But don't expect too many Smash Bros. throwbacks out of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up besides the control scheme. There's plenty of Turtle lore from the comic books, movies and cartoons for Game Arts to work with.

Here's hoping some of your favorite TMNT stuff makes it into the game.

Inside the Turtles Tour bus (modeled to look as much like the Turtle Van as spray paint would allow), there were all kinds of nostalgic mementos from times of turtles past. Concept art, comic books, classic play sets (sadly no Technodrome). But the best draw of all was the massive wall of Turtles toys — many of them from the original Playmates line.

Feast your eyes on the follow and feel young again. Or just go and ogle all the stuff you wish you had in your oversize vehicle.

Games I Didn't Touch: I saw the fall line-ups for a trio of publishers in New York this past week. Majesco, Sony and Ubisoft were showing more than 30 games between them. Maybe even 50. I didn't count. There were a lot. I'm still in the process of getting at least 10 posts out of them. When you go to these events, you size them up and decide what you think you can afford to skip. At Sony, for example, I skipped the new Buzz games in the interest of time. And I skipped Brutal Legend on PlayStation 3, because the demo covered the same content from the Xbox 360 presentation I received of the game a couple of weeks ago. At Ubi I skipped their DS games, including Cop: The Recruit. Just didn't have the time or the expectation that it'd be worth it. I always worry that I guess wrong, but I have to guess nonetheless.

Games I Can't Preview: There were even games that I did play at the aforementioned events that I won't be previewing. Sometimes, I just don't think I get enough info on them or have sufficient expertise in them to write an informative post. All I could say about the new Ubisoft Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game, for example, is that it can be mistaken for a Smash Bros. clone (some of its creators worked on that last Nintendo brawler), that the Ubi rep showing me the game said its combat is more complex than Smash and that both the Ubi rep and ex-Newsweek reporter N'Gai Croal beat me in the game. At the Sony event I had a good time fighting as God of War's Kratos against a computer-controlled Kratos on the new PSP version of Soul Calibur, but, again, I don't have much more to write about it. The game, which is called Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, had the best graphics I've seen on the PSP, but it also only had to render two characters on the machine's screen. These observations do not a post make. There are other games I tried that I won't be covering, but some of them don't even make this Notebook Dump. (There are also games I played that I'm saving my coverage of until next week. I'll let you be surprised as to which those are.)

Late To The iPhone: The other thing I didn't address in my posts this week — because I didn't know how to write something fresh about it — was the beginning of my experimentation with iPhone gaming. Last Saturday, on a train from New York to Philadelphia to go see this (yes, that), I decided I'd try a bunch of iPhone games. I loaded my phone with a selection of games that I based primarily on the suggestions of reporter-friend's Patrick Klepek and John Davison as well as from Davison's superb list of top iPhone games. (Looks like he just did another!) I feel like it'd be old hat to ask for suggestions or to run through everything I tried in a standalone post. But if you're interested, I sampled: Drop 7 (fun), Fieldrunners (too easy), Flight Control (fun but blocked by my fingers), Galcon (fun, but I prefer similar PC game Dyson — try it!), geoDefense Lite (didn't grab me), Trixel (good, but not my thing), Crystal Defenders Vanguard Storm (surprisingly cool), and Zenonia (ruined by its need for a virtual d-pad). Still need to try a bunch of others. I was excited to try what I understood to be the best games of an existing platform. I haven't had the opportunity to be late to a platform since I got a PS2 in early 2002. How this will affect what I cover, I cannot say.

And that's enough notebook-dumping for the week. Next week should be fun. But right now the weekend beckons. As does the Final Fantasy WiiWare tower defense game, My Life As A Darklord, that I was supposed to review for today. I'm late. Don't tell anyone!

(I snapped the photo for this post in the elevator of the building where Sony was having their NYC event.)

You'll be playing Twisted Pixel's swell-looking Splosion Man much earlier than previously planned, on July 22nd, according to the updated schedule from Xbox Live's Major Nelson.

Later, on August 5th, you'll get access to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time Re-shelled on XBLA. Not a bad trade-off. If only we could do something about those prices, though...

Expect to see Splinter Rabbid and Raving Rabbid playable, from Splinter Cell and the Rayman spin-off series respectively. Surely there must be a rabbid in Altair's costume nestled away in the source code.

Is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up the right place for a rabbid, one of them decked out in Sam Fisher gear? That's not necessarily our call, but we suppose Ubisoft thinks it's a good decision, one that might help move a few more copies of Rabbids Go Home to impressionable Wii owners.

How about it TMNT fans? Does the roster have room for rabbids, or are the hideous little things simply taking up spots that could be reserved for more obscure Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters?

Thanks to The S for the heads up.

The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game is being developed by Game Arts of Super Smash Bros. Brawl fame, with a release window set for fall 2009. It's a four-player brawler, as it should be, and for the first time there is no tie-in with any movie, television show, or comic book. It's completely its own title.

"There is no better tribute to the Turtles than the creation of a brand-new game that will help to launch the next 25 years of success,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. "It's our pleasure to partner again with Mirage as part of the worldwide birthday celebration for the Turtles.”

As long as they stick to the formula and don't fall into the old trap of having the turtles repeat annoying sayings over and over again throughout the game, it should turn out just fine.

UBISOFT® CELEBRATES 25th ANNIVERSARY OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES® WITH LAUNCH OF NEW VIDEO GAME

SAN FRANCISCO – January 26, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announced that it will launch an all-new, original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® (TMNT®) video game – the first that is not tied to a TMNT® movie, television show or comic book – which will be a four-player action fighting title.

The game is being developed by Game Arts, noted for working on the critically acclaimed Super Smash Bros.(TM) Brawl for Wii(TM). Scheduled for release in fall 2009, the video game will be a key event in the year-long "Shell-ebration” of the 25th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® which, in addition to the video game launch, will include new and exciting products and experiences for TMNT® fans in the U.S. and around the world.

The success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® in various media has been sustained over the last 25 years with numerous "bests,” including: the best-selling video game on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in 2007; and in the late '80s and early '90s, the No.1-rated Saturday morning TV show in the US; the No.1-rated daily syndicated animated TV strip for children; the No.1 Nintendo Entertainment System(TM) and Game Boy(TM) Advance video game in the world and the No.1 live touring arena show in the U.S.

"We're really excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first TMNT® comic and we have a number of radical 'Shell-ebration' events planned for 2009,” said Gary Richardson, CEO of Mirage Studios. "The awesome new video game that Ubisoft will release in 2009 is an important part of celebrating this Turtles milestone with fans around the world.”

"There is no better tribute to the Turtles than the creation of a brand-new game that will help to launch the next 25 years of success,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. "It's our pleasure to partner again with Mirage as part of the worldwide birthday celebration for the Turtles.”

More details about the game can be found in the January 2009 TMNT® cover story issue of Nintendo Power magazine in the U.S.

Among the games will be Assassin's Creed 2, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon and Anno. The company also plans to release three new brands, including I Am Alive, four movie games, including Avatar and a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and tons more games ending in the letter Z.

"2009-10 looks very promising and our teams are working flat-out to provide gamers with the best the industry has to offer," said Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot. "Our line-up comprises several potential blockbusters with the launch of seven franchises, including Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, as well as four license-based games including James Cameron's Avatar, three new brands and a further-enhanced casual games portfolio. Although we have to be cautious in light of the current economic environment, we expect Ubisoft to once again be one of the most dynamic and profitable publishers in the games industry in 2009."

Guillemot also let slip that Ubisoft is indeed working on a MotionPlus-sporting Red Steel 2, but declined to discuss any details about the game.

Ubisoft expect the video game market to grow five to 10 percent in 2009 and also expect to invest more in blockbuster games and less on casual ones.

Not that they're giving up on their Petz or Imagine brands.

Supposedly, the team tasked with creating this 2.5D brawler is comprised of former Team Ninja staffers and folks who worked on Super Smash Bros. Brawl. GoNintendo is reporting that the Wii-bound fighter is scheduled for a late 2009 release and will feature online play said to outperform Brawl.

An Ubisoft rep is quoted as saying that the game, while licensed, is not directly tied to a movie or television show, but will be a standalone effort. Our interest in the turtles couldn't be much lower, as a grown man, but given the pedigree of the developers, we'll say "Go, ex-Team Ninja, go!"

New TMNT Game - More Details [GoNintendo]

Note the picture caption. And what in the hell is that chopped-off headline at the top? I see "Nazi-style." Is a new pizzeria opening in town?

Mario's Mistake [infendo]
Now You're Thinking With Portals [Reddit]

Between this and the new games and movie coming out, I cannot help but hope for a revival of my favorite TMNT clone, the Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters. Michael Fahey

Cowabunga! It's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Xbox LIVE Arcade [GamerScore Blog]

According to IGN, TMNT will hit XBLA sometime in March for the low, low price of 400 Microsoft Points, better known as five US dollars. The game will support two to four-player online co-op play and, presumably, be totally tubular. Michael McWhertor

TMNT Officially Head to XBLA [IGN]

Xbox First is reporting that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game will soon be available for purchase on Xbox Live Arcade. Their information comes by way of Xbox's Partnernet, an area of Xbox Live reserved exclusively for devs and select members of the press. Not being one of these "select members" I am unable to confirm or deny this rumor, but Xbox First has provided some images of the game allegedly taken from said Partnernet. As we all know, images are easily and routinely faked these days, but these seem pretty legit. No release date or price is set at this time, so who knows when we might actually see this on our consoles. For now, though, all we can do is cross our fingers and hope for a swift arrival. Flynn De Marco

Ubisoft showed a bit of the work they are doing on the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game at the Comic-Con this week.

The company's Montreal office has been working closely with Imagi Animation Studios to create the game based on the feature-length CGI movie set to hit on March 30, 2007. The game is set to debut on the same day.

The above video is a sneak peak at the making of the game. Brian Crecente

Gentlemen, this is your punishment for cramming my Kotaku box with approximately 600 comment requests in the past half-day, outstripping even the pleadings from exotic royalty, the promises of prodigious semenal output, and the offers for very reasonably-priced t-shirt manufacture.

I want you to stare deeply into the distended anus of the early nineties, come face to sphincter with the darling child-yous who probably looked up to these men, and I want it to hurt.

This is, as far as I or Nicholas Fricke over at Siliconera know, the only episode of GamePro TV currently available online. And it sounds like he spent a long time looking.

Watch how about halfway through, the surfer boy loses most of his accent. I guess he got tired. I know how he feels. Thanks for the tip, FurikiiEliza gauger

Read the entire harrowing tale here. [Siliconera]

Ubisoft struck a deal with 4Kids Entertainment and The Mirage Group that will grant the software publisher exclusive rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games based on the upcoming CG movie. The tone of the upcoming Turtles game, according to Ubi Soft's PR sheet, will recall the grittier tone of the original Eastman and Laird comics. I guess this means less pizza jokes and Cory Feldman probably won't voice Donatello, huh? Damn.