Handheld Reviews

We're used to seeing Mario spin-offs, but you can understand why Nintendo fans were concerned when Metroid Prime Pinball was announced. Metroid Pinball was developed by the same studio that brought us Mario Pinball Land, a game which was not well received. Fortunately, it turns out that Samus fits into pinball form much better than Mario does, and the game is much more than a cash grabbing spin-off.

Rockstar has made a name for itself ever since Grand Theft Auto III was released on the PlayStation 2. Since that time, two follow-ups to GTA III have been released to massive sales and a lot of controversy. Now entering the handheld arena for the first time with a serious GTA title, Rockstar has released their long-awaited PSP title. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories takes players back to Grand Theft Auto III where players control Toni Cipriani and become the right-hand man to Salvatore Leone in his gang wars. During the course of the adventure, players will encounter a few technical issues. However, overall this is a very worthy title in the GTA series.

When I first heard about X-Men Legends, I was very excited. This was the first X-Men game that actually allowed players to use the various Mutant powers at any time. It seemed too good to be true. When the title was released, it stayed in my GameCube for months and months. Although I loved the original, I was a little skeptical when X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse was announced. Why? Because 9 times out of 10 sequels aren't as good as the original. Thankfully, Raven Software not only knows how to make a good quality game... they also know how to make a sequel.

I love going to the zoo. Ever since I was a kid, I have visited the Fort Worth Zoo, watched the monkeys, cautiously went through the reptile exhibit, and looked at the aquarium (before they shut it down. Dang you Forth Worth Zoo!!!). Zoo Tycoon is a title that in theory should be very fun. The Tycoon games have all been very popular and well done on the PC but I never have had a lot of time to spend with them there. After playing Zoo Tycoon DS, I am not sure I want to though.

It is no secret that the PSP has seen its share of software shortages. With so few titles coming out on the market, gamers quickly grab any title that comes out. Sadly quite a few of the recent PSP releases have been less than spectacular. Enter Sony's PlayStation Portable follow-up to the cult PSone classic MediEvil. As fun and enjoyable as before, MediEvil makes a great portable debut.

For Pac-Man's second outing on the DS, Namco's taken away his arms and legs and dropped him in a big 3D world. That's okay, because as it turns out, Pac-Man controls pretty fun that way. You've read some reviews that claim Pac'n Roll is like a cross between Pac-Man and Super Monkey Ball. You may have read yet other reviews that say Pac'n Roll is mix of Pac-Man and Marble Madness. Well, I'll set them all straight right now. Pac'n Roll is like a blend of Pac-Man, Super Monkey Ball, and Marble Madness. Not that we have that out of the way, I can explain what it's all about.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike is actually the ninth game in a long running series with a seventeen year history in Japan. Of course, you probably know that the series only first brought war to American soil with the release of Advance Wars on the Game Boy Advance in 2001. The series has proved to be popular with American and European gamers too, as Advance Wars: DS marks the third game to see global release in just four years, and that's not even counting the spin-off GameCube game just released.

From the creative mind of the ever-popular Miyamoto, Nintendo offers a truly unique handheld experience with Nintendogs. In this simulation, players can control one of several dog breeds. You will be responsible for feeding them, watering them, bathing them, training them, etc. While it is definitely not for everyone, it is easy to see why this title alone was responsible for the Nintendo DS sales taking off in Japan.

When Nintendo was first promoting Polarium, they billed it as the next Tetris. Even though I was (gasp!) never a big fan of Tetris, even I realized that it was a very bold claim. That's not to say that Polarium doesn't bring something new to the table.

Since the dawn of Tetris, developers have produced tons falling-block games for every game system in an attempt to discover their own addictive formula. Q Entertainment is responsible for one of the most popular games on PSP, a unique puzzle game called Lumines. Just as it took advantage of the PSP's features, they now bring another puzzle game that's perfectly suited to the DS.