Click each thumbnail for more information.

Free Realms #4 (of 12)
Written by J.S. Lewis. Drawn by Jon Buran.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
Based on the hit virtual world with over 3 million users worldwide! When Dane and Maya return to Briarwood, Darkthorne's followers accuse them of trying to assassinate the sorceress with a deadly poison. Now the pair must survive the darkest corners of Briarwood as they search for an alchemist who can prove their innocence!

Mirror's Edge (trade paperback)
Written by Rhianna Pratchett. Drawn by Matthew Dow Smith.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
The 6-issue miniseries based on the Electronic Arts video game is collected! Faith is a Runner in the city - a courier who delivers sensitive cargo by traversing the rooftops of the city's skyscrapers. But how did she come by this unique trade...and what secrets from her past may affect her future?

American McGee's Grimm Vol. 01
Written by Dwight L. MacPherson. Drawn by Grant Bond.

Summary Via Website Things From Another World:
In American McGee's Grimm (the popular video game series available at GameTap.com), the player controls Grimm, a dwarf who creates a trail of destruction wherever he goes. Sick of how happy fairy tales have become, Grimm makes it his mission to revert the lighthearted yarns to their darker original versions with his patented butt-stomping chaos. Now he's set his wicked sights on comic books, and the funny pages will never be the same again...

The Legend of Zelda Vol 8: The Minish Cap
Written and drawn by Akira Himekawa.

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
On the day of the Picori Festival, Link and Princess Zelda go to watch the sword-fighting tournament. The winner is a strange man named Vaati, who has come to claim the Light Force which is sealed within the Bound Chest. When the Light Force turns up missing, Vaati turns Princess Zelda to stone! To save his friend, Link needs the power of the Picori Blade, but only a certain master swordsmith can reforge it. Can Link find the pieces of the broken sword before Vaati does?

Pokemon Adventures Vol. 4
Written and drawn Hidenori Kusaka.

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
Pokémon trainer Red goes off on a training challenge and...never comes back! But a tired and tattered Pikachu manages to return home by himself. A mysterious young trainer in yellow befriends Pikachu, and together they set out to find our missing hero!

And watch out for Team Rocket, Yellow Caballero... Could they be behind Red's mysterious disappearance?

Sonic The Hedgehog #207
Written by Ian Flynn. Drawn by James Fry.

Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics:
"Blackout": The Iron King wants the force-field over Sonic's home city gone, so he heads to its power source: the radioactive remains of Robotropolis! This could spell doom for our heroes - not to mention the surrounding environment! As Sonic races to the rescue, Princess Sally finally comes to a pivotal personal decision.
PLUS: "The Iron Queen:" The second half of this intriguing new villainess' thrilling origin is revealed!

Street Fighter: Legends of Chun-Li Vol. 2 (trade paperback)

Summary Via comics website Comixology
:
She's the strongest woman in the world! But before Chun-li was a no-nonsense Interpol officer she was a fresh recruit in the Hong Kong Police. SF Legends: Chun-li takes a trip through Street Fighter history throwing a young Chun-li's into her first encounter with the criminal Shadaloo organization. Expect appearances by Dan, Gen, Fei Long, Sagat, and more Street Fighter favorites!

Street Fighter Vol. 5: Kick It Into Turbo
Summary Via comics website Comixology:
The World Warriors battle across Hong Kong, Japan, and America to secure their spots in the ultimate competition - the Street Fighter Tournament! Fan favorites Ryu, Chun-li, Guile, Sakura, Cammy, and dozens more compete in what might be their final fight! Contains Street Fighter II Turbo #1-6, plus the 6-page Turbo story from Street Fighter Remix #0.

Possibly the purest Magic: The Gathering experience ever to grace a game console, Wizards of the Coast is keen to bring Duels of the Planeswalkers to the PlayStation 3 and PC audience, while continuing to show love to the Xbox 360 audience with a couple of new expansions. The PC version of Duels is scheduled for release in the Summer of 2010, featuring the same gameplay of the Xbox Live Arcade version with an "extra bonus." I'm guessing the extra bonus is some sort of card marketplace, but don't quote me on that.

The PlayStation Network version of the game won't be hitting until fall of 2010.

Meanwhile, Xbox Live players will enjoy the release of the 2nd and 3rd expansions for the game in Spring and Summer of next year respectively.

I've yet to download the first expansion, what with the fall review season in full swing, but I look forward to sitting down and getting my game on soon. Once a Magic addict; always a Magic addict.

The horde descended on Tate Modern in London on Saturday, with more than 50 zombies aided by the Viking Hats Zombie Crawl Team making up the shambling, moaning, and decomposing army of Resident Evil fans.

If you ask me, there's not enough mass hysteria in mass marketing. Nicely done, Capcom UK PR team!

Click the thumbnails for more details.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #45 ... Written by John Jackson Miller. Drawn by Brian Ching

Summary Via Publisher Dark Horse Comics:
Despite a disastrous first encounter with the Crucible, Zayne Carrick is still determined to end the brutality they promote in their business. But this time, he plans to break them from the inside out!

Having set himself up to be captured by the slavers, when this former Padawan arrives at the Crucible's training facility, it will be all he can do to survive, let alone focus on learning about their organization. His connection to the Force will give him an unexpected insight — one that he doesn't necessarily want. And when a past nemesis of his friend Jarael appears, Zayne begins to worry that entering the Crucible may be the biggest mistake of his life!

Starcraft #4... Written by Simon Furman. Drawn by Federico Dallocchio and Brian Denham

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
The War Pigs are getting closer and closer to hunting down renegade marshal Jim Raynor, but obstacles and internal conflict continue to muddy the mission waters. Far-from-gentle giant Turfa Dei confronts the ghosts of his past while the team faces off against present day ghosts – the Dominion's elite and deadly.

World of Warcraft #23... Written by Walter and Louise Simonson. Drawn by Mike Bowden

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
Following an attempt on Med'an's life, Garona and Meryl team up to take out the ogre Cho'gall. Meanwhile Med'an, Valeera and Maraad travel to Kharazhan to speak with the shade of Med'an's father. Further explore the world of the best-selling MMORPG in this hit comic series!

Prototype #6... Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. Drawn by Darick Robertson
Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
The hit comic based on the game concludes! Biological weapons, unhinged commandos, violent creatures and more round out this final issue! New York City stands as a symbol of our nation, but if New York homicide detectives can't rise to the occasion and stop events that are in play, NYC will become a wasteland.

"Often in the video game industry, the size of a studio fluctuates in response to business conditions," an EA spokesperson wrote in an e-mailed statement. "In this case, EA has taken action to reduce the workforce at Maxis as we focus the business and focus Maxis. EA remains fully committed to Spore and other IP within Maxis, with games planned for launch in the next few months, including Spore Hero, coming to the Wii for the first time, and Spore Hero Arena on the DS. All eligible employees will receive severance and outplacement assistance."

The layoffs were in the Emeryville studio, which is Maxis headquarters and the base of operations for Spore development. The Sims franchise, which was born at Maxis, is built out of EA's Redwood Shores offices, where The Sims 3 was created by the Sims Studio team.

Layoffs at Activision's Raven Software were also confirmed today.

We'll have more on this story as it becomes available.

Edna & Harvey: The Breakout is a 2D adventure game that tells the story of Edna, a perfectly sane girl who wakes up in a mental hospital with no recollection of how she got there. She obviously shouldn't be there... just ask her talking stuffed rabbit companion Harvey and he'll tell you. It's a quirky, humorous title that hearkens back to the good old days of simple point and click adventure goodness. The only real problem with the game is it was completely in German... until now.

Merscom is bringing the game to America, translating it to English in the process so we can understand what is going on! That's just the kind of value-added feature I can really get behind.

"Given our success bringing great and engaging adventure games to the evolving mass market, we believe Edna & Harvey is a wonderful addition to our line-up," said Lloyd Melnick, Merscom's Chief Customer Officer. "Casual gamers, in particular, are looking for innovative adventure games and you don't get much better than the adventure game of the year from probably the most sophisticated adventure game market."

Look for Edna & Harvey to hit the PC in downloadable form sometime in Q4 or this year. In the meantime, Google translate this!

Here's how this is going to work. We have two XL Stan Bush t-shirts and five signed copies of Stan's CD In This Life, which of course contains "The Touch". In order to win, you'll have to answer a series of five questions involving the original 1986 Transformers animated movie which the song first appeared in. The first three folks who deliver all five correct answers to KotakuContest[AT]gmail[DOT] com will be taking home a signed CD, while the first two who go the extra mile and provide the answer I am looking for to question five get a shirt as well.

And now, the questions!

1. In what year does Transformers the Movie take place?
2. In the original movie script, how was Ultra Magnus destroyed on the planet Junkion?
3. What is the Universal greeting?
4. Oooo, someone said a bad word. Who was it, and what was the word? No, dammit doesn't count.
5. Who killed Optimus Prime? There are two acceptable answers to this question, one more acceptable than the other.

Please note that the contest is only open to Kotaku readers in North America. Anyone giving away answers in the comments section will be banned and possibly set on fire.

UPDATE: All winners have been notified! Check your emails to see if you are getting a little somethin' somethin'.

For the record, the answers were:

1. 2005, or four years ago.
2. In the original script, as well as in the comic book adaptation, the Sweeps wrapped energy ropes around his arms and legs and torn him apart. In the movie, they cut that part, simply blasting him to pieces. We accepted torn limb from limb, but not simply "killed by".
3. Bah Weep Grahna Weep Ninny Bong, or some spelling of that.
4. Spike, not Bumblebee, shouted "Oh shit!" While early VHS versions of the movie cut this scene out, later added it back, with the 25th Anniversary edition actually having a chapter named after the line.
5. Megatron may have killed him damage-wise, but everybody knows that little jerkoff Hot Rod was the only reason Megs got the upper hand.

If I have to explain what The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is to you people, then you might be at the wrong website. The second outing for Link on the Nintendo 64, Majora's Mask is one of the darkest and most original games in the Zelda series, and it can now be yours to play on your Wii for 1,000 Wii points. An extremely nice way to celebrate the big 300.

The rest of the Nintendo Download isn't too shabby either. The DSi gets a new Art Style game in Pictobits (500 DSi Points), and WiiWare gets the second helping of Final Fantasy-themed defense gaming with Crystal Defenders R2 from Square Enix (800 points), along with Agetec's Silver Star Chess (500 points).

As always, check out the official description of the titles from Nintendo below.

So, anyone picking up Majora's Mask? Anyone who owns a copy of the original game and a functioning Nintendo 64 planning on buying it anyway?

Virtual Console
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Nintendo 64, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points™): Link™ must save the world! This time, he finds himself trapped in Termina, an alternate version of Hyrule that is doomed to destruction in just three short days. Link must race to recover the Ocarina of Time (which allows him to manipulate time in multiple ways), defeat challenging bosses in dungeons spread across Termina and discover the key to the mystery of Majora's Mask. Along the way, he'll obtain new weapons and items and help other characters (some strangely familiar) in their everyday lives. In addition, Link must use a wide assortment of masks scattered throughout Termina, each with its own specific use or power. Never before have three days offered so much in the way of action, mind-boggling puzzles and depth. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is an adventure unlike any other!

Nintendo DSiWare
Art Style™: PiCTOBiTS™ (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Nintendo DSi Points™): Your goal in Art Style: PiCTOBiTS is simple: clear large blocks that fall from above ("megabits") by combining them with "bits" (square blocks) of the same color. Add in the ability to pick up bits and place them anywhere on the touch screen, and you'll quickly find that strategy is critical to your success. By clearing the bits, you gradually reveal each stage's hidden game character - look for favorites from classic NES™ titles - and earn coins that can be spent to unlock DARK stages or to listen to the game's soundtrack in MUSIC mode. This grand mix of familiar elements and new game play leads to the uniquely enjoyable experience that is PiCTOBiTS.

WiiWare
CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2 (SQUARE ENIX, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): In CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2, you must deploy various units, such as Fencers and Black Mages, to stop waves of encroaching monsters from escaping the area with your party's crystals. There are many types of units to choose from: Some specialize in powerful short-range attacks, some wield far-reaching magicks and still others are equipped with bows, enabling them to bring down aerial foes. Deploy units in strategic locations to take full advantage of their traits. Each time an enemy breaches your defenses and reaches a map's exit, your party will lose crystals. When all your crystals are gone, the game is over. CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2 offers several new, challenging maps containing multiple entrances and exits. It also introduces three varieties of Power Crystals, allowing you to enhance the abilities of your units, while new jobs, including Flintlock and Tinker, set the stage for even more complex strategies. Can you defend all the maps without losing a single crystal?

Silver Star Chess (Agetec, Inc., 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Suggestive Themes, 500 Wii Points): Silver Star Chess has two modes: 1-Player and 2-Player. 1-Player mode allows you to play a chess match against the computer opponent. 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can select one of five different computer opponents, as well as turn the background music off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. Also, during the match, you can redo your last move, save the game at any point or resign from the game. After the match has ended, you can review each move made during the match. While reviewing the match in this way, you can resume that match at any point.

League of Legends began life as Defense of the Ancients, a custom scenario for Blizzard's real-time strategy game Warcraft III, which features teams of player-controlled hero units trying to infiltrate the opposing team's base in order to destroy their Ancient - generally a strategically placed destructible building. Widely considered to be one of the most popular gaming mods ever created, Defense in its various incarnations is also one of the most played player-created gaming mods, in some parts of the world even rivaling the popularity of Counter-Strike, the ridiculously popular mod to Valve's Half-Life.

So how does a popular gaming mod make the leap to full-fledged video game? Just ask the team at Riot Games, the developer behind the upcoming persistent strategy title League of Legends, which takes the core gameplay of the Defense of the Ancients mod to the next level. Better yet, we asked them for you.

The Evolution of Defense of the Ancients
Marc Merrill, the Executive Producer for League of Legends and President of Riot Games, explains that League came about primarily due to the limitations of Defense of the Ancients as a game mod. Being an offshoot of Blizzard's Warcraft III, there were simply too many features that players were demanding that wouldn't work within Warcraft's framework.

"League of Legends primarily came about because the fans and players of (Defense of the Ancients Allstars) were constantly demanding more features and better around-game services that simply couldn't be provided in the mod. All of our guys felt this pain as early members of the (Defense) community and came together to help address this gap and to deliver something awesome to fans."

League of Legends' Director of Systems Design Tom Cadwell elaborates on some of the features that players craved that Defense of the Ancients couldn't deliver, such as matchmaking, stat tracking, and methods to deter players from simply quitting halfway through a match when their team was losing, which has ruined many a Defense game.

"It also lacks polish in a lot of little places — there are no custom hotkeys, the interface is built for an RTS, not for (Defense), there is no tutorial, etc. And of course, the item shop gameplay is tricky to use since the War3 store interface is not designed to support it. As we thought about developing LoL, it became more and more clear that there were many areas where we could make things better suited for a (Defense)-style game and provide a much more fun experience for players."

Assembling the Team
With exactly that goal in mind, Riot Games was formed in late 2006, with the intention to create League of Legends as its first product. Over the course of the past two years, the team has grown to include nearly 40 members spread across design, art, gameplay, engineering, platform engineering, and community.

Riot Games' team member credits include Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, World of Warcraft, Total Annihilation, Neverwinter Nights 2, Counter-Strike, Dungeon Siege, Sly Cooper, and Heroes of Might and Magic, but despite the high level of pedigree among the professionals, Merrill explains that the core development is still being driven by "the mod guys", including original Defense of the Ancients Allstars co-creator Steve "Guinsoo" Feak.

"The product vision is really being driven from the consumer point of view and is largely in the hands of Guinsoo and the mod guys; they have amazing ideas and are really talented guys."

Tom Cadwell himself worked extensively on the talent system on World of Warcraft, as well as heading up play balance for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne during his time with Blizzard.

"When I was working on War3 at Blizzard, a lot of us were fans of (Defense). It's been a lot of fun to work with Guinsoo and the guys to instill some additional game design principles into League of Legends."

So What is League of Legends?
While League of Legends does benefit from the incredibly large fan-following Defense of the Ancients enjoys, Merrill explains that introducing new players to a title that is very nearly a new genre - team-based tactical role-playing - presents a real challenge.

"By far the more difficult thing for us will be explaining to non-(Defense) users how the gameplay works and why it is fun. It's extremely fun, but it's also new to many people, so breaking through that user education challenge is one of the problems we're focused on solving. "

Breaking out of the Defense of the Ancients mold a bit, League of Legends presents a much more persistent experience. Players take on the role of a Summoner - an avatar tied to the player's account that advances in power and grows over time. Summoners call forth Champions to represent them in combat, aiding their team in defeating the enemy team. Champions come in many different forms with a variety of unique functions, delivering what Merrill compares to the experience of playing different classes in various traditional role-playing games.

So rather than building up forces as you would in your normal real-time strategy game, you pick one Champion at a time, selecting them based on the powers and abilities you feel would best enhance your team's performance. League of Legends in effect adds specific classes to the RTS formula, similar to a game like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare giving players a choice of which role they hope to fill in their team.

The Call of Duty 4 similarity is no coincidence either, as Cadwell reveals the game was a major influence on League of Legends progression system as well.

"There is no perfect gaming analogy to capture the Summoner / Champion relationship, but some games are starting to come close. We drew a lot of inspiration from the COD4 and Battlefield 2142 unlocks system in designing this system. These offer very simple advancement compared to an MMORPG, but players love the sense of progress and purpose they get from knowing that a couple more wins will unlock something cool. We feel that by further expanding this, and creating a cool persistent identity that players can customize based upon their accomplishments that we can create something even more fun. "

So, in a nutshell, League of Legends is an online team-based strategy game with persistent-world elements akin to the sort of ranking system you would find in a first-person shooter like Call of Duty 4.

Creating a League of Their Own
Taking a mod for an established title like Warcraft III and crafting it into a standalone title takes more than just building upon the gameplay elements established in the Defense of the Ancients mod. The team at Riot has poured a great deal of effort into breaking out of the Warcraft III aesthetic, creating a world that is truly their own.

Art direction plays a big part in creating any game, and especially in a title that springs from

"Our Art Director, Hokyo Lim, is the key artistic visionary for the look and feel of League of Legends. Hokyo was previously on Sly Cooper 1, 2 & 3 up at Suckerpunch Studios in Seattle and just has a phenomenal eye. He brings a very stylized look to the game and has a team of talented guys who have worked on distinctive stylized games like Jak and Daxter and Psychonauts prior to joining Riot. "

The artistic pedigree of the League of Legends certainly shines through in the design of the world and its Champions, a motley crew of super-powerful beings that the player's Summoner can command. From the adorably deadly dark child Annie to the mysterious cardmaster Twisted Fate, each is completely unique to the world of League of Legends, the products of a creative team positively overflowing with new ideas.

"We've created a robust internal process that allows everyone to create Champion ideas," Merrill explains. "We have so many cool ideas, Champion themes and ability kits that by far the hardest part is filtering them down to focus on the best ones that also fulfill a core design need of the game."

Further aiding in making League of Legends is the team's focus on keeping things fun, creating what Tom Cadwell calls "a unique blend of whimsy with hardcore."

"Humor is pretty important to League of Legends. We wanted to create a universe that appeals to the hardcore while maintaining the ability to make fun of itself and not take itself "too seriously". We think that a lot of great games (Team Fortress 2 and World of Warcraft come to mind) have managed to create great gameplay that appeals to the hardcore gamer with lots of badassery, but still manages to have a good sense of humor and reach a wide audience. "

For an excellent example of Riot Games' sense of humor, be sure to visit their team bio page, where each team member is not only given a brief paragraph explaining their existence, but is also assigned a special power, such as Marc Merrill's "Night Merrill" ability.

Marc temporarily enters Beast Mode, which causes all employees to fervently increase in productivity by 300% for the next two hours.

What Comes Next
Nearly two years in development, League of Legends is rapidly approaching the the initial beta phase, where the game will be put to the test by the same people who inspired the original Defense of the Ancient mod, and Tom Cadwell couldn't be more excited.

"We're excited to have gotten the reactions we have seen so far, but ultimately can't wait to get users in the game because that is really what matters. That's really what it's all about for us. For me personally, all of my best experiences in design have been during betas, when you get to see how the stuff you worked on plays out, and see people enjoying the work you've done. "

Players interested in getting in on the ground floor of what could be one of the biggest games ever to sprout from a game mod can visit the official League of Legends website to get the scoop on upcoming beta dates while checking out the game and the talented team behind it.

As for what's coming next from Riot Games, the developer currently has two more games in the works, and while Merrill was tight-lipped about details, he assures us that Riot will continue to innovate in the multiplayer gaming space.

"Our plans for the future are to continue to develop titles that leverage our core technology platform that includes a proprietary back end as well as a game engine and associated toolset, while staying true to our core design philosophy which focuses on replayability through multiplayer emergent behavior, instead of creating massive amounts of linear content that you really only want to play through once. "

For now, Riot continues to work on League of Legends, taking a relatively simple player-made mod for Warcraft III and creating something hopefully as legendary as its name.

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Can't say the visuals in the trailer do much for me, and I've never really been a big fan of the House of the Dead series outside of the arcade versions, but I'm really digging the drive-in horror film vibe they've got going in the marketing. Not enough where I'd consider picking up the game, mind you, but I probably wouldn't mind watching you play it.

So. When can I come over?

Previously you could only create a Death Knight on a server which housed a level 55 or higher character on your account. The next update takes away that restriction, allowing Death Knights to pop up all over the place...well, almost.

With the next minor content update for World of Warcraft, we will be opening up death knight character creation so that if the account you play already has a level 55 or higher character in World of Warcraft, you will be able to create a new death knight on any realm within your region. Please keep in mind that restrictions still apply to new, non-transfer realms such that death knights cannot be created on those realms until you level a character to level 55 on that realm or until transfer restrictions are removed.

Those of you who paid $25 to transfer a 55+ character to a friend's server in order to play Death Knights with them before this announcement remain completely screwed.

Account-Wide Death Knight Creation [World of Warcraft Forums via WorldofWar.net]

The still-ubiquitously-named Prince of Persia features a new art style, combat system, open world gameplay, and spunky AI sidekick Elika, all built on the Assassin's Creed engine.

Full release and more marketable game descriptions on the jump.

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES RELEASE DATE FOR PRINCE OF PERSIA

The Prince will Reign December 2, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 18 2008 – Today Ubisoft announced that Prince of Persia will ship December 2, 2008 for the Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and PC. Prince of Persia: The Fallen King will also ship simultaneously and exclusively for the Nintendo DS(TM) system.

Prince of Persia opens an entirely new chapter in the Prince of Persia universe in addition to introducing a fresh Illustrative art style, evolved combat system, open world structure and dynamic AI – most notably in the form of the Prince's powerful ally Elika.

About Prince of Persia
Set in a land rooted in ancient Persian mythology, the Prince finds himself caught in an epic battle between the primal forces of light and darkness: the God of Light, Ormazd versus his brother Ahriman, the destructive God of Darkness. The Prince arrives just in time to witness the destruction of the legendary Tree of Life – an act which threatens to plunge the entire world into eternal darkness. Manifested in the form of the Corruption, a dark substance that physically contaminates the land and the skies, the Prince must partner with Elika, a deadly companion, to heal the world from the evil Corruption.

About Prince of Persia: The Fallen King
Facing imminent danger, the Prince flees to a deserted kingdom that seemingly offers sanctuary. Already touched by the evil Corruption, a dark substance that physically contaminates the land and the skies, the kingdom is filled with adventure, challenge and intrigue. As the Prince seeks a way to fight the spreading Corruption destroying the land, he encounters a partially infected creature that promises salvation. But is the creature truly an ally or merely an enemy in disguise? It seems this perilous alliance may be the only way for the Prince to face the forces of darkness and save the Persian kingdom from the Corruption once and for all.

Source and Image: http://www.chapter6.net/index.php/150/jim-halpert-john-krasinski-from-the-office-looks-like-luigi/

We are officially eight beers and about two Jager Bombs into the show. After hanging out at the Activision booth for way too long watching McWhertor pwn at Guitar Hero III, we realized we were out of time and high-tailed it to Hall number three where Sony and, more importantly, SingStar was located.

We arrived just in time to find a clutch of booth babes and booth bucks hogging the machine doing a monstrously-bad rendition of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." The song, or attempt at a song, ended with the woman in charge of the microphone thanking everyone and tuning off the sound system. It took a little sweet talking by Mark, Mike and I before we convinced them to let us, sans beer, to get them to turn on the sound again and have a go at a song... specifically Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf", the drunk man's opus.

After knocking it out of the ballpark, Mike and I walked from the stage trying our best to keep the shrieking fans from tearing our t-shirts from our sweating backs. Fortunately, we found shelter in a beer garden where I sat to type this, perhaps my last bit of prose, out to you, our beloved readers. I gotta pee, back back later.

Michael McWhertor drunkenly copy edited this drunkenly written post.

Reports are coming in the upcoming Pokemon Battle Revolution game, already released in Japan, has its own separate friend code for participating in online battles, above and beyond the current, system-specific friend code every Wii has. This pretty much means that after going through the trouble of exchanging friend codes, you have to do it all over again if you want to play online with your friends with Pokemon.

Disheartening, to say the least. It would be one thing if this were some third-party title, but this is a Nintendo flagship title. Will we have to go through this with every online title? Are the Wii system friend codes only good for exchanging Miis?

To be honest, I've not even bothered with the Wii's friend code business. Too much bother. It's the single biggest failing of the Wii as far as I am concerned. I want a recognizable handle that has personality. I am not a number, I am a free man! Michael Fahey

Each Wii Game has its own Friend Code [4 color rebellion]

This (Nintendo marketing) guy was pacing around outside the press line to get in on Iwata's keynote. He was gracious enough to due a little Hiel Nintendo for us when we asked to take a picture.

Update: Then this "guy," whose name is Jeffrey Putnam, wrote us an angry email because we (wrongly) presumed he was a Nintendo employee. His vitriolic email detailing this apparently life-altering mistake after the jump.

Jeff Putnam writes:

Subject: slanderous kotaku article

Dear Sirs;
My name is Jeffrey Putnam. The article on your subsidiary website Kotaku.com entitled "Iwata (Doesn't) Drop the Bomba" is an article written about me, and I have been deeply offended by it. Your editor (who didn't even write his name on his own article) has made a completely unmerited accusation about me, damaging my character, and damaging the reputation of Nintendo Inc. by claiming in his article, without a shred of proof, that I am a "Nintendo Marketing Guy". As you can see from the comments written on the article, that has changed the people's opinion of me and my stunt. I am in no way associated with Nintendo, I'm simply a huge fan, and showed up for the convention to make a statement of my support. Never have i been approached by anyone at Nintendo, paid by Nintendo, or have I been in ANY WAY affiliated with Nintendo, and I would like to respectfully demand that you take the following course of action:
1. remove the article from your website.
2. post an apology, to me, written by the editor who made these false accusations.
3. reprimand this editor for his actions, and take the nessecary steps to ensure that he or she will research their material before making outrageous and slanderous accusations in future articles.

Please respond to this email at your very first available moment. I am waiting.

Most Sincerely,
Jeff Putnam
—
—tactics

Depressingly, Gina's feature does not recommend donning a bright red hat with your first initial stitched across the front, ingesting a plateful of hallucinogenic mushrooms and then flushing yourself down the toilet straight to the magical world of the Mushroom Kingdom. But it's still filled with her usual brand of great, practical advice.

Make it to the next level

Break your task down into chunks and track your progress to completion with a level-o-meter. Similar to a fundraiser thermometer that rises with red marker the more money raised, draw yourself a personal progress bar to track your own progress.

Say you ve got a 10 page paper due for class. Before you start writing, on a nearby whiteboard or poster board, draw out a progress bar split into 10 sections. Each time you write one page, color in one section of the bar. It s completely mental, but getting to the next level can be a huge motivator.

Gina's so cool. We love her from afar.

Geek To Life: Turn To-Dos Into Game Play [Lifehacker]