Did you know that the circular-lid insertion on top of your GameCube could be easily removed and replaced? It’s true; soon companies will begin to promote this aesthetic modification en masse. How cool would it be to replace that boring default Nintendo lid insert with a custom-made Sonic the Hedgehog design? Keep an eye out, they’re coming. There are tons of customization options available for all major video game platforms that not only provide mad bragging rights but can also increase the functionality of your lean, mean, gaming machine. One thing I think we can all agree on is that video games are fun -- a 5-year-old playing Pokemon can tell you that. The question is; are you a standard-issue gamer or are you a power-gamer?

The Monster Jam Web site has launched for your viewing pleasure. Visit Monster Jam Web site for detailed information on Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction for PS2 and GBA. The GBA version launched on arch 26th and the PS2 version is targeted to launch later in May. The Monster Jam Web site features new screenshots, movies and information about the game. The site also links to the United Hot Rod Association's Web site and MonsterMania.com for in-depth information about the actual Monster Trucks featured in the games

Raven Software has released the Windows32/Linux versions of the Jedi Knight II dedicated server for their hit first person action game for publisher LucasArts. You can download the server at four locations over at HomeLAN. The Win32 : Download One,Download Two, Download Three and Download Four and the Linux version : Download One,Download Two, Download Three and Download Four. You can also download the file from XGR.com. Please note that the Win32 dedicated server file is offered as is with no official support from Raven Software or publisher LucasArts. (Thanks Homelan)

Warcommander is one of CDV's rather unknown and smaller titles ... it could be considered a budget version of their blockbuster hit "Sudden Strike". Warcommander could be considered a lite version with somewhat less spectacular graphics but equally as much action and we enjoyed it very much (although we ARE eagerly awaiting Sudden Strike II) ... You command a company of soldiers dumped on Omaha Beach. Check our screens.. Carry On Private!

It’s futuristic mayhem in prehistoric proportions! 245 million years of evolution collide when a starship crashes, releasing hoards of furious Jurassic beasts into the parks, sewers and streets. Eradicate the escaped carnivores or play the dinosaur and stomp, claw and bite your way to freedom. Infogrames brings us the next installment in their Carnivores series (they previously released "Carnivores : Ice Age" under their old WizardWorks label). Powered by the Serious Sam Engine we gave it a whirl ... check out what we came up with ..

With “Opening Day” right around the corner, Infogrames has announced that Backyard Baseball will be the first game in the best-selling Backyard Sports series to debut on Game Boy Advance system. Backyard Baseball for Game Boy Advance as well as a new Backyard Baseball 2003 for Win/Mac will both be available in June. Both games will include the 30 Backyard Kids found in each of the Backyard Sports games as well as 30 Major League Baseball pros featured as kids, including New York Mets All-Star Mike Piazza.

HomeLAN chats with Valve Software's Gabe Newell about their plans for Steam, their newly revealed broadband delivery system. French site Nofrag.com has posted up an interview (translated to English) with Zombie Games's John Williamson, talking about their currently under development Western action game "Wanted: Dead or Alive". Strategy Games Online has posted up an interview with Iain McNeil of Slitherine Software discussing their upcoming Roman Empire strategy game "Legion" (thanks gamespy). Savegames.net has posted up a short Q&A with Thor Frølich from IO Interactive (thanks homelan) as he talks about their upcoming (and recently delayed until September) third person action game "Hitman 2: Silent Assassin".

After having to cancel the public demo a few minutes before release time, Termite Games and Project Three finally announced a new release date .. unless this is a sick April Fools Day joke the demo should be out April 2nd at 6pm Euro time (aprox noon EST). It'll be aprox 140 megs and the bug that caused the delay last week has been eradicated ... We'll know more tomorrow i guess ;)

Are you tired of playing the same 20 maps? The official Total Annihilation Legacy Map Pack site is updated with a new map pack that contains 150 maps. The pack has been compressed to 560 MB and then it has been slit up in 100 MB parts to make downloading easier. Find out more here!

Activision let us know that all the PC skater fans ought to keep an eye out for "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3" as it should be trickeling into stores and appear on shelves starting today! Skating isn't really my bag, baby!

Game Arena has a new Q&A with Cryptic Studios's Jack Emmert talking about their upcoming super hero MMRPG City of Heroes. Computer Games Online has posted up a new Q&A with Everquest co-designer Brad McQuaid. Jolt.co.uk has posted up a new Q&A with members of the Generations Arena mod team as they discuss their work on the id Software tribute mod for Quake III Arena (thanks voodoo). An interesting read over at Action Vault is the new Q&A with Marek Spanel and Viktor Bocan of Bohemia Interactive talking about Operation Flashpoint: Resistance, the eagerly anticipated expansion pack for OF. PC Game Central has a chat with Brian Martel of Gearbox Software in form of a Q&A on how to get started into the gaming business. HomeLAN chats with Rich Francis as the project lead behind the Rune Co-op mod reveals the mod team's next project: a co-op mod for Microsoft's action title MechWarrior 4 (thanks homelan). The official Microsoft Dungeon Siege Site has posted up an interview between Creative and Gas Powered Games (thanks voodoo).

Deep Shadows send us three new screenshots from Xenus, their upcoming first-person shooter for the PC. Deep Shadows are the people behind the highly under valued action game Codename Outbreak (which still has a permanent spot on my hd!). It uses their own home-cooked engine 'Vital Engine 2'.

The first patch for the retail game is now ready. This patch addresses the most serious issues. Most of this was done last week, but we also did a major optimization to the server that was really needed to make the game play better. We played a nice game yesterday on a server that was capped at 384K upstream, and it was smooth.

Still tweaking the WinXP setup .. Looking around i noticed on voodoo that there are a few interesting previews ... PC.IGN posted a five page preview of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, after testing out a beta build. Shacknews posted a preview of Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, checking out ARUSH Entertainment's upcoming 3D side-scroller. HomeLAN takes a look at Infogrames' retail UT mod (much like Counterstrike became a retail Halflife mod), Tactical Ops. The shooters are back in full effect!

May the bunnies be with you ... I know i got my easter eggs early ... in the form of a few virusses ... on top of that my winblows has been acting up the past few days ... so since its slow at the moment .. i'm going to re-install .. which means i'll update the site with news later on today .. be patient .. i got some good screens from Serious Sam engine'd "Carnivores : Cityscape", WarCommander screens and a few new reviews .. all coming up in the near future, you never know what might happen ;)

JediKnight.Net has been updated with an interview of Associate Producer Dan Pettit from Lucas Arts chatting about Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (thanks Homelan). GameSpot has been put up a new interview with Lead Designer Iain McNeil on Strategy First's Legion. GameSpyDaily has whipped up an interview with Ubi Soft's Richard Dansky, the lead designer for the Tom Clancey's Ghost Recon: Desert Siege Mission Pack. GameSpyDaily also posted up a new Q&A with Jim Perkins of ARUSH Entertainment talking about their upcoming 3D side-scrolling action game "Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project".Korean Site Gaming Ground put up an interview with Phantagram Studios concerning Total Annihilation 2. They were so nice to translate it from Korean into English (thanks voodoo).

Activision today sent out some of the first/awesome screen shots showing off their new SOF2 multiplayer random level generator. Gotta see it to believe it! Yummie!

Infogrames, Inc. today announced Driver 2 Advance for the Game Boy Advance. In development by Sennari Interactive and available later this year, Driver 2 Advance leverages the full power of the Game Boy Advance through realistic, action-packed, single-player missions and dedicated multiplayer modes.

Ubi Soft today announced that Alfred Hitchcock - The Final Cut has shipped to the U.S. retail stores (the game has already been out a few months in Europe). The adventure game based on some of Hitchcock's best movies, including Psycho, Frenzy, Shadow of a Doubt, Torn Curtain, Topaz and Saboteur, has an MSRP of $29.99 and should be on retail shelves starting this weekend.

The big man behind Dungeon Siege (Chris Taylor) just dropped a msg on the official Dungeon Siege website about their upcoming plans for "The Siege Editor", to be released a few weeks after the April 5th store date of Dungeon Siege itself.