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An anonymous reader writes "1UP.com has posted a concept image of Sony's PSP handheld, as shown at a presentation about Sony's transformation and restructuring plan." The article analyzes the in-progress design: "Most conceptions of the PSP have envisioned a clamshell design like that of the Game Boy Advance SP, but this concept obviously favors a simpler, one-piece, horizontally arranged design. The Universal Media Disc loads into the back, and there's a loop for a handy carrying strap in one corner." Another article on 1UP shows new PlayStation 2 colors as part of a Japanese-only price drop/bundle announcement, including a special-edition "ceramic white" PS2 bundled with Gran Turismo 4 Prologue, and a Gundam bundle that includes a gold-colored PS2.

An anonymous reader writes "1UP.com has posted a concept image of Sony's PSP handheld, as shown at a presentation about Sony's transformation and restructuring plan." The article analyzes the in-progress design: "Most conceptions of the PSP have envisioned a clamshell design like that of the Game Boy Advance SP, but this concept obviously favors a simpler, one-piece, horizontally arranged design. The Universal Media Disc loads into the back, and there's a loop for a handy carrying strap in one corner." Another article on 1UP shows new PlayStation 2 colors as part of a Japanese-only price drop/bundle announcement, including a special-edition "ceramic white" PS2 bundled with Gran Turismo 4 Prologue, and a Gundam bundle that includes a gold-colored PS2.

Thanks to GameSpot for its review of Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King, the EA-developed hack-n-slash action game based on Peter Jackson's acclaimed movie trilogy. The reviewer rates the now-released multiplatform title as a "relatively simple and short action game at heart, but [with] a solid combat system, some extremely intense and cinematic levels, [and] cool extras that fans of the movies will enjoy." 1UP also seems to dig the game, although notes that "the pre-level sequences are potentially spoilerish", since FMV from the not-yet-released movie is sometimes used. Finally, GameSpy has a whole section on the game, including a developer-friendly postmortem and a 'Pile On!' article that has opinions ranging from EA doing "such a good job of appealing to mainstream and hardcore gamers", to a sole dissenter: "This is definitely a great game for fans of the films, but others beware."

Thanks to 1UP for its review of Activision's multi-platform driving/shooting hybrid, True Crime, which starts by pointing out that "there aren't very many true console competitors for GTA... True Crime: Streets of LA is the first real contender since The Getaway." The reviewer praises the "plot-oriented makeover", but is concerned about game shortness: "You can get all three endings... in a weekend once you master the controls." Gaming Age is delighted by the title, suggesting it's "one of the best games to come out this holiday season", and IGN PS2 rules True Crime as "an enjoyable game if you can clear your mind of Grand Theft Auto expectations", while GameSpot points out that the just-shipped title is another to boast an advertising tie-in, as hero Nick Kang is "modeling new apparel and footwear from Puma's spring 2004 collection."

Thanks to 1UP for their 'Cinemascope' feature interviewing notable videogame designers about their favorite movies. Many favorites have relatively little direct connection to the subject's videogame work, but Viewtiful Joe's Hideki Kamiya chooses (TV series) Kamen Rider, and the piece elaborates: "Both Kamen Rider and Viewtiful Joe are about normal guys who become masked superheroes, right down to using the phrase 'Henshin!' (Japanese for 'transform'") to power up." Warren Spector also points out: "Everyone thinks Deus Ex was influenced by The Matrix, but it really wasn't. Other than throwing in a cheat that textured the world with a bunch of scrolling green text, a la The Matrix, we were so far along in development on Deus Ex by the time we saw The Matrix there wasn't time for us to have been influenced even if we'd wanted to steal stuff!"

Thanks to 1UP for their article showing off special new case artwork for the Xbox in Japan, as "a few lucky winners will be able to snag these art pieces by signing up on Microsoft's Japanese webpage" - hip artists enlisted include T-shirt designer Nigo and Moshino Katsura. Elsewhere, GI.biz recently relayed unconfirmed rumors of an Xbox price drop in Japan, claiming "a new Xbox bundle for Project Gotham Racing 2 which will feature a console, a DVD playback kit, two months free on Xbox Live and copies of PGR2 and Halo for 19,800 Yen [$181]." Finally, GamePro have noted that Microsoft are giving away their Xbox Music Mixer karaoke/mixing software, "most likely... as a cover-mounted CD", in the January 2004 issue of popular Japanese magazine, Famitsu, further showing the company is "aggressively vying for a solid foothold against the PS2, which has been dominating the console market in Japan."

Thanks to 1UP for their review of Tony Hawk's Underground, as the extreme sports title heads into stores for its fifth iteration, and the reviewer seems to approve, mentioning that "cinematic story makes single-player fun again", as well as lauding "user-created content options", including level and animation editors, that "have massive potential." Tragically, you can only play online using the PlayStation 2 version, a major blow for Xbox Live fans, contributing to IGN's rating of the title as "a solid, if not a perfect, outing", and the conclusion: "If you're a PS2 owner, go get it. If you're anybody else, you may want to just hold that thought before diving in." Finally, GameSpot basically approve, directly countering that "most of the game's goals don't tie into the story at all", but still praising it as "another great installment."

Thanks to 1UP for their CGW-sourced interview with Counter-Strike: Condition Zero's newest developers, as Mike Booth of Turtle Rock Studios is quizzed about their work since they "took over development of CZ around the end of July." The recently-completed game, which Valve have used a multitude of developers on, has now added the Official Counter-Strike Bot, and bot teams "actually speak to each other using a new voice chatter system equipped with hundreds of lines of dialogue", and even think they're sitting at their own PC: "...when a bot does react to a stimulus, it must actually move a simulated mouse and with an appropriate amount of aiming error."

Thanks to 1UP for their review of Rare's first Xbox title, Grabbed By The Ghoulies, which has just shipped to stores following the company's acquisition by Microsoft last year. The reviewer is lukewarm at best on this swiftly-developed title, arguing it "...really is nothing but monster-punching and room-advancing", and lamenting that "...most of all, the game's short. Really short." While a recent hands-on preview at TotalVideoGames was much more positive, suggesting that "as far as we're concerned the criticism of 'Grabbed by the Ghoulies' has been a little harsh", IGN Xbox have now weighed in with a similarly ambivalent review, praising "some really great presentation", but ultimately suggesting "there aren't any landmark moments or climaxes to diversify the gameplay in any significant matter." So, which forthcoming Rare titles are you looking forward to?

Thanks to TeamXbox for their review of Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge, as the long-in-development Xbox sequel to the cult FASA/Microsoft PC flight game finally ships today, and, according to the reviewer, "...has added a whole new feel to the genre." 1UP also like the results, mentioning the "decent, but nothing worth getting too worked up about" version that showed at E3 2002, and lauding the year's delay which led to such massive improvement, noting "...the Xbox Live modes extend the lifetime of Crimson Skies several times over all by themselves." Finally, GameSpy join the others in giving the game a thumbs-up, suggesting: "This game exemplifies the sleeper hit; its unique feel, solid gameplay, and great aesthetics offer up something a little left of center, but it's something that anyone who's remotely interested in the genre should be checking out."

Thanks to GameSpot for their review of Castlevania:Lament Of Innocence for PlayStation 2, released today in the U.S., as they pronounce this "new 3D installment" to be "a fun, though fairly short and simple, game that marks a promising new beginning for this beloved series." GameSpy also have an interview with the creator, Konami producer Koji Igarashi, but end up judging the title a "very playable but somewhat dull game", and 1UP try a different tack by nominating the Top 10 Belmonts, discussing the "Belmont family of vampire hunters", before ruling similarly to the other reviews, albeit with a more upbeat edge: "Taken on its own terms, Lament of Innocence is a resounding success, and one of the best 3D action games on PS2." Would you prefer the Castlevania series stuck to 2D, or is 3D the only way to truly evolve it?

Thanks to GameSpot for their review of Castlevania:Lament Of Innocence for PlayStation 2, released today in the U.S., as they pronounce this "new 3D installment" to be "a fun, though fairly short and simple, game that marks a promising new beginning for this beloved series." GameSpy also have an interview with the creator, Konami producer Koji Igarashi, but end up judging the title a "very playable but somewhat dull game", and 1UP try a different tack by nominating the Top 10 Belmonts, discussing the "Belmont family of vampire hunters", before ruling similarly to the other reviews, albeit with a more upbeat edge: "Taken on its own terms, Lament of Innocence is a resounding success, and one of the best 3D action games on PS2." Would you prefer the Castlevania series stuck to 2D, or is 3D the only way to truly evolve it?

Thanks to 1UP for their impressions of the GameCube Japanese import, Atsumare! Made in Wario, the budget-price multiplayer conversion of Nintendo's popular/crazy mini-game fest, Wario Ware Inc. for Game Boy Advance. The reviewer makes the context clear: "This isn't the sequel to Wario Ware. It isn't even Wario Ware 1.5. It's just a multiplayer version of Wario Ware", but nonetheless raves: "It's a total blast to play, even if you've spent months playing through the GBA game and perfecting your scores on all the microgames." IGN Cube also have hands-on impressions of the game's many multiplayer modes, which even allow "...up to 16 players to compete on an alternating basis", while 1UP mention U.S. availability for Wario Ware GC is likely, but not yet confirmed.

Khyl'Dran writes "According to Gamesindustry.biz, "The first official statement from Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia on the launch of its N-Gage game deck has claimed that the device is sold out at many retailers following a 'very positive' consumer response." However, 1UP have posted US sales figures which reveal "...less than 5,000 units of Nokia N-Gage hardware were sold in the United States in the system's first week of release", after reported sales of 500 units in the UK following launch, and 1UP argue a "...rough comparison [point] would be to the Game Boy Advance, which sold 540,000 units in its first week of availability in the United States."

Thanks to 1UP for their interview with Denis Dyack of GameCube developers Silicon Knights, as he discusses former product Eternal Darkness and forthcoming conversion Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Dyack advances the theory that "...you'll see more collaborations, you're going to see a lot of mergers with developers... When they standardized the movie camera in, say, 1950, all the movie companies that told good stories became dominant, the major players that we know now... The same thing is going to happen in our industry." He further suggests that standardization of gaming hardware platform is "inevitable", saying "commoditization of technology" is coming to games, and comments: "Nintendo as a group has always emphasized the content of games, because that's where we think the value is, and we think that's what will become dominant."

Thanks to 1UP for their story exploring the varied history of Alien Vs. Predator games for PCs, consoles, and handhelds, pointing out "...aliens have fought Predators while eating Colonial Marines on half a dozen game platforms with no sign of letting up." Titles featured include Capcom's 2D arcade version, notable for "ridiculous life power-ups, including tossed salads, giant pizza pies with everything, and delicately-garnished plates of sea bream", the first-person shooter Atari Jaguar version, "employing the concept that would later become central to the franchise - the game would be playable from the point of view of all three species", and Rebellion's follow-up PC version, described as "a heck of a game if it's patched to repair the flaws in its initial release."

Thanks to 1UP for their feature discussing important videogame developers to watch out for, as they list "...fifty people in the game industry - some you've likely heard of, many you've not - who we think will help define gaming the most in the next twelve months." As well as the John Carmacks and Warren Spectors of this world, notably overlooked figures on the list include Julian Eggebrecht of Factor 5 ("Eggebrecht's team is one of the few out there that actually try to tax the GameCube to its limits") and Yasumi Matsuno of Square Enix ("..the director of Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics... [now] directing Final Fantasy XII.")

Thanks to 1UP for pointing out that the classic Sam & Max PC graphic adventure will be a bonus pre-order item for anyone reserving LucasArts/Planet Moon's wacked-out Xbox/PC shooter Armed & Dangerous. The article suggests: "PC adventure fans still venerate Sam & Max for its cool cartoon graphics and demented sense of humor", and this bonus disc, which includes a fully-compatible Windows talkie version of the classic title, also features a trailer to help promote the Sam & Max sequel, due on PC in early 2004.

Thanks to 1UP for their chart of the most ridiculous videogame character names ever. Among the crazed picks are Higharolla Kockamamie from Snake's Revenge ("How many 8-year-olds of the time were expected to get the Ayatollah Khomeini reference here is questionable"), Rocket Billy Redcadillac from Gungrave O.D. ("Here's a name so gloriously stupid, the mind protests at being asked to accept it"), and Fred Askare & Paula Abghoul from Castlevania IV ("Presumably from the same translation department that gave us Love Chaney, Jr. and Boris Karloffice.") Any other nominations?

Thanks to 1UP for their 'Pray For It' article discussing an ideal, but unfortunately fictional game of their dreams, Grand Theft Auto Online. In envisioning "taking the basic template from Grand Theft Auto III and just adding more than one enterprising thug", as well as players banding together ("Once you get your own criminal operation started - kind of like a clan or guild - you can start enlisting the newbies to do jobs for you"), the author gets into a sure-to-be-controversial mini-rant regarding a perceived lack of diversity: "What's wrong with online RPGs is content. Why are they all fantasy games?... Who decided that you couldn't make an online RPG about anything?"

Thanks to IGN Cube for their interview with Viewtiful Joe's creator, Atsushi Inaba, as the GameCube 2D platform-action title ships to U.S. stores. He discusses the choice of platform ("we figured for Japan, as well as America, that GameCube had the kind of hardcore action gamers that would want to play the game"), and comments on the influence of Joe's 'interesting' fashion sense ("honestly, I don't think American men or Japanese men are interested in dressing in more pink!") Reviews from GameSpot and from IGN are effusive, backing up earlier glowing import reviews, with GameSpot commenting that Viewtiful Joe "...manages to simultaneously recall the simpler times of 2D platforming action games while modernizing the genre in several major ways." Update: 10/07 15:01 GMT by S : There's also a set of reviews on the brand-new Ziff Davis site, 1UP.com.

Via 1up, the happy news that Nintendo has announced am online-enabled version of Tetris for the Nintendo DS. From the release: "Each of the six modes of play features a theme based on a classic Nintendo game, such as Super Mario Bros.®, The Legend of Zelda® or Metroid®. The traditional Tetriminos (falling blocks) and line-clearing strategy remain the staples of the game, but the touch screen adds a new element of interactivity. Some modes give players special Tetris puzzles to solve. Others feature head-to-head action between two players, or massive wireless battles between 10 DS users, even if only one player has a game card. Players also can log onto Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to compete in two- or four-player battles.".