Non-console news: for those of you who took guesses as to which of the games I posted last night in my Monday Night ShackReviews post are among my favorites of all-time, the games are Outlaws and Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (or in this case, Battle.net Edition). The gameplay in Outlaws is pretty much by-the-numbers for an FPS of that period, but the soundtrack, storyline and absolutely incredible cut-scenes (which even in their low-res state are several times better than most CGI cut-scenes) make it an unforgettable experience. And Warcraft II...well, jeez...it's friggin' Warcraft II! Not only is this my favorite strategy game of all-time, it's one of my favorite multiplayer games as well. I once played a never-ending match with a friend of mine...every time it looked like I was toast, I managed to get a single peon out alive and start up all over again.

• Moving on to actual console news, CoreMagazine has a Q&A with Square's Yoichi Wada online. The questions deal with a number of interesting subjects, including the challenge Square faces in getting people to buy into their PlayOnline PS2 network and what chances exist for Xbox and GameCube games from the company.
• GameSpot has posted 33 new shots from Soul Calibur 2, along with the news that it will be fully playable at next month's AOU Expo in Japan.
• It looks like Resident Evil is going to be the first multi-disc game for Nintendo's GameCube. This is due to the fact that GameCube DVDs can hold 1.5 GB, which is a lot, but not quite as much as the 4.7 GB on Xbox and PS2 discs.
• A brief hands-on preview of Grandia Xtreme is up at PS2.IGN tonight.
• Calling the game "Sega's Metroid Prime killer," Xbox.IGN has posted some new shots and details from GUNVALKYRIE.
• Team Xbox has some new shots and box artwork from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which may end up being the next Xbox game I buy.
• So, will more than half of the GameCube titles this year support GBA connectivity? Nintendo seems to think so.
• And finally, the Super Mario Bros. show is coming out on DVD. Heaven help us all.

Console Game of the Evening (continuing Sports Games for the Non-Sports Fan week): Blades of Steel for the NES. This is the way a hockey game should be...good and violent.