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HAOH SHO KO KENNNNN! Hamster continue their noble quest to pump out classic Neo Geo titles on modern platforms. This week sees tough-as-nails Neo Geo sequelArt of Fighting 2re-released on Nintendo Switch. AoF2,originally released by SNK in 1994, was the fairly ineffective sequel to 1992’sArt of Fighting– naturally. Although it featured some new roster additions (including the playable debut of Yuri Sakazaki) and is a little less clunky than its predecessor, it still couldn’t turn heads in a year that also saw the release ofSuper Street Fighter II Turbo, whilstMortal Kombat IIalso continued to ride a wave of phenomenal success....

Not that it really matters For your morning helping of news that makes no difference whatsoever, I present thisannouncement from Sega from this morning. Time to put your cool guy glasses on. Remember when Sega Sammy bought Atlus parent company Index Holdings? That’s already enough names for confusion, right? But right before this all went down, Atlus started calling itself Index on the business side of things, right before the filed bankruptcy last year....

And it can only be found in Blizzard’s own backyard of Irvine, California. TheIrvine Spectrum Mall’s GameStop, to be more specific. Staff of theDiablo IIIdevelopment team and Blizzard Executives will be bringing along with them tons of giveaways, special prizes for the first in line, laser-etched PCs from Intel, and lots of permanent markers for signing all those copies of the game. Sounds pretty sweet for people who are close to the only US launch event....

Custom controller hopes to redefine accessibility options on PS5 Perhaps the most important bullet point fromSony’s 2023 Consumer Electronics Showpresentation is the publisher’s unveiling of a new customizable controller — Tentatively named Project Leonardo, the new controller is aiming to redefine accessibility options for users on the PS5 platform. “At CES, we announced the next step in our journey to make gaming more accessible: Project Leonardo for PlayStation 5,”reiterates Sony on the PlayStation Blog....

Videogames for everybody Back in July we saw that Chinawas looking to lift thevideogame console ban. And now it’s finally going to happen. The catch is that companies must make the consoles in the new free-trade zone of Shanghai. China’s highest decision-making body, the State Council, issued their statement, adding that the the devices must be approved by the Ministry of Culture. This news comes shortly after Microsoft had announced a $237 million joint venture with Chinese Internet TV company BesTV New Media to develop a “family games and related services....

Not as a full remaster though Developer Quantic Dream confirmed at E3 last night thatIndigo Prophecy(also known asFahrenheit) will be arriving on PS4 on July 18 for $14.99. The studio later clarified that this will be a “PS2 Classic on PS4,” so no, it’s not a full-on remake or remaster like some people have come to expect. The funny thing aboutIndigois that David Cage wanted to make a serious story, but failed so spectacularly as the compelling murder mystery setup eventually devolves into aDragon Ball Zsuperhero saga....

What’s around the Bend? Sony Interactive Entertainment developer Bend Studio has begun work on a brand new project. TheDays Gonedev’s next release will be open-world adventurebased on a fresh IP, as opposed to a sequel for its monster mashing biker adventure. The new project was revealed in a PlayStation Blog interview with PlayStation Studios head Herman Hulst. “New IP is the lifeblood of gaming,” explains Hulst. “But new IP is just one aspect of our strategy....

Sega has an amazing legacy and a library of fantastic, cherished franchises that remain among the most memorable experiences in gaming history. Then we get something likeShadow the Hedgehog, and everything turns to brittle rust and dried, blackened blood. Thankfully, Sega is not above milking its history and reminding us of the good old days with endless compilation discs, the latest of which isSonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection. With over forty titles from the days when you could be proud to be a Sega fan, this is arguably the most comprehensive collection yet....

It’s likely you wantedFallout: New Vegasbefore, but thanks to a recent reveal on behalf of the ESRB, it’s become a game you simply can’t pass up. Well, particularly if you’ve got a thing for robots. According tothe description, “sexual activity with a robot” is suggested, but (unfortunately?) not depicted. Dialogue like “Something wrong with someone if they got to f**k a machine” indicate that the mechanical intercourse is frowned upon by some New Vegas denizens....

Remember that old Working Designs PS1 releaseVanguard Bandits? No? I get that, as it was kind of rare. It was a decent strategy RPG, but it wasn’t really memorable. Still, it’s totally worth a re-release as a PSOne Classic title. Siliconera points out that the ESRB re-ratedVanguard Banditsas a PlayStation 3 and PSP game. You know what that means. And seeing as how Working Designs already localized it, we should be getting it in English....

Oh no Although Bethesda is making strides withFallout 76and just injected a ton of new content into the game, they’re walking on thin ice. The latest development for the game doesn’t help. Like, at all. In short, Bethesda has added a non-cosmetic microtransaction to the game, which immediately sounded the “pay-to-win” sirens from the playerbase. The item? Repair kits: you know, those useful things that are in most modernFalloutgames that let you fix your gear....

1001 Arabian fights The unfortunately-named Uppercut Games, which consists of former 2K and Irrational developers, have announced their latest project, the sword-and-sand adventureCity of Brass. The first-person action-adventure sees a young thief battle through procedurally-generated towns and dungeons armed with a whip, which can be used for a range ofIndiana Jones-style grappling, disarming and platform-negotiating, and a scimitar, which can be used for murderlising. The permadeath journey promises lots of treasure-hunting and monster-fighting action, along with that staple of Arabian folklore; genies, who can help players by providing items, joining them in battle, or granting them, you guessed it, three wishes....

There’s always plenty of crap going free on iTunes, so it’s a nice surprise when a game with some production values turn up.1112is a point-and-click adventure game with some real quality behind it. The game itself is somewhat convoluted, but it’s got an element of wit about it so it’s worth checking out. I didn’t get too far into it yet, but hardcore adventure fans might find something to like. Either way it’s free for the rest of the day thanks to OpenFeint, so why the hell are you complaining?...