We wonder why the Japanese always get chosen to make cool animated movies. What, are we Americans incapable of producing stuff like this? OK, maybe we are...

News Blips:

• Japan shows love for Halo via beautiful animation and possible Gravemind tentacle rape. Microsoft announced today that Halo will be getting a compilation of six anime shorts from various Japanese animation studios in one package entitled Halo Legends. We have one request: Make Master Chief dance. [Shacknews]

• Saw director wants to whip Castlevania flick good. The live-action Castlevania movie can't be killed (coincidence?) -- Saw director and co-writer James Wan is now officially on board to co-write and direct the film based on Konami's classic vampire-hunting series. We really hope Wan asks the burning question: What is a man? [1UP]

• Band Hero turns your DS into a makeshift annoy machine. Activison Blizzard announced, yes, another Guitar Hero sequel today, this one for the DS. Band Hero, however, lets you not only play the guitar (via the guitar doohickey that plugs into the GBA port), but also the drums (via four pads that attach to the d-pad and face buttons). Sadly, the triangle attachment is apparently being saved for the sequel. [Joystiq]

• There's plants fighting zombies on my 360. The delectably brain-teasing tower defense game Plants vs. Zombies will be shambling onto Xbox Live Arcade sometime soon. Let's celebrate with a song. [WorthPlaying]