Rock Band Bandmate Figures

If you're a fan of Rock Band and are a frequent visitor to RockBand.com, then you've certainly come across the custom Rock Band merchandise available for purchase. What better way to immortalize your virtual band self than by plastering your faces on posters, t-shirts, pins, and stickers? Though the system still has a few bugs, it was rather easy to customize your poster, etc - choose your background, the characters, your text/band logo, pose, and facial expression as you please. I couldn't be happier with the outcome of my purchase - the poster was definitely my favorite. However, when we come to the topic of the Bandmate figures, we're dealing with a whole different situation.

When I first learned about these custom bandmate figures, I was ecstatic. Sure I expected these lovelies would come with a hefty price tag, but I figured the quality of them would speak for itself. For those not in the know, these 6 inch bandmate figures are made using 3-D print technology. It is made out of a plaster composite material, similar to ceramic. The figures will be printed with the clothes, accessories, tattoos and instruments your character had when your game last connected to the internet.

So my first stop was checking out the forums since the cost wasn't obvious. About 70 bucks a piece and some hefty shipping costs (~$20). My next step was actually selecting what characters, instrument, and poses I wanted. Things started out shaky as it took a good long week until my preview images arrived. Apparently something was causing the delay, but with the help of one specific RockBand.com staff (HMXcj), who would later seem to be the only one trying to resolve issues, I eventually received my preview images and consequently put in my order.

More visits to the forums made me more nervous and an onslaught of problem cases were popping up left and right. Some with the familiar preview images delay, but others receiving the wrong bandmate in the mail. And even others receiving broken figures. One thing was consistent with all these inquiries, no one was getting ANY responses from "customer service." I also remember reading that the estimated arrival time for these bandmate figures was roughly 3 weeks. So there was nothing else I could do but wait. Three weeks passed, then four, then five, and then much to my surprise (and without any warning), I received a huge bundle in the mail -- 4 separate boxes taped together into one. Hoping for the best, I carefully opened the packages and was surprised with the outcome. (And I wanted to note, that 2 days after I received the packages, I received the email confirmation with the tracking number -- something's a little off...)

In each box was one smaller cylinder box glued firmly to the main box with a strong foam, to prevent any movement during shipping. Inside the cylinder box was the bandmate figure transfixed in a plastic cylinder case. From earlier reviews I read, the older figures came in a cardboard box and any movement probably caused some breaks. Obviously, RockBand.com have been listening and have made changes for the better. I am also happy to report that all 4 of my band members were correct, had the right pose, instrument, and were all in tact. The figures are a little more grainier than I would have liked, especially with the figure's cost. With the grainy texture aside and the fact that my drummer ended up with much darker hair color than her bright green, there is a lot of detail. Overall, I am happy with the outcome. Though there is some room for improvement, possibly taking the extra step to sand the figure and repaint, this is an awesome collectible for any Rock Band fan.

If anyone is interested in purchasing their own bandmate and have any questions with any part of the process, feel free to email me. And if you're a proud owner of your own figure, I'd love to see some pics.

FUNimation's Newest Acquisitions

FUNimation Entertainment has been racking in the acquisitions of distribution rights for a plethora of anime series. The latest additions are "Yasuhiro Nightow" and Madhouse's "Gungrave" from Geneon Entertainment. Other titles acquired in this month include:

- Slayers Revolution
- Slayers Evolution-R
- Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
- Last Exile
- Vandread
- Gad Guard
- Oh! Edo Rocket
- Nabari no Ou
- Ikki Tousen

UPDATE (12/31/2008): Time to add Samurai Champloo AND Evangelion: 1.0 You are [Not] Alone to the list!

Hobby Complex 06

With Wonder Festival Winter 2009 being canceled, it seems another hobby event has been getting a whole lot of coverage. Hobby Complex 06 took place on Sunday, December 21st at Tokyo Big Sight. And just looking at the photos, it's apparent that there are a lot of incredible pieces to salivate over. My personal favorite among the many gems would have to be this figure of one of my favorite and unique anime titles, Dennou Coil. I love the simple yet detailed work on Isako. For any fan of Dennou Coil, it is obvious that the makers have done an excellent and accurate job.

I now direct you to a selection of Hobby Complex coverages:

Danny Choo
Moeyo
Akiba Hobby
Tokyo Hunter
Alafista
GA Graphic
Good-Design
Earl-Box
KenLeeWrites
Xenohawk

New Projects for Kojima

In a recent interview with Famitsu, post-MGS4 videogame God Hideo Kojima reveals that he is directing not one, but two games concurrently.

According to 1UP News, the first title that will be announced is being made in "traditional" Kojima-style, i.e. similar to the way his team has worked in the past. The second game, however, wil be produced by a restructured Kojima Productions with the aim of creating a game that can compete with the top titles from America and Europe. [Source: 1UP News]

Happy Holidays 2008!

MLG's Resistance 2 Tournament

As someone who enters the battlegrounds of Resistance 2 on a daily basis, I definitely perked up when I heard about the first ever Resistance 2 tournament hosted by Sony and Major League Gaming. From December 22 to February 28, 2009, four-player teams will compete in a ladder-style competition. The top 64 teams will then battle it out in a single-elimination bracketed tournament from March 1 through March 31. The top team will take home $9,000, and with over $50K in prizes and major bragging rights, this is sure to be a heated tournament.

If you're interested and think you've got the skills to match up against the pros of R2, sign up here. [Source: Playstation Blog]

Kuroshitsuji: Phantom & Ghost

The anime/manga series about Sebastian, the butler, and Ciel, his master, "Kuroshitsuji," is slated to get the portable game treatment via the Nintendo DS. Titled "Kuroshitsuji: Phantom & Ghost," the DS game will have an original story featuring the main characters. Players will be able to switch between the two characters and view scenes from different perspectives. This, in turn, will affect the ending you get. Not much is revealed on the official site, but it is speculated that this will be a text adventure with some mini-games (including a dishwashing mini-game).

I doubt Kuroshitsuji: Phantom & Ghost will make it to the U.S., but for those interested, the game is due out some time in March 2009. [Source: Siliconera]

LBP Metal Gear Solid Edition

It's finally coming, the most anticipated LBP pack I've been waiting for turns out to be bigger and even better than I imagined. This is one hell of a huge addition, but before we get down the nitty gritty, check out this video that gives you a taste of what's coming just around the corner. This video is a definite must-see! Metal Gear fans will immediately take notice all the tiny details of the MGS universe.




Alright, finished watching and re-watching the video? Then let's get down to business. We start with the MGS Premium Costume Pack, which not only includes Solid Snake, but the rest of the cast too. Enter Meryl Silverburgh, Screaming Mantis, and Raiden. Individual price is $1.99 though I have no idea who wouldn't get the entire pack for $5.99.

What better way to sport your sackboy's MGS look then with the MGS Level pack. With this hefty pack, you get a new Sackboy costume - the Gurlokovich Solider. Tons of new stickers, materials, decorations, and objects await. Media Molecule and Konami have teamed up to create 5 new Story Levels and 1 new Challenge Level. The experience gets even more authentic with 1 new background music track, 3 new interactive music tracks, 1 new MGS themed sound object, new plasma ball 'danger element,' new laser sight 'gagdet,' new functioning searchlight lamp (for the special exclamation mark moments), and a very cool new weapon - the paintinator.

Can we say, awesome!?! Check out all the details at the Playstation Blog.

The Metal Gear Solid packs will be available in the U.S. playstation store December 23. "The game has changed..."

Priest Joins the Live Action Remake Squad

Tokyopop's graphic novel "Priest," written by Min-Woo Hyung, is set to be adapted to a live action. As stated in their press release: The story, set in a world ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampire, follows a warrior priest who turns against the church to track down a murderous band of vampires.

Screen Gems has just announceed that Scott Charles Steward, the director of the upcoming apocalyptic epic "Legion<" has signed on to direct "Priest," with a screenplay by Cory Goodman.

Keanu Reeves Hopes to Star in Cowboy Bebop Live Action

Actor Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, A Scanner Darkly, Johnny Mnemonic) is eager to play the lead role in Twentieth Century Fox's proposed live action film adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, according to the MTV Movies Blog.

Erwin Stoff, a film producer who worked closely with Reeves on The Matrix and A Scanner Darkly, told the IFMagazine.com entertainment website in July that a film development deal was signed. Stoff and Reeves both emphasized a desire to remain faithful to the original work.

Reeves said that Cowboy Bebop's "Western film noir aspect, […] that kind of Old West, bordertown, low-tech science fiction aspect" attracted him to the project. He added that Stoff and the development team have already hired a writer who is penning a scene outline. Right now, the outline includes a drug, developed by the military, that is partially based on an element from the anime. Reeves explained, "We're taking the Red Eye [story], the beginning part of the series." He acknowledged that the episodic nature of the story will be difficult to adapt into a feature-length work: "[…] It's got so much of an origin-story obligation; you've got to get people up to speed, but you don't want to do much of that. There are a lot of things to take into consideration, but we think we can do something good."

Watanabe's original Cowboy Bebop series follows the motley crew of the spaceship Bebop as it travels throughout the solar system in search of the next job. The anime distributor Bandai Entertainment and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block released the 1998 television series in the United States, and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the subsequent 2001 animated movie. The anime was also adapted into two separate manga series, and Tokyopop released both manga series in North America.

Update (12/19/2008): Well, it's official, seems like Keanu's wishes have been granted. He will indeed play the role of Spike. For obvious reasons, I am choosing not to make any comments. I will just sit here and observe. Hmm, maybe one comment - I have no "problems" with Keanu, it's the mere action of adapting this revolutionary anime title. [Source: ANN and ICv2]

Kurokami Simultaneous Broadcast

Great new things are happening in the realm of anime - with a trend I hope doesn't lose any steam. That is, getting new anime series as quickly as possible. Whether it be through early english-sub only versions months after its original broadcast in Japan or streaming anime episodes online weeks after airing. And now at as a historic first, Bandai Entertainment has been working diligently to broadcast "Kurokami - The Animation" on TV ASAHI at 2:40 a.m. on January 8th in Japan, on ImaginAsian TV January 8th at 8 p.m., and in Korea on AniBOX January 9th at 10PM.

Yep, you read right - a simultaneous anime TV broadcast between Japan, the U.S. and S. Korea! The U.S. broadcast will be the english dubbed version - marking the first ever dub production to be made parallel with the Japanese production. . You can find more information, including the cast list for the dub at Bandai's page.

Kurokami, or better known as Black God "focuses on Keita, a high school student living on his own, lost his mother in his youth. One night at a ramen stand, he meets a mysterious girl named Kuro. Keita is told the story of how if a person runs into another that looks just like them, they would die. From Kuro, Keita learns of the Doppeliner System and the Coexistence Equilibrium and how his life would never be that same afterward." [Source: Japanator]

Totoro Forest Project's Art Exhibit

The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, CA is holding an exhibit for its Totoro Forest Project exhibition from now until February 8, 2009. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition featuring paintings, illustrations, and sculptures from almost 200 international artists. ll of the art for the exhibition, of course, was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's iconic animated feature Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro).

If you're around the area or have the opportunity to check out this exhibit, you do NOT want to miss this. I would love to check out the exhibit myself, and I'm extremely livid that I realistically won't be able to. [Source: ANN]

Prince of Persia

"Prince of Persia" first made its debut almost 2 decades ago. And since then, it has enchanted players with its compelling story and gameplay. For a game that has never been lacking, Ubisoft made a bold move by revamping the Prince of Persia experience.

If all you're looking for is a challenging game (forget the story, stick with the challenge), then Prince of Persia is NOT the game for you. The game is set up in such a way that you'll never be confronted with a "Game Over" screen. Missed that leap or lost your grip on that ledge? No need to fret - Elika is there to protect you. While you may assume this fact alone dooms the game, perhaps losing that sense of intensity when fighting a boss where you can't die, this is luckily not the case. Once you get past the ease of the game, you can appreciate Prince of Persia for what it is, in short -- an impressive game. An entertaining story, unique gameplay, beautiful visuals, and cool combat moves marks the success of the new addition to the long-standing franchise.

Visuals are exceptional, fluid and very artistic. The titular prince himself is quite entertaining - a wisecrack after riches and really thick carpet. When it comes to allies or partnerships, the second character (especially one that joins us from the start) can sometimes be burdensome, helpless, or just plain annoying at times. However, Elika proves me wrong, as she quickly becomes the highlight of the game - at many points besting the prince as we delve more into her past rather than his. Not only does Elika save him from death, she is a true adventure companion and with the two, you can pull off some very cool combos.

Together, this prince and princess duo seek to imprison the evil god Ahriman, who has been set free by Elika's own father, by restoring a series of fertile grounds. One of impressive aspects of the game is the ease of movement, similar a bit to Assassin's Creed. A novice could easily pick up the controller and perform some acrobatics, while a more expert player can whip out some intricate combos. However, at times the boss fights can seem a bit redundant and getting from one fertile ground to another can feel more like a boring chore.

Despite some minor flaws, Prince of Persia is a winner - in no small part to its beautiful artistry and fluid controls. The level designs are note-worthy to say the least. You'll find yourself instantly drawn to the game.

Today, 26 years ago...

Yep, that's right...*sings* Happy Birthday to me (^_^) It's truly amazing to think about how many of my now 26 years have been devoted to anime et al. I still remember when I first set eyes on Dragon Ball, Kimagure Orange Road, or even Totoro during my single-digit years. Just imagine how much its branched off from there.


So anyways, I just wanted to take the time and thank everyone for their wonderful birthday wishes (my FaceBook wall is full of them), lunches, dinners, and the presents I will truly treasure -- including a the beautiful DMC4 Dante figure by Kotobukiya, an always handy gift card to GameStop, of course the Sony Cyber-shot DSCH50 camera I got for myself, and other spectacular figures. Thanks again!

A Next Metal Gear Is...

A flash site has recently gone live on Konami's Kojima Productions site bearing just a teeny taste - Konami's logo, and the left image with just 5 words, "A NEXT METAL GEAR IS..." With just a few words, a black background, and some green symbols, the deciphering has already commenced. It's interesting to see the slew of comments pouring in with guesses. Even if you try to just wait it out, reading everyone's thoughts makes you just want to jump in and join them.

So what are we working with ladies and gentlemen? Green symbols reminiscent of the Xbox?? An "i" perhaps for the iPhone, of Wii, or even DSi. The exclamation point as shown for Metal Gear AC!D? And as pointed out, the url contains "mgst" - perhaps "Metal Gear Solid Touch?" The slew of Apple products scattered across MGS4 is also brought up to mind. My guess, or perhaps my hope, is that the message confirms/indicates that development of the next Metal Gear game in "on." Ah, how they toy with us, entertained by our torture. What else can we do, but wait...[Source: Kotaku]

UPDATE (12/17/2008): Just as I figured, the next Metal Gear is...Metal Gear Touch.

Travel in EVA-style

The EVA store boasting all things Evangelion have listed two limited versions of luggage commemorating the new EVA movies - one of Shinji's EVA-01 and the other of Asuka's EVA-02. These nifty 360-degree rotating rolling suitcases are due out April 2009 and retailed at 15,750 yen. I guess this is one way of picking out your suitcase among the crowds.

Sebastian x Ciel Cosplay

MARUIONE.JP has always carried a wide collection of extremely high-quality popular Japanese brands of clothing. Two of the brands they carry, BLACK PEACE NOW and ATELIER BOZ, have put out a series of collaborative cosplay outifts from the anime series Kuroshitsuji. I've been keeping track of this set of Sebastian the butler, and Ciel the young master, for a couple of weeks now and was not surprised to see some of the items were sold out already. If you're willing to shell out the big bucks, you'll definitely want to place your order soon.

And on a related note, JUN Planning has posted a set of upcoming dolls from Kuroshitsuji. Each doll is 13 inches in height and comes with its own accessories. Retailed at 13,650 yen, the Sebastian, Ciel, and Grell dolls will be released in March 2009.

Black Mesa Official Trailer

Need I say more? Well for those not in the know: Black Mesa (formerly Black Mesa: Source) is a Half-Life 2 total conversion remaking VALVe Software's award-winning PC game, Half-Life. Utilizing the Source engine, Black Mesa will reintroduce the player as Doctor Gordon Freeman, along with the original cast of memorable characters and environments seen in Half-Life. This total conversion will not require Half-Life: Source to play - only a copy of any Source Engine game installed on Steam. [Source: Black Mesa]

Maywa Denki Knockman Series at Brookstone

I wandered into Brookstone on Black Friday with no intention of buying anything, when much to my surprise, a set of figures caught my attention. A set, in fact, I know much about. And for long time readers and fellow fans, you'll easily recognize them as Maywa Denki's Knockman series - a set of wind-up toys with an instrumental knack.

Apparently, Brookstone has got its hands on exclusivity of the Knockman figures -- and have fancied them some names, including Tommy (on head drums), Lester (on cymbals), and Glen on chimes). Reminiscing on my difficult journey in finding these "sold-out everywhere" figures and the amount of money I shelled out for these cuties, I nabed a few more for myself for the Black Friday rate of $9.99 each!

Cloud + Sephiroth Static Arts Figures

The latest from Square Enix come in the form of 2 static arts figures from the "Final Fantasy" series. The Cloud and Sephiroth PVC figures are each retailed at $149.99 and will be released April 30, 2009. So if you've got your eyes set on these, you'll want to preorder them now. Ah, Sephiroth...my goal still remains with the Masterpiece Arts Figure. But these Static Arts figures are pretty sweet nevertheless.

Also coming soon are Play Arts figures of the duo as seen at the Coliseum at Kingdom Hearts.

Thanksgiving 2008

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! If you haven't done so already, go ahead and nab yourself your very own LBP Turkey Head for that special SackBoy or SackGirl (available free on the Playstation Store. And as a bonus treat, Chimera have invaded LBP and can be claimed for just $1.99.

So...happy gaming with a sprinkle of anime goodness to all!! And to end, thanks to all my readers, I appreciate the fact that you value my otaku ramblings and keep coming back. Arigato!

Nendoroid Figure Phenomenon

The upward trend of nendoroid figures doesn't seem to be at risk of declining any time soon. The frequency of these adorable chibi-like figures quietly entered the scene and has now become a phenomenon that has seeped over countless of titles. These tiny 14cm figures come with interchangable faces, arms and legs. They would please any pinky:st fan in a heart beat.

The first few ones I laid eyes on were from the Vocaloid series, more specifically Hatsune Miku, and later Kaito, Rin and Len. Now we've got nendoroid figures of anime series including Death Note (Misa, L, Light, Ryuk), Ghost in the Shell Tachikomas, Lucky Star (Miyuki, Tsukasa), Haruhi Suzumiya, Kemeko Deluxe (Kameko, Emuemu), and Shuffle! Memories. Upcoming figures include Fate/Stay night, Idolm@ster, Magical Marine Pixel, Gurren Lagann, and one that I'm looking very forward to Nozomu Itoshiki from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei! Look for Nozomu at the end of March 2009. Good Smile Company is quickly becoming one of my favorite figure maker/distributor. Nendoroid.org has a catalog of all released Nendoroid figures.

Hideo Kojima Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Video game guru Hideo Kojima receives an accolade truly deserving at this year's MTV Video Game Awards. Jade Raymond, producer of "Assassin's Creed" honor Kojima with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his Metal Gear Solid series. While Lifetime Awards are usually handed out to retirees, Kojima states that "...even though I received this award, let me state that I will not retire." Well said, Koji! I, as well as all your avid fans I'm sure, was relieved to hear that straight from you. Congratulations! Hopefully the wait for your next game won't be long. [Source: PS3 Fanboy]

Altair vs The Prince

After infiltrating MGS 4 via a costume bonus for our Old Snakou, Altair -- the most "fashion-forward" assassin in the video game industry, has a new mission and will now infiltrate the new "Prince of Persia" game for the PS3 and Xbox 360 due out December 2nd. The Altair playable character will be available to all players on only one condition: you must register on the official Ubisoft website to nab yourself some Altair in your Prince of Persia. The prince from "Sands of Time" will also be available to customers who preorder the game at Gamestop. So you're mission is clear -- go and infiltrate!!!

Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals

Sent in by my sporadic contributor yet very frequent and devoted reader, Reza, PETA (The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has posted their Thanksgiving-themed parody of a Nintendo cooking game we know as "Cooking Mama." In "The Unauthorized PETA Edition of Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals," you test your cooking skills to see if you're meaner than mama. It's quite entertaining (and timely, considering that Turkey day is a week away) especially if you're already a fan of the "Cooking Mama" franchise.

In a response to PETA's recently released flash game, Majesco Entertainment states in their press release -- in defense and on behalf of Mama -- that there are more than 25 vegetarian-friendly recipes available in Mama's latest game - "Cooking Mama World Kitchen, out this week for the Nintendo Wii. Way to represent Majeso! [Source: Kotaku]

X JAPAN Yoshiki's Apology to Paris + Japan

Now it's no big secret that X JAPAN has recently served up another huge upset. Due to my distraught and frustration, I had been reluctant to write about it, but this note from Yoshiki's blog has changed my mind. Just in case you're not caught up with all the details, let me summarize it for you. X JAPAN is the reigning champion of rock and the first and biggest upset was the news of their break-up. Time passes and they get back together for a spectacular 3-night reunion tour. Fans all over renewed their love for X JAPAN, only to find out that all future tour plans would be cancelled due to an injury on Yoshiki's part (just as a side note: if my tone sounds bitter at all, I assure you it's not...well, excluding some parts). So anyways, excitingly enough, they announce a new tour schedule. And now to bring you to the present time, they have since canclled all tour plans for the rest of the year.

Now, Yoshiki writes:

Je vous présente toutes mes excuses. Je suis vraiment désolé....Je ne sais pas comment décrire mes sentiments envers nos fans, vous qui vous êtiez réjouis à l'idée de voir les concerts de X Japan à Paris et au japon. Même si la decision n'était pas la mienne… J'en prends pleine responsabilité…Et je ne le prends pas à la légère.

J'en ai encore le coeur serré. Je ne supporte pas la douleur d'àvoir brisé le coeur de nos très très cher fans, vous qui m'avez tant soutenus toutes ces années.

J'avais vraiment hâte de faire ces concerts mais notre companie de production a beaucoup de problèmes à resoudre avant que nous puissions recommencer notre tournée.

J'étais prêt à partir en tournée dans n'importe quelles conditions. Si nous avions pu être là, nous vous aurions offer le meilleur spectacle.

Parfois je déteste tout…Je déteste la vie…Je me déteste aussi…Haissez moi…. Haissez moi encore…Mais je vous aime toujours.

Je me demande parfois si j'aurais du rouvrir cette porte qui s'appelle "X Japan". Mais en meme temps, je ne sais pas non plus comment la fermer.

Avec Amour,
YOSHIKI

Okay, okay, I realize that you may not know french (not to mention my french is by no means polished), but in a nutshell, Yoshiki deeply apologizes for the turn of events. Though he knows we were looking forward to the upcoming concerts in Paris and Japan, and though the cancellation was beyond his control, Yoshiki still takes full responsibility. He writes to his loyal fans over all these years, that there were just too many problems with their production company to solve. He goes on to say that he was ready to offer the best performance ever. Sometimes he hates everything, he hates life, he hates himself, but Yoshiki states that he still loves all of X JAPAN's fans.

In reality, speaking for myself as a hardcore X JAPAN fan, along with a few friends of mine that share the same boat, my loyalty still remains and I can only be optimistic that one day (soon, hopefully), X JAPAN will give the performance of a lifetime in the U.S.

Range Murata "Chris Miyazawa" PVC Figures

We've got two more figures to add to the Murata Range PSE Collection (Products 002). Both at 8,000 yen and due out this December, these 1/7 scale PVC Chris Miyazawa figures come in a regular version (left) and a limited edition version (right).

Mirror's Edge

"Mirror's Edge" for the PS3 is interesting to say the least -- in it's attempt at a new game experience. However, it may throw off some users with it's trial and error design. Faith is a runner, who are basically underground couriers that deliver sensitive and confidential information from client to client. The actual story revolves around Faith and her attempts to clear her sister's name, a cop who has been framed for murder.

You literally run, leap, and hurdle across roof tops and through buildings in this first-person game. The visuals are absolutely striking. Scenarios differ a bit with some taking several attempts to complete. Again, it's trial and error, but once you get a feel for it and are able to get the combos and tricky moves somewhat down, it should prove for a nice gaming experience. The combat aspect is not very polished - you can disarm sometimes, but like I said, it's an interesting game.

Anime in the U.S. days after Japan

Things are brewing in the anime industry that's got this girl pretty ecstatic. In a similar goal as Bandai to bring anime and manga to the U.S. as fast as possible after it is aired in Japan, Viz has dramatically accelerated its release schedule for both its "Naruto Shippuden" anime and manga releases. Anime episodes will begin streaming in the U.S. on the official Naruto.com website within days of its original broadcast in Japan. On the manga front, it will be a couple of months after Japan's volume's release until it reaches the states.

Twenty-four of the uncut, subtitled "Naruto Shippuden" anime will be made available on Naruto.com in the first 2 weeks of January -- kicking off on January 2nd, with 8 episodes, and another 8 added each Friday, until the catch-up is complete. Beginning on January 15th and every Thursday thereafter, a new episode will be added, only days after its broadcast in Japan. [Source: ICv2]

Viz has just promoted itself as a major leader in the anime industry. Could this be the start of a wonderful growing trend? My wishful thinking for the past 20 years is finally on the verge of becoming reality.
____________________________
P.S. On an unrelated note: Happy Birthday, PS3!!! It's been one hell of a 2 years, lots of ups and way too many downs than I would have liked. Here's to another great year with hopefully no more exclusives going down the drain.

Black Friday Video Game List

Considering that Black Friday is just around the corner, I started scouting websites for any deals that were worth my time (or rather that I had any chance of getting). Cheap Ass Gamer has assembled a list of all video-game related deals. This year's post-Thanksgiving Day of shopping has quite a bit of variety. PS3 Fanboy has pulled out the PS3-related deals and these can be found below. There are plenty of other deals, especially some interesting ones for the PC, so be sure to check out the entire list. [Source: PS3 Fanboy]

Best Buy

• Get Ratchet & Clank Future and Casino Royale (Blu-ray) free with any PS3
• Guitar Hero III Special Edition Bundle w/2 wireless guitars and Slash faceplate - $79.98
• NBA 09 - $37.99
• Soulcalibur IV - $37.99

Circuit City & K-Mart & Sears

• Guitar Hero III Special Edition Bundle w/1 guitar - $54.99

Radio Shack

• DualShock 3 controller - $29.99

Target

• Brother In Arms: Hell's Highway - $20.00
• Burnout Paradise - $20.00
• Call of Duty: World At War - $49.00
• Dead Space - $30.00
• Guitar Hero: World Tour - $49.00
• Mercenaries 2 - $39.00
• Midnight Club: Los Angeles - $49.00
• NBA 2K9 - $39.00
• NCAA Football '09 - $39.00

Walmart

• NFL Head Coach '09 - $10
• NBA Live '09 - $30
• NASCAR '09 - $30
• Madden NFL '09 - $30
• NCAA Football '09 - $30

Square Enix's Teaser Counts Down to Bahamut

I just have to say...Square Enix, you've got me intrigued. Though we'll have to wait till the countdown ends, this wickedly awesome artwork of the dragon we all know too well is simply spectacular -- you have to see it for yourself. Could it be the sequel or remake of the popular Super Nintendo/Famicom game "Bahamut Lagoon?" "Blood of Bahamut" was trademarked a little while ago. And the all too familiar music has got me feeling genuinely nostalgic. But I'll have to contain my excitement until I find out what console(s) we're talking about. Come on Square Enix, show some love to Sony. [Source: Kotaku]

Update (11/17/2008): Okay, well I knew it was too good to be true, but here's the trailer to a new Japanese RPG for the DS. The trailer looks nice, but going with the artwork alone, it would've been great to do something more like bringing it to the PS3 and show off its gorgeous visuals and gameplay. Oh well...

Valkyria Chronicles Anime Announced

The anime TV series adaptation of Sega’s "Valkyria Chronicles" (Senjo no Valkyria -Gallian Chronicles-) has just been announced. The PlayStation 3 tactical war simulation game deals with the efforts of soldiers in the fictional 1930s European nation of Gallia to repel an invasion from invading countries. The TV anime will be produced by A-1 Pictures (Kuroshitsuji). [Source: ANN]

Oldboy Remake

Apparently, Director Steven Spielberg and Will Smith have been brainstorming about a possible collaboration to remake Chan-wook Park's ingenious 2003 film "Oldboy." The film was adapted from Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi's manga published here by Dark Horse Comics. Okay, I just don't understand it. First of all, the movie isn't that old - by no means does its age warrant a remake. Secondly, as I try to contain my frustration, "Oldboy" was amazing, perfect, innovative, and incredible. Why, oh why, should we even be having this discussion? I don't get it.

All this talk about live action remakes is infuriating. Ghost in the Shell? Evangelion? Akira? Ninja Scroll? Need I bring up Speed Racer?? Arghh! And speaking of Akira and Ninja Scroll, Leonardo DiCaprio is in the ranks to produce these live actions. Sorry, perhaps I'm just being too narrow-minded, but if you're the big fan of anime as you say you are, wouldn't you be on "our" side? You're taking titles that has lend itself as the root and origin of anime and compromising its grandeur stature. You're saying there are die hard loyal fans that would support this, but here's one die hard fan that isn't jumping with glee. In fact, I wouldn't be this enraged if I didn't already have the highest respect, admiration, and devotion for these titles.

Resistance 2

When it comes to sequels of already awesome games, I get a bit nervous. You don't want the integrity of the title to be compromised whatsoever, so execution is a big deal. I was optimistic, however, as I anxiously unwrapped "Resistance 2" Collector's Edition. And to put it simply -- Resistance 2 is all you could ever want in a sequel. It's bigger, better, fast-paced and totally expanded down to the tiniest detail. It's a lot more of everything...a whole lot!

Nathan Hale is back and the Chimera are still unrelenting. Starting off with the single-player campaign, you can immediately see the glory of R2, excellent graphics, huge battles and an interactive environment that goes beyond expectations. If anything, it's the wide range of bosses/enemies, in regards to variation and ability, and the rich expansive environment that represents the amplitude of the game. Sure the actual campaign story is less than stellar (this is about the only negative thing I have to say about R2), but the experience makes up for it. The campaign is challenging and a good length - definitely makes you work for victory. And the slew of weapons available is an added bonus.

But as was true with "Resistance: Fall of Man," the real champion of R2 is it's online gameplay via the Cooperative and Competitive modes. In cooperative mode, up to eight players team up together to completel a series of objectives. It's hard to describe the experience but it is truly fast-pased, high-action, adrenaline pumping, and engaging. Just like the varying skills and abilities of bosses, the objectives can vary from moderate to ultra challenging calling for sound teamwork. R2 is truly amazing and the scale of the game is too grand to summarize in one entry. If you never got into "Resistance: Fall of Man," R2 begs you to reconsider.

Rock Band 2 DLC Tracks

After a tiring, no good day, it's always nice to come home and find a slew of packages waiting for you. Thankfully that was the case yesterday. First was the original "Vampire Knight" volume 8 manga, followed by my "Resistance 2" collector's edition PS3 game. Yay! And just as I was going to pop in the game, I checked my email to find my Rock Band 2 code for 20 free DLC tracks.

Check out the track list below. You probably won't need 3 guesses to figure out which song I jumped at playing first. X JAPAN's "I.V."

• The 88 - “Sons and Daughters”
• Authority Zero - “No Regrets”
• Between the Buried and Me - “Prequel To The Sequel”
• The Cab - “Bounce”
• The Chevelles - “Get It On”
• The Cocktail Slippers - “Give It To Me”
• Dealership - “Database Corrupted”
• Endeverafter - “I Wanna Be Your Man”
• The Ghost Hounds - “Ashes To Fire”
• Hollywood Undead - “Young”
• Kutless - “The Feeling”
• The Len Price 3 “If I Ain’t Got You”
• Lesley Roy - “I’m Gone, I’m Going”
• Opiate for the Masses - “Burn You Down”
• Semi-Precious Weapons - “Magnetic Baby”
• Shaimus - “Like a Fool”
• Thenewno2 - “Crazy Tuesday”
• Tickle Me Pink - “The Time Is Wrong”
• Underoath - “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”
• X Japan - “I.V.”

Rock Band 2 comes back for an encore and solidifies my love for RB. The little tweaks here and there make the experience very fluid. It's great to complete tour mode with a band of one and the addition of special challenges adds even more opportunities for gameplay. The capability of transferring most of your Rock Band tracks to Rock Band 2 is most convenient. But what impresses me the most is the revamp of the RockBand.com community. With the ability to take pictures of your band and even create custom merchandise is an added treat. Rock On!!!

GSC Golden Darkness PVC Figure

There has been a some nice figures of "To LOVE-Ru's" Golden Darkness, but none like this one. This assassin never looked more sinister and that may have something to do with that incredible golden hair. The tippy-toe pose truly induces motion in the figure, not to mention the ultra-fine detailing and flowing hair. As stated in the description, her right arm can be replaced with a dangerous blade to better suits her assassin's nature. Check out more of GSC's pics here.


Good Smile Company's Golden Darkness (Konjiki no Yami) 1/8 scale PVC figure is retailed at 6,500 yen and is due out March 2009. Did I mention I'm in love with that gorgeous hair?