Ars Technica reviews Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV is finally here, riding a wave of hype and perfect review scores. Nothing can live up to those expectations, but the game is one of the most striking cases for gaming as a storytelling medium. The Ars Technica review inside.

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Crosswords on Nintendo DS challenges players to fill in the blanks

Classic Game Gets a Modern Revamp on Nintendo DS

Mario's parent company (8 letters). Letter-based puzzles (10 letters). Dual screen, abbr. (2 letters).

Today's launch of Crosswords DS for the portable Nintendo DS video game system puts more than 1,000 crossword puzzles into the palm of your hand. Crosswords DS includes puzzles at multiple skill levels, so anyone from beginners to experts can give it a try. As you progress, the puzzles get bigger and more challenging. Because you write all your answers directly on the touch screen with your stylus, there's no need for erasers – just write your new answer over your old one. Crosswords DS also includes a sophisticated hint system if you get stuck. Just tap the Hint button with your stylus and choose to receive another clue, reveal a hidden letter or solve the whole word.



“Crosswords DS brings crossword puzzles into the 21st century in a way that's accessible to everyone,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “And because Nintendo DS is so light and portable, you can play it anywhere at any time.”

Crossword puzzles aren't the only classic word games found in Crosswords DS. There are also more than 200 Wordsearch puzzles that let you hunt for hidden words amid a jumble of letters. For more word fun, you can turn to Anagrams and construct almost endless combinations of words from a handful of letters.



Crosswords DS, with its quick and accessible word challenges, is the latest in the Touch Generations line of Nintendo DS games. Previous games include Brain Age - Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, Brain Age 2 - More Training in Minutes a Day and Flash Focus - Vision Training in Minutes a Day.

Bus Driver PC video game driving to a store near you...

Meridian4 and SCS Software are pleased to announce that Bus Driver has gone gold and will be ready to ship to retail stores and be available for digital download in May.

“We have been working with SCS Software to change some minor things in the game for the North American market.” said Jeff Giasson, Production Director at Meridian4, “There was very little to be done to this surprisingly addictive driving sim.”

About Bus Driver
In Bus Driver, your job is to transport passengers around an attractive and realistic city. You must drive to a timetable on a planned route, while obeying traffic rules, and taking care not to upset or injure your passengers. This makes Bus Driver unlike any other driving game - the experience of driving a bus is very different from blazing through a racing circuit.

• 12 buses to drive – detailed models inspired by real-world buses, including London’s double-decker bus, America’s school bus, Europe’s low floor buses and many more
• 30 routes arranged into 5 tiers with increasing difficulty
• Multiple duties, such as driving a school bus, transporting tourists, sight-seeing tours and even the transportation of prisoners
• High replay value based on sophisticated system of traffic rules and game-play related bonuses.
• Large city to drive in, with several districts of varying styles: modern, old-town, suburb, airport, harbor and more with day/night cycles and realistic weather conditions.
• Living roads with intelligent traffic controlled by AI system.
• Non-violent, easy to pick up gameplay, suitable for all ages.

Angry GTA4 Fan Creates Freeze Page On YouTube

This page is solely dedicated to the individuals, whether owners of a playstation 3 or xbox360, who have been affected by the GTA4 freezing epidemic and also for those who have lost their entire gaming systems to the problem as well.

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Rockstar Games’ Dan Houser on GTA4 and New York

Dan Houser, Vice President of Rockstar Games and co-writer of GTA IV, spoke to Vulture about building a nuttier, dirtier Gotham.

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Top 5 Non-Violent Things To Do in Grand Theft Auto IV

After hours upon hours testing the just-released Grand Theft Auto IV, we realized there’s actually so much fun in Liberty City that is—dare we say—wholesome that we opted to breakdown the positive pastimes of the badass game rather than review it.

Leave that to the crooks.

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Rocketmen - Axis of Evil Fact Sheet

The next chapter of Capcom’s Rocketmen: Axis of Evil is coming! Rocketmen: It Came from Your Uranus, an expansion to the original digitally-distributed title, will be available through Xbox LIVE Arcade and the PlayStation Network Store on Wednesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 15 respectively. For 400 points on Xbox LIVE or $4.95 on PlayStation Network, Rocketmen fans will have access to new maps, weapons, and enemies.

A digitally-distributed add-on to Rocketmen: Axis of Evil

• Players must have already purchased Rocketmen: Axis of Evil in order to play It Came from Uranus
• Continue the Rocketmen saga with your characters from the original game.
• 400 XBLA points / $4.95 PSN Store

3 New Weapons

• Blobber: Shoots blobs of goo at enemies, does damage over time in the part of the ground that it covers.
• Beamer: Shoots lighting at enemies, does high intensity damage.
• Bomber: Shoots grenades instead of bullets; grenades explode on impact doing damage.

2 New Secondary Weapons

• Falcon: Robotic falcon that attacks enemies automatically
• Screw bomb: Rocket that turns into a proximity mine on impact

3 New Levels

• Level 11 - Finding Jane: The player must escape the Saturnian prison mine and reclaim Nick's ship, the Icarus Jane.
• Level 12 - Clear the Asteroids: The player must clear a path for the ship through Saturn's rings
• Level 13 - The Plan: The player must make his way through the Saturnian palace and convince Angelica, leader of the Saturnians, to join the Alliance.

New Enemies

• Saturnian Marine
• Saturnian Elite
• Heavy Mining Terra Scientists
• Terra Rocket Marines
• Saturnian Pit Boss
• Saturnian Asteroid Demolition Machine
• Lord Angelica

A high quality brain-training game for the PC - The Amazing Brain Train!

Fueled by your mental energy, Professor Fizzwizzle's Brain Train will take you on a brain-boosting adventure with 15 innovative mini-games in 3 addictive play modes. But this is no ordinary brain game; The Amazing Brain Train contains features never before seen in the genre! Say goodbye to the minimalist brain game graphics of yesteryear, as engaging full-color, animated graphics usher in a new era in brain game visuals. And forget about goal-less gameplay: The Amazing Brain Train is packed with quests, trophies, and even a global on-line high score system, so the fun will never stop!

Put your mighty mind to the test and see how far you can go! A free demo of The Amazing Brain Train is now available for Windows, Mac, and Linux at www.grubbygames.com

Based in Vancouver, Canada, Grubby Games was formed in October 2004 with a simple goal: To make accessible, polished games that are fun to play. We're passionate about developing games that are beautiful, easy to learn, and above all, fun. We want to provide you with games that we would love to play ourselves!

The Legend Returns With TECMO BOWL - KICKOFF For the Nintendo DS

Leading video game developer and publisher Tecmo today announced TECMO BOWL - KICKOFF, exclusively for the Nintendo DS. Based on the most popular Tecmo Super Bowl, KICKOFF will deliver to long time fans and newcomers easy to employ controls, fun, huge plays and exciting cut-scenes. The classic, over-the-top, all-American football game enables players of all levels to engage in a fun filled, fast paced, arcade style of football.

“We are extremely excited to bring back everyone’s favorite football game to the Nintendo DS,” said Ryan Gilbo, executive producer, Tecmo, Inc. “KICKOFF is packed with everything that fans wanted to see in this revival. No other football game will ever compare to TECMO BOWL as this is the game that started it all.”

TECMO BOWL: KICKOFF brings a host of new features that will further enhance the gameplay experience, including:

• Customizable Teams: Choose team colors, emblems, player names, team cities and abilities.
• Super Abilities: Tactically use over-the-top plays to take over a game.
• Wi-Fi and Wireless Multiplayer: Play against friends across the country or across the room.
• Stylus Control: Feel the action by using the stylus to control your player.
• Variety of Teams: Choose from 32 different teams.
• Cut-Scenes: All-new cut-scenes showing off the dramatic presentation of various plays.
• Customizable Playbook: Prepare for gridiron greatness by customizing your playbook.
• Music and Sound Effects: Turn up the heat on your opponent as you play the game to rock ‘n’ roll remixes of the most memorable tunes in football gaming history!

TECMO BOWL: KICKOFF is scheduled to launch Fall 2008.