This XBLA and PSN release is in addition to Capcom’s upcoming full 3D remake/sequel of the series and will be a completely separate title.

Master D Revival Plan is reportedly a 3D title that “promises to maintain the flavor of the original title,” which presumably means side scrolling gameplay and (hopefully) a firm adherence to the original’s pseudo-adventure-game style.

A Japanese version of the downloadable game is planned for Spring, but release plans for an American or European version have yet to be announced.

Source: IGN: Bionic Commando Remake Set for PS3

If, like me, you’re getting antsy waiting for Burnout Paradise, this might be just enough to tide you over, though 1200 points is still awfully pricey.

You can grab Burnout 3 starting on Monday. That’s assuming you can connect to Live to download it, of course.

Live service has been suffering lately due to “server strain” brought on by a huge upsurge in demand over the holidays.

The Xbox team has been scrambling ever since to get it back to normal, with varying degrees of success.

I’ve been getting mixed reports. Some of my friends say Live is smooth as pudding, while others are still frustrated.

I’m having trouble getting and staying connected. What’s it like for you?

The pal with the new console gets the free games, too, thanks to Microsoft’s “refer a friend” promotion, which runs until December 14th.

The freebies are:

• Every Extend Extra Extreme
• Sonic The Hedgehog
• Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting
• Bomberman Live
• Marble Blast Ultra
• Spyglass Boardgames
• 3D Mini Golf Adventures
• Small Arms
• Assault Heroes
• Zuma Deluxe

Uno and Worms, two of the Arcade’s most-played titles, are notably not included.

The relative age of most of the titles makes it likely that the existing 360 owner will only scoop up a few new games, but for someone just buying a 360, this is a huge bonus.

If the Nintendo Wii turns out to be as hard to get as predicted, casual players just might be tempted to go the Microsoft route instead.

Source: Next Generation

The Guitar Hero makers are offering a USB-rechargeable lithium battery pack that works with the new Guitar Hero III wireless controllers for PS3, PS2, and Xbox 360. Yes: the same device works with all three.

You can grab one for $20.00 USD off their website.

If you haven’t yet purchased Guitar Hero III, they offer bundles of the game, the recharge kit, and a whole mess of other stuff included for $130.00 USD.

Thanks to Microsoft’s partnership with Seventymm (India’s version of Netflix), Live subscribers will also be able to rent the latest 360 titles for a set number of days.

“Education specific learning aids for grades 1-12″ will also be available, though I’m not quite sure what that means just yet.

Once the Video Marketplace is up and running, users will be able to download pre-released UTV Bollywood films, as well as content related to upcoming films like Hanuman.

Given Microsoft’s spin that the 360 Arcade is for families, might we see educational material show up on Live in North America soon?

I’m personally more interested in that game rental service, though. The guarantee that the title you want would be available, 24/7, is really appealing.

You may even have downloaded a less-than-legal copy from various websites last week, though I don’t encourage such behavior. Yarr.

You don’t need a guitar to play the demo, but obviously it’s more enjoyable if you use one.

The demo includes five songs:

• Lay Down (Priestess)
• Rock You Like a Hurricane (Scorpions)
• Even Flow (Pearl Jam)
• Hit Me with Your Best Shot (Pat Benatar)
• The Metal (Tenacious D)

Guitar Hero III is going to be one of the best selling games of 2007 I believe. Thoughts?

MAME has been around for quite some time and is used by thousands of gaming geeks on their Personal Computers.

Some people, including myself have gone all out and built custom MAME cabinets so we can have the full arcade look and feel right in our home.

I love MAME and that’s why I was really happy to find out MAME has been ported for the Xbox.

If you haven’t noticed, I have a page dedicated to the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator.

It’s geektastic when someone comes up with a cool hack like this.

Just imagine every single old-school game you own accessible via a slick, simple interface and playable right from your Xbox. Sounds pretty cool, right?

Here’s what you will need:

• A modded Xbox
• MAMEoX (v0.84.3b)

Don’t have a modden Xbox? You can learn more about modding your own Xbox at Xbox-Scene.

The MAMEoX project offers the entire source code you will need to compile a working copy of MAME.

If you’re unfamiliar with compiling applications on your XBOX, you’ll need to find the pre-compiled binaries. You can download it here.

Keep in mind that the Xbox version I’m offering for download is an older version (v0.84.3b) but it will get you started.

Install and have fun!

Be sure to let me know how your Xbox hack works out.