Burnout: Paradise Box Art Revealed

Burnout: Paradise is out in the not to distant future and EA have released the artwork for the front cover! Give your opinion on it in the comments!

Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal - First Thoughts

Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal has a storyline we've seen many times in the cartoon. The Evil Mad Scientist is fed up with the Looney Tunes and plans to get rid of them once and for all. Using his homemade time machine and giant ACME eraser, he will travel through time and erase the Looney Tunes and their ancestors from existance. Little does he know though that the Looney Tunes have built their own time machine, and will fight the Evil Mad Scientist to save themselves from disappearing! In this mayhem-packed action-adventure game, players can take on the role of seven different Looney Tunes characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tazmanian Devil, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Gossamer and a special secret character, all rendered in high-definition, next-generation graphics. Looney Toons : Acme Arsenal serves up combat, puzzles, and vehicle-based action. Players also command an arsenal of ACME melee and projectile weapons in outrageous battles and travel to various locations such as Camelot, Ancient Egypt, Mars, and the Wild West.


What We Got To Play
We got to play the tutorial and one level with Bugs Bunny and Marvin Martian (as the game can be played in Co-op mode). The tutorial had us learning simple attacks, jumps and how to use weapons. Attacking is simply button bashing, jumping is hard but forgivable and most of the weapons can only be used when within a certain range of an enemy... one that you could just attack with!

The level started off in a castle where Bugs Bunny is lost and Marvin is flown in by the Tazmanian Devil and you simply just need to make it into the castle on a "simple" route. One thing I noticed during the game, is that at points it is too dark and the camera angles are sometimes very poor. This is purely a kid-based game which older people might only play for the achievements.

Football Dominates Charts

The latest sales chart has been released and it seems Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 tips FIFA 2008 to the top for this week with Football Manager 2008 just behind. The highest non-sports game is the DS exclusive game, Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass at 4. The full list:

1. Pro Evolution 2008 (Konami)
   
2. FIFA 2008 (EA)
   
3. Football Manager 2008 (Sega)
   
4. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo)
   
5. Ratatouille (THQ)
   
6. The Orange Box (EA)
   
7. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo)
   
8. Halo 3 - (Microsoft)
   
9. High School Musical: Makin' The Cut (Disney)
   
10. Cooking Mama (505 Games)

Halo-ween Playlist

Bungie have posted a Q&A of a special Halloween exclusive playlist called "Living Dead". The playlist will be only available for 27 hours (12:01am on the 31st October - 3:00am on the 1st November PST) and it's a good chance to get those achievements you can't get (e.g. Overkill, Triple Sword Kill). It would be a dream come true for fans if the playlist was there permanently but Bungie have hinted at it! More information on this new playlist can be found below.

Q: Infection, what’s that?

Infection is this really great gametype, inspired by a custom game devised by our community in Halo 2, which we added official support for in Halo 3. In Infection, most players start off on a Human team, with one or more players starting off as Zombies. The odds are stacked heavily against the Zombies at first, but when a Human is killed by a Zombie (as they inevitably are), they join the Zombie team and turn on their former teammates.

Q: How long will the Living Dead haunt matchmaking?

Just for Halloween, from 12:01am to 3:00am the next morning, PST. We decided to let it go a bit late into the morning to give people a chance to play when they got home from their Halloween carousing. Infection is a lot of fun when everyone is into it, but we don’t think it would make a good playlist long term, so it’s going to come and go.

And if everyone has a good time, who knows? It may return, as the restless dead are known to do.

Q: Can I get achievements in this playlist?

Yes, it is set up as a Ranked Playlist, and players will have some good opportunities to pick up a few of the harder MP achievements without any of that pesky guilt. Fending off the hungry dead is as righteous a way as any to score an Overkill. It’s also a good chance to fill out your Ranked Medals with some of the Infection medals, like Infection Spree and Hell’s Janitor.

Q: There’s more than one version of Infection in this playlist, what is each version and how does it work?

We’re using two main versions: Save One Bullet, which is close to classical Infection but with limited ammunition which keeps the Humans from holding off the Zombies forever, and Creeping Death, where the Zombies are a bit slower but shockingly invisible and deadly. Creeping Rockets is a third variant where the Humans are more heavily armed, but the Zombies are tougher too.

Q: Do the maps in Living Dead have the same set-ups that I am used to?

The Living Dead playlist will be the first to use Forge variants in Matchmaking. Lars [Bakken] and Dan [Miller] pulled out all the stops and Forged some masterful variants featuring fortified positions and anti-Zombie booby traps to help get people into the Zombie mind (which is to say, wanting to get into a Human’s mind. Directly.)

Q: Man, I love these gametypes is there any way I can get them?

Any time you play one of these variants in Matchmaking, they’re saved in your Recent Games queue (in the Custom Games lobby, go to select the game type—the Recent Games list is at the top.) They may also show up in the Bungie Favorites this week.

Q: Will there be more special hoppers in the future?

You bet.

First Assassin's Creed Review Should Be Disregarded

Film website, Empire, earlier posted a review of one of the most anticipated games of this year, Assassin's Creed. The review was pulled down hours after being published with the following statement:

Assassin's Creed

Please note that the early review of Assassin's Creed that appeared here was published in error. The review contained misleading information about the game's control system which should be disregarded. Please wait for the final, full review, which will be published online on November 16th.

Viva Pinata: Party Animals Achievements

Viva Pinata: Party Animals isn't out till the 16th November in the UK, and we've got the achievements! There are 44 achievements worth 1000 GamerScore

Achievement Name - GamerScore
Achievement Description

All Your Game Are Belong To Us - 50 GamerScore
Play all Challenge Events.

Social Flutterscotch - 50 GamerScore
Finish the game in first place with each of the 8 characters.

King Roario Award - 50 GamerScore
Win all Challenge Events and races in a single game.

Redhott Racer - 50 GamerScore
Finish every race.

Boy Band - 30 GamerScore
As a male character, finish a game while never losing to a female character.

Megaton - 30 GamerScore
Use the Fiesta Missile power-up on each of the 8 characters.

Chewnicorn Streak - 30 GamerScore
Win 8 Challenge Events in a row.

Girl Power - 30 GamerScore
As a female character, finish a game while never losing to a male character.

Professor Pester Award - 20 GamerScore
Hit every player with a power-up in a single race.

Kittyfloss Streak - 20 GamerScore
Win 5 Challenge Events in a row.

Rashberry Gluttony - 30 GamerScore
Collect more than 1,000 pieces of candy while playing as Fergy Fudgehog.

Artful Dodger - 20 GamerScore
Avoid the snowball in Snow-bowl Dodgeball.

Catch It if You Can - 20 GamerScore
Play a game with anyone who has this achievement to earn it. Then, you can “spread” it too.

Aiming Artist - 20 GamerScore
Hit the farthest target at least 3 times in 1 Launching Loathers game.

Do You Feel Lucky, Piñata? - 20 GamerScore
Win a game of Short Fuse! without the Loather ever detonating in your hands.

Eaglair Eye Award - 20 GamerScore
Find and use all the shortcuts in the races.

Get to Know Everyone - 20 GamerScore
Finish the game in any place with each of the 8 characters.

Host with the Most - 20 GamerScore
Host 3 games over Xbox LIVE.

Loaded Bases - 20 GamerScore
Hit the target 4 times in a row in Swing for the Stars.

Scenic Route - 20 GamerScore
Win a race without using any shortcuts.

Pacifist - 20 GamerScore
Win a race without using a Fiesta Missile, Colored Water Bomb, or Smoke Bomb.

Hi-yaaaa! - 20 GamerScore
Destroy 10 objects in a single race while playing as Petunia Pretztail.

Party Crasher - 20 GamerScore
Win 3 games over Xbox LIVE where you are not the host.

Practice Makes Perfect - 20 GamerScore
Play the game for 5 hours.

Int'l Piñata of Mystery - 20 GamerScore
Use each power-up at least once in a single game.

Don’t Be Left in the Dark - 20 GamerScore
Knock each of the other players out of the light in a single game of Spotlight Mania.

Sticky Feet - 20 GamerScore
Use the Buzzlegum Honey Slick power-up 10 times.

Strike! - 20 GamerScore
Get a strike in Bouncy Bowling.

Stuffed! - 20 GamerScore
Get more than 99 candies in any single Challenge Event.

Tricky Treats - 20 GamerScore
Destroy at least 25 pumpkins in a single game of Messy Mayhem.

Rainbow of Piñatas - 20 GamerScore
Play each of the 8 characters in 1 of their alternate colors.

Game Guru - 15 GamerScore
Win the game.

Coulda Been a Contender - 15 GamerScore
Win 1 race.

Quick Like a Bunnycomb - 15 GamerScore
Hit 3 speed strips in a single race.

Whirlm Streak - 15 GamerScore
Win 3 Challenge Events in a row.

No Wipeouts - 15 GamerScore
Never fall down in a single race while playing as Franklin Fizzlybear.

Classic Gamer Reward - 10 GamerScore
Enter the classic gamers code while on the START screen. For a hint, go right into your manual…

Bear Hug - 10 GamerScore
Never use a power-up on Franklin Fizzlybear while playing as Florence Fizzlybear.

Flutterscotch Quickness - 10 GamerScore
Use the Flutterscotch Wings power-up to overtake an opponent.

Share and Share Alike - 10 GamerScore
Play a game with someone who hasn’t unlocked a Challenge Event you have unlocked.

Mama's Boy - 10 GamerScore
Lose to Fergy Fudgehog while playing as Francine Fudgehog.

Making Friends - 10 GamerScore
Play a game over Xbox LIVE, or invite someone to an online game.

Popularity Contest - 10 GamerScore
Complete a game with all 4 characters playing as Hudson Horstachio.

Gassy Gusts! - 10 GamerScore
Get your ship all the way to the finish line in Burps Ahoy!

Scene Stealer - 10 GamerScore
Beat Hudson Horstachio while playing as Hailey Horstachio.

Seeing Double - 10 GamerScore
Finish a game while playing as the same Piñata as at least 1 other opponent.

Squished! - 10 GamerScore
Jump and ground pound each of the other players at least once in Raisant Stomp.

Keep Your Friends Close - 10 GamerScore
Complete a multiplayer game offline.

Think Fast! - 5 GamerScore
Never get hit in an entire contest by a Fiesta Missile while playing as Paulie Pretztail.

So Awesome! - 10 GamerScore
You, the master of unlocking.

What Your Band Will Be Rocking Out To!

Rock Band is out early next year and a list of the soundtracks your band will be performing have been announced!

1960s
Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter"

1970s
Aerosmith "Train Kept a Rollin'"*
The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"
Boston "Foreplay/Long Time"
Mountain "Mississippi Queen"*
The Police "Next to You"
David Bowie "Suffragette City"
Black Sabbath "Paranoid"*
Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper"
The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop"
Deep Purple "Highway Star"
KISS "Detroit Rock City"
Molly Hatchet "Flirtin' With Disaster"
The Outlaws "Green Grass & High Tides"*
Sweet "Ballroom Blitz"*

1980s
Rush "Tom Sawyer"*
Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive"
The Clash "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
Faith No More "Epic"
R.E.M. "Orange Crush"
Iron Maiden "Run to the Hills"*

1990s
Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly"
Metallica "Enter Sandman"
Nirvana "In Bloom"
Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline"
Weezer "Say It Ain't So"
Smashing Pumpkins "Cherub Rock"
Radiohead "Creep"
Beastie Boys "Sabotage"
Hole "Celebrity Skin"
Garbage "I Think I'm Paranoid"
Soundgarden "Black Hole Sun"

2000s
The Hives "Main Offender"
Queens of the Stone Age "Go With the Flow"
The Strokes "Reptilia"
Jet "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"
OK Go "Here It Goes Again"
Nine Inch Nails "The Hand That Feeds"
Pixies "Wave of Mutilation"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Maps"
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
Coheed & Cambria "Welcome Home"
Fallout Boy "Dead on Arrival"
The Killers "When You Were Young"
New Pornographers "Electric Version"

*Indicates a cover song, all others songs are original master recordings

Mutants Storming Halloween Arcade Release

Mutant Storm Empire will be released on the XBOX Live Arcade this Wednesday for 800 Microsoft Points (about £6.64).

Press Release:
There's this evil emperor, see, and … well, he's evil. Now someone has decided to put a stop to the whole evilness thing, and that someone is you. It's the right thing to do! Besides, in Mutant Storm Empire, it'll be fun. Battle through line after line of the emperor's minion horde, destroying absolutely everything you can! Blast through bunches of robots, crush colonies of aquatic monsters, smash swarms of UFOs, and demolish devastating bosses. It's a continuous adventure through four immense, strikingly vibrant worlds, and you can fight alone or join forces with a friend in two-player cooperative mode. Enjoy the frenzy!

• The art of blasting: Practice the way of "Blastikkidoo" or the art of blasting, as you plow through the different worlds in Mutant Storm Empire. This all-new sequel to Mutant Storm Reloaded ratchets up the competitive challenge!
• Numerous levels: The four different worlds feature sixteen challenging levels, all in gorgeous high-def 3-D graphics.
• Multiplayer modes: Play co-op offline with a friend, or head into Xbox LIVE® territory and go multiplayer for up to 2 people.
• Achievements: Twelve new achievements to master ranging from easy, such as getting a single combo of beasties, to difficult, such as completing the game on the Black Belt level.

London Games Festival

Taking place from Saturday 27th October till Friday 2nd November is "London Games Festival". The festival lets players into a lounge to play some of the latest and upcoming games including Scene It!, Guitar Hero III, Dancing Stage Universe, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4 and Project Gotham Racing 4.

There is also prize competitions for certain games such as Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and Halo 3 so all that practice could come into some use.

The Lounge opens from 12pm to 8pm every day, except on Sunday 28th October when it's only open until 6pm.

If you're interested in going, the address is: Vinyl Factory Marshall St, London W1F 7QH. You can also get there through Phonica Records, Poland St, London, W1F 7NG. Nearest Tubes: Oxford Circus & Tottenham Court Road.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS:

Saturday 27^th October 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster games

Competition: Dancing Stage Universe

Sunday 28^th October 12pm – 6pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster ganes

Competition: Scene It!

Monday 29^th October 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster games

Competition: Dancing Stage Universe

Tuesday 30th October 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Activision Day

Competition 1: Guitar Hero 3. 6pm – 8pm

Competition 2: Call of Duty 4 Tournament

Wednesday 31^st October 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster games

Competition: Guitar Hero 3. 6pm – 8pm:

Tournament: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2

Thursday 1^st November 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Konami Day

Competition: Dancing Stage Universe. 6pm – 8pm

Tournament: PES Rankings Tournament

Friday 2^nd November 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster games

Competition: Scene It! 3pm – 8pm

Tournament: Halo 3

For more information visit the Official XBOX site.

No Downloadable Content for EA's Skate

The EA Black Box Executive Producer, Scott Blackwood, has told EGM.

"We're not planning any new content for Skate 1 ... We didn't want to go back and ask people for more money to get more shoes and shirts. That's not how we wanted to enter this market."

Blackwood continued to talk about adding female characters, clothing and hairstyles;

"We really wanted women to be in there and have all sorts of cool stuff to wear and hairstyles. You have to choose between watering the whole thing down and making it just really mediocre for everybody, or do you focus? We decided to focus. I will say, however, that was the hardest decision on this project. But we are going to make it up to you. When we do it -- and we will -- it's going to be done very well."

Crysis Single Player Demo Now Available

After a slight delay, the Crysis Single Player demo is now available to download from the "Crysis Demo" site.

Minimum System Requirements:

OS - Windows XP or Windows Vista
Processor - 2.8 GHz or fast (XP) or 3.2 GHz or faster* (Vista)
Memory - 1.0 GB RAM (XP) or 1.5GB RAM (Vista)
Video Card - 256MB**
Hard Drive - 12GB
Sound Card - DirectX 9.0c compatible

Recommended System Requirements:
OS - Windows XP / Vista
Processor - Interl Core 2 DUO @ 2.2GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Memory - 2.0GB RAM
GPU - NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS/640 or similar

*Supported Processors: Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz for Vista) or faster, Intel Core 2.0 GHz (2.2 GHz for Vista) or faster, AMD Athlon 2800+ (3200+ for Vista) or faster.

**Supported chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT or greater; ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (Radeon X800 Pro for Vista) or greater. Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supported. Integrated chipsets are not supported. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required.

The Orange Box Gets Second Update

Valve has released the second update for The Orange Box with this update focusing on Team Fortress 2, one of the five games included in the box। The update fixes:

- Reduces network bandwidth usage in multiplayer.
- Improves overall game performance.
- Arranges search results to favor preferred host conditions.
- Improves searching for ranked games.
- Addresses a possible false report of too little storage space on larger hard drives.

"Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action" - First Thoughts

"Scene It?" is a well-known DVD game where players answer questions about movies from famous quotes to answering questions about a movie clip. The DVD game has become so popular, special editions have been made for certain series and films (such as Friends and James Bond). Now, Microsoft are using the license for "Scene It?" to make a family-friendly game to enjoy this Christmas.

The basic idea of "Scene It?" LCA is to answer a series of themed and general knowledge movie trivia questions, linked to a series of clips from movies. You're probably thinking, "Haven't I played this before?" Well, "Scene It?: Lights Camera Action" is simply a very similar version to the PlayStation 2's series "Buzz!". They both have specially made controllers, lots of questions, movie clips and great mutliplayer value. The game takes you to different parts of a studio, to answer different questions in different categories. There are twenty categories which are full of different question types such as "What's missing?" and "Finish the quotes". You answer three questions in each category before going onto the next one. Some categories require players to buzz in using the big button on the remote or the D-Pad on the controller, and then to select the answer using A, B, X or Y on the controller or remote.

"Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action" looks promising and fun, but it seems the novelty side of it won't last as long as we hoped or the single player, but get a few friends round and you'll be laughing at each others movie trivia. The demo is available on the Marketplace right now!

Burnout: Paradise Release Date and Demo Announced

It's been confirmed that Criterion and EA's upcoming racer, Burnout: Paradise, will be released on the 22nd January 2008. A demo has also been confirmed which will be available on the PlayStation Store, XBOX Live Marketplace and Internet, as of December.

Burnout: Paradise is the fifth installment of the Burnout series, which allows players to cause havoc in Paradise City. It's also the first Burnout title, to have no menus. Instead, an open world awaits (similar to Need for Speed: Most Wanted and Test Drive Unlimited).