It's not a Toy, it's a Drum Peripheral!

Rock Band
(360, PS3; $169.99 special edition, $59.99 game only; Rated T for Lyrics/Suggestive Themes; rockband.com)



The only reason I'm not playing "Rock Band" right now is because I'm writing this review.

Christmas came early for me the moment I got to open the gigantic box that contained everything I needed to start my own faux-band: Guitar modeled after a Stratocaster (and almost the same size), USB microphone that doubles as a tambourine or cowbell, a four-pad drum set complete with kick drum foot pedal and wooden drumsticks, and 55 songs ranging from The 'Stones to The Strokes. Even better was the fact that after seeing it played for the first time, my wife wanted to sit down at the drums and give it a go- I picked up a guitar and now we're the digital equivalent of The White Stripes- without all of the bizzare relational ambiguity.

Like a Broken Bottle, Mario is Unstoppable

Super Mario Galaxy
(Wii; $49.99; Rated E; nintendo.com)



Just when a title like "Rachet and Clank Future" for the PS3 seems to take the top spot for adventurous and fun platforming, "Mario Galaxy" comes along and turns the entire genre on its side, then top, and then bottom. See, "Mario Galaxy" shoots our hero into space to explore a number of different galaxies in all sorts of gravitational environments. Players will land on small "planetoids" that can be circumvented in any direction- though when Mario runs to the underside of the planet, the camera doesn't necessarily change to keep him right-side up.

'Tomb Raider,' now 100% Silicone-Free

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
(PS3; $59.99; Rated T for Blood/Language/Suggestive Themes/Tobacco/Violence; uncharted-thegame.com)



Speaking of pulp action, following in the footsteps of famous tomb raiders like Indiana Jones and Lara Croft is Nathan Drake, alleged heir to Sir Francis Drake and treasure-hunting protagonist of the PS3's most cinematic and adventuresome game to date, "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune." A lot of people who dismiss this game as being merely "Tomb Raider" without the... ahem... enhancements of Lara Croft, will fail to see "Uncharted" as being much more of an homage to "Indiana Jones" and the adventuring serials that were the inspiration for the famous archeologist. Though mechanically, the game plays similar to "Tomb Raider" with exploration and puzzle solving, it also has the charisma, cinematography, and playfulness that "Tomb Raider" lacks. Add in cover-based firefights similar to "Gears of War," and graphics and cutscenes that put both "Tomb Raider" and "Gears of War" to shame, and you have one heck of a fun diversion from your hum-drum life.

Though the puzzles aren't complex, and the entire game can be played through in a few short sittings, its presentation is top-notch and the adventuring strikes a chord with the 10 year old boy in me who grew up believing that Archeology was actually that cool- "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" is the videogame equivalent of the winter "popcorn film," and should be experienced by everyone looking for that type of entertainment.

Adjutorium Nostrum In Nomine Bioware

Mass Effect
(360; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Language/Partial Nudity/Sexual Themes/Violence; masseffect.bioware.com)



A handful of hours into this title, and I realize I've just barely scratched the surface of this epic sci-fi opera that's better at acting like "Star Wars" than Episodes I and II ever were. "Mass Effect" elevates the action-based role-playing game to levels that no other game has: namely, it allows the RPG purists out there to tweak, refine, and micromanage every step of their character and his party, while still lets the action junkies run-and-gun their way to galactic victory without much need to worry about hit points and damage percentages- it's all done in the background for you.

Although it borrows liberally from franchises like "Star Wars," "Battlestar Galactica," and "Star Trek," "Mass Effect" still manages to define itself as its own intellectual property as it pays homage to the 70's sci-fi pulp fiction it emulates. The character designs are as varied as anything you'd see in the Mos Eisley Cantina, the costuming has a distinct retro-feel, and the music contains hints of John Carpenter-styled synthesizer- all of which makes the galaxy of "Mass Effect" feel like a legitimate addition to popular Science Fiction. The story is tightly woven, the backgrounds on the history of the universe is exhaustive, and the presentation is incredibly cinematic. Notwithstanding the quality and volume of other holiday titles, it could be the only game you play for the next several months.

Straight to Video

Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action!



Microsoft jumps on the party trivia game bandwagon with their "Buzz!" imitator, "Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action!" from the successful DVD-based board game of the same name. Unabashedly ripping off of the "Buzz!" control scheme, "Scene It?" also comes with four of its own Big Button Controllers that allow players to ring in to answer any of more than 1,800 movie-based trivia questions. The Big Button Controllers are also wireless, which is a nice change from the octopus-styled confusion of the "Buzz!" wired controllers.

What is "British Humor," Alex?

Buzz! The Mega Quiz
(PS2; $39.99; Rated E10+ for alcohol and tobacco references/comic mischief/mild language/suggestive themes/mild violence; buzz-games.com)



When you have the family over in the next couple of weeks, rather than breaking out the ol' Monopoly or watching "It's a Wonderful Life" yet again, why not dust off that old PS2 of yours and serve up a game of "Buzz! The Mega Quiz?" Up to eight players can face off to see who has the most useless knowledge in over 5,000 trivia questions spanning history, sports, and entertainment. The gameshow inspired environment of "Buzz!" starts with the wise-cracking, bad-haired host of the game, Buzz and extends to the buzzer controllers that are used to ring in to answer. Oddly enough, though, the buzzer button isn't used as nearly as much as it should be, and the bulk of the games I played focused more on the colored buttons that correspond to the multiple choice answers for questions.

Questions can get down-right ruthless in terms of difficulty, but the difficulty is balanced throughout the game overall. Minor scoring gripes aside- like rounds that can drastically re-distribute points, without any basis of skill- "Buzz!" is a great party game that can keep the whole family yelling at the TV, instead of each other.

One Legend does not a Plural Make,

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

(Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2; $49.99-$99.99; Rated T for Lyrics/Mild Suggestive Themes; guitarhero.com)



The third iteration of the mega-successful rock-fest is out- but this time it’s no longer in the hands of developer Harmonix (who is developing the about-to-be-released “Rock Band”), but in Neversoft’s- the developer of the “Tony Hawk” franchise.

Thankfully, the change in developers has not affected the “Guitar Hero” franchise much at all. Neversoft was very faithful to Harmonix’s original gameplay mechanics and plays “Legends of Rock” very safely- maybe even to a fault.

The Power of Cake Compels You!

The Orange Box
(Xbox 360; $59.99; Rated T-M for Blood/Gore/Intense Violence/Language; half-life2.com)



The single greatest deal in videogames is found nowhere else but in “The Orange Box” from Valve and EA Games. For the regular price of a next-gen game, players get five different titles- each one worthy of justifying it’s own $60 price tag.

Hear that frugal shoppers? You’re getting $300 worth of gaming in a $60 package. That’s one heck of a deal…

If you like first-person shooters.

Don't be Such a Tool

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction


(PS3; $59.99; Rated E10+ for Alcohol Reference/Animated Blood/Crude Humor/Fantasy Violence/Langage; ratchetandclank.com)



It’s weird that in two years of “next gen” gaming, no true platformer has been released for any of the Big Three consoles. Thankfully, that has changed with the release of Sony’s “Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.”

The power of Sony’s PS3 is in full force, churning out a whole lot of eye candy in rapid-fire bursts. It’s not just about what’s happening to the furry Ratchet, or his ever-loving robot sidekick Clank, but how the entire universe they cruise in has a life of its own. Metropolises grow to infinity, streets are littered with citizens, and there’s non-stop action at every turn. If you want to know what it’s like to play a cartoon- this is it.

Nerdtacular!

The Eye of Judgment (PS3; $69.99; Rated T for Fantasy Violence; eyeofjudgment.com)



Sit down and strap in, because it’s about to get a heck of a lot nerdier in here.

For those of you who love customizable card games like “Magic: The Gathering,” but find that playing takes you away from valuable time in front of the TV and your PS3- Sony has your back. With “The Eye of Judgment,” you have two nerdy hobbies combined for ultimate nerdiness effect.

'Halo' I love you, let me jump in your game

In 1999, when Microsoft was looking for a game that could help launch their first Xbox videogame system, they focused their sites on an unknown third-person action title that shared the stage with Steve Jobs during the 1999 MacWorld Conference and Expo.

That game was “Halo.”

In June 2000, shortly after confirming the release of “the Xbox project,” Microsoft bought Bungie Studios, the developer of “Halo,” in order to secure “Halo” as an exclusive launch title for the Xbox.

A few tweaks later- namely, changing the perspective from third-person to first-person and streamlining keyboard-and-mouse controls for a handheld controller- and the rest, as they say, is history.

Buy. Oh Shock!

Take a deep breath.

Yes, times like these can be rough: New classmates. New environments. New experiences. It’s a brave new world out there now, and one very different from one month ago-

After all, “Halo 3” gets released in a week and a half.

So in those twelve days-and-counting, you need to do something with your life. Some would say read a book, some would tell you to take a walk.

I would tell you to play “Bioshock.”

Because a game like “Bioshock” deserves to be played and appreciated for the art form that it elevates video gaming to; it’s a game with depth and story as you’ll see in my review below. A game like that deserves to be savored in order to truly appreciate; and you’ve only got twelve days- you’re already running behind.

Because in twelve days there’s a good chance that all other games will melt away from your conscious for quite some time- and “Bioshock” may melt away with it. Miss a game like “Bioshock” and you’ll miss out big time.

Tic-tock… What are you waiting for? Oh yes, my review:

Bioshocking!

After a lengthy 1.8GB download onto the ol' 360 Hard Drive, I finally booted up the demo of the once-unknown, now highly-anticipated "Bioshock" from 2K games. Though it is a short and sweet demo, meant only to whet the pallet of the curious gamer, I have to say:

Holy Crap!

Not only are the graphics jaw-dropping and the set design something of Hollywood-Gold, but the creepiness that oozes around every corner of this "thinking man's shooter" gave me goosebumps on top of goosebumps. As soon as I walked into the Bathysphere tower and the lights went off- I was creeped out. When the lights came back on, and I was staring at a banner that read "No God, Nor Kings. Only Man." with a gigantic Stalin-esque bust looming over it, I was riveted. The bathysphere ride down to Rapture had me hooked and I wanted to play Bioshock until I red-ringed my 360 for a third time.

It felt like playing Silent Hill for the first time- and next Tuesday can't get here quickly enough. I've already put my order in for the Limited Edition at my local EB. For the Limited Edition you get the soundtrack, a making of DVD, and the Big Daddy action figure? Yea. That's worth an extra ten bucks.

Turn the lights out, pump up the volume, and bring a change of underwear.

The Darkness Review

Xbox 360, PS3;
$59.99;
Rated M for Blood/Gore/Drug References/Intense Violence/Suggestive Themes/Language;
thedarknessisspreading.com



By the end of the day on their twenty-first birthday, most people feel like they’ve been hit by a truck. In Jackie Estacado’s case, the protagonist from “The Darkness” WAS hit by a truck;

Then double-crossed by his mob-connected uncle;

Then blown up.

What do you drink to cure that kind of a hangover?

In Jackie’s case, his near-death is cured by The Darkness- a mysterious power that grants him the power to work his way up the mob-chain exacting some very unique revenge.

The Darkness power manifests itself as two eel-like demons over Jackie’s shoulders. The power of The Darkness is derived from… well… the darkness, so shooting out light sources only keeps Jackie safe and powerful. As Jackie’s power grows, he’ll be able to summon Darklings- little goblins with bad attitudes that can either attack your enemies, dismantle lights to increase your power, or create general chaos to confuse and throw off your enemies.

The presentation and graphics in this title are top-notch. Everything in the main campaign has been developed with care and the Developers have gone through great lengths to remove any HUD or radar in order to give players a greater sense of realism throughout the game. Unfortunately, this also means that getting around without a map is a frustrating effort. Rather than being able to quickly pull up a map of New York to figure out which streets to go down, or what subways to take to get from point A to point B, players have to look at street signs, subway route maps, etc.

Look, I’m all for realism in a video game, but if I have to consult a Thomas Guide and wait for a train before actually proceeding in a game, I might as well just go out and play the game called Real Life. Sure, I don’t have the demonic powers created by The Darkness, but I’m also not being hunted down by the mafia- so it’s pretty much a wash.

All in all thought, the story, voice acting, animations, and cutscenes are top-notch. Sure Jackie’s long black hair and leather trench coat screams character design from the mid-90s, but “The Darkness” is based off of the comic of the same name published during that time. Fans of the comic will appreciate the homage paid to it, all other action junkies will just enjoy making things go boom.

Transformers: The Game Review

$49.99-$59.99;
Wii, 360, PS3;
Rated T for violence;
transformersgame.com



Did you see what I did there with the title? The Transformers: The Game is reviewed, but it looks like a very dramatic post by calling it "Transformers: The Game Review." It's more dynamic and feels like a further leg of marketing for an already overly-marketed franchise.

But I digress...

Now this is what you call synergy- a game that matches the bravado, scope, and and feel of its theatrical counterpart.

And succeeds at being as dull, uninspired, and aimed at the lowest-common denominator as its Box-office Big Brother. I know Transformers, I played with Transformers, and that, Mr. Bay, was no Transformers movie.

Nor is "Transformers: The Game" any type of Transformers game.

I submit to you the first piece of evidence that proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the developers' hearts were not into making this game: the button that enables your robot to turn into its vehicle disguise is called...

The "convert" button.

The "CONVERT" button?!

The game is called "Transformers"! It has the operative verb "transform" in the title! It's a game that's whole purpose is to tell the story about robots that transform into vehicles. And yet, we have a "CONVERT" button?

"Transformers: The Game" suffers severely from an identity crisis. It wants to be a racing and an action title all at once, but doesn't succeed in either genre. Its vehicle controls are off-balanced, making driving a chore and unresponsive- not to mention far from intuitive, the gas and break are not assigned to the left and right triggers like every racing game ever made in the history of consoles with left and right triggers.

As a robot, players won't fare much better. Primary and secondary weapons have little effect on any enemy robots except for the most basic of cannon fodder. Any slightly harder enemies will have shields in place making hand-to-hand combat the only solution to defeating them. However, because the melee attacks are assigned to the same button- players will just mash down repeatedly until the foe explodes into a flurry of cogs and gears.

And pretty much that's the game. Drive here, beat up this guy, drive there, beat up that guy. All the while unlocking extra features in the games like videos or the ability to play in the original G1 Transformer skins. Though the graphics are pretty- especially the transforma- excuse me- the conversions, there's not enough substance in the game to warrant purchasing unless your a die-hard Transformers geek. Even then, your money is better spent on the far-superior "Transformers: Armada" released several years ago for the PlayStation 2.

This title only makes me pine for how cool a next-generation "Transformers" game could be given the right amount of time, direction, and development. If only this wasn't a movie tie-in game, perhaps this could have been a fantastic experience; because really: how hard is it to rally behind a game based on giant transforming robots from outer-space?

Oh well, here's to the games we dream about playing.

PS3 decides to go 'Home'

During today's session of the 2007 GDC (that's Game Developer's Conference, for those of you not in the know), Sony announced its implementation of a 3-D virtual world coming to the PS3.

"Home," as it's being called, takes the core elements of "Second Life" and integrates them into the second-rate Sony Online service. "Home" will allow PS3 owners to create their own virtual avatar and exist in a virtual world, where each user will get a virtual apartment, to virtually entertain other virtual friends while virtually denying you any life at all. Virtually. Check out the video after the break.

Inside apartments, users will be able to showcase trophies earned by playing games (ala, Xbox Live's Achievements), host photo slideshows, screen home movies or other media downloaded to the PS3. So those of you who never got to have that raging kegger at your house, can now do so from the comforts of your own living room- and cleaning up puke is as simple as flipping an off-switch.



Apparently, users will be able to meet up in "Home" and then get into an actual game to play together. For those of us without an apparent excess of time, the implementation of "Home" seems like one more obstacle that needs to be hurdled before actually playing a game with other people over the internet. Add to the fact that while "Home" is allegedly free, a cyber-world of this magnitude has got to be pretty frickin' expensive to maintain, so expect an onslaught of advertising and branding in this Utopia.

Sony hopes to loosen the grip that Microsoft has on online gaming. Xbox Live is a fantastic service that just keeps getting better and more streamlined. Get in, get your game on, get out. Isn't "Home" the antithesis of "Live?" Is a console crowd really interested in something that's been a PC niche?

Sure the idea of a user-created world might have some initial interest to a guy like me; but I'm a person with a life that doesn't need "Second Life," "The Sims," or any other reality simulator in order to experience reality- I go outside. I play games to escape reality- not to re-live it. So plugging into a cyber-world in order to sit on a virtual couch before I play games just seems a little redundant after the initial "gee that's neat" effect wears off.

So say we all?

powered by performancing firefox

Crackdown Review

Originally Published in The Davis Enterprise

(Xbox 360; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Gore/Intense Violence/Sexual Themes/Language/Use of Drugs; crackdownoncrime.com)

½

I love to stand corrected.

When I first saw "Crackdown,"
Microsoft's answer to "Grand Theft Auto" designed by the guy who
designed "Grand Theft Auto," I thought: wow, another "Grand Theft Auto
rip-off." The cel-shaded look wasn't impressive, the explosions didn't
excite me, and the shoot-anyone/do-anything style of play is so
recycled that I was planning on hating it as much as I hated "Saint's Row."

Then it was announced that the initial shipment of
"Crackdown" would include access to the "Halo 3" multiplayer beta. A
Golden Ticket of this magnitude gave birth to many jokes centered
around "Buy Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta, get free copy of Crackdown."
Naturally, Microsoft was including the "Halo 3" beta as genius
marketing tactic to move a game which they knew to be sub-par.

Then "Crackdown" was released. And Brother: I have never been so happy to be so wrong.

The
first thing that "Crackdown" does right is by taking the "GTA" formula
away from the criminals. Players control a genetically-modified police
officer employed by "The Agency"- a world-police force- to clean up the gang-filled streets of Pacific City. Each
island in Pacific City is controlled by one of three gangs: Los
Muertos, The Volk, or the Shai-Gen Corporation. Attacking the
crime-bosses of each gang lower the resources and defenses of the
gang's Kingpinr- increasing Agent's probability of success. Players
can go after the Kingpin from the onset, but will be met with
near-impossible odds. Likewise, players can take on any gang at any
time, however the skills needed to take out more powerful gangs, like
Shai-Gen, are earned through eliminating weaker gangs like Los Muertos.

There's
still the ability to take out innocent civilians, and the Agency police
force that fights along side of Agents will turn on players who cause
too much collateral damage. Though ultimate morality is still at the
discretion of players, the fact that the game centers on good vs. evil
is a welcome change from the amoral protagonists we've come to expect
in the Sandbox-Action-Crime genre from games like "GTA," "Saint's Row,"
and "The Godfather."

Players can level-up their agents in
Firearm, Explosive, Driving, Strength, and Agility Skills. Whenever an
Agent kills a gang-member, Agents will absorb glowing orbs based on the
skills used to kill that gang-member; those orbs incrementally increase
the Agent's skill in that area. So, if players lob a grenade into a
group of gangsters, run over gangsters with an SUV, or smash a car over
gangster's heads: skills in Explosives, Driving, Strength, or any
combination therein, will be earned. Increased skills lead to bigger
blast radius, better vehicle handling, quicker aiming, etc.

The greatest skill, and the one that puts the "Crack" in "Crackdown," is Agility- and it's the most fun aspect of the game.

Agility
is earned by climbing to the tops of the hundreds of buildings and
skyscrapers in Pacific City to find glowing, green Agility Orbs. More
orbs mean the ability to leap further distances and survive falls from
taller heights. It also means that hours can be spent bounding around
the city like a radioactive kangaroo- leaping from rooftop to rooftop,
and feeling like the superhero that the designers of "Crackdown" hoped
players would feel. Increasing Agility skills provide a lengthy and
addictive diversion from an otherwise short game. There's no narrative
here, and the ability to take out gangs is a weekend affair for even
the most casual gamer; but unlocking the Achievement for finding all
500 Agility orbs and 300 Secret orbs makes for hours of diversion while
taking out gangs and Kingpins.

And when busting heads becomes
too lonely for the solo adventurist, "Crackdown" allows for a friend to
mix it up with you via online co-op. Be Tango and Cash cleaning up the
streets together, or just spend hours trying to blow each other up or
racing against each other. The co-op action, unfortunately, happens
only over Xbox Live, and not when playing with "real" friends sitting
next to you. Still, co-op is a great addition, and is an option that's
quickly becoming a necessity on Xbox 360- given how well it works in
"Gears of War" and now "Crackdown."

Oh yea, and at some point we'll be able to play "Halo 3" with this thing. Talk about a cherry on top of a $5 milkshake!

This is a great... ahem... springboard to an inevitable franchise. Add rooftop-leaping, rocket-firing supervillians into a future sequel and additional super powers and you can color me a Crack-addict for many years to come.

Bungie introduces "A-Hole Button" in Halo 3

In Bungie's weekly blog-update developers discuss the joys of anonymous online multiplayer and the painful aural experience that accompanies it. Potentially as important as the yet-to-be-revealed function of the X-button, Bungie addresses the implementation of the "A-Hole Button" in ways that make it virtually impossible for a game journalist to write a better story than what's already been presented:

"Anyone who’s played MP on Xbox Live knows the following is true: Teenagers, plus anonymity, plus microphone = idiot. Xbox Live already gives you powerful tools to mute, well, tools on a case by case basis. The “A-Hole Button” in Halo 3 lets you exact instant, silent vengeance. These kind of vocal buttmunches, as it turns out, are exactly as fun to play against as normal people, as long as you can’t hear them. So now, you simply press a button (back button, for the moment anyway) and up comes the score list with everyone’s tag on it. The right stick lets you highlight the miscreant and you can then instantly mute them for the rest of the game. These morons continue smacktalking anyway because they can’t help themselves, but if you don’t have to listen to it, you can simply enjoy killing them over and over again, knowing that as their Ritalin wears off and their frustration builds, it’s less and less fun for them. Aaaah. So satisfying."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Halo 3's beta multiplayer begins soon- pick up your copy of "Crackdown" to guarantee your spot.

Tony Hawk's Project 8 vs. Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam

Tony Hawk’s Project 8 (X360, PS3, Xbox, PS2; $59.99 (X360/PS3), $39.99 (Xbox/PS2); Rated T for Alcohol Reference/Blood/Crude Humor/Language/Mild Violence; thp8.com)

Yes. I know I rated the “Tony Hawk” franchise as being one of the most needing to be retired.

And no. I don’t mind eating crow from time to time. Actually, I’ve developed a taste for it over the years.

Kudos to Neversoft who are able to take the 8^th game in as many years and still turn out something that’s enjoyable for fans, accessible to newcomers, and (thankfully) reinvented itself after two attempts with the “Tony Hawk Underground” departure.

This is still the same type of Tony you’ve come to know and love over the past 8 years. The tricks are still physics defying, the environments rich with parody, and the bails still spine-splitting.

Though the detailed skater customization from “THUG” is gone, and the “Create-A-Park/Create-A-Trick” options have also been removed. Curiously, the online multiplayer for the PS3 and PS2 versions is gone (a staple for the system), but added for the first time on Xbox 360. In a neat gimmick, however, players can use the PS3’s SIXAXIS controller to balance their skaters by tilting the controller left or right.

New this year is a seamless world with which to get your grind on. In the 360/PS3 versions, there are no loading screens besides the first load into the game. After that, the entire game can be shredded, with particular areas being unlocked after the player gains enough of a reputation or completes certain goals. The lesser-gen versions of the Xbox and PS2 still need each environment to load separately.

The other stand-out feature for “P8” is the “Nail the Trick” mode. At any point in the air, the player can click in on the thumbsticks, entering the mode. Time slows and the camera zooms to the players feet and board. The thumbsticks control the movements of each foot (left thumbstick/left foot), and allows the player to kickflip or spin the board in whichever direction the foot-action would in reality. This minigame takes a great amount of timing and patience, as physics still dictate that you fall to the ground- so if you don’t finish your sick combo in time, you’ll eat pavement.

Eight years has served the series well as game types from the history of the franchise can be seen. In certain areas, you’ll still get the “Classic” complete goals within two-minutes gameplay, while still keeping the same “skate anywhere, go anywhere” exploring of more recent titles. This makes for a whole lot of challenges to complete, and always plenty of side distractions- like my favorite where players are awarded for taking the biggest spills- the more bones broken, the better!

Though Tony may be a little long in the tooth, his first appearance on the new-gen systems is a good one. For those away from the series, now’s as good a time as ever to return.

But beware…

Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam (Wii; $49.99; Rated E10+ for Comic Mischief/Mild Language/Mild Violence; downhill-jam.com)

The Birdman’s entry to Nintendo’s new console leaves much to be desired when comparing it to its 360/PS3 cousin. A far cry from anything that can be considered “Next Gen,” “Downhill Jam” takes a feature not seen since early “Tony Hawk Pro Skater” titles- the Downhill Race- and adds the Wii-motion controls.

Simply a racing game, “Downhill Jam” has none of the goal-based challenges of other “Hawk” games and is a far cry from the progress made by Neversoft in the past eight years. Maybe that’s because Neversoft didn’t develop this game. Maybe Neversoft had the good sense to stay away.

A bare-bones character creator allows players to make a custom skater, or pick from eleven pre-made caricatures. From there, players are only given the option to participate in downhill racing with slight variations for getting to the bottom quickest. There are no side-diversions, once you hit the end of the run you’re done and time to move on.

I suppose the quickness of each round can be seen as a plus if you’re pressed for time and need to get a quick game in. But if you’re so hardcore that you need to squeeze game-time into small minute-sized sessions, you probably shouldn’t be playing “Downhill Jam” to begin with.

Movement of the Wii remote controls your skater, with trick buttons being stripped down to the “1” and “2” buttons. Grinding requires players to rock the controller back and forth for balance, and bails require shaking the controller vigorously in order to get up and start skating again.

Shaking also is required to trigger a speed boost, but carving into the asphalt for just the right amount of time can also trigger boosts. The problem is that most courses are too narrow to effectively slalom down and maintain any real speed. The awkwardness of the controller likely means that you’ll slam head-first into a wall before really picking up any speed.

The Wii’s controller has serious limitations which can’t be overcome without the nunchuck attachment- effectively turning it into a semi-traditional controller. Alone, games like “Downhill Jam” illustrate how limiting the Wii remote actually is.

Skate right by this one.

Singstar Rocks!

(PS2; $49.99; Rated E10+ for Lyrics/Suggestive Themes/Tobacco Reference; us.playstation.com)

Finally, after years of enjoying success in Europe, Sony brings its karaoke party game over to the Colonies to butt heads with reigning champ “Karaoke Revolution.”

Despite the fact that “Singstar Rocks” comes with two microphones, 30 licensed songs and videos from the original artist, and the ability to record your voice for playback purposes, what “Singstar” lacks is any fun sense of competition.

Let’s face it: no one plays karaoke alone. In fact, solo-karaoke is so taboo that I’ve heard it’s been outlawed in most states. Karaoke is a communal activity, and as such, should have an element of competition with it. “Singstar” implements a team-based competition, which puts players to battle by singing against each other. The biggest problem is that “Singstar” forces members from each team to sing the same song at the same time. So rather than being able to sit back and listen (heckle) someone while singing, team members have to be quiet so as not to screw up their member that’s singing. Also, if one singer is naturally louder than the other, the softer singer can’t hear him/herself or the music, quickly crashing the attempted fun of this game.

“Karaoke Revolution,” on the other hand, allows people to sing their own songs, through a certain number of rounds, and totals up the points at the ends of the rounds, declaring a winner. It’s a sing-off, and it’s a whole lot more fun.

Pick your opponents’ songs, add some beers, and that’s a fun night of karaoke.

“Singstar,” unforgivably, doesn’t allow for anything like that- if two people play, they’re singing the same song- always.

Here’s to hoping that the PS3 version of “Singstar” will be substantially different and take a lesson or two from the far-superior “Karaoke Revolution.” It promises to have downloadable karaoke songs via an iTunes-like service, which will only be great if the game mechanics are substantially changed. I’m not holding my breath.

“Singstar Rocks” would score a lot lower if it weren’t for the original videos that play during each song and the legitimately great selection of music. Skip it and pick up the newly released “Karaoke Revolution: American Idol.”

Viva Piñata: Review

(X360; $49.99; Rated E; vivapinata.com)

The Xbox 360 is home to the hardcore - a place where blood, guts, bullets, and testosterone is more common than Starbucks on a street corner. So how does Microsoft shape the “adult” system for family use?

Crank out a psychedelic gardening simulator and while producing its Saturday morning cartoon tie-in.

¡Muy Bueno Microsoft!

“Viva Piñata” substitutes the automatic rifles and rocket launchers for shovels and watering cans, as you lay claim to a little parcel on Piñata Island- a magical land where animals made from colorful paper and sweet candy roam, mate, and hopefully call your little garden “home.”

The object of the never-ending game is to cultivate your land to attract the various piñata animals to your garden, get them to stay, reproduce, and raise enough money to expand your garden.

And this is where “Piñata’s” deceptively simple “child’s game” becomes a time-absorbing challenge for all of the burgeoning economists, zoologists, agriculturalists, and entrepreneurs in the audience.

Sure the simplicity of the controls and the bright colors are enough to keep a younger audience entertained for hours, but the resource management aspect of the game is as intricate as any “SimCity” game you’ve played. Raising certain crops will attract certain types of species during certain hours of the day. Once the animal is attracted to your garden, certain requirements are needed to cause the animal to become a resident. Sometimes, it’s a matter of having enough water and fruit to eat; for larger animals, however, it means having a particular species in your garden to feast on.

So if you want to keep the fox-like Pretztails around, you’ll have to make sure to have enough squirrel-like Squazzils for them to nibble on, but attracting the Squazziles requires having hazlenut trees, getting the Squazzils to romance and reproduce means having blackberry bushes for them to eat; but my blackberry bush just died of dehydration, because I was busy attending the to medical needs of my Fudgehog and stopping a fight between the warring Raisants and Buzzlegums, and… dang it! Where did the evil, piñata-infecting Sours come from, and how come my Cinnamonkeys won’t mate!?

Yep, it’s a little like that sometimes.

Thankfully fences, trees, and buildings can be purchased to wrangle the eventual zoo you’ll be running. Currency is earned by selling crops or piñatas- which bring up interesting situations like being able to breed animals for profit, or breeding animals for food to keep other, rarer piñatas happy.

There are multiple levels of complexity that can be enjoyed by players of all ages, but “Viva Piñata’s” real charm is that the game begins and ends with adorable-looking piñata animals that, like Pokemon, makes you want to “catch ‘em all.” Pick it up to play with the kids.

Or as satisfying reprieve from gun battles.