SPOnG was a little alarmed this morning when it stumbled across these new Fallout 3 screens. Surely on a breezy Thursday morning we shouldn't be forced to bear witness to a scene that reminds us of the time Andy SPOnG met his first girlfriend. The bar, the post-apocalyptic setting, the piece of totty behind the counter (albeit with a possibly incorrect gender), the appearance of rotting flesh... it's all there.

What's even more vexing to SPOnG, however, is the refusal of The Australian Classification Review Board to give Fallout 3 a rating. The game has been marked 'RC', or 'Refused Classification'. As such, Bethesda is unable to sell the game in Australia as it stands.

It's a lot more likely, of course, that Fallout 3 would have been granted classification if the powers-that-be in Australia if they actually had a rating above MA 15+ (for sale or hire only to those over 15 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian) that could be applied to games. Rockstar criticised the Australian government on this very issue following the initial refusal to give GTA IV a rating in Oz.

Anyway, enough grumbling. Check out the screens. For more on Fallout 3, check out SPOnG's dedicated game page.