Does the famous Konami code ever quit?, no, and we like it that way because the long time easter egg continues to make us laugh so hard

How many times have we seen it, and doesn't always give us a kick. The Konami code has been around longer than some of you who might be reading this right now. Ever since it was rather, "accidently" left in the programming for Gradius, only meant to be a help factor in beta testing the game it has also been used time and again for many other titles out there. Contra likely being the one it is most known for. Too hard to get through?, no problem, here's the Konami code to the rescue. Now that all of us have this addiction called the Internet, something we just can't live without, the famous code has worked its way into that realm as well.

This is likely something within the world of nerds and geeks, but at least some of them will give you a good laugh if you try it. The guys at KonamiCodeSites have put together a list of every site they know of that has the Konami easter egg imbedded within them. Some are a little harder to execute, while some only require that you press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, and then Enter. What will happen if you try the code on these sites. Who knows, that's the surprise part. Some might reveal a silly dressed Raptor moving across your screen, while others will show something like you see below. Silly isn't it? Go ahead, give it a shot by heading to KonamiCodeSites and see the list for yourself.

Oh, and by the way, in order to actually enter that site, you have to enter the Konami code.Your fingers will thank you.

Could Konami have made a major mistake with licensing agreements and a lack of stadiums with the new Pro Evolution Soccer game?

PES has just hit something of a bitter turn, maybe for the worst. After Konami has stated the lack of stadiums, which also goes for a stadium editor, this also includes a lack of Spanish stadiums. But the road block didn't end there. There is something of a lack of licensing agreements taking place this time around. EA has been extreamly agressive this year in securing licensing agreements with everything they can get their mittens on. Even though the new Pro Evolution Soccer game has been backed by the almighty Fox Engine, could a lack of licensing be the dagger in the back of PES that EA is ringing their hands over? Perhaps. Konami had this to say on the issue.

"EA have been extremely aggressive with signing deals with clubs and leagues this year..." PES 2014 wont have "major European stadiums, including NO Spanish stadiums"

Besides the issues PES is facing, this could be a bad sign, especially if your first choice would have been a Spanish stadium. What about the weather? We talk about it every day, especially if we know it's going to rain. That too, will not be the case in PES 2014, as there won't be any rainy weather. One can only hope that the addition of the other game play elements being implemented into it this year will help make up for the lackluster of others we've come to expect being included. Perhaps some decent downloadable content will help? Maybe. 

 

The PC retail boxed version of Lords of Shadow "Ultimate Edition" is now available, along with the Steam version for you subscribers

Just a few days ago, the Steam subscriber crowd got a chance to dive into the world of Lords of Shadow, the Ultimate Edition that is for perhaps the first time since its release back in late 2010. The hit Castlevania game has since spawned a 3DS title, which basically strayed away from the "MetriodVania" type series a lot of us grew up with and went the hand held 3D route. The Ultimate Edition features all of the available downloadable content that was ever released for it, and also includes the splendid Reverie and Resurrection extra packs. So everything you could want for it is included.

The current set price for LOS Ultimate Edition is $29.99. Steam users get the digital format version, while PC users can get a boxed version.

• The acclaimed Castlevania: Lords of Shadow comes to PC for the first time, offering state of the art graphics that deliver an awesome game experience, plus add-on content (Reverie and Resurrection) included with the full game.

• High caliber voice acting from the game's stunning cast, with Gabriel voiced by Robert Carlyle OBE (Once Upon a Time, 28 Weeks Later, Trainspotting, The Full Monty and Stargate Universe), and Sir Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek: Next Generation) as the mysterious Zobek. Natasha McElhone (The Other Boleyn Girl, Californication, The Truman Show) and Jason Isaacs (Black Hawk Down, The Patriot, Harry Potter series) round off the talent.

 

 

Apparently the new Pro Evolution Soccer demo was released on on Playstation Network, and then taken down immediately

A couple of days ago, the latest Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 game was somewhat "accidently" released on the Playstation Network, and then suddenly taken down. It was never meant to be an August demo release, as Konami has stated they will officially release the PES 2014 demo on September 11th on PS3, followed by an Xbox 360 release on the next day. I'm not sure what caused the error of releasing it too early, but since that did happen, here are some new details about it.

The demo is 1.3gb, and features Bayern Munich, Santos, Italy and Germany as playable teams. Konami also stated they will offer a full tutorial element to the demo, and several playable teams in a full match scenario for you fans to try out. Not too bad for a demo, now if we can just get to September 11th, the fun can begin. PES 2014 will launch completely on September 20th in Europe, and US / Canada will see their release on the 24th, the same day as the new FIFA hits the store shelves. The waiting is the hardest part as always.

Some fans of Suikoden never knew that Konami had also produced a pachislot machine in honor of the famous series

By now we are very familiar with movies based on video games, and video games based on movies. But yet few of us ever wonder about the casino business, and how games have inspired new machines there as well. Suikoden happens to be one of them, along with other Konami game hits like Castlevania. So let's take a quick look at a of video featuring Suikoden, in the world of gambling. Part IV of Suikoden for one, as you can see in the video below being explained in a cool video trailer. But the concept is to show you what a Suikoden pachislot gambling machine looks like after being made.

Few people realize that Konami *does* have a pretty large hand in the casino business. Yes, indeed, they aren't limited to games like Metal Gear. Personally, I would love to get my hands on a couple of pachislot machines made by Konami, especially a Suikoden based one. Let me know what you think about this sort of concept, or what you would like to see made in the future based on the series. It really needs to make a return in more ways than one.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 decides to ditch the stadium editor, Spanish stadiums and give a bright sunshiny day without the rain effects

The last part of that title is a bit exaggerated. So here is the real deal about a few of the options and weather effects not being included into PES 2014 this year. Konami had to start fresh, very fresh. For quite some time now they've been using and reusing the same engine, making improvements here and there to keep up with the players demand for new elements being added each year a new PES came out. They simply had to, or else the time constraint wouldn't allow for it. This time around, now that they have redone Pro Evolution Soccer basically from the ground up using the Fox Engine, they simply didn't have enough time to include certain elements.

Among these include rainy weather. That's right, there will be no rainy weather in PES this year. That might not be considered a loss, if you could care less about playing while wet. The other two options might be a problem for you though. They include a stadium editor, and a lack of Spanish stadiums. If you like custom editing your stadiums, or if you happen to be Spanish and want to see the inclusion of them in PES, this could put a frown on your face. It seems that in order to make a fully remade Fox Engine based Pro Evolution Soccer to compete with FIFA this time, a small number of sacrifices had to be made. Hopefully these won't be too consequential, so let's take a look at a few statements made by Adam Bhatti recently.

"Rain has not been implemented for 2014 as we had to overhaul the whole game and build it from scratch."

"While implementing rainy weather itself is fairly feasible, we need to think through of how its effect shows through in game play.

"This includes the pitch becoming slippery, ball bouncing, some elements to make the team used to that climate somewhat more power in terms of balance."

Bhattie also described the Spanish stadiums being the victim of what he says are the results of "aggressive" EA licensing arrangements. I guess we will see what kind of impact it has, if any, when PES and FIFA launch on September 24th next month. Check out a few stadium designs below to get an idea of what you'll be seeing this year.

Konami has just released the PC requirements for running Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 efficiently, which is designed for older machines

It looks like you don't need a super mega ultra fast machine to run the new Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 game this year. PES this time around was specifically designed for not only older machines, but current generation consoles. We know how far back in time that goes, at least 2006. Konami decided to make PES work efficiently on older PC machines too, which is also where EA sports decided to also go with their latest FIFA title. Both soccer games will be going neck and neck this year like never before, especially since Konami decided to use the almighty Fox Engine this time around. Won't that be good for an all out soccer war.

The base of users who own fast PC machines isn't that great, according to EA, so Konami will follow in the same footsteps until that scenario decides to change significantly. So without further delay, here is the minimum and recommended system requirements for you to enjoy the new PES game when it officially launches next month.

Minimum system requirements:

• Operating System: Win Xp 32, Vista, Windows 7
• Graphics Card: GeForce 510, Radeon HD 5450 512MB
• CPU: Pentium D 820 2.8GHz, Athlon LE-1640
• RAM: 1 GB
• HDD: 10 GB
• DirectX: 9.0c

Recommended system requirements:

• Operating System: Win Xp 32, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
• Graphics Card: GeForce GT 440, Radeon HD 5550 1024MB
• CPU: Core 2 Duo E7400 2.80GHz, Athlon II X2 255
• RAM: 4 GB
• HDD: 10 GB
• DirectX: 9.0c

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 will be released on September 20th in the UK, while the countries like US and Canada will see their launch date on the 24th. The 24th is also the same day FIFA launches, where both titles will go head to head to see who comes out on top this year. It's be interesting to see how the fan base reacts to both titles. By the way, have you seen the latest GamesCom trailer yet?, if not check it out below.

Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM Pocket is now out in the New Zealand App store, and should arrive later tonight in US and UK

Yu-Gi-Oh! is hardly limited to the real life card based scenario, because here comes BAM Pocket to the scene, a Yu-Gi-Oh! game with a twist. Power values, spells, creature cards, it's all here rolled into one and ready to land on your iOS device. New Zealand gets a first tasted, followed by US and UK later on tonight. You will certainly have fun working with your deck building strategy with Yami Yugi like never before. Craft your own cards, build your own decks with a new storyline using the classic characters you've come to know and lover over the years.

The newly released video trailer below lasts 23 minutes long, and really gives a more in depth look at how the game functions work and play out. Here are the supported list of devices Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM Pocket is being released on.

Requirements :
Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (5th generation), iPad (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi + 4G, iPad (4th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation), iPad mini and iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular. Requires iOS 5.1 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

See you in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!.....

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is the creepy voice behind many Silent Hill games, and will be doing a performance in the new Diablo 3 expansion "Reaper of Souls"

Ever since Silent Hill 3 made us all fall out of our chair with terror in its wake, there has been one voice to be mentioned that deserves a second look, or rather listen. Her name is none other than Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, the voice behind many Silent Hill titles. If you are a fan of the series, that name should ring a bell, as she also participated in doing the vocals for the Silent Hill Revelation 3D movie, starring Adelaide Clemens. A welcome addition indeed. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is not only a talented voice actor, but a pretty one to boot. Her continued role in voicing Silent Hill games has led to another non Konami game related project.

Diablo 3 needed a new expansion, one called "Reaper of Souls", and they decided to ask Mary in doing some voice acting in that particular realm for the new female crusader. She responded with excitement of course, since Diablo III is a well known and respected title, it certainly deserved an expansion, and Mary certainly deserved a role in it. A veteran Silent Hill voice right smack in the middle of Diablo?, I say why not? Mary made a statement on Twitter recently about getting to do the part in the new expansion.

Mary E. McGlynn ‏@MaryEMcGlynn

I'm so excited to announce that I will be voicing the new female Crusader in Diablo III! @Diablo @jhaletweets @blumspew @TroyBakerVA

Feel free to follow her, as you might learn a thing or two from her talent. Her vocals lended to the Revelation 3D soundtrack song called "Silent Scream" is something you need to hear. She has quite the voice, and I hope to see, or rather "hear" more of her work in the future. You can check out both the Diablo III opening, and the Silent Scream song below. Both are worth a good look. The only thing more beautiful than her voice, is basically well, her.

Get ready to whip your way to a Belmont victory, as Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition blasts its way onto your Steam service today

It's already been a few years since we were graced with a 3D Castlevania game that for the first "real" time in the history of the series, it was accepted with at least the majority of the "MetroidVania" fans. Sure, Lament of Innocense and Curse of Darkness were accepted with a lot of fans out there, but it wasn't really until Lords of Shadow hit the scene that it was proven that Castlevania can surely survive in a 3D world. Ever since then, two more packs have added onto an already successful game. Not to mention some decent downloadable content.

Now PC owners will get a genuine taste of Lords of Shadow, as today is the day it launches for it, along with all of the DLC packs, which also include the Reverie and Resurrection extensions with it. Along with today's release, are some new screen shots Konami has released, and they do look sweet enough to eat. There are currently two versions to take advantage of. First the Windows PC retail boxed version, and then there is the European digital version being released TODAY by way of the Steam service. The boxed retail version will be available in just a few days on August 30th. In the meantime, check out a video below if you haven't had a chance to see it in action yet.

For more information on the Steam version, you can go here.

Hideo Kojima expresses his sense of humor on Twitter saying that he will include "stupid jokes" into the next Metal Gear game The Phantom Pain

You've seen many pictures of him, and nearly all of them show a serious and formal man. One that demonstrates not only intellect, but charisma as well. But did you know Hideo Kojima also has a genuine sense of humor? Indeed he does, and although his Metal Gear series is quite serious in the storyline, Kojima insists that this time around, he will include what he calls, "stupid jokes". Recently he made a statement about it in Twitter.

HIDEO_KOJIMAVerified account ‏@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN

Since the theme of my next project is "Revenge" I've tried to stay serious but I couldn't help including stupid jokes again. (cont)

"My team members positively accepted & said that's the essence of MGS, but I'd better keep my mouth shot [sic] to Yoji [Shinkawa] in case he resists".

What kind of jokes will be included in The Phantom Pain is any person's guess right now, but it'll be interesting to see the outcome of what they will be. After all, I like his sense of humor, just take a look below and you'll see what I mean. Funny isn't it?

’d better keep my mouth shot [sic] to Yoji [Shinkawa] in case he resists.”
Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2013/08/26/metal-gear-solid-v-will-still-include-stupid-jokes/#m4JGXD5Cx0b3Ib0L.99

“My team members positively accepted & said that’s the essence of MGS but I’d better keep my mouth shot [sic] to Yoji [Shinkawa] in case he resists.”
Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2013/08/26/metal-gear-solid-v-will-still-include-stupid-jokes/#m4JGXD5Cx0b3Ib0L.99

“My team members positively accepted & said that’s the essence of MGS but I’d better keep my mouth shot [sic] to Yoji [Shinkawa] in case he resists.”
Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2013/08/26/metal-gear-solid-v-will-still-include-stupid-jokes/#m4JGXD5Cx0b3Ib0L.99

“My team members positively accepted & said that’s the essence of MGS but I’d better keep my mouth shot [sic] to Yoji [Shinkawa] in case he resists.”
Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2013/08/26/metal-gear-solid-v-will-still-include-stupid-jokes/#m4JGXD5Cx0b3Ib0L.99

“My team members positively accepted & said that’s the essence of MGS but I’d better keep my mouth shot [sic] to Yoji [Shinkawa] in case he resists.”
Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2013/08/26/metal-gear-solid-v-will-still-include-stupid-jokes/#m4JGXD5Cx0b3Ib0L.99

In the beginning, there was "little love" for Metal Gear, as Hideo Kojima took action against its sequel with a bit of help from Solid Snake

When I speak about the original Metal Gear, most people probably think about the NES version, NOT the MSX2 version. Both were different in a number of ways. First of all, the NES version lacked not only the same design elements as the MSX2 version, but also the Metal Gear nuke machine was replaced with a well, rather wonky type computer. "Complete Garbage", is what Hideo Kojima referred to the Nintendo version, since it was inferior to the MSX2 title obviously. Its follow up, "Snakes Revenge" was done without the knowledge or involvment of Kojima, which of course was a big mistake.

This had a bright end to it though, as it gave birth to what has to be one of my personal all time favorite Metal Gear games, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. If Snake were to get any sort of "Revenge", this had to be the one to do it. Quite a number of you reading this have likely never even heard of the proper sequel to the first Gear title, but this was it. Boasting superior graphics than its predecessor, Solid Snake is a classic gem that time had forgotten. But thanks to the recent "Legacy Collection", you can now play it in its official HD glory. Thank you Konami for making that happen, the world needed it. I invite you to give the video below a good watch if you've never played this one, as it deserves a second look if you're a fan of the series.

A victor in the "King of Games" Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship sees Shin En Huang from Taiwan coming out on top as the number one duelist

How does one keep up with all of these Yu-Gi-Oh! events? Lack of sleep has something to do with it, just as it had something to do with Shin En Huang, a fellow from Taiwan who said that he didn't sleep for 40 hours straight, which is why his first dueling game was a "mediocre" performance according to him. But that didn't stop him from coming out on top of the King of Games event at the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship event recently. A two day event, and the first day was not so hot for him, but he came back the next day with both gloves on fighting to the very end against his final opponent David Keener, which was out of 26 duelists.

Huang told Taiwanese media, “Thank you everyone supporting and watching me in Taiwan, I’d like to also thank all the Asian contestants and delegates for helping me with translations and refuelling”. Huang also mentioned that he will be back next year to try to claim another victory. If that happens, it will be a first in Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship history. Huang used a "Dragon Rulers" deck, while Keener made use of a "Prophecy" deck. You can watch the video below if you want to check out the showdown between the two duelists. It's worth a quick look.

4K Media and Cinedigm will be launching hundreds of Yu-Gi-Oh! episodes across multiple media formats, including Video On Demand

Can't get enough of Yu-Gi-Oh! can you? Of course you can't, and you will soon enough thanks to a partnership between Cinedigm and 4K Media. The partnership will see the release of over 600 Yu-Gi-Oh! episodes on various home entertainment formats. Formats include Video On Demand, digital, DVD and Blue-Ray box sets. Starting September 10th, season 1 of Yu-Gi-Oh! will launch first. The announcement between the two companies was made during the Comic-Con event a while back in San Diego.

Kazuki Takahashi is the creator of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, and probably would never have thought how gigantic the franchise has become. Selling well over 25 billion cards, Yu-Gi-Oh! Mr. Shinichi Hanamoto, who happens to be the Chairman and President Cooporate Officer of 4K media issued a statement, “This deal continues an exciting year for the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand. Cinedigm is the perfect partner to bring the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand back into the home entertainment market.”


The DVD and Blue-Ray releases will take place in the US and Canada, while fans can also catch Yu-Gi-Oh! Monday - Thursday on NickToons. For more information on the series, plus the latest information and events taking place, please visit the official site for Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Konami is set to launch new Yu-Gi-Oh! products over the next few months featuring six releases you dueling masters will love

So much Yu-Gi-Oh!, so little time. Or is that money? Perhaps both, as Konami is ready to release six hot new products over the period of the next few months. Let's start at number one, which is the release that already happened earlier this month. Judgement of the light boosters, which features 9 cards per pack, which 24 packs per Box. Release number 2 will take place later on this week for Judgement of the light tins, which contains five promo cards and five booster packs.

The next release happens September 13th for Saga of the Blue Eyes White Dragon Structure Deck. That's quite a long name isn't it? This new set includes some new synchro monsters, along with Azure Eyes Silver Dragon card and the Blue Eyes White Dragon card. The cost will be $10 for this puppy. September 27th will see the release of the Jugdement of the light Deluxe Edition, which contains two different art storage boxes, along with three foil cards, 50 promo sleeves, a beginners guide, and an additional 9 booster packs to go with it. Not a bad start if you've just decided to get involved with the series. This set will run you $30.

Moving into October 11th. The new lauch of Legendary Collection 4: Joey's World will release, featuring a two sided hard player board and five mega packs. One side has the Phoenix information, while the other features Joey. Four out of the nine cards in the mega packs have either rare or foil type. This set will cost you $30 as well. November 8th is the launch of ghostricks and vampires, as Shadow Specters will be landing at stores near you. It looks like this Fall has a lot in store for Yu-Gi-Oh! duelists. Happy holidays indeed.

Saga of Blue-Eyes White Dragon Structure Deck

Saga of Blue-Eyes White Dragon Structure Deck

Saga of Blue-Eyes White Dragon Structure Deck

Hideo Kojima shows the world a work in progress figure of Solid Snake (Big Boss) from Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

He tweets, he surprises, he even sometimes shocks the world with certain announcements. Kind of like the one he did when he first introduced to the fans the concept of an open world Metal Gear Solid title. When Hideo Kojima tweets however, that's sometimes when we learn of what is currently happening with his latest project. Like The Phantom Pain for instance. The world wants more information, and when they get it, it's usually not enough, but enough to last you for a little while.

Well, here is something to last you for at least a day. It's a work in progress model, or figurine of our beloved Solid Snake (also known as Big Boss) from The Phantom Pain. As you can see in both pictures, this is only a very early model being shown, since it has somewhat of a way to go before its final completion. But it does give you a small sample of what sort of elements go into the production of the new Metal Gear title, and what it takes to develop it. I personally wouldn't mind having even an incomplete figure like this one sitting on my computer desk to eyeball each day.

Who knows, Kojima did mention a while back that there will be some toys and goodies that get released after the launch of The Phantom Pain, so my wish and likely yours too just might come true. In the meantime, one can only drool over these 2 photos and wonder what the finished product will finally look like.

What would the future of Silent Hill games be like if MercurySteam took over the production like they did Castlevania?

That has to be a pretty big question, and one worth asking. I'll say it again. If the same people that made Lords of Shadow so great were to take control of the production of a Silent Hill game, what would it be like, and would the fans accept such a change? In recent years if you've been observing the gaming scene as I have, then you've also noticed a massive transition taking place with huge titles like not only Castlevania, but Metal Gear as well. The "MetroidVania" series we've came to know and love had undergone some massive surgery, not fully knowing how well the fans would accept the outcome, and yet they did.

The same is happening right now with Metal Gear Solid. For the first time in history, an open world Metal Gear game that has many heads turning. This a new catalyst for game developers out there if they expect to keep the customers coming back for more. Games are becoming more and more lifelike, and starting to play out like a movie, or even a television series. That kind of progress is fine by me, but what about the Silent Hill series? Should it be thrown into the same crowd of change that other titles are going through? Let me explain a bit further.

Last year, Hideo Kojima had expressed his desire to use the Fox Engine itself to overhaul Silent Hill. It was time for a big change, one that only the Fox Engine could likely deliver. But the slight concern was that the Fox Engine was meant for an outdoor environment, and not indoors. But still the change would be a welcome one in the eyes of Kojima. Adam Cox, the producer for MercurySteam had also expressed an interest in seeing Silent Hill get a full "reboot" of the series. Something he felt was long overdue. In an interview he did recently, he gave some statements along those lines.

“I guess Silent Hill would be the obvious one. Sometimes a series needs a little break. Sometimes it needs to have fresh eyes, a new team to come in and bring their creative vision to it. Perhaps Silent Hill will be a project Konami can bring back.”

“It’s not something that I would be particularly interested in doing myself. I’m more of an old school guy. I grew up with Castlevania, and Contra is what made me want to work at Konami at the end of the day. They are my passions. I’d like to see Konami do some new stuff, bring something new to the table. I think next generation offers great opportunities to do new things.”

The same guys at MercurySteam, Dave Cox himself being one of them, had also mentioned a while back of the desire to do a Contra "reboot". It seems that nearly all of Konami's big hit titles are undergoing some major changes, hopefully it will lead to some new fans being added to the existing ones out there. Konami had already filed a trademark for the title "Contra: Run and Gun", which you can gladly take a look at the official page for it here.  The publication date also happens to be listed for two days from now, on the 27th.

The new question is this, we know Silent Hill needs a change, but who will initiate that change and what will they change it to is any person's guess at the moment. If the change is along the lines of what they are doing with Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain, then it's a change I certainly look forward to.

New screen shots of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 are out, thanks to some hands on action at the GamesCom event this week

Can't get enough of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2? Neither can any of us. If you were lucky enough to attend the GamesCom event in Cologne, Germany, which many of us were not, then you might have also been lucky enough to actually gets some hands on experience with the demo being displayed there. Thanks to a few individuals there are some really nice screen shots circulating around out there now. Besides the latest trailer for LOS2 posted below, you can check out some new images below. They look sweet enough to eat.

Lords of Shadow 2 will make its way into your living room next February 25th. The Castlevania Lords of Shadow collection set to launch on Halloween day, October 31st. Imagine that. An HD version of Mirror of Fate will also be included with it, along with a nice demo for Lords of Shadow 2. So being able to play at least some of it isn't too far off in your future. See?, you didn't have to wait until next February to get a taste of it did you?

What does it take to be the worlds fastest play through in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?, prepare to be blown away by Romscout

I always get a kick out of speed runs through video games. Sure, you and I have been witnessing them for years now. Watching recorded videos of people moving through games and finishing them as fast as they possibly can. It's an eye full alright, and by now you may have become somewhat desensitized by them after seeing them so much. Well, not so fast, your trip through speed run world isn't quite over just yet. Here is another one to shake up your living room. How about this, from start to finish, completing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (SOTN) in only a mere 18 minutes and 20 seconds. Sound too good to be true?, read on grasshopper.

A fellow by the name of Romscout might ring a bell with some of you.  This one is notorious for speed runs through some of his favorite games. Symphony of the Night only being one of them. He currently holds the world record in finishing SOTN all the way to Dracula's death (any %percentage) using the Xbox Live Arcade version of it. The number one goal of the speed run, get to the end using any methods you possibly can, and that INCLUDES the glitches of course.

Back dashing, check, Fairy glitch, check, item duplication, a must have. Whatever it takes, do it. That's just one of the keys to a successful speed run. Oh, and also being one hell of a game player. Can't leave that out now can we? Let me know what you think of the new speed run video below. It's worth watching at least once. Just don't fall out of your chair.

Konami releases information for the Latin America covers and downloadable content on Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 at the GamesCom event this week

A few days ago, Konami had already released news about its addition of the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional or (ANFP), which added 18 of Chile's finest teams to the PES lineup. Thanks to the GamesCom event recently, they've now released the covers for its Latin America lineup as well. Here is the press release info on what they've launched so far.

Brazil: The Brazil PES 2014 cover reaffirms the licensing of 21 teams throughout the country and features some of the country's most renowned stars and teams including Santos, Palmeiras and Corinthians. Complete with kits and stadiums and local announcers, Brazilians will feel at home with PES 2014.

Argentina: New to the franchise this year, is the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) Primera División brings all 20 top level teams (and some of the corresponding home stadiums) into Pro Evolution Soccer 2014.  KONAMI has also enlisted the talents of national football announcers and FOX Sports commentators, Mariano Closs and Fernando Neimbro, to call the action in each game. Some of the premier teams that will be included are River Plate, Boca Juniors, Newell's Old Boys and Racing.

Chile: During the Festigame convention in Santiago, Chile, PES announced an agreement with the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (ANFP) to bring all 18 Primera División teams to Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. The teams include Colo Colo, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Católica, Cobreloa, Unión Española, and more.  In addition, PES 2014 will also feature local announcers Fernando Solabarrieta and Patricio ("Pato") Yáñez, to call the action.

Latin America: PES 2014 also features a region wide cover, which pays homage to the Copa Bridgestone Libertadores teams, which are exclusively licensed in PES 2014.

Aside from the Latin America additions, Konami has also released news on the DLC packs being introduced. If you pre-order PES 2014, you will receive special codes to unlock the new content. These involve classic Latin American and European kits to the main game, which include famed sides such as AC Milan (1989-90), Manchester United (1998-99), Santos (1968), Colo Colo (1992) and Boca Juniors (1997).

A digital pre-order will land you current third kits for teams such as Manchester United, Inter Milan and Juventus.  Roster updates, new kit elements and additional DLC will also be regularly available during Pro Evolution Soccer 2014's lifespan. Pro Evolution Soccer will release in UK on September 20th, a few days before the North American release on the 24th, which is the same day FIFA launches. Being backed by the Fox Engine this time around, it'll be interesting to see the outcome this year when the two titans go head to head for the gold medal with soccer fans.

PES 2014 will launch for Xbox360, PS3, PC, and PSP. No next generation platforms are planned, nor a Wii-U, 3DS, or PSVita versions are on the table due to a lack of demand. Yes, there still is a demand for the ever aging PSP, which is still holding its own in Japan with a firm grip.  Check out the latest trailer for PES 2014 below, which highlights some of the ball handling and blocking systems being introduced this year.

By the way, nice comparison between PES 2013 and PES 2014 someone created below. You can certainly see a noticable difference using the Fox Engine.

For more information, head to the official page for PES, located at http://www.konami.com/pes