DECA SPORTS 2 gold, in stores Sept. 29

DECA SPORTS 2, the sequel to the original sports compilation from Hudson Entertainment that managed to ship two million units worldwide, has gone gold and is heading off to manufacturing for replication and final packaging. Published by Hudson Entertainment DECA SPORTS 2 will be available exclusively for Wii September 29th for $29.99.

DECA SPORTS 2 allows players to compete against others from around the country in games like dodge ball, ice hockey, tennis, synchronized swimming, motorcycle road racing, speed skating, mogul skiing, and darts, as well as lesser known international sports such as petanque and kendo. In addition to the new sports, gamers will also be able to design their own teams, customizing uniforms, athlete skill sets and even the looks of the athletes themselves.

For more information on DECA SPORTS 2, visit www.DecaSports2.com.

Grand Slam Tennis released

EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis is now available in North American stores and will be available worldwide by June 12, 2009. Developed for the Wii by EA Canada, Grand Slam Tennis offers all four Grand Slams and is the only game to feature Wimbledon.

The game features a Grand Slam Career mode, licensed stars and venues, and - most important of all - offers Wii MotionPlus support.

In Europe, Grand Slam Tennis will be exclusively bundled with the Wii MotionPlus accessory - sorry North America, you’ll have to buy it separately or pick up a copy of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010. Grand Slam Tennis for the Wii has been rated “E” by the ESRB and “3+” by PEGI, and has an MSRP of $49.99 USD in North America.

EA Sports Reveals Tennis Title

Electronic Arts announced today that an all-new tennis video game is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver under the EA Sports label. The unnamed EA SPORTS tennis franchise will be available first for the Wii in 2009, followed by other platforms, and it will be the first EA SPORTS game that uses Nintendo’s upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory for the Wii Remote. This means that EA is making promises about how responsive and reactive the game will be.

EA also announced that this game will be the only one to feature the All England Lawn Tennis Club — home of The Championships, Wimbledon. EA sports promises innovative ways to play, both as or against the greatest players from the past or present, letting you control the ball and work the court like you never have before in a tennis video game.

A web site has already been launched for the game at www.easports.com/tennis. EA is showing off its wares this week at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany.

Smash Court Tennis 3 Released

Atari has unleashed Smash Court Tennis 3 for the Xbox 360, the latest pro tennis game series from Namco Bandai Games. According to Atari, Smash Court Tennis features the biggest names in tennis including Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, highly realistic visuals, a host of gameplay enhancements and online play via Xbox LIVE. Other tennis stars that made the cut include Rafael Nadal, Martina Hingis, the recently retired Justine Henin, along with rising stars like Italy’s Andreas Seppi and Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic.

If you are into the whole tennis thing (I didn’t even like Mario Tennis, so don’t ask me), then you can pick this game up for a mere $39.99.

Top Spin 3 Demo on Live

For all you Raffa Nadal wannabes, a demo for Top Spin 3 (PS3, X360, Wii, NDS) is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The news comes as the planet’s top players are sweating it out on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

The file clocks in at a reasonable 394Mb and will allow you to participate in the game’s tennis school (a tutorial of sorts), as well as control either Roger Federer or Andy Roddick in an exhibition match.

John McEnroe’s likeness wasn’t included in Top Spin 3 for fears of it receiving an “M” rating.

Top Spin 3 in Stores

Tennis anyone? That’s the question 2K Sports is hoping that PS3, Wii, DS and Xbox 360 owners will say “yes” to this week with the release of Top Spin 3.

Top Spin 3

Besides the promise of authentic tennis play and all the most popular names in the sport as playable characters, Top Spin 3 also offers a Create a Player mode, Signature Style controls, online play, and “Evolutionary Visuals” that showcase the real world effects of a strenuous tennis match (sweat, fatigue, grass stains, etc.).This “true-to-life tennis simulation,” as 2K Sports calls it, puts players into the soft white shoes of the sport’s top athletes including Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg and Monica Seles.

Look for the game in stores beginning today.