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[Editor’s note: ZombiePlatypus gets May’s Monthly Musing finally kicked off. For this“If you love it, change it”, ZombiePlatypus takes a look at theRampageseries. — CTZ] I’ve always liked theRampageseries. Be it in the arcades or staying up all night with the NES version back in the day,Rampagehas been an addiction of mine. I have a good time wrecking identical buildings over and over again for hours, so sue me. I bought the first twoMidway Arcade Treasurecollections pretty much just for theRampagegames....

ION Audio (the folks behind the super deluxeRock Band‘Drum Rocker’ drum kit) has announced that it will be releasing a new version of the peripheral/instrument this holiday. Called the “Drum Rocker Pro,” the kit offers a few enhancements over the original. To start, the set features a “Drum Rocker Pro Pedal” that has a steel base and all metal construction. Getting even more technical, the sucker has a “dual-chain drive, adjustable beater and rubber trigger assembly” to replicate “the physics and rebound that drummers demand out of an authentic kick drum pedal....

Jack Thompson has very recently beenpaid a friendly visitby a pair of U.S Marshals following one of the silver-maned crusader’s madcap letters. In writing to Chief Judge Federico Moreno, the notorious defense attorney (for the time being) suggested that Al-Qaeda terror suspects have more rights than he does: We find yesterday that enemy combatants at Guantanamo are to get more due process from federal judges than what I am to have....

[Update:Major Nelsonhas posted that the console also makes R2-D2 sounds when youturn it onoropen the tray. It also has “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope” inscribed on the disc tray for the first time (Thanks Rammstein)] LucasArts revealed a podracing mode forKinectStar Warsto let you channel your inner Anakin child — the 10 year old one from Episode I, not the one from Episodes II and III. You’ll be able to race alongside the surviving racers of the Boonta Eve Classic of 32 BBY, while flapping your arms around like Jar Jar Binks....

It’s still shocking to think that one of the PS3’s biggest, most important exclusives still doesn’t have Trophies, butMetal Gear Solid 4is yet to offer gamers arbitrary awards for doing nothing. This is rather ludicrous, but Konami has stated that a Trophy update might come … one day … maybe. “Just to address one issue that we’ve been getting a lot of comments about. And this is, of course, about Trophies,” says Konami in a recent podcast....

A new anthology of short stories based on characters and situations from Rockstar Games’ upcomingL.A. Noirewill be available for digital download in June through major eBook vendors. “L.A. Noire draws on a rich history of not just film, but also great crime literature for inspiration,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “Using the game’s world as a springboard, we worked with the genre’s best writers to create stories that lived up to the finest traditions of crime fiction....

Last week, EA Sports announced Brazilian footballerKakáas the global cover athlete forFIFA 11, and noted that 17 other soccer stars would join him in specific regions. Today, EA has revealed the North American cover athletes for the game: Carlos Vela (of Arsenal F.C. and the Mexico national football team), and Landon Donovan (of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy and the US Men’s National Team). you’re able to check out the full PS3 box art in the gallery below....

In a panel discussion between former Sony executive Phil Harrison and Media Molecule staff, it was revealed that the team was at one point pushed to makeLittleBigPlanetinto more of an open platform with no financial barrier to entry. “[Phil] said it should be free to play, it should have a new business model, it should be downloadable,” said Media Molecule technical director Alex Evans. “It should do DLC, it should do user-generated content....

It’s time once again for that sweet Backlog. We’ve been playingSpy Fiction(from the mad genius behindDeadly Premonition, Swery) all this week. In spite of my utter inability to walk down the street without being spotted and fired upon and some comical voice acting, the game is rather good. And that poor monkey! We’re on the air right now playing more of the game. It’s also your last opportunity to get a fix of Backlog before we take a break for GDC next week, so be there or be some form of quadrilateral with sides of all equal length....

Well, it takes more than half of the damn video to get there, but there is actually footage of gameplay and fighting in this trailer from the upcomingShining Force FeatherDS, which our own Jim Sterlingseemed to rather enjoyat Tokyo Game Show.My knowledge of Shining games is unfortunately backwards — I know the characters thanks to themultitude of figuresmade of them that we post over at Tomopop,but it wasn’t until recently that I finally got my hands onShining Tears....

Don’t you hate these stories? But look at it from my side. They’re a good way to start out a work week for a gaming blogger. Sure, they’re only mildly interesting, but they’re easy. Plus, it gives me a chance to link you toour excellent gamescom 2011 coverage. You see how this all works now? That priceless peek behind the curtain is on me, folks. gamescom broke a record, with 275,000 attending the event in Cologne, Germany last week....

This is one of those videos where if I describe anything, it’ll be ruined. All I can say is that this involvesMEOW MEOW MEOW [Edited out because it’s too big of a giveaway — CTZ]. Hell, just saying what game this involves might be a spoiler. Anyway, just watch this now. You will die laughing at this. Not sure what this is meant for and not much info is given about it....

Wondering how this whole Minecraft thing is working out for creator Markus “Notch” Persson? Pretty well, I’d say. He says that his little indie game has made over $33 million in revenue so far. In aReddit threadwhere Persson was asked how much Minecraft has made so far he breaks it down: A lot. It all ends up in an account somewhere, and I try not to look at it. I get a normal salary these days for day to day stuff, but there’s a big pile somewhere....