The Master Chief isn't the only guy, er... person making waves as the lead of a hot console FPS. Samus is set to rock everybody's world with Tuesday's release of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and the first review was available last night at GameSpot and IGN has posted their own this evening. The verdict? Highlight the blank space here "IGN: 9.5, GameSpot: 9.1" to see! I wonder what Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater will pull? Guess we'll have to wait a few more days to find out.

	Nintendo, Sony Can't Handle Japanese Demand It's looking like many Japanese gamers will be disappointed for the launches of Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP early next month. Both companies are reporting that demand is higher than anticipated and they will not be able to meet public demand. This puts both companies in an interesting situation; with the two handhelds launching only ten days apart, it may come down to which company can consistently provide the hardware. If a gamer can't secure the system of his or her choice, he/she may end up purchasing the alternate portable. Nintendo appears to have the edge; they'll have one million units by the end of the month whereas Sony will only reach half that amount.
	Nintendo Unveils 2005 Release Calendar Nintendo has gone ahead and revealed an updated release calendar for 2005, hard-dating some titles while offering clarity on others. For instance, two Nintendo DS games have firm dates: WarioWare Touched! (February 14) and Pokemon Dash (March 14). WarioWare fans get another dose of the series on March 21 with WarioWare Twisted! for the GBA. GameCube-wise, February 14 will see the release of Star Fox: Assault and Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat on March 14.
	Bungie Addresses Halo 2 Issues Frankie has gone ahead and scoured the forums to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. One of the most widespread issues is that of a zoomed-in picture when in 480p mode. It varies from set to set and it is something currently being looked at by the test team. Also, in regards to the textures popping in during cut-scenes, Frankie put it very bluntly: "...those textures popping in are part of the small price you pay for no loading times." If you're having any problems with the game, check this link.
	Phantom Kingdom Announced The up-and-coming RPG powerhouse, Nippon Ichi Software, has announced their latest title, Phantom Kingdom. "New game systems and battle engines will be incorporated while retaining NIS' comedic anime style like Disgaea: Hour of Darkness," said Haru Akenaga, president of NIS America, Inc. This is so far only announced for Japan, but given that many of the company's titles have come stateside, we could surely see this on our shores.
	Gold Plated GBA SP? If you're in Europe and plan on picking up a Zelda Limited Edition Game Boy Advance SP, don't quickly throw out the packaging; inside may be one of six golden tickets redeemable for a gold plated Game Boy Advance SP! Six retailers will take part in the promotion and Nintendo will heavily market the opportunity throughout the holiday season.
	Mastiff Re-Releasing Top Gun Titles Publisher Mastiff has secured the rights to re-release two Top Gun titles. First will be Top Gun: Combat Zones, to be released on the PS2, GCN, and GBA. The GBA will also see Top Gun: Firestorm. The company plans to have them available before Christmas for special budget prices.
	Misc. Q&As/Features EuroGamer speaks with Evan Wells, developer on Jak III. IGN talks with Working Designs' Vic Ireland about Growlanser Generations.
	Misc. Media/Previews
	GameSpot updates their impressions of God of War.
	TeamXbox provides new shots of Iron Phoenix.
	Five new shots of Star Fox: Assault can be seen at Planet GameCube along with this image of the chainsaw controller for Resident Evil 4.
	An updated hands-on of Asphalt Urban GT (NDS), footage of The Urbz: Sims in the City (NDS), and screens of F-18 Super Hornet (GBA) can be found at GameSpot. GamerFeed takes a look at Super Mario 64 DS (NDS) and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA).
	GameSpy shares plenty of gameplay footage for The Urbz: Sims in the City (PS2, Xbox, GCN). TeamXbox has some footage of Mercenaries (PS2, Xbox).