Star Trek: Conquest
PlayStation 2, Wii
A barely-advertised, "budget" Star Trek board-game / arcade-action mash-up that skimps on gameplay modes, completely eschews multiplayer, summarily chucks Gene Roddenberry's Utopian notions of The Federation right out the air-lock, divides both series fans and gamers on principle -- and manages to be something like compelling, despite it all. Fascinating.
Shaun Conlin's Game Gear Gift Guide '07
Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Windows PC, Xbox 360
This holiday shopping season, there's certainly a great deal to choose from when it comes to videogame systems (not to mention videogame software for each). All of them are selling well right now, but that doesn't mean you can just buy anything and be done with it. Gamers are a particular lot, after all. So if you want true bang for your gift giving buck, here's our guide to what's what, by whom, who for, and wherefore.
The Simpsons Game
PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
Videogame tie-ins rarely make for good games -- not that TV, movie and merchandising cross-overs can't be good game fodder, they usually just aren't because they sell well enough to a fan base as is. While The Simpsons Game does have plenty of laughs at the expense of the video game industry, gameplay is just as big a joke.
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2
Wii
Derivative, yes, but Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 is nonetheless a great little party game, replete with a Deep Purple jam, Fart Wars and a whole lot of freak and shriek.
Down Lo on the Downloads: Shop-Store-Market 12/07
PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox
November proved to be a wimp month for downloadables... not surprising, considering Black Friday and the massive flood of new titles at retail all month long. But holiday shopping season aside, there were a few games worth considering just for your downloading self, the best of which is clearly PlayStation's PAIN.
Game Gear Gift Guide '07: Part 3 - Nintendo No-brainers
Nintendo DS, Wii
In Part 3 of this 4-part series, we take a look the double domination whammy of the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii, both hot this holiday, maybe even bothersome because you may not be able to pick one of them up.
Vivendi and Activision merge, oust EA as Largest Publisher
Internet, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Windows PC, Xbox 360
Holy whole shebang, Activision and Vivendi Universal just suddenly, surprisingly, upped and merged; a game publishing combo that unites the Uber-franchises of Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and Tony Hawk, together with StarCraft, Diablo and World Of Warcraft. Wow.
Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire
Wii
A select batch of Wii games are becoming rather famous for their ability to turn conventional gameplay on its collective ear by offering up new, innovative, and inviting ways to play. Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire was not selected for that batch.
Games, geeks, gong show, Festival Arcadia wraps
PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Videogame, Wii, Windows PC, Xbox 360
Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft under one roof? Like the good old days? Believe it. The dust is still settling in the Stade Uniprix as Montreal's Festival Arcadia wraps up. David Willson was on hand to take it all in, remember some of it, and write a little.
Super Mario Galaxy
Wii
It's the best Mario game to date, arguably among the best platformers ever made, and certainly one of the best things currently out there for the Wii, period. Mario Wiiturns, a bigger star than ever.