Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
For: Nintendo Wii
From: Climax/Konami
ESRB Rating: Mature (blood, drug reference, language, sexual themes, violence)

It’s always exciting when a game like “Silent Hill: Shattered Memories” takes complete liberty not only with the franchise that bore it, but also the system on which it runs.

It’s also a downer when problems that have regularly haunted the franchise creep in yet again and debilitate the mood to a potentially eject button-pressing degree.

“Memories” purports to re-imagine the original “Silent Hill” game by resurrecting its main character and introductory plot. Harry Mason has once again awoken in a snowbound town after a car accident knocked him unconscious, and once again, his daughter has mysteriously disappeared.

From there, though, most everything changes. For starters, “Memories” is combat-free: It controls like a third-person shooter, but the only aiming Harry does is with his flashlight, and encountering a monster triggers a pursuit sequence in which players’ only options are to escape or die trying.

The precise flashlight control is the tip of an iceberg’s worth of clever uses “Memories” devises for the Wii remote. An early puzzle, for instance, has players picking up cans and overturning them until a key falls out of one. “Memories” never tells players what to do: It places the cans prominently, and real-world curiosity and motion take over from there. It’s a perfect mix of obtuse and intuitive, and similar tricks permeate “Memories’” puzzles in numerous simple but inspired ways.

“Memories” also crams the bulk of its user interface — camera, GPS, some storytelling — into a virtual cell phone, and whenever Harry makes or receives a call, the game uses the Wii remote’s speaker as a cell phone speaker players actually hold up to their ear. The gesture looks predictably silly, but as an immersion tactic, it’s pretty great.

“Memories’” best trick, though, is its attempt to mentally profile players through a series of psychological evaluations that take place after the events of the storyline but are intercut throughout the game. How players complete these evaluations partly dictates what they see, what they can access and how Harry behaves when “Memories” resumes the action. Regardless of the game’s ability to read players, it’s an awfully clever way to mix up the scenery and engender a second playthrough.

Unfortunately, “Memories” fumbles some classic conventions en route to devising so many new ones.

Per series tradition, navigation is needlessly laborious, with visibly open paths from A to B getting arbitrarily walled off for no believable reason. Getting lost among arbitrary blockades would mean something if there was danger in doing so, but “Memories” strictly relegates monster encounters to alternate-dimension portions of the game, and if you’re not in one of those zones, you’re in no peril whatsoever.

Not only does this make “Memories” a frightfully unscary game, but it turns getting lost into a dull session of backtracking, trial and error that will frustrate some into losing interest completely. Lots of amazing little reasons exist to keep pushing ahead, but it’s hard to think about those when you’re wandering fruitlessly with no way out in sight and no reason to be alarmed by that fact.

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Buzz! Quiz World
For: Playstation Portable via Playstation Network (No UMD version available)
From: Relentless Software/Sony
ESRB Rating: Teen (drug reference, mild language, mild suggestive themes, violent references)
Price: $20

You lose some but win plenty with “Buzz! Quiz World,” which can’t match the presentational pizazz of its Playstation 3 counterpart but more than compensates in other departments.

The biggest loss “World” suffers, obviously, is that of the Buzz! buzzer controllers, which are chiefly responsible for transforming “Buzz’s” PS3 iteration into the best game show emulator ever crammed into a $60 package. The $20 “World” controls just fine using the PSP’s face buttons to represent the four multiple-choice answers to a question, and it’d be absurd for Relentless Software to conceive a scenario in which players are crowding around a tiny PSP screen with buzzer controllers as big as the screen, but the loss is felt all the same.

“World” compounds the loss of buzzer controller functionality by turning the game’s interface into something more representative of an emceed quiz than a full-featured game show. Buzz still plays the part of gabby quizmaster, but the sets and studio audience are stripped away in favor of a sparser interface that trains its focus on Buzz and the quiz information and keeps it there. The presentation remains slick for what it’s attempting to convey, but it’s definitely less flashy than its PS3 counterpart.

The more intimate approach almost certainly is due to Relentless smartly presenting “World” as a game players are more likely to play alone on a train than with friends on a couch, and “World’s” significantly meatier single-player component would speak to this as well. Where the PS3 game offered some bare-bones solo challenges with no real progression, this edition presents four multi-tiered challenge trees — each containing numerous quick-play challenges that themselves are replayable thanks to high score tables and medal rewards. Though they don’t register as official Playstation Network trophies, “World” also offers a large handful of unlockable trophies for players to collect throughout the entirety of the game.

“World” features the requisite support for wireless multiplayer (four players locally running on one copy of the game, four players online), but Relentless again plays the realistic expectations card by including a suite of six-player modes in which players pass a single PSP around the room. In a cool touch that’s far more inspired in practice than it appears on paper, “World” also includes a Quiz Host mode in which a player plays the role of host and manages the questions, answers and scores on the PSP. The mode essentially turns a video game into a board game, and it absolutely works in spite of its no-frills approach.

Elsewhere, “World” retains all the trappings of recent “Buzz” games. The roster of questions, at 4,500 deep, is plenty sufficient, and players can download the same bonus and free user-made question packs the PS3 game supports. And while the game show feel isn’t quite as apparent as in the PS3 version, “World” still throws out enough special modes, gimmicks and rule variants to give the action significantly more variety than its quiz game peers can muster.

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PixelJunk Shooter
For: Playstation 3 via Playstation Network
From: Q-Games/Sony
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (lyrics, mild fantasy violence)
Price: $10

The inadequately-named “PixelJunk Shooter” is, technically, a shooter — superficially, a 2D space shooter in the vein of “Geometry Wars” and its ilk. But while there are enemies to shoot in “Shooter’s” subterranean caverns, the real objective centers around rescuing workers trapped deep within. Blasting through dilapidated cave walls is all it takes to rescue some, but a majority of the rescue effort revolves around using one element — magma, water, ice — to nullify another. Cracking a wall to unleash a tidal wave, for instance, will cool a lava pool into rock, which then can be shot away to create an opening for civilian rescue. “Shooter’s” physics-laden elemental riddles begin as simple cause/effect puzzles, but the challenge ramps up nicely as the enemies grow more dangerous and the elements, environments and available tools increase in number. Executing adequate rescues and taking down the screen-sized boss enemies isn’t a lengthy or difficult exercise, but engineering perfect rescues and mining the caves for every hidden valuable is. For players bent on doing exactly that, “Shooter’s” core action (playable solo or with a friend via local co-op) and terrific audiovisual presentation are more than inviting enough to inspire the repeat playthroughs likely needed to master it inside out.

Posted in Nintendo Wii, PSP, Playstation Network

LittleBigPlanet
For: Playstation Portable
From: Studio Cambridge/Media Molecule/Sony
ESRB Rating: Everyone (comic mischief)

Despite what the name implies, “LittleBigPlanet” isn’t a straight port of the 2008 Playstation 3 game of the same name, but a legitimate followup with an entirely new suite of single-player levels.

Better still, despite what common sense and a knowledge of that PS3 game’s sky-is-limit scope might imply, the PSP incarnation of “LBP” also isn’t a watered-down tribute to its predecessor, but a full-featured game that matches it in terms of ambition and possibility.

The overriding style, of course, remains the same. For those unfamiliar, “LBP” is a 2D platformer that incorporates real-world physics to an exponentially deeper degree than, for instance, “Super Mario Bros.” Objects slide, swing and topple according to their real-world properties, and even your playable character — the obnoxiously adorable, highly customizable Sackboy — runs and jumps according to the rules of inertia and gravity.

These physics, combined with the use of multiple planes on a 2D playing field and a reward system built around discovery more than mere survival, allows “LBP” to present levels that simply aren’t possible in other games. The generous checkpoint system and modest penalty for failure also frees the game to challenge players far more than its charming exterior would imply. Mining each level for its every last secret is a dicey endeavor, and Studio Cambridge really lets its cruel flag fly during some brutally tough side levels that, fortunately, are there for fun and don’t prohibit player advancement.

All of this extends to the game’s level creation engine, which sacrificed almost nothing during its migration from the PS3. Some additional controller gymnastics are necessary to overcome the PSP’s button and joystick deficiencies, and the graphics and physics calculations obviously aren’t as refined. Two-player level creation isn’t possible — there’s no wireless multiplayer of any kind in the PSP version — and levels designed in one game aren’t playable in the other, which is to be expected but nonetheless is worth noting for those who might hope for the impossible.

Elsewhere, though, “LBP” has everything it needs to develop a community on the level of its PS3 counterpart. Learning to harness the level creator’s insane power isn’t a blink-and-you’ll-get-it affair, but the game’s exceptional presentation coaxes newbies in and makes it fun to learn and make mistakes. The toolbox responsible for the single-player levels lies completely at players’ disposal, and sharing levels online and downloading others players’ creations is as simple here as it is on the big screen. As always, “LBP” has an online leaderboard for every created level, so there’s always a record waiting to be broken.

“LBP’s” true value will become apparent in the coming weeks, but some inspired levels have already appeared online, and things look promising. The PS3 game continues to pay dividends a year later even for those who ignore the creation tool altogether and simply download other players’ designs, and having a similarly bottomless well of gameplay on the go is just about the best thing this series could have done for a second act.

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Tony Hawk Ride
For: Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii
From: Robomodo/Activision
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (Lyrics, mild suggestive themes, animated blood)

Without being behind the scenes, it’s impossible to discern whether “Tony Hawk Ride” is a case of hardware failing software or software not properly utilizing hardware.

At least on appearance, it isn’t due to shoddy hardware workmanship. To the contrary, the board controller that ships with “Ride”  — picture a wireless skateboard deck sans wheels — feels durable enough to easily outlast the mountain of iffy plastic musical instruments that paved its way. It looks good, too — like a sophisticated piece of electronics instead of just another one-trick toy.

Most importantly, in fleeting bits and pieces, it also works. The board rocks from side to side and nose to tail without demanding too much effort, yet it isn’t so malleable as to make it easy to spill out of control. Performing basic flip tricks is simple enough, and it’s fun to let loose, take one foot off the board, place the other on the far nose or tail, and perform a 360 spin while your onscreen skater does some facsimile of the same. Small sensors located on all sides allow for grab tricks, and between the lower body acrobatics and the fight to maintain optimum balance, “Ride” sneakily provides a good workout for muscles you may not otherwise work.

It’s unfortunate, then, that the game designed around the board fails to cater to what makes the board fun to use.

In stark contrast to the string of recent open-ended “Tony Hawk” games that let players ride freely and take on objectives at will, “Ride” is stiflingly straightforward: Each city breaks into a few small levels, and each level offers a handful of objectives — typically a time trial, trick session, collection of five mini-challenges and half-pipe trick session — that require a few minutes each to experience. “Ride” offers a free skate option, but the levels aren’t built with that in mind and there’s nothing to do during these sessions. A multiplayer component (eight players locally sharing one board, four online on the 360 and PS3) consists of the same events recycled under party play rules.

The abrupt, linear nature of “Ride’s” trick and race sessions makes it hard for players to just let loose and have a creative good time on the board, and the precise demands in the challenges create needless aggravation because the board simply isn’t smart or precise enough to consistently discern different flip tricks from one another. Instances of nailing a trick, only for the game to claim you didn’t, are aggravatingly common here, and there’s little reward for getting it right thanks to a bare-bones presentation that just trots out more of the same.

Ultimately, “Ride” feels like a half-finished game hastily designed to complement a board that maybe took longer than planned to complete. Maybe the board’s true calling will be as a snowboarding game controller or something else entirely. The potential is there. Right now, though, “Ride” adds up to an experience that, in its current state and at its current $120 price, just isn’t worth the investment.

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Backbreaker Football
For: iPhone/iPod Touch
From: NaturalMotion Games
iTunes Store Rating: 4+
Price: $1 (free demo available)

NaturalMotion’s Backbreaker football physics engine has sparked lingering curiosity since its 2007 unveiling, and if its first playable appearance in the wild is any indication, it’s no mystery why. “Backbreaker Football” isn’t a complete football game by any stretch, but a low-concept arcade game in which you, as the ballcarrier, must evade oncoming would-be tacklers and reach the end zone. Tilting the iPhone controls your directional movement, and some onscreen buttons allow you to juke, spin, sprint and, if the end zone is in sight, showboat. Evading defenders in style nets you points, stringing moves together results in bountiful combos, and the more times you can reach the end zone without being tackled and losing all your turns, the better your placement on the game’s leaderboards. “Backbreaker” backs the simple concept with a series of challenge levels, an endurance mode and multiple difficulty settings, but it’s the technological underpinnings that elevate it from a decent time-waster to bona fide addiction. Even on the underpowered iPhone, the tackle and running animations look fantastically authentic, and reading a would-be tackler’s body momentum — and countering it with perfectly-timed, perfectly-placed evasion — is a skillful undertaking rather than a matter of guesswork. Seeing this tech in motion on more powerful hardware can’t happen soon enough.

Posted in Nintendo Wii, PSP, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, iPhone/iPod Touch

Half-Minute Hero
For: Playstation Portable
From: Marvelous Entertainment/XSEED Games
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (animated blood, language, mild fantasy violence, mild suggestive themes)

If you’re one of those poor souls who enjoys the trappings of a good role-playing, real-time strategy and/or tower defense game, then boy, does “Half-Minute Hero” have a wholly unique and brilliantly original deal for you.

“Hero” arrives divided into three (and, after a little unlocking, six) pieces, with each piece representing an era in the game’s storytelling legend. Additionally, four of them represent a separate popular (and, in three cases, traditionally complex) gaming genre. The “Hero 30″ chapter is “Hero’s” answer to role-playing games, while “Evil Lord 30,” “Princess 30″ and “Knight 30″ respectively take on tactical strategy, overhead 2D arcade shooting and tower defense.

“Hero’s” willingness to cover all four of these bases is potentially remarkable in its own respect, but it’s how the game does it — and where it gets the “Half-Minute” part of its name — that elevates it to a world all its own.

In a nutshell? Each level must be completed in 30 seconds. In the case of the Evil Lord, Princess and Knight chapters, that means completely wrapping up a battle and meeting any necessary objectives in the time it takes a commercial to air. In the Hero mode, that means completing an entire role-playing game — complete with title card and end credits for each “sequel” — in that same span of time. You don’t have a choice: The world ends if you fail.

“Hero” predictably skirts this time mechanic to some degree: You can pray for more time in the role-playing game and purchase it in the tactical games. The shooter levels feature special red carpets that, if traversed, add seconds back to the clock.

But even with those limited-use workarounds, you never have more than 30 seconds to spare at any point in “Hero,” which brilliantly bucks the conventions of the genres it mimics by turning them into frantic sprints against always-ticking clocks. RPG battles began and end in a second or two. Full-scale wars against enemy armies take 15 seconds. The gameplay is far more manageable than it sounds on paper, but the speed at which is soars by is nonetheless truly remarkable, and the whole experiment is a shocking success given all the conventional polarities in play. (“Hero’s” fifth and sixth mode, bend the RPG mode by putting 300 and three seconds, respectively on the clock. That ladder mode is as ludicrous as it sounds.)

“Hero’s” spirit is similarly buoyant on the outside thanks to an inspired audiovisual style that harkens back to 16-bit gaming’s early-1990s glory days. The game’s dialogue reads like the work of a junior high school kid writing fan fiction, but it does so deliberately and with a dry wit. What “Hero” lacks in sweeping storylines, it more than makes up for in funny characters and absolutely hilarious throwaway lines that come out of nowhere.

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Need For Speed Nitro
For: Nintendo Wii
From: EA Montreal
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (mild lyrics, mild violence)

At first blush, it’s easy to mistake “Need for Speed Nitro” — which takes a proper “Need for Speed” game, strips it of its simulative leanings and whittles it down to a streamlined racer with a very heavy arcade bent — as something of a raw deal.

But “Nitro’s” arcadey disposition isn’t just a case of subtracting and oversimplifying for a more casual audience. Rather, because it isn’t constrained by the same parameters, “Nitro” does things a traditional “NFS” game cannot. Depending on how you choose to play and how extensively you wish to succeed, it also poses a more satisfying challenge than its more well-rounded cousins.

Speed rules everything in “Nitro,” which gets its name from the two tanks of nitrous oxide equipped on all 30 of its licensed vehicles. Driving with style replenishes your nitrous bars, and from there you can activate one for a significant speed boost or both for something not of this world.

“Nitro’s” low camera placement and overall visual presentation convey a nice sensation of speed all by themselves, and the brake button exists more as a means to drift around corners at high speeds than as a tool for cautious driving. Master the drift, enable a double nitrous boost and weave between cop cars bent on shutting your race down, and the action moves at an exhilarating clip more straight-faced racing games can’t feasibly deliver.

The arcadey approach, thankfully, doesn’t translate into a powderpuff challenge. “Nitro” offers steering assistance for those who want it, and the control schemes that only require the Wii remote are forgiving enough for “Mario Kart” graduates. For more experienced players, though, the traditional schemes and assist-free physics complement a surprisingly ruthless A.I. to make “Nitro” a legitimately (but never unfairly) challenging game. Completely cleaning up in the career mode — winning events, beating par lap times and accruing style points across a variety of event styles — is tougher here than in a traditional “NFS” game.

Similar design decisions course through the entirety of “Nitro,” which counters most of what it lacks with something of its own that traditional “NFS” either couldn’t do or couldn’t get away with. The stylized, spirited graphical presentation — which uses graffiti art in a brilliant way that’s best unspoiled — nullifies the Wii’s technical shortcomings to a startling degree. Similarly, while you can’t tune cars to nearly the same extent that you can in other “NFS” games, you can paint them however you please using the Wii remote as a freeform paintbrush, which arguably is better as far as personalization is concerned.

The only gap “Nitro” can’t close, though, is a big one. The game’s local multiplayer support — four players and drop-in/drop-out capabilities even in the career mode — is terrific, but its online component is nonexistent. Painting cars would be that much more satisfying if you could show them off online, and that’s to say nothing of the extra longevity online competitions and record-keeping would provide.

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Lego Rock Band
Reviewed for: Playstation 3 and Xbox 360
Also available for: Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
From: Harmonix/TT Games/MTV/Warner Bros. Interactive
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (comic mischief, mild cartoon violence, mild lyrics)

Band Hero
Reviewed for: Playstation 3 and Xbox 360
Also available for: Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, Nintendo DS
From: Neversoft/RedOctane/Activision
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (lyrics, mild suggestive themes)

The grudge match between “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” rages on, and because “Lego Rock Band” and “Band Hero” exist primarily to lure in families put off by the parent games’ more mature set lists, even the children no longer are safe.

If you’re a cynic, “Band Hero” probably merits a dirty first look: The name will positively terrify parents already confused by the two franchises’ shrinking discrepancies, and the game itself is basically a cloned “Guitar Hero 5″ with a pop theme and a family-friendly, 65-track setlist that’s 20 songs poorer than “GH5″ despite matching it in price.

But if you don’t have “GH5″ and prefer “Hero’s” family-friendly disposition, that’s actually perfectly good news. “Hero” doesn’t dumb the gameplay down in any respect, and outside of the setlist size, it matches its parent product in terms of features — career mode, support for any configuration of up to 4 (local multiplayer, online co-op) or eight (online competitive) drums, guitars and mics, even the imposingly robust studio mode that lets you create and share your own instrumentals.

“Lego Rock Band” can’t make quite the same claim, in large part due to the puzzling omission of any online play whatsoever. If the idea wad to protect the children, an option to disable online functionality would have more than sufficed. The 45-song setlist also presents an even bigger drop-off from “Rock Band 2’s” 84 tracks.

Presentationally speaking, though, “LRB” is a brilliant realization of what should happen when Harmonix’s airtight gameplay mixes it up with TT Games’ masterful use of the Lego license. “LRB’s” storyline is as cleverly funny as TT’s “Star Wars” and “Batman” send-ups, and the Lego setting allows it to explore storytelling frontiers — monster-infested mansions, outer space, a drumming octopus seeking vengeance — traditional “Rock Band” games could never visit. Players who play through the storyline also unlock furniture, instruments and body parts, which they can use to customize their characters and rock den.

Additionally, while “LRB’s” setlist is smaller than it should be and home to its fair share of flavor-of-the-month hits, it also brings along the likes (and in a few spectacular cases, playable Lego facsimiles) of Queen, Spinal Tap, David Bowie, T-Rex, Elton John and Iggy Pop. For parents who want to instill some reverence and good taste in their kids at an early age, this — along with a new Super Easy difficulty setting that’s extremely accommodating to entry-level players — makes “LRB” a pretty powerful ally.

Posted in Nintendo Wii, PSP, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

mebeliElebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero
For: Nintendo DS
From: Konami
ESRB Rating: Everyone (mild cartoon violence)

Though it’s an “Elebits” game in every superficial respect, “Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero” shares almost nothing in common with the Nintendo Wii game that birthed the franchise. That game was a quirky action/puzzle game that had you using the Wiimote to overturn furniture and play virtual hide and seek, while “Zero” translates some of the same concepts into a far more traditional, two-dimensional adventure game in the “Legend of Zelda” vein.

It works, albeit in spite of itself sometimes, and it allows the series to spread its ever-deepening mythology to systems that (a) can’t do what the Wii can and (b) can do things the Wii cannot.

As with the original “Elebits” — and as satisfactorily explained by a brief storyline introduction — “Zero” has you trapping and collecting little Elebit creatures, which provide you with energy.

This time, though, that energy goes toward more than simply moving forward. Progression through “Zero” rewards you with Omegas — evolved companion Elebits who not only help you round up lesser Elebits, but also exhibit special abilities (breathing fire, freezing and so on) that grant you access to areas on the map you can see but otherwise cannot reach.

For the most part, beyond some boss encounters, that’s how you play: Find the hiding Elebits, collect energy, and use your team of Omegas to ward off small enemies and solve puzzles that impede your progress. But again, it works. “Zero” doesn’t throw a lot of frantic action your way, but the puzzles are designed well — neither embarrassingly easy nor unnecessarily cryptic in their riddle.

The boss fights are similarly fun, though they also best expose “Zero’s” somewhat awkward controls. The game overwhelmingly uses the touch screen to conduct business — move and shake objects to uncover Elebits, tap Elebits to stun them, tap your Omega to send it into capture mode — and it works fine on this basic level. But “Zero” also gives occasion to take direct control over your Omegas, and it handles this change of control awkwardly, which in turn can trip you up during a heated moment. The handoff becomes less jarring with time and practice, and it never develops into a deal-breaker, but the awkwardness never fully dissipates.

Beyond that, “Zero” is quite a pleasant surprise — a visually vibrant, pleasantly paced adventure that uses ingredients from its vastly different predecessor to create its own unique niche on the DS. A return to the wacky Wii format would be most welcome, but kudos to Konami to spinning this one off in just the right way while we wait for that to happen.

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Star Ocean: Second Evolution
For: Sony PSP
From: Square-Enix
ESRB Rating: Teen (alcohol and tobacco reference, mild fantasy violence, mild language, suggestive themes)

It’s all “Star Ocean,” all the time at Square-Enix, which is gearing up to release a brand-new “Ocean” chapter on the Xbox 360 while giving the original games a well-deserved kick in the pants on a very game-starved PSP.

For those completely unfamiliar, the original “Star Ocean” games played out like your typical role-playing game from the mid- to late-1990s, albeit with one difference: Instead of engaging in turn-based battles, the encounters, while still randomly generated, played out in real time. Players control one character, while the game’s A.I. handles the rest of your party, which fights according to the attributes you’ve established for them. Just imagine an old-school “Final Fantasy” game with real-time battles, and you understand “Star Ocean” well enough to be comfortable with it.

As remakes go, “Star Ocean: Second Evolution” isn’t as drastic a makeover as last year’s “Star Ocean: First Departure.” Nor should it be: Whereas “Departure” reinvented a 16-bit game that never even made it out of Japan, “Evolution” takes on a sequel, “The Second Story,” that both appeared on more modern hardware and debuted in America less than 10 years ago.

Furthermore, most of what was novel about “Departure’s” remake — a polished translation that does the original story justice, brand-new animated cut scenes, a streamlined mix of 2D and 3D graphics that’s tailor-made for the PSP’s screen — returns for “Evolution.” That isn’t bad news at all, because the visual symmetry does wonders for realigning the series’ timeline. But if you played “Departure,” the changes in “Evolution” won’t drop your jaw the same way, and that merits noting.

Where “Evolution” truly excels over “Departure” is, in fact, where it counts most: It’s based on a better game. The two remakes operate almost identically, but where “Departure” was bogged down by sloppy storytelling and the need to backtrack incessantly, “Evolution” continually barrels ahead with a better, more focused story that begets similarly forward-minded gameplay.

Beyond that, little else needs be said. You don’t remake a game if it wasn’t any good and people didn’t treasure it the first time around, and “Star Ocean” isn’t the series to change that rule. Playing “Departure” before getting into “Evolution” is the right move if you want the full series experience, but if you don’t mind skipping ahead a little bit, this easily ranks as the better of the two remakes.

Posted in Nintendo DS, PSP

Condemned 2: Bloodshot
For: Xbox 360 and Playstation 3
From: Monolith/WB Games/Sega
ESRB Rating: Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, use of drugs and alcohol)

There are horror games, and there are first-person games, but there hasn’t been another game remotely like “Condemned,” which mixed the two in shockingly competent fashion when it arrived in late 2005. That it arguably was one of the most frightening games ever made didn’t hurt, either.

Think a few folks are hungry for a sequel? You bet they are. Happily, “Condemned 2: Bloodshot” not only (mostly) matches its predecessor in tone, but blows it away in most major respects when it comes to actual gameplay.

While portions certainly fall into the first-person shooter bin, much of the action in the “Condemned” games finds you fighting with fists or blunt objects rather than guns. The original game handled this surprisingly well — a feat, given how many games before it utterly failed — by keeping things simple and focused on the sensation of actually being in a first-person fight for your life.

“Bloodshot” recaptures this sensation but also dramatically expands the arsenal, adding the ability to fight more defensively and respond with combos, special maneuvers and the occasional environment-aided finisher. The suddenly-loaded control scheme flirts with contrivance, and it arguably succumbs to it in the game’s final level. But the steps forward vastly outnumber the steps backward, and Monolith gets major points for not breaking the whole system in the process of tweaking it so heavily.

Beyond survival, “Condemned’s” gameplay consisted of a handful of humorously pedestrian detective missions that required almost zero intelligence to complete. “Bloodshot” brings back the detective portions, but it smartens them up exponentially and actually applies actual consequence to them this time. The better your detective work, the higher the reward, which results in special upgrades and additions to your arsenal.

With both chief gameplay ingredients seeing such significant improvements, “Bloodshot” almost can’t help but be an inarguably better experience than its predecessor. All that remains is the arguable point of how the sequel’s story and environments stack up to what the original delivered.

This, unfortunately, is where “Bloodshot” is at its shakiest. As suspenseful storytelling goes, it’s first-rate, gifted with exceptionally good character building, healthy sprinklings of madness and a second-act twist many fans of the original will absolutely love. But the story dictates the design more than it did the first time, and that leads to a game that’s more darkly mysterious than scary. You’ll still jump, but anyone looking for a legendary scare (department store, anyone?) isn’t likely to find it.

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Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
For: Sony PSP
From: Square Enix
ESRB Rating: Teen (blood, mild language, mild suggestive themes, violence)

Square Enix has tried — lord, has it tried — to capitalize on the undying affection so many gamers have for “Final Fantasy VII.”

Finally, after a full decade and some projects we’d all like to forget ever happened, it’s struck oil with “Crisis Core.”

Ironically, part of what makes “Core” work is how non-reliant it is on the game that inspired its creation. The game builds its story around a character, Zack, whose role in “FFVII” was relegated to flashback duty only. That creates a win-win situation for all: Fans of the original game can sink their teeth into “Core’s” expansion of the “FFVII” universe, while the mostly self-contained storyline allows newcomers to dive in without fear of alienation.

On the other hand, what also makes “Core” shine is the way it applies bits and pieces of “FFVII” to what is, at least on the surface, an entirely different brand of gameplay.

Whereas “FFVII” was a turn-based role-playing game in the traditional “Final Fantasy” vein, “Core” places a much greater emphasis on semi-real-time action. Battles are self-contained per usual, but within that space, you’re free to run around, attack at will, and cycle through items and spells while simultaneously trying to avoid enemy attacks.

Such action-oriented leanings will come as terrible news for those “FFVII” fans who simply want a verbatim return to that game’s turn-based combat. But things aren’t as simple as they first seem, and many of the underpinnings that powered “FFVII’s” combat remain intact despite the new approach. “Core” automates and randomizes certain processes that previously were left to player discretion, but the ingredients that power engagement — from hit points to limit breaks — are still there. Gamers fearful that Square Enix has lumped together a dumbed-down button masher in “FFVII” clothing need not worry. For those with the desire to dissect the game’s intricacies, the depth is there.

“FFVII” devotees may not have a choice anyway. While “Core’s” gameplay almost certainly will polarize fans, Square Enix’s knack for transcendent and visually dazzling storytelling is off the table. “Core” was simultaneously tasked with playing the nostalgia card and feeling epically fresh, and it rises to the challenge with scary ease. On this merit alone, it’s a must-play for any “FFVII” fan, and those who don’t care for the new gameplay approach had best find a way to deal with it.

Posted in PSP, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

God of War: Chains of Olympus
For: Sony PSP
From: Ready at Dawn Studios/Sony
ESRB Rating: Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, sexual content)

There was never any real doubt that “God of War: Chains of Olympus” would be good. This is, after all, the portable debut of Sony’s premier action franchise. And if developer Ready at Dawn Studios’ work on “Daxter” is any indication, few studios are as capable of shrinking down Sony’s prized properties as the one tasked with bringing the mighty Kratos to the small screen.

But even with those expectations in play from the outset, it remains rather shocking how impressive “Olympus” is in its finished form. Ready at Dawn didn’t simply make a good interpretation of “God of War.” It made the genuine article.

Reports that “Olympus” is indistinguishable from its PS2 counterparts is a bit exaggerated. The graphics feature some jagged edges not found in those games, and while the framerate is fantastically stable, it only rarely approaches the level of perfection those games could handle without breaking a sweat.

But that pretty much is it for the divergences. Aside from those ultimately insubstantial issues, “Olympus” is “God of War,” verbatim, on a handheld. All things wonderful about the PS2 games — the incredible combo system, bounty of combat maneuvers, epic boss encounters and a so-well-tuned-that-you-take-it-for-granted balance between puzzle-solving and button mashing combat — make their way to the PSP without compromise.

In fact, if there’s a legitimate gripe with “Olympus,” it’s that it’s a little too faithful. Ready at Dawn throws in a cool new weapon in the late stages of the game, and the story — a prequel of sorts to the original game — provides some fun insight into Kratos’ come to being. But beyond that and some of the boss fights, much of what you see in “Olympus” will look some degree of familiar if you’ve played the other games. That’s not necessarily a terrible thing, but some will take umbrage with the game’s refusal to take risks in the hands of a new developer.

Also, “Olympus” is short. You can topple it in no more than five hours, and beyond a few harder difficulty settings and a smattering of arena challenges, there isn’t much in the way of other content to explore.

On the flip side, “Olympus” also is one of those games that easily commands replaying on the simple basis that it’s just that much fun. That’s been a hallmark of the series since the beginning, and given how brilliantly “Olympus” keeps up, it’s hardly an exception.

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Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
For: Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC
From: Spark Unlimited/Codemasters
ESRB Rating: Teen (language, violence)

“Turning Point: Fall of Liberty” kicks off its rewriting of history with a real head-scratcher: What if Winston Churchill had been killed in 1931 by that taxi that struck him in New York City? Would the Allies ultimately have lost World War II, and would the White House be draped in Nazi red?

Unfortunately, this little “what if?” isn’t just “Liberty’s” first moment, but its finest as well. The game hands the controls to you, and a stiff downhill tumble follows shortly after.

The problem is that, while “Liberty’s” story takes place in 1953, its gameplay comes from around 1998 or so. Enemy intelligence is barely there, with Nazis recklessly bum-rushing you or standing perfectly in place, ready to eat your bullets either way. Sometimes they even spawn out of thin air, only to disappear just as quickly when killed. They’ll readily throw grenades at you, even if you’re only a few feet away. That’s fine, though, because explosives only sometimes kill enemies.

Technically, the game fares little better. Clipping problems are humorously rampant, framerate drops not-so-humorously frequent. Animation is choppy, sometimes to the point where soldiers randomly warp a few feet. None of it is justified, either: “Liberty” looks no better, and often looks worse, than your average first-generation Xbox 360 game.

Even when “Liberty” does something different, bad code undoes it. The ability to melee enemies and use them as human shields is very cool, and the game occasionally allows you to dispatch enemies creatively using environmental kills. Unfortunately, “Liberty” has serious trouble with context recognition. Unless you’re positioned perfectly in front of a soldier, the melee option doesn’t appear. And without a general-use melee button to save you in a pinch, that often means you’ll die simply because the game failed you. That’s especially annoying when you’re in one of the portions of “Liberty” where the developers seemingly forgot to include checkpoints.

In the end, none of it is worth it, because “Liberty” barely expands on the intrigue brought forth by that original question. A few cool set pieces aside, the game could take place in almost any universe, and the mid-mission cutscenes do little to form a relationship between players and the average Joe-turned-one-man army they control.

With a decent storyline stripped away, “Liberty” becomes just another first-person shooter for three systems already bursting with them. Stripped of everything else it should have but doesn’t, it’s also impossible to recommend even as a curious rental.

Posted in PSP, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
For: Nintendo Wii
From: Nintendo
ESRB Rating: Teen (cartoon violence, crude humor)

The bad news? “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” is more of the same.

The good news? It’s a lot more of the same.

For those still playing “Super Smash Bros. Melee,” “Brawl” represents a small step for gameplay and a giant leap for most everything else. It’s still chiefly a fighting game starring Nintendo characters, and the pick-up-and-play sensibilities that buoyed the first two games make the move to “Brawl” with almost no change to the formula. (Case in point: Despite several control schemes involving all manner of Wii controller configurations, the configuration that utilizes the Gamecube outclasses them all.)

Where “Brawl” really shines, more than perhaps any Nintendo game ever, is with content. Six years have passed since “Melee” arrived, and Nintendo pads “Brawl’s” already-loaded roster of characters and stages with a ton of familiar faces and places from the franchises it’s created in that time. The amount of fan service crammed inside sets a mind-boggling new standard that likely won’t be matched until the next “Smash” game arrives, and while “Brawl” isn’t miles prettier than “Melee” was, it’s definitely an upgrade in every facet.

The feature offerings also blow “Melee” away.

Online play makes its debut in the “Smash” universe, and while the clumsy friend code system, occasional dropped connection and lack of voice chat and leaderboards make this a bittersweet debut, it generally works as advertised. The adventure mode — featuring “Smash” characters starring in a mix of sidescrolling and fighting levels — is considerably longer and more story-driven than in “Melee,” and a handful of mini-games and objective-driven stages round out a surprisingly mountainous single-player component.

“Brawl” also engages your creative side for the first time, allowing players to share replays and screenshots and even create their own levels for use in offline (though sadly, not online) matches.

As with “Melee,” “Brawl” also offers a humungous suite of stuff to unlock — trophies, virtual stickers, characters, stages and even a few laughably time-limited demos of classic Nintendo games.

All that said, the best way to enjoy “Melee” — throwing down with friends on the same couch and screen — remains the definitive way to enjoy “Brawl.” Nothing’s changed there.

As such, if you didn’t get into “Smash” before, “Brawl” won’t change your mind. But Nintendo clearly aimed “Brawl” squarely at the same crowd that embraced “Melee,” and the trove of content packed inside should keep fanatics engaged for at least another six years. If you’re a “Smash” fan and you had any doubts, consider them put to rest.

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Patapon
For: Playstation Portable
From: Interlink/Sony
ESRB Rating: Everyone (mild cartoon violence)

Genre-blending is all the rage nowadays, but that doesn’t mean you can mix just any two flavors and expect peanut butter and jelly.

A huge hat off, then, to Interlink, which mixes two wildly different genres (rhythmic gaming and real-time strategy), dresses them in a side-scrolling graphical style that’s almost completely foreign to both, and somehow makes the whole thing not only work, but sing.

In “Patapon,” you command a strange-looking group of creatures (called Patapon) as they march from left to right, encounter hordes of creatures, and complete objectives as dictated by a surprisingly charming storyline. But rather than move your units with a cursor or even just the d-pad, you control their actions with a drum, pressing different combinations of face buttons in time with a beat that plays in the background. One set of button presses advances your troops, for instance, while others prompt them to attack, defend, or perform context-sensitive actions.

At first, it seems wildly simplistic and repetitive, with the first mission asking you to execute the advance command ad nauseam in order to outrun an unstoppable monster. The second mission isn’t much more complicated, prompting fears that “Patapon” never evolves beyond a rote exercise of memorizing button combinations and rhythmically executing them.

With time, though, the game surprises with its depth. The mission structure quickly opens up, forcing you to focus as much on formulating a smart attack strategy as keeping up with the beat. Different Patapon have different abilities and liabilities, and you can manage troops by acquiring new equipment and elements that go toward the creation of new troops. As with any good strategy game, success in “Patapon” comes down to how efficiently you distribute your resources.

None of this is to suggest “Patapon” is for everyone, because it isn’t. The continual focus on rhythmic button presses while also managing an army makes this a demanding game in spite of its implied simplicity, and the reliance on music and lack of in-game pause means this isn’t the easiest game to pull out for a quickie on the bus. Never mind that this combination of two rather niche genres simply isn’t for everyone in the first place.

But those intrigued by what they’ve read are in for an extremely unique treat. “Patapon” deserves major kudos not only for trying something new, but for nailing it on the first go. That the whole thing only costs $20 sure doesn’t hurt, either.

Posted in Nintendo Wii, PSP

Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2
For: Xbox 360
From: Bemani/Konami
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (lyrics, mild suggestive themes)

If it wasn’t possible for one game to be both the absolute best of its kind and a disappointment, it is now. “Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2″ proves it.

As “DDR” games go, “DDRU2″ rules all. The backing of the Xbox 360 gives it a visual edge over its PS2 and Wii counterparts, and that’s to say nothing of the online capabilities (four players and leaderboards now, downloadable content possible later) brought forth by Xbox Live functionality.

More importantly, though, “DDRU2″ features a ridiculous array of ways to play. Listing and describing them all in this short space would be impossible, but there’s a reason a game that involves little more than stepping on a dance pad in time with music ships with a 42-page instruction manual. Bemani also allows gamers to tinker settings large and small in order to cater the game to just about any level of dance style and ability. Games in every genre should strive to be this accommodating.

Thing is, everything you just read applies to the previous “DDRU” game as well, and if you played that game last year, you’re about to experience some serious déjà vu. “DDRU2″ ships with a new soundtrack, of course, and it refines a few modes and adds some new ones, including a freestyle mode for people too hopeless to play the game as intended.

But for gamers who do play “DDRU2″ as intended, the changes aren’t terribly exciting. The quest mode is better organized than last time, but it’s still clumsy and confusingly presented. It also remains the one mode in which Bemani forces harder difficulty settings on unfit players — a real problem given the cliff dive between basic and even moderate difficulty settings.

Meanwhile, secondary modes such as the Workout mode haven’t matured beyond their peripheral status. (Given how much improvement the Wii version’s Workout mode showed, it’s surprising to see none of that carry over here.) Also speaking of peripherals, the solid but unspectacular dance mat returns unchanged. Unless you want a second mat, you’re fine buying just the game disc.

The incremental growth is a product of a game that already was doing so much. While “DDRU2″ is easy to recommend to anyone who loves the series, if only because it presents new songs to conquer, it’d still be nice to see “DDR” blow our minds again. (Translation: It’s time for custom soundtrack support. Bite the bullet, Konami.)

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Atari Classics Evolved
For: Playstation Portable
From: Stainless Games/Atari
ESRB Rating: Everyone (mild violence, simulated gambling)

Massive compilations of Atari games on a single disc aren’t the novelty they once were, and Atari has responded by going back to the well in as many fresh and inventive ways as possible.

In “Atari Classics Evolved,” developer Stainless Games plays it safe by offering 11 games — Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Lunar Lander, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, Super Breakout, Tempest and Warlords — in both their original and “evolved” form. Both forms play identically, with the evolved form offering a prettier coat of graphical paint and a few bonus perks such as achievements, online leaderboards and wireless multiplayer for Battlezone and Warlords.

While the graphical overhauls definitely look nice, the achievements should stand as “Evolved’s” greatest contribution to the retro compilation racket. Each evolved game features four distinctive goals to conquer, and knocking out all 44 of them unlocks a library of more than 50 Atari 2600 games. Reaching these goals likely will fall beyond the means of all but the most skilled and dedicated of players, but it’s nice to see a retro compilation offer something beyond nostalgia as a reason to pick it up. Having something to work for does wonders for longevity.

It’s merely a shame “Evolved” only is available for the PSP, which proves once again why it’s the most incapable system on the shelf to handle compilations of this sort. The analog nub isn’t precise enough to replicate the experience of playing with a trackball or arcade stick, and fiddling with the sensitivity settings doesn’t help much. The system’s heavy widescreen orientation also clashes with vertically-oriented games like Centipede and Tempst, which force you to turn the PSP sideways and hold it awkwardly while negotiating with the aforementioned shoddy control inputs.

Atari certainly isn’t shy about porting its catalog to as many systems as will have it, so there’s hope that “Evolved” eventually will make its way to a system with a better controller. (The Xbox 360’s Live Arcade has downloadable versions of some of the games, but that’s not quite the same thing.)

At no point is “Evolved” unplayable on the PSP, though. The games are emulated expertly, and if you can find a soft touch with the analog nub, the control issues may pose less of an issue. If nothing else, the inviting $20 price makes it easy to take a gamble if the concept has your attention.

Posted in PSP, Xbox 360

PDF Clip: Games 2007-10-31

Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
For: Playstation 3
From: Insomniac/Sony
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (alcohol reference, animated blood, crude humor, fantasy violence, language)

Everybody dances in “Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.” Doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a grunt, boss character, ally or even a gun turret. If you throw a Groovitron and it lands in someone’s vicinity, they dance. Period.

The Groovitron, one of umpteen weapons and gadgets at your disposal in “Destruction,” has high strategic value, because enemies in a dance trance can’t hurt you. But it also underscores just how much care went into this game’s design. “Destruction” wouldn’t play any worse if every single character didn’t have his or her own unique dance animation, but Insomniac went ahead and made it so anyway. That level of detail is all over “Destruction,” and it’s what makes a game not terribly far removed from its predecessors a must-play all the same.

Improvements abound in “Destruction.” It’s exponentially prettier on the PS3 — not quite Pixar country, but certainly within striking distance. The story is more ambitious as well, overlaying the usual mix of adventure and comedy with some rather straight-faced insight into Ratchet’s origins. (Some will love the new direction, some won’t, and the ending won’t please everyone.) There are new weapons and gadgets to play with, naturally, and you now can selectively modify your arsenal with the terrific new upgrade tool, which operates in the same vein as a “Final Fantasy” character upgrade system. Insomniac also included some modest (and fun) support for the Sixaxis motion controls, but you can use the analog sticks for these sections instead if you prefer.

At its core, though, “Destruction” is a bigger, grander case of more of the same. And that’s mostly fine, because Insomniac has the science of creating an awesome action game down cold. From the moment the first cut-scene ends, “Destruction” propels you forward, and while you’re free to traverse the galaxy at your leisure, the game sits continually ready to drop you into one loaded set piece after another. In outline form, it’s formula. But the creativity and polish that bubbles under the surface of that formula leaves you hard-pressed to find a dull moment.

If “Destruction” leaves a hole anywhere, it’s in the multiplayer department. Given how brilliantly the PS2 and PSP “R&C” games did multiplayer, it definitely hurts not to see any such component in “Destruction.” Perhaps Insomniac will surprise us with a downloadable add-on. More likely, we’ll just have to wait for the sequel.

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The Simpsons Game
Reviewed for: Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Also available for: Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS
From: EA
ESRB Rating: Teen (alcohol and tobacco reference, animated blood, cartoon violence, crude humor, language, suggestive themes)

There exist plenty of gamers who will play “The Simpsons Game,” regardless of how awful it is, simply to see it in motion and check out the storyline.

Fortunately for them, whatever plans EA had for making an awful “Simpsons” game were scrapped in favor of making a good one instead.

The vast majority of “TSG” plays out like a third-person action game. You star as Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge and (occasionally) Maggie, with two characters (the computer or a friend controls the second character) partnering up at any given time. Each Simpson boasts unique special abilities: Homer can roll around like a ball, for instance, while Marge can round up angry mobs for any purpose.

Beyond a few nagging issues — namely, some unrefined jumping controls and a camera that goes awry in tight spaces — the action comes together shockingly well. The diverse superpowers give “TSG” lots of gameplay variety, and it also allows for some clever level and puzzle designs. Your A.I.-controlled partner seems to know when to act and when to wait for you, and you’ll almost never fail an objective because the game failed you first.

Pleasant a surprise as the gameplay turns out to be, it’s still the writing that ultimately rules the day, led by a storyline that’s a structurally incoherent but hysterically funny amalgamation of past “Simpsons” episodes and commentary about the video game industry. Brilliant, biting one-liners swarm from every direction, and the twists the writers create — be it a shocking boss character or a sudden transformation into an entirely new gameplay genre — are inspired to a jaw-dropping degree. (Wait until you see who the final two bosses are. Pure gold.)

Gameplay and writing aside, no review of “TSG” would be complete without noting just how insanely cool it is to finally experience a “Simpsons” video game that actually looks like the TV show. The cel shading style EA incorporates occasionally produces some hideous results, particularly during a small handful of cut-scenes that weren’t produced by the show’s animators. For the most part, though, it looks stunning, especially in motion. Being able to walk around the “Simpsons” universe as we know and love it has been a want of fans ever since the first 3D “Simpsons” game appeared, and the novelty of finally being able to do so isn’t something that will wear off any time soon.

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Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground
Reviewed for: Xbox 360 and Playstation 3
Also available for: Playstation 2, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
From: Neversoft/Activision
ESRB Rating: Teen (alcohol reference, tobacco reference, language, violence)

The bright light of scrutiny shines hotter than ever on the “Tony Hawk” line of skateboarding games, which after nine years and nine games is hearing more cries than ever to take a break, retool, and return refreshed.

“Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground” won’t change that. It’s still arcade skating, and you still can pull off ridiculous strings of tricks no real-life skater could dare accomplish. The controls, save for a few new maneuvers, go largely untouched. The overarching storyline — you’re a nobody trying to become a somebody — also will ring familiar to “Hawk” veterans.

Still, the notion that “Ground” is merely last year’s game with new cities (Philadelphia, D.C. and Baltimore) and some new objectives isn’t fair. In fact, some of this year’s additions are among the best the series has seen, even if they’re sometimes too rough around the edges to reach their full potential.

Most notably — and with stark exception to a create-a-character tool that doesn’t let female gamers design a woman skater — “Ground” really lets the creative juices fly. The skate park editor has been integrated into the career mode in the form of a lounge, and you can alter both the architecture and ambience as you progress through your career. If you’re online, you also can invite other gamers into your lounge and host online competitions.

The creativity extends out into the game world. “Ground’s” career mode takes a cool new turn by offering three separate goal tracks, which you can tackle separately or simultaneously. While two of them are entirely about skating prowess, a third — rigger — has you constructing impromptu skate zones in the cities before executing tricks on them. The building tool isn’t as intuitive as it should be, but it’s always available, regardless of whether you’re pursuing the rigger track or simply want to build for fun.

A new video editor rounds out the package. Having to manually begin recording — as opposed to the game doing it automatically — is a bummer, but the tool is impressively robust otherwise.

The new features complement the old ones, and “Ground” once again offers enough content to make it a worthwhile purchase for its most ardent fans. Neversoft’s baby is no longer the critical darling it once was, and it certainly isn’t groundbreaking anymore. But until it stops being fun to play and stops hitting that pick-up-and-play sweet spot, who cares?

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Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
For: Xbox 360
From: Namco Bandai
ESRB Rating: Teen (mild language, violence)

Staying the course has rarely looked as good as it does in “Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation,” which makes the jump to the new generation of hardware in about as no-nonsense a fashion as could be expected.

The big news with “Liberation” is, without a doubt, how good it looks. The “Ace Combat” series has long been the premiere source of aviation eye candy on gaming consoles, and “Liberation” launches that reputation into the stratosphere. The game’s aircraft look stunning on the outside and from within the cockpit, and the environments look incredible at eye level and practically photorealistic from 7,000 feet above. It’s a shame Namco Bandai insists on basing the storyline in a fictional world, because the only thing “Liberation” lacks is that one-of-a-kind wow factor that comes from zipping around a real-life locale.

The other big story, perhaps predictably, is the series debut of online multiplayer. “Liberation” marks the first appearance of “Ace” on the Xbox platform, and that means Namco Bandai is now playing to a crowd that not only expects an online component, but one with plenty of legs.

Happily, the game delivers — perhaps a little too well. “Liberation” supports 16 fighters in the air at a time, and that almost always leads to action more frantic than most “Ace” veterans are used to experiencing. Everyone’s firing missiles at will, you’re continually in someone’s sights, and the balance between simulation and arcade that the single-player missions strike pretty much comes undone on Xbox Live.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun, of course. “Liberation” packs in a ton of different individual and team-based modes, and the mayhem that ensues is terrifically entertaining once you adjust to the tempo. If all else fails, you can always sample the game’s two co-op missions, which are such unexpected and well-executed treats that you might wish the entire single-player campaign supported co-op play in some fashion.

Alas, no such luck. Instead, “Liberation’s” single-player component is more of what gamers have come to love and hate about past “Ace” games: good action, inane story, control support for both simulation and arcade fans, missions that are epically and sloppily designed within the same space, and a sparse checkpoint system that aggravate struggling players to no end. If past “Aces” got your blood pumping, be it for good reasons or bad, “Liberation” should deliver a similar result.

Posted in Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PSP, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

PDF Clip: Games 2007-10-17

Project Gotham Racing 4
For: Xbox 360
From: Bizarre Creations/Microsoft
ESRB Rating: Everyone (mild lyrics)

Every gym class has that one kid who finishes the mile run three minutes after everyone else. If you’d like to know what that kid feels like, a couple hours with “Project Gotham Racing 4″ should do it.

Fundamentally, “PGR4″ falls in line with its predecessors. The racing action blends arcade- and simulation-style elements, and the Kudos points system encourages you to take risks — powerslides, drifts, sharp corners — while also winning the race or completing whatever objective is at hand.

But few games go to such lengths to undermine their core concepts like this one, and the result is a disastrous first impression that will send many scrambling for the eject button before the good times begin.

Eventually, “PGR4’s” licensed cars — and, for the first time, bikes — become fun to drive. But before you can fully utilize those vehicles, you’ll have to endure a couple hours with cars that steer like boats and purr like shopping carts with 2 missing wheels. That might be okay if “PGR4’s” track design was more open, but the roads are almost comically narrow for the most part. Instead of racking up Kudos points, you’ll be bouncing off walls, zigzagging down the road and drifting into unintentional 180s while opposing racers embarrass you.

With patience — and enough Kudos to purchase some respectable wheels — the experience improves exponentially. But even when it hits its stride, “PGR4″ never hums. Every time you assume the bad times are over, a lousy track design awaits with some cold water, and the love/hate relationship continues.

It doesn’t end on the track, either. Beyond the bikes, an improved multimedia editor and a dynamic weather system that makes a pretty game slightly prettier, “PGR4’s” other big news is the reorganization of the career mode.

Again, the changes undercut the concept. “PGR” fans who’ve grown accustomed to repeating events and perfecting their scores will be dismayed by the season-style makeover, which requires you to cycle through the entire calendar before taking another crack at an event. Realistic though that may be, it undermines the pursuit of perfection that made previous “PGR” games so cherished by its fanbase. A new arcade mode replicates this pursuit, but on a much smaller scale.

All told, it’s arguably the best-designed game you’ll ever possibly hate. It’s also, for that reason, impossible to universally recommend in spite of its merits. Rent it, endure the dark period, and see how you feel after that.

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Spider-man: Friend or Foe
Reviewed for: Xbox 360
Also available for: Playstation 2, Nintendo Wii, PSP, Nintendo DS and PC
From: Next Level Games/Activision
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (cartoon violence)

Say this about “Spider-man: Friend or Foe:” It’s the most relaxing Spider-Man game to come along in years.

In many ways, that’s a good thing. “Foe” shares no ties with the increasingly bleak “Spider-Man” movies, and the result is a happier, snappier Spidey who isn’t being voiced by a sleepwalking Tobey Maguire. An awesome premise — Spider-Man must posse up with his most renowned enemies and defeat a common nuisance — gives way to some great odd-couple moments and some pretty funny dialogue, and the game’s colorful, semi-cartoony visual style contributes to the happy-go-lucky tone. After the multifaceted downer that was the “Spider-Man 3″ game, this is a most welcome change of pace.

Problem is, those good vibes seem to trickled down to whomever was in charge of making “Foe” challenging — assuming the job was even handed out in the first place.

“Foe” plays out in the same style as “Marvel Ultimate Alliance.” It’s primarily a brawler, and while Spidey uses his web-shooting abilities in all manner of combat scenarios, he travels almost exclusively on foot.

The high variety of attacks makes for some fun action, but there’s no getting around how ludicrously easy the game is. “Foe” sports a single difficulty setting, and you’ll almost never perish during the game’s six-hour adventure. Even if you do, so what? You respawn in the same exact spot, a modest loss of character upgrade points your only penalty. Boss fights are slightly more consequential, but they’re so easy, you may never even discover what those consequences are.

The laziness trickles down to the rest of the game. “Foe’s” various locales look completely different, but they’re all basically the same levels in different clothing. You’ll move forward, hit a switch, find “hidden” items the developers didn’t even bother to hide, and repeat. Same goes for the enemies: Bosses aside, you’ll face three distinct types ad nauseam. They look different from mission to mission, but they fight almost exactly the same.

This plus a lack of any online co-op (two-player offline only) makes it impossible to argue that “Foe” is anything beyond a quickie holiday cash-in. It’s fun in spite of its flaws, particularly for younger players who might find it more challenging. But it’s not pay-full-price fun, and the rental period should provide more than enough time to see and do everything there is to see and do.

Posted in Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PSP, Playstation 2, Xbox 360