Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 (for Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network) is like video game comfort food. It’s not the best thing out there and probably done better elsewhere, but it’s satisfying because you know exactly what to expect.

It is the first of what is to be a string of modern updates to some of Capcom’s most classic franchises (1942 Joint Strike, Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Super Street Fighter II HD Remix are set to follow later this year) and shows that even when they’re not firing on all cylinders, the company still knows what it takes to give gamers a good time.  More after the jump.

In case you haven’t heard, or haven’t taken a look towards the right side of our homepage lately, quick! Do it now! Move your eyes ever so slightly to the right! You’ll see a flashy ad for New York-Tokyo’s very own 2oo8 Film Grand Prix! We’ve been working long and hard to get this up, an extensive list of Japanese films from 2008 and beyond for you, our lovely readers to vote on! Choose the ones that you would most like to see, and in September, we’ll be bringing the ones voted best of the best to you along with some other very special screenings as part of the NYTFGP MINI FESTIVAL! Click HERE for all the details, or click the big flashy button to your right, and vote away!

By NYT

Rhythm Heaven is a DS port of the quirky Japanese classic Rhythm Tengoku for the Gameboy Advance. That title never saw the light of day in the US, but thankfully Nintendo has seen the light and developed the touch friendly version for us tens of millions of DS owners, both in Japan and stateside.

The title involves a series of mini-games that challenge your rhythmic dexterity, pressing buttons and tapping the touch screen in time with some rather unusual visuals and clever electronic beats. The vibe of Rhythm Heaven is not too far removed from another classic handheld game, Wario Ware, and fans of that wonderfully absurd series should lap this one up. Nintendo even posted a gameplay video on their site. Check it.

Rhythm Heaven (via Nintendo.com)

By Jesse Mann

It has been a long wait for Hayao Miyazaki’s next full-length animated film (hard to believe it’s been four years since Howl’s Moving Castle), but that wait is almost over. Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea tells the tale of a young boy befriending a goldfish who wants to become human. You can check out the first trailer of it here. Now, as annoying as the inset morning show commentary may be, I defy you not to have that song stuck in your head for the next week.

Also, this apparently marks a bit of a return to form, if you will, for Miyazaki as the entire film will be hand-drawn and any computer assists in the animation (minimal as they might have been) found in his last couple films will be gone. The movie debuts in Japan on July 19. Producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy will help distribute it in America, though no release date has been established for that.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea Trailer (via YouTube)

By Stewart Smith

Alright, let’s see here. I love beer. And I definitely love robots. So when I found out that Asahi has unveiled it’s very own beer serving robot (dutifully named Mr. Asahi), well, I started wondering if Asahi’s marketing guys had been sneaking into my apartment and reading my diary. Now, granted, Mr. Asahi will likely never be as great a bartender as Sam Malone, but those are some big shoes to fill. Hey, at least he won’t keep pestering me about leaving my keys after I’ve had 8 or 12 beers in a row* or about how I should stop staring at the waitress even though she’s already splashed two drinks in my face. I mean, geez. Really, so long as he is able to refill the pretzel bowl and tell a joke or two in addition to cracking open ice-cold Asahi, I think we’ll be good.

*Please note that New York-Tokyo does not endorse or encourage drinking and driving in any way. Have a safe 4th of July weekend.

Asahi Beer Robot (via Ubergizmo)

Image via Trusted Reviews.com

By Stewart Smith