If you haven't had a chance to pick up Hudson Soft and Konami's Bomberman PSP, then this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Circuit City is currently running a promo which will allow you to pick up a copy for only US$ 4.99, a full ten dollars off their selling price.

Bomberman PSP follows the same format as previous iterations of the game on other systems. Your character must find his way through a maze while avoiding or blasting enemies with bombs. Multiplayer is really where the game shines, with awesome gameplay for up to four players.

So head on over to Circuit City through our read link if you want to pick up this game. Be sure to keep checking back here at QJ.NET for the latest deals and updates for your PSP.

If you're a gamer with a girlfriend (and if she's a gamer, too, lucky you), most times you can never go wrong giving the gift of a warm and fuzzy plush to her. That, or budget-depleting jewelry. As a for-example, you've got rabbid plushies, you've got chocobo plushies. But if your GF happens to be the bomb (or bomb diggity), perhaps the best (or most appropriate) plush to give her is the bomb. Not even Bomberman himself (which, in his old-school iteration, would make a fine sock doll himself), but his bombs.

Spotted by GameBrink, Banpresto is making these Bomberman-themed Bomberman Bakuhatu Plushies available via pre-order in Japan, to be shipped in mid-to-late June 2007. Yes, we know, a full six months wait, as though there's a plutonium core to be installed in this thing... Nah, no nukes, just a sound-chip that lovingly recreates the trademark "BOOMB!" and "POM!" sound effects of the Bomberman games. They come in black and red, about the size of a small ball, and cost US$ 19.00 (yes, we know, Japan preorder, American pricing; perhaps an indicator that they'll also make this preorder available in the US someday...).

If you're wondering, "Bakuhatu" means "Explode". Hopefully the explosion you hear from your girlfriend is one of adoration for receiving something oddly cute, instead of an explosion of anger for not getting her a diamond necklace or something like that (And, we can imagine,  if you're taking this with you in a flight, you might want to tell security that this is a toy, just to be sure).

Some things just refuse to die, says the team behind PSP Galaxy magazine. Actually, good things are kinda hard to kill. If you're a PSP Galaxy fan, take heart. The magazine is alive, kicking and has just released their 15th issue. In this latest issue of PSP Galaxy magazine, you can read up on the following:

• Preview of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
• Reviews of Blowout, Gangs of London, Guilty Gear Judgment, Ridge Racers 2, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, WTF: Work Time Fun,Bounty Hounds, Bomberman and Open Season
• Movie Review of DOA: Dead or Alive
• An all-new free comic
• The latest news and the best columns, including Prime's Rant, MVPVJ: Mof vs. Prime vs. Jebus, Cooking with Mof and Movie Watch
• Plus a chance to show off your design skills and win big with Wrapstar!

PSP Galaxy Issue No.15 is also the first issue for the magazine's new graphic designer Evilution. We've seen his work and he's pretty good. Why would any one kill such a great magazine in the first place, anyway?

Download: [PSP Galaxy Magazine No.15]

 

When a Hudson Entertainment feature article is subtitled, "An unbiased comparison of two awesome games!" you know something is bound to be wrong. That's the case when someone tries to compare Bomberman for the PSP and Bomberman Act: Zero for the Xbox 360.

Now, the feature article tries to compare the merits of the PSP and Xbox 360 versions. According to the feature, the PSP game is blessed with the gameplay features such as taking place over 10 different worlds, and having classic bomberman levels as unlockable features. The Act Zero version, however, seems to be getting the dud criteria for winning points against the PSP version, such as "The bombermen boast over-sized left hands and spherical ass cheeks," and bouncing... things.

Of course, Bomberman Act: Zero does have greater multiplayer functionality, with up to 8 players trying to blow each other up at the same time, but even the author makes a self-referential remark as to how bad the game appears to reviewers. "From outside the industry, losers attack the revised Bomberman" sounds like a very slanted way of talking about the game for an unbiased comparison.

In any case, the comparison ends with a draw, saying that you can't go wrong with a Bomberman game. If you take the whole article (and the many reviews online) as an indication, however, you apparently can.

Still, there's two good things that come out from the article. First, it doesn't look like the actual view of Hudson, so they may just be thinking of going back to what made Bomberman such a big hit in the first place. Second, it makes for a funny photo comic.

What do you think: New Bomberman or Old Bomberman? Why'd you pick one over the other? Let us know!

If you've got some extra cash lying around and you just can't wait for the next homebrew game you're following to come out, the games below could provide you with much needed entertainment. They're all coming out this week, so you could check your local retailers if they've got them. Here are the PSP game releases:

• Bomberman - The classic goes handheld. It's bound to be oodles of fun. Unless of course, Konami's brand of portable nostalgia isn't your cup of tea.
  
• Bounty Hounds - Colonize other planets, kill up to 40 types of aliens, 500 weapons and armor types, this might be bucket-loads of third person action fun. We've got screens here if you want to see more of Namco Bandai's fun fun game.
  
• LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - And the LucasArts franchise continues...
  
• NHL '07 - The expected yearly update from Electronic Arts. If you're not into this genre, bad news because it's mostly more of the same, but if you are, then good news, more of the same, but this time it is portable.
  
• Rengoku II: The Stairway to HEAVEN - A.D.A.M. is back, and this time the android and makers Hudson Soft and Konami have got downloadable content for you to enjoy. Content aside, the game also features better stage design, an updated battle system, and up to 4 player wireless play. Android war action.
  

If you're not that much into handheld games but you like to watch a movie every now and then, say, while your teacher or boss is giving a very boring lecture, here are the PSP UMD ISO releases set for this week: The Best of Super Speeders; Gracie Legends in Action, Vol. 1; and Teddybear Crisis.

I'm a Mixed-Martial-Arts fan myself, so I think I'll be churning out some bucks for Gracie Legends. That's it for now. We'll keep you updated on the games listed above whenever we get word or discover something nifty.

Bomberman is a classic, and I guess Konami banks on this to make its Bomberman Portable a success. We've provided a while back the Japanese trailer of this title, and as if that's not enough, we're also providing you now the game's trailer which was uploaded to YouTube by deamentia.

I don't think we'll be seeing the different game modes (normal, classic, game sharing and multiplayer) but we can at least take another look at this highly anticipated game.

So without further ado, here's the game trailer.

Two new Bomberman games will be exploding onto game consoles this year.  One will be Bomberman: Act Zero for the Xbox 360, which will feature a completely updated look and feel to the game bringing Bomberman into the 21st Century.  The other will be Bomberman Portable for the PSP which will stick to the classic gameplay that we all love sporting the same old look with graphical improvements.  Bomberman Portable will also include up to four player multiplayer using game sharing.  The game will have two main modes, normal and classic mode, with a combined total of over 150 levels.  The release is set for July 20th this year in Japan.  This game is sure to be a hit, we will just have to sit and wait to see when it will reach America.


Download: [Bomberman Portable Japanese Trailer]

Bomberman, by Konami and Hudson, for the PSP sticks to the roots of the Bomberman series. The game will have classic top-down gameplay that the series is known for unlike the 360's Bomberman: Act Zero and will have four different game modes. The game looks to be like Bomberman 64 with its characters and environments brought to life in 3D with an original story and should be out by the end of the year.

The game features include Normal Mode: the latest Bomberman complete with a new story and 100 levels, Classic Mode: based on original classic Bomberman featuring over 50 different levels, Multiplayer Battle Mode: up to 4 players can fight for survival in a variety of highly customizable games across 20 different stages via wireless ad hoc mode and Game Sharing Mode. Up to four players can battle from just one UMD game disc. Go ahead and check out some of the screenshots from the game by clicking on the thumbnails below.

    
    
  

We've already told you about the new Bomberman titles coming to the PlayStation Portable and to the Xbox 360. This game promises to provide the same classic gameplay using the new technology of the handhelds and the next-gen console.

The story of Bomberman for the PSP is what fuels the adventures of the main character. A black shadow is slowly creeping toward Bomberman's planet. An army of mysterious robots are attacking and brain-washing inhabitants of surrounding planets. The entire galaxy is in utter chaos. Bomberman has to embark on an intergalactic adventure to stop the evil forces, help those affected by the robots, and save his own planet.

Another good feature of Bomberman (aside from the great 3D graphics provided by the two consoles' systems) is the availability of different play modes. The classic mode is based on the original gameplay of Bomberman and will feature 50 levels. There is a multiplayer battle mode which can accommodate up to four players via wireless ad hoc play where gamers will have to fight for survival across 20 different stages of customisable game types. Game sharing in timeless multiplayer party modes using only one UMD can let up to four players battle together.

Bomberman Act: Zero for the Xbox 360 can also boast of high-resolution graphics and new gameplay elements. The storyline of this version of the game is not the same as that of the PSP version. Survival of the fittest is the main theme of this game. The game takes place in an underground facility where humans are locked in and are experimented on in this alternate future. They act as test subjects who are being trained to become deadly soldiers. They come equipped with armoured battle suits.

These soldiers will then have to fight their way out of this facility by fighting against fellow soldiers. Players have to survive all 99 stages to reach the surface. Along the way, they'll be able to find hidden items that will strengthen their armor or give them more power. Characters in the game are customisable, so players can choose their characters' gender, armour type and color. Up to eight players can play together online via Xbox Live.

Bomberman Act: Zero games for the Xbox 360 and for the PSP from Konami are being showcased at the E3.

Fans of then classic Bomberman will rejoice as our pyromaniac friend blows some blocks once more in the PSP. Unlike Panic Bomberman, this new game will take on a more familiar gameplay wherein you have a maze, a couple of monsters, and an endless amount of bombs to drop. This new game is named "Bomberman Portable" and will be sold in Japan on July 20 this year.

What is great about this game is the number of stages that you can blow up. There are over 100 regular stages for you to choose from. There are classic 50 stages, for those who want to experience the old Famicom Bomberman games. There is also a four way battle mode, allowing you to play with your friends using PSP's wireless LAN capability.