Manufacturer: Lucas Arts

Release Date: November 1st 2005

Playability: This follow up more than lives up to its prequel. If you don’t have the first Front, get them both. For the beginner or expert, these games provide limitless combinations and battle actions.

Graphics/Sound: The digital amenities of this game have been bumped up a notch. The addition of trooper comments add an element of realism not present in the prequel.

Challenge: The first person infantry mode hasn’t changed and doesn’t take long to get used to for a beginner. Learning to fly an X-Wing properly provides some difficulty and requires a little patience but is well worth the practice.

Replay Value: You are a Rebel, a Wookie, a Storm trooper, a Droidika, a Pilot, a Sith Lord and a Jedi Night. With the new addition of the Episode III battles, there is more than enough space (no pun intended) to flex your Republic, CIS, Clone or Imperial muscles.

Overall rating: Being that there are few games that offer similar experiences for Playstation II I would give this epic adventure part deux, five out of five X-wings. Non-stop action, flying eight different fighters and finally getting to wield Luke’s blade make this a must have.

Putt Nutz

By David Obenauf, Staff Writer

Manufacturer: Black Mountain Games

Playability: Your ability to play Putt Nutz is wholly determined by one thing, your balls. The game features huge amounts of special balls for specific situations.

Graphics/Sound: Putt Nutz is a mixed bag. The backgrounds are sweet and the courses are vibrant, but the character models are deformed and chunky.

Challenge: This game is hard. The courses can get pretty wicked and if you don’t have the right ball you’re stuck.

Replay Value: Even though you have 6 characters to choose from, they all play more or less the same but there are a ton of courses if you have the patience to unlock them.

Overall rating: From the outset it’s clear that the game has potential. Once you start playing however, you’re overwhelmed by how it falls short. I give this game 2 out of 5 balls.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

By Tracy Benbrook, Staff Writer

Manufacturer: Square Enix, Level 5

Release Date: Nov 15, 2005

Playability: While the gameplay is not perfect, Dragon Quest VIII is engaging enough that the flaws are easily overlooked. Navigation, combat and the various menus are intuitive and easy to learn. Strategy can be summed up fairly simply - talk to everybody you see, take everything you find and kill anything that attacks!

Graphics/Sound: The graphics are beautiful, richly detailed and filled with small touches which make the game incredibly realistic. Sound quality is excellent, and the voices and personalities of the various characters are a lot of fun.

Challenge: Combat is turn-based, making the game more about strategy than reflexes. The most important thing is to thoroughly explore the different areas.

Replay Value: Much of the charm of the game is in the discovery and dialogue of the first run through . Combat encounters are random and will add some variety, but once you’ve discovered the various NPCs and surprises, it won’t be quite the same the second time around!

Overall rating: Possibly the best way to describe Dragon Quest VIII is relentlessly cute. The game is light-hearted and a lot of fun to play. Overall, I give the game 4 out of 5 dragons, a high humor factor keeps the game lively and fun and some moments may actually make you laugh out loud in surprise.

Mario Cart DS

By Aaron Lindberg, Staff Writer

Manufacturer: Nintendo

Release Date: November 14th 2005

Playability: Mario Cart on the Nintendo DS is a highly addictive fast paced racer. Throw in the Wi-Fi USB connector which allows you to compete with thousands of people across the country and you have a successful handheld head to head video game that can fit in your back pocket.

Graphics/Sound: The vibrant colors and funny maps will keep your pulse raised as you barrel through various levels while unlocking new drivers and maps.

Challenge: Easy to pick up and hard to put down. One of the coolest features is the split-screen DS. It allows you to still see where you are going while you have an oil spill on your windshield.

Replay Value: Once you unlock all tracks and drivers it can be disappointing. Luckily with the Wi-Fi network, you can keep playing and challenging other players around the nation.

Overall rating: Great game, if you love any of Nintendo’s other Mario Carts than you will defiantly want to pick this game up and rock out on Nintendo’s Wi-Fi connection.

Tips & Tricks: Jak X: Combat Racing

• Grab all the Blue Eco you can.
• Don’t Sit On One Weapon For Too Long!
• Keep using up both your Yellow and Red Eco Weapons, especially if you’re about to run over a new Eco pod - this increase your chances of getting one of the really awesome weapons.
• There’s a cool secret short-cut in the Icebound Citadel that isn’t shown on any of the maps. From the start of the track, go forwards a short way, and then head left under into the triangular gap between the wooden beams.
• You’ll find a narrow alley with a terrifying jump across a pit of spikes - just make sure that you have enough Blue Eco to turbo-boost across the gap, and you’ll be certain to shave valuable seconds off your lap time!