The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (GBA/NDS/PS2/Wii)

Reprising their roles and once again breathing life into the characters of Spyro and his mentor Ignitus, are two of Hollywood's leading actors, Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Gary Oldman (Sirius Black from the Harry Potter films). Joining the cast this year is Billy West (Ren & Stimpy, Futurama) as Spyro's sidekick Sparx.

In The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, players will follow Spyro as he faces a myriad of enemies on a quest to defeat Gaul, the Ape King, before he unleashes a terrifying new age of darkness on the land. Players must also unlock the secrets behind Spyro's strange visions as he attempts to uncover his role in an ancient prophesy.

"With massive worldwide appeal, the 20 million-unit-selling Spyro franchise opens yet another exciting chapter this holiday," said Pascal Brochier, president, Global Retail for Vivendi Games. "Based on the first installment's success, we're confident the new Legend of Spyro game is going to be a fan favorite for gamers of all ages."

Key Features in The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night include:

• "Dragon Time" -- Spyro can now literally bend time to his will! Players will engage Dragon Time to dodge attacks, out-maneuver enemies or solve tricky time-based environmental puzzles.
• Powerful new Breath Attacks (one for each element type), including Ice Bomb, Electric Orb, Earth Vine and Enhanced Fire give players a tremendous sense of power -- several upgrade options allow players to customize Spyro to their liking as they progress through the game.
• All new elemental melee moves and Fury attacks help Spyro on his quest.
• Huge Environments -- The Eternal Night features an added degree of exploration and puzzle solving -- challenging Spyro to use his new powers not just to blast through enemies, but also to uncover secrets and navigate through challenging environments.

The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night is currently available at retail stores nationwide for the Wii and PS2 (Krome Studios) for a suggested retail price of $49.99 and $39.99 with an ESRB "E10+" (Everyone 10 and older) rating, while the NDS and GBA (Amaze Entertainment) have an SRP of $29.99 and $19.99 with an ESRB "E for Everyone" rating.

Battlestar Galactica (XBLA/PC)

Set in a distant part of the universe called the Twelve Colonies, players sign up to either defend the Galactica, or play as the ruthless Cylons as they seek to remove the human race from existence. Battlestar Galactica allows players to take part in enormous multiplayer space battles – up to 16 players on PC or 8 on Xbox LIVE Arcade – or play through the intense single-player campaign based on memorable missions from the TV series.

“It was really important to us from day one to make sure we created a game that is both true to the show and gamer approved,” said Connie Brammeier, executive producer, Sierra Online. “We’ve successfully incorporated the overall feel of the series including visuals and memorable battles into the game while focusing on incredible gameplay, ensuring a great experience for gamers and fans of the show.”

Features of the upcoming game include:

• Single-Player Campaign – Pilot various ships and complete 10 memorable missions from the TV series.
• Multiplayer Game Mode – Play online in this relentless space-based action shooter in Domination, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes. (8 players on Xbox LIVE Arcade and 16 players on Windows PC)
• Legendary Spaceships – Fly 4 Human and 4 Cylon ships from the Viper II to the Cylon Raider, each with unique weapon capabilities.
• Special Weapons – Coordinate attacks with an arsenal of destructive weapons including the missiles, guns and more.
• Defensive Maneuvers – Avoid annihilation with the barrel roll, flip turn and other aerial moves.

Battlestar Galactica is rated E 10+ and will be available for PC at retail outlets nationwide as well as top online gaming portals and the official game website at www.bsgarcade.com for $19.99. An Xbox LIVE Arcade version of the game will be available for 800 Microsoft points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Ratatouille (PS3)

Ratatouille for the PS3 is inspired by the unique characters and storyline from the critically acclaimed feature film. Players will assume the role of Remy, a young rat whose love for great food puts him at odds with the needs of his family. The game allows players to experience highlights from the film, including memorable characters and key locations, as they explore five action-packed worlds, more than 20 challenging missions and mini-games, and go head-to-head in multiplayer action. The new PS3 version of Ratatouille will support the SIXAXIS Wireless Controller, featuring motion-sensing technology to detect natural and intuitive movements.

Later this month, THQ also plans to release Ratatouille Food Frenzy for the Nintendo DS. Picking up where the film left off, the video game serves up an all new storyline taking full advantage of the DS’s capabilities. Players will use the touch screen to cook food, stir pans and fry vegetables while enjoying seven new cooking, puzzle and action games spanning more than 100 different levels. In order to cool off pots and meals hot off the stove, players will blow into the DS microphone. The opening of Remy and Emile’s new restaurant, La Ratatouille, will rest in the aprons of players as they guide the duo to master chef status.

THQ’s Heavy Iron Studios leads development for Ratatouille across THQ’s Studio System with support from Helixe who developed Ratatouille Food Frenzy. Ratatouille is currently also available on Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, Wii, Gamecube, GBA, NDS, PC, Mac, as well as wireless devices.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (PC)

Designed specifically to entertain both casual and hardcore gamers with its deep immersion, five to fifteen minute play sessions and turn-based play style, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords incorporates strategy, role-playing elements and a persistent storyline in a puzzle board setting. Set in the Warlords universe, the game challenges players to create, develop and customize the ultimate hero in order to save the land of Etheria from evil Lord Bane. To advance their character, players battle in turn-based, head-to-head "match-three" style puzzle games in one of three distinct gameplay modes: Single-player allows gamers to battle against the AI as they embark on over 150 challenging quests, Instant Action allows gamers to jump in and immediately play continuous battles to level-up characters without participating in quests, and Multiplayer allows gamers to battle live opponents. Victory will advance the player's hero, magical arsenal, creature companions and more--ultimately rewarding gamers at nearly every turn and providing endless hours of replayability.

KEY FEATURES:

• Strategy and role-playing elements that function harmoniously in the puzzle gameboard setting offer a refreshing twist on classic puzzle gameplay, fostering an exceptional depth of investment and enjoyment.
• Competitive, turn-based gameplay encourages you to plan, think and strategize against opponents instead of just react like most traditional puzzle games; game difficulty and progression are related to outsmarting your enemies as opposed to difficulty increasing solely through level progression.
• If you experience defeat, you are still awarded experience points as well as partial gold and then encouraged to try again; this allows constant progression and avoids any feelings that invested play time is wasted.
• At every turn, you will acquire helpful companions, collect or cast powerful magic spells, gather informational “rumours,” and obtain items like weapons, armour and money to advance your hero.
• Play in long or short doses since the depth of the game does not waver according to the length of a gameplay session; each battle ranges from 3-10 minutes.
• Choose from two male and two female avatars in each of the four character classes—Druid, Knight, Warrior and Wizard—to create, develop and customise your ultimate hero.
• Build an empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle.
• Three Distinct Gameplay Modes Offer Unparalleled Replayability
  • Single-player: Battle against the computer AI as you embark on more than 150 challenging quests
  • Instant Action: Jump in and immediately play continuous battles to level up your character without participating in quests
  • Multiplayer: Battle live opponents via wireless connectivity on both the PSP and the NDS.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, published by THQ's Valusoft, is now available for download , and the PC version is shipping to retailers nationwide today!