God of War: Chains of Olympus

• GenreAction Adventure
• Release Date03/04/2008
• PublisherSCEA
• DeveloperReady at Dawn
• ESRBM - Mature

From the makers of Daxter comes God of War: Chains of Olympus, one of the PSP's greatest games. Not only does it provide a solid continuation in the ongoing action series, but also plenty of monster-smashing fun.

In the game, you control Kratos prior to the events in the original God of War. He still suffers from personal torment, but remains loyal to the Gods. He begins his adventure battling the Persians, shooting gigantic arrows at ships and slaughtering soldiers before eventually wrestling an oversized basilisk. It's a battle that's right up there with Kratos' previous tangles with sea serpents and the Colossus. However, his story doesn't end there. It takes an emotional turn as he deals with the mischievous God of Dreams, Morpheus, and his own dastardly plans. Chains of Olympus remains true to the God of War formula. You'll spend a majority of the game battling enemies using Kratos' powerful attacks, while occasionally employing some smarts to solve a puzzle. Most of these puzzles are easy, consisting of such duties as pulling levers or slipping through hidden passages. As for the rest of the game, it's all about tearing enemies to shreds and smashing them to a bloody pulp.
The surprise here, though, is how fluid the controls feel on the PSP. Without a second analog stick, you might think that Chains of Olympus would have a difficult time keeping up, but all of the functions work surprisingly well. Sony and developer Ready At Dawn cleverly utilize the PSP's face and shoulder buttons. You hold down the left and right shoulder buttons and nudge the analog nub to evade attacks, while alternating between other buttons to unleash Kratos' arsenal of moves. The game also has a sweet power-up system, requiring a trade-off of red orbs in order to expand Kratos' devastating move list. Other moves are also available, including a swift attack where he summons a demon and pounds the ground in explosive rage.
In addition, Chains of Olympus' presentation is simply incredible. The visuals are stunning, with excellent animation, riveting backdrops, insanely good lighting effects and other nice touches. One highlight of the game occurs during a fog-laden stage in the city, where Kratos must work his way through with a torch. Watching these bits of fog break apart to the power of light is just plain awesome. Furthermore, the game maintains a thirty-frames-per-second speed, never slowing down or coming to a halt. The camera angles are well chosen, keeping Kratos and his enemies perfectly in view so you never feel like you're lost. It's just a great-looking game.
Audio also plays a tremendous role. The narrator (Linda Hunt) and Kratos sound just as good as ever, and the music continues to be on an epic scale, with full orchestration and battle themes. The sound effects are great, too, from the screams of the sirens to the grunting of the basilisk.

Persians? HA! Don't make Kratos laugh.

God of War: Chains of Olympus concludes after a few hours. However, it's worth replaying to find bonus goodies and unlockable content. There are also some behind-the-scenes features, as well as a couple of alternate costumes.
Bottom line, God of War: Chains of Olympus is an Olympian triumph for the Sony PSP. Visually, it's the best-looking PSP game out there. Audio-wise, it hits the mark. The gameplay is surprisingly good and the bonus content will keep you busy long after the main adventure ends. Unless you're unable to stomach the over-the-top violence, you have no excuse. Go out, buy it and embrace the glory of the Gods.

N+

• GenrePlatformer
• Release Date11/01/2007
• PublisherAtari
• DeveloperSilverBirch Studios
• ESRBRP - Rating Pending

Originally created as a freeware title for PC, N+ has since become a popular game on Xbox Live Arcade – and for good reason. Now portable owners have their shot at ninjahood with Atari's take on N+ for the Sony PSP.
You play a nameless hero given a simple task – get from point A to point B on each level. At first, it's a snap, jumping around platforms, activating a switch to open a nearby door and then exiting. As you proceed through each one, however, challenging obstacles build. Robotic sentries, missile launches, turret cannons and hundreds of mines scattered along the walls and ceilings vow to end your run. On top of that, you have a time limit working against you. Thankfully, by picking up gold pieces throughout each level you keep time from dwindling away.

Go ninja, go ninja, GO! Click to see more images from the game...

It sounds like a mounting task, but N+ gives you the means to complete each one. Your ninja can bounce off walls, run at high speeds and even make long jumps. He's only human, however – he can't survive contact with enemies, nor huge falls off of ledges. Fortunately, you have limitless lives, so you can go back and try a stage again if you fail it. N+ purely relies on the "trial and error" system, so don't feel bad if you end up dying a dozen times... or beyond that.
N+ features a variety of gloriously designed levels, dozens in which will test your gaming nerves. The graphics are stylish without being complicated, easy to see with the full level displayed on-screen at once. The PSP is lacking what the DS has, with its dual-screen set-up to keep a closer eye on your character, but it's no big deal. The music is fun, in a techno-ish kind of way.
The single-player challenges are terrific, but N+ earns bonus points for multiplayer support and creation tools. You can design your own levels and share them with friends over AdHoc downloading. You can also work with friends in co-op levels or take them on in survival and race competitions, just to see who has the best time. Fresh weekly downloadable levels would've been a great bonus here, but this game has exceptional value as it is – especially since it'll only set you back $20.
Some levels are harder than others, and the presentation never rises above what the freeware game offered back on the PC. With those slight issues in mind, N+ still ranks as one of the better PSP games available. For $20, you can't go wrong with slick gameplay and sharp-thinking design. The best part? You don't have to dress like a ninja to play it. (Though we wouldn't blame you if you did.)

Madden NFL 09

• GenreSports
• Release Date08/12/2008
• PublisherEA Sports
• DeveloperEA Tiburon
• ESRBE - Everyone

Football season conjures up familiar memories of watching games on Thanksgiving, throwing the football in the backyard and for video gamers, a new Madden NFL. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Electronic Arts' celebrated pigskin franchise, and the company has something special in store for the 2009 installment, especially on Xbox 360. Madden NFL 2009 stumbles, but manages to regain its composure long enough to stiff arm critics and dive into the endzone.

Happy 20th Anniversary Madden! 

Whereas previous Xbox 360 Madden games lack features found in their PlayStation 2 counterparts, 2009 comes loaded with all sorts of great stuff, beginning with the Madden Test. When you first start the game, you'll see a futuristic and Tron-inspired football field and a digital John Madden that'll test you in rushing, passing, rush and pass defense. Completing these mini-games awards you a Madden IQ (which rises and falls depending on future tests and games) as well as My Skill, a personal difficulty level. Although it's not a perfect system (getting lucky may land you on All-Pro, the hardest setting), you have the option of ditching it in favor of four difficulties as well as a customizable setting where you determine how tough the computer is. Depending on how much you love Madden, however, you're likely to return to this cool looking feature (accessible after every completed game and in the main menu) to see how well you can do. Besides, playing Tron football is great. Unfortunately, you can only play this way against the computer, and you cannot run through a full game.
After testing your football prowess, you can hit the gridiron as one of the NFL's 32 teams, and EA did a great job enhancing an already enjoyable sports game. The core mechanics remain unchanged, as you cycle through plays (or ask Madden's advice) and sling the football, but you'll need to be more aware of your surroundings. Unlike previous football games, where defensemen drop balls, Madden NFL 09's artificial intelligence double and sometimes triple teams your receivers and easily picks them off. At first, we hated all of the interceptions, but then grew to appreciate the difficulty because it made us better quarterbacks. The same also holds true for rushing, as the game provides helpful tips by placing a button over your selected player that lets you know how to beat the other team. So, for example, if you have the ball and need to bust through two opposing players, the game will suggest you press the Highlight Stick (right analog) in order to perform a juke. This also works on the other side of the ball, as the game instructs you to tilt the Hit Stick (also right analog) to plow through the offensive line.
In addition, the game features all sorts of graphical upgrades that help mirror the NFL experience. Field goal nets rise and fall whenever you attempt an extra point, rain creates mud that changes white jerseys brown, numerous flash bulbs erupt from the crowd, you can perform touchdown celebrations by wandering into specified areas in the endzone and pressing Y and players leave footprints in the snow, although falling onto it does nothing.
Madden NFL 09 also features commentary from NFL announcers Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth, though it's not a significant improvement from the previous games' radio announcer. Hammond delivers his lines like a boring robot, while Collinsworth's goofball comments have us shaking our heads. Our biggest gripe, though, is their lack of chemistry. Most of the time, they deliver their lines independent of each other and this kills the presentation. It's better than hearing one guy call the game, but we miss the arguing and the jokes heard in real football broadcasts.
Collinsworth does moderately well, however, in EA Sports Backtrack, a replay feature in which he points out your successes and failures by offering advice and drawing on the screen using his telestrator. It's helpful, but for whatever reason, ours doesn't work; the Backtrack logo pops up and immediately disappears. Other writers haven't had this problem, so it's possible we received a damaged copy of the game.
Another addition is EA Rewind, a feature seemingly inspired from the Burnout series. It lets you rewind a play for a do over, a great option for getting revenge against the computer, but practically useless against human competition. Several times, we threatened our friends if they erased one of our recently scored touchdowns.
Playing exhibition is fun, but Madden NFL 09 has tons more to experience. Franchise Mode lets you create a dynasty and experience a hopefully illustrious 30-year career. Superstar Mode lets you create a player or import him from NCAA Football 09 and go from a rookie to a Hall of Fame legend. Fantasy Football lets you keep track of your season after registering at fantasy.easports.com, and Practice lets you improve your player by bench pressing to become stronger and hitting the 40 yard dash for best times, among other activities.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV

• GenreAction
• Release Date04/29/2008
• PublisherRockstar Games
• DeveloperRockstar North
• ESRBM - Mature

All Niko Bellic wants is the "American dream". When his cousin Roman explains how he's been living the "dream life" in America, he takes a chance and hops aboard a ship bound for Liberty City, hopeful that he can finally achieve his goal. Upon arrival, however, he learns that Roman is full of crap and knee-deep in trouble with loan sharks and other criminal types. Still, he tries to make do with what he has, and slowly begins an unforgettable journey that will change him, and those around him, forever.

It's this compelling storyline that adds fuel to the fire for Grand Theft Auto IV, a PlayStation 3 game that engulfs players into the seedy underbelly of Liberty City. The game is so well written that you may find yourself sticking to the mission mode longer than expected, just to see how Niko develops with his connections to Roman and others around him. What's cool is that you don't have to stay on this path. You can actually leave your cousin hanging in favor of other people around the city, such as potential dates. Being able to take a lady out and show her a good time is sweet, whether you grab a bite to eat or hit the local tavern for a round of darts and pool. Of course, selfish types can endure more guilty pleasures, such as spending hours in the strip club and getting a dual lap dance. Yes, two ladies at once.
With a game like GTA IV, however, most people will probably run amok. Like previous leads in GTA games, Niko can steal cars, brandish weapons, change his clothes and terrorize the public. If you want to get dolled up in a business suit and go wild with a rocket launcher, that's your prerogative. Just be aware that the police element is stronger than ever. If you're in trouble, you'll have to outrun a certain area on the Liberty City map. If you murder a cop or blow up a cop car, the circle grows even bigger, making it that much more difficult to escape the long arm of the law.
Niko does have some tools that come in handy. Along with access to a fully customized map to Liberty City, he also has an on-screen guide that draws out his route. Of course, you can take any route you please, finding shortcuts and goodies as a result. You also have a cell phone, which you can use to call Roman, a potential date or other characters. The phone really changes the GTA dynamic, making things that much more accessible.

Sure, you can take a girl on a date. But nothing beats a strip club.

Gameplay-wise, Grand Theft Auto IV is magnificent. Cars handle even more realistically, going into deep spins if you don't watch yourself on a turn. The shooting gameplay works better than ever, thanks to a much-needed cover system (ala Gears of War) and the ability to either lock on or shoot freely with a slow press of the trigger button. It's not perfect (Niko will get shot up like crazy if he faces the wrong way in a shootout), but it's still great. The only complaint about the PS3 control scheme is Rockstar's attempt to implement SIXAXIS support. It's all right at first, as you can tilt your controller to do a wheelie on a motorcycle, but it gets sloppy once you try to man a helicopter. Just leave it off and stick with the standard controls.
Presentation-wise, Grand Theft Auto IV sets a new standard for this current generation of games. Liberty City looks amazing no matter where you are. You could be sitting inside a Burger King-style restaurant or running through the streets looking for a car to steal, and you'll be mesmerized at how detailed Rockstar North has made this place. The lighting is a marvel, especially as you drive under a bridge in the middle of the day. You can actually see the sunlight peeking through the cracks, shining down on your vehicle as you drive along. The camera system is also excellent, allowing you to rotate the right analog stick to get a 360-degree view. This especially comes in handy when you need to see how many cops are on your tail.
Like previous GTA games, the radio stations have a wealth of content. You have eighteen stations to choose from, including rock, classical, R & B and numerous others. DJs (including celebrity ones, such as Iggy Pop and Juliette Lewis) keep the music flowing, and you'll also hear several hilarious commercials. Let's put it this way. You may actually find yourself sitting in your car longer than expected, just to hear a majority of what Rockstar has to offer. Niko's dialogue is also well written, whether he's chewing out Roman or letting a criminal type have it with his attitude. He's not a violent psychopath, however. The guy has a soft side.

Good luck dealing with Liberty City's police force this time around.

Finally, we come to the game's multiplayer, which is deep and engaging. There's a number of modes to choose from and plenty of competition. You'll spend hours going up against others, racing around Liberty City and blowing up opponents with rocket launchers. With that said, there have been issues with the service as of late, but that's more Sony's fault than Rockstar's. The company simply wasn't prepared for the kind of attention that Grand Theft Auto IV would get.
SXIAXIS quirks and PSN issues aside, Grand Theft Auto IV is a must-have and an excellent reason to purchase a PlayStation 3. Its gripping storyline, beautiful graphics and wanton destruction set the standard, not only within the video game industry, but Hollywood as well. Don't hesitate to experience all that it has to offer.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

• GenreShooter
• Release Date07/30/2008
• PublisherActivision
• DeveloperBizarre Creations
• ESRBE - Everyone

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved was the Xbox 360's greatest launch game, a simple and addictive shooter that did something we never thought possible: it made us care about scoring points. Instead of reaching levels and watching cut scenes, we desperately wanted to beat our friends' high scores, something we hadn't bothered with since the '80s. Its superb sequel, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, bests the original in every respect, retaining its addictiveness while incorporating six excellent games for just 800 Microsoft points ($10). Welcome to your new obsession.

Survive this and you become a Geometry Wars master of the gods.

Like previous Geometry Wars games, Retro Evolved 2 drops you (as a tiny spaceship) onto a grid and challenges you to blast enemies for points. Your adversaries come in all shapes and sizes, from green pieces that float away when you fire in their direction to hordes of snakes that twist their way around the playfield. Not only must you make short work of your foes, but you must also raise your score multiplier by collecting tiny green dots called geoms (a switch from the prequel, which raises your multiplier the more enemies you kill) that are left behind by destroyed enemies and can push your multiplier to 100, 550 and beyond. In addition, you must shoot and skillfully dodge hundreds of bad guys, which is easier said than done when it's 4:00am and you can barely keep your eyes open.
Whereas the original featured one new mode, Retro Evolved 2 has six well-designed games that could have stood alone had Activision chose to sell them separately, and each puts a new spin on the formula. Deadline forces you to score as many points as possible in three minutes. King, easily one of the best of the six, places circular zones on the playfield. Enemies cannot enter and you can only shoot while inside them. After a few seconds, however, your zone disappears, forcing you to clear a path and run like hell.
Evolved is similar to the previous Geometry Wars game, but with new enemies. Pacifism, another favorite, strips you of your weapons and forces you to destroy enemies by running through gates littered about the grid, which destroy nearby shapes but will also kill you if you touch their yellow tips. Waves, first available in Project Gotham Racing 4, has orange shapes that move in groups, horizontally and vertically, so you must keep an eye on patterns and avoid being run into. Finally, Sequence presents you with 20 different levels and gives you 30 seconds to clear each of them. Die, and you automatically move onto the next one, as long as you have lives remaining.
If you need a break from the single player madness, there's an offline multiplayer mode for up to four. You compete against each other across the six aforementioned games or work co-operatively (you can also split into teams) to achieve the highest score. It's a fun concept, but online play would have made it superior. On top of that, the camera tends to pull back too far, making it difficult seeing who's who.
Geometry Wars won't win awards for graphics and audio, but we appreciate the sharp visuals, snazzy explosions and other effects. We love how each game displays six people from our friends' lists and their current high scores for that game, as well as the leader at the top right corner of the screen during play; it's always good knowing the target the beat. As for the soundtrack, it's a cool mix of thumping techno beats, and we dig how, during King, the music is muffled outside of the zone and crystal-clear inside of one. That's a sweet touch.
As we were fans of the last game, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 needed to be exceptional to pull us away, and we're ecstatic that Bizarre Creations exceeded our expectations. Sure, it doesn't have online multiplayer, but its assortment of games and leaderboards are exactly what we wanted. It's hard to imagine even five of this year's games being this much fun.

TNA iMPACT!

TNA iMPACT!

• GenreWrestling
• Release Date09/16/2008
• PublisherMidway
• DeveloperMidway
• ESRBT - Teen

Kurt Angle, Sting and A.J. Styles invade the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in TNA Impact!, Midway's user friendly and beautiful wrestling game. Based on the promotion Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling, it allows you to control various grapplers in a variety of matches as well as embark on a neat story mode. However, despite its good looks and easy to learn controls, numerous glitches and cheap artificial intelligence DDT this game into the mat.

TNA Impact! features great looking wrestlers and easy to learn controls. That is, if you manage to actually grapple the cheap AI.

At first, it seemed like Impact! was a winner. Its gorgeous visuals, powered by Unreal Engine 3.0, display life-like wrestlers in all their polygonal glory, as well as detailed rings and a realistic looking crowd. In addition, we marveled at the animation. Punches and kicks look good, and the more complex maneuvers, such as catching someone after they leap from the top turnbuckle and slamming their bodies into the mat, are excellent.
We're also fond of the simple controls that let us mash the face buttons and bust out crazy moves guaranteed to hurt our opponents. It's especially enjoyable during frantic multiplayer player bouts, as we and our friends compete in free-for-alls, tag matches and TNA's ultimate contest, Ultimate X, where everyone attempts to grab a big red X suspended above the ring. The mini game to grab the X is a bit awkward, but knocking each other to the floor is good for a few laughs.
That being said, TNA Impact! isn't championship material, mostly because the computer plays dirty. In any given match, it'll reverse more than 70 percent of our grapples, punches and kicks. Midway sometimes gives us the option of reversing the reversal, but that's not always reliable. What happens is, after destroying the artificial intelligence for several minutes, it'll perform a few reversals and win the match. This ruins the game.
On top of that, there's a bunch of annoying glitches that anger us. During tag matches, our computer-controlled partner will stand on the ring apron while an opponent pins us. In single player bouts, the AI will constantly run into the steel steps and punches sometimes fail to connect while fists that are at least a foot from our heads register. Diving into the ring near a standing opponent will stun them for a bit, it's impossible to pick someone up if they're on their belly and it's hard side-stepping opponents, as their running clotheslines are somehow impossible to avoid. Now factor in the B button, which instructs our character to pin or leave the ring depending on his position, and TNA Impact! becomes the type of game that should have a high blood pressure warning.
A lack of content doesn't help. We know that Midway didn't have the time to program lots of stuff into the game, but it failed to include things we've seen in previous wrestling games, such as a deep move list, multiple weapons (it's chairs only, and you cannot run with one), a visible referee and the ability to battle up and down the entranceway. Even something like blood (which pops up in the 10-year-old Nintendo 64 game WCW vs. NWO World Tour) is absent. Sorry, but us wrestling fans expect a little more from these games.
Story mode is cool, but creating a character eats up one of the game's five slots. You also don't have a lot of moves. If you play Exhibition for a while additional moves become available, but if you jump right into the Story campaign you'll have a bunch of defaults, none of which are viewable. Same goes for entrances, as the game forces you to pick them blindly. Entrance one sounds good, we guess, but only because we love the number one. That's the kind of logic you'll employ while creating someone.
We were inclined to award this game a six out of ten, simply because those four player matches (you can only do two player online, by the way, and it's lag-tastic) are cool, but the irritating AI killed us. We can't play a game that won't let us play, so while Midway did a great job with the controls and the visuals, TNA Impact! is much too sloppy to warrant a purchase, let alone challenge THQ's WWE SmackDown vs Raw franchise.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09

• GenreSports
• Release Date08/26/2008
• PublisherEA Sports
• DeveloperEA Sports
• ESRBE - Everyone

Last year's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 left us sorely dissatisfied. EA Sports unnecessarily tweaked the gameplay system, leaving us hooking and slicing on every other swing. Worse yet, the buggy online interface ended up needing more work. A year later, EA Sports has learned the errors of its ways. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 shows vast expansion in every area imaginable, resulting in the best current-gen golf game yet.
First and most importantly, the gameplay is fun again. Rather than being stuck with an erroneous swing system where hooks and slices are commonplace, it feels more natural this time around. You can still score bad shots if you don't pay attention to wind trajectories and thumb motions, but overall it returns to the basics that the series has become known for. If you feel that the analog system is too much for you to bear, the classic three-button press system is still available, Overall, it's a dynamic control set-up that's fun, with birdies, eagles and even a couple of aces in the realm of possibility. We're glad EA Sports put needed stability back in this area.

No, Tiger isn't seeing rainbows. This is the online simultaneous play in action – and it's cool. Click to see more images from the game...

Skill improvement is also a huge part of Tiger Woods 09. Hank Haney, Tiger Woods' personal playing coach, makes his virtual debut here. He provides general pointers on your swing, while also setting up drills to improve your play in four vital areas – Power, Accuracy, Short Game and Putting. As your skills improve, so does your overall ranking, making you a more formidable golfing opponent. If you seek to improve what's in your golf bag, you can also mess around with the new Club Tuner. Just make sure you're aware of the sacrifices you make. If a club performs better with power, that doesn't automatically mean it'll be accurate.
Online integration fumbled last year, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is back on track with its support of Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. EA GamerNet works perfectly, with the ability to play through hundreds of customized challenges – as well as the chance to set up your own. As you complete each one, you compete against other players with GamerNet points. If individual challenges aren't your thing, you can sign up for an online match against three other players. The key difference here is simultaneous play – you no longer have to wait for others at the tee box. A color-coded system keeps track of each ball hit down the fairway, so you can all play at once. This speeds up each match significantly. We only wish we could say the same thing for single player, as you still have to wait for stagnant AI players to finish their turn before you take a swing.
Single player challenges are terrific overall. You have to complete several tasks before being able to compete with PGA opponents, such as Darren Clarke, Se Ri Pak and, eventually, Woods himself. Beating them unlocks 16 new courses. Extra courses would've been nice, but overall there's plenty of variety here. Cheaters who aren't up to the challenge can purchase the courses separately for around $2 each. Many of the minigames, such as target golf, also return, along with traditional play modes if you feel like playing a quick round of 18. The selection of PGA and fantasy golfers is also great, with plenty of pros – and not-so-pros – to choose from.
With presentation, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 sticks with what works. The visuals continue to build a fantastic golf presentation, with gorgeously designed courses, an acceptable game speed (with only a hint of slowdown), well-animated players and a behind-the-ball camera view that keeps an eye on its trajectory. In the sound department, EA brought in a new announcing team to take over for mainstays Gary McCord and David Feherty. Unfortunately, Kelly Tilghman and Sam Torrance aren't really up to task. EA should bring back the good old boys next year. The rest of the sound effects hold up, with crowd cheers and authentic "thwacks" every time you strike the ball.
More courses and better announcing would've made Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 the perfect virtual golf experience. As it stands, damn close will have to do. It's a quintessential recreation of the sport for the current-gen market, and possibly the pinnacle of golfing excellence. The online component and skill progression will keep you swinging well into the winter months. All that's left to ask is what EA Sports could do to possibly top it next year. For now, we'll enjoy the fruits of this year's labor. If you're smart, you'll do the same.