Last month's issue of UK's Official Nintendo Magazine (ONM) hinted (well, almost blantantly) of a Red Steel 2 exclusive coverage for this month. But as it turns out, no such coverage was to be found on the pages of Official Nintendo Magazine's current issue.

One of the magazine's editors, known as Chris in the ONM forums, explained that it was due to the game demo still being unplayable at the moment. He said in the forums:

As for last issue’s Next Month page, the feature on the game in question fell through because it wasn’t ready to be shown off yet. That wasn’t due to us, it was due to the game’s developer and publisher.

Deals are made to secure games for future issues, but sometimes (for reasons outwith our control) these deals fall through or are put back when a game needs a bit more work.

So there you have it. Chris didn't mention when the exclusive coverage of Red Steel 2 will be published, but you can depend on us at QJ to keep you posted. Until then, stay tuned for more updates!

Ubisoft's started cutting down on the prices for some of their earlier Wii titles. Going into specifics, this means that the Wii owners can now pick up a copy of Rayman Raving Rabbids for a US$ 29.99 over at the GameStop retailer. Or if you're after an even more tempting bargain, there's also Raving Rabbid's PC port, which is now a free (albeit ad-laden) downloadable.

Also receiving a price cut are Prince of Persia: Rival Swords, Red Steel, and Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII. All three games will be selling for US$ 29.99. We imagine these deals will get the attention of the more recent Wii owners. In case you missed out on these games from before, now may be a good time to to add them to your shelf. The full purchase details are available in GameStop's site, via the read link.

As you guys may recall, the recent Official Nintendo Magazine issue hinted that it would be covering the Red Steel sequel come its next issue. While the mag teased readers with possibilities of first impressions and screenshots, we imagine the readers would have loved to pick up some sort of clarification from Ubisoft. Unfortunately, we might not be getting any for the moment.

The company's keeping mum regarding the game, and has yet to provide for any additional detail following ONM's recent print. Look on the bright - it's only about three weeks to the magazine's next print. That gives us plenty of time to sift around in case more information pops up, or in the readership's case, to enjoy their copy of Metroid Prime 3. Check back in case we hear of any updates.

Ubisoft has already confirmed this before but if some of you are still having doubts about the existence of Red Steel sequel, then the next issue of the Official Nintendo Magazine should put all those second thoughts to rest. Accordingly, the said sequel will be discussed in length when the UK publication hits stands later this month.

 

The said magazine, actually, didn't explicitly say that it would be covering Red Steel 2 in its next issue but as you can see in the scan above (courtesy of French online site Wiiz), there is no mistaking that this is in fact about the much-loved FPS. Also, the text at the bottom right corner undeniably hints at Red Steel 2 as it reads: "Bigger. Better. Bolder. Bloodier".

Furthermore, the text continues, "And oh - it's online. First screens and hands-on impressions". Now, if that isn't Red Steel 2 enough for you then we don't know what is.

There are some indications that the sequel to Red Steel may very well have an online functionality because the Red Steel site has an ad posted that's calling for applicants for an online programmer position. The responsibility is listed as "to develop the online part of a game engine for a Wii project ... "

The development of this project will take place in Paris, France, where other Ubisoft titles such as GRAW and the original Red Steel were made.

The chances are pretty fat that the hypothesis of online functionality is spot on. If we go back to November of last year, it was also an ad for a vacant position that blew the cover off a Red Steel sequel.

Better get ready to optimize that internet connection for your Wii, kids. You don't want the lag to spoil your katana-swingin' and machine gun-firin' moves when you use them on live targets.

Composer and music producer Tom Salta has announced that his original soundtrack for the Ubisoft title Red Steel is now available for download through iTunes. The award-winning soundtrack will also hit retail outlets by Persist Records/Sumthing Distribution on May 29.

"We're really happy to make this possible, especially with Tom's spectacular work on Red Steel," said Didier Lord, Executive Director of Ubisoft Music. "It's an important move as it will be Ubisoft's first soundtrack released on major digital distribution channels – the first of many to come!"

Red Steel was one of Ubisoft's launch titles for Nintendo's Wii video game console, and it let players use the Wii's remote and Nunchuk controller to wield guns and katanas. The Red Steel soundtrack itself has received numerous accolades for its "unique approach and vibrant musical palette."

It's April Fools', and since the Internet has basically killed the April Fools' prank, we'll just post a whole truckload of our favorite video game commercials, so you'd all have something to laugh. Just in case you're sick of fake news or something like that.

First up are three videos that QJ blogger Ian C, can't stop playing while he's working on his posts. Honestly, if YouTube didn't exist, Ian's articles would have less grammatical errors and would make more sense most of the time. Below are the Japanese commercials for various games in the Tenchu franchise:

The collection of hilarious tickle-me-Game video commercials await after the jump!

 

Looks like there's time today for another installment of the Bargain Alert. Today, we've found something extra useful for the Wii fans, and it would take a complete dunce at dual-wielding guns and katanas not to pick up this little diamond in the rough.

Best buy is selling Ubisoft's Red Steel for US$ 29.99. The game, which had your lone character facing the Japanese underworld in a quest to save your girlfriend, was an attempt to utilize the full potential of the Wii's control scheme. While it wasn't that big a hit with the reviewers, it was a valiant attempt to bring the Wii to a more mature audience, and it's still a pretty good game, for what it's worth.

Speaking of worth, why not grab a copy of the game, if you happened to miss grabbing the game before. You won't be disappointed.

Toys "R" Us has great news for all the Wiimote-whacking fellas out there, they're currently offering a '2+1 free' special promo wherein you'll get to snag a Ubisoft Wii game for free...if you buy two other titles, that is.

This is great news especially for those who haven't gone out and grabbed their own copy of the games you see in the image above. (Although, why anyone would wait this long before grabbing Red Steel is just beyond me. Hehe.) Currently being sold for US$ 49.99 each, the Ubisoft titles included in the promo are GT Pro Series, Open Season, Red Steel, Rayman Raving Rabbids, and Monster 4x4. We dunno how long this promo will run, so if you don't have any of these games yet, we suggest you run out and grab your copies now.

As the official Red Steel fansite Dojo of Pain is ready to throw its last shuriken (they're closing down today), a mysterious message was posted by Sensei himself. This "good-bye" post sparked online forums and sites abuzz with speculation that a Red Steel 2 is clearly underway. Check out Sensei's post:

But if any student think he anywhere near ready for Red Steel 2... Get Ready to Do My Laundry!

-Sensei

Old man Sensei couldn't be any more of a tease. Is this really confirmation for a sequel, or is it just a very inconveniently-timed joke? It's bad timing, since Sensei just happened to drop this hint on the last day of the Dojo. We doubt if we're going to hear much from him once the fansite closes down, but if Ubisoft has anything to say, we're all ears... Updates, anyone?