Oh good, another platform to play Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords on, but why pick up the PlayStation 3 version when you've already played it on the PSP, PS2, Nintendo DS, or Wii? Why because you get to be a bard. D3 Publisher has revealed that the PS3 version of Puzzle Quest will be bundled with the Revenge of the Plague Lord expansion pack that hit the Xbox Live Arcade version back in July, which adds a whole new adventure to the game along with four new classes - Bard, Rogue, Ranger, and Warlock.

If you've not gotten a chance to play the update on the 360, I would highly suggest picking up the PS3 version and playing through again. The Bard in particular is an amazing class with some very interesting mechanics that ads a little more strategy to how you play the game.

Puzzle Quest plus expansion for PS3 [Eurogamer]

At this year's E3, D3 Publisher had several offerings to show off, ranging from kiddie show spin offs and more Naruto games to M-rated boobs and gore, as well as the 'spiritual successor' of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. While I passed by the Naruto games due to time constraints and lack of interest, I did look at five other games: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, Onechanbara, Ben 10: Alien Force, Bangai-O Spirits, and Shaun the Sheep. Hit the jump for some art assets from the games and impressions.

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After announcing that they're bringing the bikini-clad, cowboy hat-wearing, zombie shooting Onechanbara to North America yesterday, does D3 Publisher have any other games featured at E3 that really matter? I suppose it depends on who you ask. Me? I'm excited about Puzzle Quest: Galactrix for Live Arcade, DS, and PC, but I am the puzzly sort. Anime fans might enjoy Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2 for the Wii, though I'd say we're all wishing they'd just advance the storyline already and give us some new characters in the states. Same with Path of the Ninja 2 for the DS. Dreamcast to DS port Bangai-O Spirits certainly isn't anything to sneeze at. Ben 10: Alien Force? Shaun the Sheep?

I suppose once you announce a game where a scantily clad woman gets splattered with zombie blood the rest of your line up looks a bit pale by comparison.

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Finally, D3 Publisher of America has come to its senses! We don't want your Dark Sectors, guys; we want your poorly animated super soldiers shooting giant bugs and gooey zombie killin' adventures in combat inappropriate clothing. We want that mind-numbing stuff. That's why we're so pleased to learn, via GamesRadar, that Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers will be coming to the Wii in early 2009.

Sure, it wasn't my most memorable experience at Tokyo Game Show last year and these games aren't exactly "good", but you can dispatch the undead in bikinis, biker outfits and barely legal schoolgirl get-ups. We're willing to sacrifice our joints to over-waggling if it helps convince D3 to bring Onechanbara VorteX over here.

Onechanbara's coming to the Wii [GamesRadar - thanks, Jeff!]

A toned-down version of Dark Sector based on the Japanese build? Yes, we could deal with that.

Sadly, it seems this information was more of a plan rather than solid confirmation, as we were led to believe. Digital Extremes, the developer of the game, got back to us recently with this:

We were aware of the Australian banning, it got quite a few headlines over [in the US]. We did make an altered version of Dark Sector for Japan which could easily be updated for Australia but D3 hasn't requested that we do it yet.

Digital Extremes says it doesn't want us to miss out on the game but as far as it knows "it's not going to happen". Australian retailers: 0, overseas stores: 1.

The Ben 10 cartoon series recently relaunched as Ben 10: Alien Force, featuring a more mature Ben and Gwen teaming up with enemy Kevin Levin to form a super team of sorts, kicking all sorts of alien arse and garnering an absolutely huge ratings boost for Cartoon Network. D3 Publisher is ready to cash in on the hype with a follow-up to last year's Ben 10: Protector of Earth titled, aptly enough, Ben 10: Alien Force. Grandpa Max has gone missing, the world is in danger, and it's up to those three plus five of Ben's new forms to save the day. The game is being developed for the Nintendo Wii, DS, and PlayStation 2, with a release date sometime this fall. While I enjoy the hell out of the cartoon, the last game failed to please the fanboy within. Perhaps the second time around they'll get it right?

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Xbox 360 owners won't have to wait for the upcoming Galactrix to get their Puzzle Quest fix, as D3Publisher announces Puzzle Quest 1.5, and expansion pack due out this spring for Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. Don't like the name Puzzle Quest 1.5? Starting today at noon central, fans can head over to www.puzzle-quest.com and enter their name suggestions for a chance at leaving their mark on the franchise. The expansion features an all-new storyline involving Lord Bane's brother, Antharg, the Lord of the Plague, who is a bit pissed off that you killed his bro with glorified Bejeweled. The game takes you into the newly uncovered Southern portion of the map, and features over 25 new quests, more than 50 new spells, 40 new items, plus new monsters and bosses to take on. The expansion also features four new player classes - bard, rogue, ranger, and warlock - which should prove just as entertaining and refreshing in multiplayer as they will in single player. I suppose now I am going to have to spend hours and hours leveling up my new rogue once the pack hits, No word yet on pricing, but where my PQ addiction is concerned, money is no object.

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Yesterday I whined a bit about the lack of original announced titles coming to the iPhone. Specifically, very specifically, I called out Infinite Interactive, asking why they haven't jumped onto the iPhone bandwagon yet.

We all know the world can't get enough Puzzle Quest... well, at least I can't get enough of it. And the thought of being able to play the very touch-perfect puzzle RPG on my iPhone gives me goosebumps. So after my little hint didn't result in any immediate announcement of an iPhone Puzzle Quest or Galaxtrix, I took matters into my own hands and emailed Infinite Interactive to see what was up.

Janeen Fawkner, producer on the game was quick to respond:

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What's this now? The D3 folks just sent us a press release with the full break down of Dark Sector's Xbox 360 achievements and... Playstation 3 entitlements? More and more frequently we're starting to see knock-off achievements rear their addictive heads in Playstation 3 versions of games that show up on both the PS3 and Xbox 360. Maybe they've decided that since they've gone through the trouble of creating a list of "achievements" for the 360 they might as well rename it and use the same list on the PS3.

I've emailed the PR folks to find out how exactly they'll show up in the PS3 version of Dark Sector. If you're interested in the nitty-gritty, hit the jump for the games achievements and entitlements, which are broken down into level completion, combat and multiplayer.

I'll make sure to update when and if we hear back.

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D3 Publisher has dropped details on the two multiplayer modes included in Dark Sector, revealing a slight gimping of the game on the PlayStation 3 versus the 360. While the Xbox 360 supports Quick, Custom, and Ranked matches, the PS3 will only allow you to search or create games. Boo! As for the game modes themselves, in the Infection game mode, one player takes the role of super-human main character Hayden while up to nine others play members of the Lasrian military, trying to take him down. When one of the troopers takes Hayden down the match ends, with the killer stepping into his super-powered shoes the next round. The second mode, Epidemic, features two teams each with their own Hayden, with rounds ending when a Hayden is brought down. Interesting choice, taking two game modes traditionally tacked on to multiplayer shooters and making them the focus. Hit the jump for more details.

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