An inside look, preview of new Grand Theft Auto for Nintendo DS

Prominent video game companies Activision, Atari, Electronic Arts, Rockstar games, SEGA, Hudson, and many more were on hand at the New York Comic Con showing off their latest and greatest pre-release titles for 2009.

With the sluggish economy finally breaching the once thought invincible video game industry, studios are shutting down and many individuals finding themselves out of jobs. The importance of releasing quality titles has never been more evident, and as we've seen, one poor title can spell the end of a once mighty game franchise. I was impressed with every single game I got my hands on last weekend and I have great expectations for the 2009 calendar year.

The following is a comprehensive breakdown and preview of every game I played, every panel I sat in on, and the reactions of everyone I met. Enjoy!

Rockstar Games, creators of the critically acclaimed "Grand Theft Auto" series, first caught my eye with their full size van adorned with images from their latest release "Chinatown Wars" parked smack dab in the middle of the show floor. Available exclusively for the Nintendo DS, "Chinatown Wars" according to Rockstar, "puts you in the shoes of Huang Lee, a spoiled rich kid who, after being robbed and left to die, searches for his honor, riches and revenge in the most morally bankrupt city in the world."

After a few threatening comments regarding taking video and still images, I dove into virtual world. I was immediately dumbfounded by the sheer magnitude of the city and its relative attention to detail. The trees, cars, and various neighborhoods look gorgeous given the graphical limitations of the DS. But no one plays GTA to passively peruse the city, we play to wreak havoc. I quickly found a mid-size sedan, kindly asked the driver to get out with my baseball bat and as I crashed into trees and pedestrians I was treated to the same, amazing physics system found in the console version of the series. This game is literally huge and with my mere 15 minutes with the title I barely scratched the surface of possibilities and exploration.

My only gripe about "Chinatown Wars" would be the sometimes annoying camera that can easily leave you in a blind spot, which is not fun when escaping a relentless police force. What is most interesting about "Chinatown Wars" is the system it is being released on. Underpowered compared to its handheld rival, PSP, "Chinatown Wars" offers ingenuity with its dual screen, and touch capabilities, something the PSP doesn't offer.

I asked Jersey City, NJ resident Antwan Hunter how he thought "Chinatown Wars" would sell on the DS, given its past successes on every system not made by Nintendo.

"I don't think it'll sell that much on DS, maybe on Wii but not DS," Hunter said.

While I, too, would love to see a "Grand Theft Auto" release on the Wii, I love what Rockstar has done with "Chinatown Wars" on the DS and am eagerly awaiting the March 17 release date.

Nintendo Wii, the system owned by more Americans than any other console only seems logical for a future Grand Theft Auto release. As we all know money runs the industry, and Rockstar seems to print more and more with every release.

Catch my hands on preview of the gore ridden Wii title "Mad World," as well as fan favorites "The Conduit," and the epic "Ghostbusters" title next week!

Eddie Makuch can be contacted at emakuch@keenequinox.com.