Bleach (NDS/Wii)
Bleach: Shattered Blade on the Wii and Bleach: The Blade of Fate on the Nintendo DS are based on the hit animated series currently in its second season on Adult Swim. The games offer relentless action and dazzling swordplay with crisp, highly-stylized graphics that stay true to the TV series and offer players an authentic anime experience. The games feature a robust cast of characters voiced by the original voice actors from VIZ Media's award-winning Bleach anime. With a dynamic cast of over two dozen characters in the games including Rukia, Kon and hero Ichigo, gamers can spend hours furiously engaged in combat while unlocking individual character stories, all based on the animated series' story arc.
The Bleach storyline follows fifteen-year-old Ichigo Kurosaki who is able to see spirits from the afterlife known as "Soul Reapers." The Soul Reapers are tasked with defending humans from otherworldly beings called "Hollows." One fateful day, Ichigo meets Rukia, a Soul Reaper who lends him her powers after she is injured by a Hollow. In the game, players progress through an exciting storyline facing increasingly difficult opponents in their quest to uncover the truth.
FIFA 08 (ALL)
Developed by EA, FIFA Soccer 08 challenges players to master the skills required to play like a pro soccer player by introducing a new mode called Be A Pro: Offline Training. Be A Pro locks you into the role of a single, fixed player the entire game and challenges you to master the same disciplines as a real soccer player—from positioning and tackling to reading the field and passing. Users receive real time feedback and analysis on the fly and a unique camera angle keeps both player and action in focus, zooming in when you're on attack.
With the launch of FIFA Soccer 08 on PlayStation 3, soccer fans and gamers can now kick-off their campaign to show off their gaming skills on the global stage as the online tournament of the fourth annual FIFA Interactive World Cup begins on PlayStation Network. The online leg will run parallel to numerous live qualifier events across the globe from October '07 through April '08. The tournament is the world's only officially FIFA sanctioned global soccer gaming competition and delivers all the excitement of being on the real FIFA World Cup soccer pitch. It will culminate in the Grand Final in the Sony Centre in Berlin in May 2008 and will see the winner walk away with an invitation to the FIFA World Player Gala 2008 and USD $20,000 in prize money.
FIFA Soccer 08 features a new, organic building-block system that enables you to combine tricks and skill moves together to recreate signature moves from the real-world superstars or define your own style of play. You can even capture video of your best moves and goals in-game and upload to the FIFA Soccer 08 website to show off your style and celebrate your glory with friends across the globe. In addition, FIFA Soccer 08 features a true next-generation ball-striking engine that re-creates the drama and unpredictable nature of shooting, and the inclusion of 576 licensed teams, 30 leagues, and more than 15,000 players.
The new Be A Pro: Online Team Play feature, available for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 in November, enables up to five friends on five different consoles to select and take control of their own individual players on the same team, supported by AI teammates, to play against up to five rivals of another team. Alternatively, online users can select to play with free roaming players, and teams can have a combination of both.
The online feature set in FIFA Soccer 08 includes the award-winning Interactive Leagues, where you represent your club online against your rivals throughout the season in the F.A. Premier League, Bundesliga, French League or Mexican 1st Division and features weekly in-game pod casts by the development team, and Online Leagues, where you create and organize your own multiplayer Friends Leagues and tournaments with all the tools in-game.
This year FIFA Soccer 08 debuts on the Wii, enabling fans to pass, shoot, and perform trick moves all with a flick of the wrist. The game's revolutionary FreeMotion controls help level the playing field for all players and turns FIFA Soccer 08 on the Wii into a physical, social activity. Cover athlete Ronaldinho is the first professional soccer player to appear as a customized and playable character exclusively for the Wii. Ronaldinho will host a game mode called Footii Party with Ronaldinho. With this mode, EA introduces unique party games - including Table Soccer, Keep Up and Shoot Off – where you can play as your self-created Mii character to unlock Ronaldinho and take on the champ. Each Footii Party game is created as a multiplayer, social experience designed to engage and entertain fans of all ages.
FIFA Soccer 08, developed by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C., is in stores now for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP, PC and mobile. It is rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB and 3+ by PEGI.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (PSP)
As the first release in the Ivalice Alliance series, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions sets the stage for the world of Ivalice. Based on the tactical role-playing game Final Fantasy Tactics, originally released in 1998 on the PS one game console, this all-new release features never-before-seen cinematic sequences, an entirely new English translation, 16:9 widescreen presentation and new multi-player functionality that will captivate a new generation of gamers. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions also features new jobs and new characters, including Balthier from Final Fantasy XII and Luso from the upcoming Final Fantasy Tactics A2.
In days long past, the War of the Lions rent the land of Ivalice in two. It is here that two young men of note first step onto history's stage. The first is Delita Heiral, the hero who would draw the curtain on the War of the Lions, this dark act of Ivalice's history. The other, whose role is now forgotten, is a man by the name of Ramza Beoulve. Peer through the eyes of these two young men and uncover the secrets that lie hidden within history's darkened folds.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions has been rated T (Teen) by the ESRB and will be available at retailers for a suggested retail price of $39.99.
Folklore (PS3)
Developed by Japanese game developer Game Republic under legendary game creator Yoshiki Okamoto, executive producer for Onimusha, Devil May Cry and Resident Evil, Folklore is a unique, dark fantasy adventure inspired by western fairy tales.
Regarded as one of the holiday's most anticipated titles for PS3, Folklore is the story of two strangers drawn together in an effort to uncover the mystery of a remote village that exists on the border between dreams and reality. The two, Keats and Ellen, learn that the answers they seek lie in the realms of the Netherworld, a fantastic world full of creatures, spirits and monsters. In order to solve a mystery that threatens the balance of this universe, the pair must journey through these worlds, combat creatures beyond imagination and uncover their secrets.
"Using a unique combat system that harnesses the power of PS3 and SixAxis wireless controller, Folklore will physically grab the attention of fantasy action gamers," said Jeff Reese, director, software marketing, SCEA. "Folklore's multi-threaded story, artistic environments and sublimely bizarre characters provide a powerful mix that will captivate all those who enjoy playing through a gripping mystery adventure."
The story begins when Ellen receives a letter from her mother, long presumed dead. Meanwhile, Keats, a skeptical journalist working for a paranormal magazine, is urgently called to investigate a mysterious attack. The fate of this unlikely pair converges in the Irish village of Doolin -- a quaint, sleepy place which hides a secret gateway to the Netherworld and the answer to a 17-year old mystery. Ellen and Keats, both playable characters, must travel separately through seven vast realms inhabited by "Folks", strange Netherworld creatures whose powers they must collect and harness if they are to survive.
Players capture the Folks' powers by using the SIXAXIS controller to tug and reel them out of their bodies. Each Folk has a unique attack ability, adding strategic depth to the gameplay as players must decide which Folk's powers to employ to defeat their next adversary. There are over 100 beautifully-rendered Folks, each with their own special attacks, powers and anatomy.
Players will begin the game as either Keats or Ellen and learn their story and gameplay style. Keats uses a traditional brawler style while Ellen takes a more strategic approach. Players will experience two parallel yet distinct storylines running through the game -- each with its own twists, turns and intrigue. Decisions made in one story line will directly impact the story path of the other. Folklore blends in RPG characteristics including a deep storyline that can equate to over forty hours of gameplay and the ability to level up the creatures you capture throughout your adventure. The game also includes an Online Dungeon Trial feature that allows players to design custom Folklore dungeons, populate them with creatures they've captured during single player gameplay, and share them with other players online.
Additional Folklore content like new quests, player outfits, and new Folk creatures will be available through download packs, available exclusively on PlayStation Store. The ESRB rated Folklore "T" for "Teen."
Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal (PS2/Wii/X360)
Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, developed by Redtribe, allows gamers to join forces with the ever-popular Looney Tunes characters - Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tazmanian Devil, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Gossamer and more - while showcasing a new, modern look and always irreverent humor. Players command an arsenal of ACME melee and projectile weapons, embark on puzzle solving challenges and blast through vehicle-based action for the ultimate gameplay experience.
Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal features seven playable characters, two-player co-op action on all consoles in addition to next-gen graphics and real-time lighting. Gamers can also enjoy two-player cooperative gameplay on the Xbox Live online entertainment network, and four player battle mode on the Wii and Xbox 360 systems. The Wii system provides players the opportunity to take full advantage of the gesture controls in fighting, spin attacks and smash attacks, while the PS2 features an exclusive Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner chase level. All three versions contain special unlockable skins and provide unique high-impact experiences on each console.
Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck (NDS)
The game, inspired by Chuck Jones' classic Duck Amuck cartoon, allows players to wield the Nintendo DS stylus to antagonize and infuriate their very own Daffy Duck in hilarious ways. With the goal of driving Daffy's temper through the roof, players can also compete against him in a series of mini-games inspired by familiar Looney Tunes cartoons. Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck also features wireless gameplay where players can team up against Daffy or battle each other in head-to-head competition.
The infamously short-tempered and devious Daffy Duck stars in Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck, developed by WayForward Technologies, for the NDS.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (PC)
In Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, players are transported back to the Forgotten Realms shortly after the events detailed in the original Neverwinter Nights 2. Following the climactic battle against the King of Shadows, the player awakens alone and stranded deep beneath the earth. Surrounded by a horde of evil spirits, the player embarks on an epic adventure that reveals his true destiny. In addition to more than 25 hours of new game play, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer allows characters to advance to Epic levels (above level 20) and provides over 100 new spells and feats.
"Atari's commitment to the Neverwinter Nights franchise and its enormous community is strong," said Larry Liberty, Senior Producer, Atari, Inc. "We're confident that Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer will deliver a truly satisfying role-playing experience that further engages fans."
The Neverwinter Nights franchise has sold more than three million copies worldwide, is translated into 10 languages, sold in more than 40 countries and features one of the largest and most active fan communities in all of gaming. To date, fans of the franchise, which includes Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide, Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark(TM) and Neverwinter Nights 2 have created more than 5,000 modifications to the original game using the award-winning toolset included with the full game that allows players to create their own universes, quests and storylines.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, rated "T" for Teen, is available for PC at a suggested retail price of $29.95.
Spider-Man 3 (PSP)
Fans of Marvel's Spider-Man can now unleash the power of the Black Suit while on the go with the release of Activision's Spider-Man 3 for the PSP system. Set in the first fully-streaming Spider-Man environment for the PSP system, the game gives players the freedom to choose their own gameplay experience as they master Spider-Man's unique and powerful skill-sets and abilities while also experiencing his darker, more mysterious persona, Black-Suited Spider-Man, through multiple movie-based and original storylines.
In Spider-Man 3 for the PSP system, players must draw upon Spider-Man's unique combat and powerful, upgradeable moves to protect the citizens of Manhattan by defeating arch-rivals from the blockbuster film as well as classic Marvel villains during missions and epic boss battles. In the PSP system exclusive Conquest Mode, missions must be completed by dawn, and if successful, players will be rewarded generously with Hero Points, which allow them to upgrade and customize their Spider-Man skills.
Spider-Man 3 for the PSP system is available at retail stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $39.99 and has been rated "T" (Teen - Animated Blood, Mild Language, Violence) by the ESRB.
Touch Detective 2½ (NDS)
Don your detective's hat and take your magnifying glass in hand, intrepid investigators: Mackenzie and Funghi need your help! Through five all-new chapters, meet new characters (and say hello to your old favorites), encounter new mysteries, explore a bigger game world, and confront the series' first super-villain: The Cornstalker! Get ready for brain-tickling puzzles, zany characters, hilarious dialogue, and plenty of twists and turns along the way!