Gallery: Samurai Warriors Chronicles (3DS)

Omega Force's first 3DS title is of course, an entry in the long-running Mousou franchise and yup, it's packing pretty much everything that makes the series just plain fun into Nintendo's powerful new little handheld. As these screens and two excellent videos show, the console-quality graphics and dynamic gameplay fans of the series have come to expect are definitely here in full force.

Gallery: Dead or Alive Dimensions (3DS)

Dead or Alive Dimensions looks to bring the long-running series back where it belongs as a fighting game franchise and based on these excellent screens and character renders, things are coming along quite nicely indeed. I'd say as long as there's no beach volleyball mode to be found in the game, this one's got 'Winner!" stamped all over it. Tecmo Koei and Team Ninja are certainly proud of their baby, releasing more screens than I've seen from other 3DS title to date. Just for fun, I've also added two more UK trailers that feature gameplay footage below the jump. Enjoy the gallery!

MotorStorm Apocalypse 3D Trailer (Now, In Stunning 2D!)

Even without the insane 3D effect making your eyes pop out of your head saying "oooooooh", this trailer for Evolution Studios' upcoming PS3 exclusive racer is just plain spectacular, over the top insanity. Keep this one on your radars, folks - the game is really turning out to be a total blast. Now if only Sony would revive and give Evolution the Rally Cross license and let them have at it, I'd be an even happier gamer!

Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll Epic Trailer

Here's a peek at the final English-language trailer for Koei Tecmo's single player fantasy Action/RPG, set to hit US stores on February 8, 2011 (and UK outlets on February 11) exclusively for the PS3. Omega Force's super-stylized visuals are pretty neat overall. If the story is decent, this might be a bit of a sleeper in a VERY busy month full of games (in an even crazier year stuffed with more!). 2011 is turning into the turduckhen of game years, it seems...

Super Monkey Ball 3D Trailer

Stupidly cute and funny trailer for Sega's upcoming 3DS game which should have quite a few commuters rolling off subway and bus seats worldwide once its released. The Super Monkey ball games are always a ton of fun (more fun than a barrel of... well, you know), but the addition of the third dimension should make things really nuts... er, make that bananas!

Anarchy Reigns: PlatinumGames' Multiplayer Brawler Takes The Fight Online

PlatinumGames' newest Sega title set for a Fall 2011 release, is going to be a multiplayer-focused brawler that (based on this too short and non-gameplay packed teaser), looks as if it's going to have some wild characters and at least one double-bladed chainsaw (ouch). As long as it's not another Iron Phoenix (and let's hope we see some sort of offline play, puh-lease!), I'm sold.

Three screens and basic game info below the jump, more news on AR as it comes out...

L.A. Noire Website Now Live

Rockstar's game site designs are always great, and the newly-launched official site for Team Bondi's upcoming crime drama is no exception. Poke around the age-gated site for a look at the character file on Coroner Carruthers as well as a look at the Homicide Desk lead character Cole Phelps works in. Nice screens, game art trailers and even a few film noir recommendations for those gamers who want to expand their horizons a bit before the game ships in May. My own noir choices will be the subject of an upcoming article next month, so check back in for that...

Gallery: Ridge Racer 3D

What's a new console without a Ridge Racer game at launch (or somewhere in the launch window)? We'll see when RR3D screeches into stores with the 3DS in March. It certainly looks like a winner from these screens...

Ar tonelico Qoga Official Website/ Premium Box Set Revealed

UPDATE! Pre-ordering has been activated at the NISA Online Store and yes, 1000 lucky folks who boogie on over to order the even more limited edition will get a neat bonus Cosmosphere Calendar (in the right image) featuring the ladies from the game!

As you can see, this installment gets a Mature rating, so cute anime characters and colorful art aside, just like the previous two installments, the innuendo and such DEFINITELY aren't for the kids. Trust me. If you've never played an Ar tonelico game before, you'll be shocked (shocked, i say!) at the content. Well, probably not... but better safe than sorry, given some of the more humorous dialog and er, saucy images from the other games. Check out the Official Site and/or those store links above for more details!

Gallery: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked (3DS)

Yeah, yeah, there are a ton of 3DS games I need to cover (and I'll get to them starting this weekend), but I'm actually really looking forward to this one the most. Atlus is bringing a souped-up version of one of the best RPG's of 2009 to the 3DS with a few cool new features. Overclocked includes full voice acting, an all-new epilogue, revamped visuals and more. The game's official site is going up soon, according to Atlus... just keep coming back and clicking on that link 'til you get a picture. Or I'll just post here again when it finally does go live. Press release & five screens below the jump

Sony NGP Image Gallery

Click below for more images (and some actual text!)...

Sony Unveils New NGP Portable System In Japan (Or: Welcome...The Artist Formerly Known as PSP2)

In possibly the WORST kept secret in an industry known for more leaks than the Titanic crossed with an incontinent elephant, Sony's next-generation successor to the PSP has finally been given it's official public unveiling at a press event in Tokyo. Codenamed NGP (Next Generation Portable), the new unit is sleeker than the current model and comes packed to the digital gills with a bunch of expected and unexpected features and functionality. The new handheld will feature dual analog controls (along with the standard D-pad and PlayStation keys), front and rear touch pads, Sixaxis motion control, a three-axis compass along with 3G network and Wi-Fi support.

In addition, while there's no UMD slot, there's a physical media slot that uses a dedicated card storage format, front and rear cameras and amazingly, a 5 inch OLED display that's four times the resolution of the PSP (go, Sony!). According to Sony, the new system is due for release during this Christmas holiday season - start saving those pennies, folks!

More info (and yes, SPECS) below the jump.

Gallery: L.A. Noire

Oops. I'd forgotten to post these lovely screens of Team Bondi's crime drama a few days back, so here you go. I think a LOT of folks will be surprised when they play the game, as Rockstar is known for shaking things up. I hate speculation and "expectation" in most previews, but as a fan of classic noir films myself as well as updated takes on the genre such as Chinatown and L.A. Confidential, I have a feeling this one's going to be a great deal more about story than too much open-world rambling about. We'll see...

More screens below the jump.

Ys I & II Chronicles Official Site Launches

February 22, 2011 is going to be a RIDICULOUS day for new game releases, but there's only ONE Ys I & II Chronicles on the way, "Hair Metal" edition and all. The game's gone gold and the official site is up and running, looks cool (as usual) and yes, you can go watch that hilarious trailer all over again and save me the trouble of re-posting it once more.

Gallery Update: RAGE

OK, it's only a mere three new screens, but yikes. That idTech 5 engine is sure pumping out some glorious-looking images, huh? RAGE is slated for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in North America on September 13, 2011 and across Europe on September 16, 2011. More updates to follow, of course...

Gallery: Ar tonelico Qoga - Knell of Ar Ciel

With its March 15, 2011 release approaching, let's take a look at some nice screens and character illustrations from the final installment of Gust's rather intriguing mix of RPG and romance simulation, finally making it's PS3 debut. The first two games were pure 2D bliss packed with lovely hand-drawn art, parallax scrolling and limited 3D elements that gave them a nicely old-school feel. Qoga's shift to 3D battles and an all-new combat system does allow for more dynamic angles as you'll see, but it looks as if the game also uses some interesting hand-painted art in certain non-battle sections. I liked the first two games quite a lot (although the real-time combat system in part 2 was a bit too gimmicky) - fingers crossed that Qoga doesn't disappoint in any department.

More info about the game and screens below the jump.

CONTEST: Attention Artists: Konami Wants Your Artwork In Silent Hill: Downpour!

More Silent Hill: Downpour news, this time, in the form of a great Facebook contest that should give you creative types a chance to stretch your wings. Click away below the jump for the full details.

Gallery: Silent Hill: Downpour

Konami has released the first batch of six Silent Hill: Downpour screens as well as a single, short and nicely creepy music track from Dexter composer Daniel Licht. According to the press release, this newest installment developed by Vatra (the awesomely fun Rush 'N Attack - Ex-Patriot)...

starts as Murphy Pendleton, the game's main character, finds himself lost and alone in the woods after his prison transport bus crashes near the town of Silent Hill. What happens after is up to the player as they traverse an all-new Silent Hill environment that is expansive, yet claustrophobic. And though this sleepy town may feel desolate, the player is never truly alone.

OK, I'm in. hell, I've been a Silent Hill nut since the first game, so I'm ALWAYS in. The game ships this fall for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Back with updates as they come in.

LBP2 "Endless Fun" TV Spot

Naturally, you WON'T be seeing this ad at ALL if you're too darn busy playing Little Big Planet 2, so in case you come up for air and happen to end up here (thanks for dropping by!), here's a look at the latest commercial for the game.

Knights Contract Goes Gold, Set To Hit Retail February 22

Namco Bandai has announced that Game Republic's M-rated action game (and one I happen to be looking forward to for its supremely bizarre monsters) has gone gold and has a release date of February 22, 2011. In case you're wondering "Just what the heck is Knight's Contract?", well, a few snippets from the press release below the jump should help...

Nippon Ichi America Online Store Offers Free Domestic Shipping

In a bit of really great news for the budget-conscious gamer (or those who are just always super cheap), the NISA Online Store has decided to offer US gamers FREE shipping on purchases. Say it with me, folks: A-w-e-s-o-m-e!!! Now you can boogie on over to the store, grab that copy of Disgaea 3 you've been longing for, jump on that Hyperdimension Neptunia Premium Pack or FINALLY snap up that slick Glicee for that special blank spot on your wall and get it shipped fast and (wait for it...) FREE!

Now go buy something so those hard working Prinnies can keep their jobs!

L.A. Noire Trailer # 2 (Yup, It's All In-Game)

So good it's on both blogs, here's the second L.A. Noire Trailer for your approval - this time in long and short versions. Team Bondi's upcoming crime drama is certainly going to set a few new standards in terms of character animation and possibly game design. As usual, Rockstar is going above and beyond the call in ensuring their dev teams make games that try and do something different within their respective genres. And that, folks, deserves a lot of respect.

Atlus to Publish Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga In North America

While I liked the original Divinty II: Ego Draconis on both the 360 and PC, it DID have it's share of technical issues that definitely required some serious patching. Nevertheless, the game not only got those patches, but some nice DLC and an excellent PC expansion that, along with the original content added up to well over one hundred hours of gameplay. In today's "Well, THAT woke me up!" news, Atlus USA has very wisely teamed up with Focus Home Interactive to present Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga exclusively for the Xbox 360 in North America.

It seems as if Atlus is striving to become the 'Kings of All Things RPG' these days as they branch out and publish non-Japanese developed titles such as The Cursed Crusade and now Larian's sweeping epic. Hmmm... maybe they can convince Soldak to get its games onto a console or look into stuff like the Eschalon series in the future... my mind is full of ideas. Er, anyway...

Press release/screens below the jump (it's long like the game, so go read it and make that pre-order afterward) and the trailer is up and running on the other blog.

Duke Nukem Forever Gets May 3rd Release Date, Hell Freezes Over Again (Well, It IS Winter...)

So much for the few remaining skeptics out there, huh? 2K and Gearbox are finally getting the news out that The Man Himself will be landing in retail stores for PS3, PC and Xbox 360 on May 3, 2011 in North America and May 6 everywhere else those alien bastards are trying to take over (as in the rest of the world). Groovy, I say. Time to go stock up on bubble gum and dig out the old combat boots once more. What, the store's all out of bubble gum? Well, there's only one thing to do then, right?

Full press release below the jump because I'm too damn lazy to cut 'n paste excerpts (Well, I'm writing two reviews at the moment, too!)...

Earth Defense Force Insect Armgeddon Update: New Screens + Pesticide Gun!

Where previous EDF games have similar acid-spewing or other weapons based on alien technology (which meant you couldn't reload them once you ran out of ammo, grrrr!), I like the all-new Pesticide Gun variants as well as the BIG explosions seen in these latest EDFIA screens (they almost look like a mini Genocide Gun with that blinding light). Go, Vicious Cycle! Spring is just around the corner and I'm pretty psyched about the final version (and still hoping we see some more surprises in terms of bonus materials). If you've been following this one from the beginning, you can see that the game is really shaping up nicely and should be quite a blast to play online or offline.

Note to D3: You ARE planning to get EDF 2 Portable out here in the US as well (on UMD and PSN, of course!)? Say YES and I'll be sure to tell too many people to buy the game. Hell, I'll go buy a few extra copies, for that matter!

Screens and details on the Pesticide Gun series can be found below the jump. I'll post the new game footage once D3 posts it on YouTube (as I'm away from a high-speed connection for a few days)

Operation Flashpoint: Red River Cover Art/Screens Update

Cover art and four more screens from Codemasters' upcoming military-themed tactical FPS. Don't call it COD, MOH or anything similar until you've gven it a try. The series is known more for its realism than the usual online mayhem and non-stop single player shoot-festing. Granted, Dragon Rising wasn't as deep as the original Op Flash (the edit feature was sorely missed!), but it was still a more complete game in terms of pure immersion and actual challenge than many shooters this generation.