I was able to play Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, the new MGS title for Sony’s PSP, at last year’s Tokyo Game Show (where the game was playable for the first time). I thought it was pretty good back then, and now the Famitsu, Japan’s (and probably the world’s) best selling video game magazine reviewed the title and gave it a perfect total score of 40.

That 40/40 score means that four Famitsu editors rated Peace Walker with 10/10, the first time for a PSP title ever. Maker Konami plans to ship the game in the US on June 8 (see cover art above) and in Europe on June. The Japanese version will be released as early as April 29.

The last game getting this score was New Super Mario Bros. back in November 2009. For some reason, the number of perfect scores awarded by Famitsu has accelerated in the past years.

Here is a time line for all of Famitsu’s 40/40-games so far:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998, for Nintendo 64)
2. Soul Calibur (1999, for Dreamcast)
3. Vagrant Story (2000, for PlayStation)
4. The Legend of Zelda – The Wind Waker (2003, for GameCube)
5. Nintendogs (2005, for the DS)
6. Final Fantasy XII (2006, for PlayStation 2)
7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008, for the Wii)
8. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008, for PlayStation 3)
9. 428: Fusasareta Shibuya de (2008, for the Wii)
10. Dragon Quest IX (2009, for the DS)
11. Monster Hunter Tri (2009, for the Wii)
12. Bayonetta (2009, for PlayStation 3/XBox 360)
13. New Super Mario Bros. (2009, for Wii)
14. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010, for PSP)

I was able to play Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, the new MGS title for Sony’s PSP, at last year’s Tokyo Game Show (where the game was playable for the first time). I thought it was pretty good back then, and now the Famitsu, Japan’s (and probably the world’s) best selling video game magazine reviewed the title and gave it a perfect total score of 40.

That 40/40 score means that four Famitsu editors rated Peace Walker with 10/10, the first time for a PSP title ever. Maker Konami plans to ship the game in the US on June 8 (see cover art above) and in Europe on June. The Japanese version will be released as early as April 29.

The last game getting this score was New Super Mario Bros. back in November 2009. For some reason, the number of perfect scores awarded by Famitsu has accelerated in the past years.

Here is a time line for all of Famitsu’s 40/40-games so far:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998, for Nintendo 64)
2. Soul Calibur (1999, for Dreamcast)
3. Vagrant Story (2000, for PlayStation)
4. The Legend of Zelda – The Wind Waker (2003, for GameCube)
5. Nintendogs (2005, for the DS)
6. Final Fantasy XII (2006, for PlayStation 2)
7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008, for the Wii)
8. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008, for PlayStation 3)
9. 428: Fusasareta Shibuya de (2008, for the Wii)
10. Dragon Quest IX (2009, for the DS)
11. Monster Hunter Tri (2009, for the Wii)
12. Bayonetta (2009, for PlayStation 3/XBox 360)
13. New Super Mario Bros. (2009, for Wii)
14. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010, for PSP)

The Famitsu [JP], Japan’s (and probably the world’s) most important video game magazine, awarded New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii with a perfect 40/40 rating just last month. It was only the 13th game to receive that score (4 editors giving 10 out of 10 points), and many people believed Final Fantasy XIII for PS3 would follow today. But that didn’t happen.

The most anticipated game for the PS3 “only” received a 39/40 rating from Famitsu, one point less than Final Fantasy XII for PS2 a couple of years ago. One slightly negative point the editors mention is the storyline, but I don’t think too many people will care.

FFXIII is due for release on PS3 3 in Japan on December 17, and in Europe and North America on March 9, 2010. I took the picture above yesterday in Akihabara in Tokyo. That game will sell a lot of PS3s in this country, that’s for sure.

Here’s a list of Famitsu ratings for all Final Fantasy games so far:

Final Fantasy I (NES): 9 / 9 / 9 / 8 – (35/40)
Final Fantasy II (NES,): 9 / 9 / 9 / 8 – (35/40)
Final Fantasy III (NES): 9 / 9 / 10 / 8 – (36/40)
Final Fantasy IV (SNES): 9 / 9 / 9 / 9 – (36/40)
Final Fantasy V (SNES): 9 / 8 / 9 / 8 – (34/40)
Final Fantasy VI (SNES): 9 / 8 / 10 / 10 – (37/40)
Final Fantasy VII (PS): 10 / 9 / 10 / 9 – (38/40)
Final Fantasy VIII (PS): 10 / 9 / 9 / 9 – (37/40)
Final Fantasy IX (PS): 10 / 10 / 9 / 9 – (38/40)
Final Fantasy X (PS2): 10 / 9 / 10 / 10 – (39/40)
Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2): 9 / 9 / 8 / 8 – (34/40)
Final Fantasy XI (PS2): 10 / 9 / 10 / 9 – (38/40)
Final Fantasy XII (PS2): 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 – (40/40)

Japan’s biggest gaming magazine, the Famitsu [JP], has given Nintendo’s newest Mario game New Super Mario Bros. the highest honor in the latest issue. All four editors who tested the game gave 10 points out of 10, resulting in a perfect 40/40 score.

New Super Mario Bros. is already the fourth game in 2009 to get a 40/40 rating, even though until 2007 the magazine was well-known for not giving away this score easily. But the perfect rating isn’t that surprising, as the game seems to be really that good and many reviewers outside Japan gave it the thumbs up already.

Here is a time line for all of Famitsu’s 40/40-games so far:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998, for Nintendo 64)
2. Soul Calibur (1999, for Dreamcast)
3. Vagrant Story (2000, for PlayStation)
4. The Legend of Zelda – The Wind Waker (2003, for GameCube)
5. Nintendogs (2005, for the DS)
6. Final Fantasy XII (2006, for PlayStation 2)
7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008, for the Wii)
8. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008, for PlayStation 3)
9. 428: Fusasareta Shibuya de (2008, for the Wii)
10. Dragon Quest IX (2009, for the DS)
11. Monster Hunter Tri (2009, for the Wii)
12. Bayonetta (2009, for PlayStation 3/XBox 360)
13. New Super Mario Bros.

Resident Evil (Biohazard in Japan) – The Darkside Chronicles is an on-rails shooter that comes out in Nippon for the Wii on January 14. Instead of torturing you with the crappy video I took at the Capcom booth at the Tokyo Game Show, I give you the official trailer the fine people over at the Famitsu secured. It contains cut scenes, gameplay sequences and a few spoilers – you’ve been warned.

Here’s Capcom’s official Resident Evil – The Darkside Chronicles trailer from the Tokyo Game Show 2009:

Japan’s biggest gaming publication, the Famitsu, has rewarded another RPG for a Nintendo system with a perfect rating today. After giving Dragon Quest IX 40 out of 40 possible points, all four Famitsu editors testing Monster Hunter 3 (aka Monster Hunter Tri) think it’s worth receiving 10s from each reviewer, too.

It’s not really surprising. The Monster Hunter brand is huge in Japan. But no game of the series has ever made its way to America or Europe. Capcom will release Tri in these territories, however (in “early 2010″).

Famitsu is known for being very cautious when it comes to giving perfect ratings. Here is a time line for all 40/40-games so far:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998, for Nintendo 64)
2. Soul Calibur (1999, for Dreamcast)
3. Vagrant Story (2000, for PlayStation)
4. The Legend of Zelda – The Wind Waker (2003, for GameCube)
5. Nintendogs (2005, for the DS)
6. Final Fantasy XII (2006, for PlayStation 2)
7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008, for the Wii)
8. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008, for PlayStation 3)
9. 428: Fusasareta Shibuya de (2008, for the Wii)
10. Dragon Quest IX (2009, for the DS)
11. Monster Hunter Tri

Here is a Monster Hunter Tri demo from the finished game: