Welcome back for another week of Video Game Bits. To all of our Canadian readers, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. To all of our American readers, we hope you enjoyed Columbus Day. We are happy to finally be back to a normal, full week schedule (excluding Thanksgiving). Here is today's Video Game Bits.

FIFA Soccer 08 now available

Electronic Arts announced the release of FIFA Soccer 08 today. The game is the latest iteration of the company's popular soccer franchise and, like its predecessors, is available for many different platforms. What makes the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of FIFA Soccer 08 so different from the game's predecessors however, is the new Be A Pro feature, which EA will be adding as a free downloadable feature next month. Be A Pro: Online Team Play allows players to take on the role of a single, fixed player for an entire online game. The feature allows up to ten players to connect for online play, with each as a single, fixed player, with up to five real players on each team (the remaining players are computer controlled). For offline play, Be A Pro: Offline Training allows players to get used to playing as a single, fixed player for an entire game.

To better understand Be A Pro, we have included this interview from X'07 with EA SPORTS Label's Steve Frost, explaining the new feature.

To learn more about the FIFA Interactive World Cup, which Steve mentioned in the video, go to www.fifa.com/fiwc.

FIFA Soccer 08 also marks the debut of the franchise on the Wii and with it, the addition of motion based controls. Players of the Wii version will be able to pass, shoot and perform tricks with a simple flick of the wrist thanks to the game's FreeMotion controls, while EA SPORTS Family Play allows players that are not familiar with the advanced controls, using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, to just use the Wii Remote to control the main actions, while the Wii does the rest. One other extra feature that the Wii version has is the addition of co ver athlete, Ronaldihno, as the first professional soccer player to appear as a customized and playable character. “ Ronaldinho will host a game mode called Footii Party with Ronaldinho. With this mode, EA introduces unique party games - including Table Soccer, Keep Up and Shoot Off – where you can play as your self-created Mii character to unlock Ronaldinho and take on the champ”.

FIFA Soccer 08 is now available in retail stores across North America for Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, PSP, PC, Nintendo DS, Wii and the mobile platform. Prices vary by version, but the ESRB rating stays the same for each, E for Everyone.

Puzzle Quest now on XBLA

Microsoft announced today that D3 Publisher of America's popular puzzle game, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords , will be available for download from Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. The new version of the game comes optimized to take advantage of a widescreen, HD display, plus Xbox Live features, like camera support, achievements, leaderboards and Gamerscore. The game also includes some minor tweaks to improve the gameplay experience. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is available for 1200 Microsoft Points.

New PSP Entertainment Pack now available

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) released the new PSP Entertainment Pack today. The new Star Wars Battlefront PSP Entertainment Pack features the newly enhanced PSP system, which is slimmer, lighter and includes a video-out port, in “Ceramic White”, with a Darth Vader silkscreen on the back, as well as the new Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron game, which is exclusive to PSP. The new Star Wars Battlefront PSP Entertainment Pack is available across North America for $199.99 USD/$229.99 CAD. Sony will also be releasing the new PSP Core Pack, which features the newly enhanced PSP system in “Piano Black” (packaged alone), a little later this month.

Today's game releases

Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes: ACME ARSENAL for Wii, Playstation 2 and Xbox 360 – Price varies by system

Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes: DUCK AMUCK for Nintendo DS - $29.99 USD/$39.99