Late Night Consoling

June 16, 2003 8:00 PM

Call it the game machine that just won't go away...it's been a regular console, a Linux box, a karaoke machine and a pachinko terminal, but now thanks to some enterprising company (who it should be pointed out has no license to do this), the Dreamcast is now a portable gaming machine known as the Treamcast. This is available in Hong Kong, also known as "hidden pirate treasure island," and an absolute hotbed of illicit games and related hardware, and under no circumstances should anyone expect to see this gadget to be sold at any reputable North American retailer. Still, it's very cool, and you have to admire the skill involved in its production. Thanks 8Bit Joystick for pointing it out.

	More Price Cuts Before the End of the Year? According to one analyst, we might see a second price drop for the major hardware platforms before the end of the year. While everyone is in agreement that price drops would be a good thing for consumers and software publishers, I'm not convinced that Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony are in any rush to drop prices again.
	Hulk Game Tie-In This is actually really cool...according to an article in today's Variety (and subsequently reported over at Comics2Film), "passwords and unlock codes" for the currently-available Hulk video game will be shown in the movie that opens on Friday. Among the extras is the ability to play as the gray Hulk from the comics, and if you're planning on trying to catch the codes, you'll have to look really carefully, as the example given is a single license plate. Of course, you could just wait for the DVD and make your life much easier. Also, a promotion with Mountain Dew gives you the chance to win a special green Xbox system.
	Indy Goes Gold The Xbox and PC versions have been available for some time now, but nonetheless, LucasArts announced today that Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb has gone gold for PS2. Look for it in store shelves the week of the 26th.
	Rebel Strike Interview Planet GameCube (who always have well-done interviews for a platform-centric site) has posted a Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike interview, talking with Julian Eggebrecht of Factor 5 about this third game in the series that offers some major changes over its predecessors.
	3D Ages Site Live 3D Ages, the new imprint of Japanese publisher D3 that is releasing revamped classic Sega games overseas, has launched their official web site. The site's entirely in Japanese, but you can still see some small glimpses at upcoming games from the publisher, including Phantasy Star Generation 1 and the first look at the new Space Harrier remake and 3D Fantasy Zone. Thanks GamePro for the tip.
	Fable Site Live Microsoft, Lionhead and Big Blue Box have launched their official Fable site today, offering a glimpse at their upcoming Xbox RPG. The site is extremely Flash heavy, but really well made, and worth a look.
	Xenosaga II Name Revealed? GamePro is reporting that Namco has trademarked the title "Jenseits von Gut und Böse" and its Japanese translation "Zen'aku no Higan." In English that's "beyond good and evil," and is a reference to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. As the first Xenosaga title ("Der Wille zur Macht") was a reference to Nietzsche, it's a safe bet that this is the name of the second game in the series.
	Animal Crossing 1 1/2 Details IGN has posted details on Animal Crossing 1 1/2, the expanded version of the original Animal Crossing that's being released in Japan next week. Many of these features were already included in the North American release of the game, but among the additions is more than 100 new items and the ability to take photos of your animals, transfer them to an SD card and print them using a photo printer. This is a Japanese-only release, and will be the first game to utilize Nintendo's SD adapter.
	Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction Interview IGN has conducted an interview with Matt McKnight of Electronic Arts, talking with the producer about their upcoming strategy game Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction. On a somewhat off-topic note, FilmJerk is reporting that an Aliens vs. Predator movie is in pre-production, and is set to start filming in October, under the stewardship of Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson.
	Capcom Releasing GTA3 in Japan Capcom announced today that they will be releasing Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto III in Japan this fall. I for one will be very curious to see how the game is accepted over there.
	Misc. Media/Previews GameSpot has posted new gameplay movies from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox), a preview of Alter Echo (PS2, Xbox) new screenshots from the GameCube, PS2 and Xbox versions of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004, new screenshots from Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (PS2), new shots from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GC) and a first look at Rugby 2004 (PS2). Elsewhere on the web tonight there's new screenshots and details from Dragonball Z Budokai 2 (PS2) and new shots from F-Zero GX (GC) at Games Are Fun, while IGN has some new shots from the new shots from Need for Speed Underground (GC, PS2 & Xbox) and new shots from Spirits and Spells and Starsky & Hutch (both GBA).

Console Game of the Evening: Bonk's Adventure for the Turbo Grafx-16. "Simple platformer and great graphics (for the time) made this one a classic in my book. Mucho fun." (submitted by -Panther-).