We tested the Wii version of this third-person action shooter, designed for one player. You can choose to play as either Iron Man, or War Machine, as you shoot bad guys and try to save the world from destruction. You can either run around, or fly using your jet packs, using a rather complicated menu system to track such things as damage. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Join the world’s largest soccer tournament from the comfort of your home, as you battle your way through 199 teams from around the world. The World Cup is the largest sporting event and this is the only official and exclusively licensed video game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. You can take your home nation team from qualification through a virtual re-creation of the World Cup Final. And, for the first time, you can play out the World Cup in a full online tournament mode against fans from other countries. You will compete under the same conditions that your team will face in South Africa, from the group stage through the knockout rounds, to the chance to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
In Avatar The Game, you either fight with the Na’vi, Pandora’s indigenous people, or against them, as a soldier of the RDA Corporation, using customizable weapons or clan-specific skills. As you unlock levels, you acquire new skills. You can also create your own character, drive the vehicles and ride the animals of Pandora. 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.
Coming this fall, LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, the next chapter for the series that was one of the first to bring drop-in, drop-out interactivity to the games.
After you choose your NBA team, you can tweak the roster, or just jump into the tip off. The teams are based on the current rosters, which are checked online. While there are thousands of details, it is still possible to pick up and play the game, and a novice player can have fun with basic passing and shooting. A Dynasty Mode lets you control your favorite team throughout the season. There are 24 teams who can compete in an international tournament. There’s no shortage of sponsored content, including ads for Sprite (the soft drink). Prices are $60 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, and $40 for the PSP. Note that the purchase includes a password good for one year of a service called “Dynamic DNA” and “Dynamic Season.” Both download the latest stats for your players and teams. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
In this seventeenth edition of FIFA, you first create an avatar using a 3D head using the Photo Game Face. Then you can join a club and play as yourself across any mode, and grow your player attributes through 200 accomplishments. Next, you can take your game online, competing against up to ten other players in online competition. You can assign a specific role to each outfield player, and then combine them. The AI allows players to avoid passes not intended for them, avoid blocking teammate shots, and throw themselves in the way of attacker’s shots in defense. A practice mode lets you work on individual skills before taking the field. Prices are $60 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, $50 for the Wii, $40 for the PSP, and $30 for the Nintendo DS and PS2 versions. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
A classic title gets a lot better, in this second edition of Marvel Ultimate Alliaance. The PS3 version features 24 playable Marvel heroes including Spiderman, Wolverine, Iron Man, and villains such as Venom and Green Goblin. You will choose a side – Pro-Registration in defense of national security, or Anti-Registration and fight for personal liberties – and create and customize four-character teams. Developed by Vicarious Visions for the Xbox 360 and PS3 ($60), n-Space for the Wii ($50), Nintendo DS ($30) and PS2 ($30) and Savage for the PSP ($40). Note: All games are rated T except for the DS which is rated E10+. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
PSP go
With a look more like a slide-open cell phone than a game system, Sony’s redesigned PSP, called the PSP go, is certainly more pocket friendly than the previous versions. It is due in stores October 1, for $250. See the overview video, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2REAKAOCQM
To better understand the thinking behind the PSP go, it helps to understand Media Go, the iTunes-like content management application for Windows computers. Once installed, you can drag and drop your movies, songs and video the 16 GB of memory, storing the big files, like movies or games on your computer’s hard drive. Like an iPod or MP3 player, you sync the PSP go using a handy cradle.
So, you ask, what about all those UMD disks sitting on your shelf. Says Sony “We are working on a program to offer existing existing PSP owners with UMD disks the ability to convert some of the UMD titles to a digital version, as gesture of good will.”
For those who care, here are some more tech specifics. The 3.8 inch color screen looks good, but is significantly smaller than the PSP. Of course, smaller screen equals better battery life.
• 16GB of internal memory is built in, plus it has a Memory Stick Micro slot (or M2) for additional expansion. SD cards are not welcome.
* The bluetooth connectivity is compatible with other Sony bluetooth peripherals, including head sets, game controllers and the Sony keyboard.
Other goodies include Analog Video Out, a microphone port, and the same controls, including the innoviative sliding analog stick, that is really a flat button. Going forward from October 1st, all UMD titles will be offered in two versions — disk and digital. Sony has reemphasized that the PSP go is not a replacement for the PSP 3000, which will still be manufactured. Rather, it is a rather dramatic re-design that will better compete with iPhone. But it won’t make calls.