A couple of years ago as we were approaching the Holiday 2007 Season, Chris and I shared THIS POST highlighting the parental controls for the three major home consoles. We didn’t list instructions for the Nintendo DS because the system doesn’t have any. The reason is that for the most part, there weren’t any ESRB M-Rated North American NDS releases. Since then, a few have crept into the pool. Considering that there are close to 1000 titles domestically available, the dozen or so M-Rated titles have been of little issue. However, Rockstar North has changed that.

With the release of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the DS has a Mature title that many will want to play (even though some probably shouldn’t). In fact, Rockstar Games’ site highlights THIS LINK to MetaCritic as proof that Chinatown Wars is “the best game to ever hit the Nintendo DS™.” I have clocked-in about 4 hours with the title at this point and I must say that their boast is not unfounded. This game is quite an extraordinary experience for the DS.

To give you a little taste, here’s the trailer for the game:
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There are two important messages that we want to drive home here:

1. GTA Chinatown Wars is a great game.
2. GTA Chinatown Wars is not a great game for everyone.

As an adult, I enjoyed the wry sense of humor and typical violence for which the Grand Theft Auto franchise is known. Within the first hour of gameplay, the writers had incorporated the “f-bomb” repeatedly, the protagonist had his masculinity questioned on an “exotic film” set, and the experience included hot-wiring cars, buying/selling drugs, and killing a dozen or so characters. And the use of the touch screen on the DS for creating Molotov cocktails felt like WarioWare gone really bad.

I can heartily recommend this title for those old enough in your family to know the difference between right and wrong and want to have a little fun without hurting anyone. However, keep in mind that if you have younger ones with access to the DS, this title cannot be locked out with parental controls. The DS doesn’t provide that feature.

Enjoy, but be aware!

As Chris mentioned in his last post, we’re always on the lookout for game deals as part of our mission of sharing valuable information with fellow parents. Well, I stumbled across some price drops at GameStop this week that I thought would be of interest including these PSP titles at $9.99 (new):

• Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles (ESRB-T)
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (ESRB-T)
• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (ESRB-T)
• Silent Hill: Origins (ESRB-M)

These NDS titles are $9.99 (new):

• Chicken Shoot (ESRB-E)
• Exit (ESRB-E)
• Line Rider 2 Unbound (ESRB-E)
• My Do It All (ESRB-E)

These XBOX 360 titles are $9.99 (new):

• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith – Game Only (ESRB-T)
• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – Game Only (ESRB-T)

In addition to these thrifty options, I am delighted to say that it appears that the PSP title God of War: Chains of Olympus (ESRB-M) has dropped to $19.99! (For more information about this gem, feel free to read our article HERE.) GameStop also appears to have dropped the price of Chrono Trigger (ESRB-T) for the NDS to $29.99.

Enjoy!

To begin, click on “Yes, I understand” in the box below and then click on “Play Space Invaders” from the following screen.

← moves your ship left
→ moves your ship right
[SPACEBAR] fires the missile

This version is a little easier than the arcade original, but you get the idea. Without further ado, take a look at the state of the art of videogaming from 30 years ago!

Also, if you’re interested in playing the game full screen, just click HERE.

As an ending note, I believe that there has been a playable version of Space Invaders in every generation of consoles and on almost every platform made. There have been evolutionary steps as well as attempts to simply preserve the classic experience. If there is any question as to whether or not Space Invaders has evolved or been influential, check out the trailer below for the most recent incarnation of the series for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.

There’s nothing like hearing your son sing, “I’m Going Faaaast!” only to hear his friend echo the same thing about a major third higher. I got to appreciate this aria this afternoon as my son and his friend enjoyed the Pod Race sequence from Episode I in Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.

My parents took me to see the original Star Wars (now known as Episode IV: A New Hope) in the summer of 1977. I’ve been a die hard fan of the franchise ever since. As far as the new trilogy (Episodes I-III), one scene has been the source of more videogame content than any other. The Pod Race sequence from Episode I. I own the original Star Wars Episode I Racer for the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and Star Wars Racer Revenge for the PlayStation 2. I even own Star Wars Super Bombad Racing thanks to a friend who was working at LucasArts during the development of the title. Though each of these is a fairly kid-friendly title based on this part of the film, Lego Star Wars offers a simplified, yet fun re-interpretation.

There’s no question that if you’re looking for more advanced gameplay and a more strategic experience, the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 incarnations of Racer offer much more depth. However, for a kid-friendly dose of speed-based-fun, the simplified version offered in Lego Star Wars is sublime. And keep in mind that it is one level of a larger adventure. Often children can get a little bored with repetitive gameplay (as offered in the racer games themselves). The variation in these comes from unlocking different tracks and characters, but the primary experience is the same: go as fast as you can and avoid all obstacles. The Lego Star Wars games offer platforming, shooting, simplified puzzle-solving, and flying sequences in addition to the Pod Racing. So there’s less of a chance for your child to get bored with one aspect of the game. And even if he/she does, plenty of genres are represented for other gameplay options.

Enjoy!

I have two more friends who have added PS3s to their household as of this holiday season and, in both cases, they were shocked that they cannot enjoy any titles from their PS2 libraries on their new consoles.

Granted, if we step back a few years backward compatibility was never a given. We couldn’t play original NES cartridges on our Super Nintendo systems. And neither of those would fit our N64s. In the case of Sega’s Genesis, we had the option to buy a Power Base Converter to play Sega Master System Games. And in spite of the popularity of the original Atari 2600, it wasn’t the follow-up 5200, but the eventual release of the 7800 that finally allowed the player to enjoy backward compatibility with their old VCS cartridges.

The two big obstacles in providing backward compatibility are cost and size. In the case of these older cartridge-based systems, creating a separate port into which one can plug a cartridge is both expensive and drastically increases the size of the system. Selling an adapter (like the Power Base Converter) provides an option that lets the end user pay for the additional hardware and keeps the access through a single slot.

However, these days our current generation of consoles no longer use cartridges. They use a standard disc format. If we take a cue from the evolution of the media disc, we see backward compatibility as a standard. For example, a DVD player can play audio CDs. A Blu-ray player can play DVDs and audio CDs. Heck, the now-abandoned HD-DVD format went so far as to put standard DVD content on one side of a disc while putting the HD-DVD content on the other. As media consumers, we build libraries and we don’t want our investments to appear worthless. With this in mind, let’s look at the current generation of consoles…

Of the current systems, the PlayStation brand has the longest history of using disc-based media. The original PlayStation used a CD to house the game content. The PlayStation 2 used both CDs (for smaller games) and DVDs (for larger titles). And the PlayStation 3 uses Blu-ray (or digital download from the PlayStation Store) for title distribution. The PlayStation 2 was backward compatible with the original PlayStation. The PlayStation 3 is also backward compatible with the PlayStation. However, only a handful of PS3 systems are backward compatible with the PS2 library. Through their communication Sony has conveyed that they believe that backward-compatibility was more of a transition tool for early adopters to make sure that they could play games on the new system until the PlayStation 3 library became viable in and of itself.

The original two PS3 systems (the 20Gb and the 60Gb) had built-in hardware compatibility with PS2 games. They included the emotion engine chipset which ran the games themselves. Though there were some initial challenges in the way the new upscaling video chipset handled the older content, these problems were resolved with subsequent firmware upgrades and now these first generation PS3s are coveted. Since these launch systems, the 80Gb system is the only other PS3 that can play PS2 games and it handles this via software emulation. This fact begs the question, “Why can’t Sony make a downloadable emulator for the current PS3 systems to enable them to play PS2 games?” Until they wake up and smell the opportunity to increase their market share, we’ll have to hit Ebay and used game stores to find the older systems.

Since not every game plays flawlessly on the PS3, Sony created THIS PAGE that searches a database and lists any potential problems with certain titles on backward compatible systems.

As for emulation, this was the Microsoft approach from day one. Though they announced that the Xbox 360 would be backward compatible with the original Xbox before launch, it wasn’t until the system arrived that we understood what they meant. In fact, as frustrated as many have been with Sony’s approach, the Microsoft backward compatibility plan can be even more disappointing. On the plus side, if you have an Xbox game that you want to play on your 360, it won’t matter which version of the 360 you own. However, you may find that the game you want to play is not supported at all. For example, if you want to play the Xbox version of Beyond Good and Evil (one of my favorite titles from the last generation) you better find an original Xbox. In fact, before you assume that something will play on your 360, you should check THIS LIST. Also, just because a game makes the list doesn’t mean that it is without it’s own glitches. Check out THIS LIST for possible problems.

What I find particularly disappointing about Microsoft’s lack of proper backward compatibility is that the original Xbox was arguably the most advanced console of the previous generation and many of the titles that were released on all platforms looked best on the Xbox. For example, the Xbox version of Soul Calibur II is the only incarnation that runs at 720p. Fortunately, this is one of the titles that is supported on the 360. Unfortunately, the controller vibration does not function.

Then we come to the Wii. Lately Nintendo has made some very wise decisions and this console has quite a bit going for it. First, the Wii’s backward compatibility is the best of the current generation of consoles. This is even better than it sounds because there are a number of brilliant titles that came out on the Gamecube that were never fully appreciated because the system didn’t compete as well with the Xbox and PS2. Also, many of these titles were designed to take advantage of 480p resolution (although the Gamecube component cable that allowed players to experience this was downright elusive). This means that in many cases, they look every bit as good as the current generation Wii games. To take backward compatibility even one step further, the Wii is the only current generation system that can use it’s predecessor’s controllers. In fact, I heartily recommend hunting down a used Wavebird over the current Classic Controller any day of the week.

On the portable front, Nintendo has always understood the value of backward compatibility. However, their most recent handheld has cut the cord with some of the ongoing legacy support. The original GameBoy line had an impressive history of building a living library for the system. Games for the GameBoy worked on the GameBoy Pocket, GameBoy Color, and even the GameBoy Advance. As for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo made it clear that this was not a “GameBoy” product. However, the system included a second slot so that it could still play GameBoy Advance titles. Considering the robust library for that system alone, this is a worthwhile addition.

However, unlike the original DS and the DS Lite, Nintendo is on the verge of releasing a new incarnation of the DS called the DSi. It has some benefits including a built-in camera and larger screens. However, they are removing the GBA slot, thus eliminating the backward compatibility of the system. (Oh, so close!)

In Conclusion
It appears that most of the current console manufacturers see backward compatibility as a less-crucial feature on their systems that can be eliminated once they have a large enough library available on their current platform. (I hope that Nintendo doesn’t release a version of the Wii that follows in the footsteps of the DSi.) As players we recognize the value of our investment in our libraries. As parents, we know how much we’ve spent on games for our kids over the years and the ability for our kids to still enjoy them years later has value. (I still recommend the Gamecube version of Mario Kart!)

At the same time, we have to recognize that the manufacturers are in the business of making money. They don’t make much if we spend more time playing older games or buying used copies of Halo 1 and 2. Furthermore, with the virtual marketplaces that the big three have for their current consoles, it’s obvious that they are recognizing the opportunity to re-sell older titles through new channels. It’s harder for Sony to sell a downloadable version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night if you can just buy the original disc from a friend and pop it in the PS3. I only hope that we can find a balance in this situation. As gaming parents, I want us all to be able to enjoy these older titles with our families, but not at the expense of destroying the business model of the companies who create these systems in the first place.

Lego Star Wars is nothing new. In fact, the complete Saga (first and second trilogy) is nothing new either. However, for parents who are looking for a kid-friendly title after the holidays, it’s hard to beat this one for sheer fun and replay value. And speaking of value, the current $19.99 price (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and NDS) makes this title hard to resist!

I picked this up at a local GameStop this past weekend and my son and I played through the first three chapters of Episode I. I couldn’t tell who enjoyed it more – him or me! The version that we played (PS3) has co-op 2-player local and online. This is great for a parent/child team-up. It gives your kids a chance to explore a little while you try to protect them (kinda like our daily job as parents). Another great thing about the game is that even though it provides a bit of a visceral experience (light sabers and blasters), all of the characters in the game are made of Lego. This keeps the violence toned down and when a character is down for the count, he or she simply turns into a pile of Lego bricks. No blood. No guts.

The title has quite a bit of variety too. You play different chapters as different characters and while the default mode of the game is 3-D action platforming and exploration, there are flying and combat levels too. Also, the sense of humor in this title is really quite clever. Many of the jokes were lost on my son who has yet to see the films. However, as a lifelong fan, I was chuckling the whole time. Check out the clip from GameTrailers for an idea of the experience:

The game can be played in single-player mode and characters can be switched on-the-fly to use special skills, but the real fun comes from playing with a teammate. I know that my son hopes to put in more time this coming weekend. (Between you and me, I do too!)

I remember my parents previewing the original Star Wars (known now as “Episode IV: A New Hope”) back in the summer of 1977 to see if they thought that it would be appropriate fare for my brother (9) and me (11). Ironically, we were at home hiding under the covers because we had been watching the 1953 War of the Worlds. (Man, those aliens were creepy!) As it is, the PG rating seems overprotective for what most see these days. Yet, my parents wanted to be sure.

Fast-forward 31 years and we are looking at a videogame that has gotten a unique George Lucas seal of approval. This title is the official bridge between Episode III and Episode IV. Granted, depending on your choice at the final battle, you can experience either the canon or non-canon ending. But my real question as I was playing it was, “What would my parents have thought?” Honestly, this title is much darker than any of the original trilogy. Episode IV-VI feel much more innocent as they tell the story of Luke Skywalker. Whereas the newer trilogy (especially Episode II-III) have a much more sinister quality in that they document the tragic fall of his father Anakin.

But Force Unleashed tells the story of a boy who Darth Vader turns to the dark side of the Force after killing his father. Even the premise begins darker. As you play this character, you are responsible for slaying Jedi Knights and, in one level, you are expected to kill virtually everyone with whom you come in contact (enemies and allies alike) to eliminate surviving witnesses. Now don’t get me wrong – I really enjoyed the game. However, it is not the story that my parents would have taken my brother and me to see back in the Summer of 1977.

I have had a chance to play the demo for the PlayStation 3 and it is gorgeous. The PSP version is very impressive considering the capabilities of the handheld in comparison. I’ve seen the Xbox 360 version and it appears to be every bit as beautiful as the PS3 version and the Nintendo DS iteration seems to be on par with the PSP. I hear that the Wii takes advantage of the Wiimote for lightsaber control (how cool is that?!?!). I have never played a Star Wars game in which I felt more like a Jedi (or a Sith) than in this title. Sure, the camera can get a little squirrelly and the targeting is less than perfect. However, the immersive experience and the sense of awe that you will have at the power of the dark side is downright intoxicating.

Yet, I must say that the ESRB Teen rating for this is appropriate. This rating expects the player to be at least 13 years of age and considering the lack of respect for human life and the protagonist’s questionable ethical foundation, I would not necessarily want this anti-hero to be a role model for a young child. His actions could be perceived as too exhilarating when, in fact, they are driven by evil and manipulative purposes.

In classic Lucas form, the opportunity for redemption becomes available in the end. However, by that point, I question whether or not the player can be redeemed. I know that after 15 or so hours of playing this character and using the Force Choke and the Force Lightning (both non-Jedi Force powers), I don’t know to what extent I would want to cease using the power of the Force as an offensive tool.

All in all, it’s an excellent story that reveals some interesting information about the time that passes between the two trilogies. I would not recommend it for the younger children. But for the teens and older in your household, it is quite a ride. I also believe that this could provide an excellent discussion tool for ethical decisions for those middle schoolers and high schoolers in your family.

May the Force be with you.

“I Love Pokemon!” 

I am a media consumer and so are my children. There – I said it. My kids watch television, enjoy movies, and even play games. Having said that, they also enjoy drawing, finger-paints, Lock Blocks, Exo-Bonz, and anything that you can do with a ball. We try to use moderation. Yet, Saturday mornings are an exception.

Long before I discovered that Saturday mornings were invented to sleep in after hanging out with your friends on Friday night, I used to relish the Saturday morning cartoon brigade. I have fond childhood memories of getting up as early as I could to watch Scooby Doo: Where Are You? Yes – the original. I’m that old. Well my son has his favorites and the commercials are just as devious now as they were when we were young. I had the opportunity of witnessing the impact this weekend.

Yesterday we were at a local soccer park for a birthday party. Kids were running as fast as they could in every direction (and occasionally toward the ball) and it was a workout for all. During the break when the kids got to replenish their energy with a the ever healthy mega dose of sugar (cupcakes with a layer of diabetic-shock inducing icing), my son saw another child playing with a Nintendo DS. He had never seen one in person, but thanks to the ever-so-helpful Saturday morning brainwashing, I heard the following comment erupt from his mouth, “Wow, that’s Pokemon! Pokemon is so cool! I love Pokemon!”

As it turned out, the child was, indeed, playing the current Pokemon title on the DS (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time). It’s not that I have a problem with my children enjoying games. I don’t even mind them begging for them. I understand. Granted, it can be a bit trying at times, but it’s part of life. However, my son had never played a Pokemon game. He has never played a handheld game. He has never seen the Pokemon television series. Yet, thanks to the wonders of targeted marketing, he knows that he loves Pokemon and that it is cool.

Honestly, the Pokemon titles are a good choice for kids. They involve a sense of justice and fair play and provide opportunities to develop good problem-solving skills. I don’t have reservations about the franchise. But it is a bit unsettling to witness the power of the Saturday morning commercial in effect. As with all things, this provides an opportunity for discussion. I wish you all the best with this and I recommend practicing the fine art of diversion. I believe that my response yesterday was, “That’s pretty cool, son, and – HEY there goes the ball!”

Before I get sidetracked again, we present our lists. They are in ESRB rating order (lowest to highest) per system and alphabetical within the rating group. Enjoy!

Microsoft Xbox 360

• (E) Beautiful Katamari
• (E) Forza Motorsport 2
• (E) Geometry Wars
• (E) Project Gotham Racing 4
• (E) Viva Piñata
• (T) Guitar Hero 3
• (M) Assassin’s Creed
• (M) Call of Duty 4
• (M) Halo 3
• (M) Mass Effect

Nintendo Wii

• (E) Excite Truck
• (E) Mario Strikers Charged
• (E) Super Mario Galaxy
• (E) Super Paper Mario
• (E) WarioWare: Smooth Moves
• (E) Zack & Wiki:
  Quest of Barbaros’ Treasure
• (E10+) Rayman Raving Rabbids
• (T) Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• (T) Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
• (M) Resident Evil 4

Sony PlayStation 3

• (E) Everyday Shooter
• (E) Flow
• (E10+) Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• (T) Eye of Judgment
• (T) Guitar Hero 3
• (T) Ratchet and Clank Future:
  Tools of Destruction
• (T) Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
• (M) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• (M) The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles
• (M) The Orange Box

Sony PlayStation 2

• (E) Lumines Plus
• (E10+) Burnout Dominator
• (E10+) GrimGrimoire
• (E10+) Puzzle Quest:
  Challenge of the Warlords
• (T) Dragon Ball Z:
  Budokai Tenkaichi 3
• (T) Final Fantasy XII
• (T) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
• (T) Metal Slug Anthology
• (T) Rogue Galaxy
• (M) God of War II

Nintendo DS

• (E) Brain Age 2
• (E) Kirby Canvas Curse
• (E) Legend of Zelda:
  Phantom Hourglass
• (E) Mario Kart DS
• (E) Meteos
• (E) New Super Mario Bros.
• (E) Pokemon Diamond/Pearl
• (E) Super Mario 64 DS
• (E10+) Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
• (T) Metroid Prime Hunters

Sony PlayStation Portable

• (E10+) Crush
• (E10+) Daxter
• (E10+) Lumines II
• (E10+) Puzzle Quest:
  Challenge of the Warlords
• (E10+) Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters
• (T) Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
• (T) Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness
• (T) Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
• (T) Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow
• (M) Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus

Nintendo of America set a new record last week according to this article at gameindustry.biz. During the Thanksgiving week (including Black Friday) over 653,000 Nintendo DS systems were sold and 350,000 Wiis flew off the shelves as well. This is over one million game systems by one company in a single week! In this related article on their site, gameindustry.biz noted that more than 310,000 Xbox 360s and roughly 150,000 PlayStation 3s were sold during this same time period.

What makes this information valuable to us as parents is that getting a new game system for the family this holiday season is now difficult and it’s only going to get worse. This is usually the case during a launch year, but the 360 launched two years ago, the DS lite came out in June of 2006, and the Wii and PS3 came out for last year’s holiday season. The release of the Xbox 360 Elite and the new price slashes on the PS3 have kept interest high on these systems. However, Nintendo has really regained their dominant position in the gaming world with the DS and the Wii.

Since the introduction of the original GameBoy, Nintendo has always had the most successful handheld platform on the planet. The introduction of the GameBoy Color and GameBoy Advance continued that trend. But the DS has tapped into a market similar to the Wii where people are interested in alternative ways of interfacing with the technology. Further proof of their success with this approach is confirmed by the fact that retailers have found it difficult to keep the Wii in stock ever since its launch.

I’m personally delighted to see such interest in these systems, but I can only hope that parents are approaching these purchases reflectively and plan to use these as gifts for the family that can inspire opportunities to bond and relate on yet another level.

Keep an eye here for our upcoming vodcast and our follow-up articles offering our gaming recommendations for this year!