Late Night Consoling

An issue preventing Crackdown users from downloading the Halo 3 multiplayer beta lead to the widespread consternation of countless impatient gamers today. Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb--whose website was taken down facing an onslaught of eager Halo fans--explained that the issue was unrelated to both Crackdown or the beta, urging throughout the day that a fix would be released shortly.

Messages poured onto the Bungie.net forums after the promised deadline came and went. "HEY!!!! G4TV's AOTS is on and theirs playin the beta ....i PAYED 60 bucks FOR THIS? IT WASNT FREEE!!!!! o n THEY SAID ITLL B UP in 3-6 HRS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!," replied one typical forum poster.

An announcement was finally posted late this evening on Bungie.net, explaining that the problem had been fixed by way of an update to Crackdown. To quell the enraged masses, Bungie also noted that the beta itself would be extended by four days, until 11:59 PM PDT on June 10th.

Hudson Entertainment announced today that an 8-person multiplayer Bomberman game will hit Xbox Live Arcade this summer. Titled simply Bomberman Live, the game will allow players to customize their own Bombermen avatars, with a possible 10,000 combinations. Four-player local battles will also be supported.

"This has been one of our most requested games, our fans have been clamoring for it, and we are thrilled to finally be able to deliver the game they want," said Hudson president John Greiner. Bomberman: Act Zero was released on the system last year, receiving terrible reviews from critics who cited its lackluster gameplay and bizarre graphics.

Hudson also sent along this character render, which suggests that Bomberman Live will use 3D graphics but retain its traditional super-deformed art style.

Midway's classic arcade series Rampage will make its way onto the Playstation Network tomorrow in the form of its 1997 iteration, Rampage World Tour. The game saw its original release in arcade form, as well as being ported to the major consoles of the day. Players can choose one of three characters with which to scale walls, squish humans, and punch airplanes. Online multiplayer is supported, as well as offline multiplayer for up to three players. The game will carry a price of $4.99. Sony Online Entertainment sends these new screenshots.

Majesco sends word that developer Coyote Console is set to release Operation: Vietnam for the Nintendo DS. Unsurprisingly, Operation: Vietnam is set during the Vietnam War, and blends squad-based gameplay with "run-and-gun action." Players will be able to utilize the DS touch screen to do things like issue commands, access inventory, and select squad members.

Majesco also sent along a few screenshots which show off the game's interface. Operation: Vietnam is set for release this fall.

Namco Bandai today announced a triplet of games based on the popular Japanese franchise Digimon.

Digimon Dawn and Digimon Dusk will complement each other on the Nintendo DS, offering two different perspectives on a single storyline. Wi-Fi connectivity is promised, allowing players to battle it out with their respective Digimen. Namco Bandai released assets for both Digimon World Dawn (screenshots, artwork) as well as Digimon World Dusk (screenshots, artwork).

Digimon World Data Squad will be released on the PlayStation 2. An RPG featuring cell-shaded artwork and promising an intriguing storyline, the game will allow you to team up with more than 140 Digimon characters, which each can be upgraded in order to improve their strengths and weaknesses. If you are yearning for even more Digimon assets, you are in luck, as Namco again sent along both screenshots and artwork of your favorite Digimon characters.

All three Digimon games will make their way to stores his fall.