In Star Trek: Armada war rages across the Alpha Quadrant as players command four powerful races in a strategic struggle for survival. Throughout 20 missions, players engage in dynamic ship-to-ship combat, while overseeing the construction, repair and staffing of up to 30 starships -- from battleships, cruisers, destroyers and scout ships, to cargo, transport and construction ships. Campaigns are comprised of a variety of tactical, combat and protective missions, which advance the overall story - from the eerie warnings of the Borg invasion to the ultimate Picard-Locutus showdown.

Star Trek: Armada offers a variety of single-player missions - from large battles to small escort details - and an extensive range of story-driven multiplayer options, including up-to-eight-player competitions over LAN and the Internet.

In the game, players will guide the fate of Kenji, heir to the fallen Serpent Empire. Kenji returns to his homeland after a seven-year exile, and must now make a choice whether to subjugate or liberate the feuding land. Standing against him are the untamed Wolf Clan and the malignant Lotus Clan.

Disciples II: Dark Prophecy returns gamers to the magical realm of the Sacred Lands where four races ? the Empire, the Mountain Clans, the Legions of the Damned and the Undead Hordes ? continue the battle for the destiny of their Gods. A decade after the First Great War, the final prophecy continues to unfold. Deep within the crevices of the Sacred Lands, the Chosen One has emerged, fated to bring salvation to some and destruction to others. Braced with renewed faith and newfound conviction, each race must once again take up the sword for the sake of their people and the glory of their God.

The struggle to bring order to a tormented world continues with a new and evolving story. Showcasing new graphics, supporting 800 x 600 16-bit resolution, over 200 engaging characters will come to life in an epic battle of sword and sorcery. With enhanced gameplay mechanics, improved AI, and an upgraded battle system, Disciples II: Dark Prophecy promises to provide the answer to the ultimate question.

The Star Wars online game will be developed by Verant, distributed and sold at retail by LucasArts, and available for play exclusively online at The Station@sony.com.

The beta signup is scheduled for a 24-hour period on www.blizzard.com beginning on Monday, Mar. 20 at 12:01 a.m. PST. and ending Monday, Mar. 20 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Following the registration period, Blizzard will randomly select 1,000 testers based on a variety of system configurations and locations. Only one submission per person will be accepted. Selected testers will be notified within a week of registration, and a complete list of testers will be posted on www.battle.net.

This initial phase of beta testing is being limited to the United States and Canada. During a second phase of beta testing, gamers from around the world will be able to play Diablo II on their region's local servers.

The beta, which will only be playable over Battle.net®, will include all five character classes - Amazon, Barbarian, Necromancer, Paladin and Sorceress - and will include Act I of the game. The purpose of the beta test is to ensure Battle.net stability, check system compatibility and balance game play.

In Diablo II, players return to a dark world plagued by evil forces. After possessing the body of the hero who defeated him, Diablo resumes his nefarious scheme to shackle humanity into unholy slavery by joining forces with the other Prime Evils, Mephisto and Baal. Players face a new series of quests to rid the world of Diablo and his vile brethren forever.

Microsoft's initial five-year deal with Sergio will begin with the young Spanish player serving as a spokesman for the VGA as well as participating in the VGA Tour as an exhibition player, giving PC golfers the chance to compete against the best. Sergio will also be featured along with Palmer in "Links 2001," the next version of the best-selling PC golf simulation, scheduled to be available this fall. Both Sergio and Palmer will be featured on the box and in the game as player models, the latter through motion-capture technology. A PC-gaming enthusiast, Sergio will play an active role in the development of future versions of the game and consult with Microsoft on online components that will enhance the PC golf experience, including the VGA. Finally, Sergio's management group, TeamSergio, and Microsoft will co-develop Sergio's official Web site. Scheduled to launch in mid-2000, the site will include the latest photographs, news, interviews, tips and merchandise featuring Sergio.

With the help of her allies and featured characters from the series, Buffy must destroy enemies with her slaying powers, martial arts, slaying senses, and healing ability. Featured will be numerous environments from the show, such as Sunnydale High School, the cemetery, the town square, the shopping mall, the Bronze nightclub, and Buffy's home.

"The most irritating part about this (besides the ridiculous premise) are the graphics. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like big flashing targets, a la Sega, in my games, it's just that... it's not 1996 anymore. Yeah, hate to break it to ya, we've kinda reached the year 2000 and all, and you see, those kind of graphics aren't that welcome anymore. Of course, this being a Playstation port may have something to do with the quality of the graphics, but I'm not playing this on Bleem, I'm playing this on my Voodoo3 3500, which cost me a wee bit more than a Playstation."

Be sure to check out the rest of our Die Hard Trilogy 2 review including a dozen screenshots. Enjoy!

The game begins with the jigsaw portion of the puzzle. The player?s first mission is to assemble various train components like the locomotive, coal car and Pullman car from 150 to 707 different - according to the difficulty level chosen. Once construction is complete, players make their way through through the train car by car, aiding sleuth Wendy Richmond get to the bottom of an unfolding mystery on board. Among the challenges: reassembling a marquetry bird found on the original Orient Express, restoring a musical score, and tracking down a series of Mah Jong tiles that hold the key to the celebrity enigma.

Orient Express retails for around $25 (US) and runs on both the PC and Macintosh platforms. Look for it in April.

The Grand Prize Winner will get his/her scenario included on the Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion pack CD and will also receive a series of limited edition, high-resolution framed Age of Kings prints signed by the game's senior designer, Bruce Shelley. The ten individual winners will receive a selection of Microsoft games and gaming devices.

"Softball Slam uses a modified version of the High Heat Baseball engine. For those of you familiar with the engine, you'll know that it features true-to-life physics. The AI model has been changed completely to contrast the hardcore style of High Heat Baseball. During a single game you might see players come up to the plate with a drink in their hand. You'll see players brace themselves and constantly miss fly balls. I even witnessed an outfielder go for a fly ball only to have it hit him on the head and knock him out, literally. Players will do cartwheels and summersaults as they 'dive' for ground balls. Players will annoyingly throw the ball away, an event that takes place at least 30 times a game. What I'm trying to say is you'll witness somewhere between 20-60 errors in a single game. (Not that anybody is counting)"

Be sure to check out the rest of our Softball Slam review including a mit full screenshots. Enjoy!

Microsoft Baseball 2001 is the first PC-based baseball game that combines the features of the award-winning Baseball Mogul simulation technology with Microsoft's tradition for eye-popping graphics and gameplay.

Players can manage from the front office to the field as the game allows them to trade, sign and manage players while also supervising finances for their teams over multiple seasons.

Microsoft Baseball 2001 captures the excitement and intensity of an authentic Major League Baseball game ensuring a grand-slam experience for players of all skill levels.

Players become contestants on the game show and try to outwit other contestants with answers to Family Feud survey questions. In addition players can create and customize their own family contestants using Avitar technology, or import photos of their family to further personalize the game. Contestants get to interact with Louie Anderson in multiple studio settings, and choose to play in solo or party mode.

Microsoft today announced that Allegiance, its pulse-pounding online space-action game, has gone gold. This means the product is completed and is expected to start showing up on store shelves in the U.S. in early April. Allegiance will be playable on the MSN Gaming Zone (http://www.zone.com) as well as via independent game servers worldwide. The game combines furious space combat with the social challenge of squadron-based combat in a stunning 3D universe.

Allegiance will be available in retail stores for an anticipated street price of $40 US. Gamers can then choose to play on public-domain servers free of charge or access the Allegiance Zone, a subscription service that provides larger-scale games, special events, persistent scoring and rankings, and new exclusive content such as the Belters faction. Players are eligible for one free month on the Allegiance Zone ($9.95 value) with game purchase. The MSN Gaming Zone will host the Allegiance Zone as well as a continuously updated list of free game servers worldwide. The Allegiance Server Code will be also be made available as a free download to parties interested in hosting game servers.

Stunt GP combines Grand Prix racing with a variety of stunts that a player can pull of during a race. Players get the chance to compete for recognition of amazing stunts and combos on the Stunt GP tracks and in the Free-Fall Stunt Bowl environment. Featuring eight tracks, the Stunt GP universe includes a warehouse, a Japanese water garden, a multi-story parking lot and the Stunt GP arena. Players can choose different track textures including speed, stunt and off-road surfaces. All track surfaces can be chosen independently of the actual environment.Players can go up ramps, do crossovers, flyovers, 360s and loop-de-loops and high-air kicks.

The game allows players to choose from more than 16 different cars grouped into three distinct classes: Wild Wheels, Speed Demons and Aero Blasters. Wild Wheels are 4-wheel drive, Speed Demons are high-octane speed-based cars and Aero Blasters are fast cars best suited for pulling off stunts.

Stunt GP also offers six single-player game modes including Arcade or Quick Race mode, Time Trial, Stunt-Trial, Practice, League and Challenge modes. Stunt GP also offers several multiplayer options including Quick Race, Catch 'Em 2-player, Lap Attack (race) and Lap Attack (stunts).