Proce, who contributed to Midway's final fighting game (Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe) before being snapped up by Warner Bros, wrote that the re-imagining of the MK franchise proposed "mixing modern muti-player and dismemberment game design with the original fighting mechanic." The artist's take on four Mortal Kombat mainstays—Raiden, Kano, Scorpion and Sonya Blade—are dramatic, gritty and, for the most part, a welcome change.

Proce describes his Scorpion as "a wraith wearing the yellow blood of the demon" that resurrected him, his Kano as "half Japanese half US military bad ass." His Sonya, which will likely draw the most criticism, was redesigned as "the daughter of a Texas Ranger who's sex appeal weakens her opponents while her Special Forces training kicks their asses." Finally, his Raiden pitch portrays "a god [whose] feet rarely touch the ground."

We're not sure what direction the Mortal Kombat team is taking the series at its new home, but I'm personally hoping it's more along these lines—a darker, more dramatic, less comic book-like treatment with a pared down cast—than what we got with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. I enjoyed that game as much as the next guy, but I like my MK with a little less Wonder Woman.

Here are the never before seen Mortal Kombat characters... [Vincent Proce Art Blog via GameSetWatch/SRK Forums]

Mark Turmell, programmer on the original Smash TV and its spin-off Total Carnage, says on the RetroGaming with Racketboy podcast that Midway, before it "hit the fan," was already hard at work on a modern day revival of the game. While it sounds like work on the game—a 3D revival, but still a top-down shooter—was halted, Turmell says the project moved at least as far as the programming stage.

He expects that Smash TV "will rise again" at Midway's new home Warner Bros. given the media conglomerate's snapping up of the classic IP and, presumably, the popularity of twin-stick shooters on digital platforms like XBLA and PSN. We're expecting big money, big prizes and to love it.

RetroGaming with Racketboy Podcast Episode #2 [Racketboy]

One of the joys of PC gaming is the ability to screw with stuff, like Batman's costume skin in Arkham Asylum. Over at the official game forums they've got a fan-made skin collection going, complete with apps and instructions on how to implement them in your own game. If Arkham can have gargoyles on the inside, then I see no reason why Batman can't dress as Nightwing, or the Green Lantern, or yes - Captain America. I particularly like the Batman Of Zur En Arrh outfit, which mimics the bat-suit Batman wore when he went bat-s*** insane.

UPDATE: EternalStar let us know that, thanks to SecuROM's DRM, the skins only work in the demo version of the game. On the plus side, it's free?

Batman Arkham Asylum Modded Costume thread!! [Official Forums - Thanks Stancis!]

Sure, Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury might have passed, but including a virtual representation of him in LEGO Rock Band is okay, since it's just adorable. Besides, he wasn't the voice of a generation, like other deceased lead singers we could mention.

Check out a clip of LEGO Queen declaring themselves the LEGO champions in the LEGO gallery below. Also, LEGO.

Eidos celebrates the "must-have game of Summer 2009" today, announcing some rather large shipping numbers for the first Batman game in a long while to not outwardly suck. Citing numerous awards, including the dubious Guinness World Record the game earned for highest-rated comic book game, Warner Bros. gives credit where credit is due.

"The tremendous critical and commercial success of Batman: Arkham Asylum sets a new benchmark for superhero games," said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "Rocksteady Studios created an excellent game and the sales numbers demonstrate how a powerful franchise fused with high-quality production resonates with consumers."

As for how many of those 2.5 million copies shipped have sold since we reported on the 2 million sales, it would take a master detective armed with figures I don't have on hand to work out that figure. To the batcave!

We knew the Insane Night DLC was coming to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC this week, and now we know what it is. Insane Night consists of two maps, one focusing on FreeFlow Combat and the other on the Invisible Predator aspects of Arkham Asylum gameplay.

The "Totally Insane" FreeFlow Combat map sounds almost like Batman's Horde mode, with the Dark Knight tasked with taking down waves of inmates as they attempt to escape through the asylum's secure records room, while in the "Nocturnal Predator" Invisible Hunter Map the player must use stealth to take out an army of the worst the Joker has to offer.

And there you have it. It isn't much, but it's free, and it's only the first of two free downloadable content packs, with Prey in the Darkness due out on October 24th.

I've been wondering how well Scribblenauts would work over in the UK, as over there taking off your pants has far stronger connotations than it does on the U.S. side of the pond. Well now we know, thanks to a press release assuring UK customers that they can safely draw water from a tap, stroll down the pavement, and partake of an ice lolly without having to mess about with our butchery of the language.

"Fear not mistaken pants-over-trouser-wearers, as Scribblenauts developer, 5th Cell, has gone out of its way to localise the UK release of Scribblenauts to include words specifically for the UK market. Faucets, popsicles, sidewalks, diapers and, of course, the meaning mess that is football and soccer, will confuse British DS owners no more..."

Scribblenauts for the Nintendo DS will be out on October 9th...sorry, 9th October in the UK.

Iggy Pop's "The Passenger" will be featured in LEGO Rock Band soundtrack as will the singer himself, looking far more pear-shaped than he's ever looked. Let's all pray for Iggy's continued health until the release of LEGO Rock Band, lest things get any weirder around here.

Iggy Pop monte sur scène dans LEGO Rock Band. [JeuxVideo.fr]

The figure was disclosed as part of an LA Times report on some restructuring going on at DC Comics, and we'll presume was provided by Warner Bros., who as a publisher can get hold of timely sales data without too much hassle. We'll also presume that the figures are worldwide sales, and not just for North America.

Nice to see a DC Comics game not only get it right, but be rewarded for doing so.

Warner shakes up DC Comics to compete with Marvel [LA Times]

I actually ran into Monolith's big star, Lucas Meyers, at the Warner Bros. booth at PAX 2009 this past weekend, and all I could do was stare at him and shake my head sadly. This made him think that perhaps I knew him, as "Only people that know me stare at me and shake their heads". After seeing him perform in several F.E.A.R. 2 DLC community videos, perhaps I do.

Screenlife's adaptation of the DVD-based movie trivia game for the Xbox 360 has sold well across two different iterations, so the company has decided to branch out, offering the next installment of Scene It? to PlayStation 3 and Wii owners as well. Bright Lights! Big Screen! features thousands of new questions, new quiz types, new player avatars, and even a new host, which should be a pleasant change from the guy they've had doing the 360 version.

Along with the new game reveal, Screenlife also announces that it has entered into an agreement with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to distribute Bright Lights! Big Screen! worldwide. "The globally successful Scene It? brand and movie based trivia are a great fit for Warner Bros. as a games publisher and a film studio," said John Quinn, Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "We are launching Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! on a variety of videogame consoles to more widely offer its dynamic entertainment experience to the expanding casual videogame audience."

The press release doesn't mention whether or not the game will ship with special buzzer controllers for the PS3 and Wii, as the 360 versions have in the past. Since I have two sets of four 360 buzzer controllers slowly rotting in the tangled accessory drawer under my television, it's probably for the best that they don't.

Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! will launch across all three platforms this holiday season.

The verdict? While it certainly doesn't seem to effect the gameplay, little touches like the flowing of his cape, the swirling of debris, and the way those banners flutter when you toss a batarang through them should help make the experience just a bit more immersive. Is it worth a three week delay? I've a feeling that once PC gamers have the game in their hands the delay will be completely forgotten.

Two different developers contributed to these screenshots, with Amaze Entertainment handling Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 development while WayForward handles DS duties. All three versions represented here make me yearn for the days when I could have fit into those monster jammies.

The game should be out around the time the movie releases in October. Let's hope our childhood memories survive unscathed.

Back when I was a kid, you couldn't get into the Guinness Book of World Records without having disgustingly long fingernails, but it's the future now, and with the world supply of fingernail clippers at an all-time high, the Guinness have to look elsewhere for record-breaking feats - like Metacritic, for instance. Having the highest average review score for a video game in the history of the medium I could see, but aren't they getting a bit too specific with ‘Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever'? Sure, an average review score of 91.67 is nothing to scoff at, but does Batman: Arkham Asylum really need a custom-tailored world record? Guinness' Gaz Deaves seems to think so.

"We are so pleased to be awarding Batman: Arkham Asylum a Guinness World Record. It is a fantastic new game and due to the reaction of gaming experts we believe it has a well deserved place in the Guinness World Records book."

A well-deserved place in a book that is quickly losing all meaning and relevance, with awards that seem crafted to fit the feat, rather than the other way around, as it should be.

Excuse us for being skeptical, but after a long string of flops like Batman: The Rise of Sin-Tzu and Batman and Robin, we had pretty much given up hope of there ever being a good 3D Batman game. When Warner Bros. and developer Rocksteady first stepped up to the plate with Batman: Arkham Asylum we were cautiously optimistic, though sudden delays earlier this year were taken as a bad sign.

Was all of this worry warranted, or has Rocksteady succeeded where so many developers before them had failed? Let's ask that most heinous of all rogues galleries - the game critics.

GamePro
While other superheroes merely catch the crooks and then parade around with smug smirks, Batman goes out of his way to get inside the criminal mind and twist it into submission; that alone makes him one of my favorite comic book characters. Similarly, Batman: Arkham Asylum crawls inside your head and rearranges the furniture. It's a triumph of mood and psychological tension, and devoted fans will find a great deal to excite them. But they're also bound to be disappointed by its reliance on repetitive combat and a shortage of villains worth the big man's attention.

IGN Australia
(Arkham Asylum) uses the heritage and tone of the license beautifully, with a great setting, brooding atmosphere and an all-star line-up of characters, and importantly, Batman doesn't feel like just another hero in this game. He's The Bat. What does that mean? It means that you're not mashing your way through combat; you're methodically and stylishly beating your enemies to a bloody pulp with a character who's weighty and powerful and can handle multiple attackers simultaneously. You're using gadgets to help you in combat and to move through the world like a high tech assassin.

Play Magazine
Batman himself, played with chilling calm-under-pressure by Kevin Conroy, comes across exactly as he should; unyielding to a disturbing degree, so resolute in his pursuit of justice that the pain and agony being thrust upon him only serves to empower his ultimate wrath. Likewise, the Joker is evil incarnate-a homicidal maniac able to kill unconscionably and indiscriminately…except for "Bats" of course, whom he lives to torture. I'd love to say more but spoilers be damned on this one. Let's just say that Batman is in for one really, really long night.

Game Informer
Some situations allow you to play up your "demon of the night" legacy, by striking from the dark and instilling such a degree of fear into your opponents that they shoot at the shadows and fall right into your traps. Batman's detective skills are also used in a variety of entertaining ways, such as using his high-tech gadgetry to follow a DNA trail, or employing his perceptive skills (which in turn are yours) to solve the Riddler's many riddles. Through a beautifully designed melee system, Bruce Wayne's years of martial arts training are highlighted with brutal efficiency. Even when the odds are stacked against you ten to one, you are empowered with the feeling that you will wipe the floor with them all.

ZTGamesDomain
Sound is even more impressive with the cast of the animated series lending their voices to the mix. Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy reprise their roles as Joker and Batman respectively, and both deliver outstanding performances. They are accompanied by a voice cast that includes talent such as Ron Perlman, Clancy Brown and of course the return of Arleen Sorkin in her role as Harley Quinn. In addition to the stellar voice performances the game features a marvelous score that mixes the heroic tones of Batman with the dreary vibe of Arkham perfectly. Music fades in and out at just the right moments to create a suspenseful atmosphere.

Kotaku
I really enjoyed this game, so much so that I would have its babies if such a thing were possible. Sure, the last two boss fights sour the attraction a little, but all relationships have problems. Just look at Batman's list of lovers and Robins if you want examples. Seriously, though, Batman: Arkham Asylum is an excellent game. Buy it, play it and bask in the glow of the brightest Batman game to date.
About damn time.

While we aren't in the habit of writing up a post every time a new demo hits Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network, the F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn demo is a special case, as it is a demo not for a full game, but for downloadable content. Reborn gives players a different perspective on the destruction of poor little psychic girl Alma, placing them in the boots of Replica Soldier Foxtrot 813, led astray by voices in his head on an adventure spanning four new levels.

The full release of F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn is slated for September 3rd, the same date the free Slow-Motion Deathmatch multiplayer mode becomes available.

Take a look at some of the toys the Dark Knight gets to play with in Batman: Arkham Asylum, due out later this month for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. I've always enjoyed the fact that Bats goes out of his way to make sure his gadgets match his theme, though is it really necessary for him to draw a bat with his explosive gel? Whose benefit is that for? He's not particularly known for his sense of humor, so why doodle with volatile chemicals? He's so whimsical.

The same group (of developers) that brought us the generational anthem "Miniature Replica Soldier" return to herald the coming of another F.E.A.R. 2 update, the Slow-Motion deathmatch. Announced at the end of last month, the Slow-Motion Deathmatch feature is coming by way of a free title update, adding in a mode where one player possesses the power to slow time, and the rest of the players get shot and teabagged in slow-motion.

And don't worry, they didn't forget a snazzy theme song.

Anyone purchasing the game on PS3 will be given a free unlock for PlayStation Home, giving them the option of decking out their apartment to look like the Batcave. And not Dark Knight's "office space" batcave, either, a proper, dingy batcave.

The game's out on PS3 on August 25, with the batcave unlockable as quickly as you can get your copy home and download it.