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Aimee Green: Handheld releases are a mixed bag

Friday, May 12, 2006 - 12:10:01 am CDT

It’s vacation time again — which means time to get out your handheld systems for some fun on the road with new games.

Here’s a look at what’s out there.

Nintendo DS:

“Metroid Prime: Hunters,” by Nintendo, Rated Teen, $34.99 — I had some doubts about a first-person shooter using a stylus, but it works. You control Samus with the directional buttons and move your view on the top screen with the stylus on the bottom screen. Shoulder buttons shoot. Double-tap the stylus to make Samus jump. It’s surprisingly intuitive and makes for a fun shooter. You can play against others online, too. Though the game looks great, some of the levels tend to look repetitive. Grade: A-

“True Swing Golf,” by Nintendo, Rated Everyone, $34.99 — This is a solid golf game, as far as the gameplay goes. I liked using the stylus to swing and hit. However, it’s not a very fun game overall — it lacks the personality and flavor that every game needs. There are other golf games out there that are just as solid and also have the presentation to go with it. Grade: B-

“Brain Age,” by Nintendo, Rated Everyone, $19.99 — Who would’ve thunk it? A fun game about … math and reading problems. “Brain Age” boasts the ability to exercise your mind and, by extension, make your brain younger. It measures how old your brain is based on your performance in a number of thinking activities, such as math problems or visual puzzles. It’s fun for a while, and it may cause you to compete with your friends for youngest brain (I hit 20, if you’re wondering; I haven’t tested it again because I know I’ll probably get older). Still, after a few weeks, I find myself using it more for the Sudoku, which works great on the touch screen. Oh yeah, and you hold the system sideways to play. Grade: B+

Sony PSP:

“Capcom Classics Collection Remixed,” by Capcom, Rated Teen, $39.99 — I’ve always felt handhelds are the perfect venue for retro collections such as this. Usually the control schemes work better, plus the games tend to be shorter, perfect for someone on the go. This collection is pretty well done, with games that perform and control nicely. A few of the 20 old-school games included in the package: “Street Fighter,” “Bionic Commando,” “1941,” “Black Tiger,” “Captain Commando.” Obviously, some of the inclusions aren’t that great (and some I’d never even heard of), but overall it’s a nice collection for those longing for the old days. Grade: B

“Me & My Katamari,” by Namco, Rated Everyone, $39.99 — This is the best example of why the PSP really needs two thumbsticks (see below for the other two examples). Gameplay is great and loyal to the console versions, but using the face buttons as a replacement for the second thumbstick just isn’t as intuitive as it should be. Still, despite causing some major hand cramps, the game delivers as a portable version of the Katamari universe. After all, who doesn’t want to roll up things in a ball while killing time at the doctor’s office? Grade: B+

“Mega Man Powered Up,” by Capcom, Rated Everyone, $29.99 — If I had to use one word to describe this game, it would be “cute.” There are lots of bright colors and kiddie voices. Some people probably will dislike that, but I enjoyed it. The characters are fun, and the visuals great. It’s a remake of the original “Mega Man,” after all, and there’s a reason that game went on to spawn many, many offspring. Plus, you can play it in both “New Style” and “Old Style,” depending on your mood. There also is lots of bonus content to unlock, including the ability to play as the bosses you defeat. Grade: B+

“Splinter Cell Essentials,” by Ubisoft, Rated Mature, $39.99 — First-person shooters really need that second thumbstick. It works best with one to control your movement and one to look around with. Developers have tried to work around that, and in this case it hurts the game — you both move and look with the same thumbstick. And you hold down a button to make the thumbstick be the camera, making it impossible to move and look at the same time, something that has to happen in a stealth action game. Minus that problem, “Essentials” is a pretty faithful re-creation of “Splinter Cell” missions. Too bad the camera frustration kills any fun. Grade: B-

“Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror,” by Sony, Rated Mature, $39.99 — This game handles the camera problem much better. While it’s still annoying having to use the face buttons to look around, it’s independent of your movement, and once you get the hang of it, it’s no problem. Add to that excellent controls overall, great presentation and fun gameplay, and this is the first-person shooter you should buy for your PSP. Grade: A-

“Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble,” by Capcom, Rated Teen, $29.99 — This is essentially a copy of the game that was released for the GameCube a while back. While it sparkles with great characters and personality, the gameplay is too chaotic and crazed. It’s basically minigame after minigame, thrown at you at lightning speed, making it difficult at times to tell what you’re doing and leaving little time to actually enjoy it. Grade: B-

Reach Aimee Green at 473-7326 or Aimee.Green@lee.net.