This is a category that's especially close to my heart, kudos to those who dared to risk all, who colored outside the lines and put the extra thinkin' effort into giving us something fresh.

Once again, a lot of our editors agreed on one very special title... Unreal Tournament III... just kidding!

A few months ago, Acclaim's David Perry said some pretty harsh words that got him into the headlines, saying that E3 is broken and an embarrassment, and that Sony has no chance of making money on the PlayStation 3.

Apparently he wasn't through speaking his mind. This guy gets into the news more often for what he says than for his games. More bashing from Perry in the full article.

Despite getting a lot of bad rep and portents of doom this year, ESA has announced that they will still be holding an E3 event next year. They'd better make some changes if they really intend to push through with it though. More in the full article.

Yet another one boards the "hate E3" wagon. David Perry, founder of Shiny Entertainment and chief creative officer at Acclaim, has called the event "broken," "stupid," and an "embarrassment." More after the "read more" link.

For those who are looking for new additions to their Virtual Console games collection, be informed that the ESRB has just re-rated the classic video game Double Dragon. More details after the jump!

Despite friction with trade infringement and discounting on game releases, Microsoft's winning streak for 2007 seems to be keeping strong as the computer technology corporation tops MCV's 2007 Retail Survey - helmed by Halo 3 and the Xbox 360.

More details on Microsoft's achievement after the jump.

Two new games in the Brothers in Arms series have been slated for the Nintendo DS and Wii. Both games, published by Ubisoft and developed by Gearbox Software, are expected to bring new life to this FPS based on WWII.

The Nintendo DS version, simply called Brothers in Arms DS, has a lot going for it. This is the first Brothers in Arms for the system and the developers look to be maximizing the use of the touch screen. Other features of the game include 3D graphics, drivable vehicles, and even contextual movements.

The game will also have 16 missions and three different campaigns which include Normandy, North-Africa, and Ardennes. For those who crave human flesh, er, i mean human opposition, the developers have included a multiplayer option for you and up to three other players. You can compete in various multiplayer games such as Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch.

The Wii version, Brothers in Arms: Double Time, has features that maximize the use of the Wii's innovative control scheme. What they have dubbed an "Enhanced Control Scheme" allows players to issue orders and perform military gestures to command via the Wiimote.

The game will feature 31 different levels, all of which depict the highlights of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment's fight for survival during WWII. The developers have also assured that the game will be historically accurate, with players fighting in Airborne Infantry battles of D-Day. They have even recruited Military and Historical Director, Col. John Antal to ensure the accuracy of the game.

You can expect Sergeants Baker and Hartsock to be leading their boys into combat soon since both versions are scheduled to ship this year. No exact date has been given yet, but we expect the announcement to come soon.

  

We've shown you the screens, hooked you up with the gameplay vids, and gave you an idea on how the control schemes work. As its release date nears (February 27), SSX Blur, is looking to live up to the critical acclaim of the snowboarding franchise. Recently, EA Montreal's lead designer, Eric Chartrand sat down and revealed what you could expect from the game and what are the new things it has in store for us all.

He mentions that this is a new take on the game, but lots of inspiration were taken from the best tracks from a few of the tiles in the series. Characters like Mac and Elise and the Happiness track are all in the game, but with a new control scheme, don't be surprised if you feel like you're playing it for the first time. He also pointed out the game's style changes by saying:

The game has been completely Wii-i-fied. As addressed previously, in addition to the characters, the mountain has also been overhauled with new textures and lighting.

When he said that the game "has been completely Wii-i-fied", he isn't only talking about the controls. They also made use of the Wii's internal speaker to produce non-repetitive sounds. Aside from that, the pointer of the remote could also be used as pointing device to select and navigate. Too bad that Nintendo is still cooking up the Wii's online gameplay, so don't expect any online play goodness. There are, however, two types of offline multiplayer modes - a two-player split screen and a turn based "hot seat" for 1-4 players.

As for other details about SSX Blur for the Wii, it will have support for 16:9 and 480p. The engine may have been just a modified version of SSX On Tour, but the framerate has been improved to 60fps in single play. As for their future plans on the SSX series (a PS3 or Xbox 360 version), this is what Mr. Chartrand had to say:

At this time we're just focusing on the release of this game. Once we've wrapped on Blur, we will turn our attention to the future of the franchise.

In the tradition of games such as Crazy Taxi, the frantic driving game Emergency Mayhem has been revived and is bound to make its way to the Wii soon. Originally released on the PS2 and the Xbox, this Acclaim title is currently being handled and prepared by Codemasters for its come-back on the Wii.

Though a release date has not yet been announced, and we're still lacking details on how the Wiimote will figure in all of this, we do know that players will be able to look forward to catching criminals, rescuing people, dousing fires, and defusing bombs in 7 cities and 60 different scenarios.

So, in the meantime, we'll be keeping an eye out for more details about this zany little game.

A new week, a new line-up of games. Check out the list for this week, as it's probably more "varied" than the number of colors that Dennis Rodman's hair comes in.

Topping the list as probably the most-anticipated in the bunch is the WoW: Burning Crusade expansion pack. The Outland is going to be opened via the Dark Portal, so better prepare yourself for an MMO-spree (and sleepless nights) for the next couple of weeks after this. Phoenix Wright: Justice for All is also bound to sweep the jury as the dramatic lawyer simulation would get some hard-hitting sales figures on the DS charts. As for the ballers, NCAA March Madness 07 is also coming out this week, so maybe it would be a good time to finally put the demo to rest and get the game itself already.

Others on the list include:

• WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Wii)
• Fossil League: Dino Tournament Championship (NDS)
• Great Invasions (PC)
• Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses (NDS)

A lot of the "party-game crowd" are definitely going to be eying WarioWare. For all intents and purposes though, you'd still get a lot of dancing in that Barbie title coming out as well. Captain Sarcasm says it's going to be one of the toughest calls to make.