The James Logan Courier

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

The first thing we really learn about "Zubo" is that it stars you as a pretty generic human character. The second thing we learn is that, as this human, you can collect and befriend different creatures, called Zubos, whom you then employ in battle against their evil Zombo counterparts.

Sounds a lot like "Pokemon" — which, with "Pokemon Platinum" arriving at almost the exact same time, also sounds like some seriously terrible timing on "Zubo's" part.

Once you see how "Zubo's" fight system works, though, all perceptions fly out the window. Turns out, timing isn't the game's biggest problem so much as its greatest asset.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune (MCT)

You may not know it just to look at it, and you may never have known if nobody told you, but "Boing! Docomodake DS" is a commercial mascot tie-in game — the latest in a sometimes-brutal genre that includes the wretched likes of "Yaris" and "Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings."

In this case, the star of the show is Docomodake, who is to Japan's dominant mobile phone provider what the Kool-Aid man is to Kool-Aid.

Fortunately, all that amounts to nothing more than trivia. Docomodake is a delightful character, regardless of affiliation. More importantly, "Boing" is a genuinely great game _ an inspired platformer/puzzler hybrid that uses the full might of the Nintendo DS' capabilities in completely new ways.

By Rohan Kumar, Courier Staff Writer

Universal studios brings Wanted, the blockbuster motion picture to gamers across the world. Wanted: Weapons of Fate hit the shelves March 24, and is available on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC platforms. Wanted is a third person shooter and resembles game play similar to the film's perspective. Some of the film's signature moves are also a part of the game such as curving bullets and assassin time, which is taken straight from the film.

The story continues where the film leaves off, in the shoes of Wesley Gibson five hours after the events in the film. In the game Wesley is determined to finally discover the truth behind his family and the secret fraternity of assassins. Unlike the film where the story revolves around the relationship between Wesley and his father, the story will focus on the relationship between Wesley and his mother.