The role playing genre has evolved phenomenally over the last twenty years and now Nintendo is bringing back the two games that started it all. Final Fantasy I&II: Dawn of Souls will be released on Game Boy Advance across Europe on 10 December 2004 on a single cartridge. The games will feature enhanced graphics and sound, as well as a multitude of new features.

In Final Fantasy I, gamers must pick a team of four heroes, each an expert in one of six jobs, before setting off to battle the forces of Chaos and save the world. Square Enix has faithfully

Battlestations: Midway (PS2/Xbox/PC)

Under license from Hasbro Consumer Products, Atari has announced plans to take one of the most popular trading card games ever created to the Xbox videogame system from Microsoft with the release of "Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds." A PC CD-ROM version of the game was also announced. Currently in development by Secret Level, "Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds" is filled with faithful translations of classic creatures, spells and enchantments from the premier trading card game in a visually stunning 3D game environment rife with real-time strategic fighting, devastating wizard arsenals and intense creature combat.

"`Magic' represents one of the best

Championship Manager 5 (PC)

Crash 'n' Burn (PS2/Xbox)

Get On Da Mic (PS2/Xbox)

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Perimeter, PC, Q4 2003 release date

Perimeter is an original RTS experience combining innovative warfare and terraforming capabilities with traditional RTS gameplay. The gamer will create modifiable combat units using advanced nanotechnology – units that can be modified in mid-mission as tactical situations change - and launch a campaign to seize territory. Once land is captured, powerful defensive perimeters are arrayed and the land is converted into the principal energy source. Developed by K-D LAB.

Rig'n'Roll, PC, 2004 release date

Rig'n'Roll (from creators of famous Hard Truck series) is delivering players the ultimate truck driving experience with authentic models of trucks and their

Atlantis: Evolution (PC)

Dark Fall 2: Lights Out (PC)

Dungeon Lords (PC)

Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell (PC)

Sentinel: Descendants in Time (PC)

Particularly in the spotlight this year, six blockbuster games are expected to wow fans and rack up record sales:

• Beyond Good & Evil: Based on an original idea by Michel Ancel and developed by Ubi Soft's in-house studios, this title blends an ambitious, fluid new gaming experience with an epic storyline. Its Jade engine ensures that players benefit from the most advanced technologies available in the industry today.
• Far Cry: This cunningly detailed action shooter - which boasts a meticulously designed, next-generation Far Cry engine - pushes the boundaries of virtual combat to shocking new levels.
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time:

The first new 2-D Mario platformer since Super Mario World has arrived. Boasting incredible 3-D graphics to accompany classic 2-D game play, this fast-paced adventure will have Mario fans cheering as they make their way over fields, under water, through castles and into the air. New and familiar enemies are everywhere, not to mention mind-blowing challenges made possible by the dual screens of the Nintendo DS. Not only that, but players can link wirelessly with a friend to play as Mario and Luigi in multiplayer mode.

The first game to reintroduce the Might & Magic universe to the public will be Heroes of Might and Magic V. Gamers will delve into a more mature, consistent fantasy universe that will appeal to fans of all fantasy genres. One of the most successful turn-based strategy franchises, the Heroes of Might and Magic series, with its distinctive touch of RPG, is a benchmark in the Heroic Fantasy genre, with considerable commercial and critical acclaim. The new game will benefit from the features and characteristics that established the success of the initial saga while offering a wealth of innovations such

JoWooD's Stargate SG-1: The Alliance is the spectacular interactive game experience that puts players in the action-packed universe of the Stargate SG-1 TV series. The title is scheduled for release in late 2005 for all major platforms.

Samus Aran's entry into the bumper-and-flipper world is a sleek, sci-fi classic gaming adventure that has her careening into gigantic boss monsters and bouncing through a variety of exciting pinball tables. Play tables across two screens at the same time using the touch screen to nudge the pinball table. Battle deadly enemies and experience a number of special modes such as Clone Machine Multiball and the Wall-Jump Challenge while you blast and bomb your high score into a state of pure pinball pandemonium.

When an evil darkness enshrouds the land of Hyrule, a young farm boy named Link must awaken the hero...and the animal...within.

• When Link travels to into the darkened land of Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and must scour the land with the help of a mysterious being named Midna.
• Ride into battle against troops of foul creatures with an incredible horseback combat system, then take on massive bosses that must

Q: How long will it take to finish the first Stargate SG-1 Game? What's the current status?

JWD : The game will be reased late 2005 and has been in development for some time now at Perception.

Q: What will be the name/title of the game?

JWD : "Stargate SG1 - The Alliance" is the official title of the game

Q: What kind of game will it be? We know it will be a FPS, but are you going to include some aspects from other genres?

JWD : Yes and no - it will be an action based game playable in first or third person.

Pop Idol, set to be the mass-market game of the year for PlayStation 2 and PC, will be exclusively presented from a themed stage on the booth. Codemasters will challenge show-goers to see how well they can perform as a virtual Pop Idol singer as they control the in-game voice of a contestant through the music-based rhythm-action gameplay.

Every in-game performance is judged by a computer-generated Simon Cowell, and there may be some very familiar Idols faces at Codemasters' E3 booth too...

Codemasters will also unveil the next level for its power-brand games including Colin McRae Rally, Operation Flashpoint and LMA Manager.

Premiering

Get the Stargate SG1: The Alliance trailer off WP (15mb)

"We already have some interesting features planned for the teaser site, that highlights a part of the background of the game and its development." comments Johann Ertl, community manager for Stargate SG-1 - The Alliance at JoWooD. "We are also working closely with the major Sci-Fi and Stargate SG-1 fan-sites all around the world to provide even more information for fans of the series. So watch out - there is more to come!"

Actress Amanda Tapping, star of Sci Fi's most popular series "Stargate SG-1" and her husband, builder Alan Kovacs are thrilled to welcome their firstborn child, a baby girl. Olivia B. Kovacs made her earthly debut in Vancouver at Saint Paul's Hospital on March 22, weighing nine pounds four ounces.

Amanda Tapping is the only female lead starring in the long running hit TV series since "Stargate's" inception. Amanda will continue to save the planet, returning to the show with Olivia for a ninth season in her role as Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter. Amanda looks forward to being a new

Following a great increase in terrorism, internal strife, and ultimately, the nuclear destruction of Washington, D.C., the United States shatters into a half-dozen nation-states that descend into war. Take the helm of one of these newfound sovereignties (or the "peacekeeping" European Expeditionary Force) and struggle to reunify America...by any means necessary! PopTop Software, the developers of the Railroad Tycoon and Tropico series, turn their focus on a much darker subject matter with Shattered Union, a turn based strategy-wargame in which players fight tactical battles in a variety of known locations in an attempt to reunify the United States by force.

Boogie down with Mario in his own dance party!

• Players shake their things to more than 25 dance-flavored songs, from classic Nintendo themes to familiar favorites. With five difficulty levels, dancers of all abilities will be able to get into the groove.
• Have fun getting in shape! The special "Workout" feature tracks the calories burned while playing.

Nintendo's foray into sports titles continues with Super Mario Strikers, a new soccer game that's unlike anything ever to hit the pitch. Whether players are freezing their opponents with an ice-cold shell, unleashing a spiny shell on their hapless opponents or making entire teams flee in terror with a roving Chain Chomp, they're sure to see something new around every corner kick. Super Mario Strikers features all the favorite characters from the Nintendo universe, as well as four-person multiplayer action that will have players and their friends cheering all night long. Get ready for the world cup of gaming.

Return to Orre for a new role-playing game in an expansive setting with a sinister plot and characters the likes of which have never been met before. With Eevee as their companion, players seek to unravel the mystery of Shadow Lugia. The fate and welfare of Pokémon lies in their ability to Snag and Purify them before it's too late.

The legendary general Yamanouchi Kagetora, intent on avenging his father's death, has devised the most ingenious weapon ever to hit the medieval battlefield: the Odama, a gigantic ball powerful enough to destroy whatever it strikes – friend or foe. Players use the Nintendo GameCube Mic to direct soldiers out of the Odama's way and into the fray, and prove that they have the skills to back up the power of the Odama.

The entire Mario gang is back for the seventh installment of the incredibly popular Mario Party franchise. Players everywhere will set their controllers to fun as they run, jump, swim and fly through more than 80 new mini-games. But this party's about to get a lot bigger...because EIGHT people will now be able to battle each other at one time. The microphone peripheral from Mario Party 6 also makes a grand return – and with the new Mic Grand Prix mode, there will be plenty of voice-over madness for everyone. The addition of two new playable characters, Dry Bones and