'Astro Boy' video game photos

Japan’s mechanical munchkin comes to consoles

By Paul Semel, Special To Metromix

As if the ever-expanding manga section in your local bookstore wasn’t indication enough that Japanese pop culture is (finally) expanding beyond cult status, now one of that country’s most beloved icons is poised to make his Hollywood debut. Based on the cartoon and comic books, the October movie “Astro Boy” puts a CGI spin on the beloved and influential kid robot.

While the film promises to be very modern, the game—rather fittingly, given its lineage—will be totally old school. Slated for release Oct. 20 on the Wii, PSP and PlayStation 2 by D3Publisher, the “Astro Boy” game is an old school 2D run ’n’ jump platformer in the mold of “Super Mario Brothers.” See for yourself in the following screenshot gallery.