Now that Konami has all of the Hudson Soft games within their clutches, which classic hits would you like to see make a return?

If you grew up in the era of the golden age of gaming, oh let's say going back to about 1980, around the Atari 2600 days as I have. Then of course you managed to live through the game cartridge crash of '84, while new game systems like the 8-bit Nintendo and TurboGrafx-16 came to the rescue to show the world how real games are made. Hudson Soft was a fine and genuine example of a third party developer that made that vision a reality. They did it with wonderful hits like Bonk's Adventure, Bomberman, Adventure Island, Far East of Eden, and the list goes on and on. Hudson was one game company that really made a mark in the gaming world.

Unfortunately sometimes all good things must come to an end, such was the case with Hudson Soft. Some of you are asking yourself, why am I even covering this when this blog is about Konami games only? That's because some of you still don't know that Konami bought out Hudson Soft in April of last year. Indeed, Hudson was on a steady decline for a while, managing to put out another Far East of Eden title for the Xbox 360 not too long before their demise. But hold on a second, now that Konami has them in their pockets, they also plan to license out the IP (Intellectual Property) rights to other companies willing to take those lost gems and make them a reality again.

Bonk's Adventure, Far East of Eden, Adventure Island, and even the long running classic Bomberman now have the potential to be revived in some manner or another on who knows what game format. It could be current gen, next generation consoles, mobile gaming or hand held gaming platforms. For now Konami is simply extending the Hudson Soft licensing hand to whoever they choose to get the job done, and done right. So which ones do you want to see make a comeback to the gaming scene? My personal wish list is Far East of Eden, Bonk's Adventure, and Star Soldier. An RPG, an adventure game, and a shooter. A nice mix up I think. Which ones have made your own personal wish list?

Let me know what you think should happen in the comment section below. After you check out some cool videos of course.

Magician’s Quest: Town of Magic is another one of those lost Konami game gems that is fixing to make another comeback this holiday season

'Tis the season for giving, sharing, and being thankful for what you have. 'Tis also the season for cute Nintendo DS Konami games that most of the Western world has never heard of to make a second return in a bigger package. I'm talking of course about the Japanese hit title Magician’s Quest: Town of Magic, a game that the original title didn't exactly do so hot upon its release back in 2008, starting out with a mere 72,000 copies, but working its way up to 475,000 over a period of a few years. Not bad for a hand held DS game.

So it looks like Konami is kicking off the holiday season with a good start, at least in Japan for this exclusive title as it will be getting a price drop soon, along with belonging to an even bigger package this time around. What will be included this time?, how about some new downloadable content like a cute shop. Oh how cute, and how inexpensive for the Japanese buyer also looking for such a cute game. The old price was 4,980 yen, while the new holiday price is now 2,940 yen, or about $30 to some of the rest of us. Take a look below if this is one title you might consider putting under your tree this year. The one in the video is actually another one called Magician's Quest: Mysterious Times.

The Castlevania and Metal Gear cosplay photos just keep coming, and you still won't believe the length they went to

Assuming you have enough time on your hands, one thing you could do with all of it is to get into the act of dressing up like your favorite game characters. Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2, and Metal Gear Solid V are certainly no exception to the rule, as I will point you into the direction of three dedicated fans that stop at nothing to look like the characters themselves. Let's start with number one shall we? This one is taken right out of the halls of a fan that went so far to dress up like Gabriel Belmont, that I just had to point this one out first. Her name is Meagan Marie, and she actually took the time to do the entire outfit!? Let me bring you up to speed.

In the first picture, you can see that she did a fine job making the gauntlets. The second picture shows that she did a mold cast to make the dagger Gabriel carries. I'll let you grasp the whole thing in its entirety here.

Second on the cosplay platform is a girl who loves to dress up like characters from Metal Gear Solid 5. Talk about getting a head start! She did a splendid job gathering the materials necessary to look just like the real thing, or at least pretty close to it. What score would you give her?

Last but not least, is yet another female, (this must be the day of the female cosplay fans) who shows what it would look like if Grabriel Belmont, were actually a she, instead of a he. Su, not a bad job at all. Of course, you could make a great wife to Gabriel too. A dynamic duo of husband and wife vampires. That could definitely work well.

All in all, I hope these photos just keep coming, as it makes for some good entertainment, and who knows? Perhaps you might get into the act yourself and make your own cosplay outfit for your favorite game characters, and then end up here on this blog!

One site did see fit to give Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 a helping hand review so far

Following Konami and other related elements thereof have brought to light some interesting things that sometimes don't get reported. Whether it's fan made material for Castlevania, Metal Gear, Silent Hill or whatever, it's all worth taking a look at, and sometimes posting about. Well, recently PES 2014 has taken some heat for the day one patch issues that led to some not being able to get online. Aside from that, I've seen mixed reviews about how PES was better this year in many ways unlike before, while others have totally bashed it based on the fact that EA has secured most of the licensing agreements, which some believe makes the difference in how a soccer game is accepted.

Well, one site has stood out from the crowd, and has given this year's Pro Evolution Soccer game a 4 out of 5. A very high regard for a new PES that's been overhauled in more ways than one. The name of the site is called Telegraph.UK, which has a technology section dedicated to video games as well. Their review is pretty in depth for those of you still deciding between FIFA and PES, and should give you a better insight as to which game to fork your hard earned money out for. Take a look, and give me some feedback if you like as to what you think about this year's Konami soccer hit.

Konami @Konami 4 out of 5, we'll take that, thanks guys! RT @Telegraph Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 review fw.to/2R9JhzN #PES2014 24 Sep

	Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 review A new engine and a new development team has re-energised Konami’s series, writes Chris Schilling.

It looks like some individuals are already into the cosplay role of making their own Metal Gear Solid video for the world to see

Don't you just love it when people dress up as their favorite (and your favorite) game characters? They actually have the kind of bravery and willpower to do that which you and I would never be caught dead doing. Unless we got paid to do it of course. But nevertheless, I thought I would point out yet another fantastic Metal Gear Solid cosplay video showing a fellow who really takes the time and effort to get into the act of playing the role of Solid Snake. He does a remarkable job at it too, so are you listening to or watching this Hollywood? You just might get some decent insight as to who should play the role of Snake in your movie, which by they way, won't release for another 3 years according to producer Avi Arad who is working on it.

The video only lasts for 6 minutes, but gives you some quality entertainment and is yet another demonstration of how dedicated a lot of the fans are to the Metal Gear series. I say keep them coming, as you can never have too much cosplay photos or self made game based movies out there. Perhaps they should make some sort of Emmy award for "made for Internet films" such as these. After watching it, tell me what you think about it in the comment section below. I'd like to hear your feedback about it.

Do you need some help with the explanation of the latest Metal Gear Solid 5 special mission video?, as some don't speak Japanese

The latest game play video for Metal Gear Solid V is a pretty long 13 minute video, which has also left those of you who don't speak Japanese likely a bit puzzled as to what is actually going on in the video. Sure, you can get a partial understanding of what is going on just by watching Solid Snake do his usual stuff, but some of you might need some more insight to get a better understanding of the surroundings in the game. Questions like, what is that, where is he going now, what's that for? All of those and perhaps more come to mind as you sit back, enjoy and iced tea and wonder these things in your mind.

Well, thanks to a new video that was posted for it, goes into some pretty lengthy detail and breaks down some of those unknown elements you might be having difficulty understanding in the trailer. This is the latest trailer from the Tokyo Game Show of course, which is the "special mission" trailer, one of my personal favorites so far. So take a good look, or second look for some of you and be enlightened. Hope it helps you out some.

Sumthing Else Music Works and Konami join forces to bring you some new unheard tracks from the Ultimate Castlevania: Lords of Shadow set

Castlevania music has been such a long time running series that we the fans can't seem to get enough of, and for good reason too. After listening to the soundtrack to Symphony of the Night, which is the grandfather of Castlevania games to a lot of folks, it's no wonder it has the reputation for being some of best game soundtracks ever created. Such is the case with Lords of Shadow - Ultimate, which makes its launch at the end of next month on October 29th. Thanks to a partnership between Sumthing Else Music Works and of course, Konami, you will be able to hear 20 unreleased tracks created by Oscar Araujo, the same composer who also recorded music for the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra.

Among the new tracks, is the soundtrack to Mirror of Fate, and the upcoming and long awaited Lords of Shadow 2. You hear right, along side of being able to play the LOS2 demo, you can sample some of the tracks within the game before its final launch. I don't mind tasting dessert before finishing my vegetables, do you? A digital release of these tracks will happen on October 29th, followed by a hard copy release in November. If you want, you can sample some of those tracks right now. No need to wait, although of course they are in 30 second sound bites, but enough to give you a good insight as to what you'll be getting should you decide to add this to your Castlevania soundtrack arsenal.

You can check out those sample tracks at Sumthing Else's Lords of Shadow page here.

I've got the Pro Evolution Soccer blues, so bad, and the only way to fix it is to get rid of these annoying online play issues

Picture this in your mind. You buy a game, bring it home, anticipation building in your head the whole time as you can't wait to hurl it into your game system and immediately get online to compete with your friends and rivals. Friends who keep telling you that they are going to hand your rear end to you this year. Then it happens. You run into those usual buggy issues where you have a game that just got released, perhaps a little too quickly. Such is the case with PES 2014. Did Konami release it a little too fast? Some are starting to think so, as the forum posts are starting to pile up so fast it'll make your head spin.

The latest online issues PES is having, involves people having no choice but to install a data pack, that in turn doesn't always guarantee success, thereby frustrating the player and making them want to return their game for a refund. Currently Konami is trying to pull a rabbit out of their hat to rescue their dedicated PES fans from another Saturday night and not having nobody. Adam Bhatti is asking people to be patient and wait for a fix, while he himself has posted a temporary fix to the problem that should help most to get their PES groove on before they get too mad.

But back to you, I want to hear your feedback on how you feel about the issue. Do you think Konami rushed Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 out the door a bit too fast? On top of that, what other elements do you think should have been included in this year's release?

A new starter set of the Yu-Gi-Oh! HeroClix Series One game will be making its debut this December from WizKids

Yu-Gi-Oh! figures are here to brighten up your already massive collection I'm sure, courtesy of WizKids as they will be releasing  a starter set this December for the HeroClix Series One game. A second set featuring an additional 55 new figures will also be launched next February, 2014. Yu-Gi-Oh! again and again extends far beyond what anyone thought it would do when it first made its debut years ago. Since then, mangas, animes, and even a movie have graced our presence. We like it that way don't we?

Also, if your interested, don't forget to check out the Official Tournament Store Championship taking place tomorrow.

"OTS Championships are a high-level tournament created to increase the World Championship Qualification opportunities. Duelists will compete at specially chosen stores to earn the title “Store Champion” as well as earn invites to their World Championship Qualifier, along with an exclusive OTS Championship Game Mat!"

Check out more information at the official site for Yu-Gi-Oh! here.

One site takes its sweet time to break down the elements of the PES 2014 vs FIFA 2014 issue, and does it quite well

Sometimes it's a waiting game isn't it? I mean, you watch the videos, look at the trailers, come to news sites like this one to keep up with what's going on with your favorite game series, and then wait. You play the waiting game *after* the game officially launches to see what the reviews are like before you even dare go out and spend your hard earned money on a video game. In this economy, no one is to blame for that in the least. Every year is no different with the controversy over PES vs FIFA, which one will be better this year. Although PES 2013 held its own, as a rather strong second place to some last year, how well will 2014 do against EA's FIFA giant this time around?

One site has already taken some serious time to answer that question for you, and trust me, after reading the review they wrote, it is anything but biased. If there is one thing I hate, its a one sided review, based on the favoritism that the reviewer themselves had for one particular game. That's not a review, its a preference, period. The site is called WhatCulture, and has made a splendid review for both FIFA 2014 AND PES2014, giving pros and cons to both sides in a bipartisan manner. For those of you who are still thinking about which soccer game to get this year, this should give you the nudge you need to help you out.

The North American launch trailer is out for Pro Evolution Soccer, and shows some of the various teams doing their stuff

Looks like this will be the final launch trailer for the new Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 game that just hit the store recently, as Konami has a new one out demonstrating some of the various teams. Teams such as Brazil, European clubs, Chile, and more. PES 2014 has however, gotten off to a rocky start, but even with the mixed reactions coming from multiple areas, the fixes should come in time and bring about the kind of game play the fans have been anticipating all this time. (Hopefully)

Part of the problems included the lack of Spanish stadiums, a stadium editor, rainy weather, and now some online issues because of the day one patch being botched a bit. Konami has stated that a fix is on the way, but not given a release time for it. For those of you still having trouble, a fix was made by Adam Bhatti that I posted about a few days ago you can check out. It should temporarily solved the issue until an official fix comes out for it.

Konami releases the Kiefer Sutherland version of the opening sequence for Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes as the voice of Solid Snake

After listening to the version that came out around this time last year, we now get to hear the Kiefer Sutherland version of the opening sequence to Ground Zeroes. Ever since it was announced that Kiefer was doing the voice of Solid Snake and not David Hayter, it has sparked a bit of controversy among the fans out there. Now you can hear the end product result, and finally get to make a decision for yourself if the new voice of Solid Snake is up to par with you or not. When I conducted a poll a while back about whether or not Kiefer was a good voice for Solid Snake, you responded, and the poll was surprisingly split exactly down the middle. Here are those results if interested.

Yes	13 (39%)
No	7 (21%)
Doesn't matter to me	0 (0%)
David Hayter needs to voice Snake	13 (39%)

Votes so far: 33

As you can see, the results were mixed a bit, with half and half preferring Hayter to Sutherland. But at least now you can get a good taste of Kiefer's voice as Snake and make a new found decision based on it. I've included the other two game play videos from the Tokyo Game Show as well for those of you who might have missed it. I highly recommend all three, as it's worth the time and quite entertaining.

By the way, the one with the voice of Kiefer is the top video. Don't worry I won't waste your time.

 

The road to a Fox Engine makeover with PES has had its ups and downs, but how does it affect the fan base?

From what I've been hearing now the new Pro Evolution Soccer game is out in stores everywhere, is a bit of a mixed reaction. The Fox Engine has shined a new light as far as making the game look more appealing, but in the end it's always about how well the game plays, not to mention the ability to modify and edit the game to the player's liking. Since the word got out that there would be no stadium editor, Spanish stadiums, or lack of rainy whether, this was also on top of the day one patch causing some issues with online play. Perhaps PES this time around was rushed a little too fast, but there might be some hope on the horizon. Polygon has recently sat down and had a nice long interview with Konami's Timothy Blair to answer some of those all important questions about the future of PES.

Here are just some of what he said......

"For us, it makes sense as a business, as a company, to be using assets that we're producing in other franchises," said Blair. The engine had a learning curve for the developers, he added. But now that they have a year of experience with it, they're much better prepared to bring Konami's soccer franchise to next-generation consoles, presumably in 2014.

"It definitely puts us in a much better position for future versions of PES — not only on PS3, but even for PS4 and Xbox One," said Blair. "That's part of the reason why we're not — it sounds counter intuitive, but — we're not doing [next-gen] this year, because we [...] don't want to simply just port whatever game we have on the PS3 over to PS4."

"We figured, 'You know what? We want to make a splash when we actually come out on PS4 and Xbox One,' and the way to do that is to get it right," Blair explained. "And I don't think — with an annual release like this — it's that easy, because you're focusing on putting out your current-gen [version] at the same time as your next-gen [version]."

I don't want to go too far into it, as it is Polygon's own interview, but you can head there now and read the rest of the interview to get a better insight as to what Konami has in store for Pro Evolution Soccer's future. Perhaps this year's release might serve as a platform for a better title next time. The Fox Engine can only go so far, as EA has really put the clamp down on the licensing agreements, which seems to be where the real high dollar is.

 

Gradius lands on the Wii-U homefront, a classic shooter gem that was released before some of you were even born

Sometimes I hate to call games I grew up with "classics", as it makes me feel old. Well, enough about age complaints, I'm just glad to say that classic games have yet to die, and let us take steps to keep it that way. The past time prized Gradius shooter by Konami is no exception to the rule, as it lands on the Wii-U platform, and has been hailed as the pick of the week for Wii-U downloads. This long time favorite has seen so many spin off titles such as Parodius, Salamander, and much more recently Otomedius Gorgeous. You and I together couldn't count together with our fingers combined the number of titles that were given birth to by Gradius.

Many also don't realize that it was Gradius, and not Contra that brought to light the famous Konami code, which is still being used today in some form or another. Whether it's on someone's site as a funny joke, or used in games like BioShock Infinite to unlock the 1999 mode. Game of the week is likely too small a reward category for such a series.

Merry Christmas to Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain, just not this year if you decide to get your hopes up

When when when. That's the biggest question surrounding the Metal Gear fans who can't get a big enough bite of The Phantom Pain. Especially after what the E3 show demonstrated to us all. How can we get enough of that? It's so darn big, and looks really life like! Well, I'm afraid your waiting time will exceed more than a year at this point, as Konami executives have told David Gibson that The Phantom Pain will NOT arrive until the FY (fiscal year) ending March 15th. That of course, as speculated by Gibson, will likely be around Christmas of 2014. I know, that's soooooo far away isn't it? Now don't get all gloomy on me just yet.

Konami has also stated that a "smaller" Metal Gear game is headed your way much sooner, release time not yet known right now. That smells just like Ground Zeroes doesn't it. They've eliminated all the possible, and that which is left however Solid Snake, must be the truth. On top of that, Hideo Kojima stated in an interview that TPP will be 300 times bigger than Ground Zeroes. After watching the latest videos from the Tokyo Game Show below, the imagination wrapping itself around all that has its work cut out.

Konami and GameAccount Network strike a nice deal to bring land based casino machines to the world of gambling

Play responsibly. Of course I will, I don't want to lose my shirt in some casino. (From now on). But enough of that, as some of you know that Konami also dabbles in the casino business too, not just in the world of Metal Gear and Castlevania. Recently they've made an agreement with GameAccount Network to bring land based casino machines to the world of gambling. A smart move, considering the move was done through

“careful deliberation and a thorough examination of potential business partners.” The online gaming community will benefit along side GameAccount's iGaming platform.

Konami has also brought to light their Synkros casino management system, and has partnered also along with NorthWind, for use in their casino based hotel platforms. You can see an example of some of their handy work in the images below.

The PES 2014 "Day One Patch" has left a number of players sitting in the dark, but Konami says a fix is on the way

For you PES fans trying to get online, the day one patch might have caused your feathers to get in quite a ruffle. The patch was meant to allow new online modes to be available, but many are complaining that not only was it causing problems, but you couldn't even get online for some. Not to mention even install the darn thing. But Konami knows about the issue, and has said they are working on a quick fix. Until that time, Adam Bhatti has suggested that you try this solution to at least solve your PES woes for right now. Here are the details below.

Datapack broken fix

1 - Download both files:
http://baranowscy.pl/datapack/

2 - Download Horizon:
http://www.xboxmb.com/horizon/

3 - Now you need a USB stick pre-formatted on Xbox
How to Configure any USB Flash Drive as Storage on Xbox 360:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I49Fy04OHI

4 - Transfer the files to the USB pen (with Horizon)


5 - Transfer the files from the USB stick to the console hard-drive (System Settings -> Storage -> USB Stick -> Games -> PES 2014 -> press Y -> copy to Xbox hard-drive


Enjoy yourself.


Hopefully, a new patch is on the horizon and will actually be Pro Evolution Soccer's real "day one patch".

The official box art for the Castlevania Collection has been revealed for PS3 and Xbox 360, while still more than a month away from its release

Halloween is usually that time of year again isn't it? The time of year when Konami usually releases some gothic or horror based game like Silent Hill or Castlevania. Well it seems to be happening again this year, as Castlevania the Collection will be hitting the store shelves on October 29th. As that isn't exactly new news, one thing we haven't seen yet is what the official box art for PS3 and Xbox 360 looks like. It's now out, and is currently listed on Amazon for a retail price of $29.99. Not bad considering three different factors. The first being that of course, this is the awesome Lords of Shadow, which includes all of the wonderful downloadable content that was released for it, which goes a long with the Reverie and Resurrection packs.

Number two on the lineup is the HD version of Mirror of Fate, and while it didn't do so hot with a Nintendo 3DS release, it's been given a second chance on the big screen. That might be the break it's been looking for, since according to Dave Cox of MercurySteam, it was rendered in HD to start with, but then basically shrunken down to fit on the 3DS. I can't wait to see what it looks like on a large flat screen next month.

In the third spot is a real treat, one that many have been waiting eagerly to get their hands on ever since it was announced last year. Lords of Shadow 2, the demo that is. Many a fan will wear that out on day one when they get it home. I myself being one of them. In the meantime, I guess you'll just have to drool over the box art for now. Only one month and some change to go, but it seems like an eternity for some.

Castlevania - Mirror of Fate a not so hot flaming whip on the 3DS, so will it shine a bit brighter on a larger screen?

One of the biggest complaints I've seen from readers who are also fans of the Castlevania series, was how big a of a let down Mirror of Fate was. Many didn't like the idea of having a 3D based Castlevania on their hand held system. Sure, they were impressed by Lords of Shadow when it made its debut back in late 2010, but then again, that only raised another question about it. Now that Castlevania has forged its way into the 3D universe, and will likely stay there, should it be left to a large screen, and not hand held gaming systems? Many think so, but I myself have some reservations. I think Mirror of Fate might have gone about it all wrong.

I discussed this in another post by the way last February. 

Trying to condense so much into so little, and having an HD version of it sit on the shelf for future reference? Yes, MercurySteam did have an HD version of it in mind the whole time, and perhaps it was for a good reason too. They didn't know how well it would be received in the hand held market, so they had a higher resolution version sitting on a computer the whole time. All this while having to reduced the quality of the game down to the 3DS format. So now that a higher end version is coming to the large as life world, the question is how well it will be accepted this time around. It might just be the second chance Mirror of Fate needed, or it might have never been meant to be at all. The world will decide once again.

Donna Burke expresses her joy for being a part of the music soundtrack to Metal Gear Solid 5 while at the Tokyo Game Show

Metal Gear fans should know her name well. Donna Burke, who is a famous singer and actor, is also famous for doing fantastic musical scores to games like Peace Walker (Heaven's Divide) and now recently the absolutely beautiful song "Sins of the Father", the song you hear in the E3 trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Donna Burke currently lives in Japan, where she does some performances, but also travels far and wide showcasing not only what a talented actor she is, but how great her singing voice is.

Recently on Twitter, she posted a photo of herself at the Tokyo Game Show, where she expresses her joy for being a part of the MGS5 soundtrack. That's her in the front of the photo obviously, but also take a good look in the background, and you can see Hideo Kojima and friends displaying The Phantom Pain on a huge screen. Quite a nice angle to catch that the place in. I wish I was there to meet Donna and Kojima personally. Some have all the luck. If you haven't heard either or both songs I mentioned above, by all means take a good listen to her. Your ears will thank you. Here's a tissue if you need one.

Donna Burke ‏@db_singer_actor

@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN at TGS!! I look happy because you gave me a great song pic.twitter.com/JMEaWIvBcN

 

 

New patches are on the way already for Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, as Konami rolls out some details for online and match maker features

Konami doesn't waste any time do they? So much the better, as PES 2014 will be getting some new patches that will allow multi player modes. The first day will include a patch for allowing matchmaking and leader boards, which will be called the "Friendly Match Lobby" and "Ranking Match System". The second patch will be released in a few weeks, and will allow for some great online elements, which will pair up players that have nearly the same skill with a match making feature. The other feature includes a multi player mode called "11 V 11"

So far Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is now out in the UK and other parts, while North America waits until next Tuesday the 24th for their release. So far from what I've been seeing from the reviews, PES this year is doing quite well. The Fox Engine and new player system might have something to do with it I'm sure. This is aside from the other flaws it may have to some. Still deciding on if should dive into the new PES? Check out one of the more recent videos below to help you out.

Could Konami be bringing back Hudson's Bonk's Adventure or Far East of Eden to the gaming world?

Many of you probably have never heard of, or heard of but never played the TurboGrafx-16 (PC Engine in Japan), but I just as sure as the nose on my face have. Bonk's Adventure, AirZonk, Bomberman, Far East of Eden, you name it. If it has a large bee on the front cover, chances are I've played through that sucker. In fact, I personally have actually bought "Adventure Island" directly from Hudson Soft for $35. Sent in my money order, 2 weeks later got a nice package from them. Unfortunately, those days have come, and are now gone. Or are they? Hudson Soft might just be getting dug up out of the grave and brought back to life.

In April of 2011, Konami had bought a large portion of Hudson Soft, and about a year later in March of 2012, Hudson Soft had been dissolved by them. Many thought this marked the end of the company, but now Konami is saying "not so fast" Hudson fans. They've decided to license out Hudson IP's (Intellectual Property) to other companies. So far this includes "Far East of Eden", a well known RPG that surfaced in Japan many a year ago. The last one in the series in fact was called "Far East of Eden Ziria", which made its debut on the Xbox 360. That was just about the last breath of air Hudson had as far as game releases are concerned. 

Far East of Eden is already making a comeback.....sort of. A company called Playdek is working on one that is a mobile game and will be card based. A release time of the later half of next year is planned for it. That should prove interesting. As far as other Hudson Soft classics like Bomberman, Bonk's Adventure (PC Genjin for you Japanese owners) and other hit titles they've made, only time will tell if they are brought back to life. Cross your fingers. 

 

 

The Metal Gear that almost wasn't, as it came just a little too close to being caught by the enemy without the ! above their heads

Some people can't have their morning breakfast without orange juice, just like most of us can't have a Metal Gear game without the ! above the heads of the enemy when we goof up and get caught by one of them. That was almost the case, as Hideo Kojima had actually considered not putting that element into the new Metal Gear Solid 5 game. A big mistake that even his own staff had warned him against doing. Recently in an interview with Weekly Famitsu, he had a few statements on the matter.

"I actually considered not including the '!' mark that appears when enemies discover you.  The staff said, 'if you get rid of it, it'll cause an uproar!"

"Considering the console specs, it would have been possible to substitute with facial expressions and gestures. But when the character visuals are that realistic, you need to have a certain element of 'ambiguity."

"I want to include the cardboard box [in the game]"

So the legacy lives on, even though the voice of Solid Snake David Hayter was ditched this time around, at least our long time companion !, and the famous cardboard box you can sneak around in are two elements being kept in MGS5. We certainly can't live without tradition now can we?