The battle starts on the streets of Palmont but is won in the canyons as Need for Speed: Carbon immerses you in the world's most dangerous and adrenaline-filled forms of street racing. After battling for control of Palmont streets, the action shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve. With captivating graphics and stunning visual effects, players will be completely immersed in a gut-check race around the canyons where more than just winning is at stake. The battle starts on the streets of Palmont city, but is won in the canyons as Need for Speed: Carbon take street racing to a whole new dangerous and white-knuckled level. Do you have the need for speed?

Wii takes the cop chases and turf wars to a new level!

The battle in Palmont city quickly spills over into neighboring Carbon Canyon. View larger.

Buy and combine over 300 individual parts, with Autosculpt technology. View larger.

Special "Blocker" teammates can cause distractions and take out enemies. View larger.

Will the cops turn up the heat before you can claim all the territories as your own? View larger.

What happens in the canyon, stays in the canyon
What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed: Carbon weaves a story line that players won't soon forget in locales that are as detailed as they are deadly. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals' neighborhoods one block at a time. Boldly expanding on the key features that have made the Need for Speed franchise a hit for more than a decade, Need for Speed: Carbon turns up the excitement and intensity by introducing all-new canyon racing. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve. With multiplayer racing and the most detailed Wii graphics and car customization tools ever, Need for Speed: Carbon is the ultimate next generation racing game.

Need for Speed: Carbon on the Nintendo Wii introduces the world to a whole new way to play Need for Speed. Offering the classic Need for Speed controls and immersive gameplay experience, with the addition of the Wii's unique controller scheme takes NFS Carbon gameplay to levels previously not possible. A simple yet intuitive control scheme using the Wii controllers, the player will instantly recognize and feel the physics differences between the extensive list of Muscle, Exotic, and Tuner cars, as they use their crew to win Canyon races, customize their cars using Autosculpt technology, and battle to take control of the streets of Palmont. A streamlined focus on game physics has resulted in a truly authentic racing experience, as each of the game's three distinct car classes have been designed to maximize differentiation and enhance performance.

Over 50 rides to drive and customize
Carbon offers more than 50 custom rides in three distinct classes: Tuner, Exotic, and Muscle -- each with unique attributes. Muscle are best on straightaways, of which there are precious few in Palmont. Need for Speed: Carbon gives you the power to design and tweak your car in every way - including over 300 different parts - using the ground-breaking new Autosculpt technology. As with other racing games you hold either end of the Wii Controller and tilt it to steer your car. If you'd rather not take the motion-control plunge EA thoughtfully provides five different steering configurations, including using the Nunchuk's analog stick. Our advice is to forget about old school -- the Wii Remote is the way to go. How did we ever enjoy racing games before it was invented?

Birds of a fuel-injected feather
New to Need for Speed in this generation are the three kinds of wingmen (and yes, that's what the game calls them). Scouts search for shortcuts. Blockers create distractions and slow rivals. Drafters give you a second of speed boost for every second you can stay behind them. All three also give you moral support via wireless communications. Scouts are most useful the first few times you run a course. Drafters are of limited use on Palmont's twisting thoroughfares. Practically indespensible are Blockers, who are always willing to lay their precious paint jobs on the line so you can cross the finish line first. Now that's true friendship.

In total, Need for Speed: Carbon takes racing on the Wii to the next generation, and never looks back. With extensive customization, multiplayer options, revolutionary control, and an intriguing story, owners of the Wii may not be able to put this title down for a long, long time.

The other side of Sonic

Sonic and his alter ego Werehog. View larger.

Collect rings for Ring Energy. View larger.

Swing into action with Werehog. View larger.

Gameplay: The Two Sides of Sonic
Like nearly all Sonic games, Sonic Unleashed is platform-based. The game combines the feel of 2D side-scrolling that fans of the Sonic series love, with sharp 3D graphics, and throws in an over the back third-person perspective reminiscent of FPS gameplay for good measure. And just as in earlier games, as players race through and explore the expansive world before them, using auto lock to hone in on enemies and areas of interest, they will rely on the power they gain from the rings they collect for a variety of things, but with the new twist of Sonic's split personality, things are a little bit different.

Playing during the day, as you race across the world in the form of Sonic, speed is the main goal. Collecting rings fills you with 'Ring Energy,' which not only provides extra life, but also the advantage of 'Sonic Boost.' With this players can travel at speeds that approximate 300 MPH. In addition, Sonic Unleashed introduces two new features: the 'Speed Drift' and the 'Quick Step'. Speed Drifting is similar to drifting in racing games, allowing players to slide around corners at high speeds, while Quick Stepping is a sidestepping maneuver allowing Sonic to avoid enemies with quick steps to either side. Both keep you moving as fast as possible, so you can get as many rings as possible, which again keeps you moving as fast as possible.

As night falls and Sonic assumes his Werehog form the rings provide a different kind of power more suited to his more menacing appearance. Much slower, but also much more powerful, the Werehog relies on the rings to provide life as well as strength to shield himself from the attacks of enemies. This is necessary because Werehog gameplay, although based in platforming, incorporates significant levels of combat as well. Red orbs gathered as enemies are defeated allow the player to unlock additional combo moves that will supplement the hack and slash and arm stretching abilities that the Werehog always possesses. Whether Hedgehog or Werehog, no matter which form players prefer they will get ample opportunity to explore the two sides of Sonic since each area in the game contains both night and day segments where each form must be played.

Key Game Features:

• Sonic’s World Transformed - Sonic maintains his high-speed abilities during the day, but at night he is transformed into a mysterious dark form with incredible never-before-seen abilities including 3D-action brawling and amazing agility.
• Tight Navigation and Speed Control - Players accelerate to super speed with ‘Sonic Boost’ by collecting rings to increase Sonic’s ‘Ring Energy.’ Using ‘Quick Step,’ players will quickly move left or right to avoid obstacles instantly. Additionally, ‘Speed Drift’ allows players to rocket through turns without slowing down.
• Powerful New Engine and Cinematic Graphics - With its new proprietary“Hedgehog Engine,” Sonic Unleashed enhances the classic 2D perspective with mind-blowing 3D stages. Other next-gen technology capabilities include global illumination, grid computing, continuous data streaming and an intricate path finding system.
• Enhanced and Expanded Environments - Many unique and fascinating continents offer the player an opportunity to save the world in a dynamic, high-speed experience. In addition to exploring exciting unlockable areas, players dash through up to nine locations resembling real-life destinations including the Great Wall of China, Arctic Pole glaciers and many more.

Push Your ATV to the Limit

Pure is an action sports off-road trick racing game that takes the genre to a new level. Developed by Black Rock Studio, Pure is the next gold standard in off-road racing games. Featuring vertigo-inducing massive aerial jumps and spectacular airborne tricks in photo-realistic real-world locations all over the globe, Pure delivers heart-pounding experiences unique to the genre. Pure encapsulates the moment where bravery outstrips ability - it defines the moment in off-road racing when players experience breakneck speed, massive jumps, grandiose vistas and truly spectacular tricks and combos, all leading to unprecedented exhilaration.

Key Features Massive vertigo inducing aerial jumps and more than 80 spectacular airborne tricks Seven real-world locations from all over the globe with more than 30 tracks. Locations ready to shred include: Wyoming, Italy and New Mexico Build Your Ride - customize the ATV from the ground up and modify during the game with over 60,000 possible combinations Play online in 16-player multiplayer

Check out your surroundings View larger image No time like the present for a little air View larger image