New Releases

Rodent-loving PSP owners can take care of their very own virtual furball in Petz: Hamsterz Bunch. Players adopt a hamster by choosing from a variety of different breeds and customizing their pet's fur color. Gamers can feed and nurture their animals, witnessing them grow from babies into adults, giving them toys, and watching them explore rooms filled with 50 different hamster-centric activities. ~ All Game Guide

After years of celebrating rock & roll culture and making gamers feel like guitar gods, Activision turns its attention to hip-hop pioneers like Kool Herc and Grand Wizard Theodore by offering players more than 80 original mixes to blend, juggle, and scratch in DJ Hero. Featuring a variation of the "note highway" mechanic popularized by Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and incorporating a turntable-and-mixer peripheral controller, DJ Hero finds gamers manipulating a crossfader and effects knob with one hand, while using the other hand to press three gameplay buttons located atop a fully rotatable faux record. Instead of increasing difficulty by making players account for more buttons, DJ Hero begins to incorporate more scratching and crossfader movement in an attempt to foster a more authentic feel.

Developer FreeStyleGames worked closely with world-renowned artists DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip, DJ AM, and Cut Chemist to create a realistic experience, and all four DJs contributed original mixes and mash-ups. DJ Hero also features DJ Jazzy Jeff and Grandmaster Flash as playable characters, but the game does not mine its track list solely from the world of hip-hop, featuring portions of more than 100 individual songs from artists such as Marvin Gaye, Beck, Nirvana, Daft Punk, and Tears for Fears. The game takes players to a variety of locations designed to mimic real-life party hotspots, and gamers looking for multiplayer action can hook up multiple controllers for competitive "DJ vs. DJ" mode, or the co-operative "DJ + DJ" and "DJ + Guitar" modes.

The "Renegade Edition" comes packaged with a "Renegade Turntable Controller," a hard carrying case that converts into a DJ stand, and a two CDs featuring music from Eminem and Jay-Z. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Ported from the 2007 Wii title Petz: Horsez 2, Petz: Saddle Club once again finds players guiding a girl named Lilly on foot and in the saddle, as she trains and cares for her horse on a family-owned ranch. In order to prevent the bank from foreclosing on the property, Lilly must enter and win various dressage, cross, and show jumping competitions. Players can influence the attributes of their foal by selecting its parents, and other customization features include the ability to upgrade the ranch and stable over time, and the option to purchase assorted saddles, bridles, and brushes to keep horses in show-worthy shape. ~ All Game Guide

Namco's hand-to-hand fighting game series debuts on high-definition consoles with enhanced graphics, destructible environments, online features, and the series' largest character roster to date. The "King of Iron Fist Tournament" brings 40 contenders into the fray this time around, with mainstays such as Jin, King, Anna, Law, Phoenix, and Heihachi, as well as six newcomers, including the jet-pack enabled Alisa Bosconovitch, the veteran warrior Lars Alexandersson, and the obese but impossibly quick American karate champion known as Bob. The series' fan-familiar match types and battle modes are included, although some have been revamped. In the storyline-driven "Scenario Campaign" mode, similar to the "Tekken Force" mode featured in earlier editions of the game, a chosen character battles through set piece areas, fighting numerous enemies to progress.

Online functionality is fundamental in Tekken 6. Players can join matches against others over the console network, or fight alongside a human-controlled ally in a co-op campaign mode (which becomes available in a free, downloadable patch). "Ghost" characters can be trained to fight in a gamer's personal fighting style, and then sparred against to reveal strengths and weaknesses, or shared and traded online to provide a customized challenge to other players. Worldwide and regional leaderboards track rankings and top performances in all main game modes. The series' new PS3 and Xbox 360 graphics feature character models and animations of unprecedented quality, as well as enrichments such as special lighting and depth-of-field effects, all in sharp, HD detail. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Based on the popular prime time game show, premiering on Fox in the U.S., Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Game Time challenges players to answer questions and solve quick puzzles based on facts and trivia that might be taught in an elementary school classroom. The game features over 5,000 original questions, in 28 primary school categories such as "World History," "Drama," "Science," and "Vocabulary." Questions become more difficult as the game progresses from first to fifth grade levels, and correct answers become more valuable, with the top prize reaching a million video game dollars. Gamers play along with fifth-grade classmate characters, and a virtual Jeff Foxworthy hosts the proceedings, with familiar charm and gentle ribbing toward contestants. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Create and personalize your own zoo while caring for over 90 species in World of Zoo. Watch each animal roam around in its assigned exhibit while interacting with it through various hands-on mini-games and activities. Your primary goal is to ensure that each animal is well cared for and happy by gaining its trust over time. You'll also be able to create an unlimited number of monkeys, lions, bears, and other creatures with the built-in animal creator feature. Information on the various species and factoids are provided on National Geographic animal fact cards, and you can earn achievements and special unlockables during the course of play. In addition, the DS version lets you share your animals via wireless connection. The game's developer, Blue Fang, previously worked on the Zoo Tycoon series. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Designed for social gaming, Hasbro Family Game Night offers players digitized versions of classic Hasbro board games. Players can take on the computer or go head-to-head with a friend in games of "Operation," "Battleship," "Bop-It," and "Connect Four." Hasbro Family Game Night also puts a new twist on the old standards, letting players try out "Connect Four Power Chips" and "Reverse Yahtzee," and all of the game's festivities are hosted by the multifaceted Mr. Potato Head. ~ All Game Guide

SpongeBob SquarePants teams up with Plankton to recover Mr. Krabs' coveted Krabby Patty formula in Truth or Square. The platform-style action has you controlling the yellow cartoon character through an assortment of familiar locales, including downtown Bikini Bottom, the Krusty Krab, the Jellyfish Fields, and Rock Bottom, while advancing across 12 levels. With the help of Plankton's memory machine, SpongeBob will also revisit ten of the "happiest moments" in his underwater life. It is hoped that by revisiting his past, SpongeBob will remember where he placed the secret formula. In addition to jumping and spinning, SpongeBob can morph into a sledgehammer, water gun, and explosive cannon to defeat rivals. Both the Wii and Xbox 360 versions of the game feature cooperative support for two players. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

SpongeBob SquarePants teams up with Plankton to recover Mr. Krabs' coveted Krabby Patty formula in Truth or Square. The platform-style action has you controlling the yellow cartoon character through an assortment of familiar locales, including downtown Bikini Bottom, the Krusty Krab, the Jellyfish Fields, and Rock Bottom, while advancing across 12 levels. With the help of Plankton's memory machine, SpongeBob will also revisit ten of the "happiest moments" in his underwater life. It is hoped that by revisiting his past, SpongeBob will remember where he placed the secret formula. In addition to jumping and spinning, SpongeBob can morph into a sledgehammer, water gun, and explosive cannon to defeat rivals. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Help the anthropomorphic animals from the Madagascar films win multiple go-kart championships in this four-player racing title from Activision. A total of nine themed environments are included, from a beach and volcano to a freighter and zoo, each offering hazards to avoid and power-ups to collect. Perform stunts, battle for three cups, and earn medals in one of four distinct vehicle classes: 50CC, 100CC, 150CC, and 200CC. Featured drivers include Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, Julien, the chimps, and the penguins. Play modes range from a Time Trial and Checkpoint Race to a Quick Race and Championship. As a special bonus, computer animated stars Shrek and B.O.B. (from Monsters vs. Aliens) are also included as playable characters. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Help the anthropomorphic animals from the Madagascar films win multiple go-kart championships in this four-player racing title from Activision. A total of nine themed environments are included, from a beach and volcano to a freighter and zoo, each offering hazards to avoid and power-ups to collect. Perform stunts, battle for three cups, and earn medals in one of four distinct vehicle classes: 50CC, 100CC, 150CC, and 200CC. Featured drivers include Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, Julien, the chimps, and the penguins. Play modes range from a Time Trial and Checkpoint Race to a Quick Race and Championship. As a special bonus, computer animated stars Shrek and B.O.B. (from Monsters vs. Aliens) are also included as playable characters. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Help the anthropomorphic animals from the Madagascar films win multiple go-kart championships in this four-player racing title from Activision. A total of nine themed environments are included, from a beach and volcano to a freighter and zoo, each offering hazards to avoid and power-ups to collect. Perform stunts, battle for three cups, and earn medals in one of four distinct vehicle classes: 50CC, 100CC, 150CC, and 200CC. Featured drivers include Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, Julien, the chimps, and the penguins. Play modes range from a Time Trial and Checkpoint Race to a Quick Race and Championship. As a special bonus, computer animated stars Shrek and B.O.B. (from Monsters vs. Aliens) are also included as playable characters. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Svelte television workout guru Jillian Michaels makes her handheld debut with more than a dozen different exercises in Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 for the DS. Players follow the lead of Michaels' as she takes them through a pre-determined routine of push-ups, abdominal workouts, running, and other exercises in "Jillian's Training" mode. Those looking to customize their regimen can specify which activities they want to do, and when they want to do them, in "My Training" mode. The "My Diary" feature keeps track of each user's schedule, progress, and Body Mass Index, and gamers can unlock helpful tips about diet, fitness, and wellness. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide