So has anyone imported the European Shenmue II yet? I'm planning on doing it, but before I do, I need to find out for sure whether or not I'll need to look into a PAL/NTSC conversion solution. I have a Dreamcast import boot CD (the GameShark CDX), but I don't think that will display a PAL signal on a non-PAL TV.

• There's nothing concrete here of course, but nonetheless Sony's Ken Kutaragi has made some more general hints about their plans for the Playstation 3.
• And along the same lines, Microsoft has been dropping hints that the Xbox may wind up as a "set-top box" after all. Don't forget about that HomeStation rumor from a little while back...
  
• Speaking of vague hints, Cube.IGN's rumors page has some interesting tidbits, including word that Namco may be working on an "All-Stars" type fighting game of their own, much in the vein of Super Smash Bros. Melee.
• The GIA has some media up from the beta test of Square's PlayOnline network, complete with MP3s from the online Tetra Master game.
• Also at The GIA tonight are three location screenshots from the upcoming GameCube Resident Evil remake, and their hands-on impressions of the Playstation Dragon Warrior IV remake.
• Team Xbox has some new shots online from Genma Onimusha, the enhanced Xbox port of Onimusha.
• Tonight's reviews roundup: GameSpot has posted a text and video review of Super Smash Bros. Melee (8.9) as well as a review of the unfortunately named GBA shooter Ecks vs. Sever (7.1).

Console Game of the Evening (concluding Bad Licensed Games Week): Shaq Fu for the Genesis and SNES. I had to choose one final game for this week among the many, many, many terrible licensed games out there, but this I think stood out among the rest, if only because of its ridiculous premise.

The new Shack reviews system is pretty cool, isn't it? I haven't submitted any myself yet, but don't be surprised if my name starts popping up here and there. I'm probably going to write up a few quickie reviews of some older games as well...nothing too in-depth, but I think this system will be really useful once we have a good selection of opinions of new and old games.

• GameSpot has gone all-out for the Xbox port of Max Payne tonight, with a hands-on preview, an interview with some of the developers from Remedy, and even a video preview of the game.
  
• Icrontic continues to post articles on their various attempts to hack the Xbox. Their second article is online, but what is most interesting are the posts to Icrontic's forums by fellow Xbox hackers, which say that the system's hard drive has indeed been cracked.
• No shockers here: Metal Gear Solid 2 is selling like hotcakes.
• The first one just shipped, but it would appear that work on Frequency 2 is about to get underway.
• The GIA has posted new screenshots, cut-scene shots and character designs from Lunar Legend, the upcoming Lunar remake for the GameBoy Advance.
• Just in case you don't trust your fellow shack readers (or want a second opinion), here are a few external reviews: Cube.IGN's Extreme G Racing 3 review is now available for non-paying readers (8.5), PSX.IGN has a review of Twisted Metal: Small Brawl (4.5), PS2.IGN reviews Dynasty Warriors 3 (8.5) and GameSpot has reviews of the GBA (6.7) and GameCube (7.4) versions of Batman: Vengeance, along with a review of the apparently horrid Xbox title Kabuki Warriors, which they bestowed with a 1.4 out of 10.

Console Game of the Evening (continuing Bad Licensed Games Week): E.T. for the Atari 2600. The mother of all bad licensed games, this one's so bad it's legendary. I still have it and it never fails to dazzle people with its baffling "gameplay."

So GameSpy supports the Xbox. This is great news and all, but to be honest, I'm a little disappointed at the same time. The way the community started to pull together around VPN technology really felt to me a lot like the early days of QTest/Quake, where small programs like Qspy and Rift parsed HTML pages to get server information. That could still happen, but there's already a 500 pound gorilla taking care of things here.

• GameSpot has posted an update on Final Fantasy XI, complete with new screenshots, and a new preview of the game is also up at PS2.IGN.
  
• According to Nintendo, there will be 41 GameCube games out by March 2002. That's a nice figure, but it really isn't very many at all, as even Cube.IGN point out in that story.
• I've already reported on this here, but nonetheless, it's official now: Final Fantasy X will ship the day after Christmas. Which pretty much means I won't get around to getting it until March anyway, since I've got so many games to play as is.
• IGN has posted an in-depth guide to Dead or Alive 3 (free registration required).
• Here are a few reviews: GameSpot has new reviews of Frequency and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance for the PS2 and Team Xbox has posted their Editor's Choice Awards, which were given to any game that received a 4.0 or higher (is it just me, or is that a little too easy?).

Console Game of the Evening (continuing Bad Licensed Games Week): Street Fighter: The Movie for the Playstation. The fact that it's a game based on a movie based on a game should have been enough to keep this one from getting released...but somehow Capcom let this one out into the public. A must-have for those who savor truly terrible games.

Tonight kicks off Bad Licensed Games Week here at LNC. There are some really, really, really, really bad licensed games, the slightest mention of which can make me laugh out loud. Enjoy!

• To kick things off tonight, here's a new trailer from the PS2 port of Deus Ex.
  
• Cube.IGN has conducted an interview with Charles Bellfield of Sega of America. It's a good interview, as Charles talks about Sega's new role as a third party developer, and he says that Sega will continue to market game-specific hardware, such as the Samba de Amigo maracas.
• There's still no plans to drop the price in the US anytime soon (really, there aren't!), but nonetheless, the PS2 price will be lowered in Japan to the bargain-price of $240. Of course, this doesn't include the memory card that originally shipped with the system at $300, so if you factor that extra purchase, the price is around $270.
• In a remarkably forward-thinking move, Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi (AKA the Mean Old Man of Nintendo) has created a $150 million fund to help startup GameCube and GBA developers. What's next? Square on a Nintendo platform? (Probably not)
• Yet another preview of Final Fantasy X is up at PS2.IGN tonight.
• Speaking of Square, in the wake of the Final Fantasy movie disaster, Hisashi Suzuki, the company's president has stepped down.
• New shots and a movie from the upcoming GameCube Resident Evil remake can be found at GameSpot.
• The Superman Homepage has some general information on the upcoming Superman game that's in the works at Infogrames. After Batman: Vengeance (which was good, but didn't quite live up to its potential), I have high hopes for this one.
• Here's a rundown of tonight's reviews: GameSpot has posted their review of Amped for the Xbox (6.7), PS2.IGN has a review of Frequency (9.0), Team Xbox has a review of Dark Summit online (3.8 out of 5) and Pocket.IGN has posted a review of Gradius Galaxies for the GBA (7.5).

Console Game of the Evening (kicking off Bad Licensed Games Week): Superman 64 for the Nintendo 64. How bad was this game? It features "Kryptonite fog", some of the least responsive controls I've ever seen, and best of all a completely baffling multiplayer mode with UFOs. UFOs!

I wasn't expecting to, but I found enough console stories of note today to justify a special holiday-weekend version of LNC. Enjoy!

• Video-Senki recently posted a follow-up to their story about Tecmo suing that company that released a nude patch for Dead or Alive 2. It turns out that the hack in question is just a save-game modification, and the nude artwork was there all along.
• According to this story at ZDNet, Nintendo expects retailers to completely sell out of their initial supply of GameCubes by this weekend.
• The first shots of Max Payne on the Playstation 2 are up at PS2.IGN.
• Also at PS2.IGN is a preview of Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, which is based on their impressions of a playable build of the game. Everyone keeps telling me that this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and they seem to agree.
• The first one's not out in the US yet, but Miyamoto is already hinting that a sequel to Pikmin is on the way.
• The GIA has posted a hands-on preview of Rez, Sega's nutty game that mixes the shooter and rhythm genres with vector graphics thrown in for fun. There are also lots of screenshots.
• New shots from the arcade version of Soul Calibur 2 are up at Core Magazine.
• In a noble, if somewhat odd move, Namco has announced plans to market peripherals to allow the handicapped to play PS2 games.
• Here are a few reviews for you: Cube.IGN has a review of Crazy Taxi for the GameCube (6.9), IGN Gear reviews the Xbox DVD Playback Kit, and Core Magazine has a roundup of recent scores from major Japanese publications.

Console Game of the Evening: Since sTeve's been talking about football games...Tecmo Bowl for the NES. I can't stand sports, but even I got into this game.

Well, that didn't take long...Xbox Gateway is an application that allows Xbox games that support system link (such as Halo) to play against other systems through the Internet using a virtual private network (thanks Dragon[THC]). The program is currently only available for Linux, but they are working on porting it to Windows and OS X. Anyone care to download this and let us know how well it works?

I apologize for the lack of LNC last night...I got home a bit too late and had to get up a bit too early. Because of the holiday weekend there probably won't be another LNC until Monday, but don't be too surprised if I do some single-story console news posts between now and then.

• GameSpot's massive article The Final Hours of Metal Gear Solid 2 goes live tomorrow, but in the meantime they have posted yet another preview, which contains a confirmation that the Metal Gear franchise will continue after MGS2. This isn't surprising at all, actually...Kojima has said as much before, but what is news is that he may not be intimately involved with any future Metal Gear titles.
• SquareSoft has launched their official Final Fantasy XI site. The page is entirely in Japanese, but it does contain some new images from the game.
• Thanks to The GIA for that last story, and in addition to that they are also reporting that Final Fantasy X will now officially be released on December 26th in the US, just a day after Christmas (and about a month earlier than expected).
• While there seems to be a definite shortage of Xbox consoles, Nintendo has managed to keep a good supply of GameCubes in stores around the country, and they have now actually increased the total number they expect to ship this year to 1.3 million units.
• New shots from the Xbox port of Max Payne can be found at Xbox.IGN tonight.
• If you haven't seen every possible aspect of Super Smash Bros. Melee yet, more movies and screens are up at Cube.IGN, some, but not all of which can only be viewed by paid subscribers.
• The GIA has posted new information from Kingdom Hearts, SquareSoft's oddball Disney RPG.
• According to GameSpot, the PS2 port of Tekken 4 will be released in Japan in March 2002.
• For those interested, Team Xbox has posted details on a hidden Easter Egg in the Xbox console.
• Some reviews: Pocket.IGN has a review of Wario Land 4 (9.0), The GIA has reviews of Super Monkey Ball (4 out of 5), Metal Gear Solid 2 (5 out of 5) and Golden Sun (4 out of 5), Team Xbox has a review of Fuzion Frenzy (3.9 out of 5) and GameSpot has posted a review of Crazy Taxi for the GameCube (4.9 out of 10...yikes!).
• And finally, just a heads-up:the English-language Dreamcast version of Shenmue II is shipping in Europe. Import away.

Console Game of the Evening: Alex Kidd in Miracle World for the Sega Master System. Okay, so this wasn't exactly the best Super Mario Bros. competitor, but it was a decent game for those of us who were Sega kids. Who knows, maybe Sega will revisit this franchise again someday.

So still no word from Microsoft as to how many Xbox consoles actually shipped last week. GameCubes aren't too difficult to find, but that doesn't necessarily mean the demand is any less - Nintendo may just have been better equiped to meet it.

• New shots and movies from Genso Suikoden III, the Playstation 2 installment of the Suikoden series can be found at PS2.IGN tonight.
• Here's some interesting (and totally unexpected) news...Final Fantasy X may ship before the end of the year.
• GameSpot has conducted a Q&A with members of Microsoft's Japanese first-party development team. Yes, these are the people who will be bringing the equestrian-RPG genre to the Xbox.
• Those who acquired an Xbox last week and are already sick of Microsoft's cumbersome gamepad may want to take a look at this article at CoreMagazine, where they take a look at the different controlers available for the system.
• Also at Core tonight is word that due to rampant piracy, Microsoft has no plans to release the Xbox in China or Hong Kong (otherwise known as "hidden pirate treasure island").It will however be released in Korea, something no next-generation console has officially done to date (despite the simply insane frenzy for PC games over there).
• Looks like some hackers are going to try to cobble together a way to play Halo online. It's certainly a good idea...who knows if it'll actually work.

Console Game of the Evening (concluding Launch Week): Virtua Fighter Kids for the Sega Saturn. Sega released a whole slew of Virtua Fighter games for the Saturn, and this was probably the silliest. The only difference between this and the regular game is that all the characters are super-deformed.

Hey guys, I just wanted to start a news items/thread on the console launches, as the X Box launched Thursday and the GameCube launches tomorrow, it's a big weekend for a lot of people! We got a couple X Boxes here at work, and I got a GameCube and some of the games yesterday. Since I hate reading when game developers slag other peoples' games, I'm going to post my positive impressions of each. It'd be cool if people could share their experiences with the new consoles in the comments, almost a Shack Readers buyer's guide. Let's keep this one focused to what you guys think of the titles, not so much an "xbox sucks gc rulez" thread - I'll be trying to keep it well moderated. Anyway, here's mine so far:

X Box
- Halo - Surprisingly very fun, especially the indoor combat. The enemies are extremely fun to fight against, the health system is great, infinite respawns at checkpoints are nice. The controls (once I could invert the lookaround) are pretty damn nice.
- Munch's Oddysee - While I personally didn't play it much, after the first 10 or 20 minutes this seems to become a really enjoyable platformer.
- DOA3 - While I'm admittadly a button-masher at fighting games, this game impressed the shit out of me. It's gorgeous, and is pretty fun, but that's fun to someone that can barely play Street Fighter for what it's worth.

GameCube
- Super Monkey Ball!!!!!!!! I love this game! It's a great party game, and the reason I bought four GC controllers.
- Rogue Leader - Runs smooth, looks gorgeous, need to play more.

I've also heard great stuff about Fusion Frenzy for the X Box though I haven't played it yet. Hopefully I'll get to play it tonight or tomorrow. Also I'll of course be heading to Fry's and Best Buy for more GC launch titles tomorrow. Anyway, you guys discuss.

So I went back to that retailer I spoke with earlier in the week yesterday to fund out how many Xbox consoles they received, and guess how many they got? Three. Three! The person I spoke with said they're expecting to get an okay-sized GameCube shipment, but he tried to downplay it as much as possible, pointing out their ample PS2 stock. I suspect this is commonplace at most game stores these days, independent or not.

• Let's kick things off tonight with some reviews, shall we? PSX.IGN has posted reviews of Enix' decidedly-retro (and superfreakylong) Dragon Warrior VII (8.7) and Syphon Filter 3 (7.5), a review of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for the GameCube (9.0) can be found at GameSpot, PS2.IGN's got a review of Half-Life for the PS2 (9.1) and The GIA has reviewed Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 (3 out of 5).
• For those lucky enough to have an Xbox and Halo, IGN has posted their full guide to the game (free registration required).
• More fun for those enjoying their brand new Xbox: Xbox.IGN has posted a round-up of all of their non-game-related articles, which cover everything from the Japanese controller to easter eggs and the system's MP3 player.
• Still more Xbox news: the first details are now available on the system's Australian launch, which is scheduled for March 14, 2002, and it has been confirmed that Microsoft will be releasing an SCART connector in Europe.
• New shots and a gameplay moviefrom the GameCube Resident Evil can be found at Cube.IGN tonight.
• According to GameSpot, the PS2 version of Virtua Fighter 4 will be released in North America in March.
• Pocket.IGN has some new shots from Super Mario Advance 2, which is of course a handheld version of Super Mario World.
• You've read ours, but if you're looking for a second opinion, GameSpot has posted their holiday guide.
• GameSpot has a news item that suggests all may not be rosy with the upcoming Matrix games from Interplay and Shiny. Their reasoning is based on a contract loophole, but they don't seem to have any real evidence that the game is in jeopardy. If anything, the game is benefitting from the delays the movie(s) have encountered, since their contract with Microsoft requires the game to ship alongside the sequel.

Console Game of the Evening (concluding Launch Week): Actraiser for the SNES. A very strange, but fun game. Some people point to Dark Cloud as having similar building elements, although they are two very different games.

So tomorrow I'm planning on picking up Metal Gear Solid 2. It'll definitely be a challenge to pull myself away from Grand Theft Auto 3, but the freeform nature of the game should make it easy to pick up again after a brief hiatus.

• I guess I'm not the only one picking up MGS2, as Konami has announced that they have already shipped over a million copies of the game. Yowza.
• This isn't too surprising: Sony is hinting that the Xbox' inclusion of a hard drive and ethernet connection is forcing them to speed up development of their Playstation 3, which will no doubt include these features out of the box. If everything goes according to their plans, PS3 should finally realize Sony's dream of having a hub for all forms of entertainment.
• It took a little while, but all of Xbox.IGN's reviews are now open to the general public. They have reviewed every first and third party launch title for the system.
• Sega's Charles Bellfield has been talking with GameSpot about the company's goals as a third-party developer, and he also has gone on record to say that the recently-added $9.95 Sega.net fee will only apply to their Dreamcast games.
• According to Cube.IGN, Japanese uber-mag Famitsu has reviewed Super Smash Bros. Melee, awarding the game a 37 out of 40.
• Sony may not be dropping the price of the PS2 anytime soon (sorry, but it really looks that way) but they will be re-releasing some games at a lower price.
• The GIA has posted a few things of note for RPG fans: they have some new details from Shining Soul and new shots from Lunar Legend (both for the GBA), as well as new previews of Arc the Lad II, and Dragon Quest (Warrior) IV. for the PSOne
• A preview of The King of Fighters EX - Neo Blood, the GBA revival of SNK's KoF series can be found at GameSpot.
• Here are a pair of console FPS reviews: GameSpot has a review of Half-Life (8.8), and PS2.IGN has a review of Soldier of Fortune (4.5 - yikes!) both for PS2.

Console Game of the Evening (continuing Launch Week): Panzer Dragoon for Sega Saturn. While this game isn't nearly as good as the two that followed it, even with its dated graphics it is still quite a visual marvel with a great soundtrack, and the only real winner among the first batch of Saturn titles.

I spoke with an independent retailer this afternoon who told me that even though it launches on Thursday, they still don't know how many Xbox units they'll be receiving. As he is sure they won't get many, he said that their plan for the holiday season is "to focus on the Playstation 2." This isn't too surprising of course - Sony screwed over small retailers with the PS2 release last year, but it's never good to hear that independent stores have such a hard time with system launches.

• GameSpot has posted their five page review of Metal Gear Solid (in both text and video formats) and they awarded it a 9.6. Also,PS2.IGN's review (9.7) is now open to the general public. .
• Speaking of MGS2, it's now official - the game will be released in Europe on February 22, 2002 (yes, that's MGS2 on 2/22/02).
• Tons of media from the GameCube port of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 can be found at Cube.IGN tonight.
• GameSpot is reporting that Soldier of Fortune for the PS2 has shipped to retailers, and they have also posted t he first shots from Mortal Kombat for the GameBoy Advance.
• Planet GameCube has conducted an interview with Julian Eggebrecht of Factor 5, the developers of the fantabulous Rogue Leader.
• Also at PGC is an explanation that says that yes, some retailers are selling GameCube systems early, but most are not.
• Interesting news: apparently Enix is considering "online features" for Dragon Quest (Warrior) VIII. Take that as you will.

Console Game of the Evening (continuing Launch Week): Gyromite for the NES. This is one of the most pointless games ever made, and was one of only two games ever made to use Nintendo's unbelievably lame ROB robot, which was created to get the NES sold in toy stores. Of course, while the game might suck (and the robot really, really silly) that little gamble paid off big time, and the rest is history.

In honor of the imminent launches of the Xbox and GameCube, tonight kicks off Launch Week here at LNC. Each night I'll spotlight a launch title for a different console system, some of which are classics, and some...well, some just plain suck.

• Having already reviewed Halo, GameSpot has moved on to the other Xbox launch titles, and tonight they have reviews of Munch's Oddysee and Dead or Alive 3. Although they're very different games, both were awarded 7.9 scores.
• Also at GameSpot is a review of Golden Sun for the GameBoy Advance (8.6), as well as a preview of Super Mario Advance 2.
• A new edition of The GIA's Commercial Break is up tonight with more ca-razy commercials from Japan, including new ones from WonderSwan Color, GameCube and PS2 games.
• Here are some new shots from Soul Calibur 2, the arcade version of which is apparently nearing completion.
• Well, it was rumored, but it looks like it's true: the Xbox will not be a progressive-scan capable DVD player. How odd.
• A ton of new shots and movies from Final Fantasy X can be found at PS2.IGN. These were originally for their paid subscribers only, but are now available to the general public.
• Also at PS2.IGN is a review of Agent Under Fire, which they awarded a 7.9 (what's up with this number tonight?).
• Retro fans rejoice: a new collection of Atari classics is headed to the GBA. Unlike most compilations of this sort, these are actually games I really want to play on a handheld, including Tempest, Super Breakout and Battlezone.
• Xbox.IGN has conducted another Q&A with Tomonobu Itagaki, the man behind Dead or Alive 3, talking about his final pre-launch thoughts on the game.
• Hm...according to Miyamoto, there are "a large number of online games in development" for the GameCube. But Nintendo still won't launch their online network until they think it's a viable business model.

Console Game of the Evening (kicking off Launch Week): Tetris for the GameBoy. One of the smartest things Nintendo ever did was when they packaged this game with their GameBoy system. It was an instant sensation, causing everyone from hardcore gamers to businessmen and housewives to suffer from serious Tetris-addiction. There were many versions before, and many versions since, but none of them has had the staying power of this one.

A quick correction on sTeve's post from earlier today: while there will be Xbox game reviews popping up, none of them will be Silent Hill 2, since that won't be out at the console's launch. Actually, I guess there will be some reviews, but they'll all be from the PS2 version.

• GameSpot's review of Halo is online, and is quite complementary. GameSpot is one of the few sites whose reviews I actually read, and they frequently influence my decision to buy a game or not. If they say it's great, chances are that it is.
• Also at GameSpot is an update on Medal of Honor Frontline, the first Medal of Honor title for the PS2.
• A review of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for the PSOne is up at PSX.IGN tonight. Obviously this one's not as advanced as the GameCube or PS2 versions, but it sounds like this is a winner for budget gamers nonetheless.
• Cube.IGN has posted some new movies from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 as well as the Luigi's Mansion and Rogue Leader television commercials.
• Great news for Shenmue fans: it looks like the third chapter is gonna happen. It's very likely that the series will now be an Xbox exclusive (since the second one is here in the US).
• Pocket.IGN has posted the first screenshots from Lunar Legend for the GameBoy Advance. I'd still prefer an original game, but I gotta admit - this looks great, and it's apparently already 70% complete.
• The official Dead or Alive 3 site has been updated with a new gameplay movie (thanks Team Xbox).
• A full list of Xbox launch reviews is being complied over at Team Xbox. It seems pretty clear from these preliminary scores which is the must-have game for the system (as if there were any doubt).

Console Game of the Evening: Medal of Honor for the PSX. With all the positive Halo reviews that are starting to come out, it seemed important to mention another great console FPS, one of only a handful that are worth playing.

Here's a good article detailing the 3way action (another one at NYTimes, thanks TheOccifer) going on between Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo in the console wars. If you consider yourself a gamer (or a human being) you no doubt enjoy the very concept of 3way action.

market leader Sony has built a strong bunker against the interlopers, having shipped more than 20 million PlayStation 2 machines since its debut last year [...] Microsoft plans to spend $500 million to market the Xbox during the 18 months after launch, while Nintendo is budgeting $457 million for marketing this year for both GameCube and its new Game Boy hand-held player. [...] Sony is suffering one of its worst financial periods ever and can't afford an expensive battle with cash-rich Microsoft

Also, a few people have noted that there are fully playable XBox systems at a few computer stores with the full versions of Halo and other games available to play.

Being sober on a Thursday night just doesn't seem right to me...but it's just as well - there's a lot of console news here, and with the two new systems about to launch, there will probably be still more tomorrow.

• Despite many rumors that suggested otherwise, Tecmo has stated again that Dead or Alive 3 really is an Xbox-exclusive. There was a great deal of speculation that the game would be released under a different name, like Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore for the PS2 (which circumvented the game's Dreamcast exclusivity).
• Sorry everyone...it doesn't look like Sony's going to be dropping the price of the PS2 this year. They will however be ramping up production on the system, so if you want to plunk down $300 you should be able to find one.
• GameSpot has conducted an interview with Tetsuya Takahashi and Yoshidumi Makoto of Monolith Software and Namco respectively, talking with the pair about their upcoming RPG Xenosaga.
• Also at GameSpot tonight is their review of Rogue Leader...and as expected, they liked it quite a bit. Another review is up at Cube.IGN, but only for paid subscribers (it'll be available for the general public next week).
• Electronic Arts has announced that Agent Under Fire is being ported to the GameCube, with a release planned for February. The PS2 version will be on store shelves in the very near future.
• PS2.IGN has a nice batch of new shots from Wipeout Fusion online, along with the full soundtrack list for the European version (this is subject to change for its North American release).
• Lots of new stuff from Dark Arena, the upcoming FPS for the GameBoy Advance can be found at Pocket.IGN.
• The GIA has posted 35 new shots from the GameCube port of Phantasy Star Online.
• And finally tonight, Microsoft has formally announced their launch and post-launch Xbox lineup.

Console Game of the Evening: R-Type for the Sega Master System, Turbo Grafx-16, GameBoy Color, SNES and PSX. Holy f#$%k is this game hard. Fun, you bet...but dear lord is it difficult.

Hopefully the server move hasn't affected too many of you...it sounds like it's going smoothly enough, although I seem to be having some problems with my e-mail (although that's through a different UGO site, not the Shack).

• As several sites are reporting (here's PS2.IGN's news item on the subject), THQ has bought Rainbow Studios, the developers of a number of console titles. No word as to what, if any affect this will have on Rainbow's animation studio, which has been developing the CGI adventure film Blue Planet for several years now.
• GameSpot continues to review the GameCube launch titles...tonight they have reviews of Luigi's Mansion and Super Monkey Ball.
• Here's some more reviews: The GIA has reviewed Kessen II and Dragon Warrior VII, Cinescape has their first look at Rogue Leader online, as does Planet GameCube, and Team Xbox has posted their impressions of Project Gotham Racing.
• Also at The GIA is the news that Lunar: Silver Star Story is being ported to the Game Boy Advance. Frankly, I think I'd prefer a new game over a port.
• According to Video-Senki, Tecmo is suing a company that released a patch for Dead or Alive 2 that made all the characters naked.

Console Game of the Evening: Earthworm Jim for the Genesis and SNES. This is one of my favorite games of all-time, but the lack of any save function keeps me from playing it as often as I'd like. Still, it's dazzlingly original, and the graphics and animation are still top-notch despite its age.

Non-console comment: tonight's musical episode of Buffy was great...now only if they were all letterboxed. Obligatory relevant console comment: golly, that Xbox Buffy game sure looks great, doesn't it? I wonder if you'll be able to burst into song...

• Yikes! We're down to the zero-hour on the Xbox launch, but Microsoft still isn't willing to say how many consoles they'll be able to ship. Regardless, they do say that they will have a million units by Christmas, so even if you don't get yours on launch day, it may arrive at a later date.
• Cube.IGN has updated their Soul Calibur II preview with new screenshots, character profiles and more.
• Two notable reviews are up at PS2.IGN tonight: first is Capcom vs. SNK 2, which they liked but weren't flat-out raving over, and second is SSX Tricky, which they liked a bit more, but still admit it's not a full sequel to the original SSX (and therefore may not be worth getting for those of us that own the first one).
• A whole lot of footage from the unfortunately named GBA FPS Ecks vs. Sever can be found at Pocket.IGN, along with an interview with the developers. This game really does look cool, but could they possibly have picked a less exciting name?
• IGN Gear has a look at the cool new Xbox cables from Monster Cable. These run rings around Microsoft's silly $30 adapters (on top of which you need actual cables).
• Good news for PS2 FPS fans (hey, there are some out there you know): Half-Life is shipping next week.
• And finally, the reviews are starting to come in from the GC and Xbox launch titles...here's GameSpot's review of Wave Race: Blue Storm. IGN has some Xbox reviews online, but they're only accessible to paid subscribers.

Console Game of the Evening: Splatterhouse for the TurboGrafx-16. This game isn't Zelda or anything, but it is good old fashioned bloody side-scrolling fun.

This article from the NY Times was mentioned earlier, but I just want to point it out again, since I noticed while reading it that it contains the first confirmation that Sega and Microsoft did in fact discuss a merger/buyout. Pretty interesting.

• The GIA has posted new screenshots and the intro movie from Golden Sun, the imminent Game Boy Advance RPG from some of the original Shining Force developers. Additional media from the game is online at Pocket.IGN.
• Also at The GIA are pictures of Square's PlayOnline modem, the peripheral that will be necessary to play Final Fantasy XI, and a translation of a Q&A with Yasumi Matsuno, the creator of Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story.
• Good news for King of Fighters fans, the GBA KoF title is on its way to the US despite the demise of developer SNK.
• Video-Senki is reporting that Square will be taking a whopping $82.2 million dollar loss this quarter. Yikes! There is some good news, as a PC port of Final Fantasy XI has now officially been confirmed.
• Yay! Rogue Leader has shipped! Too bad the system's not out for anyone to play it yet...

Console Game of the Evening: Star Fox for the SNES. Okay, so it's a little cutesy. But it's a great deal of fun nonetheless, as is its N64 sequel. I'm really looking forward to Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet for the GameCube.

I may have a lead on a bundle-free GameCube and/or Xbox during launch week, but I'm probably going to wait to get either regardless. I have enough to play at the moment between the console stuff I bought recently and my ever-growing stack of PC games I've yet to play.

• Near-complete builds of the English version of Final Fantasy X have started to make the rounds, and so a new preview of the game can be found at GameSpot.
• A new movie from the GameCube Resident Evil remake is up at Cube.IGN.
• Sorry GameCube fans...it looks like the Panasonic "Q" GameCube/DVD hybrid won't be coming out over here.
• Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, the Diablo-style PS2 RPG has gone gold.
• Well this was unexpected...Sega president Peter Moore is apologizing for canceling the North American version of Shenmue II for the Dreamcast.
• Pocket.IGN has a review of Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival online, as well as a news item that says there will be two new Game Boy Advance colors to go with the new GameCube ones being released in Japan.
• A preview of the upcoming novel Halo: The Fall of Reach is up at Xbox.IGN in PDF format.
• Also at Xbox.IGN is a look at the CD ripping and MP3 encoding features of the system.
• Team Xbox has posted some new shots from The Collective's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as new shots from the Xbox version of Max Payne, which I guess we'll have to take their word on, since they look just like the PC version of the game.
• And finally tonight, The Electric Playground has an interview up with Microsoft's Seamus Blackley (thanks Team Xbox).

Console Game of the Evening (concluding Milk 'em Till it Hurts week): the mother of all milked franchises...Street Fighter. I like to make fun of some of the wacky names for some of these games, but Capcom has managed to make some great games along the way. Some of my favorite oddities in the series: the seemingly contradictory Street Figher Zero 2 Alpha, the Turbo CD-only Fighting Street, the truly abysmal Street Fighter: The Movie (the game - I'm not even going to start on the actual movie) and Street Fighter 2010, which is notable only as trivia for hardcore fans (it's a terrible game).