Bethesda announced today that its ”Winner of E3 2008’s ‘Best of Show‘” will be released to eager fans in North America on October 28, and to European fans a mere 3 days later.  10 years ago Fallout 2 riveted RPG enthusiasts with its balanced yet open-ended adventure set in a post-nuclear wasteland.

Bethesda assures us in no uncertain terms that Fallout 3 will maintain the vision of the previous Fallout games while delivering even more freedom of choice, but plot-wise is “[a] different story unto itself and isn’t directly connected to any of the other storylines.”  This has allowed Bethesda enough creative license to reinvent the details for Fallout 3, in what will undoubtedly be the biggest single-player RPG hit of 2008.

The full press release is as follows:

August 20, 2008 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax Media company, announced today that its highly anticipated title, Fallout® 3, will be available on store shelves and online in North America on October 28, 2008 and in Europe on October 31, 2008. Developed at Bethesda Game Studios – creators of the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® – Fallout 3 is slated for release on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows.

“We are very excited to let gamers get their hands on Fallout 3, the latest chapter in this beloved and highly acclaimed franchise,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “To meet the huge demand for this title by our fans worldwide, we are planning one of the biggest launches of any game released this year.”

Fallout 3 features one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Set more than 200 years following a nuclear war, you can create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of Washington, D.C. however you choose. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland.

Hailed as one of the most anticipated games for 2008, Fallout 3 has already won numerous awards including Best of Show from the official Game Critics Awards at E3 2008, a selection voted on by an independent group of journalists from 36 leading North American media outlets that cover the videogame industry.
Fallout® 3 has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Nintendo NES

Baseball
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr
Gradius
Ice Hockey
Mario Bros
Pinball
Soccer
Solomon’s Key
Super Mario Bros
Tennis
The Legend of Zelda
Urban Champion
Wario’s Woods

NEC PC Engine / TURBO GRAFX

Alien Crush
Bomberman ‘93
Bonk’s Adventure
Dungeon Explorer
Military Madness
Moto Roader
R-Type
Soldier Blade
Super Star Soldier
Victory Run

SEGA MEGADRIVE

Altered Beast
Columns
Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
Ecco The Dolphin
Golden Axe
Gunstar Heroes
Ristar
Sonic the Hedgehog
Space Harrier II
Toe Jam & Earl

Nintendo SNES

Donkey Kong Country
F-Zero
Sim City
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Super Castlevania IV

Nintendo 64

Super Mario 64

Also, it’s important to note that all of the NES games cost 500 points, the NEC games are 600 points each, the Sega Megadrive and SNES games are 800 a piece, and the Nintendo 64 games are 1000 a pop.  Also, it seems like the selection is pretty unbalance, with there being far more NEC games available than SNES or N64 games.  When are we going to see some classics like Ocarina of Time, Chrono Trigger, or even Super Mario World?