I have seen mention on a few of the various forums I visit that there is now a King of Fighters 2001 ROM available. It certainly didn't take them long to dump it. It's sad because Playmore really seems to be working hard to revitalize the Neo Geo brand. With the re-release of Mark of the Wolves and Last Blade 2 on the DC and rumors of KoF 2000,2001 and Metal Slug 3 on the PS2 things are certainly looking bright. A KoF 2001 ROM can only hurt our chances of seeing those rumors become a reality. I never agreed with people who emulated Neo games but I could respect their point that they were not hurting anyone since SNK was so far in the crapper financially. However now that Playmore has taken over things have changed. I think it is important that we support their endeavors to breathe life back into the Neo Geo and it's games. If Playmore sees that there is an audience for these titles on new systems like the DC and the PS2 the possibilities are endless. A whole new generation of gamers will finally be exposed to great games like Samurai Showdown, Metal Slug, and King of Fighters. It's only through the financial success of these games that we can ever hope to see new titles in these series like Mark of the Wolves 2 and Samurai Showdown 5. Emmulation only serves to hurt the chances of these games ever becoming a reality.

I put the winners up here - thanks to everyone for entering, and I promise I'll have a more efficacious contest entry technology in place for the next one. Mad love goes out to Sanguine Productions, Sam at Exploding Dog, and Microsoft for making really cool shit.

• XIII Shots: The initial art they showed for this game really caught my eye, as it looked as though we might be seeing a game that was not only cel-shaded, but also rendered in crisp black and white. New information reveals that flashbacks will use that approach, but the main body of the game will be presented in full color and also rooka so nice. Damn, those Battlefield 1942 shots ain't bad, neither.

• 3D Display Thing: Pardon me, but Jesus Christ. Maybe everybody else knew that we could pull this kind of shit off, but I don't really follow the, you know, 3D Display scene or whatever. I have a sneaking suspicion they brought it back in a time machine.

• Super Mario Bros. 2 at Overclocked Remix: Let it be known that DJ Pretzel is a saint for what he does, running a veritable funkatorium for wayward Gaming beats. Estradasphere's latest jam - this SMB2 thing - is a compulsory download.

• Natural Selection Mod for HL: It's like these assholes have some weird machine inside my brain that tells them what I want. I've talked about how a Command & Conquer: Renegade with just as much conquering but more commanding would bind me into servitude. Well, no need to wait for some jackhole to authorize innovation. Natural Selection is congealing my gaming fantasies.

• Team Aerial Combat 2: I was overjoyed to find that this project is still in development, and reinstalled Tribes 2 expressly to play it. It looks like a new release may be out shortly, and if I had a bit to chomp at I would be chomping at it right now.

• A Kick Ass Tribes Render:: Alex Scollay works on Farscape, so when he makes a Tribes 2 picture, you should probably go look at it.

• WSBN Tonight!: Their own DwarfVader asked us to be on the show as well, but seeing as we haven't played Tribes for months and months, we probably aren't the best people to have on a program entitled "The Future of the Community." It's going to be a great show, if this list of participants is correct - it goes down tonight, April 12th, at 9:30 pm EST on Server 1. I'm going to be getting my LAN Party on over at the Ministry Of Peace around that time - Upstairs Crew 4 life - so I'll have to catch it in the archive.

I keep loading up today's comic and laughing at it. It probably goes without saying that I like Penny Arcade - but sometimes I like like it, and want to marry it, and today is one of those days.

I am captain apology of the sorry brigade. I feel absolutely terrible about that spoiler I dropped in my update. I had no intention of ruining the series for those of you just getting into it.

I have used this space on countless occasions to express my opinions about Star Wars games. I have sent e-mails to Lucas Arts time and time again detailing my ideas for new games. For my efforts I have received letters from Lucas Arts legal department asking that I not send anymore unsolicited creative ideas. I have talked to many of the actual people who develop the Star Wars games that you and I play. While it's true that they are extremely friendly people they politely switch subjects when the conversation turns to my own game ideas. This has led me to the conclusion that I need to be employed at Lucas Arts in order to see my dreams become a reality. And so with that in mind I give you…my resume:

With E3 coming up again, I'm reminded of how impressed we were with Sony/Verant/Omni Consumer Products' highly anticipated Planetside. Easily my favorite game of last year's show, it was looking mighty fine and intrigued with hinted at, gesticulated toward multiplayer concepts.

We hadn't done a strip on the G4 Network yet, and with the announcement of their actual line-up it seemed like a good time. Gabe has optimism but realistic fears, which he will no doubt elucidate in a few hours' time. The only thing I know for certain is that they need a Penny Arcade show. I've never been more sure of anything in my life.

I've received this LA Times "Playola" article from a few people - Gabe mentions it in his post, but it might be worth focusing on for a second.

I know that some of the people we refer to in today's comic actually read Penny Arcade from time to time. **Cough**ClanTDO**Cough** I think it is important that they understand exactly what their constant bitching gets them. You see, I don't even really like the rocket launcher, except for maybe on the Hunt. I am an SMG man for the most part. However when I see the other team start to complain about Kara using it or Tycho I immediately pull out the big dog. I'll use it on every goddamned map if that's the way they wanna be. Then, inevitably they get the brilliant idea to take rocket launchers themselves. One especially brain dead group of Axis actually said that they were going to "fight fag with fag." Of course that strategy never works. They almost always end up killing themselves before they ever get a shot at one of us. The thing that bothers me is this kind of shit happens EVERY NIGHT. We hear the same shit over and over again. "The RL is a no skill Weapon." "They use the shotgun because they are pussies!" "Try using a real weapon!" I think our mod will solve some of the problem but it seems to me like what is needed here some kind of giant mechanical killing machine that can seek out these retards and devour them.

While playing Jedi Outcast yesterday with my esteemed colleague S. Monkey, mongrels could be heard to say "o no, i guess this server is full of grip whores." Just so you know, Grip is when Darth Vader lifts you off the ground and chokes you, even though he is a across the room. Suffice it to say, it's a Jedi Thing. Jedi do it. There's ways out of it. But it begs the question: Could a Jedi be a saber whore?

I wish these people would just forget how to breathe, and die clawing at their carpets - writhing in the useless air like some doomed fish. In Tribes, precious, forward-thinking Tribes, it was very simple matter to mute an idiot when he begins to broadcast the true extent of his stunted faculties. Today's strip just collects our frustration - we can certainly understand why someone might not enjoy the losing, but like the Warbling Chattybitch the strained noises they make have no bearing whatsoever on anything. There is no politeness for your opposition; World War 2 was not some kind of Axis Vs. Allies bake-off. If I feel like taking a gun that shoots grenades, that the creators of the game saw fit to include, I'm going to Goddamn well take the gun that shoots grenades. If you don't like that, it's a pity I can't carry two. Try not to suck so much.

I almost forgot. Those of you playing Jedi Starfighter might be interested in this little tidbit. Try entering the code "pnyrcade" and see what you get. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Thanks to the cats at Lucas Arts. It’s great to be recognized in one of the best Star Wars games I have ever played.

I generally don't get into fantasy games, much less point and click style RPG ones. Somehow though, Dungeon Siege managed to get a grip on me. Killing monsters is fun but for me the real thrill comes from finding new items and a little something I like to call transmuting. To say that my ranger looks good would be an understatement. His silver chain mail is accented with a bright red flame thrower and matching hat. This ensemble tells monsters that this is a marksman who is serious about killing them with liquid fire and looking good while he does it. He's ready for summer but still holding on to spring with his +3 to strength leather boots. Watch out Krug Dogs, this flame throwing ranger is H-O-T hot!

Today's strip concerns a game you may be spending the weekend with, Gas Powered's inaugural release Dungeon Siege. DS is such a streamlined hack und slash experience that it virtually plays itself - which will probably be one of the main complaints leveraged against it. It won't keep people from buying it, oh, goodness no - they'll tell you this while they're playing. We've rather enjoyed it, ourselves. Spanning the gap between the Action RPG and an RTS, you can specify default behaviours for your characters which can obviate your presence altogether, provided you have someone to follow through the game. Gabe has actually gone and done chores while his lethal automaton and I plundered dungeons he might never see.

Wow, lots of talk in the forum about today's comic strip. I had no idea that furies see them selves as being so unfairly persecuted. I guess they get this kind of shit from people all the time. I can't imagine why. *cough*nakedanimalporn*cough* I did get some nice mails from people pointing me towards what they called "tasteful" furry art. It turned out to be a rabbit woman in a bikini, soaking wet. I guess she had just gone swimming or something. It's totally okay for you guys to draw that stuff. It's also totally okay for me to say I don't like it. I mean come on. When you draw a picture of a unicorn man screwing a gazelle chick on a rainbow in outer space you have to expect some people to be a bit turned off by it.