The Network Roundup: Get your grill on

8 hours ago - 11:00 PM on 05.25.2012   |   Hiroko Yamamura

Memorial Day weekend always signifies some poignent things for me. Remembering those who serve for our freedom, plenty of rest, and a whole lot of grilling delicious meats are always on the agenda. I'm far from being an outdoorsy type or person, but for some reason this weekend seems to pull me away from the TV and has me obsessed with dining al fresco. What's you weekend plans?

Destructoid reported that Demon's Souls online service wasn't going to be a fond memory, but would continue on, allowing us to die on forever. Japanator brought back the Fighting Fridays keeping us cheering for our favorite team. Flixist is closing out the fabulous Wes Anderson Week. Finally, Tomopop has some delightful combinations of two of my favorite things --burgers and figures. Enjoy the freedom of grilling this long weekend, and don't forget those who made it all possible.

Destructoid

• These Zone of the Enders HD screens make me so happy. Funny, I'm feeling pretty good about these myself
• Dtoid Spotlight: Men of Mega. Chiptune my heart!
• Atlus keeps fun alive by extending Demon's Souls' servers. Ubassa! May the dying never end

Flixist

• Anderson & Baumbach producing new Bogdanovich film. New stuff!
• Losing My Virginity: Rushmore (1998). If you didn't fall in love with Jason Scwaartzman after this you have no soul. Or maybe you are a man.
• Review: Chernobyl Diaries. Nuclear terror!

Tomopop

• Monthly Megapixel: Just give me a burger! Yes Kris, give me a burger!
• Rise Kujikawa is now a Beach Queen. Risa you sure have some big hair going on.
• SIC Kamen Rider OOO Tatoba is looking rather beastly. Now that is a Kamen Rider!

Friday Night Fights: Naruto vs. Edward Elric

13 hours ago - 6:00 PM on 05.25.2012   |   Josh Totman

*ding ding ding*

Welcome everyone to Friday Night Fights here at the J-tor Arena! Within these holy grounds, characters from anime, manga, and video games collide in a no holds barred battle to the death, with only one coming out victorious. Only your votes, and argued persuasion, can pick a winner. So, without further ado...

Let the battle, begin!

*ding ding ding*

This week's fight is between ninja master Naruto versus alchemy extraordinaire Edward Elric. Who do you think will win this one on one battle? Can a ninja beat alchemy or can alchemy trap a ninja? Let me know what you think the outcome will be and also cast your vote by saying who you think will win with a +1. (Example: Edward Elric +1) Please, only one vote per person as you may have guessed. Voting starts now and runs till Wednesday, with the winner being declared that Friday with the new battle. 

A Daily Dose of Music: Kaela Kimura

15 hours ago - 4:00 PM on 05.25.2012   |   Hiroko Yamamura

It's Friday! I hope all of you are looking forward to a three day weekend full of good times and plenty of Japanese media consumption! I have for you the sexy new video from Kaela Kimura, Mamireru. It's a fun, artsy video, and the pink hair is pretty dope. I'm feeling a bit of KPP rubbing off here.

Doing anything exciting this weekend?

25th anniversary Street Fighter collection announced

16 hours ago - 3:00 PM on 05.25.2012   |   Josh Totman

Has it been 25 years already? Wow, where does the time go? Oh right...playing video games. In any case, Capcom has announced a 25th anniversary collection for this momentous occasion for both the Xbox and the PS3. This is a hell of a set for anyone that is a Street Fighter fan because not only does it include four games, but a ton of other material. Such as an 11-disc soundtrack, a Ryu figure, anime movies on Blu-Ray, and more! See the entire list after the jump along with a trailer.

Pre-orders are already up at the Capcom Store site. These are limited edition sets so you better get over there and plop down the $149.99 asking price before they run out. The sets will be unleashed on the world on September 18th. Happy Hadouken Day!

Have delusions of Grand Delusions with Akibaranger's gun

17 hours ago - 2:00 PM on 05.25.2012   |   Josh Tolentino

Sure, the Akibarangers may be protecting Akihabara each week from urban-renewal horrors, but what about your favorite nerd neighborhood? What about your favorite mall, secret hideout, gated community, basement, attic, or whatever else stereotypical place nerds hang out? Where's your protection from normals and assorted vinyl suit-wearing monstrosities?

Well, it's right here, in the form of a life-size, 1:1 replica of the Moe Magnum, signature weapon and transformation device of the Akibarangers! Better still for dedicated delusionists, it sports a full, accurate transition from Gun Mode to its true form as a figure of Z-Cune Aoi, the anime character the Akibarangers worship and cherish. Of course, protection comes at a price, and prospective purchasers will be expected to pop out a pretty penny, specifically twelve thousand pennies, if pennies were yens.

But whoever said that safety and protection from the ills of civilized society (as well as propriety) would be cheap? As the Akibarangers say, "Pain is Power"!

Jet Set Radio grinds on to the Vita

19 hours ago - 12:00 PM on 05.25.2012   |   Josh Totman

Looks like our graffiti loving group is not only going to be on Xbox Marketplace and PSN, but also on the Vita this summer. The Vita version will be a direct port of the HD version with Vita enhanced controls. Meaning that the graffiti tagging in the game with utilize the touch features of the Vita. Which I can't think of a better use of them then tagging stuff in JSR. The tagging of system was a highlight in the game in which you had to move the joystick in certain directions to create the graffiti.

When the HD port was first announced, many people were actually worried that the tagging system would actually go away with the new version. Myself included. What I, and most everyone else for that matter, was even more worried about is the soundtrack being unchanged. So far, the soundtrack is not complete because of licenses that have expired or even don't exists anymore since some of the studios that produced the music are not in business anymore. I'm sure Sega will find a way to get this done or replace it with something equally as good. I hope...

No dates or pricing have been announced yet but be sure to know that we will be all over it when it happens.

[via VG247]

Zone of the Enders: Enders Project announced

22 hours ago - 9:00 AM on 05.25.2012   |   Elliot Gay

Just the other day, Kojima Productions held a Zone of the Enders HD event in Japan. Besides revealing a release date of October 25 for both the PS3 and 360 version in Japan, Hideo Kojima went on to announce Zone of the Enders: Enders Project.

Why is this exciting? Because it's the official sequel to Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, that's why! Not a whole lot is known about the project save for the following; the single image shown was rendered using the Fox Engine and the story takes place in an ancient civilization. Additionally, a ton of beautiful artwork for the game has found its way online. This is some positively stunning concept art that I urge you to check out even if you've never played a Z.O.E. game.

As of right now, the game doesn't seem to have entered production yet. Like with anything in this industry, things can happen and the game might not end up getting made. For now though, seeing Kojima produce all this material tells me he wants to get this new game made, which is good enough for me.

I've personally been waiting for a sequel to the excellent Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner for years now, so this news has easily made my week. Any other Z.O.E. fans out there or am I all alone?

Check out the images in the gallery below!

[via duckroll over at NeoGAF]

New Kenshin game unsheathes its first set of screenshots

6:00 PM on 05.24.2012   |   Salvador G-Rodiles

After losing a one on one duel against the man formerly known as Battosai the man-slayer, I have finally been able to obtain some more information related to Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story Saisen. While the screenshots of the game look similar to those of the first game, Namco Bandai has taken the feedback given to them by their fans and used it to improve the second game -- hmm, I wonder where I heard this statement. 

What surprises me about the sequel is that we are getting more characters that I did not expect to ever become playable in a Kenshin fighting game. The pathetically weak Kanryu Takeda jumps into battle with his cheap Gatling gun that makes almost any swordsman cower in fear. Han'nya of the Oniwabanshu plans to aid his boss Aoshi Shinamori in the upcoming battle. I did not see this one coming, but Sozo Sagara is going to be a playable character -- I am very curious on how his move set is going to be like. 

Before I give my final judgement on the new information, I am going to get my sword ready and wait for Namco Bandai to release their first trailer for the game. Then we will see if the developers have kept to their word in regards to improving the game.  

In case you forgot how to use the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story Saisen comes out in Japan on August 30th for the PSP, which will cost you 6,280 yen. Brush up on your Hiten Mitsurugi style and check out the images below. 

[via Andriasang]

Take down evil criminals with Tiger & Bunny chess pieces

3:00 PM on 05.24.2012   |   Salvador G-Rodiles

Chess is one of those games that test out a person's true wit and skills when commanding your own units. What better way to ensure that Sternbild City is safe from the forces of evil by playing chess with chess pieces of the heroes that represent Hero TV. Kotetsu, Barnaby, the Wild Tiger, Bunny, Sky High, and Fire Emblem are going to be launched as part of the first volume of the Tiger & Bunny chess pieces that come out in late September. So we can expect the other heroes to appear in the second volume in the near future.

Since you cannot play a game of chess with only six pieces, each piece has a black and white version so that you can duel with other people -- you won't even have to worry about calling dibs on certain characters.  As a neat little feature, you can create a display set by combining the Kotetsu and Barnaby piece into one.

I love the way how each piece features each character in their own dynamic pose, which works well with the theme of Tiger & Bunny. It is moments like these where I wish that I was familiar in the ways of playing chess -- I guess this is a sign that I need to learn soon. 

[Yaraon! via ANN]

Persona 4 Golden's OP movie is very chipper

1:00 PM on 05.24.2012   |   Josh Tolentino

Yes, "chipper" is about the best word I can think of to describe intro movie to Persona 4 Golden, animated courtesy of studio Madhouse (Redline). "Cheery" doesn't quite cut it, and "trippy" would put imply that it's difficult to comprehend, which is precisely not the case. In fact, just watching it shows quite aptly some of the new content Vita-owning Persona fans can expect.

See if you can spot all the new additions before it comes out on PS Vita this fall. Personally I like the look of it. I didn't like what Atlus did with its new intro for Persona 3 Portable on the PSP, but this new job compares well to the original PS2 version of Persona 4. Especially the slightly disturbing renditions of dead people hanging from high places. Very chipper, indeed. Almost holds a candle to the original "Burn My Dread" intro from Persona 3. Check that one below.

A Daily Dose of Music: Old School Thursdays

12:00 PM on 05.24.2012   |   Hiroko Yamamura

Ok, this one isn't really all that old school, but all this May'n action made me listen to this song all day today. I present to you a live performance of LION with Megumi Nakajima. There's no hiding my love for Macross, I eat sleep, and dream the stuff. I was super skeptical of Macross Frontier when it launched, but as soon as I heard May'n's voice as the singer for Sheryl Nome, I was hooked.

It was one of those anime intro songs that I always looked forward to, and I just love her voice. I'm not quite a Ranka hater, but she never had the same appeal of the Galatic Fairy herself. Man can she sing live!

Japanator interviews May'n

10:00 AM on 05.24.2012   |   Josh Totman

May’n is an artist that certainly stands out from all the rest. There is no doubt that if you have ever heard her sing, be it in anime or radio, you will know it is her without any hesitation.  With her unique and stylized vocals, May’n has started etching her place in the music world. Whether its R&B, soul, hip-hop, dance, or rock, there is nothing that she can’t adapt to.

Personally, I am in love with her singing voice. The lower singing register is so refreshing to me having listened to so much higher-pitched pop-rock that it immediately hooked me. I needed to hear more from her and I am glad to say that she has not disappointed. If I had to compare her to someone in the industry, it would Ayumi Hamasaki. Both have a vocal style that works well with many genres of music. Now if I had the power to make it happen, I would love to see a duet with them both. If they did, I’m sure I would melt into a puddle of happiness.

One thing that did bring me loads of joy was having the opportunity to have an interview with the lovely rock goddess. Getting to know more about what makes her who she is, her influences, and her passions. So come with me after the break to explore one of Japan's hottest rising stars!