The Prince returns
Much derided by PC gamers is the trend toward classic PC franchises which have been moved wholly to the consoles. This week, PC gaming fans of Grand Theft Auto will finally get a chance to play the game their XBox-owning friends have been talking about, as Grand Theft Auto IV is here for the PC. Nothing new to this port, except the ability to control Niko Belic with a keyboard and mouse, as he plows through the criminal organizations of Liberty City with a vengeance. Really… he’s there for vengeance… it’s sort of his thing.
Left Brain Right Brain 2 is out for the DS this week, for those who enjoyed the original game’s unique gameplay elements, which consists entirely of games the require you to play a game with each hand doing a different task. It’s part of the DS’s line of skill development games. If you can pat your head and rub your belly at the same time, this is a game in which you may excel.
Another sequel this week is the second installment of Dungeon Maker, Dungeon Maker 2: The Hidden War for the PSP. This time the graphics are a little better, and the interface is a little easier, but otherwise, it’s the same monster-luring gameplay: Build a neat dungeon that monsters want to visit, and then when they do, kill them and take their stuff. What more could a dungeon builder ask for?
A new entrant to the cooking simulation genre this week is Happy Cooking for the DS. Cook your dishes just right using the stylus controls, then enter them into contests. Players will be able to play special mini-games to unlock ingredients and extra game-play modes.
Our Icrontic Spotlight this week is the first game in the second reboot of Prince of Persia. That’s right. We’re headed back to the desert with Ubisoft, and they’ve decided to do away with all that ‘demon inside of me’ stuff and start over with all new characters, new art style, and new gameplay mechanics in this cross-platform release. It’s still essentially about running and jumping and sword-fighting, but “Prince” is no longer royalty, despite his name, and he will be accompanied this time by a Tails-esque secondary character, Elika. The player will not be able to control Elika, but she will perform some fighting moves with Prince, and rescue him from danger. An interesting element is that Prince never dies in this game. Elika always saves him, and drags him back to the last safe point. Ubisoft has said that this game will feature more of the elements that made the original Brøderbund games so great. As a fan of the original Prince of Persia (1989), who has been disappointed by every iteration since Prince of Persia 2 (1994), I hope that Ubisoft has done it right this time.
PC
- Grand Theft Auto IV
- Little Home on the Hill
- Prince of Persia
- Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena
- Shaun White Snowboarding
- The Tale of Despereaux
Nintendo DS
- Learn Math
- Matchstick
- Paint DS
- Build a Lot
- Happy Cooking
- M&M’s Adventure
- Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi
- My Fun Facts Coach
- PowerBike
- Prince of Persia: The Fallen King
- Rollin’ Rascals
- The Tale of Despereaux
- Winter Sports 2 The Ultimate Challenge
- WonderWorld Amusement Park
- Wordfish
- Johnny Bravo
- Left Brain Right Brain 2
Nintendo Wii
- Chrylser Classic Racing
- Mushroom Men: Spore Wars
- Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek
- Skate City Heroes
- The Tale of Despereaux
- Ultimate Shooting Collection
- Bigfoot: Collision Course
- Deer Drive
- Escape the Museum
- Imagine Fashion Party
- M&M’s Beach Party
- My Fitness Coach
- Six Flags Fun Park
- RYGAR: The Battle of Argus
- Space Invaders Get Even (WiiWare)
- Pit Crew Panic (WiiWare)
- Metal Slug 2 (VC – NeoGeo)
PlayStation 2
- Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
- SingStar ABBA
- The Tale of Despereaux
- Yamaha Supercross
- M&M’s Adventure
- Rock Band 2
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
PlayStation 3
- Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon
- Prince of Persia
- SingStar ABBA
- Sonic Unleashed
- Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer (PSN)
PlayStation Portable
- Dungeon Maker 2
Xbox 360
- Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon
- Prince of Persia
- The Tale of Despereaux
Articles RSS