Nintendo today announced the 3DS handheld will retail for 249.99 and will ship March 27th. Amazon.com currently has the black Nintendo 3DS listed for preorder at 249.99, the aqua colored version is not yet available for preorder. Update, the aqua colored version is now available.

A double vinyl LP of the Red Dead Redemption Soundtrack is now available at the Rockstar Games Warehouse store for 14.99.

The transparent red LP looks pretty cool and here are the specifics from the store:

In partnership with vinyl enthusiasts Wax Poetics, we are proud to present this special collectors’ item limited-edition Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack double vinyl LP. Pressed on blazing red vinyl, it comes packaged in a deluxe gatefold jacket and includes a track wholly exclusive to this release.

For DJs, vinyl collectors, and Red Dead fans who would like to add this to their stash – get yours now while supplies last.

Composed by critically-acclaimed musicians Bill Elm and Woody Jackson and produced by David Holmes, the Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack allows you to bring the sounds of the old west with you as you hit the open roads, right back to the comforts of your living room.

Track Listing:

Side A
1. Born Unto Trouble
2. The Shootist
3. Horseplay
4. The Outlaw’s Return
5. Dead End Alley

Side B
6. Muertos Rojos (AKA The Gunslinger’s Lament)
7. Luz y Sombra
8. El Club De Los Cuerpos
9. Estancia
10. Gunplay

Side C
11. Exodus in America
12. (Theme from) Red Dead Redemption
13. Triggernometry
14. Redemption In Dub
15. Already Dead

Side D
16. Far Away
17. Compass (Red Dead On Arrival Version)
18. Deadman’s Gun
19. Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie
20. Old Friends, New Problems**

**Vinyl-exclusive track

We posted pictures of Neca toys TRU exclusive gift pack a few months ago, and now the Bioshock 2 gift set with life-size Bunny Mask, 7″ Subject Omega figure and Little Sister figure is available for preorder at Toys R’ Us.com for $39.99

WBShop.com, the official online store of Warner Bros. Studios is offering an exclusive Limited Edition of the Inception Blu Ray. The “Inception Briefcase Gift Set” is limited to 2,000 units in the USA and it contains the following: Both the Blu-ray disc and DVD of Inception housed in a special metal briefcase. Also included in the briefcase are seven Art Cards, “The Cobol Job Comic,”, a replica Spinning Top Totem, and a replica PASIV Device Instruction Manual.

♦Metal briefcase measures 9 x 6.5 x 2.75 inches.

♦The full-color “The Cobol Job” comic measures 5.75 x 4 inches and is 33 pages long.

♦The 10-page black & white PASIV instruction manual measures 5.75 x 4.5 inches.

♦The full-color art cards measure 5.75 x 4 inches.

♦The heavyweight zinc alloy spinning top totem is 1.25 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches tall.

Conduit 2 Limited Edition

The Conduit 2 ships on February 15th for the Nintendo Wii and GameStop has opened up preorders for the limited edition of the game. The LE includes a 44 page art book, an upgrade to the in-game “Eye of Ra” and Gold Destroyer multiplayer armor.

After announcing the 25th Anniversary Super Mario All-Stars games for the Wii in other countries, Nintendo announces the US version of this title and it will hit select stores this December 12th. No box art is available at any of the participating stores, but you can currently preorder your copies at Amazon.com.

Here is a summary of the contents, at 29.99 it’s sure to be a popular collectible title for Nintendo enthusiasts: The games included in the Super Mario All-Stars collection are Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3. Each game features the enhanced graphics and updated sound from the Super NES™ Super Mario All-Stars collection, and all four can be played on the Wii system using one of several controllers: the Wii Remote™ controller, Classic Controller™, Classic Controller Pro™ or the Nintendo GameCube™ controller. Also included is a Super Mario History soundtrack CD, a compilation of memorable music from the Mario franchise. Containing classic theme songs and fun sound effects from the original Super Mario Bros. game all the way up to this year’s acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy™ 2 game, this special disc also marks the first official release of the “Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme,” widely recognized as one of the most famous pieces of video game music in history. Rounding out the Super Mario All-Stars collection is a 32-page Super Mario History booklet featuring interviews, behind-the-scenes details and rare concept art. Fans from every generation can enjoy firsthand insights into the beginnings of Mario, illustrated with candid photos and never-before-seen design sketches.

Nintendo celebrates the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. with a red Wii bundleand a red DSi XL bundle. The red Wii bundle includes the game New Super Mario Bros. Wii and the DSi XL bundle contains Mario Kart DSalong with the usual pack ins of Wii Sports and Brain Age respectively.  Preorders are available now at Amazon.com and they are both shipping on November 7th.

In August I learned Ballistic Publishing would soon release a herculean sized art book for God of War 3. I expected good things based on the Adobe flipbook preview of the book provided by the publisher–we featured it on the site and it’s available again at the bottom of this page. I believe they were confident in their product to grant such a complete look (albeit a smaller one) of the book’s visuals.

The Art of God of War III is available in three flavors: Paper Back $65 , Special Edition $120 and Limited Folio Edition $300, this review is of the paper back edition.

God of War III contains a stunning amount of visual eye candy, great level designs, wonderfully varied creatures and unique weaponry. It’s fitting such an epic game receives  a 271 page art book in its honor. I can say without reservation the Art of God of War III  lives up to my expectations and exceeds them. I believed this art book would sell me with the fantastic concept art, production art and 3D model images alone, but I was pleasantly surprised to find really interesting information in the paragraphs and text that accompany many of the images.

Throughout the book the artists expound upon the how and why behind the visuals, normally in bite size paragraphs accompanying the pictures. We’re given insight into what the developers initially asked for, then what the concept artists produced based on those directives and finally we see what ultimately took shape in the actual game. The evolution of the character models through images and commentary is a treat, a creature might start off “too alien looking,” then it could change to “not intimidating enough,” and it usually ends up as the best embodiment the initial vision–or in some instances an unexpected yet pleasing deviation. Many concept art images and models that never made it into the game are revealed in this book and a red God of War symbol appearing next to the item’s name signifies the never before seen material. Some of these scrapped concepts never saw the light of day or were altered due to time or hardware constraints. There is some nudity in the book, mainly the full frontal feminine curves of Poseidon’s Princess and the goddess Aphrodite.

Besides showcasing the amazing characters like the Gods, Titans, monsters and even the weapons they wield in God of War III, the art book also examines the architecture and environments found in the game’s diverse levels. The artists give insight as to why certain locations in the game look the way they do and they explain how different visuals are used to evoke atmosphere and mood. I was pleasantly surprised by these paragraphs of design information accompanying the fantastic visuals in this book. Though brief, the cumulative effect of these design explanations grant a deeper understanding of the creative process, and give the reader a glance at the sheer amount of work involved in crafting the structural appearance and all the subtle little details found in the God of War III environments. When I first played the game I was intent on finishing it. Now, I can revisit the game with more appreciation of the imagination and thoughtful reasoning behind the characters and locales in the game.

With the quality and quantity of its eye candy, Ballistic Publishing’s The Art of God of War III is a sensational gift to God of War fans. It is one of the best video art books I’ve had the pleasure to own (alongside other wonderful works such as the Cinematic Art of World of Warcraft). When I flipped through the small online preview (available below) I was sure this would be a great looking book. But I was surprised to find just as much enjoyment from the artist’s words explaining the why and how behind the designs. Simply put, this art book is a great collector piece and it will give you a greater appreciation of the game.

About the reviewer: John Keeler is a gaming enthusiast who began playing video games on the Atari 2600 back in 1982. He has written Massively Multiplayer Online gaming reviews in the past for IGN’s RPGVault.

Special thanks to Ballistic Publishing for providing us with a review copy.

Lordsof Shadow producer David Cox explains on his Twitter account that the UK version of Castlevania Lords of Shadow Limited Edition will ship sometime after the standard version. The UK limited edition is slightly different from the US version since it contains a “God Mask” replica in addition to the art book and soundtrack CD.

Halo Reach figures Noble Six, Emile and Jun made by Square Enix are available for preorder at Sideshow Collectibles. Each figure is priced at 49.99 and here’s the lowdown on the Noble Six figure:

Sideshow Collectibles and Square Enix Products are proud to present the Halo: Reach Collectible Figure series. The heroic members of NOBLE TEAM from Halo: Reach come to life in PLAY ARTS KAI! These highly poseable premium action figures are full of painstaking detail and come equipped with additional parts.

The Noble Six Collectible Figure features:

* Assault Rifle
* Additional Hands
* Fragment Grenade
* Combat Knife

The figures are expected to ship in the fourth quarter of 2010.