Before 2007, the Call of Duty series had always been grounded in pseudo-historic World War II lore, using the weapons and locales of that time period. But then, developer Infinity Ward went outside the box and brought things into the present with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Along with a superb and varied campaign, it also brought a new level of customization to the multiplayer experience. Even with the release of Call of Duty: World at War last year, Infinity Ward’s masterpiece still managed to remain among the most played online games week in and week out.

Amid incredible hype and anticipation, Activision and Infinity Ward released Modern Warfare 2 last week and, amazingly, it has managed to deliver a three-pronged assault on the gaming world that not only meets the lofty expectations that have been heaped on the sequel, but exceeds them.

Controls (5/5)

There haven’t been many changes to the Call of Duty control scheme over the years, and Modern Warfare 2 doesn’t see fit to rock the boat. Holding down the left trigger still looks down the sights and pressing the right trigger pops the caps. Your right bumper will throw frag grenades, while the left throws secondary ones (such as flash bangs). If you’re close enough to an enemy, you can click down on the right stick that you use to look around to unleash a fatal melee attack with your knife.

You’ll also be switching weapons (Y), reloading (X), jumping (A) and changing your position from standing to kneeling to prone (B). At times you will also have access to secondary functions of your weapon, gadgets like night vision or explosives. These will be mapped to the d-pad and accessed by pressing in the corresponding direction. There is also a couple of vehicular sequences, and while they don’t handle that great, the controls themselves are very straight forward.

It’s all standard fare for anyone that has any experience with first-person shooters, and it shouldn’t take long for things to become second nature even for newcomers.

Graphics/Sound (5/5)

Considering how strong the original offering was from a graphical standpoint, it’s pretty stunning just how much better things look in Modern Warfare 2. The settings feel more varied this time as you travel from the deserts of Afghanistan to snow covered mountains in Kazakhstan. You’ll fight through a crowded slum in an exhilarating urban warfare setting and find yourself under siege at a fast food joint in a typical American suburb. All of these areas are beautifully rendered with a ton of destructible objects that really help immerse you in your surroundings.

As good as the graphics look throughout the game, the post-EMP bomb level is simply jaw dropping. The basic setup is that during some heavy fighting, an electromagnetic pulse is detonated, knocking out all power and sending vehicles crashing to the ground. Making matters worse, you and your squad are advancing through a torrential downpour. Seeing the embers and smoldering debris floating through the air and mixing with the rainfall is quite a sight, and when the lightning cracks to illuminate previously unseen terrain and enemies it’s an incredible effect.

In addition to the environments, the character models are above reproach. Modern Warfare 2 never misses a chance to impress with all the cool gadgetry you, your squad mates and adversaries have in their possession. Not to mention the sweet body armour and camouflage everyone seems to be decked out in. The movements are also extremely natural as enemies dive to the ground and duck behind cover in a very fluid manner. It all works together so that you’re never taken out of the moment, which really serves to help ramp up the intensity.

Last, but certainly not least, are the guns. They have clearly been painstakingly recreated and look absolutely amazing. When you compare the detail work on every single gun in this game to what we’ve seen out of the relatively modest Halo 3 arsenal, it’s no contest. Particularly when you take into account the amount of online customization that can be done, which allows for literally hundreds of different combinations. With so many cool weapons available to wield, Modern Warfare 2 just makes you feel like a bad ass.

While the graphical enhancements may be more immediately noticeable, things have also been improved dramatically on the audio side. Where this is most evident is with the in-game chatter from your squad, who now call out actual enemy locations. For instance, you might be in a firefight and hear someone shout out, “Tango on the roof of the second story building!” You quickly check that location and there’s a hostile firing on you. The amount and variety of the chatter is impressive and legitimately useful, which is another new item that adds to the game’s immersive feel.

Modern Warfare 2 also features a great musical score that accompanies the action perfectly. The sound effects are spot on as well, lending a lot of satisfaction with the different types of gunfire and plenty of huge explosions. About the only area this game doesn’t shine is in the voice acting, which, while perfectly passable, just doesn’t feel like it’s been upgraded from the original. Of course, there isn’t really a fully realized story being told through cut scenes anyway so it’s a minor complaint.

There are two other items worth noting: First, the improvements aren’t limited to the campaign, as Modern Warfare 2 also offers an excellent looking and sounding multiplayer mode. Second, despite having areas that were crawling with enemies, gunfire, explosions, smoke billowing through the air and much more, I never detected any slow down. That’s pretty impressive.

Gameplay (4.75/5)

Anyone searching for the proverbial chink in the body armour of Modern Warfare 2 will find it in the campaign mode for two reasons. The biggest drawback for most gamers will likely be the length as the story; while encompassing three acts and 18 missions, it can be comfortably finished in five-to-six hours on the default difficulty setting. Those that adopt a highly aggressive approach and advance quickly through the levels should be able to come in under the five-hour mark. By current standards that isn’t particularly meaty, though upping the difficulty to hardened or veteran will stretch the experience a good couple of hours by virtue of the need to adopt a more deliberate pace to avoid constant death.

While complaints about the duration of the campaign may be justified, I would suggest that part of the reason for the abbreviated length is the sheer intensity of the fighting. Outside of the initial tutorial, Modern Warfare 2 careens along full-speed ahead and drops you into one white knuckle firefight after another. The stealth elements from the original haven’t been removed completely, but the majority of the game is all about extreme action sequences with no shortage of bullets whizzing by and explosions going off. Given that kind of sustained adrenaline kick, I think shorter actually works better.

The other gripe is the one I personally found a little disappointing, which is the limited amount of plot development or storytelling going on. The only way the story really advances is during the loading screens in between levels where you’re given pseudo briefings or dialogue to get you set for the next round. Plus, what storylines there are in the game seem pretty farfetched and poorly fleshed out. Instead it’s more about creating isolated surprise moments and finding ways to incorporate the cast of characters from Call of Duty 4 in the mix. While I would’ve loved to see a more cohesive and plausible back story in place, it ultimately doesn’t detract too much because of the heavy focus on action.

Even with a couple shortcomings, I found the single-player story to be a lot of fun. The story jumping around allows for a lot of interesting and diverse areas to fight in, and the improved squad and enemy A.I. is the best I’ve seen in the series. The developers also did me a huge personal favour and removed one of my biggest pet peeves — the infinitely re-spawning enemies. In past Call of Duty games you’d need to push forward or they’d just keeping coming, eliminating the option to methodically pick off adversaries before advancing. It wasn’t a big deal on lower difficulties, but it made veteran mode an exercise in frustration at times given how quickly you die. The addition of a waypoint that shows exactly where you need to go next is another nice feature as it keeps you moving forward.

In addition to the campaign, Modern Warfare 2 also offers a brand new game type called Special Ops, which is a series of 23 self-contained missions. Each one has three different difficulty levels to complete, which will earn you stars. Most of the missions can be played solo (a few are co-op only), but this new mode was obviously designed with two players in mind. This may not sound like much on the surface, but Special Ops is surprisingly addictive and adds a lot of replay value for those that like to team up rather than compete in traditional adversarial multiplayer.

You’ll start off with access to just a handful of missions and as you earn stars you’ll unlock more with each set getting progressively more difficult. There are a lot of different mission types incorporated, including being asked to do things like defend a position, sneak past patrolling guards en route to an extraction point or race on snowmobiles. Many of the locations are directly from the campaign, but there are some unique ones, and fans of Call of Duty 4 will even find a familiar favourite recreated. I found the ones that required one player to advance on foot while the other covered from the air to be among the most enjoyable, as they really promoted teamwork and communication.

Amazingly enough, the campaign and Special Ops modes are reduced to undercard performers in the overall package Modern Warfare 2 delivers with online multiplayer earning main event status. It has raised the bar in virtually every respect from Call of Duty 4, featuring vastly improved graphics, larger and better designed maps, enhanced balancing and an insane amount of customizable options.

Of the improvements, the balancing is the most welcome as it helps make the game accessible to any level of gamer, which is something I’ve disliked about the past two Call of Duty releases. In those games, all the best weapons belonged to those who had played the longest, creating a virtual mismatch for newcomers. This time around the default classes pack a serious punch, and the maps are designed to dissuade some of the cheaper tactics. It’s made a huge difference.

In terms of customization, the sky is the limit. You start with a small number of guns and then by completing challenges and increasing your rank you unlock more. Each weapon has its own set of goals to meet, such as getting a certain number of headshots. Once you reach that number you’ll unlock a new camouflage pattern for that gun. Killing will also unlock attachments, such as a grenade launcher or silencer. Equip these items to complete their challenge and open up even more options. When you consider there are 23 primary weapons and 19 secondary weapons, each with multiple levels of these various challenges, you get a feel for how much your arsenal can be tailored to your style of play.

The game also features perks, which operate as passive abilities such as deeper bullet penetration or faster reloading, and this time around they’ve got their own challenges. Complete these and you’ll be rewarded with a more effective version of that perk. Modern Warfare 2 even allows players to change when and what they earn for consecutive kills (called kill streaks), by giving the ability to pick three options. For example, you can choose to have your kill streak rewards give you a supply drop at four kills in a row, a Harrier strike at seven and an EMP blast at 15. It’s just another way the strategy and customization levels have been ramped up. Given all the improvements, this is arguably the finest multiplayer shooter I’ve ever played.

For those exceedingly passionate about the game, Modern Warfare 2 is also available in both Hardened and Prestige editions. The Hardened version comes with a limited edition case, art book and download token for Call of Duty Classic, which is a full game featuring 24 missions and online multiplayer. The Prestige edition comes with all those things plus a sweet pair of actual working night vision goggles and a plastic bust of in-game character Soap McTavish.

Overall (5/5)

While you can nitpick about an issue here or there in Modern Warfare 2, the overall package undeniably delivers the goods with an intense single-player campaign, a great co-operative experience in Special Ops and a truly inspired online multiplayer. If you enjoy shooters in the slightest, this is a game you absolutely must own.

When Grand Theft Auto IV came out in early 2008, Microsoft gave gamers some incentive to purchase it on the Xbox 360 instead of the PS3 by offering two exclusive downloadable expansions to be released at a later date. The first of those, The Lost and Damned, came out back in February, while the second, The Ballad of Gay Tony, arrived last week. In conjunction with that second offering, Rockstar also released a retail version entitled Episodes from Liberty City, which combines both of the Xbox 360 exclusives in disc format and does not require a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV to play.

Both titles expand on the story told in Grand Theft Auto IV, with The Lost and Damned putting you in the midst of a biker gang and The Ballad of Gay Tony taking players uptown to try their hands at being a paid killer moonlighting as a club manager. All three titles intersect at various points and help flesh out details that were skipped over in the original to paint a more complete picture. The question remains, however, does Rockstar deliver a compelling enough experience for those that may have finished Grand Theft Auto IV over a year ago to return? Let’s take a look.

Controls (4/5)

Both episodes control identically to Grand Theft Auto IV, which can be both good and bad. Things are pretty straightforward when you’re on foot: you can run (A), sprint (tap A), jump (X) and enter/jack vehicles (Y) with ease. The only really tricky part comes with the auto-aim function, which is activated by holding down the left trigger. Do this and you’ll lock on to a nearby person. Nine times out of 10 it’ll be someone you want to shoot, but occasionally you’ll find yourself targeting a civilian instead of a drug dealer or someone hiding behind a car rather than the guy above him firing at you. In theory you can switch targets by flicking the right stick in the direction of the desired target, but in practice it doesn’t always seem to work.

In these instances you can utilize free aim, which is done by pressing down the left trigger only half way and then moving the right stick around to fire wherever you want. As you might guess from the description, only partially depressing a trigger can be a bit temperamental, particularly when you’re in the heat of a firefight. Of course, you’re able to turn off auto-aim at any time, but most will still find it easier to deal with the sporadically wonky auto-aim than doing all the work themselves.

The cover system, which is vital to successful combat, will also frustrate once in a while, but for the most part it works well. You enter and leave cover with the right bumper, then pop up to bring the pain with your vast arsenal when pressing the right trigger. My only issue is that sometimes you’ll think you’re in the right position only to end up on hugging a pillar with your back to the enemy instead of hiding on the other side of it. Again, though, this is a minor issue.

When you’re not traveling on foot you’ll have access to all sorts of transportation alternatives, including cars, motorcycles, helicopters and even a tank. The basic control scheme is the same for all ground-based vehicles and it works well. Those who rode a motorcycle in Grand Theft Auto IV but did not purchase The Lost and Damned when it came out will be in for a pleasant surprise as Rockstar went back in and totally revamped the experience. You’ll no longer get tossed by every bump, and the whole thing just feels infinitely more responsive.

Where the controls become a struggle for me is when piloting helicopters. For starters, there’s a lot going on with the left/right triggers controlling lift, the bumpers rotating you left and right and the left stick tilting your helicopter to move forward/back and to the sides. When piloting an attack chopper, you can add in face buttons to fire your machine guns (A) and rockets (X). Even factoring in a learning curve, the act of flying a helicopter is never as fun as it should be. It simply isn’t responsive enough and at times feels like you’re piloting a brick. Plus, you’re not given lock-on capabilities or even a targeting reticule, which makes aiming a pain. The controls weren’t so bad that I couldn’t pass helicopter-based missions, but a quick scan of the message boards will turn up plenty of complaints about them. I’d like to see this area get some added attention before the next release to make raining death from above the fun time it should be.

Graphics/Sound (5/5)

Let’s just get this out of the way. When traversing Liberty City you’ll clip through objects, see things suddenly appear as you approach and details filling in on distant buildings. Yes, there are a number of graphical hiccups to be found in all three chapters of the game. However, even a year and a half after the initial release of Grand Theft Auto IV, I’ve still yet to see another title on the market that can match what Rockstar has done in creating Liberty City as a vibrant, breathing world that feels completely organic and lived in.

Graffiti litters buildings and subway cars, trash cans are on the corners to be picked up, pedestrians cover their heads with newspaper when it rains and so much more. It’s all these little touches that make you feel that you’re traveling through a place where life is happening whether you’re there or not. The animations are smooth and the explosions…oh, such explosions.

Although both downloadable episodes are being released together here, you’ll almost certainly notice that The Ballad of Gay Tony is the better looking of the two. Coming out eight months later and without the grain effect used to give The Lost and Damned a grittier feel that drained Liberty City of some of its vibrancy, The Ballad of Gay Tony makes a lot of subtle improvements to the overall graphics, though the character models look basically unchanged and are starting to show their age. Still, this is truly one of those titles where visually the whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts.

When it comes to voice acting, there’s Mass Effect, the Grand Theft Auto series and then everybody else. Both halves of Episodes from Liberty City feature a wide range of characters, all of whom are voiced effectively and force you to become invested in the story. The dialogue is natural and unforgiving, pulling no punches in the usage of racial slurs, profanity and bravado that permeate your dealings with Liberty City’s underbelly.

It’s impossible to oversell what a phenomenal job Rockstar does with that aspect of the series. Every character has personality, and I always looked forward to the next mission in both games to delve deeper into the stories. While everyone does a superior job, I have to recognize the wildly entertaining work of Omid Djalili as Yusuf Amir, whose outlandish missions in The Ballad of Gay Tony represent a steep departure from the more realistic ones seen in the two earlier releases.

Beyond the excellent voice acting, Rockstar once again provides a deep and memorable soundtrack as well, including numerous radio stations to choose from as you race around Liberty City. The sound effects are spot on, and the ambient noise of the city more than holds its own in making it feel like it’s teeming with life.

One last item to pass along is that you owe it to yourself to watch the in-game TV show Princess Robot Bubblegum (you can do so in Luis’ apartment). It’s unquestionably one of the funniest things I’ve seen in any medium in recent memory. Major kudos to whoever pulled that off.

Gameplay (4.75/5)

The first half of the package, The Lost and Damned, casts you in the role of Johnny Klebitz, who is the Vice President of a biker gang called The Lost. Johnny has been in charge since Billy Grey entered rehab, but with Billy being released he wants to immediately resume his place as leader. This leads to the central conflict of the story with Billy and Johnny clashing over how The Lost should operate. Billy wants them to be knee deep in the drug game and essentially throw caution to the wind when dealing with their enemies, while Johnny prefers a smarter, less reckless approach. That’s not to say Johnny plays the role of a saint. On the contrary, Johnny does more than his fair share of loathsome acts and is by far the least likable main character in the three installments.

Thankfully, the absence of a truly affable protagonist doesn’t mean the story isn’t compelling. It’s all vintage Grand Theft Auto stuff with a solid variety of missions and some added gameplay elements like the ability to summon members of your gang to assist you on missions. This can be invaluable when the odds are stacked against you, and there are some RPG elements to be found as well as the more you summon backup the most proficient they become under fire…assuming they survive.

Belonging to a gang has some added benefits as well, such as being able to have guns or bikes delivered to you with a phone call. Whereas Niko Bellic was an immigrant looking to make connections, Johnny already has them. In that same vein, the entire map is opened from the start in both downloadable stories since they’re established residents. However, despite all three games taking place in Liberty City, they’re all focused in different sections. The Lost and Damned is primarily in Alderney, which is a poorer and more rundown area than anywhere else in the game.

In addition to a new story and some gameplay adjustments, The Lost and Damned also brings brand new social activities to take part in, such as arm wrestling and playing cards. None of them are particularly memorable, but they can serve as fun little distractions. Also debuting here are several new weapons, including an assault shotgun (AKA the street sweeper), auto pistol and grenade launcher. Add all of that to 25 gang wars to take part in, bike races with an achievement for whacking people off and an all new seagull hunt and you should find plenty to do in Johnny’s shoes.

However, while The Lost and Damned was fun, it pales in comparison to the final piece of the trilogy, The Ballad of Gay Tony. This time around you’ll be rubbing elbows with Liberty City’s upper crust as Luis Lopez, right-hand man to pre-eminent club owner Anthony “Gay Tony” Prince. Unlike the first two installments where you had to work hard to move up in the world and afford the finer things (like top of the line weaponry), here you’ve already arrived financially and will have no trouble affording guns or anything else you may need. It’s a refreshing take that provides a much different perspective.

The basic story is that Tony’s clubs — Maisonette 9 and Hercules (you can guess which the gay one is) — aren’t holding up too well in today’s economy, and in an effort to get some financial relief he’s borrowed heavily from some unsavoury characters. That leaves Luis in a bind as he tries to do favours for Tony’s creditors to keep them from collecting on money Tony doesn’t have. It’s a tightly focused story that moves along at a brisk pace and does a good job of creating a relationship you wind up caring about (Tony and Luis), something The Lost and Damned did not.

As mentioned above, you’re going to be running errands from high-end clientele this time, and that gave Rockstar an excuse to go completely over the top with its missions. Those that played and enjoyed Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will certainly like the direction The Ballad of Gay Tony takes as you’ll be doing all sorts of crazy things, like stealing and then flying a military helicopter or base jumping off the roof of the tallest building in Liberty City. Yeah, there are a few clunkers in the mix, but the vast majority of missions are really fun to play. One cool feature that was added is the ability to replay any mission as often as you’d like once you beat the game, which is something you’ll want to do.

Of course, what fun would a collection of fantastic missions be without an equally amazing arsenal of guns to complete them with? The Ballad of Gay Tony sees to it that you are armed to the teeth very early on and rearmament is never more than a phone call away. The explosive shotgun is one of the most bad ass weapons I’ve ever wielded in a video game. It turns cars, trucks and helicopters into smoldering piles of rubble in just a few shots, which is unendingly satisfying. There are also upgraded machine guns, sniper rifles and sticky bombs. And then, there’s the height of excess, a golden SMG.

Mini-games are a big part of the Grand Theft Auto open world experience, and The Ballad of Gay Tony features my favourite one to date, BASE jumping. Ironically, I didn’t think I’d enjoy jumping out of planes and off buildings in an effort to land on an exact point. However, it’s wonderfully executed and a lot of fun to do. Some of the others don’t hold up as well, namely club management (disappointingly dull) and drug wars (repetitive), but hey, when the ability to engage in underground cage fighting is included alongside doing elaborately choreographed dances in a gay club, how much can you really complain?

Both titles offer additional multiplayer modes, though trying to find a game on The Lost and Damned appears to be an exercise in futility these days. It’s unfortunate, as when it launched back in February it came with a cool mode called Witness Protection where one team played as NOOSE officers and tried to escort a witness to a safe location while the other team played as The Lost and tried to kill them. If you can scrape enough people together it’s definitely worth trying out.

Sticking with multiplayer, The Ballad of Gay Tony creates smaller environments for Deathmatch games, which really ratchets up the intensity. It also doesn’t hurt that all those wonderful new weapons are now fully accessible online. Team-oriented BASE jumping can also be done in Free Mode, but there weren’t a whole lot of new things added to online play.

Overall (4.75/5)

Episodes from Liberty City complements the original release and offers players two very different experiences while staying true to the formula that has made this franchise a success. With well over 20 hours of single-player gaming to be found here, picking this up is a no brainer for anyone that has enjoyed the Grand Theft Auto series.

Welcome to a new season of The Wire Troll, NBA version, where we take a look at some productive players who, for one reason or another, might be languishing on your league’s waiver wire. Just as there’s no crying in baseball, languishing is not to be tolerated in the world of hoops…so we’ll seek to give you an early heads-up on some up-and-coming players who just might be ready for prime time duty on your Fantasy roster.

The NBA season is barely out of the starting gate, but already some patterns are beginning to emerge that may affect Fantasy rosters for at least the near future. Injuries and suspensions have claimed a couple of stars, leaving the door open for their replacements to rack up a bevy of Fantasy points. Meanwhile, a few rookies have stepped to the fore and served notice that the class of ‘09 just might have as many pleasant surprises in store as their counterparts from a season ago.

The season is in its infancy, but acting upon these early indicators may allow you to get in on the ground floor of a budding Fantasy Cinderella story.

Weekly line-up leaguers take note: Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis will remain on league suspension for the entire week, while Suns’ two-guard Jason Richardson should be back in action following his two-game suspension.

On the injury front, Antawn Jamison and Kevin Love will not play this week, and keep an eye on the status of Pau Gasol (hamstring), Vince Carter (ankle), Rip Hamilton (ankle) and Mehmet Okur (knee/ankle). The news looks to be good for Charlotte guard Raja Bell (wrist), who may return this week. Fantasy owners in deeper leagues should have Bell on their radar.

Note that two other very high draft picks — Devin Harris and Caron Butler — are now out. Harris will miss Monday’s game, meaning another start for Rafer Alston, who put up a good line the other night. Butler, meanwhile, is expected to be back in action Tuesday night.

Four-game weeks: ATL, BOS, DEN, DET, LAL, MEM, MIN, NJ, NO, NY, ORL, PHO, SAC, UT, WAS

Two-game week: SA

CENTRES

Andray Blatche, Washington Wizards: While Jamison is on the shelf – and that’s expected to be at least two more weeks – Blatche should see plenty of minutes. He made good on that run in his first game this season, posting 20 points, seven boards and two blocks against Dallas. While Jamison is out, Blatche should be on most Fantasy rosters. Even after ‘Tawn makes it back, Blatche will be the first big off the bench for the Wizards, and his rebounding and shot blocking ability make him a worthwhile roster addition in deep (180 or more rostered players) leagues.

Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies: The arrivals of Zach Randolph and Hasheem Thabeet were supposed to cleave the Fantasy value of Gasol, but the big man apparently didn’t get that memo. He went off for 21 points, 15 boards and three blocks in his first game of the year, and looked every bit the part of a dominant big man. The jury’s still out on whether Gasol will be able to score on a consistent basis, but the boards and blocks figure to be there in any event.

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers: Speights may become the Sixers’ top big off the bench after tossing in a career-high 26 points in the opening game. Caution is advised, though, as he followed up that big night by playing only 12 minutes in his next game. The 6-foot-10 inch Speights is certainly a player to watch in all Fantasy formats, and may see his minutes increase if Elton Brand continues to struggle with picking up the “Princeton” offense. Speights is a good add in deeper leagues at this point, but be prepared to pull the trigger in all formats if he wins the job as sixth man in Philly.

Channing Frye, Phoenix Suns: Now that Frye has finally landed a starting gig, he’s definitely making the most of his time on the floor. He averaged 17 points, six boards and 3.5 trey balls through his first two games, and looks like a worthwhile add in just about every league. He’s not a shot blocker, but Frye’s quickness and ability to run the floor makes him an ideal fit in Phoenix’s up-tempo system. He should produce solid steal numbers as a result, and those treys are oh so sweet indeed. Friday night he looked absolutely sick, canning his first half dozen tries from beyond the arc before finally missing one.

FORWARDS

Travis Outlaw/Martell Webster, Portland Trail Blazers: The shoulder injury to starting small forward Nicolas Batum, who’s out until at least January, has opened the door for both Outlaw and Webster. Outlaw tossed in 23 points, while grabbing four rebounds, dishing two assists and posting two steals and a block his first game, while Webster responded with 14/3/2/2/1 in eight fewer minutes. Outlaw may still be available in some leagues, while Webster is almost certainly hanging around out there somewhere. Don’t over-invest here, but recall that Webster put up decent numbers back in ‘07-08 before missing all but one game last year due to injury.

DeJuan Blair, San Antonio Spurs: The rookie appears to have won the job as Tim Duncan’s backup in San Antonio, and that can translate to some very nice Fantasy lines for Blair when the Big Fundamental takes a night off. Blair also figures to rack up some solid minutes when the Spurs are involved in a blowout, and that nifty 14 points and 11 boards he posted in his NBA debut should show you that the talent is definitely there. Add Blair in deeper leagues, and Duncan owners should strongly consider rostering the rookie as well.

Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic: Anderson also carries centre eligibility in some leagues, and his 16 points, four treys and five boards in the Magic’s opening game makes him add-worthy in some deeper leagues. Make your move now if you need his support, though – Anderson’s minutes should plummet after Lewis serves his 10-game suspension.

Yi Jianlian, New Jersey Nets: Yi is averaging 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds with two blocks per game through his first two outings, and his potential makes him worth a dice roll in most league formats. He has been inconsistent to say the least during his career, though, so be prepared to cut bait if his fortunes head south.

Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks: Gallinari looks to have rediscovered his shooting touch in the regular season, and can be of help to owners in need of threes. His health will always be a concern, but while he’s dialed in he’s worth a look for Fantasy owners in larger leagues.

Shelden Williams, Boston Celtics: Those same deep league owners should keep an eye on Williams; the Celts figure to be on the good end of a lot of blowouts this season, and Williams looks to be in line to rack up plenty of garbage time minutes. It may not be quality time, but Fantasy owners won’t complain about the 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a block he posted during one rout, nor the 10/10/2/2 he put up the following night. He won’t see meaningful minutes if the game is close, but if things get out of hand – and they often will – Williams could shine.

GUARDS

Rasual Butler, Los Angeles Clippers: Butler had a tough opening game (having Ron Artest in your face all night will do that to you), but he rebounded nicely with 19 points, three treys and four assists the following night. Butler should see plenty of action off the bench for the hapless Clippers, and his scoring, three-point shooting and serviceable shot-blocking talent are welcome additions for owners in deeper leagues.

Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks: All Jennings did in his first NBA start was just miss posting a triple-double – though his 17-9-9 line was marred by five turnovers. The young PG figures to make mistakes aplenty as he learns the NBA game, but the talent for Fantasy stardom seems to be there. Jennings is worth adding in just about every league – though his value is diminished if your league counts turnovers.

Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets: Lawson may be backing up one of the game’s most durable players in Chauncey Billups, but the rookie’s impressive 17-4-6 line in his NBA debut may well earn him more minutes going forward. If you own Billups, Lawson is a must-add if you can spare the roster space; he looks like a polished NBA point guard who could pile up monster numbers should Mr. Big Shot suffer an injury.

Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings: Sacramento plans to emphasize youth this season, and point guard Evans is at the forefront of that movement. The fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft averaged 16 points, 3.5 boards, two assists and 1.5 steals through his first two games, so he’s definitely worth grabbing in most formats if he’s still available. Beware the turnovers that are bound to come (3.0 his first two games) but Evans’ skill set should allow him to blossom into a solid Fantasy starter – possibly as early as the second half of this season.

Ah, professional wrestling. At times it’s my favourite guilty pleasure/pseudo sport, while at other times it makes me embarrassed to even be watching. However, although my interest in the real thing wavers greatly, my love of pro wrestling video games is a constant that pre-dates watching my first real match. I’ve always found the genre to be more enjoyable than traditional fighting games (a la Street Fighter or Tekken) in terms of one-on-one gaming because the moves are plausible and there’s some background to everything.

How deep does this love go? Well, I can rattle off a half-dozen genre-defining titles (No Mercy, anyone?) in my sleep spanning multiple generations and platforms. But that barely scratches the surface. I had my original PlayStation modified to play Japanese games because the domestic market wasn’t bearing enough squared circle fruit. Ditto for the N64 and Dreamcast. Despite that dedication level, I’ve been disappointed with recent releases. Thankfully, our long national nightmare is over, because WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 delivers a package rich in both content and replayability.

Controls (4.5/5)

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 ups the ante on the number of moves players can unleash by doubling the number of grapples, adding the ring apron as a location to attack from and increasing your ground-based options. Yet despite all the additions, they keep things simple to control, which makes for an excellent in-game experience.

Your attacks are broken down into strikes (X) and grapples (right stick), but you’ll be executing tons of different moves off those two basic commands. Think of it like a family tree, where moves branch off of one another. For example, you can start with a strong collar and elbow grapple by holding down the right bumper and pushing the right stick up. Once engaged, you then move the right stick up, down, left or right and your wrestler with pull off one of the four moves assigned to that grapple. You’re given four different strong grapples with four moves off of each, meaning you’ll have 16 possible attacks whenever you lock up. Plus, each strong grapple features a strike (press X while locked up) and a submission move (click the right stick), bringing the total of 24 moves.

Beyond the grapples and strikes, you’ll also be able to run (left bumper), Irish Whip (B) your opponent, taunt them (d-pad) and pick up weapons (A) for more visceral damage. Anyone familiar with the series should have no trouble jumping right into a match, and for those new to the fray there’s a pretty comprehensive training mode that walks you through the different moves in terms of both how and when to do them.

Two new items that long-time fans and newcomers alike should embrace are the simplification of counters and addition of manual targeting. In the past, counters were mapped to both triggers — left for grapple counters, right for strikes. This year, all counters are handled by pressing the right trigger at the proper time (the prompt will appear over your opponent’s head to let you know when). It may seem like a minor change, but for series veterans it greatly reduces frustration.

Freeing up the left trigger also allowed THQ to implement a manual targeting system, allowing you to decide which opponent to focus on during matches that have more than two participants. After being forced to rely on the auto-targeting system in years past, this is a big deal.

As if that weren’t enough, each wrestler will have certain abilities (like using the ref as a shield, or stealing an opponent’s moves) that unlock additional moves. My favourite is the “object specialist,” which opens up new options to do with the game’s foreign objects. Watching my created wrestler pull off a one-man “Conchairto” or bust out the “Van Daminator” was tremendous fun.

Unfortunately, the A.I. can still be pretty hit or miss during the actual matches. On the lower difficulties you’ll often find your CPU opponent just stands around waiting to get pounded, while on the higher ones even the weakest of mat technicians suddenly transform into reversal machines. Partner A.I. seems better, though, as your tag team buddy hits the ring when a pin appears eminent to knock the CPU’s partner to the floor or to break up a near fall on you. The game does offer sliders to customize your experience, but unlike in 2k Sports’ recent releases, those sliders cannot be shared.

Graphics/Sound (4/5)

As has become expected, the visuals in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 are top notch. The wrestlers look like their real world counterparts, and thanks to some improved graphics in the create-a-wrestler department, your own doppelganger no longer sticks out like a sore thumb. Wrestlers also move very fluidly, and although you’ll still see the occasional arm sticking through an opponent’s body on suplexes, they manage to interact very realistically. This is particularly noticeable when transitioning from one strong grapple to another as wrestlers move from a collar and elbow tie-up to a side headlock seamlessly.

The graphical muscle is really on display during superstar entrances, where fireworks and excellent lighting effects make you feel like you’re really watching the product on TV. My only gripe as it relates to entrances (and subsequently the in-game action) is the arenas. Yes, the stages are spot on. However, I never felt like I was in a different location. Even the arena for WrestleMania 25 felt like the exact same spot with a fresh coat of paint. Not since the Toukon Retsuden series (I told you I imported!) on the PlayStation have I seen a game capture the feel of a large arena, and it’s something I’d love to see in future installments to give the PPVs a big time atmosphere.

Another area in which the graphics shine is showing off the damage you’ve incurred and inflected on your opponent. Chests redden with chops, limbs are favoured and superstars limp around after taking a beating — these last two are particularly important since the long-standing HUD that showed how your limbs were taking damage has been removed to give gamers a clearer picture of the action. Blood is also present, and although it always starts as a cut on the forehead, you’ll see the crimson mask spread as matches wear on. Blood will drip down your opponent, onto the mat and even onto you. It’s a pretty impressive feat when you see blood on your fists after punching a lacerated victim.

Not everything is a box of fluffy ducks graphically, though, as you’ll see faces that appear to be going through the mat on some submission holds and the ropes do some wonky things at times when wrestlers come in contact with them. The wrestlers’ mouths also look a bit off, and I don’t mean strictly in the sense of movements matching spoken words. All of those issues are minor, however, and the overall visuals are very good.

The audio is more of a mixed bag. Most of the wrestlers deliver their lines well, but a couple of them sound like they’re going through the motions. Commentary is hit or miss. The team of Todd Grisham and Matt Striker are the best of the group while Jim Ross and current TNA announcer Taz get stale in a hurry. Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler do a lot of the commentary during the story modes and they hold up pretty well. However, the commentary that takes place outside the stories is pretty repetitive. Personally, my favourite announcing in a wrestling game remains Giant Gram 2000, which was entirely in Japanese. I couldn’t understand 95 per cent of it — apparently DDT is DDT in any language — but their excitement level matched the action. I’m still waiting for any domestic sports title to capture that same emotion.

As you would expect, all the WWE entrance themes are present, and you can use any music downloaded to your console as well. My created wrestler comes out to Cypress Hill’s “Insane in the Brain,” and it loads immediately without issue. The crowd chants are varied and well done, while the sound effects are pretty much standard fare.

Gameplay (4.5/5)

The content front for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is once again loaded with multiple Road to WrestleMania stories, a career mode, numerous match types, online support and a boatload of creation tools, including the ability to generate your own storylines. It’s a serious tour de force that should keep even casual wrestling fans knee deep in fresh content for months.

Like last year, the Road to WrestleMania mode once again centres on specific superstars, which is both good and bad. It’s good because there’s a character-focused story with generally good voiceover work. It’s bad because only six wrestlers (Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Edge, Mickie James and Triple H/John Cena) are included. That means if you’re a fan of someone like MVP or Jeff Hardy you’ll be limited to career mode for your single player fix, which is just a series of matches with no story. On the bright side, there is an included Road to WrestleMania for any wrestler you create, and that one turns out to perhaps be the best of the bunch with an interesting mix of matches/scenarios and some clever humour sprinkled in.

As for the other storylines, they’re generally pretty solid, and I like that THQ decided to mix things up with backstage segments or guest referee roles instead of just wrestling every week. Still, you’ll find some frustrating moments within the Road to WrestleMania in regards to meeting specific match requirements, which in the interest of not giving spoilers I won’t mention specifically. Anyone familiar with WWE programming will undoubtedly be met with a sense of déjà vu for some of these stories, but they’re still fun to play overall.

Next up is career mode, which as noted above is simply a series of matches as you try to capture titles and eventually secure a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. Basically you’ll choose which championship to pursue and then be given a list of contenders. You then pick an opponent from that list to wrestle. After the match you’ll be graded on a five-star scale, and when you reach a certain threshold of stars you’ll be able to compete in a No. 1 Contender’s match. Win that and you can face the champion. Beat him and you’re prompted to pick another championship to go after. Its fine for what it is, but it’s a poor substitute for fans of the “lesser” wrestlers that didn’t qualify for a Road to WrestleMania story.

Thankfully, THQ’s big new addition addresses that issue, and it’s a game changer. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 introduces a story designer mode, allowing users to create all new storylines for any wrestler in the game and then upload them to share with other gamers. It’s a great idea, but there are a couple negatives to get out of the way first. The big one is that you’re only allowed to use a created wrestler 10 times during the entirety of your tale. That doesn’t mean 10 matches, that means 10 total appearances. So anyone dreaming of fielding a brand new wrestling promotion filled with created wrestlers will have to keep waiting. I also would’ve enjoyed a little more freedom to produce text, but as it stands each scene is limited to 12 word balloons. Even that amount is daunting to fill with a controller, so if you plan on creating involved storylines, pick up a USB keyboard as both the Xbox 360 and PS3 support it.

Outside of those issues, the story designer mode is a would-be booker’s dream. The game gives you a wealth of options when creating scenes in terms of location, situation, number of people involved and much more. You can mess with the camera to get just the right angle. You can have the crowd boo or cheer at any time during an interview. You can hot shot angles and blow through John Cena and The Undertaker in less than a month (AKA TNA booking), or you can go old school with the slow burn and have two wrestlers on a collision course as an overarching storyline that lasts years. Assign the belts to whomever you want, be a sadist and book an Iron Man Match with Big Show and Great Khali! All the tools are there at your fingertips, and it’s just a brilliant addition to the series.

Of course, it’s early in the process, and as a one-time writer for an online wrestling federation I’m still experimenting with different scenarios before unleashing my masterpiece (not a Chris Masters reference), but I fully expect this to add a ton of replay value to the game. My primary concern at this point is sorting through the flood of existing content already available just one week after the game was released. Hopefully online communities will start identifying the best storylines, thus making the quest to find worthwhile content easier.

Beyond the ability to create wrestlers and storylines, you’re also able to modify the outfits for existing WWE superstars as well as crafting multiple looks for your own wrestler. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 also allows you to make highlight reels that can then be turned into customized entrance videos for your character. A paint tool has been added to produce original emblems and tattoos. Plus, you can customize your entire move list and create both traditional and top-rope finishers. Your creations can be uploaded or you can download the work of others, which is a cool feature for those that want to use past performers like Brock Lesnar or Rob Van Dam without taking the time to create them.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 also comes packed with oodles of match types, including the usual favourites like cage, TLC and Hell in a Cell. New this year is the championship scramble where a title can change hands multiple times between the five participants in a specific time limit. It’s executed well and is a welcome addition. The other big change is a complete revamping of the Royal Rumble — a match that has long been among the most fun to watch on PPV and the least fun to play in games. This time around you’ll participate in mini games when trying to eliminate the other 29 competitors, making it fun to play as opposed to a chore.

Online play is once again supported beyond just downloading as you can take on other members of the WWE Universe in a variety of matches. The performance is decent, but I did detect some slight lag that seemed to throw off the timing of my reversals. I’m also a little disappointed not to see the Royal Rumble available online as it seems like a natural fit for multiple players.

Overall (4.5/5)

While I’m unwilling to crown WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 as the best wrestling game ever made, I highly recommend it as this is easily the most enjoyable wrestling title I’ve played on the current generation of consoles.

The 2009-10 RotoRob NBA Draft Kit wraps up today with our final team preview. As the games start to count Tuesday, let’s take a closer look at the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team built to win that will look to shake off last season’s playoff disappointments.

The NBA’s top team in the regular season at 66-16, the Cavaliers breezed through the first two rounds with sweeps over the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks before running into the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. Presented with some difficult matchups, the Cavs dropped Games One and Four by a combined three points en route to being eliminated in six games despite a nearly superhuman effort from LeBron James, who averaged 35.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in the playoffs.

Facing the knowledge that James could be donning another uniform in 2010-11, the Cavs swung for the fences during this offseason by picking up Shaquille O’Neal from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a fistful of magic beans. O’Neal is coming off his best statistical showing in several years, but he turns 37 this season and it remains to be seen how much is left in the tank. Still, the team felt it needed an inside presence to deal with the size of players like Orlando’s Dwight Howard as holdover Zydrunas Ilgauskas is primarily a perimeter threat and Anderson Varejao is undersized at the five.

For scoring purposes, Cleveland’s second banana remains Mo Williams, who is a good player that was artificially elevated to All-Star status because of the Cavs’ success. Williams isn’t a prototypical point guard, but with James around to facilitate the offense, that isn’t really required of him. What Williams can do well is knock down jumpers, and he was deadly from beyond the arc last year (43.6 per cent). He’ll be joined in the backcourt by newcomer Anthony Parker, an import from North of the border (and before that, was the top player in Europe) that can bury the open trey. He’s also a solid perimeter defender, and at 6-foot-6 offers more size than either Delonte West (6-foot-3) or Daniel Gibson (6-foot-2).

While the additions of O’Neal, Parker and Jamario Moon should help, Cleveland’s hopes once again sit squarely on the shoulders of King James. Given the uncertainty surrounding James’ future in Cleveland, we should see maximum effort from the supporting cast, who certainly can’t be looking forward to life without LBJ and will want to convince him to stay by showing they can win an NBA title. That goes for the front office as well, so don’t be surprised to see the Cavs be very aggressive if they have a chance to upgrade their roster before the trading deadline (Rudy Gay, anyone?).

Entering the season, there are only five or six teams you must mention when discussing potential NBA champions: Boston, Orlando, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio and Cleveland (Denver is No. 6). Playing in a shaky division should help the Cavs stay in the hunt for home court advantage, and if they can get enough support for James this could be the year Cleveland finally breaks through.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Mo Williams
SG: Anthony Parker
SF: LeBron James
PF: Anderson Varejao
C: Shaquille O’Neal

Key Bench Players

Ilgauskas, Gibson, Moon, West

Position Battles

While we couldn’t consider there to be too many “battles” going on in Cleveland, the team will almost certainly juggle minutes in an effort to keep O’Neal and Ilgauskas relatively fresh throughout the season. Also, look for their wing rotation to take some time to settle with Parker, Moon and West jockeying for position. Of course, if West brings his guitar case to practice expect him to start seeing the bulk of the playing time.

Stud

While I’m sure some people will talk themselves into Chris Paul as the top overall pick, the bottom line is that nobody fills up a box score like LeBron. The guy can shoot, rebound, pass and play lockdown D. Expect another season of close to 30 points and better than seven rebounds and seven assists a night along with solid shooting numbers.

Dud

O’Neal enjoyed a bounce back season in 2008-09, averaging 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest while playing in 75 games — his most in nearly a decade. That’s all well and good, but Phoenix’s training staff worked miracles last year, which included coaxing 82 games out of Grant Hill, and anyone expecting the Cavs to ask O’Neal to play that many games or minutes this season is fooling themselves. Ultimately, Cleveland wants Shaq to be a force in the playoffs, so expect him to sit out the second game of back-to-backs while ceding minutes to Ilgauskas on those nights he does play. As a result, look for O’Neal’s numbers to drop across the board.

Sleeper

Outside of James, there isn’t a ton of value to be found in Cleveland. Williams is steady, but O’Neal and Ilgauskas should be see dips in production, which doesn’t leave much room for sleepers. Of the remaining group, we’d say Parker has the most upside because his size should earn him more burn than West, and he’s a capable three-point shooter when left unguarded. That being said, Parker still isn’t worth drafting in standard leagues.

Rookies to Watch

First-round pick Christian Eyenga chose to remain in Spain this season, leaving Daniel Green as the only rookie on the roster. Green’s areas of strength (three-point shooting, defense) appeal to Cleveland’s game plan, but there simply aren’t enough minutes to go around right now.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

There’s not much to see Fantasy-wise in Cleveland outside of James, which leaves watching how the Cavs split the minutes between O’Neal and Ilgauskas as the most interesting subplot by default.

I can still remember when developer Visual Concepts launched the NBA 2k series a decade ago on the Sega Dreamcast. It was a revelation. After years of titles failing to capture the essence of pro hoops, NBA 2k had delivered an unrivaled experience on the virtual hardwood. Fast forward 10 years and the latest release — NBA 2k10 — is no exception, as this series remains the standard bearer, adding enough visual polish and new features to keep would-be challengers at bay.

Controls (4/5)

As in past installments, NBA 2k10 once again puts a ton of basketball moves at your disposal, mapping the vast majority of them to the left stick. Combining the left and right triggers unleashes even more ankle breaking tactics, while manipulating the right stick in different directions will allow you to fire standard jumpers, floaters and runners. It’s a system that can be finicky at times and takes some getting used to, but in a sport like basketball that is fluid in real life it’s essential these things be ready accessible and not require hitting combinations of buttons.

That doesn’t mean face buttons won’t be involved, however, as you’ll still be using them to do things like passing (A) and rebounding (Y). The game also offers the option to execute some of the left/right stick moves (like shooting) with these buttons, but you’ll be limiting yourself if you play that way.

Play calling is once again activated by pressing the d-pad, allowing you to quickly call things like pick and rolls and post ups. That’s only the beginning this season, though, as you can now use the bumpers to cycle through position-specific plays. It’s nice that you’ve been given more options to call plays on the fly, but it can be a little time consuming and it necessitates you basically standing still with your player as you try to find the play you want to execute.

The “Intense-D” feature feels a bit improved, although I still think that offensive players slip coverage too easily. It also seems the computer shoots an unrealistic percentage against my defense even when I’m practically in the CPU’s jersey. Despite these occasional frustrations, the overall control scheme is rock solid and even feels a bit tighter than last season.

Graphics/Sound (5/5)

In a word, “Wow.” After churning out an excellent-looking release last year, I thought 2kSports had pushed things about as far about as it could. I was wrong. The graphics in NBA 2k10 are fantastic, highlighted by tremendous lighting effects and even more realistic looking movements from the players. On top of that, 2kSports has added a layer of polish that creates a broadcast experience with stat overlays, upcoming schedules and highlight packages.

There are a few nitpicking details that could be improved upon, such as the occasional unnatural fluttering of the jerseys in close ups or the fact that sometimes the overlays will remain on screen even after the ball has been inbounded, obscuring the action. Overall, though, this is the best looking basketball game I’ve ever seen.

The audio has also been ratcheted up this season with stronger commentary work by Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg, who generally follow along with the action and react with appropriate enthusiasm. One nice touch that helps each game feel more like part of an 82-game schedule is their referencing of recently played or upcoming games. If your team laid an egg in their last outing, expect to hear that mentioned during your next game. If one player went off for 40 points, expect to hear that too. Yes, the announcers will still make the occasional nonsensical comment, but it’s nothing more than a blip on the radar in what ranks as one of the top announcing efforts I’ve heard in a sports title.

On the court, all the requisite squeaking sneakers and yells are present, while the soundtrack is surprisingly diverse and should appeal to more than just hip-hop fans.

Gameplay (4/5)

NBA 2k10 offers two deep single-player modes: The Association (franchise) and My Player. The latter serves as this year’s signature addition with My Player allowing you to create an NBA hopeful from scratch and then guide them through their career. Anyone who downloaded and completed NBA 2k10: Draft Combine will be able to import their creation and hop right into the draft. Those that skipped it will instead create their player from scratch and go from there.

After joining a team you’ll play in the summer league with the hopes of being invited to training camp. It was after the summer league that I encountered a glitch, wherein I was told the team that drafted me (Phoenix) didn’t want me in camp and that I should choose a team to go to camp with. So I did, and then there I was in Suns’ camp anyways. However, many items (like depth charts) listed me with the other club. It’s primarily an annoyance and a patch is planned to correct it, but those without Xbox Live capabilities might want to scan the message boards for a workaround.

Once in training camp you’ll need to play well to make the cut. If you do, you’ll likely find yourself glued to an NBA bench early on. You can also be sent down to the Developmental League, which is a cool addition and really helps highlight the importance of each possession since you’re breaking in as a fringe NBA player. After each game you’ll get feedback from the 2k Insider and earn skill points, which you’re free to allocate to any of the dozens of available attributes. You can also complete drills to improve, though none of them are particularly engaging and the dribbling drill borders on unplayable.

The pre-game goal and in-game grading systems work identically to the draft combine (see our review of the game for details), and as such the same flaws are retained. I still feel the grading works well the majority of the time, but there are enough instances of faulty logic that some tweaks should be made before next year’s release.

For instance, I was praised for grabbing an offensive rebound, but then dinged for being in “bad position” after kicking the ball back out despite being in the key for less than two seconds. However, easily my biggest pet peeve with the grading comes on defense, where you are docked whenever your man scores even if it’s in transition or you switched on a screen and are no longer defending him. Knowing this, I generally find myself following my man wherever he goes to the detriment of my team’s overall defense, which makes me play a less realistic brand of basketball.

The other two knocks on My Player are some frame rate hitches that pop up once you’re playing in front of full NBA arenas and some shaky teammate A.I. in late-game situations. The frame rate issue can be a bit jarring the first couple times you see it, and it may cost you defensive position or a basket here or there, but it isn’t a huge deal. Downloading the game to your hard drive seemed to help, however it didn’t fix the issue completely.

Teammate A.I. is a larger concern. Yes, when you’re down, the coach may choose to dust off the full court press, and intentional fouls will be committed late in games. Unfortunately, the A.I. appears to have no sense of urgency on the offensive end. In one game, I inbounded the ball to Steve Nash with 10 seconds left and the team down four points. Instead of hoisting a three, Nash simply held the ball for several seconds before passing to Grant Hill, who made a jumper with less than two seconds left. I lost. In theory you can tell your CPU buddies to shoot by pressing the X button, but I’ve found it unresponsive.

Even with those issues, the My Player Mode is a welcome addition and should be a staple of the series for years to come. I love its individualistic nature because it asks you to play a complete game from filling the lane to boxing out or even setting screens for your teammates. With game, season and career goals that make you want to keep playing and improving your player, the replay value is off the charts.

For those that prefer more control over their team’s performance both on and off the court, The Association has returned with some added features, including a new player progression system, the addition of the D-League and an improved handling of contracts. There’s nothing in that group that would be considered a game changer, but the NBA 2k series has always boasted a strong franchise mode, and NBA 2k10 falls in line.

You’ll be able to micromanage to your heart’s content, assigning roles (from starter to bench warmer), situational subs and rotations down to the last minute. You can schedule practices to work on specific areas of your team’s game, ship guys down to the D-League or mastermind complex three-team trades. There’s simply a ton of options at your fingertips both as the GM and coach, and the revamped menu system seen in NBA 2k10: Draft Combine and NHL 2k10 makes accessing the information a much more user friendly experience than it’s been in the past.

One new item I was excited to see added, but that didn’t quite work properly is restricted free agency, which is when a player can negotiate with other clubs but the team they played for previously retains the right to match any offer. During one offseason, I offered Joakim Noah a three-year deal at around $7 million with a player option for a fourth season. He weighed his offers and agreed to sign with me on the second-to-last day of free agency. However, the game informed me that Chicago had matched my offer, but in reality it hadn’t. Instead, the Bulls had been allowed to retain him with their one-year qualifying offer. It’s fairly minor, but I’d love to see it get straightened out.

Beyond the two primary modes you’ll also be getting Living Rosters and the all-new NBA Today, which ensures you’ll have access to the most up-to-date rosters and ratings available. Being that it’s a feature that’s worth will be determined over the course of the season, I’m forced to reserve judgment, but the early returns from pre-season games are positive. Conceptually, the idea of daily updates that allow you to play any game with the most current information possible is a great one. Plus, the commentary and overlays will update as well to add to the experience.

NBA 2k10 also dusts off NBA Blacktop, which is a street ball mode that allows you to play pickup games or compete in three-point shooting and dunk contests. The game also offers the option to create and experiment with various situations — such as down two with 10 seconds left and the ball. Single season and playoff modes are also available.

Lastly, online play has received an overhaul. It’s much more accessible now, allowing you to play against actual opponents in basically any mode (that includes Association) with the push of a button. You can once again join online leagues as well as team up with other gamers to form crews with either real NBA teams or your created player to earn more skill points. Unfortunately, I’ve encountered issues with the crew pick-up games crashing almost immediately and more than a few instances of the 2k servers being down, though to be fair I do much of my gaming after 11 p.m. PST so they could just be down for maintenance. I do like the online options, now it’s simply a matter of tightening up server performance so they can be easily enjoyed.

Overall (4.5/5)

A handful of issues hold NBA 2k10 back from reaching its full potential, but it’s still the best option on the market and the addition of the My Player Mode helps elevate this to being the new measuring stick for basketball games. If you’re a hoops fan, this is a must buy.

After a break of a couple of days, the 2009-10 RotoRob NBA Draft Kit is back with another team preview as we near the finish line for these puppies. While Shawn Marion deals with a calf injury in Dallas, let’s check in on one of the other Texas teams, the San Antonio Spurs, who will look to reverse a trend of three straight seasons of declining win totals.

The regular season was pretty much business as usual for the Spurs, who won better than 64 per cent of their games and reached the playoffs for the 12th consecutive time. However, injuries left Manu Ginobili unable to play in the postseason, and without his slashing offense the team succumbed to a first-round exit for only the second time in Gregg Popovich’s 12 full seasons at the helm.

With the window closing on Tim Duncan and the club as a whole getting a bit long in the tooth, GM R.C. Buford bundled a handful of expiring deals to acquire former All-Star forward Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee. RJ upgrades the team’s offense while also giving the Spurs a much needed injection of relative youth, though age and health will remain concerns as Jefferson (29) and Tony Parker (27) are the only core players under 30.

In addition to Jefferson, the Spurs also signed Antonio McDyess, who is an excellent under-the-radar pick up. The veteran not only adds rebounding and low-post toughness, he should complement Duncan’s skills nicely on offense since McDyess’ game is the midrange jump shot. Theo Ratliff was brought on board to help combat the Los Angeles Lakers’ size in the frontcourt, and even at 34 he’s still a capable shot blocker. Rounding out their additions up front is DeJuan Blair, who is widely considered to be the steal of this year’s draft. That threesome should provide Duncan with a lot more help in the post than last season’s group of stiffs could muster.

San Antonio is a virtual lock to rattle off 50-plus wins and be a top-three seed in the West. However, with the amount of mileage on its stars’ legs, it will be fighting an uphill battle in 2009-10. Of course, Duncan, Popovich and everyone else with the Spurs understand they only have so many years left to contend for a title with Duncan as the centrepiece. Expect an inspired effort from them come playoff time and a possible showdown in the Western Conference Finals with the Lakers.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Tony Parker
SG: Roger Mason
SF: Richard Jefferson
PF: Tim Duncan
C: Antonio McDyess

Key Bench Players

Ginobili, Michael Finley, Matt Bonner, Blair

Position Battles

The Spurs are pretty well established in terms of roles, though when Ginobili is healthy you could see some jostling for minutes between Finley and Mason. However, we fully expect Popovich to rest his veterans (including Finley) whenever possible in an effort to keep them relatively fresh for April.

Stud

Hampered by knee injuries, Duncan posted some of the lowest totals of his career. Of course, when you’re talking about one of the greatest players in NBA history, those lows were still 19.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Given that Duncan is 33, the team will probably be even more judicious with his minutes in 2009-10, but he should still be a walking double-double and the presence of McDyess might help save some wear and tear for the stretch run.

Dud

The Spurs couldn’t get the job done without Ginobili last year, which is why we anticipate they’ll handle him with kid gloves this season. The addition of Jefferson (and to a lesser extent McDyess) helps spread the scoring load, and it’s hard to imagine Ginobili playing much more than the 26.8 minutes per game he logged in 2008-09. Those banking on a bounce back year from Ginobili are likely to be disappointed as Popovich wants to save Manu’s troublesome ankles for the playoffs.

Sleeper

George Hill didn’t get to play a ton as a rookie, but he did a solid enough job when he was on the court to be part of the Spurs’ rotation this season. He will be the primary backup to Parker and should also see some burn at off guard. With so many names in the mix you can’t expect a lot from Hill when everyone’s healthy. When they aren’t though, Hill might be a name to know.

Rookies to Watch

Blair is a banger down low and only lasted until the second round because of concerns about his height and his knees. He is NBA ready, though, and he should spell Duncan and McDyess for 15-20 minutes a night. That won’t be enough to produce much more than around six points and five boards per contest, but he’d be worth a look if those minutes jumped.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

The big story in San Antonio is how Popovich distributes his minutes in an effort to keep his best veterans fresh for the postseason. It wouldn’t be shocking to see statistical declines from all four of the Spurs’ top players (Duncan, Ginobili, Parker and Jefferson), which would obviously hurt their value.

If video games have proven anything over the past year or so, it’s that people love killing that which is already dead. In fact, pretty much every week you’ll find Left 4 Dead and Call of Duty: World at War (with its highly popular Nazi Zombies mode) among the top 10 games played on Xbox Live. Even Halo 3 offers a “Living Dead” playlist where gamers become infected when killed. Well, we can now add the recently released Zombie Apocalypse to the list, as the arcade title puts you on the screen with hundreds of zombies on every level and challenges you to wipe them out — all of them.

Controls (4/5)

The most logical comparison in terms of controls would be Smash T.V., as you’ll use the left stick to move while the right stick aims and fires your weapon. It’s a simple mechanic that takes virtually no time to get used to, and considering the number of rounds you’ll be firing on each level it was a decision that trigger fingers across the country will be grateful for.

Beyond that, the right and left triggers cause your character to wield their chainsaw for close quarters combat. The right trigger is the basic attack, whereas the left trigger is used to dismember zombies. It’s a cooler looking attack and is the quickest way to build up your scoring multiplier, but it’s slow and can’t be used in a crowd or once you’re done slicing and dicing you’ll be zombie food. That makes using the left trigger a risk/reward situation.

By pressing either bumper you will toss an explosive-laden teddy bear, which the zombies are attracted to and will crowd around. The face buttons are not used at all. My only problem with the controls related to aiming my gun, as it seemed there were times enemies would reach me unscathed despite traveling directly through a hail of gunfire. Overall though, everything functions well.

Graphics/Sound (3.5/5)

The graphics in Zombie Apocalypse are fairly good as the game gives you seven different stages from which to vanquish the undead. They’re all unique and visually pleasing, particularly the carnival, and each map presents numerous hazards to force the zombies into quicker (and often more satisfying) deaths. You’ll see a good mix of guns represented, and the explosions/fires stemming from their use is also well done (get it? Fire. Well done?).

Each area will be populated by an ever growing horde of zombies, and as you progress you’ll encounter a larger variety of bullet sponges. As standalones they look pretty solid, but as the screen continues to fill and enemies blend into the background, it becomes difficult at times to distinguish which zombie type is pursuing you — an issue that becomes exacerbated when everything turns green from radioactivity. That can be a big problem since several enemies bring one-hit kill capabilities to the dance. It’s at its worst when the knife-throwing grannies are prevalent since it becomes really hard at times to see their projectiles approaching. I understand this is a zombie game, which suggests a dark atmosphere, but I would’ve preferred a little more contrast between the enemies and backgrounds.

Zombie Apocalypse does what it needs to do in the audio department and not much else. All the requisite moans and groans are there for the zombies, along with a melancholy score, but there are no standout moments. Each of the four selectable characters spout a few unique lines of text, primarily when you clear a level, but you’ll have tired of their quips by the time you finish the game. The various guns and explosions are all rock solid.

Gameplay (3.5/5)

There is no story to speak of in Zombie Apocalypse as you just move from one level to the next disposing of the living dead. There are four character options to choose from, but they all have access to the same weapons and have no unique abilities or traits (i.e., more strength or speed).

The main game begins with you fighting basic zombies in a graveyard and goes from there. As you progress, you’ll be introduced to a virtual cornucopia of undead adversaries. There are big ones, shifty ones, ones that puke and even ones that tote shotguns. There’s actually a good variety of enemies to deal with, but that’s not nearly enough to keep the experience fresh over the entire 55-day campaign. In fact, Zombie Apocalypse uses a lot of repackaging during the course of the game, such as turning all the zombies radioactive about midway through so they can take more damage.

You’ll also come across some levels where you’ll only be allowed access to your chainsaw or where all the lights have been turned off. These do help to mix things up a bit, but when you’re seeing the same locales seven or eight times and fending off different combinations of the same enemies, you’ll be hit with an undeniable sense of déjà vu.

Thankfully, outside of a few of the later levels that seemed overly cheap, the core game play is generally a blast. You see, the zombies aren’t the only ones getting stronger, as you’ll continue to be provided with an ever-improving arsenal to use at your disposal. Most of your new toys are great fun to use, and the first time I picked up the Gatling gun and just started mowing down zombies, it was among the more satisfying gaming experiences I’ve had in recent memory.

As you play through the main game you’ll unlock other modes. One allows you to play all the levels without lights (blackout) while another gives you access to all the weapons with unlimited ammo, which is good for those times you want to kill zombies with extreme prejudice. The star of the added modes is “7 Days in Hell,” which cranks the undead mayhem up to 11 while slapping a sepia filter on the action to give things a grainy, retro look.

Zombie Apocalypse can be played solo, but it’s a more engaging experience when played with other people. The game supports up to four players through either local or online multiplayer, and I generally had no trouble finding a match. Once connected, the game ran smoothly, though like any online offering, things vary greatly based on your teammates.

Overall (3.75/5)

While Zombie Apocalypse could’ve benefitted from more variety, it still brings a lot of fun and replay value to the table for a more than palatable 800-point price tag ($10).

The calendar turning to October can mean only one thing — well, technically it can mean a lot of things, but the only one of importance for hockey fans is the arrival of another NHL season, and with that comes a new installment of 2kSports’ NHL 2k10. This year, 2kSports looked to tailor its product to appeal to both casual gamers and dedicated puck fans alike with mixed results. NHL 2k10 feels a little too complex for the “pick-up-and-play” vibe it was shooting for, but improved A.I. and the option to customize the experience make this a potentially overlooked option for more serious gamers.

Controls (3.5/5)

While I wouldn’t classify controlling the players in NHL 2k10 as difficult, I would say that it often feels more complex than it needs to be, particularly defensively. Yes, you still skate with the left stick, make moves and shoot with the right and engage turbo with the right trigger. However, there have been some questionable decisions made to button mapping when you’re trying to stop your opponent.

First of all, the right stick (such a huge staple of the other 2k sports titles and in the offensive portion of this game) is hardly used. In fact, all the right stick does for you on defense is to sweep your hockey stick around in hopes of deflecting a pass. In the standard setup, checking is assigned to the B button, while shot blocking and poke checking are executed with the right and left bumpers, respectively. You can do a stick lift with the Y button, but if you hold down both triggers while hitting Y you’ll do a diving poke check, which is exactly the type of thing I don’t understand. Why would the right bumper do a standard poke check when three completely different buttons pull off the diving version?

Like I said, it isn’t hard to control, rather it feels counterintuitive. It is worth pointing out there are three different controller setups available, though there’s no option to re-map on your own, and the right stick is nearly non-existent defensively in all three.

Things go more smoothly when you’ve got the puck with dekes, one-on-one moves and drop passes all easily pulled off. My only complaint is there are times I find my player doing fancy puck handling or faking shots instead of unleashing a slap shot at the goalie because it didn’t read my up/down motion with the stick or I’m still in the middle of the deke animation. On the positive side, NHL 2k10 has the best faceoff interface I’ve ever seen. It takes time to learn and gives you more options than past games. In fact, you can even get removed from the faceoff circle if you jump the gun too often, which is a great touch that prevents you from jamming on the buttons and makes it more about timing.

Graphics/Sound (4/5)

Visually, NHL 2k10 establishes a new high water mark for the series. The arenas look tremendous, and the game really flexes its graphical muscle during the pre-game introductions. The player uniforms are extremely detailed, the players themselves look good, and yes, playoff beards are included. When in action, they move fluidly as players skate, pass and slam into one another on the ice. Therein lies one of my favourite subtle touches as player collisions in NHL 2k10 aren’t limited to opponents, which makes you think twice about flying around the ice jamming on the B button — if you go that route, be prepared to crash into teammates and open up space for your opponent.

Adding to the impressive visuals is that even with 12 players, referees, a full bench and an active crowd all in motion at the same time, NHL 2k10 cruises along without any noticeable hitches in the frame rate whether you’re playing from the disc or hard drive.

There are some odd visuals to be found, however, specifically how the puck seems to be glued to players’ sticks at times. When playing the game at full speed it will usually just register as being a little off visually (like watching a player take too many steps in basketball, you just know something’s amiss), but if you slow down the replays you’ll watch players fake shots where the puck does all sorts of unnatural things to stay in their possession. You’ll also have times where you light someone up in open ice, sending them sprawling…but they magically retain the puck. So while it’s usually exclusively a visual issue, it can occasionally affect the actual game.

The audio department is generally good with solid, if a little overly reserved commentary and a top-notch soundtrack. My main gripe comes from the sound effects on the ice, where some things seem just a little over the top, like the booming slap shot. In that same vein, I found it odd that in-game goal replays remove all ambient sound with the exception of the puck. There’s nothing here that detracts from the overall experience, but some subtle tweaks could really shore things up.

Gameplay (3.5/5)

No matter how good a game looks, if the game play isn’t up to par there’s going to be little reason to log many hours on it. To that end, NHL 2k10 offers a rewarding experience to those that are willing to invest some time. Unfortunately, gamers that want to dive in and play may be turned off by the speed of the game, not to mention the number of goals and penalties that permeate the default skill levels.

Two areas that feel off on those default settings relate to speed. First, the skating just seems too slow unless you’re holding down the turbo button. Some dislike the concept of turbo boosts in sports titles, but I’ve never felt they should be removed. Instead, I feel they should only be available sparingly to really blow past an opponent or chase down a loose puck. Instead, you can pretty much keep the button held down and easily skate the length of the ice without slowing down. In fact, you’ll rarely find a reason to remove your trigger finger during standard game play.

The second area is in the speed of your shots, which seem to travel incredibly fast no matter what type of shot you’re unleashing. Backhands and wrist shots look just like a Zdeno Chara skills competition slap shot, and it leads to a ton of “soft” goals.

Not helping matters either is the incredible number of penalties you’ll encounter. I can’t tell you how many 5-on-3s I had to deal with, and it’s not because I was playing out of control. Instead, it was my CPU teammates getting dinged for every possible infraction. You almost can’t help but laugh when you see Jarome Iginla skate out of the penalty box and get called for roughing less than 10 seconds later.

Now, while all that may sound like a lot to overcome, NHL 2k10 comes complete with a ton of sliders to create a much more realistic experience. In fact, pretty much any area you find unrealistic can be fixed through trial and error. If that sounds like too much work to you don’t despair. NHL 2k10 allows users to upload their sliders, so you can allow others to do the heavy lifting for you. Most on the 2k boards swear by VeNOM’s sliders for a realistic experience and with good reason. His work does a fantastic job of turning the default weaknesses into strengths, and those searching for a simulation experience owe it to themselves to at least give it a shot.

Even with the social gaming angle, NHL 2k10 is still built around the franchise mode. Working as both the coach and GM, you’ll perform all the usual tasks like signing free agents, engineering trades and working the waiver wire while keeping an eye on your team’s budget. You’ll be operating with full NHL and AHL rosters for your team, dressing/scratching who you’d like to play, editing lines and customizing your club’s strategy. However, there’s no scouting of the upcoming draft to be found and no coaches or staff to be hired/fired, which is a disappointing omission considering that dynamic player progression is a nice addition to franchise mode. It would’ve been nice to have the option to hire a coaching staff that accelerates improvement for a younger club, or another that helps maintain performance for a more veteran club. That isn’t the case here.

Another worthy addition to the franchise mode is the ability to play any game during the year against a human-controlled opponent on- or offline. If you’ve got friends playing the game it’s a good way to freshen things up a bit rather than always facing off against the CPU. NHL 2k10 also offers the ability to upload box scores, screen shots and clips (including ones you customize via 2kReels) to an online blog for your franchise. So, in theory, you could create custom highlights from each game, upload them along with the box score and write a game story. I experimented with it a bit, and I have to admit I enjoyed it, even if no one will ever read my fictitious game summaries.

For those that were wondering, the CPU does a yeoman’s job in stat simulation during franchise mode with players tallying reasonable point and goal totals for the season. You’ll also see a realistic split for games played by goalies.

Shifting online you’ll be able to join online 2k leagues or play a Team Up game where you control a single player with up to 11 other human players. It performed fairly smoothly once I got into a game, but on more than one occasion I was unable to connect to the 2k servers and also encountered freezing while browsing through online file sharing. Also in the negative ledger, ranked online matches don’t allow custom sliders. This means most games devolve into goal-scoring fests with minimally effective goalkeeping from the CPU.

Other things worth noting include the overall presentation receiving a face lift with a new Wii-inspired menu system, making things more user friendly to navigate. Conversely, the secondary modes return largely unchanged with Zamboni racing (available during intermissions or as a standalone), pond hockey (an outdoor pick-up game), tournaments and exhibition games all present. One nice addition to exhibition games is the ability to play the Winter Classic, including the option to select the uniforms the four participating clubs wore during those tilts.

Overall (3.75/5)

What’s odd about NHL 2k10 is that it’s self-described focus was on creating a social gaming experience, but it saddled itself with needlessly complex controls and some of the harshest referees ever seen in a video game on the default settings. Instead, NHL 2k10 ends up being more appealing to seasoned gamers and puck enthusiasts who, with the aid of some downloadable sliders, may find a surprisingly realistic brand of hockey waiting for them.

And the 2009-10 NBA Draft Kit keeps on trucking, with yet another team preview. And while the Grizzlies are still waiting to get their first look at Allen Iverson and his wonky hammy, let’s take a look at the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers.

It all came together for the Lakers in 2008-09, building off a tough NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics the year before. They had some hiccups during their playoff run, most notably an uninspired seven-game series with Houston, but it never really felt like they were in any serious trouble en route to the NBA championship. Yes, the Lake Show got some breaks as injuries derailed two chief rivals (San Antonio minus Manu Ginobili and Boston without Kevin Garnett) and Orlando did its part by upending LeBron James and the Cavs, but even the most ardent Laker detractors have to admit they were clearly the best team in the NBA last year.

Winning that ring had to be particularly satisfying for Kobe Bryant, who was finally able to win one without the Diesel around. Some fans may consider it validation for Bryant (as if he needed it), though such a view diminishes just how outstanding of a player Pau Gasol has become. No, he’s not the equal of Shaquille O’Neal in his prime, but he’s one of the best big men in the game and was the single biggest difference between the Bryant-led teams that couldn’t get out of Round One post-Shaq and the ones that reached consecutive NBA Finals and won a championship.

Coming off their title, the Lakers made only one significant move this offseason, replacing breakout playoff performer Trevor Ariza with the mercurial Ron Artest. On paper this looks like an upgrade, though there will always be questions surrounding Artest both on and off the court. Optimists will point to his proven scoring ability and reputation as a lockdown defender, while a more pessimistic view will focus on his questionable durability (both physically and mentally) and declining skills on the defensive end. The belief is that Bryant, Lamar Odom and Phil Jackson can keep Artest on the straight and narrow — similar to what Michael Jordan and Jackson did with Dennis Rodman — but Artest is a different kind of crazy than Rodman, which makes this a calculated gamble for the Lakers.

Beyond the Artest addition, the Lakers return the core of their championship team. Bryant is a year older and doesn’t drive to the hoop the way he once did (his free throw attempts dipped from 742 to 546 last season despite an increase in yelling “hey!”), but his mid-range game is deadly, he’s an excellent finisher and his competitiveness is second to none. The other primary cog is Gasol, who was born to play in the Triangle Offense. He’s shot over 57 per cent in 108 regular season games with the Lakers and is a nightmare for other teams to defend because he and Bryant operate so fluidly on the court together.

The Lakers also have a good group of role players led by Odom and Derek Fisher. Apart from Artest, the play of Odom may be the biggest key to LA’s ability to repeat. The walking mismatch was a beast in the postseason, but since that time he went through a bit of an ugly contract dispute with the team before re-signing and then he got married. It’ll be interesting to see if he can maintain that intensity given the events of the past few months.

With so much high-level talent on the roster, the Lakers are a lock to be in the mix for another NBA Finals appearance this season, and if the perennially overhyped and injury-prone Andrew Bynum actually elevates his game the Lakers should once again be considered the favourites.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Derek Fisher
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Ron Artest
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Andrew Bynum

Key Bench Players

Odom, Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar

Position Battles

The Lakers have no shortage of options at four of the five positions, though point guard figures to be a weakness once again. Fisher is a reliable veteran, but he looks like a turnstile against the game’s quicker point guards. Still, he can knock down open shots and won’t fold under pressure, something you can’t say about backups Farmar and Shannon Brown. I’m sure the Lakers would like to see someone step up and supplant Fisher in crunch time. However, neither of his potential backups has shown any inclination that they’re ready to do that.

Stud

Here’s a hint, he wears No. 24. Even with his production dipping across the board, Bryant still averaged 26.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last season. Of some concern, his three-point attempts were at their lowest level in five years, and his free-throw attempts were the lowest this decade. That tells you he’s altering his game and becoming more of a mid-range scorer, which is good for career longevity but bad for Fantasy owners as Bryant is now contributing in fewer categories. I expect another dip in minutes and production in 2009-10, though he remains an elite Fantasy shooting guard.

Dud

The easy target here would be Bynum, who has played only 85 games in the last two seasons and could be bumped down the offensive pecking order with Artest in town. However, I’ll tab Odom as my dud. His stock will almost certainly be inflated after his 12.3 points and 9.1 boards per game in the postseason, but it’s important to remember that when everyone was healthy last season, Odom was hovering around nine points and six rebounds a night. Nice production for an NBA reserve, not so good for Fantasy owners. Add to that the security of a new contract and the always excellent decision to marry a reality TV star you just met and this could be a down year for Odom.

Sleeper

It’s hard to classify anyone in LA as a sleeper considering how overexposed the team is. In fact, only Bryant and Gasol are true Fantasy studs, but someone will undoubtedly talk themselves into the supporting cast (Artest, Odom, Bynum) several rounds too soon. Like last year, I’m inclined to go with Farmar by default, though I wouldn’t use a draft pick on him outside of very deep leagues.

Rookies to Watch

The Lakers went the Robert Sarver route and dumped their draft picks for cash. The only rookie on the roster is Chinemelu Elonu, who is a long shot to make the team in any capacity. Nothing to see here.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

The ripple effect of signing Artest is the thing to watch. Does he alter his game in LA? Does he become a knockdown three-point shooter? Can he stay healthy? Will he release an R&B album? Is there a Kardashian for him? His impact on the team could affect the value of everyone on the roster with the possible exception of Gasol (and Sasha Vujacic, who has negative value no matter what Artest does). If he keeps gunning, there are fewer shots for everyone else. If he misses 20-plus games again, Odom and Walton benefit. Just one more reason for Artest’s debut season in LA to be must see TV.

Without a doubt, the Halo series has to be considered the premier Xbox-exclusive franchise. Now, some two years after the release of Halo 3 comes Halo 3: ODST, which takes you out of the iconic Master Chief’s MJOLNIR armor and places you in the decidedly different role of being an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST for short). That means long-time fans will find a slightly different experience with some tweaks to Halo’s proven formula designed to make you feel more vulnerable.

Originally intended to be an expansion to Halo 3, Bungie and Microsoft elected to make it a full-price release as the campaign grew and more features (read: Firefight) were added. That price hike has been at the crux of many anti-ODST arguments. So does Halo 3: ODST bring enough to the table to justify its price? The answer: Yes…and no.

Controls (5/5)

Although there have been some changes, anyone familiar with the Halo games should have no trouble picking up and playing the latest chapter. The right trigger still fires your gun, and the left trigger tosses grenades, though the ability to dual wield has been removed. The right bumper reloads your gun or picks up another gun to replace an existing one. The left bumper cycles through the four different kinds of grenades you can pick up.

You’ll still melee with the B button, switch weapons with Y and jump (not nearly as high) with A, though the X button is now used to toggle your special ODST visor on and off. You’ll use this primarily during the nighttime portions of the game, and it serves as an advanced night vision tool with objects outlined in various colours. You’ll also have access to a VISR database, which contains a map and keeps track of all the audio files you find during your journey plus your current objective(s). The map shows beacon locations as well as covenant patrols and is an invaluable tool.

Nothing feels out of place, and the new additions quickly become second nature. It’s a control scheme that’s been excellent since the days of Halo: Combat Evolved, and it remains a strong point.

Graphics/Sound (4.5/5)

Built off the same engine that was used to make Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST quite frankly looks like a game that was made two years ago. Yes, there’s been some polish added, and the design of the levels feels top notch, but these graphics simply don’t hold up to what we’ve already seen in games like Gears of War 2 on the Xbox 360 or the upcoming Uncharted 2: Among Thieves for the PS3. That isn’t to say this is an ugly game, it simply isn’t pushing the envelope the way you’d like to see an AAA release like this do, which once again plays into the full commercial release versus expansion argument.

What is nice about Halo 3: ODST as opposed to previous releases is the grounding of the game in more familiar Earth settings. This gives it a different feel, as most of the previous Halo games took place on various alien worlds. The abandoned city of New Mombasa is sensational with bright reds, blues and yellows lighting up an otherwise black night. It’s very effective in creating a mood of despair and isolation, and is once again a stark contrast from past games in the series. Conversely, the UNSC and Covenant forces look much as they did in 2007, both in terms of the character models and vehicles.

The biggest departure from past Halo games comes in the audio department where an entirely different sounding score plays throughout. Replacing (or at least updating) the sweeping, majestic tunes of previous titles, Halo 3: ODST incorporates a lot of jazz flavour, which adds a ton of ambiance to the solitude you experience during your evening stroll through occupied New Mombasa. The soundtrack is simply an excellent piece of work, and it’s responsible from much of whatever freshness Halo 3: ODST brings to the table.

Weapon fire, marine chatter and brute yells are all nicely done, and sci-fi fans will instantly recognize the voices of Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin and Alan Tudyk of Firefly fame as the voices of three of your four squad mates. They all do a solid job of delivering their lines, though no one will be mistaking this for the second coming of Mass Effect in terms of voice acting.

Gameplay (4/5)

Halo 3: ODST actually takes place immediately following an event that occurs in Halo 2, when the Covenant forces have reached Earth and are attacking the city of New Mombasa. Your squad of ODSTs is set to drop down and engage the Covenant, but things go terribly wrong on your way down when one of the Covenant’s ships jumps into slip space, knocking out your electrical systems and scattering your team. You, playing in the role of “The Rookie,” awake some six hours later in the darkened city with no backup and no idea what has happened to the remainder of your squad.

You’re not quite alone, however, as the city’s A.I. (known as the superintendent) will assist you in investigating the whereabouts of your team by guiding you through the city. Your primary focus will be locating several beacons, which trigger flashbacks that tell a piece of your squad’s story. Each of your four squad mates has their own tale to tell, and it is within these flashbacks that you’ll encounter the majority of the intense fighting in the game. That serves as a stark contrast to your time as the rookie, which is more about exploring the city and unraveling the mystery of your team’s fate.

As the flashbacks play out, you’ll slowly learn how the day’s events unfolded. It’s an interesting storytelling method, and it’s cool to see the way areas looked in the day time amid the battles versus how they look now that the fighting has concluded. The story itself is definitely more focused and character driven than previous Halo installments, though there’s still nothing in here that creates any legitimate emotional investment in the characters.

A secondary story that unfolds through a series of recordings you can download from various machines also tries to put a more human face on the whole situation (while also encouraging exploration in New Mombasa), but much of that voice acting is middling at best and it falls flat in connecting with players. It’s still highly advisable to seek out all the audio logs, not only for the achievements they unlock, but also for the weapons caches the superintendent will open up for you.

While this still looks and feels like previous Halo games, the fact that you’re now an ODST and not the super-charged Master Chief will necessitate some adjustments in strategy. For starters, standing out in the open and trading bullets with the Covenant will no longer work, especially on the higher difficulty levels. Instead, you’ll need to utilize cover, and when playing as the rookie you’ll even find yourself in situations where sticking to the shadows and avoiding Covenant patrols entirely is the wisest course of action — something that would’ve bordered on blasphemy as the Master Chief. Your melee attacks aren’t as powerful, and you no longer have a regenerating Spartan shield. Instead, you’ll lose stamina as you’re hit. Once your stamina is down, you’ll start losing health, which can only be recovered by finding health packs. It plays pretty similarly to past games, but you’ll definitely find you can’t take anywhere near as much punishment as the Master Chief could.

Although the majority of the weapons are holdovers from Halo 3, you will notice a couple of new toys to play with, namely a suppressed SMG and a silenced magnum. The latter of the two is an absolute blast, and anyone that played a lot of Halo: Combat Evolved will welcome back a pistol that can actually zoom in and kill with one-round headshots. The suppressed SMG is most effective at midrange in controlled bursts, but you’ll find yourself discarding it along the way in favour of more potent firepower. The lone omission is the battle rifle, which helps force players to approach things a different way since the BR long ago became the staple of most Halo aficionados.

From start to finish, you can expect to spend around six or seven hours playing through the campaign on heroic, assuming you spent some time exploring the city and looking for audio logs. The game also supports off-line and on-line co-operative play in the campaign mode, though the second player will simply fill the role of an unnamed ODST trooper and is not acknowledged in cut scenes. This makes the mode feel tacked on as opposed to Halo 3, where the second player slid into the role of the Arbiter.

Beyond the single-player mode, Halo 3: ODST also introduces a new multi-player mode called firefight, wherein you and up to three other players team up to fight wave after wave of Covenant forces. It’s a departure from the traditional competitive nature of Halo’s multiplayer, but it’s something that’s been seen before in other games such as Gears of War 2, where it was called Horde Mode.

That this is not a truly original concept doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s fantastically executed, as the game offers little time to even breath once the s**t hits the fan. Things start off fairly easy, but get ratcheted up quickly as grunts and jackals are replaced by hunters and brutes. The deeper you advance, the more skulls are activated. For those unfamiliar with the skulls, they serve as combat modifiers to increase the challenge. One skull makes it so your enemies are carrying (and tossing) a ton of grenades. Another requires you to melee an opponent to regain your stamina and so on.

Firefight mode allows you to play eight different maps, including two that can be played in the night or day, and some of them are really large. With only four players, an increasingly tough collection of adversaries and a spacious area to cover, teamwork is paramount to success. Those that enjoy going lone wolf in these types of games won’t be long for this world. It’s a great addition and the primary source of Halo 3: ODST’s longevity.

One important thing to note, however, is that firefight does not support matchmaking, meaning if you don’t have enough friends playing the game at a given time you’ll either need to spend your time doing something else or venture into gaming forums to find someone to invite you. Some may downplay this omission, but I think it’s a serious problem as it often takes 10-15 minutes to round up a game, and then if there’s an issue with lag you might be forced to repeat the process all over again. Hopefully, Bungie will decide to add matchmaking down the road.

Halo 3: ODST also ships with a second disc, containing the entire Halo 3 multi-player experience, which includes every adversarial map available to date, along with three previously unreleased maps. It’s a cool bonus, but Halo 3 fans that have previously spent up to $30 downloading the first three map packs are only really getting $10 worth of value (the cost of other map packs) from it. In many ways this feels like something Microsoft and Bungie added to help justify the $60 price tag. Yes, there’s no question it makes this package a great value to anyone that doesn’t already own Halo 3, but how many non-Halo fans are going to be purchasing this game anyway?

Overall (4.25/5)

Bungie and Microsoft put themselves in an awkward spot by going on record early on and stating this wasn’t being viewed as a full release, only to ultimately charge $60 for it with the explanation that it grew beyond the original scope of the project and contains the aforementioned Halo 3 maps. Judged as a standalone title, Halo 3: ODST features a solid campaign and a new multi-player experience that should keep gamers busy through the end of 2009 and beyond. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that those that have supported Bungie by purchasing its map packs when they were originally released are getting the short end of the stick with the repackaging of that content on the second disc.

We’ve got yet another team preview today as the unstoppable force that is the 2009-10 RotoRob NBA Draft Kit surges forward. While Michael Beasley tries to resurrect his career after rehab, Herija checks in on the Phoenix Suns, who could use a bit of rehab themselves after slipping into free-fall mode the past two seasons.

After three disappointing eliminations from the Western Conference playoffs, the Suns swung for the fences in 2007-08 when they acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Heat in an effort to put them over the top in the west. Unfortunately, Phoenix was bounced in the first round that year, prompting the club to part ways with Mike D’Antoni and hire Terry Porter in an effort to employ a more balanced brand of basketball. The results were disastrous.

Despite posting a 46-36 mark, Phoenix failed to reach the playoffs for only the third time in the past 21 years, and Porter gave way to Alvin Gentry after just 51 games. This offseason, the club rededicated itself to running an up-tempo offense, which meant that O’Neal (and his massive salary) was no longer a fit (if he ever was to begin with). The Suns summarily dealt him to Cleveland for what amounted to a second-round pick and cash after they chose to buy out the two players (Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic) they picked up in the trade.

Those moves did free up enough money for the team to sign Channing Frye, who should replace O’Neal in the pivot. Frye’s production has steadily declined since his rookie year, but at 6-foot-11, 245 pounds, he could excel in Phoenix’s fast-paced offense. The Suns also convinced veteran Grant Hill to spurn outside interest and re-sign with the team. Those two are expected to join long-time Suns Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire in the starting lineup along with swingman Jason Richardson.

It’s hard to view this year’s Suns as a legitimate title contender, but recommitting to the running game that made Nash a two-time MVP combined with a healthy return from Stoudemire should at least be enough to put them back into the playoffs in 2009-10.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Steve Nash
SG: Jason Richardson
SF: Grant Hill
PF: Channing Frye
C: Amare Stoudemire

Key Bench Players

Leandro Barbosa, Robin Lopez, Earl Clark, Louis Amundson

Position Battles

The starting five isn’t set in stone, but it’s close. Frye and Stoudemire might switch positions in the box score, but they should pretty much be interchangeable at power forward and centre. About the only possible curveball I could see is if the Suns choose to start Clark (6-foot-9, 225 pounds) at small forward to give them more size in the frontcourt while also allowing them to bring some veteran savvy off the bench with Hill. However, given Hill’s poor work coming off the pine last season and Clark’s inexperience, such a scenario seems unlikely.

On the bench, the Suns need to sort out their frontcourt depth with Amundson, Clark, Lopez and Jared Dudley all vying for playing time. Of that group, Dudley seems most likely to be the odd man out considering Lopez and Clark were first-round picks by the Suns and Amundson (6′9″, 238) brings more size to the table than Dudley (6′7″, 225).

Stud

It was pretty obvious to anyone that watched the Suns play last season that Stoudemire and O’Neal were not a match made in heaven on the court. The results: A sizable drop in production across the board for Stoudemire in an injury-shortened campaign. Now that the team is going back to their “seven seconds or less” philosophy, Stoudemire should produce closer to the 25.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game he averaged in 2008-09. On top of that, he’s a safe bet to shoot north of 55 per cent from the field and 80 per cent from the line, so consider him a first round talent.

Dud

Soon to be 37 years old, Hill’s primary contributions to the Suns this season should be leadership and helping to facilitate the offense. Unfortunately, that doesn’t translate into big numbers. In fact, Hill figures to be no better than the fourth option depending on how well Frye responds to his new surroundings, and the old man could easily finish sixth in scoring on the team behind the other four starters and Barbosa. Also, don’t forget that prior to last year’s 82-game miracle, Hill hadn’t played more than 70 games in a season since 1999-00.

Sleeper

You could make a case for Stoudemire since his value will be down this year, but the real sleeper in the desert is Frye. Yes, his playing time and production have dipped since his rookie season, but he should get plenty of burn with the Suns. He’s got a good midrange game and should see lots of open looks running the pick-and-roll with Nash. Don’t put something in the neighborhood of 14 points and seven boards a night out of his reach for this season.

Rookies to Watch

Clark is an excellent athlete and a possible steal at the 14th pick. He has the versatility to play multiple positions and can get out and run, which makes him a potentially great fit for the Suns. His commitment and effort were question marks during his time at Louisville, but he has a similar skill set to the Lakers’ walking mismatch, Lamar Odom…though he’s not stupid enough to marry a Kardashian.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

Stoudemire’s return to health is a big one, but clearly all eyes will be on Phoenix’s offense as a whole since a return to the D’Antoni offensive philosophy should create plenty of impact Fantasy performers in the desert.

The 2009-10 RotoRob NBA Draft Kit is really rolling now as we release yet another team preview. While watching Spain finally take gold at the Eurobasket Championships really whets your appetite for some NBA hoops action, let’s put the Milwaukee Bucks — a team that’s suffered through losing records for half a decade — under the microscope.

The Bucks looked to be in good position to push for the seventh or eighth playoff spot last year before injuries derailed their season. Starters Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut missed a combined 95 games, and the team posted an 8-19 mark after the All-Star break. Clearly feeling the economic crunch, the club dealt Richard Jefferson (19.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG in ‘08-09) to San Antonio for expiring contracts and spare parts. They also allowed restricted free agents Charlie Villanueva (16.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG) and Ramon Sessions (12.4 PPG, 5.7 APG) to leave without compensation.

In their place, the Bucks will be counting on rookie first-rounder Brandon Jennings, free-agent addition Hakim Warrick and trade acquisition Carlos Delfino to pick up the slack. Clearly, the Bucks are trying to build a consistently competitive team while creating financial flexibility, which is why GM John Hammond has been so aggressive in shedding long-term deals. In fact, the Bucks have only $18.7 million in salary committed (not including team options on Jennings, Delfino and Joe Alexander) beyond next season.

Milwaukee has a lot of interesting young pieces on its roster, but this team is short on established talent, which is a good way to lose a lot of games in the NBA. The best-case scenario for the Bucks would be that Jennings is ready to be a difference maker early on while young players like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Ersan Ilyasova continue to develop — in that case, they could at least contend for the eighth seed. A more likely scenario has them spending another year in the draft lottery.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Luke Ridnour
SG: Michael Redd
SF: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
PF: Hakim Warrick
C: Andrew Bogut

Key Bench Players

Jennings, Delfino, Ilyasova, Alexander

Position Battles

Following the off-season overhaul about the only two spots that are set are Redd and Bogut. After that, it’s a free-for-all. Jennings should be the eventual starter at point guard after the Bucks allowed Sessions to leave, though Ridnour, who is entering the final year of his contract, may get the call early on. Newcomer Roko Ukic should also be in the mix, especially if they can find a taker for Ridnour’s expiring deal near the deadline. The team sent a clear signal by not matching the T-Wolves’ offer sheet to Sessions that they want Jennings to run this club. The only real question is how soon Scott Skiles will feel comfortable enough with Jennings to give him the keys to the offense.

Small forward might be the biggest mess of all with Mbah a Moute, Delfino, Ilyasova and Alexander all figuring to be in line for playing time. Mbah a Moute’s exceptional defense should earn him the starting nod, and his ability to log minutes at power forward means we should see a lot of the UCLA product in 2009-10. Ilyasova is back after two years in Spain, and the 22-year-old is a real wild card as the team has long liked his potential. Like Mbah a Moute, Ilyasova should play both forward spots, but he’s a more polished offensive player and a threat from three-point range. Delfino, who also played overseas last season, gives the team good depth and should fit well with Skiles’ defensive philosophy. A top-10 pick in 2008, Alexander might be the odd man out, though his physical gifts are unquestioned and at 22 is too young to give up on yet.

Signed to a one-year deal as a free agent, Warrick has averaged better than 11 points per game the past three seasons despite never logging more than 26.2 minutes per contest. He’s a little soft on the glass, and his defense is underwhelming at best, but he seems to be the best choice for Milwaukee. Of course, if he doesn’t embrace Skiles’ approach to the game we could see Mbah a Moute start at power forward with Warrick coming off the pine in a scoring-oriented role. Ilyasova is another possibility, and veteran Kurt Thomas could even be a factor early on, though smart money suggests he won’t finish the season with the Bucks.

Stud

It’s hard to classify anyone on the Bucks as a Fantasy stud, but Redd is our choice because of his scoring ability. He’s a safe bet for 21-24 PPG and a couple three-pointers a night. He’ll also help in free-throw percentage. Unfortunately, his peripheral numbers are shaky at best. Bogut should be a walking double-double and is an underrated shot blocker, but the lower back injury that cost him over half of last season continues to linger, which is worrisome.

Dud

On the surface this looks like an ideal scenario for Warrick to bust out. He’s working on a one-year deal, has produced better than 11 points and 4.5 rebounds per night in each of the last three seasons despite playing limited minutes and is coming to a team that lost three of their top four scorers from a season ago (the other one is returning from a season-ending injury). However, Skiles is a defensive-minded coach, and that’s an area in which Warrick has always struggled. Unless Warrick changes his attitude on that end of the court, don’t expect his numbers to increase appreciably.

Sleeper

On a team full of young players there’s no shortage of potential sleepers, but the guy we’ll be watching is Ilyasova, who has the size to play down low and the shooting touch to bury it from downtown. Years ago Chad Ford said Ilyasova had lottery talent and compared him to Andrei Kirilenko…and that was back when AK-47 was an All-Star level player. You can’t expect a leap like that this season, but he’d make an interesting late-round flier in deep leagues.

Rookies to Watch

Ridnour is expected to open the year as the starter, but the Bucks didn’t use the 10th pick in the draft and let Sessions walk to leave Jennings on the pine. They absolutely love his talent and think he has the tools to be a star, which makes him someone to monitor as the season moves along. Jodie Meeks, the team’s second-round pick, could push for some time behind Redd. However, don’t expect him to make an impact unless Redd gets hurt or is traded.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

The two big things to watch in Milwaukee are how quickly Bogut returns to form, and how long it takes before Skiles turns the offense over to Jennings.

After enjoying Splosion Man so much, I asked the good people at Twisted Pixel if I could get my hands on their first title…and they agreed. Originally released back in January, The Maw is another charming game starring a loveable purple blob that eats almost everything it comes into contact with. It does have a handful of technical hiccups that forced me to restart levels and it lacks the challenge of its successor, but The Maw is still a fun little title that is worth your time.

Controls (5/5)

Instead of the aforementioned purple blob itself, you’ll instead be controlling an alien named Frank, who is tasked with guiding The Maw through the obstacles located in each level. The controls are fairly simple, though each button does account for multiple actions depending on when it’s used. For example, the A button makes Frank jump, but it’s also used to dodge projectiles as well as slam creatures on the ground once you’ve attached your beam (B) to them. In addition, Frank can also use the beam to spin and throw enemies (Y) or feed them (X) to The Maw itself. The X button also summons The Maw and attaches the beam to it so you can lead it around.

By keeping things basic, The Maw becomes a title that is instantly accessible to any skill level of gamer, something that is also accomplished by the cutesy design of the game.

Graphics/Sound (4/5)

Much as in Splosion Man, the graphics in The Maw aren’t going to be mistaken for cutting edge, yet they still do a very good job of conveying a whimsical mood. Pretty much all of the creatures in the game are slanted towards the cute side in the vein of a watered-down Viva Pinata, particularly the snuffles, which are dead ringers for the tarfly. Obviously, with names like snuffles, gloobers, puff-tors and yums, this isn’t a game that’ll be accused of taking itself too seriously anytime soon.

The main characters are both endearing with Frank being the tiny alien buddy to the ever expanding girth of The Maw, who looks pretty funny in all of its different iterations. Yes, it starts as a purple blob, but it’ll inherit the appearance and abilities of some of the creatures it consumes, which leads to some fairly humorous visuals. The backgrounds are also nice and colourful in the areas you can actually reach, though the rocks that surround the areas are pretty bland.

The audio in The Maw is a real treat. Frank’s voice is endearing, particularly when he’s calling for his buddy the way one calls for their dog, and The Maw itself makes a funny assortment of noises as it bumbles around. The soundtrack is also well done and fits the game perfectly.

Gameplay (4/5)

Leading The Maw from Point A to Point B and overcoming the obstacles along the way is what this game is all about. He’ll start off small but will grow the more you feed him. Sometimes finding delicious sustenance for The Maw will be straightforward, while other times you’ll need to do some light exploring with Frank.

As mentioned above, The Maw has the ability to absorb the powers of other creatures by consuming them, which is central to keeping the gameplay feeling fresh. For example, it’ll eat a fire lizard called a “gastro,” which will give it the ability to breathe fire. From there it’ll be able to burn down trees, forcing scrumptious nums to come out of hiding and provide more food for The Maw. There are several fairly simplistic puzzles of this ilk to solve throughout the game, which once again speaks to its accessibility to gamers of all ages.

The Maw is not a difficult game, and with only eight levels you shouldn’t expect to spend more than three or four hours playing through it. On the bright side, each level is unique and the game never feels like it’s dragging. There are also achievements to be unlocked for finding and eating the snuffles on each level as well as devouring 100 per cent of the creatures — both of which should extend the experience a bit.

Plus, those that enjoy the game can download three additional levels, each priced at 100 points ($1.25). All three of the levels fit into the existing storyline and collectively serve to create what is essentially an “extended director’s cut” of the game.

Overall (4/5)

While it doesn’t match Splosion Man in terms of value and lasting appeal, The Maw still manages to carve out a fun little niche that is playable by practically anyone with opposable thumbs. If nothing else, at least give the demo a shot to see just how charming Frank and The Maw are.

It has been a great couple of months for Xbox Live Arcade, featuring excellent titles like Shadow Complex and Battlefield 1943. Well, you can add Splosion Man to that list. A challenging platform title that entertains from beginning to end, Splosion Man serves as a coming out party for developer Twisted Pixel and is a game that should be added to your collection immediately.

Controls (5/5)

Modern gaming rarely gets more simplistic than Splosion Man as all four face buttons (A, X, B and Y) will cause your character to explode (or ’splode as the button mapping says). Beyond that, you move with the left stick and can manipulate the camera a little bit with the right. The RT works as a self destruct, and the LT is used to start a countdown in multiplayer so you can time your explosions.

During the game you can explode as many as three times in a row, which essentially works as a triple jump. After that, you’re temporarily out of juice unless you detonate another object or reignite yourself on a flame. This process can best be described as easy to learn, but difficult to master. It fits the game and makes it accessible to anyone. Splosion Man’s rudimentary controls prove you don’t need complex game mechanics to create a memorable experience.

Graphics/Sound (4/5)

While the graphics in Splosion Man aren’t going to wow you with their technical excellence, they do contain an undeniable charm, particularly in regards to the title character himself. The result of a scientific experiment gone awry, Splosion Man has been left manic, jabbering and able to self combust at will. He’s in nearly constant motion, even if you’re not, doing things like jumping jacks or punching the air when standing still. His antics create a playful vibe for a game that’s extremely challenging at times, helping keep this fun even when you’re dying for the 20th time in a row.

The scientists are also amusing, taunting you from a distance but cowering in fear when you get close to them. There’s even a fat, doughnut-munching scientist that you can use to block laser fire. When you do detonate them, the scientists are reduced to piles of pre-packaged lunch meat…yes, lunch meat. It’s a running joke throughout Splosion Man and it’s an effect I never tired of. You’ll also have to contend with robots, traps and enormous bosses. All of which have their own charms. The only place where the game really looks amateurish graphically is in the backgrounds, which are basically gray rocks with a different coloured fluid running through them.

Although there isn’t a lot of variety with the game’s soundtrack, it does a good job of matching the mood of the action, as do the sound effects. There’s also a wonderfully catchy doughnut song that plays when you pick up the plus-sized scientist mentioned above — I challenge you to hear that song a few times and not start humming it every time from that point forward. It can’t be done. The title character’s continuous babbling is well done and surprisingly endearing. Also, there are some great one-liners.

Gameplay (5/5)

Splosion Man is a puzzle platformer where your goal is to escape the clutches of the evil scientists that did this to you. Unfortunately, those eggheads aren’t going to make that easy. They’ll attempt to stop you at every turn, deploying an increasingly challenging combination of traps and robots as you make your way through the game’s 50 levels. What’s amazing is that Splosion Man continually ups the ante throughout the experience, creating some truly memorable and maddeningly difficult puzzles for you to overcome. At the end of each level you’ll be scored based on how quickly you completed it, the number of scientists you turned into lunch meat and other factors.

While mental dexterity will certainly come into play when figuring out how to advance, many parts of the game are going to come down to your ability to successfully execute a complex series of jumps — often while being pursued by a deadly trap. It’s certainly a recipe for frustration, but Splosion Man does such a good job of keeping the mood light and the puzzles varied that you always feel like success is right around the corner…even if it isn’t. Of course, if you can’t clear a level by legitimate means the game will eventually offer you “The Way of the Coward,” which allows you to skip it. However, expect to be punished with a terrible score and forced to wear a pink tutu until you clear the next level.

As mentioned, the single-player mode consists of 50 levels, three of which are boss fights. In addition, you’re also treated to 50 completely new levels of multiplayer, which is playable both on- and offline. Here the focus is on teamwork where you and your partner will have to time explosions so that you’re both launched higher than you could normally go or to trigger switches simultaneously. It’s a total blast (see what I did there?), though the online multiplayer seemed a bit laggy, which is tough for a game that requires precise timing to succeed.

As if 100 levels of ’sploding action weren’t enough, Splosion Man also loves cake, and within 94 of those levels (the six boss fight levels are excluded) there is a delicious cake to be found. Sometimes the cake is easy to find and acquire, while other times it’s hidden off the beaten path and takes perfect execution to obtain. It’s another addictive way to test your skills and prolong the game’s lifespan. Also in that vein, any level can be replayed to improve your speed with your best time being posted online against the rest of the Splosion Man community. Once you finish the game, you’ll unlock hardcore mode, which ups the challenge by removing all checkpoints and having any hit mean instant death.

Overall (4.5/5)

From the opening cinematic to the hilarious ending credits, Splosion Man is absolutely loaded with fun, challenge and a great sense of humour. There’s a ton of content to be had for 800 MS points ($10), and the replayability is off the charts. Between this and Shadow Complex, this year’s “Summer of Arcade” has raised the bar on what we should expect from downloadable releases.

It’d been nearly a decade since the last console release in the Wolfenstein series, but Activision recently dusted off the supernatural shooter for both Xbox 360 and PS3 audiences. Set at the height of World War II, Wolfenstein asks you to thwart another nefarious Nazi plot designed to win the war and conquer the world. The question is, after such a long layoff, does Wolfenstein still hold up as a viable shooter in an increasingly overcrowded genre?

Controls (4/5)

Wolfenstein’s controls will feel familiar to anyone who has played the Call of Duty series as they share many of the same commands. The LT looks through the sights and the RT fires your weapon. Clicking down on the left stick causes you to sprint, while clicking down on the right stick will execute a melee attack. You can also reload (X), jump (A) and crouch (B) — the Y button interacts with doors and other objects. The left bumper throws your grenades and the right bumper causes you to switch weapons (hold it down to access all your guns, tap it to switch to your last weapon).

You’ll also be using the D-Pad to utilize your Veil Powers, which are augmentations that grant you special abilities. There are four total powers, each of which are activated by pushing the D-Pad up, down, left or right. Lastly, the back button brings up your journal, which contains your map, objectives and other information. For the most part, everything works well and quickly becomes second nature.

Graphics/Sound (4/5)

The single-player campaign in Wolfenstein sports a distinct look as the designers have done a very nice job of mixing World War II settings with sci-fi elements. The levels vary quite a bit from one to the next, and there are some real eye opening locales. Wolfenstein even manages to create some genuinely creepy moments, a feat easier said than done when your character is packing such a large arsenal. There are a ton of little details worked into the environments, which unquestionably represent the highlight of the game visually.

The town of Isenstadt, which serves as your base of operations, and its surrounding areas are home to plenty of enemies and allies, most of which look solid. They don’t do anything to push the envelope with what the current generation of systems can do, but they by no means detract from the experience either. Unfortunately, the graphics take a hit when venturing online. The maps and environments still look pretty good, but the character models are blocky and lack variety.

One thing the game does very well with its characters is their reactions to being shot or stabbed, which is important when you’re pushing the death toll north of 1,000. Shoot a Wehrmacht soldier above you and watch him tumble over the railing to his untimely demise. Pop one in the neck and he’ll grasp for his throat. And just wait until you unleash some of your more “exotic” hardware, when Nazis are literally blown to pieces right in front of you. It’s unrelentingly satisfying.

When it comes to the audio, all the basics are covered. The soundtrack is good at setting the mood, and the sound effects do a fine job of making you feel like you’re in the middle of a battlefield. Where I could see divergent opinions is when it comes to the voiceover work. As I made my way through the game I found myself thinking of a movie review for Operation Valkyrie where they touched on the decision to speak the lines in American or British accents. In the case of Wolfenstein, they’ve chosen to go the opposite route and have all the Nazis speak English with a German accent. I thought it was fine, but I’m sure some will find the voices to be little more than caricatures.

Gameplay (4/5)

Wolfenstein begins by sending your character, B.J. Blazkowicz, to the fictional town of Isenstadt to meet up with a resistance group fighting the Nazis, who are once again delving into the occult in the hope of finding a weapon to turn the tide of the war. Things go awry almost immediately, however, as the Nazis have gotten wind of your arrival and assembled a welcoming committee to meet you once you disembark from the train. And with that, Wolfenstein hits the ground running with combat going hot and heavy throughout most of your time with the game. That doesn’t mean this plays exactly like every other shooter out there, though, as there are actually some different elements at work.

One of the first things you’ll notice is that missions don’t flow one into the next. Instead, Isenstadt will serve as a hub for Blazkowicz. He’ll meet up with different factions, accept missions — both primary and optional — and hunt for hidden goodies around town. This approach gives the game a bit of a non-linear feel to it, though you’ll still need to clear certain missions before unlocking others. Plus, the actual missions themselves are quite linear, and in fact you’ll be guided forward throughout the game by a marker on your compass that shows you what path you need to take.

There are 15 missions in all for Blazkowicz to plow through, and the game does not disappoint when it comes to the action elements. You’ll start off equipped with just a couple traditional WWII guns and no supernatural abilities, but as you progress you’ll acquire some advanced weaponry and access to the Veil powers. Basically, the Veil is a parallel dimension that you’re able to enter at any time. Within this mode you’ll be able to reach points you couldn’t otherwise, as well as see enemies more clearly (it works as a sort of default night vision in darker areas) and pinpoint weak spots.

While not necessarily original, your Veil powers are fun to use and make for some cool effects. Beyond the basic Veil sight detailed above, you’ll also have the ability to slow time, shield yourself from attacks and empower your weapons with other-worldly force. Each power is upgradable, as are your weapons, but to do so you’ll need to be keeping a sharp eye out for the many collectibles in the game.

The collectibles are broken up into three categories: gold, intel and tomes. The gold is needed to buy weapon and Veil upgrades from the black market. As in the real world, this precious commodity is not readily obtainable, which means you’ll need to pick and choose what to upgrade. Intel helps to flesh out the story, but more importantly it unlocks the ability to purchase certain upgrades. Tomes, meanwhile, are needed to increase the amount of Veil energy you can store. It’s a cool system, and one that encourages exploration throughout the mostly linear missions.

In addition to supplying Agent Blazkowicz with a nice variety of killing utensils, Wolfenstein also provides our hero with an impressive list of enemies to deal with. You’ll begin with the basic Wehrmacht, but you’ll soon be tangling with the S.S. and a nasty collection of Veil-infused Nazi super-soldiers. My favourite of that group were the dual-blade wielding Assassins, who are very fast and invisible to anyone outside of the Veil. They can be quite deadly in close quarters, and their voices are possibly the creepiest in the game.

From start to finish you can expect to put at least eight hours into the campaign mode and substantially more if you’re intent on finding all the collectibles without the benefit of a guide. It took me north of 11 hours to finish the campaign, and I was nowhere close to having 100 per cent of the items. One nice thing is that you can replay any mission you’ve previously passed at any time, which alleviates the need to find everything the first time through. There are also four difficulty levels to choose from.

Much like the graphical presentation, however, things once again head south when venturing online for multiplayer action. You begin by either selecting the quick play option or loading a lobby where a list of available games will appear. There you’ll be able to select a game based on map, game type or other factors (such as lag). Wolfenstein comes with eight multiplayer maps but just three modes: Team Deathmatch, Objective and Stopwatch. The most interesting mode is stopwatch, which challenges each team to complete tasks in a set amount of time, and whichever team does it the fastest wins.

Once you enter a game you’ll be choosing from one of three classes (soldier, medic and engineer) along with which side you want to play on and which weapon you’d like to use. The game does not offer auto balancing, and it also allows players to switch teams at any time during a match. As you play you’ll earn gold for things like shooting your enemies, healing teammates and accomplishing objectives. The gold can then be used to purchase upgrades just like the single-player mode. I do like the way the game awards gold. It recognizes your efforts better than a straight kill/death ratio as here you’ll earn more gold for taking the first 95 per cent of someone’s health bar rather than the guy who comes along later and finishes the job to earn the kill.

When the host has a good connection the multiplayer action is generally enjoyable, tending to be fast and furious with brief re-spawn timers and medium sized or smaller maps. However, I also ran into some games with debilitating lag where the host enjoyed a tremendous advantage. Also, like the Call of Duty games, the more experienced players have the better equipment, which means you better be ready to pay some dues to afford your own upgrades.

Overall (4/5)

If you’re one of those people who only purchase a shooter for the online play, Wolfenstein may not offer enough to hold your interest. On the other hand, if you’re someone that enjoys a quality single-player experience, Wolfenstein offers one of the more engaging campaign modes I’ve seen from an FPS in some time…not to mention the undeniable fun that comes with melting Nazis!

Although the NBA season is still nearly two months away, 2kSports is giving hoops fans a chance to get a jump on the 2009-10 campaign and start their virtual professional careers early with the release of NBA 2k10: Draft Combine. Here you’ll create your own player from scratch and run them through a series of drills and games to increase their skills while attempting to climb up the draft board. When you’re done you’ll upload your created player, which will then allow you to import them into NBA 2k10’s “My Player” career mode when the full version is released in October.

Controls (4/5)

Anyone familiar with the NBA 2k series will feel at home with the controls. Those that aren’t may find things slow going since there’s no built-in tutorial. All the in-game moves can be found under the “How to Play” tab, but it’s nothing more than a list of button and stick commands. However, once you get the feel for handling your player you’ll find a tight, responsive game that allows you to pull off some really fluid movements.

It’s not a flawless setup, as I do feel that there are times when I’m close enough to the hoop to enter into a layup or dunk animation and it doesn’t trigger. Needless to say, it can be annoying watching your player rim out a four-foot baby hook shot when he had a clear path for a jam. Also, when trying to lock down on defense the player you’re guarding seems to slip your defense unnaturally at times. They’re minor issues, though, and the overall controls are very good.

Graphics/Sound (3.5/5)

The player models look good and the animations are smooth, which are the most important elements when dealing with a basketball game. It’s worth noting that you’ll be dealing exclusively with computer generated players here, which means no running into Blake Griffin or Stephen Curry during the combine. Instead they’re all generic models with no real-life counterpart to compare them to, a fact that limits the amount of graphical flexing on display here.

You’ll be running all your drills and games in the Attack Arena in Chicago. The court itself looks fine, but it gets a little stale to have every single aspect of the game play out in one venue. It would’ve been nice if the scrimmages were moved outside to a park just to give things a bit of a different feel.

On the audio side, this game takes a minimalist approach. Since all the games are contested in an empty arena, there’s no commentary or crowd noise. Instead you’ll be hearing one of a handful of songs playing in the background accompanied with some on-court chatter. There were a few memorable moments during my run through the combine on the audio side, most notably a loud yell on an and-one dunk, but for the most part it’s just sort of there.

Gameplay (4/5)

NBA 2k10: Draft Combine begins with you creating your virtual doppelganger in tremendous detail, selecting everything from height and weight down to what brand of shoe your player will wear (and yes, you can rock some sweet Jordans!). Beyond customizing your look, you’ll also be given the opportunity to tailor the way your player moves on the court, choosing how he executes a crossover dribble or shoots a jump shot. It’s a really deep interface that allows for a level of customization usually reserved for wrestling titles, and it helps make your player feel unique.

Once you’ve crafted your future superstar you’ll be thrown into the game itself. You’ve got four options, but only two of them (drills and games) affect your player (shootarounds and scrimmages have no impact on your player’s attributes). There are eight different drills to choose from, each targeting a different skill. You’re allowed to complete six drills total, and you’re free to do the same drill six times, six different drills once each or any other combination. There are three achievable levels per drill (gold, silver and bronze), and the better you do, the more your player improves.

You’ll also take part in six five-on-five games against other draft hopefuls. These are when you need to bring your “A” game as strong performances here equate to a lot of skills points, which are required to improve your player’s abilities. Before each game, the 2k Insider, which acts as an advisor, will give you three goals. One will be on offense (such as shoot better than 47 per cent), one on defense (hold the person you’re guarding to two or fewer three-point attempts) and one will be team oriented (achieve a teammate grade of C-plus or higher). The more of these goals you meet, the more points you’ll be awarded after the game.

Instantaneous feedback on your performance will be presented to you throughout each game. For instance, you might throw a nice pass to a teammate that leads to a basket. In that case you’d see “good pass” and “assist” in the corner of the screen, and your teammate grade would be positively affected. If you turn the ball over or hoist wild shots, your grade will go down.

It’s a good idea, and it is usually well executed, but you’re sure to encounter some instances where the feedback is unfair. One example occurred late in a quarter when I got the ball and held it near centre court to run down the clock and take the final shot. As I waited, the game dinged my grade for “holding the ball too long.” You’ll also see “good pass” turn into “bad pass” when your teammate fumbles the pass away.

On defense, the game never recognizes switching, which means if you’re a point guard you’ll be held accountable for all points scored by the opposing PG, even if you switched on a pick and roll and are defending the small forward when he scores. This is an oversight as it makes it more important to stick to your man no matter what, rather than play solid team defense. Thankfully, though, the grading system feels right much more than it feels wrong.

After each game you’ll see if your draft stock has gone up or down. Despite some pretty good games I never climbed out of the bottom half of the second round, which makes sense considering the top players on the leaderboard only achieved a 55 overall ranking — hardly first-round material. Once you’ve completed all of your games and drills you’re done until NBA 2k10 is released as the actual drafting of your player will take place in the full game.

Overall (4/5)

For anyone planning on playing through the “My Player” mode in NBA 2k10, getting a head start with the Draft Combine is definitely a strong investment. You get to improve your player’s attributes and draft status all for the eminently reasonable price of 400 MS Points ($5). For those on the fence, there’s actually a lot of variety to the type of player you can create. Enough variety, in fact, that you could invest many hours trying different combinations all while brushing up on your skills for NBA 2k10, which makes this a solid value for more than just hardcore players.

To wrap up the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit, we’re going to take a look at some Rookies you need to be aware of for Fantasy purposes.

Quarterbacks

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets: The USC product has already been named the starter, but under Rex Ryan look for the J-E-T-S to lean heavily on Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and even Shonn Greene. That and a strong defense was a recipe for success in Baltimore last year, which is where Ryan served as defensive coordinator. Expect Sanchez to post modest totals, meaning he should only be selected in leagues where you’ll be carrying three quarterbacks.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: Stafford has completed just 12 of his 27 passes this preseason, though a banged up receiving corps hasn’t done him any favours. It seems unlikely he’ll unseat Daunte Culpepper as the team’s Week One starter, and even once he gets in the lineup, there isn’t a lot of high-end talent outside of Calvin Johnson. Bypass Stafford in single-year leagues.

The rest…

The only other true quarterback drafted in the first three rounds was Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman, who remains in a three-way competition with Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich for the starting job. It’s hard to picture anyone in that group being better than a No. 3 Fantasy QB.

Running Backs

Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos: Moreno (knee) has carried the ball just three times this pre-season due to a sprained MCL. However, despite rumblings that Peyton Hillis might be the team’s Week One starter, Moreno remains the best bet in the Denver backfield. Given the team’s depth the rookie may not be a true featured back, but he’s still worth grabbing as a low-end No. 2 option.

Chris Wells, Arizona Cardinals: Much like Moreno, Wells (ankle) has been held back this pre-season by an injury and has yet to appear in a game. With Wells sidelined, Tim Hightower has looked pretty good (15 carries, 66 yards) and should at least split time with Wells this season. What is really working against both of them is Arizona’s deadly passing attack, which will certainly reduce the ground game to an afterthought some weeks. Draft Wells as a mid-level No. 3 Fantasy back.

Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts: Brown has looked explosive in limited touches thus far, but unlike the two rookies listed above him, the UConn product has little chance of being the No. 1 back this year unless Joseph Addai were to be injured. Instead, expect the Colts to deploy a committee approach with Addai and Brown, similar to what they did in years past with Dominic Rhodes. As such, Brown is more of a fourth back or Flex candidate, though Addai owners would be wise to handcuff the two.

The rest…

Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy has gotten plenty of work with Brian Westbrook (ankle) recovering from ankle surgery, and he’s looked good in the process. Unfortunately, the Eagles are loaded with impact players on offense, leaving McCoy primarily as a necessary handcuff for Westbrook owners. He’s also a strong No. 5 back on his own…San Francisco’s Glen Coffee leads the NFL in pre-season rushing (196 yards). That’s the good news. The bad news: Marcus Mason led the league in 2008. Yes, that Marcus Mason. Coffee has shown enough to be worth a late-round selection, just don’t expect him to see the field much as long as Frank Gore stays healthy…The New York Jets’ Shonn Greene has been banged up and is behind Jones and Washington on the depth chart, but he’s got enough potential to be selected as your fifth or sixth back in deeper leagues…Jacksonville’s Rashad Jennings is battling with Chauncey Washington to be the backup to Maurice Jones-Drew. While this may not sound like a great spot to be in, keep in mind Jones-Drew has never reached 200 carries in a season so his ability to hold up under a full-time workload is unproven. Jennings isn’t a name for standard leagues, but those in deep single-year or keeper formats might want to roll the dice.

Wide Receivers

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers: Any breakdown of Crabtree must begin with his contract status, as the 10th overall pick continues to hold out because he feels he should be paid more than the seventh pick. Whatever. Even unsigned, Crabtree offers the most upside of any rookie receiver, though the longer he holds out the longer it may take to see it. He’s a risk/reward selection at this point and is someone only an owner with a strong top three receivers should consider. Just make sure your fifth receiver is a steady one.

Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings: Perhaps the most intriguing rookie this season, Harvin is expected to line up all over the field, including serving in the club’s new Wildcat formation. He has speed to burn and is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. That being said, Harvin’s durability is a red flag, which combined with his less-than-stellar work as a route runner make him a bit of a risk. Some may fall in love with his potential and reach for him on draft day. Don’t be that guy. If he’s around in the latter rounds, though, by all means make him your fourth receiver.

Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles: Maclin should push Reggie Brown to be the team’s third receiver, but as noted with McCoy, Philly has a lot of options offensively. Maclin’s value is no greater than that of a low-end No. 5 or quality No. 6 receiver, though those that count special teams yardage should keep on him to see if his fumbling issues subside enough to earn him a regular role as the Eagle return man.

Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants: There are a ton of young wideouts in Gotham, but Nicks might have the most upside of the bunch. He’s physically mature at 6’1”, 215 pounds, and should still be available in the final round of most standard drafts. He’d be a great flier at that point.

The rest…

Oakland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey was the first wideout taken, but he went into a bad situation. The Raiders have a quality triumvirate of tailbacks, which should be the focal point of the offense, while JaMarcus Russell continues to struggle with his consistency from one practice to the next. Heyward-Bey isn’t an option in standard leagues and is no more than a borderline sixth or seventh Fantasy receiver…Cleveland’s Brian Robiskie has been improving as camp wears on and remains in contention for the starting job opposite Braylon Edwards. It’s debatable how much value that post would afford, however, leaving Robiskie as a mediocre sixth wideout at this point.

Tight Ends

Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions: A quad injury has slowed Pettigrew in the preseason, but the starting job is still his. With limited options outside of Johnson, Pettigrew could be the target of a lot of underneath and check down routes. Consider him an interesting sleeper as a No. 2 tight end in point-per-reception formats.

Chase Coffman, Cincinnati Bengals: Coffman posted huge numbers in college and has a great pedigree (his father, Paul Coffman, was an NFL tight end). Unfortunately, the tight end position has never been featured in Cincinnati with Carson Palmer at the helm, and Coffman is still behind Ben Utecht on the depth chart. At best he’d earn a roster spot if someone the caliber of Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez was your starter and you wanted to draft purely on potential in the final round.

Viewed by some as a “spiritual successor” to classic side-scrolling adventures like Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Shadow Complex does a marvelous job of resurrecting a largely forgotten genre and reintroducing it to the modern gaming world. The results are spectacular and playing it represented a total breath of fresh air amid a seemingly endless stream of indistinguishable shooters and music games.

Controls (4/5)

Despite much of the game being built around acquiring a lot of different items and upgrading existing equipment, the controls in Shadow Complex never feel, well, complex (see what I did there?). Holding down X makes you sprint, Y reloads your weapon and B is an all-purpose action button that does everything from downloading maps to triggering some sweet melee attacks.

The A button controls your jumping — tap it once for a basic leap, hold it down to jump higher and push it twice to pull off a double jump — which is this game’s bread and butter. The left bumper toggles your flashlight off and on, though you’ll usually want it on, while the left trigger causes you to crouch. As usual, firing your primary weapon is mapped to the right trigger, and pressing the right bumper fires your special weapon. You’ll only carry one gun at a time so there’s no need to switch, but you’ll have multiple special weapons, which are cycled through using the d-pad.

Aiming your weapons is handled by the right stick, which can be a little problematic at times. You see, while Shadow Complex restricts your character’s movement to 2D, the backgrounds are all in 3D, which means you’ll be being attacked from areas you can’t reach. The game handles this by auto-aiming your weapon based on the direction you point the right stick. For example, if an enemy is in the background above you, pointing up will cause your laser sight to target the enemy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work as well as it should, which can lead to some frustrating deaths. It’s by no means broken, but it stands out in an otherwise superbly laid out control scheme.

Graphics/Sound (5/5)

The graphics in Shadow Complex are beautiful and easily establish a new high water mark for Xbox Live Arcade titles. As you explore the large map you’ll be treated to some excellent detail work with a surprising amount of destructible environments. The water effects are outstanding whether you’re sprinting across it in hyper-speed or diving deep underneath it to avoid the strafing fire of a helicopter circling overhead. The explosions, a key component in an action title like this, is another standout feature. They really shine when you face off against some rather large robotic enemies, all of which blow up with considerable style and give an undeniable sense of satisfaction.

In addition to the amazingly rendered 3D backgrounds, the character models are also very strong with some cool looking enemies (both human and robotic) to do battle with. The character you play also looks good and manages to get even cooler looking as the game progresses with each new piece of armour or weapon he obtains. The melee attacks are handled in brief pseudo cut scenes and present some nice looking hand-to-hand combat. The in-game cinematics won’t let you down either, and you’ll be hard pressed to remember this is a downloadable release.

As wonderful as things look, there are a handful of graphical issues you’ll encounter. The most common is watching your character clip through objects, particularly when entering or exiting the ventilation system. I’ve also been allowed to melee an enemy despite being below them and a metal grate. Once I hit the B button though I was suddenly transported through the object and my attack commenced. They’re small issues, though, and didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all.

Thankfully, the audio holds up its end of the bargain as well, featuring very good voice acting from everyone involved and an engaging musical accompaniment to the action. The various sound effects are all excellent, and I particularly enjoyed the firing sound made by your final weapon. Enemies do not go quietly into that good night, either, as they’ll frequently scream when you dish out your own brand of justice. All these work together to present a really strong audio experience from the melancholy violin that plays when you load the game to the ending credits.

Gameplay (5/5)

While the story of Shadow Complex isn’t overly intricate, it’s enough to give meaning to what you’re trying to do while never detracting from the action. The game itself is actually considered a bridge between two novels written by Orson Scott Card, Empire and the soon-to-be released Hidden Empire. Set in present day America, Empire focuses on a second Civil War, fought between conservatives and liberals. This serves as the backdrop for Shadow Complex, which opens with the assassination of the Vice President before quickly shifting west to find Jason Flemming (that’s you) and his date getting ready to explore some caverns. Things go downhill quickly from there and you’ll soon find yourself being thrust into the role of the unlikely, though not necessarily unwilling, hero.

You start off with nothing but a flashlight, which is arguably the most important item in the game since shining it on objects will tell you what ability is needed to proceed. For example, if you shine your flashlight on a grate and it turns orange it means gunfire will destroy it. If it turns green, however, grenades are needed. That fairly simple mechanic is at the heart of Shadow Complex as exploration and backtracking to find items will occupy much of your time.

One of the great things about this game, though, is that whether or not you backtrack to hunt down upgrades is completely optional. You can be a completionist and collect every one of the 100-plus items or you can be a minimalist and beat the game with a very small percentage of what’s available. You can take your time and explore every nook and cranny or just blow through on a “speed run.” The first time through, though, you’ll probably want to take your time and experience Jason’s transformation as you acquire all the pieces of armour — each of which brings with it a new ability like additional boosts on your jumps or hyper speed, which in turn help open up more of the facility to explore — along with an increasingly powerful series of weapons and gadgets.

Beyond the game having several different ways to be defeated, most of the individual puzzles and enemies also have multiple solutions. For example, at one point I found myself trying to get to the middle of a room with laser beams covering the floor. There were generators on each side that needed to be shot out and a wall in the middle. I couldn’t figure out quite what I needed to do so I checked some forums and others were asking the same question I had. What was unique and really a throwback to older games was that there were several methods that people had used to solve the problem. One had used the boosters, some the grappling hook and others had built a walkway using the foam gun. It’s that kind of innovative problem solving that adds a lot of replay value to the game. For me, as my character grew more powerful, I found myself trying to do things that not only got me from Point A to Point B, but also looked cool in the process.

Those playing through Shadow Complex for the first time should expect to invest six-to-seven hours, possibly more if you’re gunning for the 100 per cent achievement on the first go around. Once you complete the game you can start a new one where you’ll be stripped of your weapons and armour, but you’ll retain your level and any bonuses associated with it. I know that as soon as I beat it for the first time I immediately fired it up again so don’t let the relatively modest length dissuade you as there remains a lot of replay value with four difficulty setting, speed runs, beating the game with only a handful of items or trying to acquire items before you were intended to (affectionately referred to as breaking the game).

There’s also a series of challenges called “Proving Grounds,” which presents your character with obstacles and gives them only certain gadgets at their disposal to overcome them. There are 21 in all, and they can be replayed as often as you like in an attempt to better your time or overall score.

Overall (4.75/5)

This is one of the best games I’ve played in 2009 at any price, but when you consider that downloading Shadow Complex will only set you back 1,200 points ($15) there’s no reason why this shouldn’t find a home on your Xbox 360’s hard drive. Download it now.

With the 2009 NFL regular season right around the corner, the time has arrived for Electronic Arts to unleash Madden NFL 10 on the gaming public. It’s unquestionably the biggest sports release of the gaming calendar, and for many it is the biggest release of the year period. This year’s iteration boasts some new features, including online franchise with up to 32 human players and co-operative play, along with an increased focus on re-creating what you’ll see Sundays this fall. Those that write Madden NFL 10 off as a glorified roster update are doing themselves a disservice as the improvements make this one of the finest football games ever made.

Controls (5/5)

The majority of the control scheme remains unchanged as you’ll still pass to your receivers by pressing the corresponding button appearing above their heads. However, quarterbacks have been given an improved ability to evade the rush, which comes in handy when the blitz is on. The moves are mapped to the right stick, so flicking the stick up will cause your quarterback to step up to let the rush go past you while moving it to the left or right allows you to side step oncoming defenders. Your controller also rumbles when the rush is closing in to help avoid sacks.

Once you’re running in the open field you’ll have plenty of moves at your disposal, including the spin (B), stiff arm (A), hurdle (Y) and dive (X). The right stick is where you’ll be making your highlight reel moves, though, as right, left and back juke your defenders in the same direction you press, while pushing up either makes you lower your shoulder or attempt to dodge the would-be tackler. You can also sprint (RT), but don’t fall in love with it as most of the big runs in this game are the result of reading your blocks and evading tacklers.

Defensively, things have changed for the better, specifically when it comes to rushing the passer. Instead of using the right and left bumpers to execute swim moves and spins, those are now handled with the right stick, which feels much more natural. For example, if you’re being blocked and the quarterback is rolling to your right, you can attempt to disengage by pressing right on the stick. It works great and is a nice upgrade from past years.

Madden NFL 10 also comes loaded with the usual pre-snap adjustments on both sides of the ball. As the quarterback, you can call full-fledged audibles, assign hot routes for your receivers, roll your blocking or send players in motion. On defense, you can call audibles for the entire group or specifically for each level of defense (line, linebackers and secondary). As someone who has watched and covered football as a profession for many years, I love the pre-snap chess match, and it’s something that’s done exceedingly well in this game.

Graphics/Sound (4.5/5)

This is hands down the best looking football game I’ve ever played. The lighting is amazing, particularly during night games, and the player animations are startlingly realistic. Nowhere is this more evident than with EA’s signature in-game addition for Madden NFL 10, the Pro-Tak system, which allows up to nine tacklers to wrap up a runner simultaneously. Once they lock up, players struggle to move the pile while more players become entangled, adding to the chaos. It’s really well done and you never feel like you’re watching canned animations as so many outcomes branch off from the initial lock up. In that same vein, Madden NFL 10 also introduces fumble pile-ups where you’ll do some button mashing to see who comes out with the pigskin. It’s a cool concept and a welcome addition after all those years of seemingly random recoveries.

The in-game presentation has also received a face lift, and EA deserves major credit for creating a very realistic broadcast atmosphere with additional camera angles, sideline shots, stat tickers and little things like referee conferences. One of my favourite of these little touches happened when, while driving the ball late in a 7-7 game, they showed a shot of my kicker warming up on the sidelines. It was perfectly timed and spot-on with something you’d see in an NFL broadcast. There are literally dozens of things like this that do a phenomenal job of immersing you in the experience, and I often found myself just smiling at a particular animation (like guys jumping over a tackled player after the whistle) because of how accurately it had been recreated. Plus, who doesn’t get a kick out of hearing the classic NFL Films music when you watch an instant replay.

Unfortunately, the in-game commentary doesn’t match the high standard set by the visuals. Cris Collinsworth does a decent job as the colour man, but Tom Hammond’s play-by-play work leaves a lot to be desired. The biggest problem is that the commentary lacks any emotion or feel for the situation, and while they were rare, I still encountered issues where consecutive lines would contradict each other — i.e., suggesting it’s time to go for it, then expressing surprise when I did. EA’s NHL ‘09 had some of the best commentary I’ve ever heard in a sports game, so hopefully the folks at Madden can take some inspiration from that and shore up this area up in time for next year.

There’s also an added segment called “The Extra Point,” which is a studio show designed to keep you up to speed on what’s going on in the NFL during franchise mode. It does a pretty good job, but there are no in-game highlights to be seen and the audio for it is disjointed. The soundtrack offers a healthy mix of rock and hip-hop.

Gameplay (4.5/5)

One of the things EA did for Madden NFL 10 was to slow things down a bit to create a more realistic pace on the field. The results are excellent, particularly in the running game as you’ll need to read blocks and find holes as they open up to take advantage rather than jamming on the sprint button and hoping for the best. The move to a slower pace also necessitated some improved blocking AI, which EA delivers as your offensive line will now at least attempt to create a nice pocket for you to pass from.

The playbooks are deep and contain a healthy amount of unique sets for each club, and the suddenly en vogue Wildcat formation has been added — much to the chagrin of online players that square off against opponents that run little else. The in-game AI remains a mixed bag. The computer actually does a nice job of taking things away if you continuously run the same plays, but you’ll still see the computer veer out of bounds for no reason at times.

Once again, the two primary offline modes are Franchise and Be an NFL Superstar. The franchise mode is clearly the meat and potatoes as you guide your team through season after season, trading, drafting and signing players along the way. The traditional calendar has been removed, as has the ability to schedule practices between your games, but to me it has merely served to streamline the process and won’t be missed. The franchise hub has also been redone to give quicker access to the necessary info, which is another welcome refinement.

I also found that the trading AI has been amped up as teams are more hesitant to part with their draft choices or take on salary, though the trading block is often filled with uneven trade demands. For instance, the CPU will offer a halfback with an overall rating of 72 while asking for a quarterback with an 83-plus rating in return. Conversely, the trading block works well when trying to determine value for your own talent as you can list a player, select up to three player types or draft picks you’d accept in return, and then see which teams, if any, are interested in meeting your asking price.

Negotiating with free agents has both good (detailed list of what each player is interested in) and bad (offer $1.19 million and you’re told we’re miles apart on money, offer $1.2 million and it’s a deal). It’d be nice to see some counter offers from agents as well as a little more diversity in what you can offer — incentive-laden or back- or front-loaded contracts, for example. I’d also like to see free agents lower their demands as the signing period wears on. For instance, Graham Harrell shot down a four-year, $5 million deal to be my backup to Philip Rivers on Day One of free agency and remained unsigned on Day 29. However, he was still asking for the same money.

Superstar mode has largely been gutted and feels like more of an afterthought. You only have one practice per week, which consists of one play being run over and over again until you quit with no real benefit to doing it, and you can communicate with your agent. The game itself is fun if you’re playing a skill position, but the AI play calling can be pretty shaky at times. I often found myself asking questions like why are we running a play-action pass on third and 14 down 10 points with two minutes left?

Moving online, the most anticipated arrival is that of online franchise mode, where you and up to 31 other people can take control of a team and play full seasons against each other. It’s an excellent addition that brings a ton of replay value to the package. As with any new feature, it’s impossible to know how it’ll ultimately play out, particularly when it’s reliant on the community to support and embrace, but EA has put the tools in place and the early response has been overwhelmingly positive. Just take a look in gaming forums around the Internet and you’ll see hundreds of leagues forming. I’ve joined three online leagues myself and have enjoyed signing free agents and negotiating trades with other human owners. If you get the right mix of active owners, the possibilities are endless.

Another smart move by EA was to offer the ability to manage your online franchise from your PC or even your iPod Touch or iPhone with a free application. I’ve encountered some issues with managing my franchise from my computer, usually relating to the server being down or being unable to save my changes, though I’m inclined to chalk that up to growing pains. The interface itself is solid. The iPod app was set for release Tuesday, but as of this writing, it had not appeared in the iTunes App Store. Does anyone else smell a decline in workplace productivity on the horizon?

The other new online mode in Madden NFL 10 is co-operative play. The camera, which is focused in tight on you, takes some getting used to and can be downright wonky when switching players on defense. Co-op works best when one player is the quarterback and the other mans another skill position (receiver, tight end or running back) as you can more or less draw up plays in the dirt so to speak. Clearly, having a human controlled partner offers more chances to ad lib on the fly. It still feels like a bit of a work in progress, but it is fun as a secondary mode.

Of course, old school Madden players will find that standard head-to-head online play returns and runs as smoothly as ever. There are online lobbies to find worthy opponents and challenge them to a game with some customizable options. You can also choose a quick match and be thrown together with someone by the CPU. For those that crave a more hardcore experience, EA has rolled out Elite Status, which gives players access to private lobbies and allows for the use of the All-Madden difficulty setting online. Elite Status will set you back 400 MS Points ($5) and is part of a trend that will no doubt irk some gamers: micro transactions.

Beyond Elite Status, Madden NFL 10 also features a laundry list of downloadable accelerators through the Madden Shop tab. For instance, you can download an item that allows you to see all the real stats for the upcoming draft class at any given position at a cost of 40 MS Points ($.50). Another download guarantees your aging superstar won’t retire (80 points – $1) *cough* Brett Favre *cough*. Those that want everything can download all 20 accelerators in the Madden Max Pack for 800 MS points ($10). Of course, none of these items are necessary to play the game, and in fact they’re all unusable online.

Overall (4.5/5)

While Madden NFL 10 has a handful of shortcomings, it’s impossible not to recognize the amazing job EA has done here recreating the NFL experience. From the outstanding graphics and upgraded presentation to the creation of online franchise mode, this year’s release is simply a must own for football fans.