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ICYMI: Salamander bot and allergy cells: Good for something
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A robotic salamander was invented by the EPFL and has a true to life spinal cord. Also researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine found that immune cells that normally create an over-reaction in some people, resulting in allergies or asthma, may also protect people against a certain kind of fatal infection. Finally, University of Buffalo researchers are making their own lava, you know, for science. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Salamander robot can walk, crawl and swim like the real deal
One of the latest robots out of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) can mimic the way a real salamander moves, whether on land or in the water. The EPFL scientists call it Pleurobot (after the species Pleurodeles waltl) and designed it after studying x-ray videos showing the amphibian walking and swimming. According to the institute, other scientists from EPFL had built salamander robots in the past, but this has the most realistic movements thus far. It's also the first one that's "accurately based on the 3D motion of the animal's skeleton."
New Nintendo eShop releases: Mighty Bomb Jack, Life Force
So, two Virtual Console games this week. Careful Nintendo, you might pull something. We saw classic shoot-em-up Gradius hit the eShop earlier this month, and following it up this week is spin-off Salamander, or Life Force as it's known in our part of the world. That's on the 3DS, while the Wii U gets explosive-hungry NES-former Mighty Bomb Jack. That's it, except for sales: Shin Megami Tensei 4 is down to $30 between January 27 and February 3, while you have until February 6 to grab Fractured Soul for $6.
Japanese Nintendo downloads: Parodius, Genius Personal dictionaries
Though today is a fairly low-key day for downloads on the Japanese Wii and DSi Shops, there are a few things available that we'd love to see in North America but never will. The Virtual Console has MSX releases of two wonderful shooters, the Gradius/Twinbee/octopus mashup cute-em-up Parodius, and Salamander, which we know as Life Force. The MSX ports are inferior to most other versions, so maybe we can live. The other programs we desperately want but won't have: the Genius Personal series for DSiWare, which allow you to write a word in English or Japanese (depending on which version you download) and get a translation and definition. Perfect for people who have to read and translate Japanese DSiWare titles all the time! Parodius (MSX, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Salamander (MSX, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) atChess Battle Spirits (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) G.G. Series D-Tank (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Artist Ni Narou! MInna ni Nurikai Jukyuu-hen (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points) Pinball Attack! (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points) Genius Personal English-Japanese Easy Dictionary (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points) Genius Personal Japanese-English Easy Dictionary (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
VC Tuesday: Salamander's Firey Ambition
What a delightful variety of games on the Japanese Virtual Console this Christmas week! Compare that to the American selection, which is delightful but not at all varied. Japan has four new old games, from four different systems, in four different gameplay styles, including a shmup, a strategy game, a platformer, and a wrestling game -- and great examples of all four genres! Salamander (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Super Nobunaga no Yabou (Super Famicom, 1-8 players, 800 Wii Points) Super Wonder Boy: Monster World (Sega Master System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Fire Pro Wrestling 3 Legend Bout (PC Engine, 1-4 players, 600 Wii Points) WiiWare is also a treat this week, but one the rest of the world has already been served: LostWinds, published in Japan by Square Enix.
Life Force, Nobunaga, more on Japanese VC in December
The Virtual Console offerings for Japan in December are fairly lean once again. It's fairly depressing to see Nintendo of Japan adopting Nintendo of America's stance toward the Virtual Console (that stance being "there probably don't need to be many games on it.") At least the ones coming out are reasonably interesting! Well, except for another Wonder Boy. We're definitely excited about Konami's Salamander on the Famicom, because it means we may see the American version, Life Force, soon! One of the other Famicom releases, Atlantis no Nazo, is featured in the latest Famicom Dojo video.Other interesting additions include Nobunaga's Ambition on the Super Famicom (what a coincidence!) and a Taito platformer called Jigoku Meguri whose title translates to Tour of Hell. The full list is after the break!
Salamander's Jump Seat Ottoman now available for your rumpus (room)
Salamander Designs has been showing off its Jump Seat Ottoman since late last year, and now it's finally shipping. The more-than-meets-the-eye ottoman fills in for those awkward moments when you run out of seating at show- or game-time. We all know the situation -- the couch is comfortably full, the loveseat is occupied and someone's out cold in the recliner. And then someone else shows up. Those dining room chairs aren't comfy and a task chair from the office just looks ghetto. But if your space is equipped with one of these $1,000 pieces, all you have to do is flip up the top of the ottoman and a la peanut butter sandwiches, that last man scores a seat with integrated cup holder and storage. Crisis averted -- you get credit for the save and the party keeps rolling.
VC Tuesday: Atomic Home Runner
While there's no doubt in our mind that the most interesting game this week is Salamander (the Gradius pseudo-sequel known as Life Force in the U.S., appearing here in its Japan-exclusive PC Engine release), the most interesting box is definitely that for Chelnov. Looking more like a mid-80's Marvel comic cover than a game cover, it certainly would have done a better job of drawing our attention than the seemingly designed-to-be-ignored U.S. Atomic Runner cover. With such a strong visual aid to stare at, we probably wouldn't be as stricken as we are with a total inability to distinguish between this and Atomic Robo- Kid.This week's Japanese Virtual Console releases: Moero! Pro Yakyuu (Bases Loaded) (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Chelnov (Atomic Runner) (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Salamander (PC Engine, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points) Gaiframe (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
Robotic salamander provides clues to the past
A team of Franco-Swiss scientists has attempted to gain evolutionary insight on how animals first started walking on land by testing a salamander-like robot controlled wirelessly from a PC. They believe the slimy amphibians to be very similar to the first fish-to-land-strutting vertebrates -- their steps controlled mainly by the spinal cord. The scientists can maneuver the robo-salamander to easily switch between swimming, slithering, and crawling by sending signals from the PC to move its limbs via its mechanical "spinal cord." Since the computer system controlling the bot's spine is no more complex than the nervous systems of primitive walking pioneers, the scientists can deduce that their brains worked mostly to control speed and direction. "A decapitated chicken that runs for a while even without the brain is a good example of spinal cord regulation of locomotion," states researcher Auke Jan Ijspeert. By experimenting with the robot, the team came closer to their goal "to decode perhaps some of what happened during evolution."
Konami's shooter collections, reviewed
You may remember that Konami released three shooter compilations in Japan a few weeks ago. These games may never see the light of day outside of Japan, meaning hardcore gamers will have no choice but to import these titles. Of course, one only has so much money to spend. Thankfully, Modojo has reviewed and ranked all three games.There are three collections: Salamander, Twinbee and Parodius. The relative ease of Twinbee makes it the one that you can avoid out of the three. Also, while Salamander might be the most accessible title, only one of these games has something called "Sexy Parodius.""Is it worth a purchase? Absolutely. Twinbee and Parodius work on the same wacky level, but Parodius seems to have the pure challenge nailed down that most shooter fans will be frothing at the mouth over. Plus, it's so damn weird that it'll be hard to keep the smile off your face. Just wait until you face the perils of Sexy Parodius. Sexy indeed!"
Konami's retro shooter collections, in video
Konami recently released three different retro shooter collections in Japan: Parodius, Twinbee, and Salamander. Although Konami eventually released Gradius Collection in the States, it seems highly unlikely that these hardcore shooters will leave the land of the rising sun.Because the PSP can play games from any region, importers may want to seriously consider getting these games. Siliconera has some detailed videos of the three games in action. Some of the footage is certainly bizarre, but that's part of Konami's unique charm. The videos are provided, after the cut.
Japanese release day highlights: 01.25.07
Today is an expensive day for the import crowd, and only slightly less expensive for gamers living in Japan. Thanks to Namco, Konami, From, Taito, and Nintendo, we have no choice but to blow a stash of Yen on these excellent new releases: Idol Master (Namco's 'teen girl pop sensation management sim', pictured, is possibly not as dodgy as it seems; Xbox 360) Parodius Portable (Konami's definitive collection of witty shmups, which includes the sublime Sexy Parodius; PSP) Salamander Portable (more Konami love, including Xexex; PSP) Twinbee Portable (thank Konami this includes Pop'N Twinbee; PSP) Enchant Arm (so good that From Software released it twice; PS3) Taito Memories 2, Vol. 1 (obscene love from Taito, ending with Bubble Memories; PS2) Picross DS (it's Picross, but cleverer; DS)
Konami offers skins with new shooter collections
Konami's upcoming trio of shooter collections is coming with a surprisingly cool bonus: skins for your PSP. The Salamander one (pictured above) is clearly the coolest, but Twinbee and Parodius ain't too shabby either. The games will arrive in Japan on January 25th, and shooter fans may want to import these classics. The remaining skins can be seen, after the cut.[Via Siliconera]
Salamanders, TwinBees and more
Former blogger Rafael once said excited about Konami's classic compilation Gradius Collection: "We likey!" Well, it looks like Konami's planning to make Rafael likey for a long, long time, with new compilations of their other classic shooter series. The Salamander Collection and Parodius Collection will contain four titles each (with one bonus *secret* title for each compilation... ooh!). I'm personally psyched for Twinbee Collection, because it's by far the most recognizable of these hardcore shooters (it also has one more game than the other collections, for the budget-conscious).All three collections are planned to hit Japan in January for 4179 yen (less than $40), so importers should keep an eye out. Until then, educate yourself on these classic series by visiting Wikipedia.[Via 1UP; thanks, steve!]
