Publisher: Tecmo
System: Sony PlayStation 3
ESRB rating: M
Review rating: 4 stars
When Tecmo updated the "Ninja Gaiden" series for the Xbox, the action title was hailed as one of the best in the genre. Despite the game's intense difficulty, "Ninja Gaiden" hooked would-be martial artists with a ton of cool fighting maneuvers that merged into fast-paced, fluid combat.
As the third version of this game, "Ninja Gaiden Sigma" plays more like a sequel than a total remake. But it offers more new features than many sequels.
For starters, the femme fatale from the story line, Rachel, is now a playable character who sports new moves and weapons. In addition, Ryu, the main character, can now dual-wield katanas, run on water, and use new magic spells. Rounding out the new content are three additional chapters as well as new enemies and boss characters.
But it doesn't stop there, as the visuals (displayed in 1080p resolution) have been given a major overhaul while somehow still retaining a smooth 60 frames per second. This combination results in gorgeous and natural-looking combat. Destructible objects have been added to make the backgrounds appear more dynamic.
All of this combines into unprecedented nonstop virtual carnage, the likes of which cannot be found in any other video game. And with five difficulty levels, past complaints about the extreme difficulty have been stifled.
If "Ninja Gaiden Sigma" has any omissions, it is the lack of online game play. However, most action fans won't let this deter them from learning the way of the ninja.
Publisher: Sierra
System: Windows XP/Vista
Cost: Optional fees
ESRB rating: E
Review rating: 3 stars
With the massively multiplayer online market becoming immensely popular over the last few years, game developers have been trying to come up with alternatives to the "World of Warcraft" medieval role-playing template.
As part of this trend, Sierra hopes to bring sports fans together online with "Freestyle Street Basketball."
"Freestyle Street Basketball" features over-the-top slam-dunks with flashy effects, reminiscent of the NBA Street series but slightly toned-down. While this game sports low resolution graphics, they don't look too bad because everything is cel-shaded. Backgrounds are static, but the players will be focusing mostly on characters in the foreground.
Squads can be created that band players together like guilds and clans. But, unfortunately, there is no voice chat in-game. Only developer-created taunts and hand signals are available during matches, but players are free to type messages to each other in the pre-match lobby.
All in all, several standard MMO abilities are available, such as creating custom characters and specializing as center, guard, or forward. Experience is gained by making shots, grabbing rebounds, and putting up a good defense.
Anyone looking for a new cyber-b-ball experience should give "Freestyle Street Basketball" a try.
4 stars - Must have
3 stars - Pretty good
2 stars - So-so
1 star - Don't waste your time
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
E: Everyone
T: Teen (13 and older)
E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)
M: Mature (17 and older)
