Electronic Arts has announced that Mirror's Edge is coming to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on November 11. A special code unlocking the "Time Trial" mode in the demo will be given to those that pre-order the game after September 26. As reported, this pre-order bonus is available only at "selected retailers."

The PC version has been delayed to "later in the winter."

“This is truly a historic day for both EA and Mythic as we prepare to send more copies of WAR to retailers than any other newly launched MMORPG in North America and Europe. Over the course of our beta, over a million gamers throughout the world sent a clear signal to us - they want WAR, and we are more than happy to oblige them,” said Mark Jacobs, co-founder and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. “In three days the real battle begins – we have declared September 18th the ‘Day of Reckoning,’ and WAR will soon be upon us!”

WAR set a company record for the most retail pre-orders placed by consumers for a PC title in EA’s 26 year history. Overall, the company has sold 1.5 million units of WAR to retailers.

• Dead Space
• FaceBreaker
• HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT
• LITTLEST PET SHOP
• Madden NFL 09
• Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
• Mirror’s Edge
• iPhone/iPod Touch Games from EA Mobile
• SCRABBLE
• Sudoku
• TetrisSpore Origins
• iPod Games from EA Mobile
• Monopoly
• Scrabble
• Yahtzee!
• Mobile Phone Games from EA Mobile
• Spore Origins
• Wolfenstein RPG
• Tetris® POP
• The Sims 2 Apartment Pets
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09
• Zubo
• MySims
• MySims Kingdom
• Spore
• Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
• Command & Conquer Red Alert 3
• Crysis Warhead
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
• SimCity Creator
• NBA LIVE 09
• NCAA FOOTBALL 09
• Skate It
• Rock Band 2 (Will be displayed at MTV Games' booth.)
• Left 4 Dead (Will be displayed at Valve's booth.)
  

WINDOWS XP
• 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
• 512 MB RAM
• A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
• At least 6 GB of hard drive space

WINDOWS VISTA
• 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
• 768 MB RAM
• A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
• At least 6 GB of hard drive space

For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires at least:

• Intel Integrated Chipset, 945GM or above.
• 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent.
• 768 MB RAM

• ATI Radeon series
  • 9500, 9600, 9800
  • X300, X600, X700, X800, X850
  • X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900, X1950
  • 2400, 2600, 2900,
  • 3650, 3850
• NVIDIA GeForce series
  • FX 5900, FX 5950
  • 6200, 6500, 6600, 6800,
  • 7200, 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950
  • 8400, 8500, 8600, 8800
• Intel Extreme Graphics
  • GMA 950, GMA X3000, GMA X3100

The Wii may be all the rage these days as titles like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy keep gamers happy while more casual players are enticed with the unit's bountiful shovelware, but many have forgotten about the game that led Nintendo's initiative to expand the market by bringing casual and non-gamers into the mix: Wii Sports. Serving as an introduction to the system and the Wii Remote, it was a fun minigame collection that earned accolades from a plethora of mainstream media outlets and fueled the hype machine that helped propel the Wii to the top of the sales charts.

Most of us moved on to other games soon after purchasing the system, but publisher Hudson Soft apparently hasn't been so quick to forget the game that spearheaded Nintendo's assault on your grandmother's living room. Deca Sports, one of their upcoming titles, is an obvious foray into the new market that Nintendo has forged.

Supercross is as straightforward as you'd expect it to be; you hold the remote sideways, pressing the 2 button to gas and the 1 button to brake as you make turning motions to steer. Wide motions during turns cause you to lose control, which means that this event is aggravating unless you severely limit your motions, hampering the overall experience.

The badminton event plays very much like Wii Tennis, but the difference is in how the birdie reacts to your hits. The ball in Wii Tennis wasn’t very reactive to location, while here your swings really do determine the angle and trajectory of the hit. It’s a definite improvement, and the shortness of the rounds makes it good for bursts of play.

The beach volleyball event, where you and a friend (or an AI partner if you’re by your lonesome) can play against another team in a standard game of volleyball, is especially fun. The controls feel really fresh and immersive. It feels great to flail madly and work with your partner to keep the ball alive and then smash it over the net into the sand

What really stands out for its uniqueness is the figure skating event. You utilize the Nunchuk to guide your skater across a path of yellow dots while you use the remote to perform tricks as you skate across large, colored icons that occasionally appear on the path. However, the poor controls make it difficult to keep your skater on track, and it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out how and when to execute tricks. On the whole, though, Deca Sports warrants checking out if Hudson Soft successfully blends the game's fun elements with its more unique events.

Ahh - looks, feels, and smells like 1999. Now that's bad fish.

Sega Bass Fishing services Wii anglers with a standard variety of modes. Arcade mode naturally features arcade style stage by stage play – catch a bass of a minimum size within a certain period of time or you're out of luck. Tournament mode plays somewhat differently, requiring prolonged competition with other anglers. Nature trip mode loses the restraints of other modes and allows you to fish at your own pace. Actually catching a fish is surprisingly simple and within a minute or two in any mode you'll be able to reel in a bass, even though it might not be the big one.

The fish you're dying not to catch.

Unfortunately you'll quickly discover that catching fish is not the deepest of activities; you just cast, wait, and reel in, ad nauseam. While the audio cues of the announcer can add some unintended humor and immediate urgency to the action of reeling in a bass, the game's dated presentation with its smarmy textures and simple environments reeks of a shoddy Dreamcast port that Sega didn't feel the need to update for this Wii release. While some parts of the presentation are period turn-of-the-century Sega including the aforementioned overly joyous announcer and some rather out of place female vocals in the options music, any points gained by this quaintness are easily negated by its sloppy visuals.

Controlling the game with the Wii Remote may seem like an intuitive setup at first. The Wii Remote acts as the fishing rod, which you can flick back and forth to cast the line and tug it left or right while in the water; conversely, the Nunchuk reels in the line. The truth of the matter is that these motion controls were essentially ported over wholesale from the game's previous analog scheme, so waggling the Wii Remote or Nunchuk in any direction will have the same effect as pressing a button. That being said, the game does not control poorly, but seems gimmicky.

Some good can be said of Sega Bass Fishing, primarily its lower price-point, which may actually be $10 more than it warrants in light of its pre-twenty-first century origins. If the Wii Remote controls were incorporated more appropriately it would deserve a better recommendation, but its nostalgic Sega presentation can't hide its relative mediocrity.

Halo Wars" is being developed from the bottom up for the Xbox 360 and its control scheme to ensure that we deliver a groundbreaking console RTS experience. Given that, we have no plans to develop "Halo Wars" for Windows Vista at this time.

• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
• Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
• Sim City DS 2
• Dissidia: Final Fantasy (1, 2, 3)

The game will allow players to play a variety of sports mini-games through the EyeToy. Kuju studio head Ed Daly said. "The Play Sports project underlines Kuju's commitment to lifestyle/social gaming, reaching out to parts of the market that other games can't reach."

Currently EyeToy: Play Sports is scheduled to release in Europe at the end of 2006. No word if the game will be making its way stateside.

“Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday has the potential to turn all your strategy-gaming dreams into reality while exploring the ultimate “What if” scenario”, says Fredrik W. Lindgren, Director of Publishing at Paradox Interactive. "This is the first time we release a title for download at the same time as the title ships and gamers will be able to try the game for a full 3 hours before buying it.”

Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday features:

• World War II scenario with an alternative historical outcome.
• Extended time line until 1953 with historical scenarios including the Israeli conflict.
• Complete scenario editor.
• Expanded tech trees allowing players to develop tactical nukes and other types of nuclear warfare as well as helicopter squads, escort carriers etc.
• Enhanced Brigade Attachment system increases the player’s tactical opportunities.
• Significantly improved AI.
• Tradable Weapons - equip your allies with the latest technological advances or get other nations to surrender their secrets.

“KINGDOM HEARTS II is a perfect demonstration of what can be created when two companies with astounding resources come together,” said Daishiro Okada, president and COO, Square Enix, Inc. “The result is an absolutely stunning video game that will engage gamers of all ages in multiple worlds both familiar and new."

“The creative collaboration between the Disney and Square Enix production teams has resulted in a game that is not only innovative but truly remarkable in scope,” said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games. “With the addition of new worlds from Mickey Mouse’s classic screen debut in ‘Steamboat Willie’ to the current film franchise ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ KINGDOM HEARTS II covers the spectrum of Disney properties.”

Be sure to read our full review by clicking here. The game has a suggested retail price of $49.99 (USD).]]> Wed, 29 Mar 2006 18:14:00 -0600 Shiva Stella http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_kingdom_hearts_ii_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_kingdom_hearts_ii_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_kingdom_hearts_ii_ps2# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

Very few game sequels are even half as anticipated as Kingdom Hearts II, the second installment in the immensely popular Disney and Square Enix collaboration franchise. The game marks the return of Sora, Goofy, and Donald in the search for King Mickey, who has apparently freed himself (and Riku?) from the horrors behind the "dark gate" witnessed at the end of the original. The gang's new adventure once again spans several worlds - some old, some new - taken from Disney's archive of "most celebrated" animated films. As with the game's predecessor, KH2 features a cast of both Final Fantasy and Disney characters, from now familiar classics like Final Fantasy VIII's Squall (Leon) and FFVII's Aeries to Sleeping Beauty's three good faeries. Yes, the only franchise able to successfully base itself in the Disney realm is back, and it’s certainly worthy of its predecessor.

After a very lengthy and mysterious prologue that centers around a mysterious boy named Roxas and reminds the player of events that occurred in the

Some tweaks made. Menu system a touch cumbersome. Same great action as original.

More visual flair and pretty cutscenes utilizing in-game graphics. Gorgeous CG and effects.

I still love the franchise’s use of music, though KH2’s musical theme could have used reworking

You’ll really enjoy visiting favorite Disney worlds and speedily slaying foes.

You’ll like it enough to finish it and probably play it again. Nice draw-in factor.

]]> Tue, 28 Mar 2006 12:39:00 -0600 Shiva Stella http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_kingdom_hearts_ii_ps21 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_kingdom_hearts_ii_ps21 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_kingdom_hearts_ii_ps21# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

Very few game sequels are even half as anticipated as Kingdom Hearts II, the second installment in the immensely popular Disney and Square Enix collaboration franchise. The game marks the return of Sora, Goofy, and Donald in the search for King Mickey, who has apparently freed himself (and Riku?) from the horrors behind the "dark gate" witnessed at the end of the original. The gang's new adventure once again spans several worlds - some old, some new - taken from Disney's archive of "most celebrated" films. As with the game's predecessor, KH2 features a cast of both Final Fantasy and Disney characters, from now familiar classics like Final Fantasy VIII's Squall (Leon) and FFVII's Aeries to Sleeping Beauty's three good faeries. Yes, the only franchise able to successfully base itself in the Disney realm is back, and it's looking equally as fantastic as its predecessor.

After a very lengthy and mysterious prologue (which I certainly won’t spoil for you here) that reminds the player of events that occurred in the ]]> Sat, 25 Mar 2006 20:17:14 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/arena_football_touches_down_in_stores http://www.gamebump.com/go/arena_football_touches_down_in_stores http://www.gamebump.com/go/arena_football_touches_down_in_stores#

“EA is the premiere sports videogame developer and we’re thrilled to have worked with them on this project,” said Glenn Horine, President, AFL Properties. “EA SPORTS Arena Football captures the passion of our sport and gives fans an opportunity to experience the action for themselves.”

“The AFL was an amazing league to work with and we strived to create a game that accurately depicts their unique brand of football,” said Mike Taramykin, Senior Producer, EA Tiburon. “Arena Football has features that will appeal to both AFL fans and sports fans alike.”

The game is rated “E10+” (Everyone 10 and older) with descriptors: Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes, by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $29.99 for both console versions.

Paradox Interactive has released a brand new patch today for their World War II strategy sequel, Hearts of Iron 2. The patch will update your copy to version 1.3. Head on over to the download page by clicking the link below.

Download Now]]> Fri, 11 Nov 2005 10:27:00 -0600