly Update: New Classic Game Added To Wii Shop Channel

Jan. 28, 2008

Traverse the half-pipe from the comfort of your living room. With this classic game, it's Winter Break all the time. Freestyle through white powder, and school your best pal with your new trick! Did you get air?

This new classic game goes 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 game is:

1080°® SNOWBOARDING (N64®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Hit the slopes for some serious shredding in one of the first truly realistic snowboarding games ever created! Start in the lodge and select from five characters, each with his/her own particular attributes and special tricks. Then take a look at the wide assortment of available boards and choose one that best suits your rider and style. Once you've got the gear, six different modes of play, including Match Race, Trick Attack, and 2-Player Versus, await. Pick a course and get ready to experience a sensation of speed that'll make you forget all about the cold—but it might just send a shiver down your spine. Throw in hidden characters and boards, varying weather and snow conditions, multiple paths through each course, and a variety of tricks to master—topped off with rock-solid play control—and you've got a recipe for winter fun that you can enjoy any time of the year. It's all the fun and excitement of the sport, without the bruises and frostbite!

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

Zucker points to games like Vin Diesel vehicle Wheelman and the next-gen debut of Mortal Kombat as some of the "bigger" titles, the latter of which is planned for the end of 2008. There's also mention of more John Woo games, now that Stranglehold is somewhat of a success. Yay? Maybe Zucker and crew should focus less on publishing shovelware crap and try to make the Midway name less of a punchline in the coming years. It might just be crazy enough to work.

Midway resets for 2008 [Chicago Tribune via Game|Life]

N+ may ultimately lead to my PSP being smashed against the wall in frustration, but that can't stop the frothing demand I feel when I see the former Flash game in action. It may have been a bit too gussied up during the conversion, but N+ will definitely find its way into my PlayStation Portable and my Xbox 360 whenever Atari gets around to releasing it.

Anyone want to get a game of TF2 on this weekend? If not, what else are you playing? Hit us square in the comments as soon as possible.

In the latest post, Seth Schiesel manages to neatly sum up my main criticism of this Gaming Club concept.

This has been great, but my, haven't we been serious! All of us have been so busy weighing industry trendlets and esoteric points of game design that I almost fear we have come to resemble the chin-stroking, self-styled sophisticates that made the arts writer such a lampoonable stereotype in the first place.

What Slate's Gaming Club lacks is a layman. I think it would be much more interesting if every fifth post was from a less-erudite fellow, who instead of responding with countless paragraphs of exhaustive analysis and intellectual musings simply responded with, "Um, what?"

The Gaming Club [Slate Magazine]

Let us know what will be keeping you indoors, safe from sun, snow and outdoor fun, this weekend in the comments.

Pokemon.com - They Show You Their Pokemans [Nintendo - Thanks Daniel!]

The mobile version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be developed by THQ's Universomo in Finland using Cell Weaver technology and will support tournaments, score uploads and downloadable content through N-Gage's Arena service.

A press release that makes the whole thing official is after this.

Espoo, Finland - Nokia, THQ Wireless, Lucasfilm, and LucasArts today revealed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is coming to N-Gage, Nokia's next generation mobile gaming platform in 2008.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The game's expansive story is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.

The mobile version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is in development by THQ's Finland-based studio, Universomo. Using Cell Weaver(TM) technology, the game lets the player harness the Force while assisting Darth Vader in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Mobile game provides players with unique community features, including tournaments, score uploads and downloadable content, through N-Gage Arena services.

"We're proud to be able to deliver the next chapter in the Star Wars saga on the N-Gage platform," said Gregg Sauter, Director, Publishing, Nokia. "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Mobile game will take advantage of the N-Gage platform's robust native development environment to provide the ultimate mobile gaming experience, including powerful graphics, connectivity and community elements."

"THQ Wireless is dedicated to creating an awesome mobile Star Wars experience that delivers on the concept of unleashing the Force. The N-Gage platform makes it possible for us to release a rich mobile gaming experience to entertain as wide an audience as possible on N-Gage compatible devices," said Adam Comisky, vice president of THQ Wireless.

"The launch of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be a major entertainment event in 2008, and bringing the game to the N-Gage mobile gaming platform is a big part of that because it means that millions of people around the world will be able to access the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed world right in the palm of their hand," said Howard Roffman, President of Lucas Licensing.

Harrison stated that the current market leader is instead looking to third parties such as Ubisoft and EA to appeal to non-Japanese gamers. The future plans of Retro are currently unknown, but N-Space was reported to be knee deep in Wii development some 18 months ago.

Nintendo: 'No Plans' To Increase Western Game Development [Game|Life]

Brownstein goes on to write of the game's addictive "pretending", forming a one-woman band before her scheduled Rock Band party had a chance to gel. Despite the presence of "green dreadlocks [and] belly button rings" good times were had by all. In the end, however, it echoes the tired sentiment "Well, why don't you just go form a real band?" but still makes for an interesting perspective.

The full list of pros, cons, ups, downs and all that is worth the read, regardless of whether one's a Sleater-Kinney fan or not.

Rock Band vs. Real Band [Slate - thanks, EtchASketchist]

Shadowgrounds Survivor (PC)
Fight against aliens for control of the planet.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies (DS)
Now smaller and with multiplayer!

Boogie (DS)
Dance the night away on your DS.

Omega Five (XBLA)
A new sidescrolling shooter on LIVE.

Cruis'n (WII)
Racing to the Wii.

Cranium Kabookii (WII)
The board game in video game form.

Master of Illusion (DS)
Learn magic tricks. Fun at parties, fool your friends.

Speedball 2 - Tournament (PC)
Future sports hurt.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (WII)
The insanely addictive RPG puzzle game continues it's system wide dominance.

Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey (PC)
You know you want it.

The free-falling action game from Frozen Codebase and THQ reminds me of a more action oriented Pilotwings with a Q? Entertainment coat of paint.

Two of my good friends and colleagues have put up thoughtful pieces on their respective blogs about how we play videogames. On Level Up, N'Gai posted a column about how our saved game files are actually worth more than a $60 game. N'Gai calculates that his Mass Effect saved game is worth $122.10. His point: We should back up our saved games more often. And at MTV's Multiplayer Blog, Stephen Totilo posted a fascinating essay on how Rockstar's removal of the scoring system in Manhunt 2 changed the way he played through the final version. Was Stephen a tamer killer with scoring or without? Go find out!

Level Up Expansion Pack
Multiplayer Blog on Manhunt 2 Scoring System