My word, look at all the pretty games! Dan here with your handy weekly buying guide, and there is certainly something for every gamer this time around, from stealth action, to golf, to The Sims, to weird DS adventures. My fingers hurt just thinking about the typing they need to do, so let's dispense with the chit-chat and get down to bidness.
Xbox 360
10/19 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent - New Splinter Cell game. On the 360. Anything left to say? Fans of Tom Clancy's gadget-lovin' Sam Fisher's adventures on the previous console will find more of the same signature stealth-based (but not too stealthy!) globe-spanning action, same voice actors, and a similar plot filled with similar intrigue. The designers are hoping to stir things up a little, however, starting the player undercover as a prisoner, with no fancy weapons or gadgets at your disposal. There's a bit of a light side/dark side mechanic built in too, as the player gets to decide how deep he wants to get involved in the goings-on of the enemy... get in too far and the CIA will have a hard time taking you back. The popular spies vs. mercs multiplayer mode has returned as well, which Ubisoft has promised has been retooled to allow novices to jump in easily.
10/18 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - A week late to the Tiger Woods party, the 360 version is nevertheless the prettiest, and thanks to the beefy graphics abilities of the 360, the best, with enhanced graphics and a new technology that recreates facial animations. Unlike last year's generally poorly-rated version, the number of courses in the game has been ramped up, with 12 available from the start. There's a new career mode and a few controls that have been tinkered with (the so-called "True Aiming" system hooks up aiming to the golfers skil level, for instance).
PSP
10/18 Family Guy - The funniest show on tv gets a video game this week, and I really, really hope it doesn't suck. Developed by High Voltage Software, it's your basic 3D adventure, with cel shaded graphics that attempts to mimic the look of the show. You'll play as three familar characters, guiding them through your typical 3D adventure gameplay -- Brian's levels emphasis stealth, Peter's action, etc. Overall, doesn't sound too original, but hopefully the Family Guy's signature humor, developed with help from the show's creators, will help.
10/18 WTF: Work Time Fun - Essentially the PSP's answer to Nintendo's widely popular Wario Ware series, it's hard to say whether this collection of wacky mini-games indicates the PSP is scrambling to offer the same sort of gameplay as the DS, or is just a thinly-veiled homage. Either way, there are 40 minigames included in this title, each of which gets progressively harder and faster.
10/18 Cabela's African Safari - Released last month for the 360, now you can take your endangered-species-huntin' adventure on the road.
10/18 Ford Bold Moves Street Racing - El cheapo racing game developed by Razorworks, known for the past several incarnations of Ford Racing games. This latest version offers the 2007 GT500 in drivable (and crashable) form.
DS
10/17 Nintendogs: Dalmation & Friends - It's been awhile since the original Nintendogs, but you probably don't need me to explain that it was a game where you "adopted" a virtual dog, fed it virtual food, and shoveled virtual poop. I could get why it was a hit in Japan (I mean, people there live in 10 square foot houses) but here? Beats me. Anyway, Nintendo feeds the virtual dog addiction this week with this, which focuses on the Dalmatian.
10/18 Justice League Heroes - Released on several systems this week, the DS version of the game based on the show based on various DC comic book properties is actually an action RPG, with a plot that takes place prior to the events in the console versions.
10/18 Strawberry Shortcake: Strawberryland Games - The mighty Strawberry Shortcake franchise squeezes out another title (the last one released less than a month ago), this one offers 3 sports-like "events", "Berry Boarding, Balloon Rise, and Black Liquorice Leap".
10/18 Disney's American Dragon: Jake Long, Attack of the Dark Dragon - Let me parse that title for ya: Apparently, "American Dragon: Jake Long" is a Disney Channel show for kids, and "Attack of the Dark Dragon" is this title, a 3D side-scrolling platformer with minigames.
10/19 Contact - The look of this game will immediately capture the attention of anyone who's been around videogames for any length of time: part of it looks, well, exactly like Earthbound, the ground breaking 1995 NES RPG with a quirky sense of humor and involving storyline. Like EB, Contact is an RPG with a involving storyline and quirky sense of humor. You control two characters in the game that live in completely separate worlds: one on the top screen, and one on the bottom, each with a distinct art style. While you're controlling one, you get to watch the other one walk around on the top screen. Thrown into the mix is a cooking system that lets you create items, fishing, and a reportedly Animal Crossing-like WiFi mode that lets you visit other players games. If you need further convincing this is a quirky one to watch, know this: it was developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, the studio that made the wacky Killer 7.
10/19 SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab - Last seen on the PSP in "The Yellow Avenger", THQ's generally poor-rated series of games continues, this time on the DS, with 5 "all new" gameplay mechanics that will have Bob flying and skydiving.
Xbox
10/17 Family Guy - See the PSP description
10/18 Destroy All Humans 2 - The follow up to the under-appreciated 2005 Xbox title, the sequel follows the same formula as the original open-world title -- you take on various wacky missions that involve you, as the aliens, abducting humans, torching crops, and using mind control to make unassuming farmers do your bidding. There's a few new weapons to go along with the originals as well as an increased sense of scope: the game now takes place in different countries, including Russia and Japan.
10/18 Justice League Heroes - The PS2 and Xbox versions of this week's superhero game is a traditional action brawler in the vein of another superhero based action brawler, X-Men Legends. This one has 7 DC characters to play and super-moves to master. Developed by Snowblind Studios ("Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance").
PS2
10/17 Bully - See game of the week, below
10/17 SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab - See the DS description.
10/17 Family Guy - See the PSP description.
10/18 Justice League Heroes - See the Xbox description.
10/18 Destroy All Humans 2 - See the Xbox description.
10/18 Eureka Seven - Vol 1: The New Wave - Big mechs on surf boards is but one feature of this action game, based on the latest Japanese import anime currently in rotation on the Cartoon Network. Gameplay appears to combine the aforementioned surfing with your basic mech staples -- shooting, hitting, and stuff asploding.
10/18 Cabela's African Safari - See the PSP description.
10/18 The Sims 2: Pets - Essentially the same Sims game the consoles have seen for awhile now with an expansion pack tacked on, the emphasis here is, obviously buying, mating, and raising pets. There's 40 breeds of cats and dogs stuffed in, and all can be customized, from adjusting intelligence and personality levels to deciding what kind of bow your poodle should have.
GC
10/17 SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab - See the DS description.
10/18 The Sims 2: Pets - See the PS2 description.
PC
10/16 Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu - The rabid Nancy Drew fanbase is crying out for more point-and-click adventures after July's previous Drew game and once again, "Her Interactive" is delivering, this time with a Hawaiian setting. Also of note, Joe and Frank Hardy make an appearance, those gay brothers from the Hardy Boys books!
10/16 Sid Meier's Railroads! - The mighty Sid Meier returns to revitalize the train sim genre he himself helped create way back in 1990 with Railroad Tycoon. Essentially sharing the same mechanic -- you start off with money, and are tasked with building your railroad empire: buying land, trains, and laying track. Time progresses throughout the game, and like in the Civ series, new technologies and locomotive upgrades eventually become available. With 40 trains and internet play, this description is obviously only scratching the surface of the detail always present in a Meier game.
10/16 Sid Meier's Civilization Chronicles - And speaking of the detail always present in a Sid game, this new collection of 9 Civilization games will have a Civ buff busy for weeks, all upgraded to run seamlessly in Windows. The full list: "Sid Meier's Civilization I, Sid Meier's Civilization II, Civilization II: Fantastic Worlds, Civilization II: Conflicts in Civilization, Civilization II: Test of Time, Sid Meier's Civilization III, Sid Meier's Civilization III: Play the World, Sid Meier's Civilization III: Conquests and Sid Meier's Civilization IV". That's a lot of "Sid Meier's"!
10/17 Age of Empires III: The Warchiefs - Expansion for the latest in the venerable RTS series, Age of Empires 3. The emphasis is Native American tribes, enlisting the player as one of three real tribes in their attempts to repel the dirty white man invaders. Get this game and then ask yourself: How the hell will Ensemble make Halo Wars a playable console game?
10/17 Battlefield 2142 - EA's popular Battlefield franchise returns, only a little more than a year after the success of Battlefield 2 on the PC. As the name suggests, the hook this time around is its setting in the future, where a new ice age has descended and thrown the world into chaos. As always, you take on one of two factions and attempt to blow each other up, using a variety of weapons, vehicles and team-based gameplay. The same Internet play is back and promises to be highly addictive and fun, that is, if EA has managed to get a handle on the out-of-control cheating (unlikely).
10/17 Brigade E5: New Jagged Union - Russian developed tactical strategy title with a storyline from the makers of the popular Jagged Alliance.
10/17 Flight Simulator X - Somewhere in a drawer at home, my dad has a very very early version of this game, before it was even sold by Microsoft, for our Atari 800. He would tell you its what started his love of flying and eventually helped him get his pilot's license. I'd tell you it was always far more fun to hi-jack his plane and steer it towards Libya. Version X includes all the detail the series fans have come to expect -- from every switch in every plane's dashboard, to photo-realistic terrain and landmarks, to 24,000 real-life airports at which to take-off or land. With 24 airplanes, and support for DirectX10, FSX will use every drop of your systems horsepower. (Also available in a non-deluxe edition for $10 cheaper).
10/17 Panzer Command - Turn based strategy game that covers the Soviet and German battles near Stalingrad during WW2. Hard-core strategy games will be keen to know it supports all types of game customization.
10/17 The Sims 2: Pets - See the PS2 description.
10/19 Evidence: Missing 2 - Follow up to the critical success "Evidence: Since January", this game combines the good ol' adventure game staple full motion video, real actors, and point-and-click gameplay with clues gathered from not only the game, but the internet and actual e-mail the game's characters will send to your personal account. Bringing to mind EA's ill-fated "Majestic" (which actually called players cell phones), IGN called the original "Impressive".
GBA
10/17 SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab - See the DS description.
10/18 Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2 - The first in this traditional RPG series based on a Japanese anime was released in July. Here is the sequel. How do those the Japanese programmers do it?!
10/18 Teen Titans 2 - Side scrolling brawler where kids control the younger DC superheroes, like Batman's special friend, Robin.
10/18 Justice League Heroes: The Flash - Pint-sized GBA action starring The Flash.
Game of the Week:
Bully, PS2, 10/17
Ah Rockstar. Everyone's favorite quirky developer is in trouble again, and this time it's just because of a name. Bully has already triggered lawsuits and protests, and one judge last week even demanded the game be brought to his court so he could determine just how filthy it is. But unlike the firestorm created by its GTA series, bullies everywhere may be disappointed to learn Rockstar's title has an anti-bullying message, and even emphasizes going to class. Essentially it's a 3rd person adventure/fighter like GTA, sans the driving and brutal murder. Just like GTA however, you'll be navigating an open world, in this case the grounds of Bullworth, and accepting missions to boost respect with one of the various school cliques. In signature Rockstar style, there is an obsessive attention to detail: there's loads of things to do in the world they've created, from Frisbee to item collection. Overall, Bully just sounds fun, and going only by the generally stellar Rockstar reputation, it's the one to pick up this week.
Game I'm Playing:
