Nozomi, the erstwhile love interest of Shenmue's Ryo Hazuki, has lived a virtual life of ignominy. All she wanted in life was to form a meaningful connection before leaving the town of Yokosuka to live in Canada, but she had the misfortune to fall for the most oblivious teenage boy in the world, who simply failed to notice her overt advances.

And now news has come out that she was ruled out for inclusion in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. "She was going to ride on the back of Ryo's bike," executive producer Steve Lycett allegedly said in a Sonic Stadium forum post, "but there was the small issue of where does she go when the Forklift appears."

Because, while having the martial arts student on a quest for vengeance in the mascot racing game is a perfectly sensible move, it would simply have been silly for his friend to disappear when his motorcycle was replaced by a forklift in the middle of a race.

In an earlier post, Lycett mentioned that Saturn mascot Segata Sanshiro was also considered for inclusion, but rejected. We would suggest that if Segata didn't work in this game, Sumo Digital should start over, and keep trying until it arrives at a game design that includes Segata Sanshiro.

Of course, it should be noted that Lycett also coyly downplayed rumors of Banjo and Kazooie's inclusion in the Xbox 360 version of the game, so anything he says should be met with a measure of skepticism.

[Via Kombo]

Rumor: Shenmue's Nozomi cut from Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

A single screen from the next Bit.Trip game from Gaijin Games has been revealed, and judging from the look of it, Bit.Trip Runner is going to be significantly less abstract than the previous entries in the retro-themed musical WiiWare game series. In fact, it looks like a side-scrolling platformer, which would make sense, given the name.

But, of course, Gaijin made a Pong-esque game with 15-minute long chiptune-based levels, so we shouldn't assume the obvious when it comes to the adventures of Commander Video. This could be controlled with the Your Shape camera, for all we know.

[Via Destructoid, GSW]

Gaijin Games offers first screen of Bit.Trip Runner originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Nintendo Wii saw plenty of excellent classic games re-released on the Virtual Console service this year. So which of the titles were the best of the 2009 class?

We were just about to label 2009 the "Worst Year Ever in the History of Time," but ... but then this happened. From the depths of Reddit come a quintet of images of an unnamed musical engineer's latest project: An electric guitar shaped like a Koopa Troopa. We're so glad these pictures exist, because we're not sure our mind's eye could imagine something as fantastical as "an electric guitar shaped like a Koopa Troopa" without some sort of visual aid.

Check out the Reddit entry to see the fruits of this unnamed magician's labor. Whoever you are, if you're reading this, please send a video of you playing this thing. Ideally to Iron Maiden's "The Trooper."

Man rocks us to the core with a Koopa Troopa electric guitar originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Atlus has introduced the full compliment of the six staffers that make up its upcoming Trauma Team. I asked my wife, an actual doctor, to provide me with some insight on each specialty.
My take: Playing as this guy sounds like the other Trauma Center games, except I think they all had names and CR-SO1 is not a name. I'm assuming that, as in previous games and in real surgery, he'll be able to draw a magical sign that slows down time.
Dr. McElroy's take: There is no magical healing gel and we never make the sign of the pentagram over our patients, especially not in this part of West Virginia.

Continue reading Trauma Team characters detailed by Atlus, a real doctor

Trauma Team characters detailed by Atlus, a real doctor originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dan Abramson of the Huffington Post writes: "The internet is filled with videos re-imagining 'Super Mario Bros.,' but this one seriously struck a chord. I think I may have cried while watching this. Yes, that's right. A video that dramatically cuts together clips of Mario was so inspirational that it reduced me to tears. Hell, Mario wasn't just plucking on my heart strings here, he was strumming away."

From the PlanetXbox360.com feature editorial:

"Out with the old and in with the new is the usual quid pro quo that comes at the end of each year and with everything gamers have been exposed to, 2009 will without a doubt be a tough act to follow. However, as Microsoft Game Studios flaunts what the 360 has to offer, the console stands to seize the market and become the centerpiece of the game industry in 2010. As Microsoft continues to provide a seemingly endless supple of new quality content and numerous choice exclusives, this is just the tip of the iceberg of the treat gamers are in for come next year. Conversely, Project Natal stands to revolutionize how video games move players along with how we enjoy our overall entertainment experience when it comes to the 360. Last but not least, the continued support and updates via Xbox Live ensure that as long as developers want to, they really can provide a vast, indefinite amount of additional content to their choice audiences. Thus, it becomes evident that the Xbox 360 really does stand to reshape the industry as a whole and remain a leader in the gaming community throughout the span of 2010."

"On the final day of 2009 we present you with our picks for the best games of the entire year!"

Harmonix updates the Rock Band Network today with a fresh pack of country classics for your downloading pleasure. The "Going Country" Pack 2 includes a number of tracks that were previously exclusive to the disc-based expansion Rock Band Country Track Pack, including the sweet sonorous sounds of Alan Jackson, Keith Urban and Kenny Rogers.

Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells has some kind words for the Wii, as well as some of its games, and notes that Wii Sports/Wii Sports Resort "are some of the best experiences of this generation."