I’ve also been given access to some great exclusive EEE content including some screenshots and great desktop wallpapers which will be included below.

So what do all of you think of this game? I know that it’s been out since November in the US and will hit the UK soon. You can expect my full review soon if you are still on the fence about picking up this quirky puzzle game.

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Download this Wallpaper
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Download this Wallpaper
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In an act Bizarro-World worthy, Square Enix announced yesterday at their highly anticipates press conference that the next game in the Dragon Quest series (Dragon Quest IX: Protectors of the Starry Sky) would be a DS exclusive!

The last few DQ games have lived on the Playstation platform and have sold like gangbusters, but once upon a time this series made it’s appearance on Nintendo’s consoles. That all changed when the Playstation 1 hit and SquareEnix (then Squaresoft) jumped ship due to Nintendo’s draconian third-party contracts.

As a gamer, I play SquareEnix games wherever they land, but it just feels right when they are on a Nintendo platform. Lets hope that this is just the first step in a new partnership between Nintendo and Square Enix.

All the Star Wars films have been made; now it’s up to game developers to tell the untold stories. Ubisoft’s newly announced Star Wars: Lethal Alliance is one such story. It takes place between Episode III and IV and tells the story of how a Twi’lek mercenary named Rianna Saren stole the Death Star plans for the Rebellion. You will play as Rianna Saren accompanied by her security droid, Zeeo, and travel across the galaxy to familiar locations such as Coruscant, Tatoonie, and the Death Star as well as never-before-seen locations such as Despayre and Danuta. All the while, you’ll be blasting your way through stormtroopers and Empire droids. Sadly, Rianna is not a Jedi and you will not have a lightsaber or the Force by your side. Check out GameSpot’s Q&A for more information.

The first thing that popped into my mind after hearing the anouncment was “Is there infrastructure?” Let me tell you, EA really went all out on this game as Medal of Honor Heroes will supports infrastructure gaming for up to 32 players! If you think things get hairy on SOCOM, wait until you have 32 player on the same map fragging each other. Read GameSpot’s Q&A session with group producer Peter Choi for lots more info!

Windup Records and the band Seether have teamed up with us to bring you guys some great PSP formatted content! As a lead up to Seether’s new album, One Cold Night arriving in stores on July 11th, you can head on over to the Official Web site and download the following items:

• “Truth” music video from KARMA & EFFECT
• “Remedy” (acoustic, from ONE COLD NIGHT)
• Extended Trailer for ONE COLD NIGHT
• “The Gift” video from KARMA & EFFECT

Not only do you get a sneak peek at their upcoming album, but you can score some great content for your PSP.

Issue 6 of the popular PSP formatted comic, NYC2123: Dayender, has finally been released. Issue 6 marks the completion of the epic 6 part series. It’s style was unmatched by any other PSP comic out there and was the hallmark of this excellent comic. The final chapter of NYC2123 is a whopping 75 pages long so start reading! You can download or read the comic online at the official NYC2123 website.

New screenshots from the western themed shooter Gun have been released today. I played this game when it came out for the Xbox, and quite liked it. The main story was a little short, but the game was a fun GTA inspired romp through the old west. It looks like Neversoft has been busy adding in new features and story to the PSP port for it’s release in September, including some exciting sounding multiplayer modes!

Wireless Multiplayer Functionality – Players can team up or go head-to-head in Showdown mode, which includes Deathmatch, Golden Cross and Last Man Standing gameplay features via the PSP’s wireless network capabilities.

You can be sure that we’ll have more Gun info in the months leading up to it’s release.

More information about the Undiluted Platinum has been revealed.

So to help stem these emails, and to add value to our visitors we have announced the Button Mashers Network Forums.

If you are a PGR forum user, this move will be nearly seamless. All your posts, threads and the like will be moved over. In fact the only thing missing will be your Avatar, sadly these all died a fiery death in the process. If you are a WiiSpot forum user.. I’m in the process of moving as much over as I can. I’m hoping that you’ll just be able to login, but I might have to scrap that data and make you log in again.

Hopefully all this transfer nonsense will be completed in the next day. Enjoy the new digs!

Of coarse, Sephiroth will be in the game as will Tseng. Sephiroth is the main villain as usual and Tseng is the a high ranking officer among the Turks.

The game will play out just like a regular role-playing game. However, Director Hajime Tabata did note that it will feature a different gameplay system that is still being tweaked for balance. Supposedly this new gameplay system will make Crisis Core different from what you would expect.

We hope you like the new look as much as we do, please feel free to leave your comments about it!

There are more interesting things in store for PGR, so keep your eyes peeled! And for those of you that thought the lack of posts here was due to the site dying… you now know why we’ve been so quiet :)

In this podcast you’ll hear about all the press conferences and the cool things that were seen on the show floor. Enjoy! Oh, this podcast weighs in at 1 hour 20+ minutes, so you might want to pop some popcorn first!

Call our voicemail line and leave us a comment! 1-206-326-1221

If you would like to give it a listen you can either download it [directly [mp3 1hr20min 42mb], or subscribe to the podcast RSS feed in your favorite aggregator.

GameSpot has posted a hands-on preview of Konami’s upcoming Metal Gear Solid game for the PSP titled “Portable Ops.” The preview covers the multiplayer functions of the game and boy does it sound good! As stated it our previous post about Portable Ops, this game isn’t just a spin-off of the Metal Gear series. Portable Ops is going to be a full on Solid game with the classic real-time Solid gameplay. For those who like Metal Gear but hated Acid’s card battling system, this game is definitely going to get you excited.

Portable Ops will include multiplayer gameplay via ad-hoc and infrastructure. Metal Gear Solid: Online, which was first introduced in the special addition Metal Gear Solid 3: Substance, is going to be integrated into Portable Ops. You will be able to compete against other players all over the world over the internet.

We got to go a few rounds in a four-player deathmatch mode as the producer of the game provided some detail about some of the differences (often while shooting us in the face–he was playing along with three others). Essentially this is the Metal Gear Solid 3 gameplay you’d expect if you’ve played Metal Gear Online as part of Subsistence. The underlying mechanics are nearly identical to the PS2 version, and we were relieved to find that the camera controls already seemed quite good. The analog stick is used to run in any direction, while the D-pad is used to rotate your view around your character. The left trigger snaps the view behind your back if you need to reorient yourself, and when the character would obstruct the camera angle (such as when his back is to a wall), he becomes transparent so you can see.

Read the full hands-on preview

Overview:

Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony for the PSP system is an all-new adventure, created from the ground up specifically for the handheld system. Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony features all-new playable characters and a freshly designed, non-linear, single player campaign as well as support for Ad Hoc co-operative and competitive multiplayer games.

Features:

• 4 unique characters to choose from – Characters can be customized as they level up into 8 different Hero Classes and then even further into 16 Legendary Classes
• Player can choose from over 16 different Pets and Companions to play with. Gameplay will encourage the player to constantly switch between unique Pets and Companions to use their special powers.
• Face over 100 monsters including well known monsters from the Dungeon Siege world as well as many new creatures.
• Multiplayer Cooperative Campaign allows you to play with a friend. Each player can bring a Pet or Companion adding up to a four party experience.
• Multiplayer Battle Arenas allow a concise, fun party experience for players who don’t have time for a full campaign.
• 15 hours of gameplay with 2 different modes Mercenary and Elite
• Over 100 stunning spells and abilities
• Tons of powerful weapons and armor – all fully enchantable
• Flying and naval vehicles that allow access to remote areas of the game world.

New York, NY – May 10, 2006 – Rockstar Games, the universally-renowned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Developed by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with series creators Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will be available exclusively on the PSP system in North America on October 17th, 2006 and Europe on October 20th, 2006.

“The success of Liberty City Stories on the PSP system was nothing short of spectacular,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games and Executive Producer. “The incredible PSP system technology allowed us to do things we never thought possible on a handheld system and we are excited to once again give our audience a fresh experience in one of their favorite locales in the Grand Theft Auto series, Vice City. With Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories we look to once again smash expectations of portable gaming, bringing an all new story and exciting new gameplay elements to this classic setting.”

“Our collaboration with Rockstar Leeds has been a tremendous experience,” said Leslie Benzies, President of Rockstar North. “Together we have been able to create uncompromising experiences on the PSP system that not only stay true to our initial vision for the series but that surpasses our own goals of what could be done on a handheld. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will thrill longtime fans and excite new PSP system gamers like never before.”

“We are proud of what we were able to achieve with Rockstar North on Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories,” said Gordon Hall, President of Rockstar Leeds. “By staying true to the high standards of the series and surpassing fans’ expectations for a Grand Theft Auto title on a portable machine we feel confident that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will redefine what handheld gaming is capable of with the most intense PSP system experience yet.”

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a new game in the Grand Theft Auto series with an entirely new storyline, new missions and gameplay that brings an unprecedented experience to mobile gaming. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories features the interactive, open environment of Vice City with professional voice talent, a diverse soundtrack and high production values that have become trademarks of this landmark series.