We didn't get much exposure to the Neo Geo in our younger days, perhaps because our career as the world's youngest tax attorney wasn't particularly lucrative (we would too frequently accept baseball cards and Bubble Yum as compensation) and we couldn't afford the $7,000 that each cartridge cost. Also, all the games legally had the world "Fight" or "Fury" or "Punching" in the title, and it was hard to tell them apart. This week, though, the Virtual Console is allowing us to set it all right.

For 900 points ($9) a piece, you can purchase Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting or World Heroes. Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting are, as their names suggest, fighting games. But World Heroes on the other hand ... is also a fighting game. Oh, who are we kidding? You already know if you're the sort of person who'll be buying these. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some taxes to attorney.

GamePro has an exclusive interview up with Stuart Beattie, writer of the forthcoming Gears of War movie. He's been tapped for the job since he did a bang-up job writing the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. It's too bad they didn't use him for the sequels, because they were ... craptastic.

He drops some interesting details about the upcoming film, including the fact that 300 ain't too bad of a reference movie, "That film was shot completely on green screen, which is amazing when you actually see the film. It's probably how we're going to do Gears of War."

Beattie will be pouring himself into the job apparently, "I hope it's extremely collaborative. From my point of view it's definitely going to be, because I'm going to be riding their asses about it." Personally we don't care whose ass he rides, as long as a good movie comes out of it.

It seems like if you want some guaranteed internet traffic these days, all you have to do is slap Halo tags all over the place. In fact, it's probably standard practice by now for sites offering things like FREE VIAGRA and GET RICH NOW NOW NOW to put Halo in the metatags. Darned 'Halo' branded little blue pills.

However, if you actually go out and create something all your own as a fanatical tribute to the Halo universe, then you have our respect. When it involves recreating the Zanzibar map from Halo 2 completely to scale in Lego, then you have our allegiance. In fact, we'd love to have something like this gracing the front window of the 'Stiq offices. If you've ever read Douglas Coupland's Microserfs, then hopefully you get the reference. If you haven't read it, then you probably just think we're dorks.

Anyhow, check out the video of this incredible Lego creation, and then go raid your old toy closet and pull out the bricks. Time to get crackin' on your own Lego version of Lockout. Ping us when you're done.

We had told you previously about The Subspace Emissary, the Super Smash Bros. Brawl new single-player adventure, a recipient of the 2007 "Game Mode that Sounds Most Like A David Bowie Album Title" award. Now, it seems that subspace is not quite as lonely as we thought, as the game's official blog has revealed that The Subspace Emissary will feature co-op play.

It's structured for one player to be lead and for another to be his wingman, his Goose, if you will. The Don Quixote of the duo will lead the movement, and Sancho Panza will have to stay in the boss' screen. There are a few other details about TSE there too, so if you're interested, it's well worth a read.

[Thanks, Ryan]

You might have heard that actor David Hayter had confirmed his involvement in voicing Snake for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Now, GameTrailers brings us the product of that collabo with a short clip introducing Snake to the plumber, the myth, the legend that is Mario.

While the battle isn't quite the "It'sa me! Mar--" <M1911A1 headshot> "...gurgle" that you'd expect in the real world, it is very silly, which we guess is what fans of the series are looking for. Also, you don't want to miss this clip of Snake wondering what it would be like to eat Yoshi, a thought we've probably all entertained at some point.

Wouldn't you have loved to have been there on Super Smash Bros. Brawl audition day?

"Hi, my name is Lucas, but you may know me from Mother 3."
"So, no one in America has any clue who you are, right?"
"Umm, yes. That is technically correct. Yeah."
"Do you have any special powers?"
"Well, I look kind of like Dennis the Menace."
"You're hired!"

For our part, we're forever going to pretend that newly announced brawler Lucas from Super Smash Bros. Brawl is actually Power Glove and radical haircut sporter, Lucas Barton from The Wizard. In the biz, that's known as an upgrade.

We can't help but love SNK. Like that girl in the back of the class who refuses to accept that big hair and jelly bracelets have long since gone out of style, SNK continues to hold onto the the idea that 2D is where it's at. While the company has already committed to supporting both the Virtual Console and XBLA with its back catalog of sprite-based games, SNK today announced plans to bring two of its more recent PS2 fighters to the U.S. as well, namely The King of Fighters XI and NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.

While the eleventh installment of anything boggles the mind, SNK promises that King of Fighters XI will see a return to the series' classic gameplay, with added refinement and a few new bells and whistles like the 'match-deciding' Judgment Indicator and Dream Cancel (aka 'the wake-up call'). In addition, the PS2 version will also include new features not found in the arcade original, including new characters, music, and bonus stages.

That's all well and good, but SNK's promise to bring 'fan-service megamix' NeoGeo Battle Coliseum to the U.S. is what seals the deal. The tag team fighter features a roster packed full of 40 characters from across SNK's catalog of favorites, including Metal Slug's Marco, Samurai Shodown's Hoahmaru, and even King of the Monsters' Cyber Woo. Maybe that girl in the back of the class is onto something.

[Via press release]

We don't know how much stock you should put in this one, but it is a lot of fun to think about. TRMK.org is reporting a rumor they're working to confirm that the next Mortal Kombat game will include characters from the DC Universe. TRMK says that they've confirmed the VS. angle with their sources, but haven't been able to nail down the DC angle. What do we think? Well, how kind of you to ask.

Pretty much the only info we have to go on about the next MK comes from this interview with series chief Ed Boon. He has gone on record as saying the next in the series would be more "serious", which wouldn't seem to fit the men-in-tights vibe. But he's also said that will be a very different sort of MK. So we guess that makes it a wash on the probability scale. For our part, we can't stop wondering if we'll finally get to see Noob Saibot fighting Mister Mxyzptlk in the reverse linguistics battle of the century. ... Anybody?

With Ubisoft's EndWar still months from release, the company has once again pulled at Tom Clancy's supple teat, announcing Tom Clancy's Air Combat, the latest game to be counted among the longstanding military action brand's ranks. Promising to take it all skyward, Air Combat is being handled by Ubisoft's Bucharest studio, the folks behind Blazing Angels as well as, of all things, Chessmaster XI. The aerial combat is expected to ship in 2008 for unspecified consoles and PC.

We don't know much about the game at this point, though Ubisoft's managing director hints at the game's online focus, stating that the company is confident that Air Combat will be "an instant online multiplayer hit." Like other Tom Clancy games, Air Combat will be set in the near future, as players will fly a variety of jet fighters, complete with hi-tech piloting assistance to help players shoot down bad guys. In addition, as players get better at the game, Ubisoft notes that they'll be able to shed the assistance, no doubt offering more challenge for seasoned flyboys. I feel the need, the need for speed!

Boy, we didn't expect the crowds in line for the Halo 3 launch at Universal Citywalk in Los Angeles to start screaming like little girls when Zac Efron appeared, but they certainly did. We'll be hearing those shrill screams in our ears for days to come. Unless we pump up the volume on Halo 3 while we get into some fragoffs.

So, having attended the Halo 2 launch at the same spot, this launch was incredibly lackluster. There was no music, no local radio DJ pumping up the crowd, no bikini-clad babes handing out samples of Mountain Dew, no one hurling t-shirts into the crowd, and no big countdown and fanfare. The most noise made by the crowd was whenever Master Chief would stroll by, and everyone would go nuts trying to take a photo of him. Then there was the guy handing out free swag for ... The Kingdom. Everyone mobbed the poor guy, thinking it was Halo stuff, but they were bummed when it turned out to be notebooks and pins from the upcoming movie.

Angsty teen star of Final Fantasy VIII, Squall Leonhart, can be spotted in the no-cameras-allowed screening of the Final Fantasy Dissidia trailer. The CG trailer for this PSP brawler showed Squall going head to head against Sephiroth.

Fans of Squall will be glad to see his oh-so-dreamy good looks again. However, many other Final Fantasy regulars will now want to consider picking up Dissidia simply for the opportunity to beat up the "pouty jerk."

We've become so adjusted to expecting lovely almost-exposed breasts in our Soul Calibur IV media that the above Tokyo Games Show video of so many characters fully clothed is incredibly jarring. We expected Namco Bandai to show off in the video that the game would feature slow-mo stripping as a new game feature whenever the characters get hit. It's actually worth noting that these characters feel almost over-dressed now. Come on, there has to be a clothing balance -- it's not like people fighting with sharp blades should be wearing as much armor as possible.

Ever since the Wii came out, people have been wondering when there would be a Star Wars game for the system that lets you wield your Wii-mote like a lightsaber. Well, the wait is nearly over you malevolent gamers. LucasArts announced recently that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will bring the dichotomy of lightsaber-wielding, arm-lopping, head-chopping violence to the cuddly and playful Wii.

It's not known yet how the Wii-mote will integrate into the game, which takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, but let's hope it's some actual gameplay and not a "shake your lightsaber up and down really fast!" minigame that's been tacked on. Apparently you'll be able to go head-to-head on the Wii, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be with lightsabers. Although if it does ... whoa mama. Let the flailing being.

We know it's early, but you may want to go ahead and ring the bell that wakes the defense forces: Nintendo has revealed their online plans for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. And Friend Codes are, as you probably feared, in full effect. Luckily, if you don't mind a pared down experience, it's possible to play without them.

If you're competing with a friend, you'll be able to send personalized messages to them as you battle that you'll map to the D-pad. If you play against a stranger, no records are kept of the match. You also won't be able to see a stranger's name, and you won't be able to send messages. So you can stop planning all the creepy things you'll say about about your undying love of Pokemon and how well-sculpted your glutes are right now, child predators! Friend Codes have saved the day again.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

The polls are now open at the Capcom blog to vote for the Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix achievements. Like we reported back in July, Capcom asked for suggestions on what the achievements should be in SFIITHDR. It appears Capcom chose seven suggestions and posted them for the world to vote on (with proper registration at the Capcom site). The possible achievements are:

• Beat Akuma (arcade mode)
• Win with every character in an Online Ranked Match
• 5 Perfect Rounds in Ranked Online Matches
• 5 Perfect Rounds in Story Mode (Any Difficulty Level)
• Defeat an opponent in under 15(?) seconds, Arcade Mode
• Perform a 7-hit combo or higher (any mode, including training)
• Defeat Sagat with Ryu's fierce dragon punch (any mode)

We kinda like all of them, hopefully beyond this publicity stunt Capcom may keep them all in. Capcom is also taking suggestions at the site for the achievements' actual names. With any luck they'll sprinkle some inside joke achievements in for the hardcore. So far this game really has done a great job with the community outreach.