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There isn’t much to say about Halo 3 that hasn’t been said before, in a million different places. If you are reading this, then you have Internet access, which makes it reasonable to assume that you have access to other forms of media, such as television, magazines, and the like. Taking as a given the fact of media exposure almost means taking as a given exposure to the Halo 3 marketing megalith. Even 7-11 Slurpees and Mountain Dew (with their new flavor Game Fuel) have cashed in on the hype. So what about the game? What exactly is this Halo?

For the layman, Halo is the flagship series of Microsoft Xbox console line. It is a first-person shooter/space opera in which a malevolent group of aliens known as The Covenant wage jihad on the human race, whose main hope in all of this is the last remaining member of the super-soldier Spartan program. You are the last Spartan, also known as the Master Chief, that iconic armor-clad and golden-visored individual whose visage you’ve no doubt seen plastered all over the place lately.

The game takes it’s name from a system of gigantic ring-shaped, terraformed world-vessels spread throughout the galaxy, large enough to ring a planet the size of Earth, that together function as an uber-weapon capable of extinguishing all life in the galaxy. The Covenant’s misguided religion has them on a quest to activate the Forerunner-constructed Halos, in order to affect the start of their ?Great Journey.?

Halo features a distinctive visual style, a grand and incredibly fleshed-out narrative, and excellent enemy artificial intelligence, among other things, that make the single player experience very compelling in its own right, but none of these are the reason behind the series continued success and hallowed place in the halls of gaming. No, behind the phenomenon of Halo is the game’s incredible bevy of multi-player modes and options. MORE »

What to look out for this week!

–> This week is all about Halo 3. It’s the culmination of the massively popular Xbox (and now 360) shooter franchise, and is guaranteed to be the biggest launch of the year. This week is otherwise fairly dead, no doubt a conscious decision on the part of many publishers to keep their games from being overshadowed by the Halo 3 juggernaut.

–> It is surprising then, that EA chose this week to release skate. for the PS3 this week. The title has been getting some very positive buzz; it’s a new take on the skateboarding genre, focusing more on realistic skateboard physics than the outlandish stunts one is able to pull off in a Tony Hawk branded skating game.

–> Elsewhere we have a lot of licensed and kiddie fare, but it would be remiss to overlook Soul Nomad & The World Eaters for the PS2. This is a strategy role playing game in the vein of Jeanne D’Arc, though much more complex. Fans of the genre should take note.

In addition physical console releases, each of the current generation systems from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo feature downloadable titles for their respective online networks. Releases for one of these platforms listed below will be marked:

• PSN ? Playstation Network (Playstation 3)
• XBLA ? Xbox Live Arcade (Xbox 360)
• VC ? Virtual Console (Wii)

As always, this is not a comprehensive list, as other titles for these three ?virtual platforms? can appear at any time, with little to no warning. Remember to look both ways before connecting to the server.

Playstation 3

• skate.
• NBA 08
• World Series of Poker 2008

Xbox 360

• Halo 3 (Standard, Limited, and Legndary Editions)
• CSI: Hard Evidence
• Hot Wheels: Beat That!
• World Series of Poker 2008

Nintendo Wii

• Bratz: The Movie
• Balls of Fury
• Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party (Dance Pad Bundle)
• Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire
• Hot Wheels: Beat That!
• Legend of Hero Tonma (VC)

Playstation 2

• Bratz: The Movie
• Jackass: The Game
• CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder
• Dance Dance Revolution Supernova 2 (Dance Pad Bundle)
• Hot Wheels: Beat That!
• NBA 08
• Soul Nomad & The World Eaters
• World Series of Poker 2008

Nintendo DS

• Math Play
• Original Frisbee Disc Sports: Ultimate & Golf
• Spelling Challenges and more!
• Animal Genius
• Backyard Basketball
• Backyard Hockey
• Crayola Treasure Adventures
• Race Driver: Create & Race
• Kuropoto Cool Cool Stars
• Arctic Tale
• Battleship-Connect Four-Sorry!-Trouble

PSP

• Jackass: The Game
• NBA 08

What to look out for this week!

- Halo fanatics (they’re out there…) may be interested in the Halo-themed Xbox 360 hardware out this week, done up in a Master Chief-style olive drab and copper trim.

- Japanese-style RPG fans could do worse than to check out Eternal Sonata, a fantasy loosely based on the music of Chopin. As described by the Namco Bandai website: “On his deathbed, the famous composer, Chopin, drifts between this life and the next. In his final hours, he experiences a fantastical dream where he encounters a young girl facing a terrible destiny and the boy who will fight to save her. On the border between dreams and reality, Chopin discovers the light that shines in all of us in this enduring tale of good and evil, love and betrayal.”

- The Growlanser release on PS2 should excite some in that same demographic.

- The Playstation 2 also gets a heaping helping of the karaoke franchise SingStar for the musically inclined.

- Action and shooter fans should probably check out Syphon Filter on PS2, Coded Arms for PSP, and Warriors Orochi for hack-and-slash fun on PS2 or 360.

- In addition to physical console releases, each of the current generation systems from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo feature downloadable titles for their respective online networks. Releases for one of these platforms listed above will be marked in parenthesis in future installments of this column:

PSN ? Playstation Network (Playstation 3)

XBLA ? Xbox Live Arcade (Xbox 360)

VC ? Virtual Console (Wii)

This is not a comprehensive list, as other titles for these three ?virtual platforms? can appear at any time, with little to no warning. Remember to look both ways before connecting to the server.

Playstation 3

• Stuntman: Ignition
• Loco Roco Cocoreccho! (PSN)

Xbox 360

• Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360 (limited edition hardware)
• Eternal Sonata
• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
• Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII
• Warriors Orochi

Nintendo Wii

• Anubis II
• Cosmic Family
• Dewy’s Adventure
• Fishing Master
• Mercury Meltdown Revolution
• MySims
• Super Thunder Blade (VC)
• World Class Baseball (VC)
• Yoshi’s Story (VC)

Playstation 2

• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
• Digimon World: Data Squad
• Growlanser: Heritage of War
• Honda SBK-07 Superbike World Championship
• SingStar ’80s (game only and game with mic bundle)
• Singstar Amped (game only and game with mic bundle)
• Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
• Warriors Orochi

Nintendo DS

• 7 Wonders of the Ancient World
• Animates!
• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
• Backyard Basketball
• Digimon World Dawn
• Digimon World Dusk
• Master Jin Jin’s IQ Challenge
• MySims
• Nancy Drew: The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park
• Original Frisbee Disc Sports: Ultimate & Golf
• Sonic Rush Adventure
• Namco Museum DS

PSP

• Coded Arms: Contagion
• Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 2