Pumped for Jet Set Radio

I know the re-release of Jet Set Radio on PSN and XBLA isn't really new news at this point. But I did want to make a point of giving you all a heads-up that I will be downloading this upon its release (and will follow this up with a review). I never played Jet Set Radio when it was out on the Dreamcast, but I'm really intrigued with the whole concept of the game. I love games that dare to be bold and artistically-driven, and I can't wait to see what it's all about come Summer time.

Capcom announces Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom has been announced as a re-release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, though this new version will include twelve new characters and eight new stages. Capcom officially announced Strider, Firebrand, Hawkeye, and Ghost Rider, but a leak stated that the remainder of the cast will be Phoenix Wright, Vergil, Nemesis, Frank West, Iron Fist, Dr. Strange, Rocket Racoon, and Nova (which Capcom has now confirmed). A few other tweaks have been made to the game, including a balancing of character abilities, and a spectator mode so players waiting in the lobby have something to look at other than the time remaining in the current match. The MSRP will be $39.99, which isn't all that bad a deal for gamers who didn't purchase MvC3 upon its initial release. No word yet if the new characters or stages will be made available as DLC for those who already own MvC3 (but here's hoping).

Konami announces HD collections

As a pre-E3 announcement, Konami has revealed three HD collections that will see release for both the PS3 and Xbox 360. Arguably the most exciting is the Metal Gear Solid three pack, which will include Sons of Liberty, Snake Eater, and Peace Walker. Peace Walker reportedly will allow players the option of transferring data over from their PSP copy of the game. The Silent Hill collection will include Silent Hill 2 and 3, while the Zone of the Enders collection will include both Zone of the Enders and The 2nd Runner.

I really liked how Konami and Capcom went ahead and did complete collection releases a few years back, with game series like Metal Gear Solid and Devil May Cry respectively, and these new HD collections are equally as appealing to me. While I think this is a great move on Konami's part, I'd personally like to see Capcom and others cash in on this. Perhaps a Resident Evil HD collection? As much as I enjoyed Resident Evil 4 (which was a lot), it's seen release on the Gamecube, PS2, Wii, and... iPhone. So I'd prefer to see the first two games, plus maybe Code Veronica or Resident Evil Zero just to mix things up a bit. I also wouldn't mind seeing Square Enix do a few HD Final Fantasy collection releases, specifically with regards to the PSone and PS2 releases.