Late Night Consoling

July 16, 2003 8:00 PM

So quick poll...how many people bought Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic today? Or even better...how many people actually bought an Xbox just to so you could play KOTOR? I may pick it up tomorrow afternoon if it's in stock at any of the stores near my office, but otherwise I'll get it this weekend (assuming it's in stock at my local GameStop, that is). Anyone know what the sellout status of this game is? How well stocked are retailers? Nothing sucks more than having to schlep myself all the way down to the closest GameStop to my apartment only to have the game sold out, or even worse, limited to those who pre-ordered the game. For those who are worried about a deluge of knee-jerk ShackReviews, don't worry...I've received far more requests to hold off on adding it to the database than the opposite, so it'll be at least an extra week before readers can post reviews here.

	Sony Hiring Emulation Programmers According to TotalVideoGames.com, Sony of Japan is hiring an "Emulator Development Engineer" for work on an unspecified project. Naturally speculation is running rampant on the web, with the prevailing theory that this is for the PS3, which may need some kind of PSOne emulation software instead of an actual hardware chip, as the PS2 did due to the dramatically different architecture of the Cell platform. Thanks Slashdot Games for the tip.
	Xenosaga II Revealed The latest issue of the Japanese magazine Famitsu has hit the stands, and in it is the first look at Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse. This one looks surprisingly different from the original, as the designers seem to be moving away from the anime-style that so permeated the first game. Scans and details from the mag can be found at GameSpot, GamePro.com, Games Are Fun and The Magic Box. It's all the same information, but the scans are all slightly different, so I post them all here for completeness' sake.
	Vice City on Xbox Sans GTA? According to a report on IGN, Rockstar Games' GTA: Vice City may be arriving on Xbox as soon as this holiday season, only it will do so without the Grand Theft Auto moniker. Rumors about this have been swirling around the web all day, and one theory is that this is a way of getting around Sony's exclusive contract for the Grand Theft Auto series, while another common thought says this was a concession by Sony in exchange for an exclusive GTA game for the PlayStation 3.
	Sega Does Robotech Yep, you read that right...also in the newest issue of Famitsu are details and screenshots (reprinted at GameSpot) from Chou-jikuu Yousai Macross, a new Macross (better known in this country as Robotech) from Sega-AM2, and more specifically the team behind Aero Dancing, as the game will utilize that title's engine. The game is said to be 70% complete, and will be released in Japan this fall.
	Unreal II Xbox-bound It's been more or less known since before E3 and confirmed after the fact, but nonetheless, Atari today formally announced the Xbox port of Unreal II: The Awakening, which will feature full Xbox Live multiplayer and split-screen co-op modes.
	Dragon Quest VIII Details New details from Dragon Quest VIII are up at GamePro.com tonight, culled from the latest issue of the Japanese manga anthology Shonen Jump. There's not a whole lot here, but there are some tidbits, and The Magic Box has some new scanned (and blurry) shots from the game.
	Vib Ribbon 2 Announced SCEJ has announced Mojib-Ribbon, a PS2 sequel to the best PSOne game nobody in this country ever saw, Vib Ribbon. Vib Ribbon was an insane, vector-graphics trip-o-tron rhythm experience, and while nothing is known about the sequel at this time, one can only hope it offers more of the same gameplay. It's due for release in Japan this fall, and I pray some brave publisher brings this game out over here.
	Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary Details The first concrete information on Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary is up at PS2.IGN tonight, including a clarification as to what exactly it is. Contrary to rumors, this is not a standalone game, or even an add-on disc, but rather an extra mode included with Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, which allows you to play VF4 in the same polygonal look as the original Virtua Fighter, and play on some of the old-school arenas as well.
	Return of the King Q&A Computer and Video Games has conducted a Q&A with Jonathan Harris of Electronic Arts, talking with him about their upcoming cross-platform title The Lords of the Rings: The Return of the King.
	Latest Famitsu Scores (F-Zero!) The latest review scores from the Japanese magazine Famitsu have been posted over at Games Are Fun. The big game this week is F-Zero GX, which was given a solid 9, 7, 8, 8 for a total of 32/40, while Sega's GBA RPG Shining Soul II received an 8, 8, 8, 8 for an equal 32/40 and the GBA strategy game Onimusha Tactics was given a score of 7, 8, 7, 7 for a total of 29/40. Also graded was Sony's SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals, which walked away with an 8, 8, 7, 7 for a total of 30/40.
	The Suffering Q&A HomeLAN has conducted a Q&A with Richard Rouse III of Surreal Software, talking with him about their upcoming survival horror title The Suffering. The usual batch of questions are here, dealing with the gameplay, the weapons, engine, etc.
	Rainbow Six 3 Xbox Exclusive Ubi Soft confirmed today that Rainbow Six 3 will be an Xbox exclusive this holiday season. Whether or not it will remain that way next year is unknown, but given Ubi Soft's past Xbox exclusive deals, other platforms would seem likely for 2004.
	Atari's Transformers Game Revealed The first details and screenshots from Transformers Armada: Prelude to Energon can be found at IGN tonight, showing off this new third person action game from Atari's Melbourne House. As its title would suggests this is based on the latest Transformers series, and so those of us whose last brush with the franchise involved Orson Welles and glam rock band Lion may not be familiar with these characters. The game will be released in the spring of 2004.
	Misc. Media/Previews GameSpot new screenshots from NBA Live 2004 (GC, PS2, Xbox), hands-on impressions of Amped 2 (Xbox), hands-on impressions of the PS2 and Xbox versions of NBA Jam 2004, and Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance, a new preview of Splashdown: Rides Gone Wild (PS2) and a new trailer from ESPN NHL Hockey (PS2, Xbox). Over at GamePro they have new shots from the PS2 and Xbox versions of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II, while IGN has a new preview of Amped 2 (Xbox) and a new movie from Powerdrome (PS2, Xbox). And elsewhere online, the official Goblin Commander site has gone live, with all kinds of goodies from this GC, PS2 and Xbox RTS title (thanks Planet GameCube).

Console Game of the Evening: Mike Tyson's Punch Out for the NES. "With all of the racial stereotypes, this game could never be made today. Nevertheless, one of the most fun and long-lasting games ever." (submitted by pnkrckjoe).

jason bergman

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