NHL 09 (PS3/X360)
Step onto the ice in the new Be A Pro mode, and feel what it's like to be an NHL superstar. Create your player, choose your position and jump onto the roster of your favorite team. Featuring an exclusive license with the primary development league for the NHL, start in the ranks of the AHL(R) and work your way up into the NHL progressing towards your ultimate goal of becoming an NHL legend. The new Performance Tracker will rate your play in over 60 categories, and provide constant feedback to help you improve.
After introducing 3 vs. 3 Online Team Play in NHL 08, NHL 09 expands the concept and introduces the EA SPORTS Hockey League (EASHL). The EASHL features a fully-human controlled 6 vs. 6 online hockey experience, connecting gamers worldwide like never before. Take your created player and join a team with friends, or scout for players online. Play selfish, sloppy hockey and you could find yourself without a team. Play well and you may find other teams looking to acquire your services. Using the same dynamic on-ice view as the Be A Pro mode, each player will have a third person camera putting them right on the ice. With the EASHL you can become the first great name in videogame hockey.
The ground-breaking Skill Stick System evolves in NHL 09 to bring an unmatched level of control on the defensive side of the puck. The all-new Defensive Skill Stick will enable you to sweep your stick 360 degrees to block passing lanes, poke check effectively and introduces stick lifts to hockey videogames. On offense, the Skill Stick adds the one-handed deke to your arsenal of weapons. Players can now make highlight reel plays by having the ability to tap the puck to one hand, and slide it past a sprawling goalie. Take a proven formula, sprinkle on some innovation, throw in a whole new way to play and see for yourself why every EA SPORTS gamer will love NHL 09.
NHL 09, rated E10+ by the ESRB and 16+ by PEGI, is available for the PS3, and Xbox 360 for $59.99, while the PS2 and PC versions will be available in stores in Oct. for $39.99.
TNA iMPACT! (PS2/Wii/PS3/X360)
Combining fast-paced intuitive controls, state-of-the-art wrestler likenesses and a unique Story Mode, TNA iMPACT! will deliver the most authentic video game wrestling experience to date.
"The development of the 'iMPACT' game has been an amazing process," said Dixie Carter, president, TNA Wrestling. "Midway and TNA share the common goal of creating a wrestling game focusing on great game play. TNA features the most exciting and athletic roster in professional wrestling today, so it was critical that the game deliver the in-ring action we have on our shows. Our superstars were very involved collaboratively in the development from day one with this goal in mind. The result is a product that any wrestling fan that plays videogames is going to love."
"Working very closely with TNA allowed us access to numerous resources needed to make the best wrestling game on the market today," said Miguel Iribarren, senior vice president - publishing, Midway. "We worked countless hours in scanning and motion capture sessions with each wrestler to not only ensure that our game was visually stunning, but to make sure the realism of each punch, slam and finishing move was captured."
TNA iMPACT! the video game is based on the fastest growing professional wrestling brand in the world and its flagship program TNA iMPACT!. Total Nonstop Action wrestling is in its sixth year of existence and offers sports entertainment fans a different look and feel from the traditional brand of wrestling. Focusing on athleticism, ground-breaking match types and captivating story lines, the TNA brand has quickly garnered world-wide recognition for wrestling excellence.
TNA iMPACT! the video game drops gamers into TNA's signature six-sided ring to grapple as one of their favorite TNA Superstars for head-to-head and tag-team action. The game's Story Mode will entertain for hours as the player guides a fallen champion back to TNA glory. Players can also test the limits in professional wrestling's most innovative match, Ultimate X, and go online to battle friends or foes in head to head action.
A Wii version expected to ship to retail outlets next week.
Yakuza 2 (PS2)
From the creative minds that brought the critically acclaimed Yakuza, famed producer Toshihiro Nagoshi and award-winning novelist Seishu Hase join forces again to draw players deeper into the notorious Japanese underground organization where honor and respect are regarded above all else.
The story takes place a year after Kazuma Kiryu leaves the life of the Yakuza and his post as Head of the Tojo Clan. However, his peaceful, normal life is short-lived when the threat of an all-out gang war pulls him back into the life he is trying to leave behind. The journey into Japan’s dark underworld continues as Kazuma returns to uphold his former clan’s honor and to discover the mystery behind the endless conflicts that is pushing the Yakuza clan to the brink of war, all while trying to avoid the police and the Korean Mafia.
Yakuza 2 delivers stylish gameplay with its improved fighting engine and a new cinematic storyline that will plunge players further into the gritty, genuine portrayal of life in the Yakuza. The game expands the world of the Yakuza with two cities for players to freely explore – from urban nightclubs to actual licensed shops and restaurants. Players will experience twice the brutality by executing fierce, jaw-breaking attacks on enemies with the enhanced Heat Gauge. Yakuza 2 accurately depicts Japan’s urban landscape to give players an authentic experience as a high-ranking member of the Yakuza clan.
Active Life: Outdoor Challenge (Wii)
Getting gamers off the couch and dynamically involved with the game, Outdoor Challenge combines the motion-sensing Wii Remote with an original mat controller that lets players use their whole body to participate in more than 15 fun outdoor-themed activities.
Active Life: Outdoor Challenge introduces the Active Life mat, a durable peripheral that lets players control the on-screen action with their hands and feet when used in conjunction with a Wii Remote. The Active Life mat supports and encourages vigorous activities such as running and jumping, allowing for an energizing game experience. From kayaking to mine cart adventures and obstacle-filled races, players will be able to use a variety of hand gestures and foot movements across the Active Life mat’s eight sensor inputs to control each event. Many of the game’s events can be enjoyed in head-to-head or cooperative multiplayer modes with a single mat, letting players enjoy the rush of competition or the gratification of teamwork as they play together.
Created with families in mind, Active Life: Outdoor Challenge lets players put relatives and friends into the game by easily importing Mii characters saved on their Wii console. The game tracks progress by different users over time, comparing high scores and individual records for other users to view. Active Life: Outdoor Challenge also offers a variety of pre-set exercise routines, grouping the game’s events into workouts focusing on different areas of fitness such as endurance, reflexes and general body strength.
“Active Life: Outdoor Challenge features a unique user interface that puts the player’s entire body in motion, yet is easy enough to use for the whole family to enjoy,” said Todd Thorson, director of marketing and public relations at Namco Bandai Games America, Inc. “The combination of more than 15 fun events, strong multiplayer support and engaging gameplay is sure to bring families and friends together again and again to enjoy this new gaming experience.”
Active Life: Outdoor Challenge, rated “E” for Everyone, is available as a bundle containing the game and one Active Life mat controller for a suggested retail price of $59.99.
Air Traffic Chaos (NDS)
Developed by Sonic Powered Company, Air Traffic Chaos is a management simulation that puts players in control of a legion of takeoffs and landings at a bustling airport.
Being an air traffic controller takes nerves of steel, a sharp memory, and a smooth sense of control. In Air Traffic Chaos, players can test their abilities to join the elite ranks of the ATC professionals as they point planes in the right direction or face a high-flying mess. Using the Touch Screen players must direct incoming and outgoing airport traffic by coordinating takeoffs, landings, and gate assignments efficiently and safely for seven different types of airplanes and 14 separate airlines. The game features three difficulty levels, each with five stages, and by keeping their cool and performing under pressure, players can earn a total of sixteen different badges, including "King of Stress," "ATC Legend," or even "Ruler of the Skies!" The best performers can even share their high scores in the ATC library.
Air Traffic Chaos, rated E for Everyone, is now available for a suggested retail price of $19.99.
FlatOut Ultimate Carnage (PC)
Published by Empire Interactive, distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, FlatOut Ultimate Carnage (developed by Bugbear Entertainment) takes the trademark mayhem of FlatOut and FlatOut 2, lifting destruction racing to a whole new level of bone-breaking slaughter. FlatOut Ultimate Carnage captures arcade destruction racing at its best and most extreme with real world physics, three different game modes, stunts and competitions.