via Eurogamer


It's 10 years since Rare turned out the original Banjo-Kazooie on N64, in a blummin' marvellous platformer that rivalled Mario 64 in the gameplay stakes while charming us with the Britsoft studio's irresistibly quirky humour.

To make the series relevant to today's discerning gamer, the duo's long-awaited return this November in Nuts & Bolts sees Rare jumping on the user-created content bandwagon, offering a blend of traditional platforming and custom vehicle creation, with a big emphasis on the online community.

We recently visited Rare to take an in-depth look at how the game was shaping up, which you can read all about in our detailed preview , and go further behind the scenes in our Eurogamer TV Special .

But we also made it out of Twycross with a good deal of exclusive, direct-feed footage captured from the latest build of the game, which you can check out below.

Vehicle Editor - This is, if you'll forgive us, the nuts and bolts of the new Banjo experience. Create and customise vehicles with an increasing range of parts as you progress through the game. And you can share your best blueprints with others over Xbox Live.

Showdown Town - Welcome to the hubworld of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. All of the game's areas are accessible from here, although you'll need a seriously pimped-out motor before you can reach everywhere.

Challenges - Nuts & Bolts is packed with mini-games that promise to give it that 'one more go' feeling, as you try a few more tweaks under the bonnet to beat your best scores.

Multiplayer - Arguably as big a draw as the single-player portion, Rare has exploited the current fad for user-created content with a range of games that will put your most ingenious vehicle designs to the test.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is due out on Xbox 360 in November. ...

via Gizmodo US




At last, someone managed the most needed, most anxiously-awaited PC retrofit job there is: putting a PC inside a Nintendo Wii box. Looking into its guts and its back, the Wii PC not very powerful, but it is fully functional and comes with everything you need in a Windows XP box.

The computer runs Windows XP SP3 on a Celeron 1.3GHz, Intel 852 chipset, 512MB of RAM, and 40GB hard drive, with wireless access, digital video output, three USB ports, and a fan that he stole out of a F-35 STOVL fighter yet. At least, it sounds like one.


Video clip here ...

via Kotaku


Fans of little graphics popping up on your television telling you how good you are at the game you are currently playing are going to be a little disappointed when they pick up the PlayStation 3 version of Bethesda's eagerly-anticipated Fallout 3. In an interview with PlayStation Universe, the company's dashing Vice President of Marketing Pete Hines revealed that trophies won't be making an appearance in the game...at least not initially.
"Not at launch...It remains to be seen what we do down the road. It wasn't something we were able to incorporate into the game for launch."


Not all that surprising, considering the company's documented preference for the Xbox 360. Hopefully trophy support will be added somewhere down the line, but Pete sure doesn't come off as that enthusiastic about the idea, does he? ...

via IGN

Sega has an all new Shining Force game in development for the DS. The latest issue of Famitsu has a first report on Shining Force Feather.

In Shining Force Feather, players take control of main character Jin, a treasure hunter and wanderer. The game takes place 3,000 years following the war between the Shining Force warriors and enemy forces known as the Kyomu. That war is remembered primarily as artifacts, which is where Jin comes into the picture.

On one of his treasure hunts, Jin discovers Alfeen who, while looking like a young lady, is actually a machine. A remnant from the war of 3,000 years ago, Alfeen is used to control an air ship. The only reason she survived to modern times is that she was a backup control unit and was never put to use. Believing Jin to be her master, she powers up an air ship that was used during the Shining Force times.

This is where the story begins, with Jin and Alfeen traveling the world. Joining them is Bail, a centaur and childhood friend of Jin.

Feather will feature a turn-based strategic battle system with an overhead perspective. Select an enemy for attack, and the game switches to a side perspective. Here, the battle system takes on somewhat of an action feel as you press buttons to select from various actions.

In addition to solo attacks, the battle system will allow players to team up their forces for combination attacks.

The title represents somewhat of multi-part collaborative effort for Sega. While Yoichi Shimosato is serving as producer, Sega is entrusting development to Flight Plan, a studio known for the Summon Night series. Character designs are being handled by both Pako (Shining Force EXA) and Noiji Ito (Haruhi Suzumiya series).

Shining Force Feather is currently 60% complete and will see Japanese release in Spring of 2009. ...

via Eurogamer


Sony will stuff more content onto the PS3 Store today, lead by a demo for exciting quad-bike racer Pure.

The PSN Store is yet to be updated, but PS3gen is claiming to have a heads up on content.

There's another sampler for NHL 2K9 - although the game should be as top-notch as always - plus a Destruction add-on pack for Haze, which costs EUR 4.99 (GBP price coming soon).

Those oblivious to the Warhawk experience may also like to pick up the triple combo pack for EUR 11.99 (GBP 4.99). This bundles Warhawk plus expansions Omega Dawn and Broken Mirror together, paving the way for Operation Fallen Star released last week.

There's also a free Media Manager tool for PSP and some Soulcalibur IV wallpapers, videos for SingStar Euro talent search Movement. There's no cost for these.


PS3 Store

Demos:

• NHL 2K9 - Free
• Pure - Free

Games and content:

• Haze - Pack Destruction - EUR 4.99
• Warhawk - Triple Combo Pack - EUR 11.99

Videos:

• Movement - London: Hats Off - Free
• Movement - London: It’s a Wrap! - Free
• Movement - Missing Andy: Under Pressure - Free
• Movement - Missing Andy: Dance - Free
• Movement - Missing Andy Interview - Free
• Movement - Dead Monroe: Sweetheart - Free
• Movement - Dead Monroe: You’re No Good For Me - Free
• Movement - Dead Monroe Interview - Free

Wallpapers:

• Soulcalibur IV - Wallpaper 01 - Free
• Soulcalibur IV - Wallpaper 02 - Free
• Soulcalibur IV - Wallpaper 03 - Free
• Soulcalibur IV - Wallpaper 04 - Free

PSP Store for PC

Applications:

• Media Manager for PSP - Free

Videos:

• Movement - London: Hats Off - Free
• Movement - London: It’s a Wrap! - Free
• Movement - Missing Andy: Under Pressure - Free
• Movement - Missing Andy: Dance - Free
• Movement - Missing Andy Interview - Free
• Movement - Dead Monroe: Sweetheart - Free
• Movement - Dead Monroe: You’re No Good For Me - Free
• Movement - Dead Monroe Interview - Free

...

via Computer and Video Games


SCEA marketing man John Koller last week told the world the new PSP's brighter screen would mean increased power consumption and thus around 20-30 minutes reduced battery time. Logical, you'd think. But now Koller says he was wrong.

In a corrective statement today, Koller has said that the new PSP-3000 will actually have equivalent battery life to the current PSP Slim.

"I'd like to make a correction and clarify that the new PSP will have equivalent battery life to the current PSP, about 4 to 6 hours for games and about 4 to 5 hours for UMD videos," said Koller on the official PS blog.

He goes on to explain: "While the enhanced screen of the new PSP draws a little more power, our engineers in Japan worked to reduce the power consumption of the overall system including its components, so you won't have to worry about losing any time when enjoying the more vibrant visuals displayed with the new PSP."

We expect the internet to put this to the test the minute it becomes available.

The new console, with its nicer screen and built-in microphone (oh, and equivalent battery life), will be out in UK on October 17 for £149.99. ...

via Eurogamer


Sony plans to offer trios of PSN games on UMD discs starting this October, ensuring PSP owners throughout the land can lay their mitts on previously download-only content.

Puzzle Pack, the first of these, is due mid-October and contains Lemmings, Go! Sudoku and Go! Puzzle. Our verdict, based on review averages: 6/10.

Following later that month will be the Power Pack, made up of flOw, Beats and Syphon Filter: Combat Ops.

We've only reviewed the science-inspired eat-'em-up flOw out of those, so musical button-matcher Beats and online multiplayer shooter Combat Ops will have to settle with an average-average of 7/10.

Sony, interestingly, makes no mention of the price. The Power Pack can be downloaded separately for GBP 17, whereas a full price UMD is likely to cost as much as GBP 24.99, or perhaps GBP 19.99. We're trying to find out more.

More trio-packs are planned for 2009. ...

via Eurogamer


Funcom has told Eurogamer that an Xbox 360 version of Age of Conan will definitely be released.


Work began on the console MMO in December 2006, but was put to one side during the run up to the PC launch in May this year.

The plan was to follow with an Xbox 360 version of Age of Conan roughly 12 months later.

However, observers speculated that the amount of work needed to keep the PC community playing, plus the perils of the Xbox Live platform (certification for patches - eek!) meant Funcom may not bother with a console version after all.

Contrary to this, Age of Conan was shown being controlled by an Xbox 360 pad during Games Convention last month. This is the work of Blue Orb and clever PC application SwitchBlade, though.

Funcom is currently testing an upcoming PvP rewards patch for Age of Conan, which will offer the best battlers impressive equipment sold from specialist NPCs. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Realtime Worlds has broken the news to fans that there will be no more downloadable content for its excellent 360 crime-stopper Crackdown, despite player petitions pleading for more.

The news was dropped in a forum post by community manager Chris Dye, who said that the developer was too busy working on MMO APB to carry on supporting Crackdown.


Bad news then, not just because Crackdown is awesome but because its last DLC pack was some of the best free downloadable content we've ever seen. Give us a sequel, please. ...