Legendary filmmakers John Woo and Terence Chang of Lion Rock Productions voted for their favorite student ninja film. Now it's your turn. Use your razor sharp wits and eye for detail to judge the five finalist movies in the Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven "Reel Ninja Film Contest." Beginning on March 4 through March 14, students, movie buffs and general ninja fans can log on to www.tenchu.com, view the finalist videos and then vote for their favorite ninja film. The film that earns the most votes will win a First Prize of $5,000.

The award-winning Phantasy Star Online sparked a worldwide gaming phenomenon. Now the world of Phantasy Star Online (PSO) is coming to Gamecube. Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II will feature all-new game-play modes and new content. New character classes, formidable weapons, enemies and challenging quests are just a small part of the awesome new content waiting to be discovered. Episode 1 includes all the original PSO and PSO ver.2, while Episode II brings an exclusive new full-length adventure to the Gamecube

Jaleco Entertainment brings exciting new car action to North American audiences this fall with the tentatively titled Lowrider, exclusively on the PS2. Read more for details ...

Sony Computer Entertainment held a press conference in South Korea earlier to reveal upcoming titles for the Playstation 2. During that event, Ken Kutargi showed off some major "online" titles that will hit South Korea sometime this year or in 2004. One of the titles that got revealed was Syphon Filter Online. Rumours about a new SF game are not new but no further details about its online capabilities were revealed. I am sure we can all expect more details at this year's E3 (in May) where Sony will showcase their latest. Stay tuned for more details (thanks GamingHorizon)!

Eidos Interactive today announced its exciting partnership with multi-platinum recording artists the Insane Clown Posse (ICP), Psychopathic Records and the Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This At Home video games for the PS2 and Xbox. The games are scheduled for release this summer. Read more for details ...

Konami of America today announced that the celebrated videogame franchise Castlevania will debut on the Sony PS2 in Fall 2003. Castlevania for PS2 is being reinvented from the ground up by legendary game producer, Koji Igarashi at Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and the creative team behind the critically acclaimed Castlevania Symphony of the Night (PS1), the award-winning Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance (GBA) and the all-new adventure Castlevania Aria of Sorrow scheduled for release on May 6, 2003 (GBA). Set against the backdrop of a gothic Transylvania, Castlevania for PS2 will plunge players into a fantastic new vampire-hunting adventure. Maximizing the processing power of the console, the ominous drama of the franchise will be realized through exhilarating action, a rich story, breathtaking environments, dazzling next-generation graphics and a sweeping musical soundtrack.

Sammy Europe Ltd. today announced the release date for great beat-em-up title in PAL region for PS2. Guilty Gear X2, the newest sequel in the exceptional 2D anime fighter series, will be available on 21st March 2003. The title will have an RRP 29.99 GBP. With fan momentum for the Guilty Gear series continuing to dramatically escalate worldwide, Guilty Gear X2 brings the newest and most complete title in the series to European PS2 players. The title combines the traditions that set the fighter apart with new characters, new moves, new animation and bonus features, with improved reaction speed by 50Hz/60Hz option added answering users’ requests. Guilty Gear X2 adds six new characters to the most unique cast ever conceived for a total 20 playable fighters, and delivers new modes like Story, Mission, Medal of Millionaires and Gallery to build on the series story of war between humans and the bio-weapon Gears. Guilty Gear signatures such as amazing character and backdrop animation, super-fast gameplay speed and eye-popping special moves return, as does the brilliant character design of renowned artist Daisuke Ishiwatari.

Hang on for your life in Wakeboarding Unleashed featuring Shaun Murray as you get ripped across a lake by a high-powered speedboat and trick through dangerous terrain. Feel the rush as you crash into houseboats and catch huge air in nine exotic levels with seven world-class wakeboarders. Tired already? Then drive the boat and help your friend pull off challenging technical tricks on the most realistic looking water ever. A new batch of screens as well as a new trailer. Njoy!

Infogrames Entertainment reports that Unreal 2 : The Awakening PC pots excellent sales in the main european territories. Unreal 2 : The Awakening reigns as number 1 selling title in United-Kingdom, France and Italy since its release in February 7, 2003 (sources : Chart Track, GFK, Media World Chart). Developed by Legend Entertainment (an Infogrames studio) in conjunction with Epic Games and published by Atari, the game incorporates the same absorbing story-driven gameplay, cunningly ferocious enemies and nail-biting tension that made the original title a landmark event and the top choice in action for millions of fans in PC gaming.

The sensational strategy role-playing game from Japan, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness comes to North America on the PlayStation 2, courtesy of Atlus U.S.A., Inc., the publisher of last year’s award-winning "Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis". Read more for details, screens and more ...

Beach Volleyball brings the excitement of Spring Break to the PlayStation2 taking you to the world’s hottest Spring Break locations to compete in 2-on-2 beach volleyball! Another batch of chicks in skimpy bathing suits jumping around in the sand, what more can you want! Njoy!

JoWooD Productions is proud to announce official details on the highly destructive arsenal of weapons featured in the stunning first-person shoot 'em up, Chaser, the PC game scheduled for a UK release in Q2 2003... Take that! Details of the weapons, that is.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today the release of Dark Cloud2, an imaginative, invigorating and vibrant 3D action-adventure, role-playing game (RPG) developed exclusively for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system. The follow-up to the successful 2001 release, Dark Cloud 2 features a new character-driven story with two playable characters, an enhanced graphical look utilizing cell-shading technology, the return of the GEORAMA -- the unique ability enabling players to create, build and customize a fully interactive, 3D world, and the introduction of the Invention System which allows players to create an array of items for later use in battle and exploration.

Are you a pin punisher or a gutter lover? Take off your street shoes, buff up your ball, and step into the lanes of Big Strike Bowling. Choose from a horde of unique bowlers and head out on to the craziest alleys ever created.. Five screenshots of whacky character action.

Microsoft today announced that the first batch of new downloadable content is now available for "MechAssault" via Xbox Live. In this first update, players will find two new multiplayer maps which support all five of the current gametypes and two agile new 'Mechs: Raven and Corvus. The new maps include Hell's Kitchen, a fiery volcanic world; and Stone Cold, a frigid snowy environment. These new items will greatly expand multiplayer play, and this update is available for no additional charge.

Michael Rowland Community Liaison Officer @ Codemasters posted up following information in our forum:

Just though I'd let you know that IGI 2 - Covert Strike is officially released in Europe tomorrow, Friday 21st February and on March 4th in the US. Of course we still have the many demos on the Codemasters site so if you are still in doubt, have a bash at them.

Happy gaming

Mike

Devastation developers Groove Games seem to be working on another titles called "CTU : Marine Sharpshooter". One Shot One Kill. You are a Marine Sharpshooter, member of the elite Counter Terror Unit, a covert American military force waging a silent war against terror across the globe. Dropped behind enemy lines, you have uncovered a terrorist plan to construct a nuclear weapon and detonate it on American soil. You must follow the plot from the desserts of Afghanistan through the Russian winter and into the jungles of a small south Pacific island. Armed with an arsenal of authentic sniper weaponry, your only assistance is provided by your observer, your eyes, ears and close quarters machine gun. Make every shot count, your country is depending on it (thanks HomeLAN).

Infogrames has released an updated version 2206 of the demo for Unreal Tournament 2003, Digital Extreme's UT sequel. In addition to being updated to the latest Unreal-engine codebase, the new demo also adds another level. The updated demo includes five maps, four gameplay modes, a pair of mutators, etc. (thanks Bluesnews) A Windows as well as a Linux version are now available. Read more for download links ...

Hot on the heels of the previous patch, Strategy First & Paradox Plaza have released yet anotherpatch for their WWII based strategy war title Hearts of Iron. Even more gameplay tweaks, AI fixes and general improvements to the game! Read more for detailed fix list and download links for all localised versions ...

Thrustmaster is pleased to introduce its first cordless controller for PlayStation 2: Firestorm Wireless. With a design based on the Firestorm RF for PC, Thrustmaster's new radio frequency gamepad will be available from February 2003, providing gamers with a new level of enjoyment and unprecedented freedom of movement in games.

Capcom informed us that they have shipped "Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter" to stores. The latest iteration of this popular role-playing series follows the adventures of an underground dweller named Ryu who has an “awakening” about his mysterious past and finds himself leading his underground civilization to the surface after a world shaking catastrophe turns his world upside down. His quest is to lead the way for the people of Shelter to escape to the surface, but doing the journey is fraught with peril and woe. Enemies are at every turn impeding his safe passage to the surface. Using a variety of attacks including combinations, magic and tactics, Ryo and friends will break into the sunlight after generations of darkness- or die trying.

PC game fans everywhere are excited to learn that Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, one of the hottest games of the year, has shipped and will soon be available on store shelves. Expected to blow PC game fans away, the game is already a critical success earning Editor's Choice awards from both Computer Gaming World and PC Gamer. Read more for details and a few new screens ...

Last week Western Canada based Two Guys Software released the retail version of Eternal War: Shadows of Light for online ordering. Hailed as the “Best Christian Game to date” (CCGR.org) the highly anticipated fast-paced action game is set in a spiritual conflict situation. Read more for some screens, and links where to download the demo.

Codemasters is attending this year's Game Developers Conference [GDC], March 4 – 8 in San Jose, California, with a clear mandate to acquire five A to triple-A game titles. As part of Codemasters' aggressive product acquisition programme, its team is ready to meet game developers with exceptional projects to discuss global publishing opportunities. Codemasters recently won the highly-contested publishing rights to 1C's "WWII:RTS" (to be published as Battlefield Command). With a particular interest in US-centric games, Codemasters is prioritising titles for PC, PC online, PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube formats.

In the 23rd century, after having stimulated a subspatial breach and opened our solar system to an unknown system, a scientific expedition is attacked under appalling conditions by a quarrelsome species : a terrible war engaged between these two worlds. Men, in their will to maintain peace and discover new civilisations engaged into a military campaign in order to explore new planets and understand the major motivations of this species. You, Captain Demetrio, you lead a troop of elites and will discover during a perilous adventure the mysteries and dangers of areas filled of history and past and maybe reveal the secrets of ancestors who will lead you to the victory. Read more for features, screens and trailer...