It’s been a long time coming, but Xbox LIVE for the Xbox 360 is about to get the ultimate multiplayer game: Bomberman Live. Yie Ar Kung Fu rounds out the double whammy set for this Wednesday, July 18.

As an all-new entry in Hudson’s long running series, Bomberman Live gets the hi-def treatment and features 4-player local and 8-player online battles. A new addition to the classic grid-based game of bomb first, ask questions later: players can customize their bomber with thousands of options.

With 8 locations and 16 pick-up options (Jelly bombs? Detonators? Can’t wait to see what classics will show up and if there’s anything new in store!), it will be hard to find a better way to kill time on any console.

Not content to let the little bomber get all the glory, Konami offers its classic fighter Yie Ar Kung Fu. With a premise right out of a Chang Cheh kung fu classic, it's hero Oolong versus masters of the chain, bo, and more. The original arcade version is available as well as an enhanced version with hand-painted models and new backgrounds.

For those of you still waiting with bated breath for a Nintendo Wii to call your own, I have bad news.  The hardware shortage is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.  According to Nintendo bigwig George Harrison, there is a distinct possibility that finding a Wii during the 2007 holiday season might be as difficult as it was last year.

Using his powers of convoluted corporate jargon, Harrison named a couple reasons for his company's inability to meet consumer demand.  His most amusing excuse was that they were "trying to figure out what's the reasonable monthly level."

Here's a hint, Mr. Harrison:  it's probably a spot higher than the meager quantity you've been shipping. 

(more…)

Less than a week ago, Sony announced a $100 price cut for the 60GB version of the PlayStation 3, bringing the asking price down to $499.  An 80GB model is also in the works, and it will retail for $599.

Do you like magic tricks, kiddos?  I certainly hope so, because Sony just made the 60GB model disappear.  Once supply runs out, the days of the $499 PS3 will have come to an end.  Then there will be only one model for sale, and it will cost… that's right:  $599.

Essentially, Sony played the public relations machine like a champ.  They generated a huge buzz about a "price drop" just before E3, talked about how wonderful they were for doing so at their presser, and then quietly released the rest of the story once the smell of virgins cleared Barker Hangar.  

Of course, the news isn't all bad.  That $599 now buys you an extra 20GB and a copy of MotorStorm.  But the sad reality is that the previously stated price drop is nothing more than a clearance sale.

Now you see it, now you don't.  How's that for a trick?

Now here's a bit of news I bet you didn't expect to be unveiled during E3. The backwards compatibility team just sent out the latest listing of Xbox games which are now compatible to play on the Xbox 360. Outrun, Morrowind and Kingdom Under Fire: Crusaders are FINALLY playable on 360. Believe it! Fighting fanatics will be especially delighted that Guilty Gear XX #Reload and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 were included in the update. Reports are going around that MVC2 is a graphic glitz fest which would practically make its availability on the 360 rather useless if its unplayable. The real question is though… where's Capcom vs. SNK 2? I am sure it can't be too far behind. *sigh* C'mon guys — I am sure no one would miss The DaVinci Code over an opportunity to bust out some fisticuffs.

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Bass Pro Shops Trophy Hunter 2007           
Blinx 2     
Bloodrayne 2       
Burnout                 
Crash Bandicoot 4              
Crash Bandicoot 5: Wrath of Cortex         Updated  
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil         
Drive to Survive  
Drive to Survive (EM)       
ESPN College Hoops         
ESPN NHL 2K5      
Evil Dead Regeneration   
Exaskeleton        (Japan only)
FIFA Street 2        
Full Spectrum Warrior: 10 Hammers          
GUILTY GEAR XX #RELOAD             
Harry Potter: And the Chamber of Secrets             
Harry Potter: And the Prisoner of Azkaban             
Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge            
Jet Set Radio Future       Updated  
Justice League: Heroes   
King Arthur           
Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders         (No Live Access)
Magic: The Gathering: Battlegrounds        
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects  
Marvel vs. Capcom 2        
Mech Assault 2   
MLB Slug Fest 2003            
Morrowind           
MotoGP2              
Myst III: Exile       
NBA Live 2002      
NCAA Football 06               
Nobunaga no Yabou Ranseiki     ( Japan only)
Outlaw Golf 9 More Holes of X-mas           
Outlaw Volleyball: Red Hot            
Outrun 2                
Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast          
Pac Man World 3                
Panzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory            (EMEA only)
Pro Cast Sports Fishing   
Project Gotham Racing   
Project Gotham Racing 2                
RoadKill (No Live Access)
Rogue Ops          Updated  
Sega GT 2002     Updated  
Sega GT Online   
Shadow Ops         
Showdown: Legends of Wrestling              
Silent Hill 2: Dreams         (US/EMEA only)
Sponge Bob Square Pants: Lights, Camera, Pants!               
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Melee     
The DaVinci Code               
The Sims 2             
The Urbz: Sims in the City               
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X             
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3               
Transworld Surf  
Trivial Pursuit Unhinged  
Winning Eleven 8               
Without Warning               
WWE Raw             
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dawn of Destiny

Everyday Shooter, an indie twin-stick blaster, has been snapped up by Sony to be a PSN title.  Formerly planned as PC shareware, Everyday Shooter has been in the pipeline for a while now, but the release date has been something of a mystery.  Getting bought by Sony and reworked for the retangular demands of 1080p, rather than the square-ish area of a PC monitor, explains quite a bit.

Everyday Shooter will be an abstract twin-stick musical album of levels.  Each stage, in addition to having an all-new graphic style, enemies, and (equally as important in this game) music, will also have a new combo system for maximizing the score.  Much like an album, every song is different while the musician's style shines through.  That's not just a dramatic simile, either, because the music's integration into the level gets as much attention as the graphics.  Every sound effect in the game is designed to complement each level's music, integrating sound, visuals, and gameplay into a theoretically-seamless whole. 

Why yes, this is one of my most anticipated games of the year.  While final details are still a bit fuzzy, you can believe we'll be giving Everyday Shooter plenty of attention as it slowly makes its way to release.