October 2003

Friday, October 31, 2003

King of Fighters on the GBA
Posted by White_Pointer @ 22:02:32 AEST
Yep, you read it correctly, that's not a typo. The King of Fighters series is finally making it's GBA debut! To top it off, it's not just a port of an older KOF game, but a whole new one! Titled King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood, it features a refined fighting system, 6 modes of play and 3 exclusive characters not in any other King of Fighters game.

Other features include:

- Gain experience with each new match - refine your skills, unlock secrets and master powerful new moves
- 21 deadly characters across 7 tough-as-nails teams, including 3 characters exclusive to this version
- Exciting VS mode (single or team) using the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable
- 6 modes of explosive play - Classic 3v3 Battle mode, 2-player VS mode, and a GBA-specific Story mode
- Revised and enhanced 'Striker' fighting system allows a comrade to jump in and temporarily fight by your side to turn the tide of battle

The game is currently scheduled for a release in December. For more info, you can check out ATLUS's website.

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Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance ships
Posted by White_Pointer @ 5:22:09 AEST
In a week that's been full of some big releases already, we get another one. Acclaim's hack and slash adventure fighter Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance has shipped out to the US today for the PS2 and XBox. Nothing yet on when we'll expect to see the Gamecube and PC versions but we do know they are on their way, and also no word yet on when we might expect to see a PAL release. We'll have more news as it becomes avaiable but in the meantime, if you live in the US and own a PS2 or XBox, it's definately worth checking out.
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Thursday, October 30, 2003

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai ships for Gamecube
Posted by White_Pointer @ 5:09:30 AEST
Atari has announced that it has shipped Dragon Ball Z: Budokai for the GameCube. Developed by DIMPS, the GameCube version features exclusive 3D character models that actually look like the animated series and maintains the fighting action Dragon Ball Z: Budokai fans all enjoy and want.

Since the original was released on the PS2 in December last year, over 1.4 million copies have been sold in North America alone. And of course the sequel has been announced for the PS2, we'll have more info on that as it becomes available. But DBZ fans, if you've been longing for a DBZ fighting game on the Gamecube...this is it!
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Wednesday, October 29, 2003

MLG Tournament results
Posted by White_Pointer @ 5:20:46 AEST
The Major Gaming League (MLG) announced today the results of its first major tournament, held in New York. There were several games played at the tournament but the one of most interest to us is Soul Calibur II, and New Jersey resident, Song Choe won first place and $1000 in the Soul Calibur II competition. Second place was Ray Lee of New York and 3rd place was Erik Matias, also of New Jersey. If you're interested in seeing the full list of winners, take a look at this press release.
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Tuesday, October 28, 2003

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles PAL release date
Posted by White_Pointer @ 18:20:40 AEST
All residents in North America would know that the new TMNT game was released only a few days ago, but unfortunately for PAL gamers, it seems we are again being forced to wait for the game. It's not due out in PAL territories until early next year (for all systems). On the bright side, at least you have a couple more months to save up the money.
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Monday, October 27, 2003

New History of Fighters Article
Posted by Pube @ 18:26:46 AEST
This time its a fairly important game in Fighting History... Street Fighter II. Enjoy it here.
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Sunday, October 26, 2003

Official TMNT Website
Posted by Pube @ 19:15:17 AEST
Not exactly strictly fighting game news, but news nonetheless. The official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles website has some interesting info on, among other things, the vintage Ninja Turtles games. Feel like a trip down memory lane? Visit the site here.

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Saturday, October 25, 2003

New controllers for fighting games
Posted by White_Pointer @ 20:28:22 AEST
This holiday season, Nuby Technology have fighting games covered as they release their top 5 new peripherals for gaming systems. Of their top 5 controllers, 4 of them have been specially made for fighting games. The full list coming out over the Christmas period is:

1. DragonBallZ Grip and Stick for GBA SP
2. DragonBallZ VS. Controller for PS2
3. DragonBallZ VS. Controller for GameCube
4. Soul Calibur II Universal Arcade Stick
5. Karaoke Multistation for PS2

Not bad at all. If you've been after some good controllers for your fighting games, one of these may be what you are looking for, so make sure you check out your local game store to see if they have any in stock.
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Friday, October 24, 2003

Special XBox deal for the UK
Posted by White_Pointer @ 20:25:39 AEST
Seems Microsoft don't want to be outdone considering how well the Gamecube has been selling recently after its price drop. Coming to the UK only, Microsoft are offering a special new XBox deal for the period between now and Christmas. It includes an XBox, a controller, two games plus a voucher for two months subscription to XBox Live all for £139.99. This offer is only available while stocks last and remember, it's only for the UK.
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Thursday, October 23, 2003

Nokia says N-Gage is a success...but...
Posted by White_Pointer @ 20:06:50 AEST
Most of you would know about the Nokia N-Gage, the new system released just this week by Nokia that is a mobile phone and portable gaming system in one. Early analysis of the system predicted it would not sell well, but Nokia have come forward and claimed that the launch of the N-Gage was an international success with about 400,000 units sold worldwide in its first week (according to Nokia's figures). But was it really a success? Well, apparently not. Arcadia Research, an independent research firm, is reporting that Nokia's N-Gage sold less than 5,000 units across the entire United States during its first week of release. Other analysts say that Nokia's reported 400,000 units figure isn't an impressive number for a worldwide sales figure, and it's easy to see why. In comparison, Nintendo's Gameboy Advance sold more than 540,000 units in the US alone in its first week.

Has the N-Gage been doomed to fail from the start? We'll see.
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Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Konami launches Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
Posted by White_Pointer @ 20:16:58 AEST
That's right, the brand spanking new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game by Konami has now shipped in the US! Konami have shipped over 1 million copies of the game on it's launch day, and along with special promotions it's bound to sell very quickly. Retail bonuses include a TMNT comic book, exclusive t-shirt, DVD or Playmate Toys gift when you purchase the game, and of course there's the action figure story we reported on a few months ago by including secret game codes and on-pack advertising with over 1.2 million TMNT action figures.

"Everything from the new animated TV series and action figures to the comic books and video games, shows the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are once again taking the world by storm," said Erica Mason, product manager, Konami Digital Entertainment - America. "This game is a must have for fans of the series, both young and old."

Tuesday, October 21, 2003

Atari and MDM strike up agreement
Posted by Pube @ 16:16:54 AEST
Atari, Inc.,responsible for many classic and recent games over a huge history, and struck up an argeement with Mobile Digital Media (MDM), the largest publisher of AAA branded consumer software for Palm OS(TM), Windows Mobile(TM)-based Pocket PC and Nokia Series. The agreement will see twenty of Atari's classic video games available on many mobile phones and pocket PC's for those who grew up with Atari and are still young at heart. Maybe a fighting game on your mobile phone is not out of the question now!
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Monday, October 20, 2003

Sega's profits rise
Posted by White_Pointer @ 15:05:08 AEST
In a very unexpected announcement, Sega have recently reported that their profits have actually risen for the first half of the Japanese financial year (Japan's financial year starts April 1st). According to early results (definite numbers won't be available until next month) the company has seen an increase of more than 7 percent in revenue, and about 375 percent in profit over what they were expecting, jumping from 1.2 billion yen to 5.7 billion yen.

Sega attributes this success to it's recent arcade games The Key of Avalon, Dragon Treasure, Star Horse 2002, and the most recent version of UFO Catcher. It's also attributed a good portion to the Japanese domestic sales success of it's recent console games D Special Stage and Build a J. League Pro Soccer Club! 3, and the international sales success of Sonic Adventure DX and Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution.
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Sunday, October 19, 2003

Street Fighter Online is back
Posted by White_Pointer @ 9:56:08 AEST
Some of you might remember the project X-Men vs Street Fighter online, which was a browser based flash version of the popular game that allowed online play, created by a group of individuals. This project was forced to be shut down however by the higher powers that be...but, dreams don't die. Those same people, using the same engine, are now creating Street Fighter online. Not quite X-men vs Street Fighter, but hell, it looks like it's going to work. You can check out their official site here or discuss it in our forums here. Thanks to forum member LacticAcid for the news!
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Saturday, October 18, 2003

SNK NEOGEO USA launches website
Posted by White_Pointer @ 14:38:49 AEST
SNK NEOGEO USA consumer corporation (the US publishing arm of SNK NEOGEO) announced today that they are making their consumer website public and is accessible to everyone right now. If you want to check out the latest SNK news, you should check it out.
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Friday, October 17, 2003

Street Fighter tribute album planned
Posted by White_Pointer @ 14:05:50 AEST
As part of Capcom's celebrations of Street Fighter II's 15 Anniversary, they have recently announced that they will be releasing an tribute CD which will feature theme songs from the SF2 series, reorchestrated by 12 of the Japan's most respected game music composers. The full list of composers is as follows:

- Ayako Sasou (Ridge Racer series, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance)
- Hiroaki Yoshida (Fighter's History, Chernov)
- Kouji Hayama (Chou Aniki series)
- Manami Matsumae (Mega Man, Derby Stallion)
- Motoaki Furukawa (Gladius series, Guitar Freaks series)
- Shinji Hosoe (Dragon Spirit, Ridge Racer series)
- Takayuki Aihira (Tekken 2, Street Fighter EX series)
- Takenobu Mitsuyoshi (Daytona USA series, Virtua Fighter series)
- Yasuhisa Watanabe (Border Down, Metal Black)
- Yasunori Mitsuda (Xenosaga, Chrono Cross)
- Youko Shimomura (Street Fighter II, Kingdom Hearts)
- Yuzou Koshiro (Y's, Sonic the Hedgehog)

Titled the Street Fighter II Tribute Album, the CD is scheduled for a Japanese release on December 17th and will retail for 3,150 yen (about US$29). No word yet on whether Capcom are planning to release the CD outside of Japan.
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Thursday, October 16, 2003

New Review
Posted by White_Pointer @ 0:13:11 AEST
Yep, we've got a new review, and this time Soul Calibur II is the game we look at for your reading pleasure. You've probably read plenty of reviews by now, but how many have been from a dedicated fighting game site? If you want the definitive conclusion about Namco's sequel to their weapons-based fighting masterpiece, then follow the Reviews link under the "Features" heading in the menu or click here.
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Wednesday, October 15, 2003

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 coming in November
Posted by White_Pointer @ 20:10:32 AEST
As most Dragon Ball Z fans would know by now, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 is on it's way to the PS2. Well, the release date has now been set in stone and is scheduled for release in November.

"This new instalment in the authentically realised interactive Dragon Ball Z universe draws players further into the high octane world of Dragon Ball Z, so that they really feel like they're fighting in the world of the TV series" said Naoki Eguchi of Bandai Europe. "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 features exciting new gameplay and gorgeous graphics, which will attract and hold DBZ® fans' attention like no other DBZ game has before."

Server problems
Posted by White_Pointer @ 15:39:58 AEST
It appears our host is having some problems, and you may receive a strange error message saying that there's no website configured at this address. If this occurs just refresh the page a few times and it should load normally. We are looking into the problem as top priority and we should have it solved soon. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
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Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Midway signs on John Romero and Tom Hall
Posted by White_Pointer @ 21:43:12 AEST
Midway have just announced that they have just signed on two of the industry's most known veterans, John Romero (formely id Software) and Tom Hall (formely Ion Storm) to work on new action titles that Midway has in the works. One has been confirmed to be the new Gauntlet game, but the others are in the air...perhaps there is a possibility they could be working on the new Mortal Kombat game as well?

Romero will be the project lead, while Hall will carry the title of creative director. Both designers will also assume roles with broader responsibilities at the San Diego studio. The pair will start work Wednesday. The hiring of these two guys is just one part of the internal reworking that's going on at Midway at the moment.
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Monday, October 13, 2003

Twisted Fate demo released
Posted by White_Pointer @ 13:13:35 AEST
For those of you who aren't aware, Twisted Fate is a new 2D fighter that's currently in development by a small independent group of people that seems to borrow a lot of elements from other mainstream 2D fighters but also is looking very unique. Kazmer13 has just sent word to us that the new demo is finished and will be available to download from their official site very soon.
For more information on Twisted Fate, including the current demo, screenshots and videos, check out the official Twisted Fate website. You can also check out the discussion in our forum here.
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Sunday, October 12, 2003

Gladiator: Sword of Vengence to ship this month
Posted by White_Pointer @ 13:13:34 AEST
Acclaim have just announced that their upcoming hack and slash fest Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance will be released this month on the PS2, Xbox and PC. This will be a game like no other and it's exciting that its release looming! Here's the list of features that Acclaim have revealed:

- Advanced combat system that allows a huge variety of gladiatorial moves and multiple targeting never-before-seen in traditional 3rd-person action games;
- “Death Blows” – more than 60 graphic, gory killing moves based on authentic gladiatorial data;
- Huge variety of opponents, including powerful nemesis gladiators and terrifying mythical monsters;
- Scripted cameras and dynamic lighting, create a truly cinematic gaming experience;
- Major “Gore” element in combat mode, featuring decapitation, fatal wounding, dismemberment and a dynamic “blood spray” system;
Diverse array of gladiatorial weaponry that expands through progressive gameplay;
- Encounter the forces of ancient mythology and use the power of the Gods to defeat them.

Be on the lookout for it on store shelves soon!
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Saturday, October 11, 2003

PS2 Price Drop?
Posted by Smurgen @ 21:16:45 AEST
With Nintendo's recent price drop on its Gamecube, Sony has been slipping in its PS2 sales. Rumors are flying around that Sony may reduce the price of its Playstation 2 to match that of the Gamecube, down to $99 USD. Sony has not confirmed this rumor but it would really help their slipping sales if they made the drop.

Smurgen Says: Methinks Soul Calibur 2 on Gamecube was one of the main reasons the Cube is outselling the PS2..Gotta have Link! But dosent anyone who calls themself a gamer already have a PS2?
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One Must Fall: Battlegrounds coming to DC
Posted by White_Pointer @ 16:48:59 AEST
No, we aren't talking about One Must Fall: Battlegrounds coming to the defunct Dreamcast, but to Washington DC! Diversions Entertainment and Xcelerator Gaming have just announced that OMF: BG will be coming to DC for the Xcelerator v.4 LAN Games and Tournament. Diversions will be showcasing the limited test demo of OMF: BG and will be providing attending gamers with a free copy of it. At least one developer from the OMF team will be on-hand to showcase the game to players, allowing them an opportunity to sit down and be walked through the game by a member of the Diversions Entertainment team. They'll be located in booth 708.

For more info check out Xcelerator Gaming's official site.
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Thursday, October 9, 2003

New Fan Art
Posted by White_Pointer @ 22:04:14 AEST
Richard Holmes has sent us another great hand drawn sketch to add to our Fan Art Gallery! This one is of Spiderman and Daredevil from the Marvel vs Capcom games. It's very well done and definately worth looking at. Check it out, along with the rest of our Fan Art right here. A talented artist yourself? Want to see your work published on Blood-Sports.net? Then just click the Fan Art link under the "Features" menu heading and follow the simple instructions!
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New details on new Street Fighter II
Posted by White_Pointer @ 10:38:53 AEST
Yes, Capcom have finally released some new details on their recently announced new SF2 game. Titled Hyper Street Fighter 2: The Anniversary Edition, it'll feature a limited edition box set which will include a mousepad, a book (titled All About Street Fighter), a cell phone strap with miniature Chun-Li wrist bands and a 2-hour long DVD titled Gamest Video: Super Street Fighter II X - Special Edition. Of course there will be normal edition as well which won't include all the extra stuff.

Unfortunately this is only planned for a Japanese release for now. The normal edition will carry the price tag of 3,800 yen (about US$33) and the limited edition will retail at around 8,800 yen (about US$81). Both editions are scheduled for a release on December 18th. If you want to check out what the limited edition bundle will look like, check out the official site
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Wednesday, October 8, 2003

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance now Platinum and Player's Choice
Posted by White_Pointer @ 10:54:11 AEST
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance has just been entered into the special programs run by the console companies for games that have sold a lot of units. It's been entered into the Playstation 2's and XBox's Platinum Hits collection already, and will become one of Nintendo's Player's Choice titles on October 27th.

Since it's US launch in November 2002, MK: DA has sold over 2 million copies worldwide, with 250,000, 400,000 and 450,000 units sold for the Gamecube, XBox and PS2 respectively in North America alone.

The game will now be retailing with the new price tag of US$19.99. So if you don't own MK: DA yet...this is a great opportunity to pick it up at a great price!
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Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Finally another History of Fighters addition
Posted by Pube @ 14:32:09 AEST
Yeah, White_Pointer kicked me up the butt so I wrote up another article. This time we take a look at the Streets of Rage series. Take a look at it here!.

Enjoy.
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Monday, October 6, 2003

New Poll
Posted by White_Pointer @ 14:25:09 AEST
The end of 2003 and early 2004 is definately looking good for fighting game fans. There are quite a number of fighting games scheduled for a release in this time period (and also a number planned for release throughout next year), so, this new poll asks you which of these games you are most looking forward to. There's 10 games listed in the poll...you're bound to be looking forward to at least one of them, so vote now!
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Poll Results
Posted by White_Pointer @ 14:11:40 AEST
Time to close off our poll, but before we do, here's the results:

What type of fighting game character do you prefer to play as?

28% - The chick
27.3% - The well rounded guy, neither fast nor slow
26% - The fast but weaker guy
12% - I don't care...I use random select baby!
6.6% - The slow but strong guy

Well, that's a surprising result. It seems the majority of gamers tend to like to play as the female characters in a fighting game. Interesting indeed!
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Sunday, October 5, 2003

New Feature: The Best Fighting Game Bosses
Posted by White_Pointer @ 0:23:57 AEST
So you ask yourself...who are the greatest fighting game bosses? You say to yourself "Self, why don't we go to Blood-Sports.net and see?". Listen to yourself, I say! We have a brand new featured section that you can find under the "Features" heading in the menu or by clicking here. What is it? A list of what we here at Blood-Sports.net consider to be the best fighting game bosses of all time, put together especially for you! It's a permanent addition to the site, so it's there for your perusal at any time you like. So, check it out, and if you want to talk about your own favourite fighting game boss, why not join our forums?
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Friday, October 3, 2003

MLG adds Soul Calibur II to the 2003-2004 season
Posted by White_Pointer @ 22:35:20 AEST
For those of you who aren't aware, the MLG (or the Major League Gaming) is the leading worldwide console gaming league for professional video game players. They are committed to promoting competitive gaming at the level of professional sports in the US and around the world with qualifying events include 6 regional and 3 "Major" tournaments, with a season ending "Championship".

The big news as far as fighting game fans are concerned is that for the upcoming 2003-2004 season, the XBox version of Soul Calibur II has been added into the tournament (along with Gran Turismo 3). The first event in the tournament kicks off on October 25-26 in New York.

For more information check out MLG's official site.
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SNK NEOGEO USA appoints new Director of Marketing
Posted by White_Pointer @ 11:20:04 AEST
SNK NEOGEO USA CONSUMER CORPORATION, the recently launched US publishing arm of the SNK NEOGEO CORPORATION, has announced today that they have hired gaming industry veteran, Mark Rudolph as their Director of Marketing. Reporting to the Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Eric Feiner, Rudolph will be responsible for the marketing strategy for all of SNK's consumer titles, as well as to oversee the company's public relations, advertising and design agencies.

Rudolph has served as a product manager at Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo licensee, Majesco Sales, Inc., for the past three years. While at Majesco, Rudolph oversaw the marketing and production for over 25 interactive entertainment titles.

"Mark Rudolph brings a wealth of gaming industry marketing experience to SNK," said Ben Herman, president, SNK NEOGEO USA CONSUMER CORPORATION. "His ability to wear many marketing hats will make him a perfect addition to our team."

Thursday, October 2, 2003

Soul Calibur II on top of sales in UK
Posted by White_Pointer @ 17:37:29 AEST
According to the latest official UK game sales chart Soul Calibur II is the best selling game from the week ending September 27th. Of particular interest is that the Gamecube version outsold the other two versions...not bad considering it was only released a day before this chart was made!

Here's the full list of the top selling games from last week:

Rank Last Week / Rank This Week / Title / Publisher / Platforms

* / 1 / Soul Calibur II / Nintendo, EA / GC, PS2, XB
1 / 2 / Conflict: Desert Storm II / SCi / PS2, XB, PC
* / 3 / Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 / EA / PS2, XB, PC, GC
2 / 4 / Colin McRae Rally 04 / Codemasters / PS2, XB
5 / 5 / EyeToy: Play / SCEE / PS2
4 / 6 / Rugby 2004 / EA / PS2, PC
* / 7 / C&C: Generals Zero Hour / EA / PC
* / 8 / Freedom Fighters / EA / PS2, XB, PC, GC
* / 9 / MoH: Allied Assault Breakthrough / EA / PC
7 / 10 / FIFA 2003 / EA / PS2, PS, XB
8 / 11 / Medal of Honor: Frontline / EA / PS2, XB
3 / 12 / SW: Knights of the Old Republic / LucasArts / XB
6 / 13 / Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy / Activision / PC
9 / 14 / Lord of the Rings: Two Towers / EA / PS2, GBA, XB
* / 15 / Warhammer 40K: Fire Warrior / THQ / PS2
* / 16 / Homeworld 2 / VU Games / PC
10 / 17 / The Sims / Eidos / PS2, XB, GC
16 / 18 / Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets / EA / PS2, GBA, PS, XB
* / 19 / GTA: Vice City / Rockstar / PS2, PC
19 / 20 / Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 / Activision / PS2, PS, XB

An asterisk indicates that the game did not appear on the previous week's list of best-selling games in the UK.
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Wednesday, October 1, 2003

Soul Calibur II continues to break sales records
Posted by White_Pointer @ 13:34:02 AEST
Namco have recently announced that Soul Calibur II is still selling through the roof. We know that they sold 1.6 million copies on the launch day, and now, just one month after the game's US release, they have now sold over 50% of the copies they initially shipped to the US.

“We are extremely pleased with SOUL CALIBUR II’s sales performance after just one month on the retail shelves,” said Namco’s Senior Vice President of Sales, Garry Cole. “By far this is Namco’s best U.S. product launch to date, and we’re confident this positive momentum will continue through the holiday season.”