Hey all,

Well, I'm on fire . I recently received my sample of the USBgecko 3d party developement unit and started playing around with it (and made PCB shots ).

In case you haven't heard about the USBgecko yet, it's a third party unit that combines two products --> SDgecko and Nintendo's BBA. This is because the unit allows for you to boot DOL/BIN files on your Wii/Gamecube but is also able to act as a developers debug port. Homepage of the USBgecko.


Cheers and happy reading!
Scorpei ...

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.

...

via IGN


Capcom has unveiled the official website for Street Fighter IV in Japan, the latest instalment in the epoch-defining series that is causing many red-blooded gamers to break into a sweat.

Spotted by the eagle-eyed folk at Destructoid, the site includes a healthy splash of new screens depicting main characters Ryu and Ken in combat. There is also a trio of character profiles, for both the main protagonists and also for C.Viper, the recently announced new addition to the Street Fighter roster. Unfortunately, the site is heavy on Japanese text, though fansite The Street Fighter blog has kindly posted translations of the profiles – and rest assured they reveal little, with standard biogs on both Ken and Ryu, and an enigmatic entry for new challenger C.Viper giving nothing away.

Hit the gallery below for more SFIV screens and check back here soon for an in-depth look at one of the year's most hotly anticipated titles.


Screenshots ...

via Eurogamer


Not content with talking to them about TF2 maps during a recent visit, Valve has gone blathering to Shacknews about Left 4 Dead's release date, which is now "late summer". Presumably on both PC and Xbox 360, for which it's been announced.

Still, Left 4 Dead will be amazing whenever it comes out. We've played it in Valve's offices and at QuakeCon, and it's one of the most enjoyable takes on co-op we've ever experienced.

In case you're not keeping up, Left 4 Dead sees four player-controlled "survivors" fighting their way through various scenarios to an extraction point, beset on all sides by zombies ("Infected") and their deadly bosses.

Thanks to AI developed by Valve's recently acquired chums at Turtle Rock, no two trips through an episode of the game are the same, as enemy resistance changes in intensity from bit to bit depending on what kind of an experience an "AI director" is trying to craft. Fortunately there will be natural periods of relief built in to stop you going mad.

Another wicked thing about Left 4 Dead is that another four players can take control of Infected bosses. These mentalists each have special powers (one lightning-fast boss has a prehensile tongue with which to lynch you from rooftops), and thanks to Predator-esque tracking vision can position themselves creatively for ambushes.

And there are lots of other wicked things - preparing defences (like petrol canisters) and fending off waves of zombies at the extraction point, saving your team-mate from a zombie death with a shotgun and then turning to him and saying "I like to keep this handy for close encounters", and of course knocking Kristan off a rooftop into chasing zombies.

Oh, it's just lovely. We hope to see some more of it soon. ...

via Computer and Video Games


The big in-game XMB (Cross Media Bar) that PS3 owners are crying out for will be implemented in an update before the end of January, suggest fresh rumours.

Below are the first images of what a "nameless source" claims to be screen photos of the new firmware in action. The highlighted Game icon in one image looks to cover all the things the current list of in-game options do.

But to the right you can clearly see that all-important friends list column - where we expect you'll be able to send and receive messages and send game invites, and on the left is the music option, so playing your own tunes during gameplay should become an reality.

Of course, the suspicion is that some sad and lonely Photoshop wizard knocking these up in their spare time is more likely than a Sony insider exposing such a significant detail to the web.

We'll be in touch with our Sony UK contacts as soon as they're awake.


A couple of blurry photographs here ...

via Eurogamer


Alone in the Dark has not been delayed until September, according to Atari.

A spokesperson for the publisher claimed Games for Windows magazine was spouting a rumour, so presumably everything is on track for PC and 360 versions to appear in March.

Atari recently launched the official site for the game, which has some viral marketing based around Central Park and the scary things that lurk within it.

Interestingly it appears to be based around real-life occurrences like the you-must-know-about-it insect invasion of 1888, where nine different families of spider were taken from a single tree and a meaty five pounds of caterpillars taken from another.

Less interestingly Atari added PS2 and Wii versions of its survival-horror game to its schedule last November. As with the PS3 offering, no dates have been mentioned. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Bungie (the most typed word on our keyboards in 2007) has dropped fresh hints on what we can expect in the next Halo 3 map pack.

The first map pack, which includes Standoff, Rat's Nest and Foundry, is out now for the rather pricey 800 Microsoft Points (£6.80), though you probably bought it anyway.

As for the next slice of DLC, Bungie says it'll reveal the new maps "once they are ready for the general public to see," and that ultimately "it's up to Microsoft how that information is disseminated."

One level though, codenamed "Moon Base Alpha", looks likely to be included in the second pack. It's definitely being worked on, says Bungie, and "It's received some new lighting and different switches to enable and disable access to various parts of the map.

"We're still playing it pretty often," says Bungie's website man. "It is a brutal map to play on, that may appeal to fans of Elongation, but is absolutely NOT a remake."

When asked if there'll be any maps with more water, Bungie gives an assertive "Absolutely." Excellent, because we can't stop staring at Halo 3's pretty liquid.

Read the whole community update on the official Bungie website. ...

via Joystiq


Apparently fighting giant alien bugs on a snowy world isn't just a man's job anymore. Famitsu reports that the PS3 version of Lost Planet will allow gamers to play as Luka, the leader of the Snow Pirates from the original game.

Additionally, the PS3 version will also include Joe, Mega Man, and Dead Rising's Frank West, who were originally playable in the PC version. Hey, remember when Lost Planet was a 360-exclusive? So that lasted a while, huh? ...