Yes, I said dance, because the game is about dancing, acting, love, and piloting transforming steam-powered psychic robots. For Chrissakes, your squad is called the New York Combat Revue!

Anyway, NIS America sent us a load of screenshots for Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love. Being the resident fanboy, it was my duty to make you look at them. So look at them.

The screens mostly show off the ARMS (for "Active Real-time Machine System") battle mechanics, and display how amazingly moderately the graphics have held up in the five-odd years since the original release. As you can see the bar below represents the character's action points. Action point costs can depend on the team's battle stance. Offensive stances make it cheaper to charge super moves but more expensive to defend, and so on.

So far the only interface being shown is from the PS2 release, so we don't know yet what's going to be changed for the Wii version. I'm pretty sure that both versions will still have that picture of a girl bifurcating a robot with a sword while riding a horse. Sold.

Oh, and the official site has been updated with more character profiles, screens and wallpaper. They've also provided a nice, detailed explanation of the game's LIPS ("Live & Interactive Picture System") dialog mechanics.

Check the gallery for hot picture action, and get under the cut to watch the game's intro.

One of the best Super Nintendo games ever, Super Mario Kart, will be hitting the Virtual Console this Monday. The classic racing game will cost you 800 Wii points.

Later this holiday season, we can expect a couple of more classics to hit the Virtual Console store. First up will be Pilotwings for the SNES and towards the end of the year, Super Smash Bros 64 will also finally be available.

So yeah, good games! Not to say that everything as of late has been crap, but it's annoying that Nintendo takes their sweet time to release the games people are dying for. Anyone excited for any of these upcoming re-releases?

Well, are you? We want you to take a picture of yourself in front of whatever Naruto product you own. Whether it be clothing, DVDs, videogames -- even taking a picture of yourself in front of a computer screen with something from Naruto on it is fine. Whatever picture you take, it must have something Naruto related in the image and there has to be some kind of sign or image that says Destructoid.com. No photo editing is allowed unless you want to create an animated gif.

You have until Sunday, November 22 11:59PM CST to submit your photo in the comments below. Contest is open to US residents only. We'll be picking the six biggest Naruto fans who will each be receiving this prize pack courtesy of Tomy Corporation:

One copy of Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 (Wii), one limited edition Naruto Shippuden Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 T-shirt, one Naruto Headband and Naruto chopsticks. The grand prize winner will also be scoring himself an exclusive one-of-a-kind framed poster featuring Anbu Kakashi, the final unlockable character in Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 which is out in stores this week for the Wii.

Make sure you use BBCode when submitting your photo ([img]picturename.jpg[/img] and that the image is no wider than 620 pixels. Good luck!

When I first heard that Capcom's next Resident Evil game was going to be a sequel to the Wii-exclusive Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, I was pretty disappointed. Umbrella Chronicles actually turned out to be great -- much better than I thought it would be -- but still, nothing about the game demanded a sequel. However, that's what we've got, like it or not, so instead of b*tching about what The Darkside Chronicles isn't (namely, a new RE4: Wii Edition-style masterpiece), let's focus on what the game is: an on-rails shooter specifically designed for the home console market.

Will The Darkside Chronicles live up to the expectations of Resident Evil fans? More importantly, does it work to deliver enough punch to satisfy the home console gamer despite the fact that the action is on rails?

Hit the jump to find out.

Black Friday and all its horror will soon be upon us, and the Internet has gotten its talons on GameStop's list of ludicrous offers. The list is absolutely huge, some great bundles such as a PS3 with God of War: Collection and LittleBigPlanet for $299, and tens of dollars to be saved on all sorts of games.

While we're here, how many of you are planning to venture out and brave the crowds of braying imbeciles next week? Is the lure of cheap stuff you've never needed enough to make you part of the dignity-sucking problem, or are you going to be like me and hide under a pile of coats until it all goes away?

While you answer, hit the jump for the list of GameStop chicanery.

I think what most pleases me about the release of the "family friendly" LEGO Rock Band, it's that it opens up the platform to all kinds of pop nonsense we might not have ordinarily seen. By "nonsense," I mean stuff I have been secretly flooding Harmonix with requests for. 

Take Kelly Clarkson for instance -- girl can sing. Next week, "Miss Independent" comes to Rock Band, along with songs from "Sure, I'll put an exclamation point in my name" P!nk and Go-Go's.

Single tracks ($1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points per track)

• Go-Go's "Our Lips Are Sealed" +
• Kelly Clarkson - "Miss Independent" +
• P!nk - "Who Knew" +

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack 01 ($9.99/800 MS Points for the pack; $1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points per track)

• "A Think About You (live)" +
• "American Girl (live)" 
• "Even the Losers (live)"
• "Here Comes My Girl (live") +
• "Mary Jane's Last Dance (live)"
• "Refugee (live)" +

_{(The "+" indicates the tracks is available available on both the Rock Band and the LEGO Rock Band music stores)}

Kelly Clarkson plus six live Tom Petty tracks? Time to stock up on MS Points. (Yes, you can make fun of me in the comments.)

Don't worry, Atlus may be known for its propensity for importing Japanese cruelty (alonside Shin Megami Tensei games), but they promise that THIS time, with the February 10 release of Shiren the Wanderer for Wii, you won't be completely broken.

Atlus first official blog post reveals that despite being a self-professed roguelike (the sort of dungeon-crawler game that ganks all your items when you die), Shiren the Wanderer contains a lot goodness that fans of Shin Megami Tensei and more story-driven JRPGs crave.

The game boasts a huge monster list, massive customization system, three playable characters, and a plot spanning a thousand years. But fans of frustration shouldn't worry, for Project Lead Scott Strichard had this to say:

You veteran dungeon divers who prefer that games come just short of leaping out of the TV and stabbing you have gotta be wondering what Shiren has in store for you. Well, you haven’t been forgotten. How does a 1,000 floor dungeon crawl sound? No, that’s not an extra 0. One. Thousand. Floors.

A floor for every year in the story! It must be good!

You wouldn't know it by looking at my credit card bills, but I have never been a member of GameFly. I have, however, racked up a bunch of meager transactions over the years whenever they try to pawn off their excess videogames with crazy sales.

Today is another one of those days where GameFly wants the garbage games out of its sight. Quite a few Xbox 360 and Wii titles were marked down to prices below $10, and hold on a second -- some of them aren't half bad. Heck, some are even good.

A few that caught my eye were Ninja Gaiden II, Mercenaries 2, Pure, and Far Cry 2. All of those are $9.99 shipped. And if drunken hobo fights bring you entertainment -- they're my specialty -- Condemned 2 is worth grabbing at $6.99.

Remember these are pre-played games. With that said, out of the numerous purchases I have made from GameFly, not once have I had any issues crop up. I'd also urge fellow bargain hunters to look at their other wares; you'd be surprised how low these prices tend to be.

Yes, I do realize this post reads like an infomercial. Is my check in the mail, guys?

Look, when I think of Monster Hunter, the last thing I think about is the high school education system. Apparently I must be in the minority, as Capcom seems to think that Monster Hunter and education go hand in hand, which is why, in a move to preview Monster Hunter Tri for the Wii, they transformed a local club into a high school biology lab. Weird.

Considering Japan actually has classes on Monster Hunter, this isn't so surprising. So in between an actual lecture from Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, tasty snakes and odd drinks, we had a chance to play the English language version of Monster Hunter Tri. Sure, it wasn't exactly like doing homework, but it was an educational experience. There's some very cool things Capcom hopes to bring to North American and European players, and it looks like they are going to follow through on them. Especially interesting? How about a successful online infrastructure, that's pretty damn cool. Hit the jump to find out more.

If you're waiting for our Tony Hawk: Ride review, sit tight -- we don't even have the game in our hands yet, despite the fact that it's on store shelves. 

But you know that famous skateboarding bulldog? Well, not only does he have it, but he's mastered it. In this YouTube clip, the dog steps on the skateboarding peripheral and basically rocks it. While I don't have the game, I have played it on more than one occasion, and I must admit that this dog is far better than I am.

Did anyone out there drop the $120 on Tony Hawk: Ride this week? If so, tell us what you think. 

The VGAs may be looked at with cynicism and contempt by a great many among the gamer community, but there's no denying that it's about as mainstream an award show as we're going to get. With that in mind, the nominations are in, and we now get to see who's vying for the biggest accolades that Spike TV has to offer.

Game of the Year is between Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Best PS3 game is between inFAMOUS, Killzone 2, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time and Uncharted 2. Best Xbox 360 game nominees are Arkham Asylum, Halo 3: ODST, Forza Motorsport 3 and Left 4 Dead 2. For the Wii we have New Super Mario Bros. Wii, MadWorld, Punch-Out! and Wii Sports Resort. The PC contenders are Dragon Age: Origins, Left 4 Dead 2, Plants vs. Zombies and The Sims 3.

It's interesting to note that the 360 nominees include multiplatform games, one of which (Arkham) was better on the PS3. 2009 really was the killer year for PS3 exclusives.

On a personal note, I'm asking everyone to vote for Demon's Souls as RPG of the year. The very fact it's a nominee is amazing, but it would be incredible to see the game win. It truly, truly deserves it, even though I know in my hear that Borderlands or Dragon Age will probably beat it.

Anyway, go check out the nominations, vote, and let us know who you're rooting for.

Apparently EA Sports Active is so important that it deserves its own store. Throughout the run-up to Christmas, Electronic Arts will be operating two stores in San Fransisco and Boston, and EA Sports Active is the only game they will sell. Not that EA's desperate to sell it or anything.

The stores will only be open until December 14, so you best hurry if you want to visit one of the stupidest shops in America. Bring the kids, bring the folks, it'll be the experience of a lifetime! Seriously though ... is this really a thing that needed to happen?

If I was a game I wouldn’t dream of debuting on the same morning two mass marketed follow-ups to unique and successful IPs did. But I’m pretty sure if I was game, I wouldn’t have huge muscles. Or a brain. And I would be much less smudge resistant. So, I probably wouldn’t know any better than to launch alongside Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed 2 and Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2 like Tony Hawk: RIDE did yesterday morning.

And if you didn’t know RIDE launched, now you do. (The trailer above trailer should help).

I was totally unaware of RIDE’s launch until this afternoon after spotting #tonyhawktuesday on Twitter. In addition to revealing a game, though, I’m pretty sure the discussion through the hash tag has helped find a way to end world hunger among other problems. Go Tony Hawk Tuesday!

New Super Mario Brothers Wii has been out for, oh, about 48 hours, but the Wii homebrew scene is already on the case: GBAtemp user Tanks has recreated Level 1-1 from the original Super Mario Bros using a NSMB level editor called Reggie!, developed by a user named Treeki.

I don't know much about homebrewing or modding, but I do know something cute and nostalgic when I see it. Level 1-1 is kind of played out by now—if a level editor exists for any game, it is a divine rule of the universe that Level 1-1 must be recreated—but it's an impressive, and rather hasty, effort nonetheless. The framerate is totally buggered (probably because it's running in a Wii emulator), but I'm not one to judge.

Like I said, this isn't really my area of expertise, but if you're interested in Reggie!, you can check out more details and screenshots here. So far, it features sprite, object, and block editing with more coming soon. I have to wonder if that includes Super Guide functionality, although I doubt it.

If, like me, you take a more hands-off approach to gaming and prefer watching videos and reading text, Nick's got you covered: you can check out his review and his Super Guide demonstration.

[Via GoNintendo]