THQ was in their usual Petree Hall location and stocked with nearly 20 titles. Several of these were the gratuitous sequels and yearly updates, but there were several surprises with great new titles destined for all formats and all genres. Here is just a small selection of great new games headed our way.

Alter Echo (PS2/Xbox)
In this hot new 3D action-adventure you play as Nevin who has the ability to alter time and morph his PolySuit into three combat forms. Nevin must fight for survival on a planet that is alive and fights back with endlessly respawning enemies. The gameplay is fierce and the graphics are stunning with real-time morphing and innovative special effects for TimeDilation and the revolutionary PostFX camera system is beyond description.

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Sphinx and the Shadow of Set (PS2/GameCube)
Sphinx is an enchanting adventure filled with mystery, action and a deep, compelling storyline. The game is set in an entirely original universe that is styled upon ancient Egypt where players will embark on an epic quest exploring new worlds, uncovering dark secrets, interacting with hundreds of fantastic creatures and discovering new abilities. Traveling the world via magic portals to foil the evil plans of Set, players will guide Sphinx on a journey requiring all his wits, agility and special powers in an attempt to find the stolen mystical crowns of Egypt.

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Splashdown Rides Gone Wild (PS2)
Get ready for the next wave in watercraft racing! Splashdown Rides Gone Wild, the sequel to the critically acclaimed and best-selling racing game of 2001, offers an even wilder experience than the original. Inspired by the spectacle and excitement of theme parks and thrill rides, Splashdown Rides Gone Wild has you blasting through huge, imaginative locales with amazing sights and startling events around every corner. Featuring a gorgeous, stylized look, this isn’t just racing anymore… it’s cinematic racing!

Splashdown’s famously beautiful water has evolved as well: bigger waves, swift currents, and treacherous downhill rivers. There are also plenty of tricky, technical Indoor Stadium courses, plus a Freestyle stunt mode, an all-new Technical Time Trials mode for hardcore racers, and more. Combining larger-than-life arcade fun with the realistic physics and controls that THQ’s Rainbow Studios is known for, this game blows everything else out of the water!

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Tak and the Power of Juju (PS2/GameCube)
Tak and the Power of Juju is a tale of good vs. evil set in an ancient, tribal world where magic (Juju) actually works -- a fantastical setting where the perils that the hero faces are lightheartedly amusing and entertaining.

Tak, a young shaman’s apprentice and unlikely hero, must recover moonstones stolen by an evil Juju-man to save the Moon Juju and restore her powers. Tak will have to stretch beyond his training and use his wits, his environment and the power of the Juju gods to overcome the villain, return the five moonstones to the Temple of the Moon Juju and reinstate peace in his mystical world.

The gameplay in Tak is highly original and quite creative. Players must use the environment to advance through the game -- the right puzzle combinations of animal interactions, plants, weapons and water to summon jujus throughout each level. Special Juju powers and power-ups are granted when the player accomplishes tasks to appease the Juju gods. Look for this charming platform game this Fall.

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Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior (PS2/PC)
Welcome to the dark nightmare future of the 41st Millennium, the grim era of the Imperium of man. The battlefield is spread across a million different worlds. Powerful armies of Space Marines, Imperial Guards and Tau Fire Warriors are in constant conflict, unleashing carnage via mechanical war machines, crushing artillery, and vast startships.

Fire Warrior follows one day in the life of a young Tau warrior who must battle alone against a force that shows no mercy: The Imperium. The Tau will soon learn there is a darker foe at hand and become entangled in a frightening story that leads them through an ongoing war. Look for this amazing new first-person action game coming this Fall.

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