Fallout: New Vegas joins in the pre-order madness

Not to be outdone by the villains behind Mafia II, the folks at Bethesda have just shared the local Fallout: New Vegas pre-order plans.

Friday seems to have become announce your Australian pre-order day. We don't think the name is going to catch on, but at least it comes with tasty pre-order deals for the forthcoming apocalyptic fun-fest, Fallout: New Vegas.

Annoyingly, while these pre-orders are available AS WE SPEAK in North America, all we know is that they'll be available in our wide brown land 'soon'. Next week? Next month? Who knows, but hopefully we'll be in the loop soon. In the meantime, we can only dream of gibbing mutants with the Grenade Rifle... and have a look at the various pre-order packs on offer:

The Classic Pack contains:

• Armored Vault 13 Suit - Extensively patched up and dotted with piecemeal armor, this outfit is an homage to the classic ending of the original Fallout.
• Vault 13 Canteen - This handy device is useful for staving off dehydration and providing a small amount of healing in the Mojave Wasteland.
• Weathered 10mm Pistol - A well-worn 10mm pistol that packs an extra punch despite its modest size.
• 5 Stimpaks - Food and water are good for long-term healing, but when the fighting is fierce, Stimpaks help keep Wastelanders upright.

The Tribal Pack contains:

• Tribal Raiding Armor - Pieced together from scraps of armor, this outfit provides protection without impacting mobility.
• Broad Machete - This heavy-bladed melee weapon does high damage against limbs and can quickly deal out a flurry of attacks.
• 5 Bleak Venom doses - Useful on any Melee Weapon, Bleak Venom makes short of work of most living targets.
• 10 Throwing Spears - If you would like to silently pin an enemy's head to a wall, Throwing Spears are the way to do it.

The Caravan Pack contains:

• Lightweight Leather Armor - This hand-modified suit of leather armor reduces its overall weight without impacting its ability to protect.
• Sturdy Caravan Shotgun - Despite its rough appearance, this Caravan Shotgun will reliably fire 20 gauge shells until the Brahmin come home.
• 4 Repair Kits - Useful for repairing any outfit or weapon, Repair Kits are a valuable tool for any caravaner.
• Binoculars - The Mojave Wasteland is a dangerous place, but with these trusty Binoculars you'll be able to spot trouble coming.

The Mercenary Pack contains:

• Lightweight Metal Armor - Modified for long-range travel, this Metal Armor sacrifices some protection for mobility and overall weight.
• Mercenary's Grenade Rifle - Though similar to other 40mm Grenade Rifles in the Mojave Wasteland, this model has a faster reload cycle.
• 3 Super Stimpaks - When you absolutely, positively, need to keep your blood inside your body, Super Stimpaks fix you up in no time.
• 3 Doctors Bags - Mercenaries and broken limbs go together like Iguana-on-a-Stick and Nuka Cola. Thankfully, these Doctors Bags take a bit of sting out of the inevitable crushed skull.

I could use a Nuka Cola right now. But instead I'll just wait for Friday beers, and let you know that Fallout: New Vegas will be available this Spring.