Earlier this evening, as I was waiting for a particularly long software installation, I reached over to my shelf o' handheld gaming systems, and surprisingly, instead of picking up my shiny new Game Boy Advance SP, my hand found its way to my Neo Geo Pocket Color. I'll detail all of the reasons why the death of this system was a crime against gamers everywhere in a future EX column, but basically this thing rocked, and still does. What a great little system that was...Metal Slug is still as much fun now as it was when I first picked it up, and there are some features that Nintendo really should have paid closer attention to (like the internal memory, for one thing).While I haven't been blown away by what I've seen of the N-Gage, I am really looking forward to giving it a whirl at E3 this year, if only because I'm convinced that Nintendo needs competition in this space, lest they get lazy. And the N-Gage, with its 3D capabilities and Bluetooth networking, could give Nintendo a shot in the arm (or at least scare 'em a bit). Incidentally, it looks like I'm going to need an N-Gage logo...if you'd like to get your name up in lights (or in the ALT text, anyway) send one my way.

	No Nintendo Online at E3 We all suspected it, but Computer and Video Games has confirmed it...Nintendo will not be showing any first party online titles at E3. So yes, that means no Pokemon, no Mario Party, no Mario Kart, and certainly no Super Smash Bros. or Zelda online any time soon.
	P.N.03 Previews Both GameSpot and IGN have posted their hands-on looks at P.N.03, and sadly it doesn't sound like it's that great of a game. Both sites seem to like it, but stress how the awkward control scheme gets in the way of the gameplay, and it sounds like the decision to only allow you to attack while standing still was a bad, bad move. I may pick this up at some point, but it's no longer high on my radar screen (which is a shame, because I think it does have a really cool look to it).
	Soul Calibur II Blitz The North American release is still a ways off, but GameSpot has unveiled their gala Soul Calibur II resource center, which is chock full of new screenshots and movies from the various versions of the game, along with a new hands-on preview. Not to be outdone, Cube.IGN has a new preview and some media from the game, including character exhibition movies.
	Sonic Adventure DX to Include Every Game Gear Sonic Game? Here's a weird development...according to Sonic Team's Yuji Naka, the upcoming GameCube port of Sonic Adventure (known as Sonic Adventure DX) will will include every Sonic game released for the Game Gear. Apparently there are so many of them, this was almost released as the Sonic Mega Collection 2. Also mentioned is that there are two new Sonic games, as well as two non-Sonic games at work at the developer. On a related note, new shots from SA DX are up at Cube.IGN.
	Tecmo Upset over Nude DOAXVB According to Computer and Video Games, Tecmo is apparently quite upset over the Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball nude modification that's hit the web. If you're scratching your head and wondering how you could have missed such an earth shattering development, CvG has kindly posted screenshots from the mod. Just don't ask me how to get it.
	SNK vs. Capcom Details Great news for SNK fans...SNK vs. Capcom: Chaos is coming, and it will be released for all three home console systems. The first details, including the preliminary character lineup, can be found at IGN.
	Shinobi 2 on the Way Sega Overworks has confirmed that a sequel to Shinobi is in the works. If you were disappointed in the PS2 game that was released last year, you'll be pleased to know that this sequel is said to be "drastically different" from that one.
	Dead Man's Hand Announced Infogrames has announced Dead Man's Hand, an upcoming Western-themed first person shooter from RUNE developers Human Head. The game is powered by the Unreal Engine, and will feature Xbox Live multiplayer.
	BC Update A new trailer showing off Lionhead's BC is up at Xbox.IGN tonight. On a related note, GameSpy has posted a quote from the game's lead designer, who makes it pretty clear that any release dates you see from online retailers are false, false, false.
	Gladius Q&A HomeLAN has conducted a Q&A with Robert Blackadder, the director at LucasArts on Gladius, their upcoming cross platform title that has absolutely nothing to do with Star Wars.
	ESPionage Announced Midway has announced ESPionage, a stealth action game that throws psychic powers into the mix. Aside from the usual sneaking, you'll have access to telekinesis, pyrokinesis, mind control and more. Could be cool.
	Red Faction for N-Gage THQ has announced that Red Faction is in the works for Nokia's N-Gage handheld system, care of John Romero's Monkeystone Games. While specifics aren't available yet, the plan is to make this a full 3D FPS, and Bluetooth multiplayer is being thrown around as a possibility.
	Misc. Media & Previews GameSpot has new shots from Shadow of the Sun and Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution for PS2, as well as three new shots from Phantasy Star Online for Xbox. They also have previews of the PS2 and Xbox versions of Black 9. IGN has a hands-on look at The Hulk, as well as new details and screenshots from FFXI: Vision of Ziraat. And rounding things out, Games Are Fun has a glimpse at the English language version of Advance Wars 2.