Star Trek: Legacy (PC)
Star Trek: Legacy for Windows has shipped to North American retail stores. Star Trek: Legacy for the Xbox 360 is scheduled to ship to North American retail stores next week.
Fight Night Round 3 (PS3)
The exclusive PS3 mode called Get in the Ring allows players to experience the game through a unique first person perspective. Seen through their own eyes, the new mode immerses players in such a way that they feel like they actually are the boxers throwing furious combinations and experiencing the brutal impact of their opponents' punches. EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 3 takes the realism of boxing to an astonishing height with visuals and audio effects that truly recreate the brutal sensation of the sport from ear ringing and restricted vision to flashes of bright light, color shifts and blur effects that simulate the feeling of getting punched.
Gamers can also play through an entire career of a boxing legend such as Muhammad Ali or go glove to glove with their friends online(1) or via split-screen using the unique first person mode. Players can also switch between the first person mode or play in the visually stunning third person perspective to mix up the fights.
EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 3 for the PS3 is developed by EA Canada. The game is rated "T" (Teen) by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $59.99.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (NDS)
Breaking new ground in the Castlevania series, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin lets players continue the battle against the evil minions of the night as two playable characters, Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin. Players can choose to use Jonathan’s whip-cracking melee abilities or Charlotte’s magical prowess individually or team up together for the first time in the history of the franchise as they explore all new levels and environments. Players can also play online with friends and wirelessly trade items using the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection service.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin takes place amidst the chaos of World War II where many lost souls from the global conflict were left to wander the world in search of salvation. A powerful vampire painter, Brauner, emerges to resurrect Dracula’s Castle utilizing the lost souls along with magical paintings that double as portals to other dimensions. Fueled with the power of the lost souls, the magical paintings and assisted by two mysterious vampire sisters, the probability of Dracula’s Castle returning to power is stronger than ever. Now Jonathan and Charlotte must work together to confront the face of evil and ensure that this villainous catastrophe is not unleashed on the world.
Evolving the action-adventure gameplay that has been the series’ trademark for 20 years, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin lets players switch freely between Jonathan and Charlotte as they proceed on their heroic mission, each with their own strengths, abilities and style of play. Players can now utilize powerful co-operative attacks in which both characters unleash the full extent of their combat abilities to decimate the game’s more than 100 different enemies and massive bosses in new environments such as the desert and Misty Town. In their quest to stop Dracula’s resurrection, Jonathan and Charlotte can collect and use different weapons, equipment and items to increase their overall skill level and acquire new abilities.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin was created by Koji Igarashi and the acclaimed development team behind 2005’s smash hit Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is rated “T” for Teens by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of $34.99.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)
An all-new installment in Hideo Kojima’s legendary Metal Gear Solid series, Portable Ops features a full stealth-action single player story mode as well as breakthrough wireless features that let players recruit and play as a unique squadron of battle-hardened mercenaries.
Set in 1970, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops follows the events of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and lets players take on the role of the infamous “Big Boss” as he establishes the elite FOXHOUND unit and attempts to topple a bloody revolt instigated by the treacherous FOX unit. Featuring the return of many notable characters in the Metal Gear saga, the game completes a major portion of the ongoing Metal Gear timeline, as players participate in the events that directly lead into later games in the series, including Big Boss’ greatest tragedy.
Featuring a full-fledged story mode, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops introduces a new team building mechanic that brings additional depth and gameplay variety to the series’ acclaimed stealth-based action. Players can now capture and recruit characters that they encounter in any of the game’s levels and assign them to different units that will perform different functions, such as healing teammates, gathering intelligence and creating new items. Players can also recruit rare and unique characters with special abilities throughout the game. Each character is rated on a series of more than ten attributes, giving players incredible variety in building the ideal squad and creating different teams that are best suited to different types of combat situations.
Continuing the cinematic pedigree of the Metal Gear Solid series, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops features fully-voiced cut scenes with original artwork by acclaimed visualist Ashley Wood. Using animations and sound effects, the cut scenes join comic book artistry with full motion style to create an entirely original form of storytelling. The voice cast of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops features veterans from previous Metal Gear Solid titles, including David Hayter, James Mathis and Jim Piddock.
Taking advantage of the wireless functionality of the PSP system, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops lets players scan their immediate area for wireless access points and recruit new teammates. Based on each different IP address in range, players will be able to generate a unique character. Certain rare and unique characters will be available only via access point scanning, giving gamers an incentive to play in different locations and build out their squad with new members.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops features support for massive online battles in more than ten areas specifically designed for multiplayer encounters, letting up to six players take their custom squads online and battle in stealthy encounters across several different modes of play. Using a unique White Flag mechanic, players can choose to surrender and fight again or risk permanently losing one of their valuable comrades. Players can also wirelessly trade characters with others, building a squadron that is best suited to dominate the online competition.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops carries a suggested retail price of $39.99 and is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB.
Pimp My Ride (PS2/X360)
Players will join MTV host and hip-hop star Xzibit as they rip through Pimp City in their quest to transform broken down hoopties into pimped out rides for pride and respect.
"Pimp My Ride allows gamers to experience all the fun of MTV's popular television program with a heart-pounding racing element," said David Oxford, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Players can roll with Xzibit as they test both their customization and driving skills by creating and racing the coolest rides in authentic neighborhoods and dynamic environments with tons of suppliers and hundreds of parts."
"We are thrilled to bring the signature style from our hit show, Pimp My Ride, to the world of video games," said Tony Calandra, Senior Director, MTV Games. "It is great for us to see the evolution of the franchise that helped to put car customization and culture on the map, and now fans of Pimp My Ride will be able to experience and enjoy it from their own homes in an exciting and fun, new way."
Pimp My Ride thrusts gamers into the world of Pimp City. Here, bling is king, and speed is everything. With Xzibit lending some tracks from his recently released CD, the game has a true MTV generation backdrop of urban music, art and sound where players step into the role of modification master to customize cars into the most banging whips while redlining them through the streets. Players pick the mods, hooking up everything from tires and rims to bumpin' subwoofers and flat panel TVs to transform the worst broken down beaters into pimped out masterpieces. Style skills are put to the ultimate test and completed cars are then raced in the streets to gain priceless bragging rights and credibility in their neighborhoods. Players can navigate free-roam environments, earning respect with flossed out rides in five unique boroughs such as New Wave Beach, Hip-Hop Heights and Downtown Metro.
Pimp My Ride, rated "T" ("Teen") , is available now for the PS2 for a suggest retail price of $39.99 and available December 5 on the Xbox 360 for a suggested retail price is $49.99.
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (Wii)
"Ice Age 2 The Meltdown and the Wii are a perfect combination for family fun this holiday season," said Cindy Cook, chief strategy and marketing officer, Vivendi Games. "Fox has stepped up as a partner to offer an incredible amount of talent, assets, and effort to the game, which also takes full advantage of the Wii Remote's motion sensors. The result is an action-packed adventure featuring non-stop entertainment that is sure to appeal to gamers of all ages."
Elie Dekel, executive vice president, Fox Licensing & Merchandising, added, "This game is the perfect complement to the film and a great way for fans to extend their experience with the story and its characters."
"Ice Age 2 The Meltdown showed its strength as a popular movie-based kids video game with retail sales of over 1.3 million units and in the box office with sales topping $646 million worldwide," said Pascal Brochier president, global retail, Vivendi Games. "We are expecting Ice Age 2 The Meltdown for Wii to follow a similar course."
The Ice Age is ending and our subzero heroes return in this action adventure video game set in a melting paradise of water parks, geysers and tar pits. Manny the Mammoth, Sid the Sloth and Diego the Sabre-Toothed Tiger are back and realize that the melting glaciers will soon flood their valley. Fans will be able to play as their favorite characters from the film and embark on a mission across an increasingly dangerous landscape towards their salvation from a huge glacial dam that is about to break, threatening to flood the entire valley.
The unique Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers allow players to guide their favorite Ice Age: The Meltdown pals through challenging puzzles and exciting mini-games.
Ice Age 2 The Meltdown Video Game is currently available at retailers nationwide for the PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, NDS, GBA and PC.