GameTap Guide: The top five 'T' games of 2007

Friday, November 23, 2007

Rock Band

(GameTap.com) -- Once your kids reach the age of "cool," they're going to want to play Teen games. You'll find a little more violence, crude humor, and/or slightly more suggestive themes than there are in E games.

Rock Band may be expensive, but it is the ultimate party game for up to four people in the same room.

Some parents only permit their kids to play E rated games, while many find that most T-rated games are OK to play. (You'll notice that because so many games fit into this category, we included 10 not just five runnerup recommendations).

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (with guitar) (Music, PS2, $89.99; PS3, $99.99; Xbox 360, $99.99; Wii, $89.99)

Note: this games also ships without the new wireless Gibson Les Paul guitar for $49.99 on PS2 and $59.99 on all other consoles.

The third Guitar Hero in three years uses more tracks by the original artists, includes a wireless Gibson Les Paul guitar, has more modes of play, and was generally well received. It's still a great game. But fans many notice slight differences in timing, and the newly introduced boss battles aren't to everyone's tastes.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (First-person shooter, Wii, $49.99)

Utilizing the Wii's controls in the first-person shooter category with skillful precision and creativity, Nintendo arguably has created the best game in the Metroid series. Although it's a shooter, it's just as much an adventure game. Plus, you fight aliens, who spill green alien goop. There is neither sophomoric nor suggestive language.

Rock Band (Music, PS3, $159.99; Xbox 360, $159.99)

Electronic Arts' Guitar Hero spinoff (created by Harmonix, the original makers of Guitar Hero), Rock Band is a great big, expensive music videogame that will take up serious room in your house. It includes a drum kit, guitar, and microphone and includes 45 songs, many of which are performed by the original artists. It's enormous fun, but one must consider the physical room it requires; though it can be played solo, it's much more fun when three friends are present and willing.

The Simpsons Game (Action, DS, $29.99; PS2, $39.99; PS3, $59.99; PSP, $39.99; Xbox 360, $59.99; Wii, $49.99)

Electronic Arts' version of The Simpsons rotates between being funny, stupid, annoying, and great fun. Scores ranged from 6 to 8 out of 10, mostly based on occasionally annoying game design choices, but it's still an ideal parent-child game (provided you let your kids watch The Simpsons). Dialogue and jokes are drawn from the 17-year-old show, which at this point has become practically universal, so its humor is both silly and occasionally crude. One of its best features, however, is the two-player co-op functionality.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Action-adventure, PS3, $59.99)

One of Sony's standout exclusive games this year, Uncharted follows in the footsteps of games such as Tomb Raider, with its blend of action (shooting) and adventure--physical climbing, exploring, and secret-finding. The story is compelling, the controls are agreeable, and the graphics are appealing. However, this one does push the border in several areas, as it include head-snapping, a healthy amount of blood, zombies, and cursing. This one is clearly a teen-rated game in the true sense.

Other "T" recommendations:

Ace Combat 5 (Flight Sim, Xbox 360, $59.99)

Battalion Wars (Action-strategy, Wii, $49.99)

Heavenly Sword (Action, PS3, $59.99)

Naruto: Rise of the Ninja (Action, Xbox 360, $59.99)

Orcs and Elves (Role-playing, DS, $29.99)

Skate (Extreme sports, PS3, $59.99; Xbox 360, $59.99)

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (Action, PSP, $39.99)

Virtua Fighter 5 (Fighting, PS3, $39.99; Xbox 360, $59.99)

WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008 (Sports entertainment, DS, $29.99; PS2, $49.99; PS3, $59.99; PSP, $39.99) Xbox 360, $59.99; Wii, $49.99)

Eternal Sonata (Role-playing, Xbox 360, $59.99)


Source from: edition.cnn.com

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