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  Weeky Wii Update: New Gradius, Old Kidd

  Two old favorites return in this week’s Wii Update, with the rebirth of Konami’s classic shooter, Gradius, and the re-release of Sega’s Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars. Gradius ReBirth (1,000 Wii points) is a remix of Konami’s classic shoot em up series. Players get five levels worth of frantic shooter action, which can be played…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 9, 2009
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  Boom Blox Bash Party Trailer

  It looks like Boom Blox Bash Party is mostly about new settings for the popular Wii action puzzle game, with levels in space and underwater. I sorta enjoyed the first game, but I’m not sure it was enough to make me want to play the second.

  By Brian Crecente Published March 9, 2009
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  Has Spring Started Yet?

  To: Crecente From: Bashcraft Not sure exactly when the official first day of spring is or when the season really begins, but I think it’s nowish. Starting to warm up here — though, we’re not in Cherry Blossom season yet. How’s it where you are? What you missed last night What Game Weaponry Does This…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2009
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  These 67 Games Are All Under 4k In Size

  You want to talk minimalist gaming, it doesn’t get more minimalist than programming an entire game that takes up only 4096 bytes (or less). These 67 games, though, do just that. They’re the entrants in the Java4K 2009 competition, some of whom – including Left 4K Dead – you’ve already seen. There are plenty others…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 9, 2009
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  Capcom Debit Cards Tiger Uppercut You With Bank Fees

  Like the look of those Capcom pre-paid debit cards? You may want to take a finer look at the small print before you go rushing in and sign up for one. Sure, it’d be neat to whip out a card with Ryu or Chris Redfield’s mug on it while haggling over the counter at your…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 9, 2009
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  Another Manic Arcade Shooter Coming To Xbox 360

  The latest bullet hell Cave arcade shooter to get an Xbox 360 port is Ketsui. Already boasting a DS port, the 360 version will offer an exclusive “X-Mode” that allows for lock-on targeting. Ketsui ~Kizuna Jigokutachi ~ EXTRA is slated for release in Japan on May 28. Developer 5pb will be porting the game —…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2009
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  Sauerkraut Pays its Tribute To The History Of Video Games

  Yup. That’s a bowl of sauerkraut. Which, thanks to the wonders of stop-motion animation, is able to walk us bitterly through the history of gaming, from Tetris to Prince of Persia to Pac-Man. If you’re looking for someone to thank/blame, thank/blame the Italian quartet of Nicola Ferrarese, Corrado Agnese, Valentina Mantello & Marzia Pellegatta.

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 9, 2009
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  UNIQLO Covers Gaming In Shirt Form

  Budget Japanese clothing retailer UNIQLO announced a new shirt line earlier this year that features game characters. Which characters and games are making it to the final UTxJapan Game shirts? Let’s find out. On March 16, Pac-Man, Bomberman, Dig Dug, Arkanoid, Galaxian, Mappy, Ape Escape and Resident Evil shirts go on sale. On April 6,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2009
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  Burnout Paradise Coming To Steam

  Burnout Paradise is coming to the PC, in the form of an “Ultimate Box”, collecting most of the game’s updates and sitting them alongside the game itself. But what if you don’t want a box? Then don’t get a box. Get an intangible collection of files instead! Because Criterion announced on Friday that The Ultimate…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 9, 2009
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  Stripes Make PlayStation Load Faster

  And the entries are starting to roll in. Kotakuite zethicus sends us this, writing, “Hoping it’ll load games faster!” We’re giving away a copy of Xbox 360 game Race Pro. Racing stripes make race cars go faster. Face it, they do. Just look at Race Pro’s box art. Here’s the contest: Put racing stripes on…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2009
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  How To Play Famicom Games On A Famicom Cartridge

  Step 1: buy a business card holder that looks just like a Famicom cartridge. Step 2: crack that card holder open. Step 3: put the guts of a cheap, emulator-capable media player inside. And voilà! You have a Famicom cart that can play Famicom games. Perfect in case you find yourself stuck at a party…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 9, 2009
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  What Game Weaponry Does This Toy Rip-Off?

  Spotted at toy retailer Toys R Us, this is a Plasma Blaster (aka Lanzador de Plasma). It takes inspiration from what weapon in what game? Answer away in the comments below. Thanks for the tip, Jake!

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2009
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  Wii MotionPlus Delayed?

  The writing was on the wall when Wii Sports Resort dropped off Nintendo’s release schedule, but now there’s further fuel being poured on the “MotionPlus delayed” fire, courtesy of IGN’s Wii podcast. According to the team, who are often aware of Nintendo-related events well before their official announcement, “Nintendo is internally struggling with Wii MotionPlus,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 9, 2009
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  Job Listing Mentions New Metal Gear “Development”

  Metal Gear Solid 4 was a big hit. Konami isn’t ready to walk away from the franchise anytime soon. (Example: Metal Gear Solid Touch.) A Konami job listing shows how eager the company is. The job listing is for an experience programmer and mentions mostly the obvious: Staff wanted for home console games and cell…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2009
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  What Your Controllers Will Look Like To The Civilizations Of The Future

  You go to a museum in 2009, and you can see the remains of past civilizations. The Minoans. Carthaginians. Romans. But as their time came to an end, so too will ours. Where their remains tend to be coins, or fragments of pottery, ours will probably look a little different. A little something like this.…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 9, 2009
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  Ichiro Suzuki Uses Dragon Quest To Explain Victory

  Japan routed Korea in their first World Baseball Classic match-up. Considering that Japan lost to Korean in the Olympics, defeating their rival in a 14-2 called game must have been cathartic. After the game, when a reporter said that the entire Japanese team got pumped up, right fielder Ichiro Suzuki replied, “In Dragon Quest, tension…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2009
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  First Professor Layton Anime Trailers

  Next January, the first Professor Layton full length feature Professor Layton and the Immortal Songstress will be released in Japanese theaters. The anime’s first trailers have been released along with its first posters. The Layton movie is an original story from series creator Akihiro Hino and will feature game characters Professor Layton and his apprentice…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2009
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  Week In Games: Go Mad, Fight Evil

  It’s the battle of the biceps this week, as Madworld‘s Jack takes on Resident Evil 5‘s Chris Redfield for ultimate python dominance. There’s far less violent, more milquetoast-friendly fare throughout the week, however. Leading off the list of North American releases on Monday are two new “New Play Control!” remakes for the Wii, Pikmin and…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 8, 2009
• Reviews

  Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon Review: Party On, Marth

  Nintendo has given Western audiences a chance to experience the very first entry in the 19-year-old series with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, a remake of Fire Emblem, originally released on the Famicom. Those who haven’t followed the Fire Emblem series, now 11 iterations deep, will likely recognize the game’s lead protagonist Marth, who has guest…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 8, 2009
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  EVE Online: Apocrypha Launches This Week

  Here’s the official trailer for the EVE Online: Apocrypha, forever changing the face of CCP’s star-spanning space epic later this week. Tuesday marks the official launch of EVE Online’s Apocrypha expansion, and it will indeed change the way both new and old players survive in the online game. New players are being treated to epic…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 8, 2009