Today Activision and Cartoon Network announced that Generator Rex: Agent of Providence will be making its way to Nintendo handhelds, Wii, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360 this October.

From Cartoon Network:

“Generator Rex embodies the best of boys’ action: a conflict-driven storyline, aspirational characters and an arsenal of cool weapons and vehicles,” said Pete Yoder, Vice President, U.S. Consumer Products, Cartoon Network Enterprises. “Activision’s Generator Rex: Agent of Providence captures this non-stop excitement and is the perfect title to extend the brand to the vital interactive market.”

The upcoming game will be based on Cartoon Network’s animated series, Generator Rex. In Agent of Providence the video game, players will take control of Rex. Harnessing the nanites in his body, Rex is not only a teenager, he’s the ultimate weapon! Rex is in a race against time in the game, trying to prevent Van Kleiss and his minions from gaining untold powers that could be used to destroy the earth.

Villains (also known as E.V.O.s, Exponentially Variegated Organisms) are infected with nanites that mutate their hosts into malicious beasts. An organization named Providence was made to combat these villains with Rex’s help. Players will need to fight through the jungle, the increasing temperatures of the deserts, and the heart of metropolitan cities while looking for blueprints that are necessary to create bigger weapons that can be used in combat against the EVOs.

This game is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information, please visit Activision and Generator Rex.

Technorati Tags: Cartoon Network, Activision, ESRB, Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo, Generator Rex, Agents of Providence, Nanites, EVOs, Video Game, October

That being said, she loves Pogo. She plays Poppit for hours, along with their other games. I have been trying to find ways to help her learn more about the computer. In the meantime, she has gained wondrous mouse skills from playing all of those games. Recently, we were approached by EA Games about trying out Club Pogo, the paid monthly subscription service that EA/Pogo offers. To put it mildly, mom was ecstatic.

Actually, at first she wanted to know what the catch was (mom can be a bit of a skeptic). I told her there was no catch. She’d get one month of Club Pogo and all we would have to do is review the experience. She was excited about this, because she can be fairly hard to please. She thought (and I agreed) that she would be the perfect judge for this sort of thing.

The first thing she noticed was one of the things that make the added small monthly fee worth paying for, in my opinion. Club Pogo removes all of the ads that crop up on Pogo.com. For example, when you are waiting for the game window to load there are no advertisement banners. This is by far the best part of Club Pogo.

When mom used the non-paid Pogo she would often call me in asking if she really won $10,000 or a new vacuum or if this item or that could really do what it claimed. It reminds me of that scene in 12 Monkeys where Kathryn Railly has to remind suspected mental patient, James Cole that the commercial playing on the car radio isn’t actually a personal message to him. Not to say my mom is a mental patient, of course, but sometimes she reads too much of her screen for her own good.

There are several other features beyond the ability to block ads. A mini-mall is available to dress up your avatar. In the mall there is everything from backgrounds to outfits that you can choose to enhance your virtual character. Rather than actual money you can use gems to pay for the purchases in the mall. When you sign up for a paid membership you are given a certain amount of gems and then have to purchase more. You might be able to win more, though I am not positive about that. If you have to pay for more I don’t think this feature is even worth considering when it comes to buying a Club Pogo membership. However, if you can win the gems to enhance your avatar then I don’t see a problem with it.

Game Badge Challenges allow you to compete with friends and other users to win new game badges and you have a chance to win double the jackpots (something mom finds particularly worthwhile). The biggest draw beyond the ads though has to be the additional Club-Only games that are offered. We have included a list for you below:

Card Games: (Tri-Peaks Solitaire, World Class Solitaire, Canasta, Jungle Gin, Pogo Addiction Solitaire, Pinochle, Aces Up, Thousand Island Solitaire, Perfect Pair Solitaire)

Casino Games: (Monopoly Slots, Hog Heaven Slots, Lottso, Everyone Wins Bingo, Dice City Roller, Texas Hold’em Poker, KenoPop, Fortune Bingo, Casino Island Blackjack, Greenback Bayou)

Puzzle Games: (Phlinx, Mahjong Garden, Jigsaw Detective, Squelchies, Pop Fu, Penguin Blocks, Quick Quack, Makeover Madness, Stellar Sweeper, Crazy Cakes, Battle Phlinx, Harvest Mania, Wonderland Memories, PoppaZoppa, Beaker Creatures)

Word Games: (Word Whomp Whackdown, Qwerty, Word Search Daily, WordJong, Word Craft)

Board Games: (Super Dominoes, Blooop)

Arcade and Sports: (Shuffle Bump, Boardwalk Sea Ball)

If you sign up to Pogo as a new gamer you can get 14 days of Club Pogo free with 25,000 tokens. Whether or not you need Club Pogo will ultimately depend on how much you use Pogo and how much time you spend online gaming each week. If you find yourself playing a lot of games, Pogo gives you a good chance to play plenty of games, be part of a community, and maybe even win some pretty cool prizes. The cost of a membership is less than $10 per month and around $40 a year. All in all, if you spend a lot of time gaming and you’re sick of weeding through all the usual ads you see, this could be well worth the price you’ll pay to get rid of them.

Technorati Tags: Club Pogo, Games, Casual Games, Community, Arcade, Sports, Board Games, Cards, EA, Gems

The Zenses (Ocean and Rainforest) are similar in style and they both promote relaxation. Produced by Game Factory, a company known for producing enjoyable children and family titles for the DS and Nintendo consoles, Zenses fits right into the Game Factory theme. The goal is not to win as much as it is to let go and to take a few minutes just for you. Using a selection of games, some calming new age music, cute graphics, and a laid back atmosphere the Zenses games give you the chance to play a calm, thinking game rather than to get pumped up, like some games cause people to do. The result is quite different. It’s one that some people will really enjoy and others would rather leave behind. Like the gaming women I mentioned, again, I fall somewhere in the middle.

I enjoyed playing Zenses Ocean to a certain extent. First, let me point out that of the two Zenses titles Ocean is actually the weaker of the two. Rainforest seems to have better games, but they are both somewhat enjoyable in their own way. I think the laid back atmosphere works well, but for some, the lack of multi-player, and the basic nature of the game will be a deterrent. I didn’t feel it was a deterrent as much, though I did get the feeling that this might be better received on the PC as opposed to the DS.

Now that we have looked at some of the basics, lets consider the games for a minute. In Zenses Ocean there are a selection of games you can choose from. Most games incorporate the Ocean theme nicely and include graphics that are shells, pearls, turtles, and other ocean items. Each round for each of the games begins horribly easy but as the levels progress you will notice that they do get at least a little bit harder each time. I didn’t have a huge problem completing them, though some did require more thought than others.

The games include Zen Stones, Turtle Turn, Shell Twirl, Pearl Diver, Wave Breaker, and Hot Spot. Naturally, some of these games are more entertaining than others. Zen Stones was one of my favorite games and Hot Spot was on of my least favorite. In Zen Stones, the object is to connect the matching stones, two at a time to remove them. You tap two stones that are near each other and they disappear. The goal is to empty the board. It can end up being tricky because as you remove two stones, the others move positions. Wave Breaker is another fun game. Your job is to look at the objects on a beach and find them after a wave covers them up with sand. Shell Twirl allows you to fill sections with shells and other objects. You get extra points by matching the colors of the nearby objects.

The goal of Hot Spot is to take apart a sea creature (it changes with each one completed) and reassemble it while the parts of the creature slowly spin around. Turtle Turn has that whole Othello feel to it, with players touching turtle shells, flipping them, and watching the shells around it turn black or white. The goal (of course) is to match the pattern at the top of the screen. The problem with Pearl Diver is that you get limited turns to connect Pearls to remove them from the screen. You can get extra turns by making triangles, but it doesn’t always work out. Even when it does, it isn’t the most exciting game in the bunch.

This will definitely be a more female oriented game. The question of whether or not it’s worthy to add to your DS collection will depend on you. You can pick this up at Amazon for around $25 (less if you purchase from an individual seller). At $25, I would hesitate to recommend it because you can pick up any number of casual style games for a less expensive price. However, if you want something relaxing to kill a little time and you can buy it at a deal, you should really enjoy the Zenses line of games. Of course, you might want to consider the slightly more expensive Rainforest title instead.

Technorati Tags: Zenses, Nintendo DS, Zenses Ocean, Game, Relaxation, Casual Game, Female Gamers, Game Factory

Of the two titles, Ocean and Rainforest, the latter is certainly the most well thought out title. If you have to choose one, Rainforest is the more popular title and definitely the one that seems to be worth the purchase. Still, this is not going to appeal to all people. If you like your games with mounting difficulty and action the Zenses likely won’t be for you. However, if you’re looking for games that you can play for a few minutes at a time that will take your mind off of things then these should be just what you are looking for.

The six included games are Treasure Spin, Stack Jack, Twist n Turn, Flower Board, Sapphire Wheel, and Solitaire. Each game is explained in part below.

Flower Board: In this game where you need to use the flowers to create various combinations that are required to move on. You begin with a small selection of flowers and need to get more on the board from there.

Sapphire Wheel: Here you have several different shapes of colored gems. The goal is to take the shapes from the wheel and make larger shapes out of the colored gems that are available.

Solitaire: With Solitaire the goal is to move the stones from one floating square to a new one. You have to skip squares in order to do this correctly and you only have a certain number of tries to get the job done.

Treasure Spin: This game has you working with some stone blocks and some flowers. The goal is to rotate everything in order to get the flowers to jumble around into a position where they are able to touch one another.

Stack Jack: With Stack Jack you have colored rings slowly falling towards the bottom of the screen. It’s your job to match them up before losing them.

Twist n Turn: In Twist n Turn you have a few moves to swap or move the available gems until you are able to match the top of the screen.

The theme for this game is all about the Rainforest, so the games all include flowers, stones, waterfalls, and things that you might expect to see in a Rainforest. The graphics fit the game well and work excellent with the relaxation theme. You easily get that feeling that you’re transported into the setting of the game. The music also follows this lead and includes some nature sounds along with the basic new age music that is included. Women, especially those that are not into hardcore shooter style games, should like this mix quite a bit.

If you’re a fan of DS games and you find you have a limited amount of time, or you’re looking for something that you can pick up and put down easily, Zenses Rainforest might be for you. Both Zenses games are available at Amazon. Rainforest is currently retailing for around $30. However, if you buy from one of the independent sellers on Amazon you can pick it up much cheaper. For this reason, I definitely recommend picking it up at either Amazon or on eBay depending on which offers the better deal.

Technorati Tags: Zenses, Nintendo DS, Zenses Rainforest, Game, Relaxation, Casual Game, Female Gamers, Game Factory

On the surface the Jakks Motion Control Disney Play House Game looks like the perfect toy. It’s a plug and play game similar to a child version of the Wii, but for a much cheaper price. The game is filled with Disney characters so it is safe for the little ones and based on the design, it should be easy enough for them to use. Unfortunately, just because something sounds good in theory, it does not make it as good as it sounds.

In this case, what you end up with is not worth the money you will spend. The handheld toys do not always sync up the way that they should and the games are not only quick, they are too easy. You have about three rounds per game/character, sometimes more, but that seems the norm here.

After you’ve completed all of the rounds you can go back and do it again, but it seems there is little point. Like with an adult video game, once you have achieved the main goal, there is little reason to revisit the game, unless it is an amazing game (in this case that is not an issue).

Positives & Negatives:

Positives:
Kids Won’t have Any Problem Using this
Features characters Kids Know and Love

Negatives:
Not Challenging
Poor Design
Poor Graphic Quality
Characters Don’t Speak
No Real Relation to the Shows Other than Character Use
Not Worth the Price

Pricing & Availability:
Spending $80 or more on any toy can pretty much assure that this is a Christmas or birthday gift. I have no problem spending that much money on the children I love, but I want to know that it is money well spent. We were given this unit to us from Jakks for a review.

Based on the simplicity factor and how quickly children seem to tire with this, I have to say I am extremely glad that I did not pay for it. I would have been incredibly upset to learn that I wasted this much money.

Requirements & Instructions:
While I have heard about a few horror stories with getting the controllers to sync for this game, we did not have any problems in that area. Instructions are included, but you basically just hook up the game to your television and from there you can follow the on-screen instructions for the games you choose to play. For the most part, everything is self-explanatory.

This game system is easy enough for a small child to handle all on their own as long as it has been set up for them. Normally this would be considered a good thing, though I can’t help but feel this is just too easy and that is a major downfall. Other parents who have reviewed this have said their child, as young as 2 and 3, grew bored with this toy and found it too easy to play. To me, that is a major problem.

Durability:
As with any plug and play game there is a sense of limited durability. I always try to treat each toy with respect, so it’s anyone’s guess as to how rough you can really be with this. I think it could sustain a fall to the floor, but if anything worse than that happened it might be some cause for worry. Again, that is pretty standard for any game like this. However, the difference is that most plug and play games are not as expensive as this one.

Ease of Use:
Once the game was hooked up I don’t think I heard one question as to how to play it. One of the biggest downsides of the Motion Control Disney Play House Game is that it is too easy. If a four year old can play it and lose interest because it’s just not challenging that is a pretty big downside. Needless to say the kids didn’t have any issue with this one. It was nice to see children as young as four being able to play independently with a game system.

On the other side, knowing they were bored relatively quickly because it was not hard enough was rather disappointing. Every game needs a certain amount of challenge otherwise it feels pointless. Unfortunately, the Motion Control Disney Play House Game ends up feeling pointless for a lot of kids because it lacks the challenge they require for it to feel fun.

Fun Factor & Overall Appeal:
I am guessing by now you figured out that this just was not very much fun. I cannot help but feel that this is due in part to a poor design. I don’t know if Jakks (normally a company I am fond of) was just rushing to get this one on the shelves or they didn’t realize the issues here, but the Playhouse Disney Ultimotion was just a complete bomb. The graphics were less than perfect and there really wasn’t much interaction that occurred between the characters and the children playing.

For instance, from what I noticed the characters (Handy Manny, Tigger and Pooh, etc) did not talk. I think the kids would have enjoyed it more if the characters were more interactive and reminiscent of their cartoons. The music got annoying real fast, too so that certainly did not help.

The most unfortunate thing was that the kids really did not like it. They played with it for less than an hour and really didn’t want to revisit it after that. We’ve tested out plenty of toys and games and I have never seen Lil B get bored with something so quickly. I think it took me longer to write this review than it did for him to play with the Ultimotion, get bored, and move on to something else.

Bottom Line:
While Jakks came up with a good toy in theory, I have to recommend skipping the Playhouse Disney Ultimotion. I’ve heard there are other Ultimotion games that are better and that may be the case, but when it comes to Playhouse Disney you should definitely save your money. The game is too easy, not interactive enough, and lacks the excitement factor that you would expect with a game like this for young children. There are plenty of other, better options to keep the kids happy.

Price: 0.5 out of 5 stars
Durability: 3 out of 5 stars
Ease of Assembly: 4 out of 5 stars
Fun Factor: 0 out of 5 stars
Child Readiness: 5 out of 5 stars
Lasting Appeal: 0 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 2.08 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Toy Review, Jakks Pacific, Ultimotion, Playhouse Disney, Motion Control Disney Play House Game, Handy Manny, My Friends Tigger and Pooh

Feel free to check out a video of our reviewer, Lil B, playing this Jump Start PC Game by Clicking Here.

From the moment we were approached by JumpStart to do a review of My First Adventure, I knew who would be handling the review. Four year old Lil B, is relatively new to computers. His parents both have one, so he knows what they are, but they generally do not allow him to play with them. I suppose one of greatest parts of being an Aunt is letting your nieces and nephews do things that mom and dad never let them do.

One of the reasons I was willing to do the review with Lil B is that I am pretty familiar with the JumpStart name. When my son was growing up I would buy him little computer games with various other Jump Start characters. As he has grown, it was a name that I didn’t pay as much attention to because I had no use for the games, but once Lil B got to the right age, it made sense to begin paying attention again.

It’s no surprise for me to say that it only took him a minute to gain interest in the game. He asked me what we were doing when I put the game in the player. I told him we were going to play a game and of course that caused the questions to begin flowing.

“What game are we going to play?” (My First Adventure)
“When is it going to start?” (As soon as I install it)
“Is it ready yet?!” (Almost)

As soon as the almost came into play the music for the game started up and Lil B quit paying attention to me and began watching the screen. The bright colors and colorfully animated characters will catch young children from the beginning.

From the start, I think one of the most fun things for Lil B was picking out his look for the character that he would play. He ended up going with blue hair and braces, and even though that isn’t really how he looks he seems to like it anyway.

Enjoyment/Fun Factor:
Lil B is just the right age for this game. I recommended it for kids between the ages of 3-5. He’s only played it twice so far, but when he comes over he points to the icon on my desktop and proclaims “I want to play the fireman game.” The reason that he says this is because the icon on the desktop has a child wearing a fireman’s cap. Even though it had been a few days since he had been over to play with it the first time, he immediately went to the computer asking for it again the second time.

He enjoyed the slide most of all. You see, the game is an animated world and town where the character gets to play games, interact with other characters and have plenty of fun. Part of the first area includes a huge lake and an even bigger slide.

I think Lil B has made his guy go down the slide about 50 times or more, so far. Sure, there is plenty to do, but he always goes for the slide first and then when he is stumped he goes back. He dances to the music and laughs as the guy goes down. If you tell him you like the slide, he proudly proclaims, “Me Too!”

Though it took him a few minutes and tries to understand some of the concepts, he really had a lot of fun and I never noticed him wanting to give up or getting overly frustrated. The music and the bright colors and fun activities will keep him busy for hours. Even with the game being small in some ways, it works out because parents can go online and subscribe to JumpStart in order to get other game worlds for the kids to explore.

Enjoyment/Fun Factor: 5 out of 5 stars

Ease of Use:
The majority of the game can be played using the mouse. In order to go most places you follow the alphabet letters to your destination. Directions are given before each objective and there is a question mark at the bottom of the screen should any help be necessary. Of course, not much help was needed because everything is more or less pretty clear.

Occasionally, Lil B would have to try things once or twice, but generally he was up and moving within a few seconds after being told what to do and how to do it. Part of the reason that I think he liked the game so much was that he was able to play on the computer without needing help from an adult. Lil B is a highly independent child so when he is able to do something on his own he likes it even more.

Ease of Use: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Visual/Audio Quality: Both the audio and video qualities looked great. Tons of bright colors, crisp scenery, and a happy looking pre-school world is available for your kids to enjoy. The quality of the art will initially get the kids interested, but the challenging and fun nature of the games is what will keep them wanting to play.

Like the colors and scenery, the audio sounds fabulous. Kids will love the friendly voices of the characters that are unique to each person in the game. Everything looked and sounded like something you would expect from a popular game series like JumpStart and it was certainly suitable and pleasing to the children for whom it was made. Just a word of warning to parents, some of the songs are incredibly catchy and will get caught in your head, so be forewarned.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: I’ve been a fan of JumpStart for years and though I have not had to purchase these PC Games in years I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the new titles for Lil B. My First Adventure is a title that he truly enjoys. He has a great time playing it and I have great fun watching him play.

If you have a child or are looking for a children’s gift for someone three or four years old I cannot recommend this highly enough. Not only is this a great way to introduce computer games to younger kids, it’s educational enough that you do not have to feel guilty about letting them have some fun on the computer.

Overall Rating: 4.88 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Jump Start, Knowledge Adventure, Game, Educational, Pre-school, Kids, PC, Family, My First Adventure

Check out the action in this awesome CD game from JumpStart and enjoy watching Lil B, as he plays this game. As he said, when asked if he liked this game. “Yeah. It’s good!”

Check out this video: ON YOUTUBE.

Stay tuned for our upcoming review of Jumpstart 3D Virtual Wolrd: My First Adventure. You can pick up a copy of this CD Learning Game at Amazon for $11.

Technorati Tags: Jumpstart, 3D Virtual World, Video, My First Adventure, LI Kids, Lil B, review, CD Game, Learning Game

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 22, 2008, which means you have until October 21, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:
With My Life Handheld, you choose and care for a pet, play fun games and go on fabulous shopping trips, all in the palm of your hand. Start by customizing your character. Choose your size, style, fashion and look, right down to the color of your eyes. Build relationships with virtual friends, family and pets. You can even add to the experience with MyStuff accessory keys and fashion keys; and expand your virtual world.

Technorati Tags: Toy, Holiday Gift, Hot Item, My Life, Playmates Toys, Giveaway, Contest, LI Kids

When I was offered the chance to review Horse Life, I immediately compared it in my mind to the massive amounts of other “raise the animal” type games on the market. You can raise everything from puppies to monsters and now horses.

For some reason, I relate horses to a more female style game and I know I am not alone in this. I think that will keep some people from playing this game or purchasing it. I will admit that I probably would not have purchased it on my own had I been looking for something in the store.

However, I tend to be pretty picky about what games I spend my money on. I learned that lesson well enough when I bought my first Nintendo. While some games may seem fun in theory, that does not make them fun to play. However, having had a chance to play Horse Life I have to say that I was very pleased with the game. You should not avoid this one based on any preconceived thought that you have. It’s actually quite fun and definitely worth checking out.

Story:
The story behind Horse Life is about as simple as can be. You play as a person that owns a horse. It is up to you to nurture that horse. This is done through feeding, stable cleaning, learning tricks, taking fun rides through the pastures, practicing, and working to win competitions. You start the game by choosing a foal and making it your own. You have the ability to choose the breed and color. After you name your horse, time will fly by until your horse is about three. This means that he or she will be old enough to finally train.

You train the horse and spend time with him or her so that they will grow to love you and the two of you will make a good team. Together you will learn tricks that will help you win competitions. This experience will make you money, which can be used to buy items for your horse, like food and treats. It will also allow certain levels in the game to be unlocked. There are plenty of things to be unlocked as you go along so you will want to make sure that you continue to play to see what will come next. I have to admit, I didn’t find this as much of a problem though because raising a horse via the DS can becoming quite addicting. I don’t think the need to succeed has ever been quite so strong with a video game of this style.

One could say that the lack of choices in horses in the beginning (there are three to choose from) is a setback, but the game makes up for it in many other areas. Once you have everything set up there will be someone there to direct you through the game. In the beginning, your moves are chosen for you to make sure you know how to learn new tricks and experience the important parts of game play. After you learn a few tricks you will be able to train, care for your horse, and eventually win competitions as your experience grows.

Enjoyment/Fun Factor: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Controls:
You will be using your stylus quite a bit with Horse Life. The game is not hard, but your steps do need to be precise to continue on to the next level. For instance, when you do certain tricks you will have to tap the stylus against various dots that move along the screen. The dots tend to disappear pretty quickly so you will need to be on the lookout for them and be sure to hit them just right, otherwise it will be back to the drawing board. When it gets into spinning and tapping it can take a little time to get into the swing of things, but it gets easier each time you perform each trick.

For some tricks, you can expect to do a new trick a couple of times before getting it down pat. Others you will be able to pick up without much of a problem. For me, I had a couple of both types of results. When you are not hitting the circles, you will be following the arrows. There are arrows along the path that the horse will be traveling. In most cases, it will be your job to tap the horse’s behind to start them moving and to speed them up or slow them down. Once they are moving, you will follow the arrows and tap any circles that might appear. When it comes to the controls, it really is as simple as that.

Ease of Use: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Visual Quality:
The visual quality and graphics in Horse Life are some of the best that I have seen in this type of game. It is the little things here that truly make this game shine. For instance, when you get to see your new pony spring to life, taking the first few wobbly steps, it is then that you realize the true potential of this game. When compared to other games of this caliber, I found the graphics to be outstanding.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio Quality:
The audio quality here is decent. The music and game sounds are not overly annoying. I was able to play with the sound on, where other games have me turning it off or down nearly immediately. You can purchase additional songs and music from the shop, though this music is close to what you already have so it’s not much of a change.

Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Replayability:
Horse Life is one of those games that you can play for an extended period of time without getting tired of the game. Considering the range of competitions, the events that go on, and the activities you are able to enjoy with your horse, game play never gets so old that you want to get rid of your game. If you like sim-type animal games, this one should rank pretty high on your game play list.

Replayability: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Horse Life is a game that will be pleasing to a large group of people. Animal lovers of just about any age should enjoy this. I am still partial to my puppy sim game (“Nintendogs”), but I will say that the graphics here are much sharper and the game play is definitely worth the purchase. If you like animals or want a non-violent game for younger kids this is a great pick.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Everyone, Fun, Horse Life, Horses, Nintendo DS, Rated E, Tricks, video game

There isn’t much I can say to discourage you from buying this game. I wasn’t sure how I’d like this, but it is definitely a keeper. I’m looking forward to more Naruto titles, and while I’m not that big of a fan of anime, the game did give me the chance to learn about the story. In fact, I’m considering checking out past episodes of Naruto. That’s how much fun I’ve had playing this game. If you, like me, have a young, teenage son (mine just turned 13) this is one of those games you can enjoy together. Otherwise, it’s a great way to occupy your teen or tween as opposed to worrying about where they are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing.

The “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution” Story:
There really isn’t a story behind “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution”. It’s a fighting game where you play as your choice of one of the main characters of the Naruto television series. Each character has their weaknesses and their own strengths. There are 20 different characters from Naruto to Sakura. Some of the characters will have to be unlocked and there are various control schemes which you can use to increase your character’s strengths and help them to beat their competitors. The story behind “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution” is so simple it really is just you, fighting as a ninja to beat other ninjas, nothing more, nothing less.

Enjoyment/Fun Factor: 4 out of 5 stars

Controls:
“Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution” is easy to play. It doesn’t take long for you to figure out how to punch, kick, hit, and use Ninja power to kick the butt of your opponent. As the game goes along, your opponents become much more difficult to defeat and use of your controls becomes even more important.

The one thing I disliked about “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution” is that it does not offer you onscreen directions or demos on how to complete fight moves. It would have been cool to find out how to do these things before having to jump right in and start fighting. While it will only take a short while to get the hang of how to play the game, some instructions would be nice.

Be prepared to use the buttons and ignore the versatility that the Wii has to offer. If you have a nunchuk, it is recommended you use it while playing “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution” though you can also use the Wii remote by holding it sideways if you’re nunchuk-less. I found it easier to play when using my nunchuk and it was a lot more fun with both hands working madly to defeat each opponent.

Ease of Use: 4 out of 5 stars

Visual Quality:
I love the quality of the gameplay for “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution”, especially the fighting sequences. The action is played out with amazing skill and you feel like you’re actually there doing everything you are making your character do. I’ve been a game player since I played my first Atari. Let me tell you, visual quality for games has come a lonnng way. It is amazing what designers and developers can do. If you want a game that shows you just what the Nintendo Wii is capable of visually, I highly recommend “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution”.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio Quality:
The audio wasn’t too annoying for “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution”. The music, fight sounds, and overall sound effects didn’t get on my nerves too much. You shouldn’t have to turn down the sound unless you want to pop something in your CD player or iPod and play it to that.

Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Replayability:
If you like fighting games and/or you like Naruto then this is definitely the game you need to play. There are multiple levels and each one is more exciting than the level before it. You will be fighting some highly competitive players (those you didn’t choose to play as when you first decided to play the game). You even have the chance to play yourself. Seeing Naruto kick Naruto’s butt is pretty entertaining. You will want to play this one more than once, and though you may eventually beat it, you might want to give the game another try.

Still, there are some reusable features from past games in the Clash of Ninja series and with the flexibility of the Wii system, there could have been so much more that could have been done to make “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution” more interesting. Whether you will want to re-play this game is going to be up to the individual playing and whether they can look past these obvious flaws.

Replayability: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I don’t care if you like Naruto or not. You need to buy this game if you’re a fighting fan! I can’t say anything else that could show how much I love this game. The graphics are awesome. The gameplay is intense and enjoyable. The moves you can use to play “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution” are fun. I loved being a Ninja and really got into the game. Make your husband/wife or son/daughter happy this Christmas and make sure they get a copy of “Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution” for the Nintendo Wii. Anyone, over the age of 6 or 7, can really get into the gameplay with Naruto, and in no time, you’ll have a house full of ninjas.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – HOT HOLIDAY ITEM!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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