Features: For the first time ever you can experience the stunning classical animation of 'Space Ace' in true High Definition on this fantastic Blu-Ray edition.

This release of Don Bluth's legendary animated arcade game features video transferred directly from the original film source, delivering the sharpest images and most vibrant colors ever - even better than the original laser disc release. Indeed, Digital Leisure is fast bridging the gap between animated film and video games and enabling players to progressively "unlock" scenes in an otherwise traditionally-produced animated film.

Description: In Space Ace you play the heroic Ace who must stop the evil Commander Borf from taking over the Earth! Borf plans to reduce all of humankind to infants and take over the planet. Only two people have the courage and strength to stop Borf and save Earth: the beautiful Kimberly and the heroic Ace. But as they approach Borf's stronghold, Ace is hit by the Infanto Ray, changing him into a child, and Kimberly is kidnapped by the evil madman! The fate of Earth is in your hands.

In this game, you play Dirk the Daring, a knight who must rescue a princess by exploring a castle filled with deadly dangers which require quick wits and precise timing to overcome.

Verdict: Despite it's improved gameplay, better graphics, and (then) cutting-edge technology, 'Space Ace,' like 'Dragon's Lair,' rests as a footnote in videogame history, one that hinted at but did not inspire a revolution in the industry. Though a third entry in the Laserdisc-based game cycle would emerge in 'Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp' a year or two after 'Ace,' the mechanics of the approach were just too clunky (and expensive) to overtake traditional pixel and vector graphics games, which were getting more advanced by the minute. Meanwhile, home-based game consoles and personal computers all but obliterated the traditional Saturday night at the arcade. A Laserdisc player in a giant box was just not going to be the wave of the future, no matter how prophetic 'Space Ace' and 'Dragon's Lair' may have seemed at the time.

That said, 'Space Ace' is definitely made for HD, with much more fluid movement possible, with the only real lag times coming between the end of one gameplay sequence and the beginning of another (though even here, the half-second or so you'll have to wait is nothing compared to the slow load times of the average PlayStation release). 'Space Ace' on Blu-ray works where it counts - during the actual scenes of the game, keeping the animation running smoothly is easy - just make the right moves, and Ace keeps chugging without any hiccups.

One improvement I found in 'Space Ace' versus the Blu-ray of 'Dragon's Lair' is that I had no problems this time with the sequence of the game. On 'Lair,' if you screwed up a move, the game would automatically push you ahead to the end of a sequence. In other words, instead of going back to the beginning of the sequence to get it right, you would simply go on to the next adventure - essentially a free pass. Combine this with the Unlimited mode, and the game of course wound up having no challenge. Even selecting five lives and Expert mode on 'Lair,' the game is too easy. 'Space Ace' always put me back at the beginning of the sequence if I messed up, so the challenge level is upped considerably. Add to that the fact that 'Ace' is a much quicker game with a ton more moves, and you could spend quite a few hours solving this one.

In the end, 'Space Ace' has converted very well to Blu-ray. It's far and away the most seamless version yet on home video, and the animation looks superb. I'm sure there will be many who just can't get into the idea of a game like this, which really only requires you to watch a slight narrative and execute a series of simple remote moves.

Extras:
Interview (HD, 5 minutes) - Basically a coda to the picture-in-picture track (see HD Exclusives below), Bluth, Goldman and Dyer give a wider overview of 'Space Ace's reception, it's place in the "arcade animation" trilogy shared with the 'Dragon's Lair' games, and how they still receive mail about Ace from fans.

Demonstration Reel (HD, 3 minutes) - Ignore the title, this is actually a restoration demonstration, using split-screen to compare the new Blu-ray remaster with past video releases. the results are impressive -- the Blu-ray blows away any and all previous challengers.

Previews - Rounding it out are video trailers for 'Space Ace,' 'Dragon's Lair,' and the upcoming (but as yet unscheduled) 'Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp.'
Reviewed by Tab Walker

www.digitalleisure.com

Features: More than 70 of the most legendary rock anthems of all-time. Added multiplayer modes: arcade inspired Guitar Battle and the dual shredding co-op career. Challenge the legends of rock and roll in boss battles. Take those axe shredding skills online and rock around the world. All-new tricked out venues taking you to hell and back .

Description: The third game from the Guitar Hero series is here, and ready to rock your face off. Channel your inner guitar god as you thrash your way through all sorts of venues, from hole-in-the-wall bars to sold-out stadiums. In addition to standard Guitar Hero features you know and adore, this game features all kinds of killer new options, such as the new multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a bevy of exclusive unlockable content and authentic rock venues.

Plus, the expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. Best part, of course? The new songs! Fresh downloadable content will be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a set list from many of the greatest rock songs ever recorded.

Verdict: After the relatively weak showing from the spin-off Rocks the 80's venture, its nice to get back to the fundamentals of Guitar Hero with a welcome evolutionary step for the series. Now in the hands of the developers from Neversoft, it was quite rewarding to see that they didn't attempt to reinvent the wheel, but stuck with much of the gameplay format that has already worked and cemented Guitar Hero as one of the most successful series of titles in recent gaming history.

Let me get my mild peeves about GHIII:Legends of Rock out of the way first so I can work to laud its many accomplishments, something people seem to be neglecting in their reviews. Unlockables are a bit of a mixed bag: extra characters range from ridiculous to phenomenal. The new guitars are pretty cool, but nothing remarkable really. The bonus songs on the whole still consist of mostly underground material...being the 4th title in the series, it doesn't fit that they'd have to tap the tracks of relatively unknown C & D List bands.

Maybe that's because the better portion of B Listers made it into the actual game set list; unlike the first two entries, where the tracklist was abundantly solid with a plethora of easily recognizable tunes, GHIII varies very sharply here. The main setlist ranges from incredible anthems of hard and classic rock history to highly dubious entries from the last several years or so.

But enough whining; let us focus on the positives of that setlist, because when it flexes its muscle it is VERY impressive, with such monstrous heavy hitters as Living Colour's "Cult of Personality", Black Sabbath's "Paranoid", Pearl Jam's "Even Flow", Carlos Santana's "Black Magic Woman", ZZ Top's "La Grange", and a finishing set that includes a Trident of Metal Divinity: Slayer, Iron Maiden, and some band called Metallica, playing this song called "One", its not too shabby, they might become successful off of it. Sarcasm aside, finally getting to play Metallica, to immerse yourself in one of the definitive compositions of the premier metal ambassadors of the last 3 decades marks an arrival to the Guitar Hero universe that has been heavily anticipated since the series took off.

GHI had the face off mode, GHII brought about the much needed Co-Op mode, what can GHIII offer to multiplaying enjoyment? How about a wicked little BATTLE mode? I know a lot of people overlook this mode with a shrug, but I think its great. I'm a gamer first, metal lover second, so attention to making innovating gameplay goes far with me, and I like this addition quite a bit. It smacks of one of my favorite titles of yesteryear, Super Mario Kart, and it provides a means of upping the dueling potential of Guitar Hero immensely.

But wait folks, that's not all! Who doth adorn the cover of this latest GH masterpiece? Hard Rock Guitar Shredding Icon of the 80's and 90's and current axe grinder with revival rock super group Velvet Revolver, Its SLASH! Both Slash and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello come to challenge you upstarts, armed with completely original compositions to tackle in this all new battle mode. Show them your worth by causing them to flounder, and they'll not only jam with you on some of their most recognized tracks (Welcome to the Jungle and Bulls on Parade respectively), you'll be able to purchase them as extra characters.

A note on the challenge level....I myself am an average GH player. I hold it down strong on Medium level, 5 starring most tracks with ease, but I can't seem to make the jump to that cursed orange button on Hard, so I leave it alone. These are certainly the most challenging medium tracks I've played since Cowboys from Hell and Bark at the Moon, the type of challenge that keeps you coming back for more. I'm glad they raised the bar enough to put me to work.

Finally, all due apologies to the whiny punks out there, but the finale to Guitar Hero III is easily the greatest one to date. Not only is the final battle an unexpected delight, its very well DONE, and then the closing credits.....well, you'll see, but they rule.

So, the verdict for Guitar Hero III is as follows: on par with the first entry, slightly less impressive than the paragon of Guitar Hero II, and a wonderful retribution from the negligible Rocks the 80's debacle. Sure it's not without certain flaws, but its definitely a rockin' ride no Guitar Hero should miss!

Reviewed by Kamo Stevenson

Features: Improved Rhythm Engine brings smoother and more realistic racing feel. Variety of racing modes, including the new Endurocross. X-Cross Tournament brings together 8 unique racing series into one ultimate offroad championship. Multiple vehicles to race with Upgrade your vehicles with 100+ sponsor parts and accessories.

Description: 'MX vs. ATV: Untamed' kicks it up a notch and shifts into high gear! Rainbow Studios has evolved their legendary Rhythm Racing engine to include throttle based power slides, near upside-down whips and new scrubs at full speed, all while retaining the smooth and authentic feel not found in any other game. Attempt to own the offroad by dominating the innovative new "X-Cross Tournament," which brings together 8 unique racing series like Endurocross, Opencross, Supercross, Waypoint and Supermoto and then crosses them into one ultimate offroad championship!

Verdict: 'MX vs. ATV: Untamed' takes everything fans love about off-roading and tries to cram it all into one neat console experience. Not content to just settle for MX motorbikes and four wheeled ATVs, the game also decides to throw in the Monster and Trophy Trucks, Buggies and even the occasional Golf Kart for good measure. Of course, including those in the title would have taken up most of the front package, so the MX vs. ATV moniker is good enough. Players race to their hearts’ content through eight different events taking place in all sorts of environments, from small indoor dirt tracks to huge outdoor swamps and deserts.

If you’re a fan of the MX vs. ATV series, particularly last year’s Unleashed game for the PS2, you’ll be happy to know that the controls from before have survived the transition to next-gen platforms. What this means for newcomers is a fairly steep learning curve. Due to the game’s fairly realistic physics mechanics, players will have to learn how to pre-load their jumps to get decent air, and to throw in the clutch for a burst of speed after those tight corners.

Adding to the experience, Untamed takes things an extra step further by adding even more nuances to the controls, such as power slides and whips maneuvers. These moves take some pretty accurate timing to make the most out of them, but they can mean the difference between taking to the air like an eagle and pulling off some monster moves, or doing a crash and burn while the rest of the pack flies past your wreckage. If you’re looking for a quick and easy arcade experience, Untamed may be a little more than you can handle.

MX vs. ATV Untamed supports multiplayer via two-player split-screen and huge 12-player races over Xbox Live. Players can also compete against each other in a variety of small minigames, including Hockey, Snake and a personal favorite, Tag.

Much like actually an actual off-roading experience, MX vs. ATV Untamed is a good time that occasionally gets bogged down in a muddy mess. The high learning curve and occasional visual letdown can throw a layer of muck over an otherwise prime racing experience. Still, if you’ve been following the franchise and are itching for a mud slinging, log jumping, tire spinning, air grabbing, next-gen good time, odds are you’ll want to check out MX vs. ATV Untamed.

Reviewed by Kal Walker

www.THQ.com

Features: The heart of the Smackdown! Series is the Season-Story mode with the addition of authentic Superstar VO and commentary. For the first time ever in a WWE game, fans can compete online in head-to-head action. New storylines with bigger double-crosses and over-the-top surprises. Create a Championship Belt and then set up your own PPV to defend it. Be careful - lose a match and lose your Championship, as it will transfer to the other player's memory card! New WWE Legends, including one of the all-time greats, Andre the Giant!

Description: From the most successful wrestling game series of all time comes the next phenom in sports entertainment, WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw. Two worlds collide as the most elite Superstars square off on the Playstation 2. WWE programming comes to life with authentic Superstar Voice Over and commentary throughout the season mode An abundance of new gameplay mechanics give full control over all aspects of the game including new chop battles, submission reversals, match tactics and upgraded Royal Rumble controls. The Divas are hotter than ever with an enhanced Bra and Panties Match, and to polish off the robust roster, from the halls of immortality, come a handful of the most celebrated legens ever to lace up their boots. The influential Smackdown!

Verdict: When 'WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2007' came out we all had to deal with a complex, needlessly confusing new control style, on top of an awful GM Mode, and an even WORSE Technique-to-Weight system, that made playing the game needlessly bad, in favor of trying to reach a "realistic" level of play. Well, I am here to tell you that 'WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2008' is even WORSE than last year's game!

Their new styles limit your ENTIRE moveset now, not just your Grapples, like 2007's Weight Distribution system did. What this means is you can now only do a Super Dirty Move if you're playing as "Dirty." You can now only steal finishers and taunts if you're playing as "Showman." You can't even do a combo strike attack unless you're playing as "Brawler!" You can only use weapons if you're playing as "Hardcore!" You can only do rope, springboard, and diving moves if you're playing as "High-Flyer."

So, what this leaves you with is about 20% of what you used to be capable of doing on any given wrestler! Like I said, there's almost NO plausible explatation on why that dumb-ass Cory Ledesma and his monkeys at THQ have done this, but what we are left with is a severely limited moveset.

To make matters worse, THQ is now "forcing" you to play using their Godawful control stick system, now! Last year, at least you could switch it to the classic style with Control Type D. That is no longer the case as you now have no ability to switch your control style. And no matter how use you may get to using the new control system, you'll never like it!

So, we not only have less moves per wrestler, and less available moves to choose from, but we also have to use this needlessly complicated and never-fun control style, too. Saying it takes a while to get to would be an understatement. I am sure many players will NEVER adjust to this mess we have here!

As for the other games features, well, they aren't good, either. Of course, we have less match types now than ever before (Backstage Brawls is just one of them to be removed from the game). ECW Extreme Rules sucks. Bottom line. There, I said it. So, other than the basics, you can forget to find any new match types, here.

As most already know by now, the Roster blows, big time. This console version of the game literally has less wrestlers than the freaking PSP version! And although their entrance animations are present in the game (meaning at one point or another, they WERE planned to be in the game), Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Kevin Thorn, Ariel, Deuce, Domino, Sgt. Slaughter, Eddie Guerrero, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Balls Mahoney are NOT in this game!

Create-A-Superstar was extremely scaled back in 2007's game, but at least now, some of those missing elements have made a welcome return in this year's game after being removed from '07. At least now you are able to make your superstar almost as good, if not as good, as you were able to do in SvR 2006.

And if one good thing can be said out of this, that is THQ FINALLY fixed the Create-An-Entrance! Now, you can properly edit things with the help of a slider timer (my suggestion from last year). Also, you are now able to edit your Title Belt entrance, as well. Last year, certain superstars who were too big to wear belts (Umaga, Mark Henry, Viscera, Khali) had their own seperate belt entrances. This idea comes into 2008 as you can now have your own seperate belt entrance, amongst you regular one, just like John Cena, Johnny Nitro, and Khali have.

The music in this game is no better or worse than last year, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Just like 07, we get generic rock tracks from semi-famous bands, like Nonpoint and Project 86. And also just like last year, the quantity of songs we get are limited and few. About half an album's worth. The songs aren't bad as standalone tracks, but get EXTREMELY repetitive after less than a week of owning the game. You may wanna do what I did and just cut the background music off, altogether!

Reviewed by M. Powell

Features: Intense action thriller with stunning next-generation graphics and amazing special effects. Play as both a U.S. Marine and British S.A.S. soldier fighting through an unfolding story full of twists and turns. Enter treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world. Use sophisticated technology, superior firepower, and coordinated land and air strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy, and communication are essential to victory. Depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive, and customizable gameplay.

Description: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the new action thriller from the award-winning team at Infinity Ward, the creators of the Call of Duty series, delivers the most intense and cinematic action experience ever.

Armed with an arsenal of advanced and powerful modern-day firepower, players are transported to treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world. As both a U.S. Marine and British S.A.S. soldier fighting through an unfolding story full of twists and turns, players use sophisticated technology, superior firepower, and coordinated land and air strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy, and communication are essential to victory.

Verdict: From the moment you turn this game on you are swept into a reality that is all to similiar to what is going on in today's world. The storyline is something you have probably heard before on the news. Out of control regimes in the MidEast and potential anarchy in the old Soviet Union. The two factors make for a very intense game. I don't even know if game is an appropriate title for something so realistic. Your mission is to stop a rogue government from getting their hands on nuclear weapons. Obviously a big challenge for anyone.

If you have played previous 'Call of Duty' games you know the quality that goes into the gameplay. Never overly to difficult for a first timer. Much of the combat is very similiar to previous COD games. The objectives are always short enough to keep the player involved. What sets this Call of Duty game apart from it's previous incarnations is the amount of realism that has gone into it. The graphics and sound are so real that you could almost think your watching a movie....Actually more real than a movie. The only thing that may be lacking in this games single player missions is the lack of co-op play and the overall shortness of the game. Most will have it completed under six hours. Of course you can always give it a try and a more difficult setting.

The online multiplayer is amazing. To say the least I didn't expect it to be this intense. From the moment you start an online challenge you are thrusted into battle. The game seems to keep the online working in such a way that it seems incredibly realistic. What I also enjoy about the online is that it allows you to rank up rather quickly but you must have enough skill to be an asset on the battlefield. Online there are numerous different missions that keep the game extremely fun and fresh. Although you won't have access to these challenges until you prove your abilities. What also keeps it fresh is the ability to gear your soldier differently as you advance thru the online. This game will definitely have people playing for many, many months.

If you enjoy shooter games and most importantly like realistic war sims then this game is for you. The graphics are amazing, the environments almost look too real, and the sound sets this game apart from others that have flooded the field. If you ever wanted to have an idea of many of the challenges that today's soldiers have to deal with then you need 'Call of Duty 4.' This may possibly be the game of the year.

Reviewed by Tab Walker

www.Activision.com

Features: 6th Man Advantage - Give your home team the advantage on the floor with the energy of the crowd. Maximum Passing - One press of a button puts a full slate of pass options at your fingertips. On-the-Fly Coaching - Call plays, queue up subs, check on your players and even change coaching settings without ever having to pause the action. Range Meter - Know the right spots on the floor for each player to take their shots and minimize missed buckets. 2K Soundtrack - Featuring Jurassic 5, J. Dilla, MF Doom, Dilated Peoples, The Kooks, The Black Lips and more.

Description: 'College Hoops 2K8' continues the legacy of the NCAA franchise with all new features, including the 6th Man Advantage feature that lets the crowd atmosphere affect the game performance of teams, a training mode where players can improve their skills through practice, and more.

'College Hoops 2K8,' the #1 rated college basketball game five years running returns to the Xbox 360, with the deepest feature enhancements in the history of the franchise. 2KU - Completely redesigned arena atmosphere creates the most authentic college basketball experience ever.

Verdict: '2K8' basketball games just get it right. They offer some of the most realistic gameplay ever seen in a video game. If you are looking for a true sim, CH 2K8 is the game to get. You can run with multiple teams in your Dynasty mode (legacy, create and easily modify players, and what's neat about this year's game is you can create a prospect at the high school level, playing with him in the summer camp games.

With your team you can monitor all of these players progressions to find out who you want to recruit. It is really a nice added feature to the game. As for the gameplay itself, there are still some minor issues: 1) The CPU on your team does not get back in transition to guard other players very well. And by the time you switch off to the player with the ball, it's too late. They have already scored. 2) Too many missed open lay-ups and mid-range shots. Star players on North Carolina just don't miss open shots like that! 3) Graphics, though decent, still look a bit cartoonish to my standards.

The arenas look OK, but not nearly as good as you'll find in 'March Madness 08.' Player models are good, but again, I don't think they come close to what MM has produced. 4) The menu screens, though minor, 2K really needs to update those. They get the job done, but they're a bit outdated. Again, 'MM 08' has the better menu screens. 5) The color commentary: '2K8' needs to really work on this. It's just not as exciting as it should be.

One cool feature is that you can go on Xbox Live and download roster saves which will give you the correct names and appearances for every player. You can even download saves for the unlockable classic and all-time teams! Now that's damn cool!

Overall this game is fun to play besides some minor issues. It lacks in certain areas compared to 'MM 08,' but it definitely offers the better game play, depth and freedom you will want in a college basketball game this season.

Reviewed by Marcus Callum

www.2Ksports.com

Overview: Building upon the addictive and easy-to-learn gameplay of a puzzle game by integrating story and character progression elements found in RPGs, 'Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords' delivers a brand new type of game that pushes the puzzle genre to a previously unseen level.

Create and build a persistent hero, from one of 4 unique classes; who gains skills, spells, weapons and more over the course of the game Customizable characters give players the ability to fight battles with unique strategies Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle.

Features
Easy to learn gameplay with opportunity for strategy for more advanced players
Embark on a single-player campaign with 150 quests
Quick play mode allows players to start with puzzle battles
Create and build a hero who gains skills, spells and weapons
Customizable characters each fight battles with unique strategies
Build and empire by capturing cities and building castles
As your reputation increases you will gain a party of companions to aid you in battle
Battles others via wireless multiplayer

Description: Building upon the addictive and easy-to-learn gameplay of a puzzle game by integrating story and character progression elements found in RPG's, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords delivers a brand new type of game that pushes the puzzle genre to a previously unseen level.

Verdict: Casual gamers have their Bejeweled, and hardcore players have their RPGs. Long have the two groups been content to remain separate and play their respective games. But the folks at D3 Publisher have begun a socialization experiment that may find gamers from both camps playing the same game. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords attempts to marry characteristics of traditional RPGs with the pick-up-and-play mechanics of a casual puzzle game -- and succeeds.

Unlike other "normal" RPGs, battles in Puzzle Quest are played out on the Bejeweled field. If you haven't played the PopCap game online, Bejeweled is a jewel-matching puzzle game where you flip two adjacent pieces at a time in order to create matching rows of three or more gems. As you create matches, they disappear and more jewels spill in creating more match-making opportunities.

During battles, players go head-to-head against an enemy who is playing off the same field as you. You and your opponent take turns, so your move can end up being beneficial to the enemy's, or vice versa. The four different colors of gems (red, blue, yellow, green) represent different types of mana. As you clear the field and build your reserve of each type, you can spend your mana in different combinations to cast both offensive and defensive spells.

If you manage to clear four jewels at once, you'll receive an additional turn. Clear five and you'll receive the extra turn and a wild card will appear that can be used as any color of mana and multiplies the amount you receive. Skulls are peppered throughout the play field, and can be used to attack your opponent when cleared. The battle will rage on until one of the side's hit points are reduced to zero. Those are the basics of Puzzle Quest's gameplay, but as you make your way through the game you'll realize that there is a lot more depth to be explored. You can expand your hometown citadel with additions like dungeons, towers, and stables. Each expansion grants you new abilities: once you have a dungeon you can capture your enemies; once you have a stable you can train captured monsters as mounts; once you have a mage tower you can learn spells from enemies.

You can lay siege to other castles and bring them into the fold of your kingdom. A siege is handled on the field of puzzle, but castles will have much greater hit points than most monsters. Defeat the castle in battle, and its citizens will begin paying their taxes directly to you.

Reviewed by Tab Walker

First ever High Definition Film Transfer!

Features: The first laserdisc game and the first to use regular cell animation for the graphics you can now experience the stunning visuals of 'Dragon's Lair' in full High Definition on your HD DVD player! Using today's most sophisticated film transfer technology, this smash hit arcade game can now be played in High Definition and fantastic 5.1 surround sound.

In this game, you play Dirk the Daring, a knight who must rescue a princess by exploring a castle filled with deadly dangers which require quick wits and precise timing to overcome.

Features
Spectacular new transfer directly from the original film
Digitally remastered in High Definition - Full HD 1080p Video and Extras
For the first time in dramatic 5.1 surround sound that immerses you in the action
Authentic scene order and a watch feature to view Don Bluth's stunning animation
Frame by frame digital restoration
Full length commentary from the creators!
All new interviews with creators: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Rick Dyer

Description: Become Dirk The Daring, a brave but bumbling knight who is out to save Princess Daphne - again! Control Dirk as he fights through Mordroc's castle and its many dangers. New characters combine with advanced cel-shaded graphics for a bigger, better adventure. 'Dragon's Lair' is digitally restored and enhanced with 5.1 Surround Sound and features interviews with original creator Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Rick Dyer.

Verdict: OK, you should know that I am an Old School gamer thru and thru and grew up with a lot of these Laserdisc games - for better or (now) for worse! Depending on your age, and your memories, you also might recall this game that (basically) ushered in the Laserdisc boom when it was introduced to arcades in 1983. Now released for the first time (first) in a Blu-ray format and now in this exquisite HD DVD format, it once again pushes technological boundaries all these (24) years later.

Iin my opinion, this new HD DVD edition is a huge step up from even the recently-released Blu-Ray version! It transitions very smoothly and looks mighty beautiful on my huge palsma screen at 1080p. In fact, it damn well looks frickin' awesome ... and with all the good nostalgic feelings flooding back screen after screen, well, I don't have to tell you this game is true value for money - especially for us noted Old School gamers, at least!

But, and with all that said, you still have to look at this new version with several perspectives taken into consideration. Actually, to some it may fail as a game, and may be considered entirely skippable! To others (as mentioned above), it draws on significant memories that make it a must-have to older gamers and vintage gaming enthusiasts.

For those that don't know of this classic game, well, 'Dragon's Lair' starts like an animated movie would; the first scene moves your perspective through some sinister looking bushes, to the front gate of a castle. By this point, you still don’t realize that you’re playing a game. You watch your character Dirk the Daring approach the gate. Suddenly, the drawbridge breaks! Dirk falls through! But wait, he’s hanging on the edge of the collapsed bridge! Dirk is suddenly attacked by some scary looking tentacles - how is he going to survive this?

Well, he doesn't!! You see, if you're not on the ball from the off Dirk dies! So, as you stare open mouthed at the screem - wondering over and over 'Was I supposed to do something?' and 'Was I controlling him at some unnotified point?,' etc. You get another try, of course and this time you get yourself ready to hit the single action button to attack the creature in the moat. But, ... Dirk dies again! 'What am I doing wrong? I’m down to 3 lives already, and haven’t even gotten past the first monster!' I hear you gently scream at the screen. Did it help ... well, you try it again and this time you timed the attack right, and are able to proceed to the next scene! Good for you, ... the game is well and truly now on!

And that’s pretty much how the game went for me also! For those in the know, if you remember how this game is supposed to play, there are movement guides so you know what button to press. Although, in some scenes you are guided it is very inconsistent and the occasional beep that is suppose to accompany it does not always happen either. Ah well, can't hvae it all, can we ... or can we?

In wrap, 'Dragon's Lair' HD DVD delivers some crystal clear fun, a heady dose of tongue-in-cheek medieval adventure that made the original arcade games a hit. Holding significant historical value over (perhaps, in all reality) the actual quality of the game itself, the colors were very washed out on the DVD but these found on this new HD DVD version look extremely vibrant in comparison. So, the recently-released Blu-Ray version may be worth buying, but this new HD DVD format is the one to head to the stores for first! Even if you can’t stand Laserdisc games! But, then again, that's just my humble, personal opinion, of course.

Reviewed by Tab Walker

www.digitalleisure.com

Features: Create your own male or female character. Interact with other students with their own unique personalities. Go on dates in locations such as the movies, the beach, the mall, etc. with these interactive mini-games.

Description: If you only knew then what you know now. Here's your chance to re-live your high school days by entering Brooktown High. Choose to play as male or female and create your own unique character. Interact with other students, each with their own distinct personalities and cliques. Find your niche and hang out with jocks, nerds, preppies, and more. This is your senior year and your chance to find the guy or girl of your dreams!

Verdict: I'll try and stick with the specifics of the gameplay and avoid too much commentary. This game is OK, but it could have been a lot more.

I would describe this as a "round-based, relationship game". A round is one school week. Your character gets up on Monday, gets dressed and has a little time for the computer. Then it is off to school. You have probably time enough to talk with 2 or 3 other kids before you have to get to class. Talking with other kids is VERY important, because this is basically the only chance you get for any given round, and talking is how you advance your relationships. Here is where things got a little weird; you flash-forward to Friday afternoon (there is no Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning, etc). Here you have either your job or your after-school club. By the way, you don't do anything at a job or club; these are strictly for earning money or improving your grades. Your character then wakes up on Saturday morning and can either study (all day) or goof off and call people on the phone or go on the computer. If you have a date, that happens Saturday night. That is pretty much it for a round. For some reason, there is no Sunday.

This game is all about relationships. There is no free-roam or things in the environment to interact with (except the computer and the clothes closet). Your character can't leave their room except to go to school or out on dates. You can't go hang out at the mall or go to a friend's house. Each round is very fast-paced. You rush to school, find who you want to talk to (if you can) and then run to class to avoid the hall monitor.

The game is about relationships, but there is very little time to develop them. There is absolutely no way you could talk with everyone in the game and go through their "story". This does give the game some replay value, in a strange way. The game lasts for one school year, so it is probably about 30 rounds or so.

The dating part is kind of interesting. You definitely have to get to know the person in order to get them interested. I didn't get too many dates, partially because I sometimes couldn't find the person I was looking for! On dates, you go to different places, but you only talk with your date.

I started to enjoy the game play style, because there was always something to look forward to; someone you needed to talk to or do a favor for. It is a decent hand-held game, because the rounds are pretty short. It would give me a headache if I played it too long. However, right when I was just figuring things out, the school year was over!

The good:
Graphics and soundtrack are good
Some of the characters are pretty interesting
The round-based gaming can be pretty compelling. I usually couldn't wait until the next round so I could find the person I was looking for

The bad: It can be really hard to find the other kid(s) you are looking for. There are lots of them and you only get once chance per round (aside from phone calls).
You can't call people until you get their number, and you can't get a phone number unless someone gives it to you. (no yellow pages)
It got frustrating trying to figure out how to advance some relationships. You have to talk to the right people to get tidbits about others. If you try talking to the same people again, you will just have the same conversations over and over. You have to find something out about them first, and that can be kind of hard (there isn't too much conversation time in any given round)
There was very little time to interact with the other characters. If you accidentally started talking with the wrong person, you probably will miss out on finding who you were looking for
For me, the worst part was no free-roam, no ability to explore.

Overall, it is OK. It is certainly very different. However, those who are looking for a SIMS-like experience will want to avoid this one.

Reviewed by Mike Stevenson

Features: Lap the competition with truly next-generation features. Experience uncompromising physics simulation. Master real-world tracks from around the globe. Collect, upgrade and tune hundreds of cars. Create and share your masterpiece with the world.

Description: Forza Motorsport 2, the sequel to Microsoft Game Studios' award-winning, fully customizable driving simulator Forza Motorsport, speeds its way onto Xbox 360 this holiday. With authentic simulation physics, bone-jarring damage, photo-realistic graphics, and licensed tuning and customization options, the franchise improves on the unprecedented features gamers enjoyed in its debut installment. Loaded with more than 300 of the world's hottest cars for you to collect, personalize and tune, Forza Motorsport 2 gives you a complete racing experience.

Verdict: In all honesty, I believe this game may be one of the most misunderstood games to be reviewed by both the players and online reviewers (IGN)! I am about 8 hours into playtime and it is definitely the best racer I ever experienced. I have never played any GT games, but I played most other famous racers like the Burnouts, PGR2 and 3 and NFS. I would like to address some perceptions to help the potential buyer make an informed decision.

Sensation of Speed - Give the game time to build up your collection of cars. Once you are awarded the high-end cars, the sensation of speed is undeniable, especially at 60 frames per second. One can't really compare this game to the Burnout titles which give a totally different and arcade-like feel.

Graphics - There are complaints out there that the game has "jaggies". I just don't see them. The graphics and especially the modeling of the cars are the best I have seen in a racer with not a single frame-drop ever. I do have an HD set and perhaps the game doesn't look good on a 480i set. I couldn't tell you.

Sound -Although the music is B- rated at best, the sound where it counts, in the cars and ambient sound, is excellent.

Tracks - This is where I agree with most in my clique that the variety of tracks is definitely lacking. Also, the tracks are quite plain. That may be the sacrifice the design yields from sticking to 60 FPS.

Wheel misperception -Unless you have been racing with a wheel or don't have much experience with racing games using a dual stick controller, I DON'T recommend getting one. I have been playing racing games with a dual stick controller for a long time. I thought too that getting a wheel would improve my experience. I bought a good quality wheel and had to return it because the paradigm shift was too great. Keep in mind all the nuances that your fingers are used to in adjusting the dual stick controllers and triggers for gas and brake. These movements now have to be translated to a wheel and your feet. I winded up returning the wheel because I couldn't keep any car under control and I realized it wasn't the wheel's fault, it was my inability to translate from the sticks to the wheel. Again, that is just me.

Difficulty - Again some people think it is too hard or too easy. I just don't see it. This title has an unprecedented amount of difficulty settings from any video game, not just racers. One has to spend the time to see the many different options available to adjust difficulty from almost arcade-like to extremely difficult with many increments in between those settings.

In closing, this is a superb quality title and I highly recommend experiencing it.

Reviewed by Jerry Michaels

Features: Cards are marked with 8 types of actions, 8 power levels and 8 guard levels for 512 possible combinations that will determine how players progress through the game. The game will progress even if the player is not thoughtful in picking cards but strategic players will get the most out of the game. Multiple cards can be used together to form combos.

Description: 'Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu' is a completely new way to play the classic fighting action in Dragon Ball Z. This DBZ game combines simple card-based play mechanics and RPG aspects - bringing an all-new shot of action into the DBZ universe. It's easy to learn, but hard to master - and it'll test your strategy skills and your knowledge of the DBZ series. Strategic players will unlock more surprises and be more successful in game Supports wireless battle for up to 4 players and includes a game sharing mode.

Verdict: Back in the day there were several Dragon Ball Z games being released - although primarily in Japan. While most of them were pure fighting titles, a few of those were card games, where the effects of cards were mostly used for combat. This newly-released title could be a symbol of revival for such older games, but what you're going to find here is just poor, perhaps even more disappointing than you would feel if such older titles were ported to this console.

It all begins as you start the game, where you'll face an uninteresting introduction sequence, where three different images from the series are seen. Then, you press the usual "start" button, select a save slot and register it under your name, before being given access to the main menu. Oddly, it only allows you to access the Story Mode or the Vs. Mode, where two or four players can fight each other, via wireless.

For obvious reasons, you'll probably start with the Story Mode, which initially allows you to play as Goku, Gohan or Piccolo. There's space for a secret character, one that most fans will easily recognise, but he's not initially available. While you can start with whoever you want, after reaching a certain point of the storyline, you'll be told to play the other stories, which you must complete up to a certain point.

This game's story covers the beginning of the series up to a certain point, and while it doesn't cover the entire series, or any of the movies, its length is more than enough. Well, if you can stand facing the exact same story yet again, that is... the game follows exactly the story of the series, with a very few tune-ups (mostly, they are composed with more enemies being faced at each part of the game), and nothing else.

This storyline is also split into several chapters, which you can easily access from the menu and with clear relationship to each phase of the storyline. There's a chapter with Goku and Piccolo facing Raditz, one Gohan training with Piccolo, another with Goku's way across the stone serpent, among many others. During those chapters, you basically get cards each time you spend them, which happens when you either attack enemies or move on the field. Later, you also gain the ability to put a certain group of cards together, which grants you higher defensive and attacking values.

Graphics turn out being another weak point of this game. Unlike depicted in certain western titles, everyone actually looks like the characters from the series, in a way that we could even think that Akira Toriyama, the original author, drew them. However, that's as far as it goes. There are absolutely no animations, and most attacks are depicted with small special effects included in a single static image. The same goes for the cutscenes, where text is shown and a single image of the character appears. 10 years ago, such features were usual, but nowadays, this is unexcusable.

The sound quality is slightly better, and while songs from the show don't seem to appear in the game, most tunes are fitting to the in-game action. Pure fans won't like them, but for regular players, they are just fine. The ability to hear the character's voices, available only when they are striking the enemy, is also an interesting addition to the game.

While knowledge of the Japanese language isn't required to play this game, I strongly suggest that only huge fans of the series buy it. It has quite a few play time, but a predictable storyline, lack of interesting features, a weak graphical design and boring gameplay scheme are surely unappealing for random players.

Reviewed by Tab Walker

Features: Compete in the new American Idol mode, which can be played in single or multiplayer. Also features popular Karaoke Revolution game modes such as KR Challenge, Medley and Quickplay. Up to 8 people can compete in head-to-head or team-based modes. Players can sing together in Duet Mode to see who has the most star power.

Description: 'Karaoke Revolution: American Idol' lets you sing and perform using a USB headset/microphone as you compete through a fully recreated virtual season of the #1 TV show in America. Play the part of an American Idol contestant as you audition, earn an invitation to Hollywood, and ultimately perform on center stage at the finale. As you progress through the game your popularity with the crowd and comments from Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, both positive and sometimes outrageously negative, will affect whether or not you move on to the next round of competition.

Verdict: In truth, this was the first ever Karaoke game I have ever played ... and I was very quickly surprised to find myself addicted to it after just 30 minutes of singing! I started off with a terrible voice but after many days of practice, I'm probably much closer to being an average male singer. No, I still can't remember most of the words to the songs until I see them pop up on the screen, but my singing has improved enough to get several Diamond records (highest you can get) on the easiest of the 4 difficulty levels; for some of the easier songs like 'Piano Man', 'Can't Help Falling in Love' or 'Breakaway.'

Even with only 40 songs, it's fun to try to better your high scores, and if you have all the other 5 Karaoke Revolution games, you'll have over 230 songs to sing, so repetition is less of a problem.

There are also 100 unlockables in this game, including about 24 videos (some fullscreen and some widescreen) from the American Idol Tv show. None of the clips are for entire songs and generally only run 90 seconds or less, but they do feature Kelly Clarkson, Katherine McPhee,Clay Aiken,Taylor Hicks, etc.,(singing songs only from this game) and sometimes join 4 different singers spliced together singing the same song. There are also some funny auditions included, like William Hung's 'She Bangs' and the Wasp guy. It's too bad the singing clips are so short but it's better than nothing. Of the 40 songs in the game, only 4 need to be unlocked and it's easy to do. To unlock 'Flying Without Wings', you just need 500,00 total points. To unlock 'Piano Man', earn 4 platinum records. To unlock 'Straight Up' earn 6 platinum records. To unlock 'The Real Thing', just get 1.5 million total points in the game.

As for the all important graphics, the cartoony characters are basically the same (if not identical) as in the previous versions and are still nice enough to look at, although until you learn the song melody well enough, you'll be spending most of your time staring at the pitch arrow and the note tubes to see how accurate your pitch is. Then of course there's always the lyrics to learn, if you want to sound even more authentic.

Paula Abdul is missing from the game, replaced by her cheaper but still effective counterpart Laura. However, only Simon is really necessary anyway. Simon and Randy look close enough to their real life selves and some of the background venues have nice touches, but I think all of them (other than the American Idol stages), were in the previous versions with sometimes just slightly different things going on. For instance, here in the beach venue you see an airplane in the background, which has a banner trailing behind it which shows your name on it and it says, 'Happy spring break with (insert your name) on the mic.'; whereas in 'Kar. Rev. Party' from last year, the plane's banner said, '(Insert your name) will you marry me?', which is much funnier. The Central Station venue with the subway train going by you is still nice and looks basically the same.

Also, if you sing poorly, your crowd meter goes down and you'll notice there are fewer people in the crowd because people are walking out on you and some will hold their hands over their ears. Occasionally, I sing poorly on purpose, just to watch all this and other various things happening!

The various clothing choices are cute, and it's always fun to create a fatso or a skin and bones starlet, and the better you do, the more stuff you'll unlock.

As for actual gameplay, just like before, the game grades you on how accurately your pitch matches the singers. An on-screen pitch arrow rises or falls as you raise or lower your voice, trying to match it up with the note bars that appear on screen. The more you fill your meter up, the higher rating you get for each phrase. String several good or great ratings consecutively together for each phrase and you'll get a combo bonus and also increase the crowd meter and soon double your scoring. You'll soon start to glow and the crowd will cheer more. You DON'T have to sing the words correctly, but if you sing the phrases (that are sparkling) well enough (pitch-wise), you'll also get a crowd boost. If the crowd meter goes to the bottom red part for too long, you'll be booed off the stage before the song even finishes. Unless you stop singing, or are completely tone deaf, this will never happen to you so don't worry about it.

So, in all truth, this is basically the same game as the previous versions, except with the American Idol contest added, and that you can play as either an 8, 13 or 18 round game. It's easy to win on the easy difficulty level. Just save the songs you're good at (for the closing rounds, once you sing a song it's removed from the list and you can't sing it again in the contest), till the last 3 rounds or so and you'll do fine.

For more of a challenge, let the game randomly choose what song you sing in each round or try the harder difficulty levels, which will have larger meters to fill,so it's tougher to get "Good" and "Great" ratings for each phrase. As well, try singing without the note bars or the singer, to see how good you really are.

Some people think this game is tougher than the previous versions of the game, but they all seem about the same to me. However, I think this version may be a bit easier than some of the earlier versions, but I could be wrong.

In the 18 round American Idol contest, only in the first 4 rounds do the judges decide if you advance. After that, the fan voting comes into play. You only hear Ryan Seacrest's voice, but never actually see him. Nor do you see or hear the other contestants. You just see their names and yours and how many stars each of you got for your song. In round 5, four people are eliminated and 20 stay. Then from round 8 onwards, only one person is eliminated. After you win there's a dull screen saying you're the American Idol Champion and you also get to sing your encore without being judged of course.

Also, you can save after each round so you can quit and resume the contest at anytime. Also, if you lose, they let you retry the song or pick another one right away. You can even play the American Idol Quick play mode which lets you sing one song and then hear what the judges think of you. Your high scores will still be saved in this mode as well.

The problem with the judges is that they sometimes get the facts wrong. Once, during a contest, while I had over 20,000 points and singing well enough, the judges were covering their ears and at the end said my pitch wasn't good and that I shouldn't have sung this song again because it was even worse this time around. Not only do I not remember singing that song in the previous 7 rounds (although I might have?), but more important, is the fact that I got my highest score and a platinum record for this song which then unlocked some stuff. So obviously I sang it better this time (even if Simon was right that I had sung it before?). Most of the time however, they get it right and even though they sometimes repeat much of their dialogue, they have enough different variations to keep it interesting and give you a chuckle or too. Once you've heard it all, you can always just skip their comments anyway.

There's also a Medly mode, again, where you can sing parts of three, four or five songs strung together, but since your scores are NOT saved in this mode I don't play it much. I suppose you could write down your best scores but I'm too lazy to bother.

So, if you only want to buy ONE of these other versions, then just pick the one with more of your favorite songs in it. However, if you want to be able to sing DUETS with a friend , DON'T buy the first one or Volume 2. As well, all of the other versions have about 35-37 songs in them, except for 'Kar. Rev. Party,' which has 50 songs.

In summary, this is a great game for lousy singers who want to improve to at least a bad or average singing level. And even if you're an already good singer, you can use this game to show off to your friends and even learn some of the lyrics to 40 songs. Of course, this also makes an even better party game, but because the game shows you how much you unlocked and how much of the 100 unlockables are still left to unlock, you'll probably have trouble stopping yourself from singing. You'll say to yourself, "Just one more song, and then I'll go to bed" or perhaps, "Uggh, I just missed the platinum record by 185 points, I've gotta try one more time!"

Features: Arm your Hover Tank from an arsenal of deadly weapons and enter country vs. country battles in destructible, photo-realistic locations from around the globe. Unlock new weapons and tanks and outfit your war machine for speed, defense or all-out destruction. Engage in all-out wireless battles with up to three friends on customizable multiplayer maps.

Description: 'BattleZone' is intense arena-based vehicular combat! Enter a deadly new world of professional motorsports, where man and machine merge to survive in the most competitive and dangerous arenas on the planet.

Verdict: OK, let's get this out there from the start: this game is strictly a vs. game with no story event. Which isn't a bad thing, honestly. Battlezone gets right to the point, dropping you and other hover tanks into arenas for some frantic action. There are other modes of play but they all lead to the same vs. arenas. You can go for single player matches, single player tournaments, or ad-hoc (you and some friends in a room, no internet multi player) multi player. You get basically every game type you've been used to such as death match, capture the flag, etc. The single player tournament mode is where you go to unlock all of the extra upgrades called tweaks for your tanks. This mode also unlocks new tanks, tank weight classes, arenas, and primary weapons. Let me also mention that each country has a different tank and special weapon which is a good reason to try each of the different country's tank. The computer can be relentless at times, putting up a pretty good fight. So, don't expect to unlock everything the game has to offer in a single sitting!

Graphically the game boasts photo realistic backgrounds and some cool effects. Of course this is back of the box material that when actually playing isn't quite the case. The arenas themselves are detailed enough but not distractingly so to where you'll stare off at the sky and think "wow, that's photorealistic!" while getting the ever-living blown out of your tank. Simply put, the graphics are somewhat simple but they get the job done. Weapon effects are nice but again still somewhat generic. I'm actually a fan of the menu interface they give you where you scroll sideways through your choices. Every weapon is represented with an icon/description and each tank has multiple camo schemes which are just different paint jobs to choose from.

So overall the game sounds cool right? Honestly, it is in short bursts. It's not a bad way to kill a few minutes but the action will wear quickly after about 20 minutes of play because of its repetitive nature. If you were a fan of the previous installments of the Battlezone games, or any vehicle based combat game I highly recommend looking into this title. For the casual gamer though, this is a short game with not much to offer except the arena battles.