via Computer and Video Games


Microsoft's 'Ninja Gaiden assets man', as we call him, has been busy again, firing us five short videos of the face slasher this morning.

You've already seen plenty of Ryu going mental with his sword (after screenshot man's previous explosion last Thursday), so these videos are instead custscenes intro-ing five big baddies who need their faces chopped.

If you missed it, Ryu had his face plastered all over CVG a few weeks back, when we got our hands on an early version of the game to plough through.

Check out this detailed hands-on preview, and hold tight for the game's June 6 release.


Video clips here ...

via Eurogamer


Assault Heroes 2 is due out on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday and Sierra Online has confirmed a price tag of 800 Microsoft Points. You knew all this, of course, but it never hurts to remind yourself.

Developed by Wanako Studios (still funny), it's a two-stick shooter in the same vein as the first game, but with a bigger campaign, more destructible environments, more exotic vehicles and an extra edge to the on-foot gunplay.

It also has fancier bosses, as you'll know if you've watched our Assault Heroes 2 bosses trailer, which should put up more of a fight during the two-player co-operative mode, which was a "pleasurable romp" good enough to rescue the first game from relative mediocrity.

At least that's what some idiot wrote when the first one game out in late 2006. Whether the sequel will achieve this much will be a question of how it copes with tougher competition from the likes of Heavy Weapon (well, Kristan liked it) and also Mutant Storm Empire. ...

via Eurogamer


Marty McFly has put five free TimeShift maps on Xbox Live. Biff tried to stop him but Doc helped and everything turned out alright in the end.

This Futures-Past bundle is based around the multiplayer side of things, and all fresh locations will be compatible with every game type.

TimeShift came out at the end of last year on PC and 360 but failed to have the sort of impact its time-bending premise had promised. It came out on PS3 a bit later. ...

via Games Industry


Microsoft has said that during the first week on sale, 40 per cent of new Xbox 360's were sold with a copy of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV.

The news comes days after Microsoft revealed other significant sales figures claiming 60 per cent of software sales were of the Xbox 360 version, and that the spike pushed hardware sales by 54 per cent.

"The game is attaching well to new consoles, roughly 40 per cent of 360s going out the door had a copy of GTA IV going with them," said a spokesperson on the Major Nelson podcast.

Chart Track data in the UK shows that 514,000 Xbox 360 copies of Grand Theft Auto IV were sold in its first week, while 413,000 copies sold were of the PlayStation 3 SKU. ...

via Eurogamer


Rare has told Eurogamer that Banjo-Kazooie 3 is not a racing game and that you are better off waiting for its official unveiling tomorrow before jumping to conclusions.

The developer was responding to the leaked screenshots of the game that arrived this morning and featured plenty of vehicles, some of which appeared to be racing, or chasing each other.


Banjo-Kazooie 3 is due out exclusively on Xbox 360 this Christmas.

Expect more information from the Microsoft press event this week. ...

via Computer and Video Games


The first images from Rare's upcoming Banjo-Kazooie 3 (said to be called Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts) have been leaked online, showing off the art style and a vehicle creation screen for the very first time.

As we reported last week, Microsoft is rumoured to be showcasing this year's Christmas line-up tomorrow at a North American media summit.

Banjo 3 was tapped to be unveiled, along with Fable 2 and Gears of War 2. Unfortunately for Microsoft, the bear has jumped out the door prematurely.

It's not all bad, though. As you can see from the screens we nabbed from NeoGaf, the game looks set to be not only a lot pretty than previous Banjo games, but a little different to your usual platformer.

We'd like to point out that this isn't a Banjo kart racing game even though most of internet seems to think it is.

A spokesperson from Rare told us, "People haven't seen the half of it yet and we'd rather people wouldn't draw their own conclusions until Rare's had a chance to properly talk about the game."

They'll get their chance tomorrow at 5pm (BST). Be there (here). We can't say any more than that. But check back tomorrow.


16 screenshots here ...

via Eurogamer


Nintendo will launch its WiiWare service across the US today.

It goes live with six titles, including LostWinds from Frontier Developments, and is set to receive one fresh game a week.

WiiWare behaves just like Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, and offers independent developers a source of distribution for their smaller-scale and usually arcade-style games.

The titles are bought in the Wii Shop Channel, and range from 500 Wii Points up to 1500 Wii Points.

After an hour of playing any of the games you will get your chance to score the game. These scores will be totalled up and the results published on an ongoing basis.

WiiWare is called Wii Software in Europe and will launch here on 20th May.

Those available today are:

• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (Square Enix) - 1500 Wii Points (GBP 10.50 / EUR 15)
• LostWinds (Frontier Developments) - 1000 Wii Points (GBP 7 / EUR 10 approx)
• Defend your Castle (XGen Studios) - 500 Wii Points (GBP 3.50 / EUR 5 approx)
• Pop (Nnooo) - 700 Wii Points (GBP 5 / EUR 7 approx)
• V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack (High Voltage Software) - 700 Wii Points (GBP 5 / EUR 7 approx)
• TV Show King (Gameloft) - 1000 Wii Points (GBP 7 / EUR 10 approx)

Look out for hands-on coverage and reviews very soon. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Sony has declared its intentions to feature online games at the forefront of its PlayStation 3 strategy in the future.

Speaking with The Seattle Times, Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley highlighted the importance of online genre.

"I think MMOs are going to be a real strong selling point for the PS3 long term - there's going to be some great ones on the PS3."

"You're not going to find "The Agency" on the [Xbox 360]," he added.

For those unaware, The Agency is a massively multiplayer online shooter currently in development by Sony Online Entertainment for the PS3. So he's right in the literal sense - we don't think Sony will bring The Agency to the 360 any time soon.

But we can't see a reason why something like The Agency couldn't appear on Microsoft's platform, though. ...

via Eurogamer


Konami has announced a UK Limited Edition version of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots as well as a special pre-order campaign.

The Limited Edition will retail for GBP 79.99 and will include a six-inch-tall Old Snake action figure, a soundtrack CD and a "Making Of" Blu-ray featuring a pair of high-definition documentaries including lots of chatter from Kojima Productions staff, including Hideo himself. The package is exclusive to Play.com.

The US version of the Limited Edition also promises "collectible packaging with exclusive artwork by famed Kojima Productions illustrator Yoji Shinkawa", but a spokesperson for Konami wasn't able to immediately confirm that for the UK.

Meanwhile, those of you who pre-order MGS4 from GAME can expect to be rewarded with a DVD called Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2, featuring a seven-part documentary about the series origins and evolution - the same disc made available for US and Canadian pre-orders.

"Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is rightly seen as the stand-out title for 2008, and we were determined to come up with something special for its launch," said Martin Schneider, Konami's European marketing director.

"With interest so high, it is only right that we reward fans of the series for pre-ordering the game, and the Metal Gear Saga DVD is a stunning look at how the series has evolved into the phenomenon it has become. Likewise, the Limited Edition is a celebration of all things Metal Gear, and will be prized by those who buy it."

The full version of MGS4 is due out on 12th June. ...