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This year, one of the best-selling series in gaming today gets a sequel, after being delayed from a late 2007 release, "Grand Theft Auto IV" is due on the PS3 and Xbox360. Much is anticipated from another Rockstar games product, each successive game in "GTA" has generated a lifetime of press attention and this looks to be as talked about as the previous incarnations.

"GTA:IV" is sure to be a console seller for either of the machines it's on, but you have to wonder if the game will be as eye-opening as "GTA: San Andreas" was? The element of surprise is gone; we know what to expect with these games now. You may have even caught the Coke drink ad? This mimics the "GTA" experience in animation and proves just how the game has seeped into popular culture.

"Mario Kart: Wii" is on its way for the Wii (why Nintendo insist on labeling all their games with the console name is a mystery, they don't appear anywhere else!) this promises a 12 player on-line experience, a full compliment of new tracks and "classic" tracks from the past to race around, a 2 player split screen setup, the inclusion of motorbikes and the obligatory battle modes. The previews and ratings have all been good so far, maybe the loss of a grand prix mode for "home" play is the let-down (this can be accessed versus on-line players) but overall the speed and action is all apparent in preview videos, this will be a massive official Nintendo release.

Another Nintendo title sure to be a hot title is "Super Smash Bros: Brawl". Technically a sequel to the Gamecube version, there are now 40 characters in this manic beat-em up, with all the most famous of Nintendo's stable, Mario, Bowser, Yoshi, Fox McCloud and Gannondorf all returning. Now Sonic and some of his other friends are joining in the mayhem of four players fights, tons of levels will be on offer with masses of crazy weapons, and even the ability to create your own levels to share on-line if you feel like it. The Wii's on-line abilities are utilized with on-line battles available if you so choose.

After the big hit that was "Lego: Stars Wars" and the follow-up "The Original Trilogy", "Lego Indiana Jones: The original adventures" whip-cracks its way onto all the consoles and handhelds. Using the familiar formula that made the "Star Wars" games so playable and respectful to the films, this new Lego game looks to be another fun experience. With another film getting the Lego treatment soon, this time "Batman", Lego has never been so "in".

When it comes to talk about PC strategy games, no debate could afford to forget the biggest and some say best of them of all, "Civilization IV". Now a new console version is coming, called "Civilization Revolution". This looks to revise the presentation of past games into a 3-D world, a more streamlined type of game-play more suited to consoles. This could be a classic, but it has to incorporate the many features from "Civ IV" or it'll just be "Civ lite", the potential is definitely there for a very good game.

"Pro Evolution Soccer 2008" has already been out for a few months now but a new Wii version is coming out. The Wii controls are optimized to bring a new and never-seen-before way to play; quite possibly, the best soccer game franchise there is right now. If the controls are as intuitive as hyped then this could well be the definitive version of the game to-date.

These games are just afew that jumped out on the games radar for 2008, another fun-filled year of gaming awaits us all, enjoy!

Learn more about this author, Wayne Reeves.
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