New Releases

Jurassic: The Hunted is a fast-paced first-person shooter that sends players back through time, to pit them against the monstrous creatures that ruled the title era. Survival itself is the greatest measure of success, as the player is challenged to outgun and outsmart aggressive oversized enemies such as raptors, Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus. Various game modes have players scavenging the prehistoric environment for useful weapons and equipment, defending makeshift fortifications under siege, and in all-out boss battles and arena fights against giant, ferocious opponents. A bullet-time styled "adrenaline burst" feature allows players to slow the action down during key sequences, for a one-time chance to take careful aim at a dinosaur enemy's most vulnerable points. The budget-friendly game puts players in the role of expert survivalist Craig Dylan, who has been hired to help protect a team of researchers investigating a temporal distortion on a heretofore-unknown island. When Dylan is mysteriously pulled backward through time to the era of the dinosaurs, he has only his wits and his weapon skills to keep him from becoming some terrible lizard's lunch. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Designed from the ground up for the Wii and DS platforms, Need for Speed: Nitro is an arcade-style racing game offering an assortment of customization features. Over 30 licensed cars are included, from classic models to exotics, with a choice of multiple color schemes and skins. Assigning a graphic style to your car allows you the opportunity to literally change the world around you by hitting specific triggers strewn about the road. Each vehicle comes equipped with nitro boosts, which can be used to blast ahead of the competition or to escape police in hot pursuit. You can also perform movie-like stunts such as jumping over cars or two-wheeled driving to elude rivals and stay ahead of the pack. Among the ten different game types are a six-city "World Tour Campaign," a graffiti-inspired "Tag the World" mode, and a collision-filled "Smack'm'all" option. In addition, the DS version includes wireless support for up to four players. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, 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

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

The human extension of Ubisoft's Petz line continues with Imagine: Babyz Fashion, a title in which gamers try to turn their cooing toddlers into celebrities. The happiness of each baby is paramount, so players must still ensure that each child is well fed, entertained, and soothed when upset. But once the kids are content, gamers can dress them up in the hottest outfits and accessories and enter them in fashion contests, earning prizes for the most fashion-forward designs. ~ All Game Guide

Players can help young adventurer Dora as she enters the world of pet ownership in Dora the Explorer: Dora Puppy. There are ten different puppy-related activities to try, including: feeding, bathing, and grooming in "Caretaking"; trying out games of fetch, hide and seek, and tug of war in "Puppy Play"; teaching the pup to sit, roll over, and speak in "Training"; and outfitting the critter with clothing, collars, and headwear in "Dress-up." As gamers play they can earn puppy tokens to purchase new clothing and accessories, new toys for Perrito, and pages for the colorful picture book. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Konami's best-selling soccer series returns with updated features designed around consumer feedback. The analog controls now allow for full 360° movement, 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 more expressive player faces, dynamic lighting, enhanced stadium details, and new crowd chants and cheers. 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

A collection of festive mini-games inspired by Disney's feature film reimagining of the Charles Dickens classic, Disney's A Christmas Carol lets players experience the saga of Ebenezer Scrooge firsthand. Gamers can use their stylus and DS microphone to guide the crotchety old man through his epiphany-filled evening, witnessing many of the story's major events unfold in animated scenes. There are 14 different mini-games to try, including snowball fights, piano lessons, caroling, and cooking a holiday meal in Tiny Tim's kitchen. As many as four players can challenge one another in single-cart multiplayer mini-games, and Disney's A Christmas Carol also includes original Dickens novel as well as an interactive Advent calendar. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The movie series may be over, but the saga lives on with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. The storyline takes place between films Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, with the Galactic Empire nearing the peak of its far-reaching power. You are none other than Darth Vader's secret apprentice, engaging in covert missions to defeat those with designs on dismantling the Imperial regime. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions feature custom designed technologies that let players interact with the environment in diverse ways. Mastery of the Force allows the protagonist to lift writhing bodies into the air, letting them dangle powerlessly, before pushing them at high speeds into the background. Objects of varying sizes and strengths can also be manipulated, acting as mere toys for the evil Jedi to use in his nefarious deeds. Lightning crackles from fingertips, lightsabers twirl in the air, and entire spaceships move with the mind. It's all part of being a Jedi.

The protagonist will travel to various worlds in his relentless search for the few remaining Jedi who escaped Order 66. Featured locales include a TIE Fighter construction facility, the Wookiee home of Kashyyyk, a junkyard-like realm known as Raxus Prime, and a fungus-infested planet called Felucia. Each features groups of enemies that must be eliminated in stylish fashion, with Force power combos earning players experience points to customize their character. The action is viewed from a third-person perspective with the apprentice holding his red lightsaber pointed upward behind his back. Accompanying the lead character at various points is a prototype "holodroid" called Proxy as well as a blond Imperial pilot named Juno Eclipse. The Sith Lord's apprentice faces several deadly foes throughout his mission, including Maris Brood, a Zabrak warrior bent on revenge, and the primary target: grizzled General Rahm Kota, who learned the ways of the Force under the tutelage of Mace Windu and Yoda.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed -- Ultimate Sith Edition includes three new levels detailing an alternate storyline in which the apprentice kill Darth Vader and takes his place during several key moments from the films. Players visit Coruscant for another mission, head to Tatooine to square off against Obi-Wan Kenobi, and face Luke Skywalker himself in a final confrontation on Hoth. ~ 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

Star Wars: Battlefront -- Elite Squadron is a third-person shooter that allows players to take part in famous battles from throughout the Star Wars story. As in previous Battlefront games on consoles and home computers, players take the role of a soldier from the sci-fi fantasy series and engage in frontline combat with infantry weapons, light artillery, and vehicles. In Elite Squadron, players can customize their character by choosing weapons, armor, gender, and combat attributes, and by earning and using their choice of hundreds of unlockable weapons, items, and bonuses. In addition to the custom character they develop, in some modes, gamers can also play as central characters from the Star Wars saga, including Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Kit Fisto, Count Dooku, and Boba Fett, as well as some main characters originally featured in earlier Star Wars games. Players may commandeer equipment and vehicles in the heat of combat, including AT-RTs and troop transports, as well as TIE and X-Wing fighters. Following the Battlefront design, the main campaign is composed of decisive battles from the six Star Wars feature films, including the firefights on Endor, Yavin 4, and the icy planet Hoth. Nintendo DS and DSi gamers can also connect wirelessly, for multiplayer matches with up to four human-controlled soldiers. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City is a compilation that bundles together the two downloadable expansions to Grand Theft Auto IV on a single game disc. The package includes the two-wheel gangland adventures of Johnny Klebitz in Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, and the more glitzy nightclub escapades of Luis Lopez in Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide