Tomb Raider: Legend XB360
From: Eidos Interactive
Price: $59.99
Supermodel/adventurer Lara Croft returns to her roots for a short but entertaining romp through the catacombs, crypts and ruins of ancient civilizations. Xbox 360 power is put to good use; Lara and the world she jumps, shoots, punches, swings and swims through have never looked better or been more interactive. The idol of millions of boys and men is still packing guns, but the curvaceous curator’s arsenal has been upgraded to include grenades, a magnetic grappling hook, flashlight, binoculars and even a PDA. Puzzles are plentiful, and the action, including several new combat moves, is fluid. Cinematic clips explore Lara’s past and develop the interesting plot. It’s hard not to get a thrill out of this gaming legend’s return to greatness.
RATING: 3 GHOSTS
Untold Legends: The Warrior’s Code PSP
From: Sony Online Entertainment
Price: $39.99
This hack-and-slash dungeon crawl will only appeal to fans of the “role- playing lite” genre. Players take on the familiar role of a hero tasked with saving a once-proud kingdom from its evil emperor and his seemingly limitless minions. The game begins with a nice character creation menu, and veteran gamers will feel right at home selecting a class and divvying up ability points. But things go downhill once the action begins. Gems and runes (magic rocks) collected while shredding the enemy add abilities to a wide range of weapons and armor, but the game soon turns monotonous. Online mode adds a bit of spark, but you can’t escape the feeling that perhaps this hero’s legend was best left untold.
RATING: 2 GHOSTS
Top Spin 2 NDS
From: 2K Sports
Price: $29.99
The successful Top Spin franchise is not at the top of its game in this portable version, which suffers from a slow frame rate that makes on-court action difficult to follow. Players can control more than a dozen pro tennis players at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open, competing against the CPU or a friend using two systems and game cards. Shot control is extremely versatile, and a nice tutorial gets players quickly into the swing of things. Those who seek to carve their name onto a Grand Slam trophy can create a custom rookie star and try to climb the rankings by winning games and building stats, but choppy graphics eventually spoil the fun.
RATING: 1 GHOST
COMING SOON
IN STORES NEXT WEEK
– Civilization, OSX – Titan Quest Windows, XP – Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast, Windows XP, 2000, Me – Pirates of the Caribbean: Legend of Jack Sparrow, Windows 2000, XP, Me
