Death Track: Resurrection (PC)
Death Track: Resurrection introduces high speed vehicular chaos to North American gamers without the use of DRM software. The first five titles published by Aspyr under license from 1C in North America - Men of War, Death Track: Resurrection, Cryostasis, Necrovision, and 4X4 Hummer - are all DRM-free.
Death Track: Resurrectiontravels players to a not-too-distant future in which the world has been plunged into chaos. Traditional sports have been replaced by the far more aggressive, violent and thrilling type of entertainment the public demands. The main event of the year, Survival Racing, is a world tournament that takes place in the largest cities across the globe. Powerful vehicles and spectacular road battles are performed by world-renown and feared drivers. Players strap in as a rookie driver aiming at the top prize.
Death Track: Resurrection, rated 'T' for Teen, is available for PC for the suggested retail price of $19.99.
Don King Boxing (NDS/Wii)
"Don King Boxing is a game that was tailor-made for the Wii and we're very excited for it to be in gamers' hands," said Christoph Hartmann, 2K president. "The use of the Wii Balance Board™ is really intuitive, as you're dodging punches in a fight or jumping rope in the Fitness section. You'll certainly make full use of everything Wii has to offer with this game."
Don King Boxing has already received a review score of 85% from UK's Official Nintendo Magazine calling it "One of the most satisfying gaming experiences we've had for a long time."
The game provides a revolutionary boxing experience for Wii via accurate controls, a unique story mode, an exhilarating multiplayer system, and implementation of the Wii Balance Board*. Developed by 2K China, Don King Boxing allows players to fight with or against over 20 licensed boxers in real venues, like Madison Square Garden, Boardwalk Hall, and Trump Taj Mahal. Players will experience what it's like to be a real boxer as they throw jabs, hooks, and uppercuts with both hands - all while ducking and dodging blows on the Wii Balance Board.
To help players get in shape, 2K Sports worked closely with Don King and his staff to design a training portion of the game that mimics the routines used by real boxers. The training program can include the Wii Balance Board, tracking players' progress and activity levels over time.
Don King Boxing, rated T for Teen, is available at suggested retail prices of $39.99 and $19.99, respectively.
Gardening Mama (NDS)
Mama steps out of the kitchen and into the great outdoors to work her magic as Gardening Mama stars the iconic culinary cutie in the first ever gardening game and the first brand offshoot for the series.
"Gardening is a perfect fit for the Mama brand and we believe the legions of Cooking Mama fans will love Mama's new green thumb," said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. "Gardening Mama includes the same accessible gameplay mechanic as the Cooking Mama series but layers in an entirely new subject matter that all ages and genders will appreciate."
Gardening Mama transforms the stylus into a universal gardening tool that players will use to plant, nurture and harvest 37 different varieties of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Gamers can manage their garden through the seeding, blooming and maturation phases, and then produce items from the plants they've grown. A robust multiplayer mode lets up to four friends compete to grow the biggest harvest and Treasure Box mode lets players share items they've grown with online friends. In addition, players can change Mama's outfit to their liking while customizing the screen design to their preference.
Gardening Mama for NDS, rated E for Everyone, is available now for the suggested retail price of $29.99. Gamers anxious to get growing can download a playable demo currently in approximately 10,000 Nintendo kiosks at major retailers nationwide.
Guitar Hero Metallica (PS3/X360)
Having pioneered and expanded the heavy metal genre while gaining critical and popular success over the past 25 years, Metallica invites gamers to "Ride the Lightning" with them and over 20 other rocking artists in Guitar Hero Metallica. Enter the world of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo and experience the intensity and skill of one of the greatest bands of all time. Shred on the guitar controller, rip on the drum kit controller and wail on the mic to over 45 explosive hits from both Metallica's illustrious career and a variety of other legendary artists selected by the band, such as Alice In Chains, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Foo Fighters, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Queen.
"When Guitar Hero came to us with the idea to do a game based on Metallica, we call this a no brainer and said yes very quickly," said Lars Ulrich, drummer for Metallica. "It seemed like the next step -- a whole other platform for musicians to reach an audience. If we talk about this in five years, I think it will turn into an expected way to release music."
"Guitar Hero is a great way for people to experience the music of a band. Not just Metallica, but many bands. It's almost educational in that sense, where people can learn about groups that range from Santana to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Journey," said bassist Robert Trujillo.
"We are extremely excited to partner with Metallica, bringing one of the world's best-selling artists together with one of the biggest video game brands allowing consumers to connect with artists and their music in a uniquely interactive way," said Will Kassoy, Head of Publishing for the Guitar Hero franchise. "Guitar Hero Metallica will appeal to a wide range of fans including those of Metallica, rock music, and Guitar Hero as well as introduce the franchise to new audiences."
Guitar Hero Metallica allows fans to "spend an evening with Metallica," and more than 20 other popular artists, while performing in venues reminiscent of their epic album covers, themes from their music and real world locales. Guitar Hero Metallica introduces an all-new Expert+ drum difficulty setting, featuring two bass drum kick pedals that offer an authentic Metallica experience with note-for-note tracking, and Metallifacts, which, after nailing a song, lets players enjoy a virtual concert filled with on-screen facts and trivia about the song being played.
Guitar Hero Metallica, rated "T" for Teen, is currently available on PS3, X360, with the PS2 version to be available in North America in April 2009. All versions of Guitar Hero Metallica will be available in Europe beginning May 2009.
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust (X360/PC)
Marking a return of the trademark humor that has brought joy (and snickers) to millions of teenagers for over two decades, Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust brings the series to current-gen consoles and PC.
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust sees players take control of the misguided Larry Lovage as he spends his vacation working at his uncle's film studio. Excited at the hope of picking out his perfect lady from Tinsletown's most endowed, Larry soon uncovers a plot from a rival studio that threatens his uncle's latest movie success; now it's up to Larry to save the day (as long as he can concentrate on the right assets for long enough).
Developed by Team17 and laden with illustrious voice talent from Hollywood's glamorous glitterati, players will meet and interact with outrageous characters like Ginger Vitus (Carmen Electra: Starsky & Hutch) and Hugh Jassdick (Tom Arnold: True Lies, ER, Roseanne) as they tackle exploration, platforming, racing, puzzle-solving and seduction challenges to get the girls and save the studio.
Additional voice talent in Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust includes an all-star cast of actors and actresses, including Jay Mohr (Last Comic Standing), Dave Attell (Insomniac), Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie), Artie Lange (Mad TV), Patrick Warburton (Family Guy), Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), Nikki Cox (Las Vegas), Peter Graves (Mission Impossible), Jane Lynch (The 40 Year Old Virgin) and Josh Keaton (The Spectacular Spider-Man) as the voice of Larry Lovage.
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is available for $29.99 on the Xbox 360 and $23 on the PC. A PlayStation 3 version will follow.
PopCap Arcade Volume 2 (X360)
In PopCap Arcade Volume 2, players will enjoy three of PopCap's most popular and most recent hits that each offer a completely different experience. Peggle is the enthralling, ball-bouncing, peg-busting phenomenon that has become a gaming sensation with casual and hardcore players alike. Heavy Weapon is the satirical side-scrolling shoot-em-up that is one of XBLA's most successful titles, and Feeding Frenzy 2 is the recently-released fast-action sequel to the classic family hit.
"We're thrilled to bring another compilation of hits to the Xbox 360 as our presence and popularity in the console world continues to grow," said Greg Canessa, VP of Video Game Platforms at PopCap. "Peggle, Heavy Weapon and Feeding Frenzy 2 are among PopCap's most popular titles on the Xbox LIVE Arcade service, and with this collection, we're delivering outstanding gameplay and entertainment value that Xbox fans are going to love."
What's more, each of the three games in PopCap Arcade Volume 2 features multiplayer action and exclusive Xbox 360 features. Peggle fans can play solo, or experience co-op, party, and competitive multiplayer modes with two to four players locally or remotely via Xbox Live, while Heavy Weapon and Feeding Frenzy 2 feature local co-op or party game modes. Each title features online leaderboards, achievements and Gamerscore, and Peggle offers downloadable content support for future expansion. The games fully support 720p HD graphics and Dolby 5.1 Digital surround sound.
PopCap Arcade Volume 2 carries an SRP of US $19.95 and is available at leading retailers throughout North America, including Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, and Amazon.com.