Today is Hideo Kojima’s birthday. To celebrate, the long-awaited fantranslation patchforPolicenautshas been released. Though repeatedly re-released in Japan for PC, 3D0, PlayStation and Sega Saturn, the game has never ventured outside of its country of origin.Policenautsis referenced in other Kojima games and I’ve been curious to try it ever since seeing a poster for the game in Otacon’s lab on Shadow Moses. The translation, which has been in the works for several years, is available over atpolicenauts....

So, we all know thatThe Joker will be playablein his own special levels exclusively on the PS3 version ofBatman Arkham Asylum. Tonight on Gametrailers TV’s E3 hypefest extravaganza, they showed video of what it will be like to play as the most diabolical of the Dark Knight’s Rogues Gallery. From what the video shows, The Joker has quite the arsenal. Wind-up explosive toys can be sent to detonate on prison guards....

GameStop, best known for its tireless pimping of pre-orders and used game sales, has revealed an “exclusive”Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown“upgrade” for those willing to plop five dollars down towards a reservation. Brace yourselves — pre-order customers will receive $10,000 in cash from the game’s start. Really? This is they best they could do? Not even an oversized t-shirt or an ugly keychain? Come on guys, you can do better than that!...

Remember how the Xbox 360 was the lead platform forBayonetta, leading to aslapdash PS3 port? Well, my fine feathered friends, fear not! The roles have been reversed this time around, with Platinum Games confirming that the PS3 is the development lead this time around. “We’re leading development on PS3,” says director Shinji Mikami. “Obviously each console has its own unique requirements and limitations, but we feel if we can create a good enough presentation on PS3, we’ll be off to a good start....

For those of you who eat, drink, and sleep Zelda, prepare for a double whammy of sadness: Dampe (aka Richard Denton) is reported to have passed away this weekend in a fatal car accident. Dampe had been working on anunofficial 2D remakeof theOcarina of Time. TheOoT2Dwebsitehas been closed down by Dampe’s family, and the details of the accident as well as the project can be found in theforums for the game....

It looks like the Rabbids won’t be confined to the Wii this fall, as Ubisoft has announced that the quirky characters will also be making their way to the Nintendo DS. Rabbids Go Homefor the DS will feature the same storyline as the previously announced Wii version (check our preview here), but with completely different gameplay. It looks a bit like theFantastic Contraptiongames, with physic-based puzzle gameplay spread across 15 levels....

This has to be the collector in me saying this, but whenever I or someone I know misplaces a game box (usually the latter), forcing me to forever hold onto a loose disc, it drives me up the walls. Not to the point where I go out and specifically buy a green- or white-colored case, yet it’s still annoying at any rate. The Netflix streaming Blu-ray disc falls somewhere into this scenario, and since they will remain a requirement for some time,Kotaku reader Nulionhas come up with a solution....

Ever wonder what a metroid would look like if it were a real thing? Yeah, me neither, because I’m pretty sure it would absolutely terrifying. Artist Jaime “Kalapusa” Margary has taken this to the next level, having just finished up a reference illustration for a “realistic” metroid specimen sculpture. It looks just like the metroids from the games we know and love, only with more veins, working muscle, and… I’m not even sure what I’m looking at....

[Last week’s Bloggers Wanted topic asked you to tell me how you use video games to relax. Today’s blog is from StriderHoang, who lets out stress through the training modes of fighting games. If you want to participate in our Bloggers Wanted topic and see your own blog on the front page, take a look atour current prompt about TGS. — JRo] Do you consider training mode a tedious reminder of how bad you are?...

While we are supposed to remain tight-lipped about yesterday’s Capcom event, apparently Capcom is one of those, “Do what we say, not what we do” type. This morningNeogafposted links to Capcom’s official Japanese Web site where the “commercial trailer” for the upcomingResident Evil 4: Wii Editionwas released. Having already seen this … abomination … projected over a giant screen yesterday at the Gamer’s Day event, let me just say that I am still, right now as I write this, waiting for the punchline....

Remember that cool cousin you used to have? You know, the one that wrapped his Camaro around a telephone pole on New Years Day? Remember, before the accident, how he could always be found playing one of those old handheld football games; the ones with nothing but red LED lines as graphics? Talking about those handhelds would be kind of fun, wouldn’t it? Although, I’m not sure if the‘Forceand I will stick to discussing ancient handhelds considering that the handheld market — unlike your dead cousin — has matured quite a bit since then....

Every Thursday (or thereabouts), Anthony Burch discusses some aspect of gaming culture for his video rant series. This week’s rant touches on a much larger issue of theme/narrative/character personality matching up with the tone of gameplay, but it’s a start. And it’s also the shortest rant I’ve recorded in, uh, ever, which is probably a good thing. Anyway, it’s about how games that are actually about how fun it is to kill people typically shouldn’t pretend their protagonists are heroic, decent figures....

If Razer is good at one thing, it’s selling a product. “The Razer Mamba features gaming grade wireless technology with a hybrid system that enables instant wired/wireless functionality,” preens the company. “Coupled with an industry leading 1ms polling rate, it is the fastest performing mouse both on and off the cord. Delivering true wireless freedom, lag-free speed and ergonomic comfort, the Razer Mamba is in a league of its own.”...