Okay peeps, here's the sweet and lowdown on a few Duece titles you'll want to give more than a second glance to. In no particular odor:

1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Obviously, the game that everyone including your blue-haired granny is hyped to pick up is Vice City. After Rockstar's previous effort, a little game you might have heard called Grand Theft Auto III came out of the gates at 190 mph and has barely slowed down as it approaches it's first birthday, the hype is understandable. Add that to the fact that VC should turn out to be GTA3 with any- and everything you could ever want (including the freakin' 80's!), and R* should have another winner with gamers. Buy your fake I.D.'s or pay off a bum now little ones, as gamers of all ages will be clamouring for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, hitting shelves on Oct. 28th.



2. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

While THPS3 definately rocked my nuts, it seemed to just be an updated Skater 2 with 128-bit graphics. While 3 was fantastic but repetitive at times, 4 will prove that the Neversoft clan can still rock my meat and two veg, which they are welcome to do at anytime. Look for Tony to come to 6 different platforms simultaneously (a record) on Oct. 23rd.



3. Contra: Shattered Soldier

Proving once again that a solid game idea can be a force to be reckoned with in any console generation, Konami is pulling out all the stops for this one. Combining the classic insane coke-binge-before-you-press-start 2D shooter action we all remember from our pasts with all the cool techno-goodies packed inside the PS2 and you are looking at probably the best pick-up-and-play-until-your-boss-calls-for-the-tenth-time game of the pre-holiday season. Contra drops the 22nd - get in line now as you won't want to miss this one.



4. Red Faction II

After putting an excessive amount of time into the demo, I can tell you now that if RFII is as solid all the way through (as Volition has promised us), it will go down in history as one of the best of the year. Pick up Red Faction II on the 16th while you are waiting for any of the above titles.



And the #5 game of ROCK-tober is...



5. THE GIANTS WHOOPIN' THE SNOT OUT OF THE AL CHAMP IN THE WORLD F-ING SERIES!

I would write more but Game 3 is starting...



-Signing off,

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