Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?

No penguin tossing this time, but we do get to throw other random objects around in NIS America's upcoming side-scrolling action game.

The volatile and expendable penguins with peg legs who are frequently abused in the Disgaea series finally get their own video game. In Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? you are the star, except that you still report to Etna, the evil and abusive leader of the Prinny Squad. In this side-scrolling action platformer, you must cater to Etna's whims by collecting ingredients to make the ultimate dessert. Someone from the team must have eaten it, but she's furious and wants her cake right now.

If you haven't been following the series, Prinnies are slaves in the Netherworld who were once humans leading a life of crime and now must pay their dues. Since Prinnies tend to explode on impact when thrown, Etna has set it up so that you can take a few beatings before blowing up. You begin with 1,000 lives, and if that seems like a lot, trust us, you'll need them. The game doesn't even hide the fact that it's hard. There are two levels of difficulty, so if you're playing on standard, you can get hit three times before losing a life. Hell's Finest mode lets you get hit only once, so proceed with caution. As one of the hard-working Prinnies, you must explore and conquer the various areas of the mysterious Netherworld, defeat its demons, and "borrow" their ingredients. There are six stages when you begin, but four more will be revealed after you've completed the first six. Time also passes in the game, and the difficulty increases depending on whether it's morning, evening, or night.

As a Prinny, you can use the square button to slash wildly at oncoming foes, jump and double jump with the X button, and unleash a stunning butt stomp by jumping and holding down on the D pad. The butt move is key if you want to stun bosses (or other enemies) because it allows you to just wave your dual swords like mad for several seconds. You can also do a ranged attack by hitting the square button while you're in the air. You don't get to throw other Prinnies around, but you can pick up items, like bombs, and toss them onto unsuspecting enemies. You'll also come across random vehicles that you can hop into and use to fire lasers. Other than all the wacky and random features, Prinny plays very much like an old-school platformer in the sense that it's all about memorizing patterns of movement and timing your jumps precisely to survive. There isn't a lot of maneuverability once you've left the ground because the controls feel stiff. Directing your Prinny in a midair jump is tricky, making it difficult to land those rump stomps if the enemy moves quickly. If you enjoy tough platforming challenges, though, this would be it.

Visually, Prinny looks fantastic with its detailed backdrops in all of the stages. Each level has a different theme, and it looks like a lot of care was put into the design as well as the characters. Like in the Disgaea series, the humor is silly and offbeat and the storyline is completely ridiculous. The music is catchy, and throughout the game you'll be able to find music tracks and set them as background music. The ability to record your gameplay session to share with other PlayStation Portable owners is also available if you want to show off your skills. We were told that both English and Japanese language tracks should be available by launch.

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? is shaping up to be a crazy platformer, full of eccentric characters, quirky humor, grueling levels, and plenty of tasty goodies to find. You don't need to have played any of the Disgaea games to know what's going on; it's fairly straightforward, and it even provides an excellent in-game tutorial to get you started. Help the Prinnies in their never-ending life of servitude when Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? is released on February 17, 2009.

Mana Khemia: Student Alliance

Mana Khemia is the the spiritual sequel to the Atelier Iris series and fourth entry in the RPG series published by NIS. Mana Khemia is different from the previous Atelier Iris games in that it's a campus sim-style RPG, where you can interact with classmates and professors to complete academic quests. You play as Vayne Aurelius, a novice alchemist who was invited to attend Al Revis Academy At the academy Vayne academy, will meet human and not so human alchemists, and together you will solve the mysteries of alchemy. Players will discover and create items, weapons, and even character stats through the use of alchemy.

Ar tonelico 2: Melody of Metafalica

Ar tonelico 2: Melody of Metafalica, like its predecessor, primarily follows the traditional Japanese role-playing game formula but incorporates a dating simulation and an extensive customizing system to keep you busy for hours. Not only that, but the way the story is presented is even more bizarre than what you'd expect. Its tantalizing opening sequence with colorful anime characters--more specifically, cute girls about to lock lips--will leave you puzzled, or perhaps thirsty for more. We were only able to scratch the surface of this peculiar RPG that is riddled with innuendo, but from what we've seen, there's a lot of content to go through, and dedicated fans will appreciate the new additions.

The story of Melody of Metaflica follows the rookie knight from the Grand Bell Hall, Croix, who is called upon to contain the spreading epidemic called Infel Phira Dependency (IPD). IPD only affects Reyvateils, a race of girls who can use magic by singing songs. The first one we met was Cloche, a bossy princess of the region of Metafalss. Her songs are powerful on their own, but when you eventually meet more of these magical maidens, you can cast song magic with two Reyvateils.

As in the previous game, you have your fighters lined up in front and the Reyvateils in the back. The battle is in phases, in which you take turns with the enemy. During the attack phase, you have a limited amount of time to fight the enemy by pushing corresponding face buttons until the meter runs out. When the enemy attacks, you enter a defend phase in which you need to protect the Reyvateil in your party. A gauge will appear to indicate when you need to hit square to best protect your party member. It's all about timing, and you'll receive feedback (angry feedback from Cloche) if you're not doing it correctly. At the bottom of the screen there is an emotion indicator that shows how the Reyvateil is feeling. Her emotions will affect how the battle will flow and can increase her song magic gauge. A happy Reyvateil is a more powerful one.

To customize your characters, you'll need to "dive" into a Reyvateil's subconscious, which is also known as the Cosmosphere. This is the only way for Reyvateils to learn new magic, so you'll want to build that trust in battle and then go to a dive shop to dive into a Reyvateil's mind. Not only is this a chance to gain new powers by helping her solve her inner struggles, but you'll also get to know the girl better through conversation and explore a strange virtual world. There are 100 hidden Reyvateils in the game, so that's a lot of minds you could be jumping into. Another way to get to know them better is when you rest at a save point. At that time you can choose to speak with one of the Reyvateils in your party to get some juicy information from her.

The visuals are decent, especially if you enjoy that classic look. The in-game characters do kind of blend together, and you'll see a lot of knights and Reyvateils that look exactly the same. The environments aren't particularly detailed either, but you'll travel to locations through a menu so you're not wandering through a large overworld. There are some lovely songs sung in Hymmnos, a language created specifically for the series. For purists who like their voice acting in the original language, there is the option to turn on the English or Japanese voices.

Ar tonelico 2: Melody of Metaflica will have more than 100 hours of gameplay with four different endings to experience. You'll be able to dive into the darkest corners of these ladies' minds when Ar tonelico 2 is released on January 20, 2009.

Skate 2

When Skate was released last year, it revolutionized the skating genre. The developer, Black Box, decided to go with a more realistic approach than the arcade-style seen in other games. Skate 2 feels very similar to the first game, but the developer made some additions this time around. Some of the features include double the amount of tricks, skitching (hanging on to cars to gain more speed), the ability to create a female character, get off the board and run, and even move objects to create better situations for bigger tricks. Skate 2 is even better than last year's outing, but it is not without problems.

The gameplay is very similar to the first, so for the most part, the game will feel largely the same, except for one major change and that is the ability to get off your board and move objects. Moving objects adds a whole new dimension to the game, because now you can create jumps and grind spots that you could not reach before. While I was playing, I came across a giant stairwell that was impossible to gap without extra help, so I found a couple ramps and a box. I placed the box on the ground, lined up the first ramp, and then slid the second ramp on top of the box and therefore created a much bigger ramp. I then positioned myself at the top of the road, grabbed onto a car to gain more speed (also a new feature), and finally went off the jump. After several tries, I gapped the stairwell. It was a challenge, but it was made all the sweeter and more satisfying through the shaping of the environment.

However, one very annoying aspect of the game would have to be the walking around. For some reason Black Box did not find it necessary to refine the off-the-board controls. Walking around not only feels terrible, it looks even worse. That's because they are only making use of digital controls, meaning the character's movement is extremely limited. This is especially annoying when you consider how important this new feature is to the game.

There are four different gameplay modes, which include Career, Free Skate, Party Play, and online. Career mode's focus is to re-establish a skate scene and fight back against the police. The game starts with the main character leaving prison. Over the five years spent in prison, San Vanelona has changed from the skate paradise that players may remember from the first game. Instead, the city is now called New San Vanelona, and it's been rebuilt by a mega-corporation bent on keeping skaters out of the city. Before players start their careers, they can edit their character to look how they want; players can also choose a female character unlike the last game. There are a lot of different skate brands that players can choose from. There are also many different kinds of shoes, pants, and jackets. Although, when it comes to choosing facial features, there are not nearly as many options. I had difficulty getting the character to resemble me. In fact, my X360 avatar looks a lot more like me than my Skate 2 character. Within the editing mode, players will also have the option to pick their stance (goofy or regular) and even pick hand gestures, which are controlled by the D-pad. Another feature worth mentioning is the graphics creator, which lets you create your own graphics that can be downloaded and used on shirts, hats, and boards.

There are a few different types of missions within career mode. The four main missions are Career, Races, Street, and Tranny Contests. The Career missions will have you do certain tricks over obstacles like gaping over a waterfall while they take pictures. The Races are probably the most fun, because they are fast and a really great way of making money. You have to put down some cash before you race. The maximum bet is $2,500, and with four different racers, the winner will take home $10,000. My only complaint about this mode is that it is too easy, you will always win; races are rarely close. To top it off, if you don't win, you will get the option to retry without penalty. Money can be used for buying more merchandise or property. Similarly, street contests also have players competing against computer opponents. There are three rounds, and players will acquire points at the end of each round depending on their performance. In order to win, they must complete the competition with the most points. Snakestyle contests are very similar except players can only advance if they are in the top two. These contests too cost a small fee.

Free skate lets you skate around New San Vanelona. While in Free Skate you can do whatever you want, but none of the challenges available in the career mode show up here. Party Play is a lot of fun, and you can play with up to four players locally. There are three different events to choose. You can pick from Spot Battle, S.K.A.T.E, or Hall of Meat. Spot Battle will have players take turns trying to perform the highest scoring trick; if they bail or crash, their turn will be over. In S.K.A.T.E mode, players must avoid earning the letters by copying flip tricks successfully. They can give letters to others by setting difficult flip tricks to copy. Hall of Meat is probably the most entertaining mode of the three. Players will take turns trying to achieve massive wipe-outs. This mode is fun because it sets up some very funny moments.

There are few different modes available for online play too. There is Freeskate Online, Skate Reel, Create-a-Spot Browser, as well as the usual Ranked Match, Unranked Match, and Ranked Leaderboards. The main online mode is Freeskate. Each location has its own unique set of freeskate activities.

Players will have to work with other online skaters to complete the various tasks. These tasks include Group Accumulation, Trick List, Survival, Gap Challenge, Simultaneous Trick, and Tag the Spots. The Skate Reel will allow you to upload footage for others to see. You can show off your great skills, or some really crazy wipe outs. Create-a-spot will let players upload spots that they created and also download other popular spots created by other members of the community. The Ranked mode has the same gameplay modes from Party Play. These include Spot battle, Best Trick, Jam, S.K.A.T.E, Death Race, and Hall of Meat. Players' objective in Jam is to outscore all opponents before the timer expires. Death Race has players racing head-to-head. The objective in this mode is to get to the finish line before time runs out. Players will rank up and earn bonus cash every time they complete an event.

The controls are very good. They are the same, for the most part, as the last iteration. A couple of the buttons got shifted around to compensate for the off-the-board function, though. Accepting challenges got moved to the Up button on the D-pad and off-the-board function is the Y/Triangle button. The A/X buttons are mapped to right foot push and X/Square are mapped to left foot push, while the B/O button is the brake. Flickit controls are still the same as last year. They are responsive, but they are marked by a very steep learning curve. As such, I feel this game will be difficult for the average player. It is not a game you can just jump into. Also, for some reason, touching water is like falling into lava or acid. Any attempt to touch water, even while of your board, will instantly reset the character a few feet back. This is very annoying. I can't imagine it would be too difficult for the developer to implement swimming.

The visuals are good. New San Vanelona is huge; it takes about ten minutes to get from one end to the other. The city is also very detailed. There are lots of pedestrians, security guards, and skaters everywhere. Cars are everywhere as well. Players be warned! New San Vanelona drivers are terrible and will not stop for you. The textures look great too. There are a couple problems though. I noticed the framerate drops every once in a while. It is noticeable when there are many cars and skaters all in the same scene. There are virtually no loading times except when setting up a marker and you get too far away from it - there were times where it took 15 seconds to teleport back to where the marker was set. Also, I really hate not being able to control the camera angle while I skate. It can often gets stuck behind objects and it sometimes the angle makes it too difficult to see an upcoming ramp. This is not always a problem, but it is worth mentioning.

The sound is also good. The city really sounds alive! Ambient effects such as car horns, police sirens, as well as pedestrians talking help make the game feel realistic. Also, everything sounds clean and crisp, especially the skating effects. Hitting the ground has never sounded better. The music is great in Skate 2, as it sports a really diverse sound track. There are multiple genres of music, so there is something for everyone. The game also includes a music player that will allow you to select the tracks that you like and turn off tracks that you do not like. The dialog does get annoying after the first ten minutes, however. I found myself mimicking it and making fun of it. It sounds a lot like this: "That was dope man!" or "Sooooo sick, yo". It gets old very quick, becoming very repetitive after a few hours.

Skate 2 is a great game, and, in fact, it is the best skating game to date, so I recommend it to everyone. This game is very successful because it makes players want to go skate. I think the game will click with current skaters even more. It does have some problems, but besides the running controls and the steep learning curve, there is not a better skating game out there. So go out, buy it, play it, and enjoy another great game from Black Box.

Game Features:

Double the tricks: Inverts, one-foots, hippy jumps, finger flips, the list goes on.

New San Vanelona: A new look and feel to the city...time to make New San Van a skater's paradise.

Moveable objects and off-board: Put the two of them together, create your own spots, and you've got sick new game play.

Hall of Meat: Broken bones anyone?

New and improved skate.Reel: It's back and better than ever.

Deeper Create-A-Skater: Make your skater truly your own.

Star Ocean: Second Evolution

Sometimes each game in an ongoing series can be painfully similar to the one before it. This can easily be said for Square Enix's recent duo of Star Ocean titles on the PSP. Several months ago, PSP owners were treated to the series' action RPG gameplay smattered with sci-fi elements, with the U.S. launch of Star Ocean: First Departure (a game only previously released in Japan on the Super Famicom). Folks who just wrapped up exploring the massive breadth of that title might be dismayed to find Star Ocean: Second Evolution looks and plays almost exactly the same. However, there are plenty of subtleties to be found in the Star Ocean sequel that simply make it far more enjoyable than its predecessor.

Though Second Evolution picks up in the game's universe a while after the original left off, it's a self-contained tale that thankfully doesn't require experiencing First Departure to fully enjoy. Second Evolution was the first Star Ocean title to be officially released in the U.S. (as Star Ocean: Second Story) and it's actually still the best place to start off with the series for players who haven't already dived into First Departure. The sequel is definitely a no-frills port that's faithful to and improves upon the PSOne remake, but the lack of juicy extras shouldn't deter players seeking an enthralling adventure that's brimming with replayability.

This time the adventure follows the journey of a young Earth Federation officer named Claude C. Kenny (who's consequently the son of the previous game's protagonist) and a native girl named Rena Lanford from another planet. While out on his first space mission to investigate unusual technology discovered on an alien world, Claude is accidentally teleported to the forested planet of Expel - a technologically inferior world featuring more traditional fantasy RPG trappings rather than the modern lasers and spacecraft he's accustomed to. There Claude meets Rena who mistakes him as a hero prophesied to save the land from the cataclysmic events caused by the arrival of a meteor dubbed the Sorcery Globe. They eventually set off together to investigate the nature of the Sorcery Globe, meeting new companions, venturing off on numerous side jaunts, and helping others along the way.

Things get off to a bit of a slow start, but the story is full of compelling character relationships, plot twists, and dangerous encounters that make the game highly engaging. Additionally, you can play either as Claude or Rena, and each offers a slightly different perspective on the events that unfold throughout the game. There are instances when the pair will split up, and you'll experience different battles and story elements based on which character you choose. In other moments you'll be privy to a specific character's inner dialogue and emotions about what's happening, and it's worth playing through the game as both to experience the full adventure in its entirety.

Aside from offering an infusion of science fiction, Second Evolution delivers much of the standard gameplay and mechanics you'd expect to find in any other fantasy-laden RPG world. Characters will gain experience in battle and points to spend on upgrading useful skills. You'll frequently have to run around fetching important items and taking on side-quests that eventually tie into the main plot or serve other important functions. The progression of the adventure often hinges on venturing from one town to the next in the realm, where unusual events or sub-plot elements tend to unfold. Towns facilitate lots of dialogue and character encounters, and they're useful for stocking up on supplies, items, and weaponry. As before, the inventive item creation system is a nice touch. When venturing to and from various locales (or deep into dungeons), you'll run into tons of monsters to battle in random encounters. It's the way these battles play out that separates the game from other of its ilk.

Instead of the more traditional turn-based battles, combat happens in real-time with you taking direct control of your main hero. Any other characters in your party are controlled by the A.I. and can be assigned basic, specific behaviors like attack, heal, or use magic. You do have the freedom to move your character around to manually attack or use magic, but simply tapping the action button will auto-lock on to the nearest foe, send you running up to them, and have you take a swing at it.

The real-time combat has an interesting brawler feel to it, yet it quickly degenerates into a single button mash-fest whenever there's no immediate need to waste MP and engage your extra abilities. Your companions and their abilities seem a bit more unique and varied in Second Evolution, which makes the combat less tedious. The A.I. gets the job done but with the least amount of efficiency possible. Fortunately, you can also switch your control over to any of your teammates at any given time in the battle.

Second Evolution's presentation is solid, despite being rather dated. The widescreen format makes the sprites a little fuzzy, and the world map leaves much to be desired. Other areas of the game look and sound great in comparison. There are quite a few Anime cutscenes to uncover, and the extensive voice work applied liberally throughout the game is stellar. The pacing of the dialogue feels a little sluggish sometimes, but this is easily remedied with a button tap to skip things along.

In terms of the core design elements - menus, play mechanics, abilities, equipment, etc. - virtually everything in Second Evolution is identical to First Departure. The storyline, main characters, and setting are the main differences, and they're substantive enough to warrant a purchase - even for RPG fans that have already recently spent a lengthy block of time trudging through the first game. Based on the overall quality, depth, and length of the adventure, it's hard not to recommend Second Evolution over its predecessor.

The game may be virtually the same in many regards, but the experience it offers is superior. Most quality RPGs can easily absorb dozens of hours of your time; Second Evolution doubles that with multiple playable character perspectives and a compelling tale that simply screams for a second playthrough.

Game Features:

A classic series evolves: A RPG experience recreated by fan-favorite developer tri-Ace Inc.

All-new animation movies: Fully voiced animated cut-scenes presented in a gorgeous 16:9 widescreen format provided by anime powerhouse Production I.G.

Refined battle system: Intuitive skills and combo system coupled with redesigned 3-D backgrounds provide a stimulating and action-packed battle experience.

Private Action system: Interact and discover riveting episodes between characters with added voiced dialogues and brand-new event face graphics.

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest is EA's latest entry in their long line of video games based on the New Line Cinema films. This time around, more expansive battlefields and a fully fledged online multiplayer component are brought to bear. Subsequently, this is one of the most engaging action titles in the series.

Nevertheless, the game plays strikingly similar to both older LOTR action titles from EA and developer Pandemic's Star Wars: Battlefront series. As such, don't expect a lot of depth or ingenuity, and there is very little divergence from the Battlefront formula. Still, the game offers epic scale, a nice amount of challenge, a lot of content to romp through, and it even allows you to take up the cause of evil as the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron.

Conquest allows players to fight through 16 levels divided equally between The War of the Ring and Rise of Sauron campaigns. Gamers wage war against the forces of evil and good, respectively; players will initially be part of the most epic battles of the movies and eventually cut their way through an alternative telling of the story with an evil twist. What's more, both campaigns can be played either as a single player or with up to three other friends. The ability to play the story-portion of the game alone or via local split-screen is a real treat.

The campaigns in Conquest feature simple mission/objective-based levels. Players will move from one choke point to the next, battling foes and claiming territory. Combat in Conquest is very straightforward, relying on progressive button combos and simple modifications prompts. The controls are very intuitive though quite repetitive. Wading through the incessant onslaught of foes is quite reminiscent to what you might find in a Dynasty Warriors title. Cinematically, all of this killing works great. However, after a while, you'll begin to get a bit numb to the action. In fact, gameplay quickly begins to feel like a bit of a button mash.

Graciously, the game tries to vary gameplay by offering four standard classes, a hero class, and even the ability to control mounts and giants. Warrior, archer, mage, and scout classes are the game's bread and butter units - the ones you will most frequently control. Each class has distinct abilities, which help to make gameplay more interesting. Warriors are standard brawlers that employ deadly combos and a fiery sword to slice through enemies on the frontlines. Archers tend to stand back from the fray, using poison, fire, and multiple arrows to get the job done. Mages use elemental attacks such as lightning and fire to take down opponents, but they can also shield allies from ranged attacks or heal them with arcane force fields. Finally, scouts are rogues that use stealth to sneak up on enemies for critical backstabs. They can also launch grenade-like fire pots and, like the warrior, use wicked combos while dual-wielding daggers.

Heroes become available as you begin successfully obtaining objectives. Players will be able to take control of heroes such as Aragorn and Gandalf or baddies such as the Witch-king and even Sauron himself. These uber-fighters nicely fall under the aforementioned classes, so they too feel distinct from each other. The major difference between standard classes and heroes is that these units dominate the field of battle; it takes an insane amount of foes to bring them down.

Also, players will get a chance to ride into battle with mounts such as horses, wargs, and Oliphaunts or take control of towering giants including Trolls and Ents. Playing as all these different units kept things fresh, and I really liked how different each of the classes and units played; kudos to the devs!

Even so, playing through level after level can get repetitive. In fact, playing both sides of the campaign (good and evil) is more or less identical. Sure, taking out hobbits instead of orcs is initially very satisfying, but after awhile it becomes every bit as mundane. Essentially, participating in both the good and evil campaigns, while novel, is like racing back through Mario Kart: Double Dash in Mirror mode: What you're left with after several hours of campaigning amounts to little more than more of the same.

Another hiccup is that, while quite challenging, gameplay can get very frustrating when playing alone. This is mostly due to unbalanced enemy units and poor friendly A.I. For example, playing as a mage is tricky business. They wield tremendous power but tend to be quite weak; an RPG convention that makes a lot of sense. However, when taking on enemy magic-users, they seem to be every bit as durable as a warrior but can unleash powers and protect their minions in such a way that makes them seem broken. On harder difficulty settings, single players will often replay levels over and over again until they can finally break through.

Exacerbating this flaw is the fact that friendly units don't act in ways that allow you to take advantage of your class's distinct nature. If I'm an archer or a mage, I should have friendlies protecting me. As it stands, even backline units will have to take on the tank role, incessantly ending in untimely and cheap deaths. This is, however, all ameliorated by playing with at least one other companion - someone with whom you can execute tactics and strategy. As such, it is highly recommended that this game be played via the excellent split-screen functionality. It's just too bad the unit imbalance and friendly A.I. wasn't correctly adjusted for individual players.

Additionally, as an aficionado of both the books and the films, I have to point out that Pandemic did take liberties with the amount of magic found in both mediums. The idea of dim-witted orcs being able to master the arcane arts and common warriors having access to magical flaming swords runs in stark contrast to the relatively low-magic universe of the books and films. Despite the incongruence with the subject matter, the addition of magically imbued swords, bows, and an abundance of wizards does make for more engaging combat. As such, I guess I let it slide.

Fortunately, the only problem to be found with the multiplayer experience is that there isn't quite enough of it. Getting matched to players online is a breeze and we experienced stable, lag-free connections. Players can choose from Team Deathmatch, Conquest, and Capture the Ring. While Team Deathmatch is self-explanatory, Conquest pits teams against each other with the goal of capturing and holding more control points than the opposing faction. The first team to acquire the predetermined point total wins. Likewise, Capture the Ring is a CTF mode that has your team garnering points for controlling the One Ring. Again, all these modes are fun, but there weren't quite enough of them. I expect future DLC to further flesh out the online multiplayer offering. Despite the included modes being very predictable, the way the four classes interact with each other and the injection of heroes into the fray keeps things interesting and fresh.

I really enjoyed the scope of the title as well. The environments and battlefields are expansive and quite interesting even though textures and details aren't particularly well implemented. However, waiting for the same interminable combo animations to play out can become grating. Graphically, I would have liked to have seen more polish. Thankfully, the classic Howard Shore musical score is nicely incorporated throughout the game. All in all, the devs did a great job of capturing the look, sound, and, consequently, the feel of The Lord of the Rings as envisioned by Peter Jackson.

The The Lord of the Rings: Conquest is a fun title that should keep many diehard fans, especially younger players, engaged. However, if you're looking for something with a bit more depth than button-mashing your way to glory, you will likely find the game shallow and frustrating. In the end, it seems like The Lord of the Rings IP is showing signs of age. At least that seems to be the case for the long line of action titles in the EA stable. Outside of the excellent split-screen and online multiplayer experience, Conquest doesn't substantially distinguish itself from games in the franchise released five years ago, and this holds the overall experience back.

Game Features:

Choose Your Side in the War of the Ring: Play through all the battles from the films and fight through an all-new story in the Evil campaign.

Play How You Want: Wield a sword, shoot a bow, use stealth, or conjure magic. Take control of Trolls, Oliphaunts, horses, catapults, heroes, and villains: the choice is yours.

Epic Online Battles: Featuring 16-player clashes in a wide variety of different modes.

Split-Screen Action: Up to four friends can play either cooperatively or competitively in the same room.

Screen Resolution: Up to 1080p (Full HDTV).

Ultimate Ninja 4: Naruto Shippuden

January 20, 2009 - Naruto Shippuden is the second part of the Naruto series, which takes place two years after the original. The Shippuden series features new enemies, grown-up characters, and a whole lot of drama. It is also a lot darker in tone, and it represents a very large turning point in the series. Those that follow this Japanese series will be very familiar with Shippuden, but North American fans have been waiting a long time for this follow-up series to come west.

Since the series' viral premiere in early 2009, the question in many fans' minds was whether or not the flood of Japanese games based on Shippuden would ever be localized. But luckily, we know that these previously import-only titles will in fact be coming to North America, and the first one will be Ultimate Ninja 4: Naruto Shippuden. Although the latest entry in the Ultimate Ninja franchise, Storm, was released on the PlayStation 3, Ultimate Ninja 4: Naruto Shippuden is will be released on the Playstation 2, where it originally debuted in Japan in 2007.

The game's main story mode, also known as "Master Mode" will take place at the very beginning of the Shippuden saga and will serve as an introduction to this new part of the series. It takes place during the first 17 episodes of the show, and it will tell the story of Naruto and Jiraiya's journey back home. Although most of the story in Master Mode will recount events depicted in the anime, there will be a few extra plot elements involving other characters that will be added to make sure the game feels like more than just a prolonged anime episode.

Master mode will feature a semi-open world similar to that of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 and will let you explore the changing Konoha landscape and perform various quests relating to the beginning of the series. Although the game's scope will not be as big as it was in Ultimate Ninja Storm, you will have a limited amount of freedom to run around and accept unlocked missions at your leisure. In addition to the different story-based missions, you will also have access to collection and mini-game missions that help to boost your character's stats.

But, as any fan of the series will tell you, the Ultimate Ninja series' biggest strength lies in its versus mode. Ultimate Ninja 4 will boast the series' biggest roster yet, with more than 50 playable characters. The roster will feature a mix of older versions of characters like Shikamaru, Gaara, Rock Lee, and Sakura, as well as new characters like artsy bad guy Deidara, and sand ninjas Chiyo and Sasori. There will be new locations and stages in the versus mode. These stages generally consist of familiar areas that have been altered by the passage of time. There will also be areas from Naruto and Jiraiya's traveling.

In addition to the story and versus mode, many fans are hoping that the North American release of Ultimate Ninja 4 will include the Hero History mode. This mode in the Japanese version allowed you to jump back to the regular Naruto series and replay key battles from past Ultimate Ninja games. Although the mode has not been confirmed yet, it certainly would be nice for fans of the series that may have missed one of the earlier Ultimate Ninja titles.

The battle system in Ultimate Ninja 4 will feature many of the same elements as previous Ultimate Ninja games, but will have an improved jutsu system. Instead of being completely fixed, the character's jutsu will adapt to certain battle conditions. For instance, if your character is low on health, jutsus will be more effective to reflect your characters' status. These jutsus will also adapt when a secondary status is invoked. However, despite the new jutsu structure, the core battle mechanics used in previous Ultimate Ninja titles will remain the same in Ultimate Ninja 4, including the tiered combo system that has been the hallmark of the series thus far.

Although Ultimate Ninja 4: Naruto Shippuden might not be the current-generation release that fans might have hoped for, it will definitely be a great introductory title for the Shippuden series as a whole. The Ultimate Ninja franchise has been very successful on the Playstation 2 platform in the past, and Ultimate Ninja will undoubtedly be a comfortable title for Naruto fans to transition into the new Shippuden series. Now let's keep that hurricane coming!

Game Features:

Ultimate Ninja 4: Naruto Shippuden features several unique game modes that offer different experiences as players immerse themselves in the world of ninja.

The new Master Mode combines role-playing and action-platforming elements, telling the story of how Naruto came to return to the Hidden Leaf Village after his training with Jiraiya; an original narrative arc that fans won't find anywhere else.

Players can collect items in this mode to unlock characters in Free Battle Mode, featuring the series' trademark one-on-one ninja battles for one or two players.

Packed with new Naruto Shippuden characters such as Deidara, Sasori and Chiyo as well as updated versions of fan favorites such as Gaara, Kakashi and Sakura, the game features 52 total playable characters to take into battle.