In China, the online game was named 圣斗士OL and is already in beta. From the prizes (from PSP to MP3 players) that the Chinese players can get during this beta testing period, we reckon that Saint Seiya Online will attract new fans who have no idea who is Athena or Masami Kurumada.

Image: 圣斗士OL

Post from: EveryJoe

Saint Seiya Online, Old Anime Hot In China

Late last year, the SEGA Ultimate Mega Drive Collection had merely been a rumor. Now, it’s a reality, and it’s coming to video game store shelves this January 26, at least in Australia. Is it also slated for release in North America and Europe? I really have no idea.

All I know is what’s in the SEGA Ultimate Mega Drive Collection. Here’s a partial rundown: Sonic the Hedgehog (1, 2 and 3), Alien Storm, Space Harrier (whoopie!), Streets of Rage (1, 2 and 3), and Columns.

Here’s what, *sigh*, PC World has to say about the upcoming release of SEGA Ultimate Mega Drive Collection followed by a short clip of what you can expect:

SEGA will bring smiles and nostalgic thoughts to many next week with the release of the Ultimate Mega Drive Collection for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Featuring 40 of the most popular games for the SEGA Mega Drive, the collection brings the retro games to the latest generation of consoles with high-definition refinements. Each of the 40 games has been enhanced to 720p, and console-specific unlockable achievements and multiplayer modes have been added. The collection is scheduled for a January 26 local release on both consoles.

Oh, and in case you didn’t like the video, PC World has a slideshow of screenshots from the collection. You might want to check it out.

Post from: EveryJoe

SEGA waxes nostalgic, to release Ultimate Mega Drive Collection for Xbox 360, PS3

The role of Shinobi is most commonly associated with that of Joe Musashi, the protagonist of the original arcade game and many of its sequels. His name is a combination of both an archetypal Western first name and Japanese last name, Musashi likely being derived from the legendary Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. In the manual of The Revenge of Shinobi, Musashi\’s backstory is told as that of a weak boy who first entered the dojo of the Oboro Clan at a young age and gradually, through tireless practice and meditation, worked himself up to become the most skilled and respected ninja of his clan.\r\n\r\nHis peaceful existence in the mountains of Japan is shattered when the totalitarian crime syndicate Neo Zeed rises to power and threatens to take over the world. The Oboro Clan is hunted down by Zeed\’s minions, his master assassinated and his girlfriend Naoko taken hostage. Musashi swears revenge, and in the ensuing battles, as chronicled in The Revenge of Shinobi, all but annihilates Neo Zeed. When Neo Zeed returns in Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, the ninja comes out of retirement one final time and destroys the crime organization for good.

Post from: EveryJoe

Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) in Shinobi commercial

How did the guys up at Arthur’s Hall come up with the idea of giving the world such a list of video games? Shatner (yes, after William Shatner), Arthur’s Viking Assistant, gives us the details:

I had a discussion with Arthur the other day regarding the question, “Are video games manly?” While wasting your life away on a couch playing video games isn’t quite as manly as killing small animals for food, or going to war against the forces of tyranny, we decided that in the end, video games are a manly form of entertainment.

Here’s how I went through Arthur’s Hall’s list:

Pro Wrestling on the Nintendo Entertainment System … check. Counter-Strike on the PC … check. Double Dragon on the NES, in the Arcade, and on the Sega Master System … check. Street Fighter II on multiple systems … check. Ikaruga on the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo GameCube … what the hell’s Ikaruga? Tecmo Bowl on the NES … never played it since American Football is a very alien sport in my country. Metal Slug on the Neo Geo … check. Custer’s Revenge on the Atari 2600 … yeah, saw it when I was younger but didn’t understand the object of the game (which was to order General Custer to, uhmmm, ravish a young Indian girl). Mike Tyson’s Punch Out on the NES … check. And finally Contra on the NES … perfect!

Then I thought, “Waitaminute! Where’s Leisure Suit Larry?

Leisure Suit Larry is the series of adventure games written by Al Lowe (hail to the chief!) and published by Sierra On-Line from the 1980s to the present. The character, whose full name is Larry Laffer, is a balding, dorky, double entendre-speaking, leisure suit-wearing “loser” in his 40s who spends much of his life trying, usually unsuccessfully, to seduce attractive women.

Undoubtedly, Leisure Suit Larry is the manliest game of all time … that is, if Larry is a bit more manly looking. But where’s the adventure in playing a good-looking, hunky guy in his 40s with the goal of chasing, always successfully, nubile young and attractive women?

Here’s a short overview courtesy of Wikipedia:

Leisure Suit Larry originally stemmed from ideas of Sierra’s first adventure game Softporn Adventure created by designer Chuck Benton. The Larry games were one of Sierra’s most popular games series during the genre’s heyday when it was first released in the mid 1980s. As such, they remain well-known among fans of the type today. The series stands out among Sierra’s catalog in that they are the only games the company produced that contain significant sexual themes.

In general, the games follow Larry’s escapades as he attempts (and mostly fails) to convince a variety of young nubile women (rendered with increasing sophistication throughout the series) to have sex with him. A common link between the games are Larry’s explorations of luxurious and cosmopolitan hotels, ships, beaches, resorts and, more commonly, casinos. One of Larry’s trademarks is his manner of introducing himself: “Hi, my name is Larry; Larry Laffer,” a reference to James Bond’s introduction style, “My name is Bond; James Bond.”

Because of the nature of the games, the first and third episodes of the series featured an age verification system, which consisted of a series of questions to which the authors reasoned only adults would know the answer. However, many of the questions were United States-centric and this frustrated some non-U.S. gamers. Also, the multiple-choice questions did little to deter adolescents with some patience and a notepad.

Post from: EveryJoe

10 Manliest Video Games of All Time: What, no Leisure Suit Larry?!?

Kohler\\\\\\\’s first book, Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life, was published by BradyGAMES in September 2004. Kohler completed the research for Power-Up as a Fulbright scholar to Kyoto, Japan. He graduated summa cum laude with highest thesis honors from Tufts University. He has contributed to books such as Gaming Hacks for O\\\\\\\’Reilly and High Score! Second Edition for McGraw-Hill.\\\\r\\\\n\\\\r\\\\nAll that aside, he would most like to be remembered as having starred as the first guard after Vulcan Raven in the Easy mode of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for Nintendo GameCube.

\\\\r\\\\n\\\\r\\\\nNow, who wouldn\\\\\\\’t be interested in taking a gander at Retro Gaming Hacks? It\\\\\\\’s chockful of retro gaming goodies, such as guides on how to buy and run old consoles like the Atari 2600 and the Nintendo Entertainment System, and how to play classic games on contemporary consoles and platforms, like from Arcade to PC and Macintosh.\\\\r\\\\n\\\\r\\\\nLet me just shut up and give you a summary of the book in a few paragraphs:\\\\r\\\\n\\\\r\\\\n

Maybe it was the recent Atari 2600 milestone anniversary that fueled nostalgia for the golden days of computer and console gaming. Every Game Boy must ponder his roots from time to time. But whatever is driving the current retro gaming craze, one thing is certain: classic games are back for a big second act, and they\\\\\\\’re being played in both old and new ways.\\\\r\\\\n\\\\r\\\\nWhether you\\\\\\\’ve just been attacked by Space Invaders for the first time or you\\\\\\\’ve been a Pong junkie since puberty, Chris Kohler\\\\\\\’s Retro Gaming Hacks is the indispensable new guide to playing and hacking classic games. Kohler has complied tons of how-to information on retro gaming that used to take days or weeks of web surfing to track down and sort through, and he presents it in the popular and highly readable Hacks style.\\\\r\\\\n\\\\r\\\\nRetro Gaming Hacks serves up 85 hard-nosed hacks for reviving the classic games. Want to game on an original system? Kohler shows you how to hack ancient hardware, and includes a primer for home-brewing classic software. Rather adapt today\\\\\\\’s equipment to run retro games? Kohler provides emulation techniques, complete with instructions for hacking a classic joystick that\\\\\\\’s compatible with a contemporary computer. This book also teaches readers to revive old machines for the original gaming experience: hook up an Apple II or a Commodore 64, for example, and play it like you played before.

\\\\r\\\\n\\\\r\\\\nWhat are you waiting for? Go grab the book and enjoy 502 pages of pure retro gaming goodness.

Post from: EveryJoe

Retro Gaming Hacks by Chris Kohler: Highly recommended

Samus Aran is the main fictional character in Nintendo\\\’s Metroid series. Samus is a bounty hunter aiding the Galactic Federation to hunt down and defeat space pirates. Samus Aran wears a full body power suit given to her by an advanced but now extinct race called the Chozo. The power suit has a number of advanced technologies integrated into it, such as an arm cannon and the ability to morph into a ball that is a fraction of the size of its wearer.\\r\\n\\r\\nSamus Aran was initially thought to be male inside a suit or a cyborg of some kind, but players of the first Metroid game were surprised to discover at the end of the game when Samus turned out to be female. Over the years, and with each new installment of the Metroid series, Samus\\\’ feminine persona has been shown more and more to the point now where newcomers to the series can identify the character as female.

\\r\\n\\r\\nTo give you an idea just how male-looking Samus Aran was in the first Metroid game, here\\\’s a video on how to make a Samus Aran sculpture out of Lego blocks (hope you can follow it, though):\\r\\n\\r\\n\\r\\n\\r\\nNotice how blocky the 8-bit Samus Aran is?

Post from: EveryJoe

How to make a Samus Aran sculpture out of Lego

So with that in mind, I’ve decided to start a new topic or category, Video games I want to play forever. It’s very literal. It will feature video games that I love and those that I want to keep playing until my computer conks out, or until my body crumples from exhaustion.

Without further ado, I present to you the Total War series on the PC:

Total War is a strategy game series developed by Creative Assembly. The games combine turn-based strategy and resource management with real-time tactical control of battles. On June 30, 2006, a box set of the first three Total War titles and their expansion packs was released. Called Total War: Eras, the boxed set also included several extra features and the Rome: Total War expansion Alexander, which had previously been only available through download.

When I first laid my eyes on the Total War series, via Rome: Total War, I wasn’t impressed. I found the game dragging and lacking in action. But that was just my initial reaction—a way of challenging myself to try out the game. Raymz Maribojoc, the friend who introduced me to the Total War series, was insistent. Thank the gaming gods I listened to him.

So, on a rainy evening around two years ago, I played Rome: Total War on Raymz’s, uhmm, office PC like there was no tomorrow. Upon my friend’s recommendation, I started the game playing the Brutii, one of three playable Roman factions in the game, the other two being the Julii and the Scipii. (The three factions are named after three great figures in Roman history, namely Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus, and Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.

Check out the details after the jump.

Each faction or house has a campaign to follow, mostly at the direction of the Roman Senate. Here’s a brief description from Wikipedia:

Rome: Total War (often abbreviated to RTW or Rome) is a critically acclaimed strategy game composed of both turn-based strategy and real-time tactics, in which the player fights historical and fictitious battles set during the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire (270 BC – AD 14). The game was developed by Creative Assembly and released on September 22, 2004. It is the third game of Creative Assembly’s Total War series.

The endeavors of the player involve a duality of turn-based strategy and 3D real-time tactical battles. The high-quality 3D graphics engine is able to render over thirty thousand men on a single battlefield. The strategic and tactical modes integrate such that the landscape for the battles is the same as seen on that particular spot on the strategic map where the armies meet.

The player takes a role equivalent to the head of one of the three great Roman houses at the time: the Julii, the Scipiones (known as the Scipii in the game) or the Bruti (called the Brutii). Each of these factions has a different set of attributes and initial objectives. After winning campaign as Romans (or using a simple mod) it is possible to play with other factions and take on a role similar to that of Hannibal, commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian armies during the Second Punic War or the Gallic Warlord Vercingetorix.

Prior to its release, a preliminary but completely workable version of the game engine was used in two series of television programs: Decisive Battles by the History Channel, where it was used to recreate famous historical battles, and Time Commanders by BBC Two, where teams of novice non-gamers commanded ancient armies to replay key battles of antiquity. The game engine was fine-tuned specifically for these TV shows by military historians for maximum historical accuracy.

Speaking of Rome, you might want to check out Google’s Ancient Rome 3D project. Sravan Bhamidipati of That Damn PC wrote about the Ancient Rome 3D layer in Google Earth and the LIFE photo archive late last month.

Cool, eh?

Now I’m looking for a full, updated version of Medieval II: Total War and eagerly anticipating the release of Empire: Total War. Yes, I’m going to play these games for a very long time.

Post from: EveryJoe

Video games I want to play forever #1: Total War series

Unfortunately, a family friend made the choice for me when she dropped by the house and sold us a 21-inch Sanyo television set. Hey, it’s not the best choice, but I got it on a good installment package. It also freed up my thoughts for another project: A portable projector!

So I went back to scouring the web for a great portable projector when I came across this “how to” retro gaming video:

Many thanks to Make Magazine for the video. I have a question: If the video is about “How to play retro video games on the big screen,” then why does it look more like an endorsement for the portable projector, a Hasbro Zoombox?

One thing’s for sure, though, I’ll include the portable projector in my next wish list, if not this Christmas then on my birthday in January.

Post from: EveryJoe

Need a bigger screen to play retro games?

Sigh. It’s quite unfortunate, however, that like most speed runs, this speed run of Shang Tsung on Mortal Kombat 2 is tool assisted and played on an emulator. Ahh, but what the heck. It’s still fun watching a character beat up all his opponents from start to finish.

Next time, I’d like to see the player do it without the tool assist. :p

Post from: EveryJoe

Speed Run: Mortal Kombat 2 on Sega

Look, ma, no hands! It’s strange seeing Pac-Man land blows on the diminutive Mario without flailing arms and legs. It must be his, er, its big mouth.

Post from: EveryJoe

Pac-Man pwns Mario