With all the competition between these ratings boards (and all the PR teams scrambling) I've decided to sum up the whole shebang in one MEGA post.  Highlights now, bulleted lists after the break.

The evidence supporting claims of Mr. Driller Online and Assault Heroes 2 mounts with each new ratings board mention. 

Also, I have no clue what is happening with Bullwinkle.  It appears there are two games starring the dimwitted moose and not just one.  Perhaps this is just a naming issue?

Might we have confirmation of a port of Warlords from Australia?  It's listed as a multi-platform release from Atari, so it's possible.

Get the full breakdown of each ratings board after the break.

[via the ESRB, USK, and ACB]

The ESRB has countered the Australian invasion with a massive counter-punch.  Ikaruga has been rated making fanboy's hearts collectively skip a beat and then go searching for the crazy ambidextrous savant video on YouTube.  Okay, maybe that was just me.  But it gets better.  Ikaruga is not the only game that's been added to their list.  The new additions are here, and the oldies are after the break.

I am already having trouble just imagining the wait for these games to arrive.  Grr.

Additions since last time: (It's clearly been too long.)
Ikaruga
Frogger 2
Brain Challenge
TiQal
Shred Nebula
Shotest Shogi
Rocket Bowl
Triggerheart Exelica
N+
Chessmaster Live
Bliss Island
Poker Smash
Aces of the Galaxy
Cosmic Osmo's Hex Isle

[via ESRB]

Our ratings coverage has been dominated by a backyard brawl between the plucky German USK and the juggernaut American ESRB.  Well, another challenger has entered the ring: The Australian Classifications Board.  Maybe that name lacks a certain sex appeal (especially compared to their former title as The Office of Film and Literature Classification) but the ACB perseveres on raw power.

Over the past month they have slowly leaked a nice list of recently rated but still unreleased XBLA titles.  Many of them are even unannounced which makes things even more exciting.  Below, they are presented in an attractive list format for your reading enjoyment.  If you want to know more, you will be forced to click the Read More button.  That's just how I roll.

"Old News" Ratings:
Rocky and Bulwinkle
Shred Nebula
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil
Brain Challenge
Rez HD

"Shhhh, It's a secret" Ratings:
Frogger 2
Coffeetime Cross Words
Assault Heroes 2
TiQal
Shotest Shogi

Now technically some of those unannounced games could skip XBLA entirely or even be full retail releases.  So, keep your expectations in check while you get some idea of the games after the break.  But while you're doing that, let me know if the Aussies have gotten you excited at all.

[via the ACB, thanks to all for the tips!]

Four new ratings for XBLA games have appeared on the ESRB website.  Three of those games are Aces of the Galaxy, Boogie Bunnies, and Lost Cities -- all being published by Sierra Online.

Lost Cities had yet to be announced (that I know of) but it is based on the card game of the same name.  It's a 2-player game of archeological competition but there is a 4-player variant.  I wonder if they'll include solid AI for some solitaire-style action?

Boggie Bunnies is slated for this year, but Aces is apparently still a ways off.

The fourth game listed is Cosmic Osmo's Hex Isle from Cyan Worlds Inc.  We haven't nailed down if this is coming to XBLA yet, but we'll let you know if we do.  It's a 3D sequel based on the Cosmic Osmo character who starred in a game in 1989.  The PC version of this game is slated for next week.

The usual list of ESRB lurkers has thinned out a bit.  The full list after the short hop.

[via the ESRB]

Turns out that my speculation about the strange reappearance of all those PopCap games was likely wrong.  It now seems apparent that they reappeared due to their inclusion on the PopCap Arcade Vol. 1 disc.  And that accounts for the presence of Astropop and Feeding Frenzy right at the top this week.

However, we still have some news lurking amongst all the PopCap games.  New to the list this week are Arkadian Warriors, OMEGA FIVE, and Rocketmen: Axis of Evil (all are E10+).  Rocketmen already appeared on the USK.  Also of note, The 3D Ultra Minigolf expansion Lost Island aquired its own separate rating (E) and Carcassonne popped up again. 

Carcassonne's presence is likely the result of the recent expansion Kings & Barons, but could Rocketmen be nearing release?  And what about Arkadian Warriors and OMEGA FIVE? 

Usual list of ESRB lurkers post-breakage.

[via the ESRB]

Another day, another ESRB rating.  Word Puzzle comes in at E for Everyone.  Cue the painfully long waiting period before the game actually releases.

Impressions of the game from X07 in Toronto.

[via the ESRB]

Recently, upon scanning the ESRB ratings I stumbled upon two oldies: Bejeweled 2 and Zuma.  Totally boring, right? 

Wrong. 

Why?  Because they appeared right near the top of the list.  Now, in my experience, games are added to that list in chronological order based on when they were rated.  So, what are the ancient Bejelewed 2 and Zuma doing on the list?  Why would they need to be re-rated?

My wager: Bejeweled 2 and Zuma will be headlining the Live Anywhere launch of PC XBLA games alongside first-party titles like UNO from Carbonated Games.  I think the picture above (showing Zuma as part of Live Anywhere) corroborates this theory nicely.  And Microsoft promised to roll this service out before the end of 2007, so we should find out soon.  I'll take those odds.

(Picture from this Engadget story.)

[via ESRB]

The ESRB got a tad jealous when it found my little love letter to the USK hidden under my pillow.  It was upset (understandably) and after the screaming and breaking things concluded it went about trying to reclaim my affections.  And thus, a new rating.

This time, it's Commanders: Attack! coming in at an E10+.  Of course, it didn't include the "!" so maybe it's been dropped.  We shall see.

All these ratings make me wonder what poor game will come out next week, hidden under the shadow of a certain retail game released this Tuesday.  Any ideas?

Usual list of ESRB lurkers post-breakage.

[via the ESRB]

My poor, sweet Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle. I just want to fly out to Berlin, march my way to Marchlewskistraße and beg for your forgiveness. I know I've neglected you, but I'm back and I can't wait to pick up right where we left off.

Thanks to you, we now know that the following games have been rated:

• Rocketmen: Axis of Evil
• Fractal Jigsaw (GC-Demo) (Perhaps "GC-Demo" was for the Leipzig Games Convention?)
• Puzzle Quest

See you soon, my dear USK.

[via the USK]

It has been too long since our trusty webmasters at the ESRB have given us reason to speculate and murmur about possible XBLA titles.  Unfortunately, nothing has changed despite a few new entries.  Maybe the USK should leak some info again and the rivalry will be spurred back into action.  I shall sit quietly and dream of that glorious day.

While I do that, check of the latest games below and the full remaining list after the break.

New (but not surprising): Switchball and Battlestar Galactica.  Oh, and Yaris.

[via the ESRB]