Several weeks back a few friends and I found ourselves trolling the floors of the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA for WonderCon 2009. It was my first time attending Wondercon and it was a sheer blast, not to mention a bit overwhelming too; so many sights, sounds and…undesired smells to take in.

For the most part, my first day at Wondercon was spent attending panels and getting a feel for the lay of the land. I had to prepare for day two where I would blow exorbitant amounts of hard earned cash on PVC figures and other miscellaneous spoils of war. It would also present me with the opportunity to thoroughly examine the sea of independent artist booths that blanketed the show floor.

Hit the jump to read about my WonderCon discovery. Read more!

It seemed like only yesterday that we were talking about the winter lineup, and here we are a month away from the beginning of the fall season. Whereas last season was, overall, a lot of new shows or adaptations, this season starts off with quite a large variety of sequels, along with some original IPs that seem interesting enough.

There are too many shows airing next season, you’ll probably only like a couple, if you’re lucky, so why go through the trouble when we can do it for you? Read on to avoid having to watch a single second of a show plagued of gratuitous moe fan service, no actual plot and empty characters… you know, unless that’s your kinda thing.

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EXT. SKYSCRAPER ROOFTOP – DUSK

DAVID
You know, Faith, from this height… you could really hock a loogie on someone. (V.O)

FAITH
… [Rolls eyes and shakes head]

If from 39 floors above ground looking down at the scattered groups of pedestrians sends chills down your spine then imagine bounding from rooftop to rooftop without the luxury of harnesses, wires or a safety net and having bullets whizz by your head. You’re running because it is your duty, your job; you are a Runner, and this is Mirror’s Edge.

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Time to continue our trip of this year’s fall season of anime! On this part we’ll cover another 8 shows, leaving 32 shows pending. Will my sanity survive? Who cares! At least you’ll know what to watch and what to avoid this season. My wellbeing is a small price to pay so you can enjoy your pretty Japanese cartoons.

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The fall anime season is already starting, and just before it comes in full force when October starts we’ll get you up to speed on what to expect. 48 new shows are coming this season, that’s a lot of shows and a lot of information, so to make it easier for you, dear reader, we’ve simplified how each show is previewed.

A one line description of each show should get the bullshit out of the lengthy studio descriptions and a ‘you might like it if you like’ section makes it easier to make your picks. To top it all, we’re protecting you from information overload and doing this in batches (no its not because I’m lazy). The first 8 shows previewed after the jump!

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I wish that I had more to say about this video, which shows the first official footage of the much-discussed Mega Man 9, but so far all the rumors have been true. The game is adopting an 8-bit aesthetic, and it looks like it will control much the same as its NES counterparts.

The only new thing I noticed here was our hero riding a spinning cylinder, but it doesn’t look like it has anything to do with some full-blown feature or any kind of evolution of the old formula. Some are already speculating that the WiiWare game will sell as low as a paltry ten dollars. For now, I can’t say that I’m really excited, as the original 8 games in the classic Mega Man style were more than enough for me.

[Joystiq]

Well, it turns out Afrika is a photography simulation game, much like Pokémon Snap. You’ll be going on missions to photograph certain scenes or animals and will be driven by a jeep around the savannah (read: on-rails).

Also the sixaxis will function as a virtual camera; for example, if you don’t keep a steady hand, your snapshots could turn out blurry. The criteria of grading shots is based on “composition, rarity and clarity.” Let’s just hope the game is fun, polished, and has interesting enough animal AI to make this more than just a hi-def Pokémon Snap remake.

[Kotaku]

Expectations run high for the new Square-Enix/Tri-Ace game slated to hit the Xbox360 September 2. An accompanying press release offers some insight into game features like “situational battles,” promising a wide variety of tactical opportunities as well as environmental interaction. The press release also cryptically states you will rely “not only on sight and sound, but also scent.” Oh god, what? Perhaps you’ll have to grind your scent stat to discover good eats in the wilderness?

The trailer doesn’t shed much light on the battle system, but there is a combo counter, and judging by the map seen in battle, you’ll engage your enemies in the same actual space that you’re exploring (like FFXII). Boasting some brilliant colors and flashy special attack animations, the game is at least guaranteed to be one of the prettier JRPG’s in recent memory.

[Kotaku] [GameTrailers.com]

Courtesy of Kotaku, a whole new bevy of The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon screenshots are now available for your viewing pleasure. And pleasure is the key word here, because from the brilliant emerald foliage to the marmalade-colored clouds, Spyro looks to deliver some truly inspiring eye-candy.

Some of the screens show two HUDs, one for Spyro and the other for his partner Cynder. Each player has two bars, leading me to believe one is for health, and another is for mana or ability points. One screen shows the text “54 hits,” thus confirming a combo system for the combat engine. Other screens show us a volcano level with a fearsome lava boss. The game is due out Q4 2008 for Xbox 360 and PS3.

[Kotaku]

Sega’s newly formed development studio PlatinumGames has announced four new games slated for 2009 release, and has named three of them. The titles are MadWorld for Wii, Bayonetta for the PS3 and 360, and Infinite Line for the DS.

MadWorld is a hyper-stylized and campy action game looking like a cross between Sin City and No More Heroes. The game will focus on finding creative ways to dispatch your enemies through environmental hazards, and has a “lighthearted” tone, despite all the exaggerated carnage.

Bayonetta is a game with few details revealed, but you’ll be playing the role of a witch who has a unique fighting style involving strapping guns to her feet. The director Hikedi Kamiya has high hopes for the title, looking to give the 3D action genre its swiftest kick in the ass since his own Devil May Cry.

Infinite Line is an RPG with a focus on extreme customization, from your spaceship, to your maximum of 150 crew members that will inhabit it. As Kotaku reports, “The ships themselves will be designed modularly so you can place different components where ever [you] want.” Sounds a lot like another big-name title coming up…

Seeing as how the team is comprised of members responsible for games like Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, and Okami, it looks like Sega’s got some killer titles in the works, and I can’t wait to see how they turn out.

Bayonetta ‘Debut’ trailer HD

Mad World ‘Debut’ trailer

[Kotaku] [GameVideos.com / via 1up.com]