A R C A D E   /   M U L T I

- The Dengeki Console Game Chart is updated, last week is the XBox launch week, Tecmo's Dead or Alive 3 topped the chart with a sales of 73,604 units; Nintendo's GameCube action game Animal Leader took the second place, with 51,260 units sold; and Koei's Sangokushi Senki dropped back to the third place, with 27,669 units sold. Other new games in the Top 10 include Grandia II at #4, Genma Onimusha at #6, and Project Gotham: WSR at #8.

- Here are some new Japanese game review scores:

GameCube
Virtua Striker 3 Ver. 2002 (Sega, Sports) - 29 / 40

PlayStation 2
Space Channel 5 Part 2 (Sega, Music) - 35 / 40
Sangokushi Senki (Koei, S.RPG) - 32 / 40
Dual Hearts (Sony, Action RPG) - 29 / 40

WonderSwan Color
SD Gundam Operation U.C. (Bandai, Action) - 24 / 40
Hanjuku Eiyuu (Square, S.RPG) - 30 / 40

- Konami announced a new button smashing arcade game called Great Bishi Bashi Champ, the latest installment of the Bishi Bashi series. This time there will be over 42 kinds of mini game, up to 3 players can play the game simultaneously.

- Here is the list of Japanese Reader's Top 10 Favorite Games

1. Final Fantasy X (Square, PS2)
2. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Konami, PS2)
3. Sakura Taisen 3: Hometown Paris is Burning (Sega, DC)
4. Animal Forest + (Nintendo, GC)
5. Super Smash Bros. DX (Nintendo, GC)
6. Dragon Quest IV (Enix, PS)
7. Dragon Quest VII (Enix, PS)
8. Street (Chun Soft, SS)
9. Shin Sangoku Musou 2 (Koei, PS2)
10. Xenogears (Square, PS)

- Here is the list of Top 5 Japanese Most Wanted Games

1. Onimusha 2 (Capcom, PS2)
2. Final Fantasy XI (Square, PS2)
3. Sakura Taisen 4: Maidens fall in Love (Sega, DC)
4. Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht (Namco, PS2)
5. Kingdom Hearts (Square, PS2)

- UNCONFIRMED: Capcom and Bandai are working the sequel of their highly popular Gundam arcade action game, tentatively named Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation Vs Zion 2: Char's Counterattack.

X B O X

- Here are some new screen shots of Universal Interactive's XBox action adventure game The Fellowship of the Ring, scheduled to release in US in October. The game is developed by WXP, currently 33% completed. Unlike Electronic Art's Lord of the Ring, the game is based on the original novel of The Lord of the Ring.

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P L A Y S T A T I O N   2

- Bandai has released new screen shots of their PlayStation 2 RPG .Hack Vol. 1 Infection Expansion, the game is developed based on an upcoming OVA of the same name. The story takes place in the year 2007, in which a very popular MMORPG called The World is infected by an unknown bug / virus, your mission is to enter the digital game world to correct the problem. There are a total of 4 volumes of this series, with the first volume scheduled for release in Japan on June 22, for 5800 yen. The .Hack Vol. 1 OVA DVD Movie is also included with the game!

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- Koei announced a PlayStation 2 port of their newly released XBox war simulation game Nobunaga's Ambition, the PS2 port is scheduled for release in Japan this April.

G A M E C U B E

- Capcom has released new images of another character in Biohazard - Barry Burton. He appears only in the chapter of Jill, while Rebecca will only appear in the chapter of Chris. In the GameCube remake of Biohazard, there is a new type of defensive item classified as "urgent evasion item" in the status screen, one of which is flash bomb. Another new element is in the map screen, where you can see which rooms have been searched, so you don't have to go back to search for items again.

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