Pros: This installment in the Grand Theft Auto series focuses on Huang Lee, the son of a recently murdered Triad boss, as he arrives in Liberty...

Cons: Using the stylus can become a little bit annoying, especially because it’s the only way to use projectile weapons such as molotov’s and...

Pros: This installment in the Grand Theft Auto series focuses on Huang Lee, the son of a recently murdered Triad boss, as he arrives in Liberty City seeking vengeance for his father’s death. Consequently, a civil war within the gang breaks out and it’s your job to put everyone back into line. Hence, the plot is typical of GTA games and involves all the sorts of illicit activity people love from them.

The most noticeable aspect about Chinatown Wars is the aerial view of the game that harkens back to the original GTA games on the playstation. While this may understandably turn some players away, the ‘classic’ view actually works very well with a well-detailed, 3D Liberty City that does justice to the series.

Where Chinatown Wars particularly shines is the introduction of a myriad of new features in addition to the many typical side features in GTA games, most of the new ones being mini-games with the stylus. Very often, when a player steals a car they will have to actually hotwire it before the alarm goes off and any nearby authorities are alerted to your activities. There are gang war related activities one can partake in such as stealing a rival gang’s van and taking the drugs hidden inside them.

Speaking of drugs, drug dealing is the easiest way to make money in the game (go figure) with a mini drug economy in the game with fluctuating prices depending on the area or if someone has a special offer for you. Therefore, a player can load up on pills on one side of town, drive into another gang’s territory where a dealer is waiting for said pills, and make a huge profit. But drug dealing has its dangers with those pesky police that will occasionally come after you right after a deal when you are typically vulnerable, so be careful with that.

Perhaps my favorite innovation for Chinatown Wars is the new means of escaping the police when they are in pursuit. While players can still use the classic methods such as pay-n-spray, they can opt to run away and somehow destroy police cars pursuing them. With the number of stars a player has determining how many cop cars must go down per star, chases become very fun and usually easy given how reckless the cops are when trying to get you.

Also, they brought back the rampage feature for this game, which (for anyone who doesn’t know) is essentially license to kill as many people as you can with a given weapon in a certain time limit. Very Fun.

So essentially, if you have a DS, you should have this game.

Cons: Using the stylus can become a little bit annoying, especially because it’s the only way to use projectile weapons such as molotov’s and grenades. I’ve died way too many times from a poorly thrown molotov that just ends up burning me alive.

The camera can also be an issue in the more densely packed areas, becoming obstructed by buildings so that players lose sight of the action. Although this happens infrequently, it can be frustrating in more urgent situations.

Pros: Ah, Final Fantasy Tactics, my favorite Final Fantasy game by far. Tactics puts players in the shoes of Ramza, a young noble preparing for...

Cons: There are some very apparent Engrish moments scattered throughout the game and although they can be a little frustrating, I find them quite...

Pros: Ah, Final Fantasy Tactics, my favorite Final Fantasy game by far.

Tactics puts players in the shoes of Ramza, a young noble preparing for knighthood on the cusp of a massive global conflict involving everything from romance, civil war, church conspiracies and a variety of monsters. But I would cheapen the game for newcomers if I delved into the plot so I’ll just say that it does not disappoint albeit it can be a little confusing at times.

Where Tactics really shines is the immensely satisfying tactical game play. Every battle takes place on a grid-square with players fielding a certain number of characters against the enemy, with the objective to make all the bad guys die or something a little more specific. Every turn, each character has a chance to move a certain number of spaces and perform a solitary action, making players carefully consider the positioning of their characters on the map relative to both allies and enemies. Players must also consider terrain effects such as the height of a specific spot (high points are good spots to shoot bows from) or if it is a potential hazard such as a poison marsh.

Furthermore, each character on your team has a ‘job’ or class that affects how they are used on the field. There are many jobs including squire, knight, chemist, black/white/red/time/blue mage, lancer, samurai, thief, archer, ninja, etc. Jobs are unlocked in trees as characters gain experience in that particular job, and by that, I mean a squire unlocks a knight, a thief unlocks a ninja and so on. Clearly, there is a lot of potential for the types of soldiers you field in battle and you will find yourself toying around with new combinations, making the replay value virtually infinite.

In proper Final Fantasy tradition, ‘wild’ enemies will level up with your characters, ensuring that the game is always challenging and that you may continue to gain experience as you train your characters.

I think that about covers it…go play this game already!

Cons: There are some very apparent Engrish moments scattered throughout the game and although they can be a little frustrating, I find them quite hilarious.

The enemies in ‘story’ battles are at pre-set levels so that players can potentially train for long periods of time to devastate the next story mission. Yet at a certain point wild enemy encounters become very difficult and will offset anyone trying to do this. Additionally, some of the later missions and boss battles in this game will make you LOSE YOUR MIND in frustration like so many Square games tend to do.

Pros: Oh yes, this is some classic SEGA Genesis gaming right here. One of the first games I’ve ever played and the first game to thoroughly...

Cons: I am quite certain I uttered my first obscenities while playing this game. I never beat it as a kid and it took a vendetta to finally push...

Pros: Oh yes, this is some classic SEGA Genesis gaming right here. One of the first games I’ve ever played and the first game to thoroughly piss me off, but it’s quite worth it.

Altered Beast is a 2d side-scrolling beat ‘em up type game in which one or two players play as deceased Greek Heroes brought back to life by Zeus with the classic line “Wise from your Gwaves” to rescue his daughter from some jerk sorcerer.

Altered Beast shines most when players collect the orb things necessary to transform them into a mythological creature that will help players kick ass for the rest of the level and beat the level’s boss. Creatures include werewolves, dragons and bears. Oh my!

This game is short, very short, with only 5 levels one could potentially beat it in half an hour but I highly doubt anyone can beat it that quickly due to the relentless onslaught of enemies, difficult bosses and limited number of lives.

This is a true classic and if you have a chance to play it I highly recommend it because games like this simply are not made anymore.

Cons: I am quite certain I uttered my first obscenities while playing this game. I never beat it as a kid and it took a vendetta to finally push myself to beat it. But oh, was it glorious when that stupid sorcerer died for good.