One of the finest RPGs to date will see new life, stateside release unknown

Word is in one of the N64's scant few RPGs Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber is heading to Japan's Virtual Console, with a stateside release currently up in the air.

The N64, apart from a couple of fabulous Zelda installments, had virtually no RPGs in its library -- fans of the genre typically went to the PlayStation for their fix. However, then-independent developer Quest managed to secure Nintendo as a publisher for their newest addition to the "Ogre Saga", in the end providing gamers with what we'd call one of the finest RPGs to date. Atlus later brought the game stateside, albeit with a limited print run.

Featuring a very memorable score, a beautiful art style, tons of depth and customization, exciting and strategic battles, and a plot that is not only free of cliches, but really means something, this is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Circumstances being what they were, a lot of folks missed out on the game, but with it coming to Virtual Console next month in Japan, Ogre Battle 64 may finally get the audience it deserves. Quest is now part of Square Enix, so that does complicate matters some. However, Atlus has collaborated with the company in the past, so here's counting on its arrival to western shores.

New modes and gameplay info revealed, plus rock music

Fist of the North Star fans rejoice, for Koei has launched the official website in Japanese.  If you can't read Nipponese, the trailer and gameplay videos should be enough, along with pretty screens of the new stages and brief character bios.

Four new stages reveal themselves via the website, including Cassandra and Hokuto Dojo (of course).  The character bios section present Kenshiro, Toki, Mamiya, the misguided Raoh, and Rei.  In addition to those familiar faces, Shin makes himself known in the new gameplay screenshots, where he is shown kicking Ken's ass.

Screens and videos also give us a glimpse of how the combat will look.  In addition to smashing people in the face, Ken can pick up large (heavy) objects and chuck them into crowds of enemies.  Some of his moves are ripped straight from the manga, including his death-grab Hokuto Ginkaiken.

Dynasty Warriors meets Fist of the North Star -- what could go wrong?

Moving on.  Two modes -- "Dentou" and "Gentou" -- are being showcased on the site.  The first, Dentou, serves as the campaign and goes through the North Star story, revolving around the conflict between Kenshiro and Raoh.  The Gentou section details a second mode that follows a new story with different encounters.  According to Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, players can choose other characters in this mode, not just Kenshiro.  Keep in mind that other game modes may emerge, but Koei is keeping a lid on that for now. 

Hokuto Musou has already wound up on many Japanese "Most Wanted" charts, and we'll be seeing it on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this coming March.  You'll find the new screenies right below the cinematic.

Naughty Dog's Evan Wells explains plans for the future

Since the game's launch, Uncharted 2 has been receving plenty of online support from the developers, Naughty Dog. Recently the team treated players with various double cash weekend events, as well as a chain of patches to improve the game's online performance.  Some may be unaware that Naughty Dog already launched DLC for Uncharted 2 in the form a free map, "The Fort" and a pair of exclusive costumes available to those who purchased Uncharted: Eye of Indra.

When initially quizzed about DLC, the developers confirmed that online competitive content was already in production, Evan Wells recently stating, "We've got a bunch more maps in the works right now."

Aside from the frantic competitive play, Uncharted also harbours a few missions that can be played with up to two other players online. Though not as apparent as the core online experience or the popular survival mode, the co-op experience is still worthwhile and something that sets Uncharted a step above similar titles. In a recent interview Wells comments:

...could we add more co-op? Probably more in the arena-style type of gameplay, like our Survival and our Gold Rush modes. The objective-style co-op that we have where we have those little narrative moments...it's something that we are considering and we'd really like to do, but it's a much, much bigger investment of time because we have to do a lot of motion capture with the actors and record a lot of voices. So we would absolutely want make sure that we talk to our community and make sure there was the proper demand for it.

When Naughty Dog say they listen to their community, they aren't lying; the many game updates are solid proof of such feedback-fuelled support. However, if co-op is not your forte, there are still upcoming competitive maps to look forward to in the world of Uncharted.

PlayStation 3 date still undetermined

First announced back in November, the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins DLC has finally been dated -- for Xbox 360 and PC, anyway.  If you own the game for either platform, then January 5 will be your new Christmas.

The "Return to Ostagar" DLC, which has the Warden traveling back to where it all started, will be released to North America and Europe on the first Tuesday of January, or January 5.  PlayStation 3 gamers will need to wait, though just a little bit, as a PS3 release date has been confirmed for late January.

With the DLC, players will head back to the battlefield in Ostagar in search of King Cailan's loot, since taking goods off corpses obviously isn't an issue in Dragon Age.  Ferelden's former king isn't just the bubbly Warden-loving simpleton we mistook him for, however, and the additional content reveals some of his secrets.

“We are thrilled at the way the fans have embraced Dragon Age: Origins and we’re excited to welcome them back into the game,” said Aaryn Flynn, general manager and VP at BioWare Edmonton.  “'Return to Ostagar' represents BioWare’s commitment to providing a steady stream of compelling post release content as we continue to expand the Dragon Age universe.”

Nearly $800 million gap between video games and films

The film industry has always been at the top of the media entertainment pyramid, with the relatively new medium of video games looking meager in comparison. However, UK sales charts reflect a shift between these two industries: more money was spent on gaming in the UK than on film in 2009.

The figures compiled over the last 12 months (ending September 2009), detail that £1.73 billion (around $2.75 billion) was spent on video games as a whole, including hardware and software sales. It's worth noting that this predates Modern Warfare 2 in November, a game that broke records with its huge commercial success.

Despite the British film industry being in the best state it has been for several years, it only came out with £1 billion ($1.59 billion) at the box office. While the sales of DVD and Blu-Ray titles added a further £198 million, this still leaves over a £500 million ($794 million) gap between the two in 2009, making video games the third biggest media industry in the UK, beaten only by music and television.

The mainstream growth of the industry on a whole also shows a greater acceptance of gaming.  While the Nintendo Wii has been a successful attempt to break the stereotypical niche audience, its popularity during the previous two Christmas holidays has since waned.  The number of consoles in use within the UK has also doubled, from 13.5 million in 2008 to over 25 million earlier this year. Important figures like politician Tom Watson hope this progressive boom will open eyes, especially in Parliament where a very “narrow view” is still held.

One last trailer to tide gamers over before release

Square Enix has released one last trailer for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep before its January 10 release in Japan, and it's quite the doozy.  Footage is filled to the brim with cameos, gameplay, and a dire situation.

Fans will be acquainted with newcomers Aqua, Terra, and Roxas-look-alike Ventus as they traverse through new and old Disney worlds to meet up with King Mickey, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White, Stitch, and others.  Along the way, they'll also meet the members of Organization XIII before they became nobodies; younger incarnations of Sora, Riku, and Kairi will be present as well.  

Those fortunate enough to play through Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix+ will also recognize the bald man as Master Xehanort, who is very much interested in Ventus' progress and another individual by the name of Vanitas, but he's got an agenda of his own as well.  Poor Ventus himself gets the short end of the stick as he's seen nearly frozen solid and laying comatose somewhere by his lonesome.  Meanwhile, Terra struggles with preventing himself succumbing to evil forces and Aqua seeks out to help her friends.

Footage of gameplay may not show it, but the battle system received an overhaul and even takes a few cues from Chain of Memories where players can choose individual abilities for battles.  Other changes include a Focus gauge (similar to the Drive meter from Kingdom Hearts 2) that allows use of magic spells unique to Aqua, Terra, and Ventus, the D-Link feature to summon any partner of choice to expand your arsenal of attacks, and the Command Board minigame where players progress through a board with other heroes and villains to take a chance and grant themselves effects that may aid or hinder progress.

New Krogan companion REALLY loves to kill, but the Drell does it better

Based on what we've seen so far, Shepard is recruiting some pretty dangerous people in Mass Effect 2.  Subject Zero is an unstable biotic who likely has more STDs than medical science can document, and Thane's an assassin who can take out a small squad of armed guard with his bare hands.  And who can forget Grunt, your bloodthirsty Krogan friend?

In the latest Mass Effect 2 character trailer, titled "Savage," Grunt does note he's loyal to Shepard.  The one thing he loves more than following Shepard's orders to kill is doing it for fun, so our Spectre should probably keep an eye on the guy anyway.

Grunt explains in the "Savage" trailer that his favorite hobby is, in fact, killing anything (and everything) that moves, which could explain why he was taking on a giant burrowing worm ten times his size.  Quote the Krogan: "If he tells me to kill, I'm gonna kill.  If he tells me to fire, I'm gonna fire.  If he tells me to stop, I'll stop.  Eventually."

Bottom line, Grunt's not here to save the galaxy -- he's here to kill.

Update: Here's the other murderer in your party, Thane.  He doesn't talk quite as much as Grunt and simply states the obvious, "I was chosen for this mission because killing is an art, and I am a master."

First game's protagonist goes through his initiation in this short, fan-made movie

Usually when fans pay tribute to their favourite mediums of entertainment the result is something that disgraces the source material.  However, when fan fiction or films are done with care, the outcome can be impeccable, and the video below is solid proof.

Some guys over at TheDuoGroup -- a collective of like-minded artists -- have taken an untold story in the Assassin's Creed universe and bought it to life with a very artistic and authentic movie.

Their short film explains the initiation process uptaken by Altair when he finally becomes a member of the Assassin's guild. Characters are presented just how you would expect, with voice acting and scripting that feel like they were taken straight from the games. Though fairly short with few scenes, it's still a great punt on the fandom, and fans of Assassin's Creed will definately appreciate the creative input.

Weekly update brings plenty of choices, including Pilotwings on VC

Nintendo knows a ton of you likely got Nintendo Points for Christmas, so they're offering plenty of opportunities to use 'em up. 

First, on Virtual Console, the SNES flight sim Pilotwings offers players a chance to revisit their Flight Club for a price of 800 Wii Points.  Have fun completing various activities for your Club and performing advanced aerial maneuvers, going through obstacle courses, or mastering the perfect landing. 

There are eight different lessons to master, but your achievements may be awarded with the opportunity to pilot an attack chopper. 

A remake of Konami's Castlevania: The Adventure for GameBoy makes its way to WiiWare this week, named Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth.  Not the most creative name they could have come up with, but it's new, shiny, and we assume improved.  Once again, players become the Belmonts' hand of justice and seek to seal Dracula away, making sure he doesn't wake up until the next game.  If you want a taste of this full-color makeover, be prepared to fork over 1,000 Wii Points. 

A couple other big names have also made contributions to WiiWare, if Castlevania isn't your thing.  Tecmo is offering a two-player sumo game (finally), dubbed Eat! Eat! FIGHT!, and they're certainly not shy about weight.  The Wii Remote allows players to fight as a sumo, with moves like throwing, lifts, and suplexes.  You can also slap your Mii's face on your sumo, just for kicks.  As Tecmo puts it: "Here's a game that celebrates eating, getting fat and fighting."  Price tag?  That'll be 1,000 Wii Points, please.

Ubisoft is throwing in RABBIDS LAB on WiiWare for those Rabbid-lovers out there.  And where the Rabbids are involved, you can assume there'll be mayhem of the hilarious variety.  There's a Rabbid stuck in your Wii Remote controller, so you'll need to keep him amused.  Once he's taken a shine to you, the player can start messing around with the poor guy's appearance.  Not the most complex game, but certainly one of the more amusing ones -- and a cheaper option, at 500 Wii Points.

The Magic Obelisk is also available for the same amount as RABBIDS LAB and puts players in the shoes of Popo, a light spirit.  Your job is to guide a tree spirit from one point to another by moving only in the shadows, then help him find the perfect spot to plant down and become a... tree.  The ESRB rating promises "comic mischief."

For DSi owners, this week's downloads brings The Oregon Trail, an absolute classic many of us remember playing as a child in the school library.  There'll be more issues to solve this time around, likely bigger things than bad cases of dysentery.  Players can snap their own picture with the DSi camera and slap it onto their wagon; otherwise, have with your wagon repair bills.  After all, Nintendo and Gameloft claim you'll be facing the same "random events" real pioneers had to put up with.  This trip down memory lane will go for 800 Nintendo DSi Points.

Puzzle fans can look into Hudson's SUDOKU SENSEI for a low 500 DSi Points or edit their own with Powerhead's Glow Artisan for the same price.  If you're looking to spend even less, 200 DSi Points will get you one of two simpler games.  Nintendo's very own Master of Illusion Express: Psychic Camera makes use of the handheld's camera to read people's minds, and Skyworks' Arcade Hoops Basketball plays like a really short (45 seconds) Wii Sports title, with a stylus instead of the Wii Remote.

Promising PC inde game on its way to completion

Action RPG nuts and those that follow the independent gaming scene may want to check out a just released "combat demo" for Age of Decadence, a new installment in the genre that takes place in Roman times.

We've tried it out, and the game is certainly rough around the edges, likening itself in graphics and design more to Runescape than a modern RPG, isometric or no. For those into it, however, there seems to be a lot to love underneath the exterior -- the fan response so far is quite positive.

Age of Decadence will be done when it's done, at which time it will sell for $25 digital or $50 boxed from developer Iron Tower Studios -- a bit steep given Torchlight offers a fundamentally similar but overall much more up to date experience for $20 or less, but we digress. A full-fledged demo will be released at launch, as well.

Grab the demo via the source; before (or while) trying it out, be sure to check out the survival guide -- it'll make things much easier to grasp. Enjoy.

Plus details on DLC, framerate increase, and style switching

When we last reported on Cave Story Wii, publisher Nicalis had resubmitted the game for approval from Nintendo. Things may finally be progressing along nicely for the game as more details and a new release date have come to light for the run-and-gun platformer.

The most prominent new feature is the addition of two new difficulties: Easy Mode and Hard Mode.  Easy Mode will have our android hero Quote take on the game in a black/yellow getup while receiving half the damage he normally takes.  For Hard Mode, Quote is dressed to kill in a blonde/blue garb as he only has 3 HP at all times and no access to missiles.  Nicalis proudly touts Hard Mode to be included in the game as they originally planned it as an addition through DLC.  

And speaking of DLC, the publisher is planning much download content and they're taking requests from the players so be sure to visit the source link and make a post on their blog with your suggestions.  

Other features for Cave Story Wii include a framerate increase to 60 FPS, three save slots, Classic Controller support (recommended to be used when playing), switching to the original graphic and music style, and a couple of other changes that hardcore fans will notice.

So how about that release date?  A celebratory "Huzzah!" with complimentary bodyslam is in order as a release for right after the new year is confirmed.  The wait is almost over so be sure to stock up on Nintendo Points to ready yourself.

Console and PC statistics are in

P2P monitoring website Torrentfreak has released its figures for 2009, showing us the top five titles per platform pirates were particularly into.

First we'll start with the Xbox 360, which had the lowest number of downloads overall, although still disconcertingly high.

It's worth nothing of course Modern Warfare 2 came out only recently, but managed to beat out all other titles in the span of about one month, whereas the rest had six months or more to reach their peak.

Next up we have the Wii, in second overall.

Four of the titles are Nintendo releases, for which no doubt the company will be or already is fighting, as they are known to. Who would've thought so many "hardcore" fans from the 80s would've grown up to be pirates?

The last title, quite interestingly, is Sega's House of the Dead: Overkill. For all the talk of violent games not being popular on the Wii, the 860,000 figure alone refutes any claims of interest, there. Sega has previously stated sales were "as expected" -- just imagine the effect it would've had if each of those pirates had actually bought the title.

Last up is the PC, certainly the most notorious platform for piracy. Appropriately, downloads are three times as large in quantity, which goes to show you just how many PC gamers are out there, be they pirates or paying players (to put it in perspective: MW2 sold 4.7 million units on launch day).

These stats are the most interesting of all. First, we see that despite an at least partly failed boycott on MW2, a very large number of pirates saw fit to download the game free instead of paying (not to say some of them didn't purchase afterwards).

The other interesting note is both The Sims 3 and Need for Speed SHIFT were torrented extensively, though neither title had any DRM (and SHIFT had a demo), which, as usual, shows you the majority of people don't care about the stuff one way or the other.

The number five most pirated PC game is Street Fighter IV. All we have to say about that one is if you are one of the people that pirated it: go legit, as it's a great version that deserves to be supported, particularly with the disparaging number of fighters on the platform.

As usual, the PS3 remains virtually untouched for a variety of reasons -- you have to give Sony some credit there.

On the whole Modern Warfare 2 is by far the most pirated title of this last year, besting 2008's Spore by more than double, though we're sure Activision isn't too hurt about it, what with the more than half billion dollars in sales and all.