Hot Wii Games

Star Wars The Clone Wars Light Saber Duels (LucasArts) $49.99

A game only a kid could love, Star Wars The Clone Wars Light Saber Duels is unrefined, imaginary sword play made incarnate by holding the Wii Remote controller (Wii-mote) like the hilt of a Light Saber and then waggling it about to vaguely actuate on-screen actions of trademarked, Clone Wars Jedi and Sith. For truly authentic whack-your-partner play, Thrustmaster's Glow Saber Duo Pack NW offers a $35 pair of plastic LED-powered swords with snap-in slots to accommodate a Wii-mote each, just for this game. Rated Teen (13+) for Fantasy Violence


Nerf N-Strike (EA) $59.99

Non-gory, sci-fi shooting gallery game comes packed with the new Switch Shot EX-3, both is a traditional foam dart spewing Nerf gun and a Wii Remote-coddling gun-shaped casing so you can shoot things harmlessly in real life or up there on the TV screen. Heck, go Elvis: shoot the TV. Rated Everyone (10+) for Fantasy Violence



Animal Crossing: City Folk (Nintendo) $49.99 or $69.99 w/mic

Wholesome off- and online social community of simulated people where users interact, play games, play dress-up, play the stock broker (with turnips), participate in scheduled real-time activities (catch a Sunday matinee, hunt eggs at Easter, etc.), share/trade virtual baubles. First game to feature "Wii Speak" online voice chat with special conference call-like microphone (bundled or sold separately for $30). Rated Everyone (6+) for Comic Mischief



Wii Music (Nintendo) $49.99

Best described as Guitar Hero for Idiots, Wii Music is all about play-along air-musicianship with no scoring and no real point other than gather 'round and blow, strum, strike or otherwise waggle some 40-odd different virtual instruments using just the Wii's motion-sensitive controllers, no separate game-specific peripherals required. Makes for decent family fun in Nintendo's patented Wii Sports sort of way, but no more sophisticated than a rousing round of Cowbell Hero. Rated Everyone (6+)

Think Fast! (Disney) $49.99

As a Wii game, Disney certainly has a target demographic in mind with this all-Disney, all-the-time trivia game for up to four players or groups. Whoever has seen- or played with- or spent-the-most-money-on Disney products over the years wins. Rated Everyone (6+)

Wii Duds

It's a shame, but for every cool or clever Wii game there are a dozen more trying to cash in on cool cleverness by stuffing really bad games into deceptively alluring boxes. In short, pass on these:

Game Party 2 (Midway)
10 variations of something akin to Wii Toss. Next, think "Our Lunch."

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader (THQ)
Not if you buy this game.

Littlest Pet Shop (EA)
Like Webkinz without the stuffie, none of fun, and three times the price.

AMF Bowling World Lanes Review (Mud Duck)
You wouldn't think something a straightforward as bowling could be so royally screwed up and you'd be wrong.

Igor: The Game (Southpeak)
It'd be politically incorrect to use a metaphor to describe this game, even a feeble one.