Ever wondered why they called it Biohazard in Japan and Resident Evil in the US? Games Radar asked that very question that I'm sure a lot of you guys out there want to know as well. The answer comes from Chris Kramer, senior director of communications and community at Capcom US, who even reveals that he found Resident Evil super-cheesy.

The virus is spreading and Japan is about to be overrun by zombies...in a manner of speaking. The newly-launched Resident Evil 5 (PS3, Xbox 360) took the Japanese gaming scene by storm from March 2nd to the 8th. Figures inside.

Heads up to our readers in Japan: Capcom has announced that Resident Evil 0 (also known as Biohazard 0) will be released on July 10. For our readers in other regions, we're sorry to report that there's still no word on whether the port will be released outside of Japan. Read more details about the port in the full article.

 

The big difference between the latest Famitsu most wanted and the last one? Well, that's just it, except for Super Mario Galaxy breaking into the top 20 and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings leaving the charts, the big names that were there are still, well, there. Check out the charts:

1. (1 / 1) Dragon Quest IX - Square Enix (2.846)
2. (2 / 2) Final Fantasy XIII - Square Enix (2.758)
3. (3 / 3) Biohazard 5 - Capcom (1.916)
4. (4 / 5) Metal Gear Solid 4 - Konami (1.496)
5. (8 / 7) Odin Sphere - Atlus (1.166)
6. (5 / 6) Monster Hunter 3 - Capcom (1.164)
7. (6 / 9) Zelda no Densetsu: Phantom Hourglass - Nintendo (1.104)
8. (7 /10) Super Robot Taisen: Original Generations - Banpresto (1.036)
9. (14/15) Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Nintendo (862)
10. (16/16) Shining Wind - Sega (859)
11. (10/11) Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors - Square Enix (844)
12. (9 /14) Everybody's Golf 5 - Sony (834)
13. (11/ 8) Devil May Cry 4 - Capcom (769)
14. (12/12) Lost Odyssey - Microsoft (744)
15. (17/20) Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War - Square Enix (702)
16. (19/17) Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - Square Enix (650)
17. (15/19) Doubutsu no Mori [Animal Crossing] - Nintendo (615)
18. (18/18) Final Fantasy Versus XIII - Square Enix (590)
19. (21/21) Super Mario Galaxy - Nintendo (576)
20. (20/23) Gran Turismo 5 - Sony (511)

As for Revenant Wings not being there anymore, we think that has something to do with the fact that the game's already on retail, thus transforming the people who wanted it into the people who have it.

Given that Lost Odyssey's already 70 percent done, it'll probably be leaving the charts as well. Devil May Cry 4 - a multi-platform game - is hardly a representative title for the Xbox 360 in Japan. To be fair, the rest of the world will probably be getting the Xbox 360 version but in Japan? ...Well miracles do happen. This blogger might just be forced to eat his words.

 

GameFront.de alerts the internet about what games the readers of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu want the most for this week. We're posting the chart below, all for your voyeuristic needs. Please note though that the numbers in the parentheses after the position indicate the game's rank in the "Most Wanted" charts in the previous weeks.

1. (1 / 2) Dragon Quest IX NDS Square Enix
2. (2 / 1) Final Fantasy XIII PS3 Square Enix
3. (3 / 3) Biohazard 5 PS3 Capcom
4. (5 / 4) Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 Konami
5. (6 / 7) Monster Hunter 3 PS3 Capcom
6. (9 / 8) Zelda no Densetsu: Phantom Hourglass NDS Nintendo
7. (10/ 9) Super Robot Taisen: Original Generations PS2 Banpresto
8. (7 /12) Odin Sphere PS2 Atlus
9. (14/11) Everybody’s Golf 5 PS3 Sony
10. (11/10) Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors Wii Square Enix
11. (8 /17) Devil May Cry 4 PS3 Capcom
12. (12/14) Lost Odyssey Xbox 360 Microsoft
13. (13/16) Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings NDS Square Enix
14. (15/13) Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii Nintendo
15. (19/15) Doubutsu no Mori [Animal Crossing] Wii Nintendo
16. (16/18) Shining Wind PS2 Sega
17. (20/19) Final Fantasy Tactics: Shishi Sensou PSP Square Enix
18. (18/20) Final Fantasy Versus XIII PS3 Square Enix
19. (17/21) Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII PSP Square Enix
20. (23/23) Gran Turismo 5 PS3 Sony

It seems that for the past three weeks the number one spot's been a toss up between two of Square Enix's franchises, Final Fantasy XIII, and Dragon Quest IX. Biohazard #@%!8
9#@%! (Resident Evil 5 in other shores) is planted firmly at third spot, While MGS 4 is hovering somewhere above that.

We'd like to describe the titles in the chart in more detail, but we'll skip that. It seems more pertinent to note that perhaps Microsoft needs more titles like Lost Odyssey, or at least titles that have as much hype as that game in Japan, as it is the only Xbox 360 title in the top 20.

Of course, to keep the console analysis level, we'll balance out that assertion by noting that we're wondering how many of those PS3 titles listed will stay for the exclusive to the PS3. Exclusivity may not matter in Japan but it may make a difference in other regions where the PS3 sees stiffer competition. As for the Wii? Well, we're still waiting for online play. There. Equal opportunity console analysis. Happy?

Tiger (of Global Donimation fame) is back with yet another fun addition to everyone's list of GlovePIE scripts. This time, he combines GlovePIE, the Wii-based control scheme for Resident Evil 4, and a copy of the PC version of the game to make a functionally identical version of the Resident Evil 4 Wii on your PCs.

Here's what he had to say about the script:

For gamers that don't have the patience to wait a little while for Capcom's official Wii port, I've made a GlovePIE script which lets you use a Wii Remote and Nunchuk to play the PC port of Resident Evil 4 (aka Biohazard 4), with "Wii Edition" controls. This script uses motion control for aiming and doesn't require a "mouse aim mod", but I'm already at work on another script to add IR Sensor Bar support.

He also has three videos up featuring Leon Kennedy tackling the early parts of the game. If you'd like to know how the game plays with Wii controls before you get the game for the Wii, then you might want to take a look at the vids for yourself, and perhaps give it a try on your own computer. Enjoy!

More videos after the jump!

Just a short while back, we shared with you a gameplay video of the upcoming Wii installment to the Biohazard series, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. As you all know, this Capcom survival horror title has a twin video game of sorts, Resident Evil 4. Simply put, the two go hand in hand. With that said, here's a promotional video for Resident Evil 4. While it involves gameplay, it focuses more on the feeling you get when you finally get your hands on the title. Remember those Wii Experience videos from before? This can actually count as one of those.

Since its confirmation, we've already shared with you a lot of updates for RE 4, including the screenshots and the great news from Dolby Pro logic II? And of course, there's also the Wiimote control scheme translated into English.

Resident Evil 4 first appeared on GameCube back in 2005. It was then ported to the PlayStation 2 (PS2) then recently, to the PC platform. The Wii version is expected to become available Summer 2007. To watch the promotional video, just click on the Read link below.

Another "Woot!" moment brought to you by the folks over at Nintendo. PALGN Australia reports that Nintendo have three new (old?) titles from the old Sega system (the "Megadrive") shipped right to your trusty Wii via Virtual Console: Streets of Rage, Sword of Vermillion and Bio-Hazard Battle. Now you can get right down to gaming, unless you're one of those plagued by PAL video issues.

Streets of Rage is definitely a keeper. If you don't know tough-kneeing Axel Stone, swift high-kicking Blaze Fielding, or karate-kicker Adam Hunter in this side-scrolling beat-em-up game, here's a chance to give them a try. Oh, just don't use the Special Attack right away...it may look cool, but it's a one time gig.

Sword of Vermillion, for those who don't remember, was that RPG game that borrowed a lot of names from so many fantasy stories, it's hard to keep track of the game's history. It's also the name of the most powerful weapon in the game, but that doesn't surprise you does it? Plus, it's one of the first RPGs that didn't sport timed combat like those in the Final Fantasy series. You fought enemies in real time.

Bio-Hazard Battle, before Capcom's Biohazard, was one of those weirder side-scrolling shooters that are so popular in Japan. It sported you on a mutated beast that could shoot and power up shields. What? We did say it was weird. The game had a really awesome soundtrack. If you have great speakers on that television of yours, you can check the thumps on those bass chords.

    

Alright, now that you have your brand-new next-gen console, it's time to start getting pretty with it (that is, of course, after you've installed the necessary updates, bought the needed cables or batteries, and checked to see if it doesn't have any network problems...).

Over at Decalgirl, the trend has already begun with their entire line of skins that were made specifically for your PS3 or your Wii. Designs range from wood or metal textures, to biohazard signs, to police "do not cross" tape, to the Union Jack.

At the moment they have a gallery of 76 skin designs for the Wii and 67 PS3 skins, with each one costing only US$ 19.99. They're having a sale at the moment, though, so that brings the price down to US$ 14.99. If you want your controllers to match, just add US$ 4 for each additional piece you want to have skinned, as they have also made matching skins for the Wiimote and Nunchuck set for the Wii, as well as skins for the Sixaxis.

More sample skins after the Jump!

Famitsu gives us a list of games that will be released in Japan for the Wii this year, as well as in 2007. Among them is Capcom's Resident Evil (a.ka. Biohazard: Umbrella Chronicles) and a host of  other cool releases that are slated from October to winter of 2006, to 2007.

Wing Iceland (Hudson, flight simulation), Rayman Raving Rabbids (Ubisoft), and Kororimba (Hudson, Action/puzzle) are games that will be released approximately from this October to December 2006. Necro Nesia (Spike, Action/Adventure) will come out in November, while Tsuri Master (Hudson) and Bleach: Shiraha Kirameku Rinbukyoku (Sega) are slated for a December release. Super Monkey ball: Banana Lightning (Sega) will come out in the fall of 2006, while Sengoku Musou Wave (Koei), SD Gundam (Bandai Namco), Tamagotchi (Bandai Namco, Crayon Shin Chan: Saikyou Kazoku Kasukabe King Ui (Banpresto, mini plays), and Mahjong (Koei) are expected to come out anytime this year.

Other titles that we are currently also waiting for include Bomberman country (Hudson/Konami, Action/Adventure), Sonic and the Secret of ring (Sega), The Dog Iceland (Action/Adventure), Iyashi Kei, SAN-X All Star Revolution (MTO), GTA pro, Keiba Action (horse-run), New RPG (Koei), and Midori rear NO Tatsujin.

Whew, that leaves us a lot of promising games to look forward to for the Wii, So just keep checking for more updates here at QJ.