Estimated read time: 15-16 minutes
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SALT LAKE CITY -- Last week, most publishers were too afraid to pit their games against “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” and rightfully so. This week, though, they are ready to capitalize on the gamers who will inevitably return their copy of MW3. However, if a parent enters a store hoping to bring home a great game for a gift or surprise, they’ll find that this week is a particularly hard week, with so much glitz and glamour.
Fortunately, WarpZone has taken the time to figure out what game is right for you and your family. There are exciting games in the good section, gilded sheep dung in the bad section and some hidden gems that promise to surprise those who are willing to take a chance. Take a deep breath and dive into the week of Nov. 13-18!
THE GOOD
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Rating: Everyone (mild cartoon violence)
Release Date: Nov. 13
Genre: Platformer
Mario has explored many genres and worlds. He has defeated Bowser countless times in countless ways.
But there has always been something missing, something he lost from his third outing. His greatest power-up has been surprisingly missing in action.
Now, Mario returns to the land where Princess Daisy was first rescued and found his old Tanooki suit!
Mario games will always sell better than any other game on a Nintendo system, and this game deserves it. The games are kid-friendly and deep, and the replay value is always high. Add the power and visuals of the 3DS, and players will be entertained for many commutes to school or work.
Besides, it has the Tanooki suit! Come on!
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Rating: Mature (blood, language, mild sexual themes and violence)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Action-Adventure
Ubisoft built one of the greatest franchises on the shelves today with one of the worst original games released. “Assassin’s Creed” was a horribly repetitive while playing, but the story was so strong, gamers trudged all the way to the cliffhanger ending.
However, starting with “Assassin’s Creed 2” and continued to “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood,” Ubisoft fixed the repetitive gameplay and continued weaving one of the greatest tales ever told in a video game.
In this third and final chapter of the Ezio story arch, the main character Desmond continues to delve into his Italian ancestor’s roots and discovers even more about the original hero Altair. All three characters will be playable in one game, and the story will be complex and fantastic.
Ubisoft has promised two things with this game: First, they will stop making yearly “Assassin’s Creed” games, giving the developers more time to build the next game. Second, PlayStation 3 owners will get a free copy of the original “Assassin’s Creed” on the disc.
However, even with one of the greatest stories ever told, this is not a game for children or teens. The themes are mature and the violence is graphic. For adults who have enjoyed the first two games, this will be a satisfying and enjoyable conclusion.
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
Rating: Everyone 10+ (comic mischief, mild cartoon violence and suggestive themes)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Platformer
It’s been a long time since Rayman was the hero of a 2D platformer. However, the original creator of the series has returned to direct the ghost-limbed hero back to his origins.
Much like last year’s “Donkey Kong Country Returns,” this 2D game takes players into the beautifully drawn layers of the stage. Rocket into the background for one part of the stage, and then get slung into the foreground for the rest.
The game features four-player cooperative play, but players soon find themselves slapping and kicking each other for a point advantage.
The game doesn’t feel particularly new, and there is a feeling that Ubisoft took the best elements of “Donkey Kong Country Returns” and “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” and slapped Rayman and friends in the lead roles. However, the game is bursting with its own charm and will be a pleasure for children and adults during family game nights.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: Mature (blood, gore and violence)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Exactly 10 years after Bungie Studios released “Halo: Combat Evolved,” Microsoft is ready to show off 343 Industries, the new developer of the Halo series, with the $40 anniversary edition.
The game that started it all has been given an HD update from top to bottom, and the best old and new multiplayer maps have been added to the package. The Forge map editor has been added and the best elements of “Halo: Reach” multiplayer invade the original.
All of it spells more of the same with a pretty look. But that is how Halo has always been.
Every Halo game was more of the same with slight changes (with exception to “Halo: Wars,” of course). Gamers haven’t had a problem with it so far, and for $40, they still shouldn’t have a problem. While this game is rated Mature, it feels like a "lite" Mature. My little brother received this game as a birthday present at 13, and my parents did not understand what made it Mature.
There is plenty of gore and language, and the online players have worse language than the old citizens of Deadwood. However, for older teens and adults, this return to the original will whet the appetite of gamers until “Halo 4” is released.
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Rating: Teen (blood and violence)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Action
The first and only Shinobi game I played was the 1987 NES port of Sega’s arcade game.
The game was evil.
It was no more violent than other games of the time, and the controls were fluid and smooth.
But the game was unforgivingly difficult.
Now, the 2D action game hits the 3DS, and with any luck, it will be as impossibly difficult as the original.
The game is appropriate for teens and older, but it is best enjoyed by gamers who played the originals.
Platform: PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
Rating: Teen (mild language, partial nudity, suggestive themes and violence)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Fighting
Capcom has built its business model around lying. When “Marvel vs. Capcom 3” was released, the company promised to support the game with a flood of new characters released over short intervals of time. The game would not be repackaged as a Super version.
Instead, it was repackaged as an Ultimate version. All the characters are included in this version, including a few new characters that will never be available for MvC3.
Gamers who purchased the original last year are livid, and rightfully so.
Fortunately, I am not one of them. I knew Capcom would lie, so I waited. Now, I will get the best version of the game at a discounted price! This offers some of the best characters from two universes, all battling in three-on- three bouts. The story is perfectly cheesy. The graphics are beautiful. And the multiplayer will define competitive fighting games until the next MvC hits the shelves.
As a fighting game, this is one of the most fluid and entertaining on the market, and it is good for young teens to adults.
THE BAD
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, 3DS, PC
Rating: Teen (language, mild suggestive themes and violence)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Racing Action
There are times I am glad that gamers do not know where I live. And when I put a “Need for Speed” in the “Bad” section, I can hear the lighters clicking to fire up torches and.
But I hold strong. EA has forgotten how to make a “Need for Speed” game long ago. They experiment with things that are fine, and they defend the old tired mechanics.
“The Run” adds a story where players race cross-country from San Francisco to New York, escaping the law and the gangs. This “breathtaking” story was tired and dull in “The Fast and the Furious” movies, and it isn’t made better here.
The worst offense come from the parts where gamers are forced out of the cars to run. It’s a car racing game with running.
This game is appropriate for no one, but older “Need for Speed” games can be found at a great discount and are good for teens.
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Rating: Mature (blood and gore, drug reference, intense violence, partial nudity, sexual content and strong language)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Action
If I didn’t anger gamers by calling “Need for Speed: The Run” a bad game, I will get plenty of angry comments with this one.
In 2006, THQ decided to copy Rockstar Games with their “Saint's Row.” The game received average reviews, but when compared to the rival “Grand Theft Auto” games, they were poor.
Now, THQ hopes to win gamers with their third installment in the open-world crime action copy. But with “Grand Theft Auto V” recently announced, gamers would be foolish to buy an average game. If gamers will wait a little while longer, they can have a great game.
Patience, gamers. “Saints Row: the Third” is a waste of money and time.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Rating: Everyone (crude humor and mild fantasy violence)
Release Date: Nov. 14
Genre: Battle
Nintendo has decided its best competition is itself. Instead of releasing new games, the company releases game to intentionally compete with their other properties.
Enter the sequel “Fossil Fighters: Champions,” a game where players explore a fossil park, clean fossils and revive battle dinosaurs. Essentially, this is Pokemon with dinosaurs.
The game may be for everyone, but “Pokemon: Black” or “White” will be a far better buy that this rubbish.
Platforms: PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, iPad, PC, Mac
Rating: Teen (blood, violence, mild language, use of tobacco and mild suggestive themes)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Adventure
This will be a free game for new members of PlayStation Plus.
Any dollar more than that is too much to ask for this tired game from this tired franchise.
This game is nothing more than an interactive cut scene. Every decision is already made in a choose-your-own- adventure in video game format.
Platform: Xbox 360’s Kinect
Rating: Everyone 10+ (mild cartoon violence)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Party
What’s better than pretending that your couch is a ride at Disneyland? Actually going to Disneyland.
Still, for parents who cannot afford to bring their children to Disneyland, this game offers a new way for those children to hate them.
Platform: PlayStation 3’s Move
Rating: Everyone
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Virtual Pet
Like “Kinect Disneyland Adventure,” here is an alternative to actually owning a pet. Party kitty, part puppy — the EyePet allows children to use the Move controller and PlayStation Eye to bathe their pets, play minigames or just mess around in front of the TV.
Unlike the Disneyland game, it really isn’t a bad idea for children with allergies.
Still, the original game is cheaper, and this sequel doesn’t bring anything new (with exception to other pets). Save your money.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Platforms: Nintendo Wii, 3DS
Rating: Everyone (mild cartoon violence)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Sports
Every Olympic year, Sega releases another bout between old rivals, Mario and Sonic. The only difference in these games is the different city.
All the minigames remain the same, so why buy the new one? Besides, the epic battle between Mario and Sonic needs to take place in a 2D platformer. No matter how many Olympic games they play, gamers will never be satisfied.
Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends
Platform: PlayStation 3
Rating: Teen (alcohol reference, mild language, mild suggestive themes and violence)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Action
My older brother introduced me to “Dynasty Warriors” on the PlayStation, a one-on-one 2D fighting game based on skill over luck.
Later, he showed me “Dynasty Warriors 2” for the PlayStation 2, a beat-‘em-up 3D action game with several stages.
Six games later, the franchise hasn’t changed. Somewhere along the line, two expansions were introduced, “Xtreme Legends” and “Empires.”
In “Xtreme Legends,” players compete in meaningless and repetitive high score levels based on the smaller parts of “The Legend of the Three Kingdoms” story.
One day, gamers will get bored with this franchise, but as long as gamers like my brother exist, this game will prove that developers don’t need to grow.
THE HIDDEN GEMS
Platform: Xbox 360’s Kinect
Rating: Teen (fantasy violence, mild language and use of tobacco)
Release Date: Nov. 14
Genre: Fighting
When a version of this game was released on the PlayStation 3 Eye, I was upset that I did not own the Eye.
But I do own a Kinect!
Every child imagines him or herself as the hero of a video game. So what could be better than actually being the hero?
Players navigate 2D stages and fight as themselves. It’s part humor, part action and all fun.
Bring some friends along, and you’ve got a party. This game features realistic violence (against you), so it is better for young teens and older.
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rating: Teen (mild lyrics)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Dance
I told my wife’s best friend that I was going to add this game to my list of bad games, and she held a knife against the back of my neck and forced me to write a good review.
This game is good.
Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest
Platform: PlayStation 3’s Move
Rating: Everyone 10+ (fantasy violence)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Action
The entire kingdom has been turned into skeleton’s, including the good Prince Edmund (now called Deadmund, since you change your name after you die). Most of the knights are under Sorcerer Morgrimm’s evil spell, and Deadmund must fight through his own evil knights to restore his kingdom.
The PlayStation Move already has a killer app with “Sorcery,” and now gamers have a second Move- only game to enjoy. The game is cartoony and fun, and even though players are fighting through hordes of skeletons, there is nothing for parents to worry about with regards to their children.
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, 3DS, DS
Rating: Everyone (Mild cartoon violence, animated blood and comic mischief)
Release Date: Nov. 15
Genre: Kart Racer
This year has seen an unprecedented amount of kart racers on the market, and later, the king will return on the 3DS.
Now, DreamWorks brings all of its best characters together in one game with go-karts.
On a scale of “DaGeDar” at the lowest and “Mario Kart” at the top, this game will fall between “Mario Kart” and “Ben 10 Galactic Racing.” In other words, if a child does not own a Nintendo 3DS, this is the kart racer to buy this year. But of all kart racers, Mario is still the king.
Platform: PC
Rating: RP
Release Date: Nov. 18
Genre: Sandbox
This game is hard to explain, mostly because technically, gamers have been buying it for the past two years. However, they have been purchasing the beta test of the game. Essentially, all this time, players have been paying to support the tiny company Mojang as they continued to build and improve their game.
Now, the game is ready for retail release, and all paying testers will get their copy for free.
For the 13 readers who have never heard anything about “Minecraft,” this open-world sandbox game has become an international phenomenon. Developed in one man’s basement after a full day of working at a job he hated, this game has made one man’s dreams come true, have turned two British “World of Warcraft” players into the most viewed content producers of all gaming shows on YouTube and proved that games don’t need a multimillion dollar budget to succeed. Players build the experience, literally.
Mining for material, players build their tools, homes and equipment and try to survive the night. The game has a fantastic multiplayer and story mode that have developed from criticisms of the beta testers. With no other way to explain it, this game is perfect and offers something for everyone. In the best definition of a sandbox game, the player builds the experience and controls how it will be played. In short, it is the most perfect game ever made.
For those who simply cannot wait for the actual release of the game, they can purchase it now online.
FINAL WORD
While writing this article, I could not decide what I would purchase with my money. As a fan of “Assassin’s Creed,” I am most intrigued by the end of this fantastic story arch. However, as a Nintendo 3DS owner with one game, I am ready for a new great game. Still, I loved the trial version of “Minecraft” and am curious about the retail release. Hopefully, you will find it easier to decide!
For more gaming news, media and opinions, be sure to visit WarpZone’s new site, GameTaffy.
Ben produces and hosts WarpZone on KWCR 88.1 Weber FM on Tuesdays afternoon at 3 p.m. The show focuses on gaming news and is available as a free download on iTunes by searching "WarpZone Show." Ben can be found online as "BenTheWicked."
