All you need to do is sign up

Are you all depressed thinking about January, when the holidays have gone away?  Fear not, for Atlus is shoving tons of free goodies at their loyal followers.

Atlus USA has announced their "Twelve Days of Atlus" giveaway, set for January 4, when your leftovers are all gone.  Basically, anyone can sign up for their fan mailing list, appropriately called "The Atlus Faithful," between January 4 and 11:59 PM on January 15 in order to qualify.  And by "anyone," we mean North Americans -- sorry, Europe and Asia.

Thousands of members will be chosen as lucky winners before being bombarded by a ton of awesome Atlus swag, including artbooks, soundtracks, clothing, and games.  Actual video games.  Simply amazing.

Here's the entire list of goods you can score, with more details at the source below:

• Atlus Online Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent t-shirt
  
• Class of Heroes for PSP (PlayStationPortable) System
  
• Crimson Gem Saga for PSP (PlayStationPortable) System
  
• Demon's Souls art book with soundtrack CD
  
• Demon's Souls autographed poster
  
• Demon's Souls for PlayStation3 computer entertainment system
  
• Eternal Poison art book
  
• Knights in the Nightmare art book
  
• Luminous Arc art book
  
• Luminous Arc card holder
  
• Rule of Rose soundtrack CD
  
• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Japanese art book
  
• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 side B soundtrack CD
  
• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 art book
  
• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 t-shirt
  
• Touch Detective mug
  
• Trauma Team sticker
  
• Upcoming games including Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey for Nintendo DS and Shiren the Wanderer for Wii
  

Eurogamer branch starts rumors of more content

New Year's Eve brings game discounts and Dragon Age rumors, it seems.  Eurogamer.cz (Czech) is responsible for the latest "maybe," when someone caught a few lines on BioWare's recent fantasy RPG.  Google did the rest.

A translation from the search engine yields the following:

"Details of the expansion's contents are still only preliminary and may still change. Awareness will follow the story chronologically Dragon Age: Origins and promises a huge portion of the additional content. You play as a completely new main character, including his own prologue (separate Origin Story), the new campaign. Completion of the central storyline to take approximately 15 hours, as compared to the 100-hour original is not too much, and have consequences for the rest of the game."

It all sounds pretty crazy, but the first line does state that details (which there are currently none of) could change at any time.  Either way, do take this with a grain of salt, even if it is from Eurogamer.

Even if "The Awakening" turns out to be false or just way down the line, the "Return to Ostagar" DLC coming in January should be enough.  Check it. 

Extra block defense stages and character edits

For those who couldn't wait for 3D Dot Game Heroes to be released here in May 2010 and went ahead with an imported copy, the much anticipated DLC has hit a delay. 

If you looked forward to a few holiday updates on Christmas Eve, be prepared to wait a bit longer.  Developer From Software announced a delay for the content until sometime in January 2010.

The recent free patch offered an image viewer for the loading screens, access to DLC, and the option to install Heroes onto the hard drive.  On top of that, two recent paid downloads featured ten block defense stages for 250 yen ($2.75 USD) and ten character edits.  For another 100 yen ($1.09), more character edits can also be had.

Previews of the character data are provided below but you can already grab some of them straight from the game's official website for free.  All that is required for that is a USB drive to transfer the needed files from a PC to your PS3.

The Ramones, more Blink-182, and Psychedelic Furs

Three live Paul McCartney tracks aren't the only content Rock Band 2 and LEGO Rock Band players can look forward to at the beginning of 2010.  Punk rock group Blink-182 puts in their own trio from their 2005 Greatest Hits album while The Psychedelic Furs contribute two of their rock singles from the early 1980s.  Finally, The Ramones invite you in for some teenage disobedience with the titular tune from the 1979 musical comedy Rock 'n' Roll High School.

Here's the complete set of songs that will be available for download; those marked in red will not be available in LEGO Rock Band:

• Paul McCartney - Band on the Run (live)
• Paul McCartney - Jet (live)
• Paul McCartney - Sing the Changes (live)
• Blink-182 - Adam's Song
  
• Blink-182 - First Date
• Blink-182 - I Miss You
  
• The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way
• The Psychedelic Furs - Sister Europe
  
• The Ramones - Rock 'n' Roll High School

The "Paul McCartney New York City Pack 01" and "Blink-182 Pack 02" bundles can be purchased for 440 Microsoft Points or $5.49 USD /  £2.49 UK / €3.99 EU from the PlayStation Store.  Individual downloads will cost the usual 160 MS Points, $1.99 /  £0.99 / €1.49 from the PS Store, or 200 Nintendo Points.  360 and Wii owners can get their content on January 5 while PlayStation 3 owners need to be a tad patient for January 7 to roll around.

No doctored assets, here

The official website for the upcoming multiplatform RPG Two Worlds II launched recently for those that haven't been keeping up. Included in the first batch of content was information on the gameplay, story, monsters and a ton more. Today some fresh new assets are added to the pile: screenshots and "MoveShots."

The original Two Worlds, if you've not played, did pretty well for itself sales-wise, although the critical and fan reception was not always so hot. Developer Reality Pump seem to think they're on to something, though, and we're guessing are aiming for a winner all around with the sequel.

The new screenshots in today (shown here) depict battle, landscapes, and exploration. Happily, they're quite enticing, at least for the RPG nut in us. As for the "MoveShots", these are very short gameplay clips of sorts without sound. Publisher TopWare Interactive (or developer Reality Pump, we cannot be sure), note in the press release the aim with these is to prove -- despite any rumours -- the screens are not doctored, "which, unfortunately, [is] all too common throughout the modern day videogame industry."

According to the game's primary online retailer ZUXXEZ, Two Worlds II launches tomorrow on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, although recent publisher statements indicate it's arriving springtime for the latter, at the least. In any case, you can check out the official website for all the goods, including the MoveShots.

Creator says it's likely, crossovers also possible

Arc Systems Works, the studio responsible for Guilty Gear (more so before SEGA took over), might be looking to HD consoles as the next Guilty Gear platforms of choice.

The franchise, fathered by Daisuke Ishiwatari, enjoys greater popularity in Japan but maintains a growing fanbase in the West.  BlazBlue already made a mark on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but Arc business development director Tomo Ohno revealed that Ishiwatari may be looking to the 360 and PS3 for future Guilty Gear releases.  In a recent meeting, he stated, "I have the full intention to create Guilty Gear for PS3 and Xbox 360."

If that isn't real proof, I don't know what is.  As for Capcom-esque crossover fighters, Ohno said expressed personal distaste.  However, it is not totally out of the question, and fans might eventually see a Guilty Gear / BlazBlue crossover.

Ohno explained, "BlazBlue is a new thing, and there might be some crossover but at the moment we don’t have any plans."

New modes and gameplay info revealed, plus rock music

Fist of the North Star fans rejoice, for Koei has launched the official website in Japanese.  If you can't read Nipponese, the trailer and gameplay videos should be enough, along with pretty screens of the new stages and brief character bios.

Four new stages reveal themselves via the website, including Cassandra and Hokuto Dojo (of course).  The character bios section present Kenshiro, Toki, Mamiya, the misguided Raoh, and Rei.  In addition to those familiar faces, Shin makes himself known in the new gameplay screenshots, where he is shown kicking Ken's ass.

Screens and videos also give us a glimpse of how the combat will look.  In addition to smashing people in the face, Ken can pick up large (heavy) objects and chuck them into crowds of enemies.  Some of his moves are ripped straight from the manga, including his death-grab Hokuto Ginkaiken.

Dynasty Warriors meets Fist of the North Star -- what could go wrong?

Moving on.  Two modes -- "Dentou" and "Gentou" -- are being showcased on the site.  The first, Dentou, serves as the campaign and goes through the North Star story, revolving around the conflict between Kenshiro and Raoh.  The Gentou section details a second mode that follows a new story with different encounters.  According to Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, players can choose other characters in this mode, not just Kenshiro.  Keep in mind that other game modes may emerge, but Koei is keeping a lid on that for now. 

Hokuto Musou has already wound up on many Japanese "Most Wanted" charts, and we'll be seeing it on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this coming March.  You'll find the new screenies right below the cinematic.

Naughty Dog's Evan Wells explains plans for the future

Since the game's launch, Uncharted 2 has been receving plenty of online support from the developers, Naughty Dog. Recently the team treated players with various double cash weekend events, as well as a chain of patches to improve the game's online performance.  Some may be unaware that Naughty Dog already launched DLC for Uncharted 2 in the form a free map, "The Fort" and a pair of exclusive costumes available to those who purchased Uncharted: Eye of Indra.

When initially quizzed about DLC, the developers confirmed that online competitive content was already in production, Evan Wells recently stating, "We've got a bunch more maps in the works right now."

Aside from the frantic competitive play, Uncharted also harbours a few missions that can be played with up to two other players online. Though not as apparent as the core online experience or the popular survival mode, the co-op experience is still worthwhile and something that sets Uncharted a step above similar titles. In a recent interview Wells comments:

...could we add more co-op? Probably more in the arena-style type of gameplay, like our Survival and our Gold Rush modes. The objective-style co-op that we have where we have those little narrative moments...it's something that we are considering and we'd really like to do, but it's a much, much bigger investment of time because we have to do a lot of motion capture with the actors and record a lot of voices. So we would absolutely want make sure that we talk to our community and make sure there was the proper demand for it.

When Naughty Dog say they listen to their community, they aren't lying; the many game updates are solid proof of such feedback-fuelled support. However, if co-op is not your forte, there are still upcoming competitive maps to look forward to in the world of Uncharted.

PlayStation 3 date still undetermined

First announced back in November, the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins DLC has finally been dated -- for Xbox 360 and PC, anyway.  If you own the game for either platform, then January 5 will be your new Christmas.

The "Return to Ostagar" DLC, which has the Warden traveling back to where it all started, will be released to North America and Europe on the first Tuesday of January, or January 5.  PlayStation 3 gamers will need to wait, though just a little bit, as a PS3 release date has been confirmed for late January.

With the DLC, players will head back to the battlefield in Ostagar in search of King Cailan's loot, since taking goods off corpses obviously isn't an issue in Dragon Age.  Ferelden's former king isn't just the bubbly Warden-loving simpleton we mistook him for, however, and the additional content reveals some of his secrets.

“We are thrilled at the way the fans have embraced Dragon Age: Origins and we’re excited to welcome them back into the game,” said Aaryn Flynn, general manager and VP at BioWare Edmonton.  “'Return to Ostagar' represents BioWare’s commitment to providing a steady stream of compelling post release content as we continue to expand the Dragon Age universe.”

Nearly $800 million gap between video games and films

The film industry has always been at the top of the media entertainment pyramid, with the relatively new medium of video games looking meager in comparison. However, UK sales charts reflect a shift between these two industries: more money was spent on gaming in the UK than on film in 2009.

The figures compiled over the last 12 months (ending September 2009), detail that £1.73 billion (around $2.75 billion) was spent on video games as a whole, including hardware and software sales. It's worth noting that this predates Modern Warfare 2 in November, a game that broke records with its huge commercial success.

Despite the British film industry being in the best state it has been for several years, it only came out with £1 billion ($1.59 billion) at the box office. While the sales of DVD and Blu-Ray titles added a further £198 million, this still leaves over a £500 million ($794 million) gap between the two in 2009, making video games the third biggest media industry in the UK, beaten only by music and television.

The mainstream growth of the industry on a whole also shows a greater acceptance of gaming.  While the Nintendo Wii has been a successful attempt to break the stereotypical niche audience, its popularity during the previous two Christmas holidays has since waned.  The number of consoles in use within the UK has also doubled, from 13.5 million in 2008 to over 25 million earlier this year. Important figures like politician Tom Watson hope this progressive boom will open eyes, especially in Parliament where a very “narrow view” is still held.

One last trailer to tide gamers over before release

Square Enix has released one last trailer for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep before its January 10 release in Japan, and it's quite the doozy.  Footage is filled to the brim with cameos, gameplay, and a dire situation.

Fans will be acquainted with newcomers Aqua, Terra, and Roxas-look-alike Ventus as they traverse through new and old Disney worlds to meet up with King Mickey, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White, Stitch, and others.  Along the way, they'll also meet the members of Organization XIII before they became nobodies; younger incarnations of Sora, Riku, and Kairi will be present as well.  

Those fortunate enough to play through Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix+ will also recognize the bald man as Master Xehanort, who is very much interested in Ventus' progress and another individual by the name of Vanitas, but he's got an agenda of his own as well.  Poor Ventus himself gets the short end of the stick as he's seen nearly frozen solid and laying comatose somewhere by his lonesome.  Meanwhile, Terra struggles with preventing himself succumbing to evil forces and Aqua seeks out to help her friends.

Footage of gameplay may not show it, but the battle system received an overhaul and even takes a few cues from Chain of Memories where players can choose individual abilities for battles.  Other changes include a Focus gauge (similar to the Drive meter from Kingdom Hearts 2) that allows use of magic spells unique to Aqua, Terra, and Ventus, the D-Link feature to summon any partner of choice to expand your arsenal of attacks, and the Command Board minigame where players progress through a board with other heroes and villains to take a chance and grant themselves effects that may aid or hinder progress.

First game's protagonist goes through his initiation in this short, fan-made movie

Usually when fans pay tribute to their favourite mediums of entertainment the result is something that disgraces the source material.  However, when fan fiction or films are done with care, the outcome can be impeccable, and the video below is solid proof.

Some guys over at TheDuoGroup -- a collective of like-minded artists -- have taken an untold story in the Assassin's Creed universe and bought it to life with a very artistic and authentic movie.

Their short film explains the initiation process uptaken by Altair when he finally becomes a member of the Assassin's guild. Characters are presented just how you would expect, with voice acting and scripting that feel like they were taken straight from the games. Though fairly short with few scenes, it's still a great punt on the fandom, and fans of Assassin's Creed will definately appreciate the creative input.

PoP fans are bricking it

As many will know, Prince of Persia's movie adaptation is due for release next year, but some may be surprised to hear the release will be accompanied by five LEGO playsets, including Hassassins Hideout, The Ostrich Race, Fight for the Dagger, Quest Against Time, and Battle for Almut.

Apart from shedding light on scenes and locations from the movie, the news also reflects the idea that Prince of Persia is to be made into a more kid-friendly franchise, which could affect the final outcome of the latest video game installment, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Though it could re-populate the aging series, it may be a direction existing fans disagree with.

Putting the J back in JRPG

Something that many gamers out there were bound to expect: Final Fantasy XIII has broken sales records in Japan with 1,501,964 units shipped within four days, according to Media Create.

To put things into perspective: Final Fantasy XIII has already sold more than double what Metal Gear Solid 4 has since its release back in 2008, an impressive feat and proof people are still clawing for JRPGs. PlayStation 3 console sales have also shot up since the game's release in Japan, with 237,086 units sold, dwarfing the 75,086 in the previous week, weighing in at an increase of 215.75%.

Final Fantasy XIII is set to launch in both the EU and US in late Q1 next year, though none can predict if it will strike similar sales results in the west.

More country songs and live Paul McCartney tracks

Time to sit back and put on your 10-gallon hats for you Rock Band 2 and LEGO Rock Band folk as a seven-song country jamboree is heading your way.  Featured artists for next week's downloads include Shania Twain, Martina McBride, and Grammy winners Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, and Kenny Rogers.  Harmonix has put in a well-known hit from each one of these artists so you'll be sure to find something recognizable to add to your download collection.  

Every track included in this update was transplanted from Rock Band: Country Track Pack so if you own that already, there's no need to download these.  Here are the seven tunes that will be available for download:

• Alan Jackson - Good Time
• Cross Canadian Ragweed - Cry Lonely
• Jason Aldrean - She's Country
• Keith Urban - I Told You So
• Kenny Rogers - The Gambler
• Martina McBride - This One's For The Girls
• Shania Twain - Any Man of Mine

Beatles fans, you've got a nice treat coming in for the new year: three live Paul McCartney tracks from "Good Evening New York City" are headed to the Rock Band Music Store.  These were recorded during McCartney's three-night christening of Citi Field in New York so you know you're in for some epic rock.  You'll be able to hear the full experience including the pyrotechnics and the sweet audience chanting.

Here are the three Paul McCartney songs that will be available for download:

• Band on the Run (live)
  
• Jet (live)
  
• Sing the Changes (live)

The "Going Country Pack 02" bundle rassles up the country tunes for 880 Microsoft Points or $10.99 USD / £4.99 UK / €7.99 EU from the PlayStation Store.  "New York City Pack 01" packs up the McCartney trio for 440 MS Points or $5.49 USD / £2.49 UK / €3.99 EU from the PS Store.  Individual downloads cost 160 MS Points, $1.99 / £.99 UK / €1.49 EU, or 200 Nintendo Points.  360 and Wii owners get their content on December 29 and January 5 while PS3 owners wait until December 31 and January 7.

Missing a flight is only funny when happening to someone else

Well, Army of Two: The 40th Day is coming pretty soon.  So in celebration, and as a holiday treat, EA released a new teaser for the game, featuring everyone's favorite bromance duo.

Salem and Rios are plenty good at their jobs, but we're thinking the two-man army business has taken its toll.  While waiting for to board a flight at what appears to be LAX, they oversleep.  Cue expletives and tripping over luggage. 

British Airways has pretty good service though, so we assume they'll make it.  If nothing else, these two are damn good at running, so they'll definitely get to their destination in time for January 15. 

Mie Suzuki covers the eight character Mercenaries roster and the history of “Desperate Escape”

We recently covered both the announcement of the upcoming downloadable Resident Evil 5 scenario “Desperate Escape” as well as footage of the Mercenaries Reunion mode, an expanded version of the original multiplayer release. Now, assistant producer Mie Suzuki has provided further information on the two in a recent interview, including development history and plot explanations.

“Desperate Escape” is the second of two new scenarios to be released both as DLC and as a part of the Alternative Edition, or Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition.  The mission features BSAA Africa agent Josh Stone working together with Jill Valentine, set after Chris and Sheva rescue her from Wesker.  Josh picks up where the main duo leave off and rouses Jill from her coma, then teaming up to escape Tricell facility.  This, along with episode one "Lost in Nightmares," should run for two hours each -- at least that's what Capcom estimates.  Suzuki also notes there is more replayability factor.

The ass't producer went on to explain that both additional stories were originally intended to be developed and incorporated into the main game, but they were scrapped when “balance” was considered.  Now that they're being released as DLC, it was believed that these concerns can now be overlooked to give players the full experience.  Despite their design pre-dating the game's release, Suzuki confirmed there are currently no plans to release any other story-based content.

It was also reiterated that eight new characters are coming to Mercenaries. Of these, five have already been revealed: Office Lady Sheva, Warrior Chris, Exoskeleton Chris, Folklore Sheva, and Josh Stone. This leaves three yet to come.

The scenario will be available both to download and on disc in March, with “Lost in Nightmares” and the first batch of costumes released first in February.

No, Drake hasn't gone in search for Santa's lost fleet...

Fans might have already guessed, but Naughty Dog has confirmed that another double cash weekend will begin as of now, in honor of the Christmas holiday. Until 7.00PM GMT, players will be rewarded with twice the money for scoring kills, objectives or even earning the in-game medals. If double the dollar isn't good enough, Drake will also be donning a Santa cap during this period.

This isn't the first time Naughty Dog have established couble cash weekend. Halloween and Thanksgiving were both given the same treatment as well as introducing skeletal and oversized characters. No doubt this is a trend Naughty Dog will continue as we make our way into 2010, though a New Year's double cash weekend seems unlikely.

Travel deserts and mountains, meet pirates and giant crabs

Square Enix aren't afraid of showing off how far Final Fantasy XIV is coming along, as proved by the newest batch of screenshots. Below are images taken from actual gameplay footage as well as the debut CG trailer from this year's E3. Not only do they unveil some new locations such as deserts and mountains, but they also reveal possible factions and NPCs in the final release such as pirates.

Those who want even more information can visit the official site which has been recently updated with sections relating to the story and several in-game races.

It was only several months ago the game was announced at Sony's E3 conference, supposedly set to release sometime in 2010. FFXIV will be the second Final Fantasy MMO, alongside Final Fantasy XI, and will be playable on both the PC and the PlayStation 3.

Yes, we are now in the future

The Dead Space 2 teasing continues today with the release of the game's first screenshot (above). The kicker here is you can also see the image in 3D thanks to Microsoft's Silverlight technology -- just head to the source and rotate away.

Sadly our friend Isaac's suit looks just as ridiculous in-game (in our opinion, at least) as in the concept art. He also appears to be fighting some aliens this time around, or Necromorphs which resemble aliens, anyway, complete with big blue heads and claws.

In response to rumours of a release date, Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis has told media the game will "ship when it's ready" -- good news for the patient. He's also said recent studio head departures won't hurt the game, and it will in fact be better than its predecessor. Here's hoping.

Rogue mages clash with Templars in next year's series

According to IDW Publishing, Dragon Age will be receiving the comic book treatment next year. From March 2010, fans can expect to see monthly issues based on this year's Bioware RPG, set the in grim world of Ferelden. The actual plot behind the series has yet to be fully revealed, though it will be based around rogue mages from the Circle of Magi who "defy the rules of the Templars and change the course of the world forever."

Another note worth taking is on the talent driving the graphic novel. The series will be written by praised novelist Orson Scott Card, with Aaron Johnston (Ender's Game: Mazer in Prison) standing in as his co-writer. The interior art will be worked on by Mark Robinson (Skrull Kill Krew), and "superstar artist" Humberto Ramos will be crafting the covers.

Aside from the upcoming comic book series, further reading can be found in the form of The Stolen Throne, a novel released in March covering the backstory to Dragon Age: Origins (our review).

A good look at Rebellion's reboot

A new trailer for the Aliens vs. Predator reboot has landed at Neoseeker, this one giving a nearly three minute look at the game's story.

If you're new to the details, AvP sees a group of colonist miners discover a foreign planet's secret in an ancient pyramid (c'est la science-fiction). This simultaneously alerts Predator and awakens the aliens, neither of which are too happy to be disturbed. The footage gives us a dark perspective on the corporate life, loosely tying it to the conflict. On the whole, looks like a potentially solid addition to the Aliens and Predator universes.

Aliens vs. Predator will launch February 2010 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

New balls, boots and tweaks

Soccer game fans are treated to some new content and tweaks to Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 today.

Konami has rolled out the 1.03 patch which brings three new balls and 10 new boots as free DLC, in addition to some improvements to the online game.

Below are the release notes; grab the new goods at the source if you're a PC gamer, or through XBL/PSN if you're a console man.

• all settings can now be saved and Stocked Data will be loaded automatically, speeding up play immediately
  
• new connectivity icons will show the user as a Grey icon, with Green, Yellow and Red icons detailing the quality of the opponent’s connection, with red being the worst
  
• improves match making between users of the PC-DVD version of the game with different processors
  

New Year's ballad "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" released as free download

Happy holidays to all music game fans out there.  Today, Activision releases two bundles of joy to their followers: DLC and a new Guitar Hero.

First up, the previously announced holiday DLC for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero is out.  PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners (sorry, Wii rockers) can pick up the New Year's tune "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" by Steve Ouimette for free, while the "Celebrity New Years Rock Track Pack" explores the mellower side of rock (then again, that's subjective) with "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5, "Our Song" by Taylor Swift, and "New" by No Doubt.

The New Year's ballad is free, but the pack isn't.  You'll need to fork over 440 Microsoft Points or $5.49 if you want these songs for 360 or PS3.  Wii gamers can pick it up for 550 Wii Points.  They're also available for purchase per song at the usual price.

And for those of you who got Guitar Hero 5 after the free Van Halen offer ended, Guitar Hero Van Halen is also out today, boasting over 30 years' worth of musical content.

Capcom to release original on DSiWare, plus 'history lesson' trailer and screens

Capcom's got a long-standing history, and their latest project with Airtight, Dark Void, has some surprising origins embedded in the past.

Back in the 1980s, Capcom was working on a groundbreaking platformer named Dark Rift (later renamed Dark Void).  The publisher-developer was aiming to make the first arcade cabinet with two interactive screens, but the arrival of SNES made the NES platform obsolete.  So Dark Rift was canceled, shelved in the archives.

Now, nearly 20 years later, Dark Void will soon be hitting Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.  Capcom hasn't forgot the game's origina inspiration, however, and have planned to release the '80s platformer in its original 8-bit glory on DSi as Dark Void Zero.  Instead of playing as the displaced pilot Will, players now become Rusty, the first human born within the Void.  The famed scientist Nikola Tesla makes an appearance as well, along with the gameplay trademark rocket pack. 

Keep an eye out for this '80s flashback in January, and check out the charming little documentary video below -- as if the hilariously retro cover weren't enough.