Console Video Games

A potpourri of new releases

By Amy Phillps and Becky Spilver -- School Library Journal, 11/1/2006

In 2005, console video games had over 6 billion dollars in sales with more than 190 million units sold, according to the Entertainment Software Assocation (theesa.com/facts/sales_genre_data.php). New releases reflect a wide range of genres: sports, movie tie-ins, role-playing, action/adventure, and sequels to previously released games. Action, sports, and racing games are the most popular. The reviews below provide a sampling of new games released in 2006.

Librarians can purchase video games from distributors such as Baker and Taylor, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Thomas Klise/Crimson Multimedia. Also, consider taking a non-traditional route and work with local retailers. Manufacturers list prices have not been included because prices fluctuate widely depending on the market and the popularity of a game.

Gr 6 Up–With the movie version having a disappointing performance at the box office, The Ant Bully video game tie-in delivers a fairly standard entry into the action/adventure genre. The main action of the game comes in a predictable format of completing missions to gain an objective—return the main character, a 10-year-old boy who gets shrunk to the size of an ant, to his full size. The game follows the movie plot line and, over the course of the game, the player has to perform certain tasks to prove himself to his ant mentors. When the boy finally becomes a hero at the end of the game, he is returned to his normal size. Although graphics are sometimes a bit choppy, it doesn’t detract from the game experience. Recommended for libraries looking to build a comprehensive collection.

Gr 4-8–This movie tie-in game about barnyard animals and what they’re up to when humans aren’t around is lots of fun. In addition to the somewhat formulaic action/adventure style game play (completing missions to advance a story line), Barnyard offers several arcade games that can be played individually, including “Chicken Launch,” “Gofer Golf,” “Tease the Mailman,” “Joy Ride,” and “Barnyard Darts.” Some arcade games are unlocked as the player advances through missions. On-screen narration provides guidance from characters that allows the player to navigate the game. Simple controls make this a good choice for younger players.

Gr 7 Up–This role-playing game is centered around the release of evil golems and the fight to save Earth from them. The main character, Atsuma, is joined by his friends from Yokahoma Enchanter’s University in the battle against the golems. The game opens with a tutorial that introduces players to details about the characters, their attributes and skills, and how to engage in battle. The battles are easy to figure out as they are set up on a grid system. The player’s abilities are based on hit points and experience points. Every time a player gets hit, the number of hit points is reduced by the amount of damage done by the blow. When all the hit points are lost, the player is removed from the battle and must fight it again. Experience points are a measure of what the character has learned from battles and encounters. As the character gains experience points, he can increase weapons and spells. The characters are engaging and the graphics are Japanese animé movie quality. After using the tutorial, gamers will have no trouble playing. A good addition to young adult collections.

Gr 4 Up–In this excellent follow-up to the popular Lego Star Wars—the Video Game (July 2006, p. 61), the characters are made out of Legos and, when attacked, they can fall to pieces. In this version, players get to become their favorite characters from the original Star Wars movies or, in a new feature, can create a one-of-a-kind character. The player gets to follow the action from the original three Star Wars movies, but can move from episode to episode once the first scenario is completed. Among the game’s new features are character-specific attacks and maneuvers, playable mini-kit vehicles, and adaptive difficulty. As the player completes missions, the game tracks his or her ability and accommodates the next levels to that skill level. Graphics are superior and controls are fairly easy to master.

Gr 9 Up–Fans of The Lord of the Rings series will be pleased with this entry that takes gamers into Middle Earth to play a strategy game based on Tolkien’s characters. The game is centered on building up fortresses and armies and executing battle. Players can choose the side of good (elves and dwarves) or evil (goblins). Sounds effects are excellent. The game is complicated, and there are two tutorials explaining how to create players armies, use magic, and execute battle plans. Once gamers have gone through the tutorials, they will have no trouble playing the game. In addition to the extended campaign, players may select shorter skirmishes or join mfriends online. A must for young adult and general public library collections.

Gr 6 Up–Consistently the top-selling console video game, the Madden NFL series sets the pace for incredible graphics and playability. There are several new features in this version: the ability to play a variety of positions, highlighting a player to make unique real-life player specialty moves, “Hall of Fame” mode, and team-specific defensive playbooks. There are also several new features just for Xbox360. Onscreen help makes the game enjoyable for moderately skilled players, but inexperienced gamers may be daunted by the complexity of game play and the degree of knowledge necessary to play successfully. For those familiar with the ins and outs of sports games, one of this game’s strengths is the endless variety to each game. Among the different modes of play are “Franchise,” “NFL Superstar: Hall of Fame,” “NFL Network,” “Tournament,” “Mini-games,” and “Practice.” Features include “Create-a-Fan,” “Create-a-Player,” “Create-a-Team,” “Create-a-Playbook,” “Rosters,” and “Historic Teams.” Expect this to be a runaway favorite.

Gr 6 Up–In this solid entry into the movie tie-in genre, players explore and try to defeat the spooky mansion before it can devour trick-or-treaters. In a nice retro moment, the game designers include the 2-D arcade game, “Thou Art Dead,” that appeared in the movie. Simple controls and on-screen assistance make this a good choice for younger players. Players are not allowed to go outside the plot line of the game and are guided in their choices, so the game is not particularly complex. With a squirt gun for a weapon, this is fairly mild for the shooter genre, which may turn off some older players. A good choice for larger collections.

Gr 6 Up–This game offers several different playing modes: “Round Play,” “Tournament Play,” “Career Mode,” “Training Center,” and “Course Design.” “Training Center” is an excellent tutorial, outlining different strokes and giving players the opportunity to practice them. “Course Design” allows gamers to build their own golf courses anywhere in the world. In “Career Mode” and “Tournament Play,” gamers play several different courses and try to make it to the top of the professional circuit by playing multiple tournaments. Players select from match or stroke play and the number of holes to play in “Round Play.” The game has a number of shortcomings. “Round Play” is the only area where players can play against each other—the other modes must be played against the computer. The game features only seven male professional golfers. The course graphics are confusing, and it’s difficult to determine where the shot should be placed to make it onto the green.

Gr 9 Up–This hybrid game combines racing with action. It is centered around the character Alex Decker, super spy. The story line follows Alex as he prevents the evil corporation, Nostra, from gaining control of the latest government spy equipment, especially a super vehicle called the Interceptor. Game play moves between driving the Interceptor and Alex walking around completing different tasks. There is no tutorial, but the easy game play level prompts players on the different controls. The controls are sometimes difficult to execute. While there is a bonus area with extra missions, the game contains only one story line made up of a variety of missions. Each mission contains a high degree of violence with fights and gun play. The game also features cinemagraphic interludes with pithy conversation. Due to a limited story line, poor controls, and violence, this game is not recommended.

Gr 7 Up–This game returns to the Dragon Ball Z Sagas (June 2006, p. 91) environment with many of the popular characters such as Gohan, Vegeta, and Chi-Chi. It offers several different game play areas including “Original,” which features an arcade version of the game; “Z Survivor,” where the goal is to keep battling opponents to gather all of the Dragon Balls; “Versus” mode, where players can battle other players; and the training area. Players can customize all the characters, but can only play one character at a time. The training section is not a tutorial but a place to practice different moves. Even though a variety of game play options are available, there isn’t much visible difference between the areas. Players will find the fighting very cartoon-like, with contenders knocked around without any visible signs of getting hurt. The graphics have a very 2-dimensional feel. As players move characters around, the building walls become translucent and characters can walk right through them—this just shouldn’t happen. The poor graphics, lack of variety, and cartoon feel make the game disappointing.