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XBOX 360: Test Drive Unlimited /Click 4 movies/ We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Atari to look over its latest entry in the long-standing Test Drive series. Test Drive: Unlimited is a typical free-form racing title that's intended to be available at launch for the Xbox 360. But it's not just any racing game. The developers actually describe it as something of a racing MMO, thanks to its unique utilization of the next-gen Xbox's online capabilities. We were shown a number of these unique features in our demonstration, and we were also able to sit down and take the game for, well, a bit of a test drive. You'll be able to customize the appearance of your driver as well as that of your cars. During the demonstration, we were shown plenty of the unique features that are intended to make Test Drive stand out from the crowd. One of the most improbable yet inexplicably cool features is your ability to customize your cars as well as the appearance of your driver. When you first start up a game, you're going to be asked to design an avatar using a character-generation system that will allow you to modify your clothes and facial features, ensuring that each player online will have a different appearance. The clothing will apparently be licensed from real designers, including Marc Ecko, and we're told that you'll even be able to download new threads from these designers as they release new lineups from season to season. New characters will also be given a house with a small garage. The living room of the house will act as your base of operations. In the game's main menu, you'll be able to check your in-game e-mail or voicemail from other players, check news bulletins (which will tell you when a new car is available to purchase or a new race is open to enter), or download new cars (as with clothing, Atari plans to make some new cars available for download as their licensed manufacturers release them in the real world). In addition, there's an eBay-esque option for putting your cars up for auction online. When you're ready to hit the streets, you'll have to head to the garage. As you win more cash by winning races or betting other players, you'll be able to purchase more expensive houses, which will in turn come with bigger garages that will allow you to store more cars at a time. Test Drive Unlimited will ship with a roster of around 150 licensed vehicles. Speaking of cars, Atari seems to be taking the job of simulating the 150 or so cars and motorcycles in the game much more seriously than you might expect, given that the game itself is definitely more of an arcade racer than a pure simulation. We're told that each car will be realistically modeled, and we were shown a Mercedes SLR in the demonstration player's garage as a proof of concept. The garage here is much more than just a storage area for your cars; you're going to be able to walk around your vehicles, examine them bow to stern, open the doors, open the windows, flip on the radio, and so on. The character in the demonstration was actually able to enter the car while still in the garage, which served as a showpiece for the detailed modeling of the car's interior, with a complete dash, air conditioning vents, a working radio, and so on. We're also told that you'll be able to customize the seats and dash with a variety of leather and wood-paneling options. Of course, detailed cars and clothing don't mean much without well-designed courses, and it's here that Atari is relying on Mother Nature for an assist. There aren't discrete race courses in Test Drive: Unlimited, as you might expect. Instead, the entire Hawaiian island of Oahu was converted from real-world satellite and topography data into a fully realized gaming landscape. Oahu was chosen due to its inherent natural beauty, as well as its various racing environments, such as beaches, mountain, and city courses. The game island should have more than 1,000 miles of track to it, and while you're outside, you'll be able to seamlessly zoom in and out to adjust from a satellite's-eye view of the entire island all the way down to a street-level view. We're also told that real-world landmarks, such as Pearl Harbor, should be fully recognizable as you drive past (or through) them. The entire Hawaiian island of Oahu will be your race circuit. If that sounds big, then get this: we're told that, thanks to the online capabilities of the next-gen Xbox, "thousands" of players should be able to race around the same island at the same time. Our demonstration version of the game obviously didn't have this feature enabled, but Atari laid out some of its plans for the game and showed us a bit of how it works. Players will be able to challenge other players to races as everyone zooms around the island and meets up with each other. You can bet cash on the outcome, or bet pink slips if you're particularly daring. What's more, players will be able to generate races on the fly with the in-game challenge-generation system. This is essentially a make-your-own-race feature, where players can select a starting location, lay down checkpoints, and then choose a finish line location. The game will automatically connect these features to give you a customized race that can be as long or as short as you like. We were given a short walk-through of this feature that enabled the player to create a race, with a couple of nearby checkpoints, which started in one of the cities on the island. The player then zoomed the view out as far as it could go, zoomed back in on the other side of the island and placed a marker there, which was instantly connected back to the previous checkpoints, resulting in a race that would've lasted for about three hours. Obviously, most races will be smaller in scope for manageability. Of course, there will be more than just straight-up racing in Test Drive Unlimited. We're told that a number of customizable game types will be included in the final version of the game, many with individually modifiable parameters. We didn't get a complete list of these features, but we did spot some fan-favorite modes such as speed trap and cat and mouse on the list. Players will also have to be careful not to impact traffic that they encounter on the road, and there will also be police in the game to avoid or evade. The ambient traffic and police on the roads should keep things interesting. We only had the opportunity to test out the game's actual racing for a short period of time, but everything seems responsive and fun. We also saw the Test Drive series' arcade-racing history. Engine sounds are appropriately punchy, you're able to drive off-road if you wish (although most of the vehicles in the game are high-end sports cars, thus often making this something of a bad idea), and the view distances are obviously much greater than those that you'll have experienced in this generation of racing titles. Currently, Test Drive Unlimited is slated to be a launch title for the next-generation Xbox. If Atari can implement the features it's promising, it could shape up to be one of the must-have titles at launch for racing game aficionados. We'll have more coverage of the title during E3, so stay tuned. By Matthew Rorie, GameSpot

PS3: Gundam World Click title for movies. What kind of next-gen demo reel would it be without giant robots? Not much of one, in our opinion. In this regard, Sony's PlayStation 3 game reel didn't disappoint, as Bandai's Gundam World was debuted to the world during the conference. So, what did the video show? Why, gigantic robots laying waste to one another and a major city, of course! The video opens of a shot within a burnt out building. Through the glassless, damaged windows, you can see a trio of massive gundams wandering through the streets of a devastated city, seemingly on the hunt for something. Suddenly, another gundam appears, with what appears to be a semiautomatic rifle, and pumps the other robots full of lead. Cut to another gundam moving through the streets, this one traveling on a giant tank tread, shows up and starts blasting away at another gundam, whose arm is promptly severed, sending him falling to the ground with a tremendous thud. The video then cuts to, you guessed it, yet another gundam, this one with a massive gatling gun, which fires off a few shots at another opposing robot. Finally, the video cuts to another through-a-burnt-out-building shot of a gundams legs. You see the gundam go from the kneeling position to standing up, and then we quickly zoom in and freezeframe on a white gundam with a big, honking bazooka in its right hand. Judging by this cinematography, one would assume that this is a recognizable gundam from one of the anime series. Admittedly, our gundam is a little bit rusty, so we'll just call him bazooka gundam. So, is any of this footage in-game? Is it all just one big, pretty CG cutscene? We're afraid that we just don't know. One way or another, it's a hell of an entertaining sequence, and we're incredibly curious to see more. We'll bring you more on Gundam World as it becomes available. By Alex Navarro, GameSpot

XBOX 360 Product Overview The Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system places you at the center of the experience. Available this holiday season in Europe, Japan, and North America, Xbox 360 ignites a new era of digital entertainment that is always connected, always personalized, and always in high definition. Xbox 360 gives you access to the games you want to play, the people you want to play with, and the experiences you crave—when and where you want them. Key Highlights ● Hardware, software, and services: Unveiled to the world on MTV on Thursday, May 12, 2005, Xbox 360 represents a dramatic leap forward in high-definition gaming and entertainment experiences. Fusing powerful hardware, software, and services, Xbox 360 fully engages you in a gaming experience that is more expansive, dramatic, and lifelike, where the possibilities are limitless and your imagination knows no boundaries. The next generation is here. ● Industrial design: A merger of form and function, Xbox 360 wraps powerful technology in a sophisticated exterior. Two of the most innovative design firms in the world—San Francisco-based Astro Studios and Osaka, Japan-based Hers Experimental Design Laboratory Inc.—came together to craft a sleek, stylish system that conveys the very essence of Xbox 360. ● Xbox Gamer Guide: The Xbox Gamer Guide is an entertainment gateway that instantly connects you to your games, friends, music, movies, and downloadable content. Available at a touch of the Xbox Guide Button, the Xbox Gamer Guide gives you instant access to the experiences and content you want, from the gamer card of the player that just invited you to play online to new downloadable content for the game currently running. ● Personalized interface: Xbox 360 lets you create your own unique system and experience. With interchangeable Xbox 360 Faces, it's easy and fun to change the appearance of your console. Switch on your system and customize the look and feel of the Xbox Gamer Guide and Xbox System Guide with unique "skins." From sleek and sophisticated to fun and funky, pick the Faces and skins that show your personality. ● Ring of Light and Xbox Guide Button: Divided into four quadrants, the glowing Ring of Light and Xbox® Guide Button visually connect you to your games, digital media, and the world of Xbox Live™, the first global, unified online console games service. Featured on both the wireless and wired controllers, the Xbox Guide Button puts you in control of your experience. In addition to bringing up the Xbox Gamer Guide and the Xbox System Guide, the Xbox Guide Button lets you turn the system on and off without ever leaving the couch. ● Xbox Live: Xbox Live is where games and entertainment come alive, the only unified place where you can play with anyone, anytime, anywhere. And the best just got better. Connect your Xbox 360 to your broadband connection and get instant access to Xbox Live Silver. Express your digital identity through your Gamertag and gamer card, talk with others using voice chat, and access Xbox Live Marketplace—all right out of the box, at no extra cost. Upgrade to Xbox Live Gold and enter the exciting world of multiplayer online gaming. With intelligent matchmaking, access to all your achievements and statistics, video chat and video messaging, and an enormous selection of games, Xbox Live Gold delivers your competition, on your terms. ● Xbox Live Marketplace: Keep your favorite games fresh with instant access to new content. Xbox Live Marketplace is a one-stop shop to download new game trailers, demos, and episodic content, plus new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, skins, and more. Accessible to everyone who establishes a broadband connection with their Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace lets you personalize and extend your experience, on demand. ● Games: Xbox 360 redefines what games look like, sound like, feel like, and play like to engage you like never before. With Xbox 360, epic worlds are alive with detail, from thunderous skies rumbling over a mountain range to tiny blades of grass rustling together in the breeze. Vibrant characters display depth of emotion to evoke more dramatic responses, immersing you in the experience like never before. You’ll see all Xbox 360 titles at 720p resolution in 16:9 widescreen, with anti-aliasing for smooth, movie-like graphics and multi-channel surround sound. ● Digital entertainment: Amplify your music, photos, video, and TV. Watch progressive-scan DVD movies right out of the box. Rip music to the Xbox 360 hard drive and share your latest digital pictures with friends. Make the connection, and Xbox 360 instantly streams the digital media stored on your MP3 player, digital camera, Media Center PC, or any Microsoft® Windows® XP-based PC. Custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU • Three symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHz each • Two hardware threads per core; six hardware threads total • VMX-128 vector unit per core; three total • 128 VMX-128 registers per hardware thread • 1 MB L2 cache CPU Game Math Performance • 9 billion dot product operations per second Custom ATI Graphics Processor • 500MHz processor • 10 MB of embedded DRAM • 48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines • Unified shader architecture Polygon Performance • 500 million triangles per second Pixel Fill Rate • 16 gigasamples per second fill rate using 4x MSAA Shader Performance • 48 billion shader operations per second Memory • 512 MB of GDDR3 RAM • 700 MHz of DDR • Unified memory architecture Memory Bandwidth • 22.4 GB/s memory interface bus bandwidth • 256 GB/s memory bandwidth to EDRAM • 21.6 GB/s front-side bus Overall System Floating-Point Performance • 1 teraflop Storage • Detachable and upgradeable 20GB hard drive • 12x dual-layer DVD-ROM • Memory Unit support starting at 64 MB I/O • Support for up to four wireless game controllers • Three USB 2.0 ports • Two memory unit slots Optimized for Online • Instant, out-of-the-box access to Xbox Live features with broadband service, including Xbox Live Marketplace for downloadable content, gamer profile for digital identity, and voice chat to talk to friends while playing games, watching movies, or listening to music • Built-in Ethernet port • Wi-Fi ready: 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g • Video camera ready Digital Media Support • Support for DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD • Ability to stream media from portable music devices, digital cameras and Windows XP-based PCs • Ability to rip music to the Xbox 360 hard drive • Custom playlists in every game • Built-in Media Center Extender for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 • Interactive, full-screen 3-D visualizers High-Definition Game Support • All games supported at 16:9, 720p, and 1080i, anti-aliasing • Standard-definition and high-definition video output supported Audio • Multi-channel surround sound output • Supports 48KHz 16-bit audio • 320 independent decompression channels • 32-bit audio processing • Over 256 audio channels System Orientation • Stands vertically or horizontally Customizable Face Plates • Interchangeable to personalize the console

PlayStation 3 announced for 2006 Bye bye XBOX 360! LOS ANGELES--Today saw the second of the big three console makers announce its next-generation platform. At its pre-E3 press conference, Sony Computer Entertainment gave the world its first look at the PlayStation 3, as it is now officially called. While the device's price has not yet been set, its release window--spring 2006--has. Flanked by Sony Computer Entertainment America President and CEO Kaz Hirai, SCE head Ken Kutaragi introduced it as a "supercomputer for computer entertainment." The name was not unexpected, since Sony had been running an extensive teaser-ad campaign prepping the public for the PlayStation 3. The company had laid a blanket of posters around the Los Angeles Convention Center, site of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (aka E3). Bus stalls and billboards around the convention center proclaimed "Prepare for Chang3" in the distinctive PlayStation font with partial shots of the Dual Shock controller's square-circle-triangle-X buttons. Sony also confirmed the PlayStation 3 will use Blu-ray discs as its media format. The discs can hold up to six times as much data as current-generation DVDs. It will also support CR-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R formats. Sony also confirmed that the machine will be backward compatible all the way to the original PlayStation. It will also have slots for Memory Stick Duo, an SD slot, and a compact flash memory slot. It will also sport a slot for a detachable 2.5-inch HDD, somewhat similar to the Xbox 360's. Sony did not mention if the drive would be standard. Sony also laid out the technical specs of the device. The PlayStation 3 will feature the much-vaunted Cell processor, which will run at 3.2GHz, giving the whole system 2 teraflops of overall performance. It will sport 256MB XDR main RAM at 3.2GHz, and it will have 256MB of GDDR VRAM at 700MHz. Sony also unveiled the PS3's graphics chip, the RSX "Reality Synthesizer," which is based on Nvidia technology. The GPU will be capable of 128bit pixel precision and 1080p resolution--some of the highest HD resolution around. The RSX also has 512MB of graphics render memory and is capable of 100 billion shader operations and 51 billion dot products per second. It also has more than 300 million transistors, larger than any processor commercially available today. It will be manufactured using the 90nm process, with eight layers of metal. The RSX is more powerful than two GeForce 6800 Ultra video cards, which would cost roughly $1,000 total if purchased today. The PlayStation 3 will also sport some hefty multimedia features, such as video chat, Internet access, digital photo viewing, and digital audio and video. Speaking of video, Sony Computer Entertainment's chief technical officer Masa Chatani was on hand to show off the PS3's panoramic video functions. Since the console has two HD outputs, it is can be hooked up to two side-by-side HDTVs to projecting video in a 32:9 extra-widescreen format (think Cinemascope in your living room). Like a gigantic version of the Nintendo DS, the dual digital outputs also allow for an extended game display, with the action on one screen and either game information or video chat on the second. Out of the box, the PS3 will have the capability to support seven Bluetooth controllers, which can be used for nearly 24 hours before they require charging. Later, pictures of the controllers themselves were released, showing their almost boomerang-like shape. It will also have six USB slots for peripherals: four up front and two in the back. As rumored, it will also have Wi-Fi connectivity to the PSP, which can be used as a remote screen and/or controller. Dr. Richard Marx, the inventor of EyeToy, was on hand to show off the PS3's wireless HD IP Camera. The demo recalled rumors that the machine will have Minority Report-esque motion-sensing capabilities. Marx held two small cup-like objects in his hands, which moved the cups on the screen in real time. To show off the PlayStation 3's graphical brawn, Sony showed several game demos, including an Unreal 3 engine show-off of what appeared to be Unreal Tournament 2007. In what must come as a relief to developers, Epic Games' Tim Sweeney was on hand to vouch for the PS3, saying it was "easy to program for" and that Epic had received its first PS3 hardware two months ago. He proved the tech demo was real-time by showing it again and by manipulating the camera and zooming in. Sony also showed off several other tech demos. One was a next-gen remake of the famed "duck demo" first shown when the PlayStation 2 launched. Except this time, instead of one duck in a bathtub, the demo showed a whole flock of ducks milling about, as well as several toy battleships. Another demo showed grass and foliage growing while another showed Gran Turismo cars racing with Spider-Man swinging overhead. Speaking of Spider-Man, another demo showed highly detailed renders of Alfred Molina as Dr. Octopus recreated from the film Spider-Man 2. However, Sweeney's words were only the beginning. Later, Sony trotted out a whole host of publishers that are backing the PlayStation 3. And in the process, it confirmed several games for the console. Hideo Kojima introduced Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4, Capcom showed off Devil May Cry 4, Namco unveiled Tekken 6, Polyphony Digital trotted out a fifth Gran Turismo, SCEE showed off the next Killzone, and Rockstar Games showed a new Red Dead Revolver. EA President Larry Probst was also on hand to show off a demonstration of the next Fight Night game, which will presumably be called Fight Night Round 3. When one of the two fighters took a blow, his skin rippled realistically. Kudo Tsonoda from EA's Chicago studio was on hand, and said that the goal is to make the facial animation convey the amount of punishment a pugilist has suffered. And still the games came. SCEE had three on display: A third Getaway, with an even seedier, nastier version of London; a new off-road racing game called Motor Storm from Evolution Studios; and a shooter called Heavenly Sword. Sega is readying Fifth Phantom Saga, and Bandai is prepping another Gundam game. Ubisoft is continuing to innovate in the first-person shooter field with an all-new IP named Killing Day. Koei enlightened the crowd with a demo of Ni-oh, a new martial-arts-themed brawler about Buddha's monk bodyguards. Incognito is developing a sequel to Warhawk, the acclaimed actioner for the original PlayStation. However, one of the night's most impressive tech demos will likely be the most disappointing for fans of the Final Fantasy series. After showing some footage from the upcoming Final Fantasy XII for the PlayStation 2, Square Enix Yochi Wada showed a very impressive demo called "Final Fantasy VII: Technical Demo for PlayStation 3." The visually impressive demo showed a sequence of a cityscape, culminating with fan favorite Cloud jumping out of a train. However, Wada said the clip was "merely a sample" and Square Enix currently has no plans to release a remake of Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation 3. However, he did say the series would arrive on the console in "some form." Wada's presence at the PS3 launch was ironic, given that Microsoft announced Final Fantasy XI for the Xbox 360 just hours later. In fact, much of Sony's conference seemed designed to one-up the features of Microsoft's new console point by point. Sony also emphasized that the PlayStation 3 would have similar online connectivity and services as the next generation of Xbox Live. Calling it "an always on, always connected device," Chatani said the PS3 would be constantly in touch with a "PlayStation World" network "fundamentally based on a on community, communication commerce, and content." He said that subscribers could "exchange unique characters and items through the network," much like Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace. PLAYSTATION 3 SPECIFICATIONS CPU: Cell Processor PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz --1 VMX vector unit per core --512KB L2 cache --7 x SPE @3.2GHz --7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs --7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE --*1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy --Total floating point performance: 218 gigaflops GPU RSX @ 550MHz --1.8 TFLOPS floating point Performance --Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels --Multi-way programmable parallel Floating point shader pipelines --Sound Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-based processing) MEMORY 256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz 256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz System Bandwidth Main RAM-- 25.6GB/s VRAM--22.4GB/s RSX-- 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read) SB2.5GB/s (write) + 2.5GB/s (read) SYSTEM FLOATING POINT PERFORMANCE: 2 teraflops STORAGE --HDD Detachable 2.5" HDD slot x 1 --I/O--USB Front x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0) --Memory Stickstandard/Duo, PRO x 1 --SD standard/mini x 1 --CompactFlash(Type I, II) x 1 COMMUNICATION --Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x 3 (input x 1 + output x 2) --Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g --Bluetooth--Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) --ControllerBluetooth (up to 7) --USB 2.0 (wired) --Wi-Fi (PSP) --Network (over IP) AV OUTPUT Screen size 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p HDMI out x 2 AV multi out x 1 Digital out (optical) x 1 DISC MEDIA CD PlayStation CD-ROM PlayStation2 CD-ROM CD-DA CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD DualDisc (audio side) DualDisc (DVD side) PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM PlayStation 3 DVD-ROM DVD-ROM DVD-R DVD-RW DVD+R, DVD+RW Blu-ray Disc PlayStation 3 BD-ROM BD-ROM BD __________________ Meow.

PS3:Motor Storm Sony Computer Entertainment showed off a number of teaser trailers for previously unannounced PlayStation 3 games at its pre-E3 conference in Los Angeles this afternoon. The last trailer shown, which weighed in at around a minute and 15 seconds, was for an off-road racing game titled Motor Storm. Currently in development at UK-based Evolution Studios, previously responsible for the World Rally Championship (WRC) series of of-road racers, Motor Storm ditches traditional rally driving in favor of what appears to be a fiercely competitive free-for-all being contested by multiple vehicle types. In addition to the tricked out rally cars that you'd expect, today's trailer features buggies, trucks, ATVs, off-road bikes, and what looks to be a Hummer racing across a desert and kicking up masses of sand and dirt as they do so. One of the most stunning shots in the trailer is undoubtedly "eye in the sky" view from a helicopter looking down on the action, but it's only when you get closer to the action that you can appreciate just how impressive the vehicles, and the mess that they're making of the desert and each other, really are. Accurate vehicle models are nothing new, of course, but these rides really need to be seen to be believed. If today's trailer is any indication whatsoever of what Evolution is shooting for in the finished game, we can assume that each of the vehicles in Motor Storm will feature realistically modeled interiors, and that during the course of a typical race they'll get caked in super-realistic dirt, and leave super-super-realistic debris all over the course. The first time Evolution Studios ever showed a WRC demo behind closed doors in London, we were told that the game would be so detailed that leaves on the track would behave according to accurately simulated wind currents caused by passing cars. That never really happened on the PlayStation 2, maybe it will on the PlayStation 3. The drivers and riders of all of the vehicles in Motor Storm also look to be very believable, not only when they're in their seats, but also when they're trying to get back to their vehicles after particularly nasty accidents. Our only complaint at this point is that the video isn't just a few seconds longer, watch it for yourself if you want to know why. No release date has been announced for Motor Storm at this time, but we'll bring you more information on the game as soon as it becomes available. By Justin Calvert, GameSpot

XBOX 360: Dead or Alive 4 Trailer Dead or Alive 4 E3 2005 Preshow Report One of the most impressive pieces of footage from the Microsoft E3 2005 press conference was of Team Ninja's Dead or Alive 4, the latest installment in the bone-crunching brawler from Team Ninja. Given Team Ninja's enthusiastic reception of the Xbox, where it released such titles as Dead or Alive Ultimate, Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, and the critically acclaimed Ninja Gaiden, it's not entirely surprising to see Dead or Alive 4 on the Xbox360, and we suppose the pure visual quality of the title isn't all that surprising either, especially considering that Ninja Gaiden is still one of the best-looking games available for any current console. (Note that if you wish to stream the video instead of download it, you can find it at the 13:45 mark of the Microsoft press conference video.) Yes, oh ye of little faith, DOA4 looks good. The five minute long video shows a number of fighters, including some new faces to the series, as well as some old favorites, and also showcases the trademark multi-level fighting arenas of the series. The first image is of the self-proclaimed "ultimate Ninja in the universe," Ryu Hayabusa, who seems content to stand around looking ominous atop some anonymous high-rise building in an urban landscape. The camera doesn't stay on him very long, though, as it quickly flips to a Japanese setting, featuring a bridge surrounded by cherry blossoms, on which a new character is performing a slow-moving kata. Soon enough, Kasumi comes in to attempt to deliver a beatdown, showing off some of the new multi-tier level features. One of the noticeable things throughout the level, and throughout most of the levels featured in the video, is that many of the barriers separating high portions of a level from the lower portions aren't actually destructible; rather than a cliched explosion of wood or glass, many of the barriers in DOA4 are solidly constructed, forcing the character thrown into it to bounce up and over it before falling back down to the lower level of the arena, and indeed that's true in this level, as Kasumi is quickly stunned and knocked into the wooden handrails on the bridge, bounces high up into the air, then falls into the water underneath the bridge. The unnamed new character, a Japanese female bedecked in traditional dress, save for her practical sneakers, quickly jumps the railing to follow the action down into the ankle-deep water, where the fight continues. Kasumi turns the tables, though, performing some of her classic maneuvers to beat the new character down, and finishing the bout with the oft-imitated wall-jump dash maneuver. That's just one fight, though; three or four others are shown in the video, each showcasing a new character or a new arena. We won't spoil the entire video for you, but some of the noticeable features include a long set of steps which act as a barrier between the upper and lower levels of an arena. Rather than being simply kicked off the top of the stairs, though, one of the new characters is grabbed by the neck and gets dragged face-first down the entire flight of steps. In another level, featuring a Las Vegas streets motif, one of the combatants actually gets run down by a police car, which seems to be a randomly-appearing mobile obstacle that players will have to avoid as they fight, or shove their opponents into. Two of the constant elements of Team Ninja games are random wackiness and well-endowed females, and indeed DOA4 seems to be continuing this tradition, sometimes even in the same character. For example, one of the new characters is a busty female wrestler, who appears in full wrestling regalia, including a mask. Zack's trademark alternate costume, in which he appears to be a fully-grown version of Tinkle from The Wind Waker, is also apparently going to make a comeback, as he's shown in it while fighting a skeleton king, of all things. All in all, DOA4 seems like it'll be a faithful continuation of the previous titles in the series, featuring loads of intense hand-to-hand combat, multi-tiered arenas, and interesting new characters. We'll be posting more details on the title as we learn more about it, so stay tuned to GameSpot. And don't forget to kick high. By Matthew Rorie, GameSpot

Capcom announced Devil Kings at its E3 press conference today. Billed as a fast-paced action game for the PlayStation 2, Devil Kings will let you battle hordes of enemies and unleash awesome critical moves on them. Your goal: to unify various warring states under your rule. Sound a little familiar? That might be because the game looks a whole lot like something from Koei's Dynasty Warriors franchise, and not just in a cursory kind of way either. Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? We went hands-on with the game at Capcom's conference to find out. In Devil Kings, you'll get to choose from a roster of six unique characters, including ninjas, gunslingers, and spear throwers. The main character in the game is the titular Devil King, a crimson-clad warrior armed with a sword in one hand and a shotgun in the other. The game takes place in a fantasy-themed version of ancient Japan, and as the story goes, the main character is a powerful king who has sold his soul to the devil for his special powers, all for the single-minded dream of unifying the world's warring factions into one utopian society (ruled by him, of course.) Each character has unique critical moves and abilities. For example, one character can bring down a storm of flaming meteors while another can wield six swords at a single time, becoming the equivalent of a human Cuisinart. Each character can also gain experience and level up, enhancing existing attributes. If you've ever played any of the entries in Koei's Dynasty Warriors franchise, you should find the hack-and-slash mechanics of Devil Kings immediately comfortable. The game relies on two main attack buttons, each of which can be modified by holding down the R1 button to create special attacks. Each attack revolves around a character's specific weapons, so in the case of the Devil King himself, one button does sword attacks, whereas the other fires his shotgun blasts. You'll find yourself fighting quite a number of enemies of varying strengths when on the battlefield, and you'll even be flanked by a few grunt soldiers that are on your side. Enemies also hold specific ranks on the battlefield, so taking down an enemy commander will help your side's standing (though the game stops short of including a morale system). You'll also find rival warriors, which are essentially your counterparts, and periodically you'll have to square off against them. There are more than 80 special items that you can unlock in Devil Kings. When combined with a character's special abilities, these items give you the potential to literally plow through waves of enemies. Over the course of the game, you can build up your character, collect items, and carve your own path to world domination. Devil Kings, despite featuring quite a number of characters onscreen at once, runs at an altogether smooth clip. We didn't notice any frame rate problems, even through all the different enemies and colorful visual effects that emanated from our special attacks. The character designs are aesthetically pretty cool. The Devil King is this burly looking samurai with bloodred armor and a cape, and he moves in a deft but brutal fashion. The game is in the early stages of development, and it isn't due out until next year. We'll have more details on the game as they become available. By Alex Navarro, Jason Ocampo Gamespot

Unreal Tournament 2007 (PS3) Videos

Nintendo REVOLUTION Heres the write up and the REAL pics. Nintendo is the last of the "Big Three" to reveal its next-gen plans. Microsoft took the lid off its future console, the Xbox 360, last week, and Sony unveiled the PlayStation 3 yesterday at its pre-E3 conference. The Revolution design didn't follow suit with its curvaceous competitors, the concave Xbox 360 and convex PlayStation 3. In fact, its simple rectangular design can be easily mistaken for a modem at first glance. However, like its competitors, the unit can stand vertically or lay supine. The black console can fit snugly in a grey stand, where it is pitched upward at a slight angle for vertical positioning, or be removed and laid flat (and look eerily similar to Apple's Powerbook batteries). Revolution's enigmatic controllers were not revealed, but they will be wireless. Rumors have been awash that the controllers will be unlike any before, possibly losing buttons in favor of touch screens or incorporating some sort of gyroscopic functions. By Nintendo's own admission, according to USA Today, the system is two to three times as powerful as its current-generation console, the GameCube. Sony's PlayStation 3, announced yesterday, is reportedly dozens of times powerful than its predecessor, the PlayStation 2. However, Nintendo told the newspaper "It's not all about having 'turbo power', It's about what you do with it." What Nintendo plans to do with it is still under wraps--the publisher has not yet announced any games for the system. Eschewing its previous business ideas, Revolution will be online-friendly, and support a broadband gaming service similar to that of Microsoft's Xbox Live. Its most significant contribution to online gaming will be the ability to download games, and not just simple puzzlers or platformers from the NES days. GameCube titles will be downloadable, though it's not clear whether the games will be saved to a storage devices or memory cards. For those who would rather just pop in their hard copy of Mario Sunshine, Nintendo offers a simple solution: backward compatibility. Like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Revolution will be able to play all the games from the current generation, as well as DVDs. Be sure to check back for more information on Revolution. GameSpot News will be updating this story throughout the day. By Tim Surette -- GameSpot

heres a real pic of Nintendos revolution: More in my link above.

heres a link with pics and info on bothe systems and the games they will have on it 56k Warning

Tekken 6 Publisher: Namco Platform: PlayStation 3 Genre: Fighting Origin: Japan, US Release: TBA Namco announced Tekken 6 for PS3 at the Sony press conference, the game features Jin Kazama as the main character, the in-game model has the very close details as the CG models found in Tekken 5.

Killzone 2 Publisher: SCEE Developer: Guerrilla Platform: PlayStation 3 Genre: First Person Shooter Origin: US Release: 2006 Sony announced KillZone 2 for PS3, the sequel to Guerrilla's popular first person shooter. The game is scheduled to release in 2006

Bandai announced Gundam World for PlayStation 3 , a new robot action game in which you control gigantic Gundams to battle against the enemies one after another in major cities. Epic Games announced they have developed a PlayStation 3 version of the Unreal Engine 3, which can run in 720p on high-definition screen. It can also handle 200 times more complex lighting, shadowing and shading effects than current generation consoles. - Rockstar Games announced Red Dead Revolver 2 for PlayStation 3, the sequel to last year's popular western shooting adventure game.

PS3: Fifth Phantom Saga (UPDATE) Click above link for movies. Publisher: Sega Platform: PlayStation 3 Genre: Action Origin: Japan, US Release: 2006 Fifth Phantom Saga, from the formidable Sonic Team of Sega, is a PS3 title that appears to be a kind of supernatural FPS. It's difficult to really get a bead on the game from the short clip that was shown, which features a first-person viewpoint, but also had a multi-colored demon-thing-creature in each section of the clip, which implies that Sonic Team will either be pushing coop-play for the game, or that the player somehow controls his own character while also commanding the demon to do his or her bidding in the game world. Or perhaps both interpretations are correct, in that it offers up a single player mode where the demon is controlled with AI, but also supports coop play for two players? Whatever the specifics are, Fifth Phantom Saga looks like it has a pretty unique twist on the standard FPS conventions. For now, there's not much more to say about the game, except that it's from Sega and Sonic Team, the same combo that has brought us games like Phantasy Star Online and Feel The Magic XX/XY. The teaser site even has the genre listed as "To Be Revealed," so keep an eye on GameSpot for more details on Fifth Phantom Saga as they become available. By Matthew Rorie, GameSpot Here are some images of Sega's first PlayStation 3 title Fifth Phantom Saga, produced by Yuji Naka (Phantasy Star series).

PS3: I-8 Insomniac Shooter E3 2005 Preshow Impressions Before Insomniac Games became famous for its excellent, kid-friendly Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet & Clank titles, the company created a first-person shooter for the PlayStation called Disruptor. It seems Insomniac will soon be getting back to its roots, judging by one of the brand-new titles revealed at the impressive E3 2005 Sony press conference. Featuring World War II-style infantry combat along with an equal helping of horrific creatures--from zombies to scary spiderlike behemoths--this yet-unnamed first-person shooter's hook appears to be its great-looking, atmospheric visuals. The minute-long demo consisted entirely of what looked like basic gameplay. You can tell that the game is far from being complete, since the character is armed with the same one automatic rifle throughout all the numerous gameplay sequences shown, and the action itself seems quite basic--this is straight-up run-and-gun combat. Still, a smooth frame rate and some impressive visual effects make this video quite suggestive of the power of Sony's next console. It certainly looks much, much better than anything of the sort on the PlayStation 2, and sooner resembles the latest crop of cutting-edge PC shooters than what you'd expect to see on a console. Nothing about the plot or premise of the game is revealed, which maybe isn't a surprise considering we don't even know the game's title. Still, look at the volume of troops in the video, how the broken-down cars get rocked side to side from explosions, and some of those creatures, and you'll see that this looks like it has a lot of bite to it. Insomniac's built a reputation for making games with a lot of charm and personality, so you'd never really expect the company to come out with something like this. But, who knows, maybe being clever for so long has caused the company to want to bust out with something a little more mature-themed and unbridled. Check out the video and see for yourself, and stay tuned to GameSpot for more information. By Greg Kasavin, GameSpot

Square Enix hasn't revealed much of Romancing SaGa since the game was announced in Tokyo back in September. Romancing Saga marks a return to the universe established by the popular SNES game way back in 1992, and this new game is reportedly a remake of the original. The game deals with the return of Saruin, an imprisoned entity who was trapped a thousand years earlier. However, the bonds on Saruin's prison are weakening, and as a result, the shadow is returning to the world of Mardias again. It's up to you to defeat Saruin. At the heart of the game is the minstrel, a Gandalf-like figure that sometimes guides the party and at other times protects it. The game itself features a free-roaming scenario system that lets you go where you want when you want. You have the choice of up to eight characters, and there are a large number of plots that can be developed depending on your character choices and actions. The game will use what's called "sketch motion" technology, which means still images morph dramatically into cutscenes and minimovies. As expected of a Square Enix game, there is a very strong anime look to the 3D graphics, but one interesting aspect is that the characters almost have a bobblehead appearance to them. Square Enix hasn't released many details yet, but we'll keep you up to date with the latest developments. Romancing SaGa is aimed for release this fall. By Jason Ocampo, GameSpot

Xbox 360 picks up Final Fantasy XI, will be backwards compatible Square Enix, EA announce strong 360 support; more than 160 games in development, up to 40 available at launch; Microsoft says console will play "top-selling" Xbox games. LOS ANGELES--Microsoft opened the next-generation floodgates last week when it publicly unveiled the Xbox 360 on an MTV special, firing the first shots at its rivals in what is sure to be an all-out war for consumers. The Xbox 360 will be released this holiday season, and Microsoft held its annual E3 press conference today to tout the system's features and show off its planned lineup of games. The event took place shortly after Sony wowed the crowd at its own conference by unveiling the PlayStation 3. The biggest story of the press conference surprised many attendees at the Shrine Auditorium. Microsoft announced that Square Enix, a longtime partner with Microsoft rivals Nintendo and Sony, will be bringing Final Fantasy XI to the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. This will be the first Square Enix game for a Microsoft console, and the third platform for FFXI, which previously appeared on the PC in 2003 and PlayStation 2 in 2004. Final Fantasy XI was the first game in the popular role-playing series to go online, and the Xbox version will sport new high-definition graphics and make use of all of Xbox Live's features. Along with a firm release date and price point, the other big question surrounding the 360 was backward compatibility. However, Microsoft would only say that the console will be "backward-compatible with top-selling Xbox games." This ambiguous wording could mean that Microsoft will select which titles will run on the next-gen console. However, it could also simply mean that Microsoft is merely being prudent in case some original Xbox titles don't work on the 360, as was the case with some older PlayStation 1 games and the PlayStation 2. Although future Xbox 360 owners will be able to play the more than 200 Xbox titles expected this year, it's the 360 games that they'll really want. Microsoft expects 25 to 40 Xbox 360 titles to be available during the console's launch window (defined as within three months of the system's release), and developers currently have more than 160 games in the works. Among the games Microsoft announced for the console were Tecmo's previously unrevealed fighter Dead or Alive 4 and Capcom's zombie-slayer Dead Rising, which is being developed by legendary game designer Keiji Inafune. Publisher Electronic Arts announced that its lineup of 360 games, which includes Madden NFL 06, Need for Speed Most Wanted, and The Godfather, signifies its largest commitment to any next-generation console's launch. As detailed last week, Xbox Live will come in two different packages. Xbox Live Silver, which allows gamers to send voice and text messages and participate in other basic features, and the premium subscription-based Xbox Live Gold package, which includes spectator mode and multiplayer gaming privileges. It turns out anyone with an Xbox 360 will get a taste of the good life. Microsoft today announced that all 360 owners will be treated to a free month of the Gold service when they first jack into Xbox Live. GameSpot will be updating this story and will have more details on Microsoft's E3 press conference, including video and photos, very soon. By Tim Surette -- GameSpot

With the Mega Man series continually growing, Capcom will release the Mega Man X Collection to let both new and old fans of the series experience some of the earliest Mega Man games, dating back to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the first PlayStation. But perhaps the hallmark of this collection is Mega Man Battle and Chase, a PlayStation game that was never released in the United States. As a piece of video game history, the Mega Man X collection traces the franchise's evolution from the 16-bit days to 32-bit systems. As always, you'll have the fun of playing Mega Man and partners Zero and Dr. Light as they thwart the evil Sigma and his army of renegade reploids. To give you a bit of incentive beyond that of saving the world, you can also unlock bonus features and artwork. Mega Man X Collection will ship for the GameCube and PlayStation this fall. By Jason Ocampo, GameSpot

And u thought the custom panels on the XBOX 360 was cool!

It was confirmed at Square Enix's E3 2005 press conference today that Final Fantasy XII would not make a playable appearance at this year's show. That made us a little sad. Our spirits were emboldened, thankfully, when the company showed off a new trailer of its latest role-playing opus, which we tried to watch entirely without blinking to extract as much information as possible. After all, fans of the seminal RPG series (there are a few of you, we figure) are going to have to wait a good long while to get their hands on it, as Square Enix revealed today a 2005 release for Japan, with a 2006 release to follow in the West. Final Fantasy XII is confirmed for a 2006 release in America. Dammit! The new trailer was composed entirely of cinematic computer-generated sequences from FFXII, which, from a technical standpoint, are easily the most lavishly produced yet in the series, with exceptionally lifelike characters, filmlike depth of field effects, and so on. But you knew it was going to look good. As has been widely reported, Final Fantasy XII takes place in the Final Fantasy Tactics world of Ivalice, and the new trailer focused on the story's overarching political and military conflict, which revolves around the aggressive Archadian Empire and its invasion of the presumably benign kingdom of Dalmasca. We saw scenes of a bustling medieval metropolis full of busy markets and trafficked city streets. It wasn't long before the city was obscured by images of armored airships that seemed to be moving into attack position. We also got a new look at some of Final Fantasy XII's key players, including Ashe, the deposed princess of Dalmasca who's fallen in with a resistance movement against the Archadians; Penelo, an orphan of the war making her living by dancing and singing in the streets of Dalmasca; and Balthier and Fran, a pair of scrappy air pirates getting by however they can. Oddly, the trailer didn't focus much attention on the game's lithe hero Vaan, who's been the target of some derision in the past for his foppish look and devil-may-care demeanor. Has the focus of the story changed, or is Square Enix merely showing us a different angle on the story? Just release the damn game already so we can answer that question! The trailer also showed a new character that we haven't seen before, an enigmatic dark-haired man who seems to be positioning himself as a freedom fighter, a hero for the beleaguered people of Dalmasca. We saw a scene depicting this character giving a fairly rousing speech to the citizenry, swearing he would protect the land. We're certainly interested to find out the identity and purpose of this guy, who's referred to as "unknown character" in Square Enix's press materials. This latter part of the trailer also showed off a massive battle between what looked like thousands of soldiers. As is faithful to the setting of Ivalice, it looks like Final Fantasy XII will feature conflict on a truly epic scale. Who is this freedom fighter? Only time will tell. It's certainly a shame that we won't get to play FFXII at this year's E3, but if that means the team was able to hunker down and keep working on the actual game rather than a shiny new demo, all the better. For a hands-on report covering Final Fantasy XII's interesting gameplay mechanics, which include a shift to MMO-style real-time field battles, check out last year's E3 hands-on of the game. At least Square Enix confirmed it will hold an event in Japan at the end of July showing off a new playable version of the game. We'll bring you more on it as soon as humanly possible, so stay tuned. By Brad Shoemaker, GameSpot

We've been anxious to get our hands on Soul Calibur III since the game was announced just a few weeks ago. The third entry in Namco's acclaimed weapon-based fighting series boasts new characters, new modes, and refined combat. So, naturally, we've been anxious to see just what's going on with the game. Rather than wait until E3 next week, we managed to get our hands on the first playable demo of the game to see how it's shaping up. The limited demo offered just a modest sampling of what the final game will feature, but it did reveal to us that the game is headed in a promising direction. Meet Zasalamel, an Egyptian warrior who is faster than he looks. The demo featured a selection of modes that were basically laid out the way they've always been in the series. You'll see three basic main modes--single, versus, and shop--that offer different variations for you to explore. While most everything was locked out, we were able to have a peek at what will eventually be available. Single-player featured the most options at the moment, as it had several different submodes listed. "Tale of souls" is the single-player story mode that, while pretty standard for just about any fighting game, has undergone a tweak to offer a slightly different experience. You'll start out by selecting a character as you always have, and then you'll head out to engage in some beatings. The demo offered Soul Calibur poster boy Misturugi and one of the new faces to the roster, the spiky hoop-wielding Tira, as your fighter options. You'll then go to a story screen that offers context on what's going on before hopping into a traditional one-on-one fight. Following your fight, you'll be sent to an overworld map, similar in form and function to what we've seen in the weapon master mode in the previous games, where you'll get to choose where to go next. You'll get a bit of text that continues the story laid out in the setup for your fight, which offers you two options on where to go next. This new branching path system will affect where you go and who you fight with your chosen character. From the sound of it, you'll need to play through at least twice with each character to see and fight everyone. To offer a taste of how this will play out, the demo pitted us against different fighters. After playing through it twice, we were able to meet and fight Kilik, newcomer Zasalamel, and a variant of Berserker who was included to show off the kinds of characters you can make in Soul Calibur III's character creation mode. Besides the tale of souls mode, your single-player options will include "chronicle of the sword," world competition, soul arena, museum, and character creation. Character creation is the mode we're most excited for, because it lets you create an original fighter you can then take to the chronicle of the sword mode to see how he or she fares. While Namco representatives still weren't giving up much information on exactly how the mode will play out, it sounds as though you might be taking more of a "coaching" role in that you let your virtual self do its thing in battle. The other mode reps were coy about is the museum mode, as it sounds like it's going to come packed with content, such as artwork and other renders that should please fans of the series. You'll be able to customize your fighters with new weapons and accessories. Outside of the single-player options, the demo also listed a versus mode, which we expect will have a solid array of submodes to choose from (just as single-player does), and a shop. The shop will function as it always has in the series, offering you a plethora of goods to buy with currency earned in battle. You'll find everything from content you'll actively use in your game, such as new weapons and accessories for your fighter, to artwork and cinematics you can check out in the museum mode. Let Battle Commence So, with this overview out of the way, we'll hop to the fighting, since one of the burning questions on our collective mind has been how the game is going to handle. At this point, Soul Calibur III appears as though it's going to continue the modest forward steps the series' core gameplay made in Soul Calibur II. The core four-button fighting mechanic, which is made up of horizontal and vertical strikes, as well as a kick and a guard, remains the same. Returning characters will have their existing move sets freshened with new attacks and combos, however. This means veteran players should be able to hop in and pick up where they left off, though the additions to the returning fighters may require some minor adjustments to some learned fighting strategies. At the same time, the three new characters represent new challenges for fans to master. Like Voldo, Tira employs a very deliberate and unusual fighting style. During our time with the demo, we had the opportunity to play as both Mitsurugi and Tira. While Mitsurugi had the familiar, and extremely powerful, feel he's always had, Tira was an interesting change of pace. Although her barbed chakram clearly sets the poor girl up for ridicule, it also proves to be an effective weapon. At first blush, you might assume she falls into the standard stereotype associated with female characters in a fighting game--fast but not really powerful--but that doesn't appear to be the case. Tira's attacks lend themselves to a more deliberate style of fighting (possibly along the lines of how you'd play Voldo) that require you to be methodical. Although she can attack at a good clip, she's not in the same speed class as Taki. Once you get her timing right, you should be able to pull off some wicked and painful-looking combos that should silence any hoop-heckling you might receive for picking her. Though we weren't able to play him, Zasalamel proved to be a formidable opponent. Whereas as Tira was slower than she looked, Zasalamel was faster. Don't be fooled by the enormous scythe, because the Egyptian warrior hits hard and has a painfully effective mix of close and ranged attacks that appear to come out quicker than you'd expect. Meanwhile, Kilik was as frustratingly quick as ever. The solid gameplay is complemented by sharp visuals that, while still being worked on, already look outstanding. The game's graphics engine has been refined since Soul Calibur II, achieving some very positive results. Though the upgrades don't yield too dramatic an upgrade on the character models at the moment (the models do look a bit sharper), the environments certainly do. We had the opportunity to battle in several different arenas, all of which featured higher levels of detail and animation. One of the stages was set in a windy area--complete with moving gears--that reminded us of the windmill arena in Soul Calibur II, though it looked markedly improved. Another stage, set on a moving raft, was impressive due to the sheer speed at which it moved during battle. The special effects, such as weapons trails and particle effects, are still being added, though a new screen-blur effect during blocks represents a nice addition. The arenas you'll be fighting in are much more detailed than those in previous Soul Calibur games. The sights of battle are accompanied by an appropriate assortment of audio. The tunes you'll hear suit the action and are in line with the quality we've heard in the previous entries in the series. Weapon clashes are, as always, sharp and satisfying. Meanwhile, the fighters fire off a convincing array of grunts and battle cries that sound good and clear as well. Based on this early demo, Soul Calibur III is shaping up to be another solid entry in the fighting series. Although you could ding it for not doing too much to move the series forward in terms of gameplay or online play, there are certainly some interesting ideas to be appreciated in the single-player experience. We've been left jonesing to see more of the various game modes, especially character creation. In a year when it seems as though the fighting genre won't get much representation on the PlayStation 2, Soul Calibur III should offer fighting fans something to get excited about. Soul Calibur III is currently slated to ship this fall exclusively for the PS2. Look for more on the game next week from E3 and in the coming months. By Ricardo Torres, GameSpot

Start out with a few dashes of Soul Calibur developers and add a sprinkle of Kill Bill Vol. 1 animators. Sounds like the recipe for a new hack-and-slash beat-'em-up, right? Not exactly. Instead, these are just two examples of the kinds of talent that are going into the development of the upcoming PlayStation 2 role-playing game Tales of Legendia. The game, the latest in Namco's long-running Tales franchise, will feature development talent culled from Namco's Soul Calibur line and character designs from artist Kazuto Nazakawa, who is best known in America for his animated sequences in Quentin Tarantino's grindhouse revenge opus.[QUERY: does that make sense to you?] Namco's latest Tales RPG will boast some impressive talent. The story in Tales of Legendia will revolve around Senel Coolidge, a young master of skills known as "eres," and his sister Shirley. Caught in the middle of an ocean on a small boat, they happen upon an island, just as their food is about to run out. Before long they realize the island is not an island at all, but rather a gigantic ship known as Legacy. Where did the massive ship come from and what secrets are hidden away on its decks, awaiting discovery? These are the mysteries you will explore in Tales of Legendia. The game's 3D graphics feature traditional-looking anime-inspired characters, complete with the requisite spiky-haired protagonists. From the screenshots we've seen, the rich gameworld will feature ornately designed buildings and brightly colored environments to explore. Of course, the bread and butter of most RPGs are the combat system, and Tales of Legendia's so-called custom linear motion battle system should feel more akin to a fighting game than a traditional RPG battle system. Of course, it helps that the battles will be in real time, a decisive change from the "wait your turn"-style combat of most RPGs. Hearkening back to classics such as Grandia in both the looks and combat departments, Tales of Legendia looks to bring a few new twists to a traditional genre. We'll have more on the game as details become available. By Brian Ekberg, GameSpot

FOR NINTENDO DS Konami is throwing its support behind the Nintendo DS with a number of games due out this year, chief among them a new Castlevania from series maestro Koji Igarashi and his crew. We got to take an exclusive early look at the game recently, in the form of its playable E3 demo, which let us experience most of the first half hour of the game. Castlevania DS serves as a continuation of the last Castlevania effort on the GBA, Aria of Sorrow, so the storyline picks up some time after the end of that game. You'll again take control of slightly effete hero Soma Cruz, who was revealed to be the reborn figure of Dracula in the previous game. Soma's one of the good guys, though, so he's resisted the devilish urgings that go along with being the reincarnation of evil. The problem is, as long as Soma's around and not turning to the dark side, nobody else can be Dracula either. There's a maniacal group of cultists, led by the priestess Celia Fortner, that isn't too happy about this fact, so it's bent on both taking Soma out and finding a new host for Dracula's return. Luckily, Soma finds that in this time of peril, he's regained his dark powers from the original game. As a result, he sets off to yet another sprawling castle to battle a malevolent host, stop the cultists, and save his own neck. Castlevania on the DS seems like it'll be pretty heavy on storyline, if the first 30 minutes of the game are any indication. The opening cutscene was set in a city street, and it featured Soma speaking with Mina Hakuba, the Hakuba Shrine keeper's daughter who appeared in Aria of Sorrow. Other returning characters during the demo included enigmatic figure Genya Arikado, the salesman Hammer, Julius, and Yoko Belnades. The cutscenes featured large, nicely rendered character portraits, and they appeared pretty frequently during our short demo. It's nice to see Konami continuing the storyline and revisiting the characters from the last game, especially since the exploration-based Castlevania games have traditionally been entirely self-contained. The game's enemy and environmental designs are just as creepy as in past Castlevanias. In fact, if you've played any of the recent games, starting with Symphony of the Night and moving on through Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow (whew), you'll be quite familiar with the basic gameplay mechanics in Castlevania DS. You'll explore the disparate sections of the labyrinthine castle, all while fighting increasingly powerful and grotesque monsters, collecting new weapons and armor, and generally becoming more of a badass as you raise your level and find new special abilities. Just during the first few minutes of the game, we picked up a short sword, claymore, large mace, and some better armor by killing random enemies. Meanwhile, the game maintains the previous entries' role-playing-game trappings by assigning numerical values to all your stats and equipment. As important as it is to keep yourself outfitted with the best equipment, it seems like the multitude of special abilities you'll collect will often be your most important offensive and defensive elements. The abilities were referred to in the demo as tactical souls, and they fall into three categories: bullet, guard, and enchant. Bullet abilities are similar to the traditional special weapons from past Castlevania games, such as the holy water, boomerang, and axe, in that they generally involve a projectile of some type. Guard abilities seem to impart defensive or noncombat abilities. In fact, one ability, armor knight, let us spin a large spear around in a circle so we could hit any nearby enemies, while another, called flying armor, let us glide down slowly when we jumped. Both bullet and guard abilities consume mana when you use them, which is a resource that recharges slowly on its own and can be replenished more quickly when you pick up hearts. Finally, enchant abilities seem to be entirely passive. The only one we found, called golem, upped our strength stat. Most of the regular enemies we fought in the demo dropped tactical souls at one point or another, so it seems like it'll simply be a matter of killing enough of each type of enemy before one randomly drops its unique skill. Castlevania's second-screen display comes in handy, providing map and enemy information without taking you away from the action. So how does Castlevania take advantage of the DS's unique properties? The action takes place on the lower touch screen, while the top screen shows a map of the castle by default. This might seem like an obvious use of the DS's second screen, but having the map visible while you're actually moving around in the castle is invaluable at times. You can also hit select to switch to a status view that shows you all of Soma's current stats (as seen in the new screenshots). This view also features a nice info display on the enemy you're currently fighting. Furthermore, throughout the game you'll collect seals that require you to draw various cryptic shapes on the touch screen to defeat bosses, open sealed doors, and so on. Finally, you'll be able to teleport between certain hot spots on the map by tapping those spots with the stylus when you find an appropriate teleporter. We barely got into the game by the time the demo ended, so we're curious to see what other unique uses Konami's dreamed up for the touch screen. The DS has respectable 3D capabilities, so maybe you were disappointed to find out that Castlevania DS will be 2D in the style of its recent predecessors. Once we got our hands on the game, though, we decided we were perfectly fine with the game's unapologetic adherence to tradition. While the presentation is fundamentally the same, the graphics have improved in subtle ways. Soma and many other sprites feature much smoother animation than we've seen in the GBA games, and some of the enemies we saw in the demo were downright huge. There's also an impressive degree of parallax scrolling at work in the background, and the game generally feels more animated and alive for all these minor improvements. We even noticed the game has a full-motion video intro if you let it idle at the title screen long enough. Look for a mix of old and new faces when Castlevania hits the DS this fall. So far, we're quite impressed with Castlevania on the Nintendo DS, not least of all because it will obviously reprise the successful formula that's been at work since the resplendent Symphony of the Night. While it's obviously similar to its forebears, the game's noticeably superior presentation and unique use of the DS's capabilities should help to provide some newness if your interest in the series has waned. The game is currently scheduled for release this fall, so we'll bring you more in the intervening months. By Brad Shoemaker, GameSpot

Square Enix showed off some footage from Front Mission Online, the newest game in its giant-robot combat series. The game takes the series online for the first time as a real-time combat game, as opposed to a turn-based affair like the previous games in the franchise. Presumably this should make the game play similarly to other robot combat action games like Mechwarrior and Mechassault. Square Enix is also billing the game as a "massively multiplayer tactical action role-playing game." However, it's worth noting that actual battles in the game will be restricted to 10 players per team. The massively multiplayer aspect of the game will primarily come from massive graphical lobbies, reminiscent of Phantasy Star Online. You'll walk around with a graphical avatar who will talk battle strategy with other players, and you'll perform other tasks prior to the next combat mission. The storyline pits the Oceania Cooperative Union against the Unified Continental States, who are warring for control of a global hot spot called Huffman Island. You can choose to go off and battle as a lone wolf in your own combat robot (or "wanzer"), or set out with teammates from your nation to take on opposing teams in larger battles. Like Square Enix's other MMO game, players on the PlayStation 2 version will be able to play with those who are on the PC version. Voice chat will be implemented to streamline communication among teammates. Those just starting out in the game must first hone their combat skills against non-player character enemies in training grounds. Once you feel like you're up for the challenge, you can then graduate to fighting for your nation against other players. As you make your way up the ranks of your respective nation, you'll be able to receive missions from your country's central command, and then issue orders to other players. The missions sent from central command will have a tangible effect on which nation controls Huffman Island. Front Mission Online has already been released on the PlayStation 2 in Japan. A PC version is coming to Japan at a later date, while the ship dates for other regions of the world have not yet been determined. We'll have more information on the game as it becomes available. By Bob Colayco, GameSpot