Infinite Interactive is deploying a crack team of developers to Xbox Live this evening to show players how multiplayer combat is done in the puzzling science fiction epic. Everyone from CEO Steve Fawkner (SirianKnight) to artist Rhiannon Jones (deathbyfurballs) is joining in on the fun from 5pm to 9pm Pacific time. Simply add the gamertags below to your friends list, find them online tonight, and have at them.

See if you can get into a game with DS programmer Andrew Castenmiller (Andgoo), making him wait the maximum amount of time before making all of your moves, just to show him how much fun load times are. I'd do it myself, but my 360 is currently visiting Texas.

Steve Fawkner - SirianKnight = CEO, Creative Lead (on Galactrix)
Rhiannon Jones - deathbyfurballs = Assistant Producer
Rhiannon McLachlan - ashalind = Artist
Brendan Seabrook MitfordOnline = Gameplay Programmer
Andrew Castenmiller - Andgoo = DS Programmer (on Galactrix)
Ian Gielen - Haggis McHaggis = Gameplay Programmer
Paula Nguyen - faithless01 = Assistant Producer (on Galactrix)

The sequel to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords—which doesn't seem to stack up as well as the original—joins the sheepish Flock! from Capcom. The Proper Games-developed puzzler features the winning combination of sheep herding and UFOs, all for the low price of 1200 Microsoft Points.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix comes in a little pricier, setting you back 1600 Microsoft Points. Both will be available on April 8th.

Flock & Puzzle Quest: Galactrix [Xbox.com]

D3 Publisher has officially announced an April 8th release date for the Xbox Live Arcade version of Puzzle Quest Galactrix, their space-age sequel to the original Puzzle Quest. The Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network versions could wind up being the best versions of the game, simply for the fact that they both support online multiplayer with matchmaking, instead of the PC version's multiplayer via IP address option or the DS version's being near another person with a DS multiplayer and frustrating load times.

Galactrix hits Xbox Live next Wednesday for an as of yet undetermined number of Microsoft points, with the PSN version dropping sometime later this spring.

The follow up to 2007's smash hit Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, Galactrix takes the blend of role-playing mechanics and puzzle game to a whole new frontier, replacing the fantasy role-playing adventure of the first title with a galaxy-spanning space epic. With the new story and setting comes an entirely new hexagonal game board channeling Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov's Hexic rather than Popcap's Bejeweled.

So can a game that replaces the story, setting, and core gameplay of the first title maintain its addictive charm? Or has Puzzle Quest: Galactrix's galactic journey strayed too far off course?

Loved
Rules Of Engagement: In general, the new hexagonal game board in Galactrix is a refreshing change from the simple dropping down mechanic from the original Puzzle Quest, and the shift from fantasy archetype to spaceship has been handled quite well. New additions to the winning formula, like the ability to recharge your shields and having multiple ships with different configurations at your command, further distance Galactrix from its predecessor. This isn't simply Puzzle Quest in space.

Strategic Choices: As mentioned above, the player can have multiple ships outfitted with different devices and weapons, allowing them to have a ship on hand that's suited for any enemy you may encounter. You might stumble over the first few fights with the Keck, for instance, until you realize that outfitting your ship with a shield disrupter disables their ships' frustrating shield regenration, making combat a breeze. It takes skill and reasoning to navigate this sometimes hostile galaxy.

Buy, Sell, And Trade: Trading is a big part of any good space game, from Origin's classic Privateer to CCP's massively multiplayer EVE Online. Once the Galactrix universe opens up a bit, a player can make a tidy sum by determining which cargo sells best in which port. If you want the best ships and equipment, mining and working the market are essential. It's just a simple little feature, but it adds a great deal to the overall experience.

Hated
Space, The Tedious Frontier: The entire Puzzle Quest: Galactrix galaxy is connected together by devices called leap gates, and in order to get anywhere in the game you're going to have to hack them...over and over again. Hacking them consists of completing a series of color matches within a time limit, and they honestly wouldn't be so bad if not for two factors. First, there is no reward at all for opening leap gates, other than simply opening up a new area. No experience, no cash, nothing. Second, the timer doesn't stop when you are matching colors, so creating long chains of matching colors, an activity that generally helps you during the main game, becomes a huge hindrance, eating your time and causing you to start the whole process over again.

The Luck of the Draw: While a certain amount of luck was present in the original Puzzle Quest, Galactrix's game board refills in the direction you moved your last gem to complete a grouping, which could be any direction whatsoever. While this is an enjoyable mechanic during solo activities like mining, bartering, and crafting, during actual combat it replaces a large chunk of the skill element with sheer luck. You could be the best strategist in the world, and you'd still find yourself randomly losing battles due to a random lucky series of drops for your opponent. It's extremely frustrating to be sitting there with full hull and shields with your opponent on their last legs, only to suddenly find yourself defeated thanks to a ridiculous stream of randomly generated exploding mines.

Stale Tales of Space Adventure: The bland storyline of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix could have been saved by a colorful cast of characters and some witty dialogue, but instead we are presented with a series of outer space stereotypes; cardboard cutouts who seem to serve no more purpose than to unlock the various side-games and occasionally deliver the odd bit of exposition. The original Puzzle Quest was no fantasy epic, but it was certainly more entertaining that this.

Can I Have Your IP Address?: If you're looking for online multiplayer in Galactrix, you're probably better off waiting on the Xbox Live Arcade version, as the PC version only supports two types of multiplayer: LAN and direct connection via IP address. It's essentially the PC equivalent of having to exchange Wii Friend Codes.

Where the original Puzzle Quests was a sublime symphony of balance in which the player could chose to play the game as they liked, Galactrix tends to be a bit more loose with the balance and heavy on guiding you on your path. Battles are often won by luck rather than any amount of skill, creating more moments of frustration than giddy triumph over impossible odds. Whereas the original game allowed you to pick and choose which mini-games you participated in, Galactrix throws countless gate hacking obstacles in your way, offering little reward other than letting you move to the next section of the map. Add to that the lack of distinct character classes, an uninteresting story, and the fact that leveling provides so little in the way of character customization that players have already created their own mods to fix it, and you've got a game that falls well short of the original's greatness.

I played through the original Puzzle Quest on four different platforms, and loved every minute. This will more than likely be my only play through of Galactrix. There's plenty of enjoyment to be had, but frustrating design and an overall lack of choice means this star trek is a one-way trip.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix was developed by Infinite Interactive and published by D3 Publisher, released on PC on February 24th. Retails for $19.99. Also available on Nintendo DS for $29.99. Played single player story to completion, could not participate in multiplayer.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The Xbox.com page for Infinite Interactive and D3 Publisher of America's follow-up to 2007's fantasy roleplaying game / puzzle game mash-up has been updated to reflect a February 25th release date, giving fans just one week to decide which version of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix they want to drop their hard-earned money on. Will you buy the $19.99 PC version, readily available online? Perhaps the portable convenience of the Nintendo DS version, with a slightly higher price tag of $29.99? There's no price listed for the Xbox Live Arcade version currently, but I'm betting it'll be right in line with the PC version, debuting at around 1800 Microsoft points.

It's a tough decision. The Xbox Live Arcade version would definitely allow me to play the game in comfort, but if I plan on leaving my home in the next month then I should go with a DS copy. Decisions, decisions.

Puzzle Quest Galactrix [Xbox.com via Shacknews]

On Feb. 19, D3 is taking over Melt Comics on Sunset Boulevard and opening the doors to 100 gamers interesting in checking out and playing Puzzle Quest: Galactrix.

The event will give gamers a chance to checkout the DS, PC, Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade versions of the games, win pre-launch copies of the DS version, compete against other players on the game for prizes, and meet the 2009 Nerdcore Calendar models.

The first 50 people who arrive with a DS system in-hand will receive a free copy of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix for the DS. The first 100 folks to RSVP to PQGalactrixRSVP [ AT] d3p.us will be guaranteed entry into the event.

In Galactrix, factions make the universe go round, they control the Star Systems, own the ships, shops and stations and sanction most of the game's many missions.

Your interactions with these factions are meant to have a lasting impact on their relationships with you and, in turn, how the game moves forward.

The Human Factions
The four main Human factions all grew from the four Megacorporations that created the LeapGate system.

MRI
MRI (Multinational Resource & Investment) Group instigated the LeapGate project, providing funding and negotiating the collaborative agreement between the other three Megacorporations. They are staffed entirely by telepaths, and have challenged ethical and moral standards numerous times by embarking upon selective-breeding programs that try to enhance their telepathic powers.

Lumina
Originally Lumina was not really a corporation in its own right; they were still a militaristic right-wing religious group. They were in the unique position however of being able to provide the researchers and libraries necessary for the development of this new quantum technology upon which the LeapGates relied. Lumina still inhabit the planet Earth, where they have secretly guarded and protected millennia of knowledge, research and discoveries.

Cy-Tech
CyTech provided the Software and AI systems both that operated the LeapGates and helped their delivery to the correct location around distant stars. Growing from humble beginnings as a simple software company, theirinvention of intelligent worked drones propelled them into a position to accept a role on the LeapGate program.

Trident
Trident Corporation provided the ships and engines necessary to move the LeapGates through space; they were the first group to develop faster-than-light travel, albeit it in unmanned ships. Trident are the easiest Megacorporation to understand. They build ships of all shapes and sizes, but mostly military ships. The Trident fleet is the biggest in the galaxy. Many of the other Megacorporations fear that Trident may be growing too powerful.

The Alien Factions
There are many dozens of Alien Factions in the galaxy, but only the most interesting and powerful are listed here.

JAHRWOXI
These scruffy little hairy creatures are annoying and dishonest. They will steal anything that is not bolted down, and will lie about incessantly on almost any topic.

VORTRAAG
These lizard-like creatures put up the strongest resistance of any race the humans encountered. Ultimately they were no match for the Empire, but their sheer ferocity in battle and willingness to die fighting inflicted noticeable losses on the Empire. A strong contingent of Imperial Military still exist on Vortraag Prime, to keep the locals in check. Many Vortraag flee their home planet and turn to piracy.

KRYSTALLI
These silicon based life forms are like very slow-moving telepathic rocks. Sadly few of them are left; the MRI Group see them as some kind of telepathic threat and has made every attempt to track them down and eliminate them.

ELYSIANS
These tiny frail creatures were no match for the Empire. Unfortunately, their planet was seen as somewhat of a paradise by the Empire, who promptly enslaved them and set up the planet like one enormous holiday resort.

QUESADA
The Quesadans are a deeply religious tall, thin and elegant people. Their religion is one of the few officially sanctioned by the Empire, and probably only because their planet seems to be full of ancient secrets & treasures (the locations of which are known only to the Quesadan High Priests).

DEGANI
Not only is the food produced in the Degani System renowned throughout the Galaxy, but the hospitality of its people is second-to-none.

PLASMIDS
These creatures exist in a liquid state, composed entirely of small living crystals that move through a watery medium. They are almost invisible to humans until they try to communicate, using a strange gurgling sound.

KECK
A widely-traveling merchant race, the bird-like Keck can be persistent and annoying.

The Enemy Factions
These factions are hostile to the player and should be avoided unless you are looking for a fight.

PIRATES
Usually found in the outermost star systems, Pirates prey on transports and travelers passing through their systems. Systems such as Gomorrah are home to massive pirate bases where law has all but been forgotten.

THE SOULLESS
Created by the MRI's twisted experiments, these creatures are an improved form of humanity – smarter, faster and possessed of no morals or inhibitions – only a desire to perfect themselves even further.

Apr Media may specialize in porting PC games over to the Mac, but they've been making a name for themselves lately in the PC publishing game, and the upcoming release of D3pusblisher's Puzzle Quest Galactrix continues the trend. The PC version of Galactrix should be hitting store shelves around the 24th of February, when the game also launches on Aspyr's gameagent.com website.

I'll probably just stick with the digital download version myself. I'm surrounded by empty boxes and scratched disks as it is. Still, good to know new players will be able to stumble upon the game at a retail store, unsuspectingly joining the ranks of the Puzzle Quest-addicted.

Two PCs and four DS stations were set up for gamers to go head-to-head in multiplayer or take a stab at story mode.

The PC demo had already dropped earlier that day, so I went straight to the DS and loaded up story mode. I’m not sure how I feel about the “two-faced bad guy calling himself a god” plot, but the cut scenes were at least rendered decently on the DS – and I didn’t even have to strain to read the text.

The way Galactrix works is like an adventure game where you go around the galaxy completing quests for different factions. Of course each “quest” is really a game of Bejeweled, just like Challenge of the Warlords. What’s different here is that the board is a funky hexagon shape and pieces fall in the direction you move a gem. It’s not like Hexic – where you can score by connecting a cluster of gems from any side – because you’re still trying to make linear strings of gems.

This adds a whole degree of difficulty to the game because the board is bigger and the gems don’t fall straight down. Among other things, this means four of a kind doesn’t cut it for a free turn anymore – you need five of a kind – and it’s way harder to get crazy XP-earning chains called Novas or Supernovas. It also means things can go way wrong or incredibly well very quickly.

For example, I won one battle with two moves. The first was to connect four mines together to deliver a blow to the opponent (like connecting skulls in Warlords, having four of a kind awards an additional damage bonus to to the base multiplier). As it happened, the mines had all gained multipliers by sitting on the board for a turn – jumping from one damage point to three. So I did a much larger amount of damage than I expected, taking out the enemy’s shield in just that first move.

Shields are a big deal in Galactrix. The shield is a separate health bar that can be replenished by connecting blue games. Having a shield up even when you’re down to single-digit hit points can save you from some of the worst attacks in the game – up to and including cheap shots from the computer where five of a kind mines drop randomly.

Which is exactly what happened on my next turn. The AI tried to shore up its shields by using a Shield Matrix “item” (read: spell) to generate a few points worth of protection and then connected some blue gems for a little more. Then it was my go and I swapped a red gem leftwards for a three of a kind that turned into first a Nova chain – where you generate a x2 multiplier for all the gems you collected – and then into a Supernova chain which actually got me an extra turn and an x3 multiplier.*

*If you look at that screen, the Nova seems to say “extra turn awarded” – but I’m pretty sure that’s just for the five of a kind and not for the Nova. Every time I scored Nova I was not awarded an extra turn.

This long chain spawned like several three of a kind mine connections and dropped a five of a kind, which totally destroyed my opponent’s remaining shields and his hit points. I left the battle with some acquired cargo (used in crafting), a minus 10 faction score for the guys I’d just pwned and the sincere hope that the game is still being tweaked for balance. I can't imagine how high my blood pressure would be if that kind of thing kept happening to me instead of the AI.

I messed around a little more on the DS, noting how hard it is to catch up with some of those ships using the stylus. I’m to understand that plenty of battles come from just clicking on planets and selecting the “Fight the pirates” option, but if you actually want to run down a ship cruising the galaxy, you need to build yourself a fast engine or figure out how to intercept them on their flight pattern.

At last I was ready for the PC multiplayer. I’d been avoiding it because Carolyn Gudmundson over at GamesRadar was dominating the table and she eats Puzzle Quest for breakfast. But, lucky me, she decided she’d be on my side and coach me through two battles against another games journalist. I won the first one in a pretty evenly matched battle. That second one was going well until the other guy figured out how to use the Dark Laser – a.k.a. cheapest item in the game.

I don’t have much else to say for the multiplayer besides I think it’s strange that I can see what gem my opponent has selected before he’s moved it. Doesn’t that take some of the fun away, if I have an idea of what he’s going to do before he does it?

The DS version of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix ships February 24. The PC demo is out now and – like all the other platform releases – is slated for a “Spring 2009” ship date.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is coming out on PC, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and Nintendo DS. GameStop tells me the DS version ships February 24th and I am so pre-ordering it. DS and PC screens below.

Rather than just place you in the middle of the same fight over and over again, the PC demo for Puzzle Quest: Galactrix contains the game's single-player story and instant action modes. I story mode you can create a character and take them to level five, but you can't save your hero and are limited in the number of star systems you can visit. Still, there are star systems to visit! Take that, flash demo!

Download: Puzzle Quest Galactrix Demo [Big Download]

Much like they did with the original Puzzle Quest, D3Publisher has made a browser-based demo for the upcoming sequel to the fantasy original, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix. You'll get to face wits against a computer controlled General Tarn, who obviously has been playing the game a great deal longer than you have. It's a good way to get yourself used to the new game mechanics in advance of the title's release next month.

PuzzleQuest Online Demo [Official Site via Evil Avatar]

This week, I’m off to a Battlestations: Pacific multiplayer event on the USS Hornet anchored in Alameda, CA. The game is an action RTS for the PC and 360, featuring “28 major battles, 100 units including 21 new units, five new innovative multi-player modes: island capture, kamikaze attacks, and an improved easy-to-use interface.” Hm…gotta make sure I pack my Dramamine.

After that is the third installment in the Street Fighter IV Fight Club, and since I missed the first two, this’ll be interesting.

"Bring your A game because there are bound to be a few pros in the crowd if our last two events are any indication," says the invite. It all goes down in San Francisco from 8pm to midnight. Gotta make sure I pack my Starbucks.

Next week, I’m hitting up a Spore 2009 Line-up Reveal at the Varnish Fine Art Gallery in San Francisco. I have no idea what to pack for this one, since the dress code at the last Spore event was sort of… weird.

I have even less of an idea of what to expect from Sporein 2009 beyond the Spore Galactic Adventures expansion. Maybe a firebreathing patch so I can make my winged pink phallic creatures into dragons?

Last, but not least, D3 is hosting a gamer’s day called "Game Fest: Dorks, Dealers and Double-Ds." I can only imagine what they’re hoping I’ll pack. Insert eye roll here. The games on the list for this event include Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers, Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and Texas Cheat ‘Em.

Stay tuned for impressions as embargoes expire. A drop be a comment to say which game(s) you're most excited about.

A 'Spiritual Successor': Puzzle Quest: Galactrix:

The most obvious changes in this semi-followup to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords are the space theme and the new circular game space, which allows for some interesting mechanics that are a slight-but-satisfying shift from the typical match three rules of play. As is obvious from screenshots, Galactrix has a galactic setting, with spaceships, stars, and planets. In this incarnation, players can have up to three ships with various capabilities and stats, so they can swap up play styles easily throughout the game.

I found the new layout of the play area, now in a circle shape, interesting — instead of falling down in a straight line, game pieces can slide in from all sides. The direction from which they slide depends on how you play your line of three (or however many) — while casual players probably won't notice this feature, it does add an extra bit of strategy. The game is due out in the first quarter of '09, for PC, XBLA, and DS.

Aliens for the Kiddies: Ben 10: Alien Force

Ben 10: Alien Force is a Cartoon Network property that features a kid (the titular Ben) who, while on summer vacation, comes to possess a watch known as the Omnitrix. The Omnitrix allows Ben to transform into a variety of alien forms in order to battle evil and save the world. A game based on the series (Ben 10: Protector of Earth) was released last year, and Ben 10: Alien Force is seeking to follow up on the apparent success of that game.

The game is an 3D action-brawler; it features 5 playable characters. While only Ben can transform into aliens, these aliens are selectable and each have unique qualities. The Wii and PS2 versions will feature a multiplayer coop mode; the DS version more strongly resembles a side scroller, but does feature three exclusive aliens. The game also features puzzles, though it was mentioned that it is not a puzzle heavy game — the focus is supposed to be on accessible, fun gameplay, estimated at 6 to 11 hours if one is breezing through and not focusing on collecting all the unlockables.

The game will see an October 28th release, launching simultaneously on the DS, PSP, Wii, and PS2. Yuri Lowenthal, the voice actor for Ben in both the cartoon and the game, wandered over to offer some thoughts on the challenges of recording for games — namely, most sessions are done alone, sometimes with very little context for what is going on beyond the actual lines.

My, That's Some Rack You Have: Onechanbara

Despite the enthusiasm of the person demonstrating this Wii game from Sandlot, which was compared to Earth Defense Force, I came away pretty unimpressed regarding this hack and slash — and I do love me some ridiculous hack and slash games every once and a while. 'It's like playing a cult-following B horror movie!' cried the demonstrator as he hacked and slashed his way through hordes of zombies with the Wiimote. It certainly had enough ridiculous costuming, jiggling cleavage, and blood to qualify.

The game features two sisters, Aya and Saki; players can choose to play as either and also engage in coop modes. Perhaps the most 'interesting' feature is the 'blood coating everything including your character' aspect of the game — if your sword gets covered it blood, it becomes dull and starts getting stuck in your zombie enemies. You must clean the sword off to return your weapon to its slashing glory. Furthermore, your character can become completely coated and go into a special rage mode, doing tons of damage ('The developers really like this because she looks naked!').

The game only has a Wii release planned in first quarter of 2009; it will be a 'budget title' and clock in for less than $59.99, actual price not yet decided.

Classical Shmup: Bangai-O Spirits

A follow up to Bangai-O, a side scrolling shmup released for the Dreamcast and N64, Bangai-O Spirits is a pretty retro looking game that features some playful technology. Featuring over 160 levels with an old school arcade feel, most of the presentation focused on the level editing and sharing capabilities.

Every level can be customized as you play to tailor your play experience, and for those among us who like creating things, levels can be created and shared. The interesting part is the delivery method, known as 'sound load.' It was a little hard to hear in the D3 room, but as a level was saved, it was possible to hear a sort of melody. This melody — the level save — can be uploaded or saved to computer as a .wav file. To transfer a saved level to the DS, one plays back the .wav while using the DS microphone. I didn't get an exact explanation of precisely how all this works, and it does seem ripe for mistranslation somewhere, but it's a cool idea nonetheless.

The North American release features some exclusive content, including eight all new levels and can support one to four player local wifi play. It will be released August 12th, and will be going for $29.99.

Baa, Baa Black Sheep: Shaun the Sheep

OK, I love sheep. I think real sheep are pretty cute, if kind of stupid, and really like the variety that don't barge through fences (i.e., trapped in a video game). Shaun the Sheep is an animated series from the Wallace and Grommet people, Aardman Studios — shown on Disney in the US, it's now getting a darling DS title to go with its adorable show. These are really, really cute sheep, and I had to stop myself from squeeing when the DS was fired up to demonstrate the game.

Shaun is a preternaturally intelligent sheep who is tasked with finding fifteen of his less cerebrally endowed herdmates in the game; the puzzle/adventure title is, unsurprisingly, being marketed as family friendly and fun for kids. Shaun features lots of mini and micro games and lots of cute sheep. The nature of gameplay is designed for kids, but also won't bore the pants off adults, especially those who are fans of Aardman productions.

The game will be released for DS on September 23rd and will retail for $29.99 — and feature lots and lots of cute and fuzzy sheep. Lots of sheep.

Galactrix, Puzzle Quest's sci-fi spin-off, looks to be a pretty impressive step-up from the original Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlods that took everyone, including the developers, by surprise.

This time around the puzzle game will have a full storyline penned by a professional writer, rather than something dreamed up by the development staff. The game opens after a scientific accident provokes an alien race to try and exterminate humanity. As with Challenge of the Warlords, players create a character who gains skills, craft items, and in this case, upgrades their space fleet and deals with political factions.

The new hexagonal puzzle board now drops uses gravity, based on a player's location in the universe, to determine how to drop pieces as others are cleared. The game will also include a set of new mini-games that has you hacking jumpgates, negotiating with other factions, trading commodities and collection blueprints.

My very short time with the game gave me a glimpse of the new game board and, as with Trism, the new gravity-specific gameplay adds a whole other level of complexity to the game. I'm sure I'll end up being just as addicted to Galactrix as I was to Warlords when it finally hits.

I suppose once you announce a game where a scantily clad woman gets splattered with zombie blood the rest of your line up looks a bit pale by comparison.

D3Publisher Announces Solid E3 2008 Line-up Featuring Titles Based on Top-Selling Entertainment Brands and Original Intellectual Properties

E3 Media & Business Summit 2008
LOS ANGELES—(BUSINESS WIRE)—D3Publisher (D3P) will showcase titles for gamers of all ages at this year’s E3 Media & Business Summit, taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California from July 15-17, 2008. The company’s line-up includes titles based on popular entertainment brands such as VIZ Media’s hit animated series NARUTO™, Aardman Animation’s Shaun the Sheep™, and Cartoon Network Enterprises’ Ben 10: Alien Force, as well as innovative offerings for the Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and Wii™ home video game console from Nintendo.

D3Publisher’s Game Line-Up Includes:

Onechanbara™: Bikini Zombie Slayers™ – Onechanbara is the ultimate evolution in a third-person blood-splattering hack-and-slash videogame. Players take on the role of the beautiful but deadly Aya or her little sister Saki, both of whom will need to put their legendary samurai skills to the test in order to battle legions of zombies terrorizing their city. Every person met and enemy battled gets the sisters closer to understanding who or what is behind the zombie outbreak and putting an end to it. Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers is anticipated for release in Q1 2009 on Wii.

NARUTO™: Clash of Ninja™ Revolution® 2 – TOMY Corporation and D3Publisher’s highly anticipated NARUTO: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 offers an all-new original storyline created for the North American audience and features the largest character roster yet for the Clash of Ninja series. The latest iteration of the hit fighting game represents a huge progression from the previous game, including never-before-seen modes, improved visual presentation, and polished gameplay mechanics. The only four-player NARUTO fighting game series available, NARUTO: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 for the Wii home video game console is anticipated for release this fall 2008.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix – A rich new addition to the beloved Puzzle Quest universe, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix incorporates a powerful blend of puzzle, strategy and RPG gameplay elements, into an all-new futuristic, science-fiction setting. Offering an innovative new hexagonal puzzle board for a wide range of strategic depth, a rich storyline and fresh gameplay elements, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is a captivating new adventure to explore and conquer in Q1 2009 on Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Nintendo DS and Windows™ PC.

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE The Game – Based on Cartoon Network’s hit series, BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE The Game is the only console videogame allowing players to command and experience the adventures of the ALIEN FORCE team. Gamers will help Ben take the DNA-scrambling Omnitrix out of retirement and become the hero as they transform into eight different playable characters—including cousin Gwen, enemy-turned-ally Kevin and five of Ben’s brand new alien forms to utilize their all-new super powers and defeat the intergalactic invaders! BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE The Game is a fast-paced, 3D, action adventure offering an unlimited combo system and engaging puzzles and challenges, coming to Wii, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP system and Nintendo DS this fall 2008.

NARUTO™: Path of the Ninja™ 2 – TOMY Corporation and D3Publisher’s NARUTO: Path of the Ninja 2 is the latest in the popular RPG videogame series offering a completely original storyline, expanded character roster featuring 30 playable characters and improvements to the battle system that will give players more options than ever before as they make use of the newly-added Squad Leader and Ninja Tag systems. For those who want to test their mettle against fellow ninja across North America, NARUTO: Path of the Ninja 2 will also provide the opportunity to earn points and special ninja cards as players prove their strength over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. NARUTO: Path of the Ninja 2 is anticipated for release on Nintendo DS this September 2008.

Bangai-O Spirits™ – Created by revered Japanese developer TREASURE, Bangai-O Spirits is a re-imagination of their hit 90s DreamCast game Bangai-O. The twitch-fest shooter gameplay includes more than 160 levels, punishing supermoves, exclusive content for the Western version, and a sensory overload of fireworks onscreen. Bangai-O Spirits boasts a powerful level editor tool, local wireless multiplayer for up to four players and the pioneering new Sound Load technology. Bangai-O Spirits blasts into retail stores August 12, 2008 exclusively for Nintendo DS.

Shaun the Sheep – The only handheld videogame based on the award-winning TV show from Aardman Animation, Shaun the Sheep allows players to assume the role of the lovable sheep, Shaun, as he tries to find the rest of the flock before the Farmer arrives home. Designed exclusively for the Nintendo DS, Shaun the Sheep will feature the fan-favorite characters, items, and locations from the popular stop-motion animated series on the Disney Channel, as well as original content for all new experiences with Shaun. Shaun the Sheep flocks to retail stores on September 23, 2008.