Best of GameSetWatch: From PETA to New Kids On The Block

[Gamasutra highlights a week's worth of alternative video gaming news, media, and other curiosities from sister blog GameSetWatch, as written by editor Eric Caoili.] This round-up brings news on Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima judging a Japanese Twilight Fanart Contest, a new chip music tour on the West Coast kicking off this weekend, and a unique GameSetWatch contest giving away free downloads for Arkedo Series - 01 JUMP! and Arkedo Series - 02 SWAP! on Xbox 360. Other highlights include a controversial auction for the sample box of an unreleased New Kids On The Block NES game; and PETA using the upcoming DS/Wii games for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey to bring attention to the circus company's alleged animal abuse. This past week's top stories: - Hangin' Tough: New Kids On The Block Box Auction Debacle "Though the auction did not include the actual Parker Bros.-developed NES game, because NKOTB never made it to stores, the box's rarity was enough to attract a dozen bidders. Bidding ended on the item last week at $589, but the story doesn't end there." - PETA Uses Circus Video Games As Opportunity To Speak Out Against Alleged Animal Abuse "With 2K Games's upcoming release of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey for DS and Wii, animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) called on the press to inform others about the circus company's alleged abuse of elephants and tigers when writing about the games." - GameSetContest: Pitch a Raroo Fun System Game and Win JUMP! or SWAP! "Mister Raroo is looking for the best ideas of new games for the (fictional game console) Raroo Fun System. Channel your inner game designer and come up with something nifty! Up for grabs are "tokens" for free downloads of Arkedo Series - 01 JUMP! and Arkedo Series - 02 SWAP! for Xbox 360!" - Data Beez Presents West Coast Chiptune Mini-Tour "As with NYC and Philly's Blip Festival, Pulsewave, and 8static events, the Data Beez tour hopes to spread 'addictive, low-tech sounds across the West Coast', as well as set 'a precedent for the future of chip music on the West Coast'." - Kojima To Judge Japanese Twilight Fanart Contest "Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima will serve as one of three judges in an upcoming illustration contest based on The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Japanese art community Pixiv (Japan's equivalent of deviantArt) also enlisted Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion character designer) and Ryuji Gotsubo (illustrator for the Japanese editions of the Twilight books) as judges." - Zoo Games Releasing Auditorium To XBLA, PSN, PSPgo "Casual publisher Zoo Games announced a deal to release music puzzler Auditorium to Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PSPgo (presumably through PSP Minis) some time next year. " - Homebrew Manic Miner In The Lost Levels Released For DS "Manic Miner In The Lost Levels features a total of 50 stages, arranged in three sections. The Lost Levels portion includes 20 levels that were added (or modified) for the Manic Miner versions released on Oric, BBC Micro, Dragon 32, Amstrad CPC, and GBA."