So I received two of my three PS2 games from Amazon...alas, still no Grand Theft Auto III. Oh, well. It's no GTA3, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised to see that Batman: Vengeance features 5.1 digital audio (well, in cut-scenes anyway).

• GameSpot has begun their in-depth coverage of Halo with a write-up of the game's enemies, weapons and vehicles.
• With just over two weeks to go, a couple of Xbox-related items are shipping early: MadCatz has just shipped their accessories for the system (as well as their GameCube products), and EA has announced that they are shipping Madden NFL 2002.
• Speaking of EA, they have also announced that Agent Under Fire has gone gold and will be in-stores on November 13th. All of these gold announcements for console titles are very silly, since unlike most PC games, console titles tend to have set-in-stone release dates.
• Cube.IGN continues to milk Rogue Leader for everything they can, with six new movies and 70 new screenshots. At this rate, who needs to actually play the game?
• Also on Cube.IGN tonight is part two of their interview with ATI's Greg Buchner.
• Okay, Twisted Metal for kids? That's just wrong.
• Look out Xbox, playable GameCube kiosks are making their way into Toys R' Us stores.I wonder if they'll crash?

Console Game of the Evening (continuing Milk 'em Till it Hurts week): Bomberman. Don't get me wrong, I love Super Bomberman and a few other games in this franchise, but good lord has Hudson managed to mess things up. Each new Bomberman title that comes out features some sort of platform adventure or RPG gameplay sloshed together with the classic multiplayer action the series is known for.

A little later than usual tonight...I apologize. I am master of many things, but alas, none of them is the New York City subway system.

• This news item at GameSpot caused a stir last night...while SNK has been all but closed down for some time now, it's finally official - the last nail has been driven into the proverbial coffin. Hopefully they'll sell their assets to Capcom or something.
• Also at GameSpot tonight is the first glimpse at SWAT: Global Strike Team, the upcoming Xbox SWAT title from Argonaut, which at one point was known as Kleaners (and had nothing to do with the SWAT franchise).
• Those interested in the GameCube hardware will no doubt be interested in this interview with ATI's Greg Buchner, where he talks about the evolution of the GC's GPU.
• The wacky GameCube title Pikmin is out in Japan, and so detailed previews are making their way online...here are links to the previews at The GIA and Cube.IGN.
• PS2.IGN's review of Tony Hawk 3 is online, and while it's not a perfect 10, at 9.7 it's pretty darn close.
• This may be a sign of desperation, but VM Labs is making their NUON platform open for amateur developers.
• Pocket.IGN has their review of the GBA port of Doom online, and it's pretty favorable.

Console Game of the Evening (continuing Milk 'em Till it Hurts week): MegaMan. I haven't played one of these games since MegaMan 2, but I'm amazed at how many games Capcom has managed to squeeze out of this franchise. Some of the stranger ones include MegaMan Board, a party game, and MegaMan Soccer, which is just too weird for me to grasp.

I had so much fun with the previous week-long LNC special, that I've decided to do it again...today marks the first day of Milk 'em Till it Hurts week. Every day I'll be mentioning another franchise that has been milked beyond comprehension. You think Half-Life's re-releases are bad? You ain't seen nothing yet.

• So, just how good is Tony Hawk 3? According to GameSpot, it's absolutely perfect. I must admit, I've never seen them award a game a 10 before. Never. Nintendo fans will be very happy to hear the game is now scheduled for the GameCube launch.
• Well, they can't all be winners...PSX.IGN has posted a scathing review of Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, the sequel to a game they reviewed quite favorably.
• The Dreamcast version may have been DOA, but at least the Playstation 2 port of Half-Life is going to ship. Soon, in fact, as it has officially gone gold.
• Good news for Castlevania fans: the current word on the street is that the next title in the series will be a 2D title, like the recently released Circle of the Moon, rather than a 3D one like the N64 games, which weren't particularly well received.
• We can all relax now: Parappa the Rapper 2 is coming to America. After SCEA passed on the brilliant Vib Ribbon, this wasn't necessarily a sure thing.
• Cube.IGN has gotten their hands on a final GameCube, and they have posted info galore on what we can expect from the box and the hidden Pikmin demo included with Luigi's Mansion.
• Bizarre news of the evening: supposedly IBM is working on a 1 GB hard drive add-on for the GameCube.There are a few weird things about this story, not the least of which is the "TDK" logo on that add-on. Still, if Nintendo does want to bring the GameCube online eventually, there are worse things than a bundled MicroDrive.

Console Game of the Evening: Dragon's Lair. I'd have to do some serious hunting to verify this, but I'm pretty sure that this is after Tetris (and possibly Pac-Man) the most ported game of all time. Virtually every multimedia platform, successful or not has had a port of Dragon's Lair. Here are some of the more amusing ones: 3DO, CD-I, Jaguar, Game Boy Color (this one is actually pretty cool), Sega CD, NES and DVD-Video.

The reviews that are coming in from Grand Theft Auto 3 really reinforce my decision not to get a new console this year. If the reviews of Tony Hawk 3 and Metal Gear Solid 2 are as good as expected, there's just no denying that Sony has the superior lineup. Next year may be a whole different story, since then the PS2 will be up against second-generation titles, but for now it's just no contest.

• The first screenshot from Sega's Xbox title House of the Dead 3 has been released, and damn does it look good. Let's hope the game actually looks as nice as that screenshot.
• Speaking of the Xbox, Ubi Soft has announced that Loose Cannon, which was at one point a PC title in development at Digital Anvil, has now moved to Microsoft's console. Apparently the game's development costs have already exceeded $5 million.
• More Xbox news: Capcom has revealed the extras in Genma Onimusha, the Xbox version of Onimusha. It's still just a port, but among its new features is support for Dolby 5.1 audio.
• Okay, this is the last Xbox story tonight (promise): a whole lot of media from Dead or Alive 3 is up at Core Magazine.
• More details on TV de Advance, the funky device that lets you play Game Boy Advance titles on your television can be found at Pocket.IGN.
• Over in Japan, Enix has revealed the first Dragon Quest/Warrior title for the GBA. It's a side-story though, not one of the major games in the series.
• The system won't be out yet, but nonetheless, LucasArts has announced their plans to ship Rogue Leader in early November. To tide you over until then, GameSpot has posted new footage from the game.
• Now here's a stellar addition to the GameCube lineup: a game based on CHiPs. I guess it could be worse, they could be making a game based on Dos Mujeres un Camino, Erik Estrada's Mexican soap opera (which I'm ashamed to admit I've watched on multiple occasions).
• Finally tonight, PS2.IGN has some new information and artwork from Soul Calibur 2 online.

Console Game of the Evening: Altered Beast for the Sega Genesis. This was the original pack-in title for Sega's second system, and for better or worse it was nearly arcade-perfect. Over the years I've gone from loving this game to hating it with a passion...but I recently fired it up again and was amazed at how much fun I had with it.

Wow, Halo has gone gold. I still remember fondly my first supersecret look at the game back at E3 1999. All I was shown was the rolling landscape, the jeep (with physics) and some character animation, but good lord was it ever impressive. Since then the game switched to a first person perspective and became an Xbox launch title, but I'm still looking forward to getting my hands on it. Congrats to Bungie...now get cracking on the PC/Mac port.

• At the recent Tokyo Motor Show (a strange place to unveil a video game) Polyphony Digital announced Gran Turismo Concept, a spin-off of the Gran Turismo series that features "concept" cars. Note that this isn't GT4 - it's a budget priced title.
• A preview of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for the Game Boy Color is up at Pocket.IGN. Unfortunately this is a GBC game, not a GBA title - that version won't be out until 2002. I guess there's still a lot of money to be made off the original Game Boy.
• Wanna see something awesome? Check out this footage from Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within running in real-time on a GeForce 3.
• Also very impressive is this direct-feed copy of the new Xenosaga trailer. A summary for those unable to tolerate the extremely slow download can be found at The GIA.
• Chalk up another great review for Grand Theft Auto 3. GameSpot gave the game a 9.6. They say the game, "shouldn't be missed by anyone mature enough to handle it."
• Also at GameSpot tonight are some new details from Final Fantasy XI.
• Hey look - that silly Shenmue: The Movie thing is coming out on DVD in Japan. This "movie" is just a compilation of cut-scenes, complete with horrible English voiceovers and Japanese subtitles.

Console Game of the Evening: Adventure for the Atari 2600. Man, I loved this game as a kid. It was so simple that it could easily be remade on most cell-phones, but I used to play this thing over and over again. Adventure fun fact: you can pick up the sword backwards...it looks very odd to see a dot fighting a dragon with a cross.

I must say that I'm enjoying Silent Hill 2 quite a bit...although I do have some advice: don't shoot the girl who follows you! I lost an hour of gameplay because I did that by accident the other day.

• This sounds like shocking news, but in fact it's really quite positive...Sega has announced that they will be charging a $9.95 flat rate for access to their SegaNet gaming service. Considering that they were already charging Phantasy Star Online v2 gamers for just that game, $10 a month is pretty reasonable for every online game they offer.
• It's more of a novelty than anything else, but nonetheless, Sony will be bringing their Linux PS2 kit to the US (as well as the rest of the world) following their Japanese release earlier this year.
• The GIA has a whole bunch of new shots from Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet online this evening.
• The first details from the Xbox port of Silent Hill 2 can be found at GameSpot. I really hope they don't make the game super anti-aliased...I really like the gritty look of the PS2 version.
• Also at GameSpot tonight are a ton of shots from the North American version of Final Fantasy X.

Console Game of the Evening: Rampart for the SNES, Lynx and Genesis. This is a great original strategy game from Atari that is great on all three of those platforms. The 8-bit versions (for the Game Boy/Color and NES) aren't bad, but these three are far better and worth tracking down.

Did anyone else notice that the GameCube launch date falls on a Sunday? What's up with that? On the plus side, I guess if you're going to stand outside a store until midnight, at least it's a Saturday...but this means that anyone having theirs delivered won't actually get it until Monday. Odd.

• Chalk up another A+ game for the PS2...IGN has reviewed Grand Theft Auto III...and surprise! They love it.
• An in-depth preview of Dead or Alive 3 is up at GameSpot this evening. This preview confirms that the actual fighting engine is basically the same as DOA2. That's a real disappointment to me, since I thought DOA2 was a pretty lackluster fighting game (albeit a very pretty one).
• Also at GameSpot are the first high-resolution screenshots from Suikoden III, the first PS2 installment of this RPG series.
• You knew it was going to happen eventually...Britney Spears is headed for the Game Boy Advance. Anyone want to guess what kind of game it will be? (Turn-based strategy maybe?)
• More Dead or Alive 3 news for you: footage of the game from the recent Tokyo Game Show can be found at Core Magazine, along with new shots from Tekken Advance..

Console Game of the Evening: Suikoden for the PSOne. This ain't Final Fantasy VI, but it is a fun console RPG, with an astonishing number of potential party members (so many it gets confusing at times) and a great soundtrack. Another plus: I picked this game up for under $4 a while back at an Electronics Boutique.

If you hurry (really - go NOW) you can reserve a GameCube at EBGames.com. These will likely run out within the next 12 hours, so go while you still can!

• Those lucky dogs at Xbox.IGN have a final version of Halo, and they have posted a write-up of the game's vehicular action. Accompanying the article are a slew of gameplay movies, although you'll need to be an IGN Insider subscriber to watch some (but not all) of them.
• More Xbox fun at IGN tonight: they also have posted their impressions of Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Project Gotham Racing.
• Bad news for Jedi Knight fans...New Legends, the Xbox-exclusive that's the first game to come out of Justin Chin's Infinite Machine has been pushed into next year.
• A new preview of the PS2 port of No One Lives Forever is up at GameSpot.
• No surprises here: a survey of retailers says that they predict Sony to be the big winner this holiday season. If nothing else, the PS2 may win because it may be the only one they have in stock!
• One last GameSpot item tonight: they have new details up from Final Fantasy XI. Nothing too exciting, just another assurance that it will have a storyline.
• Core Magazine has the full Xbox trailer from the Tokyo Game Show available for download, as well as full details on the Japanese release of Matsushita's "Q" hybrid DVD/GameCube system.

Console Game of the Evening (concluding our Dreamcast week): Crazy Taxi for the Dreamcast. Let's face it - this ain't Zelda. But it is a whole ton of fun, or at least it is once you turn off that obnoxious soundtrack, anyway.

Can you believe we're just a month away from the launch of the new consoles? After giving my pre-order options one last glance, I've decided that the week of November 12th, I will be purchasing Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. We'll see what the supply is like for these new systems after I'm finished with that.

• This shouldn't come as any surprise, but according to PS2.IGN, Sony's delaying their PS2 network adapter into next year. Don't worry about Tony Hawk 3, that supports standard USB modems and ethernet adapters regardless.
• Also at PS2.IGN tonight is the box art from the PS2 port of Deus Ex.
• It's no longer a launch (or even 2001) title, but nonetheless Cube.IGN has posted another of their Eternal Darkness movies, featuring footage from the game along with commentary from the developers.
• Here's some more information on TV de Advance, the product coming out in Asia that lets you play Game Boy Advance games on your television.
• Here's another positive review of Devil May Cry, this time over at GameSpot.
• Also at GameSpot are a few news items of note: an update on Project Ego, the ambitious Xbox RPG from Blue Box and Lionhead, word that a GameCube-based arcade board is in development and the first screenshots from NovaLogic's new Comanche title for the Xbox.

Console Game of the Evening (continuing our Dreamcast week): House of the Dead 2 for the Dreamcast. Okay, so it's got some of the worst dialogue, plot and voice acting of any game I've ever played. If you can get past that, you'll have an awesome time with this one, especially when playing with a friend.

I picked up a Sony Clié PDA last week, and I have to say...the front-lit screen (which features 16-bit color in 320x240 resolution) totally puts the Game Boy Advance to shame, and the sound chip is a wonder as well. It got me thinking...Sony could make one amazing handheld console if they wanted to. Think about it...use a modified PSOne chipset, use Memory Sticks as game carts, and include some of the display/sound tech from their PDA. Throw in a rechargeable battery and you've got a system that blows the GBA out of the water. Of course, the thing would probably cost $200 or $300, which would probably make it dead on arrival.

• We already reported on the European Xbox launch date earlier, but also unveiled at Microsoft's X01 Europe show was BC, an upcoming prehistoric Xbox-exclusive title from one of the Lionhead satellite developers.
• GameSpot has posted the first in-game screenshots to be released from Medal of Honor: Frontline, the PS2 continuation of this FPS series.
• The reviews of Devil May Cry are coming in, and if this one at PS2.IGN is any indication, it's a winner indeed.
• The GIA has their hands-on impressions of Square's Kingdom Hearts up, looking at this oddball Disney RPG which uses a bizarre menu-driven combat scheme.
• Did you pre-order a GameCube at EB yesterday? If not, you're out of luck, as they are no longer taking orders.
• Malice: Kat's Tale has been formally announced by Sierra, the game's new publisher. You may remember Malice as being one of the very first Xbox games to be shown. Since then it has been announced that it will appear on other platforms as well.

Console Game of the Evening (continuing our Dreamcast week): Skies of Arcadia for the Dreamcast. While this isn't the greatest RPG ever made, it is one of the best looking, and if it weren't for the relentless random battles (which seem to exceed those of even the Final Fantasy games), it would be up there with Panzer Dragoon Saga and Phantasy Star.

To mourn the coming demise of the system, this week is Dreamcast Week here at LNC. Each night I'll be choosing a DC game those looking for a cheap thrill this holiday season should look into (note that since Shenmue and Soul Calibur were already games of the evening they will not be included - but don't skip either of those!).

• Getting back to actual news, GameSpot has posted a direct-feed copy of the Metal Gear Solid 2 trailer from last weekend's Tokyo Game Show. And hey! Guess what was picked as IGN's "Best of Show" at TGS?
• PS2.IGN has posted a direct feed version of the Xenosaga trailer, but for some inane reason they've split it up into little parts, with no larger option available for the bandwidth exceptional.
• File this one under major rumors...according to GameCube 101, the latest issue of Total Gamer says that Digital Extremes is working on a first person shooter for the GC (thanks Jehan). The obvious guess of course would be that it's a port of Unreal Championship.
• Speaking of Nintendo's GameCube, EBGames opened up their pre-orders for the system today. And let me just say...after looking over their bundles, I'm really glad I decided to just buy PS2 games this season. For more GameCube fun, check out the TV commercials posted at Cube.IGN.
• A handy article for those planning on importing the European version of Shenmue II is up at Dreamcast.IGN. It addresses the PAL/NTSC issue, which is a major concern of mine.
• Pocket.IGN attended TGS, and they have posted a video of the Sonic Advance/Sonic Adventure 2 Battle connection, as well as a hands-on report of Pinball of the Dead (complete with video footage).
• TGS offered attendees the first glimpse at some planned Xbox peripherals, including an Arcade Stick and Racing Wheel from Microsoft. Core Magazine was in attendance, and they have some pictures of them online.
• Good news for Microsoft: it looks like Japanese gamers and press are finally starting to take the Xbox seriously. If the Xbox succeeds in Japan, it's a great thing for those of us that enjoy mostly Japanese console games.
• And finally, this new controller from ASCII is really freaky. I think I need one.

Console Game of the Evening: Rayman 2: The Great Escape for the Dreamcast. In many ways this is a Mario wannabe, but some of the environments are so original that it's really a joy from start to finish.

I'm simply stunned by Sega's decision not to release Shenmue II for the Dreamcast in the US (see story earlier today, or this one at Xbox.IGN). Does Microsoft really believe for half a second that the Xbox is competing with the Dreamcast? Assuming I can find a way around the PAL/NTSC thing, you can bet I'll be importing the European DC version of Shenmue II (which will of course be in English) as soon as possible.

• If you're willing to stomach it, Dreamcast.IGN spoke with Sega of America's Charles Bellfield about their decision to can Shenmue II.
• Moving on, a teaser trailer for Sega's new Xbox Panzer Dragoon title is up at GameSpot. Unfortunately it only features concept artwork, but hey...that's Panzer Dragoon concept art!
• Also at GameSpot are hands-on impressions of Dead or Alive 3, Gunvalkyrie, Xenosaga, Jet Set Radio Future, Kingdom Hearts, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Suikoden III,and Star Ocean 3. I'm sure I'm leaving out something, so check out their full TGS coverage for more.
• IGN has some major coverage of their own, with movies, screenshots and hands-on impressions from Virtua Fighter 4, Metal Gear Solid 2, the unfortunately-titled Grandia Xtreme, Wild Arms 3, Space Channel 5 Part 2(complete with Michael Jackson footage), Xenosaga, Kingdom Hearts, Armored Core 3, Jet Set Radio Future, Double S.T.E.A.L., Maximum Chase and the Japanese Xbox controller, which really does seem to be vastly superior to its American counterpart.
• For lots more TGS coverage, swing by Core Magazine and The GIA, both of whom have been updating regularly with new screenshots and information.
• Now here's some good news...Cube.IGN is reporting that Ubi Soft has decided to bump Batman: Vengeance for the GameCube up to a November release date.
• Also at Cube.IGN is a "money video" from Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and new shots from Resident Evil.
• Ten new shots from Halo are up at Team Xbox, which are in the standard TV resolution of 640x480.
• And finally,

Console game of the evening: In honor of the disturbing news that its sequel won't be released in America (at least not for the Dreamcast anyway), Shenmue. This game is a flawed masterpiece...it's wonderful in so many ways, and still in the end, it only feels like the prologue to a much, much, much larger story.

As I'm uncharacteristically sober tonight, here's a rare Thursday LNC. The Tokyo Game Show is just getting underway, so it's a good idea for me to get this stuff up now so I don't bombard you tomorrow.

• The most exciting news of the evening is this movie at PS2.IGN, which features the first actual gameplay footage to be released from Square's Final Fantasy XI.
• Other stuff at PS2.IGN tonight: a new preview of Agent Under Fire, complete with gameplay movies, a gameplay movie from Kingdom Hearts, a look at Space Channel 5 Part 2, a tour of Sega's TGS booth, and over at PSX.IGN, a look at the PSOne version of Dragon Quest IV.
• Great news for Sega fans: Sega and THQ have announced a publishing deal for the Game Boy Advance. Okay, that's not too exciting, but what is exciting is the news that the Sega Smash Pack will be released for the GBA.
• On a related note, The GIA has a new preview of Shining Soul online, featuring the first screenshots from the game.
• Xbox.IGN has posted new screenshots from Soul Calibur 2, as well as a trailer for the Xbox port of Max Payne.

Console game of the evening: Aliens vs. Predator for the Atari Lynx. If you're scratching your head in bewilderment, don't worry, you didn't miss it. This game was never released, but if this glimpse at a prototype at Atari HQ is any indication, it would have been a lot of fun.

Is it just me, or are those fruity PS2s really ugly? (See below)

• Sony has announced that they will be releasing a limited number of Playstation 2s in five fruity colors. Let's just hope they don't decide to make more of them.
• Now here's some great news...GameSpot is reporting that Sega is working on Shining Soul, a revival of their Shining series of RPGs for the Game Boy Advance, complete with four player co-op. I'd prefer they bring back the classic Phantasy Star, but this is pretty cool nonetheless.
• Also at GameSpot is a new preview of New Legends, complete with new media and quotes from designer Justin Chin.
• A list of contributors to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 soundtrack is up at PS2.IGN.
• I don't think it was ever doubted that the game would make the GameCube's November launch, but regardless, LucasArts has announced that Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II has gone gold.
• In other GameCube news, Planet GameCube has conducted a Q&A with Denis Dyack of Silicon Knights, who explains why their upcoming title Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem was delayed into 2002.
• Also at PGC is a report on Electronics Boutique's GameCube pre-order plans that will go into effect on Monday the 15th. Apparently you'll be required to get a third party controller as part of their bundle (what's up with that?).

Console game of the evening: In honor of tonight's announcement of the series' revival, Shining Force for the Sega Genesis (also available for the Dreamcast as part of the Sega Smash Pack). This is a wonderful strategy RPG, but boy can it be frustratingly difficult.

Sony buys into Square, huh? Have to admit, I didn't see that one coming.

• Jack's update earlier was a good description of the scope of the whole Sony/SquareSoft deal, but I do have one thing to add...according to this story at GameSpot (as well as other stories elsewhere) this deal will not prohibit Square from making games for other platforms. As an example of this within Sony right now, they are working on an upcoming WonderSwan Color title, and Sony Online has hinted that EverQuest may appear on non-Sony consoles in the future.
• For more on the Sony/Square deal, check out this Square/Sony Q&A that has been translated ove at Video Senki.
• Doom Center has posted the box art for the soon-to-be-released Game Boy Advance port of Doom, and surprise! It looks like every other release of the game.
• Cube.IGN has posted the latest changes in the GameCube release list, with Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet now listed as March 25, 2002.
• Hmm...Capcom may have a secret GameCube title in development. Wonder if it's a fighting game...
• Elsewhere at IGN they have posted a hands-on preview of No One Lives Forever for the Playstation 2. If it's half as much fun as the PC version (and since it's a port that's probably what it'll be) it'll still be loads of fun.
• Digital Extremes has posted another of their Unreal Championship updates (thanks Team Xbox).
• Speaking of Team Xbox, check out this list of actors who will be featured in SSX Tricky. That + real-time DTS may be cool, but it's still not enough for me to bother buying the game all over again.

Console game of the evening: Pokemon for the Game Boy Color. Yeah, I know you're probably sick of this damn franchise by now, but at its heart lies a remarkably fun and original console RPG. It ain't Final Fantasy, but it is worth picking up if you have a Game Boy system.

I'm just about done with my holiday console guide. Look for it soon...but be warned - it's a big one. I've tried to make it as comprehensive as possible, so it covers all the major platforms with tons of info to help you decide which (if any) is for you.

• Well here's some disappointing news...the GameCube survival horror title Eternal Darkness has been pushed back into next year. Oh, well.
• Speaking of the GameCube, Amazon sold out of their pre-order supply in all of five minutes.
• PS2.IGN has updated their preview of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance with new details on the game's background story.
• SquareSoft has signed a deal with HP for the network backbone of their upcoming massively multiplayer RPG Final Fantasy XI.
• Here's Xbox.IGN's list of the titles they're looking forward to seeing at this year's Fall Tokyo Game Show. Is it just me, or is that a really weak line-up? Actually, I guess it's not just me - according to Core Magazine, there are over four times as many Playstation 2 games that will be on display than Xbox. But that's still twice as many for the Xbox than the GameCube.
• Also at Core Magazine are new shots from Dark Arena, Majesco's upcoming first person shooter for the Game Boy Advance.
• Team Xbox has posted links to new gameplay footage from Star Wars: Obi Wan.

Console game of the evening: Wipeout XL for the Playstation. Tekno-driving perfection, this is one of the games that got me to buy a PSX, and is still my favorite racing game of all-time.

I've only played about 20 minutes of Silent Hill 2, but already it's scared the crap out of me. I'm really looking forward to spending more time with it this weekend.

• If you still aren't convinced that Rogue Leader is going to be one amazing game, the new gameplay movie at Cube.IGN might just change your mind (or...it might not).
• Over at GameSpot they have posted some new gameplay movies from Capcom vs. SNK 2, the sequel to the fighting game fanboy's dream come true.
• Some new shots from the Resident Evil GameCube remake are up at Cube.IGN.
• Pocket.IGN has a pair of handheld fighting stories up...the first is a news item reporting that the upcoming Mortal Kombat Advance will be a port of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and the second is their hands-on preview of Tekken Advance.
• According to Core Magazine, the Xbox will have built-in parental lockout controls.
• Also at Core is word that Todd McFarlane will be contributing characters to the Xbox Shrek game. I guess now that his $3 million baseball is worthless and his designs for Ultima Online 2 were scrapped he can use the extra work.
• The GIA has posted an interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi of SquareSoft. This interview deals with the Final Fantasy movie, but it was conducted before the announcement that Square was leaving the movie business, so it's a little weird to read now.
• Also at The GIA is the happy news that Golden Sun, the first full-fledged RPG for the Game Boy Advance (which was made by some of the Shining Force development team) will be released on November 12th.
• And finally, congrats to Nintendojo, which turned five this week. Not too many sites live to see that milestone.

Console game of the evening: Custer's Revenge for the Atari 2600. This once-in-a-lifetime gaming experience has no equal, as it was an X-rated 2600 game. Suffice to say, it's a total novelty, and shouldn't be considered in any way as a serious game.

I've been working on my Console Wars 2001 guide...look for it to arrive next week, complete with a rundown of the major platforms for this holiday season, and my thoughts on this year's battle of the consoles.

• More craziness from SquareSoft: they have announced that they are working on an entirely new series of RPGs based on Final Fantasy: Unlimited, the upcoming Final Fantasy anime series. No platform has been chosen, but the games will be overseen by Akitoshi Kawazu, the director of the SaGa titles.
• Cube.IGN attended the Nintendo Gamers Summit, and they have posted their impressions of Eternal Darkness and Tony Hawk 3 based on what they saw there.
• As noted in this story at Xbox.IGN (which contains plenty of images), Microsoft Japan has unveiled their first batch of Xbox titles. Games like Jockey's Road, an equestrian RPG will really help me appreciate the system's lack of territorial lockout.
• Despite Sony's repeated statements to the contrary, analysts are still predicting that Sony will drop the price of the Playstation 2 in America.
• The official Xbox site has posted a gameplay movie from Project Gotham Racing, the photorealistic launch title from Bizarre Creations (thanks Team Xbox).

Console game of the evening: Chrono Trigger for the Super NES (also available for the PSOne as Final Fantasy Chronicles, along with Final Fantasy IV). I'm not as big a fan of this game as some are (I found the plot and characters to be a little thin) but there's no denying that it's a brilliantly crafted game, with a great soundtrack and some fun branches in the storyline.

Good news for those that really, really don't want an Xbox but still want the new Sam & Max game: the official Infinite Machine site says it's in development for "next gen consoles." Note the plural there.

• Can't say this is too surprising: according to Video Senki, Square has closed down their movie studio, after Final Fantasy failed to do any better in Japan than it did here in the US.
• One thing Square is actually moving ahead with is their Disney RPG Kingdom Hearts, and new shots from the game (scanned from a Japanese magazine) are up at The GIA.
• Here are some screenshots from Pinball of the Dead, Sega's latest crack-addled entry in their House of the Dead franchise.
• Cube.IGN has posted the Japanese commercial for Pikmin, the upcoming GameCube game which could quite possibly be Miyamoto's strangest to date.
• Halo.Bungie.org has a new screenshot from Halo online, which is available in several super high-resolution versions, none of which are 640x480, which is of course the resolution the Xbox version will run in when viewed on a standard television.
• Pocket.IGN has reviewed Final Fight One, the handheld version of a franchise nobody expected to see again.
• The official WRATH site has gone live, featuring tons of screenshots from this Xbox title from The Collective (who are also making Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the console).
• Warren Spector sent an update on the PS2 port of Deus Ex around to a few sites...here it is at GameSpot.
• Also at GameSpot is an update on Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II, which is a lock for the American GameCube launch.

Console game of the evening: Panzer Dragoon Saga for the Sega Saturn. Is this the greatest RPG ever made? Yes. Yes it is.