Super Smash Bros. Brawl
NIN TENDO/ WII
Though it may seem inappropriate for
the family-friendly Wii to feature intense
violence, Nintendo knows how to deliver
pugilism with its own twist. Super
Smash Bros. Brawl pits a bunch of classic
characters (including Mario, Link, and
Pikachu) against each other for blood-free
but beautiful hand-and-foot-throwing
cartoon combat.

iPod, Therefore I Play
GAMES ON MP3 PLAYERS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE FUTURE. IS IT HERE YET?

Jack Shephard makes his way through the wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815, pulling passengers to safety. A word balloon appears above fellow survivor Hurley: “This Locke guy, he’s weird.” That bit of boiled-down exposition is from Lost, the TV series recast as an interactive game for the iPod ( ; Gameloft), which recalls classic point-and-click PC adventures such as Broken Sword or Monkey Island. When you run a finger along the clickwheel to move Jack around the island and push the center button to interact with characters and objects, the game shows off what the tiny screen and touch-sensitive wheel can do—even if it’s currently the only iPod game bothering to test those limits.

While Apple’s ubiquitous media player has already revolutionized portable music and video, games have proven to be a greater challenge. Since the high-profile launch of the i Tunes Games store in fall 2006, new releases have slowed to a trickle, and every ambitious effort like Lost is undercut by lazy retreads, such as Sonic the Hedgehog ( ; Sega), an ’80s console classic undone by the clickwheel, which is too slow for accurate running and jumping.

A few gems shine through the clutter. Texas Hold ’Em ( ; Apple), for example, uses specific face and body animations for opponents; each one even has his own individual tell. Bomberman ( ; Hudson), an update of the

old Nintendo maze game, adds enough modern touches to make it one of the more interesting remakes for the iPod.

Conversely, the much-hyped Musika ( ; Sony) is a disappointment—the crisp graphics are offset by boring game play, which requires clicking on the letters from song titles in your iPod library as they float in and out of view. On the simpler side, The Sims Pool and The Sims Bowling ( ½; EA) make good use of the clickwheel to line up a cue stick or bowling ball, providing a level of fine control not achievable on mobile phones.

The iPhone and iPod Touch don’t support any of these titles yet, but there are dozens of free unofficial games out there, from backgammon to blackjack. Programmers will eventually be able to create games and software through a Steve Jobs–sanctioned software development kit.

Apple has never been known for a devout commitment to gaming, but the same can’t be said of Microsoft. Instead of making a compact version of its successful Xbox ³⁶⁰, it is purportedly grooming the newest generation of Zunes to be the company’s stealth entry into the handheld world later this year. A little competition in the field is surely a healthy thing, especially if it spurs Apple to take iPod gaming seriously. After all, a well-executed trifecta of music, video, and games would bring either gadget closer to being the perfect pocket-size living room. DAN ACKERMAN

Burnout Paradise
EA CRITERION/PS3, XBOX 360 ½
Nascar fans will tell you they watch races
for the strategy and rivalries, but they’re
liars—what they’re really out for is the
wrecks. Burnout Paradise not only focuses
almost exclusively on crashes, it doesn’t
even make you race. Like a Grand Theft
Auto in which you never have to walk
around, Paradise gives the term “killer
cars” a whole new meaning.

Devil May Cry 4
CAPCOM/PS3, XBOX 360, PC ½
With all the mythology built up over three
gorgeous sequels, the Devil May Cry series
would make a great anime show, as it has
enough monster-killing, over-the-top soap
opera dialogue, and nonstop flashing lights
to sate your inner Japanese kid. DMC 4
realizes the potential of the latest systems,
especially the überpowerful PS3. D.A.

CLOCK WISE FROM LEF T: COURTESY APPLE; COURTESY NINTENDO; COURTESY EA CRITERION; COURTESY CAPCOM ENTERTAINMENT INC.