In addition to Monster Hunter 3, Wii owners will soon be able to experience a port of the original chapter in the Monster Hunter saga.

According to the popular weekly Japanese gaming magazine Famitsū, a port of Monster Hunter G is being developed for the Wii and is slated to see a spring release in Japan with no current plans for a Western release. Originally released on the Playstation 2 in early 2005, Monster Hunter G is an enhanced port of the first title in the Monster Hunter series. Changes made in Monster Hunter G include new variations of the dragon-like wyvern monsters, a higher chance of acquiring rare items, and a pet pig that bestows luck.

Interview reveals the reasons behind Naka's departure from Sega and gives insight into the development of his latest game, Let's Tap.

Yuji Naka, famous for his role in creating the original Sonic as well as the upcoming rhythm game Let's Tap, interviewed with Game Developer Magazine earlier this month to discuss his reasons for branching out from Sega and share details on his new company, Prope.

For Naka, it was the hands-on game creation that always appealed to him. Yet as he created more games, he rose to a higher position which took him out of the programming room. He described this lack of direct involvement as a "lost opportunity" and said he began to feel as if he was "running out of time to actually make games."

Sharp denies that it violated Japan's Anti-Monopoly Act while providing screens for Nintendo's handheld.

Sharp Corp. has been fined 261 million yen (approximately US $2.9 million) by Japan's Fair Trade Commission as a result of a price-fixing investigation. The company is alleged to have colluded with fellow manufacturer Hitachi Ltd. to engage in non-competitive pricing when selling LCD screens to Nintendo. NWR initially reported on the investigation when news first broke in early 2008.

Sharp maintains their position that there was no wrongdoing and that price fixing could not have taken place because other LCD manufacturers are free to compete for Nintendo's business. In addition, Sharp claims that they have "made continuous efforts to reduce costs and conducted price negotiations" when working with Nintendo. Sharp's statement continues in claiming that "there is no precedent in Japan that a cartel in violation of Anti-Monopoly Act was found for a specific product which was sold to one private company for use of a single product model."

The Entertainment Software Rating Board has leaked the existence, and E 10+ rating, of a new Guitar Hero title for the DS.

Guitar Hero Modern Hits for the Nintendo DS was recently rated E 10+ by the ESRB. Activision-Blizzard has not made an official announcement for a new Guitar Hero bearing the Modern Hits subtitle. However, Activision did file a trademark for the title in October.

The short synopsis of Modern Hits from the ESRB website does not make it seem like the game will revolutionize the Guitar Hero series: "players follow on-screen prompts to hit notes in-time with the music and are scored based on their accuracy." However, the ESRB does give some insight into the track list for Modern Hits by mentioning some of the objectionable lyrics that led to the game's E 10+ rating. Expect the game to include Franz Ferdinand's "The Fallen," Sum 41's "Still Waiting," and Finger Eleven's "Paralyzer."

Namco Bandai's Ski Game did not debut to large sales, but has been a steady seller throughout 2008.

It used to be that hit games garnered most of their sales in the first couple months, then were summarily forgotten, but Namco Bandai probably won't argue with the steady performance of We Ski. The company recently announced that they've sold 130,000 units of the game in Japan, 330,000 units in Europe, and 560,000 copies in North America.

But these sales numbers do more than describe a successful game. It's been ages since We Ski came out in Japan (late January 2008), and the game's American and European releases around the middle of 2008 are also ancient history by conventional videogame sales wisdom. In fact, when We Ski debuted in America in May, it didn't even break into the NPD top 10 sellers list, falling at number 13 with uninspiring sales estimated between 60,000 and 102,000 units.

Mike Jones returns to the Virtual Console for his second adventure alongside two WiiWare titles, one from Nintendo and another from Hudson.

This week's Virtual Console and WiiWare addition rounds out 2008 with a Virtual Console sequel, an original Nintendo WiiWare title, and yet another from Hudson.

Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II is a sequel to the obscure Nintendo-made, NES RPG Star Tropics. Mike Jones returns to the Virtual Console with his trusty yo-yo in hand, along with a multitude of other weapons, to once again battle the evil alien Zoda. In order to save the Argonian people, Mike will have to travel through time and around the world. Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and is available now through the Wii Shop Channel for 500 Wii Points ($5).

Nintendo and Dentsu Inc. will team up to provide Japanese Wii owners with original entertainment.

A recent article published in the Nikkei business journal announced Nintendo's plan to release a video distribution service on the Wii.

Nintendo and advertising agency Dentsu Inc. are joining efforts in order to establish a new line of revenue. Unlike similar services on different consoles, the content will be completely original, created exclusively for the Wii. Viewers should expect to see cartoons along with other unspecified programs when the service comes to fruition.

Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company has sued Nintendo for $236,304, claiming a faulty DS Charger caused a Kentucky home to catch fire.

On December 17th, Nintendo of America was issued a lawsuit by Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance. The insurance company believes a Kentucky household went ablaze because of a defective DS AC Adapter, and that Nintendo is liable.

The insurance company wants $236,304 from Nintendo for the damages they awarded French Harmon, the owner of the home that was ravaged by flames. Many charges are made in the complaint, including the claim that fire was the direct result of Nintendo failing "to adequately, properly and safely design, manufacture, assemble inspect and test" the DS AC Adapter.

This week features more tower building, some minigolf, and another Phantasy Star.

This week sees a familiar split of games: two WiiWare and one Virtual Console. On WiiWare, the previously announced Tiki Towers launches while Fun! Fun! Minigolf also sees release. On Virtual Console, the fourth Phantasy Star hits virtual shelves.

RealArcade's Tiki Towers appears to be the monkey version of the popular World of Goo. Using bamboo poles, coconuts, and vines to build towers, you and your monkey friends set to outwit rival tribes who want to destroy your constructions. You can defend your towers by getting your monkeys to chant for BananaMana, which is used to counter attacks. Featuring single player and a two-player cooperative mode, Tiki Towers is available for 500 Points ($5) and is rated E for Everyone.

The Speed Gamers are conducting a marathon to raise money for the autism support group ACT Today.

Over the last year, The Speed Gamers have raised money for a variety of charities by holding gaming marathons. In the past, they have played through all the core games in the Mario, Metroid, Zelda, and Earthbound series while raising over $10,000 for charities. Today, they have already begun a 72-hour Pokémon marathon in which they hope to raise a lot of money for ACT Today, a group dedicated to helping people with autism.