ModNation Racers PSP
Price: Rs 999 (PSP); Rs 2,499 (PS3)
Based on the age-old racing concept, Nintendo’s Mario Kart, ModNation Racers on the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) is the newest game in the play-create-share line of games from Sony.
ModNation Racers lets you build your own driver from a series of templates. From there, you can modify your kart (yes, it’s not cart) ride to a certain degree, and then build a track for yourself to perfect your skills on. Once you boot up, you will be introduced to a slick-looking menu. You can choose to start up your career as a ModNation Racer or just place a single race, play with your friends or take it online against other players around the world.
The game is a lot of fun to play and control on the PSP, but, unfortunately, we felt it was not as smooth as it could have been when compared to a portable kart racer like Mario Kart DS.
Rune Factory: Frontier
(Nintendo Wii)
Price: Rs 1,000
Developed exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, Rune Factory: Frontier is a single-player adventure that role-playing fans know and cherish. But, now this comes with stunning graphics and flexibility of the Wii’s unique control system to fully immerse players in the Rune Factory universe.
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Like most fantasy games, magic is featured heavily. Your character starts out with the ability to teleport back to the farm or, if you happen to be exploring Whale Island, the starting point. Over time, he learns other ‘spells.’ There are 12 girls in the village to woo and eventually marry.
You will have to use the Wii Remote and Nunchuck or the classic controller to swing your hoe, water and harvest crops, give gifts and talk to people, and use your sword. Overall, Rune Factory: Frontier is a cute role-playing game and one that requires more than a few hours of dedication.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (Xbox 360)
Price: Rs 2,800
Love him or hate him, Tiger Woods remains the staple of Electronic Art’s golfing franchise.
Tiger 11 has all the favourite courses, including Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup lets you captain your team in three days of events. You can even swap members of your team between holes. Also, the multiplayer feature is very solid and will probably be the source of most of the title’s replay value.
This game includes Photo Game Face technique, where using a camera or uploading a picture from the EA website will allow you to create an eerily accurate image of yourself. Each course has spectacular lighting, weather effects, and watching your player re-patch divots and punch holes after a swing really brings the courses to life. Tiger 11 has to be played to be believed. Like the real thing, you must keep an eye on the atmosphere, ball lie and your swing technique to be successful. Tiger 11 is crisp, clean, and has no signs of slowdown or frame rate issues.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Sony PS3)
Price: Rs 2,999
A very straightforward set of platform-based puzzles, built around a handful of basic moves, is what Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands is all about. The game may not represent a revolution, but it is certainly a welcome return to form. It comes with a number of updates and improvements.
The Prince himself isn’t as charismatic as he once was (in earlier games), and the narrative is somewhat thin. The big difference in this version is that you don’t fight small. Early fights are against seven or eight guys, but by the time you’re about halfway through the game, an average fight is with thirty or forty angry sand monsters.
Aesthetically, Prince of Persia is the quintessential mixed bag, sporting visuals ranging from the gorgeous and opulent to the uninspired and rudimentary. Overall, it is an enjoyable addition to the existing franchise, but definitely not the best.