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  Pricey PS3 Fighting Stick Ready To Beat Up Dec. 24

  Looking for a good fighting stick? Japanese peripheral maker Hori is releasing its latest Real Arcade Pro stick, the V3 SA, on December 24. That’s, like, tomorrow. Priced at ¥12,800 (US$140) for the PS2, the V3 SA version has a slightly curved front instead of a sharp edge like some other older fighting sticks. It’s…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Pikachu Girl Wants You To Join The Manga & Anime Club

  As seen on Otaku2.

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Love Plus Cake Draws Long Lines

  It’s a Christmas tradition in Japan to eat cake with your loved ones. So here’s where Konami’s DS love simulator Love Plus comes in. A special “Love Plus Merry Plumas Campaign” (Plusmas, geddit?) ran at three Tokyo-area cake shops — with each cafe selling a different version of the Love Plus girls, Nene, Rinko and…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  What’s With All The War Video Games?

  In the 1940s, 1950s and right on through the 1960s, Hollywood churned out war epic after war epic. Sure, we still get war movies, but Hollywood isn’t exactly popping them out bam bam bam. Video game developers are. But why? Let’s get the obvious out of the way — these games make serious dough. “Business…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  The Giant 1/1 Scale Gundam Statue RETURNS!

  Missed the 1/1 scale giant Gundam when it was in Tokyo’s Odaiba this past summer? It may be long gone, but that doesn’t mean the chances of you seeing it are kaput. Far from it! A Bandai Namco spokesperson has revealed that the huge 18-meter statue will be once again erected in the city of…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Konami Game Inspires Schoolgirl Massage Parlor

  Love Plus is a popular DS dating sim from Konami — in Japan, it’s the sleeper hit of the year or something! The game allows players to date in-game characters. This Love Plus is something else entirely. Located right up the street from Shibuya 109, Love Plus is also a newly opened massage parlor. Look,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  DSi Launches In China

  The Nintendo DSi has finally gone on sale in China. If someone asks you what the launch looked like, point to them right here and confidentially say, “This!” Photos come courtesy of reader Brian (no relation), who snapped them in downtown Puxi, Shanghai. “This was set up outside a subway station and shopping district,” writes…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  See Nintendo’s Zangeki No Reginleiv In Bloody, Limb Chopping Action

  Nintendo isn’t normally in the business of publishing bloody, violent M-rated—or, in Japan’s case, CERO D rated—games for its hardware. In fact, Zangeki No Reginleiv will likely be the first Wii game to carry such a high rating. But blood shall flow and limbs shall be neatly severed in Zangeki No Reginleiv, a game announced…

  By Michael McWhertor Published December 23, 2009
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  Watch Knees Turn To Butter As Spock Narrates Star Trek Online

  Here’s a trailer ramming home the news we told you of yesterday; that Leonard Nimoy, aka the original Spock, will feature in the upcoming Star Trek Online. Shame there’s no blooper reel. I just want to hear him say “pig iron” one more time… Video Games | Star Trek Online | Leonard Nimoy Behind the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 23, 2009
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  Namco Bandai Digging Into The Archives For Re-Releases

  Got an interesting press release today from Namco Bandai. It goes a little something like this. “Leading video games developer and publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., announced today their intent to increase its digital distribution presence.” Boring so far, right? It is! Thing is, it gets better, the company pledging to spend 2010 plumbing…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 23, 2009
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  Cameron Diaz Was (Almost) In Mortal Kombat

  Most of the time, our news is fresh. It has that “new news” smell. But sometimes, our news is old. Like a fine wine. Like this vintage clip from a special on Cameron Diaz with some surprisingly game-related info. Did you know Diaz had been cast as Sonya in the first Mortal Kombat movie? And…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 23, 2009
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  PAL PlayStation Store Update: Christmas Holidays

  You know what, it’s Christmas. Just like most of you are probably already on holidays, so too are Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Which is probably why this week’s store update is so thin. Can’t very well go licensing and localising content if you’re down the pub enjoying a week off, can you? Wish I had…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 23, 2009
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  New Comics Turned Loose On PSP Store

  A week on from its launch and there’s a new batch of comics for sale on the PSP comic store. Anyone up for some new Transformers, 2000AD or Fantastic Four, head on through. Both the North American and PAL stores have been updating, but licensing the way it is, the update isn’t universal. So we’ll…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 23, 2009
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  2009 In Review: The Disappointments

  There were plenty of things to be happy about in 2009! Uncharted 2, Batman, the return of E3 and a PS3 resurgence to name but a few. But you know what? 2009 also had its fair share of crushing disappointments. Things that should have been great, but were average. Things that should have been good,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 23, 2009
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  Here, Have A Sonic Racing X-mas Video

  I cannot express in words just how sick I am of the 12 Days of Christmas song. And I’m not saying that just because I’m Jewish and Hanukkah is over — I really can’t stand that song. Doesn’t it drive anybody else crazy how the first five days or so are birds? Or how you…

  By AJ Glasser Published December 23, 2009
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  Ubisoft Want To Make…A JRPG?

  While some Western companies are down on the future prospects of the Japanese role-playing game, others – like Ubisoft – can’t wait to get a piece of the action. Speaking with Famitsu, Ubisoft’s Alain Corre has revealed that as part of the company’s push into the Japanese market, they’d one day like to release a…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 23, 2009
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  PlayStation Store Update: It’s A Mark Hamill Special

  There’s lots of things available as part of this week’s PlayStation Store update, but only one you should really care about. And it involves Mark Hamill. It’s not a Batman-related DLC pack. It’s not a Darksiders demo. It’s Wing Commander IV. Only downside is that it’s obviously the lesser PS1 port, but hey, Wing Commanders…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 22, 2009
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  N64 Emulator Stumbles Onto The iPhone

  Jailbreaking an iPhone isn’t as necessary as it once was, but hey, some people still like to do it. And those people can now play some N64 on their iPhones. By all accounts it’s a bit of a mess but then, that’s what you get when you muck around with this kind of business. There’s…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 22, 2009
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  Aliens vs Predator: The Fancy Edition

  Aliens vs Predator has a collector’s edition. This is it! No wearable blood-soaked Predator wrist-guards or Vasquez bandanas here, though; it’s all relatively tasteful. While announced earlier in the month for Europe, it’s only today been cleared for an American release. Called the “Hunter Edition”, it includes a facehugger model, four multiplayer maps, a “3d…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 22, 2009
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  With a Corncob Pipe and a Drill Made Out of Snow …

  Big Daddy Snowman. Submitted by Snežana Nedeski of The Netherlands. Happy Holidays!

  By Owen Good Published December 22, 2009