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(KRT) DEVIL MAY CRY 3: DANTE'S AWAKENING: SPECIAL EDITION For: Playstation 2 It's official: Capcom loves us. Nothing else can explain the special edition of "Devil May Cry 3," which belongs right next to "Ninja Gaiden Black" on the short list of special editions that truly are special. Capcom took one of the best games of 2005, made it accessible for those who couldn't get past level two, and threw in a wad of awesome new content for everyone else. The original "DMC3's" crushing difficulty made it a game only the boldest of thumbs could handle. The special edition addresses this very arguable shortcoming by introducing a new checkpoint system that allows you to die in a level without being whisked all the way back to the beginning. You can also play as protagonist Dante's brother Vergil, who not only makes the game's barrage of enemies slightly easier to handle but also adds his own perspective to the storyline. Look for Vergil and his unique arsenal of attacks to get their own game someday. A character this fun to control deserves nothing less. Those offended by Capcom's softer stance need not fret:
The new "DMC3" boasts an all-new Very Hard mode and a new boss character
to fight, but there's also the Turbo Mode, which speeds up the entire game
by 20 percent. Not enough? Try out the new Bloody Palace mode, which feeds
you thousands of waves of enemies without any storyline interference.
Still not seeing the value? Look at the $20 price tag. See it now? APE ESCAPE 3 For: Playstation 2 "Ape Escape 3" is the kind of game that will either please you to no end or bore you to sleep. If you liked the preceding two games -- leave the mini-game compilations out of the equation -- you'll most likely love the third chapter, which is, for better or worse, extremely faithful. If you couldn't feel those games, you likely won't care for this one for the exact same reason. On the surface, "AE3" looks, sounds and plays almost identically to its predecessor. The basic classifications of googly-eyed monkeys remain the same, the graphical style hasn't really evolved, the voice acting is somewhat comically undercooked and the object (capture all the monkeys) and methods for doing so (vehicles, gadgets and lots of running and jumping) remain largely the same. The big change in "AE3," as the silly but funny story explains, comes in the ability to transform into new personalities -- a genie, a cowboy, a ninja and others -- and assume their powers. Certain objectives can be completed only when taking certain forms, but you're generally allowed to assume a form whenever the spirit moves you. This variety is what makes "AE3" fun. Push aside your
feelings about the familiar gameplay, dated presentation, somewhat lacking
difficulty and lousy camera, and you're left with a game that bleeds
activity and is instantly fun to just pick up and play. It's the kind of
game only an "Ape Escape" fan could love -- but if that's you, you'll love
it dearly. MVP NCAA BASEBALL 06 For: Xbox and PS2 The soul of EA's "MVP" series lives on in "MVP NCAA Baseball `06." Baseball's best gameplay engine is presently not allowed in the majors due to MLB's exclusivity contract with 2K Sports, but the long-ignored college game is as good a destination as any if great baseball is what you want. "MVP" features a suite of new tools to use on the new canvas. EA loves putting the right analog stick to use, and now you can do all your hitting (pull back and push forward to swing, a la "Golden Tee") and fielding (push the stick toward the fielder you want to throw to) without pressing a single button. The new control schemes are fun, intuitive and deeper than they read here -- timing and directing your swings and throws is crucial -- but you can always choose to play the old way if you please. "MVP" is nothing if not accommodating to players of all abilities. You can even just manage the team if you're totally hopeless with a controller in hand. "MVP" gives you everything a college game should give
you, including a full-featured dynasty mode and the College World Series,
as well as the ability to design your own schools, players and (finally)
outfield wall configurations. Perhaps most ingenious of all is the new
Online Everywhere feature, which pipes in scores and even radio updates,
courtesy of ESPN, on what's happening in the real sports world. Expect
this to become an EA Sports staple feature in due time. TAMAGOTCHI CONNECTION: CORNER SHOP For: Nintendo DS The world's most famous virtual pets, the Tamagotchi, formerly couldn't even feed themselves if their own lives literally hung in the balance. And now these guys can run a business? According to "Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop," they apparently can. You still care for your Tamagotchi in "Shop," but it's mostly an exercise in vanity -- dressing him, decorating his room and so on. The meat of "Shop" is the game's capitalist component, which sees your Tamagotchi operating everything from a bakery to a cleaner to a spa. There are 11 shops in all -- two unlocked at the start -- and each plays out as multi-part mini-game in which pleasing the customer is the ultimate goal. "Corner Shop" is an excessively good-natured game -- your customers remain polite even if you burn their snacks or fail to drill their cavity properly -- but the only way to expand your shops (and open new ones) is to get it right. The game doesn't really tell you HOW to get it right, but that's a plus in disguise: Most of the fun in "Shop" comes through discovering how everything works. Admittedly, "Corner Shop" isn't for everyone. The
hand-drawn art style and silly sense of humor, while dead on, won't appeal
to everybody's tastes. And the game is almost unsettlingly relaxing in an
"Animal Crossing" sort of way. Those in search of a frenzied challenge
should resist. But if you're intrigued rather than put off by what you
just read, this one might surprise you. GELTABZ For: PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, Xbox 360 If gladiator-esque gaming sessions -- see "May Cry, Devil," above -- ever leave your thumbs begging for mercy, relief may lie waiting inside pack of GelTabz thumb pads. Available in packs of three, the pads fit snugly over your controller's analog sticks and provide an extra, gel-like layer of protection between your thumbs and the harder control stick surface. The pads take a bit of getting used to once applied, but they you eventually don't even notice them -- precisely the point, when you think about it. They won't make you a better player or anything, but they might make becoming one a more comfortable experience. Visit geltabz.com for more information and to order.
___ (Billy O'Keefe writes video game and DVD reviews for
Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.) © 2006, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. Have a comment? Please e-mail us. © The Voice 2006 Revised 02/03/2006 11:28:43 PM — http://www.uamont.edu/Organizations/TheVoice/3_15/videos.htm |
