Electronic Arts kick-started the wartime first-person shooter with its Medal of Honor franchise and now the series is on its way to Nintendo's new Wii console. Medal of Honor Vanguard follows Corporal Frank Keegan, a member of the elite 82nd Airborne Division, which stormed the shores of Sicily and attacked Nazi Germany during World War II. You control Keegan as he first parachutes onto the battleground and then engages the enemy in epic shoot-outs. Like Call of Duty 3 for Wii, Vanguard is packed full of scripted action sequences, from exploding buildings in the foreground to planes bursting into flames and crashing in the background, and as a result gamers will very likely find themselves engulfed in the experience. The version of the title is, naturally, based on the PS2 one of the same name, but features both enhanced graphics and expanded controls tailor-made for Nintendo's innovative remote. We recently went hands-on with two levels from the nearly-finished Wii build and we've come back from the battlefield nearly unscathed with the following report:

Vanguard for Wii utilizes a mixture of live-action documentary-style war footage -- most of it in black and white -- and character voiceovers, to tell the story. The title begins as the 82nd Airborne Division is prepping for battle. Corporal Keegan narrates over vintage video sequences: "For an extra $50 a month, we'd be part of a great American experiment in warfare," he says. The title is comprised of four integral operations from WWII, including Operation Husky, Neptune, Varsity and Market Garden, the latter of which yielded the largest airborne deployment of the war, according to Electronic Arts. As the shooter begins, we're offered a glimpse of some of the intense drops that the 82nd went through so many years ago -- and interestingly, gamers will get to play through the drops themselves.

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It seems that comic book licenses are a permit to print money these days. Even if the comic books themselves don't quite have the mass appeal they once did, the characters are American icons guaranteed to generate sales. Look no further than the recent success of Ghost Rider for proof. It almost goes without saying that the upcoming Spider-Man 3 movie will have videogames released on nearly every conceivable platform to accompany it. We recently had the opportunity to see a guided demo of the hi-def iteration running on Xbox 360, courtesy of publisher Activision and developer Treyarch. From the looks of this first in-game demo, Spider-Man 3 appears to be a refined version of the last movie-inspired Spidey game, capitalizing on its successes while scrapping some of the more ill-conceived ideas.

As the demo opened, we were given a rooftop look at the new and improved vision of Manhattan that will serve as your playground. Running in HD, this is easily the best looking Spider-Man we've seen on a console with a nice draw distance and slick animations. Spider-Man himself is looking good, especially in his black suit and Treyarch did a good job modeling the villains to look just like their movie counterparts. The city looks crisp, though we were a little let down at the lack of visual tricks such as the windows not having reflective surfaces. Still, the transition to new and more powerful consoles looks to be a smooth one.

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The Japanese PlayStation Archives has been updated yet again. This time, the update includes six mostly obscure Japanese games that we're sure only a handful of you will recognize.

Here's what's new to the 525 yen-a-pop lineup: Ganbare Morikawa-kun Ni-go (Sony Computer Entertainment Japan), Yaku Yuujou Dangi (Idea Factory), R-Type Delta (Irem), Shanghai Dynasty (Success), The Drug Store (Hamster) and Puzzle Mania (Hamster). Aside from R-Type, there doesn't appear to be too much of interest there, unless you've always wanted to manage a drug store.

With this update, the total number of PlayStation classics that you can download for play on your PSP, but only if you have a PS3, has now reached 31. Only 5,000 to go!

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The Japanese PlayStation Archives has been updated yet again. This time, the update includes six mostly obscure Japanese games that we're sure only a handful of you will recognize.

Here's what's new to the 525 yen-a-pop lineup: Ganbare Morikawa-kun Ni-go (Sony Computer Entertainment Japan), Yaku Yuujou Dangi (Idea Factory), R-Type Delta (Irem), Shanghai Dynasty (Success), The Drug Store (Hamster) and Puzzle Mania (Hamster). Aside from R-Type, there doesn't appear to be too much of interest there, unless you've always wanted to manage a drug store.

With this update, the total number of PlayStation classics that you can download for play on your PSP, but only if you have a PS3, has now reached 31. Only 5,000 to go!

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PS3 software hasn't exactly been crowding the top ten sales charts over in Japan. Even Virtua Fighter 5 made a one week appearance at the top (just barely beating out Wii Sports) then fell to oblivion the next week.

The question is, when will a PS3 game hit the top 10 and remain there until it's sold a billion copies?

That answer could be ours next week when Gundam Musou sees Japanese release. Bandai Namco and Koei held an insiders-only (that's the industry kind of insider, not the IGN kind) event in Tokyo today to mark the completion of this unlikely combination of Gundam and Dynasty Warriors. At the event, Koei cofounder Keiko Erikawa had this to say about the upcoming title: "We've made a fantastic game. Gundam Musou is the most ordered PlayStation 3 game, but it's just one tenth of the sales we're thinking of. For us, Bandai's Gundam is one million , and the Musou series is one million. We'd like to sell a total of two million copies."

A Bandai Namco rep later lowered that forecast to one million worldwide sales.

Sony Computer Entertainment Interactive Chairman Ken Kutaragi was also at today's event and, speaking about Gundam Musou, said "Second generation software has already come out. While a variety of things were said early on, including that development is difficult, we've already crossed into the second generation in half a year."

Kutaragi also touched briefly upon the impending European launch of the PS3, stating that Sony has already shipped a million systems for the late March launch. It's still a bit early, so we presume that "shipped" doesn't mean shipped out to retailers.

But before that, we'll apparently be getting a look at "second generation" PS3 software when Gundam Musou hits Japan next week. Check back here for impressions.

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The battle to keep violent games kept out of public view has moved to Denver. Yesterday, the Parents Television Council and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is asking the Regional Transportation District to discontinue advertising of games rated Mature and Adults Only.

Last year, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was advertised on a number of RTD trains. Though the RTD is not currently housing ads for any M-rated games, its policy allows for future advertising on its buses and trains.

"Our public transportation network serves more than half the residents of Colorado and is doing them a disservice with its tacit approval for the dangerous content in the Mature-rated video games that are advertised throughout the system," said PTC Denver Chapter Director George Robison in a recent RTD board meeting. "I'm here today to remind Chairman Chris Martinez and the board that they have a responsibility to act in the best interest of those who voted you into these important positions. You can take a step towards being a better steward of the public good today by no longer accepting advertising from violent video games that can have long-term harmful effects on the youth in our community,"

"It is unconscionable that RTD would accept advertisements for a game like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories," said CCFC member Peter Simonson. "In Vice City Stories, players are rewarded for killing innocent bystanders, law enforcement officers and rival gang members, as they attempt to set up illicit businesses, such as drug dealing and prostitution rings, and commit armed robbery. As a father and a Denver-area resident, I want to know that my children can ride public trains and buses without being subjected to ads that promote violence and lawlessness."

In November 2006, the CCFC convinced the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to refuse future advertising for M-rated titles. With the ESA recently teaming up with Senators Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton, this issue could soon broaden to a larger public policy. The government imposes limitations on public advertisements for alcohol and sexually-explicit content. Videogames could follow.

Supporters of the videogame industry's right to advertise M-rated games in public spaces have cited the acceptance of R-rated movie trailers and posters.

The RTD has not yet made a decision on this issue. It is unknown when a decision will be made.

via ign ...

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It seems that comic book licenses are a permit to print money these days. Even if the comic books themselves don't quite have the mass appeal they once did, the characters are American icons guaranteed to generate sales. Look no further than the recent success of Ghost Rider for proof. It almost goes without saying that the upcoming Spider-Man 3 movie will have videogames released on nearly every conceivable platform to accompany it. We recently had the opportunity to see a guided demo of the hi-def iteration running on Xbox 360, courtesy of publisher Activision and developer Treyarch. From the looks of this first in-game demo, Spider-Man 3 appears to be a refined version of the last movie-inspired Spidey game, capitalizing on its successes while scrapping some of the more ill-conceived ideas.

As the demo opened, we were given a rooftop look at the new and improved vision of Manhattan that will serve as your playground. Running in HD, this is easily the best looking Spider-Man we've seen on a console with a nice draw distance and slick animations. Spider-Man himself is looking good, especially in his black suit and Treyarch did a good job modeling the villains to look just like their movie counterparts. The city looks crisp, though we were a little let down at the lack of visual tricks such as the windows not having reflective surfaces. Still, the transition to new and more powerful consoles looks to be a smooth one.

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We hate to say it, but after Konami cranked out three nearly identical button-mashing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (TMNT) titles on the old-gen systems, game fans, turtle fans, and pretty much everyone else in their '20s who remembered Vanilla Ice's great achievement in acting were left longing for something more. We've all been waiting for a publishing/development team to treat TMNT material with intelligence, humor and design savvy. And one might say we're still waiting.

Enter the internationally diverse publishing powerhouse, Ubisoft. Grabbing the game license based on the upcoming 2007 CGI movie, Ubisoft Montreal has blended kid-friendly action, platforming and simplified Prince of Persia (POP) acrobatics into a single turtle concoction. Coming sooner than you think, TMNT is hitting eight platforms, yes eight, March 20. You'll see it on Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PSP, PC, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, GameCube, and Wii.

Gain momentum in "Turtle Time."

In this new adventure, you'll take on the role of every turtle, Donatello, Rafael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo, with each character prepared to lay down his own special set of moves. And not so surprisingly, you'll face dangerous and dark criminals bent on causing massive destruction to the turtles' home turf, the Big Apple. This episode's evil enemy appears in the form of the mysterious Max Winters who, after being fired from his job, pursues a new career in creating an army of monsters to do his bidding. Even though the turtles have grown apart, there is no doubt you'll combine all of their skills to defeat Winters, who threatens the very heart of the turtle family.

Visually, TMNT takes the easy approach. The turtles look more like moving comic-book characters than "realistic" super heroes. We are talking about teenage mutant ninja turtles here; you know, anthropomorphic, walking, talking turtles, so they're already distinct. One's got the red bandana (and two sai), another's got an orange one (and nunchakus), Donatello has the purple bandana and the quarter staff, and Leonardo dons the blue bandana and wields two katana. Still, Ubisoft Montreal has kept the visuals simple and easy on the eye, using very little next-generation juice to spruce things up. Let us just say that one shouldn't expect the same CG-quality visuals used in the movie.

The animations look decent in this preview build, with some of the better ones showing the turtles shimmying along rooftop walls, running POP-style over cave walls, and hopping, Mario-style, across every object possible. While none of the working public has seen the movie, which hits theaters three days after the game (March 23), the title doesn't appear to spoil too much of the movie's narrative. It does, however, use the same themes and environments as the film. Ubisoft Montreal uses a series of set-cameras, or cinematic camera positions, to capture progression throughout the game. Much like Prince of Persia, Peter Jackson's King Kong, and Onimusha, the camera is set in the most theatrical position possible, sometimes sliding along rails, and sometimes, in boss fights, remaining completely still.

Very much a kids' game, TMNT starts out and remains easy. The first few levels teach players how to perform the basic and necessary moves. All four turtles can jump, double jump, cling to and shimmy on special ridges on walls and cliffs, and they can walk, run, and perform fighting moves. Using arcade games as its model for fighting and the Jade Engine to power it, Ubisoft Montreal's combat moves consist of a simple attack button, a helicopter kick, and a jump and slam move that momentarily pushes enemies away. The attack move links out to combos by simply hitting a single button repeatedly. I gotta tell you, you'll want to link up all the moves, but, sadly, the best strategy is just pressing attack over and over. It's the best way to cream a circle of NY punks with pipes in their hands, anyway.

Team up, dude, and totally slam that harsh boss!

The game follows a basic familiar formula: Platform through an environment, fight groups of brainless and simple AI, platform some more, then fight a boss. What makes the fights a little more entertaining is the way in which you battle. Along with the basic attacks, an evade move sets up counter attacks. There is also a momentum meter that appears on the upper-left hand side of the screen to indicate multiple uninterrupted attacks. By nailing about 10 to 15 uninterrupted attacks in a row, the turtles will jump into "Turtle Time" (i.e. Bullet Time), slowing enemies down while cleaning them up without restraint. They basically crouch down into their shells and "spin attack" enemies by slamming into their shins until they lose momentum. It's silly, but satisfying.

While the turtles share basic moves, each wields his own weapon and delivers a special move set. Donatello, who wields a quarter staff, uses a pole jump to cross large gaps and pummel enemies lined up in a row. Rafael moves ...

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Last year, Namco Bandai brought the racing frenzy of the Fast and the Furious movie franchise to the PlayStation 2. Based only in part on the third movie, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, the game put players in control of extremely fast rides on the mountainsides and freeways of Tokyo. This Spring, the racer will hit the PSP and bring with it all of the racing and customization options that strengthened the original release.

Not to be a stripped down port in any fashion, The Fast and the Furious on the PSP will contain all of the modes, vinyls, parts and more that we saw in the PlayStation 2 release. In addition to some new multiplayer modes that we'll talk about in a minute, the game will also feature two new options that relate to the single-player game. One small new thing is that you'll now be able to change your oil. Yes, it sounds somewhat mundane, but swapping out your oil for some cleaner stuff will allow your engine to run a little cleaner, or even rejuvenate an aging machine.

The second and significantly cooler feature is called the Swap Meet. By linking up with another player via Ad-Hoc, you'll be able to swap vinyls and even complete cars with one another. If one player happens to be adept at tossing stickers all over his ride and you like his particular style, you can grab his skins and slap them on your ride. Or, if your buddy happens to have a fully-pimped vehicle in his garage, he can give you a copy of that as well.

When you enter a Swap Meet, you'll be able to tag which cars and vinyls you want to show off to the other player, and vice-versa. If you see something you want, you can send a request to the other player. If he then deems you worthy enough to hop in his pimped-out Mustang or sport his dragon-emblazed vinyls, he can okay the transaction and you'll be off and running with your new digs. One very user-friendly aspect of this is that vinyls will adapt themselves to any ride you stick them on, so you don't need to match cars model-for-model in order to be able to trade them.

Keeping with the designers' goal of having only positive rewards for the player throughout the game, anything traded at a Swap Meet is simply a copy - that is, the original owner won't have to give up anything while another player is able to reap his hard work. On a similar note, this means that you won't be able to race for pink slips in any of the multiplayer modes as Eutechnyx didn't want to ever penalize the player in any significant way.

Speaking of multiplayer modes, the PSP version of The Fast and the Furious will contain a few new ways to compete with your friends and/or enemies. One that we were able to check it goes by the name of Road Sweeper. Similar to a standard drift battle in many ways, up to four players can simultaneously race along a mountainside while trying to score the most drift points. The catch here is instead of racking up an overall point total, racers are attempting to win individual corners, and the player with the most wins at the end of the race will drive home victorious. If you've played Graffiti in any of the Tony Hawk games you'll find it to be very similar to Road Sweeper in many ways.

The other new mode we had a look at was a Tag Run. Set up like a relay race, two teams of two racers each send one car down a raceway and back again, with the second racer on each team doing the same only after the first car has crossed the finish line. As you have to drive back towards the starting line, you're able to literally run head-on into an opposing racer and attempt to really slow them down. Up to four players can compete in this mode, but should only two or three players be available then the computer will choose the empty teammate slots and the solo player(s) will race as both cars.

The Fast and the Furious is set to hit the PSP sometime this Spring. ...