Gameplay-wise, Chinatown Wars will feature D-pad aiming and auto targeting via the R button, as well as "tasteful" mini-games — no lap dances? The arsenal is said to include a flamethrower and chain gun, and the wanted system looks to be modified to maybe shun GTA IV's "out of sight, out of mind" mechanic for one that requires the player to "disable police cars any way possible."

More details after the jump.

- True GTA game - sandbox gameplay, open-world environment, gritty crime narrative.
- M-rating
- Isometric camera angle
- Cel-shaded polygons w/ black borders
- good touch-screen implementation - "tasteful" minigames, streamlining interface
- UI based on a PDA - hub for email, contacts, map, music player, GPS, stat-tracking
- stats uploaded to Rockstar Social Club website via Wi-Fi
- finger-sized icons
- missions designed for shorter periods of play, arcade quality
- aiming with control pad, auto targeting with R button
- subtle autosteer
- if you fail a mission, you can jump back to the action sequence
- chain gun, flamethrower
- good portion of Liberty City is modeled in the game (different routes than console games)
- no probems with load times, draw-in or frame rate
- lots of pedestrians, cars, etc on screen
- Wanted system - objective is to disable police cars any way possible
- real-time weather effects, 24-hour day/night cycle
- lots of radio stations to listen to (more instrumentals than vocals)
- 800,000 lines of hand-optimized source code (hey, the people like the info, right?)
- no details yet on multiplayer/Wi-Fi features

Unfortunately, we don't have the new November issue of Nintendo Power on hand to verify these details, nor do we have scans of the magazine at the ready (because that's naughty), so we should consider this rumor for now. We'll be checking in with Rockstar to see if this is all legit while we wait with breathless anticipation for our copy of NIntendo Power to show up.

Nintendo Power - November 2008 (V234) - Muramasa, GTA DS [NeoGAF via GoNintendo]

We have little info beyond the cover details for Sonic's third Wii outing, but can imagine a Sonic themed adventure with the compelling gameplay of Red Steel or Dragon Quest Swords will fit the series like a glove. Hey, we'll take it (begrudgingly) over gunplay any day.

To sum up... :\

Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii) revealed in new Nintendo Power [NeoGAF - thanks, Carlos!]

According to details from the newest issue of Nintendo Power, the game has a hand-drawn watercolor style. Each member in your party—which can total four of the eleven available characters—will have special abilities (we're betting the farm on Sonic being fast). Battles are turn-based and attacks are said to follow an Elite Beat Agents model.

There's more to read at the message board post linked below.

Bioware's Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood in new NP [NeoGAF]

$250 may seem like a lot to some of our readers, but for a 30" x 20" piece of art that is based upon your particular various fetish fanboyisms, it's not such a bad deal. Personally, I'd love to stick about three of them up in my office/retro gaming room...and in that circumstance, it would start to become a more serious investment. My guess is that a printer-made template and a pile of magazines could make for a fun weekend, even if not a product quite as polished as Lange creates. Hit the jump for a bonus shot.

Very nice stuff.

Chris Lange's Etsy Shop [via technabob]

Jim liked Sara. Sara liked Jim. Jim was saying all the right things and if he kept it up, it was turning out to be one ___________ night indeed.

"We are honored to be selected as the new publisher for an industry touchstone like Nintendo Power," says Future US's President, Jonathan Simpson-Bint. "This is an opportunity for Future to use its core competencies - great editorial, deep knowledge of young men's lifestyles and technical expertise - in service of one of the world's great entertainment brands. We couldn't be more excited to get started."

NINTENDO AND FUTURE US TEAM TO PUBLISH NINTENDO POWER MAGAZINE Nintendo partners with country's premiere young men's media company to produce one of gaming industry's most well-regarded magazines South San Francisco, CA (September 19, 2007) - Nintendo and Future US, Inc., the leading publisher of cutting-edge special interest magazines and Web sites, announced today that they are teaming up to publish Nintendo Power® magazine, which has offered millions of Nintendo fans a comprehensive mix of tips, tricks, reviews, maps and strategies each month for nearly 20 years.

Future US will produce the title, which was formerly produced in-house by Nintendo of America Inc. Future US will also produce the magazine's Web site, www.nintendopower.com.

"By teaming with Future US, Nintendo is ensuring the continued growth of the magazine's circulation and bringing even greater value to Nintendo enthusiasts," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "The team at Future will carry on the quality and traditions of Nintendo Power, and the magazine will now be available at more newsstand locations than ever before."

The first full Future US-published issue of Nintendo Power will be the December 2007 edition (volume 222), on sale in October. Initial circulation will be 300,000 copies, with the magazine continuing to ship to subscribers monthly, with an additional holiday bonus issue each year.

Nintendo Power is a pioneering title within the video gaming category and was first published in 1988. Nintendo Power covers all Nintendo gaming systems (Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Game Boy® Advance) and their associated first-, second- and third-party software. Featuring in-depth previews, reviews of all the latest games, tons of codes, and plenty of late-breaking news, Nintendo Power is perfect for both the novice gamer and the veteran player. Future US's parent, international special-interest media company Future , also publishes the official Nintendo magazine in the United Kingdom.

"We are honored to be selected as the new publisher for an industry touchstone like Nintendo Power," says Future US's President, Jonathan Simpson-Bint. "This is an opportunity for Future to use its core competencies - great editorial, deep knowledge of young men's lifestyles and technical expertise - in service of one of the world's great entertainment brands. We couldn't be more excited to get started."

Game Informer spoke with Nintendo of America Vice President of Corporate Affairs Perrin Kaplan who confirmed that while the company is moving certain folks out of Redmond, Nintendo Power is not shutting down. Instead, the magazine will become a "licensed property" still owned by Nintendo.

If there's any confusion about that, Kaplan says that details are forthcoming, including information on who the new owner of the magazine will be. Your subscription lives to see another day. Michael McWhertor

Taking A Spin With Perrin: The Perrin Kaplan Interview [Game Informer]

IGN's Matt Cassamassina speculates that the magazine may be shutting down due to the company's recently discussed relocation of certain operations outside of Seattle and competition from other publications.

The officially sanctioned Nintendo magazine saw its first issue go out to the NES faithful in the summer of 1988. I was one of the original subscribers and pored over that issue with the obsessively nerdy intensity only a preteen Nintendo fanboy can. Michael McWhertor

Rumor: Nintendo Power Shutting Down [IGN]

In the most recent issue of Nintendo Power, it has been reported that the Commodore 64 will join the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, MSX and Turbografx 16 as one of the available platforms for the Wii Virtual Console.

Gamasutra's re-reporting of the Virtual Console update says that no game titles are specified but that "indications" are that classic Epyx titles, games like California Games, Summer Games, Impossible Mission, and Jumpman, may make an appearance. We'll wait for an official announcement and keep our fingers crossed for a downloadable version of M.U.L.E. Michael McWhertor

Report: Commodore 64 Titles Join Virtual Console [Gamasutra]

UPDATE: User Ferry wrote in to say that the Nintendo Power editors were speculating that C64 games will hit VC Land and that a handful of Epix games were being "reworked" for the Wii. From his e-mail: "A Nintendo Power editor merely speculated the announced C64 games would come to the Virtual Console, when in fact two are being remade for the PSP, DS, and Wii. To quote: 'System 3 will release Impossible Mission on PSP & DS in January 2007, 3 weeks later it will come to Wii, with California Games for PSP & DS in May 2007, and again 3 weeks later it will come to Wii.' Hope this helps." Thanks for the info, Ferry!

From Nintendo Power #31. December, 1991. First Column.

Oh, prophetic soothsayer! Tell us more about this, this... Super Mario Gal-ax-y of which you speak. Tell us more about this magical Nintendo console that can play games from past systems! Roll your eyes white, chant to arcane gods and tell us about a next generation console that will retail for between $250 and $300! Then have a little stroke and start babbling on about the rest of that crazy fanboy crap you're always spouting on about.

The last column is rather interesting, too. Although the italicized editor is cut off, he seems to be claiming that no one wants a cow-milking, breakfast-cooking, dishwashing video game console. I have a cockroach Xanadu of fungous dishes sitting in my bachelor pad sink right now that stand testament to a prospective "disgusting slob" marketshare, wiseguy.

Thanks for the scan, Brian! Florian Eckhardt

Infendo points to a new promo picture published in the latest issue of Nintendo Power that seems to insinuate yet another undisclosed Wii button over which to spend the newsless summer months feverishly speculating.

It's that indigo button at the very tip of the Wiimote that is causing all the speculation. Infendo believes that it may well be a 'Z' button, like the one on the GameCube's controller.

Our question is how is anyone suppose to reach that thing? You'd need another thumb growing out of your thumb to hit it. One theory made by an Infendo commenter is that it's some sort of volume control for the internal speaker, which certainly makes more sense than an unusable button position at the most ergonomically nightmarish place. Florian Eckhardt

Nintendo Power Reveals New Wiimote Button [Infendo]

Younger whippersnappers, whom I'd appreciate getting off my goddamn lawn, can also check out the more recent fanboy mag, PSM with previews of Final Fantasy VII and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Mmmm. That's some ripe nostalgia! Michael McWhertor

PDF: Playstation Magazine #1 - September 1997

Error Macro takes a look at the one consistent feature that showed up in every issue of Nintendo Power without fail: The contests.

As the site points out, the magazine started with lameo game give-aways, but quickly realized that gamers could just run to the store to get those, so they started branching out.

Over the years the magazine has given away the Robocop car, Bill and Ted's phone booth and a chance to meet stars. These grand give-aways didn't always come off without a hitch. The Total Recall contest, which gave gamers a chance to meet Arnie, took six months to happen and by then the meeting turned into a quick handshake. What are some of your favorite retro contests? Brian Crecente

The Saturday Scan [Error Macro]

Poor launch choices with the GameCube served as a learning experience that will only strengthen the Wii release, says new Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime in the latest issue of Nintendo Power. He admits the launch titles were not "diverse and strong enough", and that the second wave of titles took its sweet time in coming. Unfortunately, most of the actual quotes read like corporate brochure babble:

"We have been sharing information and development tools with publishers since very early on in the process. We have communicated to them why it makes sense to develop for the platform, and why it makes business sense to bring their best current franchises and brand-new concepts to the platform. Those have been our key tools and tactics to make sure that publishers are on board with our strategy."

Regardless of the glossy delivery, it's always a treat when game companies humbly avow to "do better next time". Do better, and kick ass. Eliza Gauger

More Here [GameDaily BIZ]

From the days when Starfox's nose was jet, this Nintendo Power promotional video, in which Sega and Sony's nefarious goons kidnap Mario to extract information about Starfox 64. Mario is tortured with a car battery!

Nintendo Gal has their monthly look at the latest issue of Nintendo Power and apparently it's got a bit of a doozy in it.

On page 104 there's a little ad for their June issue. It reads: Next Month. We can't tell you what's on the next issue cover but trust us we've got the biggest scoop of the year so far. World exclusive. As mysterious as a new moon, the follow-up to one of 2005's best DS titles is a whip-smart adventure that you won't want to miss.

The issue also has new details about New Super Mario Bros., Odama and Zelda.

Highlights of Nintendo Power May Edition [Nintendo Gal]

Check out the scans at Jeux-France for all the spoilerish details.

New Super Mario Bros.: 80 levels [Jeux-France]