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![TMCNet: 'DJ Hero,' new 'Grand Theft Auto' and 'Ratchet' releases head monster game lineup [The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson]](http://images.tmcnet.com/siteart/invisible.gif)
'DJ Hero,' new 'Grand Theft Auto' and 'Ratchet' releases head monster game lineup [The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson]
(Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 11--"Buzz! Quiz World"
(PS3, $40-$60, Teen)
A voluminous expansion to last year's spectacular online/offline quiz show game "Buzz! Quiz TV," the new game packs more than 5,000 questions and more online modes.
The host now talks to you directly -- which is creepy at first but you get used to it -- and the games are more customizable in terms of length and competition formats.
There's little reason to keep the old "Buzz!" around if you get this one, since you've probably memorized most of the questions, but if you don't own the older game you'll have to shell out $60 to buy the version of the game that's bundled with the buzzer controllers.
"DJ Hero"
(360, PS3, Wii, $120, Teen)
Just when it seemed the music game genre was tapped out, along comes "DJ Hero" to pump it full of new life.
Packed with a surprisingly unintimidating turntable controller, the expensive game gets you into the flow by having you spin, scratch and crossfade your way through mash-ups of rock, techno and hip-hop tracks.
Although there's a steep learning curve, the tutorial helps ease you master the basics and hold your own even if you've got no mixmaster acumen. It was a masterstroke in game design to ditch the "fail modes" of the "Guitar Hero" franchise. Even on the hardest difficulty, you'll still get to finish the song even if you get all the moves wrong. This makes the game's new playstyle more accessible.
A $200 version of the game also includes a carrying case, stand and CD. A lesser version of the game is available on PS2.
"Dragon Age: Origins"
(360, PS3, $60, Mature)
The incredibly deep swords-and-sorcery role-playing game maintains the sky-high standards set by developer BioWare, the masterpiece factory responsible for "Mass Effect," "Jade Empire" and "Knights of the Old Republic."
A sweeping epic on the scale of "The Lord of the Rings," "Dragon Age" tasks you to create a character from one of several races and classes, designing the look and personality of the hero. As you play, confronting magical beasts, large-scale battles, romance and conspiratorial intrigue, you make choices with your dialogue and actions that determine the course of the story.
It's easy to get lost in the game for hours, always second-guessing your choices and calculating how you'll try things the next time around.
The developers cleverly embedded unlockable content in new copies of the game, encouraging players to buy the disc rather than rent it for some added benefits. But they not-so-cleverly gave your character severely limited storage and put out a download that gives you a larger capacity. The move has already backfired, stoking fan angst, and detracts from what is otherwise a landmark effort.
"Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City"
(360, $40, Mature)
A compilation of the two downloadable add-ons for the sprawling underworld opus "Grand Theft Auto IV," "Episodes" introduces the new "The Ballad of Gay Tony," in which you play as a business partner and bodyguard for the title character, a nightclub mogul who's grasping to keep his empire together. The mission set is diverse, funny and action-packed and works as a fitting conclusion to the saga.
The other episode in the collection, the phenomenal "The Lost and Damned," is centered around a motorcycle gang that aims to rule the streets of New York facsimile Liberty City.
If you've already downloaded the first episode the game disc doesn't hold much value, although it's nice that you don't need the original "Grand Theft Auto IV" to play the games on the disc.
"Hasbro Family Game Night 2"
(Wii, DS, $40, Everyone)
The weak minigame collection follows an impressive slew of board games to come to Xbox Live with a thud.
Included is another horrid rendition of the block-balancing game "Jenga" and the lame, unknown "Bop-It" and "Pictureka!" The only redeeming factor is the presence of the archaic surgery simulator "Operation," if only for nostalgic purposes, but the game itself gets old after a few minutes.
Like so many other sequels and remakes that are released on the Wii, "Family Game Night 2" is an afterthought and isn't worth your time.
"Lego Rock Band"
(360, PS3, Wii, $50, Everyone 10+)
Legos and "Rock Band" go together like peanut butter and gravy, but a strong set list, including a wide range of mostly pop music spanning several decades (ranging from Jackson 5, to Europe to Good Charlotte), helps the bizarre creation carve out a spot in a music devotee's game library. Realistically, though, you're probably better off buying the game only to export the songs to the hard drive for play in "Rock Band" or "Rock Band 2."
As you strum your way through the career, you collect currency you can trade in for costumes, characters and stage alterations. As I played the game I was annoyed with the Lego presence and wished I was playing the songs in a regular "Rock Band" game, but my 2-year-old enjoyed the graphics.
Also available on DS.
"Nerf N-Strike Elite"
(Wii, $60, Everyone 10+)
An on-rails shooter that harkens back to the arcade days, this kid-aimed, Nerf-themed game has much to offer the younger set but understandably does little to appeal to adults.
The story is about kids raiding a fortress and shooting down squads of angry robots. The gameplay is well designed the graphics are smooth and there's little difficulty to speak of, so it's a nice intro-to-shooters package for kids.
But is the game as fun as running around with real Nerf guns shooting at friends? Not even close.
"Rabbids Go Home"
(Wii, $50, Everyone 10+)
A new evolution for the well-made "Rayman Raving Rabbids" minigame collection series, "Rabbids Go Home" is a comedic narrative. You help little rascally rabbit creatures attempting to pile up enough garbage to build a bridge to the moon.
Much of the game includes racing around in a shopping cart, dodging obstacles and collecting items. The gameplay itself tends to drag but it's worth pushing through the slow, repetitive moments for more of the zany story.
"Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time"
(360, PS3, $60, Everyone 10+)
Sony's beloved platformer series delivers another ace, featuring its furry, cat-like hero and his robotic sidekick.
"A Crack in Time," which separates Ratchet and Clank for much of the game, embraces a time-altering mechanic that produces elaborate puzzles. Sometimes you'll need to rewind or slow down time to accomplish otherwise impossible tasks. Otherwise it's your basic item collection, shooting and jumping action, rendered in gorgeous graphics that rival a Pixar film.
"Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron"
(PSP, $30, Teen)
The massive ground-level combat of the "Star Wars Battlefront" series is wearing thin, but at least the mechanics and controls are sound in the latest entry, which is smooth enough to erase memories of the choppy earlier PSP offering.
Fighting through overwhelming battle missions inhabiting the "Star Wars" mythos, you start at spawn points that let you adjust your soldier class and weapons loadout, deciding how exactly to take on each challenge.
One thing the "Battlefront" games capture better than other "Star Wars" series is the feeling of being a small cog in a greater conflict rather than an all-conquering hero. Solid multiplayer and a smooth framerate round out the package, making "Elite Squadron" a solid game that doesn't necessarily warrant a follow-up.
Also available on DS.
"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed -- Ultimate Sith Edition"
(360, PS3, $40, Teen)
An optimized version of the engaging, though repetitive 2008 action game, which put you in the role of Darth Vader's secret apprentice, adds the overpriced downloadable chapters to the game as well as new content, all for a discounted price.
The extras are separated onto a second disc. One of the missions lets you clash light sabers with Luke Skywalker. If you've already trucked your way through the saga it's doubtful that you'll find the extra stuff worth $40 more, but if you've yet to play the game, this is the way to get the full experience.
This "Ultimate Sith Edition" is best suited as a gift for the hardcore "Star Wars" fan who's looking for a little more than the original "The Force Unleashed" provided.
"Tales of Monkey Island Episode 3: Lair of the Leviathan"
(Wii, Everyone 10+, $10)
The "Monkey Island" adventure game reboot, first released on computers, continues to thrive as a Wii download.
Affable pirate Guybrush Threepwood continues to joke his way through a number of swordfights and treasure searches as he gets swallowed up inside a humongous manatee and tries to maneuver his way out.
You use the Wii remote to point and click your way through each scene, looking for the trigger that unlocks the puzzle and gets the action humming. If you haven't played the other two games in the series you might not catch many of the running gags.
"Touchmaster 3"
(DS, $30, Everyone)
A robust, 20 game strong minigame collection with card, word, action and strategy games, complete with offline multiplayer and loads of unlockable awards, "Touchmaster 3" keeps the series humming along with no end in sight.
Online tournaments from the original "Touchmaster" are missing, but probably due to indifference from players. People just like passing the time in doctor's offices and such with minigame collections like this, so it's tough to fault a developer for removing an unused feature.
"Tekken 6"
(360, PS3, $60, Teen)
Although "Street Fighter IV" is still the king in a banner year for fighting games, "Tekken 6" -- jammed with inventive characters, elaborate customization options and glimmering online play -- is a formidable contender.
Thanks to superbly balanced characters with easy-to-pull-off super-moves, button mashers have a fighting chance against well-honed vets online. Some may see the level playing field as a drawback, but it was encouraging to be able to log on and reel off a couple wins without having to pull my hair out in frustration. "Tekken 6," which boasts a bizarre brawler side-game in addition to the usual arcade and story modes, emphasizes ease of use and fun over rote memorization.
"Undead Knights"
(PSP, $40, Mature)
A medieval hack-and-slash brawler lets you button-bash your way through zombie armies on a quest for vengeance.
The graphics are gorgeous and the game moves at a slick pace, but there's the nagging feeling that your skills don't have all that much to do with your success or failure, which seems to be governed more by chance.
Those who are into the relentless sword-swinging of "Ninety-Nine Nights" or "Dynasty Warriors" will find much to keep them busy here, but anyone looking for a game with depth and strategic elements should run the other way screaming.
"Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures"
(360, $10 each, Everyone)
Three episodes of the whimsical British tale of an inventor and his wily dog, adapted from the claymation series, come to Xbox Live as downloads.
Episodes available include "The Last Resort," in which Wallace and Gromit investigate an attack on a customer, "Muzzled," in which Gromit tries to bring down a con artist passing himself as a pet-friendly philanthropist, and "The Bogey Man," in which Wallace is accidentally engaged to a woman and tries to get out of it.
The humor level is as strong as you'll find in an average episode but many of the point-and-click puzzles are tough to decipher for adults, let alone children. But the games are nice challenges for parents and kids, with the help of online walk-throughs, to take on together.
To see more of The Arizona Daily Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.azstarnet.com.
Copyright (c) 2009, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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