After a bit of a false start, Leon returns, laying waste to countless infected Spanish people in this iPhone version of the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Nintendo Wii masterpiece. A virtual joystick controls Leon as he moves about the screen. Tapping the gun or knife icon locks him in place, with the virtual stick used for aiming until the walk icon is tapped once more. It's a bit clunky, but then again so were the original Resident Evil's controls, and many people remain quite fond of that title.

It certainly looks impressive for an iPhone game, but so far I'm not really enjoying the actual gameplay itself all that much. It would have been nice had there been a free level available to try out before laying down $7.99 in the iTunes App store. Still, if you're a rabid fan of the series, you stopped reading this two paragraphs ago.

The game will be out on the Japanese App Store towards the end of this month, with the "rest of world to follow shortly thereafter". No details were provided on pricing, or just how much of the console game has made the jump to Apple's handheld. Sorry.

[Capcom @ Twitter]

It's since been taken down, but as you can see from this clip, it's pretty unlikely this is a fake. That sure looks like a real iPhone game, right down to the crummy controls and pointless dilution of a classic console title.

Since it's been taken down, and Capcom know the cat's out of the bag, we can hopefully (?) expect more details on this game in the near future.

'Resident Evil 4' Mobile Edition Video, Accidental Early Release? [Touch Arcade]

Reader John tells us his tale of nonreturnable woe, a massive disappointment to the tune of $7.50.

"I went into Circuit City today to capitalize on their misfortune, and saw a copy of Resident Evil 4 for PS2 on sale for $7.50. Upon waiting in the checkout line, I saw a sign that said, 'All sales are final.' I figured it was fine, because, for seven bucks, you couldn't go wrong. Well, you could."

John continues. "I got home and opened my purchase to see this monstrosity of a game disc. Also I can't play or return it. All I have to say is: 'Shit.'"

Buyer beware. And if anyone sees "Danny"—who probably also returned a no-longer-working paper shredder to the same Circuit City—make sure to give him the world's most painful charlie horse. He deserves it.

SEGA Europe's Alan Pritchard explains cites the success of both Resident Evil 4 and Red Steel on the Wii. "But since then, many publishers have migrated towards the more mass-market family titles," says Pritchard, "so perhaps there hasn’t been the array or depth of hardcore titles on Wii. So there is definitely opportunity here."

The publisher hopes the upcoming MadWorld will capitalize on that opportunity. Quick, time for a show of hands: Who's picking up MadWorld on the Wii?

Sega targets hardcore Wii gamers [MCVUK]

I’m writing an adaptation of The Long Good Friday right now, set in present-day Miami. Then I will probably write Resident Evil 4.

While Anderson wrote and directed the first RE flick, he only penned the second and the third ones. Makes sense he'd be back for the fourth one.

Milla Jovovich and hubby’s baby hopes [Sunday Sun via Bloody Disgusting, Dtoid]

It's possible that a lot of people who play Resident Evil 5 may not have played Resident Evil 4. But they might have played Gears of Wars or Call of Duty. Those are both games that I and our team really, really like. So don't be surprised if at the Tokyo Game Show, the controls are different. For now, we have the control set up for RE4. I'm not confirming or denying anything, but we like to surprise people.

Another interesting tidbit: When Takeuchi saw Gears of War, he thought the guys that made it must really like Resident Evil 4. And when he met the Gears of War team, they told him, yes, they were big RE4 fans. And like that, we come full circle! Or something.

The Video Game Blog has posted an interesting list of the third party Wii games that have sold over a million copies. Some of them are pretty obvious like Resident Evil 4 (1.6 million) and Guitar Hero III (1.8 million) while others were definitely a surprise (at least to me) like Carnival Games (1.2 million) and the top seller of all, Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games (3.4 million). There are seven games total on the list including three that are getting pretty close to a million like RE: Umbrella Chronicles (900k) and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (900k).

While all the games on the list may not be your cup of tea, it certainly is interesting to see what sells on the little white console. You can check out the entire list at That Videogame Blog.
3rd party Wii games that sold a million [That Videogame Blog - via GoNintendo]

I've played the GameCube version of RE 4, so didn't pick up the Wii Edition. Do the new controls really justify a purchase?
RE4 Shipped Numbers [Famitsu]

The demo on hand for Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition was super brief, but the trailer running on the perimeter of the booth indicated that the game was very much in-depth. Boss fights, Ashley escorting, loads of shooting poverty stricken villagers in the face—it's all here. A bit rough around the edges and features extremely purple "zombies" but not a bad effort. Just don't expect a Gamecube in your pocket.

I know we already did a Frankenreview on this game last week, but I just got a chance to sit down and play the game myself last night.

I was delighted to find that the game not only manages to pack a fairly respectable punch with the graphics, but that the Wii controls go a long way to make my return to a game I haven't played since 2005 enjoyable.

I know some people have complained about the shooting in the game, but I found it both intuitive and immersive. The aiming seems spot on, and while having to pull the trigger and then tap a button to shoot takes a bit of getting used to, it quickly starts to feel natural.

The most surprising them to me was how it changed the way I play the game. If I recall, back when I played it on GameCube, I almost never relied on the knife or melee attacks, opting to always shoot the bad guys and then run when I was out of ammo. But the fact that you can deliver a knife hit with a flick of the wrist, makes it both more fun and seemingly easier to use. Because of that, I ended up relying less on my gun and being able to better conserve my ammo, something vital in the game.

There are also some other interesting uses of the motion controls, like shaking the remote back and forth quickly to run, which does a good job of getting you amped up in those scenes when you're running from stuff.

Overall, I'd say that the lowish price tag ($30), zesty combination of GameCube graphics and PS2 aspect ratio and addition of motion controls makes this a worthy addition to your Resident Evil or Wii library. Brian Crecente

カプコンで『バイオハザード4 Wiiエディション』マスコミ向け体験会が開催 [Famitsu]

I've been intrigued with Touch the Dead ever since I heard about it. The concept is bizarre: a zombie killing, jail breaking FPS for the Ds that utilizes the touch screen for it's controls. Sure, the possibility of it sucking is rather high, but I'm holding out hope. Besides, looking at this week's rather anemic list it seems like the best bet for a purchase. Flynn De Marco

• Touch the Dead (DS) The first Zombie FPS for the DS. Feel that rotting flesh!
• Resident Evil 4 (PC)
  Resident Evil 4 continues to shamble it's way on to every system. The Wii is next.
• MLB 07: The Show (PS3)
  Major League Baseball action. Hit one out of the park.
• Shrek the Third (PS2, X360, WII)
  Why?
• FreeStyle Street Basketball (PC)
  The world's first basketball MMO.
• SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm (PC)
  An all new expansion pack for SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars.
• Etrian Odyssey (DS)
  The world population of turn based RPGs gets another citizen.
• Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon (PSP)
  Take care of daily business on your farm... in the future!

As promised, the second new Resident Evil 4 trailer which actually plays a lot more like a trailer than a fan video. It also showcases more of the weapons and how they will work in the game, which is what everybody really wants to know. Plus, there's no weird voice over action happening in the end, so all is well. Kim Phu

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition - Dangerous Situations Trailer [Game Trailers]

Two new trailers for Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition are out and here is number one. Called, "Rescue Mission Trailer", it's an in-depth narrative look at the characters. Ok, it's game footage with the names of the characters scrolling all over the place. I actually think this one is kind of cheesey, especially at the end when it says, "RESIDENT EVIL 4" in a voice that could only be described as a bad imitation of Danny from "The Shining". Not to worry, there's a better one coming up in just a sec. Kim Phu

Resident Evil 4:Wii Edition - Rescue Mission Trailer [Game Trailers]