The Season’s Top Sports Games

So I’m sitting at the Helen Hayes Theater, listening to ventriloquist Jay Johnson weave his life story into 90 minutes in the sometimes magical “The Two And Only.” What’s important about Johnson is not only that he’s one of the last of a dying breed of voice-throwers. What’s important is the fact that you suspend disbelief, feeling that there are two or more characters on the stage at the same time. You even feel that a tennis ball is a real, feeling human. I’m not saying you feel like a ventriloquist when you play a video game. What I am saying is that you feel like a multitude of characters when you play: from Mario to Shaq. I have no idea what these thousands of personalities have done to my paranoid mind. But I do know that when I play one of the better sports games below, I feel like a thick legged hockey player or an eagle-eyed basketball player. I ain’t makin’ the millions, though, that’s for sure. Then again, I don’t have LeBron’s elbow in my nearsighted eye when trying to make a shot under the basket.

NBA 2K7 (2K Sports)—There are three companies vying for your console dollar this year. I choose NBA 2K7 because of the sheer variety of moves, the outstanding graphics where you can see the players sweat and react, the many modes of play and the ever-smarter artificial intelligence. But some new moves can get you down occasionally—especially when it come to free throws, which are hard to master. And they’ve got to pep up the boring and occasionally mistake-filled banter by the announcers. Aside from these errors, NBA 2K7 has it down and is the one to buy. The bonus? The online play is almost seamless with very little lag time.

NBA 07 (Sony)—If you’re looking for a basketball game to take along with you on your travels, give NBA 07 a try this year. Not only is the gameplay superior on the little wide screen, there are carnival-like mini games to help you hone your skills, and make you smile. Be aware that the Artificial Intelligence is very tough on you, maybe too tough when you play against the computer for a full season. It’s better to wage war against your pals in the Wi-Fi mode.

NHL 07 (EA)—No hockey game is going to make you feel as though you’re playing on real ice. Yet NHL 07 comes pretty darn close on your gaming console. Why? The new controller system gives you the heady feeling that you’re getting a real skating workout. Your right analog stick gives you so much control over shooting and skating that you’ll get an ego and think you’re the next Gretzky. While this is truly an amazing step forward for hockey games, there’s a problem. The rest of the game isn’t that much improved over last year’s offering. It needs to feel newer, spicier. Still, you won’t get any better than this when it comes to a hockey game for your console.

NHL 07 (EA)—If you’re a PSP fan, you’ll also be happy with the depth of NHL 07. I have a hard time using the PSP’s controller stick because it can be imprecise. But this game packs much of the console game into its smaller UMD disk. Not only will you play electrifying hockey against the PSP, you’ll also be able to manage your team with precision. Be warned that the online play with friends is fairly choppy, however.

NASCAR 07 (EA)—While there are some forward-thinking improvements to Electronic Arts’ NASCAR franchise this year, there really isn’t enough in these offerings for the old Xbox and PlayStation 2 to satisfy the eager racer in you. Sure, you’ve got driving that often feels fast and accurate. And you have to love the career mode in which you start out as a naïve racer with stars in your eyes. You work hard to compete and climb the rungs of the NASCAR ladder. But the graphics and gameplay don’t seem substantially different from last year’s model. You’ll wish the company had waited a year and created a really amazing NASCAR for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Nintendo DS Roundup

On Sunday, I sat on a barstool whose leather was cut up by a pocket knife. I was in Buffalo, drinking and getting drunk on trashy Mike’s Hard Lime-aritas while watching the hapless Buffalo Bills get beaten by the marginally better New York Jets. When it became clear that the Bills would lose the game, the rueful fans began smoking cigarettes. Suddenly, someone set off a smoke bomb. Then, a pack of extraordinarily noisy firecrackers were tossed on the dance floor. If the home team had won, there would have been bottle rockets, according to one tipsy fan. I love Buffalo.

Strangely, it all reminded me of some of the better Nintendo DS games of the season. (I know, I should get out more: but I was trying by traveling to the dive bar). DS games are a lot like fireworks. They explode with lurid color and momentary excitement, the same kind you get when exploding a firecracker. So herewith is a look at some of the better video game fireworks for the DS this season.

MARIO VS. DONKEY KONG 2 (Nintendo)—The backdrop for this game is an exciting opening day for the Super Mini Mario World theme park. But Donkey Kong, that nefarious ape, has absconded with the pretty Pauline, the park’s guest of honor. Here you’ll use your DS touchscreen and stylus to control a small army of tiny Mario toys to rescue the damsel in distress. The bonus I like the best? You can create your own game levels and send them to your friends via the DS’ Wi-Fi capabilities.

COOKING MAMA (Majesco)—Forget Rachel Ray. If you’re into taking the kitchen by storm, check out Cooking Mama. In the game, the stylus is your knife, your fork, your blender—everything you need to create the cool recipes from Mama. Thing is, the recipes get pretty hard, just as recipes in real life do. (Ever try to make a lobster bisque? Darn thing will take you all day.) Cooking Mama won’t require all day sessions for your virtual victuals, but with 76 recipes to make, you’ll be playing the game for quite some time. Want to kick it up a notch? You can share your recipes with four others like-minded culinary contestants. You can even use your DS microphone to cool down food that’s hot from the oven.

MECHASSAULT PHANTOM WAR (Majesco) One of the ever present trends in video games is giant robots that shoot and blow things up. Can you have a blast with such a game on the smaller DS screen? Yes and no. While the variety of Mechs make you feel like a master of this 32nd century universe and the interface is easy to use, the gameplay isn’t all that on the small screen. Nor are the graphics.

MEGA MAN ZX (Capcom) Mega Man has been around since the game industry was in its infancy back in 1987. This particular iteration has beautifully drawn backgrounds mixed with the old side scrolling style that made the sci-fi hero-warrior popular back in the day. Here, you’re a human using various robotic suits to accomplish missions and restore peace to your particular universe. The play takes some getting used to and you don’t use the touchscreen very much. However, if you want a challenging game based on some rich video game history, give ZX a shot.

MARIO HOOPS 3 ON 3 (Nintendo) This is basketball Nintendo style, and that means it plays fast, humorously, and magically. Many of the Nintendo characters, including Princess Peach and Bowser, duke it out on the courts with crazy dribbling and powerups that would amaze the likes of Shaq or LeBron. The cool extra? You’ll run into characters from everyone’s favorite role playing game, Final Fantasy. You can play wirelessly, too, and enjoy a load of minigames.

Okami

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Clover Studio

Ukiyo-e, for the uninitiated among you, means ‘pictures of the floating world’ in Japanese. It’s a name given to a kind of ethereal Japanese woodblock print which gained popularity in Edo (Tokyo) as far back as the early 1600s. In the book, Masterpieces of Japanese Prints, Richard Lane writes that it was from traditional schools of Japanese art that ukiyo-e, “acquired its basic themes, its lovely and harmonious coloring, its sinuous, supple line, and its emphasis on the dramatic relationship between figures.”

OK, this ain’t no art class, but ukiyo-e and its celebration of the earthly spirit, the underworld, and the heavens, is part of what makes OKAMI one of the year’s best games. Okami, the new action/adventure game from Capcom, is one of the most beautifully rendered games of the 2006. Because of its attention to Japanese myth, ground-breaking game play and graphics reminiscent of Asian ink painting on rice paper, it’s in a class by itself.

In Okami, you’re Amaterasu, a sun god who’s returned to earth and has taken the form of a snow white wolf. Your mission is to stop the huge and monstrous Orochi, who has unleashed a kind of apocalypse upon the peaceful world of Nippon (Japan). Even as you move through the first level of Okami, you’ll marvel at its beauty and shudder at its monsters.

In Okami, you’re no hack-and-slash swordsman, killing willy nilly to progress in the game. What you’ll really become early on is a kind of artist of the gods. You’ll meet a small god and companion called Issun, a bug who’ll teach you how to employ your PlayStation 2 controller’s left stick as a brush. You’ll be informed that there are 13 gods of the brush, and as you move through these starry worlds, you’ll become adept at using the them.

Sometimes, you’ll draw a river to help you pass through a stream. At other times, you’ll use the brush as a sword to kill demons in your path. I guess that’s why they call the thing a Mystic Celestial Brush. Down the line, you can make a swirling motion to draw the wind, or call up lightning by making a zig zag with the controller stick. Since you have to work at it rather than simply pressing one button, you really do feel as though the elements of wind and fire are in your hands.

Unlike the Greek and Roman myths, the Japanese myths are still new and mysterious to me. As I played the game, I ate up the stories of cherry trees which are gods, and even the tale of Orochi, who has many heads like the Hydra, the multi-headed serpent so popular in Greek myth. Okami is completely rich with stories, so much so that I felt like a kid again, having fables read to me by my mother as I sat wide-eyed. As though you’re under a spell, you’ll feel that child-like sense of wonder throughout the 40 hours of game play.

Even a game this rich, of course, isn’t perfect. You’ll get a little tired of pressing the ‘O’ button to read the words of people, animals, and gods who want to talk to your white wolf character. Sure, it’s a fact that when you read, you tend to remember more than when you hear words. Despite this, the constant button-pushing slows things down.

Some games are compelling as far as weapons and creative shooting goes. Some games have a rich story, but repetitive game play or below-par backgrounds. For the most part, Okami, has every base covered—down to the most minute detail. More importantly, Okami is a real triumph of art in gaming.

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

Publisher: LucasArts

Developer: Traveller’s Tales

As a nerdy college kid, I always enjoyed Crisis On Infinite Earths, the Marv Wolfman-penned comic book series that had DC superheroes team with Marvel superheroes. It was one of those rare crossovers that actually worked. What else other pop culture classics would would work? How about Lost meets The X Files or All In The Family meets Friends? Or how about Lego meets Star Wars? Think that wouldn’t work? Think again.

While the real buzz and hype of the Star Wars phenomenon has abated somewhat (there are no more movies, after all), there will always be Star Wars fans. To satiate those who will never get enough of Skywalker and Darth Vader, are you ready for . . . some Lego? You better be because the terribly cute, story-rich LEGO STAR WARS II: THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY hit stores earlier this week.

Hot on the heels of the mammoth success of Lego Star Wars which dealt with George Lucas’s prequel films, The Original Trilogy doesn’t stray from the formula which made the first offering so charming. That formula includes non-speaking, blocky characters which fight their way through the Star Wars universe like real warriors. Why does it work? You just don’t expect sweet, little Lego dolls to have the bravery, the courage, the unflinching focus that comes with having “The Force” within you.

Yet the characters put on faces of grim determination and fight for the frontiers of outer space in fine sci-fi style. And for little blocky figures, they sure do have a lot of moves, weapons and ways to fight. Here’s the deal. You’ve got three stories, one for each of the first three Star Wars movies. Each story has six stages which faithfully follow and sometimes enhance the films’ stories. Follow these stages through to conclusion once and you’ll unlock new characters which will allow you to replay the game in Free Mode (playing the stage with any character you choose). There are a wide variety of Star Wars ships to pilot, too, making you the captain of your space-filled domain. But there’s more, too. You can create your own Lego Star Wars character using, say, the head of Yoda and the body of Vader. The delight and humor you’ll find in simply trading body parts in and out is one of the prime reasons to play the game.

There are a few caveats, however. Going through the game the first time is pretty quick. Also, it’s fairly easy: your Lego never really dies. Also, if you’re thinking of buying the Xbox 360 version for an extra $10, think twice. While you’ll be able to get marginally better graphics and download some cool stuff via broadband, there is no online play.

However, the console games, including the 360 version, are all tons of fun. And the handheld games offer their own particular cachet as well. The PSP version lets you play the hardest levels from Lego Star Wars I and does sport the PSP’s wireless coop mode. Even the Gameboy Advance version lets you play as 36 different characters with graphics that are pretty darn excellent.

So what do the game developers do now that they’ve finished the Stars Wars stories? Reportedly, they’re going to do a Lego Batman video game. The story of Batman and Bruce Wayne is a dark and mysterious one, darker than Star Wars. So that’s a true challenge. But I can’t wait to see what they do with those crazy, seminal comic book villains, The Penguin and The Joker.

LocoRoco

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment

Remember that over the top fat suit Gwyneth Paltrow wore in Shallow Hal? The excess of rubberized adipose made her appear onscreen as a mountain of a woman who, if she fell, looked like she could bounce high as a Superball. The thing about the suit was that, sure, it was gross, but it was also kind of adorable (there was heart and soul in them thar hills). The fat suit reminded me of these in-game globules that look like they’re wearing a fat suit after they gorge themselves.

Called LOCOROCO, the globule-filled game is a much-touted, highly anticipated offering. More often than not, a game doesn’t live up to the hype that precedes its release. Look at The Matrix (a real money pit) or even last year’s disappointing Madden 06. That’s not the case with a small game called LocoRoco for Sony’s PSP. The hype began with drooling bloggers almost a year ago. Phrases like “sleeper hit” were bandied about constantly. Early game art looked a little like the Nintendo DS’ Mario games in their simplicity. LocoRoco” graphics were intentionally childish, reminding me of one of the greatest games ever for the old PlayStation, the rhythm-based Parappa The Rapper with its first grader-like cutout 2D figures.

So what is LocoRoco? First off, it’s a simple cartoon-like game. You press the right and left buttons at the top of your PSP to play the game. With the occasional pressing of the ‘O’ button, that’s all you need to play LocoRoco. Believe me, kids won’t be able to get enough of it. Adults won’t be able to put it down, either.

I know that’s a grand statement, especially since I usually don’t rave about games, even the ones I really like. But the allure for LocoRoco is manifold. LocoRoco are cute, bulbous, smiley creatures that sing ultra-catchy pop songs. They shake when they move like the element mercury. They’re so adorable, you want to hug them—even if you’re not predisposed to such emotion. They’re also so cute you don’t want to see them die, which is why you keep playing: to get them safely to the end of each level without perishing.

None of this would be worth a plug nickel if the game play weren’t so intensely compelling and challenging. Immediately in the first level, you’re placed into a strange world full of twists and turns, mountains and hills and moons and suns. You’ve got to move your LocoRoco up and down these crazy paths. This becomes increasingly difficult because the LocoRoco needs to feed and gets fatter and fatter. To try to get your portly creature up a big hill, you’ll find yourself turning and twisting the PSP as if it had a gyroscope inside. But it has no such machine. You just have to be supremely accurate with your pressing of the buttons.

Hills aren’t the only danger in LocoRoco. If he runs into prickly plants or evil inkblot spiders called mojas, he’ll come apart like Humpty Dumpty into many tiny LocoRoco. That’s when you press the ‘O’ button, to put Humpty Dumpty, er, LocoRoco back together again. You quest is to find all the LocoRoco in each level, which isn’t easy because they’re hidden in caves, grottoes or even underneath the ground.

There’s also a beauty to the simple graphics. Often, you’ll be shot like a rocket through nooks and crevasses and up high into starry space. You’ll feed as you go on flowers and such. But you’ll also get fatter and fatter. Yet that’s the goal. This is an Adkins Diet Free Zone. So pig out.

Simple and challenging really is the grail in most video games. It’s rare that the two come together, so uncommon it’s like a sighting of the mola mola, a huge, strange ocean sun fish in the Atlantic’s coastal waters. Such a sighting is a feast for the eyes and a big deal for marine biologists. The release of LocoRoco is also a big deal. It’s not only a new debut for Sony (which is often too dependent on its franchises). “It’s one of the best games of the year.”

Okami

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Clover Studio

Ukiyo-e, for the uninitiated among you, means ‘pictures of the floating world’ in Japanese. It’s a name given to a kind of ethereal Japanese woodblock print which gained popularity in Edo (Tokyo) as far back as the early 1600s. In the book, Masterpieces of Japanese Prints, Richard Lane writes that it was from traditional schools of Japanese art that ukiyo-e, “acquired its basic themes, its lovely and harmonious coloring, its sinuous, supple line, and its emphasis on the dramatic relationship between figures.”

OK, this ain’t no art class, but ukiyo-e and its celebration of the earthly spirit, the underworld, and the heavens, is part of what makes OKAMI one of the year’s best games. Okami, the new action/adventure game from Capcom, is one of the most beautifully rendered games of the 2006. Because of its attention to Japanese myth, ground-breaking game play and graphics reminiscent of Asian ink painting on rice paper, it’s in a class by itself.

In Okami, you’re Amaterasu, a sun god who’s returned to earth and has taken the form of a snow white wolf. Your mission is to stop the huge and monstrous Orochi, who has unleashed a kind of apocalypse upon the peaceful world of Nippon (Japan). Even as you move through the first level of Okami, you’ll marvel at its beauty and shudder at its monsters.

In Okami, you’re no hack-and-slash swordsman, killing willy nilly to progress in the game. What you’ll really become early on is a kind of artist of the gods. You’ll meet a small god and companion called Issun, a bug who’ll teach you how to employ your PlayStation 2 controller’s left stick as a brush. You’ll be informed that there are 13 gods of the brush, and as you move through these starry worlds, you’ll become adept at using the them.

Sometimes, you’ll draw a river to help you pass through a stream. At other times, you’ll use the brush as a sword to kill demons in your path. I guess that’s why they call the thing a Mystic Celestial Brush. Down the line, you can make a swirling motion to draw the wind, or call up lightning by making a zig zag with the controller stick. Since you have to work at it rather than simply pressing one button, you really do feel as though the elements of wind and fire are in your hands.

Unlike the Greek and Roman myths, the Japanese myths are still new and mysterious to me. As I played the game, I ate up the stories of cherry trees which are gods, and even the tale of Orochi, who has many heads like the Hydra, the multi-headed serpent so popular in Greek myth. Okami is completely rich with stories, so much so that I felt like a kid again, having fables read to me by my mother as I sat wide-eyed. As though you’re under a spell, you’ll feel that child-like sense of wonder throughout the 40 hours of game play.

Even a game this rich, of course, isn’t perfect. You’ll get a little tired of pressing the ‘O’ button to read the words of people, animals, and gods who want to talk to your white wolf character. Sure, it’s a fact that when you read, you tend to remember more than when you hear words. Despite this, the constant button-pushing slows things down.

Some games are compelling as far as weapons and creative shooting goes. Some games have a rich story, but repetitive game play or below-par backgrounds. For the most part, Okami, has every base covered—down to the most minute detail. More importantly, Okami is a real triumph of art in gaming.

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

Publisher: LucasArts

Developer: Traveller’s Tales

As a nerdy college kid, I always enjoyed Crisis On Infinite Earths, the Marv Wolfman-penned comic book series that had DC superheroes team with Marvel superheroes. It was one of those rare crossovers that actually worked. What else other pop culture classics would would work? How about Lost meets The X Files or All In The Family meets Friends? Or how about Lego meets Star Wars? Think that wouldn’t work? Think again.

While the real buzz and hype of the Star Wars phenomenon has abated somewhat (there are no more movies, after all), there will always be Star Wars fans. To satiate those who will never get enough of Skywalker and Darth Vader, are you ready for . . . some Lego? You better be because the terribly cute, story-rich LEGO STAR WARS II: THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY hit stores earlier this week.

Hot on the heels of the mammoth success of Lego Star Wars which dealt with George Lucas’s prequel films, The Original Trilogy doesn’t stray from the formula which made the first offering so charming. That formula includes non-speaking, blocky characters which fight their way through the Star Wars universe like real warriors. Why does it work? You just don’t expect sweet, little Lego dolls to have the bravery, the courage, the unflinching focus that comes with having “The Force” within you.

Yet the characters put on faces of grim determination and fight for the frontiers of outer space in fine sci-fi style. And for little blocky figures, they sure do have a lot of moves, weapons and ways to fight. Here’s the deal. You’ve got three stories, one for each of the first three Star Wars movies. Each story has six stages which faithfully follow and sometimes enhance the films’ stories. Follow these stages through to conclusion once and you’ll unlock new characters which will allow you to replay the game in Free Mode (playing the stage with any character you choose). There are a wide variety of Star Wars ships to pilot, too, making you the captain of your space-filled domain. But there’s more, too. You can create your own Lego Star Wars character using, say, the head of Yoda and the body of Vader. The delight and humor you’ll find in simply trading body parts in and out is one of the prime reasons to play the game.

There are a few caveats, however. Going through the game the first time is pretty quick. Also, it’s fairly easy: your Lego never really dies. Also, if you’re thinking of buying the Xbox 360 version for an extra $10, think twice. While you’ll be able to get marginally better graphics and download some cool stuff via broadband, there is no online play.

However, the console games, including the 360 version, are all tons of fun. And the handheld games offer their own particular cachet as well. The PSP version lets you play the hardest levels from Lego Star Wars I and does sport the PSP’s wireless coop mode. Even the Gameboy Advance version lets you play as 36 different characters with graphics that are pretty darn excellent.

So what do the game developers do now that they’ve finished the Stars Wars stories? Reportedly, they’re going to do a Lego Batman video game. The story of Batman and Bruce Wayne is a dark and mysterious one, darker than Star Wars. So that’s a true challenge. But I can’t wait to see what they do with those crazy, seminal comic book villains, The Penguin and The Joker.

LocoRoco

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment

Remember that over the top fat suit Gwyneth Paltrow wore in Shallow Hal? The excess of rubberized adipose made her appear onscreen as a mountain of a woman who, if she fell, looked like she could bounce high as a Superball. The thing about the suit was that, sure, it was gross, but it was also kind of adorable (there was heart and soul in them thar hills). The fat suit reminded me of these in-game globules that look like they’re wearing a fat suit after they gorge themselves.

Called LOCOROCO, the globule-filled game is a much-touted, highly anticipated offering. More often than not, a game doesn’t live up to the hype that precedes its release. Look at The Matrix (a real money pit) or even last year’s disappointing Madden 06. That’s not the case with a small game called LocoRoco for Sony’s PSP. The hype began with drooling bloggers almost a year ago. Phrases like “sleeper hit” were bandied about constantly. Early game art looked a little like the Nintendo DS’ Mario games in their simplicity. LocoRoco” graphics were intentionally childish, reminding me of one of the greatest games ever for the old PlayStation, the rhythm-based Parappa The Rapper with its first grader-like cutout 2D figures.

So what is LocoRoco? First off, it’s a simple cartoon-like game. You press the right and left buttons at the top of your PSP to play the game. With the occasional pressing of the ‘O’ button, that’s all you need to play LocoRoco. Believe me, kids won’t be able to get enough of it. Adults won’t be able to put it down, either.

I know that’s a grand statement, especially since I usually don’t rave about games, even the ones I really like. But the allure for LocoRoco is manifold. LocoRoco are cute, bulbous, smiley creatures that sing ultra-catchy pop songs. They shake when they move like the element mercury. They’re so adorable, you want to hug them—even if you’re not predisposed to such emotion. They’re also so cute you don’t want to see them die, which is why you keep playing: to get them safely to the end of each level without perishing.

None of this would be worth a plug nickel if the game play weren’t so intensely compelling and challenging. Immediately in the first level, you’re placed into a strange world full of twists and turns, mountains and hills and moons and suns. You’ve got to move your LocoRoco up and down these crazy paths. This becomes increasingly difficult because the LocoRoco needs to feed and gets fatter and fatter. To try to get your portly creature up a big hill, you’ll find yourself turning and twisting the PSP as if it had a gyroscope inside. But it has no such machine. You just have to be supremely accurate with your pressing of the buttons.

Hills aren’t the only danger in LocoRoco. If he runs into prickly plants or evil inkblot spiders called mojas, he’ll come apart like Humpty Dumpty into many tiny LocoRoco. That’s when you press the ‘O’ button, to put Humpty Dumpty, er, LocoRoco back together again. You quest is to find all the LocoRoco in each level, which isn’t easy because they’re hidden in caves, grottoes or even underneath the ground.

There’s also a beauty to the simple graphics. Often, you’ll be shot like a rocket through nooks and crevasses and up high into starry space. You’ll feed as you go on flowers and such. But you’ll also get fatter and fatter. Yet that’s the goal. This is an Adkins Diet Free Zone. So pig out.

Simple and challenging really is the grail in most video games. It’s rare that the two come together, so uncommon it’s like a sighting of the mola mola, a huge, strange ocean sun fish in the Atlantic’s coastal waters. Such a sighting is a feast for the eyes and a big deal for marine biologists. The release of LocoRoco is also a big deal. It’s not only a new debut for Sony (which is often too dependent on its franchises). “It’s one of the best games of the year.”