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  Notebook Dump: The Limits Of Ninja Turtle Knowledge, An iPhone Adventure, And More

  There comes a time in the week to reflect on what got into my reporter’s notebook but didn’t turn into Kotaku blog posts. Shall we? 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…

  By Stephen Totilo Published July 31, 2009
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  Invade Bowser’s Bowels In Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story

  .html Adventuring within the guts of Mario and Luigi’s arch nemesis Bowser may not be what you were expecting of the newest Mario & Luigi RPG, but Bowser’s Inside Story has the intestinal fortitude to go there. The follow up to Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time and Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga takes Nintendo…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 31, 2009
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  We’re Hiring! A Tech Guy, That Is

  Would you like to work for the Gawker Media empire, slaving away on the technology that powers our informative web sites? Then have we got the job for you, tech guy or tech gal! Here’s the official description from HR! Got a list of things you think need fixin’ on our sites? Well so do…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 31, 2009
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  Libraries Got Game

  There are, perhaps, few more disconsonant scenes than of the austere silence of the library and the boisterous play of video games, but a growing movement is starting to put the two under one roof. Libraries around the country, from the Library of Congress, to university and community libraries, are beginning to archive, collect and…

  By Brian Crecente Published July 31, 2009
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  Sega Sammy Bleeds $108 Million In Gold Rings, Reveals Conduit Sales

  It was a tough quarter for Sega’s parent company, Sega Sammy Holdings, as the company announced losses of 10.293 billion yen ($108.85 million USD). It also revealed sales data on recent games The Conduit and Virtua Tennis 2009. Sega Sammy pulled in $639.4 million during the quarter, including video game sales, arcade and pachinko revenues.…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 31, 2009
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  Pearl Jam’s Backspacer Gets Day One Rock Band Release

  Harmonix continues to jam as much Pearl Jam into Rock Band as they possibly can, with the band’s 9th studio album, Backspacer, available for download on the day it’s released. Pearl Jam is releasing their 9th album without any major record label assistance on September 20th, but they’ve got a pretty strong support system in…

  By Mike Fahey Published July 31, 2009
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  A Boy And His Blob Preview: You Will Fail

  Prepare for very nice graphics. And prepare to die. A Boy And His Blob, beloved NES platformer only some of us on the team have played, has inspired a Wii successor from the makers of the crushingly hard Contra 4. Oh yes, you will struggle in this one too, it seems. The guy from the…

  By Stephen Totilo Published July 31, 2009
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  Top Devs Defect On Sony’s ‘The Agency’

  Sony Online Entertainment‘s The Agency, the massively multiplayer spy role-playing game announced in 2007, may have hit a bit of a development snag, losing key personnel that includes the studio’s director and executive producer. Eurogamer reports that producer Matt Wilson, art director Corey Dangel, and producer John Smith have all defected from SOE and The…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 31, 2009
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  Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier Preview: Air Combat, Of Course

  When I think of Jak & Daxter I don’t think of flight combat. But if that’s going to be 40% of the new game, so be it. It’s fun. What Is It? Jak & Daxter is an October PSP game set after the events of the console Jak & Daxter trilogy (that racing game doesn’t…

  By Stephen Totilo Published July 31, 2009
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  Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta Trailer Beamed Up

  The Fallout 3 Mothership Zeta downloadable content hits Xbox and Games for Windows Live on Monday, and Bethesda dropped off the official trailer, in case anyone still needs convincing. Nothing gets me in the mood for a little retro post-apocalyptic science fiction action-adventure like a little operatic chanting. It worked for the original Star Trek…

  By Mike Fahey Published July 31, 2009
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  What Are You Playing This Weekend?

  If things work out the right way this weekend, I’ll be playing a little Shadow Complex, just one of many still unreleased games I plan to dabble in during my free time. The others… I probably shouldn’t say. But I’ll definitely be making a few minutes for Fat Princess and Shadow Complex, maybe a little…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 31, 2009
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  TMNT: Turtles In Time Price Dropped Like A Foot Ninja

  Ubisoft’s HD remake of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time will be just a bit cheaper than expected when it hits Xbox Live Arcade next week. TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled, the HD remake of one of the best mutant turtle video games ever created, was originally priced at 1200 Microsoft points, or $15.…

  By Mike Fahey Published July 31, 2009
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  Scribblenauts Live Word-Test Preview: Just Say The Words [Concluded]

  For the next hour, if you write a concrete, kid-friendly noun, I will try to test it in Scribblenauts. The DS game should render your nouns as objects. I’ll attempt to keep up in the comments. Event now over. I will ignore bad words, so don’t waste my time. Look for a preview of Scribblenauts’…

  By Stephen Totilo Published July 31, 2009
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  Braid Coming To PlayStation 3, Says German Ratings Board

  A PlayStation 3 version of Xbox Live Arcade hit Braid appears to be in the works, with Germany’s Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) rating the latest port as of yesterday. That’s excellent news for PS3 owners. The USK (via NeoGAF) pegs Hothead Games, developers of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness and the Mac…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 31, 2009
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  Persona PSP Video Walkthrough

  Listen to Atlus’ Aram Jabbari, as he walks us through the new features in the North American PSP remake of the original Persona. Aram goes over everything in this 7 minute-plus video, from the new dialog to the Snow Queen quest, which we already know is coming and doesn’t need to be framed with his…

  By Mike Fahey Published July 31, 2009
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  The Goal: To Make A Game That Does Hip-Hop Right

  Anthony Castoro wants to make a video game that gives hip-hop respect. In the process, he’s making an MMO set for 2012 release that happens to be attached to a rapper who is serving a year in prison. Yesterday, the Austin, Texas game development company Castoro co-founded, Heatwave Interactive, announced a partnership with top-selling rapper…

  By Stephen Totilo Published July 31, 2009
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  CrimeCraft Enters Open Beta

  Fans of shooting other fans of shooting looking for something new to play with this weekend can check out Vogster’s persistent world shooter CrimeCraft, now entering the open beta phase. CrimeCraft is a third-person shooter that features teams of players fighting against other teams of players or enemy A.I. in a near-future urban setting. It’s…

  By Mike Fahey Published July 31, 2009
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  Batman: Arkham Asylum’s Subtle Evolution Adds Depth

  Despite its over-the-top combat and flamboyant archenemy, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a surprisingly subtle game. As players move forward through the introductory chapters of the game and into the meat of the story, Batman’s moves and the challenges he faces blossom, adding a surprising level of depth to what could have been a straight-forward brawler.…

  By Brian Crecente Published July 31, 2009
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  GameStop Goes Casual

  Video game retailer GameStop launched its Casual Digital Store yesterday, celebrating with a 50% sale on select casual PC titles. The GameStop Casual Digital Store, located at http://www.gamestop.com/casual, features the hottest and not-so-hottest casual PC games for purchase, download and play. Powered by RealNetworks, the store features casual and independent titles, from Nancy Drew to…

  By Mike Fahey Published July 31, 2009
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  Aion Class Spotlight: The Sorcerer

  Upon reaching level 9, Aion’s Mage gets to chose between the Spiritmaster pet class or the Sorcerer, the massively-multiplayer RPG’s glass cannon. In RPG parlance, a glass cannon is basically a wizard, outputting tremendous damage while wearing the least-protective armor the game has to offer. The sorcerer in Aion is meant to stay behind everyone…

  By Mike Fahey Published July 31, 2009