Wally: My project is coming along great. Everything is on time and under budget. Boss: Do you really expect me to believe that everything you're working on is going smoothly? Wally: No, but apparently you believe I work, and I didn't see that coming either.


text:
Denise Silber's eHealth Blog
A Guide to the latest in Health 2.0 and eHealth in Europe & US
http://www.denisesilber.com/ehealth/
Sharing the Stresses of Being a Doctor - NYTimes.com
One afternoon, a doctor friend whose clinical skills and bedside manner I've long admired called wanting desperately to talk about her day. Exasperated, and feeling as if she had no one to turn to at work, she reached out to me, her friend.
Earlier that day, a transplant patient had threatened to stop taking one of his medications. Proud of his looks, he had become despondent when the drug made his gums swell. "He thought he looked like a freak," my friend said.
But he needed the drug to keep his body from rejecting the transplanted organ, so my friend tried to reason with him. When that didn't work, she began bargaining, then pleading and cajoling. The more he refused, the more frustrated she got. To her, swollen gums seemed like a small price to pay for a lifesaving transplant, and she found herself growing increasingly angry with the patient.
"All those ideals about empathizing with patients and respecting their choices went flying right out the window," she said. She had thought about asking a colleague at work for advice but feared she would be judged, even blamed. "Everyone is ready to tell us to be caring and compassionate, but it's really hard sometimes, trying to do to the right thing all alone."
Studies have shown that health care that respects patient values and preferences influences how well patients do. Statistics show that such compassionate care can improve control of diabetes, increase patient adherence to treatment recommendations, decrease the use of costly diagnostic testing and lower hospitalization readmission rates for ailments like heart attacks and pneumonia.
But the mounting evidence has also led to a flood of new mandates, how-to tips, scorecards and reimbursement policies linked to the new standards. And there is no shortage of experts eager to explain it all and to remind clinicians to, well, be compassionate.
The enthusiasm reflects excellent intentions, of course. The problem is that when faced with a complicated case that falls outside of the relatively simplistic boundaries of the irreproachable truisms, caregivers are almost always on their own. That professional isolation — and the moral distress that goes with it — has contributed to alarming levels of professional burnout.
But one organization has been working to change that by quietly focusing where others have not: on supporting caregivers in their everyday clinical work.
Inspired by the experiences of Kenneth B. Schwartz, a Boston health care lawyer who died of cancer in 1995 at the age of 40, the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare has for the last 15 years run a program known simply as Schwartz Rounds. Held on a monthly or bimonthly basis in hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers and academic medical centers across the country, these rounds, or meetings, are an opportunity for clinicians to discuss emotionally challenging cases or issues in their work.
Led by a trained facilitator, the rounds attract up to 200 doctors, nurses, social workers and other caregivers and employees. There is a strict code of confidentiality. Typical topics include cases in which a clinician and patient can no longer communicate effectively because of differing religious views, instances in which a caregiver makes mistakes and situations in which patients or their family members become violent with caregivers.
The discussions that ensue are often emotional. But instead of focusing on blame, discussion leaders work to transform these stressful moments into an opportunity for clinicians from all disciplines to encourage and support one another. "With problems like these, people usually just end up pointing fingers," said Dr. Stephen Nalbach, a resident in neurosurgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "Schwartz Rounds is like a conversation where we get to debrief and learn from others and try to do better, instead of just moving on and forgetting."
While early critics might have been skeptical about the effect of these meetings, a recent study in the journal Academic Medicine has shown that clinicians who attend Schwartz Rounds feel significantly less stress and are better able to cope with the demands of their work. The more frequently they attend rounds, the more easily they discuss sensitive issues with their patients.
What's more, they feel energized about their work and better equipped to come up with new strategies for handling difficult patient situations. Institutional culture has been shown to improve as well, with about half of all participants citing a greater focus on patient-centered and team-based care at hospitals that hold Schwartz Rounds.
The change even trickles down to the language of the workplace. "At some centers, 'Schwartz' has become a verb," said Julie Rosen, executive director of the Schwartz Center. "To 'de-Schwartz' means to lose one's compassion, and to 'Schwartz it' means to add conviction and compassion to a job."
Offering these rounds requires a significant commitment from both the center and the more than 200 hospitals that currently hold the rounds. The cost for the first year, not including the time and effort of on-site clinicians who must step away from their work to attend or those involved in the planning of each meeting, is approximately $15,000 per institution. The Schwartz Center, which relies primarily on philanthropic sources for its own operations, generally pays a large part of these initial costs, but thereafter each site shoulders most of its own expenses while the center provides ongoing support in the form of evaluations, regular visits and handouts and other materials.
Despite these expenses, the center is continuing to expand the program. An additional 31 hospitals, including Emory University Hospital, Geisinger Medical Center and Stanford University Hospital, have joined the program this year. The center has also begun working with hospitals in Britain, where six centers now hold Schwartz Rounds.
In an essay he published shortly before he died, Mr. Schwartz described the relationships he had with several of his caregivers during his final months of life. Struggling to come to terms with leaving behind a wife and 3-year-old son, he wrote that the "acts of kindness — the simple touch from my caregivers — have made the unbearable bearable."
"If I have learned anything," he continued, "it is that we never know when, how or whom a serious illness will strike. If and when it does, each one of us wants not simply the best possible care for our body but for our whole being."
His legacy has made that possible for all of us, patients and caregivers.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/sharing-the-stresses-of-being-a-doctor/?
Opinion: Reforming Stem Cell Tourism | The Scientist
As with many new areas of technological advancements, stem cell research has received its fair share of hype. Though much of the excitement is warranted, and the potential of stem cells promising, many have used that hype for their own monetary gain. Some market beauty products containing the rejuvenation powers of stem cells and vitamins that claim to boost adult stem cell function while others have established stem cell clinics offering treatments for major diseases and injuries. Although creams and vitamins may (hopefully) be relatively benign, the same is not true for stem cell treatments. Young and elderly patients have died from receiving illegitimate stem cell treatments; others have developed tumors following stem cell transplantations.
In some cases, physicians' medical licenses have been revoked and investigations of misconduct have been pursued, but the number of fraudulent clinics are vast and growing, offering stem cell treatments for several debilitating and incurable ailments, including Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. These clinical charlatans play on the hopes of patients and families for whom traditional therapies have failed, and on the hype surrounding stem cell research, touting the latest miracle cure. Many commentators claim that international regulations or guidelines, and education on stem cell tourism, would be effective ways to stop patients from traveling abroad to receive expensive, unproven, and potentially harmful therapies. But perhaps more can be done. Published recently in EMBO Reports, we put forward a new strategy to combat stem cell tourism—one that actively involves scientists.
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has developed translational guidelines for researchers, a patient's handbook on stem cell therapies, and a website chock-full of information about real and fraudulent stem cell treatments. Yet the question remains whether this educational information reaches patients, and whether it deters them from seeking snake oil abroad. How many scientific societies or patient advocacy groups must provide sufficient educational materials for this to be a truly effective effort?
From analysis of patient blog sites, our research team at the University of Alberta's Health Law and Science Policy Group learned that many patients, or family members of patients, seem distraught with the pace at which new treatments are approved because they believe that our regulatory system merely adds red tape. This may encourage some to travel abroad to receive therapies that they expect will be approved in the United States in the coming years. Perhaps then it may be necessary to educate patients on translational research and why translation and the regulatory process are lengthy.
International guidelines could also help by encouraging countries to develop laws and regulations ensuring that clinics offering treatments receive ethics approval and have received regulatory oversight for the products and procedures they intend to use on patients. But the development of international guidelines is an extremely demanding, controversial, and lengthy process. Moreover, international guidelines may not carry sufficient weight as some countries will not adopt them or will choose to ignore them.
Clearly, something more needs to be done. Scientists are uniquely positioned to help quell stem cell tourism because of their knowledge and control over stem cell materials. We propose that scientists could use existing contracts called MTAs (material transfer agreements) to share materials and reagents only with responsible scientists. This would require researchers to evaluate the requestor's CV, supplementary documentation, a clinical protocol, and website before providing reagents such as stem cell lines, nucleic acid sequences, growth factor enriched cocktails, or purified proteins to others. Those requesting materials would have to sign an MTA, which would outline the intended purposes of the materials. For example, MTAs for sharing stem cells that are not clinical grade or are not being used to develop clinical grade cells should stipulate that the cells are to be used for non-clinical research purposes only.
Although our proposal places limits on scientific openness and sharing, we believe it is necessary to have such restrictions in this situation in order to prevent greater harms—potentially worsening the condition of patients who receive fake treatments and the possibility of reducing public trust and undermining legitimate stem cell research. Our proposal also adds additional time and resource burdens to stem cell researchers, but again, this is a necessary inconvenience to stop the growing illegitimate stem cell industry. There is also concern that MTAs themselves will be ineffective, says Robin Lovell-Badge, a renowned stem cell scientist at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research in London. His contention is that rogue clinics can themselves derive embryonic stem cells from embryos, create induced pluripotent stem cells from patients, or simply not transfer anything into a patient, providing nothing more than a placebo (Robin Lovell-Badge, EuroStemCell, 2011). These are definitely valid concerns and we agree that MTAs, by themselves, will not stop stem cell tourism. But if they can deter some irresponsible stem cell therapy and research, why not use them? As with education and international policies, control of materials is simply one strategy in the scientist's arsenal that can help mitigate the use of bogus stem cell remedies.
Zubin Master, PhD is a Research Associate at the University of Alberta's Health Law and Science Policy Group. Master has published numerous research articles on stem cell ethics and policy, genethics, the responsible conduct of research, and the ethics of research involving humans.
David Resnik, JD, PhD is a Bioethicist and IRB Chair at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. Resnik has published over 170 articles and 7 books on various topics in philosophy and bioethics, serves on several editorial boards, and is an Associate Editor of the journal Accountability in Research.
http://the-scientist.com/2011/09/14/opinion-reforming-stem-cell-tourism/
World Cancer Research Fund | League table shows Denmark has world's highest cancer rates
Denmark is the world's cancer capital, according to a league table that has also revealed that the UK has the 22nd highest cancer rates in the world.
The table, compiled by World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) from World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, suggest that every year about 326 people out of every 100,000 in Denmark develop cancer.
It is thought that part of the reason for Denmark having the highest rates may be because it has a good record of diagnosing the disease. But there are also high rates of smoking among Danish women and it also has high levels of alcohol consumption, which is another cancer risk factor.
The figures, which are age standardised, show the rate in the UK is about 267 per 100,000, with the UK being ranked 33rd in the world for cancers in men and 12th for cancers in women. And for breast cancer, which is particularly linked to excess body fat and alcohol consumption, the UK is ranked 11th.
The league table shows that high-income countries generally have significantly higher cancer rates than lower income ones. For example, the only non-European countries in the top 20 are Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Israel, French Polynesia and Uruguay.
This is likely to be partly because high-income countries are better at diagnosing and recording new cases of cancer. But a large part of the reason is also that high-income countries tend to have higher levels of obesity and alcohol consumption, and lower levels of physical activity.
Professor Martin Wiseman, Medical and Scientific Adviser for WCRF, said: "We know that people in high-income countries are more likely to be overweight, to drink a lot of alcohol and to be inactive.
"There is strong scientific evidence that these factors increase risk of several common cancers and these figures show the effect of this. When you look at the list, it is clear that the countries that do worse for these factors tend to be nearer the top.
"The high incidence rates in the UK, Denmark and other high-income countries are not inevitable and lifestyle changes can make a real difference to people's risk. In fact, scientists estimate that about a third of the most common cancers in the UK and other high-income countries could be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, being more physically active and eating more healthily.
"Of course, not smoking will have an important effect beyond that, as will avoiding sunburn. So when you put all these factors together it is clear that many cases are being diagnosed every year that could have been prevented.
"But the bad news is that around the world, things are heading in the wrong direction. The general trend is for people to become more overweight, eat more high-energy foods and become less active.
"This is why we need to raise awareness about what people can do to reduce their cancer risk and as a society we need to make the kind of changes that make it easier for people to make these healthy choices."
http://www.wcrf-uk.org/audience/media/press_release.php?recid=139
Doctors still paid far less in Canada than U.S.: National Post
Despite recent fee hikes, Canadian doctors still lag dramatically far behind their American counterparts in income, according to a new study that underscores the wide pay gap in both countries between front-line "primary-care" physicians and much-wealthier surgical specialists.
Orthopedic surgeons in Canada make less than half the $440,000 average net income of colleagues in the States while doing more procedures, two U.S. health-policy professors concluded in one of the most detailed looks yet at the differences in doctor compensation between nations.
The U.K. also pays its surgeons more than Canada, while both it and Germany better compensate primarycare doctors, like family physicians and pediatricians, the comparison of six industrialized countries suggests.
Canada should not ignore the wage gap, as a sudden shortage of certain specialists in the States could trigger a drain from here, said Dr. John Haggie, president of the Canadian Medical Association. Canada saw a net loss of doctors to the U.S. in the 1990s, as provinces instituted doctor pay caps and tried to rein-in fee increases as a way to corral health costs.
But Dr. Haggie voiced no particular envy Tuesday at the statistics just published in the journal Health Affairs, saying that factors other than money influence where doctors settle, including for some the appeal of Canada's universal, government-funded health system.
"A good salary package is an attractor, it's a magnet but it doesn't always have the same effect at the other end when you're trying to retain people," said Dr. Haggie. "The system in which [physicians] work is part of the attraction of working here."
That migration to the U.S. has reversed in the last few years, with a small net influx of MDs from south of the border as incomes rose here, according to statistics and the accounts of medical recruitment agencies.
The new study's authors, both health policy professors at New York's Columbia University, did the research to help detail why the cost of health care is so steep in the U.S. compared to other countries.
It may partly reflect an American society where the mostly highly educated and skilled people in all fields tend to earn a bigger chunk of the overall wealth than similar groups in other countries, Miriam Laugesen, the lead researcher, said in an interview.
Regardless, the 2008 figures that Prof. Laugesen and her colleague gathered offer a fascinating glimpse at the profession in six countries, with stark differences in payment between nations, and between private and public payors in those places that have two-tier systems.
The average income after expenses, in U.S. dollars, for an orthopedic surgeon in the U.S. was $442,450, compared to $208,000 in Can-ada, $324,000 in the U.K. and $154,000 in France.
Provincial medicare agencies pay an average fee of $652 to surgeons in Canada for a hip replacement. Government programs like Medicaid in the States reimburse almost triple that, while U.S. private insurers offer an average of just under $4,000 per hip operation.
What is more, the U.S. has twice as many orthopedic surgeons per capita, providing about 35% more hip replacements overall.
Primary-care physicians include family doctors, pediatricians, internal-medicine specialists and obstetriciangynecologists. Those in the U.S. earned an average after expenses in 2008 of $186,582, versus $125,000 in Canada, $159,000 in Britain and just $92,000 in Australia.
The study's authors, though, say all the countries surveyed ought to examine the wide differences in pay for primary-care versus surgical specialities, and how that affects doctor career choices.
"Primary care is not seen in every country as the most important area for [doctors] to train in," said Prof. Laugesen. "By paying physicians more in one speciality, there can be changes in that perception."
http://www.financialpost.com/todays-paper/Doctors+still+paid+farless+Canada+than+Study/5397963/story.html
Sharing the Stresses of Being a Doctor - NYTimes.c...
Opinion: Reforming Stem Cell Tourism | The Scienti...
World Cancer Research Fund | League table shows De...
Doctors still paid far less in Canada than U.S.: N...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Archinect News Articles tagged "milan expo"
James Biber can see Russia from his roof. Mr. Biber, the architect of the USA Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015, the world's fair that is racing to meet its opening date on Friday, also has a good view of Kuwait next door and Iran across the street.
Keep China's Expo pavilions "weird"
Many in the art world were staggered by recent reports that the Italian curator Germano Celant is being paid €750,000 to organise a pavilion for the Milan Expo 2015. Celant's fee, and the incredulity it provoked, raises questions about how much curators are typically paid for organising biennials and large-scale international exhibitions.


text:
/* vim: set shiftwidth=4 tabstop=8 autoindent cindent expandtab: */
/* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
 * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */

/* build (from code) lists of all supported CSS properties */

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

struct PropertyInfo {
    const char *propName;
    const char *domName;
};

const PropertyInfo gLonghandProperties[] = {

#define CSS_PROP_DOMPROP_PREFIXED(prop_) Moz ## prop_
#define CSS_PROP(name_, id_, method_, flags_, pref_, parsevariant_, kwtable_, \
                 stylestruct_, stylestructoffset_, animtype_)                 \
    { #name_, #method_ },

#include "nsCSSPropList.h"

#undef CSS_PROP
#undef CSS_PROP_DOMPROP_PREFIXED

};

/*
 * These are the properties for which domName in the above list should
 * be used.  They're in the same order as the above list, with some
 * items skipped.
 */
const char* gLonghandPropertiesWithDOMProp[] = {

#define CSS_PROP_LIST_EXCLUDE_INTERNAL
#define CSS_PROP(name_, id_, method_, flags_, pref_, parsevariant_, kwtable_, \
                 stylestruct_, stylestructoffset_, animtype_)                 \
    #name_,

#include "nsCSSPropList.h"

#undef CSS_PROP
#undef CSS_PROP_LIST_EXCLUDE_INTERNAL

};

const PropertyInfo gShorthandProperties[] = {

#define CSS_PROP_DOMPROP_PREFIXED(prop_) Moz ## prop_
// Need an extra level of macro nesting to force expansion of method_
// params before they get pasted.
#define LISTCSSPROPERTIES_INNER_MACRO(method_) #method_,
#define CSS_PROP_SHORTHAND(name_, id_, method_, flags_, pref_)	\
    { #name_, LISTCSSPROPERTIES_INNER_MACRO(method_) },

#include "nsCSSPropList.h"

#undef CSS_PROP_SHORTHAND
#undef LISTCSSPROPERTIES_INNER_MACRO
#undef CSS_PROP_DOMPROP_PREFIXED

#define CSS_PROP_ALIAS(name_, id_, method_, pref_) \
    { #name_, #method_ },

#include "nsCSSPropAliasList.h"

#undef CSS_PROP_ALIAS

};

/* see gLonghandPropertiesWithDOMProp */
const char* gShorthandPropertiesWithDOMProp[] = {

#define CSS_PROP_LIST_EXCLUDE_INTERNAL
#define CSS_PROP_SHORTHAND(name_, id_, method_, flags_, pref_)	\
    #name_,

#include "nsCSSPropList.h"

#undef CSS_PROP_SHORTHAND
#undef CSS_PROP_LIST_EXCLUDE_INTERNAL

#define CSS_PROP_ALIAS(name_, id_, method_, pref_) \
    #name_,

#include "nsCSSPropAliasList.h"

#undef CSS_PROP_ALIAS

};

#define ARRAY_LENGTH(a_) (sizeof(a_)/sizeof((a_)[0]))

const char *gInaccessibleProperties[] = {
    // Don't print the properties that aren't accepted by the parser, per
    // CSSParserImpl::ParseProperty
    "-x-cols",
    "-x-lang",
    "-x-span",
    "-x-system-font",
    "border-end-color-value",
    "border-end-style-value",
    "border-end-width-value",
    "border-left-color-value",
    "border-left-color-ltr-source",
    "border-left-color-rtl-source",
    "border-left-style-value",
    "border-left-style-ltr-source",
    "border-left-style-rtl-source",
    "border-left-width-value",
    "border-left-width-ltr-source",
    "border-left-width-rtl-source",
    "border-right-color-value",
    "border-right-color-ltr-source",
    "border-right-color-rtl-source",
    "border-right-style-value",
    "border-right-style-ltr-source",
    "border-right-style-rtl-source",
    "border-right-width-value",
    "border-right-width-ltr-source",
    "border-right-width-rtl-source",
    "border-start-color-value",
    "border-start-style-value",
    "border-start-width-value",
    "margin-end-value",
    "margin-left-value",
    "margin-right-value",
    "margin-start-value",
    "margin-left-ltr-source",
    "margin-left-rtl-source",
    "margin-right-ltr-source",
    "margin-right-rtl-source",
    "padding-end-value",
    "padding-left-value",
    "padding-right-value",
    "padding-start-value",
    "padding-left-ltr-source",
    "padding-left-rtl-source",
    "padding-right-ltr-source",
    "padding-right-rtl-source",
    "-moz-script-level", // parsed by UA sheets only
    "-moz-script-size-multiplier",
    "-moz-script-min-size"
};

inline int
is_inaccessible(const char* aPropName)
{
    for (unsigned j = 0; j < ARRAY_LENGTH(gInaccessibleProperties); ++j) {
        if (strcmp(aPropName, gInaccessibleProperties[j]) == 0)
            return 1;
    }
    return 0;
}

void
print_array(const char *aName,
            const PropertyInfo *aProps, unsigned aPropsLength,
            const char * const * aDOMProps, unsigned aDOMPropsLength)
{
    printf("var %s = [\n", aName);

    int first = 1;
    unsigned j = 0; // index into DOM prop list
    for (unsigned i = 0; i < aPropsLength; ++i) {
        const PropertyInfo *p = aProps + i;

        if (is_inaccessible(p->propName))
            // inaccessible properties never have DOM props, so don't
            // worry about incrementing j.  The assertion below will
            // catch if they do.
            continue;

        if (first)
            first = 0;
        else
            printf(",\n");

        printf("\t{ name: \"%s\", prop: ", p->propName);
        if (j >= aDOMPropsLength || strcmp(p->propName, aDOMProps[j]) != 0)
            printf("null");
        else {
            ++j;
            if (strncmp(p->domName, "Moz", 3) == 0)
                printf("\"%s\"", p->domName);
            else
                // lowercase the first letter
                printf("\"%c%s\"", p->domName[0] + 32, p->domName + 1);
        }
        printf("}");
    }

    if (j != aDOMPropsLength) {
        fprintf(stderr, "Assertion failure %s:%d\n", __FILE__, __LINE__);
        fprintf(stderr, "j==%d, aDOMPropsLength == %d\n", j, aDOMPropsLength);
        exit(1);
    }

    printf("\n];\n\n");
}

int
main()
{
    print_array("gLonghandProperties",
                gLonghandProperties,
                ARRAY_LENGTH(gLonghandProperties),
                gLonghandPropertiesWithDOMProp,
                ARRAY_LENGTH(gLonghandPropertiesWithDOMProp));
    print_array("gShorthandProperties",
                gShorthandProperties,
                ARRAY_LENGTH(gShorthandProperties),
                gShorthandPropertiesWithDOMProp,
                ARRAY_LENGTH(gShorthandPropertiesWithDOMProp));
    return 0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
USC Neurosciences
Contact us at (800) USC-CARE (800-872-2273)
USC Neurological Surgery
USC Neurology
Chordoma Center
Cerebral Revascularization Center
Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Deep Brain Stimulation Center
Headache and Neuralgia Center
Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring Program
Memory and Aging Center
Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery and Endoscopic Skull Base Center
Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center
Neuro Critical Care Program
Neuro Oncology Program
Neuro Psychology and Cognitive Behavioral Neurology Program
Neuro Rehabilitation Program
Neurogenetics Multidisciplinary Program
USC Neuromuscular Center
Neurovascular Disorder Center
Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Center
Roxanna Todd Hodges Comprehensive Stroke Clinic and TIA Program
Skull Base Therapeutics Center
Stereotactic Radiosurgery Center
Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Trauma Center
Trigeminal Neuralgia and Hemifacial Spasm Center
TeleStroke/Neurological Emergency Program
Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery and Endoscopic Skull Base Centermjmedina2019-11-22T15:07:17+00:00
The neurosurgeons at the USC Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery and Endoscopic Skull Base Center have developed extensive experience with the diagnosis and evaluation of all tumors that affect the skull base. Endoscopic neurosurgery is a rapidly evolving subspecialty that takes full advantage of the most recent advancements in optical and video technology as well as surgical instrumentation to treat a variety of brain tumors and other conditions.
In endoscopic neurosurgery, small incisions and natural openings in the skull are used to safely and adequately perform a given operation. Using natural pathways and smaller incisions to approach various brain regions results in decreased injury to the brain, reduced risks of cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and may minimize pain, risk of infection and the length of hospital stays. Integration of advanced technology, including high quality endoscopy systems and high definition viewing monitors, into many types of neurosurgery has significantly improved our ability to perform many of these approaches on a daily basis.
We offer a comprehensive multidisciplinary skull base neurosurgical program, which allows treatment by experts from several specialties at the same time. This includes a neurosurgeon, neuro-oncologist, endocrinologist, radiation oncologist and ophthalmologist, among others. To streamline care and improve consensus among all physicians, patients' cases are discussed at a weekly tumor board, where specialists from all these disciplines come together to formulate a cohesive plan for optimizing patient care.
Some of our innovative technology includes:
BrainPath® – the BrainPath® is an innovative tool used to surgically operate on deep brain tumors and deep vascular lesions, including intracerebral hemorrhages, without causing injury to healthy brain tissue. The tool allows neurosurgeons to reposition healthy brain tissue when locating a tumor or lesion, instead of cutting it, lowering the risk of complications.
Neuro-endoscopy – fueled by recent advances in optical technology and miniaturization of camera and digital devices, we are now able to explore and treat conditions located within small and complex spaces with unparalleled visualization and illumination.
Neuro-navigation – intraoperative neuro-navigation pertains to the use of high-quality neuroimaging (such as an MRI) that is programmed into a specialized computer located within the operating room and registered to the patient's surface anatomy prior to starting the operation. The navigation device acts as a sort of global positioning satellite, or "GPS," for the brain that may improve safety and minimizes the size of surgical incisions.
Minimally invasive instruments and design – specialized instruments for endoscopic microdissection are routinely used to remove tumors during operations performed at Keck Medical Center of USC.
Keck Medicine of USC offers the most advanced neurosurgical techniques for safely removing these tumors. Our neurosurgeons are fellowship-trained in minimally invasive endoscopic skull base surgery. Working with endocrinologists both in the community and at Keck Medical Center of USC, a large number of patients have been successfully managed by nonoperative strategies. Several types of radiosurgery are available for treating these tumors, including Gamma Knife®, among others. For more information on radiosurgery treatments, click here to visit the Stereotactic Radiosurgery Center.
Conditions treated in the USC Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery and Endoscopic Skull Base Center include:
Acoustic Neuromas, also called vestibular schwannomas, are benign, usually slow growing tumors that arise from the balance or hearing nerve (eighth cranial nerve) and do not spread to other parts of the body. Signs and symptoms of an acoustic neuroma include hearing loss, tinnitus or ringing in the ear and balance problems. As they get larger, these tumors can produce other symptoms including headaches, unilateral facial numbness and tingling, unilateral facial weakness, and fullness in the ear.
Visit the USC Acoustic Neuroma Center website for more information.
Chordoma/Chondrosarcoma
Chordomas are tumors that can occur anywhere along the spine. Most often they are found at the top of the spine (skull base or clival) or at the base of the spine (sacral). They are less frequently found in the neck (cervical), upper back (thoracic) or lower back (lumbar). These tumors are typically slow growing but can become aggressive in some cases.
Visit the USC Chordoma Center for more information.
A chondrosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor that tends to arise at the base of the skull, especially in the area near the pituitary gland.
Craniopharyngioma
A craniopharyngioma is a benign, yet locally invasive tumor typically located in the area of the pituitary gland. It is usually a hard tumor that can be calcified and is a remnant of a duct that develops between the brain (cranio) and mouth (pharynx). Its composition is frequently similar to that of tooth enamel. It often grows in intimate contact with surrounding structures, such as the pituitary stalk and gland, optic nerves, ventricles of the brain and blood vessels. Patients with craniopharyngiomas often present with visual loss, hormonal dysfunction, headaches, memory loss or confusion and pressure build-up in the brain (hydrocephalus).
Glioma/Astrocytoma
An astrocytoma is a brain tumor made up of astrocytes, which are glial cells that support the neurons of the brain. Astrocytomas are the most common type of primary brain tumors originating from brain tissue. Even the most aggressive astrocytomas almost never spread throughout the blood and lymphatic systems into other parts of the body, and in this sense, they differ from cancers in that they typically remain confined to the central nervous system.
Hydrocephalus is a buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling. Hydrocephalus means "water on the brain." Hydrocephalus is due to a problem with the flow of the fluid that surrounds the brain. This fluid is called the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF. The fluid surrounds the brain and spinal cord, and helps cushion the brain. CSF normally moves through the brain and the spinal cord, and is soaked into the bloodstream. Too much CSF puts pressure on the brain. This pushes the brain up against the skull and damages brain tissue.
A meningioma is a slow growing, usually benign tumor of the brain or spinal cord. Although these tumors usually arise from the covering of the brain (meninges) and not the brain tissue itself, they often compress the brain and other important nerves or blood vessels. Approximately 98 percent of all meningiomas are benign, with the small minority being classified as "atypical" or "malignant."
Metastatic brain tumors are tumors that spread to the brain from another (primary) cancer in the body and are known to occur in 20 to 45 percent of cancer patients. Tumor cells often spread through the bloodstream or other routes across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and into the central nervous system. In a minority of cases, the first presentation of a bodily cancer will be from a metastatic brain tumor. The most common primary cancers resulting in brain metastases that require treatment include lung, breast, melanoma (skin) and genitourinary tract cancers.
Pituitary Adenoma
A pituitary adenoma is a slow growing and typically benign tumor arising from cells in the pituitary gland. Because they originate from cells in the pituitary gland, which is the master hormone gland, they often cause problems related to hormonal dysfunction. Some pituitary tumors result in excessive production and over-secretion of hormones, which can result in a variety of syndromes. A large proportion of these tumors, however, do not produce any functional hormones, but instead grow to a size where they cause symptoms because they compress surrounding structures. For these reasons, larger pituitary tumors (called macroadenomas) often present with headache, visual loss and pituitary gland dysfunction. Changes in energy level, sexual function and libido, and many other symptoms may be a result of a dysfunctional pituitary gland (called hypopituitarism). The overwhelming majority of pituitary tumors are benign with a minority being classified as "atypical" or "malignant."
Rathke's cleft cyst
Rathke's cleft cyst is a benign cyst in the pituitary gland. It develops in the space between the front and back of the pituitary gland. Rathke's cleft cysts may not cause symptoms. If larger in size, patients may experience symptoms as the cyst compresses surrounding areas of the brain.
Symptoms may include partial or total vision loss, blurry vision and hormone insufficiencies in the pituitary gland.
A colloid cyst is a benign tumor usually located near the center of the brain. Colloid cysts are slow growing. When symptomatic, colloid cysts may cause memory problems, headaches and confusion.
Epidermoid/dermoid tumor
Epidermoid and dermoid tumors most likely form during fetal development. Symptoms may be present later in life. Epidermoid tumors are generally located where the brain stem and top of the brain meet. Dermoid tumors are found in the lower end of the spine in older children and rarely, in the lower part of the brain in older adults.
An arachnoid cyst is a fluid-filled sac in the subarachnoid area of the brain. Though typically asymptomatic, arachnoid cyst symptoms may include headache, nausea and vomiting, hydrocephalus and seizures.
Brain tumors in the area of the skull base may be treated with multiple treatment options. Treatment for each patient varies on each patient's specific case, but may include observation, medical treatment, surgery, and radiation or radiosurgery.
Neuro-endoscopic surgical approaches are generally classified into the following categories based on how the endoscope is used during the operation:
Endoscopic endonasal pituitary and skull base surgery
These minimally–invasive procedures are used to treat a variety of tumors and other lesions arising at the base of the skull and in the paranasal sinuses. These operations are typically performed through the nostrils and are therefore called "endonasal" procedures. No incisions are made on the face and the recovery is typically quite rapid. Depending on the tumor, the operation may be performed by one surgeon or a team of surgeons (typically a neurosurgeon and otolaryngologist). In some cases, a small additional incision is made in the abdomen or thigh in order to remove a small piece of fat or fascia used to reconstruct the skull base and prevent fluid leakage following the operation. This approach is commonly used to treat pituitary adenomas, Rathke Cleft Cysts, meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas and several other tumor types.
Endoscopic–assisted "keyhole" operations
This subset of endoscopic procedures takes advantage of small "keyhole" size bony windows and smaller incisions to access the target area. The tumors most commonly treated via keyhole operations are meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas and pituitary adenomas, in addition to several others. These surgeries can often be performed using a small incision in the eyebrow or behind the hairline, which typically cannot be seen once healed. Depending on the location in the brain, a keyhole approach can be performed for several types of tumors and cysts. It is generally believed that the smaller bony openings and incisions used in these approaches result in decreased incidence of infections and complications such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage.
Neuro-endoscopic intraventricular operations
The cerebral ventricles are a connected series of chambers deep in the brain that produce and circulate CSF throughout the nervous system. At times, the normal pathways of CSF circulation can become blocked by tumors, cysts, or other conditions, resulting in a buildup of fluid and raised intraventricular pressure known as hydrocephalus. Because the ventricles are anatomically deeper structures, they can be a challenge to operate within using more traditional approaches. Neuro-endoscopic approaches to intraventricular conditions have become the preferred way to treat many conditions arising within the ventricular system, including colloid cysts, arachnoid cysts, some intraventricular tumors and some forms of hydrocephalus. Typically, a small incision is made behind the hairline in the frontal area, and a dime–sized hole is created for insertion of the endoscope into the ventricle. Sometimes, a procedure called an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) can be performed to treat hydrocephalus and may eliminate the need for implanting a permanent CSF shunt.
BrainPath®
The NICO BrainPath® is an innovative tool used to surgically operate on deep-seated tumors in the brain without causing injury to healthy brain tissue. The tool is also used to access deep vascular lesions, including intracerebral hemorrhages. This minimally invasive surgery uses brain imaging, neuro-navigation, access, optics, tissue resection and regenerative medicine, which allows neurosurgeons to safely remove tumors that may have been previously deemed inoperable due to location or size.
The procedure requires an opening less than the size of a dime and uses brain mapping, GPS navigation and the BrainPath® tool to safely move through the natural folds and delicate fibers of the brain. The tool allows neurosurgeons to reposition healthy brain tissue when locating a tumor or lesion, instead of cutting it, lowering the risk of complications and shortening length of hospital stay. The BrainPath® also creates a clear passageway for surgeons to maintain access to the tumor or lesion for removal.
Overall physician rating
Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery and Endoscopic Skull Base Center Rating
4.9out of 5
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4.9out of 5(210 Ratings, 37 Comments)
doctor listened attentively, which is not always how other practitioners act.
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We had a fun New Years Eve ringing in the New Year with lots of friends! We started off at the fireworks stand stocking up on fireworks! Jackson and Brylee love to pick out fireworks they can shoot. Then we headed to the Franklin's for the annual New Years Eve party and fireworks show. The show where Jeremy and Ray get into a contest to see who can buy the biggest and the best fireworks!
After the Franklin's we headed over to the Brown's for New Years Eve Party round 2!
We had a great time ringing in the New Year with all our baseball buddies!
and the kids just running and playing inside and outside!
Checking in with the dads downstairs or grabbing a bite from the moms in the kitchen!
We even had a little dance party and Brylee was all about it.
Here she is getting in on a little "wobble" action!
We all even made it until midnight! I think this is the first time my kids have made it to midnight on New Years to welcome in the New Year! They were so excited! Funny how times on New Years have changed over the years! We have gone from Richard and I ringing in the New Year adult style; then there were the years when our kiddos were little when we were fast asleep and rang in the New Year in our dreams; now we are ringing in the New Year with our kiddos!!!! What a fun night!!!!


Follow @Monroegallery on twitter. The Monroe Gallery of Photography, Sante Fe. NM has shown my work since 2007. We connected at Review Sante Fe. Please follow me on twitter @ESPictures.
By Eric Smith — Proud to be a part of the Fotovisura community. Thank you Adriana, Graham and Anna for all your help in making this happen. Please come visit me at..


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Trump Was Granted Five Draft Deferments During the Vietnam War
Donald Trump loves our soldiers, but only if it doesn't involve him being one of them.
According to new reports, Trump was granted five draft deferments in the Vietnam War.
Trump was granted one medical and four educational deferments, which kept him out of the conflict, The New York Times reported Monday.
The Republican presidential nominee registered with the Selective Service System, which is used for the draft, after he turned 18 in 1964. Trump received his first educational deferment the following month, the report said, while starting his undergraduate studies at Fordham University in the Bronx.
Trump then transferred to Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, receiving additional deferments during his sophomore, junior and senior years. He graduated in the spring of 1968.
The fall after he graduated, Trump was granted a 1-Y medical deferment due to a foot condition.
"I had a doctor that gave me a letter — a very strong letter on the heels," he told The New York Times.
"They were [heel] spurs," Trump said of his condition. "You know, it was difficult from the long-term walking standpoint. [It was] not a big problem, but it was enough of a problem."
Heel spurs are bone protrusions caused by calcium buildup. The condition is typically treated through stretching, orthotics and, at times, surgery.
"Over a period of time, it healed up," Trump said.
Trump kept his 1-Y status until 1972, when he became 4-F and was permanently disqualified from military service in Vietnam, the Times reported. Last year, Trump said he feels "a little bit guilty" for having never served in Vietnam.
His military deferments are getting new scrutiny following his feud with the parents of a Muslim U.S. soldier who died in Iraq.
Khizr Khan, Capt. Humayun Khan's father, challenged Trump's treatment of Muslims during last week's Democratic National Convention.
"Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America," he said on July 28 in Philadelphia. "You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities.
"You have sacrificed nothing and no one," Khizr Khan added of the GOP's presidential nominee. "We can't solve our problems by building walls and sowing division."
Trump fired back by questioning why Khan's wife, Ghazala Khan, stood by his side at the convention without speaking. She said she chose not to because talking about her son is difficult.
Photo credit: Twitter.


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News EU VC Releases: Earthworm Jim and Shining Force II
A Sega duo hits the Wii Shop today. And it's not just any duo, as both of the games are extremely well-liked cult classics, which many Sega fans have been longing for.
In Earthworm Jim you take control of Jim, an earthworm who was lucky enough to have a power suit fall on top of him, thus giving him a body and special abilties normal earthworms...
Fri 3rd Oct 2008
News Virtual Console games to be directly downloadable to SD cards
At a press conference in Japan today, not only did Nintendo announce a barrage of new DS/Wii games and a new DS, they also announced something Wii fans have been wanting for a long time - A storage solution!
Sadly, it's not a hard drive like many people assumed. Instead, you'll be able to directly download games to SD cards. At the moment, the only...
Thu 2nd Oct 2008
News The DSi – One Step Closer to a Portable Virtual Console?
Nintendo has just unveiled details of a new handheld console called the DSi.
But before you get too excited and spill your Sunny D all over the keyboard, it's worth noting that it's essentially a DS with slight modifications rather an all-new machine. Improvements include larger screens (3.25 inches, up from 3 inches), two cameras (both 0.3...
News Weekly Virtual Console Round Up (1st Oct)
Nintendo's Virtual Console shop has 1 new release this week, Super Turrican 2 (SNES).
Super Turrican 2System: Super NintendoRelease Date: Mon 29th Sep (US) As the last survivor of the United Freedom Forces, it is your duty to destroy the Machine's forces that have devastated the galaxy. Fight through countless hordes of enemies using everything at your disposal. Use weapons and power-ups to fight..
Wed 1st Oct 2008
Review Super Turrican 2
As the last survivor of the United Freedom Forces, it is your duty to destroy the Machine's forces that have devastated the galaxy.
The Turrican series began life on the Commodore 64 computer and would soon see quite a few releases on the various personal computers of the time period. The series made its first appearance on a console with the Sega Mega Drive release of Mega Turrican and would..
News USA VC Release: Super Turrican 2
Just one Virtual Console release this week, and it's the second coming of everyone's favourite death-dealing cyborg, Turrican. Based on the home computer original, Super Turrican 2 is a radically retooled sequel that takes advantage of the console's unique capabilities. It retails for the usual 800 Wii points, so be sure to check it out should you be a fan of the first game.
Super Turrican 2..
Feature Hardware Focus - NEC SuperGrafx
In 1989 the PC Engine was still selling quite well in Japan, but Sega's 16-bit Mega Drive system was beginning to pick up steam and Nintendo's Super Famicom console was looming just around the corner. Sensing this, NEC decided that they needed a true 16-bit console if they were to have any hope of continuing their success in the Japanese console wars.
The successor to the PC Engine was originally planned to be an entirely new system with true 16-bit architecture, but somewhere along the lines NEC decided to instead go for a 'quick fix' and thus the SuperGrafx console was born. Instead of designing a whole new system, NEC basically...
News TurboGrafx-16 Releases - October
It's another case of catchup next month for the TurboGrafx-16. The US will be getting two games which Europe, Australia and Japan have already had for some time. Europe and Australia get nothing while they wait for the US to get up to date!
The two import TurboGrafx-16 games the US will be getting next month are: Digital Champ: Battle Boxing Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou Digital Champ isn't really..
News Japanese Virtual Console list - October 2008
Next month's Japanese VC list isn't a pretty sight - You can easily see that even in Japan, the amount of released games is quickly decreasing. Only 9 games will be released in the entire month! There are some gems in the lot, but it's still pretty disappointing to see.
Their full list of upcoming games for October is as follows: Famicom: Kanshakudama Nage Kantarou no Toukaidou Gojuusan..
News Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie "Exclusively" on XBLA
If you were one of those hopeful types who thought that Banjo-Kazooie's Xbox Live Arcade announcement meant that it could still come to Virtual Console, it might be time to give up hope.
Earlier today, Microsoft published a press release containing Banjo-Kazooie's release date, saying that it would be coming to XBLA "exclusively". It's set...
Review Super Dodge Ball
Not too dodgy
The characters from River City Ransom (of which the main character is known in Japan as Kunio-kun) are back for a friendly game of dodge ball. Or are they? If you've played the aforementioned game, you'll know that the Kunio series hilariously overdoes everything. You were able to smash enemies around not just with chains, but also...
Tue 23rd Sep 2008
News USA VC Releases: Super Dodge Ball and Vectorman
Don't just buy Mega Man 9 on WiiWare this week and ignore the Virtual Console - There's two great games up for grabs there as well!
If you've played the excellent River City Ransom, you'll probably think Super Dodge Ball looks strangely familiar. If you do, you're right, because it's another game in the Kunio series, which all share a similar art style. Strangely, outside Japan, the link between..
Mon 22nd Sep 2008
Feature Hands-on with Datel's Wireless Retro Controller
Going wireless
The Classic Controller is a great peripheral, modelled on the humble SNES controller of yesteryear with two analogue sticks and a few extra buttons thrown in for good measure to support N64 games - it is all you need to enjoy most of the retro games on the Virtual Console. The only downside is that it isn't completely wireless...
Virtual Console / Commodore 64
Review Boulder Dash
Oh Boulder Dash!
Boulder Dash is a fondly-remembered classic and was so popular back in the day that it spawned umpteen sequels and numerous ports and remakes which continue to appear even today. It was perhaps inevitable that the game would appear in some capacity on one of the Wii's download services, so how does the old classic stand up today?...
Review Jumpman
Jumpman is a bomb disposal expert. He is called on to save the Jupiter headquarters after the evil Alienators invade it and booby-trap its 30 levels.
While the video game industry was crashing down around us, personal computers were beginning to invade households around the world. The Commodore 64 was one such computer and went on to become one of...
News PEGI and ESRB Update: Last Ninja 3, Enduro Racer and More
A double whammy today, as both the PEGI and the ESRB have rated some new VC games! And not only do they reconfirm already confirmed games, they also reveal two new games.
While there was absolutely no doubt Last Ninja 3 would be hitting VC (As the first and second game are both out in Europe) the PEGI has now confirmed our suspicions by rating it...
PEGI ratings
News Nyko Set To Release Wireless Classic Controller
Ooh fancy!
For those of you out there who have been searching for an alternative to Nintendo's Wii Classic Controller, you're search is over. Nyko is getting set to release their new Wing wireless classic controller this fall for the Nintendo Wii console. Not only does the Wing feature an ergonomic grip, it also features full wireless support for...
News EU VC Releases: Master System Sonic & Two C64 Classics
Today's releases include Europe's 250th Virtual Console game! We're not quite sure which of the games Nintendo considers to be the one, but all three of them are absolute classics.
Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System is a remake of the Mega Drive game with the same name. While the basic gameplay remains the same (Collect rings, defeat Dr...
News USA VC Release: Mega Man 2
It's time for another catchup update: Today US Wii owners will be able to download what is almost certainly the most loved Mega Man game ever made: Mega Man 2. European Wii owners already got to rediscover its delights last December, meaning it's been a 9 month wait.
Mega Man 2 expands on the concepts of the first Mega Man - Aside from upping the initial stage count from 6 to 8, there's 8 entirely..
News OFLC Update: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)
While many of us would probably prefer to see Dracula X: Rondo of Blood appear on the US and European Virtual Console services it's looking likely that we'll be treated to one of the game's prequels first, because the Australian OFLC has recently rated the NES title Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.
The final installment in the popular NES trilogy, Dracula's Curse is regarded by many fans..
OFLC ratings
News USA VC Releases: Cho Aniki and Final Soldier
Something which many thought would never happen is occurring today: Cho Aniki is being released in the US! Accompanying it is another TurboGrafx-16 import shooter: Final Soldier.
Cho Aniki and its sequels have received both a lot of love and a lot of hate over the years. This is because the series' storyline is based mostly on protein and...
Mon 8th Sep 2008
News EU VC Releases: DoReMi Fantasy and Ys Book I & II
Can you believe it? It's already time to say goodbye to the Hanabi Festival, as this is presumably the last week with imports. But it goes out with a bang - Not only are there two more imports available, they're accompanied by two Turbografx games, one of which is spectacular.
First, the new imports: DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure was released in the US almost half a year ago. What an..
News USA VC Releases: Super Mario RPG and Clu Clu Land
If you're one of those people who, for some reason, didn't care that great games like Ys Book I & II, Samurai Shodown II and Mega Man came out recently, and only care about Nintendo games, maybe you can finally stop complaining this week - There's not one but two Nintendo games available later today.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars...
Mon 1st Sep 2008
Review Clu Clu Land
Clu Clu a choo
First, a lesson in linguistics – 'Kurukuru' in Japanese means 'turning around'. Why are we telling you this? Well, it neatly explains Clu Clu Land's rather unusual title, and also gives some insight into the mechanics of the game. You assume the role of a funny-looking fish called Bubbles, who due to some cruel...
News Drake's Ratings Roundup - August 2008
You might remember back in June we posted a decently sized list of all games that got rated recently which had not yet been released. We also promised this feature would return every month - Sadly not too many games got rated in July, so for now we've decided to just keep it as a bi-monthly feature instead, meaning that it is now time to make another!
We already explained the various ratings board..
Ratings roundup
News TurboGrafx-16 Releases - September
It's the last Friday of the month, so Hudson has outlined their VC plans for next month. There appears to be a "game swap" of sorts taking place - The US is getting two games that Europe has had for a few months, while Europe is getting two games the US recently got!
The US can look forward to sampling the delights of two import shooters - Cho Aniki, a wonderfully wacky game and the first..
News Japanese Virtual Console list - September 2008
Some big things in Japan next month. After taking a multi-month break, the N64 is finally back in action! Square Enix is also finally putting up one of their most wanted RPGs for the SNES (That isn't Super Mario RPG). It's obviously not Chrono Trigger, nor is it Final Fantasy. Look below if you want to know!
The full list of games to be released in...
News EU VC Releases: Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa and Dig Dug
Finally breaking the annoying pattern which has been going on the past few months, Nintendo of Europe has not only released WiiWare games today. They've released both Virtual Console AND WiiWare games!
On the Virtual Console you can now pick up two more imports. Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa is a platformer from the brilliant minds at Konami. It stars the baby prince Upa, who must travel through seven..
News USA VC Releases: Ys Book I & II and Samurai Shodown II
American VC gamers hoping for Super Mario RPG today due to its surprise release a few days ago in Europe might feel a little disappointed today as it is not out this week in the USA unfortunately. Worry not, this week is still a stellar update for the Wii Shop as one of our other favourite RPGs is up for grabs, and one of the best 2D brawlers too!
Review Ys Book I & II
Ys Book I & II chronicles the first adventures of Adol Christin, a young, red-haired swordsman on a quest to unlock the secrets of an ancient kingdom.
Even the most hardened TG16 fan will admit that the machine wasn't exactly a massive success when it was released in the States. It struggled against the Genesis and SNES despite having some great...
News Hanabi Festival 3 Kicks Off
Our expectations have been confirmed - Today marks the start of the third Hanabi Festival. The Hanabi icons in the Wii Shop, next to the names of today's released games, Super Mario RPG and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, should have already tipped this off to you, but Nintendo of Europe has now published a short press release on the matter.
Thi...
Fri 22nd Aug 2008
Hanabi Festival
Review Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Mario + RPG = WIN!
What do you get when one of the best RPG creators in the world decides to build an RPG around one of the most recognizable video game characters in history? What you get is a video game that is considered one of the greatest ever made and an RPG that's not only unique, but extremely playable as well. Many were skeptical when the...
News EU VC Releases: Super Mario RPG and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Exciting times for Europe today, as it seems to be the start of the third Hanabi Festival - That means that you can once again probably expect a bunch of import games the coming weeks!
The Festival starts off with a bang, just like the first one from 2007. Finally making its debut in Europe (After 12 years!) is the fantastic Square/Nintendo co-operation for the SNES, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the..
News USA VC Releases: Mega Man and Neo Turf Masters
The time has finally come! The Blue Bomber arrives on the US Virtual Console today after paying Europe a visit over a year ago! Accompanying everybody's favourite blue robot is the rather good Neo Geo golf game, Neo Turf Masters.
Mega Man really needs no introduction. After Mario and Zelda he was perhaps the biggest NES icon, and the Mega Man series...
News Bionic Commando Not Approved For Virtual Console
Way back in April we reported that Capcom's Ben Judd stated that the NES version of Bionic Commando would not be coming to the Virtual Console.
Not content to leave it there, that old chestnut has been raised again as Bionic Commando Rearmed is due on Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC soon. Here's what he had to say on the subject in...
News USA VC Releases: Star Parodier and Break In
If you were hoping for Hudson's TurboGrafx-16 import duo to be released two weeks ago (As Hudson "confirmed"), you were probably disappointed. Today, however, the disappointment will be lifted, as both games are coming out.
If you're at all familiar with Konami's Gradius series, you should know that it eventually got a...
News Goldeneye Locked In Legal Limbo
WAAAAY back in the mists of time we reported that Nintendo was looking to bring Rare's N64 classic Goldeneye to the Virtual Console.
Soon afterwards it became clear that it wasn't going to happen, and to make matters worse, it looked as if Rare's new owners might bring the game to their 360 console via the Xbox Live Arcade service, albeit in...
Fri 8th Aug 2008
News EU VC Update - Samurai Shodown II
Samurai Shodown II was supposed to be released in the US last Monday, according to SNK. Sadly, this ended up not happening. Europeans, however, are now able to buy SNK's fighter masterpiece on Virtual Console. It is flanked by a cult Commodore 64 game and two Mega Drive games.
Obviously, Samurai Shodown II is the pick of the bunch. We got International Karate +, a fantastic fighter, only two weeks..
Review Pitstop II
Pitstop II is the first racing game that brings you the thrill of battling an opponent, the excitement of fighting for the lead out on the track and the suspense of struggling to be the first out of the pits.
Racing games, as a whole, haven't exactly aged as well as games from other genres over the years, but there's still something to be said for the classic arcade racers of old. Sure they were..
Review Samurai Shodown II
First released in 1994, this fighting game follows 15 samurai in their individual quests.
Let's face it, the majority of SNKs existence is based around their unrelenting quest to come up with a fighting game for their system that could stand toe-to-toe with Capcom's immensely popular Street Fighter II arcade game. Samurai Shodown has the unique distinction of being the fighting game that finally..
News Publishers Remain Tight-Lipped On Black Monday Debacle
Boy, Monday was a real bummer, wasn't it? There we all were, waiting in feverish expectation for the impending triple-whammy of Mega Man, Ys Book 1 & 2 and Samurai Showdown II, as we had previously been promised by the respective publishers of these games. Then Nintendo pulled the rug from beneath us and released Sonic and Splatterhouse II instead.
Feeling a sense of duty to the legions of..
Virtual Console / Master System
Review Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic's back in 8-bit style.
Following the undoubted success of Sonic The Hedgehog on the Mega Drive it seems only fitting that a version of the game was created for the Sega's 8-bit wonder, the Master System which still had strong support in Europe at the time. This game was also something of a swan song to North American gamers who had took a...
News Nintendo Responds To US Release Date Queries
Following Monday's US Virtual Console release debacle, Nintendo has responded to enquiries about how three different publishers were issuing statements claiming that their games would be coming out on the 4th, only for Nintendo to release two entirely different games instead.
Speaking to GoNintendo, the company had this to say: A number of...
News USA VC Update: Sonic (Master System) and Splatterhouse 2
If you've been keeping up with the news and saw our recent articles, you would've known that Capcom, Hudson Soft and SNK Playmore all "confirmed" that one of their games would be released on VC today in the US. These games would have been Mega Man, Ys Book I & II, and Samurai Shodown II, all classics and very well liked among retro gamers. Sadly, it appears that Nintendo of America is having none of that (Just like two weeks ago with Star Parodier and Break In) and has chosen to release completely different games instead.
Mon 4th Aug 2008
Review Splatterhouse 2
Rick, once again encounters the Terror Mask and must use its powers to rescue his beloved Jennifer.
Rick is back! After the Terror Mask from the first Splatterhouse comes back and tells him his girlfriend (Who seemingly meets an unpleasant fate in the first game) can still be saved, Rick puts on the mask again, and goes back to the remains of the mansion to locate another house nearby, which is..
News Mega Man Finally Out On Monday In USA
This Monday August 4th could be one of the best Virtual Console days since the very early days. Not only have we confirmed that the outstanding Neo Geo brawler Samurai Shodown II and the renowned TurboGrafx RPG Ys Book I & II are coming out on Monday, it seems there will also be an appearance from the blue bomber!
Yes that's right, Mega Man will finally be released in the USA. In a bizarre..
Sun 3rd Aug 2008
News The Mascott speaks about the Virtual Console!
What would you get if you took every VC Reviews reader and combined them into one? Perhaps the closest thing we could ever get to such a grotesque amalgamation as this might be summed up in the unlikely guise of the trilby wearing Youtube buffoon known affectionately to his friends as The Mascott!
Despite his wayward appearance, the Mascott has...
Fri 1st Aug 2008
News Ys Book I & II Released in US Next Week
After Hudson updated their VC site with their planned upcoming TurboGrafx-16 releases for America, and all games except Ys Book I & II had specific dates, people were assuming it would be released last. This has turned out to not be true however, as it's being released before the now remaining two games with dates (Star Parodier and Break In), meaning that it's coming out on Monday!
Ys Book I..
News Samurai Shodown II Coming To North American VC In August
Widely seen as one of the defining fighting games of all time, Samurai Shodown II was today confirmed by SNK Playmore as coming to the North American Virtual Console in August - the 4th, to be exact.
That's right - next Monday you could be crossing swords with the best of them! We've already seen the sublime Samurai Shodown on Nintendo's retro download service but the sequel is even better –..
Thu 31st Jul 2008
News OFLC Update: Wonder Boy in Monster Land
The OFLC has rated one new game today: Wonder Boy in Monster Land is the second game in the Wonder Boy series and the last game in the series we didn't have on VC yet (Not counting the Japan-only Monster World IV). The game ditched the original Wonder Boy's gameplay entirely, instead going for a more RPG-oriented gameplay style. Alongside simple platforming, you will also have to defeat enemies for money to buy better equipment, and experience.
Once the game has been released, we will have at least one version of each game in the series on VC. We'll still be missing the "Wonder Boy" versions of two of them, however - Wonder Boy III:..
Review Chase H.Q.
Let's go Mr. Driver!
Back in 1988 Taito released Chase HQ into arcades around the world. It took the driving aspects from many other racing games of the time period and coupled them together with the intense action of a high-speed police pursuit. While this offered a nice change of pace from the typical and often redundant racing experiences found in arcades at the time, it also proved to be a bit..
News USA VC Update: Chase HQ and Art of Fighting 2
This week's Virtual Console releases cater nicely for those of you that either enjoy chasing criminals in fast cars or beating the seven shades out of fellow human beings.
First up is Taito's arcade classic Chase HQ, represented here by the TG-16/PC Engine conversion. Sadly, this isn't a brilliant port of the coin-op original and even hardcore fans of the game are likely to be bitterly..
News RPG Action Comes to the US Next Month in Ys Book I & II
Following Nintendo of Japan's August schedule, Hudson has revealed their plans for the US next month, and they are quite good indeed! Sadly, it appears Europe and Australia will not be getting any new Turbografx games in August.
The US will start off by getting Chase H.Q. next week. This was the last listed game for July, and with the other two games scheduled for the month suffering a completely..
News Japanese Virtual Console list - August 2008
It's the last Friday of the month again, and you know what that means - Nintendo of Japan has revealed their plans for August. There are no big surprises this month, but there is one small surprise that everybody expected: Capcom has managed to sneak an extra release into July to milk out its main franchise even further! Aside from Nintendo releasing one of their more obscure classics, there is nothing too interesting to speak of here.
Japan's last update of July (Next Tuesday) is: Rockman (Mega Man, FC) Street Figh..
News EU VC Update - International Karate +
It seems this week is some sort of "arcade week" in Europe, as there are three new games which all have distinct arcadey gameplay. If you don't like karate, painting roads or golf, then this week is not for you!
International Karate + is the extremely popular sequel to the original International Karate. Aside from allowing up to 3 fighters in one battle instead of 2 (Although one of them..
Review International Karate +
Karate fighting has never been so much fun.
After the original was released as one of the two debut C64 titles on the VC, we didn't have to wait too long for the even better sequel to appear. At heart the same game, the plus in IK+ refers to a key difference - a third fighter. Whilst you could previously compete against a friend or the computer one on one, you can now take on two opponents at once..
Review Neo Turf Masters
Golf in Neo Geo style.
There are basically two good golf games available for the Neo Geo. Top Player's Golf was released in 1990 and is a solid and playable golf game in and of itself, but Neo Turf Masters, which was released 6 years later, is clearly a much more refined and enjoyable golfing experience. The game features some very playable game...
Feature Top 10 Racing Games We Want To Come To The Virtual Console
Outrun?!
Racing or driving games are sorely underrepresented on the Virtual Console. Why is that we ask? They've always been popular with gamers since Pole Position on the Atari 2600. In the vain hope that powers that be at Nintendo ever visit this site for inspiration, here are the driving games which we feel deserve consideration for the Virtual...
Wed 23rd Jul 2008
Feature Top 10 Puzzlers We Want To Come To The Virtual Console
Following the series of Top 10 lists we've already done, we've made a selection of puzzle games we would like to see! It should be noted that there's a bunch of great puzzlers already on VC - The likes of Puyo Puyo, Adventures of Lolo, Wrecking Crew, Solomon's Key and Pokémon Puzzle League are all top-notch and very much worth a purchase...
Feature Top 10 Shmups We Want To Come To The Virtual Console
Since I've been fortunate enough to witness all of the shooter love in the comments lately, I thought I'd take a moment to share the love with a new top ten list chock full of shoot 'em ups. Although there have already been quite a few outstanding shooters released on the Virtual Console, there are still a lot of great titles left between the various consoles. Today we'll take a look at ten of the best. No need to thank me, just enjoy the list. :P
10. Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth (Nintendo 64) - Here's the forgotten member...
News ESRB Update: Sonic the Hedgehog on Master System
If you've been keeping up with the news you might remember that "Sonic the Hedgehog" was recently added to the OFLC listings a second time. We speculated that this could be the Master System version of the game, but now the ESRB has confirmed that that is indeed the case.
The ESRB has been quite specific, calling the game "Sonic the Hedgehog on Master System" in its rating, so..
Mon 21st Jul 2008
News USA VC Update: Super Fantasy Zone and Gley Lancer
If you're desperately hoping for another TurboGrafx-16 game to be released soon, you might've noticed that Hudson's site listed Star Parodier and Break In to be released today. Sadly this is not the case, as in a strange twist of fate two different games have been released instead. Both of them are shooters, both of them are on the Genesis, both of them are imports, and both of them were already released in Europe quite a while ago.
Super Fantasy Zone is the last game in the Fantasy Zone series. It is quite...
News Datel Release Retro Controllers for Virtual Console
The Classic Controller is a lovely one-for-all controller for playing Virtual Console games, but if you're like me you probably long for a small square edged controller to enjoy NES goodness. Seemingly reading my mind, Datel are releasing some retro style controllers for the Wii. We'd assume these will work on any VC games that support the Wiimote as a controller, but would be best suited for NES, Master System and TG-16 gaming.
You can check out the 4 different c..
Feature Retro Gamer Magazine Interview VC Reviews
Keeping it retro
Recently we did an interview with Retro Gamer magazine about the success of VC Reviews and our thoughts on the Virtual Console service so far. If you are interested to read it why not pick up the magazine (issue #53) and take a look for yourself? It is available today in all good newsagents such as WHSmiths in the UK. For our many...
E3 2008 Original Banjo Kazooie Xbox LIVE Bound
Nintendo are shunned, Rare's masterpiece original Banjo Kazooie is to be made available on Xbox LIVE later this year, tying into the new game Nuts & Bolts.
At its E3 press conference, Microsoft announced that Rare's original Banjo platformer will be released this year for the Xbox Live Arcade. The game will feature slightly upgraded visuals and the long awaited "stop and swap"..
Review Donkey Kong 3
Bug off
Poor old Stanley the Bugman, not only have all the bugs got into his greenhouse, there's a big ape pestering him too. To add insult to injury, he would never feature as a playable character in another Nintendo game again and be forgotten forever, whilst Mario went on to international stardom. Donkey Kong 3 started out life in the arcades...
News US VC Releases - 14th July - Donkey Kong 3
Some people seemed to think that Nintendo would release a big-name title this week on the Virtual Console because of E3 (We ask: Why?). While you are getting a "big-name" title, it's probably not one of the ones you were hoping for.
Donkey Kong 3 is the final entry in the Donkey Kong arcade series, and if you ask us, also the weakest. The game no longer features Mario at all, instead you..
Review Art of Fighting 2
Garcia is back
The original Art of Fighting may not have threatened Street Fighter II in terms of gameplay but it certainly turned a few heads and stole some of the trade away from Capcom's seminal 2D fighter. This second game takes the core concept of the first title and gently refines several aspects to create a far more enjoyable (but sadly...
News EU VC Releases - 11th July - Neo Geo Duo
If you were expecting five games spanning a variety of systems today you're unfortunately out of luck. Nintendo has decided to instead give us only two games (Basically meaning we waited two weeks to get just two games), and they're both on the Neo Geo. Just like 2 and 4 weeks ago, there's no new WiiWare games.
Ninja Commando, not to be confused with the also available Ninja Combat, is an overhead..
Review Ninja Commando
Ikari Warriors with ninjas - awesome!
Ninja Commando is often confused for Ninja Combat or even its sequel, but in fact, it's neither. Ninja Commando is basically an overheard run 'n gun game that feels a lot like the arcade classic Ikari Warriors at times, although it doesn't quite have the same level of playability. While the game is an earlier Neo Geo title, it's actually one of the better ones..
News Four More Virtual Console Games for South Korea
There still seems to be no real pattern to South Korea's Virtual Console releases. Upcoming games are added to Nintendo of South Korea's VC page occassionally but the actual release dates aren't really consistent.
That said, on the 25th of June, South Korea got F-Zero and Star Fox 64. Next week, on the 15th of July, Koreans can look forward to Super...
South Korean releases
News US VC Release - 7th July - King of the Monsters
The pattern which was seemingly established the past weeks has already been broken - The US only gets one new VC game this week again.
King of the Monsters is a wrestling game for the Neo Geo in which you control giant monsters (Obviously inspired by King Kong and such) as they battle to the death on top of cities. Unlike most fighting games you can move in any direction instead of just left and..
Feature Top 10 Neo Geo Games We Want To Come To The Virtual Console
The Neo Geo console was a lot like a Rolls-Royce.
It wasn't necessarily that much better than the other consoles on the market at the time, it was just a hell of a lot more expensive. Not only that, but if you managed to somehow survive the $650 price tag the console hit you with, you'd still have to shell out another $200-$300 per game if you...
News Mega Man 1 & 2 Coming To North America Soon?
Some of our American readers have felt a bit miffed that their European cousins have been enjoying Mega Man 1 & 2 on the Virtual Console for quite some time now.
For a long while we have heard such comments as "No fair" and "this sucks ass" in relation to this Mega Man delay. Well guys, it's not just you who have been waiting, even the...
Fri 4th Jul 2008
News Sonic on the Master System coming to Virtual Console?
If you don't know much about Sega and checked out the OFLC earlier today, you might have scratched your head wondering why Sonic the Hedgehog was rated again, after all, the Mega Drive version is already out on Virtual Console.
The interesting thing you might not know, however, is that there are three other games which are all also called Sonic the Hedgehog, meaning that most likely, one of them is..
Tue 1st Jul 2008
News US VC Release - 30th June - Fatal Fury 2
While Europe seems to be alternating five and zero Virtual Console game weeks, the US seems to have a pattern as well now. That pattern seems to be two VC games one week, then one the next, two after that, etc.
As last week the US got two games, that means this week there's just one. It's Fatal Fury 2 for the Neo Geo. The Fatal Fury series is rather...
News Drake's Ratings Roundup - June 2008
As we don't usually create a news article for each new game that gets a rating, we thought it would be a good idea to do a monthly roundup listing each game rated by every ratings board to keep you up to date.
Here is a quick explanation of the different rating boards which we track: ESRB rated: The ESRB stands for Entertainment Software Rating Board and is North America's rating board. Anything..
Review Summer Games II
The pinnacle of athletic achievement. The Summer Games.
The second Epyx sports title (and third Virtual Console release) provides eight entertaining events, of which half can be enjoyed split-screen with another player. As usual, you have a choice of which events to compete in (or practice) and how many players there are – each represented by their name and country. With the (debatable)..
Sat 28th Jun 2008
Review Super Fantasy Zone
Take on the role of Opa-Opa, who is on a mission to avenge the death of his father.
Given that the original Fantasy Zone achieved quite a cult status in arcades and on the various 8-bit consoles of the time period, it's certainly no surprise that the game spawned a few sequels and spin-offs. Super Fantasy Zone represents what many fans of the series consider to be the best overall Fantasy Zone..
News Japanese Virtual Console list - July 2008
As it's the last Friday of the month once again, Nintendo of Japan has revealed their Virtual Console plans for the next month. There are some notable games here, including (finally) Donkey Kong 3, the first Space Harrier, another Fire Emblem, and Shining Force II.
The full list is as follows: Famicom: Dig Dug (July 1st) Chack'n Pop Donkey Kong 3 Super Famicom: Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 Nintendo..
Review King of the Monsters
King of the Monsters is one of those titles that, despite being a very mediocre game overall, enjoys a fairly strong following around the gaming community. The game takes the classic "giant monster stomping through cities" made famous in the King Kong and Godzilla movies, and somehow builds a one-on-one fighting game around it. But...
News EU VC Releases - 27th June - Super Fantasy Zone
After this week, it is rather safe to assume that Nintendo of Europe is indeed following a pattern. There's 5 new VC games to pick from, and like two weeks ago, no WiiWare games.
The top pick might be argued about, but if you ask us, it's Super Fantasy Zone for the Mega Drive. The game plays pretty much exactly the same as the original Fantasy Zone...
Review Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine
Federation storage depots have been raided by pirates, taking valuable minerals, jewels, ammunition and the latest battle weaponry.
Part shooter, part maze game, you are tasked to track down and retrieve stolen cargo from pirates, returning it to a storage depot at the end of each level (of which there are 3) before time runs out. Not that the...
News Super Mario RPG Released in Japan Today
It's a big day for Japanese Wii owners - Earlier today, Super Mario RPG was made available for download in the Wii Shop. The game costs 900 Wii Points (For some reason, a bunch of games in Japan, mostly RPGs, cost more than normal).
The game was recently rated by the OFLC, so it should be coming to Europe/Australia as well. As it was never released...
News US VC Releases - 23rd June - Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Not too bad of a week for the US today, especially if you couple it up with what was released on WiiWare.
The pick of the bunch is of course Alex Kidd in Miracle World, the first in the Alex Kidd series and arguably the best. The game is rather simple and fun to play, unlike its many sequels which mostly introduced new, not so good elements which downgraded the experience by quite a margin. The..
Mon 23rd Jun 2008
News USK Rated: International Karate+ and Cybernoid for C64
Some good news for Commodore 64 fans today. Two aging classics have been rated by the German ratings organisation, the USK, so we expect them to be on the Virtual Console in due course.
International Karate+, or IK+ to its friends is rather obviously the sequel to International Karate which is also on the VC. It was released almost a year and a half after the original in 1987. IK+ also features a..
USK ratings
Feature Secret of Evermore - Brian Fehdrau Interview
Developer of Secret of Evermore
Our resident reviewer Corbie Dillard has been busy securing some fresh content for his SNES fansite. He really struck gold with a recent interview which he did with Brian Fehdrau, the lead programmer on the Squaresoft USA team that developed the Super Nintendo rpg hit Secret of Evermore. At the present moment, Square...
Sun 22nd Jun 2008
News ESRB To Crack Down On Early Leaks Of Games
Since the very beginning of VC Reviews we have rounded up the latest games which should be headed to the Virtual Console on our coming soon list so you have the inside scoop on what games are coming up.
One of the primary ways we do this is by checking game content ratings on the ESRB website. Basically if a game doesn't get rated there then it won't be coming out in North America. It has been..
News EU VC Releases - 20th June - Epic Fail
Things are dire in Europe again this week. Those 5 releases last week must've been to throw us off-guard and then give us this: Absolutely nothing!
Yes, it's the same situation as two weeks ago: While there are (two) WiiWare games, there is not a single new Virtual Console game. One has to wonder what Nintendo of Europe is thinking with a strategy...
News Nintendo Channel Gets An Update
If you live in North America or Japan you can now view some more information on the Nintendo Channel. If you've looked around the channel in the time it's been out you can probably guess what this is - The results of all the data people have entered so far concerning their Wii, VC and WiiWare games can now be viewed.
This means you can see if the games are generally considered to be for the..
News US VC Release - 16th June - Samurai Shodown
The WiiWare push in North America continues, as Nintendo of America is releasing two WiiWare games this week while only giving minimal attention to Virtual Console, by releasing just one game. At least it's a good one!
Samurai Shodown (That's not Showdown, a mistake a lot of people make) was one of the first fighting games where characters used...
News N64 Controller Mod For Virtual Console
Although the Classic Controller is enough for most retro-loving Wii owners, there are some that crave a rather more authentic experience. There's nothing like experiencing Virtual Console games on the controllers they were intended to be played on, and while Nintendo's limited production of the Club Nintendo SNES pad will have satisfied a few, it's going to leave a certain demographic out in the cold – namely those who love the N64 controller.
But fear not. A talented hacker called Raphaël Assénat and been tinkering away in his dimly-lit workshop and has produced a converter that permits the use of the..
News South Korea: Two More VC Updates
South Korea is slowly but surely catching up on the enormous back catalogue of Virtual Console games released elsewhere, as they didn't get the Wii (And thus VC) until last April.
On May the 26th, they got Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari (River City Ransom), Super Mario Bros. 3 (Oddly enough skipping 2) and Donkey Kong Country. Last week, on the 10th...
Review Fatal Fury 2
Street Fighter 2 it ain't
Although the original Fatal Fury was undoubtedly one of the best challengers to square up to Capcom's Street Fighter 2, many would argue that SNK's franchise didn't really get into its stride until the sequel was released. Improving on the first title in practically every way possible, Fatal Fury 2 was one of the...
News OFLC Update - Super Mario RPG On Its Way To Europe
It's time to rejoice, as Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars has been rated by the OFLC today!
Fans have longed for this game's release on VC for an eternity - It was listed on the ESRB around the Wii's launch but mysteriously disappeared along with some other games later. After not hearing anything about the game for about a year, it was announced that Japan would be getting the game this..
News EU VC Releases - 13th June - The Last Ninja 2, Alex Kidd and more!
After last week's VC disaster, we assume everybody was hoping Nintendo would release an extra large amount of new games this week as some sort of apology. Well, they have chosen to do exactly that, as there's five new games now available!
Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance is quite similar to the first game (also on VC), featuring the same isometric gameplay with fighting and puzzles to solve..
Review Alex Kidd in Miracle World
In Miracle World you'll have to contend with the evil Janken the Great, who will send his henchmen and monsters at you to thwart your progress.
Following the incredible success of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros series, Sega decided that it too needed a platform game with an identifiable mascot. The result was Alex Kidd in Miracle World, which...
Review Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance
The Ninja, known as the Mystic Shadow Warriors, were the elite fighting force of Ninth Century Feudal Japan.
The second instalment of the Last Ninja trilogy transports Armakuni to New York, where he must confront the evil Shogun Kunitoki once more. Your travels are once again displayed in a flip screen isometric format, as you explore the unfamiliar surroundings of Central Park and downtown..
Review Nebulus
Weird things are happening on Planet Nebulus.
Nebulus (known as Tower Toppler in the US and Castelian in its NES and Game Boy incarnations) is another title from Hewson that is memorable largely due to its idiosyncratic presentation. The game is particularly noted for its striking visual design, and justifiably so, as it takes the basic structure of a platform game, and with a simple twist (pun not..
News SNK Virtual Console Releases In Jeopardy?
It's been on the cards for some time now but Ignition Entertainment has officially announced the Euro release of SNK's Arcade Classics Collection, Volume One.
This retro anthology is already available on the Sony PS2 and PSP and contains 16 choice cuts from the back catalogue of this illustrious company. All of the games are taken from the library of the near-legendary Neo-Geo console, which..


text:
iPhone 6 release date may have just been revealed
Image source: Sonny Dickson
Leaks and rumors will continue to pour out until Apple finally unveils its next-generation iPhone handsets during a press conference later this summer, and they will help us piece together a puzzle that will likely reveal just about everything there is to know about both new iPhone 6 models. Now, one of the most important puzzle pieces has seemingly fallen into place.
FROM EARLIER: Leaked photos may show Apple's fully assembled iPhone 6
Back in May, it was reported that some carelessness on the part of Deutsche Telekom may have revealed the iPhone 6's release date. At the time, the Apple partner's call center staff was reportedly contacting customers to tell them that Apple's 2014 iPhone models would be released on September 19th in hopes of getting them to prepare to upgrade their current handsets.
Fast-forward to Wednesday, and another report now points to the very same date.
G For Games points us to a new report from Chinese-language Tencent, which claims that Apple is preparing to launch its completely redesigned iPhone 6 on Friday, September 19th. The report only mentions the 4.7-inch iPhone model, suggesting that the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 may be released at a later time.
A recent report from Bloomberg suggested that both new iPhone 6 models might launch on the same date.
Also of interest, the report only mentions 32GB and 64GB models, suggesting that Apple might finally do away with the 16GB version now that some flagship Android phones with 32GB of storage are launching in the $650 range.
Tencent says that locally, Apple's 4.7-inch iPhone 6 models will cost 5,288 yuan (roughly $848) for the 32GB model, and 6,288 yuan (roughly $1008) for the 64GB model.
More on Apple's unreleased iPhones: iPhone 6 model compared to every other iPhone in new high-definition video
Tags: Apple, iPhone 6
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The school recognises that voluntary help is an important and valuable expression of parental involvement in the life of the school and wishes to encourage you in this endeavour. Volunteers are welcome in the school, whether it is in a classroom or outdoor setting.
Before a person commences 'volunteer help' they will need to get a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and also be part of a small induction with the Assistant Principal/Head of School.
All visitors to the school, including parents, need to sign in at the office and sign out when they leave the school campus. You will be asked show your WWCC as you sign in. The sign in system will produce a printed label with your details on it, which you need to wear, so that all staff are aware, that the correct procedure has been followed.
We have this protocol as a protection for the safety of all people on the school campus as to their whereabouts. This is especially crucial in an emergency situation.


He's also appeared on various TV shows including Mock The Week, Dave's One Night Stand, Stand Up for the Week, Russell Howard's Good News and Comedy Store. Carl tells stories that you'll just love and every time he comes to Ruislip, I get him booked in for another show on the back of what's always a superb night.
TEZ ILYAS hit the ground running. In his first three years as a stand up, he found himself in no less than eight competition finals including the prestigious BBC New Comedy Award and Leicester Mercury New Comedian of the Year. In 2015, Tez achieved phenomenal success with his debut stand up hour TEZ Talks.
The talented LEW FITZ will also join us on the night.