Snake will settle for second place again this week in the battle of Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. The two portable games sit comfortably atop the country's weekly sales chart.

The two games hold spots one and two again, with a string of Nintendo favorites—New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Tomodachi Collection, Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit Plus—securing the next four spots. More recent releases like Nier Replicant and Super Street Fighter IV for the PlayStation 3 manage to keep their top ten spots.

Not much activity in this week's Media Create charts, as Japanese software companies opted not to release any new and noteworthy games this week. Look for recent releases and old favorites (Super Smash Bros. Brawl!) in the top 30 bestsellers list for the week of May 5 to 9.

01. Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 (DS) - 253,000 / 877,000
02. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP) - 141,000 / 575,000
03. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) - 47,000 / 3,807,000
04. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 33,000 / 3,191,000
05. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 32,000 / 2,771,000
06. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 23,000 / 1,891,000
07. Super Street Fighter IV (PS3) - 20,000 / 101,000
08. Pokemon Ranger: Hikari no Kiseki (DS) - 20,000 / 446,000
09. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) - 16,000 / 1,887,000
10. Nier Replicant (PS3) - 16,000 / 97,000

11. Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2010 (PSP)
12. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
13. Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2010 (PS3)
14. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
15. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
16. Pokemon GoldHeart / SoulSilver (DS)
17. One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 2 - Mezameru Yuusha (Minna no Susume Selection) (Wii)
18. Fist of the North Star (PS3)
19. Crayon Shin-Chan: Obaka Daininden - Susume! Kasukabe Ninja Tai! (DS)
20. Dragon Quest IX (Ultimate Hits) (DS)
21. Mario Kart DS (DS)
22. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire / Blizzard (DS)
23. Super Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360)
24. Yakuza 4 (PS3)
25. Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2010 (PS2)
26. Momotarou Dentetsu 16 (Minna no Susume Selection) (Wii)
27. Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Fate of Heat III - Yuki no Shugomono Raishuu! (DS)
28. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Dodoon to 2 Yome! (Wii)
29. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
30. Ikki Tousen: Xross Impact (PSP)

Media Create Weekly Software Sales [Gpara]

Not since my Mii arm-wrestled the Mii of television's own Geoff Keighley has Nintendo technology allowed me to witness such a titanic virtual battle of video game journalists as it did the day Photo Dojo allowed me to battle… me.

The image you see attached to this Photo Dojo review is of me, the guy who couldn't beat Soulja Boy in Street Fighter II, throwing a fireball at another version of myself. The fireball is my face. The background is a white chair in my living room, my fat cat sitting on the armrest at screen right.

All of this is made possible by Photo Dojo a Nintendo DSi game that begs the question: What kind of game would Nintendo give away for free?

Loved
It's A Comedy: Why call Photo Dojo a fighting game? Sure it is one. It pits character-on-the-left against character-on-the-right, each able to punch, kick and super-move until someone's health meter is depleted. But it is the shallowest of fighting games, possibly even a bad one. Who cares? The game is a comedy. It is 100% about making people who play it laugh. In that regard, it succeeds. How could it not? The fighters and backgrounds are composed of posed photos of anyone or — shudder — anything. The sound effects are mostly made up of speech you record into the mic. You have one of four fighting styles (translation: choice of bonus special move) and a taunt at your disposal. All of this is captured by you and your friends using the DSi's two cameras and mic and then played on the same system. The potential for amusement is high.

Single-System Co-Op:It's a little weird that Photo Dojo has no online and not even a two-DS wireless mode. But so be it. It has single-system two-player. If consoles are going to diminish the amount of single-system multiplayer opportunities they offer, then let handhelds continue to compensate. Some PSP Mini games and now Photo Dojo on the DSi allow two players to clutch opposite ends of a portable gaming machine to play a single game. With Photo Dojo that puts me in charge of d-pad and shoulder button to control my fighter (simple moves, remember?) and your hand on the face buttons and other shoulder buttons. It brings people together and surely will be the hit game of many first dates.

The Equally Ridiculous Single-Player Mode: Picture me running from screen left to screen right fighting giant and regular sized photo-made versions of myself or my friends. The animation is crude, the strategy available minimal. But who cares? This, as with the rest of Photo Dojo is just a joke diversion to amuse you and others before you play whatever game you actually turned on your DSi to play. Single-player involves brawling through 100 enemies. That's it.

I could hate on Photo Dojo if I was expecting it to be a game that plays with any sort of complexity. I could hate it if I expected it to includes new ideas or do anything that you or I wouldn't have thought of ourselves, had Nintendo assigned us the task of making a camera-based fighting game. But I am not holding Photo Dojo to those standards. It is a light diversion, a simple amusement, a joke of a game in the best possible sense. You won't need to hear this routine more than a few times before you get bored of it, but the first couple of times will make you laugh. This is no system-seller. This is a joke. And, for Photo Dojo, that's fine.

Photo Dojo was developed and published by Nintendo for the DSi on May 10. It is download-only for the DSi's online store and playable on the DSi and DSiXL systems. Retails for $0 USD (will be $2 starting June 11). Played single-player. Played multi-player. Kept it clean, which surely some of you won't.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Researchers at the MIT-Harvard Division of Health Sciences and Technology have found a way to encase living cells in stackable cubes to create what some are calling LEGO organs.

Building things out of toy blocks has long been a favorite pastime of children and adults the world over. Why should biomedical engineers be left out of the fun?

This new process, dubbed "micromasonry," might be the answer to an issue that has long plagued tissue engineers.

Obtaining the cell material needed to create artificial human organs and blood vessels is simple enough. Researches use enzymes to break down the extracellular materials holding cells together, leaving them with free cells.

The problem lies in taking those free cells and forming them into shapes that mimic natural tissue microarchitecture. Scientists have tried using biodegradable foam to bind cells together, but the resulting tissue generally lacks the complicated architecture of its natural equivalent.

Enter micromasonry. HST researches coat the cells in a version of the liquid polymer polyethylene glycol that becomes a gel when exposed to light. By suspending cells in the liquid and then allowing them to harden, the researchers are able to create cellular cubes that measure 100 to 500 millionths of a meter wide.

Cellular LEGO blocks, if you will.

Once the cubes are formed, they can be stacked into a template, coated with more polyethylene glycol, and exposed to light once more, leaving a stable structure of gelled cell blocks, ready to be put to use.

At the top of the story you'll see a structure created from the cellular building blocks. If my organs looked that pretty, I'd install a window.

Not only does the process produce quick and attractive results, it's also so simple it can be reproduced in any lab without the use of specialized equipment.

The process is still in early testing phases, with the team building structures that could be used at blood vessels.

"Micromasonry" still has a long way to go. Researchers are still looking at different cell types and the potential for tissue growth, while exploring different polymers that might give them more control over the building process.

Hopefully they'll get the process finalized and reader for use in time for the next installment of Atlus' Trauma Team.

Building organs block by block : A new way to assemble artificial tissues [Sci Guru]

It's more than a miserable little pile of gems—it's Konami's new puzzle role-playing game for the iPhone, featuring some of the most memorable characters from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Yeah, we weren't expecting this either.

Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night gives the star of Symphony of the Night, Alucard, a chance to dispatch his foes with a powerful new ability, matching and smashing brightly colored gems. On top of that Castlevania Puzzle lets iPhone and iPod touch gamers "play as or against characters directly from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" as they puzzle their way through Dracula's castle.

Think Puzzle Quest, maybe with a dash of Puzzle Fighter or Puyo Puyo, combined with some of your favorite decade-old sprites.

Look for it in the iTunes App Store soon.

The closed beta test for World of Warcraft's Cataclysm expansion is just around the corner, and Blizzard is encouraging players to opt-in for their chance at early access. Here's how you do that.

You'll need a Battle.net account with a World of Warcraft license attached to it in order to opt-in for the Cataclysm beta. IF you've got that covered, head over to Battle.net and enter your username and password. Once you've logged in, you'll want to click on the fourth option under the 'Manage My Games' heading, 'Beta Profile Settings.'

Once there, you'll see check boxes on the right side for StarCraft, Diablo, and Warcraft. Check all of those, and then click on the 'Update Preference' button. Now you're ready to be considered for a place in the Cataclysm beta!

To help your chances, be sure to load your system specifications on the right side of the page. The more data Blizzard has, the more likely you are to be chosen, and the section has a nifty tool that you can download that detects your settings and automatically uploads them for you. No fuss, no muss!

Blizzard recommends you do this in a timely fashion, as the team is "worgen real hard to get the beta going soon!"

I don't get it.

This is the Super Mario Galaxy 2 game disc. It sure looks nice. Click the image to enlarge it, which will make it look even nicer.

With close to half of the team at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward bailing on the troubled developer, publisher Activision appears to have found a new source for Call of Duty development.

Raven Software, the developer of sci-fi shooters Wolfenstein and the recently completed Singularity, has been pulled off its current projects and may be the latest studio to pick up the Call of Duty slack, according to a source close to the studio. Kotaku was told that the developer has had its next game, one based on the James Bond franchise—to which Activision holds the rights—put on hold.

Raven's other future game, one based on the X-Men franchise and a follow-up to its work on X-Men: Origins Wolverine, is said to have been put on the backburner as well.

The team is said to now be on the path to Call of Duty development, with Activision allegedly "flipping out" about the current Infinity Ward situation. Activision execs said earlier this month that the IW team is working on another Call of Duty game in addition to further map pack development.

The next Call of Duty title, Call of Duty: Black Ops, is currently in development at World At War developer Treyarch, due for a November 9 release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Wii. One more map pack is due for Modern Warfare 2, now dated for a June release.

Kotaku has reached out to Activision and Raven Software seeking comment.

Is Legacy really the best piece of footage based on the illustrious Street Fighter name? Guest writer Sinan Kubba explores.

OK, after three straight posts of ranting, it's time to shower a bit of love. And nothing released last week is more deserving of a love shower than the excellent fan-made production Street Fighter: Legacy. It is three minutes of absolute awesome. The fighting moves are so well executed, the music is tremendous, and the special effects are very impressive – Ryu's fireball is suitably intense. Check out the film below.

But is it the best piece of footage based on the venerable Street Fighter series? It's debatable whether it matches up to Jackie Chan looking disturbingly attractive in Chun-Li's garb in the infamous scene from the 1993 film City Hunter.

And even if it beats that, I think it doesn't even come close to Cammy's raw sexuality in the Street Fighter animated series – supposedly designed for children, by the by. Don't you just hate it when your plane loses both engines?

But we all know what the winner is. Raul Julia's should've-been-Oscar-winning 'Tuesday' speech as M.Bison in the best film of all time, Street Fighter: The Movie, of course.

Sorry, Street Fighter: Legacy. You're good, but not you're not that good.

Republished with permission.

Sinan Kubba is a London-based writer who contributes to Games Abyss and has his own blog, You Have Lost!. He also co-hosts the Big Red Potion podcast.

Dead Rising 2, like its predecessor is a video game that offers players the opportunity to re-kill zombies with dozens — hundreds? — of common and uncommon items. I recently tried to find the worst weapons in the game.

Author's note: I was playing a pre-release demo of Dead Rising 2 under the supervision of personnel from the game's publisher Capcom. The weapons described in here may be horrible, but there is still a chance that there are even more useless weapons to be found in the game.

You may or may not know that Dead Rising is set in a casino, our playable hero at war with a shambling horde of zombies. You may now conclude, armed with that information, that poker chips are an item in said casino, and that poker chips are high on the list of Worst Weapons To Use Against Zombies.

Let's get it on the list:

Poker Chips: These things are horrible at re-killing zombies because all you can do is flick a few at the men and women who, revived from death now want to eat your brain. Sure, Dead Rising 2 lets you do that when you're taking a break from smashing a roulette wheel into other zombies, but what hope does one man have against the zombie masses who apparently see no value in and feel no pain from the hurling of poker chips of any color? None.

This casino has a mall, and casino malls can be counted on for selling useless items, such as giant dice, which in fact have the use of bowling over zombies. These stores also might include water guns. Back to the list...

Super Soaker: A pump-action watergun can squirt some H2O in the direction of deranged Dead Rising 2 zombies, but it stops their slow attack about as well as the power of positive thinking. I had great fun shooting water at zombies while telling the Capcom developer with whom I was playing the game that I was clearing the way for him. But I was really doing nothing useful. I was told the water gun can be combined with other item(s) to make it an actual useful weapon — maybe a flamethrower?

The casino of Dead Rising 2 includes giant teddy bears, which were useless in my guy's arms. I was going to put these man-sized plush bears on the list, save for the fact that a Capcom guy delightfully cheered when another person playing the game was able to kill a zombie with a stuffed bear. I don't know how they did it, but I will trust them.

Foam Finger: Stuffed bears may have secret zombie-fighting potential, but I beleive the red foam fingers do not. They have zombie-slapping potential. That is all.

The toy helicopter that hovers in the air and makes noise does not go on the list. Its sounds attract zombies, and, if you attach blades to the rotors, it will chop them up. The guitar does not make the list, nor does the guitar-plus-amplifier combo which debilitates zombies via power chords. Definitely off the list is some Tesla ball of electricity that bowls into zombies and spreads a sparking charge through a crowd of them. I thought a golf club might go on the list, but you can actually drop a ball and swing a shot — the iron's shot takes out a clutch of zombies. Vinyl records? Useful as projectile weapons, fired right out of their sleeves. Skateboard? Tricky to control, but good for mowing down.

In the 20 minutes or so I played of Dead Rising 2's latest demo I guess I did find more useful than useless weapons with which to conquer the undead. The game's out at the end of August. At that time I will search for more useless weapons, because I don't plan to play Dead Rising 2 as a horror game but as a comedy. That's right, right?

Marianne Krawczyk, best known for bringing Kratos to life as the writer of God of War, is lending her talents to a different kind of hero in Klei Entertainment's Shank.

Shank's story is a gritty, personal tale of revenge, and that's one subject that Marianne Krawczyk is fluent in, thanks to writing credits for all three console God of War titles, as well as the PSP's Chains of Olympus. Krawczyk's writing should be a nice compliment to the game's fast, fluid action and graphic novel style.

"I'm very excited to be a part of Shank," said Marianne Krawczyk. "I fell in love with the artwork, characters and world that Klei Entertainment created and together we are creating a story that will allow gamers to explore a world where values like integrity and loyalty take on their own twisted meanings."

Shank is due out this summer on Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Network, and PC.