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Although we haven't usually much time for third party peripherals (just as they haven't much for us before they die irreparably in a wince-making pile of unreliability), 4Gamers managed to tickle our fancy with a new range of wireless controllers this morning. In the absence of decent radio-based wireless controllers for PS2 and GameCube at the moment (due on the one hand to an inexplicable desire to use IR, and on the other to a platform holder's tardiness), these pads in the "PlayFree" range, which operate on the 2.4GHz radio frequency and boast a range of 10 metres are something of an unexpected blessing. With the usual perks like switchable modulation to allow for multiple pads and included batteries, they seem like the perfect toy. And not content with that, they get one up on Nintendo's WaveBird by including vibration motor functions, although whether or not this chews up battery life to extent Nintendo said it would remains to be seen.

The Teenage Mutant Hero Ninja Turtles (yes, we know what a goddamn ninja is, thank you) are heading back to the gaming arena, courtesy of Konami. In an announcement made after we went to bed last night, the current rights-holder for the series, Mirage Licensing, is said to have granted Konami exclusive permission to develop and publish games worldwide based on the upcoming American animated series. This isn't the first time Konami has sunk its teeth into the Ninja Turtles. During the 80s and early 90s, Konami shipped a total of more than a dozen games based on the mutated martial artists and accumulated a pool (or soup, perhaps) of nearly $250m. The first games based on the rejuvenated franchise are due to arrive in time for Christmas 2003. The TV series upon which they will be loosely based will start showing on US screens this Saturday, September 14th. Depending on its success, it should be all over the globe by the time the games arrive.

Stealth shooter IGI 2: Covert Strike has received a realism boost in the shape of former SAS operative Chris Ryan, who has become the military consultant to the game, which is due out on PC this November. The chances are you recognise the name but can't place it, which is probably about right for a stealthy SAS operative. Chris Ryan is famed for his involvement in a botched eight-man operation behind enemy lines during The Gulf War, Bravo Two Zero. He later recounted the details of his escape in his book, The One That Got Away, and went on to become a best-selling author with a number of books to his name at the time of writing. Chris' input into IGI 2 will be to advise developer Inner Loop on the accuracy of the game's covert tactics and 30-plus arsenal of weapons. Chris will also front a series of videos providing tactical advice, presumably in-game. Related Feature - IGI 2: Covert Strike screenshots

This year's Tokyo Game Show runs from September 20th to 22nd, and it seems that by reducing the show to a single, annual appearance, the organisers have once again attracted a huge number of key titles. The show now even rivals E3 for sheer volume, and seems no less relevant to Western gamers.

Electronic Arts have officially announced the existence of Xbox and GameCube versions of Medal of Honor Frontline, and in addition to the widely respected single player adventure the team behind the ports will be chucking in a 2-4 player split-screen deathmatch mode. EA has promised the games "this fall" in the US, a curious period which straddles autumn and winter in these climes, and we'd expect to see it over here in the spring. There would be little point in EA's throwing it into the already packed winter schedule this year. EA has also released a number of screenshots of the Xbox and Cube ports, including a couple of Xbox shots which showcase the multiplayer aspect. The screen is split horizontally, and the level of detail in these shots alone is arguably on a par with, if not superior to the PS2 version. Related Feature - Medal of Honor: Frontline review (PS2)

British developer Rare, the legendary studio founded by the Stamper brothers, is thought to have been bought by Microsoft in a deal worth between £250 million and £350 million - with an official announcement expected at X02 in Seville later this month. The studio, which has traditionally been seen as one of Nintendo's leading second-party development houses - producing key titles for the N64 such as Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie and Jet Force Gemini - is currently working on Starfox Adventures for the GameCube, and the production of that title is thought to be unaffected by the deal. The future of Rare's other GameCube titles, however, is uncertain. Many of them may make the transition to the Xbox - with the forthcoming Perfect Dark 2 expected to be an Xbox exclusive title, for one. Work on the company's Game Boy Advance titles is likely to continue unaffected, as Microsoft has already indicated a willingness to co-develop titles for that platform. The strongest confirmation of the deal yet has come from sources within the company, who told us that employees were notified of the deal in the past fortnight. The Stamper family has made its intentions to leave the games industry clear for around two years, but a rumoured sale to Activision fell through when the number two publisher baulked at the asking price of the studio. Nintendo is a major shareholder in Rare, owning approximately 49 per cent of the company; it's thought that it will be selling its stake to Microsoft as part of the deal. Rare's relationship with the Japanese platform holder has cooled significantly over the past few years, particularly due to the recent departure of long-time allies within Nintendo such as Howard Lincoln. Having persuaded vital Japanese giants such as Sega, Namco, Square and Capcom to develop for the Cube, Rare's importance to Nintendo has diminished greatly, and the lure of Microsoft's greenbacks seems to have been enough to convince them to part with their stake in the studio.

Think "Tecmo" and what comes to mind? Own up, I know exactly what you thought; you thought "boobies", and you were quite right. Tecmo will forever be known for their pneumatic fighting series Dead or Alive and little else, and it's a myth they seem only too keen to perpetuate with their forthcoming contender for most gratuitous game of all time, Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. And if you're struggling to think of what else they've made, it's hardly a surprise - but their latest release, arriving via French publisher Wanadoo, shows that this is a team that knows how to thrill in more ways than one.

Wolfpack's entry in the ever expanding massively multiplayer role-playing genre has been held back until some time next year. According to a post on the game's official website, Shadowbane will no longer be released in November as previously planned, with the company deciding "to extend the beta test through the holiday season" in an effort to make sure that the final product offers "the best possible game and service experience" for players. In the meantime, beta testers can look forward to a new version in the near future which will feature "a number of long-awaited enhancements". Although Shadowbane is rather primitive looking in terms of its visuals at this stage, the underlying gameplay does bring something new to the genre. There's a greater focus on strategic elements than in most games of its ilk, with player guilds able to control sections of the game world and construct temples, fortifications and other buildings. Of course, the bad news is that this side of the game only really comes into play once you've spent many hours building up your character with more traditional adventuring and hack and slash levelling in true MMRPG fashion, but at least there's the potential of a more interesting experience for high level gamers than simply bashing ever more powerful monsters. Related Feature - Shadowbane screenshots

Audio has always been a strong point of the Grand Theft Auto games, with a range of in-car radio stations on offer featuring all kinds of music, surreal chatter, outrageous jingles and bizarre adverts. Fans will be glad to hear then that GTA Vice City is promising more of the same, with over eighty bands set to be included in the game. Big names that have been revealed so far include Blondie, Judas Priest, Kool And The Gang, Grandmaster Flash and .. er .. Flock Of Seagulls. All of which should help players get into that authentic 1980s vibe. And for those of you who just can't let go, Rockstar are teaming up with Sony Music to release no less than seven Vice City soundtrack albums, featuring all the songs you were tired of twenty years ago. Probably. Each album is based on a different radio station from the game, covering everything from hip-hop and heavy metal to soul and pop ballads. "The Grand Theft Auto franchise has always broken the boundaries of what videogame soundtracks can be, and Rockstar Games, along with Sony Music and Epic Records, have set a new standard with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City", Rockstar's COO Terry Donovan is quoted as saying. "The Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack albums will arguably represent the most diverse, extraordinary and innovative collection of music ever assembled for any piece of entertainment - whether it be video games, television or feature films. Every track was lovingly and laboriously chosen to reflect the vast array of 80's musical styles and create the perfect audio landscape for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City." Here in Europe we should get to hear the benefits of that loving at the tail end of October. Related Feature - GTA Vice City screenshots

London-based developer Asylum Entertainment has built up a reputation over the last four years for its TV tie-ins, covering everything from Galidor and Cubix to Walking With Dinosaurs and Dr Who. Recently they've moved into developing original games as well though, with the Victorian horror adventure game Curse: The Eye Of Isis due out through Wanadoo towards the end of this year. And today the lid comes off their biggest project to date - Kid Ninja. By day Jet is just another boy, but by night he becomes Kid Ninja, using his Ninjitsu skills to save the world from the evil Raging Dragon spirits, aided only by his magical stuffed toy Kuma. Set for release on all three console systems, Kid Ninja features a mixture of colourful cartoon graphics and fast moving martial arts mayhem as you guide the eponymous masked hero in his battle against evil. The whole thing has a very angular, stylised look to it which is quite eye-catching, and if the gameplay is half as fun as the trailer Asylum could be on to a winner. The game is just part of the package though - Asylum are promising a "gripping storyline" which will cross over into TV, film and comic books, with music, action figures and toys all in the works as well. It's certainly an ambitious concept, reversing Asylum's normal habit of building games around existing TV series by creating an entire new franchise from scratch, stretching from game to cartoon to comic book. It's perhaps no surprise then that Kid Ninja isn't due to arrive until the spring of 2004, giving Asylum plenty of time to polish all the various components. While you're waiting though, we have the first in-game screenshots, renders and concept art from the Kid Ninja game for you, as well as a great two minute trailer in bandwidth-saving DivX format, which should give you some idea of what to expect. To view the trailer, simply right click on the link and download the file to your hard drive. Related Feature - Kid Ninja screenshots and art

The London Underground comes in for a lot of flak, but although we're used to hearing about overcrowding, wonky escalators and late running services, it's not often that it's blamed for bringing about the end of the world. Reign Of Fire is a bit unusual then, starting with work on a new section of the Tube waking hibernating dragons, who proceed to take over the Earth and eat lots of young maidens. Probably.

The GameCube control pad just wasn't built for 2D beat 'em ups. Take a look at the directional pad - it was built to be treated like a second set of individual buttons, pretty much the way it been treated so far. Then there are the four main face buttons, which are clustered for simple control systems, not attacks and blocks arranged by force and limb. And despite the developer's best efforts to the contrary, Capcom Vs. SNK 2 EO never really feels right.

CDV have confirmed that American Conquest will be available in the UK some time early in 2003. Developed in Ukraine by GSC Game World, it's a follow-up to their real-time strategy epic Cossacks, but with the action (fairly obviously) transplanted to the New World. Players will get the chance to take control of the destinies of twelve nations, ranging from English, French and Spanish colonists to Mayan, Sioux and Aztec natives, with over a hundred units and buildings between them. As Cossacks fans would expect, the game features warfare on a truly mind-boggling scale, with up to 16,000 individual units in a single map and battlefields that can stretch across six hundred screens at 1024x768 (that's almost 472 million pixels, fact spotters). All of the advanced multiplayer features introduced in the Cossacks expansion packs should find their way into the new game as well, with support for eight player online and LAN battles, complete with in-game alliances, as well as a global ranking system to keep track of your progress. Needless to say, this is one we're looking forward to. Related Feature - American Conquest screenshots

Datel's Freeloader is still a short way off, despite recent claims to the contrary. We're aware that just a few weeks ago we highlighted a "dead cert Friday, August 23rd release date," but how prophetic we were when we said "the cautious amongst you ought not to chuck out your Japanese and US Cubes just yet." As a number of people have pointed out, Datel's website now states that the project is in the late stages of development... something of a step back from the brink of distribution, but we are still clinging onto the possibility of having it by the end of September. Those of you itching to play Super Mario Sunshine ahead of its October 4th European release date, or Super Monkey Ball 2, or any of a number of high profile US releases we haven't had yet, should keep an eye on Datel's Codejunkies.com website for more information. It would be worth doing so, because we don't plan to mention Freeloader again until it rests snugly in our GameCubes and in a place where you, the ever-patient public, can buy it.

PlayStation 2 motorbike racing game Riding Spirits should be arriving in Europe later this month, courtesy of BAM! With two hundred bikes to ride, including as-yet unreleased models from the likes of Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki, it should prove a hit with motorbike nuts if nothing else. Even your riding suits and bike parts are fully licensed, with the credits you earn in tournament races used to customise your vehicle with new engines, mufflers, tyres, mirrors, headlights and other bits and bobs. Reviews from the US (where the game is already available) have been somewhat mixed, but hopefully we'll have a clearer idea of how it shapes up soon. In the meantime, we have four brand new (if rather low resolution) screenshots of the game for you to squint at. Related Feature - Riding Spirits screenshots

Blizzard have always said that they were going to be tough on people using cheats and hacks to gain an unfair advantage in Warcraft III multiplayer matches. Exactly how tough was revealed on Friday night, when the company announced that it has closed down some 20,000 user accounts to date. All of the offenders (who were caught using map hacks) had their ladder records wiped and were banned from playing any more ladder games with that CD key for two weeks. Although the cheaters could still play non-ladder matches through the service, Blizzard are promising that repeat offenders' CD keys will be permanently banned from Battle.net if they continue using hacks. So don't do it - cheating ruins everyone else's enjoyment of the game, and you could end up black listed if you're caught doing it persistently. Related Feature - Warcraft III review

Having enjoyed the PC version of Commandos 2 so much last year, I've been eagerly awaiting the PlayStation 2 version, if only to see what Pyro could achieve within the limitations of the hardware. And with support for keyboard and mouse, this needn't be any less significant than its PC forefather, right? Right?

Aggressive Inline impressed us by coupling its shamefaced mimicry of Tony Hawk with a laundry list of changes we'd hoped to find in the great Birdman's fourth iteration due out later this year. Although it suffered from a few control issues here and there, and didn't push the envelope graphically, it did introduce a progressive, experience points-based reward structure. It also packed each of its enormous levels with fiendish tasks, not to mention eye-catching and occasionally dynamic design.

Given how much hype TOCA Race Driver has enjoyed during its relatively short spell of 15 months in development, I doubt many of you are coming to this review ignorant of the premise or confused by the concept. Nevertheless, those of you as-yet uninitiated need remember only two things: this is the sequel to those rightly revered TOCA games on the PlayStation, and this time it's found a plot.

Bethesda have confirmed that work is underway on an expansion pack for their epic role-playing game Morrowind. Subtitled Tribunal, the add-on slots into the original game, allowing you to take part in its quests at any point in the main adventure. New features include the city of Mournhold, where you can meet the god-kings Almalexia and Sotha Sil, two members of the eponymous Tribunal, as well as new monsters, weapons, armour and dungeons. Best of all, the expansion will make some much needed improvements to the journal, which was one of the major weakpoints of the original game. Players will henceforth be able to sort journal entries by quest and filter out active or completed quests, which should make keeping track of the dozens of jobs available to you that much easier. Tribunal will be released in November, with Ubi Soft once again handling European distribution for the title. We're already stroking our beards in anticipation. Related Feature - Morrowind review

Are you stuck at the office on this fine evening, with nothing to do but lament the passing of time as you perform some menial task, which could quite clearly wait until Monday? Want something to alleviate the boredom and revitalise your deflated cerebrum? Fortunately, Eidos has just the tonic for your poor, neglected soul, in the shape of a lively TimeSplitters 2 trailer just released today on their website. This 31.4MB monster is also available in a streamable version, suitable for modem and broadband users, from the very same location. As they rightly point out, TS2 is one of this autumn's most eagerly anticipated shooters, and as they also rightly point out, this video reinforces the point. If you haven't played TimeSplitters 2 yet (the demo was available in goodie bags at PlayStation Experience, and sits on the cover of the latest Official PS2 Magazine here in the UK), then all you need to know can be uncovered in our hands-on preview of the game from earlier this year. What this video does is introduce us to other sections of the game; the Chicago and Paris levels specifically, and they look just as sprawling, colourful and action-packed as the well-charted Siberian Dam level, which harked us all the way back to GoldenEye - a game TS2 developer Free Radical had more than a significant hand in during a past life at Rare. It also showcases a few more seconds of multiplayer action, and even without an online aspect this is shaping up to give the likes of Halo multiplayer a serious run for their money. Related Feature - TimeSplitters 2 hands-on preview (PS2)

As the yanks are gradually realising, the obligatory $39.99 PS2 network adapter is a bit of a misnomer for those keen to get online. A number of third party USB Ethernet adapters are quite sufficient, reports indicate, although we've yet to see a proper list. However, Sony does reserve the right to make it quite impossible to use them at a later date. In the meantime though, those of you in the US of A with a USB NIC to your name needn't blow $80 to get your SOCOM. Half should do the trick. Of course, it's impossible to say how this will affect SCEE's plans for PS2 online, because there would first have to be some.

Microsoft has given itself the right to scan for and block modchipped Xbox consoles from using the Xbox Live online gaming service. According to a 14-page user agreement and privacy notice supplied with beta kits, "Xbox Live may only be accessed with an unmodified, except for Microsoft authorised repairs and upgrades, Xbox video game console. Any attempt to disassemble, decompile, create derivative works of, reverse engineer, modify, further sublicense, distribute or use for other purposes either the hardware or software of this system is strictly prohibited." Furthermore, "Microsoft may retrieve information from the Xbox used to log on to Xbox Live as necessary to operate and protect the security of Xbox Live, and to enforce this Agreement," a clause that Microsoft will use to keep your Xbox up to date with software patches and their ilk, it says, but which leaves the door wide open for broader measures, particularly in line with the above prohibition notice. This is good news for those of you who plan to walk the straight and narrow though, because Microsoft intends to use its rights to protect the network's security and to ensure a cheat-free environment. A definite advantage over the PS2 online service, which seems to be relying on the good nature of cheat-device makers to avoid cheating scenarios. As a Microsoft spokesperson told News.com, "The language in the Xbox Live user agreement leaves the door open in order for us to protect the security of our platform. Our goal is to provide our users with secure, consistent and fair online game play..." "Microsoft reserves the right to take legal action against anyone who tries to modify the Xbox for the purpose violating the intellectual property of our partners or of Microsoft." Bearing in mind that every single Xbox modchip in existence allow the use of illegal software, MS is quite well protected in this. However, it may have difficulty detecting some of the more exotic devices, such as the Lik-Sang-owned PC-BioXX system, which lets you boot the Xbox with a regular bios or a hacked one to avoid such problems. All in all, it's bad news for modchippers, modchipees and illegal software barons, but it's good news for those of us with unadulterated Xbox systems and a desire to play games in a friendly online environment.

We don't normally highlight this sort of rumour, but knowing our import hungry readers, we felt it best to give you the proverbial "heads-up", just in case. According to US-based National Console Support, the Japanese GameCube modem adapter may not work with US consoles. It's difficult to say where the problem lies - the non-specific rumour was borne of Japanese suppliers, concerned that US-based importers might not want their massive bulk shipments of PSO Episodes I & II if said rumour turns out to be true. And fair play to them! I certainly wouldn't. NCS has immediately confirmed that it will accept order cancellations in the event that the modem is unusable on US GameCubes, and other importers will presumably do the same. We'll let you know when we hear more about this one. Related Feature - Phantasy Star Online Episodes I & II preview (Cube)

Forget dog tags, forget identity marketing, SCi are giving gamers the chance to appear in digital form in The Great Escape. Based on the classic war movie of the same name, the game will see you breaking out of Stalag Luft III and making for the border in trains, buses and (of course) motorbikes. And you could be a part of the action, as developers Pivotal Games are looking for ten males aged between 25 and 55 to have their faces mapped onto in-game characters. You could end up as a German officer, an allied POW or .. a train conductor. Ooooh. Regardless of their role in the game though, the ten lucky winners will also receive a free copy of the game when it's released. All you have to do for your shot at gaming immortality is to take a photograph of your face, save it as a jpeg no bigger than 250Kb, and then mail it to faces@sci.co.uk before Friday 13th September. Good luck!

It's not really for wimps, but Run Like Hell is certainly something we've always felt was missing from survival horror. After all, if you were faced with a pack of marauding zombies and had only a pitiful swiping knife to your name, you would not stand there backed into a corner attempting to split their heads open, would you? You would run. Like a girl, probably, in search of the nearest exit - mission objectives be damned. Interplay's RLH has now gone gold, and that means that it should be with us shortly - current estimates suggest sometime in October. Unlike its contemporaries (well, actually, every bit like them), you are one man separated from the viciously decimated populace of your environment - in this case, a deep space mining station - and a pack of nasty aliens is hunting you down with a view to exterminating you. Your job is to thwart their plans without losing your head. To get an idea of what running like hell feels like, you should investigate a recent batch of screenshots. Related Feature - Run Like Hell screenshots

Summer is officially over today, with the recent lull in new releases ended by a veritable flood of big name games - good, bad and just plain ugly. Nintendo fans deprived of extreme sports titles in the last couple of months can rejoice, as the excellent Aggressive Inline has now arrived on both GameCube and GameBoy Advance. A fresh arrival on the Xbox today is Turok Evolution, bringing the dinosaur fixated first person shooter series to a new generation of consoles having been mired down on the N64 for the last few years. With tasty graphics, over-the-top weapons and the chance to fly a chaingun-toting pterodactyl, it should be a lot of fun. Our review copy just arrived, so we'll let you know next week whether or not it lives up to expectations. The PlayStation 2 version of the game is also now available, although Cube owners will have to wait until later in the month before going all Jurassic. The PlayStation 2 is (as usual) the busiest of the console platforms, with a flood of budget re-releases and a few brand new games as well. Stuntman finally makes it to Europe today, although early impressions aren't entirely positive. Again, we should have a full review soon. Meanwhile Eidos' popular tactical action game Commandos 2 has made its long awaited console debut on the PS2, with a new direct control system to replace the point and click tomfoolery of the PC original. Even PC owners aren't left out this week, with two big titles emerging on to store shelves. Mafia is a kind of Grand Theft Auto 3 meets The Untouchables affair, although sadly it's let down by numerous graphical and gameplay flaws. If you can look past these there is a good game under there somewhere, but it all proved too frustrating for me to stomach. On a lighter note, Beach Life is now available, giving you the chance to relive your summer holidays by building your own island resort, complete with leering builders, smelly toilets, half-built hotels and food poisoning. Lovely. New Releases - CubeAggressive InlineGBA Aggressive Inline PCBeach LifeLargo WinchMafia Budget - Age Of Empires Gold Budget - Combat Flight Simulator Budget - Dark Reign 2 Budget - Desperados Budget - Mat Hoffman Pro BMX Budget - Midtown Madness Budget - Supercar Street Challenge PSXLargo Winch Budget - Atlantis: The Lost Empire Budget - Formula 1 2001 Budget - Monsters Inc Budget - Syphon Filter 3 PS2Commandos 2Largo WinchStuntmanTurok Evolution UFC Throwdown Budget - Army Men: Sarge's Heroes Budget - Heroes Of Might & Magic Budget - International Cue Club Budget - Warriors Of Might & Magic XboxBruce Lee: Quest Of The DragonTurok EvolutionRelated Feature - UK Release Date List

Sega has been polishing its product launch boots and kicking press releases out the door. In Japanese, natch. According to the Japanese publisher's official websites for Cube and GBA, Sonic Mega Collection (Cube), Sonic Advance 2 and Sega Rally Advance are all set to shuffle into sight in time for a December 19th release date. Don't get too excited though - none of the above even has a US release date at the moment, let alone European, and Infogrames were frightened beyond comprehension when we probed them about the triplets earlier on. Fortunately for the fleet of credit, the GBA pairing will function perfectly adequately on a GBA from any region; so wily importers should keep their eyes on the usual channels for pre-order wheelings and dealings. If you're lucky, Sonic Advance 2 may well turn out to have an English language option from the first screen anyway, as with its predecessor, and Sega Rally isn't the trickiest game to understand, whatever your dialect. Sonic Mega Collection on the other hand would be worth waiting for in your native tongue, even if you do have a Japanese Cube. After all, it's a compendium of seven Sonics from across the ages, and a US or PAL version is bound to seem a lot more hospitable. Related Feature - Sonic Mega Games

Zelenhgorm, described in our recent preview as "the weirdest game I have ever played", is nearing release. The good news is that it will be available to purchase online from Monday September 9th. If you were hoping to see the game on shop shelves though, the bad news is that it may be some time before that happens. Developers Moloto broke off their publishing deal with Software Abroad a few weeks ago, and it's not certain now when the game will be released to retail. Anybody who pre-ordered the game through Software Abroad will still get their copy of the game, but Moloto are now talking to other publishers and distributors about getting Zelenhgorm on to store shelves in the US, Europe and Australia. Hopefully we'll have more information on its status in the near future. Related Feature - Zelenhgorm preview

The Xbox isn't exactly short on mecha games, from Microsoft's own Mech Assault and the frankly ridiculous Japanese effort Tekki (complete with spine-crushing custom controller) to fast-paced action games like Rage's Gunmetal and Phantagram's Phantom Crash. With the focus firmly on fast-paced deathmatch style shooting and eye candy overload rather than hardcore simulation, Phantom Crash is all about big guns, fancy visual effects and gorgeous smoke trails. The basic concept behind the game is simple - a variety of big stompy robots (known as Scoobees) go head-to-head in derelict Tokyo as part of some kind of futuristic spectator sport, and it's up to you to make sure that your robot emerges from the arena victorious. Prize money from these battles can be used to upgrade your Scoobee with better weapons and equipment, and you can even buy more music to listen to on your robot's CD changer, with a wide range of superb tracks from various Japanese bands on offer, including everything from slick drum 'n' bass to dirty industrial music. Phantom Crash is due out in the UK on Xbox this November, with a PC version (including 16 player LAN support) to follow soon afterwards. In the meantime we have a number of goodies to keep you occupied, in the form of a brand new trailer for the game and clips from several songs taken from the game's soundtrack.