The PS2 ain't dead yet!

How am I supposed to even think about buying a PS3 when there are so many PS2 games I haven't bought yet?

Along with Chulip, Dawn of Mana and Grim Grimoire (which admittedly isn't out in Japan yet, let alone in the U.S.), my "desperately need to buy" list includes Odin Sphere, a 2D side-scrolling love fest crafted by the same people who made the wonderful Princess Crown on the Sega Saturn all those years ago.

(By the way, if you haven't played that game and have a nicely endowed computer, go download a copy of the game and a good Saturn emulator--such as SSF--pronto. You'll be a very happy camper.)

Odin Sphere looks similar to Princess Crown, although it looks like you get to choose from five different characters from the start. After that, though, it looks like more of the same side-scrolling hack-and-slash action, with a bit of RPG thrown in for good measure.





Check out a trailer featuring all that and more at Atlus' official site. Click on "Archives" and look for the link to the trailer.

Japan, say 'hello' to Gears of War

Gears of War may be tearing up the charts in the U.S., but first-person shooters don't make the Japanese as hot and bothered as us Westerners (or so I've heard).

Microsoft isn't going to just give up on the game in the Land of the Rising Sun, though. No sir. Considering what a behemoth the company is--and that they're not exactly known for their creative marketing exploits--the series of viral videos they've released on the other side of the pond are all the more impressive.

I won't say any more than that. If you're titillated, go to Siliconera.com to check them out (especially the first one).

Squeenix opens up about FF Tactics A2

It seems like we've been waiting an eternity for some real news about Square-Enix's 10,000th DS release of the year: Final Fantasy Tactics A2. Sure, we could all guess it would be an extension of FF Tactics Advance, but that can only take a guy so far.

Well, the company that made Cid a household name (at least in my house) has finally let loose a few screen shots and background information on the game in the current issue of Jump magazine (a Japanese gaming pub). The guys and gals at GoNintendo.com were kind enough to post a scan of said magazine, while the crew at IGN.com translated some of the text and shared it with nerds like me (and you, I guess):

"Adel is a young girl who lives her life as a hunter. She's known amongst fellow hunters as 'Cat Adel.' Luso is a school boy who happens to hate ghosts. He's the type of boy who always gets into trouble with the teacher. These characters meet when they enter the strange world of Ivalice."

That's it, unfortunately. The screens look promising, at the very least. And maybe we'll learn more at Square-Enix's Final Fantasy-themed party set for May 12.

Is Resident Evil 4 getting a Wii re-vamp?

Now this is a curious bit of news. If it was April 1st today I'd be even more skeptical than I am, but considering it's still March I'm only somewhat skeptical.

According to the folks at GoNintendo.com, GameStop has added a new Wii release to its site: Resident Evil 4-Wii Edition. Along with saying the game will be available this June, the blurb says it will retail for just $30!

It's definitely possible, and I'm sure we'll learn more soon when Capcom holds their little shindig in Japan (about upcoming releases), but this is definitely one bit of gossip I'll take with a grain of salt until someone with a bit more clout opens up about it.

Ah, another DS game to add to my "to buy" list!

For some odd reason I've been waiting patiently for Nintendo of America to announce the stateside release of Picross DS. It's odd because I've barely played Picross--I'm not sure the few minutes I've put into Mario's Picross on the old GameBoy really even counts as "play time."

After reading about the DS version, though, and seeing a few pictures of it in action (which seems like an oxymoron, for some reason), it strikes me as the perfect morsel to satisfy my hunger for pick-up-play games.

Although Nintendo hasn't quite given in to my demands--it just announced that the game will be released in Europe on May 11--I'm guessing the press release is forthcoming. You have my new address, right Nintendo?