Blue Dragon Plus (NDS)

Directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, with character designs by Akira Toriyama, and a soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu, the story of Blue Dragon centers on a young boy named Shu and several of his friends who possess the ability to control phantom shadows that mirror the actions of their masters. In Blue Dragon Plus, one year has passed since Shu and his companions defeated the tyrannical remnant of the Ancients, Nene. In the midst of the battle, the world split in two and now consists of a myriad of "cubes" that exploded from its depths. King Jibral notices a mysterious cube in the distance suddenly start to move violently, and from it he sees the Shadow of a Balaur, a three-headed dragon, emerge. The enormous and sinister Shadow is just the beginning of the new turmoil and devastation to come.

Features Include:

• Single Player Campaign With Over 30 Hours of Game Play
• Legion vs. Legion
  • Control up to 16 humans and Mecha Robos to fight against a horde of enemies
  • Equip your units with items and alter their composition to bolster their strength
• Exciting Real -Time Battles and Shadow Fights!
• High Quality Dual Screen FMVs Showcasing More Than an Hour of Story Events!
• Exciting RPG Elements Such As Item Collection, Character Progression and Robot Customizations

Stoked (Xbox 360)

Developed in conjunction with world-renowned snowboarding movie creator Absinthe Films, Stoked offers five huge, open-world mountains, dynamic and changing weather patterns, the participation of X Games champion Travis Rice as well as some of the most respected names in the snowboarding community worldwide.

Features:

• Five Gigantic Real-World Mountains: Leave worn-out resorts behind and travel the world in search of the ultimate back country location. Explore five world-renowned summits. Discover new drop points by helicopter, bail out and experience more than 45 square-miles of open terrain on each peak.
• Dynamic Weather and Environments: Every day the snow and weather conditions change on each of the mountains featured in the game thanks to a dynamic weather and time of day system. Snow accumulates on mountain surfaces, changing the riding experience, opening new paths, and building new trickable features and challenges. Different weather conditions offer different experiences and riding challenges. Choose where, when, and in what conditions you'd like to ride!
• Seamless Multiplayer: Invite your friends to ride with you in instant drop-in multiplayer! While riding together you can select custom helicopter drop points, create competitive or cooperative challenges, or call out tricks for members of your posse to pull off as you snap their photos. When you're ready to get serious, go up against other boarders on Xbox LIVE online entertainment network in sponsored events to build your fame.
• Style Crafting: As you develop your style, the animation system will adapt to how you play, and the other riders on the mountain will emulate your moves! But doing tricks isn't the only way to convey a sense of style. Thirty of the industry's top gear manufacturers, clothing brands and international magazines have joined forced with Destineer and Absinthe to help you build your career. As your legend grows so will your stylistic choices.
• Real Riders, Real Pros, Real Sponsors: Stoked features some of the most influential professional riders and names in the sport: Travis Rice, Nicolas Mueller, Wolle Nyvelt, Annie Boulanger, Romain de Marchi, Tadashi Fuse, Gigi Ruef, and Bjorn Leines. An impressive line up of 30 authentic sponsors also appear in Stoked including: Burton, Blue Tomato, Dragon, Arcus, Von Zipper, Eleven, 686, Billabong, DaKine, Electric, LibTech, Nitro, Northwave, Oakley, Quiksilver, Ride, Hart, Rome, Salomon, TechNine, Vans, Volcom, Anon, Nikita, Raiden, Red, Roxy, Sodalicious, VonZipper and snowboarding publications Method Magazine, Huck Magazine, Onboard European Snowboarding Magazine, Snowboard Magazine and Snowboard Canada Magazine!

Stoked shipped to stores on February 24, 2009 and will be available soon at major retailers.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (NDS/PC)

"Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is a truly high caliber and worthy successor to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, the #1 selling new puzzle franchise in 2007 according to NPD," said Yoji Takenaka, president and chief executive officer, North America and Europe, D3Publisher. "D3Publisher is committed to delivering Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and all our games to a wide and diverse audience, and our dynamic combination of retail and digital distribution will help achieve that goal to the highest degree."

"Our goal is for fans to feel the same excitement and novelty in Puzzle Quest: Galactrix as when they first played Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords," said Steve Fawkner, CEO and Lead Designer, Infinite Interactive. "Through the innovative hexagonal match-three board, a compelling new storyline, new graphics and more, we have kept the latest Puzzle Quest experience fresh and absorbing for hundreds of hours of unforgettable gameplay."

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is a rich new addition to the beloved Puzzle Quest universe. The game incorporates a powerful blend of casual and hardcore gameplay elements, similar to those adored by fans of the critically acclaimed Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, into an all-new futuristic, science-fiction setting. An innovative hexagonal puzzle board allows for a wide range of strategic depth if a player chooses, allowing for both casual and hardcore players to enjoy the game on their own terms. A rich and detailed storyline and fresh gameplay elements make the world of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix a captivating new adventure to explore and conquer.

Developed by Infinite Interactive, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is rated E10+ for Eeryone 10 and up.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (PS3/X360)

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand offers the ultimate 50 Cent experience, featuring fast-paced run-and-gun gameplay, online co-op and a soundtrack comprised of over 40 songs, including 50 Cent's greatest hits and an album's-worth of never-before-heard tracks.

"50 Cent: Blood on the Sand offers smooth controls, amazing graphics and an experience unlike anything else – it's like starring in an action film," said 50 Cent. "One of the most exciting things about 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is that we included 18 exclusive tracks made specifically for this game that won't appear anywhere else."

"50 Cent has a larger-than-life persona that translates remarkably well to the world of video games," said Kevin Kraff, vice president, global brand management. "By combining intense single player combat, drop-in and drop-out online co-op and never-before-released music, we were able to deliver a great looking game that appeals to hip hop fans and gamers alike."

After performing a sold-out concert in a fictional war-torn country, 50 Cent and the G-Unit are robbed of their cash and paid in kind with a priceless diamond encrusted skull, which is subsequently stolen by the local crime-lord's gang. Determined to collect his payment and enact revenge on the gangsters foolish enough to disrespect him, 50 Cent sets out to get rich or die trying. 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand features intense third-person action/shooter gameplay, an intuitive cover system, drop in and drop out online multiplayer co-op, merciless melee counter-kills and a soundtrack that combines 50 Cent's greatest hits with 18 exclusive new tracks. 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand puts players in control of their own virtual action film by blending stunning visuals from the Unreal 3 game engine technology with an over-the-top story and voiceover work by 50 Cent and the G-Unit's Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, and DJ Whoo Kid.

THQ's 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is now available for the Xbox 360 and the PS3 for the suggested retail price of $59.99.

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop (Wii)

Taking advantage of the same proven technology that brought Resident Evil® 4 so successfully to Wii, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop delivers a more intuitive and interactive experience as players use the Wii Remote to shoot, slash and bludgeon their way through a zombie infested shopping mall, fighting for survival.

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop follows the harrowing tale of Frank West, an overly zealous freelance journalist on a hunt for the scoop of a lifetime. In pursuit of a juicy lead, he makes his way to the small suburban town of Willamette only to find that it has become overrun by zombies. Frank escapes to the local shopping mall, thinking it will be a bastion of safety but turns out to be anything but. A true struggle to survive the endless stream of enemies, players luckily have full reign of a realistic shopping centre and its varied stores offering an endless supply of real and makeshift weapons to fight off the flesh-hungry mob. If Frank is running low on health he can pay a visit to one of the many restaurants or cafes for a meal in order to restore his energy and continue the fight.

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop's campy humor delivers welcome relief to players as they battle against an incessant tide of zombies and challenging bosses. Intense moments will give way to hilarious interludes as players get a kick out of dressing Frank up in a variety of comedic costumes and taking on the undead hordes with an impressive variety of improvised and sometimes highly ineffective weapons such as a toy sword or football.

The game is split into a series of individual cases all of which Frank must complete in order to gain vital information that will allow him to piece together the truth behind the horrendous epidemic. In addition to the cases, players will be faced with the dilemma of deciding the rescue priority of the residents of Wilamette who also sought sanctuary in the mall. Depending on the player's skill, some may not be so fortunate as each rescue needs to be undertaken in a set time period, therefore players may need to delay completion of a case in order to save a fellow human.

The Dark Eye: Drakensang (PC)

Featuring stunning vistas and tactical turn-based fights displayed in a real time environment, The Dark Eye: Drakensang takes players on a mystical journey centuries back in time.

Developed by the original pen and paper authors, The Dark Eye: Drakensang is a new party-based role playing game that uses advanced 3D technology [nya1] allows players to visually experience the landscapes, edifices, heroes, and creatures of the TDE universe. Players will start out in the city of Ferdok in Aventuria, a unique medieval world where sinister forces are at work. Summoned by a letter from an old friend, their adventure begins as they investigateiin a series of strange ritualistic murders. Only after gathering trusted, skilled companions as part of The Dark Eye: Drakensang's compelling party-based game play where players can control four unique characters, in addition to their own, can players battle to uncover the sinister conspiracy threatening the world of Aventuria. Additionally, the game features a talent-based dialogue system that will allow gamers to threaten, persuade and charm their way through a universe full of unique characters, creatures and locations, as they seek to fulfill their sacred mission.

The Dark Eye: Drakensang, rated "T" for Teen, is available for the suggested retail price of $29.99.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope (X360)

Development studio tri-Ace Inc. delivers spectacular new visuals alongside exhilarating real-time battles with this highly anticipated prequel. Star Ocean: The Last Hope is the first installment in the series in which players will be able to control their own spaceship, moving from planet to planet as they explore the vastness of space. This unique RPG experience also allows players to seamlessly switch between characters in-game and engage in team-oriented combat as they advance through the captivating storyline.

The year is A.D. 2087. In the aftermath of World War III, Earth has been ravaged and the population decimated by a deteriorating environment. The countries that survived have joined together to form the Greater Unified Nations and turned their eyes skyward... to space.

Edge Maverick and his childhood friend Reimi Saionji are chosen as pioneer members of the Space Reconnaissance Force, which was created to seek out new worlds beyond the stars. Their ship, the Calnus, takes its place on the lunar launch pad along with four other starships of the first reconnaissance fleet. These ships - humanity's last hope - blast off one-by-one and sail into the awaiting wormhole that leads to the vast star ocean.

And so, Edge and his crew begin their voyage in search of a new haven for humanity... and a second chance.

Features:

• Combines sci-fi and fantasy elements, spanning multiple planets and the vastness of space itself to recount the origins of the Star Ocean universe
• Item creation and Private Actions, two hallmarks of the Star Ocean franchise, also make their return, allowing for players to enjoy upgraded versions of both systems
• Exhilarating combat expands upon the franchise's dynamic real-time battle system, now featuring amazing graphics and visual effects only possible on Xbox 360
• Up to four characters can take part in battles simultaneously and party members can be switched mid-battle
• New Blindside battle system fuses evasion and offense, enabling players to confuse and ambush enemies by quickly moving out of their line of sight when targeted
• Freely pilot the Calnus spaceship for the first time in the series and journey to various planets of the Star Ocean universe
• Features breathtaking CG movies by Visual Works, the cutting-edge studio whose previous work includes cutscenes for the acclaimed Final Fantasy series

Star Ocean: The Last Hope, rated T for Teen, is available at North American retailers for the suggested retail price of $59.99 (USD).