In honor of this memorable game, Rockstar is relaunching the game ten years later (December 15th, 2011) on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. A full list of supported launch devices is bellow, with more handsets coming in the future. The game will sell for a mere $4.99, but how can you put a price on stealing cars wherever you may be?

I’ve seen some screenshots and it amazes me how much they remind me of the actual game. This isn’t watered down, this is GTA III in all its glory. It is crazy to consider a game that pushed circa-2001 hardware to the extreme can now be played on your mobile device. Who knows what gaming will look like ten years from now.

Supported Devices

Apple iOS Devices: iPad 1 & 2, iPhone 4 & 4S, iPod touch 4th Generation
Android Phones: HTC Rezound, LG Optimus 2x, Motorola Atrix 4G, Motorola Droid X2, Motorola Photon 4G, Samsung Galaxy R, T-Mobile G2x
Android Tablets: Acer Iconia, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Dell Streak 7, LG Optimus Pad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, Sony Tablet S, Toshiba Thrive

Prior to launch sometime later this year, Bungie has already begun to hype up the game. In this new ViDoc, Bungie details a little bit of the design process behind Halo Reach. Bungie never ceases to amaze me, I cannot wait for Halo Reach!

For more information on Need for Speed Shift, and other Need for Speed titles, check out their twitter and youtube profiles.

…this may be set in the halo 3 world but you probably will be playing as someone other than the master chief

Well, I’m happy to say my prediction was correct; Halo 3: Recon is an expansion to and takes place before the action in Halo 3. You will be playing as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST), one not as powerful as the master chief, in order to recapture the covenant infested city in New Mombasa. Besides some news maps, the multiplayer in this new game will essentially be the same as Halo 3.

With this in mind, Bungie has said that

“We’re not viewing this as a full game.”

So hopefully we will see a lower price point than the regular $60 USD but this has not been confirmed. An interesting comparison was made when Luke Smith told kotaku

“I would think of it [Halo 3: Recon] as our Frozen Throne,”

Referencing the very successful and fun expansion to Warcraft 3. The game is set to be released Fall 2009.

This new model is 12% smaller than the current DS lite in part because there is no longer a GBA (Game Boy-Advanced) slot. Personally I would have preferred if they kept the GBA slot and the dimensions transferred from the current model to this new model.

The DSi screen’s have both received an upgrade to 3.25 inches each but unfortunately it appears the resolution will remain the same. For storage, the DSi will have an unmentioned internal supply as well as an SD port for expandability.

Additionally on the hardware side, the DSi will ship in both white and black finishes. Plus, they will have an external 3 megapixel camera as well as a front facing camera.

On the software side of things, Nintendo will be selling content directly to the users DSi over the ‘DSi Shop’ including a free web browser application and “DS Ware” game. Using the newly renamed ‘Nintendo Points’ users will be able to purchase additional content priced using either a 200, 500, or 800 point bracket.

The above video clip above from Bungie hints at future products coming from the developer famous for the halo franchise. And from the looks of things, the fight is not finished.

Obviously, this game will be an xbox 360 exclusive and I’m sure the online play will be great similar to halo 3′s addicting action. There has been speculation in the past that the next halo game would be halo 4 but I’m not so sure. Halo has been dominated by the master chief thus far so a game not focused on him would be different which is why I feel this upcoming title is not halo 4.

In my opinion, it looks like this may be set in the halo 3 world but you probably will be playing as someone other than the master chief. This would make sense considering the other teaser trailer Bungie launched after wining an EFI award didn’t show the master chief. Watching it over a few time I have also found what appears to be a release date: 01/06/09.

Kotaku has some interesting information on what the trailer means. If you have followed the franchise in the past, it’s worth reading.

Above is a little clip about the full game and I have to say it looks really interesting. You still get the creature creator plus an entire ‘RTS’-like game. I am really excited about it and you should too.

The main game is coming to the PC (and mac!) September 7th. The required specifications aren’t that high so you will probably have the resources to play. Plus, there are mobile versions of the game coming to the Nintendo DS. (And iPhone if I remember correctly.)

Halo 3, by Bungie, won an award at EFI. In their acceptance speech, for the edge award in interactive innovation, a prerecorded video was plaid revealing some interesting bits of information. Although nothing is set in stone, it’s pretty safe to say the halo universe is not completely closed.

Since games on the iPhone will be downloaded from the app store game prices will be lower than the ds because there is no need for extensive marketing and all copies will be sold digitally so no transportation costs of the physical game will be incurred. Based on the control scheme of both devices we will definitely see an overlap of games. For the iPhone, this is truly a good thing.

One of the better games on the DS, brain-age, could easily be ported over to the iPhone. Now what would be more attractive to you; bring a ds with you on a train or plane while traveling or whipping out your cell phone and playing the same game with ease? Look at another example. Trauma center, another amazing DS and Wii game, could be ported over to the iPhone. Any time during the day you could take a ten minute break and play.

Thats not to overshadow currently announced iPhone games. When the app store launches for around $10 you can purchase super monkey ball. For ten bucks you can enjoy 100 levels based in several worlds with all four monkeys. This fully packed game will take advantage of the touch screen and accelerometer for a low price compared to the troublesome ds version of super monkey ball.

The DS is a great platform and I’m not trying to take away from it. I think that both systems can work together to boost sales of mobile gaming. The DS has a very large install base and so many people would never give up their DS. However, with more and more people owning an iPhone it’s clear gaming on apple’s device will expand. Apple may try competing with the DS, but like the blackberry, I think apple will stay away from directly comparing the platforms and continue to work to better their amazingly powerful, functional, and unique device.

Overall, apple’s iPhone will probably never be able to overtake the nintendo ds in this stage of it’s life. However, being able to conveniently acquire a lower priced game which will always be right in your pocket, ready to play is a very attractive model. I have a DS but my brother uses it more often than I do. However, being able to play similar games on my cell phone for a few minutes when time permits is an amazing option and one casual gamers should not overlook.

Video demo of the racing and physics game

1. Super Smash Bros Brawl
   I really love this game and right now it has to be one of the best on all platforms. Coming from SSB 64 I have to say this game is great. It manages to keep the fun and simple gameplay the original game had but it also introduces great graphics (for the system), new characters, and really cool worlds to play on. If you own a Wii, you must play this game.
   
2. Super Mario Galaxy
   This game looks fantastic and with a great level design Super Mario Galaxy has won several awards including game of the year. It’s clear that this is one of the best Mario games to date. The replay value is great because this game has lots of stages and tons of stars to find and collect. This is one you should play.
   
3. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition
   This is the first 3rd party game on my list and I have to say it’s a great value. You get an amazing shooter with intense story line for the good price of $29.99 which I’m sure you can find for less.
   
4. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock
   It’s clear the Guitar Hero Series is one what is great on all platforms and the Wii is no exception. The game plays just as well as any other system but is $10 cheaper and is wireless. This is the best game for parties.
   
5. Trauma Center: New Blood
   Rounding out my list is Trauma Center: New Blood which is a surgery simulator. Using the Wii Controls you can operate similarly to the way actual doctors operate. This is the first game of it’s kind and offers a way to really use the Wii the way it was designed: using the new control scheme. The game can get very hard towards the end but I still recommend this title.
   

If you remember back to 2005 ESPN shipped ESPN NFL 2K5 which to this day I feel is the best football game on the market. I don’t play it as frequently as I would like because of the newer rosters in Madden 2008 but I should. ESPN 2k5 blew Madden 2005 out of the water by make a superior and cheaper game. (If you recall 2K5 shipped for $20 starting on day one.) So what did EA due to fight back? They broke out their pocket-books and purchased the rights to make exclusive NFL football simulations. When I read about that I lost a lot of respect for EA.

Instead of competing to make a better product, which would mean improved games for us consumers, EA took the easy way out and hurt the gaming industry. Instead of seeing improvements each year we see roster updates and finer graphics. If ESPN was still making the 2K football series I feel the current generation of football games would be vastly different in a positive way.

The same way the government blocks monopolies and pooling I feel there should be restrictions on creating monopolies in games. If several companies bought out all of the game types respectively I feel the consumer would be forced to purchase a lower grade and more expensive game. We as a consumer need to band together now and demand monopolies be banned from the gaming industry.

Activision has confirmed that the DS version of the guitar hero will be called Guitar Hero: On Tour. The game will feature a one-player career mode, co-op play over wireless, and a two-player battle mode called Guitar Duel.

The game will ship with a Guitar Grip accessory for the DS that will have only four fret buttons, compared to the full-sized game’s five buttons. The add-on will also contain a Guitar Hero stylus that will be used on the touch screen to strum along to songs.

Guitar Hero: On Tour is due out sometime this summer and will cost $49.99 in the USA.