Here is a news story on a growing gaming culture seen growing mostly in the bigger cities... As the editorial deadline draws nearer for the forthcoming edition of Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records, more and more champions are surfacing to represent the many distinct genres of gaming. And, most interesting among the new genre are the dancing games... More about it below!

Nintendo today announce the eagerly anticipated news that a limited edition bonus disk will be included with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker at launch on 3rd May. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, will include a bonus disk containing two additional Gamecube games: The N64 Classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and previously unreleased title The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest, which was originally designed for the N64DD. Also on the bonus disk will be additional gameplay footage including the all-new F-Zero, 1080° Avalanche, Time Splitters 2, Phantasy Star Online, Rayman 3 & Super Monkey Ball 2, all for Gamecube

Set on post-apocalyptic Earth where survival and ultimate dominance are all that matters, Devastation is a high action, teamplay oriented first person shooter. Powered by heavily modified, next generation Unreal Engine technology, it pits teams of rebelling street fighters, gang leaders, mercenaries and ex-military fighters against overwhelming armies of high-tech corporate troopers. We finally had a chance to sit down with Digitalo's Lead Producer Vic DeLeon and fired off some annoying questions. Read more to check out our devastating interview!

It is 1588 A.D., a critical year of an alternate history hauntingly familiar yet fantastically alien to our own. Because of one fateful event during the Third Crusade, the history of this world diverged. This event, the Disjunction, ripped open a long-sealed breach to other worlds. Magic energy and powerful spirits flowed into the world, changing the lands and the people forever. Cast into this world, you are a character of your own devices, strengths, and abilities. Set upon by human factions and powerful spirits, you must decide how to best develop your skills in order to triumph over obstacles that lie between you and your true fate. A fresh batch of Lionheart screens has arrived!

Activision is giving gamers an all access pass to go behind-the-scenes for its highly anticipated stealth-based, ninja action game at the official Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven web site. The site will kick off with an exclusive cinematic trailer showcasing the game's epic storyline and heart-pounding stealth action featuring all three playable characters - Rikimaru, Ayame and Tesshu. Additionally, the site will be updated weekly and will roll out a host of other downloads and information including custom wallpaper, character and weapon features, links to the online Ninja community and news updates. Named one of GameSpy's "Most Wanted Console Games of 2003," Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven will be available at retail early next month for a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Konami of America, Inc. today revealed a brand new title in the mega-popular Yu-Gi-Oh! series of videogames, Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel for Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Slated for release on April 15, 2003, Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel will ship with three limited edition Trading Game Cards inside the game box; Harpie's Feather Duster, Sinister Serpent and Valkrion The Magna Warrior.

Rise of Nations fans will have the opportunity to enter the Rise of Nations Sneak Preview Beta Contest for a chance to win one of 1000 copies of the Rise of Nations beta. The contest will stay open from February 14 to 11 AM PST, Monday, February 17. Winners will be selected from a random drawing from all eligible entries received. Fans from around the world are invited to participate.

KOEI announced today that the Yuki Koyanagi single, “Cross Colors”, would appear in Dynasty Warriors 4. Koyanagi re-recorded the song in English for the game’s closing credits. Current hot commodity on the “J-Pop”, or Japanese pop music scene, Yuki Koyanagi, established herself alongside reigning J-Pop divas Utada Hikaru and Ayumi Hamazaki with a string of top ten hits. The soulful songstress with the powerful and dynamic voice continued her run at the top, in 2002 when she recorded, “intimacy” an album with Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman of BOYZ II MEN. A sample of the song, “Cross Colors”, can be found in Windows Media and Real Player formats at: http://www.warnermusic.co.jp/artists/domestic/koyanagi/

The last studio linked to the iconic video game company is winding down its operations this month. More than a hundred employees are losing their jobs. Some of these staffers date back to Atari's heyday in the 1970s. One employee worked on Atari's second game, Tank. Parent company Midway Games, which bought Atari's arcade division in 1996, said the downsizing is necessary to cut costs.

A few days after Battlefront.com released the v1.02 patch for the US version of Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin, now CDV has released the Euro patch (but its quite a big bigger). This patch includes 17 new and improved vehicle and gun models, refinements to several commands and further tweaks to the fatigue and moral systems. Added Features include a new "pure armor" Quick Battle force type which will only allow "armor" units to be purchased plus dozens of unit and weapon/armor data updates and bug fixes. Read more for download links and detailed fix list ...

The virtual universe of Project Entropia has gone gold with the release of its latest version update 4.2. The implementation has brought exciting new features into the ever-evolving universe of PE as well as several technical updates. Read more for the highlights.

Republic: The Revolution is the ground breaking new strategy title boasting jaw-dropping visuals utilising the most advanced graphic engine ever seen. Republic: The Revolution is being developed by London based Elixir Studios and is already one of the most talked about titles of the year. Elixir Studios also let us know that they, as of today, will start a daily Q&A on their Forum with key members of the Republic Team where you will be able to ask questions, discuss topics and debate the fine details of the forthcoming Republic: The Revolution. They also released a new batch of screens, so read more and check them out!

Sierra has just launched the official website for their dinosaur theme park sim Jurassic Park Operation Genesis (developed by Blue Tongue Software). The new web site features a bunch of new but lo-res screenshots, links to the previously released demo (which we have mirror'd here), as well as a new trailer (also mirror'd here). Go check it out!

Battlefront.com has just released the v1.02 patch for Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin (PC Gamers Turn Based Strategy Game of the Year). This patch includes 17 new and improved vehicle and gun models, refinements to several commands and further tweaks to the fatigue and moral systems. Added Features include a new "pure armor" Quick Battle force type which will only allow "armor" units to be purchased plus dozens of unit and weapon/armor data updates and bug fixes. CDV will be releasing the v1.02 for the European Windows version of CMBB in the next few days, if not sooner. Read more for download links and detailed fix list ...

id Software and Activision announced today they are canceling the retail release of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. Despite a strong effort from talented developers, the single player portion of the game did not progress as anticipated. Canceling the release was a difficult decision made in the best interest of the Wolfenstein franchise and fans. However, we remain excited about the progress and direction of Enemy Territory multiplayer. Over the next several months the focus of our development will be to complete the multiplayer portion of Enemy Territory and provide it as a free downloadable expansion to Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

THQ Inc. today announced the release of PRIDE FC for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Created exclusively for PlayStation 2 by Anchor of Japan, PRIDE FC is now available at major retail outlets nationwide... Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today that World Tour Soccer 2003 from the 989 Sports group is now available in stores, marking the latest release of the critically acclaimed videogame franchise, developed exclusively for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.

Developed by THQ’s studio, Volition, Red Faction 2 is the sequel to one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed original game franchises of 2001. Featuring an enhanced Geo-Mod engine that allows players to strategically alter and destroy the game environment in real-time, Red Faction 2 expands and builds upon the experience and technology of the original game. Defend your country as Alias, a demolitions expert, with the help of five elite squad members, each specialized in their own means of destruction. Fight through diverse levels using vehicles, an arsenal of specialized weapons and explosives in a rampage to overthrow the government... Check out 16 new shots!

AlienPants Ltd has been contracted by Nicely Crafted Entertainment, creators of the Massively Multiplayer Real Time Strategy Game Time of Defiance to provide Public Relations for the company and the game. AlienPants will bring their expertise in large online communities to assist Nicely Crafted in raising the profile of Time of Defiance in the UK and Europe, as well as managing the release of information regarding the monthly updates.

Ancient grudge and new mutiny bring an end to the four hundred year reign of the Han dynasty. The once noble empire of China crumbles into three warring states. In this latest installment of the Dynasty Warriors saga, honor and loyalty in the face of adversity serve as game’s theme. Obligations to lords and allies guide these ancient warriors across the battlefields of Ancient China. Dynasty Warriors 4 uses the most advanced melee-fighting engine to deliver the next evolution of tactical action. Experience the thrill of taking on multiple opponents at once and fighting against impossible odds. New features not only add more depth to the legend of the Three Kingdoms but also to the individual characters and the dramatic events surrounding

Battlecruiser Generations is the fourth title in the acclaimed Battlecruiser series. Previously positioned as add-ons (XP) to Battlecruiser Millennium, the substantial enhancements to the game and its engines coupled with the need for a worldwide release, brought about the product change and with a renewed focus. Taking off where Battlecruiser Millennium left off, the game features a dramatic new graphic engine, advanced A.I.., and numerous gameplay enhancements. The game ships in August 2003. For BC gamers, its all good. The nice folks at 3000AD send us a fresh batch of new screens!

Galactic Civilizations is a strategy game set in space at the dawn of the 23rd century, where you become the leader of the human civilization. The galaxy has 6 major civilizations and the race is on to colonize, conquer, and dominate the galaxy using whatever means necessary. Gal Civ has recently gone to Beta5 and now we have some new screens from that Beta5 stage .. Read more to check them out!

This patch turns the censored graphics of the US version of Neocron into the uncensored European version of the game. This basically means that after installing the patch, you will be confronted with tons of explicit nudity (e.g. no more bikinis or neglegees on strip dancers that were originally meant to be nude) in the red-light district of Neocron (Pepper Park).. Head over to the official Neocron site for more info and download links!

Prepare yourself for the most emotionally involving and realistic football management game in history. Championship Manager 4 is the new version of the record-breaking Championship Manager series. Published by Eidos Interactive and developed by Sports Interactive, Championship Manager 4 will be released in March 2003 on PC.

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that gamers will soon have the opportunity to enter the Rise of Nations Sneak Preview Beta Contest for a chance to win one of 1000 copies of the Rise of Nations beta. On Friday, 14th February, fans can sign up at the official site, where complete contest information and official rules can also be found. Winners will be selected from a random drawing from all entries.

Konami of Europe has confirmed a March 28th release date for the PlayStation 2 version of the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance - and has also announced that the Sony version of the game will include a DVD of 'The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2' at no extra cost.