A fresh batch of screen shots from Lara Croft's upcoming Tomb Raider Anniversary go-round on the PSP shows a prettier and less "chunkier" Tomb Raider than Legend was, though at this point we're more curious as to how it plays. Last year's Tomb Raider Legend turned out pretty decent, but frame rate issues, chunky textures and clunky controls hurt the overall reception of the title. Feast your eyes on the recent released screenshots of the PSP-bound title and let us know if this reiteration is still on your radar. Despite the slight delay from its original June release, Tomb Raider Anniversary is still on the agenda for a late July arrival. Lets hope the extra time spent on its development results in a classier and smoother ride.

Many of our readers have expressed interest in the new music creation program, TraxxPad. However, footage of the game is hard to come by ... how does the system control? How does it work. Thankfully, PSP GadgetZ has provided an incredibly honest look at the game's operation. It's ten minutes of raw, unedited footage, with load screens and menus. What do you think about TraxxPad? Is it still worth looking into?

[Update: Official launch trailer is embedded, after the cut.]

Traxxpad: Portable Studio is a unique music making application coming to PSP later this month. It offers drum machines, samplers, sequencers and a mini keyboard and will give industry-quality tools to gamers that want to simply pick up and play.

Eidos announced today a new collaboration with hip hop super producer Sha Money XL, a G-Unit executive and CEO/Founder of Money Management Group. He's known for bringing rapper 50 Cent into the mainstream. The agreement will provide graphics and skins from the Money Management Group brand, and the first downloadable content for Traxxpad. Sha Money states in the press release: "I've always been about the best beats, not just the biggest names, and Traxxpad: Portable Studio puts the spotlight on the next generation of producers and beat makers ... Traxxpad is gonna change the game."

What could be better than a game of pool filled with porn stars? Almost anything, it seems. Unsurprisingly, Pocket Pool is being blasted by critics. And it's not just for poor taste, too. The game fails to deliver an accurate billiards experience, negating even the thinnest hope of legitimacy the title could have hoped for.

• Gamespot (34/100) - "Five minutes of Internet searching ought to yield you near-infinite amounts of sexier imagery than what this game has on offer-and for free, at that!"

• IGN (40/100) - "Pocket Pool is a poor billiards game through and through. The bonus stuff (read: pictures of half-naked women) that the game is built around isn't worth the time it takes to earn them, and the pool itself has numerous problems"

• Modojo (40/100) - "The ball physics are floaty for one, forcing the ball to roll either too much (into a pocket) or not enough (to make contact with a target ball). Worse yet, the AI-fueled opponent can be off the charts."

Congratulations, Eidos. It appears you've published this year's worst PSP game. Wonder how long this will take to end up in the bargain bin?

Pocket Pool is a hilarious game where porn stars and billiards collide. The game, which is rated M for "partial nudity" and "sexual themes," was originally supposed to feature the Girls Gone Wild license. Looks like it's no more. "While I can confirm that the Girls Gone Wild license was in consideration for Pocket Pool, an agreement was not formally signed," an Eidos representative told GameSpot.

Surely, this is a monumental loss for the gaming community. Or not. I'm sure whoever wants to purchase this doesn't need a Girls Gone Wild license to pick it up.

Eidos has announced a new piece of software from Definitive Software called Traxxpad, which will allow you to mix and use virtual sequencers, drum machines, and keyboards, and export your creations into WAV and MP3 formats. "It's one thing to make a powerful music device, but it is truly impressive to make an application that allows someone unfamiliar with music to make something that sounds professional," said Eidos' marketing manager Kevin Gill to MCV. "That is where Traxxpad excels. This is a piece of software that appeals equally to both aspiring musicians as well as professional music producers."

Certainly, the program will have a fairly limited appeal. However, for musicians that must always be composing on the go, Traxxpad may fit the bill.

[Via DCEmu]

When I went to my local game store to pick up Chili Con Carnage last week I was met with blank stares. No matter the day, they said they didn't have the game in and didn't have a release date for it. Knowing the game was supposed to come out on 2/13 I knew it was either delayed or they didn't order any copies. It looks like the game was in fact delayed. Chili Con Carnage is now listed to come out on 2/27, so it looks like there is still a little while to wait. No other sites have reported on this delay, so its reasons are unknown. Maybe Eidos didn't want to release the game the same week as The Warriors and Ratchet & Clank. Whatever the reason, let's hope that this is the last delay the game sees.

There is a new official trailer from GameTrailers for Chili Con Carnage that focuses on the title's gameplay. Looks like it retains and adds some features from the original game. I'm just glad to finally see some video of the game being played correctly. I can't wait to pull off some spicy moves of my own when this comes out. If this trailer gets you pumped as well, check out our previous coverage of Chili Con Carnage.

SCi and Eidos are about to have their release schedule look like a day at Six Flags since they acquired the rights to 11 Warner Bros franchises. If you like toons than you may be happy to know they have access to Looney Tunes and Hanna Barbera proprieties as well as Batman. Those into teen soap operas may want to stop cutting themselves and perk up at the inclusion of The OC license. The rights to all these franchises didn't come cheap though as it's reported to cost upwards of $80 million. It looks like Lara Croft will have to hold off on that boob job she was planning until Eidos recoups some earnings from this deal.

The best news though is that all games are scheduled for PSP. So soon you may be throwing a batarang with Batman, racing the road runner, working for Spacely or cheating on whoever that guy is on The OC. Let's just hope that unlike most licensed games, Eidos isn't relying on the license selling the games and will back them up with quality gameplay.

[Via Games Radar]

There has been a lot of confusion over Deadline Game's upcoming Chili Con Carnage. From publisher Eidos' initial press release, Andrew thought the game was more of a port of Total Overdose than anything else since it uses the same characters and gameplay. However, according to the game's director, Soren Lund, that's not really the case.

Speaking to Computerandvideogames.com, Lund said the game is more of a re-invention rather than a port. While it has the same cast from Total Overdose, the game's stories are completely different, the gameplay has been refined to make the game a "more tight and compact action game" and the free roaming gameplay featured in Total Overdose has been omitted to "provide a much more streamlined and focused gameplay experience."

However, Lund said the biggest difference gamers will see between the two games is the style gameplay. "We've made it a much more integrated part of the gameplay, that the player uses the games' different moves and the combo-system to achieve higher and higher scores thus being rewarded with better weapons, dual weapon overdrive, more loco moves, more health, more combo-time etc. etc.," he said. "We unlock new levels, game modes and playable characters depending on the player's level scores. And for the master players, we unlock unlimited ammo and trophies such as concept art and videos etc."

As you can see, Deadline Games has seemingly worked hard at separating this game from Total Overdose in both story and gameplay. However, the test will be whether they can get that message out to PSP owners who are very tired of ports. We'll see when the game releases early next year.

When I first looked at Eidos' press release for their new PSP game Chili Con Carnage, I thought to myself "cool, a new exclusive PSP action game." However, Gamespot checked the developer's track record, and I angrily shouted a four letter word: PORT! It may be an original game, but the game shares too many similarities with Deadline Games' Total Overdose. They both feature the same gameplay, same character and the same story. Both games feature the same "Spicy Moves" (pictured). So, why did Eidos decide to call this game Chili Con Carnage instead of Total Overdose? I think they know that PSP fans are sick of ports, so by cleverly retitling the game, they're trying to pull a fast one on us. While questionably juvenile sites might be fooled, it won't work on the superior PSP Fanboys, right? If you're going to give us a port, might as well make sure it's one of a good game, instead of Total Overdose, which only scored a 71 from Metacritic.

In announcing handheld versions of the PC downloadable game Diner Dash, Eidos and PlayFirst are attempting to establish a unified front and achieve success in the handheld arena when they bring Flo, ex-convict waitress, to store shevles for eager gamers in 2007. Diner Dash, which can be found in various different versions throughout the internet, has players seating customers, clearing dishes, and taking orders in this restaurant simulation game.

Eidos Interactive confirmed yesterday, by way of press release, that a 10th Anniversary Edition of the original Tomb Raider would make its way to the PSP, along with other consoles. The game is currently under development through Crystal Dynamics, who're responsible for the recent Tomb Raider: Legend. Nothing else in the way of features or release date were mentioned in the release, so stay tuned to PSP Fanboy for further updates in the future.

On this day, 38 years ago, a child was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and a loaded glock in her hand. This would normally make for an interesting opening to what could be an autobiographical opus of human achievement, but instead it’s little more than chintzy marketing-speak for an assortment of polygons and normal-mapped hoochie shorts. But, hey, we love Lara anyway. So here’s to you, Lara; here’s hoping that Tomb Raider Legend for the PSP doesn’t stink.