Source - DS Fanboy

There's already a couple of Player's Choice titles on the GameCube and Gameboy Advance, and they happen to be some of the best titles on each of their respective platforms. Getting quality at a cheaper price is always a treat, so why haven't we seen Nintendo introduce this on the DS yet? Taito has already gone ahead and issued some of its games at rock-bottom prices for the DS over in Japan and now Konami is following suit with 3 games of its own. Ganbare Goemon (Mystical Ninja), Castlevania, and Survival Kids will all be released with a new price tag of 2940 yen, which comes to about $25 US, by Konami over in Japan on 6/29. ...

Source - DS Fanboy

There's already a couple of Player's Choice titles on the GameCube and Gameboy Advance, and they happen to be some of the best titles on each of their respective platforms. Getting quality at a cheaper price is always a treat, so why haven't we seen Nintendo introduce this on the DS yet? Taito has already gone ahead and issued some of its games at rock-bottom prices for the DS over in Japan and now Konami is following suit with 3 games of its own. Ganbare Goemon (Mystical Ninja), Castlevania, and Survival Kids will all be released with a new price tag of 2940 yen, which comes to about $25 US, by Konami over in Japan on 6/29. ...

Alex Zaballa has updated the port of Stella the Atari 2600 emulator for the GP2X

Changes:
--------
>From 2.1-rv3
Added Rom Browser mode and enabled it by default
>From 2.1-rv2
Scroll bug fixed (finally)
>From 2.1-rv1
Warlords graphics bug fixed

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments ...

Franxis has yet again updated the excellent MAME Arcade emulator for the GP2X, heres whats new:

New MAME GP2X 2.1:

- Faster (optimizations in graphic and sound libraries).
- Sound improvements in some classic games, e.g. Galaxian.
- Improvements in Namco sound library. It makes games like Gaplus to sound ok. Thx, Slaanesh.
- New clrmame.dat created by [MaD] updated up to MAME GP2X 2.1.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments ...

Source - Dreamcast Scene

In G rev's latest magazine entry, There was news of Under Defeat Selling out, but the rest was too difficult translate. Thankfully, our Scene hero Yakumo was able to translate port of the entry for us non Japanese DC sceners. Thanks chief!

"It is spring now but you wouldn't know it due to the strange climate we've had recently. However soon we will be able to see the cherry blossoms.

Weekly G.rev communication.

We are very happy with the sales of Under Defeat. It sold so well that it sold out! So we have made a small 2nd print run of the regular version. The limited Edition version is sold out. "

Great to hear that now even more people will be able to experience this awesome title. ...

It seems that Sony won the Grand Prix (no, not the car or bike race, doofus!) and Nintendo scooped up four awards for best PR Team (good work Mr Saunders), New Games Brand (Nintendogs), TV Campaign (DS) and Marketing Team.

THQ also came up smelling of roses, picking up Most Improved Company and the much sought after Best Sales Team award. One could make the cynical observation that it might have been hard for the company to NOT improve on its performance from back in the woeful year of 2004, but then such an observation might be considered unsportsmanlike.

Sony Computer Entertainment bagged the most prestigious award of the night, the rather magnificently named Grand Prix, in recognition of its commercial success, innovation and business management – with the company having flogged a million PSP and pushed the PS2 console up to historic UK sales of eight million over the last year. Not to mention also introducing some cracking new brands to expand the current market such as Buzz!, Singstar, new Eyetoy lines and the awesome God of War.

Amongst the retail awards, SPOnG’s favourite high street hangout, GameStation just pipped GAME to Entertainment Retailer of the Year, with accolades also going to fast-growing indie ePlay, ever improving HMV, Argos and EUK.

SCI was a popular winner of the Unsung Hero for keeping a famous games publishing name British, with its acquisition last year of Eidos.

Future's Edge magazine comfortably won Magazine Team of the Year following increased sales and strong editorial. Even though SPOnG generally despairs about the state of the UK games magazine sector, with its over-reliance on covermounts and made-up exclusives, we have to give it to the Edge team – they are consistently on the ball and always manage to produce a mag that we read cover to cover. Nice one, Mr Mott and crew.

"The UK games industry is at the very cutting edge of gaming as well as being a commercial success with a worth to the UK economy of around £2 billion each year. We lead the world at marketing, retail, development and media within the sector. This year's winners should be very proud," commented Stuart Dinsey, publisher of MCV and managing director of Intent Media.

here are those awards in full;

2006 MCV INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

RETAIL
Independent Retailer - ePlay
Entertainment Retailer - GameStation
General Retailer - Argos
Online Experience - Play.com
Most Improved Retailer - HMV
Retail Buying Team - EUK

PEOPLE & INDUSTRY
PR Team - Nintendo
Sales Team - THQ
UK Development Team - Bizarre Creations
Magazine Team - Edge
Distribution Team - Centresoft
Newcomer - Buena Vista Games
Unsung Hero - SCI
Most Improved Company - THQ

MARKETING
New Games Brand - Nintendogs (Nintendo)
Trade Marketing - Microsoft (Xbox 360)
TV Campaign - Nintendo DS (Nintendo)
Games Brand - Pro Evolution (Konami)
Games Publisher - Electronic Arts
Marketing Team - Nintendo

Grand Prix Award - Sony Computer Entertainment ...

It seems that Sony won the Grand Prix (no, not the car or bike race, doofus!) and Nintendo scooped up four awards for best PR Team (good work Mr Saunders), New Games Brand (Nintendogs), TV Campaign (DS) and Marketing Team.

THQ also came up smelling of roses, picking up Most Improved Company and the much sought after Best Sales Team award. One could make the cynical observation that it might have been hard for the company to NOT improve on its performance from back in the woeful year of 2004, but then such an observation might be considered unsportsmanlike.

Sony Computer Entertainment bagged the most prestigious award of the night, the rather magnificently named Grand Prix, in recognition of its commercial success, innovation and business management – with the company having flogged a million PSP and pushed the PS2 console up to historic UK sales of eight million over the last year. Not to mention also introducing some cracking new brands to expand the current market such as Buzz!, Singstar, new Eyetoy lines and the awesome God of War.

Amongst the retail awards, SPOnG’s favourite high street hangout, GameStation just pipped GAME to Entertainment Retailer of the Year, with accolades also going to fast-growing indie ePlay, ever improving HMV, Argos and EUK.

SCI was a popular winner of the Unsung Hero for keeping a famous games publishing name British, with its acquisition last year of Eidos.

Future's Edge magazine comfortably won Magazine Team of the Year following increased sales and strong editorial. Even though SPOnG generally despairs about the state of the UK games magazine sector, with its over-reliance on covermounts and made-up exclusives, we have to give it to the Edge team – they are consistently on the ball and always manage to produce a mag that we read cover to cover. Nice one, Mr Mott and crew.

"The UK games industry is at the very cutting edge of gaming as well as being a commercial success with a worth to the UK economy of around £2 billion each year. We lead the world at marketing, retail, development and media within the sector. This year's winners should be very proud," commented Stuart Dinsey, publisher of MCV and managing director of Intent Media.

here are those awards in full;

2006 MCV INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

RETAIL
Independent Retailer - ePlay
Entertainment Retailer - GameStation
General Retailer - Argos
Online Experience - Play.com
Most Improved Retailer - HMV
Retail Buying Team - EUK

PEOPLE & INDUSTRY
PR Team - Nintendo
Sales Team - THQ
UK Development Team - Bizarre Creations
Magazine Team - Edge
Distribution Team - Centresoft
Newcomer - Buena Vista Games
Unsung Hero - SCI
Most Improved Company - THQ

MARKETING
New Games Brand - Nintendogs (Nintendo)
Trade Marketing - Microsoft (Xbox 360)
TV Campaign - Nintendo DS (Nintendo)
Games Brand - Pro Evolution (Konami)
Games Publisher - Electronic Arts
Marketing Team - Nintendo

Grand Prix Award - Sony Computer Entertainment ...

The latest issue of EGM reports on murmurs of a Pilotwings sequel in the works for the Nintendo Revolution. It's been nearly a decade since the franchise received a fresh look. Sequels for N64 (Pilotwings 64 II) and GameCube were both cancelled. Will the third time be a charm? ...

Source Joystiq

Edge Magazine takes a look at comedy in games ... and comes up pretty short. With the exception of oft-cited titles like pretty much the entire early LucasArts gems (Secret of Monkey Island, Sam and Max, Day Of The Tentacle, and others) and the occasional Conker's Bad Fur Day or Bard's Tale, there isn't much gamers can point to.

They talk with Grumpy Gamer (and writer of the hysterical Secret of Monkey Island) Ron Gilbert who frames the problem this way: "I think games have spent a lot of time trying to be movies, but the thing about games is that they’re organic, that players can hopefully to do whatever they want, and if you can work humor into that, then that’s great.” So games like Secret of Monkey Island are passed over in favor of the occasional gag in Metal Gear Solid?

Hopefully gamers still crave the scripted comedy of the adventure classics. With fellow Lucas Arts alum Tim Shafer taking top honors in writing at GDC for Psychonauts, and a new Sam & Max adventure coming our way, there's at least a modicum of hope that gamers will embrace funny games. ...