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ANkleStrong writes "Sony Corp unveiled on Tuesday a smaller, lighter PlayStation handheld game device called the PSP Go, in a race to catch rival Nintendo in an intensely competitive mobile games arena." E3 attendees were able to take the new Sony handheld for a test drive, and more pictures and videos are now available. It's set to be released on October 1st, and will retail for $249. A new Resident Evil game is being designed specifically for the updated hardware, and Metal Gear Peace Walker is coming as well.

Square Enix announced at E3 that Final Fantasy XIII is planned for release this winter in Japan, and spring 2010 for North America. A new trailer was released as well. A separate announcement brought details about Final Fantasy XIV Online, an MMORPG due out in 2010 for Windows and the PS3. A teaser website was launched, with a trailer and some information about the developers working on the project. "Final Fantasy XIV Online is being developed with a simultaneous worldwide release in mind. The game will be initially released in English, Japanese, French, and German. The game will be produced by Hiromichi Tanaka (Final Fantasy I, II, III, and XI) and Nobuaki Komoto (Final Fantasy IX and XI) will serve as director. Longtime Final Fantasy fans will be happy to hear the Nobu Uematsu will return to provide the score."

Thanks to Video-fenky for his weblog entry discussing Encore's PS2 military FPS, Fugitive Hunter. He explains: "By itself, Fugitive Hunter is a very simple military first-person shooter... you go through a level filled with bad guys before reaching your target fugitive. Once you do, the game shifts to a 2D fistfighting sequence (did I mention that [developer] Black Ops also did Knockout Kings for EA once upon a time?)" Since the game was dropped by former publisher Atari, and picked up by budget publishers Encore, the developers have switched things around, adding a final level with "...a network of caves where [Osama] bin Laden is hiding out." Video-fenky emphasizes: "I cannot overstate the impact of this. You are in a low-budget fighting-game fistfight with Osama bin Laden." Over at Worthplaying, they have more info and screenshots, including several pictures of the in-game bin Laden, though Video-fenky points out that "...even casual folks will likely be able to tell right off that bin Laden's inclusion is mostly a last-ditch gimmick."

wrinkledshirt writes "Here's a bunch of AMD Athlon 64 reviews, courtesy of 8Dimensional." AcesHardware and HardOCP match the Athlon 64 line against the Pentium 4 Extreme Edition. amdmb, FiringSquad, and SharkyExtreme take a closer look at the FX-51. AthlonXP and PCStats have glowing reviews of the chips. Digit-Life compares the new Athlon 64 with Opteron and a Pentium 4. LegitReviews and Overclockers.com.au also both have succinct reviews of the FX-51. Overall the reviews speak very highly of the Athlon 64 and the FX version of the chip, with the only downside being the cost, especially of the FX chip.

Thanks to Gamers.com for their massive list of all the games showing at the Tokyo Game Show, which kicks off on September 26th in Japan. The list "...omits whatever games that companies are saving as surprises for the show", including the widely-rumored Kingdom Hearts 2 from Square Enix, but highlights include Astro Boy and the Altered Beast remake from Sega, the new Front Mission titles from Square Enix, the wacky Mojib Ribbon and mech-heavy Chain Dive from Sony, as well as Capcom's wholesale licensing of notable Western titles, adding the Sony-created Mark Of Kri, The Getaway, and War Of The Monsters to their already-released Grand Theft Auto.

Thanks to Gamers.com for their massive list of all the games showing at the Tokyo Game Show, which kicks off on September 26th in Japan. The list "...omits whatever games that companies are saving as surprises for the show", including the widely-rumored Kingdom Hearts 2 from Square Enix, but highlights include Astro Boy and the Altered Beast remake from Sega, the new Front Mission titles from Square Enix, the wacky Mojib Ribbon and mech-heavy Chain Dive from Sony, as well as Capcom's wholesale licensing of notable Western titles, adding the Sony-created Mark Of Kri, The Getaway, and War Of The Monsters to their already-released Grand Theft Auto.

Majestic Mog writes "FiringSquad somehow managed to score an advance copy of the English version of Final Fantasy X-2, the first REAL sequel in the long-running RPG series. They cover changes in the game over the first FFX, the English voice actors, and something about girls wearing short shorts." It looks like they took the best of FFX and combined it with the best of DoA Volleyball. In other words, this might be the perfect video game. I just wish it would come out before december since I just finished KotoR and need a new game.

Thanks to Gamers.com for the news that Namco has announced a PlayStation 2 spin-off title starring Tekken's Nina Williams, according to this week's issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu Weekly. It seems this Nina-starring game "...has the look of a 3D brawler along the lines of [but hopefully with better playability than!] Dream Factory's The Bouncer. It's tentatively scheduled for release in 2004" - more details/screens are likely at the Tokyo Game Show next week. In other Japanese news, the same issue of Famitsu also rated the Capcom-published Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto, giving it a relatively lofty 32/40, and a Gold award.

Thanks to Gamers.com for the news that Unreal creators Epic have signed a long-term publishing deal with Microsoft. According to the piece, "Microsoft will publish 'several' future Epic projects - as yet unnamed - exclusively for Xbox and Windows", and it's noted that "Epic is the sole owner of the Unreal name and franchise", although Atari is still publishing Unreal Tournament 2004 for PC this November. Included in the Microsoft deal are two projects from new Epic offshoot Scion Studios, promising to "explore development opportunities within Epic Games' established action titles, and beyond", possibly implying at least one Unreal-branded, Microsoft-published title - unless the "established action title" in question is Jazz Jackrabbit.

Thanks to GameSpot for their review of the PS2/Xbox/GC driving game, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, released this week, in which they shrewdly point out: "with perhaps the sole exception of Konami's 1991 arcade action game, The Simpsons, no [Simpsons games] have really even proved to be much in the way of fun." Although it seems "practically every mission in the game is a direct clone of one of the GTA driving missions", the reviewer thinks Hit And Run "finally manages to bring the world of the Simpsons to life with proper justice", and much of the appeal, according to Gamers.com, is in the references: "You'll plow through a field of Tomacco... and take a shortcut through the Stonecutters' Hidden Tunnel... you'll conduct missions that require you to collect 'flatmeat' for Cletus, [and] round up monkeys for Dr. Nick's experiments."

Thanks to TeamXbox for their round-up of the new Japanese-developed titles Microsoft is showing at this year's Tokyo Game Show, which starts September 26th. They include first-party titles like Phantom Dust, which Gamers.com describes as "...an action game in the Devil May Cry mold [from] Yukio Futatsugi, who in a past generation was the director of Sega's Panzer Dragoon", as well as Magatama, portrayed as "...a 3D action game set in a fantastic version of ancient Japan - comparisons to Onimusha wouldn't be too far of a stretch." A notable non-Japanese Xbox title that will also debut at TGS is BioWare's Jade Empire, "an action-RPG from the creators of Star Wars: KotOR [in which you play] a young martial arts student, trying to gain the respect and admiration of your teacher and the townsfolk."

Thanks to TeamXbox for their round-up of the new Japanese-developed titles Microsoft is showing at this year's Tokyo Game Show, which starts September 26th. They include first-party titles like Phantom Dust, which Gamers.com describes as "...an action game in the Devil May Cry mold [from] Yukio Futatsugi, who in a past generation was the director of Sega's Panzer Dragoon", as well as Magatama, portrayed as "...a 3D action game set in a fantastic version of ancient Japan - comparisons to Onimusha wouldn't be too far of a stretch." A notable non-Japanese Xbox title that will also debut at TGS is BioWare's Jade Empire, "an action-RPG from the creators of Star Wars: KotOR [in which you play] a young martial arts student, trying to gain the respect and admiration of your teacher and the townsfolk."

Thanks to FiringSquad for their editorial about how gamers and developers interact in public forums, inspired by Alex 'Marweas' Rodberg's public outburst in the HomeWorld 2 forums, which in turn inspired a Penny Arcade strip about the trials and tribulations of being a 'community manager'. The FiringSquad article suggests that "...there's an increasing divide between the people who make the games and the people who play them. And guess whose fault it is? It's yours, not theirs", and goes on to venture that "Online interaction is so impersonal, so fraught with assurances of anonymity, and so littered with the maladjusted and juvenile, that there are no social repercussions for acting like a jackass." What's to be done?

I was perusing Gamers.com this morning and saw that they've posted a couple previews of the next Lord of the Rings game, Return of the King. There's a preview of the console version, as well as a look at the PC version. The producer of the games comments that: "The two key areas we wanted to make sure we nailed this time around were the addition of co-op and better interaction with the levels... If last year's game was Golden Axe meets Lord of the Rings, then this year's game is Gauntlet meets Lord of the Rings."

I was perusing Gamers.com this morning and saw that they've posted a couple previews of the next Lord of the Rings game, Return of the King. There's a preview of the console version, as well as a look at the PC version. The producer of the games comments that: "The two key areas we wanted to make sure we nailed this time around were the addition of co-op and better interaction with the levels... If last year's game was Golden Axe meets Lord of the Rings, then this year's game is Gauntlet meets Lord of the Rings."

I was perusing Gamers.com this morning and saw that they've posted a couple previews of the next Lord of the Rings game, Return of the King. There's a preview of the console version, as well as a look at the PC version. The producer of the games comments that: "The two key areas we wanted to make sure we nailed this time around were the addition of co-op and better interaction with the levels... If last year's game was Golden Axe meets Lord of the Rings, then this year's game is Gauntlet meets Lord of the Rings."

Itchy the Killer writes "FiringSquad previews The Simpsons Hit & Run (XBox, PS2, GameCube), which is a strange marriage of The Simpsons and Grand Theft Auto. They seemed to think that it works." A lot of times when games are made based on huge pre-existing franchises, they suck so bad mankind is forced to redefine the boundaries of suckiness. That said, this game actually looks like I would play it, which says a lot.

Itchy the Killer writes "FiringSquad previews The Simpsons Hit & Run (XBox, PS2, GameCube), which is a strange marriage of The Simpsons and Grand Theft Auto. They seemed to think that it works." A lot of times when games are made based on huge pre-existing franchises, they suck so bad mankind is forced to redefine the boundaries of suckiness. That said, this game actually looks like I would play it, which says a lot.

Thanks to FiringSquad for their editorial discussing why sheer wretchedness is (allegedly) a good thing in gaming. The author rhapsodizes: "Bad experiences define this hobby. As much as we all enjoy sharing love stories about great moments in gaming, we tend to play up the bad stuff even more. Even though I'll always have fond memories about racking up 400,000 points in Donkey Kong... while a crowd cheered me on... the time that Daikatana taught me the true meaning of sorrow will somehow always be more powerful." Which legendarily bad games have given you fondly hateful memories?

Thanks to Gamers.com for their news that Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Super Smash Brothers and the Kirby series, announced his departure from developer HAL Labs in his latest column for the Japanese magazine Famitsu Weekly. Although an independent developer, HAL Laboratory is tied very closely to Nintendo, but Sakurai said that "...his departure was entirely amicable, and he is leaving with the approval of Nintendo president Satoru Iwata." Going forward, it's confirmed that "HAL will continue to develop games starring Kirby, although the fate of the Smash Brothers franchise remains uncertain", according to Sakurai's column.

Thanks to Gamers.com for their article discussing a brief survey of the 2D shoot-em-up (shmup) market. The article summarizes: "Shooters seem to have a very basic appeal, rewarding as they usually do indiscriminate destruction. They're also a pure example of the most basic of videogame challenges - simple, instantaneous, twitchy response... there are still a few gamers who seek classic shooting action, and a few companies willing to support them." It goes on to reference classic Japanese shmup companies such as Irem, Treasure, and Cave, and provide information on their former and current projects.

Thanks to Shacknews for pointing to a Gamers.com report with the first solid details about Rockstar North's PS2 'survival horror' title, Manhunt. This allegedly disturbing and voyeuristic, long in development game is from the developers of Grand Theft Auto, and has been kept about as secret as it's possible to. But according to this new information in a UK magazine, it's "a wholly realistic survival horror game, in which the player assumes the role of an inmate on death row whose lethal injection is faked, and suddenly finds himself in the middle of a violent urban warfare game arranged for the amusement of its wealthy creator. Your goal is to escape the city... populated by roving armed gangs." Are Rockstar keeping this quiet to get the game onto shelves unbanned, or is the stealth marketing just a publicity ploy?

Thanks to Gamers.com for their article pointing out that the Japanese release of Nintendo's hotly-awaited F-Zero GX is partially incompatible with the Datel Freeloader region-free disc for the GameCube, which "normally allows players to run Japanese games on American or European Cubes without difficulty", as it "refuses to display the select screens or the in-game interface overlays (such as the speedometer, placing indicator, and so forth)." Since this a major Nintendo-developed title, and one of the first to sport notable incompatibilities with Freeloader, could it be that Nintendo are deliberately releasing games to break region-free circumvention, or is this just a coincidence?

Alan writes "FiringSquad just posted an import review of one-on-one Japanese street racing game, Sega's Initial D: Special Stage for the PlayStation 2, as based on the popular anime/manga series. They seemed to like it, with reservations." The arcade version of Initial D is a break-out title in terms of popularity, even with the limited amount of machines that have made it to the U.S., and especially with the magnetic card which "..allows players to build a totally unique custom tuned car that is personal to them". The PS2 version (here's another, more positive review from NTSC-UK) definitely looks intriguing, but is so far very unannounced outside Japan.

Thanks to Gamers.com for their article pointing out that the IDSA (International Digital Software Association) has changed its name to the ESA (Entertainment Software Association). The article indicates that "The former IDSA's updated title does not in any way alter the organization's mission of representing and serving the needs of video game publishers in North America", and it's likely the organization will continue with both aggressive games-as-free-speech lobbying and similarly aggressive copyright enforcement. There's a new official ESA site, which, it must be noted, has absolutely nothing to do with launching rockets.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com report discussing the bizarre Japanese PlayStation 2 game, Mojib Ribbon, from the creators of Parappa The Rapper and this title's cult prequel, Vib Ribbon. The article says, "Like its predecessor, [Mojib Ribbon] ..is a simple rhythm game, but ..the game takes any text file and converts it into a Parappa-style rap, which players must then follow through stick inputs." Furthermore, the game uses the network adaptor and "..lets players send game data back and forth between each other. Players could e-mail especially inspiring raps to each other, or simply use their morning spam to generate a new game challenge." There's more info available via a preview at The GIA and pictures from this year's GDC.

Thanks to Gamers.com for posting two in-depth interviews with Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki about his Xbox-exclusive titles, one discussing Dead Or Alive Online, and the other regarding the forthcoming Ninja Gaiden. Discussing other products, Itagaki tries to claim that "..the female designers came up with more radical, more sexy [swimsuit] designs than the male designers" for Dead Or Alive:Xtreme Beach Volleyball, but then admits that the super-risque Venus swimsuit was his own creation, and stirs up trouble trashing substandard Xbox ports: "To be honest, I'm sick and tired of all these recent cheap multi-platform games. They take data coded for low-end machines, sprinkle a bit of anti-aliasing on top, and try to pass the thing off as an Xbox game. I would never do that kind of work, at least."

Thanks to Gamers.com for posting two in-depth interviews with Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki about his Xbox-exclusive titles, one discussing Dead Or Alive Online, and the other regarding the forthcoming Ninja Gaiden. Discussing other products, Itagaki tries to claim that "..the female designers came up with more radical, more sexy [swimsuit] designs than the male designers" for Dead Or Alive:Xtreme Beach Volleyball, but then admits that the super-risque Venus swimsuit was his own creation, and stirs up trouble trashing substandard Xbox ports: "To be honest, I'm sick and tired of all these recent cheap multi-platform games. They take data coded for low-end machines, sprinkle a bit of anti-aliasing on top, and try to pass the thing off as an Xbox game. I would never do that kind of work, at least."

Thanks to Gamers.com for their report discussing the newly revealed synergy between F-Zero's home and arcade versions (here's an alternate article at GamePro.) According to the article, "..customized racers are freely interchangeable between the arcade and console versions of the game. Just save a custom racer to the GameCube memory card with either game, and you can transport it from one game to the other." As well as this, "..winning a race in the arcade game can unlock.. ships or tracks as a special bonus - save that data to a GC memory card and you can play an otherwise unavailable ship or course in the home game." You'll also get a special magnetic License Card for high scores in the arcade version, in this interesting attempt at providing incentive for players to return to arcades.

Thanks to IGN Cube for running an import review of Capcom's crazed 3D-graphics but 2D-gameplay action platformer, Viewtiful Joe, which has just been released (and immediately sold out) in Japan, but isn't out in the US until October. According to the article, "Viewtiful Joe is an extremely stylized quasi-2D side-brawler .. [with] polished control mechanics.. you can effortlessly slow down time, speed it up.. the game's graphic presentation, from.. cel-styled worlds.. [to] breathtaking slow-time and speed-time effects, and fluid animation that drowns every character, is just gorgeous." There's also a US demo of Viewtiful Joe on the recent official GameCube demo disc - is this title proof that 2D gameplay can still enchant the mass market?

Thanks to several readers for pointing to a Gamers.com article discussing the sale of limited-edition bikinis based on the Team Ninja-designed virtual costumes from Dead Or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball for Xbox. The article says that "..the Echo (Lei-Fang's schoolgirl suit) has been left out, leaving Tina's Asterope, Kasumi's Amaterasu, Ayane's Lamina, and Hitomi's Cepheus. Each can be had for the modest price of $149.99, which we deem quite reasonable for such coveted items." And if you're having trouble visualizing these 'unique' products, the Tecmo USA store has pictures of the available-for-pre-order bikinis (a tipster says "..try changing the JPG image numbers for some added perspective.")

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com article indicating that R-Type Final for Playstation 2 has allegedly been picked up by Eidos' Fresh Games label for US release. This comes hot on the heels of news that the game, the latest in the classic R-Type shoot-em-up series, will feature an AI mode, with the player "able to define the behavior of an AI-controlled R-9 fighter, and pit two of them against each other in a race to destroy enemy craft, collect items, and avoid getting killed in the process" - though the traditional single-player shmup gameplay will fortunately also be present. The import-friendly Fresh Games label has also brought quirky Japanese titles like Mad Maestro and the crazed Mr. Mosquito to the West - anyone got nominations for other import titles they should consider releasing?

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com article indicating that R-Type Final for Playstation 2 has allegedly been picked up by Eidos' Fresh Games label for US release. This comes hot on the heels of news that the game, the latest in the classic R-Type shoot-em-up series, will feature an AI mode, with the player "able to define the behavior of an AI-controlled R-9 fighter, and pit two of them against each other in a race to destroy enemy craft, collect items, and avoid getting killed in the process" - though the traditional single-player shmup gameplay will fortunately also be present. The import-friendly Fresh Games label has also brought quirky Japanese titles like Mad Maestro and the crazed Mr. Mosquito to the West - anyone got nominations for other import titles they should consider releasing?

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com article indicating that R-Type Final for Playstation 2 has allegedly been picked up by Eidos' Fresh Games label for US release. This comes hot on the heels of news that the game, the latest in the classic R-Type shoot-em-up series, will feature an AI mode, with the player "able to define the behavior of an AI-controlled R-9 fighter, and pit two of them against each other in a race to destroy enemy craft, collect items, and avoid getting killed in the process" - though the traditional single-player shmup gameplay will fortunately also be present. The import-friendly Fresh Games label has also brought quirky Japanese titles like Mad Maestro and the crazed Mr. Mosquito to the West - anyone got nominations for other import titles they should consider releasing?

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com article discussing the best and worst character designs in videogames. The author singles out his favorite designs, including Samus Aran, Solid Snake, and Sonic The Hedgehog, and then picks Ratchet, Plok, and Boogerman as examples of characters that just don't make the grade. It may not be the final word on the subject, but it's a good starting position to answer the question: "Who became an absorbing avatar with which to explore a virtual world, and who was just plain painful to look at?"

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com article showcasing new screenshots and details from Super Mario Advance 4 for GameBoy Advance. This title, which is a portable revival of the classic NES title Super Mario Brothers 3 with the higher quality visuals of the SNES Super Mario All-Stars version, will also have e-Reader connectivity, and a recent IGN Pocket preview claims "players can transfer the data from e-Reader to the game... to upload brand new levels and challenges", though, logically enough, "you'll need two GBAs (or a Game Boy Player [for Gamecube] and a GBA) to take advantage of this feature."

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to an IGN Cube story summarizing the new features in the Japanese expanded re-release of sleeper Gamecube hit Animal Crossing. These include brand new features such as "..upgraded animal designs.. all-new events added.. more than 100 additional items.. visit the island without a GBA.. take photos of village life, store on SD Cards, and print using photo printers", and a number of features previously only found in the US version of the game. Gamers.com has some new screenshots of this release, which follows the pattern of titles such as Kingdom Hearts:Final Mix in exporting US-release improvements back to Japan in a 'special edition'. Although non-Japanese Animal Crossing fans may be looking hopefully for this expansion, a release outside Japan seems unlikely, and the poor Europeans still don't have the original Gamecube version.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to an EGM/Gamers.com article interviewing old-time real-life gangster, Henry Hill, the inspiration for Goodfellas, and letting him playtest the current crop of 'bad guy' videogames. Although not too well-versed on games, he makes some good points with regard to The Getaway ("There's too much traffic. This is like the freeway - why would I wanna do that at home?") and then gets addicted to Animal Crossing, a surprise bonus playtest choice ("I'm not renting this! I'd be too ashamed... I gotta take this home.")

An anonymous reader writes "FiringSquad just posted an interesting article called 2 Fast 2 Furious For The U.S., discussing the Japanese releases of Gran Turismo Concept and World Rally Championship 2 Extreme for PS2. It's pretty interesting, since these are two games that haven't been scheduled for a U.S. release yet, despite having solid predecessors." Seems like we'll never see GT Concept in the States, despite a European release (wonder why?), and if WRC 2 Extreme can make it through the surfeit of rally titles currently clogging U.S. bargain bins, it should be a worthy buy.

ãã¾ããããsã®ãS writes "FiringSquad has published a preview of Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 4, the upcoming flagship online racing title for PlayStation 2." Acccording to the preview, where the last Gran Turismo made us all adopt a Playstation 2, this one will have us adopting network adapters for online racing. The preview's also got some notes about the lengths Polyphony Digital has gone to in order to make GT4 as realistic as possible.

ãã¾ããããsã®ãS writes "FiringSquad has published a preview of Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 4, the upcoming flagship online racing title for PlayStation 2." Acccording to the preview, where the last Gran Turismo made us all adopt a Playstation 2, this one will have us adopting network adapters for online racing. The preview's also got some notes about the lengths Polyphony Digital has gone to in order to make GT4 as realistic as possible.

Thanks to HomeLanFed for pointing to a Gamers.com/GameNOW interview with legendary comic book creator Stan Lee about his superhero videogames. The talk touches on the fact he's working on a new, as yet unannounced original game, and Stan co(s)mically rambles as he discusses gaming - "I wish I were younger, and I had more time, because I know I would love to play them, because you can really enmesh yourself in the activity and in the little world that you enter on that screen."

Getting close to finishing up our three-day stint at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, this time we turn our attention to the Namco booth. So read on for info about Spawn, I-Ninja, and the can't-come-out-soon-enough Soul Calibur II.. - Soul Calibur II, already released in Japan for some time, was showing for all 3 consoles, and continues to look amazing. Not having had a chance to see Link as a playable character on the Gamecube version, it was extremely impressive to see his art style blend in so well with the rest of the fighters, while still being recognizable. This is a must-buy for fighter fans when it finally launches in August.

- Kill.Switch for PS2 and Xbox was yet another tactical action shooter type game, with lots of hiding behind columns and ducking out to nail enemies with heavy weaponry. There really was a preponderance of this type of title at E3, and though this one seemed to do it decently, it didn't seem to stand up to title like EA's Freedom.

- Spawn was a somewhat surprise appearance which continues Todd McFarlane's association with Namco (see the Spawn arcade/Dreamcast title, plus Spawn as secret character in Soul Calibur II for Xbox), and was a double-gun, lock-on type action shooter. That's right, another one. It looked decent graphically, and this type of game can be plenty of fun, but we'll have to see what it has to make it stand out.

- I-Ninja was the Argonaut-developed cartoon-like action game, with a super-deformed ninja lead character running around vaguely stylized environments. It had some neat gameplay mechanisms, such as a blatantly borrowed from Metroid Prime 'rolling-ball' mode, and some cool jump and run along walls moves, but the graphics were a little plain in places.

- also being shown, but not immediately obvious on the show floor, were R:Racing Evolution, the latest in the Ridge Racer series, sporting much-improved graphics and a slightly more realistic approach, and Extreme Force, a Dead To Rights semi-sequel focusing more on Splinter Cell-type tactical action.

For further impressions, screenshots, and media try IGN.com, Gamespot, Gamers.com, Gamerfeed, or all the other usual suspects. Plus, watch for a final round-up from the show soon.

Continuing with brief hands-on impressions from the most interesting booths at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, we turn our attention to Konami. Read on for info about Castlevania, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Gradius, Metal Gear, and more.. - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, showing for multiple platforms, was a delight. With awesome-looking cel-shaded graphics, and Batman-the-TV-series type 'CRASH!' and 'THUMP!' voice balloons accompanying the action, this goes a long way to recreating the fun of the original arcade and SNES games, with multiplayer arcade-styled fun to the fore.

- Bloody Roar 4 was showing for PS2, picked up when Konami bought a controlling interest in developers Hudsonsoft a year or two back. It seemed high on the B-list of fighters - not essential, but hardly Final Fight Revenge either.

- Castlevania:Lament Of Innocence for PS2 is a 3D action title that finally puts to rest those horrid N64 Castlevania games, with somewhat Devil May Cry-styled action gameplay, big bosses, and a camera that behaves most of the time. It's still got that oldschool feel, but some of the rooms felt a bit large and empty in places. Still, promising, though it's easy to think about how the Rygar title for PS2 seems to have made the transition a bit better.

- Gradius V for PS2, the latest sequel to the all-time classic sideways-scrolling shooter, was showing on a single machine round the side of the booth. It looked good, with 2D action but great use of 3D scaling in the background, and the traditional power-up stacking system that's always worked so well. If you're not a fan of this genre, you won't be converted, but it's a worthy successor.

- Cy Girls for PS2, some kind of girl ninja/hacker action title, really didn't look that hot in the playable demo on the booth, but the video trailer there showcased some more interesting action, so it may improve as release date nears.

- Silent Hill 3, which seems to come out as soon as next week in Europe, and in a couple of months in other territories, looked very much like a straight sequel to the previous two titles. Basically, it's very spooky, the gritty lighting still works, there's scary giant rabbit costumes outside deserted amusement parks.. you get the drift.

- Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand, the innovative GBA title from Hideo Kojima that will include a light sensor in the cartridge, was difficult to evaluate on the show floor, since there was only a video running and GBAs running the title were only viewable through glass. But the isometric graphics look good, and the presence of a light meter on screen at all times mean you'll either going to be cheating and cupping your hand over the sensor, or running in and out of your cellar a lot when the game is released.

- we dealt with Metal Gear Solid:The Twin Snakes over in our previous Nintendo booth article, and sadly both this title and Metal Gear Solid 3 were only running in trailer form on the E3 show floor. So there's not much more to say about MGS3 right now than 'set in jungle', 'nice graphics', 'mysterious'. Look out for full trailers of both popping up online as E3 winds down.

For further impressions, screenshots, and media try IGN.com, Gamespot, Gamers.com, Gamerfeed, or all the other usual suspects. More hands-on impressions soon.

Getting straight on with our brief E3 Expo hands-on impressions, targeting the major companies and titles to watch at the show, we've made it to the Electronic Arts booth. Read on for info about selected titles featuring James Bond, Gimli, and those pesky Sims.. - The Sims 2 was only being trailed in video form on the show floor, with The Who's My Generation cut up over a smart CG trailer that showed multiple eras of Sims, with whole dynasties growing up, having kids, breathing fire (apparently a hereditary trait in that family!), and generally goofing off. How the game improves on a winning formula remains to be seen, but the DNA-passed-to-descendents angle is clearly the one being pushed to the fore for the sequel.

- 007:Everything Or Nothing, which we mentioned yesterday for its use of real-life actors in virtual roles, was sporting a playable action sequence where Pierce Brosnan ran through a skyscraper and then jumped off the edge, duelling with enemies while running/bungie cording down the side of the building. The action was third-person, darned attractive, and it may be that the improvement in Bond games that started with Nightfire will continue (no more 007 Racing? Phew!)

- Harry Potter:Quidditch World Cup is definitely strange, being an EA Sports-izing of a fictional sport and all. But it looked like it could be reasonably playable, though the size of the pitch looked very small, probably thanks to artistic license in the movies expanding it, and the AI still needed some work.

- Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun was seen in a great-looking CG trailer which, well, didn't have much to do with gameplay, plus some early PS2 gameplay code which was apparently even a little too early to get much of a good impression. The jury has left the building.

- Freedom:The Battle For Liberty Island was the arguably surprise booth stand-out. The developers, IO Interactive, were responsible for the excellent Hitman 2, and this title features crisp graphics and great environmental effects. Sporting frantic shoot-outs on roofs against helicopter gunships, it feels right, more so than most other action shooters at the show - and believe me, there are a lot of those.

- Lord Of The Rings:Return Of The King is being developed in-house at EA this time, so has a different developer from the fun Two Towers. But actually, it looks a spot better than that title, with similar action-based hack 'n slash gameplay, multiplayer co-op action, a ton of enemies onscreen at once, and cave trolls looking about 30 percent uglier than they have any right to be.

For further impressions, screenshots, and media try IGN.com, Gamespot, Gamers.com, Gamerfeed, or all the other usual suspects. More hands-on impressions soon.

Continuing our 'brief impressions'-based look at the major titles and major publishers at E3 in Los Angeles, here's a look at SquareEnix's booth. Read on for info about a cornucopia of Final Fantasies, plus the new Star Ocean and the mysterious Drakangard... - Final Fantasy XI was being shown in the same form as we've already previewed it on the Sony booth. It requiring the PS2 hard disc is a significant expense/hassle, but if you're a Final Fantasy fan or a MMORPG freak, it may be well worth it.

- Star Ocean:The End Of Time was a graphically stunning action strategy game (with real-time combat), including some insanely nice special effects, though there's some very occasional slowdown. You even got to fight enemies like D+D-styled 'eye of the beholder' floating ocular beasts. As far as control goes, you control the main character directly, and the other people in your party follow your lead, but you can stop the action to change priorities or weapons.

- Drakangard for PS2, an unknown quantity until the show, had the player controlling either a warrior on the battlefield, in very Dynasty Warriors-esque hack and slash action, or the same warrior astride a dragon, hovering high above it and swooping down to fire-heat the opposing troops. The graphics looked a little plain from ground level, but being able to see whole groups of enemies from the air and then toast them was neat. Depth of gameplay could be a problem?

- Final Fantasy:Crystal Chronicles was being played by four eager gamers, each using a GBA to control their onscreen character, and we've dealt with this game briefly already in our discussion of the Nintendo booth. It does look like one of the stand-out Gamecube titles at the show, with wicked-looking robot bosses who rotate their body like a windmill, direct action-based controls and plenty of signature Square special effects, but this isn't your standard Final Fantasy title, so it may polarize fans. We heard someone else make the Gauntlet Legends+ comparison while in the booth, so that may be a good way to think of this game.

- Unlimited SaGa for PS2 may be a continuation of a classic series, but it's a decidedly strange one. The use of 2D characters and 3D background mainly works, but it's the opening 2D/3D cinema that really impressed. This definitely comes with an 'only for the hardcore' tag (there's both 'hit points' and 'life points', for example, both of which are important), but if you can get past that, it's a niche title of interest.

- Final Fantasy X-2 can easily be summed up as 'very, very fruity'. From the opening dancing and singing CG, the all-female cast, and the 'Dress-up Sphere' element to combat, with players needing costume changes to power up, it's all very, very Japanese. The game restored the Active Time Battle method for battles, and the graphics surpass even Final Fantasy X, but it's not so much epic as epic kitsch. Still seems to have the gameplay going on, mind you.

For further impressions, screenshots, and media try IGN.com, Gamespot, Gamers.com, Gamerfeed, or all the other usual suspects. More hands-on impressions soon.

Slashdot Games is still camped out at E3 in Los Angeles, and having finished hands-on reports on the Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo booths, we're going on to look at some of the other major exhibitors. Next up is Sega, so read on for more info about new Phantasy Star Online, Sonic, Worms, and Virtual On titles, plus the rather smart Billy Hatcher with his Giant Egg. - Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg, the newest Sonic Team title for Gamecube, was the surprise game of the stand. Although screenshots had started leaking before the show, it wasn't that clear what was going on, but seeing the game playable made all the difference. Basically, you're a boy called Billy Hatcher who has a rooster hat on (!), and you help out a giant chicken by rolling massive eggs around the levels, down hills, knocking over enemies, and generally causing havoc. The game sports what looks like an updated Sonic Adventure graphics engine, you can pick up floating PacMan-style fruit goodies, and you can even run around on your own and switch to different eggs, which presumably have different properties. The game looks like a whole heap of fun, and we're really looking forward to seeing more of it.

- Worms 3D, the Team 17 multiformat update of their classic multiplayer title, was recently signed by Sega Europe, so was showing on the stand. Although many 3D updates of classic 2D-based titles don't necessarily turn out for the best (anyone remember Lemmings 3D?), this one looks a lot more promising, with great cartoony 3D graphics, cool targeting for overhead airstrikes, and the same super-fun weapons lists.

- Headhunter: Redemption, being shown for PS2, looked like a pretty competent action game, with plenty of stealth elements as well as action, and a heavily tattooed female lead character for at least some of the game. There were also some very Metal Gear Solid moments in the demo, peeking round corners and pivoting to shoot guards at the right moments, and the title looked accomplished, if not breathtaking.

- Otogi for the Xbox was one of the more interesting games on the stand, a really nice looking action beat-em-up featuring ghostly ninja attacks and a 'rush mode' that was somewhat reminiscent of Shinobi. Actually, it also reminds us of Gun Valkyrie, with the frenetic action and deep valleys filled with enemies. But overall, promising.

- Phantasy Star Online Episode III: CARD Revolution was showing for Gamecube with a playable battle demo, and this turn-based card RPG looked very interesting, if very different from previous PSO games. You could play cards like the 'Chain Sawd' weapon for attacks, and there seemed to be block/hex based movement involved, too, but overall, learning the game will take a lot longer than the brief look at it we got. The graphics were neat, though, with PSO's characteristically swaying enemy animations, so if you can stand the change of pace, this title may be worth checking out.

- Sonic Heroes, due out for multiple formats, was looking like the best 3D Sonic game so far, with much bigger and wider-ranging courses, so less of the constrained platform action that played havoc with the camera in earlier Sonic titles. The unique feature of this Sonic game is that you're controlling three Sonic characters at once, and can switch between them to use their different powers - somewhat like Kameo for Xbox in terms of gameplay mechanism. The version we saw had Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails as the three characters, and each was better suited for different challenges - for example, Tails can fly, so he's great for bridging long distances while carrying the other two characters.

- Altered Beast was being shown on video only, sadly, but looked promising. There were a bunch of cool transformation effects shown for this 3D beat-em-up remake of the classic 2D Sega game, and it's clear you can even transform into different beasts, including a fire-breathing one and a flying animal that can unleash a spectacular-looking energy attack.

- as for the other titles, Virtual On Marz for PS2 had some excellent multiplayer action, looking slightly basic graphically but very smooth, Virtua Fighter 4:Evolution looked even better than Virtua Fighter 4, although the gameplay is as involved as ever, and there were other appearances from a Vectorman PS2 demo and a neat Sonic Pinball Gameboy Advance title.

For further impressions, screenshots, and media try IGN.com, Gamespot, Gamers.com, Gamerfeed, or all the other usual suspects. More hands-on impressions soon.

Slashdot Games is continuing its look at the major booths here at the E3 Expo. The last of the major hardware manufacturers to give us a hands-on look at their software is Microsoft, after earlier articles on Nintendo and Sony. Read on for info about all the new Rare titles, Brute Force, Halo 2, and more.. - Kameo, the Rare-developed game that was shown in significantly different form on the Nintendo booth a couple of years back, looked just amazing. The graphics were lush, colorful, and beatiful, possibly the best of any Xbox game so far, including Halo. The third-person action was fun and somewhat innovative, as you could switch swiftly between multiple characters with different powers to solve puzzles and wipe out enemies. The characters included a plant beast, some kind of rock monster, and even Kameo (a fairy lookalike) herself. So, not only does the Xbox lack quality examples of this type of game, Rare seem to have come up with the goods yet again.

- Brute Force, the Digital Anvil-developed third-person team shooter which has been in development for what seems like an age, was looking promising, with a really fun co-op mode, simple but direct controls, and good sniper-zoom effects. It seemed just slightly plain compared to the very best-looking titles like Halo or Kameo, though, and it's a shame it's not supporting Xbox Live, but it's still a game you can look forward to.

- Voodoo Vince, a quirky new Microsoft-published platformer, looked good, with perky graphics and some really nice fire effects. But overall, it wasn't really a spectacular stand-out, although there were some neat ideas about the main character hurting himself in order to damage enemies - he's a voodoo doll, folks.

- Conker:Live And Uncut is Rare's team-based shooter, and it focuses on multiplayer modes to create an intense but cartoony deathmatch title. As you run around the sharp-looking arenas, picking up everything from knives to rocket-launchers, the third-person view seems to work pretty well for fast and fun combat, and Xbox Live support should wrap up the whole deal. Now, if we could only stop thinking about Fur Fighters when we see it..

- Project Gotham Racing 2 is still using the rather innovative 'kudos' system first pioneered by Bizarre Creations in Metropolis Street Racer. It also sports the noticably real-life tracks, with many fenced-off areas and 90-degree turns, something that will either delight or bother you, depending. The graphics are certainly a notch above the first title, but Gran Turismo 4 seems to have a grittier, more exciting feel overall.

- Grabbed By The Ghoulies was the third Rare title on display, and was an somewhat bizarre, almost flat-shaded, semi-cartoony platformer. Kameo seemed to us to look nicer, but this title certainly had some unique stylings, and even some noticably twisted semi-gore. Look what a few years being forced to make insanely cute games like Diddy Kong Racing will do to a bunch of developers?

- it seems Halo 2 is viewable as a real-time demo, though sadly not playable by the public, in a special booth area that's been drawing gigantic queues. The demo has the same layout as that shown at the Microsoft press conference, and it reliably blows everyone away, with amazing attention to detail, double-gun action, spectacular graphics, super-realistic voice interaction, the ability to jump on the Ghost ships and kick the pilot out.. basically, genius. This is definitely one of the games of the show, and may become the Xbox's second killer app, after its predecessor was most definitely the first.

There were a whole bunch of other third-party games on Microsoft's booth, but we'll get to them on Thursday and Friday. In the meantime, be sure to check IGN.com, Gamespot, Gamers.com, Gamerfeed, or all the other usual suspects. Our hands-on impressions will continue on Thursday.

Slashdot Games is continuing to cover events from the show floor at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. After covering Nintendo's booth, our next subject is Sony, who backed up the information contained in their pre-E3 press conference with a bevy of playable titles. Read on for what we found at Sony, including Gran Turismo 4, Resident Evil Online, and the very cool Eye Toy. - Gran Turismo 4 was looking, overall, pretty spectacular. The in-car view isn't a quantum leap above the kind of visuals GT3 has, but it still looks significantly better. The exterior views and replays are looking insanely good, though, and with new courses like New York (including Times Square), new rally tracks, and the ever-amazing attention to detail, nirvana awaits for car nuts.

- Eye Toy was the stand-out surprise of the booth, since it's infinitely more satisfying in the flesh than if explained or shown in screenshots. It stars a series of almost Point Blank-styled mini-games, such as keeping a soccer ball in the air or chopsocking cartoony ninjas as they swarm from the sides of the screen. The key is that you can see yourself onscreen, courtesy of the USB camera that comes with the games, and can adjust your physical position to hit or interact with the objects that appear on the TV. A boxing mini-game where you dueled a robot, Punch-Out style, was another highlight, one which had attendees ducking and weaving as they landed virtual punches on the poor hunk o'metal. Considering this will all cost about the price of a normal PS2 game, it's a seriously quirky but cool stand-out.

- Final Fantasy XI was available and playable online in a fully translated English version. It's nothing that hasn't been seen before in the already-released Japanese version, but it did impress in the flesh, looking more visually interesting than the Everquest Online titles for PS2, and promising diversity with a truly huge range of spells and attacks.

- Ratchet And Clank:Going Commando and Jak II pretty much defined the 'neat game, better-looking sequel' concept. There's even more weapons of choice for Ratchet And Clank, plus Jak II sporting some pretty amazing-looking graphics, with a large number of vehicles, passers-by, and enemies all on screen as Jak bounded through a city, and no slow-down in the slightest.

- Rise To Honor, the action title starring a virtual Jet Li, was looking promising. Quite reminiscent of titles like Dead To Rights, but minus the random mini-games, RTH showcased both hand-to-hand martial arts goodness and double-gun shootout action. Sporting crisp graphics and some decent-looking moves, though suffering from a few glitches and an oddly emotionless-looking Jet Li, it's definitely worth looking out for.

- Syphon Filter: Omega Strain was running in multiplayer networked deathmatch mode, and was goodlooking and smooth. It had particularly neat rain effects on the dark urban streets of the playable level. Oddly, it wasn't generating a lot of interest, with those attendees playing just standing in one place and raking machine-gun fire aimlessly, but that could say more about the E3 attention span than the game.

- Resident Evil:Outbreak (the former Resident Evil Online) was also running in its networked, collaborative form. Interestingly, it had a 'HDD' info sticker on the front of the booth, presumably meaning it'll only work with the PS2 hard disc. The action looked extremely similar to your average Resident Evil title, but with the ability to go help out your friends elsewhere in the spooky-looking decaying house. Teaming up with your friends is a neat twist, as is a new 'zombie gauge' which may allow the player to eventually turn into a zombie, but still have control over his new form. We didn't see any of that on the show-floor version, though, possibly because it was entirely in Japanese, so a little tricky to understand at points.

- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was shown only in video form, in a significantly expanded version from the previously leaked trailer. We'll hopefully have more on this title as E3 continues.

- For those lovely Slashdot Games readers asking about booth babes, we almost got flattened by hordes of attendees coming away from the Dead Or Alive fashion show at the Tecmo booth. No pictures, only the imprints of over-enthusiastic fan-boots in our face.

For further impressions, screenshots, and media try IGN.com, Gamespot, Gamers.com, Gamerfeed, or all the other usual suspects. We'll have further hands-on impressions from other booths later today.

As part of our continuing E3 round-up, ahead of its May 14th start in Los Angeles, the biggest new announcement has been from Activision, which released info on its product line-up (press release via Yahoo) this morning. Highlights include the inevitable Doom 3, Peter Molyneux's latest public speaking project, The Movies, and licenses from Spiderman and X-Men to Shrek, plus Disney Skateboarding (which may actually be good, thanks to cult developers Toys For Bob, of Star Control fame.) Otherwise, it seems Tecmo may be showing a new Dead Or Alive at E3, alongside a DoA fashion show, and Ubisoft will show a more promising new 3D Prince Of Persia and the ever-mysterious Uru: Ages Beyond Myst MMOG from Cyan. Here's links to previous E3 coverage at Slashdot Games.