2. Marathon Trilogy (PC, Mac)
Before Bungie put on its Halo, it ran the Marathon. Even though it was released in 1994, it introduced many concepts that many of today’s shooters take for granted. Dual Wielding, mouse aiming, and AI controlled teammates were just a few of the many innovations that Marathon bought to the table. Now that Bungie is done with the Halo series, perhaps they will revisit the Marathon universe. For now, you can download the trilogy from here.

3. Rise of Nations: Gold Edition (PC)
This is easily one of my all time favorite PC Real time strategy games. Developer Big Huge Games has managed to use Civilization-style nation building gameplay to disguise traditional RTS 4X game play. Conquer the world as the nation of your choice, rewrite the cold war, take control of Alexander the great’s army, or design a scenario of your own using the game’s rich editing tools.

4. Lumines 2 (PSP)
Lumines is this console generation’s version of Tetris. Lumines 2 blends thumping music tracks with block matching gameplay and the result is something never before seen in the puzzle genre. The music is a mix of top 40 hits and more alternative tunes. With so many game modes, a sequence editor, and multiplayer, this is a title you’ll be keeping in your collection for months.

5. Knights in the Nightmare (Nintendo DS)
KITN may very well be 2009’s Nintendo DS sleeper hit. In fact, I’d go as far to say that it’s 2009’s sleeper hit on any system. The mash-up of different playing styles, fantasy-meets-noir storytelling, multiple endings, and deep strategy make this a can’t miss for Nintendo DS owners everywhere.

6. Dead Space (Xbox 360, PS3)
EA’s survival horror game brings in the fear that games such as Alone in the Dark and Resident Evil have lacked in their recent entries. The game’s atmosphere is disturbing, and the necromorphs are formidable villains. EA has built a franchise around this game, with comics, and animated film, and a Wii prequel. With the sequel arriving next year, survival horror fans, especially those who have been put off by Resident Evil 5, should check this out.

7. Blast Works (Wii)
Blast Works is almost the Wii equivalent to the PS3’s LittleBigPlanet. You have the freedom to design your own side scrolling shooter, complete with your own ship, enemies, and backdrops. Although there is a steep learning curve, the content creation is complex, and will extend the life of the game for months to come. The game’s Katamari Damacy-meets-Gradius gameplay isn’t bad either, and you can even unlock hidden games on the disc. Blast Works is one of the few games available for Wii that caters to the hardcore audience.

8. Saint’s Row 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
While it may not be one of the most original games on the list, THQ’s Saint’s Row 2 manages to expand upon and in some aspects even improve what makes the open-world genre great. There are even more zany activities to do to earn respect, the customization options are even deeper this time around, and there are even more vehicles to steal/wreck/customize/pilot/drive, including helicopters. Saint’s Row’s parody on gangbanging is a great way to pass the time until the next Grand Theft Auto is released.

9. MadWorld (Wii)
I’m still wondering how a game like this got the green light from Nintendo, and how the people who made the cult classic Okami managed to come up with something like this. The Sin City-style graphics and the multitude of ways to bring death to your opponents make this game a must for people who crave M-rated action on the Wii.

10. Crackdown (Xbox 360)
As one poweteer stated, Crackdown was unfairly judged as “the free game that cane with the $60 Halo 3 demo”. Even so, Crackdown game players the chance to wreak a path of mindless destruction with a variety of weapons. Even if the game was light on plot, using your agent’s abilities to cause chaos kept players entertained for hours, and packaging the Halo 3 beta invite was nothing short of genius.

11. The Orange Box (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
This collection of 5 games; Half-Life 2, HL2 Episode 1, HL2 Episode 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal, represented the finest of what the FPS genre had to offer. Half-Life 2 and its two episodes had a story that was seamlessly told without use of cutscenes, Team Fortress 2 was a fun class-based multiplayer game, and Portal was a puzzle game disguised as an FPS that had players think their way through a facility while being taunted by a malevolent artificial intelligence. These games show Valve’s Source engine at its best, and gave console players a taste of what their PC counterparts have been enjoying for years.

12. The SimCity Box (PC)
This collection of Maxis SimCity titles includes the awesome Simcity 4 and the Rush Hour expansion, the not-so-well received SimCity Societies and the Destinations expansion, and the quirky puzzle game SnapCity. While some people will enjoy Societies’s unique take on Sim City, Sim City 4 alone makes this worth the price of admission for players who don’t already own the city-building classic. It’s deep urban planning shows why Maxis is among the best in the Sim genre.

Except where otherwise noted, all of these games can be found at almost anywhere that sells video games for $20 or less.

Like Bionic Command Rearmed, Dark Void Zero is a downloadable title that manages to surpass the bigger name console game that it was made to promote. Available for $5 on the DSIWare store, it’s an excellent value for gamers who enjoy the classics.

The graphics are excellent, as they are built on a modified form of Unreal Engine 2. You can even create your own missions and share them. There are several team-based multiplayer games, including co-op for you and up to 4 of your friends. The Gold Edition includes the Stetchkov Syndicate expansion pack, which includes new missions, weapons, and other goodies. If you’re a fan of tactical-style FPS games like Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon, you’ll love SWAT. Now maybe if Joesph Weekley and Joe Chivalia had played this game a few times…

GTAIV takes place in a new version of Liberty City which was made to resemble New York City more closely than in GTA 3 or Liberty City Stories. The 4 boroughs of Liberty are based on 4 of New York’s boroughs. Queens is Dukes, Bohan is the Bronx, Algonquin is Manhattan, etc. The Statue of Liberty has been changed to the Statue of Happiness, and New Jersey is known as Alderney. You play as a man named Niko Bellic, a former military personal from Eastern Europe. Seems that he has done some things back in the old country that he hasn’t exactly been proud of. Lured by his cousin’s promises of wealth, mansions, women, and prosperity, he makes his way over to America. However, he finds out that his cousin’s ‘mansion’ is a dingy apartment in the south of Broker, his taxi business is struggling, and he is thousands of dollars in debt. Before long, Niko gets caught up in the classic GTA-style mayhem.

Now don’t expect to be meeting past GTA characters such as Phill Cassidy, Kent Paul, or even Carl Johnson. This is a new continuity after all. However, the characters you’ll meet are just as memorable. Wait until you meet the McReary family, Little Jacob, Elizabetha Torres, and ‘Street Crusader’ Manny. Meeting is a huge part of what you will be doing in the game too. You’ll frequently be asked by your friends to take them out someplace, such as bowling, darts, or to get something to eat. If you don’t call them, they’ll call you, and if you don’t take them out, they’ll send you text messages and emails, bitching about how you’re never around. Remember the girlfriends in GTA San Andreas? You know, you’d take them out and you’d get perks like keeping weapons after you get arrested of killed? This is like that, but more annoying. Though it gets tedious, there is a benefit. After, a certain level, you get special perks from your buddies. For instance, Jamaican thug Little Jacob sells you weapons at a discount, Brucie allows you to take a ride in his helicopter, and Roman sends you a taxi cab to take you where you want to go. You can use your cell phone to arrange meetings, get the heads up on missions, and even enter the game’s online multiplayer modes.

Yeah, you heard that right. For the first time in the series, players can get online. It’s not just generic deathmatch and capture the flag either. There are 15 different modes of multiplayer, including my personal favorite, free mode. All GTA fans know how fun it is to raise their wanted level up to 5 stars just to see how long they survive. Well, free mode is like that, except with up to 15 other players. The entire city is open to explore, and the game is as fun as you can imagine it. You can even download two new episodes (The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony) on Xbox Live and Playstation Network, both of which feature new lead characters, new missions, and new storylines.

Several aspects of the formula have seen minor and major changes. For instance, police evasion is different. When you gain a wanted level, a circle appears on your radar, signifying the searching area. Your goal is to escape the circle and stay outside of it for a few seconds. However, if another police officer spots you, the circle reappears. You can escape into a pay-n-spray, but unlike past GTA games, it only works if police don’t spot you going in. There is a new cover mechanic, and mastering it is a must if you want to survive the game’s hellish gunfights. There is a new aiming mechanic as well. By holding down the left trigger, you automatically lock onto an enemy, and you can jiggle the right analog stick to hit individual body parts. By holding the trigger only halfway, you can enter a free aiming mode. It’s easy to get the hang of, and it works like a dream. You can still buy weapons, but the ridiculous Ammunation stores have been replaced by basement dealers. The graphics have received a much needed overhaul as well, due to Rockstar’s Rage engine along with NaturalMotion’s Euphoria animation engine. While it isn’t exactly the Cryengine or Unreal 3, it makes GTA4’s graphics look more lifelike and natural than any other game in the series. Bullets chip the paint and masonry off walls, cars damage was is shown realistically, and character faces show real emotion.

The game has done a superb job of drawing players into it’s world. You can surf dating sites online, look up criminals on an online database, watch TV at home, watch Kat Williams at a comedy club, and even play video games. The NPC animations are another impressive part of the game’s atmosphere. They are more lifelike and organic than ever before, and they react realistically to events around them. One time, I was was walking along the street, and a man ran past me, than a cop ran after him, and tackled him to the ground. Another time, I got into a fender with another driver, who pulled me out of my vehicle and started to fight me. A police officer then tackled him to the ground, put him in handcuffs, and asked if I was okay. Another time, a guy tried to carjack me. I thin pulled him out of my vehicle and punched him around a few times, and he took off running. Then, I pulled out my gun and shot him in the back of his leg. Finally, I got into a fist fight with an Asian guy. I had the upper hand, but then his friend drove up and joined in, so I once again pulled out my gun, and shot them both. I’m sure you’ll come up with your own stories. Things like this draw you into the game, and it gives you that feeling of being part of a living, breathing, world, as cliche as that may sound. It feels like even though you’re the main character, there are people around you going about their own lives and dealing with their own issues. This feeling is important for any game that features an open world, be it GTA, Saint’s Row, The Elder Scrolls, or even The Sims.

With all the changes and additions, one thing that thankfully hasn’t changed is the game’s radio stations. Since GTA takes place in a modern day period, there is no need for the music to be restricted by a certain past era, like in San Andreas. The stations play several types of music, from both classic and current hip hop, to world music, and even classic rock. My personal favorite is a jazz fusion station, hosted by none other than the god father of acid jazz himself, Roy Ayers. The game’s trademark sense of humor has been untouched as well. The game’s radio commercials, websites, and news reports parody everything, from Japanese anime to court TV. Fox News (or Weasel News as it is known in the game), Bill O’Rielly, America’s culture of fear and xenophobia are especially targeted.

At the time of its release, many gaming magazines and websites gave GTA4 a perfect score, generating controversy. While I won’t way whether or not I feel that it deserves a perfect score, I will way that the game has earned some very high marks. It is one of the best games of this console generation, and for the series, it ends up being as significant a change to the formula as GTA 3 was so many years ago. This gets me all the more excited to see what Rockstar has in store for teh next entry.

Fight Night has you lacing on the gloves as one of over 40 of boxing’s greatest fighters, including Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson (making this the first good boxing game that the latter has been in since Punch-Out on the SNES), with even more available for download over Xbox Live and PSN, including Sonny Liston and Evander Holyfield. Of course, if those guys aren’t enough, you can create your own, although its a bit different this time around. Sadly, there are no sliders this time around. You can either select from a preset template and edit it, or you can make use of the Playstation Eye Toy and Xbox Live vision camera to upload your own mugshot to the game. You can make use of EA’s gameface feature to upload your mugshot online, set points for facial features, and download it into the game. It sounds better in theory, as I had to constantly fiddle with lighting, and the system (which is also used in FIFA 10, Facebreaker, and the upcoming EA Mixed Martial Arts game) is far from perfect. I spent nearly an hour creating a guy who looks nothing like me. On the bright side, you can upload your created boxers for other viewers to download.

When I saw status bars on the top of the screen, I got a bit worried. The best thing about Fight Night Round 3 was that the graphical detail was so realistic that I could tell my fighter’s status simply by looking at the visual cues. Thankfully, I can go into the options, change the camera angle, turn off the HUD, and it’s 1996 all over again. The controls have been reworked, and the game opens with a tutorial that introduces you to them. The defensive has been altered as well, and rather than FN round 3’s parrying, you can now just block either high or low. For Fight Night veterans, they take a bit of time to get used to (for me it feels a bit strange not having to hold down the trigger to throw body shots and I ended up throwing a lot of haymakers when I first started out), but they are just as intuitive as ever. The haymaker has also been reworked, so you don’t have to do the full motion to pull off a power punch. The corner-man game has been altered. You assign points to each category. I personally liked FN3’s system better, as it was much more hands on. The game launched without button controls (which were added in a downloadable update) which upset many players, but button punching is for chumps anyway. Real men master the total punch control. Oh yeah, the commentary has been improved, and Joe Tessitore has been joined by Tony Atlas.

Legacy mode is an update to career mode. While there are several new cosmetic changes to the mode (being able to schedule fights, ranking systems, end-of-year awards, emails from your trainer, etc), its just as linear as last year’s game. Fight opponents, compete for belts, train, etc. The training games are even harder than Round 3, and I end up auto-training most of the time. For online players however, a world championship mode allow players to compete in an live online boxing league. It’s Fight Night’s answer to Madden’s Online Franchise and NCAA’s online legacy modes. ESPN classic fights have been added to the game via a downloadable update. However, the first person boxing mode from Round 3 is nowhere to be found.

Even with the unwelcome changes, FN Round 4 remains the undisputed king of the ring. It’s jam packed with so many boxing legends, the online modes are awesome, and the punching control remains ahead of its time. It’s just as fun as ever to beat the shit out of somebody, and hopefully next year’s Fight Night Champion will improve the formula even further.

MGS4 is like one of those TV series finales or one of those comic book anniversary issues where everybody who was ever part of the series shows up. Any question you’ve ever had about the series will be answered by the end of the game. What happened to Meryl? What happened to Naomi? Did they find Olga’s daughter? Does Snake really have the Foxdie virus? How do the events of MGS3 factor into things? MGS4 contains many nods to past entries in the series.

The gameplay is classic MGS, although there have been several new techniques added. The camoflauge system of MGS3 has been replaced with a camosuit which can blend into the terrain, you can earn money to buy weapons from your new ally Drebin, and there is a first person perspective you can play the game in if you want. Throughout the first half of the game, you’ll be making your way through battlefields where rebel forces are battling forces of the PMCs. You can involve yourself in these conflicts and get the rebels on your side, of you can use the war as unseen cover. You never find out which part of the particular region that you are in, who is fighting who, or why they are fighting, but that isn’t important. You can see an underlying message about war, and this may even be a commentary on the Blackwater scandal which had gone on months prior. Although Hideo Kojima didn’t say so, he didn’t deny it either. All these things are here to help players approach the game however they wish and be rewarded for it. Whether you want to stick to the series’ trademark stealth action gameplay, take a run-and-gun approach, or make your way through the game without killing anyone, the game will allow you to take that path.

The game is divided into 5 chapters, each taking place in a different region of the world. Your main enemies are the Beauty and the Beast corps, which are women who have been mentally and emotionally scarred by war and have twisted themselves into robotic monsters. The battles against them are just as intense and memorable as the Foxhound leaders in MGS1, Dead Cell in MGS2, and The Boss’s children in MGS3. After you defeat them, you get to hear their disturbing stories.

There are two major issues that critics were very critical about. For one, the game goes into the install process automatically at the beginning of the game and after every chapter. This is something I blame more on Sony. Secondly, the cinemas tend to be lengthy. I don’t count this as much of a fault either, as the MGS games have always made use of long cinematics to tell the story, and you shouldn’t expect anything different from this one. Besides, the cinematics are awesome to watch, and they help move the story along.

Even with those two issues, MGS4 is another triumph for Konami. This makes an excellent send-off for Solid Snake even if the MGS series isn’t done yet (Konami has recently released Peacewalker for PSP and is working on MGS Rising for Xbox 360 and PS3). MGS4 represents everything that we love about the series, and it represents everything that we love about gaming period.

While The Third Phantom is no Final Fantasy Tactics, it is still a very solid package, and Bleach fans in particular will enjoy it despite its flaws. Other RPG gamers may find the conversations too long winded for them.

GTA:CW takes place in the ‘new’ Liberty City that was introduced in GTA IV, sans the island of Alderney. The camera is top-down oriented and it rotates with you as you move and turn corners. The graphics are cel-shaded and cinematics are done in a comic-book style. It’s unique since every mission giver has their own theme music. You play as Huang Lee, the spoiled son of a Triad boss. When his father is murdered, he is tasked to bring the gang’s symbol of leadership, an ancient Chinese sword, to his uncle to make him the new boss. Seems simple right? Well nothing is rarely simple in the world of GTA, as his uncle’s bodyguards are ambushed and murdered and he is shot, kidnapped, and left for dead in a car that’s sinking to the bottom of a river. After making your way to safety, you set out to find out who tried to kill you, who killed your father, who stole the sword, and get revenge.

The bottom part of your screen functions as a PDA, which serves the same functionality as Niko Bellic’s cellphone in GTA IV (although thankfully you won’t have to deal with people calling to ask you to hang out out every 5 minutes). You can check messages, check your GPS, and enter the game’s multiplayer modes. Rather than shoehorning stylus functionality into the gameplay, it is used for several minigames. You’ll use your stylus to do everything from applying tattoos, scratching off lottery tickets, hot-wiring cars, sabotaging engines, and applying C4. Nearly every parked car requires you to either hot wire it, jam a screwdriver in the ignition, or hack the computer, adding to the tension when you have police chasing you. The main function of the stylus however, is the drug dealing minigame which you’ll have to do to make money. You’ll sell weed, pills, ecstasy, cocaine, acid, and heroin to various dealers around the city. There are times when some dealers will sell to you for a lower price of buy for a higher price, so the key is to buy low and sell high. Oh, and watch out for cameras and police busts too.

If there was one issue with the game, it’s that the characters just aren’t as memorable as the NPCs in other GTA games. Part of this is due to the fact that there is no voice acting, but most of these people just aren’t likable, and that makes it hard to care about the story. Even the ending is a bit anti-climactic. Even so, GTA:CW manages to finally makes Rockstar’s flagship series work on a Nintendo platform, and provides some much needed M-rated fun on the DS. Hopefully this will open the door for a Wii GTA game. This is also on PSP as well. The stylus minigames have been replaced by quick-time-event-style games, and there are all new graphics, missions, and an all-new soundtrack.

Castle Crashers is a tongue-in-cheek throwback to old school beat-em-ups like Golden Axe and Double Dragon. It was developed by The Behemoth, the people behind the similarly zany Alien Hominid. Taking control of one of four characters, you (and up to three more of your friends if playing co-op) set out on a quest to defeat thousands of barbarians, sorcerers, monsters, and other baddies in your quest to save the princesses. You can stop at shops to buy special items, and you can replay stages after you beaten them. There are well over 20 unlockable characters, including several who are available as downloadable content. You can even unlock Alien Hominid if you have a save file from that game. There is also a competitive multiplayer mode which you can play with up to 3 other players. Castle Crashers is headed to PSN later this year, so PS3 owners can see what the big deal is.

You don’t control any of the units, instead you control a floating wisp. You attack by re-awaking the ghosts of the dearly departed, whom served as soldiers in life. You equip them with weaponry to make them attack. If you find a key item during battle, then knight’s spirits will join you. You can raise their levels, and merge their spirits together to make them even more powerful. There is a lot to go into, such as battle phases, elements, and character classes and the battle system is complex, some times seemingly too much. However, once you get the hang of things, a light goes off in your head, kinda like the first time you were able to pull off a hadoken in Street Fighter or successfully run a play in Madden. Although you still have a long way to go before you fully master it, at least you know how things work.

Not even the game’s story is your traditional RPG fare. Similar to film noir fashion, it is told in both real-time and flashbacks, and it hints at a disaster that happened some time ago which claimed the lives of the king, most of his knights, and most of the villagers. There is a conspiracy afoot, and it’s up to you to piece things together. What happened, and when did it happen? Who is responsible? Who is the wisp whose actions you guide, and who is the armored maiden helping him? What’s in it for her anyhow? For every question you manage to find the answer to, two more seem to pop-up!

KITN may not be for everyone, but it is rewarding to those who give it a chance. Multiple endings, hidden secrets, and unlockables await those willing to dive in and discover it’s secrets. This game is also coming to PSP, so we’ll see how the stylus given gameplay translated to Sony’s handheld.

Far Cry isn’t exactly Half Life, but it’s still an awesome FPS that has a unique graphical style and mentality. You can find a boxed copy for cheap, and you can order the PC version from GOG.com for $10.

If you’re into casual games, this is a good addition to your DS lineup. Although it would have been better suited as a DSIware title, it’s still a fun game at a good price. You can also play the flash-based game online for free here.

Overall, the gameplay is easy enough for casual gamers to pick up and play while still being complex enough to appeal to hardcore gamers. Plants vs Zombies is a lot of fun, and out of all of Popcap’s products, it has gained the most success amongst ‘hardcore’ gamers. In fact, it’s estimated that half of the game’s sales are from the hardcore gamer crowd. It’s available for PC, Mac, Iphone OS, and is coming soon to Xbox Live arcade. Although nothing has been announced yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see it on Playstation Network and Wiiware anytime soon. Just because it’s made by Popcap doesn’t mean you should dismiss it as just another game for your grandparents.

Capcom made several changes to the Vs formula with MVC2. First of all, the game’s system has been cut down to a 4-button system rather than the 6-button scheme that’s been prevalent throughout many Capcom fighters. Secondly, instead of the sprite-heavy CPS2 and 3 boards, Capcom implemented a new graphical system that used 3D objects to construct background objects. While the character sprites are still in 2D, the rendered 3D backdrops look more vibrant and animated than other Capcom fighters. The most significant change of all however, the already-maniac 2 vs 2 battles have been replaced by 3 on 3 fights, making things even more hectic and crazy.

The Capcom side features several new characters. Guile, Anakaris, and B.B. Hood are among the Street Fighter and Darkstalkers alumni who make their Marvel Universe debut, while Hayato from Star Gladiator makes his 2D fighter debut. Among the non-fighters making their debut were Resident Evil’s Jill Valentine, Tron Bonne from Mega Man Legends, Sonson (a monkey-chick who is the granddaughter of the original, who starred in a Capcom platformer from way back), Ruby Heart, and Amingo, (two all new characters. Meanwhile the Marvel side gets Cable, Marrow (out of all the Marvel heroes who should have gotten a shot, they pick her? Ugggh), and a version of Wolverine with bone claws. While it may seem like the Marvel side got gypped, their side also features every Marvel character who has ever been in a Capcom fighting game (with the obvious exceptions of Apocalypse, Onslaught, and any character who was depicted as a palette swap of another), including guys that haven’t been seen in a while such as Doctor Doom, Thanos, and Silver Samurai. While the case obviously leads to some hilariously unbalanced fights, the MVC games have never been about style of finesse, but more so about balls-to-the wall fun.

This game has been ported to Dreamcast, Xbox, and PS2, but the recent Xbox Live Arcade and PSN re-releases are the ones to get, as they contain both online play and remastered graphics. With MVC 3 having just been announced, now is the perfect time to play this game if you are one of the few who still have yet to do so.

There isn’t any teen romance wussiness here. You play as a newly sired vampire who is about to be executed when you are spared by the vampire prince, who apparently needs you for a higher purpose. You are thrust head first into the world of vampires, and get involved with the politics and power struggles between the clans and sects. You choose your character’s gender, and you have the option of joining one of several vampire clans, each having their own strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. Throughout the game, you earn points to upgrade your skills. As a vampire, you are required to uphold the masquerade, which is a set of rules that govern the vampire community, keep them from being noticed by humans, and retain what little remains of their humanity. Killing innocent humans, using forbidden magic, and using vampiric abilities in from of humans are violations of the masquerade. If you violate the masquerade too many times, the game ends. Depending on who you choose to side with at the game’s end, you’ll receive a new ending. The abilities and clans adds some replay value to the game, as you can go through the game again as a member of a different clan, and find other ways to approach missions.

Bloodlines’ development had was rushed by publisher Activision, and developer Troika was shut down shortly after the game’s release (which was on the same day as Half-Life 2). Thus, there was little time for testing, and the released product had several bugs and glitches. Even so, it was received well by fans, and they continue to make patches, mods, and add-ons to this day. If you can’t find in stores, you can download it off of steam. RPG fans will want to give this a shot, as it’s basically Deus Ex with vampires.

Like the Retribution Engine (which I featured a few months back), Cube 2: Sauerbraten is a game built around a set of editing tools that are featured with the game. Unlike Retribution, and for that matter most other FPS editing tools, the game tools are featured in-game, and the editing is done in real-time. Although it isn’t as elaborate as your Source and Unreal engines, it does make editing faster and processing a lot easier on your computer’s processor. The game includes a single player campaign, and several multiplayer modes which can be played either online or offline with bots. There is also an online co-operative map editor. The editing software is easy to use, and the game isn’t bad either. You can find the Cube 2 engine for free at http://www.sauerbraten.org/.

$20 Game of the Week: Free 3D Game Maker (PC)
Platinum Art’s Sandbox Free 3D Game Maker is based off the Cube 2: Sauerbraten Engine, and is modified to teach children about game development. There is no violent content in the game (as the project is intended to be used in school settings), but there are several game modes, such as role playing, side-scroller, and base capturing. Much of the Cube 2’s functionality is available including the in-game and co-op in-game editors. In addition, there are even several in-game menus (that can even be viewed in 3D) that make the software even easier for younger developers. Many schools are making use of this, and pretty soon we’ll be seeing the next generation of game designers! You can find the Free 3D Game Maker at http://www.sandboxgamemaker.com/.

Lost Classics: Mario Paint (Super Nintendo)
Mario Paint was one of the first Super Nintendo games that wasn’t actually a game, but an application suite. Despite it’s name, Mario paint was more than a simple paint composition program. Players could use to program to create animations and even compose music. You could create tile stamps with a pixel grid editor, and use them to make complex designs. The program made use of the SNES mouse (which was bundled with the game), and was one of the few SNES games that made use of it. Unfortunately, since this was before online gaming, there is no way to share your works besides recording using a VCR. When you need to take a breather, there is a fly-swatting minigame. Mario Paint did a great job of giving players the ability to be creative on a 16-bit system, and has served as the inspiration for various other SNES games, as well as the upcoming Wario Ware D.I.Y.

Warcraft 3 centers on the threat of the Burning Legion and the continued conflict between humans and orcs. However, two new races are added to the mix: the Night Elf Sentinels and the Undead Scourge. Many of the events alluded to in WOW have their origins here. You’ll see Arthas’s decent from noble hero to the new Lich King, the attack of the Burning Legion, the rise of the Night Elf Sentinels, and the human alliance and orcish horde join forces against the demons. Each faction has its own abilities and perks. The humans are a middle of the road faction, with a health mix of spellcasters, technology, and infantry. The Orcs favor strength, as their spellcasters are amongst the strongest in the game, the undead can harvest the corpses of the fallen in order to use them as weapons, and the night elves favor strength and speed, and since all their buildings are living trees, they can uproot themselves to relocate the base. Warcraft 3’s hero system is unique as well, giving the game a bit of an RPG-style flair. Heroes have their own inventory and they can level up to learn new spells. They can also purchase items and hire mercenaries at various shops scattered around the map. Each faction even has a building where they can revive their hero if they are slain. This is great, because in most other RTS games, one would be too afraid to use their hero unit because they risk getting them killed and failing the mission. While there are still missions which can be failed if a hero is slain, they are done thankfully in such a way that they are easy to get through. There is a greater variety to the missions as well. Some levels even have exploration and puzzle solving elements.

While this game is familiar to anyone who has player Starcraft, unfortunately a few of Starcraft’s faults are also present here as well. I can only select 12 units at a time, and if I assign them to a hotkey, then they won’t show the number I assigned them. Thankfully it is a tad easier to navigate around this though. All my currently selected units are grouped together by portraits on the command bar, and if I need to use an ability, all I have to do is click on the portrait. If I need to use a healing power, then all I have to do is select the spell and click on the portrait of the unit I want to use it on. Since everything is in 3D, I have less of a chance of actually getting my units stuck behind one of my buildings.

Along with main game, Warcraft 3 also includes the Frozen Throne expansion featuring new units, an all new campaign, and the Naga Quasi-faction. You can also playonline over Battle.net, and a mission editor is included for those of you who like modding, so there is a lot of cool stuff in this box. WOW gamers who haven’t played it yet will want to check it out just to see the origins of the online game, and RTS fans should play it for its solid action and unique spin on the genre. If you like Starcraft, you’ll love Warcraft 3.

You play as a young man named Tim who is out to save the princess. Very little is known about Tim, the princess, or their relationship. The text that precedes each level only gives bits and pieces of what happened, and all we know for sure is that Tim made a huge mistake that pushed the princess away from him. However, we have no clear idea what this mistake it. Tim has special time warping powers which he must use to make his way through each level and put together each puzzle. Each world contains different themes and devices that players must master. It’s challenge, but the shock ending, which forces players to make their own conclusion, makes it well worth it.

If there was one minor gripe with the game, it’s that its price is a bit much considering its length. Even with that considered, Braid is a masterpiece, and it’s an excellent example of video games as an art form.

Half Minute Hero gives players something new and different, and the frantic 30 second action (along with the Time Goddess’s one liners) while have you grinning from ear to ear. It’s also an awesome parody of the 8-bit era, and it’s a must have for PSP owners. It’s too bad that it didn’t do the numbers they should have, but now that it’s at the $20 price range, it shouldn’t have much trouble finding it’s way into a few more PSP units.

Thanks to Beaterator, you don’t need thousands of dollars with of studio equipment to make hits. All you need is a PSP, a copy of the game, a memory stick, and some patience, and you can become the next DJ Primer or Manny Fresh.