Rare has released the first screenshots of upcoming platformer, Banjo Kazooie 3.

The Bear and Bird-in-a-Bag platformer started on Nintendo 64 and was lauded for funny dialogue, creative levels and memorable characters. It’s also notorious for its massive emphasis on collecting everything as levels are littered with jigsaw pieces, eggs, jingos and anything else that will fit in Banjo’s bag.

After some questionable releases on Gameboy Advance, the dynamic duo is back on Xbox 360 and is look great, if not a little influenced as that Chain Chomp practically has a “Property of Super Mario” sticker and the levels are straight out of upcoming PS3 toy box, LittleBigPlanet.

Both screenshots show off Banjo in quirky vehicles which will likely play a large role in the game. The first shot also mentions “Mumbo Jumbo”, the series’ skull faced witch doctor.

The United Kingdom is the third largest market for video games in the world; us Brits guzzle down games like they’re tea and crumpets. Yet, being stuck with the rest of Europe means smaller games and less important projects rarely make it across the Atlantic – games have to be translated into no less than 50 billion languages before they’ll see light of day in this continent.

So, until British Gaming Blog can convince every agitated gamer to stand around the perimeter of England and pick up the country, move it next to Florida and call ourselves the 51st state, we’re bound to miss out.

This article is all about games that made their mark on American soil, but were obviously too good for us lowly Euros. The state of the industry is much better nowadays (Rock Band’s price and everything Nintendo of Europe does ever not included), but once upon a time, we never saw these ten important releases…

(Read on …)

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Scheduled for release on May 23rd, Top Spin 3 is shaping up to be a great looking tennis game to get us through the summer, and perhaps give Virtua Tennis a run for its money.

Now, alongside playing current stars such as Roger Federer, Tommy Haas and Radael Nadal (including all of their own apparel, equipment and animations), you’ll be able to take to the court as three tennis legends: Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg, Monica Seles

Top Spin 3 also includes plenty of tournaments, exhibitions, a training school, a player creator and online play.

Gametrailers TV has the exclusive first look at Epic Games’ new action packed sequel; Gears of War 2.

Looking more action packed than ever, Marcus is forced to move constantly as his enemies swarm around him and the environment proves to be no longer static.

There are also some new enemies including a miniature Brumak; a beast with a massive cannon on his back - as well as his much meaner Big Brother.

The trailer finally shows off Chainsaw Duels which add a layer of complexity and risk to using the chainsaw bayonet on the end of your lancer.

The new gameplay footage can be downloaded off Xbox Live or watched at GameTrailers

Ever since critical triumph Bioshock hit Xbox 360 and PC in August of 2007, rumours and speculation of a movie based in Andrew Ryan’s Rapture have been swarming like a plasmid injected arm full of flies.

Now, Universal Pictures has announced that Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy director Gore Verbinski, will be taking the helm and directing a bunch of blokes in diving suits and a crazy objectivist with a golf club. Aviator screenwriter John Logan will be penning the first script, and the movie will start production as soon as it’s approved.

Verbinski also directed Nicholas Cage in The Weather Man and horror touchstone, The Ring.

“I think the whole utopia-gone-wrong story that’s cleverly unveiled to players is just brimming with cinematic potential,” said Verbinski. “Of all the games I’ve played, this is one that I felt has a really strong narrative.”

While Bioshock features an incredible setting, beautiful artwork and amazing ideas throughout, many question are left unanswered; will game design guru, Ken Levine get a say in how his work is treated? Will the story be a carbon copy of the game?

On the latter point, I hope not – not with the games amazing plot twist that kinda requires you to be controlling the game to have the colossal punch that it does.

Would you watch a Bioshock film? What videogame would best translate to the silver screen?

Variety - Gore Verbinski to direct ‘Bioshock’ »

MotorStorm 2’s new class, the Monster Truck, will be able to smash through thick vegetation, while bikes will ride on volcanic ridges above them. MotorStorm has always been about learning the different routes on the tracks, which will be even tougher with the sequel’s 16 course selection.

MotorStorm 2, complete with four-player split-screen capability and 16 player online, will be released at the end of 2008, exclusively on Playstation 3.

(Read on …)

Codemasters has released a demo for new TOCA racing game, Race Driver: GRID, on both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

The demo showcases racing in the three regions playable in the full game; Europe Touring Cars at Jarama Circuit, U.S Muscle cars at San Francisco and Japanese Drift Racing at Yokohama Docks. Compete online in the European and U.S races and check out the time trial competitions for the chance to win a car and other ace prizes.

The promised demo for The Bourne Conspiracy is a no-show on Playstation Store, but you can download the amazing Mirror’s Edge trailer, the Def Leppard and Muse Track Packs for Guitar Hero III (£3.99 each) and the SSC Challenge Pack for Army of Two (£3.99)

How’s Race Driver: GRID shaped up? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

“Production has begun on Doom 4, the next journey into the legendary Doom universe”, says id Software’s official website, “We are expanding our internal team and are currently hiring to work on this highly anticipated title”.

The job listings page asks for new blood in roles such as producer, lead designer, and lead animator roles, most asking for experience on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 development. Doom 4 may launch simultaneously on PC and consoles, which would be a first for the influential franchise, but id has not released any concrete details on this yet.

“Doom is part of the id Software DNA and demands the greatest talent and brightest minds in the industry to bring the next installment of our flagship franchise to Earth,” said Todd Hollenshead, CEO at id Software.

id Software.com - The Battle versus Evil continues in Doom 4 »

Despite the disappointing news that Killzone 2 has been delayed until February 2009, Guerrilla’s dark and dingy shooter is still looking great and retains the franchise’s distinctive look.

The battle continues as Killzone 2 comes to PS3, with the ISA taking the war to the Helghast in an all-out assault on the hostile planet Helghan, where the Helghast will prove an even more formidable foe on their own turf. You’ll find yourself immersed in an all-encompassing theatre of war where no piece of the environment remains untouched by the carnage. Play as Sev, a battle-hardened veteran of Special Forces unit The Legion. Your mission: to secure Pyrrhus, Helghan’s capital city.

Killzone 2 will be released in 2009, exclusively on Playstation 3.

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Mirror’s Edge looks to be one of the most exciting and adventurous games on the radar; a game so heavily centred on fluidity of movement that strays from the predictable shackles of third person to create a game intensely visceral that demands you to grab the controller.

I adore the speed and flexibility of parkour and setting the psychogeographic sport in a sparkling, clinical world rather than a drab, generic wasteland increases the hype tenfold.

Mirror’s Edge comes from DICE (Battlefield Series) and will be released later this year on PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 by Electronic Arts.