There are quality racing games abound, but not with the comedic antics of Nickelodeon’s Ben 10 gang. The latest PSVita version looks and sounds more real than ever, with 25 tracks and the ability to unlock additional cars. You can play as Ben, or one of the 15 aliens. Content includes 25 grand-prix tracks from five planets. Even if you don’t like the show, you’ll like the game. Teaches: racing, fine motor skills. D3Publisher of America, Inc.. www.d3publisher.us, $40. Best for ages 6-up.
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Based on themes in the last three Harry Potter books and the final four films, this single game, for nearly every platform, takes you through Harry Potter’s adventures in such places as Privet Drive in Little Whinging to Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, as well as new locations like Grimmauld Place. As you explore and collect LEGO parts, you prepare for the ultimate battle against Lord Voldemort. The game builds upon the gameplay, lessons and potion-making skills learned in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 to equip you with the tools necessary to challenge new and old enemies (including He Who Must Not Be Named). Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Back in the 1980s these six classic video games earned a lot of quarters. Today, all six come on a cartridge the size of a quarter. What’s more, they’re in 3D. The catch is that they’ll only run on the Nintendo 3DS. Titles include Pac-Man, Pac-Man Championship Edition, Galaga, and Galaga Legions, along with two new 3DS only games. In Pac-Man Tilt, you move Pac-Man through stages filled with obstacles, platforms and ghosts with tilt controls. You use flippers, platforms and power pellets to jump, flip, swing, and eat through to the finish line. In Galaga 3D Impact, the 3DS becomes a ship’s gun turret as you attack and defend the ship while ridding space of the incoming Galaga army. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This pocket-sized edition of Madden NFL for the Nintendo 3DS brings virtual football to the 3D screen. Content includes 32 NFL teams and stadiums, with three types of playcalling. GameFlow automatically selects the best play for the situation based on authentic NFL team gameplans; Arcade gives you more control over plays; and Classic lets you experience your favorite team’s playbook. There are both 11-on-11 games, or 5-on-5 games that have no penalties and no play clock — the winner is the first team to score a set number of touchdowns. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Those frogs can now jump right out of your 3DS screen, in this new edition of the classic arcade game. Content includes six worlds to hop through, including New York, the Far East, and Space. There are 60 stages in all, each with multiple road crossing challenges that get harder. Along the way, you meet other frogs who might destroy obstacles, absorb damage or light the way in dark spaces as you progress through the game. Features include the ability to compete against other players in 4-player multiplayer over wireless, engage in street battles, and show off your skills in the new Forever Mode. Developed by Alpha-Unit Co. Ltd. for Konami. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Along with Mario Kart 7, this title marks Mario’s debut on the Nintendo 3DS. By combining the motion sensing abilities of the Nintendo 3DS with a 3D screen, you can use depths and distances to get from one platform to the next. You can also share the game with another player using the Street Pass feature. New enemies include Goombas with tails, tall stacks of Goombas, and a Piranha Plant that spits ink to obscure your view. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This is a collection of 600 puzzles for one player. Games include Sudoku – the classic numbers game in 3D; Bridges – link all the islands on the screen with bridges, making sure to match the on-screen numbers to the amount of islands you are connecting together; Boxes – divide the board into rectangles where each piece has to be included with the digit that will be the size of the boxes; Museum – light up an entire hall without overlapping the lighting with the limited number of lights given to you; and an exclusive unlockable 3D puzzle created specifically for the Nintendo 3DS. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
The basic Tetris challenge is the same as always; to steer a falling block into place on a grid as quickly and efficiently as possible. Color and shape matches earn points. Content includes 20 game modes with names like Marathon, Computer Battle, Fever and Survival, plus Party Game Modes for two to eight players, using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Developed by Hudson Soft for Nintendo. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
You heard it right, Pokémon fans — 3D, for the first time. The game contains 600 Pokémon, including the libraries from both Pokémon Black and Pokémon White.
There’s also Boss Pokémon, which is stronger, and two new battle modes. In Team Battle, you are joined by two of your own Toy Pokémon as you battle numerous mini bosses in a quest to defeat a Boss Pokémon. In Charge Battle, the strength of your team is challenged when two large battalions of Pokémon collide. The game also allows for two players to team up and play over a local wireless connection, or you can use the StreetPass features and challenge Toy Pokémon that other nearby players have collected, and view customized Mii characters within the game. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This 3D flying game lets you help Fox McCloud lead battle against a squadron of fighters in aerial outer space combat, for up to four players. The goal to shoot down the evil forces of Andross while saving the galaxy from destruction. Both screens are used — the top screen shows the 3D combat and the bottom screen displays characters and dialogue. The game also features two control methods. The Nintendo 64 Mode offers the original controls, and the Nintendo 3DS Mode use the motion controls of the built-in Gyro Sensor. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Here’s what you get when you cross a frozen Antarctic world full of penguins with a Guitar Hero theme. The musical rhythm adventure game for one or two players is inspired by the of the upcoming film Happy Feet Two. In the game, new dancers are threatening the penguin nation and everyone must work and dance together in rhythm to save them from extinction. How? By dancing, carefully matching the beat by tapping on your game controller or touching the screen (with the DS). Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This fast-paced shooting/fighting game gives you the fight you’d expect from a Transformer’s game. A new gameplay mechanic called Stealth Force lets you turn into a third, hybrid state that combines the weapons and firepower of Robot Mode with the agility and maneuverability of Vehicle Mode. Environments include Jungles of Central America, Siberian military facilities, Urban Cityscapes, and more, along with a diverse roster of Transformers characters to choose from as you try to save mankind. The PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii versions also allow for you to compete with or against friends around the world in multiplayer modes. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This unique game uses two styluses at once. You start by creating and customizing your own own avatar. Content includes seven “sports,” including Home-Run Challenges, Archery, Soccer Penalty Kicks, and more; Rank Match – Play to be the best and earn points in each sport; Score Try – Practice each sport with specialized trials and challenges; Today’s Challenge – different sports challenges every day; and Tap Exercise – Hone your touch senses with these activities requiring you to perform feats of dexterity using both hands. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
If you’ve played previous versions of Zelda, you’re in for few surprises in this 3D version, according to our well-Zeldafied testers, besides some nice 3D frosting and a few games that use the cameras. The game retains the analog control of the original version of the game via the Circle Pad, but players can also use motion controls by moving the Nintendo 3DS system to aim their slingshot or bow at an enemy with speed and accuracy. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This game for the Nintendo 3DS features more than 100 timed Nanogame (very short game) challenges. Like WarioWare, the challenges that last no more than five seconds each, and require extremely fast reaction time. Content includes several video clips featuring Patchy the Pirate, plus a drawing activity, where you can sketch using a pallet of colors. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This first ever 3D Sims title works only on the Nintendo 3DS, which means some additional new control mechanisms not available in the past. Besides the 3D graphics, the game plays like other Sims games, offering a top-down view of your Sim family. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
There are 27 dog breeds, depending on which cartridge you buy. Each pet comes with a different personality, unique accessories and a cat companion. As with previous versions, you can teach your pet tricks and pet it with the lower touch pad but the 3DS version has some new tricks, including the ability to see your pet move around in 3D space. Networking features include the ability to share your pet with nearby players who also own their own $40 cartridge. You can also exchange Mii characters, puppies and kittens over the wireless connection using StreetPass. Or (of course) you can buy new new content online. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
In case you’ve never played Bust-A-Move, the goal is to aim and shoot little colored balls, one at a time, into an approaching mass. If you can hit the same color, the balls pop, giving you more time and points. You beat the level when all the balls have been popped. When in the puzzle mode, there are 8 stages with 10 levels per stage, each represented by a planet. As with other versions of the game (there are thousands of Flash based editions on line) the game is simple enough for a four year old to play, but some of the later levels require a surprising amount of nuance, including using angles. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.