A portion of a Vooks review…

All in all, Punch-Out!! is probably the most fun I’ve had with my Wii for a long time but, as with most killer Wii titles, it’s missing one thing—online play. A perplexing decision considering that Next Level’s pedigree includes Mario Strikers Online, but either way, the game is still rather enjoyable with a lot of content that is sure to please both old and new fans alike.

Full review here

Endless Ocean 2 – Japanese Overview Trailer

Taikou Risshiden – Japanese Virtual Console Gameplay

A lot of people were wondering what was up with the release date of Muramasa: The Demon Blade. For those that preordered from GameStop, you should be able to grab your copy tomorrow! I just got this text message that confirms the news…albeit spelled incorrectly.

I make tons of spelling mistakes too, GameStop. Don’t worry, I’ll always be your bst friend.

Direct link here

Our friends in Europe and Australia are enjoying Contra ReBirth via WiiWare right now. When oh when will North American fans get to download the game? Sooner than we thought, which is great news!

Konami has confirmed that Contra ReBirth will be hitting WiiWare this Monday for the price of 1,000 Nintendo Points. I’ve been dying to get my hands on this one, which means I’ll be there the second the game goes live. Set up your Wii points now, gang!

Link

More old/new here

Most big-time game events include lanyards for the various badges that people have to wear. We often see badges for Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft…the big three spend the big bucks to make sure their name makes the rounds.

At PAX, things are a bit different. Alien Hominid developers Behemoth have slapped their name on lanyards, which just goes one more step in showing how PAX has a completely different aim from other game industry events.

Link

“Void, while more abstract than the previous games, tells a very important chapter in Commander Video’s story. Without his experiences from Void, he would be totally unprepared for ????, the next game.” – Gaijin Games’s CEO and designer Alex Neuse

Maybe one day, when the Bit.Trip series is complete, I’ll be able to understand the story of Commander Video. Right now I’m in the dark, but I don’t feel that bad about it. I doubt I’m the only one that is still a bit confused. I’m only enjoying the game on one level right now, but I’m ready to go even deeper with my understanding.

As far as understanding some of the new elements in Bit.Trip Void, you might be happy to know that there are now mid-level checkpoints. Will this new approach to difficulty actually ruin what people love about the Bit.Trip series? Mr. Neuse has this to say…

“Rest assured, we’re not interested in dumbing down the series at all. With each game in the series, we make sure that above all else, it fits into the overall mythos. Checkpoints have made it into this game because it felt right to add them. Don’t worry though, to get a PERFECT, you still have to beat the level in one grueling sitting. Void’s difficulty (whether harder or easier than the first two games) feels appropriate for the kind of game it is. At Gaijin Games we try to make our games as difficult/long/beautiful/etc as they need to be. No more, no less.”

Link

Tatsunoko Vs Capcom producer Niitsuma-san has taken up blogging recently, and he seems to be on a roll. While he isn’t offering up any new information on the game, he’s opening up about his experiences with all different events where the game has popped up. In his most recent blog entries, he’s talked about the response from media to Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom at Gamescom, and then he also mentions the “Super Battle Opera” in Japan, where T Vs. C was featured. Check out the translated blog posts below!

Tatsunoko Vs Capcom Producer in Germany

Tatsunoko Vs Capcom Producer’s thoughts on Tougeki