Do you miss the classics? Let me guess, you don’t have the time or the energy to drive 45 minutes to the local hole-in-the-wall arcade just so you can play a game of Pac-Man. Namco feels your pain. Namco knows that it’s been so long since you managed to pass enough levels to get the big shield in Galaga that—shock, horror—you’ve forgotten what it looks like. That’s why they’ve provided us with Namco Museum DS, a slick little package that gives you the classics and little else. Given the limited resolution of the DS, it was nice of Namco to include as many display options as it does. You can play the classics while holding the DS the classic way, you can play on its side, you can crunch the aspect ratio to make it fit, or you can play in the full arcade resolution, which produces a panning effect as you move from side to side. Interestingly, the panning even adds a new element of challenge to the games herein. There are some fantastic long-lost inclusions here like the forgotten Mappy, and if you have a buddy with a DS, you can partake in some fantastic Pac-Man Vs. action. If you’re anything like me, though, Namco Museum DS will turn the DS into your Galaga machine, and there’s not a single thing wrong with that. [Amazon]
What’s Yours Like? The Game That Tells It Like It Is [$29.99]
For those who like 20 Questions and Charades and other social, word-based games, this is a fun game that will challenge your assumptions about what you think you know about your friends. ‘Friends’ (or family) is key, here, as the clues they each toss your way only hold meaning if you know enough about them to untangle the diverse, designed to trip-you-up responses. The aim is a low score—to figure out the answer with the least amount of clues—and the outcome is a bit of humility along with humor—no matter which end of the clue you’re on. How would you provide a clue to “What’s yours like?” when the answer is: IQ. The game includes a set of kid-inclusive clues ("Grandpa" and “favorite dessert") for players who might not yet have a clue as to how describe their “mortgage” or “driving style”. [Amazon]
3 Faces of Danzig [Spencer Gifts, Hot Topic, comic book/specialty stores and Chaser website - $75 each]
For those very bad boys and girls who just love their ‘Evil Elvis’, their horrorpunk goth metal legend Glenn Danzig, here is a tender offering: dolls. That’s right; soft (squeezable) vinyl Danzig dolls. The spirit of daddy Danzig is captured here in these three 10” dolls, representing various incarnations over his prolific, broad, nearly 30-year singer/songwriter career: Danzig with no shirt on, but wearing that big-ass belt buckle and the instantly-recognizable upside-down cross medallion (from the album, Lucifuge); his Samhain stage (from Initium), covered in icky fake blood, and Misfit, looking pretty evil but at least not topless, but wearing a skull and crossbones t-shirt (from Walk Among Us). In these latter two dolls, you get that oh-so-cool Devilock do, too. Lest one feel overcome with Ozzy Osborne-like emotion when cuddling a Danzig and feel compelled to bite… beware: these dolls pose a choking hazard.
SingStar Rocks (Playstation 2) [Sony Computer Entertainment - $49.99]
For those wanting to explore their, um, artistic side, Sony has released SingStar Rocks for the Playstation 2. Sure, the Karaoke Revolution series of games has been around for quite a while at this point, but where SingStar trumps those games is in its tracklist and its ability to feature the original artists on their songs. I guess it helps to have one foot in the music biz and one in video games. To that end, the variety in this edition of the SingStar series is unprecedented, careening wildly from Coldplay to Skynard to Hole(?!) to the man himself, yes, it’s the Fresh Prince on “Summertime”. Seriously, there’s music here for all tastes, making this the perfect 2AM New Year’s party game for you and your talented-in-their-own-mind friends. [Amazon]
NHL ‘07 (Various Platforms) [Electronic Arts - $29.99-$54.99]
NHL ‘07 (Various Platforms) [Electronic Arts - $29.99-$54.99]
The arrival of “next-gen” systems always means major overhauls for the sports games we’ve come to know and love. Sure, all the love these days goes to the Madden franchise, but even since the days of the Sega Genesis, hockey’s been the sport that translates best to video gaming, and this year is no exception. This is the year hockey went the Smash TV route, with almost all the control in the XBox 360 version of the game handled by the two analog sticks rather than the buttons: the left stick controls the player’s feet, and the right stick controls the hockey stick. It sounds so simple, but it’s a revolutionary move, and it’s enough to make you want to invite over that dude that beat the hell out of you in NHL ‘95 12 years ago to give him the what-for in the new version. Plus, NHL ‘07 has been transformed into a budget title for the gasping-for-breath current-gen systems, making it the perfect gift for those budget-conscious buyers.
Those who prefer to do their gaming alone couldn’t possibly do much better than Bully, Rockstar Games’ tale of teen angst that turned out to be quite the well-rounded game even past the ill-informed controversy that surrounded it—there’s barely a shadow of Columbine to be found here, just the sort of mischief and intimidation that anyone who’s been in high school can probably relate to. Sure, it’s dark, but no more dark than the mind of your average hormonal teenager. Get past the darkness and you find humor, engaging play, a sandbox mentality, and a really, seriously well-designed world to explore. It’s beautiful to look at and listen to in its skewed way, and it’s also good for keeping the hormonal teenager in your own life busy for a good 30 hours. [Amazon]
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