Play This
Game On!
By Scott Gardner
Mini Ninjas
DS, PC, PS3, Wii, XBOX 360
After Evil Samurai Warlord turns forest creatures into an evil army, six small ninjas set out on a very big adventure. These warriors-in-training may be tiny, but they also have magic on their side. Swordfighter Hiro can shape-shift into any animal he meets, gaining its strength or stealth. And butt-kicking, ninja-chick Suzume plays a magical flute that puts guards into a trance. You can play as any of the little heroes, and you’ll need all their powers to travel through forests and over snow-covered mountains, release the enchanted animals and finally take on Evil Warlord in his Fortress of Doom.
Katamari Forever
PS3
There aren’t many games as wacky — or as totally fun — as the Katamari series. You see, the nutty King of All Cosmos has commanded you to roll a magical, very sticky ball (your katamari) through homes, backyards and cities, picking up larger and larger objects (it’s kind of like rolling an extreme snowball). You collect everything in your path — from thumbtacks, to dinner plates, to bicycles, to ocean liners — until your katamari is big enough to become a new star in the sky. This new version just for PS3 also has co-op and head-to-head multiplayer modes to see who is the highest roller of all.
A Christmas Carol
DS
Inspired by the new movie, this puzzle-adventure game celebrates the spirit of the holidays with a Scrooge-y twist. It’s up to you to guide poor Ebenezer on his supernatural adventure by using the stylus to pull, shake, tap, drag and rattle his world, and by blowing and shouting into the DS’s microphone. You’ll also interact with characters like Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Marley and, of course, the three Spirits of Christmas. There are also 10 mini-games to master, a “pass the DS” multiplayer game, and a real-time Advent calendar to unlock surprises for every day leading up to Christmas.