When Call of Duty was released last year, console owners unable to afford a decent gaming rig looked on with more than a little envy as their PC brethren blasted away in the award-winning WWII shooter.

　　Now, Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2 owners will have a chance to rid the world of Nazi scum as well. Activision has announced the release of Call of Duty: Finest Hour, the console port of PC game from studio Infinity Ward. However, Finest Hour was the debut project from developer Spark Unlimited, a recently formed outfit that features several veterans of the Medal of Honor design team. Finest Hour is currently available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $49.99 and carries a T rating.

　　Like the PC Call of Duty, Finest Hour transports gamers to various theaters of World War II, ranging from Russia's freezing winters to North Africa's baking summers. Throughout the single-player campaign, players will strap on the boots of six different characters--including Britain's Popski's Private Army and Gen. Patton's famed Third Army 761st "Black Panther" African-American Tank Battalion. In terms of multiplayer, the PS2 and Xbox versions the game offer team-based online play for up to 16 players on four maps. Buyers of the Xbox edition also get system-link gameplay and full Xbox Live support.

　　For more on Call of Duty: Finest Hour check out our previous coverage and full review, the latter of which will report for duty later this week.