Video Game Reviews by Jeb Haught

DEVELOPER: Genki Co., Ltd.

PUBLISHER: Disney Interactive Studios

SYSTEM: Nintendo Wii

PRICE: $49.99

ESRB RATING: E10-plus

REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Disney has managed to lure young gamers to their "Spectrobes" franchise by offering a "more mature" version of "Pokemon" with action RPG elements, and now the third installment drills its way onto the Nintendo Wii. Thanks to the new platform, "Spectrobes: Origins" is able to add true 3-D visuals, giant boss battles and a fun co-op mode to the already successful formula.

If you thought that "Spectrobes: Origins" is a prequel to the DS games, you would be mistaken. However, it does follow the same stars from the past games as they become lost in an unknown universe. Now Rallen and Jeena must fight the dastardly Krawl in a new land as they search for a way home, and along the way, they will uncover secrets from their own past.

With the move to true 3-D visuals on a much larger screen, this version displays much more detail, with both good and bad results. For example, the world is much more enjoyable to explore and combat has a faster pace, but the lackluster visual style also becomes more apparent. Haven't I seen these same animated characters before in a thousand Japanese TV shows?

Fortunately, the enjoyable game play makes up for the lack of originality. Promising monster trainers are tasked with collecting over 100 different Spectrobes that each sport their own abilities. Some are used to uncover valuable resources while others can be used to circumvent barriers, but most are used in combat. In addition, they can evolve to become even more powerful.

During combat, players use the Nunchuk to attack enemies with their trainer's wide variety of weaponry, while they control their Spectrobe with the Wiimote. Devastating combos can be initiated by simultaneously attacking with both characters, or the player can bounce their Spectrobe off of different enemies like a high-speed pinball while they focus on individual targets.

Thanks to the new additions and great use of the unique Wii controls, "Spectrobes: Origins" manages to make an enjoyable franchise even better.

Joining this Military Unit Requires a 'Section 8'

DEVELOPER: TimeGate Studios

PUBLISHER: SouthPeak

SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360 (PC)

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: stars 4 (out of 5)

Back in the day when futuristic "twitch" shooters dominated the gaming realm, a title called "Tribes" introduced jetpacks to first-person shooter combat.

This welcome addition completely changed the way shooters were played at that time by expanding each level upward. Now TimeGate Studios combines the fast-paced jetpack combat from the past with modern squad-based tactics and abilities to create their new series, "Section 8."

The single player mode follows the story of Corde, a new recruit in the United States Imperial Forces' infamous 8th Armored Infantry division, nicknamed Section 8. People said he was crazy for volunteering for this suicide squad, and they're probably right since Section 8 always faces unfavorable odds. Since the story levels are the same as the multiplayer levels, the single player mode is basically "boot camp" to familiarize players with the online mode.

New recruits don a suit of "powered armor," choose a weapon loadout and then burn-in to battle. Before deploying, however, players can customize the stats on their armor to boost their shield, add extra armor plating or even increase stability. Then it's time for an Orbital Burn-in, where the player is dropped high above the planet and races toward the surface. I love this feature. Landing far from battle isn't a problem because one press of a button activates "Overdrive," which puts the player into a super-fast run. It isn't possible to fire weapons during Overdrive, but it can add momentum to a jetpack jump. Speaking of which, this game fixes the problem of "difficult-to-hit-flying-targets" by offering a brief lock-on ability with a moderate recharge time. This gives players a better chance to finish off opponents or simply take out that annoying guy who's hopping around everywhere.

Tanks are also available to crush the enemy during battle, but they are frustratingly hard to control. However, I do like the ability to earn credits, which are used to deploy portable supply depots, sensor arrays and automated turrets.

In the end, "Section 8" combines a variety of established gaming principles with a few original ideas to create a rewarding online experience.

REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM

5 stars = Must Have

4 stars = Pretty Good

3 stars = Above Average

2 stars = Bargain Bin

1 star = Don't Bother

RATINGS KEY

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)

E: Everyone

E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)

T: Teen (13 and older)

M: Mature (17 and older)

Players can go to battle with a choice of weapons and a suit of "powered armor" in "Section 8." The game has special features, such as Orbital Burn-in and Overdrive. Photo courtesy of TimeGate Studios. (end caption2)

To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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