New Releases

Players return to a virtual playroom re-creation of the iconic movie series in LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. As in LEGO Indy's Original Adventures, gamers play through famous scenes from the films, with 3D characters and settings created completely from colorful LEGO building blocks. The 2009 sequel game features scenes from all four feature films, including the most recent Indiana Jones movie, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Some characters have new moves since the first game, and new vehicles are available to recreate well-known movie scenes on boats, motorcycles, and mine carts. In a feature new to the LEGO movie game series, players can also create their own levels, using an almost unlimited supply of blocks. Custom levels can be built completely from scratch, or created by altering and adding to the pre-designed levels included in the game. As in the Indiana Jones original and other LEGO movie games (LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Harry Potter, LEGO Batman), players can collect objects hidden throughout the game world to unlock playable characters. More than 60 hidden artifacts in The Adventure Continues can be collected and used to unlock Crystal Skull characters such as Marion Ravenwood and Mutt Williams, as well as supporting characters and villains from throughout the film series, such as Short Round and Indy's father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Taking its story and setting from the concurrently released TriStar Pictures feature film, Planet 51: The Game is a mission-based driving adventure, set on an alien planet that is oddly familiar. In something of a role-reversal, players take control of Captain Chuck Baker, an astronaut explorer who lands on the strange planet, believing it to be uninhabited. Instead, he finds himself in the midst of picket-fenced suburbs, reminiscent of 1950s America -- except for the "little green men"-like inhabitants, who treat Chuck exactly like the alien invader that he is. The play of the game involves exploring the 3D suburban world from a behind-the-back, third-person perspective, sometimes on foot but usually in a vehicle, and accomplishing tasks such as reaching a distant location or escaping from pursuers. As in the computer-animated movie, the ultimate goal, ostensibly, is to recover Chuck's lost spaceship.

Chuck can commandeer essentially any vehicle he comes across in this travels, including family sedans and motorcycles, taxi cabs and cop cars, and even heavy-duty trucks or zippy riding lawn-mowers. Different cars and trucks have different power and handling, and although the vehicles on Planet 51 hover instead of roll on wheels, most rules of the road still apply. Rules are made to be broken, however, especially when you're a giant alien on the run from a frenzied mob. Chuck can also break from the main story, to interact with various characters from the film in side-quests and various mini-games. In some sequences, players can take control of Lem, the young alien boy who befriends Chuck, and his pet robot Rover, making use of their special skills and abilities to overcome game-world obstacles or beat special challenges. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Based on Walt Disney Pictures' 2009 animated film, The Princess and the Frog for DS is a side-scrolling platform game starring characters Tiana and Ray. Use each character's abilities to swing, leap, and even fly through 27 quest-filled levels set within New Orleans. Collecting various items and ingredients throughout your journey will enable you to cook authentic New Orleans-style cuisine and perform music with up to three other friends. Each cartridge also includes access to Disney's online portal, "DGamer," where you can create a profile and 3D avatar before connecting to friends for chats, sharing accessories, and earning in-game awards. Owners of the Wii version can also unlock bonus items by linking the two games together. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Gamers get a feel for the bohemian lifestyle as they take on the role of an aspiring young painter in Imagine: Artist. A variety of shading, color-mixing, and composition mini-games are designed to hone players' skills with drawing, painting, and collage, and the touch-screen controls help gamers fill their studio with original works of art. And while starving for one's art may be noble, Imagine: Artist aims to give aspiring Van Gogh's a taste of success by having them create original art, maintain their studio, and pump out commissioned work for clients. Proud artists have the option to upload their works to the Imagine website, while DSi gamers can use the system's camera to take photos and incorporate them in future artwork. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Nintendo's signature series returns to its side-scrolling roots with new levels, new power-ups, and a host of multiplayer modes in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Players choose to guide Mario, Luigi, or two versions of Toad through a variety of colorful worlds on another quest to rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser. As always, the game worlds are filled with pitfalls and enemies, but players can fight back thanks to the new ice flower, which allows them to hurl snowballs, the new propeller mushroom, which lets gamers float through the air, and the new penguin suit, which provides surer footing in icy environments. The game makes use of a classic Super Mario Bros. control scheme, though propeller-suit actions and the spin jump incorporate the Wii Remote's motion sensitivity. Multiplayer action comes in both competitive and cooperative forms, letting up to four gamers interact with the environment and one another in a variety of helpful or hurtful ways. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus: Circus Friends -- Asian Elephants takes a Petz-like approach to its treatment of life in the big top, giving gamers control of a large Asian pachyderm. There are 15 different activities for players to try, including painting and plate spinning, and a variety of colorful outfits for the elephants to wear. The ultimate goal is to train the creatures well enough to eventually make it to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Big Top, but to get there, gamers must keep their oversized friends happy and healthy with stylus-based games and grooming activities. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, developer Infinity Ward aims to ratchet up the intense first-person gunplay, graphical verisimilitude, and deep multiplayer experience that won the original title wide acclaim from critics and consumers alike, while at the same time adding to the overall package with the new, fast-paced "SpecOps" mode. The single-player campaign picks up where Call of Duty 4 ended, with gamers once again descending into the shadowy world of terrorists, arms dealers, and nationless armies. Players take on the role of Sergeant Gary "Roach" Anderson, an elite member of the multinational Task Force 141 and subordinate of one of Call of Duty 4's protagonists, John "Soup" MacTavish.

Task Force 141 is on the trail of Vladimir Makarov, a maniacal disciple of Imran Zakhaev, who has used the death of his mentor as a means of expanding his own base of power. Missions find gamers working off sketchy intelligence as they battle whiteout conditions in the jagged mountains of Russia and Kazakstan, shuffle though expansive desert and cave environments in Afghanistan, and weave between City of God-like Brazilian slums, where misfires result in dead civilians and a failed mission. As was the case in Call of Duty 4, Modern Warfare 2 supplies players with the most technologically advanced weapons, vehicles, and accoutrements available, including SCAR-H rifles, snowmobiles, and heartbeat sensors.

The new "SpecialOps" mode brings gamers more than 20 fast-paced missions inspired by the frenzied mid-fuselage gunfight at the end of Call of Duty 4. Players find themselves racing snowmobiles, battling a huge number of enemies at once, or simply attempting to get in and out of a building without dying, and missions can be played solo, in local split-screen co-op, or online with a friend. Those looking for more online action can also take on the "Free-for-All," "Demolition," "Domination," "Search & Destroy," "Capture the Flag," and "Team Deathmatch" multiplayer modes.

The much-lauded RPG-like system of doling out experience points and unlockable rewards returns in Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer modes, but Infinity Ward has also included a number of new wrinkles to spice up the action. Maps are designed to be both more expansive and more vertical; weapons feature a variety of new attachments; new "Pro Perks" let players gain more stopping power, greater speed, or automatic health boosts; and gamers who manage to string together a number of kills gain access to the new "killstreaks" system, which lets them call for seven different kinds of heavy-duty support, including supply drops, helicopter gun attacks, and unmanned aerial vehicle strikes. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Infinity Ward's critically acclaimed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare comes to the Wii thanks to the efforts of Treyarch, known for its slightly less polished, if still highly competent, contributions to Activision's hugely popular franchise. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare -- Reflex Edition eschews the traditional WWII setting that had been the hallmark of the series, instead taking on the more nebulous world of modern warfare. Nazi storm troopers and kamikaze pilots have been replaced by a patchwork group of terrorists and insurgents, and traditional WWII weapons have been jettisoned in favor of more than 70 modern armaments. Though the story is a departure from the previous games, Modern Warfare -- Reflex still features intense mission-based first-person shooter gameplay that should be familiar to fans.

The plot centers on two megalomaniacal madmen who are fomenting unrest around the world in an attempt to cement their own power. Imran Zakhaev is a one-armed Russia nationalist who longs to return his country to a Soviet Union style of government by seizing a stockpile of nuclear weapons. Zakhaev has support from several divisions of the Russian army, but, knowing that the United States would quickly come to the aid of the Russian government, he funds a coup in the Middle East to divert attention. Led by Zakhaev ally Khaled Al-Asad, the Middle Eastern coup results in intense fighting which eventually leads to the launch of a Russian nuclear missile toward American soil. Players fight through this chaos as both Sergeant John MacTavish, a British SAS operative doing battle in Russia, and Sergeant Paul Jackson, a U.S. Marine fighting in the Middle East.

Modern Warfare -- Reflex Edition aims to capture the challenges of modern war by pitting the superior technology of the U.S Marines and British SAS against the cunning guerilla tactics of a terrorist group. In addition to close quarters combat, players will be called upon to perform fast-rope helicopter drops, provide air support from an AH-1 Super Cobra helicopter, call in precision air strikes, and man the turret of an AC-130 Spectre Gunship to engage enemy fighters from the sky. Gamers also join a two man sniper team on a flashback mission in which players head to the Chernobyl Zone of Alienation on a mission to assassinate a younger Zakhaev.

The Wii version of the game lets two players join forces to take on the main campaign, but it otherwise features the same expansive set of online multiplayer modes as its console cousins. Players will be able to choose from Assault, Special Ops, Light Machine Gunner, Demolitions, and Sniper classes, or create up to five special classes with customizable weapons and perks. Gamers can then take their fighters through a dozen different multiplayer modes like Free-for-All, Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, Headquarters, Domination, and Sabotage. Players who frequently battle online will be able to accrue experience points, unlock special weapons and gear, and eventually unlock Prestige Mode in which gamers can trade in their rank for special insignias. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Konami's best-selling soccer series returns with updated features designed around consumer feedback. The AI for both referees and goalkeepers has been adjusted, and there are more feints and special moves available on the pitch. Over 300 moves have been added in total, with new animations for dribbling, turning, and kicking. Other refinements include the ability to point the Wii Remote directly at the goal during free kicks, and even determine the degree in which the ball "bends" through the air. The franchise-style Master League mode adds depth with new fiscal responsibilities, corporate sponsorships, and youth team coaching. Online play is once again supported with a two-on-two option as well as an assortment of new competitions to enter. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

In Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5, players pilot heavily armed, tricked-out combat vehicles, through missions to save the planet Earth from alien intruders in another dimension. Released alongside the computer-animated television adventure series, the game features racing and battle sequences that pit the heroic Battle Force 5 team against its recurring enemies, the robotic Sark and the beast-like Vandals. The game features all of the show's main heroes as playable characters, including Vert Wheeler, in his "Saber" race car, Agura Ibaden in her "Tangler" ATV, Stanford Isaac Rhodes IV in his "Reverb" sports car, Zoom Takazumi in the "Chopper" motorcycle, and brothers Spinner and Sherman Cortez, who operate the high-velocity "Buster" tank. Players race and crash into opponents, in order to find the keys to Battle Zones, and then transform their vehicles for head-to-head combat. Races and battles play out in areas and locations featured in the syndicated television series. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Based on the trading card game and inspired by the animated television series, the first Chaotic video game is designed to bring the supernatural mugic spells, fantastic battle gear, and amazing heroes and creatures to life, in strategic turn-based battle. Set on the world of Perim, the game's plays through an ongoing struggle for survival and supremacy between the forces of the heroic OverWorlders and the dark UnderWorlders, along with the ant-like Danians, the reptilian Mipedians, and the spooky, mind-controlling M'arrillians. Gamers can take on the role of any of 40 playable characters, making use of tactical combinations of dozens devastating spells and empowered pieces of battle gear, in eight winner-take-all fighting arenas. Battles are fought in the Chaotic realm, following the rules of the card game, with onscreen creatures acting out each strike and counter-strike in colorful, 3D animations. Victory unlocks new cards, representing additional gear and mugic powers. Two players can match their card-battle skills in head-to-head play, or a single player can face an RPG-style "Story" mode campaign against computer-controlled opponents. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Billed by Sega as a true successor to the groundbreaking Phantasy Star Online, Phantasy Star Ø transports gamers to an alternate Earth approximately 200 years after a massive war decimated the planet. The survivors managed to pick up the tattered pieces of once great civilizations and build thriving, albeit isolated, cities. And while the apocalyptic nature of the "Great Blank" led to a more peaceful society, a select group of adventurous citizens choose to explore the expansive wilderness areas in order to hunt monsters that threaten the safety of city life. Gamers take on the role of one of these explorers, choosing from the blade-wielding Hunter race, the gun-toting Ranger race, or the spell-casting Forces, and then selecting from 14 different class variations.

Players can also create unique robot "Mags" to provide stat boosts, heal injuries, or serve as an extra attacker, and feeding each Mag surplus items helps them level up in four key areas. There are more than 350 unique weapons available, and combat is handled in a three-beat system, whereby gamers can unleash as many as three normal or heavy attacks consecutively. Phantasy Star Ø includes three online modes: "Free" mode, in which players join a randomly assigned party; "Friend" mode, where two friends can set up a private adventure; and "Single" mode, in which solo gamers partake in online combat to increase their stats. A new "Visual Chat" option lets gamers use the stylus to create and store 20 different visual or written shortcuts in order to more quickly communicate with fellow players during online action. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The developers of Carnival Games invite Wii gamers back for more mini-game madness with over 40 activities under the big top in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Players can use their Wii Remote and Nunchuk to juggle, keep their balance in the high-wire act, or swing through the air on the trapeze, while the game also supports the Wii Balance Board for a number of mini-games. As many as four people can compete in eight multiplayer activities, and gamers can unlock more than 100 distinct prizes, including costumes, posters, and balloon animals. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide