By Staff

　　Design by Collin Oguro

　　

Introduction

　　The holiday season means more than just turkeys and gift-giving for the inhabitants of San Francisco. It means some of the best games on the market will be playable at the first-ever G.A.M.E. event at Moscone Center in the city's bustling downtown area. It also means a chance to play some of the most highly anticipated games around. These games haven't been released yet, but you can get a sneak peek at them at the event--or, if you couldn't make it to San Francisco, you can visit GameSpot's live broadcasts of game demonstrations, competitions, and much more, and browse the gamespaces below for our recent coverage. Once the G.A.M.E. event is underway, visit the On The Spot page for video updates from the event!

　　

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)

"There's simply no denying that The Legend of Zelda is going to be one hell of a title for the GameCube. Even though the platform has had a somewhat bumpy ride since its release, once the Japanese developer's teams have the chance to throw down with Link, they will no doubt be impressed. If you've had doubts about what Nintendo has been doing this generation, all signs point to The Legend of Zelda making you a believer again."

　　

Dungeons & Dragons Online (PC)

"Traditional massively multiplayer games usually require you to create a single fantasy character before venturing out in a persistent world with other players to beat up skeletons and goblins by turning on an"auto-attack"option and waiting until you, or your enemies, fall over dead. Tradition itself may be on the way out with a new breed of massively multiplayer games that try to engage players by offering fast-paced real-time combat and a gentler learning curve for beginners. One of the most prominent examples of this new breed is Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, the upcoming game that will take place in the fantasy world of Eberron."

　　

Star Wars: Empire At War (PC)

"Empire at War continued to look very impressive graphically. The game seemed to do a good job of modeling the relative scale between different types of units and vehicles, and it featured spectacular explosions, complete with billowing smoke and heat shimmer effects, whenever a vehicle went down in flames. While exact details on the game's multiplayer modes remain scarce, Petroglyph is still willing to confirm that current plans include a quick-action skirmish mode for up to eight players, as well as a possible campaign-style multiplayer mode in which one player will play the Rebel Alliance while the other will play the Empire. We'll have more details on this promising strategy game as we near its release later this year."

　　

Company of Heroes (PC)

"Company of Heroes will attempt to combine riveting, accessible real-time strategy gameplay with the cinematic sensibilities of blockbuster World War II movies and TV series, like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. Yes, Company of Heroes takes place during the second World War, but calling it nothing more than"a World War II real-time strategy game"is selling it short. This is because the game will introduce as much groundbreaking new gameplay as it will dazzling visual effects as part of Relic's overarching plan. The studio isn't just out to make a great real-time strategy game; these guys are out to advance real-time strategy as we know it. From what we've seen, it could be very hard to go back to the real-time strategy games of yore after this."

　　

Titan Quest (PC)

The debut action role-playing game from Iron Lore Entertainment will let you hack-and-slash your way across the ancient world. For the first time, we got to see some actual gameplay that will appear in the finished game. The game and the visuals haven't lost a step, and Iron Lore was eager to show off the new landscapes set in Ancient Greece and Egypt. The Greek level showed off the new coastal terrain, which was a perfect example of the new water effects, such as reflections and spectacular distortions (all of which can be tweaked in the editor). Things are looking great for the game, and Iron Lore still has plenty of time to finish and polish it.

　　

EyeToy: Kinetic (PS2)

"EyeToy: Kinetic isn't the first video game-fitness center hybrid, but it seems to be attempting to do more than any other such program in the past. Specifically, it will use the EyeToy peripheral to project your image onto the screen, so it can actually track your activity and motion. The title will also ship with a special wide-angle"full vision"lens (seriously--yeah, no, stop laughing), which will allow you to capture a full range of motion onscreen. EyeToy Kinetic, which is designed"for all fitness abilities,"will also take advantage of the PS2's internal clock to keep you on a regimented 12-week workout. Miss a date? Expect to get an earful from one of the game's virtual trainers."

　　

Ape Escape Academy (PSP)

"The game's loose plot manages to fit into the basic chronology of the series by catching up with Spectre, the superintelligent monkey who's been stirring up trouble since the first game, while he is focusing his massive intellect on the problem of his regular defeats. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or even a superintelligent monkey to come to the conclusion that Spectre does--his help basically sucks. Sure, a massive gaggle of monkeys sporting performance-enhancing headgear seems like it should work out pretty well, but can you really expect to conquer the world if you don't train your minions properly? Of course not. Following his epiphany, Spectre sets up his own institute of higher learning to school his ape army on the ins and outs of world domination."

　　

Pursuit Force (PSP)

"You'll start many of Pursuit Force's 30 missions behind the wheel of your sporty-looking cop car, and you'll be armed with a pistol that you can fire out of your window when you get within range of the gang members and criminals that you're pursuing. You'll see an auto-aiming crosshair pop up on your screen when you get close to your targets, and then you can just unload bullets into their vehicles until they're destroyed. Sounds like a lot of fun, right? We haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet. If the criminals you're chasing are driving a better vehicle than you are, and you'd rather get behind the wheel of it yourself than blow it up, then you can do exactly that."

　　

Dead or Alive 4 (Xbox 360)

"Two of the constant elements of Team Ninja games are random wackiness and well-endowed females, and DOA4 seems to be continuing this tradition, sometimes even in the same character. For example, one of the new characters is a busty female wrestler, who appears in full wrestling regalia, including a mask. Zack's trademark alternate costume, in which he appears to be a fully grown version of Tinkle from The Wind Waker, is also apparently going to make a comeback, as he's shown in it while fighting a skeleton king, of all things. All in all, DOA4 seems like it'll be a faithful continuation of the previous titles in the series, featuring loads of intense hand-to-hand combat, multitiered arenas, and interesting new characters."

　　

GameSpot Editors Speak

Brad Shoemaker, Editor

　　"All the Zelda games in the last few years have had a unique mechanic that defined their game. So, now we've got Twilight Princess coming. But the big thing [that was] revealed back at E3 was that Link turns into a wolf in this one. We don't know exactly why; we don't know what that's going to let you accomplish. It's gonna be huge, obviously--it's a Zelda game."

　　Alex Navarro, Associate Editor

　　"I think Zelda looks...amazing. Zelda has always been one of those franchises that's rarely bad. I'm dying to know what this whole 'Link-as-a-wolf' think is about. You tell me you're making a Zelda game? I'm in."

　　Greg Mueller, Associate Editor

　　"It's the closest that a Zelda game has really come to re-creating the whole Ocarina of Time feel that everybody loved so much on the Nintendo 64."

　　

Super Mario Strikers (GC)

"One of Next Level Games' goals when developing Super Mario Strikers was to create a sport that would be wholly believable within the context of the Mushroom Kingdom. To that end, matches are played in large stadiums filled with Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants who, at least in the minds of the development team, have stood in line for hours in the hope of getting tickets to see their heroes in action. The heroes in question, of course, are the team captains: Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Peach, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Wario, and Waluigi. Regardless of their relationships in previous Mario games, these eight personalities are bitter rivals when they step onto the field with their respective teams, and you can expect their behavior toward one another to be far more competitive and passionate than in any other game to date."

　　

Yoot Saito's Odama (GC)

"To recap the basic concept, you're playing pinball while tiny soldiers battle it out on the playfield. You're trying to clear a path for a pair of soldiers hauling a giant bell. The goal is to get the guys with the bell to march all the way up the screen and through a gate at the top. You only have seven minutes to accomplish this task, and enemy troops are constantly streaming out of areas near the top of the screen. Slamming your ball--the Odama--into enemy troops wipes them out, and your troops will also get into the action, fighting hand to hand against the enemy."

　　

Chibi-Robo (GC)

"The premise of the game is simple enough. You play as a tiny robot named Chibi. Chibi was purchased as a birthday present for a crazy little girl named Jenny Sanderson, who thinks she's a frog, wears a frog hat, and says little more than"ribbit"unless she's wearing a special frog outfit that makes her gibberish somewhat more coherent. It seems that Jenny's identity issues stem from the fact that things aren't going so well at home. There are a lot of serious undertones here, but the dialogue and characters are so odd and goofy that the game doesn't feel the least bit heavy-handed (at least not in the early parts we played)."

　　

Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

"Animal Crossing: Wild World is probably one of the most anticipated Wi-Fi games for Nintendo's DS system. The popular series, which began on the Nintendo 64 in Japan, quickly caught on with US audiences when it was released on the GameCube in 2002. Although not a traditional sequel, Animal Crossing: Wild World seems poised to offer fans an Animal Crossing experience that actually surpasses the original game. Besides offering fans more of the same awesome non-player-character interaction, character customization, and item collection found in the original game, Wild World will offer the one feature fans have clamored for since the first game: online play via Nintendo's upcoming Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection."

　　

Electroplankton (DS)

"What exactly is Electroplankton? That's a good question. The easy answer is that it's some sort of musical creation-focused nongame. There are 10 different pieces to look at in Electroplankton, and each is focused on letting you create music in a very nontraditional way. Using the DS touch screen (and occasionally the microphone), you'll be able to manipulate different objects to create sounds. There are 10 different electroplankton to choose from, and each one launches a different piece of musical media. Our personal favorite is probably the ninth entry, Beatnes. Beatnes employs sound effects and funky drum tracks from classic NES games, giving you the opportunity to compose little melodies using square waves, triangle waves, and other distinctly 8-bit material, like the sound of the barking dog from Duck Hunt or voice samples from Gyromite."

　　

Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GBA)

"Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Game Boy Advance is a somewhat unconventional tennis game in which you can pit characters from Nintendo's A-list against each other in both singles and doubles matches. In addition, you can name a more generic-looking character of your own for use in the game's world tour mode, which is a role-playing game of sorts with an emphasis on improving your tennis skills through training, practice sessions, and competitive play. We recently had an opportunity to spend some quality time with Mario Tennis: Power Tour, and we can report that we had a 'smashing' time with it."

　　

Final Fantasy IV Advance (GBA)

"Final Fantasy IV, originally released as Final Fantasy II in the US for the Super Nintendo, has long remained a cherished installment among series fans. The GBA version marks the first time we've seen it in handheld form on these shores. The game makes a sharp conversion to the Game Boy Advance with some graphical enhancements and new touches, while keeping intact the classic gameplay, characters, and story. Final Fantasy IV for the GBA looks to be a very worthy version of this classic role-playing game, and those looking for a nice title to warm their handheld system this holiday season should definitely keep their eyes on this release."

　　

Mario Kart DS (DS)

NOTE: This product has already been released, but it will be playable at G.A.M.E."If you've ever been the proud owner of a Nintendo system, or have at least befriended somebody with one, odds are you've encountered a Mario Kart game at some point. The popular racing series, which first appeared on the Super Nintendo in 1992, lets you race your favorite Nintendo characters against each other in karts that can be armed with such devastating weapons as banana peels, opponent-seeking red shells, and opponent-shrinking lightning bolts. Mario Kart DS more closely resembles the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 games than the GameCube version; but, as the first game in the series to boast integrated online play, it also represents a major step forward."

　　

Dr. Mario / Puzzle League (GBA)

　　This new Game Boy Advance compilation offers classic puzzle game action.

　　NOTE: This product has already been released, but it will be playable at G.A.M.E. "In the beginning there was Tetris, and it was good. Actually, it was one of the best games ever. But soon every developer under the sun began to improve on the blocks-falling-from-the-sky puzzle formula, and two of Nintendo's earliest efforts in this vein are now available as a combo cartridge for the unflappable Game Boy Advance. We've gotten some hands-on time with Dr. Mario & Puzzle League to get our old-school puzzle on, and so far this seems like a perfectly serviceable repackaging of two great puzzle-action games, in an easy-to-carry format."

　　

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (DS)

NOTE: This product has already been released, but it will be playable at G.A.M.E. "With Bowser soundly defeated at the end of the last game, peace must have returned to the Mushroom Kingdom...right? Unfortunately for Mario, Peach, and friends, the problems in Partners in Time are brewing in the past, when the plumbers are but wee tykes who haven't even grown into their hats. It seems some funguslike aliens called the shroobs have identified the Mushroom Kingdom as a nice place to live, and they've shown up to take over by force. Thanks to a (mostly) trusty time machine and a whole string of unfortunate circumstances, the grown-up Mario and Luigi end up in the past, helping out their infantile selves in the fight against the shroobs--and occasionally, a whiny little Prince Bowser."

　　

GameSpot Editors Speak

Jason Ocampo, Editor

　　"The first time you look at [Company of Heroes], you tell yourself...dear God, that must be a trailer. But then you realize...oh dear God, it's actually for real. The game just looks incredible."

　　Greg Kasavin, Site Director

　　"We've had all these other Star Wars games where they either take place on the ground or they take place in space, but in every one of those movies...it's all about how those two things happen at the same time and play into each other. And Empire At War looks like it's going to pull that off, as well as just have a bunch of really interesting real-time strategy mechanics."

　　Andrew Park, Senior Editor

　　"Dungeons & Dragons Online is a really interesting game [that's] trying to model itself after the pen-and-paper game. Yes, it has the character sheet stuff; yes, it has strength, dexterity, intelligence...all that stuff. The game actually tries to emphasize role-playing, and skillful play over just playing hour after hour after hour."