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Thanks to ShackNews for its report indicating Half-Life 2's multiplayer mode includes Counter-Strike running on the Source Engine, and "will be available at the same time as when Half-Life 2 ships", which is said to be "this summer, although no specific date was given." It's also noted that "Half-Life 1 is also ported over to the Source engine and will be available at the same time as when Half-Life 2 ships." Elsewhere, Steampowered.com has announced that Codename Gordon is being released 'soon' for PC via Steam, Valve Software's "broadband platform for direct software delivery and content management." Codename Gordon, as previously covered on Slashdot, is an initially fan-created, Metal Slug-inspired game that "...takes players through dozens of levels inspired by Half-Life and Half-Life 2, challenges players to a slew of puzzles, and showcases many of the familiar creatures in an all new, 2 dimensional playing field." But is the previous assertion that "the game gets out 100% before HL2" still true? The race is on. Update: 05/12 22:31 GMT by S : Slightly more important Half-Life 2 news added.

Thanks to GameSpot for its article revealing SNK NeoGeo's announcement of exclusive PlayStation 2 compilations, featuring 2-pack conversions of "SNK's 2D fighting games" King Of Fighters 2002 and 2003 (for Winter 2004), and "old-school side-scrolling-shooter action" titles Metal Slug 4 and 5 (for Spring 2005), for "an MSRP of $39.99." This follows the recent release of King Of Fighters 2000 and 2001 for PS2. Elsewhere, NeoGeo For Life has a picture of the box cover for the Xbox-exclusive Metal Slug 3 conversion, due out next month, which is also sporting "Xbox Live [stats] Leaderboards."

Thanks to GameSpot for its article revealing SNK NeoGeo's announcement of exclusive PlayStation 2 compilations, featuring 2-pack conversions of "SNK's 2D fighting games" King Of Fighters 2002 and 2003 (for Winter 2004), and "old-school side-scrolling-shooter action" titles Metal Slug 4 and 5 (for Spring 2005), for "an MSRP of $39.99." This follows the recent release of King Of Fighters 2000 and 2001 for PS2. Elsewhere, NeoGeo For Life has a picture of the box cover for the Xbox-exclusive Metal Slug 3 conversion, due out next month, which is also sporting "Xbox Live [stats] Leaderboards."

Thanks to GameSpot for its article revealing SNK NeoGeo's announcement of exclusive PlayStation 2 compilations, featuring 2-pack conversions of "SNK's 2D fighting games" King Of Fighters 2002 and 2003 (for Winter 2004), and "old-school side-scrolling-shooter action" titles Metal Slug 4 and 5 (for Spring 2005), for "an MSRP of $39.99." This follows the recent release of King Of Fighters 2000 and 2001 for PS2. Elsewhere, NeoGeo For Life has a picture of the box cover for the Xbox-exclusive Metal Slug 3 conversion, due out next month, which is also sporting "Xbox Live [stats] Leaderboards."

Thanks to GameSpot for its article revealing SNK NeoGeo's announcement of exclusive PlayStation 2 compilations, featuring 2-pack conversions of "SNK's 2D fighting games" King Of Fighters 2002 and 2003 (for Winter 2004), and "old-school side-scrolling-shooter action" titles Metal Slug 4 and 5 (for Spring 2005), for "an MSRP of $39.99." This follows the recent release of King Of Fighters 2000 and 2001 for PS2. Elsewhere, NeoGeo For Life has a picture of the box cover for the Xbox-exclusive Metal Slug 3 conversion, due out next month, which is also sporting "Xbox Live [stats] Leaderboards."

Thanks to GameSpot for its article revealing SNK NeoGeo's announcement of exclusive PlayStation 2 compilations, featuring 2-pack conversions of "SNK's 2D fighting games" King Of Fighters 2002 and 2003 (for Winter 2004), and "old-school side-scrolling-shooter action" titles Metal Slug 4 and 5 (for Spring 2005), for "an MSRP of $39.99." This follows the recent release of King Of Fighters 2000 and 2001 for PS2. Elsewhere, NeoGeo For Life has a picture of the box cover for the Xbox-exclusive Metal Slug 3 conversion, due out next month, which is also sporting "Xbox Live [stats] Leaderboards."

Thanks to GameSpot for its news discussing SNK's decision to shift its arcade development platform from the original NeoGeo MVS cartridge format to Sammy's Atomiswave. A spokesperson for Sammy commented: "The NeoGeo's games have been played worldwide, but it ran on a 16-bit board that had reached its limits", and the SNK Playmore development chief lamented: "There have been talks in the past about when we'll stop supporting the NeoGeo, but this is going to be the real end. And that's really an indescribable feeling." Fan site NeoGeo For Life points out current NeoGeo MVS title Samurai Spirits Zero Special, the last in an era for SNK, while the GameSpot article explains: "Three new titles have been announced for release on the Atomiswave: The King of Fighters 2004, Samurai Spirits AW, and Metal Slug 6."

Thanks to GameSpot for its feature discussing neglected videogames that nonetheless deserve remakes. The "games that may have been forgotten but were at least pretty well known in their day" include Roadwar 2000 ("[an] innovative adventure set in the ruins of American civilization"), Biomotor Unitron ("an exceptional game... [that] had the poor luck of being released on the profoundly underappreciated NeoGeo Pocket Color in 1999"), and Xenophobe ("a lighthearted and memorable arcade game... [that] takes itself less seriously than the average alien shoot-'em-up.")

Thanks to GameSpot for reporting the news that Japanese developer/publisher Data East has officially been declared bankrupt. According to the article, "Data East has been in financial trouble since 1999, when the company requested a settlement in the district court in order to reorganize its finances because of a 3.3 billion yen ($28 million) debt." The company was renowned for a massive backcatalog of '80s and '90s arcade and home games, including BurgerTime, Karate Champ, Karnov, and the brilliantly named Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja, as well as the addictive Magical Drop puzzle game series for Neo Geo and other consoles.

The Japanese arcade beta-test is in progress for SNK Vs. Capcom Chaos, the latest Playmore/SNK 2D fighting game, featuring both the Street Fighter and King Of Fighters characters, plus a whole host of guest stars from places as obscure as Samurai Shodown 64 and Red Earth/Warzard. There's now some good-looking videos of the beta-test up at the unofficial SNK-Capcom.com site, and an excellent hands-on impressions piece was posted at Insert Credit earlier in the week. Behind the frothing otaku, the Insert Credit article does sow some doubts, though: "..three years - probably more - in development or at least planning, and all they have to show for it is a standard Street Fighter engine with a predictable character roster"?

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Magic Box article showing screenshots from the bootleg arcade game Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2003. Although there are few details on this title, it seems to be a South American-sourced Neo-Geo cartridge that doesn't actually have the actual movie license, but is 'borrowing' its name, along with most of the gameplay of King of Fighters 2001 and a bunch of backgrounds from the Street Fighter series. So many years after the Street Fighter II bootlegs, it's amazing to see people are still 'enhancing' arcade games for cultures where the 2D arcade fighter is still popular.