First bumper-bending Burnout 3 shots

Here are the very first screenshots of Burnout 3 for PS2 and Xbox, now published by software giant EA (it was formerly published by Acclaim). The first two titles were enthusiastically embraced by the gaming press and gamers alike and this latest instalment promises more of the same.

Burnout took the novel step of making the inevitable in a driving game - crashing - a major feature by slowing it down into spectacular head-on collisions. The visual and gameplay results certainly made a connection with the gaming world and it hasn't looked in the rearview mirror since.

Developers Criterion have commented on their new partnership with EA and the Burnout franchise as an opportunity to make the series even better. Which is all well and good but they've yet to spill the beans on any new features beyond the fact it will be online. Unsurprisingly, it will only be online for PS2 - no EA games are Xbox Live compatible due to EA and Microsoft being unable to agree terms. It would be nice to think a resolution could be found in time for Xbox gamers to get the online benefit of Burnout 3 but, personally, we wouldn't hold our breath on that one.

That said, the official announcement didn't even mention Gamecube as a release platform, which is less than peachy for Ninty fans out there and it's particularly worrying that another major title has chosen to forego a Cube release. The word 'bugger' probably comes to mind if you're a Ninty freak. We tend to agree.

Burnout 3 will be released on PS2 and Xbox in September.