Last week's list offered a handful of gaming gems that are now being offered for mere change but definitely don't deserve to be thrown into the bargain bin. This time around, we're going to see similar games, most of them calling forth fond memories of old school arcade gaming. Here's a clue: Ultimate Ghosts n' Goblins. Capcom arcade games. Mega Man. Reminiscing now? Hit the full article for the list.

The people have spoken. Capcom's announced that due to popular demand, they'll be re-introducing three PSP titles back into their official store. Monster Hunter Freedom's reappearance should be interesting, given that it's been off the shelves for more than a year. Further details are available in the full article.

During the recently-concluded Tokyo Game Show 2007, Capcom bigwig Keiji Inafune talked about Mega Man's 20th anniversary, detailing the highs and lows of his career all throughout and some future plans for the series.

Inafune took the opportunity to dispel the myth that he's the creator of Mega Man, saying that his mentor had a design prior to his entry to Capcom and he only created about half of what the blue blaster looks like. "I didn't get to completely design a Mega Man from scratch until Zero," he narrates. "But I realized that this design wouldn't be accepted as Mega Man, so I had another designer create the new Mega Man, and I worked on Zero to release him as the 'other main character' that would steal all the good scenes!"

One particularly noteworthy anecdote came in when he recounted the story of how he designed early boss Elecman. ""When I created this character, I tried to make a character that looked [like] it was from an American comic," says Inafune. "You'd see characters like him in Spider-Man or X-Men. It was pretty hard to design him, and I had to make sure that he didn't end up looking like an S&M queen."

Asked what his favorite game from the Mega Man series is, some of you may be amazed to know that it's Mega Man Legends, released in 1998 for the PSX. The game received lukewarm reception from aghast fans who were shocked with a 3D action-RPG spin-off of the series. Inafune says that the game might have been to advanced for its time, leaving what could have been a good game under-appreciated.

"I'd love to make a revival," says a determined Inafune. "But it's really difficult to have your company give you a budget for a game that flopped. I'm saving up so that I can make it on my own." He says that given today's technology, the idea might just work and sell better than it did almost a decade ago. "I'm making it my dream to create Mega Man Legends 3 before either I die or leave my company. With the continued support of fans, I hope that the Mega Man series continues to live on, and that we'll get to see its 30th and 40th anniversaries."

Keiji Inafune is the same creative mind behind other big Capcom titles such as Dead Rising, Onimusha, and the very first Street Fighter game. He continues to be a major influence in Capcom's projects and is considered as one of the gaming industry's true-blue trendsetters.

If you've got a couple of dollar to spare - err - splurge, you might want to head off right away to the nearest Circuit City. Their promo prices are a very welcome deal, and at such a low price, we're sure the shelves are going to be cleared in a matter of days. Well, it is a clearance sale after all.

They're selling some games for US$17 a pop. Here's the list of titles:

• Lumines
• Death Jr.
• FIFA World Cup 2006
• Riiiiiiiidge Raaaaaacer
• SSX On Tour
• Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max
• Burnout Legends
• WWE Smackdown vs. Raw
• Mega Man: Powered Up
• Midway Arcade Treasures
• Namco Museum Battle Collection
• NBA Ballers Rebound
• Pinball Hall of Fame

So, go ahead and smash that piggy bank of yours. You never know until when the stocks will last. Cut back on the Krispy Kremes for now and save up some money. Consider this as an early Christmas gift to yourself.

Keiji Inafune, Head of R&D and Studio 2 at Capcom, had an interview with Planet Mega Man on the direction of the Mega Man franchise. Not only did he discuss next generation development but he also talked about the future of the handheld Mega Man games.

Sean: That's really great. And, one really quick last generic question, are you considering any Rockman titles
for the Nintendo Wii or PlayStation 3?

Keiji Inafune: PlayStation 3, probably the target audience that's going to purchase the PlayStation 3, it's going to be people with a lot more money, and maybe it would not be the most suitable platform for the Mega Man series.

Sean: I agree.

Keiji Inafune: However, the Wii definitely has some potential, and it's maybe one where our target audience could embrace the Mega Man series. So while we haven't planned anything specific now at this time, I think probably that the potential is the highest on that piece of hardware.

As you can see, he thinks that a Mega Man game would benefit from the Wii rather than the PlayStation 3. However, Capcom has always been a bit "friendly" towards PS3 so seeing ports for the system after a Wii version wouldn't be too out of the ordinary.

For our PSP readers who are wondering about a sequel to Maverick Hunter X or Powered Up, don't hold your breath. When asked about future games in the series, Inafune says, "Yeah, if it was a perfect world I really wish we could make a couple sequels because those are very good games, but uh, truth be told, in Japan they really haven't sold as well as expected. So it's really hard to say." Not only that, Capcom seems to be heading away from remakes, ports, and compilations altogether. However, they might be releasing them on mobile phones soon. He also confirmed that Battle Network 6 will be the last in the series and that the Rockman anime will continue to go on as long as possible.

Mega Man has always been a popular gaming franchise and it appears his jump onto the PSP platform does nothing to dispel this theory. Despite the fact many gamers can give remakes a luke warm reception, the title Mega Man Powered Up has been met with plenty of good reviews. Most of these seem to suggest the title brings something new to the franchise and even incorporates a level creator and old style and new style gameplay.

Mega Man Powered Up, is set in the near future and advances in science have helped Dr. Light and his fellow researchers develop humanoid robots designed to improve quality of life for mankind. All is going really well until an evil scientist named Dr. Wily takes control of some of these helpful robots and sets off on the usual megalomaniac styled quest to take over the planet. With Dr. Light's help, a household helper robot named Mega Man embarks on a mission to restore peace to the world.

• Gamespot (8.5/10) Powered Up may be yet another remake of an old Mega Man game for the PSP, but it also happens to be the best one, both in terms of the original game it's based on, and the amount of extra content it provides. There's more than enough valid reason to go back and play through Powered Up's levels multiple times.

• 1UP (8.5/10) It's easy to forget why Mega Man was considered a top-tier franchise 20 years ago on NES, and Powered Up provides a much-needed reminder. No doubt we'll all be sick of it by the time Powered Up 6 rolls around, but you can hardly hold Capcom's inevitable future sins against what amounts to one of the most addictive PSP games to date.

• Gamezone (9.1/10) Remakes are often looked down upon in the industry, and for usually good reasons, but what Powered Up brings to the creative table should serve as a training manual for other developers who wish to follow suit. Nearly every aspect of this game is perfect, and despite its historic roots, becomes a 'must own,' not only for Mega Man fans, but for every PSP owner out there.
  

There has been a bit of calamity for the majority of titles being released for the PSP. Many gamers feel that while there are a few unique and rather addicting games most of the games are from previous versions ported for the PSP. While I can't say all of the titles this week will rejuvenate your love for PSP games there are a few noteworthy titles that will definitely be popular if not top sellers. This week a few new titles will hit the shelves in stores near you and  we have a quick roundup of whats new and hot. Check it out!

Mega Man Poweredup
Daxter
Neopets: Petpet Adventures - The Wand of Wishing
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
Untold Legends The Warriors Code

We are placing Daxter and Syphon Filter among the top titles being released this week. There has been a lot of talk about these two games and a number of good previews have already been filtering in. Mega Man games have had a hefty following since the early 90's, some poor choices in gameplay design (3D) has led a number of the hardcore fans away but Capcom has hopped back on the 2D level design with 3D sprite elements which has many feeling the wrath of Mavericks once again. The Untold Legend series has also become quite popular as of late. We will see who tops the charts and who gets left in dust as these auspicious games come to the light of store shelves this week.

The classic original Mega Man is back in a whole new way. This PSP remake recreates the original with a creative new super-deformed style, featuring the Blue Bomber and the evil creations of Dr. Wiley all drawn in new style that makes them cute and hyper-expressive.

   

All of the stages and enemies have also been redesigned using computer rendering for realistic motion and detail. New features include the Mega Man Challenge 100, two new bosses, and the ability to play as the boss characters.

   

Also included in the PSP game is a new construction mode, where you can create your own Mega Man stages and trade with others (locally or online) to challenge friends to your own dastardly creations.

Capcom has announced that Mega Man Powered Up is to be released for the PSP across PAL territories on March 24, 2006.

Mega Man Powered Up is a completely revamped version of the original Mega Man which appeared on the NES. The game features a completely redesigned look and feel, combined with a host of new gameplay options. Mega Man and other characters in the game have been redrawn and now feature big cartoon style heads. Every level has also been given a new lick of paint, with a vibrant colour palette to take advantage of the PSP's screen. The original level structure has also been modified with new item locations, challenges and two new Boss characters, each complete with newly designed stages.

Also new to the game is a level editor giving gamers the ability to create their own stages with full customisation of enemy and object placement, right down to the level music. These levels can then be shared with friends or even people from the other side of the world by utilising the PSP's infrastructure mode. The game will also feature all-new cut scenes before Boss battles, complete with full voice acting.

For a break from the main game mode, Capcom is also including Mega Man Challenge 100 mode, which challenges the player to complete 100 short stages each with its own objectives. Mega Man Powered Up is scheduled for release across all PAL territories on March 24, 2006.

Some of you import fans out there may get a kick out of this small sneak peak of these two upcoming PSP titles Rockman Dash (a.k.a. Megaman Legends), and the Playstation title Breath of Fire 3 from Capcom.

Update: Here are 3 screenshots of BoF3 for you to check out.