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Not that we’re complaining! Monster Hunter 3 (tri-) will probably launch in Japan next year, but first the port-happy Capcom wants to get you in the mood/tide you over with … more Monster Hunter! Famitsu reveals that Monster Hunter G, an extra frills edition of the first Monster Hunter game, will be coming to Japanese Wiis in the spring.

The Wii version, which Famitsu says (with ridiculous specifity) is 77% complete, will allow you to choose from PS2 or PSP controls, has widescreen support, and is apparently a near-identical port. Will we see this in places that aren’t Japan? We hope so! The title already came to the west (as Monster Hunter Freedom), but only on the PSP.

Monster Hunter G coming to Wii, for some reason originally appeared on Nintendo Wii Fanboy on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s the full list of all 104 of the PlayStation (2, 3, Portable) games that Sony have said make up their Christmas 2007 list. Which of these games would you put on your Christmas gifts list?

Take a look and find out if you see anything you like…

PlayStation 3
First-Party:
* The Eye of Judgement
* Heavenly Sword
* NBA 08
* Lair
* Folklore
* Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
* Uncharted: Drakes Fortune
* Warhawk

Third-Party:
* Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision
* Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Activision
* Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, Activision
* Jericho, Codemasters
* Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, Eidos
* FIFA 08, EA
* Medal of Honor Airborne, EA
* Rock Band, EA
* Orange Box, The, EA
* Simpsons Game, The, EA
* Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War, Koei
* LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Lucas Arts
* BlackSite: AREA 51, Midway
* John Woo Presents Stranglehold Collector’s Edition, Midway
* Unreal Tournament 3, Midway
* Time Crisis 4, Namco Bandai
* SEGA Rally Revo, Sega
* College Hoops 2K8, Take 2 Interactive
* WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, THQ
* Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, THQ
* MX vs. ATV Untamed, THQ
* Assassin’s Creed, UbiSoft
* Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII, UbiSoft
* Haze, UbiSoft
* TimeShift, Vivendi
* Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition, Zenimax

PlayStation Network
* High Velocity Bowling
* PAIN
* Everyday Shooter
* Go! Sports Ski
* Go! Sports Skydiving
* Mesmerize 1
* Trials of Topoq
* MotorStorm Christmas Livery
* Toy Home
* Twisted Metal 2 (PS One)
* MotorStorm Premium Pack 2
* Resistance: Fall of Man: Map Pack 2
* Operation Creature Feature
* Aquatopia
* Snakeball
* flOw Download Pack
* MotorStorm Vehicle and Livery Pack
* PixelJunk Monsters
* Folklore Download Packs 1 and 2
(more…)

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What are the best-selling games in America, Japan, and Europe (UK) this week? Thanks to Amazon online sales data here are the games that are the most popular now.

Nintendo Wii
North America: 1. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo), 2. Wii Play (Nintendo), 3. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega), 4. Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party (Konami), 5. Game Party (Midway).

Japan: 1. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo), 2. Wii Sports (Nintendo), 3. Mario & Sonic at Bejing Olympics (Sega), 4. Hajimete no Wii (Nintendo), 5. Swing Golf Pangya 2nd Shot! (Tecmo).

Europe: 1. Big Brain Academy for Wii (Nintendo), 2. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega), 3. Carnival Funfair Games (2K Games), 4. Mario Party 8 (Nintendo), 5. FIFA 08 (EA Sports).

Xbox 360
North America: 1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), 2. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft), 3. Halo 3 (Microsoft), 4. Halo 3: Legendary Edition (Microsoft), 5. Mass Effect (Microsoft).

Japan: 1. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft), 2. Dead Rising / Gears of War — Xbox 360 Platinum Double Pack (Capcom / Microsoft), 3. The Idol M@ster — Xbox 360 Platinum Collection (Namco), 4. Guilty Gear 2: Overture (Arc System Works), 5. Ace Combat 6: Kaihou e no Senka (Namco).

Europe: 1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), 2. Halo 3 (Microsoft), 3. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft), 4. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Konami), 5. Mass Effect (Microsoft).

PlayStation 3
North America: 1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), 2. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft), 3. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (SCEA), 4. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (SCEA), 5. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle (Activision).

Japan: 1. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (Konami), 2. Shin Sangoku Musou 5 (Koei), 3. Ratchet & Clank Future (SCEI), 4. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Spike), 5. Tony Hawk’s Project 8 (Spike).

Europe: 1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Konami), 2. Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction (SCEE), 3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), 4. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft), 5. FIFA 08 (EA Sports).

PlayStation 2 (more…)

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Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) announced what new PlayStation Network downloadable games, expansions, demos and videos were released for PlayStation 3 today.

American Games (Demos):
* PAIN - $9.99
* TimeShift multiplayer demo

American Games (Content):
* The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Shivering Isles Expansion - $29.99
* MotorStorm - Mohawk Roadhog Bike and Lunar-Tec Buffalo BigRig, new song - $1.99
* Resistance: Fall of Man - Map Pack 2 (Bracknell & Axbridge) - $4.99
* Resistance: Fall of Man - Map Pack 1 AND 2 - $7.99
* Guitar Hero III: Song Packs: Boss Battles Pack, includes The Charlie Daniels Band - Devil Went Down to Georgia, Slash - Original Composition by Slash, Tom Morello - Original Composition by Tom Morello
* Rock Band: David Bowie Song Pack 1 - $5.49
* Rock Band: Individual Songs (David Bowie: Moonage Daydream, Heroes, Queen Bitch) - $1.99 each

American Trailers:
* Ratchet & Clank Future: TOD - “Behind The Scenes - Weapons”
* TimeShift - Video 2

European Games (Content):
* TimeShift demo
* Destruction Derby (PS1 game for PS3 & PSP) - €4.99 / £3.49
* Kula World (PS1 game for PS3 & PSP) - €4.99 / £3.49

European Games (Content):
* MotorStorm - Crazy Samurai & Quick Foot liveries - €2.99 / £1.99
* Resistance: Fall of Man - Map Pack 2 (Bracknell & Axbridge)- €3.99 / £2.99
* Sonic The Hedgehog (Very Hard Sonic Mission, Very Hard Shadow Mission, Very Hard Silver Mission, Boss Attack Shadow, Boss Attack Silver, Team Attack Amigo) - €2.99 / £1.99 each

European Trailers:
* Assassins’s Creed - “Altair was here”
* Blazing Angels 2 - “Racing trailer”
* PAIN
* Smackdown vs RAW 2008
* Uncharted - “Making the game”

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In Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem for PSP you are an elite, lone Predator with an arsenal of exotic weaponry and equipment at your disposal. Access your advanced technologies with the Predator’s wrist computer including Pred-tech/thermal vision modes and cloaking, to track, stalk and annihilate both humans and Aliens. Both classic and completely new futuristic weapons such as wrist blades, laser trip mines and dual shoulder cannons will you the ability to eradicate all traces of the Alien race.

With co-op multiplayer mode players will be able to team up with friends wirelessly to play as the Predator’s comrades, attempting to withstand hordes of attacking Aliens. To add to the game’s challenging features, an honor point system will evaluate the player’s success based on how closely they adhere to the Predator’s value system. The higher the honor achievement, the more weapon and armor upgrades available to the player.

Developed exclusively for the PSP, this action/adventure game is based on the upcoming film due this Christmas.

Honestly I’m not sure what to think about the game, but I’ll be checking out the movie just to see the Predalien!

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Gripshift is an arcade racing puzzle game that was first released on the PSP back in 2005, then earlier this year a visually updated version appeared on the PS3 Store as a download with online play, similarly it will now drive to Xbox Live Arcade. The developers Sidhe Interactive are saying the Xbox Live Arcade release is “the definitive version of Gripshift”.

Similar to the PS3 version, if you buy the Xbox 360 game, you’ll get 120 challenge mode levels and updated graphics. Xbox 360 owners on top of this will get: achievement points, leaderboards, four-player online racing (25 tracks), and deathmatch modes (20 maps).

Gripshift carries an ESRB rating of “E” for Everyone and will be released in December 2007. While no price has been revealed yet, expect it to cost $10 like the PS3 version.

IGN got the first video of the Xbox 360 racer:

That’s one rockin’ beat. This should be fun.

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Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi admitted he might leave games development to try something new. Speaking about creativity in a recent interview, Takahashi said: “Defining the word creativity is difficult in a sense. Even the likes of God of War, for instance, it is really well made. It’s a great graphic game with an interesting story. It’s not fair to tell them that their games have no creativity. Having said that I do feel many games do lack the wow factor in a sense. Something that you feel very surprised by.”

Katamari games in essense are a bit crazy, but as a result completely mental and thus awesome. But Mr. Takahashi said of the series: “I feel that the setting is normal for me. There’s nothing surreal about it. I think if Katamari is considered so creative then to me it feels like the videogame industry in general has lost its direction.” — Full interview later today at CVG

Mr. Takahasi is currently working on Nobi Nobi Boy for PS3.

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How could something so wrong go so right? This list from GR attempts to answer the question why games who’s concepts sound sucky, are actually really fun to play.

7. Brain Age (DS); doing math tests works, because it helps overcome our inherent laziness by appealing to our inherent ego, narcissism and desire for self-improvement.
6. Harvest Moon (various); you play as a farmer, and somehow the quiet and unhurried life of a farmer is more than relaxing… it’s healing.
5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS); nobody loves defense attorneys for accused murderers, luckily in-game the accused are all completely innocent.
4. Viva Pinata (Xbox 360); a gardening game tied in with a kids show on a console for mainly hardcore gamers, yet the pinatas melted any defense against their colorful exterior with great fun gameplay.
3. Culdcept (PS2); Magic meets Monopoly sounds dull to the targeted teenager audience, but the accessibility and strange humor seems to win most people over.
2. Puzzle Quest (various); playing a puzzle game like Bejeweled with a mix of RPG sounds different, and it turns out it’s addictive and a blast to play.
1. The Sims (various); it’s basically doing everyday tasks you already do but again and on a screen, turns out living the life of these virtual families was incredibly appealing to 16 million gamers.

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MX vs. ATV Untamed kicks it up a notch and shifts into high gear as the offroad franchise returns. THQ’s Rhythm Racing engine allows for new stunts and techniques, retaining the smooth feel of off-road racing at full speed.

Attempt to own the offroad by dominating the innovative new “X-Cross Tournament.” X-Cross brings together 8 unique racing series like Endurocross, Opencross, Supercross, Waypoint and SuperMoto and then crosses them into one ultimate offroad championship. Brand new styles of racing are born as powerful vehicles tear through treacherous trails in the new Opencross mode, while then shifting gears to navigate boulders, logs, and water pits in Endurocross. Players can take control of the new ORV Sport and multiple other vehicles, including Monster and Trophy Trucks, as they blitz through rough rivers, rip though swampy everglades, and blaze through the desert dunes. Amp up your favorite vehicles’ power, handling, and acceleration with more than 100 sponsor parts and accessories.

Be ready for speed and adventure with 10 massive open worlds to explore!

The racing game has a release date on December 17th for Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and DS.

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The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), has named Honorary Chairman and former President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, Ken Kutaragi, the recipient of the coveted 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award which will be bestowed at the Interactive Achievement Awards (IAA) ceremony on February 7th 2008 at Red Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in conjunction with the annual D.I.C.E. Summit 2008. Congratulations Ken!

Recognized internationally as the “Father of PlayStation,” Kutaragi will be honored for revolutionizing the global in-home entertainment market with the creation and monstrous success of the PlayStation computer entertainment systems. The launch of the original PlayStation which was launched in 1994 and the PlayStation 2 which launched in 2000 went on to become the most popular gaming system of the era, resulting in combined shipments of more than 230 million units worldwide.

“Ken Kutaragi’s passion, innovative thinking and business savvy sparked a monumental movement that was unstoppable,” said Joseph Olin, president, AIAS. “If it wasn’t for Ken and his concept of the original PlayStation, there wouldn’t be the billion dollar industry there is today. His contributions have clearly set new standards for developers, publishers and consumers worldwide.” — Via Dicesummit

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