New Releases

Dream Salon puts gamers in the fashionable shoes of Jenny, a young graduate of the New York Beauty Academy with a dream of becoming the biggest stylist in the world. In order to increase her profile, Jenny must style a number of models in preparation for big fashion shows set in ten different locations around the globe. Players begin by choosing from 20 different hairstyles, including coloring and highlights, and then selecting the perfect combination of more than 100 cosmetic items such as eye shadow, lipstick, and blush. Fashion is paramount for models, of course, so gamers must also come up with the most stylish outfits possible, including hats, eyewear, and other accessory flourishes. Players can add finishing touches with a fresh coat of nail polish, and then take snapshots of their favorite overall designs for safekeeping in the photo gallery. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Young gamers can join the pint-sized heroine Dora and her friends Boots and Allie as they head off to restore color to the Crystal Kingdom in this adventure game from 2K Play. A Greedy King has stolen all of the crystals that give the kingdom its wonderful color, and only players can help Dora and her friends jump, climb, and run through levels to recover the jewels and restore order to the land. Levels take place in such fanciful environments as a butterfly cave, a land of dragons, and a castle in the clouds, and the "Helper" feature lets parents use a second controller to jump in and assist their children. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

After more than three years without a release, one of Sony's signature platform franchises returns with more exploration, more gadgets, and more vehicular combat in Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. Gamers once again join the heroic elf Jak and his surly sidekick Daxter as they travel to the ends of their planet to search for ancient Precursor technology that may alleviate a crisis caused by rapidly dwindling supplies of the world's "eco." But finding a new source of eco will not be easy, because the duo must suffer through their own Manichean struggles with light and dark eco, all while battling beastly creatures and fighting sky pirates out to secure the valuable resource for their own subversive desires. Luckily, players are armed with special abilities, a variety of powerful weapons, and five customizable ships for air battles. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Assemble a band, brick by colorful brick, in this family friendly version of Harmonix Music's popular rhythm series. Featuring the same level of customization and whimsical humor found in previous LEGO video games, LEGO Rock Band lets you create your own band members, roadies, and even managers from a variety of individual parts. Completing songs and rock power challenges earn you studs that can be used to unlock additional venues, characters, instruments, vehicles, and items for your personal "rock den." Challenges involve achieving such offbeat feats as summoning storms, demolishing skyscrapers, and defeating a giant octopus with the power of music.

As with Rock Band on PSP, the DS version does not require any additional peripherals to play the drum, singer, guitar, or bass parts, and you can either focus on mastering one instrument or switch between all four parts during a song. Twenty-five tracks are included on the cartridge, all performed by the original artists. Songs include "Let's Dance," "Ghostbusters," "Suddenly I See," "So What," "I Want You Back," "Free Fallin," and more. Up to four players can perform with or against each other via local wireless connection in a choice of two game modes: Quickplay and Rock Power Challengers. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Although guitar heroics often take the lead in modern popular music, rock & roll has always been a group activity, and Activision's Band Hero aims to gets the whole crew into the act. As its title proclaims, the continuation of the genre-founding Guitar Hero series sets center stage for the whole band -- drummers and vocalists as well as lead and bass guitarists -- and is designed to let gamers play along with a diverse selection of contemporary and classic rock and pop songs, using their favorite instruments in their own style. To keep the focus on fun, Band Hero offers "No Fail" gameplay modes for instrumentalists, and a "Sing-Along" mode for karaoke-style parties, allowing players to open up and express themselves, without worrying about keeping up with progressions or scoring points. The game's "Party Play" mode allows players to drop in and out of a song at will, as the music keeps playing.

Hardcore console rockers looking for a challenge can still find it, in the game's more traditional modes of play. Bands can battle in "Rockfest" competitive modes such as "Elimination," "Do or Die," "Perfectionist," and "Pro Face Off," that can be played with up to four others on the same console, or as many as eight over an online connection. For veteran guitar heroes, the game is also compatible with previously available Guitar Hero content, with updates that allow players to perform any instrument part and take advantage of new Band Hero features with many of the earlier downloadable songs from the Guitar Hero: World Tour edition of the game. Also building upon the series' World Tour release, the high-def console editions of Band Hero include a fully featured "GHTM Studio," allowing players to remix with new samples, patterns, and playing styles.

The console disc edition of Band Hero offers more than 65 popular songs. Top-selling country crossover star Taylor Swift is prominently featured in the game, with the inclusion of three songs from her first two original albums, and the artist's performances were motion-captured to bring her in-game persona realistically to life. Guitarist and singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5 was motion-captured, as well, for his appearance in the game as a playable character. Band Hero's play-along soundtrack also includes timeless tracks such as David Bowie's "Let's Dance," Devo's "Whip It," the Jackson 5's "ABC," "Mr. Roboto" from Styx, and original hit singles from a diverse selection of artists, including Aly and AJ, Cheap Trick, Fall Out Boy, the Go-Gos, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Roy Orbison, Tonic, the Village People, and many others. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Although guitar heroics often take the lead in modern popular music, rock & roll has always been a group activity, and Activision's Band Hero aims to gets the whole crew into the act. As its title proclaims, the continuation of the genre-founding Guitar Hero series sets center stage for the whole band -- drummers and vocalists as well as lead and bass guitarists -- and is designed to let gamers play along with a diverse selection of contemporary and classic rock and pop songs, using their favorite instruments in their own style. To keep the focus on fun, Band Hero offers "No Fail" gameplay modes for instrumentalists, and a "Sing-Along" mode for karaoke-style parties, allowing players to open up and express themselves, without worrying about keeping up with progressions or scoring points. The game's "Party Play" mode allows players to drop in and out of a song at will, as the music keeps playing.

Hardcore console rockers looking for a challenge can still find it, in the game's more traditional modes of play. Bands can battle in "Rockfest" competitive modes such as "Elimination," "Do or Die," "Perfectionist," and "Pro Face Off," that can be played with up to four others on the same console, or as many as eight over an online connection. For veteran guitar heroes, the game is also compatible with previously available Guitar Hero content, with updates that allow players to perform any instrument part and take advantage of new Band Hero features with many of the earlier downloadable songs from the Guitar Hero: World Tour edition of the game. Also building upon the series' World Tour release, the high-def console editions of Band Hero include a fully featured "GHTM Studio," allowing players to remix with new samples, patterns, and playing styles.

The console disc edition of Band Hero offers more than 65 popular songs. Top-selling country crossover star Taylor Swift is prominently featured in the game, with the inclusion of three songs from her first two original albums, and the artist's performances were motion-captured to bring her in-game persona realistically to life. Guitarist and singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5 was motion-captured, as well, for his appearance in the game as a playable character. Band Hero's play-along soundtrack also includes timeless tracks such as David Bowie's "Let's Dance," Devo's "Whip It," the Jackson 5's "ABC," "Mr. Roboto" from Styx, and original hit singles from a diverse selection of artists, including Aly and AJ, Cheap Trick, Fall Out Boy, the Go-Gos, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Roy Orbison, Tonic, the Village People, and many others. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Aspiring culinary artists can turn their Wii Remote into a kitchen knife as they slice and dive their way through more than 30 real recipes in Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked! Players can learn how to prepare a wide range of meals, from simple breakfasts to elaborate feasts, and Food Network personalities Susie Fogelson and Mory Thomas offer up tips, instructions, and critiques of each dish. Food-loving gamers can try the challenges alone, or they can take on a friend in head-to-head cook-offs. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Created in conjunction with the direct-to-video computer animated movie, the interactive edition of Barbie and the Three Musketeers follows the story of the teen-aged country girl Corinne, who realizes her dreams of following her father's life of swashbuckling adventure, through side-scrolling action, adventure, and puzzle-solving gameplay. As in the movie, Corinne is joined by her friends Viveca, Renee, or Aramina, the three new musketeers, each with different strengths and a unique special ability. Players can take the roles of any of these main characters, who can defeat onscreen opponents with moves such as ribbon whips, Chinese fans, and grapples, as the young women make their way across the countryside to the grand city of Paris. Sword-fighting skills will come in handy, but diplomacy and dancing are equally important, especially as the story comes to a head at the grand ball. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Assemble a band, brick by colorful brick, in this family friendly version of Harmonix Music's popular rhythm series. Featuring the same level of customization and whimsical humor found in previous LEGO video games, LEGO Rock Band lets you create your own band members, roadies, and even managers from a variety of individual parts. Completing songs and rock power challenges earn you studs that can be used to unlock additional venues, characters, instruments, vehicles, and items for your personal "rock den." Challenges involve achieving such offbeat feats as summoning storms, demolishing skyscrapers, and defeating a giant octopus with the power of music.

As with earlier entries in the Rock Band series, gameplay involves using supported guitar, microphone, and/or drum peripherals to rhythmically follow a series of cascading, color-coordinated notes. A total of 45 songs are included on the disc, all performed by the original artists. Tracks include "Crocodile Rock," "Ghostbusters," "Summer of 69," "So What," "I Want You Back," "Free Fallin," and more. Owners can also download other songs designed for the Rock Band series as well as export the LEGO Rock Band track list to Rock Band 2 for use in all game modes. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Mixing inventory puzzles, point-and-click adventure, and traditional hidden object gameplay, Hidden Mysteries: Titanic -- Secrets of the Fateful Voyage puts players aboard the opulent cruise ship during its final few hours. Gamers must hunt for hidden items through 15 chapters, all the while interacting with fellow characters to gather information and obtain important objects. Some of those objects can then be used in more than 20 mini-game puzzles, many using specific touch screen controls, while the dialog choices players make affect which paths are available and alter the ultimate conclusion of the game. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Created by the development team behind such critically acclaimed role-playing games as Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age: Origins is an original fantasy RPG featuring real-time combat and content spanning an estimated 80 hours in length. Your custom-created hero is one of the few remaining members of the elite Grey Wardens, an ancient order that has sworn to protect the land and its citizens. The news is dire: a corrupted dragon is leading a powerful army of darkspawn to conquer the surrounding territories. In your quest to slay the dragon and cleanse the tainted lands, you'll battle numerous creatures, make critical decisions, and explore dozens of locales.

Shape your hero's personality by initially choosing one of six origin stories, which influences your character's background and starting area. Recruit others to fight alongside you, engage in branching conversations, and deal with such issues as murder, jealousy, love, politics, and even genocide. While the third-person combat occurs in real time, you can pause the action at any point to issue commands and plan your strategy. You can also switch between all four party members to take advantage of special skills and talents, as the computer carries out actions for heroes not directly under your control. A minimum of two years worth of downloadable content is planned to expand Dragon Age's universe with new quests, campaigns, and characters. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

C.O.P.: The Recruit puts players in the shoes of Dan Miles, a former underground street racing champion who decides to put his lust for danger to good use by joining the Criminal Overturn Program. Working under Detective Brad Winter, Miles scours the streets of New York City investigating a series of terrorist attacks. But when Winter is arrested for a crime he didn't commit, players must take Miles back into his former life as he goes undercover to exonerate his mentor, unravel a citywide conspiracy, and prevent a catastrophic terrorist attack. C.O.P.: The Recruit offers gamers more than 60 missions set throughout six square miles of bustling Manhattan streets. The stylus-driven 3D action includes back-alley races, shootouts with criminals, and terrorist surveillance, and players can make use of modern technology to coordinate SWAT team assaults, call for ambulance support, and access the city's surveillance cameras to locate suspects. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide