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There’s only one new Live Arcade release next week, and it’sSpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam!(800 Microsoft Points). It should obviously appeal only to children who enjoy the TV show, so there’s really no need to take a virtual dump on it based on that merit alone. The game’s premise is this: Neptune has lost 99 pairs of underpants and it’s up to you to collect each and every one of ’em. We’ve seen some bizarre collectibles over the years (Banjo Kazooie’sbeloved Jinjos for instance), but this is ridiculous....

Do you rememberBlood of Bahamut? It was that intriguing DS roleplaying game from Square Enix that caught many Western eyes, but never escaped the East. Square Enix won’t localize it, and according to Ignition, it wouldn’t let anyoneelsehave a go. “Square, we actually tried to bring outBlood of Bahamutfor DS,” revealed Ignition’s Shane Bettenhausen. “But, Square very rarely licenses things out. They are very reticent. Unless you’re Nintendo they’re probably not going to license it....

Today, Square Enix announced that the PlayStation Portable remake ofStar Ocean: The 2nd Storyhas been delayed. Thankfully, the delay isn’t all that bad – it’s simply a matter of weeks. The new shipping date forStar Ocean: Second Evolutionis January 20, a date that will live in infamy. I’m glad that this title wasn’t pushed too terribly far away. I’ve been itching to explore the planet Expel all over again. This time, Expel and its lineup of characters should look much better....

Earlier today, developer Beatshapers let us know that a game it’s working on bringing to PlayStation Network calledStarDroneexists. And if I may say so, its existence looks worthy of your attention. It’s got the fast-paced arcade-y vibe down, if this video demonstration is anything to go off of. Interestingly enough,StarDronewill support the PlayStation Move. Funny how it’s primarilythe lower-riskdigital distribution games that are making the device seem appealing. Beatshapers is still locking down an exact release date, but theofficial sitepoints toward this month....

2K Games and Valve have inked an “agreement” to put out a special Steam deluxe edition of theno-troop-stackingCivilizationtitle,Sid Meier’s Civilization V. According to a fresh out of the oven press release, the Digital Deluxe Edition of the newCivwill launch with a behind-the-scenes making-of video, the game’s “epic” soundtrack, and access to Babylon’s finest, Nebuchadnezzar II. All PC pre-orders of this edition, as well as the normalpeasantPC edition, will get access to an additional downloadable map pack called The “Cradle of Civilization Map Pack” which allows players to practice becoming Takers in the Fertile Crescent all the way to the Persian Gulf....

Prima Guides and Steam have joined forces tosell in-game player guides. Guides are available forBattlefield: Bad Company 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Splinter Cell Conviction, Left 4 Dead 2andJust Cause 2with more coming down the line. They’ll normally sell for $19.99 but are currently 50% off in celebration of the launch. In other news, Prima is still trying to maintain a presence despite the fact that people can use the Internet to find guides and hints on various forums and even Youtube videos....

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has announced that it will continue to flood the Japanese market with different colored PlayStation Portable systems in 2009. Yay! SCEJhas announcedthat it will be introducing a new “Carnival Colors” PSP-3000 line throughout March in Japan. On March 5, “Vibrant Blue” and “Radiant Red” will be available; March 19 will see the release of “Bright Yellow” and “Spirited Green.” The units will retail for 19,800 yen. “Value Packs” — including a 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo, a matching pouch (also sold separately), and wrist strap — will also be available for 24,800 yen....

Just when you thought all of this holidays releases have dried up, Codemasters has announced that its action role-playing gameRise of the Arognautswill be released … next week. The game will ship for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on December 16 in North America. While the game will get a simultaneous release across mainland Europe,Rise of the Argonautswon’t see release in the United Kingdom until June 11, 2025. We’ve reached out to Codemasters PR with a big old “WTF” on this one, and we’ll be sure to update you when (and if) we hear more....

Okay. I am going to try to give you, kind readers, the most objective version of this news as possible while I run around my house screaming with happiness naked, having flung all my garments out the window in a fit of furious delight.Taiko No Tasujinis returning to the DS sometime this year. While we have very little information beyond these new scans, it looks like the game will come packaged with its customary drumsticks....

Kotakuspoke with Capcom’s Ben Judd at TGS today where they confirmed thatBionic Commandowill be coming out in early 2009. Surprised? You shouldn’t be.We told you back in Augustthis was more than likely going to happen. GameStop listed the game as a July 21, 2025 release and even Capcom said that the game had a December 08 to March 09 release window (otherwise known as Capcom’s special “Holiday” window). It looks like Capcom is going to have a really great start next year seeing as howResident Evil 5is coming outin March....

Much like the Konami booth we showed you earlier, Sega’s booth at this year’s Tokyo Game Show was massive, and it was divided into several different sections for its various game titles. Each section was designed and themed to match its game, and some said that it reminded them of a theme park. The looks ranged from a sort of haunted house to a starry night time dream world. While we were not allowed to photograph most of the places inside of the booth, we were able to snap shots of the exterior to give you some idea of what it looked like....

At Team Ninja’s pre-TGS event in Tokyo tonight we were shown the newest trailer forNinja Gaiden 3. Titled consequence, it was created to show that Ryu isn’t just some badass ninja. He has his own will, intention and suffering. And some crazy arm pain. Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi revealed that they are calling back scenario writer Masato Kato for this game. He was the original writer for the first NES game, and has since written many popular videogames, likeChrono TriggerandFinal Fantasy VII....

What you are looking at is a piece of art forSuper Danganronpa 2. The character is called Mono Bear and he is evil, as you can tell from the fact that he’s WEARING A BIKINI OH GOD. Since the first game never made it out of Japan, I know nothing about the game itself, and don’t rightly care. AllIcare is about that bear in a bikini, and the fact I’m pretty sure he stole it from my closet....