DS Opera Browser released...internet proclaims...meh.

Two (yes two) versions of the Nintendo DS web browser have been released in the US. One version works on both systems, and the other on DS Lites only. Why? I haven't the foggiest.
DS Lite is the only version currently available in brick & mortar stores. Phat version is available through Nintendo only.

General consensus is unimpressed. The browser does not support Flash nor Javascript and connection times are very slow. Personally I'd like a copy if only to look up movie times and make blog updating easier. However, I still have the DS "Phat" and I am too lazy/cheap to order it from Nintendo.

KoF: MI - Reg A info

Cyberfanantix has released a translation of the character info for Xiaolon (for those of us that can't read the moon language) Word on the internet is that she is a Hsien Ko clone (Darkstalkers). I agree, but it makes me happy as I am a Hsien Ko fan and I don't see any new Darkstalkers games any time soon. (if ever.)

Majoria's News reports of site updates to the Regulation A site - new character info (Xiaolon) and two new videos posted.

There are youtube versions of the videos if you'd prefer not to download the exe files from SNK.
video 1
video 2 Mmm...poison kiss <3

City of Heroes Double XP Weekend

School’s out! Father’s Day! Positron™ ’s birthday! So many reasons to celebrate! Yes, Heroes and Villains, the time has come again. Roughly twice a year we turn up the dial and invite players to rack up XP at double the normal rate. Next weekend Hero and Villain characters will receive double the XP, Prestige, Influence and Infamy for all of their accomplishments in the game.

Start: Friday, June 15th, 2007 at 8:59 PST/11:59am EST Finish: Sunday, June 17th, 2007 at 8:59 PST/11:59pm EST
via my email inbox / NCSoft

Let the Barracuda camping proceed!!

Pimp My Ride: Fantastic Four Edition

No...really - MTV did an episode of Pimp My Ride for a comic book geek in California. The car ended up all chrome-y in true Silver Surfer form. It has FF themed seats, a comic book holder with the first appearance of Silver Surfer (formerly the glove box) and the trunk is chock full of speakers and monitors, encased in a Thing-type rock substance.

They cut out a bit - the screens have footage of the 360 version of Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer...360 included of course.

Witchblade / Jingai Makyo figures

Heisei Democracy reviewed the Masane (Witchblade Powered Up version) figure. It's huge! Attack of the 50 foot Masane (well not quite...)

Kid Nemo has a lovely Ignis (Jingai Makyo) figure up for preorder that will set you back a mere $103.99. Being from a galge - of course her skirt & top are removeable. (Dear otaku, stop touching your figures in that way. You're creeping the rest of us out) I wish this character didn't have such great design . ;_;

City of Heroes movie!

In some incredibly cool news about that 'other' MMO that WoW players can't be bothered with:

"Transformers producer Tom DeSanto has secured the film rights to NCsoft and Cryptic Studio's video game City of Heroes. The plan is to adapt the massively multiplayer online role-playing game into a live-action feature and then transition it to television in some form, the trade paper reported. The movie revolves around a group of superheroes who live in Paragon City and must team up in order to fight an invasion of aliens known as the Rikti. "

For those that were in the beta - the Rikti were introduced as a giant event at the end of the beta period. Testing is over - time to drop aliens on your head! Next to Lord Recluse, the Rikti are the main high level mobs. I can only assume that the Freedom Phalanx (big NPCs) will be the heroes of the movie (Statesman, Positron, Manticore, Synapse, & Sister Psyche) I assume the 'lower level' npcs will make appearances but you never know, because there are so many of them (Ms Liberty, Back Alley Brawler (I hate that guy) Numina, Swan, Mynx, Infernal, (hate that guy too) etc etc.)

Having played both games for a couple of years (I want to go back!) I look forward to this movie. Americans love the spandex. Oh by the way, that's my villian in the picture - I'm the giant guy with no neck. Kotaku and SciFi.com

Watch 009-1 for free (this week)

ADV films is showing the first ep of 009-1 this week.
You can watch the trailer here with a link to the full episode.
Seems a bit...hokey to me, but free is free and I liked Cutie Honey Live Action so there's no accounting for taste. Up for a limited time, so get going.

In a world where the Cold War never ended, East and West continue to battle for technological and political supremacy. Mylene Hoffman, field commander of the elite Zero Zero Organization, exists in this world with her eyes open and her body always ready to do battle. She puts the intelligence into “intelligence agent” and her body into "body of evidence"!

Liberating benevolent scientists, tagging along with would-be monster-slayers, meeting her match in the world’s most hard-boiled assassin and navigating a deadly labyrinth of horrors are all in a day’s work for Mylene. There’s no problem she can’t solve with the proper application of high explosives, fast-talk, deceptive jewelry, make-up and the right moves behind closed doors!

In a world of spy mystery and intrigue… discover who she kisses one minute and kills the next.

-http://www.009-1tv.com/

Card Fighters DS recall...almost.

Snatched directly from Kotaku, who has inside sources that send them press releases.

We have been informed by Nintendo of America that the manufacturing of the replacement cartridges will be available on June 25th. At that time, SNK will ship the cartridges from Japan to our facility in the US and begin the process of implementing the recall. We should be able to begin providing replacements cartridges the first or second week of July. Information regarding the procedure on returning your defective cartridge to SNK will be posted on our website in the near future.

Japan-esque

Pop culture roundup from our favorite island nation:

Don't illegally dump your trash or Ryuk will come get you! To protect against illegal trash dumping, mini torii gates are being erected. If you’re Japanese, you’re bound to have some sort of fear of the gods. We started making them because we thought that if you stick a torii gate up in an area where people have been illegally dumping trash, people are going to think twice before throwing anything else away for fear that the gods may punish them and won’t dump anything" via Japan Probe

JapanSugoi has some great footage of Harajuku fashion. I swore I saw some Psycho le Cemu & Malice Mizer cosplay in there. In related news, Tokyopop will be releasing an English version of the Gothic Lolita Bible - for those time you absolutely MUST 'get your bonnet on'. (via aO)

Namie Amuro desperately trying to hold on to her career, decides to slut it up with her new album, Play. Complete with S&M gear - she looks a bit like Anesthesia's "superstar" outfit. Click the link above for the article & videos. (via animeOnline)

Cat Boys Toys!

Ah, I love the rare occasion that cool male figures come out (anime figs, there are a ton of comic book guy figures). Kotobukiya is releasing a Bardo figure, from the series Lamento: Beyond the Void - which in tun is based on a Yaoi/BL game. Bardo is available for preorder at Kid Nemo. His BL brethern Asaio & Konoe are currently available for preorder @ Statue Toys, but marked as 'Sold Out' at Kid Nemo. *shrug* The figures will set you back about 30 dollars each, but don't your FF : Advent Children guys need some friends to share the shelf with? *_*; Here is a fan site for info on the game Togainu no Chi - the game the boys originated in. If you're under 18, or at work or BOTH, go no farther than the character screens. (nsfw, ero ero, whatever) I take no responsibility for your lack of moral ethics. Here is the utterly safe Wiki entry.

Guilty Gear Accent Core has cooties

In another stunning display of QA incompetence, Arc System Works released a public apology for the buggy nature of Guilty Gear Accent Core. Bugs should be fixed by the time it comes to the US, as Arc really doesn't need two doses of public humiliation.

via Kotaku, who got it from Silicon Era, who has Youtube footage of the glitches

Anna Tsuchiya to appear at AX

Anna Tsuchiya will be the "newest Guest of Honor at Anime Expo. The Long Beach convention will host her one-hour concert on Saturday, June 30th at the Long Beach Arena."

So. Who wants to pack me in their luggage? ;_;
Nothing this spectacular happens in Florida.
not the most flattering picture, but my favorite scene in Kamikaze Girls. Anna is the one with the ciggy in her nose.
via animeOnline and my broken little heart.

Exploding Clothes Mahjong

Famitsu has posted new screen shots of Chu~ka na jyanshi tenho painyan Remix. (Completely and utterly not worksafe) After you beat the girls at Mahjong (and I mean beat unmercifully until their clothes tear apart) use your DS stylus to find " evil sesshouseki stone(s)" from their prone forms.
Ecchi? Misogyny? A little of both? Hm...
via Canned Dogs

Download your anime - legally.

Funimation announced that Samurai 7, Gunslinger Girl, Trinity Blood, and Basilisk will be available to download via X-Box Live and iTunes. They're both dub-only versions, but don't complain - it's darn near impossible to read subtitles on an iPod screen.
via animeOnline

Technology stranglehold news

RIAA and Universal accused of extortion
A Florida victim of RIAA lawsuits is striking back, accusing Universal Music Group of being extortionists: In a new Tampa, Florida, case, UMG v. Del Cid, the defendant has filed the following five (5) counterclaims against the RIAA, under Florida, federal, and California law:

1. Trespass
2. Computer Fraud and Abuse (18 USC 1030)
3. Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices (Fla. Stat. 501.201)
4. Civil Extortion (CA Penal Code 519 & 523)
5. Civil Conspiracy

via BoingBoing

China puts moratorium on new internet cafes

China is "placing a ban on the licensing of new internet cafes for 2007 while officials investigate supposed breaches of their restrictive rules. Specifically, the thought police want to find out how widespread the illegal renting of licenses and failure to register customers really are, as part of a larger crackdown on internet culture"
via engadget

More KOF Regulation A Screens

Majoria's News reports that GPara has new KOF Regulation A screens. Changes have been made to the little things, such as seeing your entire team lineup below your health bar, and also new selection screens for first second and third fighter placement. Menu screens have greatly improved. In addition, it seems as though the colors for the special moves have been brightened as well. No news of the final mystery character yet.

More Morning Musume woes...

Current MoMusu leader Fujimoto Miki has resigned, due to breaking the strict no dating policy of the group (yes, it's stupid, but them's the breaks). "This will be the shortest reign ever for any leader of Morning Musume, with the duration of only 4 weeks." Read the entire article, press releases and all at Hello Non-Pro Hour.

She Hulk Postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.
-from the postsecret site

This one really speaks for itself....

Gyaruru PV

Girl group Gyaruru (say that three times fast!) has recently released their first music video. It's painfully low budget green-screen goodness. That being said, I like of like the song and wouldn't be surprised to see it attached to a bemani game. animeOnline has a link to the video for Boom Boom Mecca Macho! Odd thing is, Japan Zone mentioned that Nozomi Tsuji had quit the band due to her pregnancy. I can only assume that this was filmed before then.

In a brief Google run, it seems someone has posted a live mp3 of the song here. (It wasn't me so I didn't rip it in the first place and I can't repost it when the link dies.)

Arts Vision Protest

Although the Arts Vision chairman stepped down, Canned Dogs reports that 30 fans brought "their pillows and had a pillow fight among other activities as a form of peaceful protest against ‘Pillow business’ and to raise public awareness about the situation at Arts Vision." The pillows were a commentary against 'pillow business' - the Japanese equivalent to the American phrase 'the casting couch'. CD adds that protest footage has been posted at YouTube. Watch it - it's part protest, part flash mob.