Midway facts us in the face

Midway has released a series of fact sheets related to some of the games it's due to show off at E3 this year. New details on each of the games are pretty thin on the ground, but we thought we'd scavenge what we could find and serve them up in one handy article, just for you:

NARC (GameCube, PS2, Xbox) is a third-person action shooter set against the "modern-day backdrop of the War on Drugs," but is based on the eponymous 80s arcade game. Player take control of dual characters Hitman and Max Force, battling to save the world from the K.R.A.K. drug cartel. Aside from the usual arsenal of weaponry, players are likely to get involved in hand-to-hand street combat with hordes of goons, and can also employ bats, crowbars, knives, axes and an assortment of other objects for the despatch of enemies. Sounds like a good bit of craic.

The Suffering (PS2), on which we've previously reported, is set in a prison complex besieged by spirits. As death row inmate Torque, players have to escape the facility in what's said to be something of a splatterfest, with no shortage of claret flinging about the place. Also, players can choose to either ally with fellow inmates to aid their progress, or choose to take them out along with prison guards and marauding ghosts alike. It actually sounds quite interesting.

NHL Hitz Pro (GameCube, PS2, Xbox) is Midway's attempt to take the hockey series into "sim" territory. There's nothing much here that we didn't already know about, but online play is obviously a huge boon. The press release also points out the new 5-on-5 gameplay modes, season mode, "color" commentary (whatever that means), and upgraded franchise and Hockey School modes.

SpyHunter 2 (GameCube, PS2, Xbox) - not much new info on the classic rehash, aside from the announcement of the inclusion of a bonus Making Of DVD at retail. Woo.

RoadKill (PS2), while not based on the fabulous Amiga title, does sound quite good. The action-intense mission-based driving combat game takes place in a persistent world, post-apocalypse natch. Players can switch from the drivers seat to a gunner's harness mid-mission for a change of pace, and even conduct car-to-car hijacks.

Freaky Flyers (GameCube, PS2, Xbox) is a vibrant "fast-and-furious, fully open 3D airplane racing adventure," with "zany" characters (wince), stunt flying, dogfighting, and an apparently complex storyline. Let's hope this isn't an aerial Toon Car.

While we're here, we may as well include Midway's announcement of Freestyle MetalX, a free-roaming motocross title that's seemingly in the vein of the tremendous Motocross Madness. The game will feature "nine of the sickest freestyle motocross pro riders," and allow players to combine tricks with a "virtually unlimited" stunt system. Levels will, once unlocked, seamlessly link together and let the player travel between them without having to load. There are also unlockable side events such as bus-jumping and the Wall of Death, and ridiculous mini-games in which you can "ride your bike off a cliff, turn your rider into a human dart aimed at a giant dartboard to score points, or play motocross pinball with opponents." Sick.