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TIME TO FEAST YOUR eyes on what's in store for you land lubbers when the award-winning Sid Meier's Pirates! leaves port and makes its way to a store near you.

Award-winning? Aye, lads, you be forgetting that this game has been out before. Back in the days when Windows was another name for a bunch of portholes, in 1987 Sid Meier released Pirates! to the unsuspecting sea of computer users. A fine thing it was, and quickly many a boy were sailing the ocean blue in search of fortune and fame. At the time it was the talk of many a port and to this day you can come across an old salty screen junky who will regale you with tails of fantastic sword fights, and the birth of action games while supping on a tankard of rum.

Many a laurel was laid across its bows including:

• Hall of Fame
Computer Gaming World Magazine
Gamespy Online
• #3 Greatest Game of All-Time
IGN-PC Online
• Action Game of the Year
Computer Gaming World Magazine
• Historical Game of the Year
Compute Magazine
• Best Fantasy/Role Playing Game
Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design

Pirates! is a gaming legend and many a fan has wondered while looking seaward, Would we ever see the likes again? Well, me hearties, we have been up to the crow's nest and your timbers should be a shivering once again as Sid Meier sets sail in his old ship. But don't fooled, Pirates! has not wasted its time on the dry dock. Its hull has been scraped, new rigging has been strung and a complete overhaul of the paint job by the crew from Fraxis. Heres a list of what's in store for ye:

• Experience an all-new story built upon the most fun and compelling features of the original Pirates! game
• Live out multiple quests through a non-linear, open life timeline where every decision poses distinct challenges and possibilities
• Witness the consequences of your actions in current events throughout the Pirates! world
• Battle, overtake and command 27 different ship types, enhanced with assorted ammo, cannon and other upgrades
• Take on various foes including merchant and military captains, ferocious pirates, evil gentry and even rival suitors — each with different skills and abilities
• Confront enemies on board ships, in seedy taverns, on the ramparts and even at the Governor's mansion
• Wield weapons — or anything within your reach — as you fence against foes
• Engage in fierce naval battles fighting single enemies or multiple ships
• Sneak into towns, escape out of prisons, navigate around adversaries and surprise unsuspecting vessels
• Dispatch landing parties of buccaneers in strategic battles to take over entire cities

• Increase your riches and impress the governor's daughter with your charm, fame, heroism — even your dancing abilities
• Collect items (swords, spyglasses, armour, hats, coats, etc.) that improve skills or provide other new benefits and view them in a new inventory system
• Enhance your game play experience with downloadable content including flags, sail emblems, character skins and more

On the life of me parrot, this old salt is as excited as a cabin boy with a new pair of pants. Pirates! is promising more features and fun than you can shake your cutlass at. Expect to be raiding ports, chasing down treasure ships and courting fine ladies. As ye rise through the ranks and gain more skills expect to meet interesting and vile character alike.

Now be the time to need to check yer ship to see if in it's seaworthy. If you're wanting to set sail on this adventure you will be needing all of the following, if not more:

• Operating System: Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP
• Processor: Pentium® 1.0 GHz or higher
• Memory: 256 MB RAM
• Hard Disk Space: 1.2 GB Free
• CD-ROM Drive: 4X Speed
• Video: 32 MB video card* with Hardware T&L support
• Sound: Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP-compatible sound card*
• DirectX®: DirectX® version 9.0b (included) or higher

Now off the bow we've spied some more fine screenshots to lay your cannon on while you splice your mainsail and look for a fair wind:

Show me the screenshots!