Boxing games have been around for a long time. But never before have we seen such an evolution in boxing since the Fight Night series from EA Sports.

Next-gen consoles have been graced with Fight Night Round 3 for the past few years, and for many it was a first look at what the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were capable of. Now some time has passed, and EA Sports have had some time to work over an already solid concept to make it even better for Fight Night Round 4. EA Sports deliver on making some astoundingly positive changes, but not without some questionable calls.

Fight Night Round 4, much like its predecessor, is a pure boxing experience. The game amps up the speed and makes for one incredibly smooth, fast paced and hard hitting boxing experience. The effort put into simply making the mechanics work smoothly is astounding, with incredibly lifelike movement and animations which are simply glorious to watch. Straights punches, hooks and uppercuts all flow smoothly, and each round is filled with action. Punches are thrown almost entirely by using the right stick - unfortunately there is no alternative to this so you'll need to get used to it (though there have been rumours EA Sports are considering patching in face-button punches)

Musical legend Grandmaster Flash, the first DJ to make the turntable an instrument, is coming to DJ Hero, joining the list of DJs who will appear as in-game characters and who have created mixes for the game.

Grandmaster Flash lends his recognizable voice and DJ know-how to the game’s tutorial level, schooling players on the game mechanics and the turntable controller.

 

The sheer scale of Will Wright’s vision for Spore was praiseworthy, even if the final product occasionally felt pinched and clipped.

In brief, Spore zoomed out from the microscopic to the telescopic in five phases as players evolved and nurtured a single celled organism representing a species into a space captain representing a galactic empire. Unfortunately, the first four phases played like a rambling prologue to the final galactic phase. But what it lacked in aspects of game-play it made up for in charm and creativity. You can read our review of Spore here.

The expansion, Spore: Galactic Adventures, is composed of two interrelated parts. The first is a somewhat mediocre role-playing addition to the galactic phase. The second is an unparalleled set of user-friendly creation tools that allow you to design your own planets and adventures - all of which can be seamlessly shared online.

Electronic Arts have released a new trailer for Battlefield 1943, their multiplayer first-person shooter inspired by the original Battlefield 1942.

Battlefield 1943 will be exclusively available July 8th on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and July 9th on the PlayStation Network. The PC release is expected at some stage in September.

 

Paradox Interactive and Nitro Games have launched a competition for East India Company entitled ”Rule The Waves” in which the real-life likeness of three lucky winners will be transferred digitally into actual in-game characters, which will then feature in the final game.

To be in with a chance of being turned into a great sea-faring commander in East India Company, simply follow the instructions posted on the official forums. The winning ”Commanders” will be added to the game through an upcoming patch. For more information on the game, check out our hands-on preview.

 

Magic: The Gathering is a role-playing card game wherein you battle other players using a host of magic, artefacts and creatures to whittle their life away.

It's reminiscent of Dungeons & Dragons, which was no doubt an inspiration for the initial concept in 1993, especially considering publishers Wizards of the Coast are behind both of these great games. However the game is vastly different to the Dungeons & Dragons behemoth.

Now, after years of waiting, a decent digital iteration of the famous game has been brought to the Xbox 360 Arcade Marketplace in the shape of Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers. Will it be a successful implementation of a classic formula, or will it disappoint by going for mass-market appeal?

 

A Tumblr blogger has stumbled upon three trademark registrations filed last week by Blizzard Entertainment referring to the name "Cataclysm".

The three filings are applicable to computer games, printed items (such as computer game instruction manuals) and online games (specifically computer games that may be accessed via a global computer network).

We're not sure if this refers to a World of Warcraft expansion, or if this could possibly be an indication of a new IP from Blizzard, but the filings certainly appear to be legitimate.

Activision has released a demo for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, allowing you to try out the PC version which will also be released for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, DS and Wii.

For the first time in an Ice Age game, players take on the roles of multiple characters such as Manny the mammoth, Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, Scrat and more.

Gamers also get gameplay tips from the possum duo Crash and Eddie, and Ellie the mammoth. Each character features its own strengths and abilities, resulting in a variety of gameplay experiences as players work through more than 15 levels.

Set in the Orient, Anno 1404 is the fourth Anno title, following on from Anno 1701, Anno 1503 and Anno 1602.

Players will get to know the culture and technology of the ancient Orient while learning the tricks of local trade, diplomacy and economy in order to build their own metropolis. For more information, check out our summary of the series, and stay tuned for our review shortly.