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Genre: RPG
Publisher: Square-Enix
Developer: Square-Enix
Release Date: TBA

One of the titles I anticipated most before this year's E3 was Kingdom Hearts II, which picks up the story a year after Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. The Heartless are back once again, but so are Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Some of the supporting characters from the original game have returned, as well as a few new friends.

For me, Kingdom Hearts was always about two things: the gameplay, and the joy of seeing the Square-Enix characters working with the Disney characters. As far as gameplay goes, a lot of

Genre: Action/Adventure
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Redwood Studios
Release Date: Fall 2005

They all just make it look so easy, don't they? The mob, that is. Control of underground criminal activities, a reach that spans cities, the power to make or break lives within minutes, manpower to call their own … oh, yeah, it's incredible.

Most movie mobs, however, don't show you the nitty-gritty side of things, just the raids and the gunshots and the thick accents. But what about getting there? Isn't that half the fun?

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were organized crime empires. There's

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six makes its next-generation hardware debut in the most dramatic installment of the renowned first-person shooter franchise to date. Rainbow operatives take to the chaotic streets of Las Vegas as an escalating terrorist siege in "Sin City" threatens to take world terrorism to new, uncontrollable heights. The future of global security hangs in the balance as you battle to defend classic Vegas locations and environments like Fremont Street, the Strip and casinos. Experience Las Vegas like never before ­ through revollutionary next generation technology as you work against
the clock to protect one of the world's most

Beatmania

Genre: Puzzle/Rhythm
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Release Date: TBA

Konami has finally started bringing their music games stateside, which means that we gaming fiends can finally experience Beatmania. I'm hoping that this will start a trend, forcing Namco to import more Taiko goodness, and Konami to bring over DrumMania and Guitar Freaks.

For those who are new to Beatmania, the game is Konami's version of deejaying. It plays like Dance Dance Revolution, but instead of using your feet, you are using your hands to hit the keys of their deejay controller, basically a turntable and seven buttons. At the Konami booth, they

Chromehounds brings squad-based multiplayer mech combat exclusively to the Xbox 360 for the first time ever. The war of the future has begun with three superpower nations fighting for world domination. Commanding giant metal war machines called “Hounds”, players must manage their tower of heavy artillery through giant war zones while engaging in cooperative squad-based tactics, and fighting intense battles against other real-time players via Xbox Live. Strategic planning, quick reflexes and team-based communication are the key to winning the Chromehounds battle.

Players will have the ability to customize their massive mechanized Hounds with a huge array of available

In “Painkiller: Hell Wars,” gamers play the role of Daniel Garner, who after an unfortunate car accident is trapped between Heaven and Hell. To escape purgatory and find his salvation, he must fight mobs of hellish monsters to stop an imminent Unholy War.

Get ready for some first-person horror action on your PSP! You are Daniel Garner – Trapped in a dark and unwelcoming world awaiting your purification, you must fight your way through over 75 species of Hell's wildest incarnations as you attempt to stop the imminent unholy war. Painkiller PSP is a high-quality first-person shooter that brings all of the intense Painkiller action to your favorite handheld. Adding new monsters, weapons, levels and multiplayer modes Painkiller PSP is sure to appeal to Painkiller fans and those new to the franchise.

Genre: Racing
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Pseudo Interactive
Release Date: Q4 2005

Now this will involve thinking way back, the length of which being painful for some to attempt, but think back to when you were little. Remember how you had the Matchbox cars and imagined them racing each other and doing whatever was necessary to cross the finish line first? Missiles making opponents fly into heaps of rubble, explosions, and ridiculous amounts of violence? Maybe it's just my childhood that was as strange…

In either case, Pseudo Interactive has captured that same wanton destructive glee and digitized it in the

Genre: Action RPG
Publisher: Square-Enix
Developer: tri-ACE
Release Date: Q4 2005

One of the pleasant surprises about E3 was the presence of the special Radiata Stories localized demo. This game caused quite a stir when it was launched in Japan, debuting at #2 on the sales charts and receiving some astronomical review scores from Famitsu. Import fans were more divided on it; while the game was enjoyable, it was almost totally unlike anyone's expectations. A lot of the micro-management that fans expect from RPGs was simply not there, replaced with what was obviously an experiment in Western-style, open-ended gameplay

Get the MechAssault: Phantom War Trailer off WP (12mb)

MechAssault: Phantom War brings the future of interstellar combat to today’s handheld gamers in a third-person futuristic shooter. Players assume the role of a MechWarrior, an elite fighter trained to control the ultimate war machine of the 32nd century...the BattleMech. Gamers experience fast-action, 3D ‘Mech combat on the top screen, while the lower touch screen positions them inside the cockpit at the controls.

The year is 3134 and after 60 years of peace and prosperity, the Republic of the Sphere is now living in a dark age of ex-communication. Nearly all Hyperpulse

In Devil May Cry 4 Capcom's gun-slinging demon hunter Dante is back, but this fourth chapter introduces a new hero, Nero, who possesses a demonic arm that can pull in enemies or use them as projectiles.

Get the Hot PXL trailer off WP (18mb)

HOT PXL is a myriad of mini-games (think Nintendo’s Wario Ware) aimed at a more mature, cultured crowd. The rapid fire game play requires players to draw on their reflexes and 2D gaming prowess to get through hundreds of inspired scenarios ? whether it’s blasting through an old-school Zaxxon-inspired game, busting tricks on a skateboard or a BMX, stage-diving at a pixellated concert or simply trying to cross the street. By playing through the main Story Mode, players unlock alternate versions of the mini games which add infinite replayability in

Originally developed by Shiny Entertainment, Earthworm Jim wiggled his way to fame across a multitude of consoles and platforms in the 1990s for its detailed animation, polished platform-style gameplay and wacky absurdist humor. Earthworm Jim for next-generation handheld system, in development by Shiny, is a side-scrolling-action-packed platform game set in a cartoon-like, humorous and challenging world bursting with first-class animations, 3D visuals and ear-tickling audio. As the original set the benchmark for the bizarre and absurd, Earthworm Jim will raise the bar on the wacky, zany and extraordinary for today’s generation of gaming.

Based on Walt Disney Pictures’ blockbuster film, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow™ will feature a blend of fast-paced action and adventure that captures the entertaining characters, settings, and spirit of the film.

Piracy, smuggling, buried treasure (not to mention kidnapping, sword fighting, looting, pilfering and other acts of villainy)...what's not to love about Captain Jack Sparrow? With his cocky swagger and offbeat personality, Jack Sparrow is the ultimate video game character; and players will be able to experience his adventures first hand in this exciting action game.

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