Reviews by gamers of the top 40 XBox video games updated monthly.

JANUARY 2008

XBox - Reviews of Top 40 Microsoft X Box Video Games 

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Mortal Kombat Armageddon X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

It's hard to believe that Midway's Mortal Kombat series is now on its seventh installment, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. The title is the ultimate entry in the series, with a roster of more than 60 fighters that are drawn from every entry in the series. To complement the encyclopedic collection of characters, the game features a comparable assortment of stages that spans the series. 

Kombat offers the usual three fighting options, arcade, versus, and practice. The character-select screen is a massive two-sided panel the team had to create in order to accommodate the huge roster of fighters. The selection of fighters offer a good sampling of new and legacy characters that include Shinnok, Sheeva, Kintaro, Stryker, Sector, Rain, Scorpion, Goro, Jarek, Kai, Sareena, Fujin, and Sub-Zero. Sheeva and Stryker look quite contemporary thanks to their modernized makeover, which is more than just cosmetic. Every fighter has two fighting styles you can switch to on the fly, as well as a weapon.

Jumping makes a welcome return to the fray after a noticeable absence, offering more combo options in the heat of battle. Speaking of combos, the trusty combo-breaker move is now joined by a parry that yields precious moments that you can use to get in some choice blows that lead to bigger combos. Better still is the expansion of air combos, which are now full-blown aerial butt kicking. Mortal Kombat Armageddon is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

However, the most significant, and radical, refinement to combat is the revamped fatality system. Whereas all the previous MKs tasked you with memorizing fighter placement and button combinations, MK: Armageddon's new system gives you the chance to create your own fatalities on the fly. Though purists may scoff at the new system at first, we have to say it's a pretty ingenious way to make the brutal finishing moves accessible to casual players while still letting veterans show their mad skills. 

The system is initiated in the same manner that fatalities have been in the last two games. After you've knocked the stuffing out of your foe in the second round of a match, you'll have to cycle to the fatality mode using the left trigger. Once you're in the mode, you can get to work. The system basically lets you chain together different button and D pad combos together to perform a fatality. The twist is that the moves are broken up into different levels that can be combined to perform lengthy chains or much simpler, but still brutal, traditional fatalities.

So for example, when you initiate a fatality you can perform linkable moves such as stabbing and dismemberment or ripping out spines, organs, or skulls, which you can then segue into finishers such as head popping. At the end of the chain, your handiwork will be rated. You can perform fatalities that run up to 10 parts. The catch to the lengthier combos is that every time you pull one off, a meter will appear onscreen and run down. If you manage to perform any of the fatality moves, another meter will appear and require you to pull off another move. The challenge is in pulling off the moves quickly, as each subsequent meter runs down faster than the one before it. 

When you top out at a 10-part combo or you run out of time, your fatality will be named based on how many moves you were able to combo. Though a departure from the fatality system fans have been weaned on, the new custom approach is smart. The system offers fair rewards to button mashers who aren't diehard MK fans, but also provides a pretty broad canvas for veterans who want to go to town and totally clown their foes. Superdiehard fans should also be able to re-create the various classic fatalities by chaining together the right moves.

As if the one-on-one combat didn't offer enough ways to murder your opponent, the backgrounds in the game show all manner of deadly elements. Check out newly made-over classic stages such as Goro's Lair from the original MK, the subway from MK3, and the wastelands from MK II and we are able to see the various death traps and weapons that are being tossed into the mix. The old stages get some of the cooler updates at the moment; a catapult in the wasteland stage is fatal fun when you're able to launch a foe at a wall. At the same time, some of the familiar hazards from the old stages get a nice refresh such as the train in the subway stage.

Once you've crafted your ultimate fighter's appearance, you are able to log in some time creating a fighting style for them. You are able to name your style and pick moves to assign to different button combinations. To ensure that no one goes crazy, the system includes some limits to keep you in line with the amount of moves and attacks the other fighters have access to. You top off your creation with a run through the extras option, where you are able to sort your fighter's voice and victory stance. The final piece of the process in the bio section lets you type your fighter's name, place of origin, and even a short bio. 

The story focuses on two brothers, Taven and Daegon, who wind up in a bit of Survivor-style sibling rivalry. Their father is trying to decide who to crown as his successor. The old man's method? A contest between the two brothers that sends them adventuring through Earth Realm in search of an ancient weapon that they'll need to use to defeat an elemental named Blaze, last seen in Mortal Kombat: Deception. Whoever manages to do that first will be crowned the new defender of Edenia and be given a powerful gift. Not the coolest thing for a parent to do, to be sure, but it does make for a good setup for Konquest mode, which now features a sense of urgency. You play through the mode as Taven and attempt to race through the challenges laid out before you so you can beat your brother.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

Marvel Ultimate Alliance is an action/RPG that features the largest roster of comic book characters ever seen in a video game. Players assume the roles of more than 20 Marvel Super Heroes including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade and Captain America, and through their actions determine the fate of both planet Earth and the Marvel universe ? revealed in one of multiple epilogues.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance offers total team customization, where players create their own team name, icon and vehicle, as well as establish their team reputation as they play throughout the story. Gamers also have the option to level up each character individually to their liking, or all team members at the same time to keep their heroes balanced. Marvel Ultimate Alliance is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

With the game's new combat system, players battle against the world's most notorious Marvel Super Villains in the air, underwater, and on the ground, using grappling, blocking and dodging moves, by charging up their Super Hero powers before unleashing them, and using environmental objects as one and two-handed weapons. 

Marvel Ultimate Alliance features a storyline where the missions players accept, the objectives they complete, and their interactions with other characters throughout the game directly impact how the story plays out.

Call of Duty 3 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $50

just a great game in the COD tradition. i was watching a friend play this game on the 360 with an lcd tv drooling, and thought what will the old xbox version look like on my old crt tv. boy, was i pleasantly surprised. 

the xbox version is great. graphics are wonderful. play is engrossing. don't give up your old xbox until you play this game. pushes the xbox to its limits and those limits are really good. call of duty 3 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

a definite buy for COD fans. i should say too that i was originally looking for COD3 on the pc, but there wont be a pc version. so i bought it for the xbox, and i'm not disappointed.

Eragon X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

Enter a world of dragons, destiny and epic adventure to fulfill the dragon-rider legacy.

Eragon is an epic fantasy-adventure centering on a young farm boy named Eragon. Based on the best-selling novel and feature film, the boy's destiny is revealed with the help of a dragon.

Eragon, now a Dragon Rider, is swept into a world of magic and power, discovering that he alone has the power to save -- or destroy -- an Empire. 

Features action-filled combat-RPG with touch screen spell casting and unique dual screen attack mode. Gamers can also sharpen their magic and dragon riding skills in unlockable mini-games.

Tony Hawk's Project 8 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $50

Tony Hawk's Project 8 immerses players in the definitive skateboarding experience. Know the intensity and pressure of skating against some of the world's top pros, in realistic competitions. Skate against the best in the world and prove you're #1. 

The experience is so real, you don't just skate it... You feel it. Trick through photo shoot locations by watching yourself skate through a picture in picture -- and get the best looking shot More goals, side-missions, and secret areas than any other Tony Hawk game 

Track your stats with new in-game record keeping or just skate how you want to skate. Full 3D body scans of pro athletes and motion captured skateboard tricks.

Hello everyone, I gave this game 4 stars because I liked it and the storyline is good. The game is good it's just like an expansion pack from the 1st one. Pretty much you just pick up where you left off. It has 14 levels of non stop action. It only lasts a few hours but if you really liked the 1st one I suggest you click the pic above and get this one too. Have Fun.

Need for Speed Carbon X-Box (XBox) Video Game $36

I finished the game a mere 8 hours after purchasing it. May be more fun online but the storyline part of the game is way too short. And it seems as the higher you get the worse your car's handling becomes. Blacklist was ten times better and Underground 2 was 5 times better. 

There are a decent amount of cars and customization but the gameplay is really lost in this one. The idea for Carbon Canyon was good but I find that there are certain aspects of the canyon that are just stupid. If you skip a race and come back to it later they still have the same car and if you are driving a Lamborghini you can not overtake them. And they never crash off the cliff and you cannot make them crash. Need for Speed Carbon is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

When playing in co op mode half the time in the upper levels my team-mates cost me races by stopping in front of me or by taking short cuts that get me hit by other cars or the short cut slows me down. The game is only 10% of what it should be.

Justice League Heroes X-Box (XBox) Video Game $38

I've enjoyed a few D.C. comics in my past. JLA and JLI being a few of them. My brother and I spent three days playing this from start to finish and we had a ball.

The music was outstanding! Both of us commented on it several times. Very 'Command & Conquer' sounding.

The powers they had seem just like in the comics. I thought Huntress would be my fave but Zatanna ruled the day for me, with 'tloberif' and 'leah' at her command and my brother as Green Lantern we stormed through a lot of stuff. As you level up your powers they change with it. Zatanna went from one slow firebolt to two swirling ones that pounded the toughest enemies into the ground.

Another cool part is that they switch you around. Superman and Batman start it out and you find the characters you like as the story progresses. You may be Flash and Martian Manhunter fighting something on the ground then switch at the next scene and play Superman and Wonder Woman taking on a convoy of spaceships. Half of the time you get to pick your hero you play as.

Batman and Huntress were weaker than the superhuman... which I know they are. But it got frustrating trying to keep up if the other player is using a superhuman. Justice League Heroes is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

The ones who could fly got to stay up and it didn't drain their power meter, that was a great joy.

The story was wonderful, like you were living out a comic book and you were in control.

I gave JLH five stars for fun, because it was. I wouldn't mind playing it again. I gave it four for overall because they forced a few pairings on us that we hadn't built up to a high enough level and we spent an hour passing what should have been an easy board for us.

Scarface The World Is Yours X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

I truly believe Scarface: The World Is Yours would have been a blockbuster had it not been released after the 360's release. Many of my friends have said to me: "I'd get it if it was out for the 360". While, I totally understand not wanting to revert to the inferior graphics of the PS2 or Xbox, this game warrants at least a rental. 

Scarface: The World is Yours does a lot of really nice things and rivals the fun and ease of play of GTA and Saints Row. While it doesn't compete with the graphics of Saints Row, the depth of game play could easily surpass it. The tutorials are built into the game story nicely and after 2 hours of play time, I realized I was still being tutored. It's that seamless that I didn't even notice it!

The game starts out (if you choose) with a combat tutorial back in the 70s. Tony is in a military boot camp off in Cuba and within five minutes you learn how to target specific parts, obtain balls and to toss yourself into Rage mode. As soon as you complete this level, the game sets you up with the storyline with pictures and quotes from the movie. This was a nice touch as you're watching these; you are also being shown the opening credits. 

If you haven't noticed yet that this game feels like playing the part, you soon will. As soon as the credits and scenes work up to the famous end sequence where Tony says `Say ello to my little friend', you get thrust into the action with enough balls to toss yourself into Rage mode and a quite powerful rifle. Instead of forcing you through the original, you pick up where the ending began and you get to construct an alternate ending. Scarface the World is Yours is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

This was an awesome way to work the storyline of the movie into a game. After all, no one wants to regurgitate what's been done in the movie otherwise we'd just buy the movie!

On to the Game play!
Tony's got the attitude straight out of the movie. He talks tough and vulgar. It's easy to feel like you're really playing the part in the movie and you can talk to anyone on the streets with real voice conversations. Some of these get repetitive, but it's far better than text based conversations.

The majority of the joystick controls are familiar and the tutorials will get you through the navigation several times before ending. My only complaint with the navigation is the Y button is used to exit menus. I'm used to B doing this for most of my Xbox games.

Aiming with the left trigger is pretty easy and when you find yourself unable to see who is shooting yourself, using the left trigger will highlight your target. You can also target specific vitals which will grant more balls. (Balls are used to increase your Rage mode bar)

Rage mode, while it sounded a little corny to me really does give the game the feel of the movie. When your health is getting low, hold down B and you're immediately tossed into a 3rd person viewpoint with unlimited ammo and invulnerability. This can be really helpful to finish off missions.

One of my favorite aspects to Scarface is the feel of building your empire. As you acquire properties, you can install surveillance or goons to protect the property. This is even taken a step further, hire a driver and you can use your cell phone to have him bring you a car. As you get money, Tony's not afraid of using it or flaunting it and this game makes you feel wealthy.

Another item that is unique and interesting is the negotiation meter. As you deal with suppliers, dealers and bankers you use a meter similar to a swing meter or kicking meter in sports games. The closer you get to the end of the meter, the better rate you get and the further (or if you go over) away the worse.

Banks are save points in this game and you can launder money through them on a case by case basis. The better your negotiations, the better the rate and once the money has been cleaned, the cops won't be able to take this money from you. You'll quickly learn that money is something you'll have lots of in this game with many areas to spend it as well. One of the initial missions has you hauling 50k away from a rival to deposit into the bank.

I've only put in three or four hours, but this game is that impressive. I'm still just touching the surface on this title and I highly recommend dusting off the old Xbox and giving this title a try. If this game had come out on the 360, people would have been saying "What is Saints Row?" It's that good and you're only hurting yourself by ignoring it because of the lack of 360 support.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight X-Box (XBox) Video Game $19

I have been using flight simulators since MS Flight Simulator 4.0, and have more diverse experience than only Microsoft's offering to call upon. While any simulator can be made quite realistic with the latest hardware and enough money, it is important to note that Microsoft's offering is no different - you cannot, as they say, make a silk purse out of a pig's ear. This means that if you're running an underpowered system, you will not be able to run the simulation optimally. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 A Century of Flight is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

Published system requirements:
* Pentium 450 or greater processor
* 64 MB RAM for 98/Me, 128 MB RAM for 2000/XP
* 8 MB/3-D with DirectX 7.0 or later video card
* 1.8 GB hard drive space

My recommendation:
* P4 2.x GHz processor; the faster, the better
* 512MB RAM, with ideally 1GB under the hood
* 128MB / 256MB AGP video card that pushes TONS of pixels - the more, the better
* At least 5GB free hard drive space - You'll want to do a full install, and that comes in just under 3GB (2.88GB, I think)

I run on:
* P4 3.0GHz processor
* 1GB RAM
* Windows XP PRO (SP1)
* 256MB 8xAGP GeForce 5700 series NVidia video card
* Sidewinder joystick (soon to go, thanks to some pedals and a yoke I ordered!)
* On-board surround sound processor

The software itself is practically infinitely extendable, with software and hardware add-ons supported. A quick look around in the flight sim community will support my assertion that the software is CHEAP compared to what can be done to augment it. Add-on packages are available to augment FS2004's admittedly weak "ground mesh" mapping - flying through Norway's waterways and coasts with the default scenery is nothing next to the real thing, and pales in comparison to some of the add-on packages (both for photo-texturing and mesh-building) out there. But of course, these things cost money (sometimes), as does building and maintaining a system that can fully take advantage of the software.

This is a SIMULATOR, remember - a dozen years ago something like this with a set of pedals and yoke would have been a BIG deal and far out of the reach of the home consumer. Now, as the bar of admission lowers, it is important to realize just how MANY numbers are being crunched every second (most of those in graphics routines), and spec a system appropriately. It might not be a multi-million dollar prospect to own any longer, but to adequately run the simulator and get something "real" out of it, it is certainly not unheard of to run multi-head (throwing many monitors onto a machine) for a partial panoramic view - but, of course, realism comes at its price.

Splinter Cell Double Agent X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

Before I start, I'd like to first say that this is an actual review of the game by someone who owns and plays the game, not like the above 'review' of someone copying out of the Chaos Theory instruction manual, and saying how good Double Agent WILL be. Splinter Cell Double Agent is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

This game has three major parts to it- Solo, Coop, and Versus, just like Chaos Theory. I wont really be talking much about the Co-op, as it is basically just a continuation of the Chaos Theory coop. However, this time, it feels like there are actually enough missions. There are some new moves, but basically, it feels the same as the CT Coop. So, now, onto single player,

Single Player-

I haven't quite beaten the game yet, so I can't really comment on the heavily hyped multiple endings gameplay. So, to start off, you are in Iceland with a dumbass computer partner. You do a bit of preliminary activities with him, then are boosted into a secret underground base. I personally despise this level, as it is repetitive, not very graphically surprising with its settings (with the exception of the ice caves at the very beginning), and you are not faced with any hard choices, or special challenges. I begrudgingly finished the level, crossing my fingers that the game would improve.

My wish was granted. As soon as I hit the jail level, the game took a surprising turn for the better. There was a trust meter, and although at times it didn't make sense (the JBA wouldn't necessarily trust you less for something they didn't know about), it added another level to the game. 

In one sequence ("Scripted Moments"), I was confronted with the choice to kill a jail yard bully, or to merely knock him out. I chose to kill him to please my new friend, and the consequences were with me almost three levels later (I'll explain this below). 

For one, I was given a higher amount of JBA trust, and thus, a lower level of NSA trust. I was given a gun to fight with in the jail level, but in the level after it, my boss's boss cut me off from some equipment, making that level harder to complete. Getting back to the jail level, the lighting was beautifully designed, and what happened was plausible (there was a riot, creating a diversion, etc). There were many ways of going about things, making that level seem more open ended than most Chaos Theory levels. Also, the optional objectives now have meaning. 

In Chaos Theory it was the percent completed of the level (your score) that you got at the end, but in Double Agent, your mission ends if a trust level goes too low on either end- so you need to carefully weigh out your optional objectives, and usually complete all of them. Some of the levels you will undoubtedly tip your trust level to one side, which angered me a bit, considering you don't have a choice about your primary objectives. 

There is an odd "HQ" mission where you are not allowed to kill anyone, and are pretending to be someone else, so the JBA doesn't suspect you are a double agent. I liked it when a guard would yell at you to surrender, then come to arrest you, and you would rip the gun out of his hand, and perform a pretty cool knockout move on him. Mostly the equipment is the same as CT, with a few added things, like the C-13 something launcher (in the HQ missions), and the EMP grenade rounds that disable electronic devices permanently, but mainly, your kit is the same as in CT. And that is the biggest flaw of this game, and the reason I gave it a 4 out of five stars- there isn't enough new about this game. 

There was the first splinter cell, which had amazing graphics, a pretty new idea, and was amazingly executed- then there was chaos theory, which had ridiculously good graphics, better than any other Xbox game I've seen, as well as an added touch of realism that perfected the package, in addition to the amazingly beautiful lighting, and original settings. Unfortunately, this game wasn't a leap forward- it was just a few steps. 

The graphics are very similar to Chaos Theory, with precious few changes, and the other game elements react in very similar ways to before. However, the trust meter system, the amazingly well done Oshtosk level, and the amount of plot (it actually matters, unlike previous splinter cell games) make for a gigantic amount of replay value, and overall, an enjoyable single player experience.

Versus Mode-
Now this is where Double Agent really makes a breakthrough. I think they sensed at the right time that the old Spy V Merc gameplay was getting a little old, and spiced it up with this new, action packed game. You can play the Multiplayer in many different ways, unlike before. The basic game is Spy v. Spy- two teams, or many individuals- all armed with a reasonably powerful sub-machine gun, and amazing physical abilities are pitted against each other. The gun has a small ammo capacity, and slow firing speed, but it gets the job done at shortish ranges. 

This game is way more fast paced, and the characters are much more agile than before. There are also a ton of lethal close combat moves, which are very fun. For example, you run up to an enemy, you both grab each others throats, then whoever wins a really short minigame first, gets the kill. This ranges from kicking the opponent in the face, to elbowing him in the neck, to snapping his neck. 

Then, there's my favorite, if someone comes up and grabs you from behind, if you're fast enough, you toss them over your shoulders, their head hitting the ground hard, killing them. It definitely makes for a more fast paced, and less steely game, with the usage of weapons, and the lethal close combat moves. It is definitely fun, and the sheer number of maps and game possibilities, makes it fun to play over and over again.

So, all in all, despite the lack of a huge amount of new substance, single player and multiplayer together make for a great gaming package, definitely worth the bucks if you are a fan of the Splinter Cell series, and want to see where it is heading.

-he who has no name.

Superman Returns X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

Disappointing is a word I hate to use when describing something I've waited quite a while for. Unfortunately, I've found myself using it more often than not. When it comes to Star Wars prequels and certain 3rd X-Men movies...well...let's just say I had a lot to be disappointed about. I had very high hopes when I heard about the creation of this game. 

First of all, EA Games was in charge, and they have developed quite a reputation for developing some high quality movie based games (The Two Towers and the Return of the King come to mind, along with their James Bond line). I was even MORE impressed when they delayed the game from its June 30 release to later in the fall. It seems odd that I should be impressed, but they seemed to genuinely care about making a great game as opposed to making money. They didn't feel they could get an impressive Superman Returns video game out in that short amount of time.

So, a new release date was scheduled...November 22nd...around the time of the release of the DVD of Superman Returns. Sure, the wait would be long, but at least EA was putting all their efforts into making a great game, right? Superman Returns is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

The time has finally arrived...not owning an X-Box 360, I purchased the X-Box version of the game, knowing that the main difference between the two was the graphics. I could barely wait. I had read only 2 reviews, one positive, and one with a mediocre response (hopefully this will guide some crazy Superman fans like myself who desperately want to know about this game), so I was going in pretty much open minded.

I'm sorry to say that after their great reputation, EA has managed to disappoint me.

Superman Returns is a valid effort to capitalize on what made the Spider-Man 2 and the Hulk Ultimate Destruction video games popular: a free-roam environment. In that aspect, it triumphs greatly. There are few more enjoyable experiences I've had than flying through the city as Superman. 

The X-Box graphics are great, though not as wonderful as the 360, but I don't really mind...that was my chief concern. Cut scenes look decent, and we get a great introduction level having Superman destroy a few meteors. Somewhere after the big space battle (when you fight numerous aliens), things go horribly wrong.

When Metallo first appears in the city...a robot henchmen begin to attack it non stop. You fight them once...then suddenly...disaster strikes...you head towards the icon to find yourself fighting...more robots. I thought there was something wrong with the X-Box version. What happened to the promises of diverting tornadoes and saving people from natural disasters...car crashes...train wrecks...falling from buildings...ANYTHING BUT CRAZY ROBOTS. I kid you not, fighting robots and putting out fires is the main thing you will do in this game. 

Aside from the boss battles, and main missions...you will fly through the city...see the alert icon...fly towards it...and discover more robots/creatures/mutants/whatever....you're not saving anyone, but you ARE repetitively fighting these monsters.

EA kept saying that this game was going to show us what it was like to be Superman saving people from every day situations...well...where are those every day situations? The most natural disaster in the game happens very rarely...and that's a fire...you can put out the fire with your super breath, and VOILA! You're off to fight more robots/creatures/mutants/whatever.

After all the enthusiasm from the EA games department, I expected so much more from this game. The one thing that's really disappointing is that you really feel as if you're playing something unfinished...the incomplete masterpiece that you were looking forward to experiencing. What you get in its place is a bunch of great ideas all meshed together to form a highly repetitive game. 

Sure, you'll fly around as Superman...but then you'll have to save the city from more robots and monsters...then after you fight a billion of them, you'll gain enough points to go to the NEXT level where you fight *gasp* STRONGER robots and monsters...lucky you! It's not so much a free roam game as it is a very linear game DISGUISED as a free roam game.

I wanted to save people falling off of cliffs...or divert the paths of crashing airplanes. I wanted to save a bridge from collapsing or foil a bank robbery. Isn't this what EA Games promised? The full Superman experience? Instead, this is what I get: A repetitive linear game trying to disguise itself as something it's not. It makes you wonder what all that time between June and November was spent improving.

In the end, is this game fun? Sure...it's fun. I love Superman...I'm one of the biggest fans I know. I absolutely enjoy beating up villains and flying around Metropolis...but I can only take so much of this repetitive game. I was expecting something truly exciting that made me feel like Superman. I wanted an open world where I could decide which disaster to divert. The previews made it seem like you could interact with everything in the environment...well...you can throw cars and rubble and streetlights and that's about it. It would have been nice for a little more depth.

After all this time, this feels like the game that would have been released in June as opposed to one that was delayed to be improved...I suggest it as a rental or if someone else clicks the pic above and buys it for you...great. Other than that, buy at your own peril.

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

After the release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in theaters we got Lego Star Wars; a game that was a lot of fun to play simply because it emulated the movies rather well with all the characters being made entirely from Legos. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is even better for the simple fact of nostalgia. Any Star Wars fan will enjoy this.

You'll begin the game in the Cantina in Mos Eisley. This is the hub, and from there you can go into any of the three episodes and play through them. At the start you'll only be able to choose A New Hope, but after completing the first chapter, you can choose The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi. As you go through the three episodes you'll see some of the most memorable moments of the movies acted out entirely with Legos. These moments aren't only memorable, but they're given a hilarious charm. These moments are also from the actual original versions of the movies as well. In other words, Han Solo DOES shoot first.

The game is visually striking. Seeing your favorite characters from the original Star Wars films as Legos is quite a treat. Not only do you get to have nostalgia with Star Wars, but with Legos as well. Even better are the hilarious antics of most of the scenes. To benefit the nostalgia even more is how John Williams' classic score accompanies each and every level of the game. For a Star Wars fan this game is the ultimate nostalgia. Lego Star Wars II the Original Trilogy is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

As you play through each of the classic episodes, you'll be in control of several characters. Not all at once, but you'll end up having to switch. At times you may only have two characters, at others there may be as many as seven in your party at once. Your characters, depending on who they are, also have their own unique skills they can use. Jedi for example, can double jump and use the force. Those who wield blasters have a grappling hook that allows them to ascend to accessible platforms. The droids can open up special doors for you. 

Other characters, like the Jawas and Ewoks will be able to go into vents and access areas the other characters can't. In all actuality, they're really no different than their counterparts in the original Lego Star Wars. Also like the original Lego Star Wars, you'll constantly have to switch between characters in order to get through each and every area. You'll have to switch to R2-D2 to open up a door, for example. More than one person can play at a time, which is also really cool. You can also beat up your allies if you wish, and they respawn instantly. The gameplay isn't completely the same, though, there have been some small tweaks made here and there.

The additions to the gameplay aren't huge, but they are welcome. As you progress through levels all your characters may be able to assemble certain materials together to form a droid to help them fight. In the original Lego Star Wars this ability was only given to the Jedi, but here everyone can do it. There are also moments when you'll have to dress up as a stormtrooper in order to gain access through certain doors. You'll also be given the chance at some point to dress up as a bounty hunter and you'll be able to use Thermal Detonators. 

Characters also have their own unique abilities. Chewie, for example, can rip a stormtroopers arms right out of his sockets. All of these are welcome additions, and that's not even all there is to the gameplay. From time to time you'll be in command of vehicles. Landspeeders, the Millennium Falcon, the X-Wing and more as you take on some of the more memorable moments from the film, like destroying the death star.

It will probably only take you five hours at the very least to complete the story mode of all three episodes. However, Lego Star Wars II is full of extras. Each time you dispatch an enemy, whether it be in story mode or not, you'll earn money. You can also destroy certain objects and obtain money. You can use the money you gain to purchase cheats and hidden characters. Each time you get a new character they'll walk around in the hub, and you can switch to them. "Purchasing" characters isn't the only way to get them. You could easily just use one in story mode and you've got him or her. You'll also get hidden characters if you've got save data from the original Lego Star Wars. Just unlocking all the characters takes a lot of time.

The importance of unlocking characters is so you can play through certain aspects of the free play mode. There are places that in story mode the default characters couldn't reach. These hidden characters might be able to reach it, though, and so you will find yourself playing through levels again. The good news is these levels are so much fun that playing through a second, third or even fourth time is no hassle at all.

Free mode also offers a way for you to customize what a character looks like. You could put Yoda's head on Luke Skywalker's body, for example. This is mostly just a lot of fun to mess around with. Some combinations are just all out crazy. You could, for example, put Chewbacca's head on Leia's body from when she's wearing the slave outfit in Return of the Jedi. This really doesn't do a whole lot for the gameplay as a whole, but it is quite fun to mess around with, and the combinations are endless.

The only real problem with this game that I can really think of is that there is little, if any, challenge at all. Each time you die you respawn right where you left off and you have infinite lives. There's really no such thing as a game over. If you die the only penalty is that you lose money. However, the sheer fun factor of the game is enough to do away with that, and still makes Lego Star Wars II a treat.

Lego Star Wars II surpasses the original in just about everyway. It's a Star Wars game for the classic trilogy done with instant perfection. If you love the original Star Wars movies, you'll definitely want this game.

Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4 Bundle X-Box (XBox) Video Game $50

DDR Ultramix 4 continues the series, this time also offering super-easy levels for beginners, as well as hard content for advanced players. It also has online competitive modes, as well as downloadable song packs.

Since debuting in Japanese arcades in the late 1990s, Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series has become a phenomenon rarely matched in the video game world. Home versions of the game cropped up in North American beginning in 2001, and console releases have continued pouring out in a steady stream ever since. 

In keeping with Konami's strategy of creating distinct versions of DDR for different consoles, the Xbox's Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4 has no ties to any arcade DDR machines (beyond a few coincidental song overlaps). The game takes advantage of Xbox Live features, and lets you play with up to three other dancers, chatting all the while with the XBL headset. 

In addition, the game supports new song-pack downloads. As an added bonus, if you own previous Ultramix entries and have downloaded older song packs for those games, those songs will be automatically added to your Ultramix 4 song list. In addition, the game will feature new modes such as a super easy mode for true beginners. Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4 Bundle is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

The next-gen debut for the series, Dance Dance Revolution Universe, is looking to take the concept of song downloads to the next level. In older Xbox versions of the game, song packs were only downloadable in packs of five (because the minimum transaction in the first of Xbox Live was five bucks). 

Though song packs look to still be a part of DDR Universe, we're hoping that, now that microtransactions are a part of the Xbox 360 version of XBL, we'll be able to download individual songs for the game. It would be even better if you could preview a tune before purchasing it, to make sure it fit your DDR style. As for now, game producers are still working out the structure for downloading new tunes for DDR Universe.

Things we do know for sure about Universe, however, are that you have the ability to create your own dance routines for the game and then upload them to a server, where folks can download them and try them out for themselves. Of course, you are able to upload new steps for yourself, as well. 

In addition, the game features extended mixes of groups of songs for use in marathon dance sessions. In past games you could mix songs together, but there would be a brief pause as each new song loaded up. In Universe, each song sequence has been specifically mixed to transition smoothly from one tune to the next, which should help you burn off those extra calories in the process. 

Finally, the game includes play for up to four players offline and online, as well as enhanced versions of popular features such as workout, quest, and party mode.

NHL 07 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $30

most of us cut our teeth on NHL Hockey for Sega Genesis back in the day, (okay, maybe Ice Hockey or Blades Of Steel on 8-bit NES) and EA's juggernaut has been lumbering forwards (sometimes sideways, rarely backwards) ever since. as gamers face another change of seasons and another "next-gen" console war, we're faced with the last few iterations on the current Xbox/PS2. 

now the current gen of NHL has been fairly well maligned, and since 2003 properly so. given EA's seeming lack of interest in making this series sparkle one has to wonder if the waning months of Xbox will yield some seriously scary results. fortunately, we're lucky to have been graced with a winner.

for me, the worst part of the last few versions of NHL has been the mechanical quality of it: Y = big hit anywhere on the ice, one-timers = automatic goals, hold down sprint at all times, the sum total of these maxims is to make the game less like real hockey and more like a cheap cardboard lookalike. but this time around we get some refinements. 

passing is now done with the right analog stick. this will take time to learn, but once you do, it's really intuitive and makes the game flow more like real hockey. sprinting is still an advantage, but doing it now results in the puck dangling just out of reach as you speed to catch up with it, resulting in more opportunities for the D to snatch it away. NHL 07 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

big hits are still around, but thankfully don't overpower the finesse of the game. and thankfully, one-timers are toned down (something i can't say about the latest from EA's rival, NHL 2K7) which will make you work the puck a bit more. 

i must bring up the fact that the Xbox360 version of the game gets a totally revamped stick handling system that really does redefine console hockey, but I'm sure if you cared you'd be reading that review instead. as for this edition, the graphics & sound remain mostly unchanged from the '06 version.

so don't consider this edition a wholesale change, think of it as refining a smattering of things that result in the game feeling less like an exercise in "how many cheesy moves can i pull off without feeling guilty" and more like "wow, NHL hasn't felt this much like real hockey since the Pens won their first Cup!"

Capcom Classic Collection V 2 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $20

Volume 2!! This is another awesome collection of games from the golden era of arcade! Many games here were made for NES and SNES, but now we get REAL arcade versions!

Each game looks wonderful and comes with history info, unlockable art, tips, cast, and music. You can adjust the screen, difficulty, etc.... Progress can be saved anytime during gameplay. Multiple players can play the shooter and brawler games together for more fun. These games really test your reflexes. Most games have beautiful graphics. The game designers' vivid imagination shines. I hope Capcom will make a volume 3 with Dark Stalkers. Capcom Classic Collection is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

Here are the machines:

1941:Counter Attack. A vertical shooter. You shoot up German WW2 planes, ships, vehicles, etc... Good game.

Avengers: A vertical brawler. Average game.

Black Tiger: A horizontal platformer similar to Ghosts 'n Goblins series. Medieval setting. Good game.

Block Block: A ping-pong game similar to Arachnid (not sure of the spelling). Good game.

Captain Commando: A horizontal brawler similar to Streets of Rage, Golden Axe and Final Fight. You can pick up cool guns, operate robots (similar to riding on beasts from Golden Axe). Enemy design could be better. Good game.

Eco Fighter: A zany horizontal shooter. Control is similar to Forgotten Worlds. Nice graphics. I think this game was never released in U.S. arcades because it speaks Japanese. Great game.

The King of Dragons: A horizontal brawler with medieval setting. Some RPG elements because you level up various statistics. Bigger and better weapons/armors are acquired as you progress. Nice graphics. Great game.

Knights of The Round: A medieval horizontal brawler. Bigger and better weapons/armors are acquired as you progress. Nice graphics. Great game.

Last Duel: A futuristic shooter. Decent game.

Magic Sword: A simple medieval horizontal brawler. You unlock jail doors to recruit fellow fighters that act like satellite. Good game.

Mega Twins: A cute cartoon horizontal platformer. I think this was never released in U.S. arcades. Great game.

Quiz & Dragons: A trivia game. Good game.

Side Arms: Hyper Dyne. A futuristic horizontal shooter. You control a jet pack wearing hero then combine with another jet suit for more cool fire power. Average game.

Street Fighter: The original fighter game. The original arcade machine have 2 big 'power' sensitive buttons, the hitting strength determined heavy, medium or light attack. You literally get a work-out playing this game. Funky control with cheesy yet funny voice actor. Good game.

Strider: A futuristic horizontal platformer. You control a futuristic Ninja with sword slash attack. Awesome graphics. Cool design. Great game.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo: A fighter game. Similar to earlier Street Fighter II games with more characters like Cammy, Fei Long, T. Hawk, and Dee Jay. There is NO loading time between matches. Great game.

The Speed Rumbler: A top-view driving shooter. You control a land vehicle. Horrible game.

Three Wonders: It's actually 3 games in one. Platform, shooter, and puzzle. The puzzle game is similar to Pengo, you push blocks to crush enemies. The horizontal platform and shooter games are great, the puzzle one decent.

Tiger Road: A horizontal brawler similar to Trojan. Medieval Far-East setting. Good game.

Varth: A futuristic vertical shooter. Good game.

This is a must buy for all REAL gamers. Old school gamers will absolutely love it. Thanks Capcom for making this game!

Madden NFL 07 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $36

There's a lot of different opinions of Madden NFL 07 swirling around so I figured I would get in on it as well. For my money, to just have a new football game is worth it. Seeing as how Madden is now the only football game available from year to year, if you don't like Madden's brand of video games then I feel so sorry for you. However, I think this is a great installment. By no means is this the best released but there's no doubt that it's a lot of fun.

Have Madden 06? You basically have 07. Not a lot has changed from last year. The few things are the running options (juking and whatnot) being moved to the right joystick, the 50 yard dash on the training camp, and the new camera angle for your Superstar linebacker. Also, while I've only played a quarter of an exhibition game and a lot of Superstar games, I still have yet to hear John Madden. I don't know if he's not on this game or not, but if he isn't that just makes no sense. Madden NFL 07 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

Pros:
It's still Madden
Linebacker view
Overall Superstar: Hall Of Fame feature
Having all the big name rookies is kind of nice

Cons:
It hasn't changed much from last year

Yeah, that's my only big complaint. I can't help but love this game though. If you're looking to save money then there's no huge reason to click the pic above and buy this unless you HAVE to play with Leinart, Young, Bush, and Williams, then by all means check this out. However, if not having those guys doesn't bother you then you really don't need this year's game.

College Hoops 2K7 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $20

I have five things to say about this game:

1. Tons of layup, jump shot and dunk animations
2. Great atmosphere
3. Silky smooth gameplay

4. College Hoops 2K7 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.
5. Great features (post season NIT, user controlled layup line, chant creator)
6. A must buy for all college basketball fans

Stubbs The Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse X-Box (XBox) Video Game $30

Really. If you're a zombie fan, you have to click the pic above and get this. Basically, the game involves you going around, biting people's brains out (with a beautiful and over the top blood spray every single time.)

That sounds like it could get old, but it doesn't. Not when you have a horde of zombies following you. Not when the characters are always screaming hilarious things as you maim them or devour their brains. Not when you can throw gut grenades, life-stunning flatulance (which makes it a piece of cake to get those oh-so-satisfying brain bites), roll your head at people and explode it, or rip your hand off to possess people.

It's all great. Think you may wind up with some trouble in the next room? Well, instead of killing a guy in this one with a brain bite, rip off your hand, possess him, and use his gun to go blast away the enemies in the next room. Need to take a break? Push your zombie horde out in front of you and let them do most of the work for a while. Getting overwhelmed? Pull out some innards and let 'em rip, sending the cops flying.

And there's vehicles to cause carnage in. Awesome, gruesome carnage. And, as a nice little touch, your zombies will jump in next to you if there's room for them in the vehicle. Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

Great humor, GREAT gore, and great gameplay. The story is a little lacking, but you'll hardly notice that as you're going for another brain bite.

If you're not a zombie fan, I don't see any way you'll be hooked to this game, though. But that should be obvious regarding a game where you play a zombie....

Destroy All Humans 2 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

The Destroy All Humans series is brilliant. With #2, you are now in the 1960s, with hippies and KBG agents all around you.

If you didn't play the original Destroy All Humans games, it involved gray, big-eyed aliens coming down to earth in the 1950s. You ran around reading their thoughts, taking over their minds, and slaying them. Half of the fun was the incredibly funny sense of humor in the game as you interacted with these humans of the 50s.

With Destroy All Humans 2, we jump forward to the 1960s. The President of the US (JFK) was apparently a female-loving space alien. The KBG realize this and try to help out. The next thing you know, the aliens are on attack again - and you're in charge. You run around city maps, watching as hippy chicks shout out "Back off, Pig!" and reading their minds. You can mentally throw objects, take over bodies, and much more.

This game is much more "active" than other adventure games - you have to hammer on buttons to get actions to occur. You can't just passively press one button and be all set. Destroy All Humans 2 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

The graphics are great. You really get immersed into the world of the 60s, with the appropriate cars, the hippy vans, the murals painted on walls. The outfits people wear are super. There are the traditional items to collect, objectives to achieve and people to slay. But again, most of the fun is in what you hear along the way. The commentary is hilarious. The thoughts you overhear can get you laughing out loud.

If humans happy to see you doing something "alieny", you can zap them with free love - and the daisies dancing in their brain, along with the hippy music, will soon distract them from any troublesome thoughts of gray aliens.

Even better, if you have a friend come and visit, you can do co-op play!

Now, there are a few anachronisms - didn't "Love the One you're With" come out in 1970? Or maybe they're saying Stephen Stills got his inspiration from a hippy dude named The Freak. In any case, I'm sure Destroy All Humans 3 will be set in the 70s, so we'll get enough of that soon enough. In the meantime, be sure to click the pic above and get your hands on this version, and help bring peace to the world!

NASCAR 2007 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

First, one thing needs to be put out of the way before I start this review. NASCAR Racing 2003 by Papyrus for the PC is a vastly superior game, that's pretty much accepted in the sim racing world. However, comparing NR2003 to NASCAR 07 or other releases is like comparing apples to oranges. Platform games are, in nature, supposed to appeal to a wider audience than PC games, which is probably one of the reasons why EA's NASCAR releases are not as realistic as they can (and really should) be.

All that said, I clicked the pic above and bought this game because I had recently got an XBox and wanted at least one game I could play on it. I have not played NASCAR 06, I was somewhat scared away by reviews of it, but I do own NASCAR Chase For The Cup 2005 for the PS2. Needless to say, I was disappointed (but not surprised) to see little difference in how the cars in the game looked. Same old same old. 

Playing the game is much like putting on an old pair of shoes. Even with my limited experience using an XBox controller and the format which to accelerate and brake, I was able to get comfortable quickly with the game and be competitive in little time.

Some gripes about the game, I really hate the fact that you cannot use single or double digit numbers when making your own custom car/truck. You can only use numbers between 100 and 199. Absolutely ridiculous. NASCAR 2007 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

Secondly, I hate the phony field filling cars that are in all the divisions, I always have. I don't think that adding a bunch of lesser known drivers would do anything but help the game. It would be fun to try to take Morgan Shepard's car to the Nextel Cup title. Also, it is pretty disappointing that there are so few real teams and drivers in the Busch and especially the truck series. And the lack of alternate paint schemes for Cup drivers is pretty disappointing too.

Continuing with the gripes, I fail to understand why the trucks still all look like a Ford F150. Why can't EA get the rights to make the trucks have their own shapes like the Cup and Busch cars do? It can't be that expensive if it is at all. Also, the fake sponsors in the game are just stupid. I never use them when making my own cars. Only real life sponsors should be in the game, not a bunch of phony ones. 

Spyhunter: Nowhere to Run X-Box (XBox) Video Game $20

Prepare to be hunted!

This game Rockkkssss!!!!. Just kidding, but it is a surprise that one working title like SpyHunter really had good fun. the past SpyHunter 1 and 2 never had the function of letting the pilot go away and do your action stuff. Well these days are over, the character of the rock made all his moves here, break neck, spine and put away teeth easily, and he got the help of big firepower, machine guns, shotguns, bazookas, etc. The graphics are amazing and a way step further to the XBox, some little problem in the control scheme, but nothing to worry too much.

Good game to play and buy if you had the money. Spyhunter Nowhere to Run is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

Yeah, hate to say it - but the Xbox version looks WORSE than the PS2 version. Blocky, poor controls, poor production. I am sorry, but having "the rock" in the game just couldn't save it.

They try focusing on the character outside of the car rather than making the car part good - and that just makes the game feel like generic game #222.

0/10 for effort. Don't waste your time - even if you were just going to rent it.

Legend of Spyro X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

I was looking forward to this title as were my children as we have played all the previous Spyro's and even kept some still to replay. I have to say we were severely disappointed. They took out all the best parts to Spyro. 

First off it is not really a platformer type game anymore and the puzzles are almost non existent and what few there are you are given instructions on how to make it work. Then there are the waves and waves of endless enemies. almost non stop. Gone as well are the distinctive races for each world. Legend of Spyro is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

Spyro is no longer a fun family game. What you now have is a linear fighting game. They even added in wu fighting moves and slowmo when doing certain combos. All in all the charm of the original is missing. I highly doubt our family will be buying anymore Spyro titles. if you want a good kids game go for Spyro Enter the Dragonfly or A Hero's Tale both were fun.

I have played all the other Spyro games and enjoyed them greatly. This one is terrible!! Not even worth renting! They have turned it into a fighting game and not even a good one.

NBA Live 07 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $25

Once the initial luster of shooting hoops during load screens and seeing realistic players drenched in sweat wore off, flaws such as missing features and impossible-to-make free throws made NBA Live 06 on the Xbox 360 a letdown. EA has addressed many of these problems in NBA Live 07, adding several game modes and superstar controls, but many key issues remain. As a result, NBA Live 07 again comes off as unpolished; it just happens to have more ways to experience the rough edges.

NBA Live 07 boots straight to the practice gym, where you can warm up your moves with Tracy McGrady. Here you can select from a number of game modes via the well-designed menus. Play now, season, and online return from Live 06, and new this year are dynasty mode and the NBA all-star weekend. The all-star weekend includes the rookie challenge game, three-point shoot-out, slam-dunk contest, and of course, the all-star game. The dunk contest is easily the highlight of the weekend mode due to its depth and the large number of great-looking dunks you can perform.

Dynasty mode places you in the role of general manager for the team of your choice. After hiring an assistant coach, assistant, trainer, and scout, it's off to training camp where you set your team's training priorities. Over the course of a season, you can use your staff in a number of ways. Assistant coaches can research rumors and schedule team events, assistants work with players to improve their skills, trainers help players heal faster, and scouts can evaluate talent year-round in preparation for the draft. NBA Live 07 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

In addition to monitoring players' happiness and overall team chemistry, you'll need to keep an eye on their fatigue levels to make sure they don't get too worn out over the course of the season. If you're looking to improve your team via a trade, you can do so. Another way to better your squad is through the draft--a process made easier if you keep your scouts busy during the year. Your team can still perform well if you don't keep your staff occupied every day, but putting in the work will yield tangible results.

Introduced on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox last year, but new to NBA Live on the Xbox 360, are "total freestyle controls." Each superstar player is designated as having one or more of the superstar abilities--high flyer (great dunks), scorer (athletic layups), playmaker (fancy passes), post (power dunks), and shooter (variety of jumpers). The best of the best have three levels of skills, as well as another set when they're "in the zone." These additional tiers let them pull off even fancier feats of skill. 

Level-one freestyle moves are performed by holding LB and either pushing a direction on the right analog stick or pressing a face button. The level-one moves are easy enough to do, and while some are more useful than others, they add a lot of variety and pizzazz to the game. The additional levels of freestyle control look slightly cooler but aren't any more useful. Once again, EA has failed to provide an adequate instruction manual, so the only way to learn these moves is by trial and error or by going into the control-settings menu every time you want to try something new. You can change players' abilities on the fly, but you won't need to do so very often.

Despite several changes and additions, NBA Live 07's gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. The basic controls are easy to learn, and freestyle control, which is mapped to the right analog stick, feels great. Using the stick to perform advanced ball-handling moves is cool, and it's just as intuitive when turning a normal jumper into a fade away or stealing the ball. On-court actions are often difficult to execute due to frequently unresponsive controls--specifically, controls unrelated to the freestyle control method. This is made worse by players frequently getting stuck in animations, most often when backing the ball down or when double-teamed in the post. 

Dunks and layups are now mapped to the X and Y buttons, respectively. This is supposed to add a risk/reward element to your shot selection, but the concept is poorly executed since there's no consistent method to figure out if you'll be able to make a dunk. If you elect to dunk and your player isn't going to make it, a good portion of the time he'll switch to a layup, and when he doesn't, he'll clank the ball off the rim--a frequent occurrence. 

Hop steps aren't well implemented, mostly because they tend to move your player away from the basket rather than closer. Layups and the hop step are both mapped to the Y button (hold for a layup and tap for a hop step), so it's easy to end up taking a shot when you wanted to hop step. Thankfully, free throws aren't impossible this year.

When playing against the CPU, the overall pace of play is slightly faster than that of a real NBA game. It's not the dunkfest that Live 06 was, but even on the highest difficulty, it's still not particularly taxing to get to the rim. Offensive players do a nice job of filling the lanes on a fast break, and they work hard to get open in the half-court offense. Should you want to run a specific play, you can call one via the D pad. 

Defensively, the CPU is aggressive, rotating quickly, fighting through picks, and double-teaming often. There are also lots of gameplay quirks. Players don't get back on defense quickly, and they'll also routinely chase and then grab the ball out of bounds when they weren't the last one to touch it. Rebounds often fall to the ground untouched, and players frequently dribble with their backs to the basket when they're unguarded at the top of the key.

Players don't "skate" around the court as much as in the past, thanks to new physics that take momentum into account. This is also theoretically supposed to keep players from changing directions in the blink of an eye; however, it's not uncommon to see a player erupt from standing completely stationary into a high-flying dunk. 

The new system also causes some bizarre collisions under the basket and makes it extremely difficult for a defender to keep a quick player like Allen Iverson from driving right on by. To make up for the difficulty of changing directions on defense, offensive players frequently get sucked into defenders, slamming into them repeatedly.

NBA Live 07 isn't a bad game, but it is disappointing. Live 06 had many of the pieces needed to make a great basketball game, but rather than improving those specific pieces, EA added more parts and didn't make any of the old stuff much better. All the new game modes are nice, but the lack of noticeable improvement in how the game plays means you probably won't want to spend a whole lot of time with them.

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas X-Box (XBox) Video Game $20

I've beaten both versions of San Andreas (ps2/Xbox) and I can honestly say that it is the greatest game I've ever played. Anyone who disagrees with me has obviously never played it all the way through or they used cheats to do so. GTA San Andreas is all out amazing and blows any game out there away. That is of course until a new GTA game comes out for the Ps3 or Xbox 360. If you've never played a GTA game or you didn't like the other GTA games, you still have to play San Andreas.

Sure, it's so inappropriate it's laughable, but that's not the point. This is a revolutionary game, with probably one of the biggest worlds ever made in videogames. The radio is amazing, the story makes sense, and even though it's a GTA game, it still has family values. CJ tries to find out who killed his mom with his brother as they bring the Grove Street Families back from the grave. Excellent! Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Version 2.0 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

People don't buy this game because it teaches them great values, they click the pic above and buy it because it's a great game. It's not like after beating this game, I'm gonna go grab an AK-47 and go on a police massacre. 

NHL 2K7 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $20

2K7 is only slightly revamped from the 2K6 version. The main changes are the look of the Menus (why?), the in-game camera, and game presentation.

The menu change was pointless, and adds nothing to the game. There is actually less pre-game info. Instead of rating the two teams from 1-100, the ratings are single digit, which shows less disparity. Also, the Season/Franchise set up screens are flashier, which only distracts from setting up the game. I want those screens to be simple and straight forward.

For some reason there seems to be more players without a real photo. No big deal, but it shouldn't be that hard to get NHL player photos. NHL 2K7 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

The moving in-game camera is nice. It takes a little getting used to, but shows more of the action - especially in 2 player co-op mode. If one person is near the net, and the other is near the blue line, the camera will pull back and give more of an angle to better show both players.
On ice looks the same, but the skaters seem to flow a little better.

There is also the option to have music during the game instead of the announcers. I have not tried this yet since I have almost as much fun back-talking the announcers as I do playing the game.

Overall, NHL 2K7 is still the best hockey available, and I play it as much as any game I have. I would have liked to have seen more game improvements and less cosmetic changes this year, but I guess since it wasn't broke, 2K Games decided that it did not need to be fixed.

NCAA Football 2007 X-Box (XBox) Video Game $40

This 2007 version seems to be very similar, in fact, the in game graphics look just like last year's game with a few new player movements added in. The 2007 version also has "spring game" added in the dynasty mode and some new minigames. Both games are very good but if you already have NCAA 2006 then I wouldn't recommend buying NCAA 2007.

Once again EASports has put out a game worthy of praise. While some of the new features have taken a little getting used to, the kicking game for one, overall it is an entertaining and great game to kill an evening with.

Oh FYI to ignorants that have complained about Bush being on the cover. Do some research, as far back as I can remember, all previous NCAA College Football covers have been of players that left the previous year. It's called being unable to specifically market NCAA players, thus no names of players in the game. NCAA Football 2007 is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

I clicked the pic above and bought 07 with the highest expectations and have owned every NCAA since Super Nintendo. The game should not change so radically in a year and still feel so cheap. The helmet on some players turn from Revolution to classic and I have even seen some players turn from black to white! 

The momentum feature is just cheap looking. The ability to pump up the crowd is now not available if you play a defensive lineman. Only LB's and DB's can pump the crowd so that is a lost option when I play. The kicking game was the best I had seen in a football game. This new style using the right stick is terrible. It is like so many other tries at making a kicking game where you might as well close your eyes and hope for the best. This new kicking game ruins strategy because you can't rely on field goals or even extra points. 

The new graphics feel cheap compared to 06 and frankly I will stay with 06 until I see better. EA has done some nice things with this franchise and each year they made small adjustments to try to perfect a game that was almost perfect in my opinion but have totally ruined it. If you hold the licensing for a franchise you should be held accountable. 

EA has taken a giant step backwards in football play with NCAA 07 and I hope they will fix this for 08 but I will be sure to rent it first before I waste my money on another terrible edition.

Painkiller: Hell Wars X-Box (XBox) Video Game $30

Talk about an unlikely release! When the Xbox port of the hellbound PC FPS Painkiller was announced 57 years ago (seems like that long!), it caused quite a bit of excitement. The initial enthusiasm eventually faded due to delay after delay, and with the arrival of the new wave of consoles, there were even rumblings that the Xbox version would be scrapped in favor of next-gen incarnations.

But things often happen unexpectedly. Seemingly out of nowhere, Painkiller: Hell Wars has been belched forth from the underworld, and even though the timing is poor and the quality is rough, there can't be a better way to bid farewell to the black monolith of the Xbox, the machine that made console FPSes a genre to pay attention to.

Painkiller: Hell Wars begins with a gripping opening scene, in which CGI actors display heights of emotion never before seen.....yeah right. Your character dies and goes to Hell, and someone tells you to "kill everything that moves and destroy Hell's generals." Sign the pact, and let's get to business already! Painkiller Hell Wars is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

You're cast headlong into a series of themed levels, from a graveyard to a cathedral and beyond, with waves of enemies trying to take you out. Kill em before they kill you, soldier - that's the long and short of it, the beginning and end, the reason for everything. Luckily, you've got some fun weapons to use, from the Pin-Em-To-The-Wall stake gun to the Spinning-Blade-Of-Death painkiller, and lots of enemies to use them on. AI is nonexistent, with the zombies, skeletons, wraiths, hellhounds, and whatever charging at you mindlessly. Graphical detail and artistry aren't amazing (although the massive bosses are cool, and there are many enemy types), but the amount of action onscreen is always impressive, and the game moves at a breakneck pace.

Developer People Can Fly has implemented some gameplay details that more FPSes should contain. PK:HW is basically a hybrid of Doom, Castle Wolfenstein, and Serious Sam. This means you have the hell-themed levels and enemies of Doom, the hidden secrets of Wolfenstein, and the hordes of enemies of Serious Sam. Quite an intoxicating and effective combination! The game constantly keeps track of your score and collected gold, and will even tell you if you are missing any secrets in each level. Since you have to kill all enemies to advance, you're allowed the opportunity to explore once they're all dead, and once you're satisfied, you enter the portal leading to the next stage. Kind of nice to have the choice.

Breaking items gets you gold, and gold lets you power up Tarot cards, which give you various useful power-ups. These aren't necessary to finish the game, but they can make things easier, and give those gaming completists out there plenty of stuff to hunt for.

In addition, there are multiple difficulty levels, with some areas only accessible on the higher ones, and there are more secrets on the tougher ones as well. All this means there's some attractive replay value here, more so than most entries in the genre.

Speaking of replay, PK packs some serious multiplayer action as well, via system link or over XBOX Live. Multiplayer was a highlight of the PC version, and it works just as well here, although split-screen and campaign co-op would have been awesome additions.

Painkiller: Hell Wars seems like a rushed release, with entire levels being left out from the PC version, along with rough graphics, minimal music, limited multiplayer options, and a general lack of atmosphere. However, it's available at a low price point, has plenty of gameplay, and let's admit it, chewing through crowds of demons with a spinning, wrist-mounted blade is just fun as.....errr....hell.

Thanks are due to People Can Fly and Dreamcatcher, because they really didn't have to release this title, but since it had been in development for so long, they probably figured they owed it to everyone who'd been looking forward to it. Nice to see a developer and publisher pay attention to the fans in this period of scant new releases!

Recommendation: if you are a FPS fan who's played Halo to death and are waiting for the holiday storm of new titles to hit, do yourself a favor and click the pic above and pick up Painkiller: Hell Wars. It's an enjoyable demonic ride, and it'll remind you just how far console first-person shooters have come during the Xbox's life-cycle.

Star Wars Battlefront II X-Box (XBox) Video Game $20

The original Battlefront was a good game, even a great game, for the true Star Wars fan. For the first time ever, you got to be a lowly grunt in the Star Wars epic, using your trusty blaster to make a difference. You weren't a specially trained commando, or a Jedi - you were some dude in a uniform, or in some cases, a droid. Battlefront should be credited with glorifying the poor saps that actually did 99% of the dirty work in the Clone Wars and the Rebellion, saps with names like Jans Hanotar, Omicron 643 and THX 113.

Battlefront II is less about the grunts, and more geared to the hero-worship that fuels the Star Wars universe. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - the new playable Jedi heroes, in addition to a slew of other changes from the original, make Battlefront II a significantly different, and better, game than its predecessor. And at its heart, it's still about the one Stormtrooper who made good against all odds...I mean, the one Stormtrooper that blasted a whole bunch of Rebels and retired to Coruscant. Star Wars Battlefront II is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics and sounds are markedly similar to the original, and that's all that needs to be written - still stellar, visually and audibly. That being said, here's my take on what's different elsewhere and what it means.

The Troops and Their Gear

The four factions (The Clones, the CIS, The Imperials, and the Alliance) are back, and instead of five troop classes, we now have six with the addition of the new "commander" class, While the commander class is a significant addition, the bigger change here is the elimination of the pilot class from ground combat, which gives rise to the engineer class.

Anyone who loves close combat (and fusion cutters) will love the engineer class, pure and simple. Armed only with a shotgun (the odd `blast cannon' laser-shotguns from the original have been replaced by a very 20th-century combat shotty), the engineer can mow down the opposition with well-aimed fury, in addition to dispensing ammo and health to those that do not make fun of his fusion cutter and inability to automatically repair vehicles. He also gets remotely detonated explosives for those times when you absolutely have to blow something up from a distance.

The rest of the troops have minor changes to their gear. The sniper rifle is standardized across factions (two zooms, six rounds), and snipers now deploy `auto-turrets' (mostly harmless floating orbs equipped with a blaster) instead of recon droids. Recon droids, now the providence of the commander class, no longer call in orbital strikes, but instead blow themselves up. Keeping with the theme, Pandemic blew up the grenade/concussion grenade/EMP grenade trio and has given combatants the thermal detonator, which is effective against man and machine alike. Additionally, snipers and heavy troops now only have two thermal detonators, while the regular infantry dude (not you, Super Battle Droid, not you) now gets four across the board.

The big loser here is the heavy (rocket) class, getting a big tune-down. His rocket launcher (which is standardized across factions) no longer homes or double loads, and the thing takes an awfully long time to reload. Still, it does the trick against densely packed groups of enemies and unwitting vehicles. Mines, one of my favorite toys from the original, sadly now come with safety lights. Yes, for thirty seconds after they're deployed, a mine shines a can't-miss red light so the enemy knows not to step on them. Since when did consumer advocate groups get into made-up ordinance? At least they still explode with a satisfying pop.

Since there's more emphasis this time around on down and dirty combat, the jet trooper class (Imperials and Clones) suffers. They get less armor, fewer grenades, and seem marginalized in the grand scheme of things. Their mobility advantage has been lessened by the "sprint" feature available to all classes, and the Dark Trooper has been given the awkward ARC Caster. While good in close versus large groups of foes, it's useless beyond close range, and a pain to charge. The Jet Trooper's EMP just ain't what it used to be, as well.

Finally, the all-new commander class is a bit scary. The Clone Commander comes equipped with a chain gun that, well, does what a chain gun might be expected to do. It shreds - Jedis, robots, your teammates that walk through the stream of ordinance. It is, however, ineffective against vehicles. The MagnaGuard, no longer wielding his force pike, now wields an EMP launcher and the hard-to-use-but-worth-it radiation launcher. 

If any one class is capable of hurling glowing ordinance all over the place, it's the MagnaGuard, who also has the weird ability to poison clones that get too close. The Imperial Officer has the rad launcher's deadly cousin, the grenade launcher, and a decent but none-too-awesome sonic blaster. Finally, the Bothan Spy has the special ability of going into stealth mode and releasing his deadly disintegrator (think flamethrower), but he has no long-range weaponry and looks like a hideous camel-human hybrid...George Lucas must have had a personal hand in his development.

The Jedi and Their Famous Friends

There's no need to go to heavily into this - the Jedi and other `hero' characters (i.e., Solo, Leia, Jango Fett) are available during Instant Action mode after enough points are scored, and in Galactic Conquest mode only if they are activated via a bonus.

The verdict? They rule. They rule with violence. Whether you get your kicks choking someone to death with Vader or lighting them ablaze with one of the Fetts, the Jedi/hero class is almost uniformly deadly and a blast to play (only one hero so far, Chewbacca, seemed pedestrian and not worth using).

They're not invincible, either - using a Jedi/hero forces the player into an accelerated mindset, because you light a fuse the moment you choose to become one. Kill to live, as it were - exciting and a great addition.

Planetary Destinations and the Exciting Vehicles You'll Find There

Much was made pre-release about two things: 1) many maps are re-used, and 2) every planet only has one map (with the exception of Tatooine). First off, many of the `re-used' maps have been altered, some radically - Geonosis is no longer the Geonosis of yesteryear, and Kashyyyk bears no resemblance to Battlefront's home of the Wookies. Two planets have disappeared together - Battlefront II won't let you duke it out on Bespin or Rhen Var. Alas.

But the volume of new maps is decent and the emphasis has shifted from epic scale to claustrophobia. Is this a good thing? Yes, if you like closer quarters. No, if you prefer hiking for two minutes just to get blasted by a Super Battle Droid. I prefer the new close-quarters action, especially Polis Massa and Mustafar, where hallways and rooms become off-the-wall explosion fests for you and your men.

Pandemic has toned down and smoothed out vehicular combat, and I think it works. Vehicles will still make the average grunt's life miserable, but they are no longer invincible juggernauts, offensively or defensively. In Battlefront, one of the most devastating things about virtually any vehicle was the `exploding laser' phenomenon - for example, an IFT-X could completely miss a group of droids with a laser blast, but the explosive nature of the laser would area-effect kill them. In Battlefront II, the exploding laser has been excised.

Also, engineers (formerly the pilots) do not automatically repair their rides without an earned award, making on-the-fly fusion cutter repairs a necessity for any vehicle jockey. Furthermore, the vulnerability of the vehicles has increased - as stated before, little old grenades now do appreciable damage, and mines, det packs and time bombs are all ready to rip holes in your AT-ST. Finally, all vehicles now have a "critical point" or weak point that a grenade or rocket will cause massive damage should it connect - the damage from a critical point rocket approaches 33%, no small change when AT-ATs or AT-TEs are concerned.

Also note that aircraft are no longer included in maps, with the exception of the Snowspeeder during the Hoth battle. Aspiring Snowspeeder pilots take heed - one blast from an AT-AT will knock your craft out of the sky.

Clones...In...Spaaaaaaaaaaaaace

I've read reviews faintly praising space combat and some heavily criticizing it. I'll do neither - it's pretty awesome when you get used to it, and even better when you view it as it should be viewed, a break from ground combat. It's a chance to get your TIE Bomber on, a chance to use time bombs as they were meant to be used, a chance to take a 3,720 to 1 chance of taking out an Imperial Star Destroyer by yourself.

Space combat needs work before it becomes great, but much like the nuance ground combat (i.e., do I want to be a sniper? A grunt? A Jedi? Should I build a turret?), space combat gives you a multitude of fun options. Do you want to dogfight and do nothing else? Go ahead. Or maybe man a turret and try to down starfighters? Be our guest. Or perhaps bomb the crap out of the enemy frigates and capital ship? Indulge! How about taking a shuttle and five other troops and trying to create havoc inside the enemy ship? Rock on with your bad self!

Or better yet, do a little of each within one battle.

The Nuts and Bolts - Gameplay and Control

Little has changed in control since Battlefront, and this is good. The little that has been altered makes a noticeable difference, though - weapons overheating and a "stamina bar" that governs your ability to do combat rolls and sprint.

Previously, pistols and vehicle blasters would "max out" and take a fixed time to recharge or become active again. Now, they overheat. While the dynamic is similar, it takes forever for an overheated weapon to cool off, forcing the player to really keep an eye on weapon heat or suffer 10-15 seconds without the weapon.

The stamina bar is a cruel mistress. Once you start sprinting, you don't want to stop. But your trooper will get tired if you push them too hard, and being slow means being vulnerable. The player needs to plan ahead how to use stamina effectively, meting it out between sprints and combat rolls and saving some for crisis situations. Having a little gas in the tank to avoid a thermal detonator is the difference between life and respawning.

This time around, telling an AI trooper to follow you will actually cause an AI trooper to follow you. This can be a useful tactic once the "General" rank is reached, as you can assemble a small posse of troops and attack and defend as you please. Your squad mates will generally shoot at immediate threats, take cover, and basically take blasts for you, a huge improvement over the lackadaisical AI squad mates from the first game.

Curiously missing this time around are lying prone (kind of neat for snipers) and on-the-fly in-cockpit views for vehicles smaller than an AT-TE.

Awards for Valor, Stats for Tracking

Another nice addition to Battlefront II is the stat tracking dynamic. Not only do you get to follow your crucial death-to-kill ratio, but you earn medals for glorious achievements. Not only does this appeal to the hardcore gamer's deep need for accomplishment, but you actually get things once you accrue enough medals.

For example, the "regulator" medal is given when a player gets nine shotgun kills in one life. Once you earn the medal four times, you get an upgraded shotgun every subsequent time you get the medal. Earn the medal enough times, and the standard to get the better shotgun drops from nine to six kills. Earn even more medals, and you automatically start the game with the upgraded shotgun.

It's a clever reward device that for some reason has me trying like hell to get all the automatic medals. Why? I don't know. But if you like that sort of thing, and I suspect a lot of gamers do, the earned rewards are stylin'.

Modes

In terms of Instant Action, Battlefront II still has the tried and true Conquest mode, which involves slugging it out for command posts. On selected maps (generally space) we get Assault, which awards points for kills, and most maps support Capture the Flag, which isn't my cup of tea, but there it is.

Finally, for a surprising challenge/offbeat fun, there's Hunt mode. Some hunts are fairly lame, but some stand out as insanely fun/difficult: for a wampa good time, try the hairy beasts out versus the Rebels on Hoth. It's hard to get tired of whacking the crap out of Wookies with a good wampa. For a frustrating experience, take the Scout Troopers out against the vicious Ewoks on Endor. Those rocks and pointy sticks hurt, man!

Galactic Conquest is nicely revamped and actually makes sense now. Capture planets, buy upgrades, duke it out in space - Galactic Conquest is solid and engrossing.

The only real letdown here is the Rise of the Empire, starring the 501st Legion. The missions are simplistic and occasionally frustratingly difficult - you always have a finite reinforcement pool, while the enemy has an infinite amount of reinforcements. It's nice to have a "from Episode I to V" story arc, but you get the sense that the narrator is the only member of the 501st to have survived from the unit's inception. That must be one lonely clone.

Wrapping Up

The action is frantic, the options are many, and this is just the single player version. If you liked the first Battlefront, Battlefront II is a must-have. If you missed the first one, click the pic above and give this a test drive: good, mindless Star Wars fun. Probably even better on-line, where you can find out if trash-talking 13 year olds pwn you or you pwn trash-talking 13 year olds.

Hitman Blood Money X-Box (XBox) Video Game $30

First, I'm a fan of the Hitman series. I played the first game on my PC back in 1999 and then moved on to the console versions with Hitman 2 and beyond. Being such a fan, I'll admit to a bland dissatisfaction with the series, even as the games grew more complex and looked better and better with each sequel. 

To me, one of the biggest problems with the game has always been its inability to create a game world that wasn't cold and distancing. To me, the Hitman universe was about as real as the world of Half Life or Halo. In other words, Hitman always felt otherworldly and slightly unreal. Immersing myself in the Hitman series was almost always impossible, since there was never much of a coherent storyline to begin with (especially in the previous installment Hitman: Contracts, that had the gamer replaying some of the missions from the first game with an unabashedly tacked on "flashback" framing mechanism). Add to this the sometimes stupid, often amnesia AI, slightly counter-intuitive control scheme, and limited replayability (limited as far as there being only one or two ways to dispatch your victim in true Silent Assassin fashion) and you have a series that was disappointing in it's potential to be so much more.

But not anymore. Hitman Blood Money is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games reviews.

As a true fan, I am overjoyed to announce that Hitman: Blood Money finally - FINALLY - gets it right. This time, our steel-eyed, morally grey, Liddy-esque clone finally gets a game worth spilling some blood over. The best parts of the original games are still here, but things have changed. Really changed. For example:

*The weapons - More than he's ever had before, including multiple SMGs and assault rifles, a myriad of pistols, his signature Silver Ballers (with optional laser sight and scope - as you can use your ill-gotten gains to customize your weapons and purchase different types of ammo, such as bullets that can blast through doors), and anything else that you can pick up as you're wandering around the vast environments. Nail gun, anyone?

*The kills - While the Hitman games of the past have always rewarded you for stealth with that Silent Assassin rating, there was always a "right way" and a "wrong way" to complete a mission. The "right way" usually involved stealing a uniform, changing into another uniform, and then another uniform, until finally you were rewarded with a chance to remote detonate a bomb or snipe your target from a few hundred yards away. 

The "wrong way" meant going into an environment and killing everything in sight, horses included. The problem was, that there was never much in the way of benefits to playing either style. True, in Contracts you were rewarded with special weapons if you finished the game with a "Silent Assassin" rating, but there wasn't much else in the way of incentive. 

In Blood Money, the game designers want to remind you what the game is all about. If you enjoyed blasting your way through previous installments, good luck doing that here. For one, the AI works cooperatively and, while they will walk into your line of fire, they will work together with such force that you won't get far. Add to this the lack of the ubiquitous, video game "health pack", and you'll soon discover that stealth is key. This principle is further reinforced by a notoriety system that is determined by how stealthily you complete your missions. 

At the end of each level, a newspaper headline announces your success and failure. Complete your mission by making a hit look like an accident, and the headline will reflect as much. Get it done by killing everything in sight, leaving witnesses, and getting caught on camera and the front page will read something like "Psychopath kills 32 in bloody massacre" with your picture front and center. Further, the higher your notoriety the more likely you are to be recognized in later levels by the AI henchmen who still pick up the morning paper. 

Since you're going to find killing necessary, you'll need to dispose of bodies so that your company doesn't have to send in a cleaner. Manholes, dumpsters, freezers, and even the backs of garbage trucks make hiding bodies a snap. Unlike in previous games, when you drag a body to one of these locations you are prompted "Splinter Cell style" and are saved the trouble of having to drag a body over a manhole, hoping that gravity will take it down the hole. This will improve your chances of not being discovered, since the AI is tenacious and will do EVERYTHING to track you down. Leave a gun at the scene, and the AI will likely find it and the guards will become suspicious. Even passerby will report suspicious happenings (such as found weapons, lights turned off) to security forces - and that's just bad for business. 

So if you're unlucky enough to be spotted by a passerby while using your fiber wire on a guard, then you've got witness problems, which can either lead guards to your trail or, at the very least, give the police an eyewitness account with which they can produce an artist's sketch of 47. When that happens, trust me, it ain't pretty. Finally, the series gives you a reason to teach those nosey, "innocent" bystanders the meaning of the phrase "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

*The Locales - Gone are the sanitized, eerily bland and forgettable locations of the past games (remember military prison? How about drug dealer's mansion? No? What about um. . .I'm thinking). Blood Money takes place (mostly) in the good old US of A and sees Agent 47 slinking about beautifully designed levels in places such as an abandoned Amusement Park, an Opera, an Insane Asylum (okay, they did an insane asylum before, but the only way out of this one is if you're dead), a Las Vegas casino, the suburbs, a pre-Katrina Mardi Gras in New Orleans, a Riverboat on the Mississippi, a hillbilly wedding in the Bayou, and even The White House. Still think that you can shoot your way through the game? Try it on the White House level and you'll quickly discover why they're called the Secret Service.

*The Story - While nothing special, it does provide greater insight to the cipherous past of Agent 47. Told through a framing device involving a reporter getting "the story of a lifetime", the tale weaves back from present day to 2004, as Agent 47 completes his jobs for "Agency" while simultaneously being hunted by those who believe it's time for him to retire. So, while completing his missions, 47 ends up running afoul of other hitmen - sharp-aiming, hard-working folk out to collect the price on his head or, at the very least, make his job more difficult by taking down targets 47's hired to protect. It makes for some interesting, quirky, and even surreal moments (have you ever wanted a game in which you stalked a love-triangle of hitmen dressed like man-sized, black crows? If yes, then your game has arrived).

Also new to the game is an online ranking system through Xbox live, the ability to play the game in a FPS mode (but why would you?), and new disguises (nothing says fun like strangling a mobster while dressed as a party clown), and the myriad ways in which you can dispose of your victims - no longer restricted to your choice of weapon. 

Additionally, the game no longer pauses and jumps to parallel cut scenes. Rather, when an important event is taking place, the screen splits into frames, a la Brian DePalma films or "24", allowing you to continue playing while the parallel event unfolds. In fact, everything about this game is so close to perfect, that it pretty much trumps everything that the "Top of the Class" sneaker "Splinter Cell" has done - without simply aping SC's moves.

This game is a must, it looks beautiful, plays incredibly well, has enormous replay value, and a story worthy of a great series. If anything, this game is set to solidify the Hitman series as a contender in the next-gen future.

Now all Eidos needs is to figure out a way to make the series playable on Xbox live - a difficult task to be sure. However, seeing what they've done with this outing, it's hardly out of reach.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: The Sith Lords X-Box (XBox) Video Game $20

If you liked Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic at all, you should already own the sequel. If you're on the fence, just click the pic above and buy the darn thing; it's easily more than worth it.

Even though only a year passed for development time, and a new developer took over the series, KOTOR II: The Sith Lords still manages to provide a high-caliber and enjoyable role-playing experience, rife with replayability. The story is set 5 years after the fall of Darth Malak and the Jedi Civil War, and you take on the mantle of the only known surviving Jedi Knight, final target of the Sith. As the Dark Side of the Force grows in strength, the Sith have been waging a silent war against the Jedi Order, already weakened, and have not hunted it nearly to extinction.

One of the main advantages this game has over its predecessor is the characters, the main character especially. While there isn't a "Vader is Luke's daddy" level plot twist in KOTOR II, your main character is a very compelling individual, while still maintaining a high level of player customization. Your character has a definite past, but nearly everything about him/her is up to you. Once again, you have the choice to follow either the Dark or Light side teachings of the force, creating a savior of the Republic, or a champion for the Sith. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic the Sith Lords is included in the top new and best X-Box (XBox) video games