It’s one thing to have dreams about assuming the life of a video game character, but taking those actions into reality is another, and is telling of when you’ve overstepped your bounds. That’s what Jan H. did when he shut off the main power switch at Sophia Hospital in the Netherlands last April, blaming his actions on Silent Hill, Konami’s hit survival horror franchise.

A court ruling that wrapped up last Tuesday concluded that the man was not guilty but did suffer from psychosis, which led to the subconscious belief that he was solving a puzzle from the game. As a consequence, he will now undergo psychiatric treatment in order to combat this condition. Luckily patients in the hospital remained unharmed throughout this whole ordeal, which resulted in a 45-minute blackout.

Insane. That’s all we can say.

Man found not guilty after blacking out hospital [24 oranges]

Man Blames Silent Hill for Cutting Hospital Power - [eXophase.com]

WiiWare effort Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, a remake of the 1989 Game Boy original is out in Japan and one avid fan has recorded a playthrough of the first stage for your enjoyment. Visually, it’s looking nothing like the original, which in all respects is a good thing. Expect a healthy dose of nostalgia as far as gameplay goes, however. Still no word from Konami on a US release date, but it’s expected to hit before this year’s end.

Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth In Action - [eXophase.com]

If a listing on the product pages of online retailer GameFly are any indication, it appears that Konami has picked up Alpha Unit’s Monster Finder for a stateside release. Slated for a debut in Japan next month, the Pokemon Snap and Invizimals crossover features a neat concept, enabling players to utilize the DSi cameras to take pictures of real-world objects with which the game transforms into virtual monsters.

GameFly is pegging on a January 2010 release date on what would be the first DSi-exclusive title to reach North American shores.

DSi Exclusive Monster Finder Coming Stateside, Retailer Hints - [eXophase.com]

Despite the fact that Konami has yet to officially announce Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, a full-on WiiWare remake of the Game Boy title of the same name, images showing off the second take of this whip-slinging entry have surfaced courtesy of Famitsu.

Not your typical remake, Konami went the extra mile with this one, giving it a modern look. Which by all accounts is a good thing, considering the original looks horrendously dated by today’s standards. In addition to introducing new foes, level designs have been given a facelift in tune with the traditional Castlevania look, notably replacing those out-of-place ropes from the original with actual stairs.

Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth is slated for an October 27 release in Japan. Nintendo has stamped a vague Q3 2009 date in North America, meaning there is a chance it could make it its way here before Halloween as well.

Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth Unveiled In Scans - [eXophase.com]

It appears Konami’s survival horror title Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, a reboot of the first SH entry, will drop outside the Halloween release window.

Numerous retailers are now hinting at a holiday release, with GameStop pegging down a December 8 date. Online outlet GameFly is listing an even further out December 31 date for the PSP and PS2 versions. Oddly enough, according to their site, the Wii version is still on track for November 26. In all likelihood that’s probably an error. If history is any indication, we’d side with GameStop’s dates as they seem to be the most accurate. Take it as pure speculation for now though, as Konami has yet to officially confirm a delay.

Retailers Hint At Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Delay - [eXophase.com]

Konami announced today that its time traveling RPG Shadow of Memories, originally released on PS2, is receiving the port treatment and will find a new home on PSP later this year in Japan.

Centered around a philosophical plot, players assume the role of a 22 year old man named Eike Kusch, revisiting prior events that trace back to the 1580s in an effort to prevent the character’s own murder.

Shadow of Memories is scheduled to hit the PSP on October 1 in Japan. A date has yet to be announced for other regions.

Shadow of Memories Port Hitting PSP - [eXophase.com]

At its E3 press conference last evening, Konami announced that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is being developed in collaboration with Kojima Productions, the famed studio behind Metal Gear Solid. While Mercury Stream is handling a majority of the workload, KP will oversee production, providing advice and support.

Alongside confirming Kojima’s involvement, Konami revealed that several Hollywood figures will voice characters in the game. The current cast list includes Gabriel voiced by Robert Carlyle, Patrick Stewart as the mysterious Zobek. Natasha McElhone and Jason Isaacs.

“Castlevania: Lords of Shadow will take the Castlevania series into brave, uncharted territories, and is a breath-taking adventure that boasts stunning aesthetics, deep and challenging game play, and a truly inspirational voice cast to deliver the games dramatic depth”, commented Dave Cox, Producer on the title and Head of Product Planning for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH.

In what seems to be a first for the Castlevania franchise, Konami is clearly putting a sizable budget behind this one. It’ll be interesting to see how it turns out, especially with Kojima backing the title. Lords of Shadow is slated for a 2010 release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. See the first screenshots after the break.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Screenshots

In a press release issued today, Konami confirmed that Metal Gear Solid: Rising is heading to the Xbox 360 and PS3, marking the first time any entry in the series has been released on multiple platforms at launch.

First revealed at Microsoft’s E3 presser, the title will star cyborg-ninja Raiden. No further details were revealed, although Hideo Kojima himself alluded to the fact that Solid Snake may not make an appearance. That presumably means this title will take place after the events of MGS4, but we’ll see.

In an effort to kick off the Summer gaming season on the right foot, Sony has decided to re-release six titles under the "Greatest Hits" umbrella. A couple of these are heavy hitters:

• Army of Two, Electronic Arts
• Battlefield: Bad Company, Electronic Arts
• Devil May Cry 4, Capcom
• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, SCEA
• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Konami
• Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, SCEA

Hitting retail centers on June 16th, the above titles will be available for $29.99.

If you were hoping for something exciting to emerge out of the mysterious countdown teaser page for what we presume is Metal Gear Solid related, well, you got it: another countdown clock. This one is longer than the first, but no less cryptic, clocking in at around 115 hours currently. Exciting, no?

While at first glance it may seem that nothing has changed, there are a couple subtleties in the flash animation to take note of. First, the landscape is shrouded in clouds that have taken on a darker shade of grey. New symbols also pop up at various points in the trailer, including “E,” “e” and “@”.

What it all means, we haven’t a clue. Let the wait commence for phase three for what we believe is the longest countdown in video game history.