Late Night Consoling

The game initially announced as Burnout 5 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 has now received its official moniker of Burnout Paradise. Criterion is developing the next main entry its well received Burnout series of destructive racers, following a bit of sidetracking with the PlayStation 2 and PSP spinoff Burnout Dominator. Burnout Paradise picks up where the studio left off with Burnout Revenge, which shipped in 2005 for PS2 and Xbox, and in 2006 for Xbox 360.

"We have been working towards Burnout Paradise for quite some time. Next generation consoles have opened up a raft of new gameplay opportunities and the Criterion team has leapt at the chance to innovate and raise the bar to an all new high," said executive producer Pete Hawley. "There are going to be some big surprises and a lot of new features but the core of the game is still pure Burnout. Instant accessibility will be reinforced by innovative online capabilities which will see Burnout Paradise smash racing conventions."

Named for its setting of Paradise City, Burnout Paradise diverges from its predecessors by containing a seamless open world environment rather than simply a series of discrete tracks. When the game was first announced, Criterion designer Alex Ward claimed, "Burnout 5 is a complete reinvention of the series."

Publisher Electronic Arts sent along a Burnout Paradise teaser trailer as well as several Burnout Paradise screenshots. The company plans to ship the game this winter.

Sony Computer Entertainment America has confirmed that the PSP remake of NanaOn-Sha's classic PlayStation rhythm game PaRappa the Rapper will receive a North American release. Originally released in 1996 and featuring the music of its designer Masaya Matsuura, PaRappa the Rapper was ported to PSP and released in Japan late last year.

"Bringing PaRappa The Rapper to PSP allows true PlayStation fans to re- connect with this timeless classic," said SCEA marketing manager John Koller. The game featres all of the content included in the original game as well as a four-player local wireless mode and the ability to download eight new remixes via the internet.

SCEA plans to ship NanaOn-Sha's PaRappa the Rapper for PSP in North America this July.

This week's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday will see another uncommon instances of two releases, with Big Huge Games' Catan and Atari's Centipede/Millipade both making their way to the Xbox 360 download service.

Catan, an adaptation of Klaus Teuber's board game Settlers of Catan, features online four-player multiplayer with a variety of common house rule options. For those lacking an internet connection or friends, Catan possesses what is apparently a devious artificial intelligence. "The AI is so clever that I even lost several games in a row!" exclaimed creator Teuber. "Hands down, this game for the Xbox LIVE Arcade is an amazing achievement." Catan is set to run 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Also on tap is Atari's Centipede/Millipede, containing both arcade classics for the combined price of 400 Microsoft Points ($5). Like many other Xbox Live Arcade coin-op conversions, Centipede/Millipede features an option to play with the games' original graphics or with higher-resolution enhanced visuals.

Catan and Centipede/Millipede will be available via Xbox Live Marketplace on Wednesday, May 2, 2007.

Wii's Virtual Console saw three new games added to its library today, drawing from the NES, Super NES, and TurboGrafx-16 libraries.

Konami offers the original Castlevania (NES, 1 player), the game that launched the legendary sidescrolling action franchise. It is available for 500 Wii Points ($5). Also from Konami is the cult classic action game The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Super NES, 1-2 players), remembered for its offbeat aesthetic and variety of gameplay. It runs 800 Wii Points ($8). Finally, Hudson contributes its sidescrolling shooter/platformer Shockman (TurboGrafx-16, 1-2 players), available for 600 Wii Points ($6).

Newsweek's N'Gai Croal chats it up with EyeToy creator Dr. Richard Marks about the PS3's upcoming EyeToy successor, the PlayStation Eye.