The homebrew coders from the SSBRumble DS team has released a new version of Super Smash Bros. Rumble DS, a homebrew game based on the ever popular Wii game Super Smash Bros. The latest update features 21 new characters, added collision detection, timer, attribute system, new stages and various other improvements.

Download: Super Smash Bros. Rumble DS v0.6

Those who have been playing Pokemon games since the late 90s may remember the Pokemon Pikachu, a pedometer (that's peDOmeter, not PEdometer) that could unlock data on the original Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal games. For the Gold and Silver DS remakes, Nintendo is once again bundling a pedometer with the games, this time calling it the PokeWalker.

If you're hankering for a DS lite color that'll set you apart from the Powder Blues, the Coral Pinks and the Onyx Blacks of the Dual Screen rainbow, the folks behind the worldwide phenomenon of Pokemon might have just the thing: a bright yellow DS lite, themed after the small electric mouse that squeaks its own name. Pikachu!

It's certainly cute, and it has a logo of the flagship Pokemon printed onto it, too. No doubt it'll be a hot item for Pokemaniacs worldwide. The sad part about it is, it's not going to be available for retail - probably something you can only get through events or competitions. Another nice thing we can't have, I guess. But there's always the off-chance that some entrepreneur Pokefan might put it up for sale on eBay, right?

Let's get something out of the way first. Yes, I know this article's pretty late, since both games have been out for quite a while already. But as I'm one of the handful of Pokemaniacs here at QJ, I jumped at the chance to make my first Poke-centric article as soon as it appeared, much like pressing Down + B at the same time to ensure that legendary catch.

The author would also like to apologize for any rampant geekouts beforehand, and will pick up the few remaining shreds of his dignity after the article.

In any case: on with the review!

The entire article right after the jump!

It is safe to say that Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is Sony's "go-to guy" in the land of the rising sun. We mentioned a couple of days ago that the game sold around 100,000 copies, just 24 hours after it was released. Well, when we're talking about a star player, we don't want rough estimates. We want the actual statistics, down to the most minute fraction.

According to Media Create, a total number of 178,370 copies of Konami's stealth game was actually sold in Japan during the week before Christmas. Despite this impressive number however, the game only came in second to DS title Pokemon Diamond. But then again, we're talking about Japan here and we know that this is Pikachu's territory. A second place outing is not that bad. Really.

The complete list of the software and hardware sales for December 18 to 24 in Japan is as follows:

Software

• Pokemon Diamond (DS): 209,379
• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP): 178,370
• Pokemon Pearl (DS): 164,670
• New Super Mario Bros. (DS): 154,107
• Wii Sports (Wii): 152,756

Hardware

• DS Lite: 485,584
• Wii: 279,277
• PSP: 138,588
• PS3: 76,882
• PS2: 46,209

Playing Dragon Quest Monsters-Joker is not a solitary battle. Squeenix is nice enough to let you experience monster hunting with your friends. Unlike most games that leave you only with mini-games, DQMJ allows you and a friend a chance to travel and level up together, probably even catch a monster or few. You can do this through the Wi-Fi server provided for Dragon Quest Monsters- Joker. When you join this server, you can join other monster hunters and you can put yourself in the ranks with these other guys.

However, monster hunting doesn't end when you get your monster. It turns out, you can make your monster stronger by combining monsters with another monsters through the Monster Omiai (Correspondence) Center. It's a little like crossbreeding in a monsterly kind of way.

Now, at the Omiai center, you have to talk to a lady and she will ask you the composition of your monster. Which of your monsters are you going to place in the attack? Will you use a different one for defense or for range? As you have made your decision, she will play geneticist and produce your new monster. You can use this monster for battles in the DQMJ world, or you can also use this for the world ranking battle. Did we say world? Yeah, the DQMJ battle ranking system is open to anybody who can connect to the DS Wifi network and to the DQMJ server. Neat, right?

  

This TV Spot for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, illustrates perfectly how somebody would feel, if you wake up one day and found out you're blue, pudgy, have flippers for fingers, and only has a cute permutation of your name as vocabulary.

Then after everything sinks in, a very disturbing realization will dawn on you - you fit into a ball, you're naked, and you'd never be as popular as main Pokemon, Pikachu.

Download: [Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team TV Spot]
Buy: [Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team]

For all you Pokemon addicts out there, we've got a video of two 30-second commercials for the upcoming Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl games for the Nintendo DS. Each commercial features different gameplay footage from the other, with the first actually showing what the game would look like on the DS. We got hooked on the whole Pokemon phenomenon since the GBA Pokemon games were released, so we're definitely looking forward to the localized versions of Diamond and Pearl.

Check 'em out. The gameplay graphics are looking great. Includes super-special footage of a monkey that ate too much chili. Oh, and for nostalgia purposes, the second commercial even shows Pikachu in action.

A heartwarming news from Nintendo Australia: in celebration of Pokemon's tenth anniversary, Nintendo will host festivities on September 12  for the sick children at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Aiming to provide much-needed fun and positive distraction for the seriously ill children, Nintendo cooperates with the Starlight Children's Foundation to pull off the event, hosting Pokemon battles and Trivia challenge. Of course, the celebration won't be complete unless Pikachu himself is there. The anime character will be inviting kids to help him with cutting the cake.

It's activities like this that help alleviate the lonely plight of the ill children as they are given something to look forward to, and allow them reprieve from their sad state. At least even for a day, they can get to enjoy things that they normally won't be able to do given their conditions. "Anything we can do to help entertain, amuse, and bring some joy to their lives is especially rewarding for all of us at Nintendo," says Nintendo Australia's Director of Sales and Marketing, Rose Lappin.

Nintendo has been collaborating with the Starlight Children's Foundation for activities like this since its establishment in 1994. They have also provided Nintendo consoles for over 400 Starlight Fun Centres in 162 pediatric wards all over the land down under since that time. That's a whole lot of good deed.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team for DS will be released as scheduled on November 10 in Europe, about two  months after its North American debut.

Unlike previous titles, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team will let players assume the role of one of the 16 pocket monsters - not their human trainers - including Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur. The Pokemon character a gamer plays is automatically selected based on a personality test. Those of you with "fiery temperaments" are likely to end up as Charmander. Gamers with "electric personality" could be transformed into Pikachu.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team uses Nintendo DS’s second screen to display a map and the touch-screen to activate certain functions. The DS game can link with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team for GBA  (which will be released on the same date) for item trading using the GBA link cable.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team also features a unique password based Rescue Mode. Players who fail to complete a dungeon can give their friends a unique password that will allow them to enter the dungeon and rescue them. Players can enter Rescue Mode wirelessly between Nintendo DS consoles. Friends using a Nintendo DS and a GBA can enter the Rescue Mode via the the two slots on the Nintendo DS.

At the beginning of each game, the player must partner up with another creature to help other Pokemon and uncover the mystery behind their transformation. With a cast of more than 380 Pokemon in the main adventure plus dozens of bonus missions, Pok?n Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team promises enough mysteries to unlock for months.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (DS) and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team (GBA) will retail for around $56.