After the Japan broadcast on Tokyo MX TV and the Asia broadcast on Animax Asia, Culture Japan is now available to the rest of za warudo on Crunchyloll.
For folks who are not beknowist, Culture Japan is a TV show that I direct and present on that introduces Japanese Pop Culture and the more traditional Japan. Filming Season 2 as we speak and will be on air on Tokyo MX TV and Animax Asia this October.

You can check out the Culture Japan Channel or jump to each episode below.

• Episode 1 - Shiori Mikami, Wonder Festival and Japanese Festivals
  The very first episode of Culture Japan, featuring Shiori Mikami as a guest in studio. This episode brings us to one of the biggest figure events in the world - the Summer Wonder Festival. We also take a look at how exactly figures are made in the Good Smile Company figure factory in China, and finally take a visit to a Japanese Festival.

• Episode 2 - Ninja Shenanigans in Edo Wonderland
  The lovely Shiori Mikami joins us once again as an in studio guest as we take look at Edo Wonderland in Nikko, where one can experience life just as it was in the Edo Period of Japan, as well as experience life as a ninja! We also take a look at otaku rooms from all over the world.

• Episode 3 - The Milky Holmes Girls
  This episode's guests are the wonderful Milky Holmes girls, who give us a look into the world of Milky Holmes and explain what it's like to be an anime voice actress. We'll also take a look at the festivities that went on at the Tokyo Game Show 2010.

• Episode 4 - Cultural Festival at Tokyo Metropolitan High School
  Asanon, the P.R Manager of Good Smile Company, joins us as a guest in this episode. We take a look at a Japanese cultural festival taking place at Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School - there are loads of games to play, a ton of food to enjoy, and even some performances to watch!

• Episode 5 - Akihabara Tour
  In this episode we head out to Akihabara, the holy land of otaku. First we visit a 'clone factory', which prints out 3D clones. Next we head out to Hobby Station - a huge trading card store - where we take a look at what sort of goods they have on sale. We've also got coverage of the Volks store in there too.

• Episode 6 - Ita-G Festival
  In this episode we take part in the 2010 Ita-G Festival - an event filled with 'itasha', which are cars covered with cute anime characters - but there are also bicycles and even motorbikes that also look just as great! We even take a look at how these itasha are made, from start to finish. Afterwards we take a look at Japan's underground bicycle storage systems, and how they are improving space problems around Japan.

• Episode 7 - Fujisawa High School
  In this episode we visit Fujisawa High School and take a look at everything that goes on during a typical Japanese school day - from the various classes, break time, cleaning up the classroom and even afterschool activities, it's just like spending a day at a Japanese school for the day! Afterwards we take a look at a Japanese shopping street, where you can find all sorts of goodies, from food to 100 yen stores.

• Episode 8 - Japanese Archery and Pachinko
  In this episode we visit Yashio High School where we take a close look at 'Kyudo', or Japanese archery. We then head to the headquarters of Sammy, a company who create pachinko machines and are also the creators of the popular Twin Angel anime series. After learning a little about pachinko we then head out to a real pachinko parlor with the adorable Sammy girls and give it a go!

• Episode 9 - AFAX Special
  This week we visit Singapore and take a look at the 2010 Anime Festival Asia, which featured a number of famous Japanese music artists and voice actors, figures, cosplay competitions, trading card competitions and much more!

• Episode 10 - Shibuya Tour
  In this episode we are joined by the beautiful Eri Otoguro as we take a look all over Shibuya. We have a look at all sorts of places you can do some shopping - from the famous '109' building which is filled with all the most current fashions down to the popular otaku store 'Mandarake'. We even take at some of the wonders you can find in the Shibuya electronic stores.

• Episode 11 - Anime & Manga
  In this episode we make a visit to Production I.G. where we take a look at how anime is made - from the frame drawing to the coloring. We then visit Yuko Azami-sensei, an illustrator responsible for creating Danny's mascot character Mirai-chan! Finally we pay a visit to 'Web Technology', who are the developers of the software 'Comipo', which helps anyone make manga quickly and easily!

• Episode 12 - Food Samples, Dolls and Ryokan
  In this episode we take a look at how the various food samples displayed all over Japan are made. After that we head down to the headquarters of Obitsu, a company responsible for making absolutely lovely dolls, and they take us through the process used to make dolls. Finally we also head to a traditional Japanese inn or 'ryokan', where we take a look at how one should spend their day when staying in one of these traditional rooms.

Trailer for the first season below.

More than a decade after the Notorious B.I.G.'s death, our Mixtape Daily team is still hashing it out.
By Shaheem Reid and Rahman Dukes

Notorious B.I.G.
Photo: Getty Images

Legacy Salute: Biggie's Best, Part 1

Tuesday (March 9) marks the 13th anniversary of the death of the Notorious B.I.G. There aren't enough accolades to give the Brooklyn bone-crusher. Biggie helped mold one of the greatest eras in hip-hop with a versatile style and gift for wordplay that has him perennially listed in the top three when you ask most hip-hop fans to name the greatest MCs of all time. Here, your favorite hip-hop team chooses some of Frank White's pre-eminent musical accomplishments.

Best Album
Shaheem Reid: Life After Death
How do you distinguish extreme excellence? How do you look at two albums by the same artist — both of which you feel are in the top 10 greatest hip-hop creations ever made — and put one over the other? Ready to Die vs. Life After Death is a subject I've debated going on 10 years now. No argument has a clear-cut winner. Both albums are classics. Both have stood the test of time. You can't logically dis a song on either LP. There might be some records you prefer over others, but Big didn't have anything wack on his albums. For me, though, I go with Life simply because I feel that it was Biggie at his best. He had evolved. He grew. Big touched all bases from the 'hood to Hollywood in two immaculately put-together discs — a feat that no other MC has been able to duplicate since. Nothing could ever replicate the initial euphoria that Ready brought, but Life was the master with his craft fully perfected.

Rahman Dukes: Ready to Die
Nothing can replace that feeling hip-hop heads in New York City experienced in the days leading up to this release. I specifically recall the Friday before RTD was set to shock the world. It seemed like every car from Brooklyn to Queens was pumping "Juicy" and "Unbelievable." Back then, albums were on cassette tapes and not bootlegged. Imagine hearing this flawless masterpiece for the first time in its entirety. The East Coast ran hip hop in the '90s, and Ready was the icing on the cake. The movement the album set off in the Tri-State Area was the first to do it, only duplicated years later when 50 Cent dropped Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Hmm, that title Get Rich or Die Tryin' sounds eerily similar to ... you know the rest.

Best Single
Unanimous Choice: "Hypnotize"
"Hypnotize" had the million-dollar video with the mermaids and the car chases, but it's way more than the visual production that puts this record slightly above our other favorites Big singles like "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance." "Hypnotize" was so hot in its heyday that it felt like the walls in the club would just melt when the DJs pulled it back (sometimes up to 10 times in a row). We were absolutely devastated that Big was gone, but this record helped us get through it. Big left us three and a half minutes of pure jubilation to celebrate his life and legacy.

Best Album Cut
Reid: "The What" from Ready to Die
The Bad Boy/ Wu-Tang Clan pairing was too much. "N---as know soft like the Twinkie fillin'/ Playing the villain/ Prepare for this rap killin'/ Biggie Smalls is the illest/ Your style is played out like Arnold and that 'What you talkin' bout Willis.' " Big was as merciless as an NFL linebacker attacking the blindside of an unsuspecting quarterback, wonderfully cocky and as humorous as eight episodes of "Def Comedy Jam" all in just a few bars. You put that with a hungry and focused Method Man, who lyrically spat broken glass all over the track, and you wonder why Diddy — in his infinite wisdom — never pushed the button on this classic with radio adds and a video.

Dukes: "Everyday Struggle" from Ready to Die
B.I.G. was a true master at making some of the most hard-core tracks come off as commercial material. If you tune out exactly what he was saying on songs such as this one, you'd think it was something that you could expect to hear on regular rotation. But then there are lines like this: "I got my honeys on the Amtrak/ With the crack in the crack of her ass/ Two pounds of hash in the stash/ I wait for hon to make some quick cash/ I told her she could be lieutenant, bi--- got gassed." It's a bit explicit, but I'm sure you get my point.

Best Guest Appearance
Reid: Jay-Z's "Brooklyn's Finest"
Another tough one. Big was prolific not just with his own projects, but with doling out the love on his peers' records as well. I had an inner conflict trying to figure out if I should go with Shaq's "You Can't Stop the Reign," where the swagga was off the Richter, or Puff's "Victory." But in the end, I had to give it to his back-and-forth with Jigga. Both MCs were relentless, neither one wanting to let the other get the upper hand. In the end, Big and Jigga made the best tag-team duo since Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh on "The Show."

Dukes: Shaquille O'Neal's "You Can't Stop the Reign"
I think the beauty behind this monster is that this record came out around the time when B.I.G. was in rehab and took a break from the rap game. The wordplay on this song is historical. "A lime to a lemon/ My D.C. women bringin' in to G-minimums/ To condos with elevators in them/ Vehicles with televisions in them/ Watch they entourage turn yours to just mirages/ Disappearin' acts, strictly nines and macs/ Killers be surreal, Copperfield material/ My dreams is vivid, work hard to live it/ Any place I visit I got land there/ How can players stand there and say I sound like them, hello." Ten years since the release of this song, nothing comes close to what Big had to say. The irony is that he gave such a jewel away to Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq, you owe the Christopher Wallace estate big time for this one.

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

• Mixtape Daily: Tyga

Filed under: Celebrity News, News

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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[Continuing his 'Sound Current' video game interview series for GameSetWatch, Jeriaska talks to acclaimed Japanese film and game composer Kenji Kawai about his work on soundtracks spanning Folklore for PS3 in the game space, through Ghost in the Shell: Innocence and The Sky Crawlers in the film domain.]

Among anime film composers working today that also write music for videogames, Kenji Kawai is among the most internationally recognized. For instance, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, for which he wrote the score, was the first animated film to be a finalist for the Palme D'Or award.

The film is one in a series of collaborations with director Mamoru Oshii, which includes the anime motion picture The Sky Crawlers. A game adaptation for the Wii, titled Innocent Aces, has recently been localized by Xseed, featuring a game score by sound studio MoNaca.

Kawai's contributions to videogame soundtracks include 2007's Folklore for Playstation 3, a collaboration with Hiroto Saitoh and SuperSweep musicians Shinji Hosoe and Ayako Saso. His most recent film Assault Girls, which opened in Tokyo last month, takes place within a virtual reality game environment.

In this interview following the reception of Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces in North America, Kawai offers his perspectives on the intersection between music for Japanese animated films and videogames, based on his own experiences writing scores for both media.

Kawai-san, thank you for joining us for this discussion. When compared with your experience as a film composer, what challenges would you say are unique to writing music for games?

Composer Kenji Kawai: Technically it's not that different from making music for films, but I'd say the hardest part is finding where to situate the loop. You generally have to write much more music for a game than you do for a movie.

Previously it's been rare to see a recognized film composer enter the game industry, although that appears to be changing. Some critics have said that movies are a form of art and games inherently are not, but what is your opinion?

It can be difficult to determine what's art and what's not, but I do think that medium aside, art is something that brings enjoyment to the audience. I treat any production the same. For Folklore, the director went out of his way to request my participation, so that's why I joined.

Over the years you have had a very productive working relationship with the film director Mamoru Oshii, leading to The Sky Crawlers film. How did you two first come to collaborate together?

I met Oshii for the first time on The Red Spectacles. I was an unknown back then, but he asked me to work on the film. I think he was intrigued by the little recording system I had installed in my house and thought it might save the production some money. They had a very small budget for the film. Luckily he was happy with the results and I've been working on his films ever since.

The Sky Crawlers film animated by the studio Production I.G. is based on a series of novels by Hiroshi Mori about a group of immortal fighter pilots. It is said that the writer only gave his consent to the adaptation upon learning that Mamoru Oshii was involved. As a composer what interested you most about the story of The Sky Crawlers and the director's approach to the adaptation?

The feedback that I received from director Oshii was that he was interested in hearing a harp performed on the soundtrack. However, the challenge of just how to implement that idea was left up to me, and it was a puzzle to solve. As soon as I saw the images of the sky and clouds prepared for the film, it inspired me to write the score.

Your most recent film with Mamoru Oshii is Assault Girls, set in a futuristic virtual reality game. Did having events unfold within a game environment in any way influence your choices as a composer on this film score?

It was difficult to find the right sound for the film because of its minimal use of dialog and numerous abstract images. One particular scene features a close-up of a snail that lasts over 40 seconds. I told the director the shot was too long. “But it's acting!” was his response. Well, respectfully, it looks to me like it's just taking a long time to move.

Concept art from Folklore for Playstation 3

One thing that is often mentioned about your academic background is that at one point you were studying nuclear engineering at Tokai University. How did this experience lead to a career composing music?

I did go to college hoping to get a degree in nuclear engineering. It turned out to be harder than I expected. My home was far from the university and I began cutting classes more and more frequently. Sure enough, my grades turned out poorly. I remember one of my professors took me aside one day and said, "I'm sorry to have to put it to you this way, but this isn't for you." So I dropped out of college after just a year and a half.

When later you joined a fusion rock band, did you feel that you were further along toward accomplishing a goal more within your reach?

Muse wasn't formed in an attempt to accomplish something in particular. Some of us were at a rehearsal studio one day and happened to see a poster advertising a contest where the first place winner received a car and a cash prize. Those of us there spontaneously decided to form a band. We were hoping to win, and as luck would have it, we ended up placing. To this day I still have a fondness for fusion.

After having struggled for some time to discover a calling, when did you first get the sense that you had broken through as a musician?

That would be when I was working on the video series Patlabor. Around that time I gradually began to articulate my own personal style.

There is a haunting female chorus that appears in the intro of both Ghost in the Shell films. Was there a particular motivation behind finding this sound that so many viewers associate with the films?

At first the director had requested primitive drum sounds. I felt it would be even more effective if there were a chorus on top of it, something in a Bulgarian style. There are folk singers with very distinctive voices in Japan, and that's who we found for the vocal roles.

It turned out to be quite different from my original concept of a Bulgarian style. This vocal section was extremely challenging to get right because Japanese folk songs traditionally do not have a chorus. They aren't set to these particular rhythms, either.

Directly after the movie was released I noticed no one mentioned the music. That made me a little worried. Now that I think about it, I guess no one could critique it because it was such an unusual kind of music that no one had ever heard before. Innocence was basically a direct continuation of Ghost in the Shell, so I retained almost the exact same style.

Innocence has a dreamlike sequence which takes place in a mansion fashioned after a music box. This is one example of many from your films in which music is bound together with the storyline and visuals.

Oshii asked me to create the sound of an "enormous music box," but obviously such a thing doesn't exist. We actually had to go about creating a disc-shape music box and record the sound of it. We then added the sounds of cylindrical bells and a Thai gong. Rather than relying on electronic reverb for the vibration and echoing effects, we went to a huge stone quarry and played the sound of the music box from the speakers, then recorded it. It was a lot of work and the weather was bitter cold, making it quite an ordeal.

[This interview is available in Japanese on Game Design Current. Translation by Kaoru Bertrand. Facilitated by Emi Okubo. Images courtesy of KenjiKawai.com]

Ben:

MAINIAKIST™:
its just a better way to describe the Mainstream so called hip hop....they all want to claim that that shit is hip hop cause it was "influenced" by hip hop....however, the culture behind the 2 styles are totally different and so is production. since hip hop started, VINYL has been used FOR production of sounds requiring people to "dig" for their sounds. mainstream is produced entirely with synthesizers for the most part in with sped up drums that dont capture the same feel. so the only grounds to settle on between true hip hoppers and people who indulge in the new shit, was to call it "HIP POP". ANSWER OUR QUESTION?

no, it doesnt. what makes it not hip hop? can someone show me the hip hop rulebook please?

You know, reading that list of "lost" Tatsunoko vs Capcom characters the other day got me thinking: there's plenty of room out there for more Capcom vs XXXX games.

Yes, 2D (or 2.5D, really) fighting games are - Street Fighter aside - a niche market, but get the gameplay and characters right and they're still profitable titles, able to appeal to a fanbase that's passion makes up for its small stature.

It's why Marvel vs Capcom was so successful. Yes, it was a great fighting game, but it was also a fighting game that let you pit Ryu against Spider-Man.

Tatsunoko vs Capcom attempts something similar, but sadly for us, it's a game that's a little too focused on the Japanese market, with most of the Tatsunoko characters being way too obscure for a global audience.

With that in mind, here's a list of some of the Capcom vs games we'd like to see in the future (and our future dreams).

Capcom vs Robotech

While Capcom was unable to secure the rights to the Cyclone mech suits from Mospaeda, maybe they'd have better luck securing the Western rights to Robotech (held by Harmony Gold), which collected three separate Japanese animated series - Macross, Southern Cross and Mospaeda - and combined them into a single program.

That way you'd be able to include characters and weapons from the entire Robotech saga, though due to its larger following, most would obviously be from the Macross Saga.

Possible Characters: Rick Hunter, Max Sterling, Roy Fokker, Dana Sterling, Scott Bernard, Khyron, Captain Gloval, Breetai and one of the vending machine robots.

Possible Stages: Macross Island, New Portland, Fokker Airfield, Minmei's Chinese restaurant

Capcom vs Disney

Don't laugh. It's worked well for Square Enix, and after all, Disney now owns Marvel, who have previous experience working with Capcom on a crossover fighter.

If anything was going to get 13 year-old girls interested in 2D fighting games, this would be it. And if not, Disney's stables are so large, and so full of great characters, that you'd have no problem filling out a large and surprisingly capable roster.

Possible Characters: Mickey, Aladdin, Buzz Lightyear, Baloo, Kida (Atlantis), Mulan, Hercules, Peter Pan, Sulley & Rafiki.

Possible States: Pride Rock, Aladdin's Cave, Andy's room, The Jolly Roger, Atlantis

Capcom vs Star Wars

Would probably never happen, but then, you never thought you'd see Mario and Sonic in the same game either, and look how that turned out. Who knows, maybe Lucasarts & Capcom could work out a marketing and publishing deal whereby Capcom developed the game and Lucasarts...let Capcom develop the game. After Masters of Teräs Käsi, it's the least Lucasarts could do.

Possible Characters: Luke Skywalker (circa Cloud City), Darth Vader, Chewbacca, IG-88, Boba Fett, Wampa, Royal Guard & Tusken Raider

Possible Stages: Tatooine desert, Cloud City, Star Destroyer bridge, Emperor's Throne Room, Jabba's skiff

Capcom vs Production I.G<</span>!>

possible. Production I.G and Capcom already have a relationship as the studio is animating a TV series based on Capcom's Devil Kings.

Capcom vs Electronic Arts

jokes about EA's character lineup in the past, but that was just that, the past. Take a look at the publisher's lineup these days and there's plenty of stars who would be right at home in two dimensions kicking someone's ass.

Capcom vs Alan Moore

that of Glycon the snake god.

Brian Ashcraft contributed to this post

'It's got a bounce to it,' the Evil Genius tells Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid

Snoop Dogg
Photo: Priority

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

Snoop Dogg sent out a warning on his Twitter page earlier this week to look out for the "Kings G-Mix" of his hit "I Wanna Rock." Shortly after, the track featuring him and Jay-Z was igniting the Net.

"I wanna rock right now," Jay raps. "The name is Hov, and I came to shake the town/ Yeah, your boy's internationally known, but I'm from the 'hood/ Got a pocketful of stones."

From there, Jigga drops an assortment of rappers' names, such as Big Daddy Kane, Notorious B.I.G., Doug E. Fresh and Rob Bass, as he talks about his rise from street drug czar to greatest MC ever.

Fellow New York hip-hop heavyweight DJ Green Lantern said that's not the only "I Wanna Rock" remix you'll hear. The Evil Genius has an official reworking on deck, which is going to give the record a Down Bottom feel.

"I'm working on a remix for Snoop, 'I Wanna Rock,' " Green told us a couple of days ago. "Trust me: When you hear it ... it's got a Southern feel to it. It's got a bounce to it. Right now, I got Yo Gotti, the cat Roscoe Dash, who's got the 'All the Way Turnt Up.' I'm waiting on a couple more verses. Snoop's got it. I'm working with it right now. It's a crazy flip of that."

Green is also quick to point out that he loves what Scoop DeVille did with the original record: "I think that's a crazy beat."

On Tuesday, get ready for an in-depth preview of the Evil Genius' next huge mixtape — the much-anticipated Green Ghost Project with Styles P — right here in Mixtape Daily. The mixtape will be released February 2 with production by Green, Statik Selektah, Vinny Idol, Buckwild, the Alchemist, Dame Grease and Poobs. Guests include Jadakiss and Raekwon.

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

• Mixtape Daily: Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z, Drake, Lil Wayne

'It's got a bounce to it,' the Evil Genius tells Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid

Snoop Dogg
Photo: Priority

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

Snoop Dogg sent out a warning on his Twitter page earlier this week to look out for the "Kings G-Mix" of his hit "I Wanna Rock." Shortly after, the track featuring him and Jay-Z was igniting the Net.

"I wanna rock right now," Jay raps. "The name is Hov, and I came to shake the town/ Yeah, your boy's internationally known, but I'm from the 'hood/ Got a pocketful of stones."

From there, Jigga drops an assortment of rappers' names, such as Big Daddy Kane, Notorious B.I.G., Doug E. Fresh and Rob Bass, as he talks about his rise from street drug czar to greatest MC ever.

Fellow New York hip-hop heavyweight DJ Green Lantern said that's not the only "I Wanna Rock" remix you'll hear. The Evil Genius has an official reworking on deck, which is going to give the record a Down Bottom feel.

"I'm working on a remix for Snoop, 'I Wanna Rock,' " Green told us a couple of days ago. "Trust me: When you hear it ... it's got a Southern feel to it. It's got a bounce to it. Right now, I got Yo Gotti, the cat Roscoe Dash, who's got the 'All the Way Turnt Up.' I'm waiting on a couple more verses. Snoop's got it. I'm working with it right now. It's a crazy flip of that."

Green is also quick to point out that he loves what Scoop DeVille did with the original record: "I think that's a crazy beat."

On Tuesday, get ready for an in-depth preview of the Evil Genius' next huge mixtape — the much-anticipated Green Ghost Project with Styles P — right here in Mixtape Daily. The mixtape will be released February 2 with production by Green, Statik Selektah, Vinny Idol, Buckwild, the Alchemist, Dame Grease and Poobs. Guests include Jadakiss and Raekwon.

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

• Mixtape Daily: Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z, Drake, Lil Wayne

Though Sega has done little to promote Sands of Destruction's debut in the U.S. this week, ostensibly sending the curious Image Epoch RPG out to die, the publisher worked with FUNimation to release the first two English episodes of the game's tie-in anime online.

Produced by Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Batman: Gotham Knight), the anime lasted only one season in Japan when debuted in Japan in 2008, but fans of the game might appreciate the animated adaptation. Though FUNimation plans to put out a 2-DVD set with all thirteen episodes later this month, you can watch the first two episodes for free right now (there are subtitled versions, too).

If I remember correctly, Sega took a real multi-media approach with Sands of Destruction in Japan, also creating a manga to accompany the game and anime. I wonder if that will ever make it to the States as well?

Blu-ray, DVD, OnDemand, and downloadable arrivals for animated anthology based on Bungie's sci-fi shooter series pushed back a week.

As if Halo fans haven't waited long enough for the series' film debut, Warner Bros. Home Video has pushed the release of Halo Legends back a week. Originally set for a February 9 launch, the animated anthology is now set to launch on DVD, Blu-ray, OnDemand, and downloadable services February 16.

Finally, PS3 owners can enjoy Halo on Blu-ray. Sort of.

Like The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knights before it, Halo Legends taps a variety of notable creators and animation studios to produce short films for a compiled home-video release. Directors Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) and Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) will be working on the project, as will familiar studios like Production I.G. (Blood: The Last Vampire), Studio4˚C (Tekkonkinkreet), Toei Animation (Dragon Ball), Casio Entertainment (visual effects work on Big Man Japan), and Bones (Cowboy Bebop: The Movie).

When it arrives in stores, Halo Legends will do so in three different packages. There will be a standard DVD release with all eight episodes of the anthology, and a two-disc special edition release that includes audio commentary and videos on the making of the anthology and the growth of the Halo franchise since its debut as an Xbox launch title. Finally, the Blu-ray edition of Halo Legends will include the special edition extras, as well as a series story overview recapping through the conclusion of Halo 3.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

When I first heard about Innocent Aces, I scratched my head. It seemed like a bit of a strange title to turn into a flight sim, especially after hearing one of my writers over at Japanator discuss how the story is more about the characters and relationships than all the fighting. Still, when X-SEED put the game in my hands, I wasn't going to say no to tackling it.

After all, I tend to pick the really bad games to review.

But, I was sorely disappointed. Sky Crawlers turned out to be a rather skillfully put together title, especially for a flight sim on the Wii. I found myself so entranced by the game that I ended up running through it twice. So why not join me after the jump and check out what's probably the best flight sim on the Wii.

Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces (Wii)
Developer: Project ACES (Namco)
Publisher: X-SEED
Released: January 12th, 2010
MSRP: $39.99

Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces is a flight sim game based off the anime film Sky Crawlers by Mamoru Oshii and Production I.G. (the people behind Ghost in the Shell), and is all about fighter pilots in war... sort of. See, the world is actually at peace, but in order to keep up the spectacle, private companies host their own war games, and it's become a sport of sorts amongst the public. Think of it like football, but with guns and bombs.

You take the role of Lynx, the Sky Crawler's new recruits, a fresh-faced youngin' who has yet to prove himself. Naturally, you're a star and shoot right up there to become the star of the team. Everything is fine and dandy until upper management shifts around, bringing on a few new pilots who are nothing more than kids. Things start to take a darker turn from there.

What's interesting about Innocent Aces is that it doesn't follow in tandem with the anime's storyline. Instead, it acts as a supplement, only touching here and there on the story, and instead expecting you to have watched the film already and know what's going on. It can be a really big turnoff for those who haven't watched the film.

When it comes to piloting the plane, I was wondering just how well these controls would work. Even after tackling the tutorials, it took me several full missions to get a natural grasp on the controls and actually get things to work as I wanted them to. The great emphasis is on motion controls, with the nunchuck controlling pitch and yaw, while the wiimote controls speed. The buttons handle the plane's weapons and maneuvers (barrel rolls, U-turns, etc).

Once you're in the heat of battle, all that practice goes out the window -- at least for me. I found myself doing the same action with both hands as I played. So, if I braked (pulling back on the Wiimote), I'd also turn upwards (back on the nunchuck). It became problematic the more frantic the fights got, and I would peg that to the wide range of controls necessary to the game butting heads with Wiimote play style.

The heat of battle, though, is great. It's enjoyable like you wouldn't believe. You're given objectives to take out, such as enemy ships or supply planes, and then deal with the fighters and AA guns that are in your way. The game gives you the ability to upgrade and customize a wide array of planes with all sorts of materials and guns, letting you tweak each battle experience to how you think it might work best.

Combat starts off simple, but things quickly escalate ever so elegantly. A sudden wave of enemies appear, the music swells, and you're off to save one of your wingmen. Before I knew it, I was standing up, yelling at the enemies as I shot them down, and felt my heart pumping. It was a bit of a surprise the first time I noticed it.

For all the possibile controls in the game, it's a shame that even on my second playthrough, I found myself relying almost exclusively on the game's repositioning system. If you spend a certain amount of time within a sphere around a nearby fighter, you can press A to reposition yourself right behind them. It makes shooting down enemy planes infinitely easier, but I feel like I'm missing out on something more. The thing is, there's no easy way to do the maneuvers necessary to get yourself repositioned like that, and so you almost have no choice but to use it.

Going into Sky Crawlers, I honestly had pretty low expectations. I haven't had a lot of great experiences with games adapted from anime, and I was having trouble imagining a flight sim on the Wii. The game pleasantly surprised me with a smart (but difficult to master) control scheme, combat that was fun, engaging and difficult, and some great visuals. It's hard to nail down just what made this game as fun as it was, which speaks to the good combination of all the elements of the game. Even for someone who's not really into flight sims, this game is a fun play. If you decide to pick up this game, then be sure to pick up the movie as well -- it's well worth the watch, and will make the game leagues more enjoyable.

Score: 8 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.)

The purpose of this alliance was to prepare Tyreke Evans for everything.

The money. The fame. The game.

His talents were so unique, so obvious at such an early age, that expecting the unexpected became the goal of his support system known as Team Tyreke.

But on this recent Friday afternoon in Natomas, Evans is facing what for him is a major problem. And making matters worse, he's facing it alone.

Lamont Peterson, his strength and conditioning coach and friend who has been with him since he was 14, sits in Evans' black Mercedes S550 outside a local sandwich shop, leaving the Kings rookie to fight his own battle inside.

"Why'd you guys lose the Buffalo chicken?" the 20-year-old asks the young man working behind the Subway counter.

"Umm, I think they discontinued it," the worker replies.

"Ah, man," Evans says with a groan.

Though this might not be what the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. meant in the song "Mo Money Mo Problems," it is Evans' most daunting decision of the day amid his intentionally simplified existence.

He begrudgingly settles for the non-Buffalo chicken sandwich for his post-practice meal, then heads off for his nearby townhouse.

There was no such dining drama in the morning, when NBATV's Ahmad Rashad interviewed Evans at Bella Bru with a dozen breakfast plates sitting on the table that included quiche, omelettes, muffins and pancakes.

It was a rare visit to Sacramento by Rashad to interview a member of the Kings, who have fallen off the national radar.

Evans barely ate breakfast because, well, he is a creature of culinary habit. Before games, he has chicken pasta delivered from Chili's. Before practices, his best friend and roommate, 20-year-old Dwayne Davis, often brings him his favorite breakfast sandwich from IHOP.

And then there's Subway's Buffalo chicken sandwich. At least there was, once.

Evans and Peterson return to his two-story, three-bedroom dwelling that won't soon appear on "MTV Cribs," and not just because the camera crews would have trouble finding a place to park. The townhouse would be considered small if the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Evans were living alone, but he shares it with Peterson and Davis.

Two couches sit perpendicular in the cozy family room, with a tiny round kitchen table looking more like a bar-room setup near the modest kitchen.

A 50-inch, high-definition television looks out of place near the front door, and the surround-sound speakers sitting in front of the unit probably would disturb the neighbors if they were plugged in.

Never mind that Evans was taken fourth overall in the June draft and given a contract that pays him $3.6 million this season. This place is all about logic over luxury.

The five-minute commute to Arco Arena means he has no excuse to be late for practices or games, and the absence of a house with a roundabout driveway and resort-style backyard is intended to keep him grounded in this big-picture, basketball bubble in which he lives.

It's all part of a plan called "the Blueprint."

Evans' charge is to figure out the NBA game, to dominate like he did back home in Chester, Pa., and at the University of Memphis, while always sticking to the script.

The plan first calls for a Rookie of the Year Award, to be followed by NBA championships, league MVP trophies and two maximum-salary contracts over a 15-year career. This is, they all agree, Evans' basketball destiny.

Most immediately, the plan calls for Evans to focus solely on basketball and avoid the pitfalls that have derailed many young NBA stars before him.

So far, so good.

"We do it so he will be the best basketball player he can be," says Reggie Evans, Team Tyreke founder and at age 37 the second-oldest of four Evans brothers. "This is his dream. It's all about him. But you've got to make him comfortable and make sure everyone around him is on the same page he's on."

Developing 'the Blueprint'

Team Tyreke acknowledges the negative perception often tied to NBA players with entourages, with the local example being former Kings point guard Mike Bibby and his "Team Dime."

But this team is different from the NBA norm. These are mostly relatives, not friends.

Aside from Peterson and Davis, Team Tyreke consists of three brothers – Reggie, Doc and Pooh – and a cousin, Temetrius. While Reggie and Doc handle the business side, Pooh oversees the basketball progress from afar. He has the best basketball résumé of the bunch, having played point guard at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

Only Peterson draws a salary, which is rare among Tyreke's new NBA peers. Though professional athletes are known for spending incredible amounts of cash, there have been countless examples of athletes living beyond their means by supporting multiple generations of family members as well.

As Reggie points out, Tyreke is the youngster in this group of men. Three of the Evans brothers have families – Reggie has a 14-year-old daughter, Pooh has five children and Doc two.

For that reason and others, Peterson was the natural choice to accompany Tyreke to Sacramento.

Still, Reggie runs the show.

"You think I'm afraid to say anything to him? Hell no," says Reggie, who is Tyreke's legal guardian. "Most (NBA players) have yes men, and they'll let guys go off the deep end, and they're afraid to get cut off (from the inner circle). That's not me. That's not us."

"The Blueprint" is more than a concept. It's a company – Blueprint Inc.

After Tyreke was drafted, Reggie had him incorporated under that name in Delaware for tax purposes. Tyreke is the CEO. Reggie is the vice president.

"I turned it over to him," Reggie says.

He's not joking.

Until now, Reggie has always been in charge. That trend couldn't have started any earlier, as Reggie was the one who named him 20 years ago.

Their father – John Holmes, who died of a heart attack four years ago – was a truck driver and mechanic often on the road before Tyreke was born. Tyreke's oldest brother, Doc (real name Julius), was serving overseas in the Navy when he was born. So on the day Tyreke arrived, Reggie – knowing his baby brother would take their mother's last name like all the other boys had because she "wore the pants" – came up with the name. It was the first of many times that Bonita Evans trusted Reggie to make decisions when it came to Tyreke.

"Reggie has been doing right by Tyreke since he was a baby," Bonita Evans said. "He used to come home from school and tell me not to bathe him until he could get there. He'd want to dress him, clothe him and everything."

By the time Tyreke was 4, Reggie was coaching him in a local youth basketball league. The toddler version of the fancy crossovers and aggressive drives to the basket took flight, as did "the Blueprint."

"It was almost like what Michael Jackson went through with his dad," Reggie said. "His father had a vision when they were kids, and that's different than when someone is telling you what a kid can do. I saw for myself. You saw the potential, the growth. I knew this kid was special with the way he played amongst his peers and dominated them."

Reggie Evans protected Tyreke from Chester's inherent dangers. Whether it was the ill-intentioned peers on some of the nation's roughest streets or "runners" who work for agents and illicitly recruit the best teenage players, Reggie knew there was a need for a barrier.

Reggie enrolled Tyreke at private American Christian School in suburban Aston, Pa., to get away from Chester. Tyreke was ahead of the basketball curve (he played varsity as a seventh-grader) but behind in the classroom. So Reggie and their father paid $15,000 for two private tutors from the Huntington Learning Center to help him catch up.

Reggie Evans continues to do all he can to set up Tyreke's business structure and spread his brand across the globe. He hired his brother's financial adviser and lawyer soon after the draft, which was quickly followed by a four-year Nike shoe contract. He brokered deals with fashion line Hugo Boss and Panini trading card company, and is talking to Vitamin Water.

Reggie, who works with Tyreke's representatives from the Wasserman Media Group on all business ventures, also just finalized a deal with a memorabilia company from Miami.

Reggie, who draws no salary for the work he does for Tyreke, somehow juggles all of this with his two jobs and family.

Reggie Evans is an operations manager for Communications Test Design Inc. in West Chester, Pa., and earns a six-figure salary while overseeing 192 employees. He also has an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team, one with Nike affiliations and all sorts of potential-filled players who want to be like 'Reke. Reggie is also father to 14-year-old Alaysia, who needs guidance more than all the rest.

"At some point, I'll have to leave my job," said Reggie, who comes to Sacramento once a month to meet with Tyreke and Peterson to discuss the business. "I know it. It's going to become a full-time thing once this kid really blows up."

A close-knit team

Peterson once wasn't so sure Tyreke would make it to this level.

Peterson was pursued by Reggie Evans for one reason: to give Tyreke an NBA body long before he turned pro. With 14-year-old Tyreke a slim 6-3, 170-pounder at their first meeting, Peterson thought to himself, "This is the next big thing? I don't see it."

That assessment remained after Peterson watched Tyreke play in Michael Jordan's camp entering Tyreke's sophomore year of high school.

"He was the youngest player ever invited to Jordan's camp," Peterson said. "(But) he acquiesced to the older players. He deferred to the college guys or the pros who were there when they were doing the drills. And I told Reggie, 'I don't see what the hoopla is about. He looks like an average kid.' I didn't see anything."

Apparently, neither did Jordan.

"Gerald Green was there, and it was 'Reke's turn to go in," Peterson recalled. "Jordan told him to sit down, and he looks at Shannon Brown and says, 'Come on in.' "

Peterson, who made a name for himself within the Pennsylvania AAU community, didn't stay skeptical of Tyreke's talents for long. After a 2005 summer league game that showcased Evans' innate ability to dominate the game, Peterson became eager to build the youngster's body.

Peterson, who won't reveal his age but is clearly a couple of generations ahead of Tyreke, hasn't left his side since.

He was an assistant coach at American Christian from Evans' sophomore year until he graduated. He lived with Evans and Davis during his one season at Memphis, helping with Evans' basketball routine while staying in the team's dormitory. Now, he's the super fan in the "RekeROY" T-shirt who can be found dining in the media room or courtside at Arco Arena on game nights.

With Evans out of his teens and into his millions, their relationship has undergone a natural transition. Whereas Peterson was once the resident watchdog, he and Davis are now Evans' friends and co-overseers.

"I don't think I would've wanted to come out here by myself in my first year and just be all lonely," Evans says. "I would've had to get a dog or a cat or something."

Peterson has became a liaison of sorts between the rookie and the Kings, talking with the team's staff about Evans' appearances and communicating with Kings coach Paul Westphal about his player's progress.

"I think that (Tyreke) has a very solid family as well as people who are like family living with him, advising him, role modeling for him, and just being his friend," Westphal said. "He's very mature and focused, and he has people around him who care about him and his best interests.

"Anytime you're a 20-year-old away from home, it's better to have people you're familiar with in your life. He's got a lot of that."

Evans' coach at Memphis, John Calipari, also likes the arrangement.

"Their thing was always to protect their brother, to keep the buzzards away," said Calipari, now at Kentucky. "And their job was to protect him so he could do what he loves to do. … They'll look after him, and they're also going to tell them the truth. When kids get that, then they're comfortable."

Settling in

Evans is getting more comfortable each day.

On the court, certainly. A slow start in his first five regular-season games has been followed by the kind of rookie production that draws comparisons to LeBron James, Oscar Robertson and even Jordan. And the Kings, who are already just three victories away from matching last season's franchise-worst 17-win total, are confident they have a star in Evans.

Evans' play has Westphal fielding questions about the rookie in every city in which the Kings play. Meanwhile, Evans sits atop most – if not all – the rankings that project the winner of the Rookie of the Year Award.

Evans is plenty comfortable off the court, too. At this moment, he's sitting on his couch munching on potato chips and drinking orange Powerade (he doesn't drink soda because some medical studies suggest it causes diabetes). The Celtics and Spurs are playing on television.

Considering Evans usually must watch NBA games on his iPhone, this is quite a treat.

For as hard as Team Tyreke has tried to alleviate all his non-basketball concerns, no one can seem to solve the programming predicament at his townhouse.

None of the cable providers that offer NBA League Pass can get a signal to his townhouse, leaving him far fewer games to watch on TV during the week.

As Evans watches the game, the topic of Ron Artest's latest transgression comes up.

The former Kings small forward now with the Lakers recently admitted to drinking liquor at halftime of games when he played in Chicago during his younger days. Artest said he was ill-equipped to handle newfound wealth and a severe lifestyle change that came when he left the ghetto in Queensbridge, N.Y., for NBA riches. He hoped his story would be a cautionary tale for young players around the league.

Still, Evans can't relate.

"He was drinking during games?" asked Evans, who had a dumbfounded look on his face hearing the story for the first time. "He said he was stressed? Huh."

Meanwhile, Evans is faced with another decision in his version of a stressful day.

Peterson re-enters the room from upstairs with a cell phone. He needs a crucial question answered.

"Hey, what time do you want your massage tonight?" he asks Evans. "You can go at 7 (p.m.) with Jonathan or at 9 (p.m.) with a girl."

Evans looks his way with a grin.

"Nine," he quickly replies.

And another one of Evans' big problems has been solved.

The purpose of this alliance was to prepare Tyreke Evans for everything.

The money. The fame. The game.

His talents were so unique, so obvious at such an early age, that expecting the unexpected became the goal of his support system known as Team Tyreke.

But on this recent Friday afternoon in Natomas, Evans is facing what for him is a major problem. And making matters worse, he's facing it alone.

Lamont Peterson, his strength and conditioning coach and friend who has been with him since he was 14, sits in Evans' black Mercedes S550 outside a local sandwich shop, leaving the Kings rookie to fight his own battle inside.

"Why'd you guys lose the Buffalo chicken?" the 20-year-old asks the young man working behind the Subway counter.

"Umm, I think they discontinued it," the worker replies.

"Ah, man," Evans says with a groan.

Though this might not be what the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. meant in the song "Mo Money Mo Problems," it is Evans' most daunting decision of the day amid his intentionally simplified existence.

He begrudgingly settles for the non-Buffalo chicken sandwich for his post-practice meal, then heads off for his nearby townhouse.

There was no such dining drama in the morning, when NBATV's Ahmad Rashad interviewed Evans at Bella Bru with a dozen breakfast plates sitting on the table that included quiche, omelettes, muffins and pancakes.

It was a rare visit to Sacramento by Rashad to interview a member of the Kings, who have fallen off the national radar.

Evans barely ate breakfast because, well, he is a creature of culinary habit. Before games, he has chicken pasta delivered from Chili's. Before practices, his best friend and roommate, 20-year-old Dwayne Davis, often brings him his favorite breakfast sandwich from IHOP.

And then there's Subway's Buffalo chicken sandwich. At least there was, once.

Evans and Peterson return to his two-story, three-bedroom dwelling that won't soon appear on "MTV Cribs," and not just because the camera crews would have trouble finding a place to park. The townhouse would be considered small if the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Evans were living alone, but he shares it with Peterson and Davis.

Two couches sit perpendicular in the cozy family room, with a tiny round kitchen table looking more like a bar-room setup near the modest kitchen.

A 50-inch, high-definition television looks out of place near the front door, and the surround-sound speakers sitting in front of the unit probably would disturb the neighbors if they were plugged in.

Never mind that Evans was taken fourth overall in the June draft and given a contract that pays him $3.6 million this season. This place is all about logic over luxury.

The five-minute commute to Arco Arena means he has no excuse to be late for practices or games, and the absence of a house with a roundabout driveway and resort-style backyard is intended to keep him grounded in this big-picture, basketball bubble in which he lives.

It's all part of a plan called "the Blueprint."

Evans' charge is to figure out the NBA game, to dominate like he did back home in Chester, Pa., and at the University of Memphis, while always sticking to the script.

The plan first calls for a Rookie of the Year Award, to be followed by NBA championships, league MVP trophies and two maximum-salary contracts over a 15-year career. This is, they all agree, Evans' basketball destiny.

Most immediately, the plan calls for Evans to focus solely on basketball and avoid the pitfalls that have derailed many young NBA stars before him.

So far, so good.

"We do it so he will be the best basketball player he can be," says Reggie Evans, Team Tyreke founder and at age 37 the second-oldest of four Evans brothers. "This is his dream. It's all about him. But you've got to make him comfortable and make sure everyone around him is on the same page he's on."

Developing 'the Blueprint'

Team Tyreke acknowledges the negative perception often tied to NBA players with entourages, with the local example being former Kings point guard Mike Bibby and his "Team Dime."

But this team is different from the NBA norm. These are mostly relatives, not friends.

Aside from Peterson and Davis, Team Tyreke consists of three brothers – Reggie, Doc and Pooh – and a cousin, Temetrius. While Reggie and Doc handle the business side, Pooh oversees the basketball progress from afar. He has the best basketball résumé of the bunch, having played point guard at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

Only Peterson draws a salary, which is rare among Tyreke's new NBA peers. Though professional athletes are known for spending incredible amounts of cash, there have been countless examples of athletes living beyond their means by supporting multiple generations of family members as well.

As Reggie points out, Tyreke is the youngster in this group of men. Three of the Evans brothers have families – Reggie has a 14-year-old daughter, Pooh has five children and Doc two.

For that reason and others, Peterson was the natural choice to accompany Tyreke to Sacramento.

Still, Reggie runs the show.

"You think I'm afraid to say anything to him? Hell no," says Reggie, who is Tyreke's legal guardian. "Most (NBA players) have yes men, and they'll let guys go off the deep end, and they're afraid to get cut off (from the inner circle). That's not me. That's not us."

"The Blueprint" is more than a concept. It's a company – Blueprint Inc.

After Tyreke was drafted, Reggie had him incorporated under that name in Delaware for tax purposes. Tyreke is the CEO. Reggie is the vice president.

"I turned it over to him," Reggie says.

He's not joking.

Until now, Reggie has always been in charge. That trend couldn't have started any earlier, as Reggie was the one who named him 20 years ago.

Their father – John Holmes, who died of a heart attack four years ago – was a truck driver and mechanic often on the road before Tyreke was born. Tyreke's oldest brother, Doc (real name Julius), was serving overseas in the Navy when he was born. So on the day Tyreke arrived, Reggie – knowing his baby brother would take their mother's last name like all the other boys had because she "wore the pants" – came up with the name. It was the first of many times that Bonita Evans trusted Reggie to make decisions when it came to Tyreke.

"Reggie has been doing right by Tyreke since he was a baby," Bonita Evans said. "He used to come home from school and tell me not to bathe him until he could get there. He'd want to dress him, clothe him and everything."

By the time Tyreke was 4, Reggie was coaching him in a local youth basketball league. The toddler version of the fancy crossovers and aggressive drives to the basket took flight, as did "the Blueprint."

"It was almost like what Michael Jackson went through with his dad," Reggie said. "His father had a vision when they were kids, and that's different than when someone is telling you what a kid can do. I saw for myself. You saw the potential, the growth. I knew this kid was special with the way he played amongst his peers and dominated them."

Reggie Evans protected Tyreke from Chester's inherent dangers. Whether it was the ill-intentioned peers on some of the nation's roughest streets or "runners" who work for agents and illicitly recruit the best teenage players, Reggie knew there was a need for a barrier.

Reggie enrolled Tyreke at private American Christian School in suburban Aston, Pa., to get away from Chester. Tyreke was ahead of the basketball curve (he played varsity as a seventh-grader) but behind in the classroom. So Reggie and their father paid $15,000 for two private tutors from the Huntington Learning Center to help him catch up.

Reggie Evans continues to do all he can to set up Tyreke's business structure and spread his brand across the globe. He hired his brother's financial adviser and lawyer soon after the draft, which was quickly followed by a four-year Nike shoe contract. He brokered deals with fashion line Hugo Boss and Panini trading card company, and is talking to Vitamin Water.

Reggie, who works with Tyreke's representatives from the Wasserman Media Group on all business ventures, also just finalized a deal with a memorabilia company from Miami.

Reggie, who draws no salary for the work he does for Tyreke, somehow juggles all of this with his two jobs and family.

Reggie Evans is an operations manager for Communications Test Design Inc. in West Chester, Pa., and earns a six-figure salary while overseeing 192 employees. He also has an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team, one with Nike affiliations and all sorts of potential-filled players who want to be like 'Reke. Reggie is also father to 14-year-old Alaysia, who needs guidance more than all the rest.

"At some point, I'll have to leave my job," said Reggie, who comes to Sacramento once a month to meet with Tyreke and Peterson to discuss the business. "I know it. It's going to become a full-time thing once this kid really blows up."

A close-knit team

Peterson once wasn't so sure Tyreke would make it to this level.

Peterson was pursued by Reggie Evans for one reason: to give Tyreke an NBA body long before he turned pro. With 14-year-old Tyreke a slim 6-3, 170-pounder at their first meeting, Peterson thought to himself, "This is the next big thing? I don't see it."

That assessment remained after Peterson watched Tyreke play in Michael Jordan's camp entering Tyreke's sophomore year of high school.

"He was the youngest player ever invited to Jordan's camp," Peterson said. "(But) he acquiesced to the older players. He deferred to the college guys or the pros who were there when they were doing the drills. And I told Reggie, 'I don't see what the hoopla is about. He looks like an average kid.' I didn't see anything."

Apparently, neither did Jordan.

"Gerald Green was there, and it was 'Reke's turn to go in," Peterson recalled. "Jordan told him to sit down, and he looks at Shannon Brown and says, 'Come on in.' "

Peterson, who made a name for himself within the Pennsylvania AAU community, didn't stay skeptical of Tyreke's talents for long. After a 2005 summer league game that showcased Evans' innate ability to dominate the game, Peterson became eager to build the youngster's body.

Peterson, who won't reveal his age but is clearly a couple of generations ahead of Tyreke, hasn't left his side since.

He was an assistant coach at American Christian from Evans' sophomore year until he graduated. He lived with Evans and Davis during his one season at Memphis, helping with Evans' basketball routine while staying in the team's dormitory. Now, he's the super fan in the "RekeROY" T-shirt who can be found dining in the media room or courtside at Arco Arena on game nights.

With Evans out of his teens and into his millions, their relationship has undergone a natural transition. Whereas Peterson was once the resident watchdog, he and Davis are now Evans' friends and co-overseers.

"I don't think I would've wanted to come out here by myself in my first year and just be all lonely," Evans says. "I would've had to get a dog or a cat or something."

Peterson has became a liaison of sorts between the rookie and the Kings, talking with the team's staff about Evans' appearances and communicating with Kings coach Paul Westphal about his player's progress.

"I think that (Tyreke) has a very solid family as well as people who are like family living with him, advising him, role modeling for him, and just being his friend," Westphal said. "He's very mature and focused, and he has people around him who care about him and his best interests.

"Anytime you're a 20-year-old away from home, it's better to have people you're familiar with in your life. He's got a lot of that."

Evans' coach at Memphis, John Calipari, also likes the arrangement.

"Their thing was always to protect their brother, to keep the buzzards away," said Calipari, now at Kentucky. "And their job was to protect him so he could do what he loves to do. … They'll look after him, and they're also going to tell them the truth. When kids get that, then they're comfortable."

Settling in

Evans is getting more comfortable each day.

On the court, certainly. A slow start in his first five regular-season games has been followed by the kind of rookie production that draws comparisons to LeBron James, Oscar Robertson and even Jordan. And the Kings, who are already just three victories away from matching last season's franchise-worst 17-win total, are confident they have a star in Evans.

Evans' play has Westphal fielding questions about the rookie in every city in which the Kings play. Meanwhile, Evans sits atop most – if not all – the rankings that project the winner of the Rookie of the Year Award.

Evans is plenty comfortable off the court, too. At this moment, he's sitting on his couch munching on potato chips and drinking orange Powerade (he doesn't drink soda because some medical studies suggest it causes diabetes). The Celtics and Spurs are playing on television.

Considering Evans usually must watch NBA games on his iPhone, this is quite a treat.

For as hard as Team Tyreke has tried to alleviate all his non-basketball concerns, no one can seem to solve the programming predicament at his townhouse.

None of the cable providers that offer NBA League Pass can get a signal to his townhouse, leaving him far fewer games to watch on TV during the week.

As Evans watches the game, the topic of Ron Artest's latest transgression comes up.

The former Kings small forward now with the Lakers recently admitted to drinking liquor at halftime of games when he played in Chicago during his younger days. Artest said he was ill-equipped to handle newfound wealth and a severe lifestyle change that came when he left the ghetto in Queensbridge, N.Y., for NBA riches. He hoped his story would be a cautionary tale for young players around the league.

Still, Evans can't relate.

"He was drinking during games?" asked Evans, who had a dumbfounded look on his face hearing the story for the first time. "He said he was stressed? Huh."

Meanwhile, Evans is faced with another decision in his version of a stressful day.

Peterson re-enters the room from upstairs with a cell phone. He needs a crucial question answered.

"Hey, what time do you want your massage tonight?" he asks Evans. "You can go at 7 (p.m.) with Jonathan or at 9 (p.m.) with a girl."

Evans looks his way with a grin.

"Nine," he quickly replies.

And another one of Evans' big problems has been solved.

One of the most common hypotheses that I hear with regard to possible non-coding DNA function is that it serves to protect genes against mutation. Junk DNA, according to this proposal, is there to provide a defensive shield against mutagens (usually this includes UV, ionizing radiation, chemical mutagens, viruses, and/or oxygen radicals). I am very skeptical of this explanation, but I am willing to take it seriously if it is studied seriously. In fact, one of my current graduate students first came to talk with me when he was an undergraduate and asked me about this possible function. For his undergraduate research project, we tried to test it using Drosophila species with different genome sizes exposed to chemical mutagens and screened for phenotypic effects (we learned a lot about how one might design such an experiment, but the results were inconclusive on the first attempt). That’s much more than most proponents of this hypothesis try to do, and I suspect that’s one reason that it has not really gained much ground in the genomics community.

Various visitors to this blog have brought up the hypothesis in one form or another, so even though little or no data is ever presented (and counter-examples are generally dismissed out of hand), I will once again treat the idea seriously.

Specifically, here is my overview of what proponents of the mutation protection hypothesis need to know and what they need to do if they want this to move out of the armchair and into the realm of science.

I. This is not a new idea.
If you have been following this blog, you will know that functions for non-coding DNA have been proposed regularly for decades. Not surprisingly, the notion that it protects genes from mutagens was one of them. This hypothesis dates back in a general form nearly 40 years to the paper in Nature by Yunis and Yasmineh (1971). As they wrote:

“Recent reports indicate that the DNA of constitutive heterochromatin is composed to a large extent of short repeated polynucleotide sequences, termed satellite DNA. This discovery has necessitated a critical review of current ideas concerning the origin and function of this portion of the genome of higher organisms (4-12). A careful appraisal of the information that has accumulated about heterochromatin since the time of Heitz [late 1920s, early 1930s] and on satellite DNA during the last decade suggests that these entities have vital structural functions: they maintain nuclear organization, protect vital regions of the genome, serve as an early pairing mechanism in meiosis, and aid in speciation.”

Yunis and Yasmineh (1971) focused primarily on structural roles for non-coding DNA, and I don’t think aiding in speciation can be considered a “function”, but they did also include the basic notion of genome defense.

True to the standard view of the 1970s (and, to a significant extent, of many authors today), they begin with an adaptationist assumption and build from there:

“With the assumption that a portion that comprises some 10 percent of the genomes in higher organisms cannot be without a raison d’etre, an extensive review led us to conclude that a certain amount of constitutive heterochromatin is essential in multicellular organisms at two levels of organization, chromosomal and nuclear. At the chromosomal level, constitutive heterochromatin is present around vital areas within the chromosomes. Around the centromeres, for example, heterochromatin is believed to confer protection and strength to the centromeric chromatin. Around secondary constrictions, heterochromatic blocks may ensure against evolutionary change of ribosomal cistrons by decreasing the frequency of crossing-over in these cistrons in meiosis and absorbing the effects of mutagenic agents. During meiosis heterochromatin may aid in the initial alignment of chromosomes prior to synapsis and may facilitate speciation by allowing chromosomal rearrangement and providing, through the species specificity of its DNA, barriers against cross-fertilization.”

A few years later — and three years after the rise of the term “junk DNA” (Ohno 1972; Comings 1972) — Hsu (1975) provided a much stronger argument for what he called the “bodyguard hypothesis”. To start, Hsu (1975) noted that many hypotheses had already been presented for the function of heterochromatin, of which he listed six. Importantly, he also noted the following, which seems to have been lost on most current authors:

“Some investigators consider the repeated DNA sequences as the equivalent of ‘appendices’ of gene evolution and therefore facetiously refer to them as ‘junk’. Actually few really think that ‘junk’ DNA is completely useless (cf. Ohno 1972; Comings 1972).”

In any case, the “bodyguard hypothesis” was described as follows:

“The hypothesis proposed here is a simple-minded one: constitutive heterochromatin is used by the cell as a bodyguard to protect the vital euchromatin by forming a layer of dispensable shield on the outer surface of the nucleus. Mutagens, clastogens [inducing chromosome breakage] or even viruses attacking the nucleus must first make contact with the constitutive heterochromatin which absorbs the assault, thus sparing the euchromatic genes from damage, unless the detrimental agents are overpowering.”

For example, the idea has been brought up with renewed vigour by some Russian geneticists (Patrushev 1997; Patrushev and Minkevitch 2006, 2007, 2008). In this case, the focus is on endogenous mutagens (i.e., free oxygen radicals generated through aerobic metabolism). They take this much farther than Hsu by applying it as a major explanation for genome size differences generally and by including transposable elements (which are much more abundant than satellite DNA). As they argued:

“Our data suggest the following molecular mechanism that controls the size of eukaryotic genome in phylogenesis. During the whole life, nuclear DNA of aerobic organisms is affected by a continuous flow of endogenous mutagens. Mutagens escaping the neutralizing effect of antimutagenesis system damage the nucleic bases of DNA, most of which are corrected by repair systems. This ensures a permissible genetically determined level of spontaneous mutagenesis. An increase in the intranuclear concentration of mutagens raises the mutation rate in genome-coding sequences,among which gene(s) of molecular sensor are present. Mutational alterations in the sensor mobilize retrotransposons, which results in a local growth in their copy number, enlargement of genome size, and a decrease inthe mutation in the corresponding coding sequences. As a result, the genome–endogenous mutagen system reaches a new steady-state level. A decrease in the intranuclear concentration of mutagens will be accompanied by a reduction of genome size as a result of spontaneous deletions in its now excessive (in view of accomplishing the protective functions) sequences.” (Patrushev and Minkevitch 2006)

“In such a situation, the noncoding DNA of eukaryotic genome behaves quite ‘altruistically’ by putting itself under injuries instead of coding DNA.” (Patrushev and Minkevitch 2008)

In another example, Vinogradov (1998) proposed that non-coding DNA serves in “buffering the effect of fluctuations in intra-cellular solute composition on chromatin condensation state in its condensed form and on binding of DNA-tropic proteins and other ligands in its decondensed form.” There are probably other examples, but these suffice to show that the idea has been in the literature for some time. In fact, non-experts who get excited about the idea when they first think of it should realize that it has been around for almost four decades, and that in all that time it has barely had any impact. I believe this is due in significant part to a chronic lack of supporting evidence and a number of counterexamples — but more on that later.

II. Specific predictions need to be made and tested.
There is nothing wrong with the mutation protection hypothesis on the face of it. As I said, at least one of my students first became interested in genome size because of it and we considered it worth testing experimentally. However, there is a crucial difference between thinking up the hypothesis and actually testing it. If anyone is serious about this idea, and doesn’t want to be just another person who holds on to the idea with an unjustified tenacity, then they need to present specific, testable predictions that derive from the hypothesis.

Hsu (1975) recognized the problem of speculating on functions for junk DNA without evidence or any clear means of empirical testing. Thus, he was careful to provide several specific predictions of his bodyguard hypothesis that are amenable to analysis:

1. 
   
2. “the mutation rate induced by chemical mutagens should be inversely correlated with the number of B chromosomes”.
   
3. heterochromatin should be “more concentrated at the periphery of the nucleus (and probably also at the nucleoli) than in the interior”.
   
4. “organisms with more constitutive heterochromatin [should be] more resistant to induced mutations, at least by chemical mutagens”.

Again, let’s take the idea seriously and ask how Hsu’s original predictions have fared over the past 35 years.

Prediction 1: B chromosomes vs. mutation rate
B chromosomes (also called supernumerary chromosomes) are something of an odd choice in this context, because they are not found in all species and they vary in size and number within and among species. By definition, they are not important for survival. They do appear to have effects on recombination (i.e., they increase its frequency), and this has in the past been suggested as a functional role. On the other hand, in high numbers they appear to have deleterious effects on the organisms carrying them. Indeed, B chromosomes were described very early on as parasitic elements (Östergren 1945; one of the first clear expositions of the “selfish DNA” idea), and this remains the most common interpretation (Camacho 2005).

I am not aware of many tests of the prediction that more B chromosomes will provide greater protection against mutations (iperhaps because I don’t follow the B chromosome literature very closely), and in any case the other deleterious impacts and obvious parasitic properties of B chromosomes challenge a primarily adaptive explanation for their presence. However, there are a few experiments that are relevant to this prediction. For example, here is the abstract from a recent study by Weber et al. (2007) on B chromosomes and mutations in maize:

Two hypotheses (the Bodyguard hypothesis and the ABCW hypothesis) have been proposed that predict that the amount and type of chromatin in the nucleus will affect induced mutation rates. The Bodyguard hypothesis proposes that a function of constitutive heterochromatin may be to protect euchromatin from chemical mutagens. The ABCW hypothesis, states that the mutation rate per locus from ionizing radiation is directly proportional to the haploid DNA content of a species. We altered the total amount of genomic DNA and also the amount of heterochromatin by adding supernumerary B chromosomes (which are largely composed of heterochromatin) to maize (Zea mays L.) cells. We compared induced mutation frequencies at the yellow-green2 (yg2) locus in near-isogenic plants that contained 0 (diploid) or 4 supernumerary B chromosomes (diploid + 4 Bs) to evaluate these hypotheses. We found that the chemical mutagen, EMS, caused significantly higher mutation frequencies in plants that contained 4 B chromosomes (and therefore additional constitutive heterochromatin) than in diploid controls. The Bodyguard hypothesis predicts precisely the opposite result. We also found that ionizing radiation caused significantly higher mutation frequencies in plants with 4 B chromosomes than in diploid control plants. This type of change is predicted by the ABCW hypothesis; however, the extent of the increase observed in this study is much higher than the ABCW hypothesis would predict. The higher mutation frequencies from EMS and radiation in plants that contained 4 B chromosomes was unanticipated, and is the first observation that cells may be more susceptible to mutagenesis when B chromosomes are present. We also compared spontaneous mutation frequencies at the waxy1 (wx1) locus in plants containing 0 or 4-5 B chromosomes, and found that the presence of B chromosomes had no detectable impact. However, the pollen abortion frequency was significantly increased by the presence of 5 B chromosomes.

“Evidence for evolutionary conservation argues for a still unknown functional significance of distinct radial higher-order chromatin arrangements. In 1975, T.C. Hsu proposed the ‘bodyguard’ hypothesis for a possible function of constitutive heterochromatin. He argued that constitutive heterochromatin localized in the nuclear periphery might protect the centrally localized euchromatin against mutagens, clastogens, and viruses. However, evidence for the existence of a protection shield has not been provided so far. The fact that later replicating, gene-poor chromatin is incorporated in the constitutive, gene free heterochromatin to form a chromatin shield in the nuclear periphery cannot be easily integrated into this hypothesis. While G-dark band chromatin contains tissue-specific genes, these genes are certainly not of minor importance as compared with the housekeeping genes that are localized in G-light band chromatin in the interior nuclear compartment. The finding in the human fibroblast nuclei that—in contrast to lymphocyte nuclei—both HSA18 and 19 territories are apparently in contact with the nuclear envelope and thus similarly exposed to mutagens, which will enter the nucleus, presents another difficulty. Why should gene dense HSA19 be better protected in lymphocyte nuclei than in fibroblast nuclei? Furthermore, in the light of the bodyguard hypothesis, we would expect to observe DNA damage preferentially in the peripheral chromatin shield. However, several reports indicate a non-random distribution of double strand breaks, as well as endonuclease- or radiation-induced chromosome aberration sites were preferentially observed in the gene-dense G-light bands.”

Again, there may be data out there that support the mutation protection idea, but so far it is not looking good for the hypothesis.

Prediction 3: Non-coding DNA content vs. mutation rate
It is an interesting bit of historical trivia that some early work on genome size diversity was funded by the US Atomic Energy Commission, much as the human genome sequencing initiative was supported by the Department of Energy. In the 1960s and 1970s, there was interest in patterns of sensitivity to radiation and their potential relation to genomic properties including genome size. In general, these studies reported a positive correlation between mutagenic sensitivity to radiation and DNA content (Sparrow and Evans 1961; Sparrow and Miksche 1961; Sparrow et al. 1965, 1968; Baetcke et al. 1967; Abrahamson et al. 1973; Wolff and Abrahamson 1974; Athanasiou and Heddle 1975; Heddle and Athanasiou 1975; Trujillo and Dugan 1975). That is to say, more DNA means more, not less, sensitivity to radiation-induced mutations on a per-locus basis.



From Abrahamson et al. (1973). Click for larger image.

From Trujillo and Dugan (1975). Click for larger image.

From Heddle and Athanasiou (1975). Click for larger image.

From Heddle and Athanasiou (1975). Click for larger image.

Other possible predictions:
Hsu’s predictions do not seem to have stood up well to testing, but the important point is that he proposed them and allowed his hypothesis to face empirical scrutiny. Likewise, current proponents of the mutation protection hypothesis need to follow in this tradition.

III. Previous observations need to be explained.
One of the reasons that the mutation protection hypothesis does not have widespread acceptance is that there seem to be too many well-known phenomena that do not jive well with it. Consider the following patterns:

1. 
   
2. Species exposed to intense UV (e.g., on land or in freshwater in the Arctic, pelagic plankton, etc.) do not appear to have large genomes. On the other hand, some very large genomes are found in deep-sea invertebrates.
   
3. Among vertebrates, species with high metabolic rates, and presumably more free oxygen radicals, have smaller genomes than species with lower metabolic rates.
   
4. There can be substantial differences in genome size among similar organisms, for example as in onion and its relatives or among salamanders.
   
5. Despite claims to the contrary based on small and questionable analyses, there are no clear relationships between genome size and lifespan.
   
6. Transposable elements, which are the primary contributor to genome size, can cause a range of mutations through insertion into genes or by causing large deletions by illegitimate recombination, the latter of which is especially likely with the long terminal repeat (LTR) elements that are common in plants.
   
7. DNA content obviously can be amplified in somatic cells by endoreduplication, but this tends to be in cells involved in ion exchange, protein production, etc., and not ones exposed most to mutagens (such as the skin exposed to UV).

Conclusions
Overall, the mutation protection idea has intuitive appeal, which is why it was proposed so early and why it continues to pop up as an apparently independent invention among interested non-experts. As I said, I am happy to consider it as a legitimate hypothesis — but only if it moves well beyond the usual pattern in which it is proposed as though it were new, accepted without supporting evidence, and defended through dismissal of obvious counter-evidence. The null hypothesis, that much of the non-coding DNA in eukaryotic genomes does not have an organismal function, also has to be acknowledged as at least equally plausible in light of our understanding of genome biology.

References

Abrahamson, S., M.A. Bender, A.D. Conger, and S. Wolff (1973). Uniformity of radiation-induced mutation rates among different species. Nature 245: 460-462.

Athanasiou, K. and J.A. Heddle (1975). EMS induced mutation rates and their relation to genome size. Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology 17: 455.

Baetcke, K.P., A.H. Sparrow, C.H. Nauman, and S.S. Schwemmer (1967). The relationship of DNA content to nuclear and chromosome volumes and to radiosensitivity (LD50). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 58: 533-540.

Camacho, J.P.M. (2005). B chromosomes. In: The Evolution of the Genome, ed. T.R. Gregory. Elsevier, San Diego, pp.223-286.

Comings, D. E. (1972). “The structure and function of chromatin.” Advances in Human Genetics 3: 237-431.

Heddle, J.A. and K. Athanasiou (1975). Mutation rate, genome size and their relation to the rec concept. Nature 258: 359-361.

Hsu, T.S. (1975). A possible function of constitutive heterochromatin: the bodyguard hypothesis. Genetics 79 (Suppl. 2): 137-150

Ohno, S. (1972). So much “junk” DNA in our genome. Evolution of Genetic Systems. H. H. Smith. New York, Gordon and Breach: 366-370.

Östergren, G. (1945). “Parasitic nature of extra fragment chromosomes.” Botaniska Notiser 2: 157-163.

Patrushev, L.I. (1997). Altruistic DNA: About protective functions of the abundant DNA in the eukaryotic genome and its role in stabilizing genetic information. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology International 41: 851-860

Patrushev, L.I. and I.G. Minkevich (2006). Eukaryotic non-coding DNA sequences provide genes with an additional protection against chemical mutagens. Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry 32: 408-413

Patrushev, L.I. and I.G. Minkevich (2007).Genomic non-coding sequences and the size of eukaryotic cell nucleus as important factors of gene protection from chemical mutagens. Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry 33: 474-477

Patrushev, L.I. and I.G. Minkevich (2008). The problem of eukaryotic genome size. Biochemistry 73: 1519-1552.

Sparrow, A.H. and H.J. Evans (1961). Nuclear factors affecting radiosensitivity. I. The influence of nuclear size and structure, chromosome complement, and DNA content. Brookhaven Symposia in Biology 14: 76-100.

Sparrow, A.H. and J.P. Miksche (1961). Correlation of nuclear volume and DNA content with higher plant tolerance to chronic radiation. Science 134: 282-283.

Tanabe, H., F.A. Habermann, I. Solovei, M. Cremer, and T. Cremer (2002). Non-random radial arrangements of interphase chromosome territories: evolutionary considerations and functional implications. Mutation Research 504: 37-45.

Sparrow, A.H., K.P. Baetcke, D.L. Shaver, and V. Pond (1968). The relationship of mutation rate per Roentgen to DNA content per chromosome and to interphase chromosome volume. Genetics 59: 65-78.

Trujillo, R. and V.L. Dugan 1975. Radiosensitivity and radiation-induced mutability: an empirical relationship. Rad. and Environm. Biophys. 12: 253-256.

Vinogradov, A.E. (1998). Buffering: a possible passive-homeostasis role for redundant DNA. Journal of Theoretical Biology 193: 197-199.

Weber, D.F., M.J. Plewa, and R. Feazel (2007). Effect of B chromosomes on induced and spontaneous mutation frequencies in maize. Maydica 52: 109-115.

Wolff, S., S. Abrahamson, M.A. Bender, and A.D. Conger (1974). The uniformity of normalized radiation-induced mutation rates among different species. Genetics 78: 133-134.

Yunis, J.J. and W.G. Yasmineh (1971). Heterochromatin, satellite DNA, and cell function. Science 174: 1200-1209.

Neo-soul survivor Erykah Badu is set to follow up her dark funk opus New Amerykah, Part I: 4th World War (which placed on our Best Albums of the Decade list) with New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh on February 23 courtesy of Universal Motown. The album features production from J Dilla, 9th Wonder, James Poyser, and Madlib, and drumming from the Roots' ?uestlove.

We were lucky enough to hear the record at a listening session last week and can report that Part II is a bit more lighthearted than the ominous and political Part I. As song titles like "Love", "Fall in Love", and "Umm Hmm" suggest, Erykah's in a more contented mood this time around.

"Get Money" features an interpolation of Sylvia Striplin's "You Can't Turn Me Away", which was sampled on the Junior M.A.F.I.A. [ft. the Notorious B.I.G. and Lil Kim] track of the same name. Another song, "Jump in the Air", is said to feature rappers including Lil Wayne and Andre 3000, according to Billboard, but it may not make the final album, possibly due to the fact that an unfinished version was leaked online. And yeah, this is a funky album; it's an Erykah Badu record.

Erykah is set to play a New Year's Eve gig in Hollywood and will tour with this summer's revived Lilith Fair. Click on for the tentative Return of the Ankh tracklist:

Halo Legends, Microsoft's collaboration with some of the biggest productions house of the anime industry, has a Japanese release date. The film will be released February 16, 2010 on DVD, Blu-ray and digital platforms.

The ¥5,980 Blu-ray version is a two-disc set, while the ¥4,980 DVD version comes on three discs.

Bones, Casio Entertainment, Production I.G., Studio4 C, and Toei Animation are each creating shorts for Halo Legends.

Production I.G.'s Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) is serving as creative director of the project, while Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) will be directing Production I.G.'s Halo Legends episodes.

アニメ『Halo Legends』がブルーレイとDVDで2010年2月16日に発売決定 [Famitsu]