via IGN

If you've been checking the official PlayStation blog recently, you may have noticed a post by David Jaffe regarding the upcoming Twisted Metal: Head-on: Extra Twisted Edition. In the post, Jaffe spends a fair amount of time discussing the special features that will be included on the disk, and the list seems quite impressive.

For those of you not yet familiar with the game, Extra Twisted is a port of the PSP title Twisted Metal: Head-on, but now runs at 60 frames per second and features updated textures and art. According to Jaffe, the game also has a new level to play on: the Transylvania Castle. There are also four "lost levels" from the Twisted Metal: Black world that focus on multiplayer deathmatch, and Jaffe stresses the high-quality of their design.



Continuing on, gamers who buy Extra Twisted will receive a code that enables them to download a free copy of the Twisted Metal Symphony album. Jaffe explains that this album is a compilation of songs from previous Twisted Metal games, with some fan favorites included.

Next up on the list is an art book full of concept drawings, some of them dating back to the original Twisted Metal. However, some of the biggest extras on the disc are videos: a 30 minute (and very honest) documentary outlining the history of the Twisted Metal series, and a handful of live-action ending movies Jaffe himself wrote and directed, originally planned for the first Twisted Metal game but never included. Very intriguing indeed.



Finally, gamers can play a new mode: the Sweet Tour. Here, you can take control of Sweet Tooth and run around older levels collecting icons that open up even more extras.

Jaffe ends the post by noting the price of the game: an extremely reasonable $19.99. Sounds like quite an appealing deal. Head over to the PlayStation blog to check out the full post and check back soon as we continue our coverage of Extra Twisted. ...

Apparently Midway was working on a Wiimote-style controller for Dreamcast.

The video shows an ex-Midway employee playing Ready 2 Rumble with this controller. Also this person is suing Nintendo for Wiimote controls

You can see the video here. ...

via WorthPlaying

In Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2, an ancient organization which was long thought disbanded is alive and in search of several orbs to resurrect a mechanical horror that will ravage the land. It's now up to Naruto and all the Hidden Leaf Genin to join forces with those of the Hidden Sand Village to stop this menace.



A new evil has risen and threatens to take over not only the Hidden Leaf Village, but all the other villages and ninja clans as well. An ancient organization which was long thought disbanded is alive and well and in search of several orbs to resurrect a mechanical horror that will ravage the land. It’s now up to Naruto and all the Hidden Leaf Genin to join forces with those of the Hidden Sand Village to stop this menace.

While staying faithful to the hugely popular anime, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles2 boasts a completely new original adventure, plus co-op gameplay, character customization options, and multiple playable characters switch-able on the fly including Naruto, Shikamaru, Rock Lee, Kakashi, Guy, Neji, Choji, and more. In addition to 2-player Vs Battle gameplay, during normal solo play a second player is able to join in the action for a simultaneous two-player adventure in Co-op mode. Dazzling lethal attacks and an armoury of specialised ninja weapons are taken straight from the anime with over 30 attack items for kicking ninja ass. The thrilling gameplay modes include Story, Head-to-Head, Mission, and Survival modes giving aspiring ninjas plenty of kicks and punches to throw.

Features :

* Explore the Naruto world with a brand new story line that can only be experienced through Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2
* During the game, a second player is able to join in on the action for a simultaneous two-player adventure! Or, fight head-to-head with a friend and battle it out for the title of Hokage.
* Additional gameplay modes further enhance the Naruto experience:
o Story Mode - Play alone or with a friend and traverse a lush, 3-D anime-style world in which Naruto and his friends work together to unravel the mystery of the Shirogane Clan and their nefarious army of "puppet walkers." Hone your skills to become the ultimate warrior and unlock a secret chapter of the story.
o Mission Mode - Take on a series of challenging side missions.
o Survival Mode - Test your skills to become the ultimate warrior and unlock a secret mission.
* Choose your favorite ninja, including Naruto, Shikamaru, Rock Lee, Kakashi, Guy, Sasuke, or Choji, to complete story-driven missions and intense challenges.
* Prove yourself in battle and earn money to create the ultimate warrior using Chips and Plates that can customize your character's speed, strength, stamina and even special moves.
* Harness the power of Rasengan, Lightning Blade, Sand Coffin, and other moves, straight from the series!

Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2, already available in North America, is scheduled for European release in March 2008. ...

via WorthPlaying

SouthPeak Games announced a new twist on the racing genre in the form of Iridium Runners, placing gamers in a futuristic world where they are literally running for their lives.

Set in the year 2050, the Iridium Championship is a series of athletic on-foot races sponsored by futuristic mega corporations, where pure speed isn’t necessarily the only route to winning on the game’s wildly inventive tracks. Combinations of collectable power-ups and weapons add to the frenetic pace, opening up a wide range of options for securing victory over the other contestants.

Iridium Runners will feature several game modes, from full championship to single race, with the highlight being split-screen multiplayer. Split into traditional free-for-all racing and a tactically rich team mode, Iridium Runners’ multiplayer allows for CPU players to fill space where human adversaries aren’t available. The team mode features two teams with two players each, with each team having to balance racing for the finish line with hampering the efforts of their opponents by making good use of all the available collectables. Rendered in a delightful cartoony style, Iridium Runners’ unique visuals underline the freshness of the overall concept, which promises to re-invigorate the PS2’s racing catalogue.

Melanie Mroz, Executive Vice President, SouthPeak Games said: “Iridium Runners is our first release for 2008, which promises to be an amazing year for us. We’ve got titles across eight formats lined up for the rest of the year and it’s great to be starting with a distinctive, instantly-accessible racing title like Iridium Runners. At its mid-range price point, we’re sure its charm and inventive design will appeal to any PS2 gamer looking for a bit of futuristic racing action.”

Features:

* 20 characters and 8 pod sidekicks to choose from. Picking the right one is crucial to winning the race.
* 30 tracks to race on, each with their own unique obstacles and challenges.
* Single Race, Cup and Championship modes are available in both single player and multiplayer.
* Collect power ups during the race that give you special powers that allow you to increase your performance or attack your opponent.
* Unlock new characters, suits, tracks, soundtracks, and production artwork as you proceed throughout the game.

Iridium Runners, rated E for Everyone, is developed by Italian game studio Playstos Entertainment and will be released on Feb. 22, 2008.

...

DarkDevils translated the classic NES game, Dragon Warrior IV, to the spanish language.

You can download the patch at the official website. ...

via IGN

Love Fords? Love budget racing games? Well lucky you, as this morning Xplosiv announced the next instalment in their ongoing Ford series, Off Road.

Coming to the PS2, PSP, PC and Wii, Off Road is also bringing the Land Rover brand into the mix, so expect a multi-marque mash-up. There's the requisite selection of tracks, with desert, water and ice environments to pit your off-roader against, and there will also be 18 officially licensed vehicles. Hit the gallery below for a fresh batch of screens.

The game is coming to the PSP, PS2 and PC on 21 March with a reasonable price tag of GBP 19.99, and the Wii version is expected soon after.

...

via X-bit labs

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan said this week that it had stopped shipping versions of its PlayStation 3 game console with hardware backwards compatibility to Japan. As a result of the decision, Japanese buyers will have to own PlayStation 2 game console to play previously released games, whereas PlayStation 3 will only play newly-developed high-definition titles.

From now on the only available new-generation game system from Sony Computer Entertainment in its domestic market will be the PlayStation 3 40GB, which is not compatible with games developed for PlayStation and PlayStation 2. Previously available PlayStation 3 20GB and 60GB models featured built-in PlayStation 2 hardware inside, providing absolute backwards compatibility and allowing end-users to seamlessly transit from PS2 to PS3. Sony’s PlayStation 3 60GB in Europe and PlayStation 3 80GB in the USA relied on software emulation to enable backwards compatibility with PS2 and for some reason Sony decided not to make them available in Japan.

Sony Computer Entertainment claims that cutting-down backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 is not something completely negative, as growing library of games developed for the advanced new-generation game system should substitute the lack of previous titles. While this may be correct for so-called hardcore gamers, which play a great variety of games, casual customers who currently own a PlayStation 2 have no reason to transit to the new-gen console due to the lack of casual games for PS3. As a result, they may migrate to Nintendo Wii, which features unique motion sensitive controller as well as a relatively rich library of simplistic games.

Sony PlayStation 3 console is based on the Cell processor developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba, the RSX graphics chip by Nvidia Corp., wireless network and Bluetooth connectivity and is equipped with Blu-ray optical disk drive. There are several versions of the consoles available around the world with 60GB or 80GB hard disk drives and variable compatibility with PlayStation 1/2 games as well as 40GB version that cannot play old games at all. The official prices of Sony PlayStation 3 40GB and 80GB in the USA are $399 and $499, respectively, European customers have to pay €399 ($590) and €499 ($738) for 40GB and 60GB models, respectively, whereas Japanese gamers can obtain PlayStation 3 40GB for ¥39 980 ($367 or €248).


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check my face ...

via Gameplanet

In a bold move, Sega has launched an online competition for Xbox 360 players, with a $5000 cash prize for top place. Xbox live subscribers will be able to play their latest release The Club, a gritty third-person shooter, and submit their scores in an attempt to win the top place.

We caught up with Sega today - check out our preview of The Club here. To sign up for this competition, check out this link. ...

New update of the Nintendo DS emulator for PC, this beta being released now for Windows.

Changelog:

• Fixed a bug in LDRs ARM opcodes.
• Fixed a bug SMLAXY opcode.
• Fixed a bug in cycle N,S for ARM9.
• Fixed a bug in 3D pipeline for invalid coordinates.
• Fixed a bug in Auto Sort for Traslucent Polygons.
• Fixed a bug in Windows Mode Drawing.
• Added support for Hinge.
• Added None Save Type. ...