Following the success of the UFC 2009: Undisputed in the PS3 and Xbox 360, THQ is now moving to bring mixed martial arts into the Wii and the handhelds. Having shifted nearly three million copies, the publisher is now considering expanding into more platforms and even yearly installments like all the other sports titles.

Paul Theroux of the Telegraph could not forget the conversation that he had with Michael Jackson. Now that MJ has gone to that big Neverland in the sky, the journalist takes us back to the old interview, which revealed that eccentric as he was, Michael Jackson too was a sucker for video games. Not just any video game too - MJ loved MK.

Here's another movie turned video game from Luxoflux and Activision: Kung Fu Panda (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and DS). Play the role of Po the Panda as he trains with five of the best Kung Fu masters in China to fulfill his destiny of becoming the Dragon Warrior. You can read more about the game in our full article after the jump.

Where else can you play Sudoku with a martial arts twist? The best part is, it's going to the handhelds - PSP and DS. Zendoku promises some pretty interesting (albeit mind bending) gameplay.

Zendoku from Zoonami and Eidos looks fun and will definitely give players' gray matters working overtime. The minigames and the puzzles themselves look challenging. The characters are varied from the samurai Musashi, the Kendo master Sakura, the sumo wrestler Yatta, fencer Lorraine, the ninja Kingkage and the others. The trailers also show the training mode with the master. The classic Sudoku game is also in attendance, along with the game's grid game of symbols instead.

There hasn't been any official announcements as to Zendoku's release, but it was said to expect it this year. Might as well check out the screens and trailers while you're waiting. Enjoy!

Some more videos and a whole lot of screens at Full Article!

North America, get ready to be invaded by Konami's Xiaolin Showdown. The company has announced that the TV series-based DS game has finally been shipped to retailers.

With all the flare of classic martial arts action, join the adventure as the gang of four young warriors: Omi, Kimiko, Clay, and Raimundo, seek out the valuable Shen Gong Wu relics. But the journey won't be easy, especially with the villainous Jack Spicer and his army of evil robots around.

With each character having their own unique set of special abilities and moves, it is up to you as the player to switch between four characters, depending on what the fight calls for. And with 20 action-packed levels, there sure will be a lot of room for you to get to use all four.

But within the big adventure lies several special mini-games, so you can bet the fun will be non-stop. Xiaolin Showdown is available at a suggested retail price of US$ 29.99, and is rated "E" for Everyone by the ESRB. It is also available for the Xbox, PS2, and PSP.

The holidays are fast approaching. And since Christmas is geared primarily to the young 'uns (and kids at heart), game developers are lining up all the kiddie-related titles as early as October. At least parents and their kids will have a healthy choice of wholesome games to play during the holiday vacations.

Here are the games coming out October 9 (hey that's tomorrow!):

Avatar: The Last Airbender - from Nickelodeon's cartoon with the same name. Play as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph, and save the world from the evil Fire Nation. For those children who are so into the whole martial arts scene... Ki-ya!

Crash Boom Bang! - orangey-furred Crash and the weird gang are back! It's not just a screen scroller, it's also got tons of mini-games to choose from. Expect endless hours of fun. This is also for the peculiar kids who like kicking crates.

Monster Bomber - for the first time, kids don't have to flick boogers at each other for fun! In this game, the players are expected to fling colored balls to the upper screen. Once the right colored ball hits a particular monster, boom! It disappears. It looks like a high paced-game. Recommended for kids who ate too much candy last night.

Scooby-Doo! Who's Watching Who? - We are! The big brown dog and the gang of misfits enter the DS with another adventure. The bad guys won't win because of those pesky kids.

Clubhouse Games - The only game targeting the adult audience. Forty-two games in one. Need we say more? Yeah...a chat feature. A game to play while the kids are sleeping or playing one of the games above.

I remember, other than Ranma, Sailormoon, and Slam Dunk, the other epic of an anime that I truly enjoyed was Yuu Yuu Hakusho, or in the US more commonly known as The Poltergeist Report. Now, with the anime still one of Japan's favorites of all time, they cannot help but bring back the series to life by giving its fans a DS game to enjoy.

The DS game is a 2D adventure which follows the beginning of the series, the time when Yuusuke officially has become a ghost, and the arc of the anime concerned with the martial arts competition in the Underworld. It is here that the boys - Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama - fight to the ends to make their team win to gain the title of being the strongest men in the underworld.

However, the series would not entirely follow arcade versus fight for this game (like the other Yuu Yuu Hakusho games released in older consoles), but rather it will follow an RPG wherein you go around the underworld killing monsters. You have the four members of your team to choose from, and you can go around the underworld, training yourself until you reach the desired level to participate in the competition. In competition, your special techniques will be animated and its success will determine whether you win the match or not.

Fans of the series will definitely enjoy going back through how the boys first met as well as the hardships they went through just to get through the rounds. The game is set to be released some time September.

THE GAME FACTORY announced today the signing of a worldwide publishing deal, which will see the company launch an exciting new action/adventure video game, LEGEND OF THE DRAGON for Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation 2.

The game is based on the brand new TV series LEGEND OF THE DRAGON, which is to be launched in the spring of 2006 by BKN International AG, a global animation company engaged in the distribution and marketing of animated children's television programmes and the marketing of related consumer products (licensing and merchandising) in all forms. BKN has successfully negotiated distribution deals in the children's programming market in over 80 countries worldwide with major broadcasters including prestigious names such as Nickelodeon, BBC, Warner Brothers Home Entertainment, Super RTL and Cartoon Network.

The TV series has been created by Rick Ungar, who is credited with many global successes such as the immensely popular "X-Men: Evolution" and the classic "Spider-Man". Already placed with leading broadcasters worldwide, the 26 action packed episodes are currently in production, and are sure to be a success with young boys fascinated by the current trend of Japanese inspired animations and martial arts.

At the core LEGEND OF THE DRAGON is the battle to maintain the universal balance between good and evil, Yin and Yang. This beat-em-up adventure game takes place in China and is centred on the twins Ang and Ling whose sibling bond is tested when Ang is chosen to be the next Golden Dragon destined to defend the temple from the evil Zodiac Master. In her quest for redemption Ling is lured to join the Zodiac Master on his mission to destroy the 12 lost temples of the ancient Chinese Zodiacs and their Guardian Warriors. In the battle between darkness and light both heroes and villains have magic wristbands that can transform them into half man half beast with the likeness and skills of the zodiac creature they represent. The game combines thrilling fighting sequences with a compelling story line all wrapped up in outstanding animations. The game is scheduled for release on Nintendo DS and Sony Play Station 2 in Spring/Summer 2006.

 

Two new Nintendo DS games are slated for release this month. The first game, Spyro: Shadow Legacy is to be released this July 3rd. Following up on the 19th we can see Nanostray for the DS.

– Spyro Shadow Legacy introduces role playing elements to the Dragon Realms, offering Spyro fans an "RPG light" experience with all new gameplay features. By fighting and defeating creatures in the game, players earn experience points that improve Spyro's strength and abilities. This RPG element allows players to use their experience to build Spyro’s new magical powers and martial arts combat abilities as the game progresses. Not much else is known about this title but we can expect it to be good.

– Nanostray seems to be a very promising spaceship game with beautiful graphics. Features of this game include:

    – Upgradable weapons and sub-weapons, boasting tons of fire power to decimate your enemies
    – Touch screen features such as boss scanning, on-the-fly weapon management, live radar and hyperspace controls
    – 10+ stages to conquer; battle through environments like subterranean minefields, arctic mountains and hell-like lava fields
    – Unlockable features and game modes add re-playability once players complete their campaign
    – 2-player co-op and head-to-head wireless functionality
    – Online ranking system via www.nanostray.com allows players to post their high scores and compete against best in the world
    – From the creators of the "Iridion" Game Boy Advance series.

We look forward to seeing their release!