Welcome to The Black List, your one stop shop for the stories published on the site this week.

MONDAY PREVIEW Mass Effect 3 > Mass Effect 3. The title alone has the potential to send a legion of fans into frenzy. This frenzy is almost what I experienced when I was presented with an opportunity to play and preview an early demo of the game. Hosted by the series’ publisher Electronic Arts, an evening’s session on console provided me ample opportunity to sample the latest instalment of the Mass Effect series. The demonstration provided was by no means a reflection of the final product but served as an insight into the gameplay of Mass Effect 3. READ MORE

TUESDAY REVIEW Driver: San Francisco > The Driver franchise was dying. The original was a great 70s style car chase game on the PSone that quickly garnered a cult following among auto heads everywhere. Driver 2, while okay, never earned the love of the first game. The less said about the abysmal Driver 3 the better and 2006’s Driver: Parallel Lines did little to restore the franchise’s ailing reputation. So it is with some surprise that Ubisoft are trotting out another entry in the series. What is even more surprising is that Driver: SF is not only great but possibly one of the most original and entertaining arcade racers in recent memory.  READ MORE

WEDNESDAY NEW TRAILER Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning > Early coverage of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning showed us what seemed to be a slightly generic action RPG with some great names behind it (notably R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane). However the latest trailer that gives viewers a guide to the various factions within the Amalur universe shows players something extra to get them interested…… some personality. READ MORE

THURSDAY NEWS nanoBITES 59 > The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be coming to Australia on Thursday 24 November. While stocks last, all copies of Nintendo’s long awaited Wii MotionPlus showcase will include a soundtrack CD. This is just one of the stories in this week’s edition of nanoBITES, our ongoing feature devoted to small but important news items. READ MORE

FRIDAY PREVIEW Battlefield 3 > Hype aside, Battlefield 3 certainly bears the markings of a polished title. My dive into the first mission was straight into the heart of a warzone with all the gunfire and explosions included. The lighting effects and environments really do leave an impression, especially since the mission was taking place under the cover of night. READ MORE

Recent instalments of The Black List: 24.09.11 l 17.09.11 l 10.09.11 l 03.09.11 l 27.08.11

The war of war games has sparked a storm of dispute like no other, and the Battlefield series in particular has drawn a great deal of attention to its most recent offering, Battlefield 3. Thanks to publisher Electronic Arts I recently had the chance to get some hands-on playtime with the game on the PS3. Read the rest of this entry »

NanoBITES captures those small but important morsels of gaming information that otherwise might slip between the cracks.

ITEM! The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be coming to Australia on Thursday 24 November. While stocks last, all copies of Nintendo’s long awaited Wii MotionPlus showcase will include a soundtrack CD.

ITEM! Despite only confirming the project’s existence last week, EA has revealed that its remake of Syndicate isn’t far away. As reported by Gamasutra, the futuristic first person shooter is set to arrive on 360, PS3 and PC in February 2012.

ITEM! Klei Entertainment has announced that it has begun work on a follow up to its 2010 side scrolling brawler Shank. Featuring a variety of “new weapons and moves”, Shank 2 is coming to XBLA, PSN and PC in 2012.

ITEM! The Xbox 360 version of post apocalyptic shooter Rage will join the likes of Lost Odyssey and Mass Effect 2 in shipping on multiple discs, id Software has revealed to Eurogamer. Meanwhile, the single disc PS3 version will require an 8GB install.

ITEM! Grisly PS3 shooter House of the Dead: Overkill was refused classification back in August, effectively banning it from sale in this country. However, as noted by MCV, SEGA has since successfully appealed the decision and the newly rated MA15+ game is now due on Thursday 27 October.

Recent instalments of nanoBITES: 21.09.11 l 14.09.11 l 07.09.11 l 01.09.11 l 25.08.11

It doesn’t get any better than this, folks.

The humble mo is a misunderstood creature. For 11 months of the year, it is often thought of as nothing but a bad taste remnant of the 70s. But for the month of Movember (formally known as November) moustaches are not only hip, stylish and desirable but indicate the wearer of said mo is a fine human philanthropist with the wellbeing of others on his mind.

For those that could never understand why during November half the male population was walking around with furry lip warmers, Movember is a charity event where men from all around the world grow moustaches and get sponsorship to raise money for men’s health programs such as prostate cancer research and male depression. I have been a supporter of Movember for quite a few years and while contemplating which style of face caterpillar I would don this year, I decided to drum up some additional support for the cause.

With this goal in mind, and knowing that my gaming brethren love to support a good cause, I set about organising the Australian Gaming Community Movember Team.  This is a group of games writers/players/developers who not only want to support a great cause but have no fear in showing a hairy upper lip to the world.

So if you would like to join me and many others in raising some money you can join our Facebook Group or join the team directly by visiting our page on the Movember website. The lovely ladies out there are more than welcome to join as a Mo Sista and help the fellas raise some money and provide support during what is likely to be an itchy time.

So wear your mo proudly, whether it be the Magnum PI, the Merv Hughes or the Uncle Chop Chop, and help change the face of men’s health.